_Sez Me …_
On Thursday, the NFL begins its official, No. 2 reason for being — the playing of real games. No. 1 for its existence is making TV money through gamblers from gambling.
It means we’ve gone through weeks of summer practice time, leading to speculation and guesswork and a growing number of experts assuring us who’s going to be terrific, good, bad, indifferent and not worth paying a gram of attention to.
And naturally, who will be the best team, or the two teams that will win the AFC and NFC and play in Super Bowl LIX (59 for non-Italians) Feb. 8 in Santa Clara.
I have Kansas City beating Detroit. It doesn’t mean spit, but that’s what I have. If I were a politician, I’d say they have a 1,500% chance.
I thought the Lions were the best team in 2024, but they were far too unlucky, basically losing their entire defense to injury. They’re talented, tough, fast, resilient as possible, and their coach is a bad ass. You can light a match on Detroit. If they win it all, I won’t be shocked.
I pick the Chiefs for a few reasons.
One, their quarterback is Patrick Mahomes, and he’s the best. Because he wins rings.
The Cowboys’ trade of Micah Parsons to Green Bay will not sway me, although the trade certainly should make the Packers better and Cowboys worse. Parsons is not a generational player. Dallas has won squat with him. Those comparing Micah to Reggie White need psychiatric intervention.
The QB matters here. And to think, Parsons now makes more money than Mahomes, and he’s not getting Green Bay to the jewelers.
Talking heads keep trying to come up with others. But Mahomes has been to five of the past six Super Bowls (including February’s, when he lost to the Eagles), winning three.
Two, an incredible amount of luck is needed to win Super Bowls, and with the possible exception of the early-21st century Patriots (who could have lost all nine they were in), the Chiefs are the luckiest team in history. And for whatever reason, they also get more timely and fortunate calls from officials — to the point of making you (and me) sick. And it’s gone unchecked.
K.C. also has a Hall of Fame coach in Andy Reid. They’re better on paper than last year, which means squat. Every team in the division is that way, that includes the NFL Team That Used To Be Here (the Judases).
The Chiefs open with the J’s Friday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which is patently idiotic, but at least the loser can blame it on the bossa nova.
Justin Herbert is still young and retains one of the expensive seats among QBs, and Jim Harbaugh has provided him more talent offensively. The offensive line looked much improved until top left tackle Rashawn Slater was lost for the season with a brual knee injury.
People keep raving about top draft choice/tailback Omarion Hampton, but he’s a rookie who has yet to do anything. If the defense can get a semblance of a pass rush — still in doubt with Joey Bosa gone — it’s going to be fine. The kicking game is good.
But the AFC West looks like the finest division. Denver might have the best defense. The Raiders, as usual, are under new management, but the new management, while venerable, is professional and storied Pete Carroll.
Quarterbacks such as Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen may win MVPs, but to get to the Super Bowl you must drive through Kansas City, and — although I hate to say it — the biggest stop sign, Patrick Mahomes. …
The Cowboys have four first-round picks over the next two years. None have played. …
Me, I think it was a bad trade for both sides. If nothing else, Parsons should have been moved prior to the draft. Those picks from the Packers are not going to be high — and you can’t get an atom into Green Bay’s cap space. …
I’ll never say he isn’t talented, and he may be better off in Wisconsin, but, quick, give me the number of Micah’s playoff wins? One. Playoff sacks in four tries? One. …
If you own an NFL team and allow things to get personal, sell. …
Bill Belichick believed in drafting quarterbacks, and I’m OK with that because so many picks are wasted, anyway. But two in one draft when you don’t have a solid starter? Nothing but trouble. …
The NFL ordered the Browns not to draft Shedeur Sanders. Papa Deion was the issue? Owners ARE The League. Don’t be stupid. …
History can be made. The Judases have an undrafted rookie linebacker named Marlowe Wax. I looked it up. In the history of man and woman, there never has been a famous person named Wax. …
The Niners once traded three No. 1s for the Judases’ current backup quarterback. …
The J’s waived Tony Jefferson, then re-signed the Eastlake High School product to the practice squad. What a football player. …
There is less shade thrown on the floor of Sequoia National Park than on Caleb Williams. A sunshine talent. Magic. …
Dolphins linebacker coach Ryan Crow has been arrested on a domestic violence charge. What are the chances of it sticking? …
It’s always good to get a win, which is why schools schedule Stony Brooks. I find it hard to say if the Aztecs have improved from their worst team in the past 65-plus years after watching them John Wayne the Seawolves Thursday night. Stony is a JC team. …
SDSU could have had it easier. Could have played Boise State. …
Nobody went to that Thursday game. How can this continue? …
Arch Manning couldn’t possibly live up to the hype. Steve Sarkisian is overrated and always has been. Seven points? Genius. …
Carlsbad’s Julian Sayin was accurate and should have been asked to do more. But he was in control. No luck from his “great” Buckeyes’ receivers’ drops. …
Best combined Division I men’s football and basketball winning percentage since 2010: Ohio State .720, San Diego State .718. …
Deion Sanders wants college players to be paid as NFL athletes are if their schools make the playoffs. Next: Paid if they go to class. …
Padreitis. Xander Bogaerts gets his engine going and his body turns it off. …
So Tommy Fleetwood has won a PGA event. Finally gets a trophy for the $30-plus million he’s won on Tour. …
The 1986 Boston Celtics, including playoffs, went 50-1 at home. When real basketball was being played. Astonishing. …
Larry David and I feel the game way about Taylor and Travis getting engaged. “I don’t give a (crap),” said the comic genius. Hey, did they care when I got engaged? …
Big story Friday will be if Taylor makes it to the opener in Brazil. I hope Travis does not. …
Saw video of National Guard troops picking up trash in Washington D.C. So San Diegans are helping with the $1 million-per-day cost of garbage removal there, too. …
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says not to trust experts. Makes it easy to trust him. …
Shakespeare was entirely AI. The Constitution is a work in progress.