Earlier this week, as another NFL season dawned, a woman in Los Angeles sent a group text message to her husband and her brother. It read, roughly: Hey, what’s the bet we have for this game? Meaning the season’s first kickoff, scheduled for Thursday night at SoFi Stadium. Rams vs. Bills. Defending Super Bowl champion against trendy Super Bowl pick. Matthew Stafford meets Josh Allen and his group of elite wideouts.
As of Tuesday, neither the husband nor the brother had responded. But it wasn’t because they lacked interest in the game or the season ahead.