Hours Before Kickoff: Preseason Three

It’s the most important preseason game – the dress rehearsal. The starters will play three quarters as the players and coaches prepared for the game as if it is a regular season game.

Enjoy it while you still can if the owners have their way. The greedy millionaires want to cash in two preseason games for two regular season games. They say it’s for the fans to give us better value. They say we don’t care for the preseason.

The truth is we don’t care for paying full price for practice games. Owners don’t like seeing their stadiums partially full, knowing they aren’t making every cent possible or even losing money on the night.

I’m one of the millions of fans that practically can’t get enough football. I tune daily in to the NFL Network just to see what’s on. NFL Replay is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I’ve DVRed the Patriots preseason games to watch a second time. And I’ve watched a bit of almost every preseason replay aired by the network.

But like anything, there is such thing as too much. More regular season games means more chances for injuries, more meaningless games at the end of the year, and it cheapens future records.

1,000 yards rushing already isn’t a big deal because a player has to average just 62.5 yards per game. With 18 games, the average drops to 55.5. Tom Brady’s 50 touchdown and Dan Marino’s 5,084 passing yards seasons would be eclipsed, but how remarkable would it be?

Eric Dickerson owns the single season rushing record with 2,105 yards. It wouldn’t take long for a running back to come along and surpass the record. But how great of an accomplishment would that be when O.J. Simpson, the first player to break 2K, did it in just 14 games?

The “fans” of 18 regular season games the owners are referring to are the other owners. They want to maximize their earnings. If the owners really want to look out for us fans and want to give us better value, cut the price of preseason games in half and make money off the overpriced concessions. I guarantee there would be fewer empty seats.

A few things I’m looking for:

My Turn: RB Laurence Maroney should finally get a start and the bulk of the carries. Time to earn the starting role.

Remember Me? Everyone ooo-ed and ah-ed over ILB Brandon Spikes’ debut. But it’s Gary Guyton’s job to lose. The incumbent makes his case.

Pass Rush Mr. Fix-it? Rookie OLB Jermaine Cunningham could finally take the field and hopefully bring consistent pressure off the edge.

St. Louis Rookies: All the talk is about first pick overall QB Sam Bradford’s start. But I want to see what WR Mardy Gilyard can do. I was high on him as a potential draft pick.

As I already said, I'm very high on the rookie tight ends. Makes me wonder if the Patriots intentionally gave them their numbers in hopes they repeat the greatness of their predecessors.