For six months, many fans of the National Football League have been mindlessly wandering a metaphorical desert, trying to satisfy their yearnings through reruns of NFL skills competitions on ESPN 42 and trying to teach their toddlers the intricacies of a Buck and SS Fire Zone. When those preseason games come around, we collectively salivate a bit.
“Football’s back,” we mumble to whoever happens to be within earshot. “Thank God, almighty. Football is back.”
There’s a build-up to the preseason. We watch free agency and the draft come and go throughout the offseason. We giggle a little over OTAs and mini-camps.