Football season!!!

That magical time of the year is almost here. There's really nothing better then spending a Sunday, or even a Saturday with college ball, in front of the TV with my beloved NY Giants, beer, and fried food. I'm happy to say that this year I'll be watching on my cousin's large Hi-Def plasma, which is a big upgrade from the little pos I had last year.

I'm an unashamed Giants fan, and I really like our chances this year. The defense is looking strong, especially with Ossi back. We should have one of the best secondaries in football, and if the linebackers are decent, this D will be a terror. On offense, we just need one of these young receivers to step up now that Plax is gone. The running game is going to do most of the work anyway, and Kevin Boss is already a beast across the middle at TE. Coming off this Mets season, I'll enjoy watching a professional sports team again. I usually make predictions at this time of year like every other armchair quarterback out there. So I'll do it on the internet this year and give everyone fuel to make fun of me in six months when this is all wrong.

Let's start with the deadly NFC East. Hmmm.... I wonder who I'm picking here? Seriously, this is the toughest division in the league yet again. Any team that comes out of it if going to be in good shape to make the Super Bowl down the road if they stay healthy. I do think the Giants will take it, and that's not completely a homer call. You can never really trust the Andy Ried/Donovan McNabb combo in a big game, late in the season... assuming Michael Vick isn't the starter by the year's end. They are an interesting team to be sure, and potentially a Wild Card. I just don't think they have the chops to win the division. Dallas and Washington are both good teams, I don't see them as playoff teams. Felix Jones could be a superstar, but Romo is overrated and Wade Phillips is the wrong coach for that team. The 'Skins defense will keep them competitive, but where are the points coming from? They finish last in the division.

The NFC North will probably be one of the more interesting divisions to watch with all the off season intrigue. I, and I can't believe I'm saying this, think the Bears might win this thing. Favre will play one big game for Minny early in the year before he fades into the sunset again and becomes a $12 million interception machine. Detroit is, well, Detroit. Stafford ain't Matt Ryan. I thought he was overrated at Georgia, but even if he was as good this team just has nothing. The Kittens are a joke again, but improve to 3-13! Big news. I think the fate of the division rests on Green Bay's defense. If they are as miserable as they were last year the Pack might finish third in the division, but if they shape up into a top 15 unit, this team becomes dangerous. The Bears round out this "What If" machine of a division with questions about their offense. Is Cutler the savior for this team? I've never really liked Cutler, but even if he is as good as people think, who's catching the ball? And was Forte a one season wonder? Honestly, the Vikes, Pack, and Bears could each end up 7-9 or 11-5 and neither would surprise me. I close my eyes and say Chicago.

The NFC South is a two horse race as I see it. The Saints and Falcons are going to compete. The Bucs are rebuilding and probably won't be much of a factor this year. The Panthers are fading. Deangelo Williams will put up numbers, but on a mediocre team. I think we'll see the last of Jake Delhomme this year. If the Saints can put together anything remotely resembling a defense they would be scary. They can score points is huge chunks, but their defense can't get off the field to get that high octane offense back out. The Falcons are a tough team to predict. The usually follow a winning season with a losing one. Michael Turner couldn't run against good defenses. But they did add the greatest pass catching tight end in NFL history. Tony Gonzalez is a game changer. I think the Saints put it together and win this year, and the Dirty Birds probably take a Wild Card spot.

And then there's the NFC West. I mean, if the Cards didn't play in this division would anyone care about it at all? The Rams and Niners are just... bad. The Cards felt like a fluke last year, but they have one of the most exciting players in the game in Larry Fitzgerald. I'm convinced Kurt Warner will never willingly retire. Either he'll finally stop getting contracts or he'll drop dead right on the field. Seriously Kurt, don't go all Farve on us. The Seahawks could be good, but their QB is Matt Hasselbeck, and I still don't understand who thought this guy should ever have been a starter. They also have a history of injury problems. Its bad when your huge divisional showdown is between Arizona and Seattle, well this incarnation of those teams anyway. I guess I'll take the Cards, only because they won it last year. Wouldn't be surprised if Seattle took it though.

They way I call it...
1. Giants
2. Saints
3. Bears
4. Seahawks
5. Eagles
6. Falcons
I'll take the Bears and Eagles in the wild card round. The Giants and Saints go to the NFC championship, and the New York football Giants advance to the Super Bowl.

I'll do the AFC tomorrow.