Kickoff 2026

No sports league does a better job at creating excitement for itself than does the NFL.

Name another organization, for instance, that hypes the release of its own schedule. And has us all on the edge of our seats waiting for it.

Back in May, the matchups and dates were released and the league lined up a rematch of Super Bowl LX for its Kickoff 2026. The Patriots and Seahawks get the action underway tonight in the first game of the new season. And the league follows up with a bonus kickoff game tomorrow night with "Aussie Bowl" - 49ers at Rams. Then, a full slate of games follow on Sunday and Monday.

Talk about a kickoff!

Here in the Volunteer State, the Tennessee Titans will play host to the New York Jets in their season opener. If the construction schedules continues apace, this will be the Titans' final season in their original Nashville venue. The new stadium is scheduled to open next fall. 

As you know, I spent quite a bit of time in Music City in the 2000s and early part of the 2010s. I attended a number at Adelphia Coliseum/The Coliseum/LP Field/Nissan Stadium when the kids were young and still at home. 

Full disclosure: I haven't followed football as closely for, say, the last decade or so. Thus, my last game in person at the Titans' home, was 10 years ago. The Titans took on the Vikings, that day, which was September 11, 2016.

Life got busy and I've just not been back to Nissan, but, I still consider myself a fan of the Titans.

I told Lisa, recently, that I'll probably need to go to the new stadium, at least once, after it opens. And maybe I need to get a new t-shirt with the updated color scheme. 

Over the course of the next few months, there will be other big NFL games. Thanksgiving Day is always a highlight. Also, the league has done a great job filling the airwaves around Christmas with big games. It used to be that Christmas was NBA turf. Not so now. There's enough airtime for the two giants to share.

I'm not plugged in enough to offer any sort of educated predictions about football. Will there be a back to back? Hard to say. Before the Chiefs did it by winning Super Bowls LVII and LVIII, there hadn't been a repeat champ since the early 2000s, so the odds certainly aren't in favor of it. 

The odds are in favor of this, however: Lots of scoring. Tons of excitement. Weekends filled with fantastic finishes.

And it all starts tonight.

JG