I enjoy the football season as much as anyone, but I absolutely abhor the football pre-season.
For weeks, we are forced to endure literally hundreds of glowing newspaper articles and media reports regarding football practice, which happens to be one of the most boring exercises in organized human activity ever invented. Prior to the Texans’ 2006 season, I noted a couple of times (here and here) how the Chronicle sportswriters have elevated the pre-season cheerleading about the local NFL team to absurd levels, which means that we will then be treated to dozens of more inane articles and media reports after the season begins on how disappointing the Texans are performing.
The sheer amount of over-analysis is overwhelming. Today, while flipping the radio dial in my car, I happened upon two radio show hosts analyzing for about five minutes two incompletions from Saturday night’s Texans-Bears pre-season game. Here is a typical Chronicle entry regarding Monday’s Texans’ practice:

The offense looked strong Monday with Bethel Johnson making some big catches. He may have earned himself a little more playing time this weekend. He saw the field Saturday, but didn’t record a reception.

Pretty earth shattering stuff, don’t you think? The amount of time expended on all of this is really absurd.
At any rate, from the looks of this article (pdf here), the Chronicle sportswriters are off and running again this pre-season in their role as the primary Texans cheerleaders:

A cornerback by trade in the NFL, Von Hutchins is getting a serious look from the Texans at free safety, and that’s where he was playing Saturday when he intercepted a Rex Grossman pass late in the first quarter.
Hutchins stepped in front of intended receiver Mark Bradley and made the pick at the Chicago 36, then returned it 20 yards before being run out of bounds at the 16.
The heads-up play, which set up the second of Kris Brown’s four field goals in the Texans’ 19-17 victory, . . .

First, the interception was thrown by backup Bears QB, Brian Griese, not Grossman. And, of yeah, it would be nice if the Chronicle reporter noticed that the Texans actually lost the game, 20-19.
It’s going to be a long season enduring media reports about the local football team.