Let's start with a subject near and dear to my heart: football, and especially fantasy football. Football is an amazing sport. I don't know of anything else that has such a short season, and yet gets such a reaction and following from people. The season is almost half over, with at most eight games played per team. Yes, it's taken two months to play those games, but it's still only eight games. That's not really that many games. But at any point during one of those games, if you hear someone cheering for the other team, you get ready to take it outside. If your team loses, Monday morning at work becomes the worst time imaginable. If they win, hey, the day doesn't look that bad. To be so emotionally affected by a game is amusing at the least, although some people get down right scary with it. And no, as much as a football nut as I am, I am not one of those people 8-)

But then you add in fantasy football leagues (FFL), and the disease gets that much worse. While I will happily watch any football game that comes on (NFL, CFL, college, highschool, whatever!) that's just random diversion watching a game that I enjoy being played. With FFL now I have a vested interest in some of these miscellaneous games. Carolina vs. Dallas? A few years ago I'd watch it in the background just to see it. Now I have to see exactly how Steve Smith and Julius Jones do, since I have them both started on my team this week. Halftime shows used to be great chances to get some lunch, now I have to see the halftime show to get updates on all the players that I have started but I can't see on TV right now. You get the feel for how long comercial breaks will be so you can sprint and get all necessities done then and not miss a thing.

The league that I'm in right now for FFL is pretty cool. I only know one person in it, but the rest of them are all friends at college, which makes it that much more fun. Random online teams are ok, but you usually get one or two jerks that just post stoopid stuff all the time, and you get a person or two who just drop out and disappear if they lose their first game or two. With a bunch of friends you get to dodge all of that. These particular people don't chat too much online, which kinda sucks for me since that's my only way to get to know them (they're two states away), but there are some very good players on it, so it's a blast to play.

My wife is very good natured about all of this. Especially since I'll take care of our baby and play with her on the floor (keeping the TV in sight of course! lol) and let her nap all morning. There's a good chance that Renee will know the difference between a reverse and an end around (don't get me started on how many people don't know it) before she's in preschool. Just kidding. She'll be actually running the play by then. 8-)

What's the point of this? None of course. Other than to say that football is a disease, and I don't want a cure.