We are three months removed from the Super Bowl.
We are four months away from the first touchdown pass, the first fumble and the first brutal hit of the next National Football League season.
That does not mean the most popular league in North America has gone dormant.
The NFL draft of college talent was watched last week by near record numbers of television viewers, even though most football fans have never heard of the vast majority of the 200-plus players chosen.
Three once-dominant running backs, now in their 30s with questions about the state of their legs, recently signed with new teams and inspired media debate for days: which player in the Adrian Peterson-Jamaal Charles-Marshawn Lynch geezer trio has the most yardage left?
Yes, the NFL never sleeps. But more importantly for them, it is a league whose analysts and fans never sleep.
Despite the fact that this year’s draft featured absolutely no quarterbacks — the glamour position — who were regarded as cannot-miss, franchise-lifting players, some 9.2 million people watched two cable TV networks broadcast the first round on the first night.
The average audience for the three nights was 4.6 million, up six per cent from last year, and the second largest in history.
Once upon a time, the draft was considered too boring for television. That would have been before 1980, when ESPN — then a fledgling network hungry for content — asked the NFL for broadcast rights.
A monster was born, spreading like gooey science fiction plasma into three separate prime-time telecasts.
Even though it often takes several years before anyone can accurately assess how each team’s choices play out, instant analyses are offered and argued.
The favourite talking point of this year’s affair centred on the Chicago Bears, who traded up one spot and took quarterback Mitchell Trubisky second overall. For the most part, the reaction was “What’s wrong with those people?”
A month ago, Trubisky was just one of a handful of flawed college quarterbacks. The consensus was that none projected as a definitive, big-time pro, worthy of a top three pick. The Bears disagreed, making sure they got their strong-armed man from the University of North Carolina who can move out of the pocket to throw.
On the downside, Trubisky started just 13 games in college, playing in near anonymity for a below-the-radar programme.
As usual, we will not know if Chicago were right or wrong for a while. The Bears just signed free agent Mike Glennon for three years and US$45 million (Dh165.2m), presumably to start while Trubisky learns which laundry bin to toss his sweaty socks into after practice.
Then there are the three famous running backs. Peterson, 32, found a new home in New Orleans after rushing for 11,747 yards for the Minnesota Vikings. He vowed “revenge” on his former employer for not believing in him.
Lynch, 31, was the NFL’s most bruising runner from 2011-14. He helped the Seattle Seahawks win one Super Bowl and go to another, then retired after the 2015 season. He just signed with the Oakland Raiders.
Charles, 30, once was the most dangerous dual threat back in the league for the Kansas City Chiefs, but he only played in eight games the past two seasons. He is now with the Denver Broncos.
Sadly, last seen, they all were limping off the field, downed by serious leg injuries. Still, memories fuel hope and debate over who is best equipped to overcome those damaged wheels.
Never mind if the answer turns out to be “none of the above”. In the 2017 off-season, they were as huge as ever, stars again on the NFL’s always-lit stage.
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Specs: 2024 McLaren Artura Spider
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 and electric motor
Max power: 700hp at 7,500rpm
Max torque: 720Nm at 2,250rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
0-100km/h: 3.0sec
Top speed: 330kph
Price: From Dh1.14 million ($311,000)
On sale: Now
TWISTERS
Director:+Lee+Isaac+Chung
Starring:+Glen+Powell,+Daisy+Edgar-Jones,+Anthony+Ramos
Rating:+2.5/5
Confirmed bouts (more to be added)
Cory Sandhagen v Umar Nurmagomedov
Nick Diaz v Vicente Luque
Michael Chiesa v Tony Ferguson
Deiveson Figueiredo v Marlon Vera
Mackenzie Dern v Loopy Godinez
Tickets for the August 3 Fight Night, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, went on sale earlier this month, through www.etihadarena.ae and www.ticketmaster.ae.
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90+2')
Barcelona 0
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
Company profile
Company name: Fasset
Started: 2019
Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
Current number of staff: 86
Investment stage: Pre-series B
Investors: Investcorp, Liberty City Ventures, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Primal Capital, Wealthwell Ventures, FHS Capital, VN2 Capital, local family offices
Kill
Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Starring: Lakshya, Tanya Maniktala, Ashish Vidyarthi, Harsh Chhaya, Raghav Juyal
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs+
Engine: 2x201bhp AC Permanent-magnetic electric
Transmission: n/a
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 659Nm
Price estimate: Dh200,000
On sale: Q3 2022
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
What's in my pazhamkootan?
Add:
Parippu – moong dal and coconut curry
Sambar – vegetable-infused toor dal curry
Aviyal – mixed vegetables in thick coconut paste
Thoran – beans and other dry veggies with spiced coconut
Khichdi – lentil and rice porridge
Optional:
Kootukari – stew of black chickpeas, raw banana, yam and coconut paste
Olan – ash gourd curry with coconut milk
Pulissery – spiced buttermilk curry
Rasam – spice-infused soup with a tamarind base
Avoid:
Payasam – sweet vermicelli kheer
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Revibe
Started: 2022
Founders: Hamza Iraqui and Abdessamad Ben Zakour
Based: UAE
Industry: Refurbished electronics
Funds raised so far: $10m
Investors: Flat6Labs, Resonance and various others
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels