Ohmygod, i just remembered: the NFL season kicks off tonight! Dolphins vs. Steelers, 5:30 PST... I'm busy today, but before the season starts I'd like to unveil my list of the ten teams I plan to root for this season. My #1 team is always the Green Bay Packers, but there's not going to be a Packers game on for me to watch all that often (if at all, they're going to be pretty bad again this year, I'm afraid) so I like to have a roster of other favorites at the ready in case I luck out and the Seahawks are playing one of them. And I think a look into the reasoning behind my picks might prove interesting to... well, maybe very slightly but not really so much to reader Mike A. Without further ado, this year's starting lineup:

1. Green Bay Packers. Brett Favre should have retired, I fear this season will be an embarrassing nightmare for the Packers. Still, they must and will be #1 in my heart (only my Football heart, Ms. Frances), and on my list.
2. Miami Dolphins. I dunno, I've always had a soft spot for their colors and logo (that dolphin is PISSED), I think they might be pretty good this year, and I'm not living in New York any longer, which has eliminated the must-root-for-Jets-in-the-AFC-East factor for me. Plus we're going to be honeymooning in Florida next month. Go Dolphins!
3. Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh's always on this list somewhere. They won the Super Bowl last year, but they didn't look very good doing it. So this year I'm setting a goal for them to win the Super Bowl AND not have it be one of the lamest Super Bowls ever. I think Charlie Batch is starting for them tonight, though.....
4. New Orleans Saints. America's sentimental pick, plus they have Reggie Bush now. I predict surprises! Like maybe making the playoffs!
5. Cincinnati Bengals. I got a pack of football cards last weekend, and one of them was Carson Palmer. I take this as an omen and place the Bengals at their highest position on this list since the days of the Ickey Shuffle.
6. Detroit Lions. I always sorta want to like the Lions, ever since the Barry Sanders years. Plus I really like their throwback uniforms. And Green Bay is going to suck anyway, so rooting for another team from their division seems acceptable this season.
7. Chicago Bears. Or maybe two other teams from their division. I think the Bears might be fairly good again, and fun to watch.
8. New York Jets. I liked the Jets before moving to New York, and even though Miami has vaulted above them in this ranking, I still like the Jets. With the caveat that I think they may well be godawful.
9. Cleveland Browns. Their logo is their helmet. You can get a baseball cap with the image of a football helmet on it. I just think that's awesome.
10. Kansas City Chiefs. I really don't know why.