As this year's less-than-spectacular free agents (a consequence of silly things involving football business that I don't care to go into right now) begin to find their new homes, the calendar year for the NFL is officially reset. This is the start of the 2010 NFL season.

So it's only fair to look back on how the last season treated us. I predicted that it would be the best season ever; was I right? The state of Louisiana probably thinks so. Either way, I wonder: what parts of the 2009 season will color our memories for years to come? That's what I try to figure out below, while mixing in some thoughts about the future as well.

THE GOOD:

1. For the first time since Super Bowl XXVII in 1993, the Super Bowl featured the #1 seeds from each conference. Sure, Cinderella stories like the Giants toppling the Patriots in ’08 make for great stories and can be true spectacles, but when great teams collapse in the playoffs, there’s always a sentiment of unfulfilled expectations. This year, the Colts and Saints were the teams to beat throughout the regular season, and in the end, we still got a great underdog story out of New Orleans putting Peyton Manning in his place.

2. Dammit Brett Favre, quit proving us wrong and just have a bad season already. Geez! Just when we keep thinking he’s out, he pulls himself back in, and outplays himself. Sure, another Super Bowl trip still eludes his resume, but the Vikings were a hell of an exciting team, with one of the best young running backs, a Rookie Of The Year receiver, and a grizzled yet charismatic/robotic quarterback. Almost makes us forget about that whole sex boat scandal from ’05. Almost.

3. Of course, the Jets warrant mentioning, who might have all the makings of an up-and-comer for the rest of the decade. A rookie QB on the rise, the league’s premier shutdown cornerback, a young stud running back, a diva wide receiver, a great O-line, and a strong linebacking unit – in addition to Rex Ryan – should scare the rest of the AFC. I don’t think anyone will accuse them of “backing into the playoffs” the next few times they get there. The Patriots should be afraid.

4. And hey, have you heard? The NFL draft is changing to a three-day format, with round one the first day, rounds two and three on the next, and four through seven on the last. The draft is one of the biggest events on the NFL calendar, and this was a great move by the league to make the first round into more of a prime time experience (Thursday, 7:30) instead of the weekend dead zone of years past. Plus, with three full days, more trades can happen and teams will have more time to reevaluate their draft boards. That means better picks and more drama. I like it.

THE BAD:

1. Not to take away from a phenomenal season by New Orleans, but if the NFL’s overtime rules weren’t so incredibly broken, they might have stopped short of the Super Bowl. After seeing the Vikings lose in overtime of the NFC Championship without a chance for possession, it’s obvious that changes need to be made. College football has it right, giving both teams equal chances. The NFL should take the hint.

2. Something else that needs fixing: the Pro Bowl. I admit that I was in favor of moving it to the week before the Super Bowl (so the Super Bowl truly ends the season). And as a practical matter, it makes sense to have it located in the same city as the Super Bowl. But if these changes mean that so many people drop out that DAVID GARRARD gets to play, something is wrong.

3. Like I said, I don’t really want to get into the whole business side of the NFL, but the whole collective bargaining agreement “thing” ruined this year’s free agency. How so? With no cap, teams can spend more money than in the past. HOWEVER, this coincides with a change in the minimum years players need from their rookie contracts to become unrestricted free agents, meaning that a whole slew of players who would be available this off-season now have to wait a year. Thus, more money will be spent on fewer and worse players. Seems kind of backwards to me.

4. Three of the best running backs of this decade were all recently released: LaDainian Tomlinson, Jamal Lewis, and Brian Westbrook. Their young replacements in Darren Sproles, Jerome Harrison, and LeSean McCoy all have potential, but none will likely capture the magic that these three instilled over the 2000s. I think they’ll all latch on somewhere, and maybe even make an impact as a strong back-up or decent starter. But it’s sad to see these great careers seemingly end with a whimper. Somewhere, Shaun Alexander is smiling. And then frowning again.

AND THE INTERESTING:

Brett Favre has now ended each of the last three seasons throwing with season-ending interception – for three different teams. First, he was picked off in overtime of the NFC Championship game against the Giants; New York kicked the field goal for the win. Then, after a promising season with the Jets (started 8-3, ended 9-7), Favre is picked off on a potential game-tying drive against the Dolphins, who with the win become the AFC East champions. Then of course this year with the Vikings, a potential game-winning drive is cut short by Tracy Porter of the Saints, leading to an overtime where the Vikings don’t even get possession. I say Favre comes back one more time to avenge himself.

TEAMS THAT PLEASANTLY SURPRISED US:

1. The New York Jets (9-7). No one guessed they’d make it to the playoffs, let alone the AFC Championship.

2. The Tennessee Titans (8-8). Once Vince Young stepped back in, of course.

3. The Arizona Cardinals (10-6). Unlike the team who beat them in the Super Bowl last year, they actually made it back to the playoffs, and were not as fluky as they looked last year.

4. The Cleveland Browns (5-11). Unsurprisingly started 1-11, but then beat their arch rival Pittsburgh Steelers (for the first time since 2003!) to close the season with 4 straight wins.

5. The Dallas Cowboys (11-5). Finally shook that monkey off their back of not winning a playoff game in 13 years. Now for a new monkey: not reaching a Super Bowl in 14 years.

TEAMS THAT HORRIFYINGLY SURPRISED US:

1. The New York Giants (8-8). Started hot and appeared destined for greatness, then an overpaid defense and a tip-toeing Brandon Jacobs stopped trying.

2. The Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7). Who, true to Coach Mike Tomlin’s words, “unleash[ed] Hell” to cap off a disappointing season following a great Super Bowl victory.

3. The Denver Broncos (8-8). Whose bipolar season started with 6 straight wins, then 4 losses, then 2 wins to inspire a little more hope, then 4 more losses. 8-8 will never look the same again.

4. The Seattle Seahawks (5-11). This is what T.J. Houshmandzadeh left Cincinnati for?

5. The Washington Redskins (4-12). Jason Campbell wasn’t too bad, but they need to set their priorities. I think Mike Shanahan might have it in him, though.

SURPRISES THAT SHOULDN’T HAVE SURPRISED US:

1. The Cincinnati Bengals (10-6). Ended last year strongly, but no one wanted to think of them as contenders, thanks to the playoff seasons of Baltimore and Pittsburgh. But with an underrated defense and Cedric Benson (who played well last year, too) leading the way, the Bengals could compete next year as well. This time we’ll be ready.

2. Brett Favre. I know that I’ve already mentioned him to put me in a league with Peter King and John Madden, but the truth is that he played at a level no one thought he could. End of story.

3. Jay Cutler’s regression. Cutler still might have it in him to be a franchise QB, but the Broncos now kind of look like geniuses for getting rid of him when they did, and the Bears look like they have another classic Bears QB on their roster.

4. Terrell Owens having zero impact in Buffalo. I kind of miss T.O.’s brazen ways, because at least they meant he was putting up good numbers.

5. Chris Johnson leading the league in rushing. The fact that he was 600 yards ahead of the next guy (Steven Jackson) exemplifies how this was not an out-of-nowhere fluke. From now on, in my mind: C.J. > A.P.

PREDICTIONS SO CRAZY, THEY JUST MIGHT COME TRUE: 
1. The Chiefs will win the AFC West. I know it’s crazy, but think about it: The Broncos are still too bi-polar and the Raiders are still laughable. Then you have the Chargers, who just let go of their leader in LaDainian Tomlinson and whose one receiving threat in Vincent Jackson just got another DUI. As for the Chiefs themselves, the way Jamaal Charles played down the stretch, with Matt Cassel settling back into things, and Dwayne Bowe coming back after a less than stellar season, plus some young defenders ready to come into their own (Glenn Dorsey, Tyson Jackson, Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali, and Brandon Flowers) – they may just be next year's surprise team.

2. The Cardinals will draft their QB of the future this year. Given Leinart’s problems as an NFL starter, and given that he was inherited by current coach Ken Wisenhunt (and then properly yanked in favor of Kurt Warner), I think the Leinart era – if you can even call it that – in Arizona will come to a close. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Leinart traded before the season starts. I think the Cardinals want to get what they can.

3. The Patriots dynasty is OVER. Sure, they’ll still be competitive, but this is not your older brother’s Patriots anymore. I don’t see another Lombardi Trophy in Tom Brady’s future: the Patriots no longer have an impact defense, they continue to avoid getting a legitimate starting running back, and their two great wide receivers in Wes Welker and Randy Moss are broken down physically and mentally (respectively). Now, the Jets on the other hand – they’re looking pretty good.

4. 2010’s coach of the year? Mike Singletary. The 49ers seem to have many of their pieces in place, and if Alex Smith’s flashes of ability from last season lead to something more, San Francisco might just have a winning season on its hand.

5. Jason Campbell is retained by the Redskins and stays as their starting QB for the upcoming season. Mike Shanahan coaches the Redskins to a wild-card berth, beating out the Giants and Eagles.

6. Super Bowl XLV is an epic matchup between the Jets and Cowboys. Mark Sanchez and Tony Romo each have gorgeous girlfriends at that point, the one with the slightly less hot girlfriend getting the Super Bowl victory.

FINAL WORD:

This was a good season of football, and I’m not just happy about it because I won BOTH my fantasy leagues. Everything clicked just right. There was intrigue (are the Broncos good or bad? Will the Lions go winless again? When will the Texans finally make the playoffs? Will the Raiders chew up and spit out another coach in one season?), redemption (Vince Young regains his form, Alex Smith could be a decent starter, Brian Dawkins shouldn't have been let go, Reggie Bush settles into a role that works for him), and true excellence (Chris Johnson, Andre Johnson, Joshua Cribbs, and Darrelle Revis come to mind). Stars were born (Percy Harvin, Brian Cushing, Miles Austin, and Jairus Byrd) while others faded (Matt Hasselbeck, T.O., and the previously mentioned running back trio). While Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have been regarded as the cream of the crop, the league is beginning to embrace players like Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers, Matt Schaub, and Aaron Rogers as future MVP candidates.

And, to culminate in a win for a franchise plagued not just by years of ineptitude, but by recent real-world turmoil in the form of a city-destroying hurricane? I can’t count how many predictions I made that went wrong, but I made one good one: it just might have been the best season ever.