My NFL Team Tiers

 Way back in the day, I ranked NFL teams from 1 to 32 on how much I like them.  I thought about doing an updated list, but I realized it makes more sense just to group teams together based on what I think of them.  So, I grouped them into as few tiers as I could, which is 7.  I'll explain my rationale as to why each team is in each tier.  I'll also rank the tiers from favorite group to least favorite.  Generally, teams in a higher tier I will like more than teams in a lower tier, but not always.  

1. My all-time #1 favorite team and always will be:
Seattle Seahawks

Being from the Seattle area and being the son of a huge Seahawks fan since their inception, I will always be a Seahawks fan, and they will always be #1 in my heart.  I'll always be a 12, and I'll always bleed blue and green.

2. The Lovable Losers Tier
Cleveland Browns
Jacksonville Jaguars
Detroit Lions
Buffalo Bills
Houston Texans

I could probably count the number of playoff wins in the past 15-20 years between all these teams on one hand.  The teams in this tier tend to lose more than they win, and I have a soft spot for them.  Being a fan of a lovable loser in baseball (The Mariners), I can relate to fans of these teams.  Whenever these teams have a rare bit of success, I tend to root for them.  The Browns, Bills, and Texans have had recent "success", but who knows how long it will last for each of them.

3. The Lovable Winners Tier
Kansas City Chiefs
New Orleans Saints

I tried to get more teams in this tier, but I couldn't.  I also couldn't put either of them anywhere else.  Unless either of these teams beat my Seahawks bad in the playoffs, I don't see me disliking them anytime soon.  The Chiefs have great fans and with Patrick Mahomes, they should be fun to watch for a long time.  And I've had a soft spot for the Saints since they had to deal with Hurricane Katrina.  Drew Brees may be retiring soon, which may cause me to move them to another tier.

4. The "At Least You're Usually Entertaining to Watch" Tier
Dallas Cowboys
Las Vegas Raiders
Baltimore Ravens
Philadelphia Eagles
Atlanta Falcons

I don't really care either way if these teams win or lose, but for the most part the NFL is better when these teams win, because they are usually entertaining teams to watch.  The Cowboys are "America's Team" and have a huge fanbase.  The Raiders have the Black Hole and are one of the NFL's most storied franchises.  The Ravens either have an exciting offense, dominating defense, or both.  The Eagles are always well coached and are usually a good-all around team.  And the Falcons usually have a high-flying offense, whether it be through the air or ground.

5. The Has Beens
Denver Broncos
Minnesota Vikings
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Indianapolis Colts
Chicago Bears
Miami Dolphins

These are all teams that I used to like more than I do now.  None are having quite the success they used to.  Denver in the late 90's was when I first liked them, and I even (sort of) rooted for them in the early 2010's, except of course when they played my Hawks.  The Vikings in the early 2000's were fun to watch with Culpepper, Moss, and Carter.  The Bucs in the early 2000's had an amazing defense.  The Colts with Peyton Manning were always fun to watch.  The Bears had a dominating defense in the mid 2000's, and the Dolphins in the late 90's (and even for a brief period in the mid 2000s) were pretty good.

6. The "You Suck and I Don't Have Sympathy for You" Tier
Arizona Cardinals
Washington Football Team
Cincinnati Bengals
New York Giants
New York Jets
Los Angeles Chargers

This is like the lovable losers, except I don't have sympathy for when these teams lose.  Arizona's in the Seahawk's division, so no further explanation needed there.  Washington has a terrible owner.  Cincinnati just has never appealed to me.  The two New York teams are questionably run at best at the top, and the Chargers shouldn't have moved from San Diego.  

7. The "I Love to Watch You Lose Even If It's Rare" Tier
Tennessee Titans
Carolina Panthers
Green Bay Packers
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers
Pittsburgh Steelers
New England Patriots

My most hated tier.  The teams that (despite my wishes) still usually have success.  I can't even really explain why I dislike the Titans, except perhaps that my Hawks usually lose to them.  The Panthers have been a "rival" of the Hawks for a while, plus I have no reason to root for them.  The Packers have been a rival for the Hawks as well, beating us a few times.  The Rams and Niners should be self-explanatory.  The Steelers beat the Hawks in Super Bowl XL, and the Patriots beat the Hawks in Super Bowl XLIX.  I will never forgive those two teams for that.  

I can see some changes happening.  If Buffalo has long term success with Josh Allen, they could move to the Lovable Winners tier.  I could see some of the Has Beens moving up to another tier if they become more exciting to watch or have more success.  But this is how I feel right now, and I'm sticking to it.

2020's Highs and Lows

Boy, 2020 has been some year.  Most would consider it one of the worst years in recent memory, and I can't argue with them.  However, this year isn't without some positive things happening, which I will get into.  Some are personal to me, some aren't.  But this has certainly been a year I will remember for a long time.  

Let's get the bad out of the way first: COVID-19.  You knew I was going to mention it.  It has put such a damper on the things we usually enjoy in life.  The family barbecues, going to sporting events, flying to see relatives, a lot of that most of us cannot enjoy at the moment.  These are the things we live for.  The things we work 40 hour work weeks for.  Instead, we are forced to sequester at home and find other joys in life.  

COVID-19 has impacted me both positively and negatively.  I did really want to go to a Mariners game and/or a Seahawks game (at least one) this year.  I wanted to take Amanda to her first Seahawks game since 2011.  I moved this year (closer to my grandparents) and I did want to make an effort to see them more often, but I haven't been able to as they fear catching COVID-19 (and I fear possibly passing it to them).  I don't mind spending a lot of time at home finding ways to keep myself occupied/entertained; I usually do that anyway.  

But as I said, COVID-19 has had a positive impact on me.  Because of the pandemic, I got a new (and better) job.  My old job wasn't the best fit, I wasn't making enough, and I didn't really enjoy it.  They put me "on standby" in March, which is like a suspension, but without the employee doing anything wrong.  I then went on unemployment while I waited for them to possibly take me back.  I also used this time to look at other jobs.  I slowly and ultimately got to a point where I realized I wanted to use this opportunity to change jobs.  I eventually found one in August and I have loved it ever since.  I enjoy it so much more, I feel more useful/needed, and I get paid more.  It beats my previous job in every way.  Even the commute from my current residence is better.  

Like I mentioned, I moved this year.  Amanda and I are now on our own just the two of us.  I really like our new apartment and the complex.  We moved right as COVID restrictions were getting put in place.  Unfortunately thanks to COVID, we are not able to enjoy the luxurious amenities this complex has.  I did use the gym a bit when they opened it for a short time, but it certainly was short-lived as they closed it not long after.

One last good thing that happened--I need to mention it: We will be getting a new president.  Thank the lord.  Donald Trump has never been fit to be president, and boy is he just an awful human being.  He is now refusing to concede the election (pathetic), but regardless, we will be getting a new president in 2021 in Joe Biden.  I don't want to get into politics too much in this post, but I know this is a reason for optimism next year for so many people, myself included.

On a more personal level, I really wanted to lose weight this year.  Like I mentioned earlier, I made an effort to go to our apartment complex's gym when it was open.  I have tried eating healthier, but it's been tough.  Now that the holidays are basically here, I might have to focus on losing weight for 2021.  I have a few ideas in mind that may help.  But I'm no skinnier now than I was at the start of 2020.  I'm going to work hard to change that for 2021.

Honestly, 2020 hasn't been too bad for me personally.  I've lost out on a few things I would want to do (including going to the movies), but I got a newer better job, I still managed to move during the pandemic, and we will be getting a new president.  I don't mind having to wear a mask in any situation.  And no one else should mind, either.

But I am really hoping 2021 is an improvement.  Hopefully we can eradicate this disease and be able to do all the things we live for again.  I don't think our country can take another year of this.  I could, but I'd hate to see what happens if this pandemic doesn't at least start going away next year.  I will continue at my current job for the foreseeable future as I have no complaints about it.  For the first time in a while, I am really looking forward to the following year.  In my opinion, 2021 can't get here fast enough.  To anyone reading this, let's work hard to make 2021 the opposite of 2020.  Wear your mask, socially distance yourself, and be nice to others (even if they're the other political party).  Thank you.