Getting Ready for Opening Kickoff

So now that my Yankees are starting to catch mathematical-elimination playoff fever, I'm going to divert my sports affections to the NFL, where I'm playing in a 10-team fantasy league hosted by my b-school buddy's brother. A 10-team league pretty much means that every team is going to be stacked, with 8 or 9 Pro Bowlers on each team, thus making the league more about luck as opposed to shrewd drafting or finding a diamond in a rough.

My squad is listed below, so if you hear screaming in the horizon when one of these players tears an ACL, that would be me. Just kidding, it's not as if this is something cosmically important, like church softball.  Here's the roster of the "Millburn Mustangs":

QB Derek Anderson (Cle)

QB Jay Cutler (Den)

WR Torry Holt (StL)

WR Wes Welker (NE)

WR Hines Ward (Pit)

WR Devin Hester (Chi)

RB Marion Barber (Dal)

RB Clinton Portis (Was)

RB Selvin Young (Den)

TE Jason Witten (Dal)

TE Benjamin Watson (NE)

K Nick Folk (Dal)

K Josh Brown (StL)

D DeMeco Ryans (Hou)

D Lofa Taputu (Sea)

DB Marcus Trufant (Sea)

DB Brian Dawkins (Phi)

DB Kerry Rhodes (NYJ)

DL London Fletcher (Was)

DL Lance Briggs (Chi)

In "real life", we'll see the the history making Patriots defend their unprecedented perfect season... oh I'm sorry Patriot-fans, never mind.

So yes, the 2008-2009 season will see the defending Super Bowl Champion NY Football Giants taking on challengers to the throne.  Objectively, it's going to be a tough road for them to repeat.  Here are my picks:

NFC EAST: Cowboys

NFC NORTH: Vikings

NFC SOUTH: Saints

NFC WEST: Seahawks

WILD CARDS: Eagles, Giants

AFC EAST: Patriots

AFC NORTH: Steelers

AFC SOUTH: Colts

AFC WEST: Chargers

WILD CARDS: Browns, Jets

NFC Championship: Cowboys over Seahawks

AFC Championship: Patriots over Colts

Super Bowl: Patriots over Cowboys

For those of you who know my antipathy towards Boston sports teams, you have to laud my objectivity... or my efforts to jinx.