Bring it On!

I know, I know...I've been pretty lax about writing on my blog these past few weeks, but really, what was there to say? That I was totally depressed about the NFL lockout? That I was having nightmares about what my summer would look like without training camp to look forward to?  That my worst fears about life
without a football season seemed to be coming true?  For your sake, and mine, I decided to spare you that drivel.  It just wasn't going to get us anywhere.

But now...well, things are really looking up!  Looks like football is coming BACK, baby, and aside from my son's 5th birthday this past weekend, THAT is some of the best news I've had all summer.  I'm trying not to get too over the top about it quite yet, as there are still some loose ends that need to be tied up before the
"suits" and the players can finally put this labor dispute mess behind them.  But for all intents and purposes, it looks like we are going to have ourselves a football season this year after all.  And not just a season that starts late in September, in a rush and without fanfare.  In a lucky break for fans, they're actually going to throw in  training camp and preseaseon for good measure.  I'll write later about my passion -- make that my OBSESSION -- with football training camp and all it represents.  But suffice it to say that things couldn't look any better right now for those of us who are true football fans. 

What a relief! We made it. We survived this horrible period in which football ceased to exist, and as far as I'm concerned, we should all be congratulated for our efforts.  It wasn't easy, that's for sure.  We were forced to wean ourselves off football right after the Superbowl in February, and we all somehow muddled through as best we could.  Without any of the usual off-season tidbits, free-agency information, mini-camps or rookie symposium details to keep us going.  Without any good news to pin our hopes on.  And with the niggling fear that maybe, just maybe, we were going to be forced to spend our fall Sundays mowing our lawns or going antiquing with our families instead of watching football. I can't even bear to think about it.

But we made it.  And so I say, thanks, women's soccer, Osama Bin Ladin & Seal Team 6, and Kate Middleton for providing us some interesting diversions while we waited for football to come back.  At least we had something to keep us busy and help us stop obsessing about a possible life without football while we waited.  It could have been worse, right?

But now.  Oh, the excitement.  The anticipation.  Training camp is right around the corner, and all is right with the world.  Pat yourselves on the back for a job well-done, folks.  We made it through the NFL lockout to the promised land. We can finally exhale.  Football is BACK!