This evening, former LSU and Michigan State head coach Nick Saban takes the Miami Dolphins to Pittsburgh to play the Super Bowl XL champion Steelers.

In other words, the NFL season starts tonight. And with it, countless offices, pubs, and bars become distracted for the next 4 months.

Why? Two words:

Fantasy Football.

My office is not immune. Nay, far from it. The Moss Bluff Cruisers host a "team" from Kenner whose name I can't type with a straight face.

"But KIE!" you no doubt inquire, "how can you have a team without a draft?" Well, I didn't attend the draft this year. I asked a friend on the church softball team, who also happens to be a big fantasy sports enthusiast and the associate pastor of FBC Kenner, to be my proxy at the draft at the nearby pub. (Preacher at a bar, wow would that make a scandalous headline...).

Why didn't I go myself? Well, see the draft was at 1 PM Friday, August 25th. 90 minutes earlier, I'd boarded a plane bound for Washington, D.C., for Brickfest.

LAST YEAR I had the number 1 pick in the draft, but the draft was to take place the day after Katrina ended up making landfall. (Don't get me started....)

This year, the Cruisers were drafting 11th....out of 12. Fleh. And in this league, the big 3 went 1-5-6: 2, 3 & 4 were rookie players that each drafted quarterbacks, and none of them were Peyton Manning (QB, IND): Hasselbeck (SEA), Brady (NE), and Delhomme (CAR) went 2-3-4, and Peyton went 8th. The regulars are no doubt licking their chops at the prospect of really cashing in this year ($100 entry fee, money is distributed to the winners, I consider it the price of playing and am not expecting to win anything.)

If anyone should want to root on the Cruisers, here is the starting lineup for week 1:

QB: Trent Green (KC)

RB: Edgerin James (ARZ)

WR: Andre Johnson (HOU)

WR: Roy Williams (DET)

TE: Anthony Gonzalez (KC)

K: Josh Scobee (JAX)

DST: Dallas Cowboys

And the bench:

QB: Byron Leftwich (JAX)

RB: Clinton Portis (WSH) Questionable for Week 1

RB: LenDale White (TEN) Questionable for Week 1

WR: Terrell Owens (DAL)

TE: Antonio Gates (SD)

K: Jeff Wilkins (STL)

DST: New York Giants

If anyone has any good reasons why I should start T.O. over Tony Gonzalez or one of the other two wide receivers, let me know before the game starts tonight. Otherwise, please root on the first 7 I listed Sunday for me, please?

Unless you're a Lions fan, where rooting means pulling for the other team just to make the GM look stupid.

-KIE

P.S. Mind you, I'm not half as big on the NFL as I am about college ball. I'm only doing fantasy for the sense of comraderie. And because I apparently have more money than sense. Still.