Glad the NFL has started again and I can go back to watching real football. Not that Canadian isn't real football but for me it doesn't fit with the picture i have for the american game. When i was younger i was all things nationalist and preferred the canuck game to the yank offering and was content...until i started to pay attention to the details.
And details cher amis is what it comes down to. Aside from the obvious down rules, kick point rules, motion rules, ball size and field size there is something many canadians either don't get or don't care about, namely that the american game can be broken down into an evolving analogy of american war. Now if you don't get that or don't care, cool, i respect that. I respect that the CFL is a historic enterprise and a part of our heritage, especially in smaller communities where football still matters. In toronto it doesn't. Recently I heard that VPCI (WHAT WHAT!) scrapped their football program for cricket!!! Toronto is an evolving city which unless you live in the suburbs or go to white schools, has not need for Canadian football anymore or football unless it is the futbol brand.
The american war thing fascinates me. Football strategy is tantamount to both the Canadian and American games, but with the american game being so clock oriented it becomes a much more patient game (unless you have to sit through something like 4 hours of commercials on any given armchair sunday). The american game takes precision, it is a athlectic ballet fueled by intense micromanagement of personnel and time. In american you have to play the clock far more often than the cfl, and i like that. It adds intrigue to the game, makes each play important, each stoppage important and each run and catch important. once you begin to understand the american game there is only one other game that flows as precisely and poignantly and that is its namesake - european football. In fact the case could be made that european is an analogy for european versions of warfare, is just as athletically poetic and is as much about clock management and micromanagement as football. There are differences but both the american and european are blessed by being precise expressions of maneuver and precise executions of tactic. Precision is why i choose the american game and is only one of a handful of things that i prefer american over the any other goddamn thing.
that being said, here are some thoughts on week 1.
1. Eli manning looked good in the first half and then suddenly turned into eli manning in the second half and played terribly. This is good news for me since the giants are in the eagles division and if eli sucks, more hope for my iggles. Giants defense also looked real good but it could also be that the redskins offensive line was real bad. So far the giants replacements look sharp but still 15 games to go.
2. EAGLES EAGLES EAGLES. Watch out NFC east and the whole NFC. After some shaky initial defense the eagles D looked proper although they did give up some big runs and their linebacker situation needs to improve. On offense, the D train picked the st. louis secondary, middle and well the whole defensive staff like he was playing against a jayvee team. I couldn't stop bounching up and down, it was awesome. The O-line held up and donovan showed his skills avoiding the rush and slinking out of trouble a few times. Can't wait until the superbowl when my IGGLES trounce whomever they play.
3. Shame for Tom Brady. At least he can get comfort time with gisele. Seriously though it sucks that Brady might be done for the season. He's a superb qb and losing a talent like that hurts the NFL and all football fans. Not being able to see the best play and perform is always a loss. here's hoping he's ok and that it doesn't mess him up for the rest of his career 'cause until yesterday he still had about 8-10 years left. Side Note: I would bring in daunte culpepper to try his hand with this offense. He has played with Moss to raving acclaim before and could duplicate seeing how strong the pats team is. He might just show us why he was once in the upper echelons of qb's in the NFL. Bringing in Simms and Rattay to QB seems dumb and i suspect that the hit on Brady rattled everyone's thinking capabilities if this is the route they take. Side Note pt.2 - I had a dream about Tom Brady (i know this football obsession is officially out of hand) and in it he died from injuries sustained. Seeing as this was a knee injury i should have clued in that i was dreaming and attempted to become lucid. I didn't, but i do remember being really upset in the dream, almost crying (i'm a colts fan in addition to the eagles so this is odd) and my brother and a co-worker barry were also upset. We came to the conclusion in the dream that even if you don't like the player, having competition, especially elite competition is why Tom Brady is a great player to watch. This season will be muted by his absence.
4. The bears D is back and showed force on yankee national television last night. Do they ever have an axe to grind. Granted the Colt o-line is mush without Jeff Saturday, the defense was still killer and forced a fumble on #88 to take the game out of contention. I'm beginning to wonder if #88 is alright with these fumbles. Peyton to me looked fine, a little hesitant on the throws but he'll get back the groove shortly. The Brady thing might have played a factor on his slight conservativeness last night. Look for the Colts to bounce back. I still have them taking the AFC south and the AFC.
San Diego and Carolina was a great game. Merriman is a beast and all those steroids and growth hormones must have seriously helped his wolverine factor cause the psycho is playing on two torn ligaments in one of his knees. Slightly torn or not, that would still hurt and good on him for trying. The defenses on both teams looked great and when carolina gets steve smith back on offense they will be a threat. San diego will also bounce back but Tomlinson since last year has started to look like he is wearing down to me and seems to get in the groove late in games More often these days. Better late than never but i would be worried especially after the day michael turner had yesterday. Also the last play of this game has so far been the best moment of the opening week hands down. This is why sports is the best reality tv that is offered today and always will be. Kudos to Jake the man and for his ragin cajun' brilliance. Looking forward to seeing more of that this year.
The Toronto Bills looked wickedcool against a good seattle team...good for them we deserve good football in Toronto when it comes here.
Well that's all for now, looking forward to the monday nighters and next week when the eagles beat the cowboys 55-12 on national television.
yeah i said it.
This has been a message from a free citizen of the free city.
peacelovefreedomjustice
-s
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