The Beginning of The End?

Well folks, we're finally here.  The beginning of the 2010 NFL season.  Tonight, everyone in America will tune in to what promises to be a thrilling rematch of last year's NFC Championship Game.  The Vikings, led by the ageless wonder Brett Favre, come into the game facing a heap of questions and doubts about their ability to repeat last years success.  Sidney Rice, the Vikings best receiver last year, is out for at least half the season with a hip injury.  Percy Harvin is always a question mark with his random migraine attacks.  Favre is dealing with an ankle still swollen from the beating it took in the Championship Game against the Saints.  And injuries in the secondary have the media doubting whether the Vikings are even the best team in their division anymore.  Personally, I'm not that worried, for a few reasons: 1) Brett Favre has been called old for years, been beaten up and knocked down for years, and continues to pick his body off the ground to sling the ball around at a high level.  Why doubt him now?  After all, people called him old and injured last year, and he ended up having a career year.  2) People forget that Sidney Rice was irrelevant until last year.  Brett Favre helped to make him into the good receiver he is now.  We've seen Favre do alot with alot less than he has now on this team, which I remind the critics, is still arguably the most talented team outside of Dallas in the NFC.  And 3) The Vikings dominated against New Orleans last year and if it weren't for a few turnovers, that game is theirs. 
                    And yet, after tonight, the season begins in earnest.  So many storylines to follow: Can the Colts get back to the Super Bowl, will this be the year the Texans become a legit playoff team, are the Ravens superbowl material, is Aaron Rodgers an MVP quarterback, and then there's the whole Donovan, Haynesworth, Shanahan triangle going on in DC.  But there's another storyline thats a bit more troubling is the looming lockout next year.  We've heard about it for months, that the collective bargaining agreement is in jeopardy and America might have a locked out football season after 2010.  I can't imagine life without football, can you?  I guess all football fans can do for now is enjoy all the storylines and games and teams this year.  With so much uncertainty looming, this year might be more important than ever.