You hear it all the time.

“Why do you care so much? It’s just dudes playing a GAME!”

Maybe to some, football is “just a game” but to the guys and gals that watch this beautiful sport, it’s far more than just a game. It’s a spectacle! It’s waking up early on Sundays to get the crock pot going, the hickory wood chips soaking, and the beers on ice! It’s tailgating, gatherings, fantasy discussions, food pairings and arguments with the people you love the most – or that coworker that refuses to give Dan Marino his due!

It’s the last Miami Dolphins playoff victory, with you at 13 years old listening to Jim Mandich’s call on 560 WQAM going ballistic with your dad as Lamar Smith pummels into the end zone – it’s the tears that well up in my eyes as I type that last sentence and reminisce.

Every year the Miami Dolphins season brings me so much joy (and pain).  From the free agency period, to the draft, following training camp, hosting podcasts, preseason and finally…..IT’S HERE!

Football means so much to so many! As the fall months inch closer and closer on your calendars, and your day goes from “Thursday” to “Who plays tonight?” this is MORE than just a game. It is a part of your life.

Remember, on this eve of the 2016 NFL season that as every team stands 0-0 our hopes are fresh, our ambition is ripe, and our confidence is highest – this is what it’s all about.

Wear your jerseys with pride this weekend! Talk as much crap as you wish! Enjoy the butterflies as we come back from commercial and the opening kickoff booms off the tee!

Just a game.

No, this is FOOTBALL!

This is life.