Articles

I hate the NFL Off-Season.

By Shane Sharkey

The mundane player interviews are muted.  Your Sunday tradition of dedicating your day to what type of beer you’re going to drink, and what type of snacks you’re going to eat has all but disappeared.

There are no ridiculous pre-game workouts by Odell, no late game interceptions by Eli, no stupid antics from Larry Donnell jumping over a cornerback and fumbling the ball.  I hate the Off-Season.

For the next 2 months I am stuck with basketball which is a circus in itself and Hockey where the best goalie on the planet can not win a Stanley Cup.  But I specifically hate the off-season because it’s when my favorite NFL players gets cut because they’re too old or make too much money.  It’s a time of year the entire journalistic community thinks we give a crap about Tom Brady and are dying for more Brady drivel. 

I hate the off-season because while the draft fills a temporary void, the fans still have to wait to August to see if the biggest crap shoot in sports works out.  I hate the off-season when the overpaid veteran running back uses your team for leverage stirring fans into a frenzy.  The “if we just had” approach to football becomes completely unrealistic and the “replace the entire offensive line” from tackle to tackle becomes nauseating. 

I hate the off-season because it pains me to see how much money these NFL executives make when they suck at their job and I remain baffled that only Bill Belichick can turn a quarterback from Kent State and a Lacrosse player from Penn State into play making dominate NFL receivers.

I hate the off-season because there are only 300 players invited to the NFL combine.  Did you know that the average D1 football program has up to 110 players.  There are tens of thousands of kids who never get a chance.  Today I found myself in a deli in New York City debating if the Giants should sign JPP.   Why shouldn’t they sign the guy, first, it’s not our money so who cares what he gets.  Secondly, some home-grown players you make exceptions for; just ask Amani Toomer or Chase Blackburn.

I hate the off-season because someone from your squad is going to do something stupid and because of the lack of material on a slow sports day…that story makes the back page headline.

I hate the off-season because the Giants blue and white colors fade in the gray winter and the NFL TV content becomes a “best of” list in attempt to hold our attention.  I applaud the hard work of journalists looking for real NFL stories, instead of “Re-Tweeting” and I marvel that guys like Michael Strahan aren’t 1st ballot Hall of Famers but Warren Sapp is. 

I hate the off-season because kicker Morten Anderson and Defensive End Jason Taylor will get enshrined in the HOF before guys like TO, John Lynch and Brian Dawkins.  Don’t turn the HOF into a popularity contest like the Pro Bowl…everyone hates the Pro Bowl.

Football season will never come to soon.

@NYGiantsRush