Saturday, October 22, 2022

Parity, schmarity

 The NFL season entered its seventh week Thursday night, and for once the football didn't make you want to watch reruns of the "Big Bang Theory." Arizona beat New Orleans 42-34, Kyler Murray did some running-around Kyler Murray things, and Andy Dalton threw two pick sixes for comic relief.

What all that meant is the Cardinals are now 3-4 and last in the NFC West.

They're also, um, only a half game out of first.

Yes, boys and girls, welcome to the NFL for which its architects have always pined, where on any given Sunday any team can be as average as any other. Just look at the NFC West, where San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle are all tied at 3-3. Or how about the AFC South, where Tennessee (3-2) plays Indianapolis (3-2-1) for first place tomorrow?

Now there's a big-time clash for you.

After six weeks only one team in the league remains unbeaten, and it's a team (the Eagles) no one expected to be unbeaten. The Giants, whom no one expected much of , either, are 5-1. and the Dallas Cowboys are 4-2.

That makes the NFC East by far the best division in the NFL right now.

Elsewhere, for the most part, it's a festival of blah. Tampa Bay and Atlanta are tied for the lead in the NFC South at, you guessed it, 3-3. Same in the AFC North, where Pittsburgh and Cleveland, two not-very-good teams, are 2-4 but only a game out of first because Cincinnati and Baltimore are tied for first at (here we go again) 3-3.

The Buffalo Bills, meanwhile, are the class of the conference at 5-1. Kansas City, the Chargers and the Jets -- the Jets! -- are all 4-2.

"Look! Parity!" the NFL must be saying.

"'Parity' is just another word for 'cruddy football'!" the rest of us are saying.

Meanwhile, those arthritic former Dolphins who crack open the champagne every year when the last unbeaten falls have already got it on ice. And it's not even Halloween.

I don't know what they're thinking. But I have a pretty good idea.

Geez, guys. At least make it INTERESTING.

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