Hi, my name is Beerguy, and I’d like to talk with you about that pit you feel in your stomach. Or maybe it’s in your heart. Well, it can’t be your head, because you’re an NFL fan, and Roger Goodell doesn’t believe in brain trauma.

Often times, people lose interest in things they used to enjoy and may withdraw from others. As we get further away from “The Big Game”™, people sometimes feel sad that the season has come to an end, and the next season seems so far away. We begin craving any new information related to the upcoming season. This is especially true for fans of teams that came close to making it to the finals, or people who hope that one day the Patriots can be knocked off their perch.

If you have gotten to the point in your craving where you are trying desperately to figure out if the Saskatchewan Roughriders did actually illegally work out Johnny Manziel, DFO is here to help.

League Year-end / Year-beginning: March 7-9

• Why, that’s just one month away!
• “Legal Tampering Period” – March 7th: NFL teams may begin contract negotiations with the agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents on March 9th at 4:00 PM (ET).

March 9 – before 4:00 PM (ET)

• Deadline for NFL teams to exercise options for 2017 on any player with option clauses in their 2016 contracts.
• NFL teams must submit qualifying offers to players with expiring contracts who will become Restricted Free Agents.
• NFL teams must submit a Minimum Salary Tender to players who will become Exclusive-Rights Free Agents (expiring contracts and fewer than 3 accrued seasons).

March 9 – after 4:00 PM (ET)

• 2017 NFL league year begins, all 2016 contracts expire, free agency and trading opens.
  • Who will be this year’s Darren Sproles?
  • Who will be this year’s Albert Haynesworth?
• All teams must be and stay under the ‘Top-51’ salary cap for 2017.
  • Salary cap link here.

March 13 – Fifth-day of new league year contract implications.

• Many player contracts have key dates in which a guarantee kicks in, with the fifth-day of a new league year a popular one.

3rd Week of April – The NFL will announce the 2017 schedule.

• Here is a link to who the opponents will be. Actual game dates are announced.

April 27-29: 2017 NFL Draft – Philadelphia, PA

• Will your team draft Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf??
• Who will they find deep in the draft that becomes a superstar?!

See? There’s sweet, sweet sugar around nearly every corner. Turn that frown upside-down!

If all else fails, remember that the fifth stage of grief is hope/acceptance. At DFO, that’s pronounced “Sexy Friday”.

Malt of the Month:

With all of the Superb Owl festivities, it didn’t seem prudent at the time to pile on the Commentists’ selection of alcohols. But now that the “The Big Game”™ has passed, it’s time to look into what may help salve our depression as we trundle onward towards the draft – 77 days away.

BOWMORE THE DEVIL’S CASKS III – 56.7% – “Double The Devil”

Well, that does sound promising. Go on…

The final edition in Bowmore’s The Devil’s Casks trilogy, this has been aged entirely in sherry casks, creating a rich and intense whisky that combines notes of coffee, salted treacle and chocolate fudge with the distillery’s characteristic medium smoke.

Hmm, I’m not a peat fan. But it’s a good-looking bottle. Can you bring this around for me?

Finally, savour the powerful, long-­-lasting finish of smoked fruitcake, blood orange and sea salt.

NOPE! That’s too peaty for me. Smoked fruitcake? That’s a line I’m not touching. Still, I have to respect the fact that they’re trying.

Tonight’s sports:

• NHL:
  • Islanders at Flyers – 7:00PM | NBCSP
  • Sharks at Bruins – 7:00PM | Sportsnet

• NBA:
  • Cavaliers at Thunder – 8:00PM | TNT / Sportsnet1
  • Celtics at Trail Blazers – 10:30PM | TNT / Sportsnet1

• NCAA: highlighted matchups
  • North Carolina at Duke – 8:00PM | ESPN / TSN
  • Oregon at UCLA – 10:00PM | ESPN / TSN

Today marks the halfway point of the school year. SUMMER, HERE I COME!