Hi and hello, my fellow football Americans. Well, I've resisted pointing this out for as long as possible,

but I guess it's time to just pull the Band-Aid off. It gives me no pleasure to be the one to tell you,

but there won't be an NFL game played on Monday night. Not next Thursday night and not next Saturday either.

The weekend after that, there will be a corporate event in Santa Clara, California,

featuring a bunch of middle managers more concerned with the quality of the wet bar than the final score.

Matter of mournful fact, after this Sunday's two big games,

we're staring at seven long months and lots and lots of baseball before our beloved pigskin returns.

I'm sorry, fellas. Who is Dave Damacek? Take it easy, Tim Kirch. I'm just saying. And it isn't

all bad, of course, beyond baseball. March Madness is just coming into view on the horizon.

And right after that, we'll get those four days in Augusta.

There's also the overlapping NBA and Stanley Cup playoffs. They're always fun. And of course,

above all else, there's the 365-day calendar the NFL has successfully constructed around itself.

Before you know it, free agency will be here. And before that, there could be

some huge names on the move once they emerge from their darkness retreats or otherwise.

Draft season is already underway. Does it ever really end? Plus schedule release,

minicamp and training camp will provide some intrigue till September finally arrives. Yeah,

I know I'm rationalizing, but what the hell else can I do?

I'd love to make like a bear and hibernate till kickoff, but I think, at least I hope my kids would miss me.

Besides, this is the deal we've made with football, which works on the exact opposite schedule of those hibernating bears hiding from winter.

Warm weather's where it's at in a lot of ways, but as mentioned above, it lacks the most

important thing. Football. Only when the temperatures dipped as our spiritual sunshine

spiral back into our lives. For now though, we wait and contemplate and maybe find some

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