Ready For Some Football?

After a deadline that lasted several months, the NFL is finally back and we can get ready for some football. The long and lengthy work stoppage recently ended and set up a short 72 hour window of free agency for teams to adjust their rosters before camps opened across the country.

Both New York teams were active. The Jets brought back Antonio Cromartie and Santonio Holmes as well as Plaxico Burress, formally at the Oneida Correctional Facility in Rome New York. The Giants have been busy keeping their defensive line intact with players like Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka. The Giants will be trying to get into the playoffs and steal the division away from Philadelphia, while the Jets and Rex Ryan will make their annual Super Bowl Championship guarantee.

Regardless of what team you root for, people around town are happy to have professional football back in time for the start of the 2011 season.

“To have the NFL back gives us football fans something to look forward too on Sundays,” said Steven DeLeo, one of Harrison High School’s senior football captains. “Having them back in practice and getting updates on our teams gives us players more motivation to get ready for our season.”

“Most of the time we play on Saturdays, so we miss out on college football,” added another one of Harrison’s captains, senior, Charlie Drago. “The NFL is something football players and people who have never touched a football like. With it back, it gives everyone something to look forward to throughout the week.”

While fans around town are glad to see the professional players in camp, some are equally aware of the financial ramifications that a long lasting lockout could have caused.

“At the end of the day places like Green Bay... the Packers is all they have,” said Drago. “Without football, places like that would never be able to survive.”

While Drago focuses on the big picture of small market teams in Middle America, restaurants and bars across Westchester County were concerned about what could have happen to their local businesses without the NFL. Employees at White Plains establishments such as Westchester Burger Company and Black Bear Saloon feel that football coming back will definitely help fill their tip jars.

“Even though we are a family restaurant I believe tips would have suffered with people not having a reason to come out to watch the games,” said Jessica Fieger, a bartender at Westchester Burger Company. “I am seeing sports fans excited to join the community with team spirit.”

“The tips on Sunday and Monday would have suffered because football games attract more customers to the bar scene whenever there is a game on,” added Peter Ciardiello of Black Bear Saloon. “None of my coworkers seemed worried because everyone knew that the lockout was progressing and the season would eventually begin.”

The NFL struck a deal in the eleventh hour to avoid any cancelation of games and, now that all of the negotiations complete, it is time to get ready for some football. Both New York teams will begin their regular seasons on September 11th. The Giants will play at Washington at 4:15 and the Jets will open NBC’s Sunday Night Football at home against Dallas.