Trying to find meaning in preseason NFL

Now is the time when everything starts to get interesting. Local football teams practiced for the first time Thursday, and we are getting frighteningly close to the start of the high school season. In the coming weeks there will be practices, scrimmages, and – in less than three weeks – games. Games that matter. For high school, three weeks is not much time. So coaches have to make every workout, every meeting, count. Time is really important, meaningful. Well, on most levels. That hit me on Thursday night, as I was frantically trying to figure out if any of my streaming services were broadcasting the Hall of Fame Game between the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans. The National Football League is one of my true loves, as a fan and a writer. And, even though I know better, I'm excited to see NFL players in NFL uniforms at NFL stadiums. Or at least, that's what I like to tell myself. It's tempting to refer to the NFL preseason and dress rehearsals, but in fact, what the NFL presents during August is far less than that. After all, if you go to a dress rehearsal of a play or a concert, you'll see the stars of the events perform. If you tuned into Thursday hoping to see former Ohio State star and reigning Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud ply his trade at quarterback for the Texans, well, too bad. The Bears would sooner miss their flight to Canton – and boycott all of its preseason games – than risk No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams to injury. So, instead, fans were treated to the Texans' Davis Mills and the Bears' Tyson Bagent under center in the first quarter. After that, fans saw players who – with all respect to them – have to do something remarkable to make the regular season roster. It wasn't always like this. In the 1980s, it was common to see starters play significant snaps in the preseason. Some coaches would actually treat preseason games like actual games, with the starters playing as long as needed to win. In 1994, in a Lions/Bengals exhibition game at Riverfront Stadium, I got to see the Lions' big free agent signing – quarterback Scott Mitchell – play quite a bit. Five years later, the Browns participated in perhaps the most anticipated exhibition in history when they played the Cowboys in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton. The game mattered because this was Cleveland's first game back after the original franchise moved to Baltimore three years earlier. The Browns' veteran quarterback (and presumed starter), Ty Detmer, saw time. Top pick Tim Couch played, and threw a touchdown pass to second-round pick Kevin Johnson. And Phil Dawson connected on a field goal in overtime as Cleveland won. There was good reason for coach Chris Palmer to play his guys: It was a new team, the 1999 Browns – the NFL's collection of misfit toys – needed as much playing time as possible. But Cleveland's fans --- desperate for winning football—celebrated. It was reported that fans called the Browns, asking about playoff tickets. That talk was premature. The Browns finished 2-14 in their return season. The preseason is essentially meaningless. Baltimore went winless in its 2000 exhibition slate, then won the Super Bowl. The Browns went 4-0 in the 2017 preseason, then didn't win again. It's one of the reasons why I try not to watch much of the Browns exhibition games. It's really just a charade. The NFL regular season begins on Sept. 5, more than a month away. Luckily, for those of us who need football, the high school season starts Thursday, Aug. 22. Columbus Grove and Pandora-Gilboa – two tough playoff teams – will square off that night. Most everybody else in the area plays the next evening. That's…20 days away. And counting. It's good to know that meaningful football is so close. Things are getting interesting. Just not in the NFL preseason. Zach Baker is the sports editor for The Courier.