America's Game? More like America's Con.

I was driving back to work today after renewing my tag at the DMV (which is an entire post all on it's own. The ER and the DMV remind me of the set of a zombie movie; you never see these people ANY other time yet every time you go to one of those places, there they are. Do they live there? Is that the ONLY time they leave the house? You wanna see some extreme weirdness? Go take a seat at the DMV, bring some popcorn, and be ready to be astonished.) I caught some local sports talk out of Raleigh.

Which normally means NCAA basketball, ECU football, a little bit of NASCAR, some whining about how much the Panthers suck, and more basketball.

Today, though, they were talking about the NFL and the MLB playoffs. Specifically about how the NFL was beating baseball in the ratings, no matter who was playing or where, specifically the Jaguars/Titans game out ranking the Yankees/Rangers game last night.

Some pretty good theories were tossed about, like the NFL only being 16 weeks and baseball 162 games, Fantasy leagues, the fact the average Americans attention span is roughly that of a 3 year old hopped up on Mellow Yellow, and the "video game" culture we live in.

All fairly good points.

Then, some good old boy called in and said he couldn't tell you who was playing baseball, who pitched, who won, etc.. and that football was, and I quote, "The best sport around. The reason I stopped watching baseball was because of all the steroids and drug use and it just isn't the wholesome game I grew up with. Football is still pure."

I don't know what floored me more; the fact he actually said that or the fact the host just agreed with him and moved on.

Are you freaking KIDDING me?

I realize baseball has had and still has it's issues with PED's. But if you think a 300 pound man is supposed to be able to run the 40 in 4.2 seconds, should be able to bench 325 25 times in a row, and the average NFL player looks like he could be in a body building contest by the weekend is NORMAL? I've got some ocean front property in Idaho and some prime coastline views of the Pacific Ocean in Toledo I'd like to discuss with you.

Watch an NFL game this weekend. If most of the players look "normal" to you then I'm 6' 4", weigh 200 pounds, and will be joining MENSA next month.

Why hasn't the NFL been raked over the coals, called before Congress, and been vilified by the public? Who knows, but usually at the bottom of every scandal there is one common factor.

The all-mighty dollar.

'Cause if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck?

Pretty good odds it's a flipping duck.