I’m a pretty big fan of the National Football League. It’s really swell if I do say so myself (I know I said ‘swell’… what of it?).

Currently, us fans get 16 regular season games to watch pick-6s, goal line stands and to neglect school with.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could have even more NFL excitement?

Well, since you are going to be rude and not answer me, I’ll just go ahead and tell you: It would be great.

As luck would have it, the NFL is strongly considering implementing an 18-game season.

Now, this will cause some strife since players will want more compensation. I agree with the players on this one; they should get more money for more games.

They also will have to endure more physical contact, so they need to be taken care of medically as well. All of this is fair and should happen.

Unfortunately, the players and owners may be heading toward a lockout. Disagreements over a player’s compensation in an 18 game season may be one of the reasons why a lockout looms.

Regardless, whether before a lockout or after one, an 18-game season is eminent. At least that’s what ESPN’s John Clayton – or, as Charles Barkley calls him, “Gollum” – is reporting.

So I’m just going to ignore this potential lockout because even if the 18-game season wasn’t on the table, a lockout would still probably happen.

Also, discussion of a lockout is upsetting to me, and I wouldn’t want two upsetting (for different reasons) columns in a row.

Rather, I will focus on why an 18-game season is pretty dandy.

For starters, the proposal would include eliminating two preseason games. This is awesome because the preseason is the worst.

Starters play very little, and when they do play, it’s with minimal effort.

I understand this is an opportunity for guys to make the team, and that’s real great and all – but that’s hardly a compelling enough reason for me to watch games that DON’T COUNT.

Listen, I like watching players named Andrew Quarless (Who?) and Pat Lee (Come again?) as much as the next guy, and Aaron Rodgers growing a disgusting, yet impressive stache is tubular; but really, it all amounts to nothing.

He just shaves it anyway.

Another reason is that it takes the pressure off of games. This is specifically the case for losses.

Like terrible, embarrassing losses like the Packers had on Monday. That complete barf-fest could be forgotten easier with an 18-game season because there would be an extra two games of redemption.

Meaning you can afford to have a massive mental collapse in a game and not have it shake up your season as much.

You may think I’m saying this because I’m a Packer fan and I’m upset over the heinous amount of penalties we had. Well, to that I say: you’re dead wro … OK you’re right.

But wouldn’t anybody want extra games to disprove a potential fluke?

Finally, I think more games will make things more competitive in the long run.

More games means it will be more likely that the best teams will be the best at the end and not potentially sitting on the sidelines because they got unlucky in a few games.

I want to watch the best competition come playoff time, especially in the NFL.

I have a different thought during March Madness, but if there are only 12 playoff teams, I want them to be the best. Eighteen games will enable that.

Maybe an 18-game season won’t happen for a while because of a lockout; or, maybe owners and players will both desire less money and not have a lockout. Then they will plant trees and solve world hunger.

Either way, the eventual 18-game season will be a boon for the league and will give me two more Sundays of the year to put off homework.