A h, summer. The beginning of August means many things to the average Charlottesville resident. The start of football practice, students moving into new apartments or just a lazy day to spend at the pool. Mostly, it means that America's national pastime is ready to kick into high gear and captivate the hearts and minds of the country.
Baseball? No, that's not what I'm talking about. Don't get me wrong - no one loves an evening at a baseball game more than yours truly. However, when it really comes down to it, America's true favorite sport is football. The NFL, to be specific.
I'd say that given the popularity of fantasy football, Monday Night Football and the Super Bowl, it's evident football has overtaken the grand old game as America's pastime of choice. Once again, it's nothing against baseball - just the facts, ma'am.
With that in mind, and NFL training camps already in full swing - based on absolutely nothing at all - here's the Chip Knighton 2002 NFL preview. I'm not going to talk about every team, mind you - but here a few things to watch for as the NFL season begins.
Don't mess with Texas
That's right, football fans, you now have that magical type of team to cheer for - the expansion franchise. While the team location (remember the Houston Oilers?) and nickname (remember the Dallas Texans? Okay, maybe not) are familiar, the Texans are beginning play as one of the most talented expansion teams in history. These days, that's saying something. For even though the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars have fallen on some hard times, don't forget they were playing for the chance to go to the Super Bowl within only a few years of beginning play.
So will the Texans make the playoffs? Doubtful. There is talent on the team. Inaugural draft pick David Carr, fellow rookie Jabar Gaffney as well as veterans James Allen, Tony Boselli, Gary Walker, Marcus Coleman and Kailee Wong mean this team will be capable of winning games. However, it's pretty far-fetched to see the Texans, cool logo and all, making much noise this season.
Even if the Houston players don't do much in the NFL, they have a history of success to fall back on. Coach Dom Capers got his first NFL gig as the first coach of the Panthers, and his first cut as Carolina coach was a defensive lineman named Bill Goldberg. Bill - or "Goldberg," as most now know him - made a pretty good living for himself in World Championship Wrestling.
Steve Superior
Despite the Texas addition to the league, most eyes are looking a couple of hours north of our fair city. These fans are watching Steve Spurrier, who had an outstanding career coaching at Florida, attempt to take his "Fun n' Gun" offense to the next level. The problem for Spurrier is that his talent in Washington isn't quite as far ahead of the pack as he usually had in Florida. Maybe that's why he's bringing back all his old Gators for a tour of duty inside the Beltway. Danny Wuerffel, Shane Matthews, Reidel Anthony, Jacquez Green - none of these guys have exactly lit the NFL on fire. Now they're expected to produce like they did in Florida. Not too likely. Plus, you take into account that rookie quarterback Patrick Ramsey is involved in possibly the league's dumbest holdout.
Ramsey, let's face it. When your competition consists of two guys who couldn't beat out the likes of Billy Joe Hobert and Jim Miller in their previous stops, you need to suck it up, get into camp and take the job. It can't be all that hard.
What does Spurrier have going for him? He's got a great running back for his offense in Stephen Davis, and the league's best linebacking corps in Jessie Armstead, Jeremiah Trotter and the otherworldly LaVar Arrington. The secondary, featuring Champ Bailey and the ageless Darrell Green, also is pretty solid. With defensive guru Marvin Lewis running things on his side of the ball, the future looks bright in Washington - if they can ever get a quarterback.
But if there's anything last season taught us, it's that anything can happen. The teams in St. Louis, New England, Washington and, to a lesser degree, Houston are looking forward to a playoff future where any team still alive is still in great shape for a title.
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