Pre-Season: Time for Training and Adjustments not Bragging Well, it's upon us - or it almost is anyway. Pre-season football has officially begun. The players are getting warmed up, the fans are showing up for a quarter (maybe two), and it couldn't be any hotter. So you definitely know it's August. But to hear Ed Hartwell talk about it, you would think it's the first week of February and he just won the Super Bowl. In the pre-season game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Baltimore Ravens, the former Raven defender had an interception on the very first pass thrown by Baltimore's rookie, um, I mean, veteran quarterback, Kyle Boller (side note: I'm trying to be patient). It was a good defensive play, and he deserves credit. But he is squawking in the media, saying, "I got bragging rights. They don't have bragging rights." at a time when it's too early to brag about anything. And, let's not forget, the game didn't count! Hartwell is a talent. Leaving Baltimore is the best thing he could have done. He will be a star in Atlanta. It's just hard to be a star next to Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Chris McAllister (not to mention newly acquired Samari Rolle). But he needs to pace himself. Wait until your opening day sack or your first interception that actually counts to award yourself bragging rights. Otherwise, you might be a great player, but people won't ever accept you as a star. Back in Baltimore, we are eagerly awaiting our first home game that doesn't count - against the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles. Of course, as usual, the Eagles come to town with a bit of drama - or comedy, depending on how you look at it. For those of you who don't watch ESPN or NFL network 16 hours a day, Terrell Owens, Philly's superstar receiver, was sent home from training camp last week after an altercation with Coach Andy Reid. He's due back on Wednesday and should be on the field against the Ravens, but knowing T.O., it won't be that simple. It never is. I'm not going to make any predictions about the game or talk about how Boller's going to get better every week because, unlike Hartwell, I know it's pre-season. It's a time for training and adjustments, not bragging and hi-jinks. |
