9.3.18
Here we go again! The NFL 2018 Season is upon us and it’s time to get 17 Weeks rolling. There’s drama on and off the field. 17Weeks.com is about the business as well as the pleasure of the NFL, that is, the issues of social justice and football x’s-and-o’s are both important and not mutual exclusive.
But before jumping into expectations for this new season, let’s recap and remember last season. Last season was so special because my first team and home team, the Philadelphia Eagles, won their first Super Bowl. After waiting more than three decades we finally got one! I remember crying through our lost against the Raiders in 1980 and the losing Championship Games and the Super Bowl during the McNabb years. But the wait was worth it. To finally have the Lombardi Trophy is everything. I no longer have to wonder if my Eagles will ever win one. I can enjoy football.
My off-season was spent at the Eagles Training Camp by invitation of the Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro (photo below in green cap). I took in all the sights and sounds including the Super Bowl 52 trophy sitting in its new home at the NovaCare Center in South Philadelphia. Dave told me the team name had just been engraved. I had the privilege of seeing the teams new Super Bowl wall and walking onto the field while Dave participated in an interview with news reporters. Coach Pederson, Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, Michael Bennett, and others walked by as practice came to an end.
The off-the-field drama with the player protest continues. The so-called President is the instigator-and-chief spewing vile and disgusting words towards the players. He has emboldened politicians and people on the right to follow his example. CNN is reporting: “According to the Beaver County Times, Carla Maloney, a Republican county official in Pennsylvania, has resigned after it was revealed that she’d written Facebook posts referring to kneeling NFL players as ‘baboons.'” I will blog about this in the days ahead.
Now to this new season! The 2017 Champs will kick the season off on Thursday against the Atlanta Falcons. I expect a lot of competition and parody all across the NFL. I believe the power is in the NFC again this year. Division play will be intense with teams vying for wildcard spots. The Patriots are still atop the AFC but there are teams like Jaguars, Pittsburg, and Chargers, nipping at their heels. There will be surprises ahead. I will break down each team and offer my season predictions over the next several days.
