Who's (subconsciously) ready for some FOOTBALL!

My Ego, Id and Superego are apparently chomping at the bit for the full start of the NFL season today. Also pumped with anticipation are my inner child, conscience and medulla oblongata. How do I consciously know about the excitement of these subconscious pigskin fans? Consider some evidence:

I didn't set an alarm for this morning, and while I didn't stay out all night I didn't exactly turn in a 9 PM. I would expect to sleep in till at least 9 on a lazy Sunday like today under these circumstances, as I do every week. So what time was I roused? 6:30. Barely before the sunrise. I was unable to fall asleep again, as my lower brain functions were so pumped up for kickoff. Damn them all, the games don't start for 6 1/2 grueling hours!

Even weirder was that I had a strangely detailed dream about the Charger game today versus the Panthers. It was a frustrating dream because there was a lot of other things going on in the dream, most of which were distracting me from my mission to actually watch the game. From what I did "watch", here are the details:

• First, The Chargers were down 8-0 early in the Second Quarter. How the Panthers got 8 so early in the game I have no idea. Was it two FGs and a safety or a TD with a two point try? Neither seems very probable at that early point in the game, but remember this was a dream.
• The Chargers got on the board with a Safety, making it 8-2. Jacques Cesaire earned the safety by beating his man on a pass rush and sacking Jake Delhomme in the Endzone. I know it was Jacques because I saw his number 74 jersey making the play.
  
• In my dream Shawne Merriman's knee didn't hold up and he injured it completely, ending his season in the first game. If its possible to be sad in a dream, that what I was. In a way it was ok though, because I quickly accepted the fact that he gave it his best but would be out for the year. But of course I was happy when I woke up, realized it was a dream and knew that his knee was still (sorta) intact.
• The offense was struggling for some reason, but whenever I was watching they could move the ball. I remember a great halfback pass from LT to Gates, LT being chased by two defenders and throwing a perfect spiral right into Gates hands. Gates then ran most of the way to the Endzone but was stopped short. I didn't see what happened on that trip but when I later was watching again we hadn't scored for some reason.
  
• The Bolts were still down 8-2 early in the third when the dream ended.

I can only speculate that this dream was my brain replaying last year's opener versus Da Bears with subtle variations (and of course the fact that this was the Panthers). Given that I think this years opener will be a lot like last years, meaning it will be a hard fought physical game in which the Chargers will be favored but will have to earn their victory, this dream makes a lot of sense. Or maybe I'm just a football junkie in bad need of my fix. Perhaps an intervention is in order. But please, for my sake, hold it till after the game today.