Time for a break from NFL activities

Supposedly, pro football has reached its downtime. Considering how the NFL has ignored for nearly five months that this is the offseason, a break sure would be nice right about now.

Head coaches are on vacation — Philadelphia's Andy Reid and Minnesota's Brad Childress went fishing together in Alaska, where they presumably are not discussing how to incorporate dynamic first-round picks Jeremy Maclin and Percy Harvin into their offenses. General managers are examining 30-foot putts, not salary-cap figures. Roger Goodell is climbing Mount Rainier.

Hopefully, with people in the league really reading the calendar and taking vacations, the rumor mill will stop spinning uncontrollably — no more breathless Brett Favre half-truths or total misrepresentations, please — and everyone can recoup before training camps open in five weeks.

Besides, we've just witnessed the busiest offseason in memory. We could use a hiatus.

Free agency and the draft are supposed to pique fans' interest, and they've done the job well. Albert Haynesworth getting the biggest free-agent contract in history, $100 million for seven years from Washington, created a huge splash.

Potential Hall of Famers Derrick Brooks, Orlando Pace, Torry Holt and Fred Taylor were cut by the only teams they had ever suited up for.

The impressive list of free agents on the move has included receivers T.J. Houshmandzadeh to Seattle and Laveranues Coles to Cincinnati.

Trades, which happen in the NFL about as often as the Lions win, resurfaced with three doozies, the juiciest of which was the Jay Cutler saga in Denver.

Amazingly, not even the T.O. carnival landing in western New York — Terrell Owens signed a one year, $6.5 million contract with the Bills days after being released by Dallas — drew the most attention. Unfortunately, the stories involving guys who might not even play this season drew the loudest and lengthiest analyses.

Whither Favre, for instance? Or perhaps more pertinently, when will he land in Minnesota?

At least Goodell doesn't need to make any decisions about suspensions or fines in Favre's lingering soap opera.

The commissioner isn't so fortunate when it comes to Michael Vick, Donte' Stallworth and Plaxico Burress. Their stories, punctuated by litigation, investigation and plea-bargaining, have kept the seamier side of athletics in the spotlight.

Did we mention the NFL Players Association hiring DeMaurice Smith, an energetic, high-powered attorney and football lover, to run the union and take on the owners in collective bargaining?

Or Gloria Estefan and Jimmy Buffett diving in with the Dolphins? Or New Orleans being awarded the 2013 Super Bowl? Or John Madden's retirement from broadcasting? Or ...

What a good time to catch our breath.