Death, Taxes, and the Patriots

The Ringer has become one of my daily reads for pop culture and sports. I clicked on the What We’re Most Excited to Watch in the 2019 NFL Season link with anticipation and was not disappointed. (Well, a little.) There is certainly no shortage of compelling narratives waiting to happen for the NFL's 100th season. Patrick Mahomes encore. Kyler Murray, Kliff Kingsbury and the Air Raid Offense is intriguing, as is the possibility the Ravens might bust out the wishbone. Baker Mayfield and the return to relevance for the Cleveland Browns is full of pigskin pathos. Zeke Elliot and the Cowboys. Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur. Drew Brees and the Scientific Proof that Luck is Real (and not always good). Nick Foles and the Jaguars. Jadaveon Clowney and the Seahawks. The sustainability of the Los Angeles Rams and the Millennial Offense as trend or fad. Ben Roethlisberger and the Ewing Theory Steelers. Carson Wentz and America's health care system. Antonio Brown. 

There was one storyline that was dismissed in a throwaway line at the end of the Ringer post: Death, taxes, and the Patriots. 

I'm not arguing that any of the plotlines noted above are not worthy of our attention. I just find it curious that what we have with the New England Patriots of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady is a movie nobody wants to see.

Well, nobody west of the Connecticut River.

Waiting For The Other Shoe

Ready or not, there will be a football game this Sunday.

Welcome to September

The initial 53-man roster for your New England Patriots is set, but not in stone. Bill Belichick reportedly said in a recent interview, that it's 85-90% set when they get down to that 53-man deadline. That means as many as 8 places on the Final 53 are still up for grabs. 

Adding to the pigskin calculus? The potential return of Demaryius Thomas as well as the pending return of Lance Kendricks and Ben Watson from suspension. 

Yikes. 

Almost There

There's just a hint of fall in the air today. 

Did I say fall? I meant football.

The Answers Are Coming Soon

It's just preseason blah, blah, blah.

Whatever. This is me not slowing my roll.

The Kids Are Alright

I'm trying to slow my roll. Trying to remember that it's early, nobody's won anything, that we haven't even started the regular season and that regular season is like a marathon where linebackers occasionally leap from the crowd and put you in the concussion protocol. 

I know. I get it. I don't care. I'm not even going to try to stop myself.

Super Bowl, baby. 

Living on the Hype Train

It's just preseason. It was just the Detroit Lions. 

Yeah, yeah, okay. I hear you. I don't care. You're not going to slow my roll.