Crab cakes and football

This is the golden age of the NFL -- at least when it comes to being a fan. Maybe this isn't the best football the league has ever offered. I still think the '70s wins that honor. But it's close.

BREES: Winning feeling.

Just look at the season opener Thursday night. The defending champ New Orleans Saints against Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. What a game. I can almost guarantee if you are looking forward to watching it you won't be disappointed. No matter who wins. I've said it before. That's what makes the NFL -- at this moment -- the greatest sporting experience ever. Almost every game has meaning and is entertaining to watch. If the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies were playing a Thursday night game to open the baseball season I would hardly notice. Not many people outside of Atlanta or Philly would. But a Saints-Vikings matchup attracts intense interest nationwide.

I have heard more people say "I can't wait for this season to start" than ever. And they aren't talking just about the Patriots. They are talking about the whole league. The NFL is Pixar, "Lost," reality television, 3-D movies, and concerts at Fenway all rolled into one. Just look at the Week 1 schedule.

Green Bay at Philly. Atlanta at Pittsburgh. Indy at Houston. Dallas at Washington. And then the Monday Night doubleheader of Baltimore at the 2011 Super Bowl champ NY Jets and San Diego at KC. All great games with great storylines. The McNabb-less Eagles against the powerful Pack. The Roethlisberger-less Steelers against Matt Ryan and the Falcons. The veteran Colts against the up-and-coming Texans. The overconfident Cowboys taking on Washington with McNabb and Shanahan hoping to right the Redskin ship. Mount Ryan and the Jets against his old team and other AFC favorite Ravens. I'm going to watch as much of all those games as possible.

Luckily, I am on my furlough week at the newspaper (Thanks, NY Times) and plan to take advantage of my very free time by watching as much of the NFL Network as I can and getting ready for the home opener. I took inventory the other day and will need lots of the basic supplies replenished. But there are three unopened bottles of Grey Goose from last year. So we're good there. That's what happens when your team gets smashed in the first round of the playoffs. Lots of leftover booze.

The Pats start 2010 against Ochocinco, T.O. and the Bengals. It will be a good test of the D and possibly a very entertaining shootout. And the forecast is for 65 degrees and sunny. Sweet.

I'm going to blog a couple of times a week during the season (not every day, that's too much work) like I did last year. If you want the latest news on the team this isn't the place to go. But if you want a longtime fan's view from the tailgate to the fourth quarter, then follow along. Any year that Brady is the QB and Belichick is the coach the team has a chance to win it all.

I'll track the NFL in all its entertainment glory. From the NFL Network's life-changing Red Zone channel, to fantasy football, to the greatest story ever told (a.k.a the Brett Favre saga), pro football is like following a weekly drama. And, at least for now, the Patriots play a starring role.

I'll also look back at some of the best memories of my twenty-plus years of tailgating at Foxborough in the posts labeled "Tales from the Tailgate." The team has provided me and my friends with some really great memories. I think this year will be no different.

To get in the proper mood here's the football scene from "Wedding Crashers" (starting at about 4:20). It's a great look at both backyard football and eccentric, dysfunctional upper class families. Both are so much fun to watch. It's one of the best touch football scenes in movie history along with the one from "The Big Chill.'' One has Rachel McAdams, the other has Meg Tilly. That's a toss-up.

Crab cakes and football...