by Adrian Doerfler
Daily Lobo
Now that the summer is over and teachers are starting to hand out tests and reading assignments, having fun is over with until the middle of December.
Thankfully, to help us stay awake, the excitement of sports will be catching our imagination and attention for the rest of the year. The baseball pennant race is in full swing, Tiger Woods is dominating, and the NBA and NHL will start practice soon.
And, most importantly, the NFL season started.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
The first two weeks of the season have been action-packed, and ESPN will have much to talk about on and off the field - and Terrell Owens hasn't even pissed anyone off yet.
But Bill Belichick has, though that seemed to do nothing more than fuel his Patriots' fire. Pretty boy Tom Brady delicately took apart Shawne Merriman and the Charger defense, while LaDainian Tomlinson struggled and has already taken his name out of the MVP race.
In Denver, Mike Shanahan further proved his name should be at the top of the list of great NFL head coaches when he called a timeout moments before Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski had a chance to win the game. Janikowski kicked the ball through the uprights, temporarily bringing life to Al Davis.
However, it didn't count because of the timeout, and Janikowski's second attempt bounced off the goal post, giving the Raiders another way to lose.
Shanahan's tactics are a lot more impressive than hiding a camera and taping the opposing team's defensive signals, as Belichick was caught doing.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys bursted out of the gate strongly and are showing potential for bringing America's team back deep into the playoffs - just as long as Tony Romo gets the ball to T.O. and doesn't play special teams.
A huge test for Dallas will come in an NFC showdown against Chicago on Sunday. Other teams surprising people in the early season are the Lions and Texans. It could be the first time we'll ever see the Texans in the playoffs, and the Lions haven't been since Barry Sanders was in uniform.
The season has also brought a few creative celebrations. I, for one, like to see players dance and celebrate. If you love your job and are good at it, then celebrate all you want.
T.O. pretending to use the football as a camera to mock the boring and hapless Belichick was enjoyable.
Charismatic Chad Johnson brought out a homemade NFL Hall of Fame jacket - which looked like he made it between warming up and game time - and put it on after his first touchdown. He also riled up the Cleveland home crowd by jumping into the stands after this weekend's game. The Browns got the last laugh, however, as they put a 51-point beating on the Bengals.
Upsets like this are just another reason we all need the NFL.
