'What a glorious feeling it is to have football back in our lives after eight horrific and gruelling months spent addressing normal, everyday life and attempting to somehow navigate the day-to-day non-football-related interactions that spoil my every waking moment.'

That's what we're meant to think anyway...

Just on the flip-side of that argument, I think there's something to be said from taking a clean break from the monotony of the football off-season and genuinely allowing yourself to 'reset'. Too many people become jaded because they go from the draft (the last meaningful calendar date before pre-season in my view) straight into scrambling for news on rookie mini-camps, Voluntary Team Activities and all that jazz...

The truth is that much of the information you get between May and September is completely useless. Remember last year? Cole Beasley and Dwayne Harris were the top contendersin the battle to replace Miles Austin in week one. Of course, come opening night, who comes up with a two TD game? The unfashionable Kevin Ogletree. Needless to say, neither Harris or Beasley justified the column inches, with the former managing just 17 receptions and the latter now on the Cowboys' practice squad after a poor 15-catch haul.

That's just one of the countless examples of speculative, hype-driven journalism that make the off-season a chore in my view. I admit that until training camp begins, I try to avoid any of this type of conjecture wherever possible, as everyone knows that no decisions are made in July about who will play in September. It's no coincidence that NFL owners, coaches and GM's sit down in the May-August period to work out rule changes and financial concerns, as they know that - with the exception of your tight end being accused of multiple homicides - there is nothing better to do.

So here's some advice: Just... stop. There's nothing in the world worse than the rolling, 24/7 news coverage that pervades sports in general, spreading half-truths, gossip and speculation with an alarming disregard for the consequences of getting things wrong. In the NFL, this has become a small industry, churning out opinion as fact in an attempt to be the first person to break a news story. Of course, nobody ever addresses when this is completely wrong...

Nice rant that, but we're all here for the picks really...

Check out who is 'Winning' and who is 'Really living Charlie Sheen's actual life' by clicking the 'Overall Standings' button above. It's been a good week for Bleacher Report and their crew of Matt Miller and Brad Gagnon who sit atop the standings, broken only by the fact that ProFootballFocus débutante Ben Stockwell is alphabetically superior to Gagnon. PFF will have to pull their collective fingers out of... wherever they are... and get things right next week as they occupy four of the bottom seven positions. The good news is that at this stage of the season, there's still all to play for.

You have to say that. Anyway, as always, follow me on twitter for regular updates throughout the week on the stats behind the picks, ideal if you're planning your weekend bets (I didn't say that if you're from America and can't gamble, despite being able to shoot a man straight up dead for wearing a hoodie) or looking for survivor pool or pick 'em league tips.