How did the NFL become so damn successful? Well, Sportoon has had a long-held theory that the folks running pro football sold their souls to the devil a long time ago.

So, as the league prepares to kick off another season this week, we check in on how preparations are going for the 2003 season:

Kurt Snibbe is a sports news artist for the Orange County Register, and his work appears frequently on Page 2. He can be reached at Sportoon@hotmail.com.