Like small children waiting for Christmas, many die hard football fans welcome these dog days of summer. The  winter doldrums that set in after the Super Bowl weren't as bad for those of us in Steeler Nation this year, as many of us are still reveling in the sweet taste of victory, but for many others it was a long, barren stretch of basketball.  The draft was fun..for awhile, but eventually the speculation of how our new prospects would do got to be tiring. Anticipation and longing were begining to build.  Pitchers and catchers reported, MLB got underway, and by mid July many of us that don't live in NY, Chicago, or LA  watched our chosen baseball teams slide further and further behind the leaders. My favorite team had a major firesale, trading a Cy Young winning pitcher...again...and our only all-star....again. July gives way to August...training camp starts for our beloved Steelers. YEEEEHAW!  But for me, what really signals the start of the football season is Hall of Fame Week!  Now, it may seem to some people that living here in Canton,Ohio during the HOF festivites is really cool...and it can be. There is A LOT to do...the highlight for me is the ribs burnoff at the fair grounds...but I have to be honest ......dealing with all of the traffic in my neighborhood SUCKS!  (The fair groundsd is 5 mins away...except during HOF week, when it's 20.) I live within walking distance of the HOF and Fawcett Stadium. So close, in fact, that when they used to have the induction ceremonies on the steps of the hall, I could hear the speeches over the PA system in my back yard. They moved them into the stadium a few years ago, which is fine by me, they were not that great anyway. The trouble is that the HOF/stadium are basically in residential areas, so there is not an abundance of parking. In addition to that ,every gas station, mini mart, bar, grill, hotel, laundry mat, pizza shop, tatoo parlor, etc etc etc...is busy. I went to the gas station that I go to every week...it's my neighborhood place...I like to keep the business local...had to WAIT IN LINE. Egads. Now, this may be nothing new for some of you, especially those that live in larger cities. And I suppose that I am grateful for the business and commerce that this event brings to my beloved city, but I am totally ok with it being OVER. Funny thing..just about a half hour ago I went out on my deck to talk on the phone and noticed the Goodyear blimp hovering over my neighborhood. Man, those things are loud when they are that close! And, with that bit of complaining out of the way...I can breathe a great big sigh of relief and be happy because FOOTBALL is finally here!!!!