kickoff.

That other football begins tonight.

And yes, I’m sort of talking about the NFL, but only in an ancillary sense. The football I’m really excited about is the start of the two fantasy leagues I’m in this year.

I am the defending champion of the Greater Bridgewater Area Press Association league, and I am planning on winning that league for a second year in a row. We’ve added some additional teams to the four-team core that’s been in place since the league was founded, and that makes for some substantial payouts. My trophy for last year? The winnings paid for the bulk of my iPhone. I’m not sure what I’ll pick up with my championship check after this season, but it’s a safe bet the folks at the Shadyside Apple Store should be ready for my arrival in January.

The even bigger deal? My first year participating in the Pittsburgh Celebrity Bloggers League, which has been re-named in honor of YinzTeam this season. This one will be tougher — having 16 teams in the league means your roster doesn’t resemble a group of Pro Bowl starters. But everyone’s in the same boat, and we’ll all be scrambling to make sure we get the most out of our players from week to week.

I wasn’t able to attend the YinzTeam draft night, because I was in Columbus for Ohio State’s season opener. But my team was expertly selected by Will in my absence, and I was pleased with the results — maybe with the exception of picking Najeh Davenport, the former Stiller running back who isn’t actually on an NFL roster as the season begins. No problem, though — I picked up West Virginia running back Steve Slayton after dropping Davenport, and I expect the rookie could do some damage as we get into the season.

This is a head-to-head league, and my Week One opponent is my fellow craft beer aficionado Father Spoon of the Should I Drink That podcast. I have the utmost respect for Spoon when it comes to matters of barley and hops; I’m thinking his knowledge of football isn’t as strong — and once hockey season begins, he’s going to bail on us in favor of his favorite sport. Spoon is going down.

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Uncle Crappy, you say — any predictions about how your Cleveland Browns are going to fare this year?

Ugh, I say — did you see any of that preseason game against the Giants? They’re going to have to score even more than they did last year, because the defense is actually worse. Thank god for games against Baltimore and Cincy; we may have a chance to be .500 on October 1.