Let the game begin ... and the yapping stop

Sunday can't come soon enough, and not just because I'm a football junkie. When the New York Jets and New England Patriots finally kick off at 4:30, the talking will be done the action can begin.

I'm very much sick and tired of reading about what certain players say about other players. In the grand scheme of things, it means very little, and I'm surprised fans get into it so much. I'm an X's and O's kind of guy, so I don't really care if Jets defensive back Antonio Cromartie calls Tom Brady an "A--hole," or if New York coach Rex Ryan thinks Brady relies more on his coach than Peyton Manning.

I find none of it to be newsworthy, still, writers can't seem to help themselves when a juicy quote is blurted out. Instead of a number of "he said-he said" stories, could we maybe get some kind of analysis of the game? Or is that too much to ask from the beat writers? Yet another example of how good sports journalism is going down the tubes.

Also, I don't really agree with the idea of bulletin board material. Do you really believe that Tom Brady is saying, "I wasn't really going to play that hard before, but now that he called me names, I'm fuming and will give it everything I have."

Come on. These guys are professionals, technically. Just go about your business and resist the urge to take that verbal jab. Because in the long run, talk is cheap.