My name is Joe and I’m a Football Fanatic.

(Hi, Joe)

It’s good to be here. This is my first meeting of FFA (Football Fanatics Anonymous), and I’ll tell you, I’m going crazy! I’ve had 24 consecutive weeks of football: Four exhibitions, 17 regular-season and 3 playoffs! I’m in full football fanaticism! And then, what does the NFL do? It drives me nuts by making me wait two weeks for the Super Bowl! TWO WHOLE WEEKS! I can’t stand it! I have to listen to my wife blab on and on about stuff I don’t care about! I’m so bored by her, I’m flipping around looking for some kind of football, and all I can find are those 30-minute episodes of past Super Bowls! All that does is make me want the real game! Plus, Steve Sabol is getting old, don’t you think? But anyway…

I don’t need two weeks between the conference championships and the Super Bowl. And I’m sure neither do the coaching staffs! They put together game plans for consecutive weeks during the season, so why should the Super Bowl be any different? Do we really need two weeks of hype? The games aren’t always worth it (in fact, there are years the commercials are better!). Who wants to spend two weeks in Detroit in late January/early Febraury? Other than Jerome Bettis, of course? No one. Where’s Tagliabue? Not there yet. Do we really need to give gamblers more time to bet? No, the line has remained a constant Pittsburgh minus four points. We don’t need two weeks to plan parties, buy the food and drink, or buy a new larger-screen TV for the occasion! Everything can be done in one week, so let’s get away from this ridiculous break!

Maybe old Steve Sabol can do something about it.