Maybe you’ve heard the joke somewhere along the way.It goes like this: How many hipsters does it take to change a lightbulb?Answer: It’s a really obscure number. You’ve probably never heard of it.If anything can heal this divided nation of ours, it might be hipster jokes. Surely, we all can set aside our differences and chuckle at the people who obsess over skinny jeans and artisan soaps.But let’s be honest. There is something kind of intriguing about hipsters. There is something appealing about the notion of discovering something before it becomes mainstream.For some, it’s a band. For others, it might be a dive bar or a taco spot that is a well-kept secret.Can someone be an NFL hipster, then?Sure, why not? Let’s give it a try.Lame-stream take: The AFC North is the toughest division in football.Super cool-person hipster take: The NFC North is actually the toughest division in football. (It’s a really obscure division, you’ve probably never heard of it.)In all seriousness, the NFC North in 2024 could be the football equivalent to saying you followed the Foo Fighters back when they played tiny clubs.Think about it. Every single team in this division could be sneaky good this season.The Detroit Lions already have announced themselves to the league. Detroit went 12-5 last season to win the NFC North for the first time since 1993. They won a postseason game for the first time since 1992.This year, the Lions could be even better.The same is true for the Green Bay Packers, who finished second in the division last season. Jordan Love finished the season significantly better than how he started it, and the Packers’ trajectory is pointed upward as the franchise embraces life after Aaron Rodgers.How about the Vikings and Bears, who finished tied for third in 2023?Start with the Bears, who no longer resemble the laughingstock that languished on Chicago’s lakefront for the last however many years.Top pick Caleb Williams has all the physical tools to become the franchise’s best quarterback since — not even joking — Sid Luckman, who played from 1939-50. He also has unconstrained confidence, which should serve him well in a city that is looking for him to be the savior.The Bears used to bring in rookie quarterbacks and surround them with shoddy offensive linemen and catching-impaired receivers, but that is not the case anymore. Williams steps into a great situation with D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and first-round pick Rome Odunze at receiver, and he has solid blocking in front of him and dual-threat running backs behind him.How about the Vikings? Sure, Kirk Cousins chased the Kohl’s cash all the way to Atlanta, but Minnesota nabbed Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 pick. If McCarthy can be a cheaper version of Cousins – which is entirely possible – the Vikings could thrive with a tremendous supporting cast that includes Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and former Packers running back Aaron Jones.Yes, it’s easier to argue that the AFC North is tops in the NFL. The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers certainly pose a solid foursome.It’s tough to poke holes in the Ravens, but are we really sure the Bengals, Browns and Steelers are as vaunted as they once were? Are those who champion the AFC North as the league’s best more focused on the recent past instead of the near future?Because if you want to know the next big thing, we’re telling you, it’s the NFC North.Now where did we leave our fedora?
Related Posts
Norwich City midfielder Bradley Johnson has signed a new deal with the Premier League club, extending his contract to the middle of 2016.
Norwich City midfielder Bradley Johnson has signed a new deal with the Premier League club, extending his contract to the middle of 2016.
Johnson, 25, joined the Carrow Road outfit in July 2011 on a free transfer from Leeds United, where he had been for three years.
The Englishman has made 57 appearances for Norwich, scoring three goals, and has missed just one league game this season.
He told the club s official website: As soon as I heard that the club wanted to sit down and sort a new deal I just wanted to get it done and I m delighted that it has.
I think I m playing the best football of my career and I …
Freddie Ljungberg identified belief as the key to a turnaround that ended a seven-game Premier League winless run for Arsenal after they beat West Ham 3-1.
With Ljungberg having overseen a draw with Norwich City and a home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion in his first two games since replacing Unai Emery on an interim basis, it looked as if he was set for further disappointment when Angelo Ogbonna put West Ham ahead in the 38th minute.
Arsenal lost Hector Bellerin in the warm-up on Monday and Kieran Tierney suffered a shoulder injury in the first half, but the Gunners bounced back from those setbacks and a lifeless first-half display to get back to winning ways against their London rivals.
Gabriel Martinelli s first Premier League goal levelled matters and Nico…
Lucien Favre saluted goalkeeper Roman Burki and the rest of his squad after Borussia Dortmund squeezed through to the Champions League s last 16.
A nerve-jangling 2-1 home win over Slavia Prague and Inter s late loss to Barcelona saw Dortmund finish second in Group F on Tuesday.
Tomas Soucek cancelled out Jadon Sancho s opener before Julian Brandt restored the Bundesliga side s lead just after the hour.
Julian Weigl s subsequent dismissal for two bookable offences led to a tense finale, but Burki brilliantly denied Milan Skoda and Abdulla Yusuf Helal to secure all three points.
Everyone, without a single exception, played a part in this win, Favre said.
It was a crazy match. Constant chances. We had to win this game – it s what we were aiming …
Owen Coyle and Houston Dynamo have agreed to part ways, with the 49-year-old old claiming he wants to be closer to his family back in England.
Coyle joined MLS outfit Houston in 2014 following spells with Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League and Wigan Athletic in the Championship.
The Scotsman guided Houston to 15th in the overall standings in his first season, winning 11 out of 34 games.
Dynamo are last in the Western Conference this term, having won just three times to claim 11 points from their opening 12 games.
Coyle said in a statement: I asked [Dynamo president] Chris [Canetti] if I could speak with him today and I explained to him the challenge of being away from my family and how we all want the best for Houston Dynamo.
I want t…
Cristiano Ronaldo s form is getting better , according to Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti argued on Tuesday that Cristiano Ronaldo s form is not as bad as reports have suggested.
The Portuguese attacker has scored 33 goals for Real in all competitions this season, including 28 in La Liga.
Since returning from a two-match ban incurred for his dismissal at Cordoba in January, Ronaldo is yet to find the back of the net in two domestic outings one of which was Real s 4-0 defeat at the hands of rivals Atletico Madrid.
Ancelotti claimed though, that Ronaldo impressed in their 2-0 win at home to Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, despite not scoring.
Ronaldo is set to feature when the UEFA Champions League holders head …
The highest levels of the Spanish government Wednesday came out in support of Atletico Madrid, penalised by UEFA for crowd trouble and racist insults by their supporters in a match against Marseille.
The Spanish media also slammed the decision, blaming the Marseille supporters for the incidents and suggesting that France s UEFA president Michel Platini may not be impartial in the matter.
Marseille lodged an official complaint with European football s ruling body after several of their players were targeted by Atletico fans during their Champions League match in Madrid on October 1.
It alleged monkey chants were aimed at the French club s players, while the Marseille team bus was attacked after the match.
Atletico were also charged with a lack of orga…
Lazio and Roma will be playing for more than local bragging rights when they meet in the season s first Rome derby on Sunday evening.
Delio Rossi s Lazio have made a strong start to the season, winning seven of their 11 league matches, draing one and losing three to leave them two points behind leaders Inter Milan in fourth place with 22 points.
One of the main reasons behind Lazio s form is summer loan signing Mauro Zarate. The Argentine, who is on loan from Qatar s Al Saad, has hit seven goals so far and is expected to form part of a three man attack, alongside captain Tomasso Rocchi and Goran Pandev.
Rocchi has already declared what he expects, telling Sky Italia; I wouldn t settle for a draw. The derby is a truly great match and is important to play in. Y…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not injured but being frozen out by Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, claims Adrian Mutu.
Ibrahimovic has been dogged by injuries this season, only recovering from the knee ligament damage that ended his 2016-17 campaign prematurely in November.
The former Sweden international, who will leave at the end of the season amid links to LA Galaxy, made seven appearances – the majority from the bench – before a recurrence of his previous problem.
He returned to training in February but has not featured for United since, and Mutu says that is because of a deteriorating relationship with Mourinho, rather than due to a lack of fitness.
Mourinho doesn t care about the performance, only the result, Mutu told Telekom Sport Romania.
Highly-rated Bordeaux attacker Malcom believes the time has come to leave the Ligue 1 side and is eager to realise his dream of playing for a club like Bayern Munich.
Malcom has been with Bordeaux since leaving Corinthians in January 2016, becoming one of the standout players in Ligue 1 despite still being just 21.
Arsenal and Tottenham have been linked as suitors, with the Gunners initially emerging as favourites for his signature in January when Alexis Sanchez secured a move to Manchester United.
But Bordeaux dug their heels in on that occasion and now Bayern appear to be frontrunners, with the Bavarian giants reportedly keen on bringing in younger wide players, as Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery – both 34 – head towards the end of their careers.
And…
Lazio goalkeeper Federico Marchetti is wanted by top European clubs, .
The Italy international has enjoyed another excellent season at Stadio Olimpico and his impressive displays did not go unnoticed.
According to Il Corriere dello Sport, Barcelona and Manchester United are among clubs showing interest in the 30-year-old.
While the Red Devils are not really expected to make a move any time soon given David De Gea s outstanding showings, the Catalans could decide to submit an official proposal as they search for a successor to Victor Valdes.
Lazio chairman Claudio Lotito has so far refused to negotiate the sale, but he may not be able to resist a big money offer from Camp Nou.
Federico Marchetti, who joined the club in a cut-price deal from Caglia…