I HAVE DFS

I've never hated the Mannings. I know a lot of people are bothered by them, sick of them, feel they are overexposed. I don't mind them - I find them quite likeable. I'm not crazy about Eli's forcing the Chargers' hand in the draft, and I love when the Jets beat either Manning, but on any other week, I often find myself rooting for them.

I also enjoy their commercials.
For some reason, I can't find any video to put on here, but this year's overexposure of the Mannings comes in the form of DirecTV ads for the Sunday Ticket. The premise of the commercial is "DFS" - Displaced Fan Syndrome - the people who need Sunday Ticket the most are people who are living outside of the city of the team they root for. Archie Manning tells us he first got DFS when Peyton went to play in Indy, then again with Eli in New York (not like he didn't contract that bit of DFS on his own, but that's another story for another day).

But I can relate. Because I have DFS.

Had it since 1996, since every football season was mostly spent in Boston while I was in college. Lots of time spent breaking down the NFL schedule, figuring out when the Jets were not playing the same time as the Patriots, so I could figure out the Sundays they would be on free TV.

It was always a waste when, like this Thursday, the Jets played the Patriots in a nationally televised game. I always wanted a Jets-Dolphins or some such game on Monday night, because I'd be able to see a Jets-Patriots game on CBS at 1pm on Sunday, and basically it was one less Sunday game I could watch.

But I digress. For four seasons now, I've found the cure to DFS, and I'm glad the Mannings finally put a label on my suffering. Say what you will about DirecTV - its limitations during rainstorms, its not-so-great customer service (so I've heard) - but I've had nothing but good experiences.

And it saves me a ton of money not having to find a bar with every game every Sunday.