I'm Ready for some Football!

I must truly have a sad state of affairs when the commencement of the NFL season is occupying the cocles of my brain this evening. For those of you who aren't up to speed, I was re-introduced into following the league two years ago at the behest of friends and my brother. And after two incredible seasons (and a few more dollars in my pocket via ProLine winnings), I'm psyched to see what transpires Sunday.

For those keeping score, I currently support two NFL teams. As we all remember, I was on the Steeler bandwagon near the end of the season 2 years ago, enjoying a playoff run that I will always treasure. Last season, I found a soft spot in my heart for the Chicago Bears, as they hailed from my "home-away-from-home". I figure this will be the equivalent of my Jays/Cubs fanhood in baseball, and the my corollary that allows me to wear other teams gear so long as it's stylish and not a complete conflict of interest.

Another great part of the year is the Wednesday to Friday breakdown, where Jamie and myself argue over which teams to select in the point spread pool we participate as a tag-team. This evening presented the usual calamities, with Jamie having Steve (The Alberta Influence) trying to convince me that the Atlanta Falcons will not follow through on the Ewing Theory. For those not in the knowhow...

The Ewing Theory (named in honour of former New York Knick Patrick Ewing) claims that when a longtime superstar who has never won a championship leaves the team via injury, trade or free agency, and the media writes the team off, the team will play better.

Now I know that dogfighting isn't technically defined in the original scriptures, but I feel as if Bobby Petrino will rally the troops, and at the least put up a fight against the Vikings. Of course, my selections have been dead wrong in the past, so don't go bet the farm based on the advice of a seasoned sophmore betting veteran :P

All in all, I'm pumped, and have my jerseys out of storage and ready to go!

On to the Notes...

- Is it just me, or does Osama bin Laden sound more statesman-like in his latest video than Bush ever has been? Not that I'm supporting his ideology, but I found his scripted speech to be very well written, but with the usual under-handedness. And to think, he's the one living in a cave!

- Yesterday I almost got provoked into a fight in my building's elevator. Upon arriving home with groceries, my family managed to find room in a reasonably full elevator. After 5 seconds of the door closing, I was told "Yo, gimme some space, I can't breath!". After giving him the dirtiest look I've ever given, Zan pipes up with a "where the hell is he suppose to go?", to which he backs off with an "I don't wanna start trouble, I'm claustrophobic". Had Zan not been there, I could see a few potty-mouth words being exchanged.

The worse part? My mom, in her usual naivete, thought she heard him complain that I dropped water on him. This led to her apologizing for me, saying "relax, no big deal". Now I know where I get my light hearing from...


- Mulroney blasting Trudeau big time in his memoirs. In an attempt to be as impartial as I can be, I will say that I can see that he seems very genuine in his feeling that his Liberal nemesis was undermining the nation by being too pragmatic. On the other hand, I think Mr. Mulroney was on the other extreme of being way to far-sighted, ignoring the day-to-day lives of Average Joe's. While the country perhaps may be in better shape fiscally, it was done so with an immediate catostrophic effect on the common worker, many finding themselves unemployed at the drop of a hat.

With all that said, I think we can simply judge the PM's on the character of their offspring. On the one hand, we have smart, engaging intellectuals with fresh and fascinating viewpoints on how to shape Canada for the future. On the other hand we have the host of Canadian Idol. I rest my case :)

- For those catching up on my professional malaise, nothing new to report. I've attempted to control any anger I have, though I readily admit that I'm at a stage where a wrong statement directed my way could lead to some very interesting dialogue. Yes, I've been practicing, and plan on firing on all cylinders if the scenario is encountered. And no, it won't involve any tears!

Have a great September weekend everyone. Hope the weather in the T-Dot simmers down a bit so that we all can sleep at night without losing a few pounds in the process!