Preseason Game #3

As NFL preseason games go, the third game is the big one. I don't recall when it started. It feels like a fairly recent thing. Teams decided to play their starters for the entire first half. Some even into the third quarter. It had to be a joint decision as it wouldn't work right if a team or two went rogue. Al Davis. Teams rarely agree on anything. Al Davis. So, I find it remarkable that all the teams would agree to give their starters extended playing time. Playing time matching that of the other team's starters. Next week's games are a whole other story. Few starters play. If they do, it's brief. The real games are only a week away. No one's taking any chances.

Here we are at preseason game #3. The big one. If you hate preseason games this is as close to a real game as you are going to get until the real games start for real. I actually like preseason games. Fotball is finally back and it affords a chance to see the rookies and other new players for the first time. I can see why some, season ticket holders in particular, hate the games. The tickets are priced for the games as if they really count. It's a cruel joke that a game in August costs the same as a game in December. My ticket for the Minnesota Vikings-San Francisco 49ers game two weeks was priced at $129. That's a steep price to pay. I can see why season ticket holders complain about paying it. There was a time when they played more than four preseason games. They played them everywhere too. Butte, Portland, Nashville, Timbuktu. You name it. Some teams likely played there. I think that four preseason games is a good number. Every team has a different approach to the four games. Every game but preseason game #3. The big one. It's also the only time that all 32 teams seem to agree. Teams actually game plan a bit for #3. That alone might be worth the real game price. Probably not.

Preseason game #3. A whole lot of fun. Better than the rest.

RIP Steve Van Buren (1920-2012)
2 NFL championships, 4 rushing titles. More importantly, he made Philadelphia fans a happy bunch which is an always, often impossible, thing to do.