One could not script a more devastating Kickoff Weekend for the NFL and their marketing folks. Look at this laundry list of disasters from yesterday’s games:
- Tom Brady. Torn ACL. Season over. Patriots season in jeopardy.
- Vince Young. Strained MCL. Out 4-6 weeks. I know the story says 2-4, but Jeff Saturday has a similar injury. It will be 4-6 weeks. Oh, and Vince continued his sidelining putting and general douchebaggery.
- Chargers lay an egg against the Panthers.
- Colts lay an egg against the Bears during the opening of their new stadium. Peyton Manning clearly not ready to play.
- Seattle, a team expected by many to win their division, gets mauled by Buffalo.
- Jacksonville, the anointed favorite among ESPN, gets beaten up by the Titans.
Much of what the NFL markets itself around (big name QBs and marquee teams) looked like utter garbage on Sunday. Thankfully, it is only Week One, and for many of the teams and players on this list there is hope for a rebound. On the flip side, maybe this is exactly what the NFL is all about: Unpredictability. Media people hate that because they get proven wrong a lot and it makes them look like the idiots they usually are. But for fans, it is gold. The motto of pro football is anyone can beat anyone, anywhere. And that’s what makes it great.