NFL: Super Bowl Marks New Season.

It was a struggle for me to sit down and prepare a column today. After my New York Giants suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens last night, I did not think I would be able to churn out another installment. Although some of you know my true feelings about Ray Lewis and his partners in crime (pun intended), I am still here and willing to make a very bold prediction.

New York is going to be the home of the next football champion. Now this looks very foolish when you consider the Super Bowl is already 24 hours old, but I am not talking about that league. Instead I predict that the New York/New Jersey Hitmen will become the first ever champions of the XFL.

Like several football fans I am very excited about the possibilities that come with the start of a new league. I do think we are going to see a product much closer to that of the USFL then Arena Football. It is time for all of the critics out there to face facts and accept this league for what it is; Second-level football created by Vince McMahon, who if anything, knows how to market a product.

We all know that this league will not be on par with the NFL when it comes to talent. Still what the XFL might lack in pure football skill I think they will compensate with fun and desire for the game.

While everyone has fallen in love with high profile offense and a high scoring attack, I am a throwback to the days of big D and a destructive ground game. The Giants and Ravens proved that a defensive formula can still lead to greatness in the NFL, and the XFL will be no different. Big hits, all access, and drop dead gorgeous cheerleaders will form this game. If that is what you enjoy then prepare to devote Saturday and Sunday nights to the XFL.

Do the names John Avery or Keith Elias ring a bell? Most fans might remember them as running backs from the NFL. Hardcore fans, on the other hand, will notice them as soon as they take the field in the XFL. This is not just a second football league; it is a second chance for hundreds of players who did not break through the first time around. The bad boys came away with the trophy on Sunday, but just one-year ago Kurt Warner was a golden boy, straight out of the Arena League.

How many other Arena players can you name? A better question might be how many of you knew Kurt Warner before he threw for a few touchdowns in the season opener last season? The Arena players (along with those from the CFL) are not given a large enough platform to sell themselves to the teams of the NFL. The XFL players will have that platform and a second chance at glory.

This is what football is all about. Less rules, more action, and the focus is all on what I want to see, as a fan. An American pastime with original ideas (and no, the games are NOT scripted). Sure it has some question marks, but then again how many great ideas were greeted with great enthusiasm? Need I remind you all of that crazy idea known as the Super Bowl? Like the AFL ever had a chance against the tough guys from the NFL. Ok, so it might not work out as well as I am making it sound, who cares? At least you do not have to change your routine at all. Sunday afternoon is still football season to me, at least until April.