SO LONG 2012 NFL SEASON!

Seahawks at Bears Kickoff
(photo courtesy of Ed Mancia)

Felipe M

With the Super Bowl behind us, we asked our sports’ panel to list three things they will mis about the 2012 NFL Season. 

Johnny J wrote: 

• I will miss the excitement of the game. Waking up on Monday morning just to think about Monday night--Monday Night Football that is. Not just for the 2012 season, but every season!
• I will miss playing Fantasy Football every week. I was projected in 2012 to win the whole thing and with my top three picks hurt in the playoffs, I fell apart. I miss seeing my players get hurt; it was like a routine every week: Rob Gronkowski, LeSean McCoy and Jordy Nelson. I miss seeing them on the sideline a lot.  I'm already thinking about whom I can select with the 10th pick in my fantasy league next season. This sucks...football don't leave me!
• I'm going to miss the excitement about the rookie quarterbacks. This was the best bunch of rookie quarterbacks in awhile. It was just amazing to see them develop so quickly and they all fitted perfectly in their respective teams’ system. Pocket quarterback or mobile quarterback? Either way Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson were playoff bound.

C. McLain had more, succinct responses: 

Bears at Cowboys where Jon Gruden must have used
the word "gunslinger" a million times in this telecast.
(photo courtesy of Ed Mancia)

• The “C’mon Man” segment seen on Monday Night Countdown.
• Five of the NFL’s finest football analysts’ favorite words: “Hit him in the mouth!”
• And last but not least... Football! Let’s be honest: it’s one of the, if not the, best sport to watch.

Didn't realize that people are that devoted to Monday Night Football. Josh C,on the other hand, is all about TNF: Thursday Night Football:

• I am going to miss the Thursday night games.  Thursday night is the night of our bowling league.  The Thursday games gave us a reason to gather early at the sports’ bar adjacent to the bowling alley.  At least one of us would usually start a player from the Thursday night game in the fantasy league that we are in together.  We then have bragging rights and fuel to be able to shove in the faces of our teammates.  Outside of football, we have the Sacramento Kings (for now) and San Jose Sharks (when the NHL is not undergoing a work-stoppage) games, but they're just not the same.
• I will miss my fantasy teams and having something to look forward to on Sundays.  My fantasy teams were mostly dominant this year and watching the players that I pegged as "sleepers" and seeing if they panned out on Sundays.  Watching my "one-week flier" go off against a predicted, favorable opponent is always an exhilarating experience.
• I'm going to miss highlights of the "Young Running QBs.”  From RGIII, to Russell Wilson, to Colin Kaepernick, these guys were exciting to watch and gave us a reason to tune in not only to the games themselves, but to NFL Red Zone and highlights’ shows to see what spectacular feats they were able to pull off on any given week.  In addition to the rookies, I saw the writing on the wall for quite a few NFL records to be broken this season earlier in the year.  Checking on those records and tracking the progress/pace of a record breaking season was an enjoyable task for me (from Drew Brees, to Calvin Johnson a.k.a. “Megatron,” to Adrian Peterson, etc....).

(Peterson, reportedly, was playing with a sports hernia along with a rehabbed knee.  Ouch! I definitely appreciate his effort this season--Ed). 

What am I going to miss the most about the 2012 NFL season?  Well....

I don't know, without the ability to watch all
the NFL games, this is basically an
over-glorified dinner plate.
(photo courtesy of Felipe M)

• For the first time in my life, I had (free) access to NFL Sunday Ticket as well as NFL Red Zone.  It was everything I have ever dreamed of!  Being able to watch whatever football game you want is a luxury that every hardcore, NFL fan should have access to.  It is definitely beyond celestial.
• Watching Peyton Manning play after being out for the entire 2011 season.  Watching him orchestrate an offense never gets old.
• Joe Flacco finally establishing himself as one of the game's "elite."
• Watching the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys self-destruct in 2012.  I could watch those two teams continue to muck it up every year.  
• And no Tim Tebow phenomenon?  Imagine that!
• Miami Dolphins on HBO's Hard Knocks to kick off training camp and watching a promising young QB in Ryan Tannehill take over that position (I swear, he reminds me of Ben Roethlisberger when he was a rookie).   
• Watching Russell Wilson after I had picked him up in my fantasy football league, en route to a championship.  
• Eating all the pizza, wings, eggrolls, etc. and drinking all the beer and shots I could handle every Sunday!
• Most importantly, watching the Bears' first 8-9 games of the season.  Everything seemed to be clicking on all cylinders this year, especially that defense.  The signature game came against the Tennessee Titans where they put up 50+ points and forced--like--20 turnovers, mostly by Charles Tillman's "Peanut Punch" maneuver. 
• Tillman also had a great game against Calvin Johnson, making him a non-factor in the Week 7 match-up against the Detroit Lions.  He pretty much guaranteed himself a spot in the Pro Bowl after that game.  

More NFL is available here.