2023 touchdown leap courtesy Mikey Owens/NFL
Teams to watch: The Super Bowl-winning Seahawks and runner-up Patriots start the season with a rematch on September 9 as the teams to beat this season, with the Broncos, Jaguars, Bills, Rams, and 49ers as strong contenders. The Bears, Texans, and Chargers are also expected to play well.
Big questions: Can the Patriots stay on top of the AFC East? Will the Broncos repeat their dominance in the AFC West? Can the Seahawks hold off the Rams and 49ers in the NFL’s toughest division? And which veteran and young quarterbacks will have the biggest year?
To find those answers, I’ll be watching all season and hope international games in Australia, Brazil, England (3), France, Spain, Mexico, and Germany are as fun as I imagine they’ll be.
Let’s goooooooo!
Three years ago, my youngest son decided to become a Dolphins fan. Our family has no ties to the city or team. But my son really likes Tyreek Hill and Tua Tagovailoa, so he started cheering for them.
This year, I surprised him with an overnight trip to watch the Fins demolish the Raiders on a beautiful, 79 degree “winter” day at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. We bonded, loudly celebrated, and had a wonderful time.
Five things stood out. First, I cannot tell you how cool it is seeing whites, blacks, Spanish-speaking latinos, and a few speckled Asians all cheering for the same team. I love whenever a common cause unites people. Continue reading…
Football began in earnest last week. Not that kind. The oblong American kind. The “hoorah!” kind.
For now, I couldn’t be happier. BYU‘s undefeated and ranked 25th in the country. Seahawks look dominant enough to repeat as Superbowl champions. And even the most jaded fans are full of hope, smiles, and optimism right now. That always makes the world a more enjoyable place to live.
Of course, that’ll change as the season wears on. For most of us, frowns are just around the corner. But there’s a simple trick I’ve learned over the years to avoid letting an uncompetitive or unlucky sportsball team ruin your night, day, week, month, autumn, or even year. It is this: Embrace fair weather fan status. Be proud of it. Bandwagons are fun.
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