Opening Act: Welcome to the Bleacher Report NFC East Blog

It's 2012, news cycles are down to, like, 14 minutes, and everyone in sports media is attempting to cram hastily generated reaction down the throats of analysis-craving fans. That's why there are literally hundreds of places you can go for the latest news and analysis regarding your favorite team and its rivals. 

Here, we're bringing all of that together, division by division, but without the careless haste. In this spot, I'll offer up the latest from the NFL's most popular division in thorough, informative and hopefully entertaining fashion.

In addition to creating content you haven't seen anywhere else, I'll be bringing you swift and detailed reaction to new and developing stories pertaining specifically to the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins.

And while I expect to dodge tridents for my blatant disliking for whichever team you support, I'll still attempt to state right here and now that I don't cheer for any of the teams in this division. I deliberately listed the four organizations above in alphabetical order, and I'm admittedly an erstwhile Tennessee Titans fan. 

Now, though, to steal a line from the ingenious Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, I can honestly state that I dislike all 32 NFL teams equally. 

That being said, I'm excited to cover the division that contains more prime-time excitement, drives higher ratings and stirs up more controversy than all others. 

Not only is the NFC East a soap opera in cleats, but there isn't a grouping of four pro teams from one sport on the planet that draws attention like this one does. We're talking about four of the top 11 most valuable sports franchises on the planet (Cowboys second, Redskins fourth, Giants eighth and Eagles 11th, according to Forbes).

In terms of sheer popularity within the United States, the latest Harris Poll had Dallas in the No. 1 spot among NFL teams, with all four of the teams ranking in the top 12. And when it comes to merchandise sales, only the Redskins fall outside of the top 10, according to the Sports Business Journal.

It makes sense when you consider the markets (New York, Philly and Dallas are three of the 10 most populated cities in the United States) as well as the history (Dallas, New York and Washington have won a combined 12 Super Bowl titles—no other division has combined for more than seven).

So while there might never be too many outlets for NFC East news and analysis, we'll be differentiating ourselves here by focusing on unique stories and angles void of cliché. 

Ideally, this platform will serve as another valued stop for four of the most powerful and populated fan communities in professional sports. To achieve that, we'll combine in-depth coverage and reaction with unique features, and then we'll add a touch of irreverence and (attempts at) wit. I'd like to think that my strength as a blogger is my range, and I'll hit a multitude of pitches while on this stage.

This is Bleacher Report post No. 1 for me, which places me 2,657 posts shy of my total at theScore.com. It was there where I spent the last five years covering the NFL wholly as the editor of the Goal-Line Stand.

Prior to that, I worked in other capacities as a sports journalist while earning a diploma in journalism and a degree in media studies from two of the top schools in the greater Toronto area.

I take this job very seriously, and I keep in mind that pro football is a business, but I'll usually try to have fun with the words, pictures, videos and graphics that appear in this space—a route that seems apt to me since sports are supposed to be a form of entertainment.

Generally, I want to take what you and I debate with our friends at bars and restaurants and bring those NFC East-related discussions to life on the pages of Bleacher Report.

Any questions, comments, suggestions or concerns can be sent my way at [e-mail]. And be sure to follow me on Twitter @Brad_Gagnon.

Sound good? 

Let's begin.