The Football Fan I am.

I just want you all to know, for the record, that you are all going to learn about the football fan I am. What teams I can tolerate, What teams I can't.

My first exposure to football was when we were at someone else's house (I don't know who and I don't remember where they lived. I was 5 or 6) and my father was watching an L.A. Raiders game... I asked him: Who are you rooting for dad...? He said: the Raiders...

I said: oh... why doesn't our city have a football team...?

He let me know why...

I said: will we ever get a team back?

He said: I just don't know.

Then in 1995, ABC World News tonight ran a story about the Cleveland Browns moving to Baltimore and then the Cincinnati Bengals threatening to move as well. I remember these stories because it was like YESTERDAY.

You people need to learn about about the NFL fan I am. See, unlike the many others that had teams before the Ravens? I HAD TO WAIT TO SEE BALTIMORE FOOTBALL!!! We got screwed in 1993 when they expanded. Carolina's the only one of the two new franchises that has flourished due to excellent ownership... Jacksonville has not...

And about trash talking:
Trash talking is the most prevalent thing in professional sports and you cannot stop it!!! NFL fans are probably the most vicious die-hards but the most BRAND FRIENDLY next to NASCAR. NFL is a lot like NASCAR, everyone's got a team they love and a rival they love to hate.

In my opinion, people need to wise up on trash talking, it's commonplace. If you don't like it, guess what, it's going to come your way anyway from anyone around you, rivals and other friends alike. Forget trying to ignore it because it's not going to help. It's just not going to help.

God is a neutral fan, he likes everyone, he doesn't care who wins or loses.

It's time for you all to learn the football fan I am.

TOLERATION RATING OF TEAMS

Rating scale: 0-10

0-2 (CANNOT TOLERATE)

2-4 (UNFAVORABLE VIEW)

5 (NEUTRAL VIEW)

6-10 (FAVORABLE VIEW)

NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE TEAMS

NFC EAST

DALLAS - 5.6 / 10

PHILADELPHIA - 5.1 / 10

WASHINGTON - 1.7 / 10

NEW YORK - 2.6 / 10

NFC NORTH

GREEN BAY - 6.1 / 10

DETROIT - 7.4 / 10

CHICAGO - 6.4 / 10

MINNESOTA - 3.2 / 10

NFC SOUTH

NEW ORLEANS - 8.6 / 10

CAROLINA - 9.3 / 10

ATLANTA - 3.1 / 10

TAMPA BAY - 4.0 / 10

NFC WEST

SEATTLE - 9.1 / 10

SAN FRANCISCO - 3.7 / 10

ARIZONA - 6.1 / 10

ST. LOUIS - 5.3 / 10

AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE TEAMS

AFC EAST

NEW ENGLAND - 0.7 / 10

NEW YORK - 2.3 / 10

MIAMI - 4.3 / 10

BUFFALO - 5.5 / 10

AFC NORTH

CINCINNATI - 1.3 / 10

CLEVELAND - 0.7 / 10

PITTSBURGH - 0.5 / 10

AFC SOUTH

INDIANAPOLIS - 0.5 / 10

TENNESSEE - 3.2 / 10

HOUSTON - 3.7 / 10

JACKSONVILLE - 1.5 / 10

AFC WEST

KANSAS CITY - 7.6 / 10

DENVER - 1.4 / 10

SAN DIEGO - 4.2 / 10

OAKLAND - 2.4 / 10

VIEWS ON PLAYERS

Favorite Current Stars:

Joe Flacco, Calvin Johnson, Ray Rice, Torrey Smith, Reggie Bush, Matt Stafford, Tony Romo, Russell Wilson, Justin Tucker, Cam Newton, Captain Munnerlyn, Drew Brees

Who I can't stand:
Matt Ryan, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Troy Polamalu, Ben Roethlisberger, John Elway, Eli Manning, Terrell Owens

Favorite hall of famers:

Marcus Allen, Len Dawson, Steve Young, Joe Montana, Howie Long, Johnny Unitas, Bubba Smith, Terry Bradshaw, William Perry, Bart Starr, Ted Hendricks, Jerry Rice, Sonny Jurgensen, Otto Graham, Barry Sanders

Smartest Players in the League:

Joe Flacco, Matt Birk, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Matthew Stafford, Michael Oher, Calvin Johnson, Nick Novak, Nick Foles, Ryan Succop

Players who need to be in the hall of fame:

Steve Tasker, Cookie Gilchrist, Ray Guy

Players that we need to SHUT UP ABOUT:

Matt Ryan, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Tim Tebow, Robert Griffin III, A.J. Green

Players that we need to SHOW MORE RESPECT TO:

Joe Flacco, Justin Tucker, Matt Stafford, Torrey Smith, Matt Schaub, Tony Romo, Alfred Morris, London Fletcher, any Div I-AA or II player that HAS MADE IT IN THIS LEAGUE.

Most Overrated Position:

Quarterback and Running Back

Most Underrated Position:

Wide Receiver, Guard, Punter, Kicker

Most Overrated Teams:

New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos

Most Underrated Teams:

Seattle Seahawks

Best Fans:

Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers

Too vicious:

Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns

Favorite historical teams:
1940 Chicago Bears, 1983 Oakland Raiders, 1987 Washington Redskins, 2000 Baltimore Ravens, 2012 Baltimore Ravens, 1996 Green Bay Packers, 1970 Baltimore Colts, 1994 San Francisco 49ers

Best Super Bowls ever:

Super Bowl V, Super Bowl XIII, Super Bowl XV, Super Bowl XXIX, Super Bowl XLII, Super Bowl XLVII

Biggest jokes in professional football:
Akili Smith, Ryan Leaf, Desmond Howard, Lawrence Phillips, Maurice Clarett, Charles Rogers

ESPN's love affair teams:

Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots

ESPN's love affair players:

Robert Griffin III, Tom Brady, Wes Welker, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tim Tebow, Andrew Luck

Who is the face of the NFL?

To be perfectly honest, THERE IS NO FACE of the NFL, the fans of football are the true faces of football. We come to games and cheer on our favorite teams to wins. The players are not the faces of the NFL... it's the fans. There's millions upon millions of fans and we are what is keeping the NFL running today.

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In closing,

Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, I am a FOOTBALL FAN. I enjoy watching FOOTBALL and the trash talking. Football may bring the fans together, but it makes us all vicious in the end...

That's football.

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