While listening to the incomprehensible ramblings of ESPN’s Chris Berman the other day, I slowly slipped into a dormant state and happened to be visited by the patron saint of football, Vince Lombardi. Although my Packers desperately need a pass rushing linebacker for their new 3-4 defense, I asked Coach for only one thing next year:

Please let Tom Brady’s knee heal properly because I cannot endure another NFL season as boring as this one.

Like most of America outside of New England, I felt little sympathy for the Patriots’ pretty boy when Kansas City safety Bernard Pollard rolled up his knee, ending Brady’s 2009 campaign after one quarter of football. After all, with three Super Bowl trophies, multiple supermodels flaunting at his side and a recent MVP award, mustering up compassion for this fallen star was difficult.

Little did I realize how much I needed that smug grin next to coach Bill Belichick’s stony demeanor on the sideline every Sunday.

The 2007-08 NFL season gave every fan something to root for, regardless of team affiliations. With the Patriots streaking to a perfect regular season and Brady piling up touchdowns at every chance, fans either loved or hated the best franchise of the decade.

But that is the point — they cared.

This season, what exactly was there to get excited about outside of hometown teams? The thrilling Tennessee Titans, who sat on top of the standings as the league’s only 13 win team? Or possibly watching the 8-8 Chargers capture a playoff berth over the equally exciting 8-8 Broncos? Sadly, the only team I was truly stimulated by was the perfect 0-16 Lions (Fun fact: The Lions went 4-0 this preseason).

Perhaps I am spoiled. Super Bowl XLII was one of the most exhilarating Super Bowls of all time. No matter how good Larry Fitzgerald is against Pittsburgh, it will be tough to top the drama of the “Helmet Catch.”

But a well-played game and a signature play were not the most important factors contributing to the success of Super Bowl XLII. It was the excitement of a major upset. Watching the double-digit underdog Giants knock off what was potentially the greatest team in history enhanced the game beyond anything that actually happened on the field,

which is exactly what is lacking from this year’s big game. There is no upset factor.

Although the Steelers opened up as 6.5 point favorites, will anyone be surprised if the Cardinals continue their winning streak?

Now I am fully aware sports are not all about upsets, and I would welcome a game between two deserving teams.

Unfortunately, once again, this is not the case. The Cardinals lost seven games this year. Seven games! If I haven’t made myself clear enough, they lost seven games in what might have been the weakest division in NFL history. They just happened to get on a hot streak in the playoffs, and there weren’t any dominant teams to stop them.

This brings us back to the Patriots.

We need a dominant team in the NFL for the playoffs to be successful. If the Cardinals win, can anyone legitimately claim they are the best team in the NFL? Or was the league just incredibly average this year with the Cardinals and Steelers ranking slightly above average?

When Brady is at the top of his game, the league has a benchmark — something to measure itself against — and a goal to reach. Ditto for when Peyton Manning was dominating the league. In fact, during any golden run for the NFL, there was a top team the rest of the league was trying to beat. Do either the Giants or the Titans qualify as that benchmark this year?

People say they want parity, but mediocre play across the league is the result of that concept taken too far.

So I pray to St. Lombardi, please restore Brady’s knee and the Patriots place at top next year.

Michael is a junior majoring in journalism. Do you think the NFL was entertaining as usual? Is he simply bitter about the Packers 6-10 season? Michael can be reached at [email protected]