Alright already, I'm ready! (For some football!)

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

As mixed as my feelings get about it, there is nothing like watching honest american football.  And I am so ready for some live action!  I have whet my appetite recently with a smattering of Arena and CFL but that's a poor substitute.  And the opening of camp just makes it that much more desirable to watch the real thing instead of reading about it.  Being an admitted football bigamist I will celebrate the first week of camp with my thoughts on all of my teams and the offseason news for them.

Colorado Buffaloes

Ready for the last season of Big 12 football, very ready for the Pac 12.  Will this be Hawkins Waterloo?  I think the mere fact that Spring practice ended with the possibility that Cody Hawkins could end up as the starting QB says all I need to know about that question.  I like Hawkins as a man, and as a leader, and he was the perfect coach to get us past the chaos that signalled the end of the Barnett era.  But if he continues to embrace the possibility that his son can be a legitimate starter is all I need to know about his huge blind spot and will be the hallmark of his time in Boulder.  I for one will openly declare I want the 2011 coach for your CU Buffaloes to be Mike Leach, failing that make it a major alumnus, not some other minor outside name.

Ole Miss Rebels

Well we have a new QB, but we had to stretch the boundaries of good taste, sportsmanship, etc. to do it.  Will that be the difference the year?  Who knows?  I do know that the team should have a good defense, and if the offense can just generate some points then we should be bowl bound.  It's just so hard to remain competitive in the SEC when your school has roughly a tenth of the budget of the big schools.

Denver Broncos

Tough day, tough news as Elvis has apparently left the building for the season.  I can try to talk myself into the idea that happening this early in the season gives the team and defense time to adjust and hope other players step up (looking at you Jarvis).  But unless Superman (aka Tebow) changes positions to Linebacker (just joking) we are hit hard by this news.  The rest of the news has all been positive though so who knows what this season looks like in the long run. 

St. Louis Rams

No where to go but up, when doubling your win total from last year means 2 wins you are definitely at the bottom of the ladder.  I like to think that the pieces are in place for a resurrection, but those pieces are all young, potentially injury prone, or flat out inexperienced.  This season is the one where Coach Spagnolo really has to earn his money.  Last year he kept the team playing hard, if not competitive every week.  If he can do that again this year with an improved level of talent I can see a step forward.  Not a quantum leap like 1999, but a leap forward none the less.