Announcing the 2011 Preseason Challenge

Oh, yes, we're back at it again. Even though NFL Network has seen fit to hide its broadcast schedule for all of this year's preseason games for the SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR, I've located one and am gearing up to take my annual run at the Preseason Challenge, which is to watch all of the games.

Last year's "run" was a feeble effort of about nine games, but I can't resist another try this year. One, I'm a glutton for punishment, and two, the lockout made it easier this year! The owners and players couldn't settle in time to save the Hall of Fame Game, which would have been between the Rams and Bears, so there are only 64 games this year.

If I do get through the whole challenge this year, will I have to list it with an asterisk? Not to worry, it's hardly likely I'll get anywhere near that far. I completed the Preseason Challenge the first time I tried it in 2004 but haven't come close since.

To try to speed things up this year, I'm not going to attempt any live blogging in Blogger, which I swear causes two-thirds of my problems. I'll write games up somewhere else and then drag the text into Blogger after the game. Also, I think I'm going to keep this year's game accounts a lot shorter, but don't count on Mr. Long-Winded here sticking to that.

So, let's all do some stretching, clear off our TiVos, warm up our DVD burners, and make a run at it, shall we? The challenge kicks off with the Seahawks at the Chargers on ESPN August 11.

Yes! The Chargers cheerleaders the very first game!

-$-