NEW YORK, NY -For us NFL purists, the NFL season start today, NFL Sunday. As this pundit pointed out on Friday, Thursday Night Football is a not newsworthy, as it is a crime against humanity. Sort of like Argentina being up a man for more than a half vs England in the Rugby World Cup last night… and LOSING. Some things, are best left in the past. With that, let’s get to headliners re the real start of the this season: NFL Sunday: Michael Irvin, Buck & Troy, Aaron Rodgers Is Jacob deGrom.
Micheal Irvin
In case you didn’t notice, Michael has been M.I.A. from the NFL Network’s Game Day show. Something [allegedly] happened between former Cowboy and a Marriott hotel employee. Irvin didn’t drop back ten and punt, however. He went on the offensive and sued. In the meantime, he was suspended by the network. But he settled his $100 million defamation lawsuit against Marriott and all is now hunky-dory. Whatever he allegedly said to the employee was when Irvin was off-the-clock. Moreover, it was not some kerfuffle involving a co-worker. The NFL didn’t want this going further – that’s a rabbit hole they don’t want to go down. But congrats, Mike, you got paid, got your job back and nobody knew you were missing. Mazel!
Buck & Troy
I can’t stand Joe Buck, mostly out of petty jealousy. As someone who toils in the broadcast booth realm, it bugs the spit out of me that he had the distinct advantage of having a dad who was one of the all-time greats. Hypocritically, I would have taken that advantage and run with it, so there’s that. Anyway, Buck and Troy Aikman are starting their 22nd year together, which matches the longest stint in the booth for two NFL broadcasters. The other two? John Madden and Pat Summerall. Full Disclosure: Buck and Aikman are very good. It pains me to say that.
Aaron Rodgers Is Jacob deGrom
As a New York Mets fan, I know what it’s like watching every facial expression of a star player, wondering if he’s wincing, thinking or just twitchy. You watch every movement, every toss, wondering if just tore some nerve, tendon or bone process you never heard of. It was the case with Jacob deGreed, Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard. This year it was the same for Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. This tortured existence is unsettling, to say the least. Now New Jersey Jets fans get to live this sorry cycle watching Aaron Rodgers. Every. Single. Snap. None of the aforementioned Metsies, however, had to worry about a lineman rolling on an ankle or a spine-shifting hit from a charging rhinoceros on the blindside. Granted, Gang Green fans know suffering. Absolutely. But I’d argue that to date life as a J-E-T-S supporter was their Purgatory. This will be worse. This will be much more disturbing….
Welcome to Hell, Jets fans.
It’s NFL Sunday.
