What’s been the most inexplicable thing about the 2010 NFL season?
A. It’s Nov. 5 and the best odds for a Super Bowl favorite are 7 to 1.
B. “Dancing With the Stars” somehow swung the NFC West.
C. Randy Moss is averaging a new team every 2.8 weeks.
D. We haven’t had a single coach fired even though about eight deserve to be and three are doing everything short of wearing a “FIRE ME!” sweatshirt.
E. For four weeks, the Vegas sharps have been riding … (wait for it) … the Oakland Raiders. And cashing in! The Oakland Raiders!
F. Roger Goodell changed his rules for hard hits after the Week 6 games, then assessed his fines for Week 6 late hits based on his new made-up rules instead of the old rules that, you know, everyone was playing under during Week 6.
G. It’s Week 9 and I haven’t written an NFL Power Poll yet.
I don’t know what your answer is, but mine is “G.” Two full months without writing my favorite column?!?!?!? On second thought, wouldn’t it have been a waste of time bothering with rankings when the pecking order got shaken up like a snow globe every weekend? Had I written a Power Poll last week, for instance, my top two teams (the Jets and Steelers) would have lasted a good 48 hours before going down in flames and scoring a combined 10 points. Even Vegas seems confused: It has five Super Bowl “favorites” listed at 7-to-1, then another four teams listed at 8-to-1 or 9-to-1. Translation? There is no favorite. At least not yet.
The good news: It’s suddenly November, the month when things start shaking out in the National Football League. You can’t win the Super Bowl in September and October, but you can definitely lose it. (Cut to Dallas fans and Minnesota fans nodding wistfully.) In November, contenders start drifting one way or the other. So let’s stare at the 2010 NFL snow globe for a few minutes and hope nobody shakes it.