I have ranked the NFC East as #3 overall in the NFL and #1 in the NFC. I tried to do everything I could to avoid ranking this division this high. The teams in this division get more coverage and media attention than any other combined group. Year in and year out, this division is ranked as the toughest in football, yet for the most part, this has been a division of mediocre teams.

This year though, they deserve a high ranking for no other reason that three of these teams could potentially finish first as easily as third. There is not a whole lot of distance between these teams and the rivalries between all of these teams is always fierce and entertaining. So why not rank them higher? Because not one of these teams is outstanding. I don’t feel that the NFC will be represented by a team out of this division. On top of that, I don’t feel that any team in the NFC will win the Superbowl. > more <

This is another division that has been pretty much dominated by a single team in recent history. The other teams have had seasons in which they have been good and even challenged for the division title at times. But no team in this division nor the entire NFL has rivaled the recent success of the Patriots.

This season doesn’t appear to be any different in the AFC East. At the top of the pecking order here (and the entire league), the New England Patriots remain firmly entrenched as the top dog. New England immediately became the Superbowl pick de jour upon acquiring Randy Moss. I don’t think it is quite that simple. New England was a good team before the acquisition and they are just as good a team after the acquisition. In my mind, nothing has changed; the Patriots will be serious contenders at the end of the season.

> more <

If you haven’t heard yet, an NBA officiator is under investigation for at least betting on NBA games and possibly even point shaving in games that he officiated. In order to present my viewpoint of this news, I am going to present a point - counterpoint type argument against myself. Trust me, I am schizophrenic enough to pull this off.

Why this IS a huge blow to the NBA:

• Perhaps the most shocking news is that the NBA more or less turned a blind eye to this. This quote from Sports Illustrated is perhaps the most damaging:
  

  Said one league source with ties to Philadelphia… “When I heard that a referee was in trouble with gambling, I knew right away it was Donaghy.”

  So, a league source was aware that Donaghy had a gambling problem? > more <

Coming in at #5 on my division countdown is the NFC South. At the beginning of last year, I had the NFC South as at least the toughest division in the NFC and possibly the entire NFL. Last year, hopes were extremely high for all save one team: the division winning New Orleans Saints. Beyond the Saints, this division was actually competitive last year. Competition was fierce for which team could be the most disappointing. A year later, this division still appears to have one or maybe two contenders, but mostly some major question marks.

The New Orleans Saints gave official notice last year that they are no longer the “Aints.” Surprising everyone — I would assume themselves included – the Saints rolled up victory after victory. Eventually getting to the playoffs and loosing in the NFC Championship game, they were definitely the Cinderella story of 2006. Drew Brees came back from a shoulder injury stronger than ever last year and has to be considered a top five quarterback in the league. He didn’t single-handedly transpose the Saints from worst to first – but he sure was a big part of it. > more <

Trying to rank the divisions through the middle has proven to be somewhat more difficult. The middle of my rankings start with the most improved division in my opinion. For several years, this division has been dreadful. The Seahawks could have safely been given the division crown at the start of most recent years.

However, the times have changed and I believe that the Seahawks will have two serious challengers in this division in the Rams and the 49ers. I think ultimately the Rams represent the most serious threat to Seattle. Right after the 2003 season, the Rams descent into mediocrity began. With the continued improvement of the Seahawks as well as the eventual decay in the team personnel and the Mike Martz effect, the Rams quickly became a has-been. > more <

It is no small coincedence that my rankings have the divisions of the Superbowl loser and the Superbowl winner ranked as last and second to last. Their respective divisions were not extremely challenging last year and it helped them secure better positioning in the play-offs.

However, unlike the Bears, I don’t see much drop off with the Colts. They have been a serious contender for years and have consistently been a favorite in most play-off games. Peyton Manning seems to get better each year, if that is possible. I figured that the loss of Edgerrin James would hurt this team in 2006, but Joseph Addai has proven that he is an elite back in this league as well. The running back depth is a bit suspect however. > more <

Everywhere I turn lately, all I hear about is David Beckham coming to America. Instead of ignoring this over-saturation as I should, I decided to fan the flames a bit and add another world wide web reference to his name. A google seach currently returns 8,990,000. I hope to be 8,990,001.

Before you start thinking that this is an anti-soccer (or football as the rest of the world knows it) writing, it is not. It still amazes me that soccer is such a void here in the United States, while everywhere else on earth it is so popular. I have seen this passion first hand.

I was lucky enough to be in Argentina during the 1990 World Cup. > more <

Coming in as the dreaded worst division on my list is none other than the NFC North. This division consists of the four powerhouses that are: the Chicago Bears, the Detroit Lions, the Green Bay Packers, and the Minnesota Vikings. While the reigning NFC champion Bears inhabit this division, the other three teams can be considered middle of the pack at best. In addition, I thought that the Bears were somewhat shaky last year and I was surprised to see them in the Super bowl. I personally thought that their were better teams to represent the NFC.

Taking a look at some of the personnel in this division required some searching. For example, the current starting running back for the Green Bay Packers? Vernand Morency. > more <

With training camps about ready to open around the NFL landscape, I thought it may be a good time to give my pre-season breakdown of the 8 league divisions. The way that the divisions are set up in the NFL create such great rivalries that I figured a good analysis of the league starts at the division level.

To begin with, 6 out of the 16 games played are against the foes in your division. In addition, with the current scheduling paradigm, all the teams in the division play the same people, save 2 games. And perhaps the coolest thing, is that the schedule lines up teams to play an entire division in the AFC and the NFC. In short the 16 games consist of: > more <

Here in the U.S., NFL Football is the undisputed king of sports. Some time in the last quarter of a century, Football caught and overtook Baseball as the American past time. I don’t know exactly when the NFL dethroned the MLB, but the strike of 1994 certainly increased the gap between the two sports to a gaping chasm. Currently, there is a void at the #2 sport in the U.S. in my opinion. Nascar has gained traction, but I don’t think it will ever be mainstream enough. Basketball has a following, but again it doesn’t invoke the passion that is necessary. I think it is the responsibility of MLB to fill this void. > more <