2012 already? Time flies. But today I am inspired, because my good friends the Minnesota Vikings are back in training camp, yukking it up with their hijinks. You know why I love following the NFL? The storylines seem to be crafted to get people like me involved. People that love a good soap opera. Also, I grew up in Wisconsin, and can't deny the lasting effects of Packer Nation. Now, I'm not one of those pathetic ladies that sits her ass on the couch all day watchin' her stories. I am a functioning adult, a married mother of 2, and I work full-time. But I am a sucker for ridiculous, dramatic fallout. The second half of the first season of Melrose Place (post-Heather Locklear's awesome arrival) was absolute perfection. My husband and I are hopelessly addicted to Game of Thrones- him for the weapons and scenery, me for the shocking plot twists. I might even watch the re-boot of Dallas, but only to watch OG J.R. Ewing and Sue Ellen chew the scenery. But hands down, my favorite soap opera of all time is the NFL. Every new season brings new promise of over-inflated egos, jaw-droppingly stupid interviews, real-life good vs. evil plots and the ultimate endgame, producing one unequivocal winner. Officially, I align myself with the Green Bay Packers (heroes), but unfortunately for me in this instance, I live in Minneapolis, so the majority of everyday NFL news I get is about the Minnesota Vikings (villains? I guess. No one fears them though. Actually, we will call them the "comic relief". We'll say the Chicago Bears are the villains, for now.) It's a little early to start getting into the zone, but one of my favorite characters on the Vikings' roster, Percy Harvin, has caught my attention. Seems Percy is going to play the character of "crybaby whiner" this season. He is passively-aggressively holding himself out of minicamp, and has demanded a trade, which he claims is not about the money. Seems Percy wants to be a big shot wide receiver for another team. Well, who doesn't? This story will unfold, but for now, all I can do is laugh at the Vikings' continued misfortune with their disgruntled players. I remember when they drafted Percy Harvin. He had impressive talent, yet was considered a risk, because he tested positive for marijuana during the routine tests these guys have to go through. A test which he knew he was going to have to take, and had been anticipating since whenever it was obvious he had a real shot at a professional football career So, he's already proven to be not that smart. But the Vikings drafted him anyway, and good on them. A little pot isn't really that bad, but they should have been more concerned with his poor decision-making. Since then, he has proven to be well worth the risk. And, it turns out, he suffers from terrible migraines. I used to get those, and they are, indeed, awful. Perhaps why he indulged in the sweet weed, the only proven cure for headaches? The Vikings can sometimes pull some classy moves, and they did that with Percy, sending him to the Mayo Clinic to deal with his migraines, not just to improve his football career, but to try to give him a better life overall. I can applaud them for that. Percy has had to miss games even! So now, he's being all pissy about his contract and wants a trade. I don't see him getting real far with that. But I am delighted to see what will happen when he is forced to play for the Vikings anyway! I am also delighted to see what will happen with my all-time favorite soap opera actor ever, Randy Moss, who returns to the fold after a well-deserved year-long hiatus. And playing for San Francisco, with their hilariously big-mouthed coach! This is going to be good.