A win is a win, right?
Well, if that’s the case, it was a glorious weekend for Virginia football fans, as we were treated to a 16-0 victory against Richmond, no matter how hard the game was to watch. What made the weekend even better, however, was the start of the NFL season. I was happy to watch my Tennessee Titans hold the Jacksonville Jaguars to a minuscule 33 rushing yards en route to a 17-10 win and was impressed with the touchdown and 127 all-purpose yards racked up by rookie first-round pick Chris Johnson, a running back from East Carolina. Speaking of which, ECU knocked off Virginia Tech and West Virginia already this season ... and they come visit the Cavaliers Oct. 11. That matchup doesn’t look as favorable as it did in years past, that’s for sure.
Never mind that, though. Back to the NFL. I’m sorry for all you Redskins fans out there, but it’s going to be a long season. I also feel bad for fans of former Virginia defensive end Chris Long’s Rams, as the first-round pick was on the wrong end of a 35-point blowout. But that’s what being a fan is all about — taking the good with the bad (no matter how bad things get), supporting the team through thick and thin, and other such clichés. For that reason, I prepared a little quiz for you NFL fans out there, so even if your team lost, you can feel like a winner! See if you can answer the following questions about your favorite team without any help, then check to see where your score falls in the categories listed at the end of this column.
1) Name any of the five starting offensive linemen on your team, based on the Opening Day 2008 depth chart (two points each). Bonus: One point for each of the linemen if you can name where each one went to college (up to five points).
2) Name any of the players your team drafted in the 2008 NFL Draft. The number of points per player is equal to the round he was drafted in (i.e. one point for a first-round pick, three for a third-round pick, etc.) Big props for whoever gets those seven points for your team’s Mr. Irrelevant. Oh, and if you are a Rams or Titans fan, I essentially gave you one point already.
3) Name your team’s head coach, general manager and owner (two points each).
4) Name the stadium (and city) where your team plays its home games (two points, but you need both to get the points).
5) Name your team’s starting quarterback, top two running backs and top two wide receivers (one point for each).
6) Name one of your team’s defensive linemen, one linebacker and one cornerback (one point each).
BONUS: What was your team’s record last year? (Three-point bonus for a correct answer.)
Points
0-10: Lost in a foreign country. This test is about American football, but you must have thought this was about soccer. This explains your confusion over terms like “linemen” and “quarterback.”
11-20: New to the game. You may have just started following your team last year, so you get a free pass this year. But by the time Opening Day 2009 rolls around, you need to up your game.
21-30: Avid fan. You know your stuff, but not enough to be a lifeline for your friends on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” Keep studying your depth chart and you’ll get there.
30-44: Die-hard. If anyone has a question about your team, you know the answer and will throw in some extra details just for fun. Opening Day of the NFL season is a holiday on your calendar, as is the annual release of EA Sports’ Madden video game.
45+: Guru. You are, by all measures, a football freak. You probably know how many pancakes your team’s backup right guard recorded his sophomore year of high school. Congrats for passing this test with flying colors; now, go check how many points your fantasy team is leading the league by.
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