by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
I used to hate watching preseason NFL football.
There are loads of obvious reasons why it's a bad thing - big-time injuries in small-time games, starters playing scarce minutes - but let's focus on the positive.
This particular preseason has been entertaining for various reasons.
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First of all, the injury to Washington Redskins' star tailback Clinton Portis was one of the funniest sports moments I've seen this summer. I know I said earlier that preseason injuries are a senseless negative, but this one was classic.
Washington quarterback Mark Brunell threw an interception to Keiwan Ratliff in the Redskins' preseason game against the Bengals, followed by Portis and company chasing Ratliff down to prevent him from scoring. For a moment, Portis forgot he was a running back, momentarily became Brian Urlacher and laid down one of the biggest hits we will see this year.
After laying out Ratliff so hard that the cornerback peed himself, it was Portis who suffered the most damage. The poor guy got up with his shoulder hanging out of its socket and was so angry he started mercilessly beating Ratliff with his detached limb. OK, that last part didn't happen, but it should have.
Anyway, I thought that sequence of events was hilarious. Maybe it's because the Redskins are a rival of my favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles. Maybe it's because injuries like that are really funny to watch as they happen live. Either way, it was very funny to me.
Speaking of the Eagles, another reason this preseason has been so entertaining is because of Hank Baskett. The former Lobo and current Eagle is making draft experts everywhere look foolish by playing his way onto the first team. Baskett has had a phenomenal preseason and has the City of not-so Brotherly Love completely behind his back. His story of becoming a starter after being an undrafted rookie free agent is being dissected from all different angles by the Philadelphia media. This may turn into yet another sports movie, like the upcoming "Invincible." If that happens, at least they won't be able to cast Mark "Marky Mark and the Sucky Bunch" Wahlberg in the role of Baskett.
Another obvious highlight of this preseason has been the small glimpse that we have seen of the Human Ankle Breaker, Reggie Bush. The New Orleans Saints' running back is already knocking fools out of their cleats and making Houston fans want to torch their own city because of management's decision to pass up on Bush in the NFL Draft. He wasn't supposed to come into the league where everyone is bigger and faster and speed past defenders like Maurice Clarett speeding away from cops with a mountain of loaded guns in his car, but he's already starting to do it.
So like I said, the preseason is obviously not as cool as the regular season. However, there have been some entertaining highlights, unfortunate-fortunate injuries and even a police chase involving a former NFL running back. Wouldn't you rather watch that than NASCAR?
