Ah, yes. Life is great again. Why do I say that you might ask? As I am sure most of you know, 2006 NCAA football has already started, and NFL football is own its way in less than a week, and I am overjoyed that they are back. I have been wringing my hands since the very last game of last season until the preseason games for this season started trying to figure out just what I was going to do with my spare time. Watching Sportscenter just isn’t the same when there is no NFL live or highlights from the days games. Don’t get me wrong, I love baseball almost as much as football but the top ten just isn’t the same when there aren’t any football clips to watch. Even if I don’t get a chance to watch the game I know that I can turn to ESPN and catch probably the most important plays from the games anyway.A new era begins One other thing that has me anticipating the start of the new NFL season is the beginning of a new era this season with present commissioner Paul Tagliabue retiring and being replaced by Roger Goodell who worked under Tagliabue for many years. I look forward to seeing what changes, if any, will be made once Goodell takes the reigns.Although I like to keep a watchful eye on the front office goings on in the NFL, like any other fan out there I am just ready to see some damn hard-hitting, bone jarring, helmet knocking off football already. College football has managed to keep me sane for the time being but I don’t know if I can hold out too much longer. I mean there is only so much Madden ’07 that a man can play, right? In the midst of an anxiety attack I am able to say thanks to all of the people that are responsible for bringing football to us football craving couch potatoes all over the world. From the Pop Warner leagues to the gritty and glamorous world of the NFL and everything in between, football is loved by many all over the country and without it we would be stuck with soccer which I’m sure most of us can’t stand to watch for more than ten minutes at a time. I said all of this to say pull up a chair this weekend and prepare to be blown away by yet another exciting football season. Don’t forget to support the G-Men this season as you tune in to your favorite team. See you next week.Wendell Graves is a graduate student from Shreveport.