As off-season banter has left NFL fans hopping on and off their respective teams' bandwagons, the National Football League has definitely been driving into uncharted territory.

Over the past year, the league has had enough drama, comedy and side shows to fill every television set, movie theater and circus in America.

However, despite all of the off-field distractions, the magical and historic Superbowl championship run by the New York Giants is still what will forever define the 2007-2008 NFL season.

By defeating the previously undefeated New England Patriots at Superbowl XLII in Arizona, New York pulled off an upset of biblical proportions. The ultimate irony of the story was that when this David beat Goliath, it was the Giants victory.

The 2008-2009 season is already guaranteed to bring a number of changes and surprises. Brett Favre, the legendary quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, has retired, as has the Giants' stellar defense end Michael Strahan. It is unclear how and where the disgruntled stars (Chad Johnson, Jason Taylor, Brian Urlacher, Jeremy Shockey, etc.) will ultimately align themselves.

No one knows how the Patriots will respond to their failed attempt at a perfect season. Nor does anyone know how the NFL fans will respond to the Patriots, especially after controversial off-season meetings have all but convicted New England of a premeditated pattern of rule violations that exceeded any previous estimates.

Commissioner Roger Goodell is trying to cool off for a few months, before sitting in a hot seat that continues to burn with critical issues involving the upcoming season. Besides handling the never-ending fallout from New England's Spygate controversy, Goodell must (among other things):

• Decide what to do with suspended Dallas Cowboy defensive back Pacman Jones.
• Try to avoid a player-union strike that is threatening the 2011 season and beyond.
• Somehow resolve the ongoing dispute with Comcast and Times Warner Cable over the general availability of the NFL Network.

As a result of all the glory and mayhem in the recent rearview mirror, the NFL has never (in the 89 year history of the league) had more excitement and anticipation surrounding the beginning of a new season.

And there is certainly no lack of storylines to follow. The Kansas City Chiefs supposedly had a monster draft, but was it enough to fill their frightening number of holes? The Cleveland Browns made a huge splash in this year's free agency pool, but will they finally be able to swim all the way to the big game? Dallas has become even stronger on paper, but will they be able to flex their muscles in January?

The Jacksonville Jaguars and San Diego Chargers both gave New England a run for their money in last year's playoffs, but will their near misses pay dividends for them this year? The Green Bay Packers have a lot of young guns, but can they win the ultimate shootout with Aaron Rodgers pulling the trigger?

The Indianapolis Colts are traveling in a fully loaded star-ship, but is the right Man-ning at the helm. The Patriots still have their arsenal of offensive missiles, but can they win a war with a rebuilt defensive secondary and without their camouflaged surveillance equipment? As for the Giants, they can't possibly do it all again...can they?

The opening Vegas odds had the Patriots set as an early 5-2 favorite to capture Superbowl XLIII in Tampa, Florida. The Cowboys and Colts were next at 6-1, followed by the Packers at 7-1. The Chargers and Jaguars both opened at 10-1.

Meanwhile, at 12-1, the defending Superbowl champion Giants will probably try to parlay last year's mantra of 'league-wide disrespect' into an unlikely return to Nirvana this year.

Will Superbowl XLIII live up to the thrilling, last minute magic of Superbowl XLII? Who knows. But, regardless of where the footballs bounce or the gambling chips fall, wagering on the stage location for the 2008-2009 NFL Theatre is one bet that is an absolute lock.

We are all heading for an amusement park, where the roller coaster runs from September to February. Admission won't be free, but it will be well worth the ride!