# It's Never Too Early To Talk About Football **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 6, 2001, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-never-too-early-to-talk-about-football/67822 "2001-06-06T18:22:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2001, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-never-too-early-to-talk-about-football/67822/21 "2001-06-12T17:39:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jarbabyj \* > \*\*You make me sad LNO. > > I’m a big enough football fan to recognize that they are…sub par…but I do get my hopes up every year and I am ALWAYS optimistic.\*\* Hey, I -said- I was ashamed of it. I can’t even hear ‘Bear Down’ any more without thinking “No, they’ve got it wrong, it’s supposed to be BREAK Down”… I convince myself it’s less shameful than my roommate who insists on singing “Skol, Vikings” as “Skull-fucking”. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2001, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-never-too-early-to-talk-about-football/67822/22 "2001-06-12T22:40:35Z")
Dyno was the only one who happened to pick up on the tone of the thread. If you aren’t gonna draft high enough to get the #1 or 2 back, Jamal Lewis is your guy. Look for 1500 yards this year. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2001, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-never-too-early-to-talk-about-football/67822/23 "2001-06-13T13:48:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Weirddave \* > \*\*Dyno was the only one who happened to pick up on the tone of the thread. If you aren’t gonna draft high enough to get the #1 or 2 back, Jamal Lewis is your guy. Look for 1500 yards this year. \*\* Jamal! :: she said, scratching her chin thoughtfully :: yes, Jamal! jarbaby ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2001, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-never-too-early-to-talk-about-football/67822/24 "2001-06-13T22:11:43Z")
Well I can only speak for my own Seahawks and the future is unclear. **Runningbacks:** Rickey Watters is consistently one of the biggest producers in the entire league from the RB position. I think he has rushed for over 1000 yards for 5 straight seasons or something like that. And this pick would look even better considering that we have a very, VERY inexperienced WR corps with about 3 pro seasons between them. But wit our first rounder last year, Shaun Alexander, supposedly wowing the coaching staff, Rickey might have to share time this year. But he is still someone to keep in mind. **Quarterbacks:** As for a QB, our Matt Hasselbeck, IMHO, is going to step up this year. Like our WRs, he is very inexperienced, playing behind the iron man Brett Farve for his entire career thus far, but form what I’ve heard, he might be the acquisition of the decade. But again, he is throwing to a very thin corps of WRs so choose at your own risk. **Wide Receivers:** As far as a rookie WR, Koren Robinson I think will be a good bet. One of my brothers is a scout for the Seahawks and says that this guy is a STUD! And he might have to step in as our #1 if we don’t get a veteran WR in soon. **My Conclution:** There have been predictions everywhere for us. Some with us winning the division and others with us finishing as low as 6-10. So I say maybe choose Koren and/or Hasselbeck as a sleeper, but use your high picks on safe bets. But if they are already taking wagers for next season… LOOK OUT NFC WEST, THE SEACHICKENS ARE COMING TO TOWN! ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2001, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-never-too-early-to-talk-about-football/67822/25 "2001-06-14T01:30:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sledman \* > **(Whatever happened to Leroy Hoard???)** Tell me about it. The guy had balls the size of cantalopes. Wish he was still in the backfield. > [@](#): > > \*\*Bring on da Bears!!! bring on da Vikes!!! Bring on da Lions!!! Screw da Bucs…you’re leaving anyway. \*\* :::Rysdad takes a look at the remaining teams in the Vikings’ division::: Looks like another division championship this year followed by a playoff choke. So what’s new? ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2001, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-never-too-early-to-talk-about-football/67822/26 "2001-06-14T01:49:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rysdad \* > \*\*:::Rysdad takes a look at the remaining teams in the Vikings’ division::: > > Looks like another division championship this year followed by a playoff choke.\*\* You’re far more optimistic than I. Let’s take a quick look at the Vikings schedule this year. (And nyah nyah, this can’t be a hijack; the subject line is just football, not fantasy football.) Sun Sep. 9 12:00 PM Carolina Vikings win. Home opener. Optimism runs high. 1-0. Mon Sep. 17 8:00 PM at Baltimore Tough loss to defending Super Bowl champions. Fans say, "At least it was a good effort. 1-1. Sun Sep. 23 12:00 PM at Chicago C’mon. 2-1. LNO sings ‘Break Down, Chicago Bears’ and insists that the Vikings really honestly will win it all this year. Sun Sep. 30 12:00 PM Tampa Bay Brad Johnson teaches Dennis Green that he was a better choice than Randall Cunningham in the post-98 offseason. 2-2. Sun Oct. 7 12:00 PM at New Orleans Saints beat Rams. Rams beat Vikes. Thus Saints beat Vikes. 2-3. Sun Oct. 14 12:00 PM Detroit Home game, mediocre division rival, 3-3. Green predicts playoffs. Sun Oct. 21 3:15 PM Green Bay Home game, powerful division rival, 3-4. Green predicts playoffs, calls naysayers bad names on radio. Sun Oct. 28 12:00 PM at Tampa Bay C’mon. That’s been a house of horrors for Minnesota for years. 3-5. Sun Nov. 11 3:15 PM at Philadelphia Eagles are doing well, Vikings in a two-game slump, close loss. 3-6. Mon Nov. 19 8:00 PM New York Giants The grudge match. Green boasts that they won’t be beaten 41-0 in their own house. Moss talks trash about how he’s really motivated this time. Vikings lose 40-0 instead. 3-7. Sun Nov. 25 7:35 PM Chicago C’mon. 4-7. Sun Dec. 2 12:00 PM at Pittsburgh Vikings deserve a road win somewhere in here. 5-7. Sun Dec. 9 12:00 PM Tennessee Spirits are low. Carter plays Russian Roulette after every game. 5-8. Sun Dec. 16 12:00 PM at Detroit Lions smell blood. 5-9. Sun Dec. 23 3:15 PM Jacksonville Lucky game in the last game in the Metrodome. 6-9. Sun Dec. 30 12:00 PM at Green Bay And much like last year, the Vikings get spanked by the Packers at the end of the season. 6-10. Tampa claims divisional title, Carter retires in disgust, Moss throws another temper tantrum and is traded away, thus making the Vikings known as the team who traded FOR Herschel Walker and traded AWAY Randy Moss. Slim hope for the future – Buccaneers leave NFC Central in 2002 and Brett Farve’s arm has to fall off someday. (And looking at the Bears, they’re going to beat Arizona, San Fran, Cleveland, and Detroit at home, and Cincinnati and, say, Washington on the road. 6-10, and within a sneeze of placing higher than Minnesota.) So, hell, I’ll be happy if they even MAKE the playoffs. The traditional January choke will be a welcome relief to me. ---
**Author:** ![blanx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f04885/32.png) [@blanx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blanx)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2001, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-never-too-early-to-talk-about-football/67822/27 "2001-06-14T02:29:12Z")
Hey- I like the Lions’ chances in the division this year- Millen and Mornhinweg (try to spell that often) have done some good things in the draft, and I like the new attitude. Sure, we’ll get bounced in the first round of the playoffs, but we should make the playoffs this year! ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2001, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-never-too-early-to-talk-about-football/67822/28 "2001-06-14T07:55:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Weirddave \* > \*\*Dyno was the only one who happened to pick up on the tone of the thread. If you aren’t gonna draft high enough to get the #1 or 2 back, Jamal Lewis is your guy. Look for 1500 yards this year. \*\* Wha…?? What did I miss here? I thought the OP asked who should go first overall. I like Jamal Lewis (and by the way, I agree with the thinking), but I wouldn’t take him first overall (or even second). Don’t get me wrong, he’s a solid pick, just not the first overall (IMHO). Not counting receiving yards for RBs changes things significantly, again. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2001, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-never-too-early-to-talk-about-football/67822/29 "2001-06-14T15:20:20Z")
Dry, I was picking up on: > [@](#): > > I had the first pick overall (which I won’t, since I was in the superbowl last year), who would I pick? That was why I suggested Jamal. Yes, the question asks about #1, but also says jarbabyj won’t get it. I was trying to offer some practical advice. That’s me, practical as all hell. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-never-too-early-to-talk-about-football/67822.md?page=1)