Much Ado About Something I Am Losing Interest In

            Today I will give you my picks for week 1 and my predictions for the Super Bowl.  First, a little history lesson so you can understand why I have dreaded the start of the 2012 NFL season since the end of 2011. 

The Dallas Cowboys had historically been a well run organization, and for a dozen years as the only major pro sports franchise in the area, had no peer.  The Rangers arrived but could not challenge the Cowboys, who had won a Super Bowl and become annual contenders.  Eight years later we got the Mavericks and the Rangers, for a little while, were no longer the worst run franchise in the metroplex.  In the late 80’s the Mavs briefly passed the Rangers before settling back into a tie for second behind the Cowboys.

Then we got the Stars who, in just a few years, went from nobodies, to contenders, to Stanley Cup Champions.  During this time the Rangers managed three playoff appearances (all first round losses).  Due to the three championships of the early 90’s, the Cowboys retained the title of best run in the DFW area followed by the Stars, Rangers and Mavericks. 

And then came Mark Cuban and Dirk Nowitzki and an amazing run of 50 win seasons that culminated in an NBA Championship.  For the better part of a decade the Mavericks were clearly the best run franchise of the four, with the Stars and Cowboys tied for second and Tom Hicks systematically ruining the Rangers.

Right in the middle of the current Mavs run, the Rangers hired Nolan Ryan as a consultant, he eventually became team president and began doing things the right way.  The bankruptcy court did the right thing, awarded the team to the ownership group that included Ryan, and the Texas Rangers have been in the World Series ever since.

This gives us the current best run franchise list:  Rangers barely over the Mavericks and the Cowboys about to be in last if the new management for the Stars can get it together. 

The slow fall from grace by the Cowboys franchise is the key to the above story.  Winning the Super Bowl with Barry Switzer was the worst thing for the long term good of the franchise.  It made Jerry Jones believe he was solely responsible for the success.  Despite 16 years of sad performance since.  It is why I dread the upcoming season. 

Many predictions I have seen have the Cowboys anywhere from 8-8 to 10-6.  They will be lucky to get 8.  Jason Garrett appears to have a mission to get Tony Romo killed.  He will be lucky to play in 13 games.  I think we are looking at 6-10 or worse.  But Jerry has won his Super Bowls, so that is old news.  Been there, done that.  And he has a cash cow without ever trying to win.  It’s going to be like this for a long time.  Go Rangers!

Admittedly, I haven’t paid much attention to the upcoming football season.  My team has no shot and won’t have one for the foreseeable future and the distant future so why should I care.  So, PREDICTION:  Patriots over Packers in the super Bowl.  Other teams that have a shot are Baltimore, Denver, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Chicago and Atlanta.  But I say Pats over Pack because Roger Goodell clearly likes those teams. 

And now, Week 1 predictions:

 

WEEK 1
Home		Away		Conf
Dallas	13	NY Giants	27	1
Atlanta	24	Kansas City	16	9
Philadelphia	30	Cleveland	17	15
Washington	17	New Orleans	31	14
St. Louis	3	Detroit	35	16
New England	27	Tennessee	10	13
Miami	10	Houston	20	10
Buffalo	24	NY Jets	5	12
Jacksonville	20	Minnesota	17	5
Indianapolis	20	Chicago	28	6
Carolina	9	Tampa Bay	16	11
Seattle	20	Arizona	24	7
San Francisco	27	Green Bay	24	3
Pittsburgh	24	Denver	27	4
Cincinnati	24	Baltimore	25	2
San Diego	14	Oakland	28	8

The season’s biggest surprise will be the Bengals and Andy Dalton.  The kid is a winner.  They won’t win their division but that division will have 3 teams in the playoffs and Cincinnati will be one and Cleveland wil not be one.  Buffalo will be the closest thing to a challenge for New England.  Denver wins the AFC West and Houston wins the south.  Green Bay, Chicago and Detroit all make the playoffs, Philadelphia wins the NFC East at 9-7,  49ers out west and Atlanta in the south.

See why I am underwhelmed by the NFL.  GO RANGERS!