Jun 29 2009
Building hype three months before the season
One of the great things about the NFL is the hype placed into each week’s game. With a week or more between games, it allows for a myriad of storylines to emerge and rivalries to be born and flamed. That has been true this week during the doldrums of the NFL off-season. Chad Ochocinco, who used to be Chad Johnson until he changed his name legally last year, has been taunting San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman this past week and recently wanted NFL Network and CBS analyst Solomon Wilcots to be in a boxing match.
Good thing these two teams meet on December 20 this season. That game now takes an added implication because fans of the NFL and maybe even casual fans will wonder what will happen the first time Chad decides to go over the middle. Will Shawne cheap shot him? Will he give him a concussion to knock him into 2010? Needless to say, I think both of those competitors will have that game circled on their calendars and their mouths ready to be running at 100 mph. And I don’t think the NFL would have it any other way.
