Fantasy football: attracting NFL fans every day

ON FOOTBALL

Baseball may retain the moniker of "America's Pastime," but no civilized American can argue that it's this country's most popular sports league.

That honor firmly belongs to the National Football League, which will take center stage Thursday night when the Super Bowl-champion New York "Football" Giants take on the Washington Redskins.

I, for one, will remain more focused on baseball and college football for the next few months. Why? Because the end of a season -- baseball's -- is always more thrilling than the beginning of one, and I enjoy the college-football season more than the NFL's (at least until the bowls). Every games means so much more.

That doesn't mean, however, that I won't pay attention to nearly every NFL game each week, watching bits and pieces of several -- some from home, some from congested bars -- and keeping track of them all online.

And I hate to admit this, but fantasy football is a big reason.

Before I enter Fantasy Land, let me say this: I consider myself a sports nut. Translation -- over the years, I've developed a penchant for watching games that mean absolutely nothing to me just for the sheer excitement of the action, the drama of the final minutes. I consider myself rare in this aspect.

Being from Michigan, am I a huge Detroit Lions fan? No. I watch them when I can -- and bare with their losing ways -- but I'm no die-hard, blue-paint-wearing idiot (seriously, who would wear paint for the Lions?). But you can find me watching the end of a close Denver-Oakland game on a random Sunday evening. That's just the Sports Guy in me coming out.

But now, my interest in the NFL is headed to another level. For the first time, I am in two fantasy football money leagues this season. In one, I'm a joint owner. The other team is solely under my direction. That means checking the NFL news every day to see who's hurt, who's available and who's in their coach's doghouse. It's a bit time-consuming, but addictive as well.

And it's just another reason to watch the NFL on Sundays, Mondays and sometimes Thursdays. Normally, I might tune in -- on a mundane Thursday night -- to the final quarter of a Giants-Redskins season-opener. That is, of course, if the game is close. But with Washington tight end Chris Cooley on both my fantasy teams, I'm sure I'll watch more than a quarter this Thursday.

Call me a fantasy nerd. That, I guess, is what I'm becoming. Now, granted, I'm not even close to the upper echelon of fantasy players, who, among other things, keep track of Denver's fourth-string running back situation. Heck, I can't name the Broncos' second R.B. But random games mean even more to me now.

Not only will I hope for another epic Colts-Patriots game this season. I'll hope for a great performance from Tom Brady, whom I drafted No. 6 -- I know, risky pick -- ahead of the Colts' Joseph Addai in my solo league.

Of course, fantasy football also creates conflicts in a fan's head. For instance, my hometown Lions take on Jacksonville on Nov. 9. Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew is on my joint team. What if it's a late-game situation and the Lions need a defensive stop, but I desperately need rushing yards from Drew?

Issues, issues.

I like to think that I'm still more of a football fan than a fantasy football nut, but I won't be able to determine this for sure until well into the season. It should be a revealing experience for me.

And I'm sure millions of other NFL fans experience similar conundrums. But no one's hopping off the fantasy bus. It's simply too intoxicating. Too easy to get hooked on.

To add to this, running a team doesn't take much time. Rosters are small and there's only one slate of games a week. Additionally, there's so much information available, you don't have to dig to find out who's probable, who's questionable, which running back's carries will decrease and which wide receiver has a bad rapport with his coach.

It's an easy game to play, and -- I'm hoping -- not that tough of a game to win (I'll let you know in four months).

I'm just glad I've resisted the fantasy baseball urge, and college football fantasy games are few and far between (and, with thousands of unknown players, don't interest me).

So for now I'll focus on the baseball playoff race and the beginning of the Rich Rodriguez era in Ann Arbor.

But simultaneously, I'll be keeping my eye on the number of carries the Broncos' Selvin Young, one of my RBs, gets.

Because if they dwindle, I might need to learn the name of that second-string guy out in the Rockies.

Home-field advantage could hurt Patriots

ON FOOTBALL

Late Sunday afternoon, with the sun setting above Gillette Stadium, all was bliss for the New England Patriots.

On a clean field, in good conditions, Tom Brady and Randy Moss continued their attack on the NFL's record books, hooking up twice in the Patriots' easy 28-7 win over hapless Miami.

New England is now 15-0, just one win away from a perfect regular season. It has home-field advantage locked up throughout the AFC playoffs. It has nothing to play for but perfection.

Only a Herculean effort will take down these Patriots. Only a close-to-perfect game. But it's possible, and the way the playoffs are shaping up, a visiting team might benefit from a trip to Foxboro.

(Note: Please wait to call me nonsensical until the end of this column.)

With Willie Parker done for the season, I don't consider Pittsburgh a threat to upend New England. No way, no how. And whoever gets that final wild card spot — the Titans or the Browns — probably won't make it past the first weekend, and even if they do, the Patriots will dispose of them.

So that leaves three teams, three challengers to the Patriots.

Let's start with the team that has the best chance of getting by New England, the Colts. Sure, Peyton Manning's great, but running back Joseph Addai makes that offense click. If the wind is swirling and there is rain or snow in Foxboro, expect Addai to get several carries.

And while New England's Laurence Maroney has been great the past couple weeks, I still give the edge to Addai. With Brady unable to throw accurate deep balls to Moss — unlike the bomb that jump-started New England's comeback win in Indy during the regular season — the Colts could pull the upset on the road.

The same can be said of the Chargers. Yes, Philip Rivers can't hold Brady's Q-tip, but — again — if the conditions are poor and the running game becomes crucial, I like the combination of LaDainian Tomlinson, Michael Turner and Darren Sproles to expose the weaknesses in New England's front seven. A mistake-free game by the Chargers could result in a win.

Finally, not to be forgotten, are the Jaguars, who are playing some of the league's best football right now. Running back Fred Taylor seems rejuvenated by reaching the 10,000-yard mark and subsequently being snubbed — yet again — by the Pro Bowl (how has he never made the "nobody cares" game?). Combines his cutback running with the power-forward motor of Maurice Jones-Drew, and the Jags have the rushing attack to eat up a lot of clock with Brady, Moss & Co. on the sideline.

So call me stupid, call me dumb, but forget all you because it's my birthday: If the New England weather cooperates and turns Gillette Field into a giant snow tub or Hurricane Shula, one of the aforementioned teams will knock off the mighty Patriots, sending Brady weeping back to Giselle, making Bill Belichick lash out at the refs, and causing the rest of the United States to breath a sigh of relief that Boston doesn't win everything.

Sure, it's as far-fetched as Belichick talking during a press conference, but nothing makes much sense these days.

Such as the Patriots winning too much for their own good.