the 4th star

Two more sleeps. Bang it here for all the deets. Fuck, do people really talk like that? So dumb.

Five days after the Greatest Half Hour of Football Ever, Randy Turner wades into the holy waters of progress and hope with his latest today, suggesting the 2-4 Winnipeg Blue Bombers are only as bad as the amount of belief a fan carries with him or her to the ballpark. True enough, as one can’t account for faith and unsubstantiated belief systems. Talk to Bomber fans who cover the spectrum — those who bleed Blue and Gold and take everything they hear on the radio or read on the message boards as gospel to those who actually look at their team with an ounce of objectivity and expectation — and you’ll get a wide range of thoughts on the 2009 team.

While I happily concur with his point that the Bombers are who you think they are (I wish I would have thought of that), I disagree with this attempt to call off the dogs:

The Bombers, perhaps more than any other CFL team, should improve more as the season advances, since no other team experienced as much personnel and coaching changes. In other words, the Bombers should be a better team in October (read: offence) for the exact same reason they were awful in July. That’s only fair, right?

That’s fine. Looking to the skies for heavenly light is what being a Bomber fan is all about but to suggest the above sentiment is exclusive for the Bombers is a reach in football religion. By no means is the local professional football team alone in this positive projection. Every fan of every team in the Canadian Football League expects their home side to improve as the season drags on — that’s the product of tinkering with an existing roster, identifying and addressing weak spots, and coming together as a club in the home stretch.

Six games in and hope still springs eternal. Keep the faith, people.

Is it too early to be thinking about the National Football League? No way, Jose. The season is ready for take-off, and my tray table is in its secure and upright position. So, in the spirit of looking ahead to things that really don’t matter in a big picture sense, let’s take some time this week, away from the patio and laughing at those with green Bud Lights on their table, to consider each of the NFL divisions — what happened last year and what will (probably) shake down once the snaps are for real and the volume of the television analysis increases:

NFC SOUTH

2008 regular season standings:

Carolina Panthers (12-4)
Atlanta Falcons (11-5)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
New Orleans Saints (8-8)

Interesting to note: Both post season teams (Carolina and Atlanta) lost to Arizona in the playoffs last year. Does that say more about the Cardinals run or more about the quality of football being played down south? Hmmm…

Outlook for 2009:

Atlanta Falcons (11-5)
New Orleans Saints (9-7)
Carolina Panthers (9-7)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12)

Despite my reluctance to put the Falcons atop of the division (they seem prime to fall back after flying so close to the sun a year ago), the Dirty Birds could be the most complete team here. Roddy White is back in the fold after a short hold-out, so it’s all systems go in Georgia. In other division news, Carolina still has Jake Delhomme and New Orleans still has no defence to speak of. The Saints are expecting a major bounce-back from last season and with new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams barking out the schemes, and they could actually keep opposition clubs to just three touchdowns per game. Reggie Bush fights nagging injuries and Drew Brees throws for a billion yards. Tampa Bay? What about them? Smile like you mean it.