NFL Mid-Season Report – Part 1 of 2

As eight games in the season have come and gone, there have been a lot of interesting stories. In my mid-season report I will cover the five most depressing stories of the season thus far in part 1 and the five most exciting stories in part 2.

The 5 Most Depressing Stories of the 2006 NFL Season

1. The Seahawks Playing Without Hasselbeck and Alexander
Given, the Seahawks did not look that great with Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander, but seeing both of them go down just doesn’t seem fair. Maybe this is the year where the “Super Bowl Curse” starts. That is, the two teams that go to the Super Bowl will have a downer year the next season. The Pittsburgh Steelers are sure living up to their part of the curse; the Seahawks are not going to lie down as easily though. Oh, and has anybody else ever seen such a pathetic excuse for a tight end have so much trash to talk? Ahem, Jerramy Stevens, you're not that good, and I'm glad you got kneed in the crotch.

2. The NFL Being Such Stiffs Over TD Celebration Dances
Ask any loyal NFL fan and they will tell you that last year had the best end-zone celebrations ever. So what does the NFL do this year? Yeah, if you guessed they took the fun out, then you would be correct. Where’s the fun in a spike? Marvin Harrison of the Indianapolis Colts got a penalty last week because of an errand spike that hit an opposing player. The spike just might be gone next year, stay tuned.

3. People Thinking the Chicago Bears are for Real this Year…Again!
Rex Grossman is the quarterback that fantasy football players love to hate. You never know when he might throw for 3 touchdowns, or 4 interceptions. I’m so glad that the Miami Dolphins just squashed the Bears' hopes at an undefeated season so that talks stop now. I don’t believe in the Chicago Bears, the same hype surrounded them last year when the Carolina Panthers exploited their "perhaps the best defense of all time" in the 2005 playoffs. Here’s a prediction for you, the New York Football Giants will beat the Chicago Bears on Sunday, and they might do it again in the playoffs if they meet.

4. Matt Leinart Getting Stuck in Arizona
Matt Leinart has so much promise as a quarterback in the NFL. He has great mechanics and poise for a rookie. He also has a lot of guts to drop back in the pocket knowing that at any second he could get smothered because the Arizona Cardinals have such a shoddy offensive line. The Cardinals spent so much money getting Edgerrin James that they forgot to get an offensive line to block for him. Sounds to me like the brain trust in Arizona will squander two more talents. And I thought that Matt Leinart would be better off than Reggie Bush...

5. Michael Vick Not Living Up to Lofty Expectations…Again!
Michael Vick is sure athletic, but he’s not a quarterback. He has some good games, has put up some good stats, but he is incapable of leading his team. I like Michael Vick, but we all need to just realize that Michael Vick will never win a Super Bowl no matter where he plays, unless he’s sitting on the bench watching.