Some NFL observations

By: Harvey

It's opening night in the NFL, but it's also Thursday. For some reason, I just can't get behind it. I don't necessarily mind Thursday night games, but open the season on a Sunday and then start with the Thursday games. Same goes for Major League Baseball. I know it's all in the name of ratings and advertising dollars, but it takes some of the luster off the beginning of the season...at least in my opinion. I doubt I'm alone.

I know he won a Super Bowl last year, but Eli Manning still isn't a great quarterback. Just ask Trent Dilfer how good you really have to be to get a ring. The reason I say this is because of how much he is being talked up these days by just about everybody. I promise you this, however; if the Giants struggle at any point, the asshole New York fans will turn on him. That's what they do...and for some reason, that's also why they consider themselves great sports fans. I don't get it.

Speaking of overrated quarterbacks, Daunte Culpepper retired today. He also whined like a bitch.

"Since I was not given a fair chance to come in and compete for a job, I would rather move on and win in other arenas of life," Culpepper said in an emotional letter he sent to the media.

Thirty-two (!) teams didn't feel like he was worth even bringing into camp. Time to stop blaming everyone else and face the fact that without Randy Moss he is nothing but an injury-prone QB who apparently wasn't even as worthwhile as established losers like Chad Pennington and a couple rookies in Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan. It would appear nobody even wanted him as a backup, for Chrissakes.

They got rid of the force-out rule on passing plays along the sideline. Sounds fine to me. One less judgment call for officials to eff up, probably.

Now there are no five-yard face masking penalties, either. Every one will be a 15-yarder regardless of severity. I've watched one game, and I've seen one instance of where this was called and it was complete bullshit. Fifteen yards for simply touching the mask...didn't even look intentional. I hate it.

I heard the NFL Live crew on ESPN playing their "Over-Under" game the other day, discussing each NFC North team and whether they'd win over or under nine games. For some reason, people are starting to say good things about the Bears and the previously-severely-underrated Kyle Orton. Almost gives me some hope for this season. Hope they don't prove me wrong Sunday night.