On Wednesday, August 6th, 2008, the Chicago Cannonball and I leave for the Holy Land.
No, not Canton, Ohio. Not Oakland. Not even Brooklyn. We are headed to Israel. We are going for a wedding. Three days in Tel Aviv and Three days in Jerusalem await us.
Yet Sunday, August 3rd, 2008, the action in the Holy Land heats up at 8pm EST, 5pm PST.
No, Not Israel. Canton, Ohio.
After 6 months of suffering (7 months for those that missed the playoffs), the National Football League returns.
I know the games don’t count until September. I personally do not even like preseason. Nevertheless, it is something.
Every offseason gets tougher for me as I get older. My friends wonder how I get through it. The Chicago Cannonball helps in her own way that I cannot print in a family blog, but this is not about anything connected to that. This is about football.
Fred Dean, Darrell Green, Art Monk, Emmitt Thomas, Andre Tippett, and Gary Zimmerman are now in the Hall of Fame.
It is a beautiful place. I visited in 2006. Harry Carson, the Father of the Gatorade dumping ritual, was inducted. He should be inducted for that alone. Yet as a Raiders fan, I went to see John Madden. He started by saying, “I don’t plan on making a heck of a lost of sense, and I don’t care.”
Somebody asked me earlier this week if I plan to take dirt and Earth from Israel and bring it back home after kissing the ground. No. That was Canton, Ohio.
To visit the holy birthplace of the National Football League motivated me to tears. Many players on the Raiders right now will never make it to Canton. I did.
I went to the Hall of Fame game, where the Raiders defeated the Eagles 16-13. I had an ESPN sign that said, “Enter the Season, but Please return NFL Primetime.” When I go to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, the word “enter” is replaced with “end.”
ESPN’s NFL Primetime is my ringtone on my cell phone. Not the ABC music from later years mind you, but the original music.
I feel like a dog that has been on a leash for 6 months. I am ready to bite the bark off of a tree and eat raw red meat.
The Indianapolis Colts will be playing the Washington Redskins. I don’t care if it was a pair of junior high teams. Slap an NFL logo on it and I am ready.
The Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers have the Battle of the Bay while I am in Israel. Thank heavens for tivo.
For Raiders fans, there is
On Thursday, September 4th, the Washington Redskins open the season at the Superbowl Champion New York Giants.
On NFL Sunday, I hope that the Green Bay Packers have # 4 at Quarterback. Brett Favre absolutely deserves his job back. You do not rebuild at 13-3, one game away from the Superbowl. I remember when he came out to start the season a couple years ago. Eric Clapton music was in the background. # 4 came out, and the crowd heard “4-Ever Man.” The Iron Man is not ready for his green and gold watch.
On Monday, September, 8th, The Oakland Raiders host the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.
I am sure when I get to Israel, my mind will be on that. Yet right now, the excitement racing through my mind is for my burning passion.
NFL 2008 is upon us. Thank you God.
Are you ready for some football!!!!!!!!!!!!
LET’S GET IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!
eric :)
” am sure when I get to Israel, my mind will be on that. Yet right now, the excitement racing through my mind is for my burning passion.”
I guess that means that he wedding in Israel will not be yours ?
First things first – congratulations.
The latest in the “All My Packers” soap opera is Favre has been reinstated and he will be “allowed” to compete for the starting job here in the land of cheese, beer, and NFL titles.
I had the same thought Mickey. Exactly whose wedding are we talking about, as the trip sounded an awful lot like a honeymoon to me. ;) Maybe it’s just practice for the two of them. Am I in toruble yet? 8P
Raiders will suck. But I hope McFadden has an outstanding season (he’s on my fantasy team).
Go ‘Boys!
I’m just glad football is back. I HATE the offseason.
JMJ
Eric
Obama has Ludacris well shooting him in the foot. McCain has HiCaliber check em out Rappin for McCain. Bernard McGuirk was filling in for Imus while he is on vacation he played this last Week. You can hear it and download it here.
http://www.myspace.com/hicaliber
I don’t know why you are looking forward to another disappointing Raider season Eric. It just depresses you. Besides football was invented to kill time between baseball seasons ;-) and for something to do on Sunday when the interesting football (college) wasn’t being played
Sports update:
Like Trent Green in 1999, I might be out for the season before it even starts.
My football team won yesterday on a forfeit. My kickball team had a nightmarish game.
Leading 4-1, with me on first base, the next kicker kicked a single. Through some aggressive baserunning, I scored all the way from first base to put us up 5-1. I destroyed my thigh on the play. I have an ice pack on it.
I have a bye next week since I am in Israel, so I hope I am back in 2 weeks. Yet if I am out for the season, what a way to end it.
Yet despite that play, and going 4-4, our team collapsed on defense late in the game. We could not buy a break, losing 10-7. Not since Jack Youngblood played in the Superbol ona broken leg has a loss been sp painful.
Between Peyton Manning and me, it has been a tough preseason.
Also, at 5:08pm PST, The Colts began the 2008 season with an onsides kick. It did not work, but it was exciting. By 5:10pm, the Redskins led 7-0.
My leg is shot, but luckily my eyes work so I can watch tv.
Thank heavens for the NFL.
eric
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