Let's put down the football, avoid the hangover

As soon as the confetti starts to fall onto the Super Bowl champion, football season is over for me. Well, at least until the NFL Draft … typically giving me a 10-week break.

It’s nice. I consider it healthy. I actually truly enjoy it. It’s a breath of fresh air, a cleansing of sorts. Not just because the football spring break occurs conveniently during March Madness, I tend to think it makes me a better football fan.

How?

This is something I’ve started to really investigate this year. Immersing yourself into football and nothing else – no basketball, no baseball and no hockey – make you a better fan? Sensibly you’d think at least you’d be a well-informed fan and become a pseudo expert. In this case, I’d say knowledge isn’t power.

I first noticed it last year, and it’s become quite apparent to me now folks who claim football season never ends become football drunk. They say outlandish things. They chase silly stories. They lose their grip on the sport they love.

And to me … it’s rather annoying. A perfect example, well two, occurred recently.

Ron Jaworski states he wouldn’t draft Johnny Manziel within the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, and everyone goes nuts. I remind you Jaworski won’t be drafting. I remind you Jaworski isn’t a close associate to any of the NFL teams that will be drafting. I remind you the draft is … two months away! Add these together, and this interview has zero impact on Manziel and his future in the NFL. Jaworski admits it himself. Yet, football fans sadly still chased the ball thrown off the porch.

All of the major sports media outlets felt the need to respond. Even more people scratched the itch to discuss, argue and defend on social media and in blogs. Heck, I’m doing it here. It’s a non-story, basically an irrelevant piece of Internet junk mail. Jaworski himself says in the interview this isn’t a complete assessment, that he has more tape to watch. So …

Why is this in my face at a time I prefer to be following college basketball, getting warmed up on my MLB and keeping pace with the NHL playoff stretch? Well, because way too many people believe football season doesn’t end and desperately need material to digest.

Another example comes courtesy of Jason La Confora, who recently Tweeted the Miami Dolphins were “gauging trade value for '13 1st round pick Dion Jordan.” Not a story but a Tweet. A statement, a text message per se.

How does he know this? La Confora doesn’t cover the Dolphins. He is not a player agent. Where does he learn this juicy detail? League sources, he says. Not even team sources, but league sources. Who are they?

So … everyone goes nuts. Reaction ensues and stories are written … all according to this Tweet generated by league sources. It got to the point the Dolphins had to respond. Even one of their actual beat writers had to take time to address it. I’d rather him spend more time assessing the team’s needs and possible free agency targets, since he actually spends time with the team and team officials. His sources have names.

Jesus, can we do something productive here folks. How are these non-stories making you a better fan, a more informed fan? And these are just two examples. I dare not track a complete inventory. I don’t have time, or the energy … or the interest. There are sports to watch!

— Jaime North