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Like the majority of you, I really can't wait for this season to get rolling. It is the hardest time of year for me. The NBA Championship Series is exciting to watch, and this years' edition was especially good with a hard-fought seven games between two storied franchises...but it doesn't compare. MLB can have some intriguing races for the postseason after the All-Star break, but even the 'Boys of Summer' take a back seat to the training camp battles about to ensue...they don't compare, either. Football has remained, and will continue to be, the King. I believe it's because the action is so fierce that the other games simply can't compete: it's not that the sports aren't fun to play or watch, it's that they don't have the sense of importance that the NFL season does. Every game is vitally important, unlike Basketball where a three-game losing streak is really nothing to worry about and Baseball where a GREAT team loses fifty games in a season. This year the media has already cranked up the hype-machine into overdrive, and the drama has fanned the flames. Donovan McNabb plays for...WASHINGTON??? Jason Taylor plays for...GANGRENE??? Brett Favre might/might not/might/might not play...on second thought, who really cares on that one? This season will be epic. The seeds are already planted. New York, a huuuuge market, is slathering because the Jets have given the impression that they will be able to compete for a title. The geographic rivalry they have with the Boston area comes clearly into focus, as the AFC East has been the personal playground of the Patriots for some time (with few exceptions, the 2000's have been all New England in the Division). The Jet HC, already adept at drawing attention to himself in both positive and negative ways, will be extremely entertaining to watch/listen to...he doesn't know when or apparently how to keep his mouth shut (or his middle finger down). Many are buying the hype, as the Jets have moved into preseason favorites to win the AFCE. Yeah, okay... This year will mark the third for the Trifecta at the helm of Miami. They have rejuvenated the team, bringing a steady influx of youth to the roster. They have drummed out of the cadre those that didn't want to conform to their team goals and plans (a la the Hasta la Vista, Baby to Joey Porter). They have brought in talented young players to fill areas of weakness such as Brandon Marshall at the #1 WR spot, and Karlos Dansby at ILB. Both are huge upgrades over what was in Miami's stable last season, and the new Defensive strategies on Coach Nolan may have the biggest impact of all. The Jets will put a good defense out there, but offensively the loss of Thomas Jones is going to more than offset the addition of a 'this-stage-of-his-career' LT. The loss of Alan Faneca on the OL is going to hurt both the running game and the passing ability of young Mr. Sanchez, the hot dog king. Santonio Holmes takes a distant backseat to the other FA WRs that relocated: Anquan Boldin and the aforementioned Marshall. The Dolphins will line up when the games begin with a DL of Langford-Starks-Odrick (Merling could be an absolute non-factor if the latest aggravated battery charges have any truth to them), with Dotson, McDaniel and Soliai rotating in to spell them while they wait on the return of Jason Ferguson. Five of those six names have less than five seasons under their belt, so the youth movement has been firmly begun along the front. The Dolphins have by far the best and deepest stable of RB in the Division, and it's not close. Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and Lex Hilliard provide a solid nucleus, and Cobbs and Sheets provide solid depth. All have played well when given the opportunity. With the addition of Marshall on the outside to draw defensive attention, Miami may have an even better ground game in 2010 than their 4th-best in '09. My hunch? Dolphins-Patriots battle it out in week 17 for the AFCE crown (how cool is it that the last game will be all division games in the NFL? Brilliant move imho), with NYJ a close third. Download the Free Phinfever Browser Toolbar
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