Here we go again fanatics! In a year where everything we are comfortable and familiar with has been turned upside down, it is nice to return to following our favorite teams and players in the NFL. But even our most hallowed of sports is not immune to the precautions that must be implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19. For example, players will attempt to navigate a series of protocols intended to keep them safe including a tiered system of access to buildings and a series of tests that will be standardized across the league. Coaches will have to be creative in preparing their teams to function as a unit and be ready for full contact competition while attempting to maintain physical distance as much as possible in practice and team meetings. Games will be played in empty stadiums, essentially negating home field advantage at least as the season begins. These are truly unprecedented times. But we will get through this. An exciting football season may be exactly what the Nation needs right now. So, although we can't attend the games in person, we can still fire up the big screen and follow our boys in HD. It should be interesting. Mask up, wash your hands, and ensure your living room seating is at least 6 feet apart because the NFL is back!

There are jobs in this country that are so difficult and complex that they require years of education and preparation in order to be successful. Quantum physicists worked for years to develop semiconductor transistors, the foundation of modern microprocessors which drive every computer we interact with today. Air traffic controllers monitor hundreds of flights at a time and provide a safe, orderly, and expeditious air traffic system, literally preventing our planes from colliding in mid-air. Environmental scientists spend their entire careers attempting to preserve natural wonders such as the oxygen-producing Amazon rain forest in order to protect the environment and human health. These are just a few examples of professions and career fields that require high cognitive ability and critical thinking skills. Being an NFL referee is not one of them. I am simply amazed week in and week out, at how a small group of individuals in stripes can repeatedly turn the most simplistic of jobs into an absolute quagmire. Following the yellow tape crime scene that was the NFC Championship game, in which the Saints were had, were took, hoodwinked, bamboozled, lead astray, and run amok, surely the league would address the lack of competency in the part-timers they ask to serve as referees. But no. Eight months later, in the very first game played in the Superdome since the botched pass interference call that cost the Saints a trip to the Super Bowl, the referees commit another egregious error that impacted the game and quite possibly could have resulted in another loss for the Saints, had Will Lutz not snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a huge 58 yard kick. During the final drive of the first half, the referees failed to reset the game clock properly to 41 seconds, leaving it incorrectly at 26 ticks to go. This erroneous decision cost the Saints precious time in the hurry-up drive, ultimately forcing them to attempt a 56 yard field goal which Lutz missed. Fortunately for the Saints, NFL Senior Vice President of Officiating Al Riveron, admitted that the officials made an error and the Saints should have had 15 more seconds to work with. Well isn't that nice. The bottom line is this, the correct call needs to be made on the field. Whether that is by the referees on the field, officials in the press box, or Mr. Al in New York. Somebody should be able to ensure the call is made and it shouldn't be the coach's responsibility to throw a red flag. Most of these controversial calls can be figured out by viewers at home in less than 2 minutes. Why is it so hard for the NFL? The NCAA uses a better system. No challenges, and all turnovers and scoring plays are reviewed automatically. This proves that it is possible to have every play reviewed by officials in the box that have the capability to notify the referees on the field that they have missed something important. I understand that some infractions will not be able to be reviewed on every down such as holding, but they need to get the big ones right. The most frustrating part about it is that the big ones are easy for the fans to see. Why not the referees?

Every NFL offseason is filled with the anticipation of a fresh start. Beginning with the NFL draft, every team holds on to the excitement of what could be. Training camp begins with over 100 players on each team that general managers and coaches work tirelessly to evaluate and develop with the goal of identifying the final 53 men that best fit the culture, scheme, and needs of the organization. Players are traded, signed, released, and in some cases re-signed. It is chaotic in the best of times, yet this offseason seems to have set the bar higher. We saw the Cowboys' Zeke Elliott hold out long enough to successfully miss training camp (I applaud the veteran move), irritate his owner Jerry Jones, and ultimately sign a deal making him the highest paid running back in league history. Melvin Gordon of the Chargers attempted to do the same, but without the leverage or pedigree of Elliott, Gordon finds himself still at home on the couch with the real possibility that the Chargers may not want him back for the steep price he is demanding. Melvin may even miss the entire season. Which would not be unprecedented. Le'Veon Bell is set to make his return to the NFL with the Jets, after sitting out all of last season because he and the Steelers could not come to a collaborative contract agreement. All of these scenarios pale in comparison to the five-alarm dumpster fire that surrounds Antonio Brown. The Steelers traded arguably the best wide receiver in the league to the Raiders, which at the time had us wondering if Pittsburgh was asleep at the wheel, but in retrospect looks like the most enlightened move of the offseason. Since arriving in Oakland, Antonio Brown has suffered frostbite on his feet from a cryotherapy chamber which forced him to miss most of training camp, filed two unsuccessful grievances against the NFL and threatened to retire over his helmet, challenged his general manager to a physical altercation, posted to the internet a secretly recorded phone call between himself and his coach, ultimately forfeited $29 million in guaranteed money, and was released before playing a single down for the Raiders. However, you play to win the game. Nobody understands this more than the Patriot's Bill Belichick, who scooped up the troubled receiver within hours. It will be exciting to see how this all plays out and who ultimately raises the Lombardi trophy in Miami. One thing is for certain, we are all ready to cap off a chaotic offseason and start playing games that matter. Welcome back fanatics!