On the final day of August....

On the final day of August when you live in a city like Edmonton, a person is usually reminded of the things that they are close to losing, or have already lost.

Teachers and students head back into the classroom and vacation time is over.

The roads become busier with traffic in the morning and afternoon and city-wide road rage will experience a sharp increase.

The days continue to get shorter as the sun begins to set a little earlier each night, and slowly but surely, any semblance of enjoyable weather will begin to disappear.

If you try hard enough, you can step outside and feel the overwhelming silence that blankets the city at night, underneath the stars, as another short summer comes to an end.

But for a fan of the NFL, a simple glance into the sky at night will reveal one star that shines brighter than them all. A star that represents something beautiful in the midst of so many things ugly. A star, whose light will brighten the darkest of nights for the next six months.

Friends, another NFL Football Season is upon us. Let us pray...


As the third week of the 2009 NFL Preseason has come to a close tonight, it means that the opening game for the 2009 NFL Regular Season is merely 10 days away, and is something that an NFL junkie has had a craving for since the Pittsburgh Steelers hoisted their NFL-record sixth Super Bowl Championship in February.

On Thursday, September 10, the Pittsburgh Steelers will begin their title defense, and kick off the 2009 season at home against the Tennessee Titans, who still surely have a bitter taste in their mouth from a loss at home to the Baltimore Ravens in last year's AFC Divisional Playoff.

And the story lines don't stop there...

After being released from prison two years after being indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to illegal dogfighting, Michael Vick has made a return to the NFL. When conditionally reinstated by the league, it was simply a matter of time before Vick would find a new home. In the middle of August, after signing Vick to a two-year deal, the Philadelphia Eagles instantly became the most interesting story of the 2009 NFL Season.

Not to be outdone during the offseason, in typical form, Brett Favre inked a deal with the Minnesota Vikings four days later to come out of retirement for the second time in two years. Since then, Favre has appeared in two preseason games for the Vikings, giving football fans something they would never imagined in their wildest dreams when Favre was a Green Bay Packer: Favre in purple and white, sleeping with the enemy.

Not to mention all the other changes to monitor, and questions that will need to be answered.

How long will disgruntled Bronco WR Brandon Marshall be in Denver or continue his immature antics and conduct that has been deemed detrimental to the team? Will the team-imposed suspension leak over into the regular season?

How will Patriot's QB Tom Brady hold up one year after a season-ending knee injury sustained last year in Week One vs. Kansas City? If anyone has been watching the pre-season games, New England offense (aka the Death Star) appears fully operational, and could possibly do some 2007-like damage once again.

Is Kansas City QB Matt Cassel ready to be the man for the Chiefs and earn that six-year, $63 million contract?

Are the New York Jets possibly stunting the development of rookie QB Mark Sanchez by handing him the starting job too quickly?

How will Terrell Owens affect the offensive production in Buffalo as the newest member of the Bills?

Can Kurt Warner stay healthy and upright for another season and lead the Arizona Cardinals back to the Super Bowl? Or will age catch up with the future hall-of-fame QB and cast Matt Leinart (aka Party Matt) into the fire?

How will Jay Cutler fare in his new home in Chicago after his departure from Denver? How much better will the addition of a franchise calibre quarterback make the Monsters of the Midway? How much Cutler-kool-aid are we Bears fans drinking these days?

Who will come out on top in the brutal NFC East division?

When will the Detroit Lions finally win a regular season game?

And of course...what will Monday Night Football be like without its beloved John Madden?


Toss in massive coaching changes and player movement, and the table is set for another fantastic NFL season.

The star is shining bright, and I'm sure that I'm not the only one that is saying goodbye to summer with a smile.



- Deacon Touchback