Well, it's the end of summer, and plenty of folks are waxing nostalgic, fresh from vacations and whatnot. We have James Lilek's and his block party (I've read every Bleat since the last party - scary), and Andrew Sullivan shutting down Provincetown (picture). I've spent the last months of summer with my darling young daughter, so one might be tempted to reflect on the joys and lessons of fatherhood.

Not today. Instead, I shared a very public and American of weekends. Need I ask?

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL???

Yes, it was a glorious weekend - for football. My beloved Redskins started things off right, a Thursday night home victory over the Jets, winning in a way they haven't for quite some time. The weekend brought myriad joys, with 3 timeslots for games on Sunday, from 1 pm until about midnight. For fans of the college game, Saturday was also full of good games. It was...wonderful.

And I got to enjoy it that much more with my TiVo! AAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Replay! Pause! Yes, no fatherly calls of duty could interrupt my football fervor. I didn't miss a minute, except for the commercials and interminable replay reviews. It was...good.

People wonder why Football has overtaken Baseball as America's passtime. For me, it's easy: 16 games. It is legitimately possible to see every play of every game, or darn near close to it (especially w/ TiVo). For baseball, this was never really possible, but it is even less so now, with so many people busy with many activities. 162 games, about 3 hours each - who can watch all that? And the same goes for basketball and hockey - too many games to capture the viewer in the same was as the NFL.

When you're watching an NFL game, almost any given play could turn out to be an historic, or season-altering event. Every play matters. Every year, several teams make or miss the playoffs by a single game, and often have games that hinge on a single play. For similar stakes in basketball or baseball, one has to wait until the end of the season or the playoffs - for the NFL, it's always there, demanding your attention.

It's great seeing truly magnificent plays as they happen. A couple years ago, I watched as LaVar Arrington intercepted a pass to turn around a game when the Redskins were 0-5. They won the game and the next four after, changing their season around (they still missed the playoffs). Last year I watched a ridiculous catch on Monday Night, a simply impossible grab. Super stuff.

There are some other quick reasons to love football: "parity", brought about by the salary cap, gives virtually every team a legitimate chance for the playoffs every year. Hope has a lot to do with the NFL, especially since there is a lot of time between games, and during the long offseason. That hope of success is alluring, keeping a lot of fans close to the game - listening to talk shows, watching pregame programs, buying jerseys, etc. That's a recipe for success in any league.

Additionally, Fantasy Football has really caught on, with about half the guys I know participating in one or more leagues per year. Fantasy ball really encourages people to delve into the statistics, personalities, and other details while also creating a desire to watch more games - the NFL itself couldn't have developed a better way to get eyeballs on the screen (since they already have cheerleaders). Just one more thing making NFL the sport in America - and deservedly so.

OK, it's about time for this week's last game - a rematch last year's NFC Championship Game, played in Philadelphia's new stadium. That's not by accident - the final dash of brilliance for the NFL is that they are not shy about promoting storylines, playing up rivalries and manipulating the schedule to generate interest. Plus, I have Tampa Bay's defense in both of my fantasy leagues!