2013 NFL Thread
And we're off! I just want to reiterate something I have said many times. Peyton Manning is the best QB I have ever seen in my lifetime.
Rough opening for the Ravens, but I kind of expected it. At least I can enjoy watching a multitude of game this Sunday as I have to wait until Monday night for my own torturous season to begin. ;-)
Season prediction for my team:
Eagles 6-10........sigh......
Please add your team and season prediction.
Calico696 Denver blew out the Ravens during the regular season last year, too, at home no less. Things were different in the playoffs.
I'll put the Ravens down for 10-6 .... and hope.
Andy Loigu 47.5 pts. from Peyton for me in my FF league!!!!! My opponent had Welker...on his bench!
Sloppy first half for both teams if you ask me. I think the Ravens are going to sorely miss Ray Lewis. Just like last year when he was out, the defense looked lost at times last night. It's clear that his knowledge of the game and ability to direct coverages was missed.
The spread last night was 8.5 and I thought that was high. I did pick Denver but didn't think they would cover it until the 3rd quarter (when Peyton went insane.)
emaxxman "And we're off! I just want to reiterate something I have said many times. Peyton Manning is the best QB I have ever seen in my lifetime."
I take it you stop watching football on December 31st every year (-;
9-11 in the playoffs with 8 first round exits. Often with the #1 seed when the playoffs began...
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MannPe00/gamelog/post/
In a big game, i'd rather have Eli, to be honest.
ianimal I've heard a lot of the "experts" picking the Steelers to go 8-8. Looking at their schedule, I just can't see it. I'll concede losses at Green Bay and at New England. I'll also figure they split with Baltimore and Cincy.
I can't see them losing to Detroit or Chicago at home... they'll find ways to win those games. Minnesota in London? Consider it our 9th home game. TEN, NYJ, OAK, BUF, MIA and CLE twice round out our schedule... how could I possibly PICK them to lose any of those games?
That puts them at 12-4. Worst case scenario, 10-6. 8-8? I just can't see it...
ianimal - I'm not talking about wins and losses. I'm talking about the way he runs an offense.
As for his brother, well you know what I think of that whining brat. ;-)
I'll take Tom Brady over Manning any day... he's done way more with way less over the course of his career. The only thing Peyton ever did better was wave his hands around.
We will have to agree to disagree on this one. I think we actually have the same argument every season. LOL
And we'll probably continue to have it as long as you keep picking the horse-faced jackass (-;
Is it a coincidence that he's gone from one horse-themed team to another? Or, something more sinister? Maybe there's a race of horse-men aliens that are poised to take over the earth... but given Peyton's playoff record, I don't give them much of a chance (-;
Hahaha!!! Yeah, he definitely isn't so much in the looks dept.
Denver is a 5-1 favorite to win the SB. The Eagles are only 55-1? Who makes this CRAP up.
Best Q-back = Joe Montana. Especially if you forget Kansas City. 4 Super Bowls, 3 time MVP.
Redskins 10-6 including splits with Giants and Dallas.
And contrary to what I said about Joe, in my heart, Sonny rules.
mistergoogle Wait....was that John Elway or Peyton Manning last night......
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/columbus-dispatch-error-credits-john-elway-not-peyton-144100543--nfl.html
No you aren't. Additionally, am I the only one who thinks Elway looks more like a horse than Manning? LOL
The guy who really had a horse face was Willie McCovey, but he played a different sport.
In the NFL, it's not how you start, it's how you finish.
But, you never know how a loss will end up hurting you until you get into the permutations of those tie-breakers. Thank you, Paul Tagliaboo-boo for that legacy you left us.
Oh yeah, 8-8 could probably win the NFC East this year. How many games are these teams going to win out-of-division? Once they make the playoffs, Eli will find a way to knock off the Niners and Sea-buzzards and get the G-MEN into the first Blizzard Bowl. It's all in the script.
Eli didn't beat the Niners. His defense and special teams did. He had a horrendous game in the NFC championship. His team bailed him out (something Romo's team has never done for him.) As a Dallas fan, I need to make sure that's known.
True, also that first Giants-Pats Super Bowl, the Miracle in the Desert one, was not exactly a dazzling offensive show.
Troy Aikman was just talking about that season on WFAN yesterday, saying Dallas really was the best team that year, but just didn't get it done when it really mattered.
People forget a lot of things. They just remember who was standing on the platform with confetti raining on him, holding the Lombardi Trophy when it all comes to an end. You know, the guy who's going to Disney World.
I don't buy these "experts" saying my beloved NY Jets are this awful team.
The defense has been tough since rex has been here...did not have Revis since the 3rd game and still finished 8th in defense.
The offense last year had the most horrific quarterback play I have ever seen...a QB with 26 turnovers, and still won 6 games...
And they are worst this year? Doesn't make sense. If they can get decent QB play...not great but adequate starter quality QB play they are much better. Sanchez lost 5 games for them on turnovers alone.
Jets 9-7
Rickter In the 2011 NFCC game, Eli was 32/58 for 316 yards and 2 TDs without an INT.
In the 2006 Super Bowl, Peyton was 25/38 for 247 yards and 1 TD with 1 INT.
Eli was horrendous... Peyton was MVP. Just goes to show ya...
"They just remember who was standing on the platform with confetti raining on him, holding the Lombardi Trophy when it all comes to an end. "
Well apparently Vagiants' nation and the NY media forgot that Coughlin was also on that podium after the first SB win. The calls for his dismissal and assertions that Eli carried the team were ridiculous.
Yes, this is biased Dallas hate for NY. I admit it.
I'd rather have the two rings Eli has won than all the regular season stats Romo has racked up . And I think it's the last year for head coach Rex Ryan and his boasting . He's a good defensive coordinator , a head coach not so much .
zombo He did have horse face Saw McCoveyhit one off top of Rheingold scoreboard at Shea in 65. Spahn
wasthrowingfor mets
jj Eli has the "cool" to make big plays at big moments.
That's a special quality I admire about him.
A couple of costly injuries for the Steel-men there. That's a big reason why nothing is ever a sure thing in pro football.
The Giants were bad in so many aspects of the game last night ... it was tough to watch and I'm not even a Giants fan!
That's not funny Calico.
Eli always has his games.
The game was terrible... Only Eli can start the season throwin an interception..
Giants 7-9
BrownEyesGuy Yeah ianimal, you must have had a few bottles of jack down to make the 12-4 prediction. Rough year for the Steelers.
Joe Montana is the best QB I've ever seen, followed closely by Elway.
Interesting stat: Joe Flacco has as many playoff wins as Peyton, including just as many Super Bowl victories. That's pretty fascinating.
MeisterNJ 
Hahahaha! That's great emaxx! I have to put that on my FB page.
I can hardly wait for my own debacle tonight.
englishe30 MeisterNJ, they've finished 12-4 three out of the last five years. One of those years they lost 35-7 on opening day to the Ravens. This team wasn't any worse on paper than any of those three teams... and their schedule is probably one of the easiest in the league.
My reason for wanting to change my prediction has to do with all the injuries suffered yesterday, not because of overreacting to the egg they laid. Hell, we're still tied for 1st place in the division, LOL.
Buffalo/NE was fun to watch but I have some football name questions.
1 What football team is named for a coach?
2. What team is named after a barbershop quartet (allegedly) or a cowboy?
3. What team wears the colors of a gas station?
4. What team is named for a baseball team?
5. What team is named for canned meat?
6. What team is named on a rhyme?
7. What team's name is most misplaced, like are Indians really a memory in DC?
8. And finally, and just a question. If Phili is named for the national bird, and they are from Phili, home of Ben Franklin, wouldn't Franklin's choice have been.......wait for it......The Philadelphia Turkeys? (sorry, couldn't resist since they play my Skins tonight.... :>)
Steelers are a lot worse than previous teams on paper. Polamalu is old and hurt, Ben is slowing down and hurt, O-Line is terrible. Receivers aren't exactly instilling fear in opposing defenses, and what running back is any good? Linebackers?
Yesterday's injuries or not, the Steelers just aren't as good.
Great start for the AFC North. LOL
Flacco does have a phenomenal record in playoff games. Part of that is the great running game and line play he's had to work with, especially in the games where they ran all over New England.
His best games, the Super Bowl where he DESERVED the MVP (the Ravens don't win that game without him) and that game in Denver in the cold weather. Peyton is a great QB in domes and on warm days, ideal conditions.
Cool Joe (that's what they call him in Maryland) will never be considered another Montana or Elway or Bradshaw (or even another Unitas with us Baltimore old guys) and then where does Marino (my fantasy QB when I used to play) fit into the mix?
The only championship Marino ever won was in my fantasy league back in the 80s.
Thank you, Dan. You paid for my Christmas shopping. If I'd known then that you'd never win a Super Bowl, I would have sent you a ring.
By the way, the team that had Randall Cunningham won our fantasy league in 1990. The guys who had Montana, Elway, Phil Sims ... they never won.
I've always said ever since, it may be stats football, but it ain't REAL football.
Will be interesting to see how Oregon Ducks East plays out tonight.
With the return of RG III also part of the storyline, it's a really compelling first Monday Night Game. Oh, if only HOW-AHD CO-SELLL were here to broadcast it with all his eloquence, wit, and articulation, right Dandy Don?
One more thing before I go on with my life.
When I watch the Eagles, I turn the TV down and listen to CAT COUNTRY 96 with Merrill Reese doing the play by play. For me, that guy is the best football announcer going. He's even got a better voice than Russ Long (and that's saying something =).
Great calling by Merrill here.......he says, "the most memorable Eagles game I have ever broadcast." Enjoy Giants fans. ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddTacY83qBk
You're a skins fan Mr. G? Guess you're not all that bad..
Franklin did want the national bird to be the Turkey if my history doesn't fail me.
Sorry Andy. It's REDSKINS.COM for Sonny Jurgensen and Sam Huff for tonight's play by play.
Oh yeah, and one more names question.
9. What team names don't seem to be tied to anything local but really are? (like SF 49's = CA gold rush miners from 1849)
"Steelers are a lot worse than previous teams on paper. Polamalu is old and hurt, Ben is slowing down and hurt, O-Line is terrible. Receivers aren't exactly instilling fear in opposing defenses, and what running back is any good? Linebackers?
Yesterday's injuries or not, the Steelers just aren't as good."
Polamalu is healthier than he's been in years.Did you see him do his patented dive over the offensive line at the snap and sack the QB play yesterday? I'm guessing not, or you wouldn't have made the remark.
Ben is Ben. He's no slower than he was last year and again, he's healthier (so far) than he's been entering a season in at least 5 years.
The Steelers O-line has been terrible for almost as long as Ben's been in the league; he's been sacked more than anyone except maybe Aa-Rod. They were actually supposed to be much improved this year before their All-Pro center Pouncey went down yesterday with a knee injury. They have no depth and they're going to have to piece something together better than they did yesterday, that's for sure.
The receivers are the same except that Mike Wallace got his walking papers. He's Miami's problem now. Markus Wheaton will (or at least can) provide the downfield threat that Wallace did.
Running backs, good? You mean Rashard Mendenhall good? We've got a few of those... Redman, Dwyer, Felix Jones... not "good", but definitely Rashard Mendenhall good, which is all we've had for the last 5 years. Le'Veon Bell is supposed to be a beast. We'll see after he comes back from his foot sprain.
At linebacker, Jarvis Jones has been better (in the limited time that I've seen him) than James Harrison (who left for Cincinnati) has been for the last two years. He's platooning with Worilds right now, but I fully expect him to take over Silverback's position completely in the near future.
The other linebackers in the 3-4, LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons are as good as anybody at their respective positions. Losing Larry Foote at the Left Inside spot is gonna hurt, but they'll plug someone else in there. "The Standard is the Standard". The expectations do not change. Whether it's Vince Williams or they get Jones and Worilds out there at the same time or they go and get Stevenson Sylvester back... I expect them to make a move (or three) this week.
And the secondary has looked better than they have in years as well. Cortez Allen has been impressive and Shamarko hits like a freight train. Plus there's a lot more depth at the position than years past.
I think the 2nd game tonight will end before the first game, lol. It's taken an hour to run less than 8 minutes off the clock, lol
The Cleveland Browns were named for coach Paul Brown.
The Jets wear the colors of the Hess gas stations.
The New York Giants were named after John McGraw and Carl Hubbel's old New York Giants.
The Packers are named after canned meat.
The Indianapolis Colts and Phoenix Cardinals are the most misplaced names.
The Baltimore Colts were originally so named because the Preakness is in Baltimore and Maryland is a big state for breeding race horses.
The Cardinals were originally the Chicago Cardinals, then moved to St. Louis and now are (God knows why) the Arizona Cardinals.
Baltimore would still rather have the Colts name, but since the NFL denied that, the Ravens are the only team named after a work of literature.
The only team with the likeness of a rock icon on its helmet is the Patriots.
Take a close look, you'll see they wear The Flying Elvis.
MeisterNJ, I'd tell you what's wrong with the Redskins, but I have to be at work in 11 hours (-;
You mean you're not staying up to watch the West Coast game?
By the way, Shady McCoy is now an ELITE running back. He was a big part of Philly's win.
Mike Wallace has already started being a pain in the rear with Miami. Hey, if they put extra manpower on covering you, the quarterback hits the open guys, and you win, you should be happy.
What a narcissist in the "finest" Randy Moss and TO tradition. Pittsburgh does not need that on top of all Steeltown's other issues.
Although I was happy with last night's Eagles performance, I am not ready to drink the Chip Kelly Kool-Aid yet. I honestly can't see Vick, McCoy and Jackson lasting very long. The Eagles have to play three games in 11 days. If all three of them are still standing after the KC game, I will be shocked.
Additionally, Washington looked like ass the entire first half. RGIII was rusty and the defense was just exhausted. That won't happen every game.
I'm looking forward to the home opener on Sunday against San Diego.
One more thing to add...the obvious injury fake by Cullen Jenkins was just lame. I don't care if other teams are doing it. I have a ton of respect for Jerry Reese and Tom Coughlin. I think they are best of the best but these injury fakes are crap (and that's putting it nicely.)
ianimal, you're looking through your yinser black and gold tinted glasses. It's one game. Saying that Jones is better than a declining Harrison of the past two years isn't saying much. Otherwise, you'r correct, the linebackers are pretty good. I'm wrong there. Forgot about Timmons and Foote. They do churn them out of the furnace there in SteelTown.
Their offense just isn't good. No reliable pass catcher outside of Heath Miller, and an O-Line that is even worse than the vintages of the past few years. Let's see Polamalu stay healthy for more than a game. He's an awesome player, but father time catches up to everyone.
You do realize you're saying that the defense looked awesome...against.....the Titans right? Green Bay's D would look good against them. A good offensive team will expose them.
Last night is pretty much what I expected out of my Skins. Rusty RGIII and it took awhile for the D to figure out Chip's offense and slow them down. I thought Philly would get ahead early.
Griffin looks healthy, which is all I can ask for at this point.
No reliable pass catchers? I'll take Antonio Brown over Pierre "Q" Garcon any day of the week and Emmanuel Sanders over Santana Moss or Hankerson. I haven't seen enough of the rookie Wheaton yet to properly assess his skill set, but he's shown flashes and has quite a bit of upside. I think you're projecting the Redskins shortcomings onto the Steelers. As you said, it's only one game. Heath Miller isn't even playing... so he's not exactly reliable at the moment, nor is your opinion on this matter since you apparently didn't even know THAT much about the Steelers (-;
I also never said that the defense looked "awesome". I simply pointed out that they're essentially the same as last year (when they finished #1 overall - #1 against the pass and #2 against the run) and that Polamalu looks a lot healthier than he did last year.
I think a lot of teams looked a lot worse than they are this weekend. I chalk it up to the training camp practice restrictions that were instituted by the new CBA. Most of these guys are nowhere near ready to play football yet.
Andy... you're a little late to the party; Shady has been an elite RB since 2010, when he ran for 1,100 yards on only 200 carries and added another 600 yards receiving on 78 catches. Then he followed it up in 2011 with 1,300 yards and 17 TDs while catching 50 balls for another 300 or so.
Last year he battled injuries and the Eagles just weren't very good, so his production slipped, but he was still a consensus top 5 or 6 pick in fantasy this year... a little higher in Points Per Reception leagues.
I didn't say the Skins wr's are better, ianimal. Though if Garcon is healthy, he'll be better than Brown, he of the 780 yds and 5 tds. Garcon had pretty much the same, in 3 less games. Sanders? He of the 1 TD in 2012? Really?
Man, you're fired up! You and Control would get along great. She's from the 'Burgh.
I'll let that "late to the party" line slide by and take no offense. Just wanted to make sure Mr. McCoy gets his deserved kudos. I could say certain individuals are "late to the party" in acknowledging Mr. Flacco's elite stature as well.
One unfortunate thing about last night, you guys missed Nick Markakis getting three hits against the Yankees in a big game. Since you didn't see it, I guess y'all still don't think he's any good.
Not fired up at all... I never even called you a pantywaist, lol.
The WR3 in the Steelers offense last year wasn't on the field much... 3rd downs mostly. If you look at Sanders stats for last year, yes he had only 1 TD, but of his 44 catches, 31 of them were for 1st downs... that's pretty "reliable" for a WR3. He had 7 catches on Sunday and he'll have better stats for you to check out next year, I promise (-;
If you want some other measure of Sanders's value, Belichick tried to steal him from the Steelers in the offseason with a 1-year $2.5M offer sheet, but the Steelers matched the offer.
Joe Flacco's not elite, even though the Ravens are paying him like he is... he wasn't even drafted in most leagues. If Joe Flacco is "elite", the word has lost all of its meaning.
Ha, going Belicheck on me? Didn't he also want Haynesworth, Tebow, Richard Seymour, Chad Johnson, and a slew of wr's in the draft that haven't panned out? So, his judgement of wr's isn't exactly %100. Randy Moss and Welker notwithstanding. You're going to hit on some.
Just the facts ian. Just the facts. If you need to go all Ron Jaworski to justify your 1 TD wr3, so be it. We'll see how Aldrick Robinson pans out as well, the skins wr4.
Agree with ianimal. Flacco is not elite. He is not top 7. Maybe not even top 10.
Save the baseball for the MLB thread Andy. It's almost time for the Trout/Cabrera MVP debate.
I don't know that he offered any of those guys a guaranteed contract. And Seymour was drafted as a Patriot and traded to the Raiders a few years ago... I think you have him confused with someone else.
I'll never be one to underestimate the Steelers ... they are one of football's great organizations and they always find a way to stay in contention.
The call on that first Washington TD was open to debate. I thought the refs had it wrong after they reviewed it. Thought Vick's pass was going forward, but it was ruled a lateral. The QB normally leads his receiver, wants him to catch it on the run and get yards after the catch. You can't make a call based on where the guy was lined up ... screwy play. You don't throw passes to where a guy is standing, sure way to get it picked off if you do.
To the Eagles' credit they didn't let it get them down and they still won the game.
Well, Andy, I'll give you that his "stature" (as in height) is elite among NFL QBs... not too many are taller than 6'-6". It's his talent and production that's lacking...
I agree Andy. That was a forward pass and the Eagles probably should have led at worst 29-0 and at best 33-0 at half time.
Wasn't enough evidence to overturn it. It was close enough that McCoy and Vick should have at least hustled after it and not just stood there.
He and Trent Dilfer both have Super Bowl rings. Imagine that, Dilfer has a ring and a guy like Marino didn't? Some things in life just ain't fair. Randall Cunningham should have gotten one with Minnesota, when Billick was his offensive coordinator.
Then a couple of years later (it was against Pittsburgh in a playoff game so I'm sure you remember it) Billick stuck with Elvis Grbac when he should have put Randall in the game. Why did the Ravens get him, if they were not going to use him? Well, nobody asked for my opinion, which is why I had to put it on HL a decade later. LOL=)
Might as well mention Elvis Grbac, just so nobody accuses me of being a bandwagon jumping Ravens fan. The best Ravens QB ever was Vinny Testaverde in their first year after moving from Cleveland. The defense was hideous that year. Probably the only year they ever had a really bad defensive team. They certainly made it a priority in their drafting and acquisitions.
Since I've made the last three baseball posts, one of you guys will have to re-start that one. Angels are out of the playoff race, which hurts Trout's case right there.
"Wasn't enough evidence to overturn it."
I agree, but that's a problem with their protocol. They've been told to assume that everything is a fumble and not blow the whistle. Then the offensive team has the burden of proof on their side, which isn't necessarily fair.
If you can't clearly tell if something WAS a fumble (or in this case a backwards pass) the benefit of the doubt should lie with offense, not "the ruling on the field", because the "rulings" are intentionally slanted against the offenses. JMO...
IMO, once in the playoffs, Flacco has proven that he's as good as the rest of them. Two years ago, the kicker blew it in the AFC championship. The year before, Anquan dropped a critical ball at the end of the game that sealed the loss. Where Flacco doesn't shine is in the regular season.
Dare I say it...Flacco is the anti-Romo!
With that said, Flacco, while being a good QB, has never had to carry a bad team. He's had a great defense and very good running game during his time in the NFL. If he had to throw 50x's a game, I'm sure we would see a much different result.
Agreed. Flacco is fortunate to be a Raven and I'm sure he knows it, but he was at his best when they needed it the most last winter.
It will be interesting to see who does it this year. I think Romo can win with the right team. We think of Elway as a legend now, but I remember when he also had that "can't win the big one" label. Everybody has it, until they win one.
Forgotten names from the past ... Priest Holmes and Bam Morris, used to be running backs for the Ravens ... Bam got on the wrong side of the law a few years later. Was also a Steeler at one time.
I recall a phone call I made to WBAL sports line at the end of the 98 season. I said "when are you guys going to stop being happy just to have a team and start demanding excellence?"
Two years later they won the Super Bowl. Yep, it was Andy's phone call that turned it all around. LOL
Here's the Ravens' 1998 QB coaching a youth team, you may have heard of him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGevzHrpDPs&list=PLbcVgosgfo3o6jp-qaX905ZerMjbwqS7b&index=0
Thank God my cheap Comcast package surprised me by dropping the channel for the Redskins game last night, I would have been crying last night and cranky today. Will have to stream em from here on in. At least Nadal won!
And no Meister, I am that bad, bad to the bone.
Nice job Andy, got every one you answered. And the rhyming team which some say was named for the noise over the stadium is Jets for Mets and then add the Nets later. NY is a rhyming sports team town.
Some answers for names sounding misplaced by not: Bengals = named for Cincinnati zoo favorite. Bears = for the Cubs, so blame the Cubs. Lions = like the Bears, for the Tigers so blame the tigers. Jaguars = oldest living one in America in the zoo. Vikings = hats off to Minn. Scandinavians.
But for misplaced names, I think Colts are OK, I am sure there are horses in Indianapolis. I add the Titans. A titanic mistake of a name for a race of Gods overtaken by the Olympians. Alliteration aside, this is just a misplaced name fer sure. Of course, the story of how the Titans dismembered baby god Dionysus before eating him is a football favorite memory responsible for much of the tailgate party pastimes today. And Athena's rescuing his heart for a Zeus preformed resurrection sounds sort of like the results of a today's NFL medical practices. "Don't worry son, after we beat you and eat you, we will bring you back better than ever for a second course. You just gotta have heart!"
Lakers name comes from when they were in Minnesota. How many Rams are there in St. Louis? Now the Washington Bulletts, that was a name.
As for the Redskins, I think the only logical thing to do is to change their name to the Foreskins. That way, the fans can keep the 'Skins' moniker that they love so much. Also, they could keep the general form of their logo, just change the profile from a Native American to a Mohel. Plus, they could add "kosher calamari" to the concession stands... win, win, win.
Before they were the Washington Bullets, they were the Baltimore Bullets, and it was not just an alliterative name. They were named Bullets because Baltimore was a major producer of munitions during WWII. However, as the years went on and the city of DC became more and more crime infested, the name Bullets was dropped because some politician decided it reminded everyone that Washington has a horrifying homicide rate.
While they work at renaming the Redskins, the name Wizards also has GOT TO GO.
While I'm on old-time NBA on a football thread, whenever the Baltimore Bullets scored, a recording of a ricochet from the Drifters' My Baby Loves the Western Movies would echo through the arena.
Walt Frazier said it gave the Knicks added incentive to play good defense.
Sorry, it was The Olympics (not the Drifters) but just imagine hearing this ricochet 50 times or more a night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUSGKlGCIT4
Does anyone think, with all the injuries NE has, the Jest have a chance to win tomorrow night?
You never know in pro sports, especially in the early season. If it's an ugly, ragged game with no rhythm, yeah, the Jets could win.
Calico, you especially must be pretty upbeat about the show the Eagles put on.
Fast break football, the next evolution of the game, OREGON DUCKS, baby.
Quack, quack.
I'm quacking up.
I hope not, Calico... I put both my Survivor eggs in the Patriots basket, lol. They've got a definite shot to beat the spread, currently at 12 points, though...
I saw that spread in the pickem league. I picked the Pats but I'm not really confident in their ability to cover.
I don't think they can cover.
Andy, at this point I am cautiously optimistic that the Beagles can go 8-8 now. :-)
Well, Shady McCoy will love this offense, because he can get the ball in space and make people miss.
From my perspective, last night's game was the kind of game the Ravens used to win during "The Dilfer Days."
@#$%^&* Jest!!!!!!!!
They could have won that game last night. What a train wreck. Sigh.....
yep to that, for all their problems the Jets stayed with em for most of the game.
maybe their defense (who looked pretty good last night) can keep them close as the jets develop the young Smith? (Sanchez who??)
if the wide outs can hang onto the ball, last nights game would have ended differently
i hate the Pats and Belicheck almost as much as I hate the Cow-girls and the Fleagles, (sorry Calico), and the Dolphins, hate them too.
BrotherDog 'if the wide outs can hang onto the ball, last nights game would have ended differently'. They can't and won't. Jets offense might not score 20 on Rutgers.
Calico, will the Chip Kelly statue be larger, smaller, or the same size as Rocky's?
The Pats offense might not score 20 on Rutgers, either... that was the most pathetic display I've ever seen from a Patriots offense in the last 15 years. I almost felt sorry for TB... till I remembered who he'd be curling up next to when he got home, lol.
for me the play of the night was the punt the jets received without posting anyone in the backfield to catch and return, stupidest thing i've seen in football in a long, long time . . . . ProFootball? more like sandlot football . . . . . .
kinda of a management issue right there, no?
The Chip Kelly statue will probably end up being made out of bullsh*t. ;-)
ianimal - I told you I didn't think they could cover. ;-)
Last minute, I changed it to the Pats (-12) because I figured Belichick hates Rex so much that he'd run up the score. After the first 5 minutes, I was pretty pleased with myself, lol. Then, it all went to hell. At least they hung on for the W and I still have my two entries in the $4,500 survivor pool, lol.
$20 per entry... 230 entries this year for a total of $4,600. You can buy as many entries as you want... I have 2, some people have as many as 5. 60 entries got knocked out in Week 1; only 170 left.
Winner takes all, or winners "chop" after Week 17. Last year, it was all over by Week 10. Five years ago, three people split it after Week 17. It's a real crapshoot...
If you're interested, just give me your email around Labor Day next year and I'll be sure you get an invite.
I'm definitely in for that next season ianimal. I'm sure my better half would be too.
Ray Rice went down today, wasn't even hit on the play, it just looked like his hip went out on him when he tried to make a cutback.
Bernard Pierce did very nicely as the primary running back from that point.
Flacco made some big passes to Brandon Stokely to keep drives going in the second half ... glad they got Stokely, a connection to their first Super Bowl team.
The Ravens' defense made five sacks. In the NFL, a win is a win. They're not supposed to be easy, there are so many great athletes on every team.
With Rice being from Rutgers, Flacco from Delaware and Pierce from Temple, that backfield has a nice Eastern flavor to it.
Another good day for the Eagles' offense, but woe that defense ... my sympathies to Calico.
Poor, poor Redskins. Game was so bad Fox rightfully pre-empted it for another game in the 3rd quarter. On the upside, I got more landscaping work done. Hope RG III gets healthy and returns closer to his old self next week. Otherwise, it's many more honey done's for my Sundays!
Andy - I told you from the starting gate that the defense, especially the secondary, would be the lead balloon tied the the Beagles this season.
LMAO emaxxx, I stole that pic for my FB page. Peyton was being all nice in interviews about it. He should totally rip Eli.....they are brothers. :-)
Some things we learned Week 2:
1. They Eagles secondary should be euthanized.
2. Peyton Manning will always be the better of the brothers, regardless of rings.
3. RGIII and Washington are a mess.
4. Jacksonville is a joke. The TV station apologized for having to air the game. SMH
5. Deandre Hopkins is a total "WOW" player.
6. Seattle and Russel Wilson are the real deal.
Please add on.
botheredbyu RGIII? If I were to start pointing fingers at Redskins, I'd start with the 11 guys on the OTHER side of the ball..
RGII is sooo rusty. Not his fault. They should have let him take some pre-season snaps. He seems lost and very gun shy about the knee. I actually feel bad for the kid.
"RGII is sooo rusty. Not his fault. They should have let him take some pre-season snaps."
Too bad! He can own it. He went on camera and stated that he didn't need to and didn't want to play preseason. If Romo had said that, the media would've hung him in public. Bobby doesn't get a pass.
The NFC Least may be the most competitive division but it's because all 4 teams equally stink. Until proven otherwise, 9-7 is the best that the division winner will be. I wouldn't be surprised by a 7-9 division division winner.
At the rate that defense is giving up points, Peyton's Broncos would have a hard time holding serve. They've given up 50 points in the first half and it could easily have been 57. The only reason they haven't given up 100 total is that the Eagles and Packers both let up in the 2nd halves.
I agree that RGIII is somewhat rusty; he's also hamstrung in the way that they're using him. He wasn't drafted because he was a Dan Marino-type pocket passer; that's not his biggest strength. If his knee isn't ready to play his game, they should probably start Cousins, who is a better pure pocket passer than RGIII, (at least when RGIII is afraid to plant his front foot, he is).
"The NFC Least may be the most competitive division but it's because all 4 teams equally stink. Until proven otherwise, 9-7 is the best that the division winner will be. I wouldn't be surprised by a 7-9 division division winner."
I couldn't agree with you more. It's interesting that most people going into the season had the division NYG/WAS/DAL/PHI or WAS/NYG/DAL/PHI. Now WAS and NYG are 0-2. I don't think it will last, but it is interesting. Most people thought that the "other" NFC competition would be terrible and WAS and NYG would be all that. Turns out that all four teams are pretty much a joke in some aspect.
Could Miami actually win the AFC East, or is it too early to get excited about them yet?
It's too early to get excited about Miami, but not too early to talk about how bad the Patriots are. If they win the division by default once again, "default" will be horrendous.
The funny thing is that they're 2-0... thanks to some friendly early-season scheduling. The next 4 opponents are home vs. TB, @ ATL, @ CIN, and home vs. NO. The NE team I saw in Weeks 1 and 2 loses all 4 of those games (except maybe TB; they seem to be cursed, lol). Let's see how it plays out and whether or not they can turn it around.
Seems like Tampa Bay has everything but a quarterback ... uh, kind of an important position.
Interesting Monday Night game ... has Andy Dalton matured to the point where he will lead the Bengals to big wins in the Nasty AFC North?
Everybody (the TV talking suits and hairdos) is picking the Bengals, but I never think Pittsburgh will be a pushover for anybody, no matter how many injuries and issues.
Not ready to "concede" the conference championship to Denver yet. Peyton has started seasons on long winning streaks before.
GO BENGALS! I'm 12-3 in my Pick 'em this week and have the Bungles tonight. Damn.....why did I allow myself to believe that the Jest could possibly beat the injury wrecked Pats. SMH
Thanks, Calico... I feel a LOT better about the Steelers chances now that I know you're picking Cincinnati (-;
"Better", which isn't the same as "good".
For the Steelers sake (I actually enjoy the rivalry with the Ravens, would not be the same if the Bangles were their competition for the division this year) ...
I hope the Steelers have done their scouting and come up with a good blocking scheme. They have to give Big Ben some time to throw.
Andy, the Ravens followed up a historically bad ass-kicking with an uninspired 14-6 win over Cleveland while losing Ray Rice for a yet to be determined period of time. Who's to say that tonight's game isn't the "real" competition for the AFC North this year?
If Ben could just take the snap in the shotgun and release the ball quickly to guys in the flat all night... have a three or four receiver "bubble" in a spread set to the side ... that's not usually his style but it's an adjustment I'd be making if I was coaching.
That old Pittsburgh "smash mouth" and holding the ball while buying time to make a play isn't the way to go this year.
I love the way haters phrase their arguments, using words like uninspired. I saw their two second half touchdown drives, looked pretty inspired to me.
The Giants didn't have any success containing Denver either. The Broncs are just clicking right now ... the only thing that will slow Peyton down is cold weather.
Flacco connected on three third-down passes to keep an 80-yard scoring drive going.
I was happy to see the defense rise to the occasion, after Denver had made them look so bad.
The Giants are terrible. Is that who you want to compare your team to? Plus, the Giants were a hell of a lot more competitive than the Ravens were. A punt return for a TD and -3 in the turnover battle will typically wind up in a lopsided loss. The Ravens were even on special teams and in the turnover battle but gave up SEVEN touchdown passes. The fact that you were able to get a win against the lowly Browns shouldn't give you too much in the way of confidence (-;
The Browns were not easy for the Ravens last year, either. Few teams were, most of the games were cliffhangers. They blew out Cincinnati and Oakland early, and they pulled away from the Giants, otherwise they had to grind and grind.
In the second game of the season they lost to the E-A-G-L-E-S.
They didn't look like they had a Super Bowl in their future that day.
Congratulations, Andy. Your defense rose to the occasion against Brandon Weeden and whoever his backup is. Bra-vo (-;
Haters always say a team beat bad competition.
Mike Francesa said that and I agree with him.
Wisdom from Calico: LOL
As far as "bad" competition goes, you need to win the games you should.
Go Bungles! My Pick 'em week needs another win!
When people as old and lame as Mike Francesa start using a term like "hater", its time in the lexicon needs to come to an abrupt end, lol.
The Steelers look a lot better on offense when they are running the no-huddle 2:00 drill. I strongly suspect that it's due to the fact that Ben is calling the plays instead of Haley..
That was painful to watch, lol. Hopefully they can at least get a garbage score and cover the spread. We need Heath Miller back in a big way...
Maybe he can get a surgeon to transplant that stupid thing on his chin onto his forehead (-;
A friend of mine from Wisconsin posted this on her FB page. Enjoy.
60 above
Floridians wear coats, gloves and woolly hats.
Wisconsin people sunbathe.
50 above
New Yorkers try to turn on the heat.
Wisconsin people plant gardens.
40 above
Italian cars won't start.
Wisconsin people drive with the windows down.
32 above
Distilled water freezes.
Lake Michigan's water gets thicker.
20 above
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
Wisconsin people have the last cookout before it
gets cold.
15 above
New York landlords finally turn on the heat.
Wisconsin people throw on a sweatshirt.
0 -
Californians fly away to Mexico.
Wisconsin people lick a flagpole.
20 below
People in Miami cease to exist.
Wisconsin people get out their winter coats.
40 below
Hollywood disintegrates.
Wisconsin's Girl Scouts begin selling cookies door to door.
60 below
Polar bears begin to evacuate Antarctica.
Wisconsin's Boy Scouts postpone "Winter Survival" classes
until it gets cold enough.
80 below
Mt. St. Helen's freezes.
Wisconsin people rent some videos.
100 below
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Wisconsin people get frustrated when they can't thaw the keg.
297 below
Microbial life survives on dairy products.
Wisconsin cows complain of farmers with cold hands.
460 below
ALL atomic motion stops.
Wisconsin people start saying "Cold 'nuff for ya?"
500 below
Hell freezes over.
The Minnesota Vikings win the Super Bowl
ianimal, for the record this weekend:
Pierre Garcon: 8 rec, 143 yds, 1 td
Emmanuel Sanders AND Antonio Brown: 11 rec, 135 yds, no td's.
Yes, it's only one game.
I guess it's too bad for Messrs. Sanders and Brown that they weren't losing 31-0 early in the 3rd quarter. Maybe they could have racked up some garbage time stats against the "prevent" defense as well (-;
I'm actually four years older than Francesa, which makes me paleolithic. I actually watched the game the last time the Browns won the NFL championship in 1964. I actually watched the game when the EAGLES beat Vince Lombardi's Packers for the 1960 NFL championship. Yes, Calico, it happened. I'm a witness.
I knew somebody who played ice hockey for the University of Minnesota. Whenever I asked him a question, he'd usually say "whatever." He did give me a real answer when I asked him about how people out there react to the coming of spring.
"They get depressed. No more ice fishing." Guess you've really got to love winter to live in places like that.
Haha ianimal. Don't worry, looks like the Steelers might have a few games like that coming for them to catch up....
This just in from The Onion:
NEW YORK—Sources confirmed Monday that at least six NFL franchises have expressed serious interest in quarterback Tim Tebow as a grounds crew worker, claiming that the former Florida Gators star would be a perfect fit for their field maintenance team. “From a purely physical standpoint, Tebow has the size, strength, and agility for turf management, snow removal, or lifting 50 pounds of mulch,” said Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey, who expressed concerns about whether Tebow possessed the mental makeup to handle the stresses of mowing at a professional level. “Tim certainly has the skills to unload equipment, water grass, and organize and clean the storage areas, but he’s a little sloppy. We would be willing to take a chance on him for the league minimum, of course. However, if he wants insurance, he needs to put in 40 hours a week.” Tebow has reportedly stated that he wants to paint the lines on the field, but all the interested NFL teams agreed that the 26-year-old was not yet ready for such a challenging task.
yankeefan 
Yeah, that sucks about Weeden being out... I was planning to slip Josh Gordon in this week as a sleeper WR3 against Minnesota. It's now back to Antonio Brown... hopefully his sideline tirade has the same result as Wallace's the week before, lol.
Not only is the Josh Gordon plan in the crapper, the no-brainer of playing TRich at RB against the porous Vikings rush defense is also suspect now that the Vikings can stack 9 in the box against a backup QB.
Luckily, my fall-back plan is CJ Spiller against the Jets and not something much worse.
After the Colts left Baltimore in 84, that city waited 12 years to get another NFL franchise.
The Browns left Cleveland in 96 and those poor fans are STILL waiting for an NFL franchise.
A good trivia question, who are the four quarterbacks to start three Super Bowl games and not win a Super Bowl MVP award?
Fran Tarkenton is easy... he started four.
Ben Roethlisberger is easy... because I'm a Steelers fan.
I don't recall Roger Staubach getting one either.
I will pick Bob Griese with my last pick... I THINK he started SBVI when the Fish lost to Dallas 24-3.
D'oh... how could I forget Jim Kelly? 0-4... and Tark was only 0-3, Joe Kapp QB'ed the Vikings in SBIV.
Roger the Dodger got it in Super Bowl VI versus the Dolphins... coulda sworn they gave it to Duane Thomas.
I guessed Griese right, though (-;
Good job, it is indeed Tarkenton, Roethlisberger, Griese, and Kelly.
Staubach did get the MVP in his first Super Bowl start.
Griese and Big Ben both had two Super Bowl wins, Scrambling Fran and Jim Kelly came up empty.
Yeah, I think I just have to let Trent Richardson ride. He got less than 10pts in week 1 and 12 pts in week 2. I just have to hope he can get some screens and a few receptions (PPR league) to make up for the lack of yardage. Marshawn Lynch (my other RB) should basically eat Jacksonville alive this week.
Good news Ian! Trent got traded to the Colts. That means he should light it up this week given that the defenses have to respect the passing game too.
Coming into a new offense on Thursday, facing the 49ers? I think I'll still play Spiller and McCoy this week (-;
The Ravens will be getting a visit from an old friend on Sunday, Ed Reed.
Are the Texans a tough enough opponent to count as a "real" NFL game? They hammered the Ravens last year.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/ravens-insider/bal-lardarius-webb-sure-ed-reed-will-play-sunday-says-mentor-has-been-saving-himself-for-ravens-20130918,0,2855676.story
Jim Rome delivered a "low blow."
For so many years I've been saying to the Pirates' fans, don't feel bad, you still have the Steelers.
Now, I'm saying to the Steelers' fans, don't feel bad, you still have the Pirates.
Andy, the Texans have their own set of problems. To be honest, the only two teams in the AFC other than the Broncos who have looked decent in both weeks are the Chiefs and the Dolphins. Obviously, I'm not ready to lay money on either of those teams making the postseason, so there's still time for teams like the Ravens, Texans and Patriots to recover from their early season malaise.
I'm really loving the DirecTV Sunday Ticket/Genie combination... I can record 5 games at a time and watch them over the course of the week while my wife catches up on her soaps, lol. I've even put a 40-inch TV in the guest bedroom just for that purpose. Now all I need is a fridge and a nice-sized bucket in there, lol.
The Pirates are fading fast, Andy... lost 3 in a row and are now 2 games back of the Cards with 10 to go.
1 more against SD (they should have been padding their lead against these guys... instead they're on the verge of being swept at home to the lowly Friars), then 3 @ home versus the Reds and then a 6-game road trip to Chicago and Cincy to close the season.
St. Louis has Milwaukee on the road, and Chicago and Washington at home. I don't see them choking against Milwaukee or the Cubs (at worst they should go 4-2)... have to hope the Nats arms come up big and sweep all 3, but I won't hold my breath.
So, it's looking like Bucs/Reds wild card... where it's played will have a huge impact. The Pirates are 19 games over .500 at home, only 3 over on the road. Cincy is 22 over at home and 1 UNDER on the road. Those 6 games head-to-head will be HUGE, obviously.
Gotta love September...
Yes, it is great that the Pirates have a September and my heart is with them.
Buck Showalter should get some kind of an award for best job by a manager without a quality pitching staff.
Nice article about Mike Trout in today's USA Today. I won't make any noise about Chris Davis unless the O's make the playoffs ... they would not even be in the picture right now without him.
Oh, yeah, it's a FOOTBALL thread. Andy's back in Philly, Donavan too (number retirement) ... a chance for the Philadelphia fans to act with some class. WILL THEY DO IT? There's the big question. I wouldn't touch making a pick on that game with a 10-foot pole.
Steelers and Ravens are both 2-1/2 point home 'dogs this weekend. It has to be a very long time (if ever) since that's happened. Interestingly, the Bengals are also a 2.5 point home 'dog to The Pack.
Seattle is giving 19 points to the Jags. It's probably not nearly enough...
Indy a 10-1/2 point underdog on the road at San Fran? That's a lot to give up by a team that only managed a FG last week.
Revis Island returns to Foxborough where he's faced down Tom Terrific quite a few times... the Bucs are getting 7, down from the opening line of 9. Looks like the early $ went with Tampa. 7 seems like it's still too much in this matchup.
Tonight, I think the Iggles cover the 3 with ease... which reminds me... GET YOUR PICKS IN.
I'm picking the Eagles tonight. I'm hoping they won't drop two in a row at home. :o)
Regarding the ceremony tonight, there will be plenty of boo birds for McNabb. Personally I salute him. As much as he maddened me over the years, he was without a doubt the best QB in franchise history. Thanks for the memories #5, good and bad!
No love for Norman Van Brocklin? Not only did he give the Birds their only NFL Championship, he was the quarterback of the only team to defeat Vince Lombardi's Packers in the playoffs.
Sure, he didn't have the longevity of playing for the Eagles, having spent most of his career with the Rams, but it's quality, not quantity, that counts (-;
And hell, Andy probably went to high school with him... (-;
Did you hear Michael Irvin on the 97.5 yesterday with Mikey Miss? A few Eagles' fans called in, stated they hated the Cowboys and Irvin but respected his game and skills. One woman even apologized for clapping when he got hurt in his last game @Philly.
BLDReid won 132 games and six NFC East titles in Philly. It will take a long time for someone to match that.
I remember the game where fans in Philly cheered when Michael Irvin was on the ground, that was much worse than throwing snowballs at Santa Claus.
However, I also remember when I was having a nice, peaceful lunch at Applebee's in Bethlelem (Lehigh Valley) and this woman starts complaining that there are a bunch of pictures of Eagles' players on the wall, and none of the Cowboys.
After awhile, I had to say to her, lady, what do you expect? We are in Penn-syl-va-nia. If you were a Steelers' fan, you might have a case!
She did not exactly represent Cowboys' Nation with class and distinction, I'll say that much.
Andy - Snowballs are kind. It's the frozen D cell batteries that really smart. ;-)
ianimal - The Eagles have three championships. 1948, 1949 and 1960.
I was 10 when Van Brocklin led the Eagles to that title and I was a big Johnny U fan.
I remember Sonny Jurgensen quarterbacking the Eagles and that team really went downhill after Sonny left for the Redskins during my high school years. They didn't become contenders again until Dick Vermeil came from UCLA and turned things around ... there's something historical Eagles' fans can latch onto ... a college coach from the West Coast leading them to a Super Bowl in five seasons ... if the fans can be that patient.
As the 70s came to a close the Eagles were terrific and the soon-to-be Indianapolis Colts were pathetic.
I got an autographed football from Vince Papale at a United Way Dinner when I was about 38-39 ... a reward for meeting fund-raising goals. That was a nice night.
The real Vince Papale or Mark Wahlberg? If it was Marky Mark, you should have had him sign a pair of tighty-whities for mistergoogle (-;
My bad, Calico, you're right... THREE championships... in EIGHTY years... the Mets have about thirty years left to get another one and tie them. They're right on schedule (-;
I love Mark Wahlberg. How can anyone not? It's like Johnny Depp kind of, sort of. LOL
Three is better than one! :-)
The movie with Marky Mark wasn't made yet in 1989. Another celeb who was there that night was Mike Guman, who Joe Pa sent into a wall of Crimson Tide linemen and linebackers in a Sugar Bowl game that Penn State fans surely remember.
Joe Pa defended his play calling with, "if we couldn't run it in from the one yard line, we don't deserve the national championship."
Joe Pa was loved and respected, in those days.
Baltimore has won five NFL championships with two different franchises.
Well, the Orioles won the World Series three times from 1966 to 1983 ... and we are still waiting for number four. Guys named Jerry Koosman, Roberto Clemente (RIP), and Willie Stargell kept us from winning three more.
Mike Guman... BeCa grad who went on from Penn State to play for the Rams. I think he was Eric Dickerson's lead blocker in his 2,105 yard season, no?
Uh oh......
McNabb is skeptical about the Eagles' new offense. Thinks the read option is a fad.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/09/19/donovan-mcnabb-sounds-skeptical-of-chip-kellys-offense/
Don't forget to read the comments down the bottom. LOL
Is this the same McNabb who stomped his feet and pouted because RGIII wasn't even remotely interested in having him as a "mentor"?
McNabb would throw up twice each quarter running this offense, LOL.
Man, we're getting posts close together, like touchdowns (both ways) at an Eagles' game.
My "that's right" was in response to Mike Guman.
Another PSU back who later was an LA Ram was John Cappelletti, Penn State's only Heisman winner. If you ever get hold of the movie Something for Joey, that's a tear-jerker along the lines of Brian's Song that any football fan would love, and a true story without any embellishment.
John Spagnola (whose name Eagle fans should remember) was in Mike Guman's class at Becahi, although he was apparently marginally smarter than Mike and became a Yale Bulldog rather than going cross-state to play for JoePa.
And the list of quarterbacks who have come from the Pittsburgh area is impressive to say the least!
The first 5 are impressive... by the time you get to Gus Frerotte at #9, I'm not all that impressed any more (-;
http://www.rankopedia.com/Greatest-Quarterback-from-Western-Pennsylvania-Ever/Step1/9247/.htm
A lot of ultra-hot supermodels come from western PA, too... oh wait, no... no they don't.
Mike Ditka and Tony Dorsett are a couple on non-QBs from Western Pa who immediately come to mind.
A favorite old Baltimore Colt who is in the Hall of Fame is Lenny Moore: he's from Reading, which isn't really Lehigh Valley but isn't West PA either.
And good old Hackettstown has never even had one NFL player....at least none that I know of or can think of !?! :-(
dam Down goes McCoy... I really figured it would be Vick going down first.
I'm guessing high-ankle sprain. Six-eight weeks before he's back to full power.
Doug Blake was All-Ivy League with Princeton in 1971 and went to training camp with the Jets.
Several of the Chot Morrison players played at major colleges and did well, but I don't know of any H-town alumni who have played in the NFL during the regular season.
Jim Ringo of Pburg played for the Packers in the 50s and 60s and is in the Hall of Fame.
Most people don't appreciate how tough it is to make the NFL or MLB.
Ned Bolcar of Pburg was a high school All-American, two-time 2nd team collegiate All-American and captained Notes Dame's national championship team. Drafted by Seattle, played 1 year there and 2 in Miami... primarily special teams.
I've talked with Ned many times. Who knows what kind of an NFL career he would have had, if not for the injuries. Pretty sure he's the most recent guy from this county to play in the NFL.
Dick Lynch of Pburg Catholic (he played against H-town a couple of times) played for Notre Dame in the 50s and was an All-Pro DB with the Giants in the late 50s and several times in the 60s. Went on to be a Giants radio broadcaster for a long, long time.
McCoy just came back on the field .... and they are punting ... not going well for the guys in green so far.
"Team Stewie" just breathed a huge sigh of relief... we're a little thin at RB, lol
Redskins vs. Detroit. It's like a train wreck, I don't want to watch but can't tear myself away. OMG OMG we gonna lose again........ RG III heal thy self.
The fans gave Andy Reid and number five the respect they deserved for a lot of wins and playoff excitement.
Thumbs up to the fans who did the right thing ... in Philly, you never know what to expect.
What was up with the whole McNabb entrance? D-baggery at its worst... who does he think he is, Jay-Z?
It's not Western PA, but model/actress Grace Kelly is from Philly, ianimal. Best looking woman of all time, in my book.
New Brunswick N.J. area has a few NFL players ,I can think/name two of them and they even a Super Bowl ring to prove it,there's even a third was a star at USC but pretty much fizzled out in the NFL....he broke the law...but the law won ! Lolll....
I thought McNabb stood there like the Eagles were privileged to have him on the field. He looked a bit annoyed IMO.
Princess Grace of Monaco? Good looking, sure... best looking ever? Hell, she's not even the best looking princess, IMO... I'm on Team Diana (-;
No comparison between Grace and Diana IMO. Grace was beautiful. Diana was, well....just attractive. Camilla..........YIKES!!!!!!!!!!! LOL
Oh and regarding McNabb. I didn't care for the look on his face to be honest. I did love the look on his youngest son's face though when the fireworks were going off. So adorable. Yes, the fans went against the stereotype and cheered both #5 and Andy. Boy, what will the sport gossip people talk about?
Clyde Potts A night of redemption for the Philadelphia fans.
You guys can discuss the merits of Princess Grace and Diana, my all-time favorite "hot actress" was Elke Sommer.
Some top notch football players from New Jersey ... Franco Harris (Mount Holly), Lydell Mitchell (Salem), Phil Villapiano (Long Branch), Joe Theisman (South River)
... no comments about prostate issues please .. Dave Moore (Roxbury)...JOE FLACCO (Audubon) ... and there are many more, that was just a few off the top of my head.
A couple of more Jersey guys ... Drew Pearson (South River), John Taylor (Pennsauken).
Also Troy Stradford (Linden) and last but certainly not least, the all-time Ravens' nose guard Tony "The Goose" Siragusa, of Kenilworth, who was the state champ heavyweight wrestler from David Brearley High School.
The two with rings are Jonathan Casillas and Malcom Jenkins ,met Jenkins a few times and I've known Casillas for 16 years both great guys.The other one is Dwayne Jarrett met him a few times....he's had some law issues.Another one is Andre Dixon from New Brunswick played at Uconn now playing arena league in Hartford CT. I think ,met him a few times very nice guy,saw him last year a at preseason Patriots game cheering on his New Brunswick buddies.I even got to put on Casillas's ring....and snap a pic !
Funny penalty from last night's game. I don't remember hearing the official say this. Probably couldn't hear him over my swearing. LOL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMJK88u2nUA
"False start on everybody but the center"? Yeah, that was pretty funny. Me and Mike Mayock got a big laugh out of that one.
I used to hate him but he's starting to grow on me.
Knowshon Moreno went to RBC, didn't he? Dion Lewis went to Blair. And I'm surprised you left out Deron Cherry, Andy. He's from Riverside. 6 time all-pro safety for the Chiefs.
Lots of RU guys in the NFL now. Rutgers has really come a long way. Can't wait to see if they can whoop Ark again tomorrow.
Moreno went to Middletown South.
Back to the Eagles, they need a wideout who defenses respect, who can beat single coverage, otherwise Desean Jackson will be seeing double teams all season.
Another guy who got into the NFL via a New Jersey high school and Rutgers was Nate Jones, from Scotch Plains, drafted by Cowboys, also played for Miami, Denver, and New England .... might be another team, too, he moved around.
The only way Riley Cooper will be able to get anyone on the defense to bother to chase him is to continually yell the n-word all game long...
Good point, I-man, he could give the Eagles the agitation factor. New Jersey passed legislation about that for high school sports, using the n-word can now be cause for being ejected from a game.
Cherry played for Palmyra High School back in 1975.
Another Scotch Plains guy, Renaldo Nehemiah
Since Donovan was in the house last night, did his mom give all the fans some Chunky soup?
Jay Bellamy played safety for the SeaChickens for long time. Pretty good player. Remember him from my undergrad days. And wasn't Craig Ironhead Heyward from Essex County?
Couple of NFL wr busts, too. Dwayne Jarrett, from New Brunswick. First rd draft pick. Believe the other was Mike Williams, can't remember from where. And not the Mike Williams currently playing for Tampa Bay.
Billy Ard, a starting O-lineman for the Giants' Super Bowl champs of 86-87, played for Watchung Hills (who Warren Hills happens to be playing tonight).
I think Ironhead was from Passaic... but he decided to go to a Division I school at Pitt, instead of staying close to home and playing for Rutgers (-;
Ironhead went to the same high school that Jack Tatum (Ohio State and Oakland Raiders) came from, Passaic.
Tatum knocked the ball into the air that became the famous Immaculate Reception.
He got the name "The Assassin" at Ohio State and lived up to it in the NFL, one of the hardest hitting DBs who ever played.
Art Still of Camden played for the Chiefs and Bills. He was an All-American on the Kentucky team which gave Penn State its only loss in 1977.
Bruce Bannon from Rockaway. Rockaway Rockets, Morris Hills HS. Played @ Penn St. then in NFL played for Jets & Dolphs
Dear John Mara,
Remember all of that BS salary cap you got away with? Karma really sucks...but not as bad as your team did today. Feel free to burn your diploma since you're too stupid to know what "no salary cap" means.
Sincerely,
All Dallas fans
How the mighty have fallen. The Giants were totally non-competitive today.
They've hit rock bottom.
Yes. Haha. At least none of the Eagles games have been 38-0. Yet. ;-)
I just love seeing Giants fans crying their eyes out at the bar. Eagles fans are used to defeat and don't cry so much. We just take as business as usual.
Now wait a second. As a multi-year expert of seeing good teams implode, I think when it comes to winning at losing, I have something to say about how that feels... When it comes this early it is like a gift, getting many hours back to do other things rather than sitting in front of the screen hoping for a good year. "try to look on the bright side of life......"
There is really no bright side on the 38-0...I was expecting it but not against Carolina...
Well the only not bad thing is that they are only 2 games behiinf the div lead....even then they lose the tie breaker.
I think the last team with a 0-3 start to get a play-off berth was like the 1998 Buffalo Bills......
A couple of Buddy Ryan's Eagle teams (over two decades ago) started out 1-3 and made the playoffs, but it is a hard road to climb back in. I remember Buddy saying, "we'll be there when the snow flies." Always better to start out with some wins and then weather the inevitable storm that hits everybody at some stage of the season ... like last year's Ravens having a bad December before the playoffs.
But the NFC East may just be won by a 7-9 team this year. If the Giants can right the ship (it won't be easy) they still have enough games to play.
Geno looks like a rookie at times, and is going to make mistakes...but I will take that over Sanchez anyday.
Good division win for the Jets....finally getting Powell his touches, Holmes and Hill over 100 yds each, and Geno 3 TDS and 300 yds passing.
Defense line impressive so far this year...and 8 sacks yesterday
I love the fact that Rex and the team is quietly going out and just playing football. They are not close to being an elite team yet but they are proving to be a lot better than people expected.
The penalties were atrocious though. Next up a tough road game against the Titans
Here we go... I just got an email from a Dolphins fan making fun of Steelers/Ben... I swear that I haven't heard a peep from this guy since Dan Marino retired, lol.
Get ready for them to start coming out of the woodwork.
When you follow a favorite team long enough, there will be some bad years.
I even remember a Yankees team that finished 10th ... in the 10-team American League before there were any divisions.
It's hard to imagine the Yankees ever being that bad ... but they were.
Another great performance by Mr. Manning last night. The two TD drives I saw before going to bed were like taking candy from a baby.
Anyone planning on watching "The Book of Manning" on ESPN tonight? We will be. Being a Saints fan, my husband loves Archie Manning.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/film-explores-archie-mannings-pro-074918731--nfl.html
Ha ianimal. Your optimism at the beginning of the season has to have soured by now.
MNJ, it soured as soon as we lost three starters for the year in the first half of Game 1. If you recall, our discussion was why I would have picked them to do so well BEFORE the season started. Once Pouncey and Foote went down, compounded with the preseason injury to Bell and the big question mark surrounding Miller's return and his effectiveness... I changed my pick to 8-8. I certainly think they can pull that off still.
But who's the new King of Garbage Time stats? Let's see Garcon beat Antonio Brown's line of 9 catches for 196 yards and 2 TDs, lol. And we were only down 24-3 when it started (-;
Talk about Peyton Manning, after he lit up the Ravens' defense for 7 TDs in the opener, the Ravens have not given up a TD in their next two games.
ianimal is a little bit off his game right now, just a temporary slump, I'm sure. Thought he would be all over this story.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9714106/jacoby-jones-baltimore-ravens-involved-incident-party-bus-john-harbaugh-confirms
The fraud Super Bowl MVP goes to Disney World... the real MVP parties a little differently, lol.
Whoof... Charm City strippers wielding champagne bottles... now there's an episode of The Wire that would be Emmy-worthy.
Glad to see you are well and still your old self. =)
Baltimore has a history of strip joints ... "the block" was known for Blaze Starr and that sort of thing.
Yeah, the block that Don Shula's Steakhouse is (was?) on (Baltimore St?) has quite a few of them... sheanimal was less than impressed while walking to dinner that night, lol.
The city isn't perfect, but it is where I visited my aunts, uncles and cousins, have lots of good memories and developed my interest in professional sports ... it wasn't TV for me, it was the excitement of seeing games live and in person.
Downtown really turned the corner in the early 80s when the aquarium and inner harbor attractions came in, replacing warehouses and out-of business industries. Old Memorial Stadium was in a residential area, you could see it from my uncle's backyard ... my only visits downtown in the old days were for hockey and basketball games. Most of my Baltimore meals in those days were of the home cooked variety.
Everybody has personal deep seated reasons for their rooting interests (not routing as someone said in the Rutgers thread) and I understand that.
Go Pirates, they are in the playoffs ...everyone I talk sports with is rooting for them ... hope they get some home games.
As the 70s and 80s became the 90s, Baltimore became a place where I attended some funerals as family members aged and lost their vitality ... we went to the same funeral home on Belair Road each time ... that's a few miles away from the downtown district .. some good Italian restaurants and a couple of sports bars ... but it has become a lot like McArthur Road in the Allentown area ..car dealers ... movie theaters... Holiday Hair ... WAWA ... Giant Supermarket ... and. all the Dunkin Donuts, Friendly's, KFC, McDonald's, BK, Wendy's ... a friend calls it Heart Attack Alley.
Well, apparently the cleanup and removal of strip joints has seriously degraded the quality of strippers available to the Ravens. Just saw the picture of strippers from the Raven's stripper bus. Somewhere, the owner of Scores is laughing.
Since I've been married 35 years, to a Jersey girl, I need to change the direction this thread is heading, even though I'm the guy who brought the topic into the mix.
Eagles vs. Broncos ... that fast-paced "offense of the future" will probably give Peyton enough possessions to break every single-game passing record that's in the books.
Should be interesting.
A blowout of historical proportions, maybe?
The Eagles will learn that in the NFL, there are times you need to control the clock and "shorten the game" in order to win a championship. The Giants' Super Bowl win against Buffalo comes to mind.
Yeah, ianimal, brown definitely did clean up the garbage. Was wondering if you would point that out. We'll see if Ben and/or RGIII are upright by the end of the season. That will be a big factor. I do like the Skins backup QB a bit better than yours.
I like the Steelers backup QB a lot better than I liked his predecessors of recent years... not that that is saying much, considering we're talking about Batch and Leftwich.
I haven't seen much of Cousins as a pro... but I've always been a Spartans fan going all the way back to the George Perles days, so I saw him play more than a few times as a collegian. Good arm, made good decisions most of the time. My guess is he won't be a 'Skin next year.
Cousins is still unproven. He had one good game when the skins were rolling last year. If he was truly solid, they would have put him in instead of Bob in the playoffs last year when it was clear that Bob was struggling. The fact that they didn't says a lot.
The skins lack of defense and the fact that Bob is not a threat to run for a big one has been the reasons for their losses. I don't think Cousins coming changes any of that. Unless Bob starts throwing INT's as if he was paid to do so, I wouldn't even consider starting Cousins.
Although he lives in infamy for his crappy Super Bowl with the Colts against the Jets, Michigan State's Earl Morrall is in the conversation of who was the best backup QB ever.
Kinda like being named the valedictorian of the summer school, as Richie Ashburn said about being named MVP of the 1962 Mets.
Flacco had a day to rival Earl Morrall's Super Bowl III performance. UGH.
But, Morrall came back to have plenty of good days (and was on two more Super Bowl teams) so I'm confident Cool Joe will bounce back, too.
The NFC East is soooooo bad.......
How bad is it?
It's so bad that 7-9 could possibly win the division. Sigh......
Steelers have a bye next week. The opening line out of Vegas lists the bye as a 5-point favorite... )=
R.I.P.... L.C. Greenwood ... a great defensive end on the best defensive front line ever, the Steel Curtain, passed away at 67 this morning of kidney failure.
Ha. You robbed that from Bill Simmons, ianimal. He used that for the Raiders 5 years ago.
If the kidney failure didn't get him, he probably would have died from embarrassment anyway... Joe Greene is now the last remaining member of the Steel Curtain.
Dwight White and Ernie Holmes both died back in 2008. White from complications from surgery and Holmes in a car accident.
MNJ, knowing Bill Simmons, he probably stole it from someone else... I stole it from my buddy Mike here at work, lol.
Andy, at least the Ravens and Bengals are doing everything they can to keep us in it. At 0-4 we're still only two games out of first in the division. Hopefully, they can find the defense during the bye week. Apparently it never got on the plane to London...
Nobody ever was worse than the 1982 Colts ... nobody. I was actually happy about the strike that year.
Just to show how bad it's going for the Steelers defense... through four games they have four total sacks and have yet to force a turnover.
Yesterday, Matt Cassell drops back on 3rd and 6. LaMarr Woodley sacks him and forces a fumble. The ball rolls forward 8 yards where it's recovered by Adrian Peterson for a Vikings first down.
With all the personnel changes and players they lost from last year, I was hoping the Ravens would not start out 0-4 .. especially after that ugly opener ... they even showed bad signs in preseason ...at least they had the Charlie Browns on the September schedule .. I'm happy with 2-2 ... at least they still win at home.
Brady has shown he can win with the constant roster turnover that is life in the salary capped NFL these days ... it's up to Flacco now to show he can do it, too.
How many INTs did he throw in the post-season?
After you've won the big one, the fans cut you a little slack when you have a bad day.
Don't be a hater ... it's not good for your health in the long run.
He keeps chucking 5 a week, he won't get the chance to throw any in the postseason his year either (-;
You're a hater and you know it. Hey, how did you like his comments about Ray Lewis? Who is Ray Lewis, of all people, to comment on party behavior by players?
Anyhow, when I'm in Dunkin Donuts, there are pictures of Eli all over the place and now at McDonald's .... there's Joe Flacco.
Such are the perks of winning a Super Bowl MVP trophy. You get to promote junk food ... presumably for some nice pay-ola.
Go Buccos.
Call me a hater one post removed from you "hating" on both the Eagles and Giants? Kind of strange, no?
Game of the Weak was a pun and a statement of fact. LOL
You can't take Flacco's MVP award away from him, it's in the record book
F-O-R-E-V-E-R.
Which game do you think is the worst of Week 5?
(a) Eagles @ Giants
(b) Jacksonville @ St. Louis
(c) Carolina @ Arizona
B for sure. Eagles at least have some offensive capability.
I'm not sure who to cheer for. Do I root for the Eagles to put one more nail in the Giants' coffin? Or do I root for the Giants and keep it a 4 team race?
Oh the troubles we must deal with. LOL.
So, those 5 INTs were a figment of my imagination and not a statement of fact? Eli has TWO SB MVPs, yet you still make fun of the Giants...
Calico, (b) and (c) are both unwatchable. At least (a) should have plenty of offense, lol.
Geeze, one punny comment.
Listen, I'm not given to being overly critical of quarterbacks because I've never been one. In my football experience, if I did a good job of protection, he made a play. If I didn't, he usually threw a hurried incompletion or got picked, if he didn't get sacked first.
I've seen quarterbacks lose with bad teams and start winning when the team improved ... funny how that happens ... there are quarterbacks who can make a bad team better ... but miracles are few and far between.
OK, from now on I'll leave the comedy to you and David Letterman and I won't quit my day job. Feel better?
Here's my nomination for worst Super Bowl pass ever. It even made Curt Gowdy laugh ... and he was about as serious as they come in the broadcast booth.
This is what happens when non-quarterbacks try to throw the ball.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGC-uGKivvE
Andy, you're missing the point... it's perfectly ok to joke around. Just don't get so sensitive when somebody jokes about "your guy" then (-;
Good grief guys...this is turning to a regular old "guns, teachers' unions, Obamacare" debate.
So, will the Browns get more wins than the Giants?
My guess is NO, the Browns don't get more wins than the G-men:
CLE (2-2)
BUF - W
DET- L
@GB - L
@KC - L
BAL - W
@CIN - L
PIT - L
JAX - W
@NE - L
CHI - L
@NYJ - W
@PIT - L
Final record 6-10
NYG (0-4)
PHI - W
@CHI - L
MIN - W
@PHI - W
OAK - W
GB - L
DAL - W
@WAS - W
@SD - W
SEA - L
@DET - W
WAS - L
Final record (8-8)
I pick (b) as well for the worst.
How about this week's best match-up:
(a) New Orleans @ Chicago
(b) New England @ Cincinnati
(c) Seattle @ Indianapolis
(d) - None of the Above
Not (a)... the Saints are usually terrible outdoors and the Bears are never exciting to watch, even when they are.
Not (b)... the Pats win ugly again.
Not (c)... Seattle isn't the same on the road, but they're better than Indy. I think Indy squeaks out a 1-point win in an excruciating game to watch.
The games i'll be watching:
Best old-school defensive slobberknocker: KC@TEN
Light up the scorebnoard divison matchup: DET@GB
The "it's the only game on other than CAR@ARI" matchup: DEN@DAL
My take on this......
NO @ CHI will be decided by one scorel, not sure who will win.
CIN either beats NE or comes darn close.
IND beats SEA, those west coast teams coming east and playing 1:00 games.
Let's see how it comes out in the end.
At 1 I will be watching the Eagles/Giants for as long as I can stand it. If I can't stand it anymore, I will check out Seattle/Indy.
I might just have to watch Peyton and his cronies stampede over the Cowgirls at 4.
Hell, calico, Carolina/AZ will probably be decided by one score, too. Don't mean I wanna waste my time watching it?
Did you see Brees play on the road at TB a couple weeks ago? It was awful, awful stuff... they were lucky to get out of there with a 16-14 win on a last second FG.
Not sure I understand your faith in a team that just got beat by the Browns. If the Pats have Gronk and Amendola back, they could very easily romp. Although losing Wilfork will hurt the Pats run defense, CIN isn't the world's greatest rushing team. So... Cincy has a chance, but they need most of the breaks to go their way to pull it off.
I completely agree on the Indy game. That's a tough task for a west coast team. Indy squeaks it out.
I think Eagles-Giants is going to be good... it usually is.
Baltimore and Miami is another intriguing matchup. Both coming off of embarrassing losses; Miami due to the score, Baltimore due to the opponent. I like Miami; but Baltimore can beat anyone on any given day. They obviously can lose to anyone as well.
Seattle at Indy really is interesting.
One thing about Eagles-Giants, you never stop watching if the Giants take a big lead.
I still feel the Giants will end up with at least a respectable season ... they still have Eli ... if they at least keep the games within reach. The overall mediocrity of the division will keep giving them something to play for.
The Browns may be like the Cleveland Indians in the original Major League movie ... ownership may be making player moves to MAKE SURE the team does not win this year ... possibly hoping to stock up good draft picks for the future.
I still remember the year Dallas went 1-15 and then became the dominant team in the sport the next few years ... helped greatly by that infamous Herschel Walker trade. Google it if you want, that was an insane trade on Minnesota's part.
Yes, hard to believe Cincy lost that game and sometimes teams come back the strongest following their poorest games ... these guys are great athletes and they have their pride.
I remember that year Andy. The trade helped but it was the arrival of Emmitt that turned the season around. Until then, teams didn't respect their run (they didn't have one) and simply keyed in on the WR's and a young Aikman.
"they still have Eli" -- Well, this is just another one of those football myths. Who's turning the ball over at a record pace - on target for 36 INT's? Eli is an above average QB who plays well when his OL can give him time. He can't run and is just as prone to throwing picks (when under pressure) as Romo. If they don't fix the OL, then they have nothing.
Google the Herschel Walker trade? I was in high school when it happened; I remember Herschel from his UGA Bulldogs and NJ Generals days. I agree... probably the most lopsided trade in NFL history.
The only one I can think of that compares is Ditka and the Saints giving up all their picks in one draft and their top two picks in the following year's draft to move up something like 5 spots in the 1st round to get Ricky Williams. The only reason this trade wasn't more lopsided is that Washington traded most of the picks to Chicago so they could move up and get Champ Bailey. Chicago used the picks to draft 5 or 6 guys who you've probably never heard of, lol.
A similar trade to Herschel (and probably even MORE lopsided) was in the NHL. The Quebec Nordiques (soon to be the Colorado Avalanche) traded Eric Lindros to the Philadelphia Flyers for Peter Forsberg, Chris Simon, Steve Duchesne, Kerry Huffman, Mike Ricci, and Jocelyn Thibault. The Avs would go on to win two Stanley Cups with this core of guys; the Flyers are getting close to the 40th anniversary of their last Cup.
I'd have to go back and check, but I believe Emmitt was one of the players they got with a draft pick from that trade.
I liked the Cowboys' approach when they got good ... they'd get a lead with a couple of touchdown passes and THEN Emmitt would get his 150 - 200 yards, as Dallas would control the clock and nurse the lead.
As Keith Jackson used to say, you need those "Big Uglies" up front.
Controlling the line of scrimmage is absolutely essential in football.
ianimal - The Flyers traded Ron Hextall not Jocelyn Thibault. They also traded two additional 1st round picks as well as cash. Thibault is often mentioned because the first of the picks was used to draft him. The second pick was traded away.
GC I know Thibault came via the draft pick they got. I didn't mention Hextall because he really wasn't worth mentioning (-;
Thibault was also part of the trade that brought Patrick Roy to Denver, so you can by extension attribute that in part to the Lindros trade as well.
Eric Lindros, was supposed to be the bionic man or something. At the time the Rangers were upset that they didn't get him, said they made an equally good offer. A big to-do, a press conference, lots of talk, talk, talk.
SO, they won the Cup without him. Woo hoo.
Remember that much anticipated arbiter's ruling, because the Nordiques (back then) had made deals with both the Rangers and Flyers? It was one big media circus.
Lindros was a Ranger late in career, after he'd had many concussion issues.
Andy - Nothing about Lindros was ever anything but a circus, both he and his father ensured that. Don't forget Lindros' supposed comment that he would "never play for a 'Frog' team" and Clarke's statements that no one on Earth would ever want to deal with him and his father, and then wondering why he can't get more than a bag of pucks for him in a trade. To me worst of all is the insistence he fly back home after being speared in the chest to the point he was bleeding in the night with broken ribs and a collapsed lung. He's now a broadcaster for NHL network/NBC/Versus depending on the game broadcast but Keith Jones (former Colorado Avalanche) was the roommate of Lindros and called 911 when Lindros was unresponsive and coughing up blood. That alone saved his life let alone had he actually flied with the collapsed lung it would have killed despite the fact he was essentially called a coward by management for not flying. Circus doesn't even begin to describe that.
ianimal - Hextall is of no consequence but Thibault is? You can trace a series of trades and drafts back many levels, but what is the reality? The pick is the pick, but the user of the pick is what really matters in if it turns out or not. The same with a trade. Hextall at the time was no small matter even if he had his own circus following him around. He had big issues, but also had big prior results to go by. He wasn't nothing at the time.
70's Bumper Sticker - "Only Jesus Saves more than Bernie"
80's Bumper Sticker - "Lightning only strikes once, Hextall strikes twice"
I'm very sorry to say my WYSP t-shirt with that theme on it with a funny caricature of Hextall died a couple of years ago. It was given away at "Spectrum Stores" on special events when I met Joe Watson and Rick MacLeish. At least my signed items persist. ;-)
Uh NFL thread.....there is an NHL thread too. LOL
That said......how 'bout those Browns? I went to bed wen it was 17-17. Was surprised when I hear the final this morning.
Sometimes you never appreciate the significance of a game until the season plays out a bit. That Ravens win over the Browns in week two looks pretty important now.
Can't comment on the game, though, was watching baseball and hockey.
Brian Hoyer out for the year with knee injury...
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/browns-qb-hoyer-season-knee-161051352--nfl.html
Shame, the Spartan alum looked poised and confident in the pocket and had good escapability as well. Plus he threw a great deep ball with touch and accuracy. Back to Weeden for the Browns... that can't be good for anybody.
I always say, if the Ravens could win one with Trent Dilfer.
Trent was not the opening day quarterback that year when the Dirty Birdies opened at Three Rivers.
It was Michigan State's Tony Banks, and he threw a first quarter TD pass to Qadry Ismail (another blast from the past).
I've been picking Michigan State to reach the NCAA basketball final every year since 1998. Just believe in their coach and program, they always jell at tournament time.
OK, back to football.
Get the bags out Giant fans. I think mine is still in the closet. They played as good as this group can today. Start looking at College games and look for our 1st pick next year. Lets be the first team to pick a line man first second and third round.
Old Gent Eli's not working behind a very good offensive line, he got pressured all day.
Eagles did what they had to do. Hats off to Nick Foles' great job off the bench.
So did the Ravens, who now are 21-7 following losses in games Flacco has started.
Flacco is not Peyton Manning, Brady, Brees, or Rodgers, but he's been part of the solution, not the problem, regarding the Ravens' week-by-week challenges.
Fans always give the QB too much blame after losses, credit after wins. And fans love to criticize play calling. It comes down to the blocking up front. Without that, even the best QBs are severely limited.
It comes down to the blocking up front. Without that, even the best QBs are severely limited.
That line says it all Andy. Manning didn't loose his talent over night. Our problem is we have been successful for a while in so doing we get low draft picks after all the big studs are gone.
Well, 3 INT's and 3 grounding calls won't help you either. Not all the INT's were Eli's fault but damn.
Dallas looked great against Denver for the first quarter. Wheels are falling off of the bus right now.
Well, Calico, you don't need to be apologetic about winning. If that team keeps improving, who knows what could happen?
Shady McCoy is marvelous, really get a kick out of watching him.
I almost felt sorry for Tony Romo yesterday... not quite, but almost. That was without a doubt the most entertaining football game I've seen in a while. (Doesn't hurt that Orange Julius saved Alpha Male's fantasy bacon yesterday, LOL)
Yeah, I get it. That's funny. There is some kind of curse to being the host of the Super Bowl. They've been doing it since 1967 and nobody's played one in their home stadium yet.
One thing to be said for the NFC East teams, they have time to fix their problems.
It's starting to look like the Giants just don't have it, but the Cowboys and Eagles are not that far away ... if they can "peak" at the right time ... stranger things have happened.
I'm a JETS fan all the way, but wanted to cry along with Eli after yesterdays game.
Wanted to cry with Romo too. HAHA!
"It's starting to look like the Giants just don't have it,....."
WHAT? Did you see the Giants first snap this season? It was an INT. The wheels were never on the bus....
It's going to be a loooooong season..
It's a be a shame that there probably will be a couple of 10 and 6 teams that will not make the playoffs. But someone in the East will probably have a losing record and still get in the playoffs
carbs83 Well, the first pass Johnny Unitas threw in the NFL was intercepted and returned for a TD. To add injury to insult, he got a bloody nose trying to make the tackle.
It got better after that.
Yep, I get it. I watched those Super Bowls and Eli made the big plays at the key moments. His place in football history is assured. And, the defense did a good job of keeping Brady under control. And, they were an amazing playoff team on the road.
Nobody can take that away. However ...
This year's New York Football Giants (as Howard Cosel used to say) look like the 1965 Yankees ... the magic is gone, man. It's gone.
How about those J-E-T-S......JETS, JETS, JETS!!!!!!
I definitely didn't see that one coming.
Sh*t... I hope this doesn't drive up prices on StubHub for the Steelers game this Sunday. They were coming down quite nicely, lol.
That's what makes the NFL great. Players know when the fans and media are on their case and the ones with internal fortitude respond by proving them wrong.
Everybody in the NFL had to be a great, great football player somewhere, at some time, just to get there, and they have their pride.
Well, Eli's got to stop visiting Dunkin Donuts. LOL
And Joe Flacco's visits to McDonald's may have had something to do with his five INT game at Buffalo. Well, the Buffalo defense had something to do with it, too.
Athletes can't be eating that junk food.
Off the rumor mill, 49ers and Browns are in trade talks ... Frisco looking for immediate help and the Browns looking to build for the future.
Stay tuned.
Josh Gordon's not going anywhere, I don't think... although OUT of the AFCN would be ok with me. Kid's a beast.
Know who really impresses me in the NFC so far?
The Saints. Wouldn't it be IRONIC if a couple of dome teams, Indy and New Orleans, end up playing the Super Bowl at the frigid Jersey Meadowlands?
Who-Dat....that was my team the last 4 years,even went to the Super Bowl and the post game party,wow was that a party !! Now I jumped ship to Tampa ....yikes I'm slowly sinking ,lollll .
dam - TB going down this weekend! Oh yeah! Nicky Foles and those awesome Beagles are going to come down and mop up the joint with them. ;-)
Didn't do too bad on StubHub... $125 face value tickets for $150. Can't complain too much about that. Now, if only the Steelers can actually WIN the game...
You never know what the Jets will do. Two things Rex can do is coach a defense and get his players to give their all, 100 percent, for him.
Some of the details of his coaching are bad, time management, play calling, as I've heard New York talk hosts gripe about ad nauseate, but ...
I'd think, coming off a bye, with the good coaching the Steelers have, Pittsburgh has a better than 50/50 chance of winning this game. Most well coached NFL teams are very dangerous coming off a bye.
Maybe they've put in a new blocking scheme, something, to adjust for what's been going wrong. I find it hard to believe the Steelers can be THAT BAD ... I'm just used to seeing them be one of the best teams in the sport for the past four decades.
Something else in the Steelers' favor is the Pirates. They have taken the local media spotlight away from the Steelers, so they can practice and game plan with fewer distractions and negativity.
Andy - Not after the Bucs get sent home by my Cards tonight. ;-)
Regarding the Jets, I think Geno will only continue to get better. I'm glad Sanchez finally decided to have surgery. Not really sure why he didn't do it a month ago. He might have a chance at being a back-up next season.
Sorry, Calico, this ain't Card-tober, it's BUC-tober... Beltran looks at strike 3 from Grilli and the Pirates head to La La Land - the Cards head to the golf course... or the Dominican, whichever (-;
Geno looked really good Monday night; I was impressed. The Jets defense was pretty stout as well. I don't know that I even give us an even-money shot to win. We need to get turnovers and play with the short field more than once and not turn the ball over. This would be a new experience for the Steelers this year... four games and zero takeaways; no wonder we're 0-4. The 11 giveaways haven't helped either.
On the bright side, if the Steelers lose, it's only an hour home from East Rutherford, as opposed to 5 hours from the 'Burgh (-;
I like Geno, too, think he'll have a good career (barring unforeseen injury, etc.) and I see Sanchez in the Patriots' training camp next year. I think Mr. Bellicose would consider him as a backup ... I would not mind seeing the Ravens bringing in Sanchez as a backup ... they basically have a college option-QB type in the backup role right now.
They would have had NO SHOT in the playoffs last year if Flacco had been hurt.
Sanchez was not ready when he came into the league and Rex is not exactly an offensive genius. Sanchez will surprise all of us naysayers one of these years.
Not so fast Calico....my boy #52 is gonna open up a can of whoop ass on your boy Foles ! ;-) I can feel it here comes win # 1 ! I'm praying and saying 10 Hail Marys as I type this.
Mark Sanchez is in good company, historically, with Big Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco.
Sanchez and Flacco are the only two NFL quarterbacks to win back-to-back playoff starts in their rookie seasons.
Sanchez and Big Ben are the only two to make it to conference championship games as starters in their first two seasons. It must be noted that Big Ben only needed one win to reach the conference championship game in his rookie year because the Steelers were 15-1 and did not need to advance through a wild card game.
Was Joe Flacco ever accused of raping a co-ed, or do Mark and Ben have that one to themselves?
Off the football field, Joe's life has been sort of boring, not that I'm complaining.
Andy Loigu, You might enjoy this when football players were Gladiators.
http://offtheedgehumor.blogspot.com/2009/09/football-player-art-donovan-on-johnny.html
Art Donovan passed away last summer. RIP. One of the great original Baltimore Colts who played on their 1958 and 59 NFL champions.
I read his book a few years ago, just like the Carson bit, non-stop laughs.
For a few years he did a Monday night Ravens Wrap show on cable TV in the Baltimore area ... I'll check and see if You Tube has any clips.
Here's Artie on a roll on an old Baltimore show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MmVT_z2r40
the good thing this week is that by Sunday I would have forgotten that the Giants played (or had a game) this week.
This one is for Calico... (-;
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Being a life long Giant fan. I have been in this position before so I stay away from comments for the time being. I will just get my BAG out and move on. Have fun!!!
Yes, we always have to keep our words tender, because the day comes when we have to eat them. These teams have their ups and downs as the years go on, especially when you consider salary caps, injuries, age, owner senility ...
I remember an absolutely obnoxious Mets fan I shared an office with, the most insufferable and obnoxious man on the face of the earth. He's been sort of quiet the last few years, been a long time since he's emailed me.
Thanks to him, if there ever is a Subway Series again, I'll root for the Yankees ... and I would never have thought I'd ever root for the Yankees in a World Series. Such are the ways in which obnoxious fans can affect us.
"I'd think, coming off a bye, with the good coaching the Steelers have, Pittsburgh has a better than 50/50 chance of winning this game. Most well coached NFL teams are very dangerous coming off a bye."
Not sure I wholeheartedly agree with the "good coaching" statement, but Tomlin *is* 5-1 following a bye week in his previous six seasons. However, he never had a team as bad as this 0-4 team before, so I don't know how much, if anything, that means at this point, lol.
Some more meaningless stats that appear in the Steelers favor...
Roethlisberger is 25-8 as a starter in the month of October.
Roethlisberger has a 101.5 QB Rating during the month of October, his highest of any month.
Roethlisberger averages 246.2 yards per game in October, his highest average YPG in any month.
Roethlisberger has thrown 60 TDs and 26 INTs in October, his highest and lowest totals, respectively, of any month.
And most importantly.... we're playing the JETS for chrissakes.
I used to listen to the giants games on radio. After the service time I got to watch TV. I went to a few Giant games in Yankee stadium when Frank Gifford was the star. My brother went to Leigh and had friends in Bethlehem who happened to be related to Chuck Bednarnick. We got a few together then went to their house in a snow storm,to watch the 63 playoff game since it was TV.blacked out locally. When they went to the Meadowlands my brother and I had great season tickets till about 8 years ago when age affected our walking. Our best years were when we had [Baltimore's] George Young. He knew how to build a team starting with defense. When the salary cap came in he couldn't handle it. When we got to the Super bowl in Pasadena, we looked at each other and said we have to go. It may never happen again. Today we have so many new names in just a season it's hard to keep up with who is going to play next week.
Been through a lot, so today's situation is no surprise.
I remember those days of local blackouts.
A lot of Giants fans I've talked with missed that classic 58 overtime game with the Colts, but I got to see it at my uncle's house in Baltimore.
The next season, when the Giants went to Baltimore, I saw the Colts repeat on New York TV.
A lot of Eagles fans missed their 60 championship win, but I saw it on New York TV. I was happy to see the Eagles win, had a winner for the third year in a row
Some business establishments made a lot of money on people coming to their place to watch a game they could not see at home.
Nowadays, we never have to concern ourselves with travel plans to watch a playoff game or Super Bowl. Progress.
By the way, some of those owners were fighting lifting the blackouts the way some people fought the establishment of medicare, and are fighting health care reform now.
I am completely amazed sitting here watching the train wreck that Eli's and the Giants season has become. Mesmerized, even...
Me too. I was just saying that I never quite put Eli on the elite list like others did, my goodness this is a hot mess! He's definitely better than this. Even worse is that Curtis Painter is their back-up. Sigh....
So glad I took Da Bears in my Pick 'em.
Eli is better than this, but the team around him has totally deteriorated.
If this team finishes with some hideous 2-14 or 1-15 record, is a coaching change coming?
The only reason Eli is alive is because of the 2 Super Bowls...
I have never seen an NFL QB just giving the ball up so easy.
The last pass was his fault, it was too high.
0-6 is such a deep hole....
the Washington Redskins will change their name because it was offensive...
http://www.theonion.com/articles/washington-redskins-change-their-name-to-the-dc-re,34161/
BEG - that was funny.
Eli is proving what I've always said, he's a good QB who has benefited from being part of a complete team. Now that the team around him is bad, so is he.
Hey John Mara - Maybe you should have spent some of that stolen salary cap money on an OL. Karma sucks!
emaxxman, you would have liked being in on a conversation I had with a Centenary student I used to do a sports radio show with on WNTI.
As a Giants' fan and Eli lover, he was on his high horse after the Giants beat the Patriots in that year New England made the run at an undefeated season.
I said, the way the Giants' defense played, they might have won by two or three touchdowns if Tony Romo was at quarterback. They would have just been taking a knee the last minute. The kid flipped, how can you compare Tony Romo to Eli .... yada, yada, yada.
Haven't been in touch with the kid for a couple of years, wonder how he likes Eli and his Giants now.
BEG-
Ummmm. Isn't Redskins the offensive part? Someone should have Snyder test for a head injury.
Or was that a joke and I completely missed it.
Good job by Dave Kelber, heard him say Steve Young is a football player.
People who did not follow the Rich Appel thread have no idea what I'm talking about (:
Just listened to the interview with Norman Worth, glad to hear he and his son are doing well.
a parent - it was a joke and you missed it.
If I was Eli right now, I stick my head in a toilet!
Jerry Rice celebrates his birthday on Sunday.
Tony Kubek (baseball) has a birthday tomorrow. The fact that I actually saw him PLAY for the Yankees and then heard him on all those NBC telecasts with Curt Gowdy, makes me certifiably OLD, OLD, OLD.
a Parent, if you see 'theonion' in the web address, that would be your first clue. As a Skins fan, I don't want them to change the name. From everything I've read, most Native Americans don't find it offensive. There are high schools with Redskins as their mascot, and the student population is 95% Native American. And they stand by the nickname. There are better things for our legal system to focus on rather than wasting resources. I
Show me that school MNJ Just because most don't find it offensive doesn't mean it isn't (and until I see the details of the poll, I will not believe there is a such a school.) There was a time where it was perfectly acceptable to perform an act in blackface. It's no longer accepted. We evolved as a society.
Some may call it being too politically correct but the fact of the matter is, many of these mascots were chosen by white men with little to no input from the races, no matter the race, that they represent.
I don't think our government or courts should get involved. Forcing a change that doesn't matter to anyone does nothing in the long run. What matters is educating people about the origins of such words and letting them then voice their acceptance or displeasure through any one of many forms of free market influence.
Now back to slamming Eli and the Giants.
yes, it was a joke.....I still believe they should change the logo to a redskin potato and call it a day.
If he didn't have the two rings he would be at home on a couch...
I got the info from a Rick Reilly article on ESPN emaxx. Pretty good article. Did you know Oklohoma means 'red people'? No protests to change the name of the state that I know of. And, actually, I read ( or heard) the other day that the owner of the Redskins (previously the Boston Braves) consulted with a Native American to design the original logo. So it was only partly a white guy giving the mascot to the team. From what I understand, the term was first used by native americans to describe each other, just like I would describe myself as white. It was never a derogatory term to start with.
Can I see how it might be offensive to some? Yes. Do I think it's enough to warrant a change? No. Do I think some people are just looking to start controversy? You bet.
Here's the referenced article: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9689220/redskins-name-change-not-easy-sounds
Reilly's FIL, who he quoted in the article, has something to say about his son's article.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1806779-rick-reilly-reportedly-misquoted-father-in-law-in-famous-redskins-article
"Oklohoma means 'red people'"
Well, the state isn't named, Red People Land. Change the name of the football team so it uses the proper Native American word, Oklohoma, eg Washington Oklohoma.
That's the heart of the problem, isn't it? The chosen name is wrong. Instead of recognizing that, you're grasping at potentially other wrong acts to justify it. As the saying goes, two wrongs don't make a right.
Here is some more interesting reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redskin_(slang)
"A linguistic analysis of books published between 1875 and 1930 show an increasingly negative context in the use of redskin, often in association with "dirty", "lying", etc.; while benign or positive usage such as "noble" redskin were used in a condescending manner"
Now, wikipedia is not without its flaws but I would take it as truth before I took Reilly's; especially in light of the fact that he can't even quote his own FIL correctly.
" just like I would describe myself as white. It was never a derogatory term to start with. "
With that logic, we could call the Harlem Globetrotters the Harlem Blacks. Something tells me that most would agree that that would not be appropriate. Or how about a South Asian team called the Yellowman?
Even better, we could have an expansion team with a swastika as a logo. The meaning of the word is "it is good." It was used (and still used today) by numerous cultures before the Nazis ever used it. I don't think anyone would naively defend its use today in sports as a symbol of recognition or honor, would they?
Rick Reilly has always been a schmuck... too funny that his father-in-law was the one to confirm it publicly.
Answer for everything, eh guys? So it would be ok if it were written in proper Choctaw Indian? How does that even make sense? What if it were written in Spanish, ok then?
I merely stated how it is believe that the name first came to be.
Hadn't seen the FIL quote emaxx. emaxx, are you of NA descent?
No more to write. Just don't feel like getting into it, it's late in the Friday workday and I'd like to get home early.
ianimal - LOL, I thought of that when I was posting it. Not too many of us around.
But proud of it, this season. (better not speak too soon, lol)
MNJ - I'm Vietnamese. No Native American ancestry in me...then again, Native Americans traveled to North America from Asia so who knows. :-)
MNJ has a point... if Oklahoma essentially means exactly the same thing as Redskin, but in a different language, then it is equally as insulting (or not) and should also be changed (or not).
Also:
"A linguistic analysis of books published between 1875 and 1930 show an increasingly negative context in the use of redskin, often in association with "dirty", "lying", etc.; "
The fact that you need to use a qualifier such as "dirty" or "lying" to create a negative context means to me that the word itself is for the most part benign. For instance, all you have to do today is say "politician"... dirty and lying are automatically understood (-;
Aw, I was just going to suggest renaming the team to be the Washington Filibusters.
Guess that would be a no go?.
That's another thing... they aren't "native" Americans nor are they "Indians"... and their skin certainly isn't red. If anybody should be called redskins, it's Irish people in July.
So, what to call them? Asiatic Nomads of the Plains?
Perhaps we should have this deeper discussion on Monday when the country is celebrating Columbus for something he didn't do (while Amerigo Vespucci rolls over in his grave.)
Adrian Petersen's son has died. Such a tragedy.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9809579/adrian-peterson-son-dies-injuries-suffered-alleged-assault
Murdered would be the correct word. What kind of pathetic human beats a 2 year old to death? Disgusting.
I hope there is a death penalty in South Dakota.
Saw that this morning on the news. Very sad. Mothers boyfriend should be put away forever!! Let Bubba beat him, like he beat the little boy. Despicable human being!!
Some good games yesterday. NO @ NE was probably the best game with how it ended. Cin/Buf was suprising.
I'm a gonna start crying now. Might as well change the team name. How about Washington Zombies to honor the walking deadskins.
That was definitely a tough lost for the Saints yesterday. It was not a happy night at my house. LOL
emaxx - big game for us next week in Philly.
Oh yeah, the division will be won or lost next week. LOL.
Seriously speaking, Dallas has a horrendous road schedule coming up (Eagles, Lions, Saints) so they have to win that game.
Eagles, Lions, and Saints is horrendous? It's not exactly SF, SEA, and DEN. Eagles have no D, Lions play to the level of the competition, and the Saints run hot and cold. Actually, if the Lions and Boyz both play to the level of their competition, who wins? What level?
I do respect the Saints, right now I consider them the most likely team to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
Yeah, Who Dat?
Brady and Big Papi had a big day and night.
The Opera isn't over until the Fat Lady Sings and the Fat Man Swings.
For those of you born after 1979, the Washington Bullets won an NBA title with the rallying cry of The Opera Isn't Over Until the Fat Lady Sings. They had funny t-shirts, the whole bit.
The Saints have proven they can win on the road and that they're just as dangerous on the road as they are at home. Seattle is nowhere near the same team on the road. Playing in the Superdome is no joke. I agree with Andy in that NO is the best team in the conference. Given how crappy Denver's defense has been the past two weeks, NO may be the most complete team in the league.
All division games are tough. There is a reason why teams rarely sweep the other division teams.
Yes, I'll agree that the Lions run hot and cold just like Dallas. With that said, Stafford can sling and Megatron is no joke. Dallas secondary is a joke right now and that could spell doom on the road for them.
If Dallas doesn't make it to the Superbowl (and let's be honest, it's a really, really longshot that they do), then I would love nothing more than to see Andy Reid win the SB. Reid winning the SB one year after getting fired from Philly would be like a sword through the heart of Philthadelphia and its fans.
If Dallas throws a lot of passes to the tight end, they should beat the Eagles.
Guess all the buzz will be over who starts at QB for Philly now. That defense of theirs still looks very vulnerable, though.
KC is 6-0, gotta love an old guy named Andy. The Chiefs are looking like they will be in a wild card round game. If the Ravens don't shape up, they may just be a wild card, too, if they make the playoffs at all.
The Eagles secondary is terrible. Definitely the weakest link to be exploited by opponents.
Skins secondary isn't that great but the DL was able to rush Romo last night. He had to get rid of the ball many times before the WR's could get in position (even though the receivers would have been open.) All smack talk aside, I think Dallas was lucky to get the big plays on special teams. The offense, outside of the first drive, didn't really show that they could move the ball against the DL.
Special teams is an important part of the game that many fans don't account for or discuss when they try to predict what will happen.
They not only give you some scoring now and then, but they also determine field position, a major factor in the outcome of games.
Both Ravens teams that won the Super Bowl got major support from special teams. A lot of times, when they knew starting positions would not be open to rookies, they drafted with special teams in mind.
I agree emaxx. Skins D looked decent. Special teams was most of the difference. I was glad to see RGIII run around and look pretty good doing it. I think he's just going to get better. Now he needs get his accuracy back to where it was last year.
I only watched the first half of the game last night. I know I saw an awful lot of drops by Colts receivers.
I just read on the web that if the reg season ended today, the Broncos get in as a wildcard! with KC winning the division. WOW
KC (6-0, 1-0 Div., 3-0 Conf.) would win the following tiebreaker over Denver (6-0, 1-0 Div.; 3-0 Conf.)... (#7. best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.) Don't worry, I'm sure that it will sort itself out in the next 11 weeks, lol... it woiuld be kind of hard for them both to go 16-0, although if they split and win out, they could both be 15-1, which would take them AT LEAST to number 5 on the tiebreak list.
You would think Denver has a tougher schedule and would win the "Strength of Victory", because they play the #1 team (last year) from the off-divisions in their conference (BAL and NE), whereas KC plays the last-place team in those divisions (BUF and CLE), but it's where they finish THIS year, not last year, that counts. So far, the edge goes to Denver (8-4 versus 5-7), but that can change (but it's not likely).
TO BREAK A TIE WITHIN A DIVISION
If, at the end of the regular season, two or more clubs in the same division finish with identical won-lost-tied percentages, the following steps will be taken until a champion is determined.
Two Clubs
1.Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs).
2.Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3.Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
4.Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
5.Strength of victory.
6.Strength of schedule.
7.Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8.Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9.Best net points in common games.
10.Best net points in all games.
11.Best net touchdowns in all games.
12.Coin toss
I just took a quick look at the Week 7 games to get ready for my Pick 'em. Sheeeeeesh! I thought Week 6 had a bunch of hard to decide match-ups.
STL @ CAR
DEN @ IND
TB @ ATL
and so on......yikes!
So, half a team is better that none? Part living, part dead ---- getting back to that Zombie name change thread too....
Toss into the mix our injured field goal kicker missing a chip shot (for him) upon his return. Close only counts in horse shoes, not hogs.
Yes, I agree the Redskins are just an RGIII accurate pass from winning and yes, it was good to see he is getting healthier and less gun-shy, and yes, if we could fire on all eight cylinders, we would be awesome, but it's gonna be a very long year; I just hope they can keep those skin's chins high. Just too much damage repair so early in the season.
A weird tie-breaker for the NFC East title came about in 1980 ...on the last day of the regular season the Eagles were a game ahead of the Cowboys and had beaten them earlier in the year in Philly. Now they were in Dallas and all the calculations and permutations came down to this ... Dallas needed to win by more than 25 points to win the division.
The Cowboys won the game, but not by enough points, so the Eagles were the ones celebrating.
Dallas did get the wild card and lost at Philly in the NFC championship game on a 10-degree day. I'm sure the Cowboys fans felt the result would have been different if the game had been in "Big-D."
My two cents on the name change topic. Although the Redskins name has been around since the 1920s, blacks were not allowed in major league baseball back then, too. Just because something has been around a long time does not make it right.
Times change. The name is offensive to certain people, so I would change it. The next generation of fans won't even care that the team ever was called the Redskins.
How about Washington Warriors ... unless the NBA team by that name has a legal issue with an NFL team using it.
Simply put, the NFL is a business. They are not looking to be "offensive" to anyone. It just is not good business.
Pastor Irving Fryar indicted on mortgage fraud charges totalling almost $700,000. He should have just defrauded his congregation; crooks rarely get caught when they do that...
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/10/former_nfl_star_irving_fryar_i.html#incart_m-rpt-1
Hey....Nick Foles was voted NFC Offensive Player of the Week. What? LOL, can't make this stuff up.
Foles played a real good game.
Why the heck not give him Player of the Week? He didn't play Hackettstown, he played against an NFL team. I wouldn't marginalize what he did, he got the 'w' and that's what counts.
Foles got Riley Cooper 120 yards and a TD. People have made the HOF for less than that (-;
He kinda looks like Hackettstown native Jimmi Simpson, no?
I picked INDY to win against DEN. As much as I am a huge Peyton Manning fan, something tells me INDY is going to find a way to stop him and that Luck is going to give DEN a run for their money. We shall see. I hated picking against DEN but I think this might be the week their undefeated record comes to an end.
RyanOMac After what Irsay said about Manning this week? I wouldn't be surprised if the Broncos hang 100 points on the Colts, lol.
No way Indy wins this game, IMO... lay the points and take the over, no matter how many.
Did you hear that some Denver area media dude called up Todd Helton to hear his opinion of what Irsay said?
“I hope he steps on their neck and doesn’t let up. That’s what I hope for, especially after that idiot, whatever you call him, spouting off his mouth,”
Nice! I love it!
http://blogs.denverpost.com/kiszla/2013/10/16/todd-helton-to-colts-owner-jim-irsay-youre-classless-and-an-idiot/1568/
Where the hell did someone find Todd Helton to ask him that, at a DUI checkpoint in a liquor store parking lot?
This is for Andy and his man-love for the Ravens. :-)
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1814991-former-ravens-ol-matt-birk-is-looking-ripped-only-eight-months-after-retirement?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=programming
Just having fun with you Andy.
We all have our favorite teams, what's this "man-love" business?
My favorite team used to be the one with the horseshoe on the helmets, before they packed up and moved in the middle of the night.
Many in Baltimore still call that team with the horseshoe on the helmets the Irsays.
I've gotten over it, but it took two Vince Lombardi trophies for the dirty birdies for it to really come to closure.
Here's a piece from a Baltimore guy who is younger than I am that y'all would enjoy, about hating the Colts and refusing to let it go.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXTZVj9nNek
That's why they pay him the big bucks - http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/extra_points/2013/10/brady_was_micd_up_for_win_over_saints.html
Amazing, Brady didn't seem to say anything about that major hold on the touchdown play.
"This group here is going to be why we win right here," said Brady. "Let's play our best. We've been putting it in the tank, you know what I'm saying? Let's pull something out today, you know what I'm saying? Let's all go play our best, we'll have some fun, we'll beat up on these boys."
I guess it's a really good thing he can throw a football, lol...
He was mic'd up and psyched up.
You've got to have some moxie to play in the NFL.
"It's too early to get excited about Miami, but not too early to talk about how bad the Patriots are. If they win the division by default once again, "default" will be horrendous.
The funny thing is that they're 2-0... thanks to some friendly early-season scheduling. The next 4 opponents are home vs. TB, @ ATL, @ CIN, and home vs. NO. The NE team I saw in Weeks 1 and 2 loses all 4 of those games (except maybe TB; they seem to be cursed, lol). Let's see how it plays out and whether or not they can turn it around."
- Ian
Patriots are 5-1. Steelers are 1-4. Good thing you know what a culvert is...
Well, there really have only been a handful of teams that have gotten off to impressive starts ....my Ravens are not one of them.
Would not shock me if Pittsburgh gets into the mix ... they have to get it together now, though. Now or never, as Elvis would say. I think seeing the Ravens come to town will give them plenty of motivation. Just hope nobody on the Ravens pops off and says something stupid.
The Patriots are 5-1, the Steelers are 1-4 and indeed, I know what a culvert is. Thanks.
Let's break it down...
TB is awful and I called NE to win that game, no surprise there.
Atlanta can't even beat the Jets, but there was really no way to tell how bad they were at that point in the season... so that is another win that goes to weak early scheduling.
They LOST in Cincinnati... got that one right.
The Saints had them beat and then for some reason decided that they didn't really WANT to win that game (plus the blatant hold on the TD that wasn't called like Calico pointed out - see attached).
Plus, there was always the qualifier of "the team I saw in Weeks 1 and 2"... I think they've gotten marginally better on offense since then, but they still aren't anything more than an average team with an above-average record at the moment. And if anything, they'll be heading in the other direction from average, now that they've lost Jerod Mayo for the year.
As far as "predictions ianimal made that have miserably failed to come close to fruition", this one isn't even close to my worst work... I'm sure you can dig up something far more egregious if you put some time into it (-;
Should I throw in "Good thing your husband has a job" or no?
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles would sing, You Really Got A Hold on Me.
No, I won't post it, but if I had a mic I'd sing it and all the dogs in the neighborhood would howl along. LOL
RIP Bum Phillips.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9846447/bum-phillips-former-coach-houston-oilers-new-orleans-saints-dies-age-90
Nice pick, RyanO'Mac... never would have thought Peyton would lose his homecoming game like that. I was so sure that the Colts were going to get smashed that I picked up Nick Foles and played him in my fantasy league instead of Andrew Luck... you can guess how that worked out for me, lol.
Another entertaining smash-mouth Ravens-Steelers game... luckily, the good guys won this one. Andy, I think the decision to try that on-side kick was the mistake that lost the game for the Ravens. Once again, we failed to force a turnover... but that was essentially the same thing, giving us the ball on your 43 like that.
Nice tribute to Peyton in Indy last night.
Nick Foles? LMAO ianimal! WTF were you thinking?
I thought he was playing the Cowboys Swiss-cheese secondary... I'm not sure who showed up yesterday, but it didn't look anything like the Cowboys defense of the previous 6 weeks, lol.
Thanks for the tip of the hat, ianimal. I didn't see Jets beating Patriots but I'm glad to see Smith doing something for the Jets that the Dirty Sanchez stopped being able to do.
Actually, the Dallas defense played well except against SD and Denver. Those two QB's got the ball out quickly and that negated what little pass rush Dallas had. I'm more impressed by Dallas' ability yesterday to contain McCoy. I was confident the corners could cover the receivers. I thought Philthy would gut the LB's with McCoy.
I'll leave it with...How about them Cowboys!
Yea Jets but what an unfortunate call to win on. Extreme pushing.
Yea Redskins win in the last 45 seconds. Wish I could have seen it, sounded like a shoot out. Not a pretty one, but at 45-41, it was full of points.
I agree, the on-side kick was not smart. That Pittsburgh defense with Dick Lebeau as mastermind is always perplexing to opposing quarterbacks, helps the Steelers stay in the games.
Even if they aren't forcing turnovers right now, they are keeping the opposition off the scoreboard.
This is a tough part of the season to pick games. You knew Denver wasn't going to win them all and teams that didn't play well in the first few games make that stand now, out of urgency.
We can say it again and again, "on any given Sunday (or Thursday, Monday...)
What's really missing with the Ravens is their running game.
Not only are Ray Rice's numbers at the bottom of the league, the run blocking isn't there either. Even Jim Brown himself in his prime would have trouble running behind this line.
In their more successful seasons, they always had a running game. This is not one of those spread read-option offenses, the way so many other teams are going. Sure, Flacco makes a big-time throw here and there, but it's a system that needs a running game to open up those passing seams.
Always comes down to a field goal when the Ravens and Steelers play, most of the time anyway, especially recently.
A win is a win, and it was fair and square. J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS.
Wish the fans would behave themselves.
Extreme pushing call. Pretty soon the NFL will be Flag Football. That's another reason I gave up going. Sunday 1 or 4 or maybe 8, Monday night 8, Thursday night 8. I had a job to go to,AWAKE. !!!.
Where's Ben Dreith and his 15-yard penalty for "he was givin' him the business down there" when you need him?
RIP Bud Adams, Titans owner.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000267395/article/tennessee-titans-owner-bud-adams-passes-away-at-90
If I didn't know better, I'd swear that outliving Bum Phillips was the only thing keeping Bud Adams alive all these years, lol.
Amusing article on last night's Giants game written by Steve Politi of the Star Ledger.
http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2013/10/politi_giants-vikings_is_better_off_forgotten_--_the_sooner_the_better.html
That is funny Calico, They got me one of the two wins I predicted they would get this year. The next one will be when we meet a team disseminated by injuries at the time we meet. GO BIG BLUE
Spelling was my worst issue since the second grade. Fourtunely it wasn't an proublem in my career. Thats why I was a lurker here for so many years with all the spelling police. Yea that was funny.
Here's the master of the malaprop, who got laughs out of misused words, made them an art form, Norm Crosby.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY6KyCuqeoA
If bad spelling was truly your worst issue, OG, you're better off than most of us (-;
This one's even better. Barry Goldwater must have had a sense of humor to sit through this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMlCqaQ7Wd4
Mother went to 8th grade and was correcting me all the time. She blamed the school system at the time trying to teach us spelling by sounding out words in stead of memorization.
I those days you pretty much said what you pleased and every one understood it was just joking around. Now we are all up tight. PC my butt.
Got room on that jersey for one more?
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/browns-switch-jason-campbell-quarterback-150615573--nfl.html
Oh boy! Daisy is going to be furious. Not sure if I should even mention it. ;-)
Maybe I will switch my pick from KC to CLE. CAMPBELL!!! CAMPBELL!!!!
Hell, somebody has got to beat down those Chefs! Maybe this will be the week.
Do you think the schedule maker knew something when she/he/it (could have been a computer, or a chimpanzee) scheduled the Chiefs and Broncs to play twice so late in the year?
Or am I giving the NFL too much credit?
I remember a year in which the Eagles won the NFC East, when they played consecutive road games in December at their three division rivals -- Dallas, Giants, Washington -- won all three and clinched the division.
Weird scheduling, but after they won those games I guess they were not complaining. One thing about the four-team divisions, everybody plays more games out of division than in division.
Way back, when the NFL regular season was 14 games, the Baltimore Colts were in the West with Green Bay, Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota, LA Rams and San Francisco.
They played each of those teams twice, which left two games against teams from the East, one of which always was Washington.
I always wondered why Baltimore was in the West and Dallas was in the East.
No wonder they volunteered to switch to the AFC (along with the Browns and Steelers) when the leagues merged!
The alignment I described above was in place from 1961 to 66, when the NFL had an East and West division each made up of seven teams. The AFL was separate until 1969.
The NFL realigned in 1967, when the Saints and Falcons came into the league, into four divisions, but Baltimore was placed in a division with LA and San Francisco and still was part of the Western Conference, while Dallas and St. Louis stayed in the East.
I'm sure some of you remember when the Cardinals moved to Phoenix, the team remained in the NFC East.
No wonder kids don't know geography today.
If a kid is relying on division alignments to learn about geography, then our educational system is seriously broken. It's bad enough that English teachers are fighting a losing battle on the grammar front due to the horrendous grammar coming out of athletes' and sports analysts' mouths. We don't need to use sports to teach geography.
He do what he do.
He make it look easy.
He a playmaker.
We going to sting they a**. (from our favorite Duh-Sean Jackson)
The Eagles are regressing. Today's game was one of the worst NFL games I've ever watched, and I've seen some real stinkers over the years.
Last weeks Giant game was close to the top worst games for me. Excluding the strike games.
In the AFC it looks like New England, Cincinnati, Indy and Denver are looking good for division titles and KC looks really secure for at least a wild card spot.
The crazy chase will be for that second wild card (sixth seed) so let the madness commence.
hold em in the first half, fold em in the second. Redskins have the talent, but seem to lack the stamina and RGIII is gun shy. Well, at least we can play half a game.
Dallas has a diva wide receiver, what a display on the sidelines. That team has talent, but it also has internal issues.
I can't stop laughing at this baby's Halloween costume.
http://deadspin.com/baby-andy-reid-has-the-best-halloween-costume-1453351367?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_facebook&utm_source=deadspin_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
Dez was right in every way. He had 3 targets in the first half. The audio on the first "tantrum" is out and it's hardly a diva rant.
http://dailysnark.com/dez-bryants-rant-wasnt-bad-looked/
He had 6 targets, 3 receptions, 2 TD's - one of which went for 50 yards after he outran the safety and corner. The other TD was an amazing 1 handed grab in the end zone. Juxtapose that with Terrance Williams getting thrown to 10 times and only catching 2.
I don't know what is going on with Romo but he is playing way too conservative. It's like the coaches and/or critics have gotten to him and he'd rather throw 10 yard passes instead of risking a INT.
BTW, Tom Brady threw a tantrum when his receivers kept dropping passes. Ray Lewis was known for getting in people's faces. Of course they were all just showing leadership. And when Dallas is struggling and no one is screaming on the sideline, it's because Dallas has a lack of leadership. Total BS!
I will also add, even on Sunday before the transcript came out, I was still OK with Dez's rant. He was right to demand the ball. He consistently beats double coverage and makes plays. Three targets in one half is ridiculous.
I didn't see the Dallas game, except for Mike and Mike's "analysis" ... did Romo throw to people who were single covered, people who found open seams?
"Back in my day" (sounding like an old dinosaur) you didn't go yelling at coaches and teammates like that in public, out in the open.
Arguments were handled in a manner that the press and fans did not get fodder for gossip from seeing them ... and if you acted like Dez did in public ... you sat the next game no matter who you are.
Different generation, different code of conduct I suppose.
So, you're sure Dez was acting in the best interests of the team, not just worried about his own personal stats?
As has been pointed out on several talk shows already, there wasn't nearly the uproar when Tom Brady was caught on camera screaming at his teammates. Nor should there have been... Then or now.
It's really a non-issue that's a bigger story on here than in the Cowboys locker room. Dez is a beast; I would love to have his "distraction" on my team. You'd be a fool not to...
Andy - Yes, offense was a problem. It should have been 45 or more points. The defense created 4 turnovers. Some of it in short yardage areas. Dallas could have had their boot on the proverbial Lions' throat the entire game.
"Back in my day" - really? What about the last 10+ years with Ray Lewis? Did you have a problem with him getting on other players? On the Ravens, it's called leadership I guess.
I never was a huge fan of everything Ray Lewis did. Everybody is happy when their favorite team wins, of course, but he was over the top on a lot of stuff.
I remember when the Ravens traded for T.O. before he went to the Eagles. He refused to play for the Ravens because Kyle Boller was their quarterback.
Actually, I can't say I blame him. LOL. Boller left a lot to be desired.
I've often wondered what the Ravens would have been like with T.O. There is a certain double standard in sports, people will tolerate a lot of stuff from people with undeniable talent. Well, let's just hope Dez does not become another T.O., for his sake and the Cowboys.
Given Dallas' experience T.O., it's a valid concern. However, if we look at Dez's maturation process since he got into the league, it's moving in the opposite but positive direction. That's not to say he can't regress. What I would be more worried about, as a fan, is Dez's ability to control that emotion and stay focused during a game. He made strides in his patience and focus in the 2nd half last year. I hope it continues.
Dez paired up with Terrance Williams could be as good as the Julio Jones/Roddy White tandem (IMO the best WR tandem right now.) Williams has similar size and very good speed.
Draft another O-lineman next year in the 1st round, hope Romo survives this year, and Dallas should be quite a passing juggernaut. Screw the run game. It's not working and they won 8 games without one last year.
"Dez paired up with Terrance Williams could be as good as the Julio Jones/Roddy White tandem (IMO the best WR tandem right now.) "
Julio Jones is on IR and Roddy White has 14 catches for 129 yards on the season. So, they might have been the best tandem last year and maybe they will be again next year, but "right now", no.
I'm thinking that distinction has to go to Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker at this point in time. Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey deserve some attention as well.
Obviously, "when healthy" is always a qualifier. Welker is a great slot guy and is very valuable but I'm not sure if I would take Thomas/Welker over Marshall/Jeffrey. The latter are very good too. I think I would look at it as, which is the better pair when coupled with the same QB.
If you're talking strictly X and Y receivers and not slot guys... I would give the nod to Marshall and Jeffrey over Thomas and Decker.
As for "which is the better pair when coupled with the same QB"... how do you answer that? I mean the guys in TB might be the greatest ever but no one would ever know because they dont have anyone to throw them the ball, right?
Or are you saying that everything else being equal, you bump down those with great QBs as opposed to average QBs?
Okay - How would you caption this photo?
http://www.boston.com/sports/blogs/obnoxiousbostonfan/2013/10/bill_belichick_as_youve_never_seen_him_before.html
ian - Obviously it's all speculation. I'm not eliminating slot guys but I'm looking at versatility. Welker is one of the best slot guys around but can he consistently play on the outside? My inclination is to say no. Thomas, Marshall, and from what I've seen (albeit very limited) of Jeffrey, can run across the middle just as well as they play on the outside.
So maybe that's what I would really look at. Is a receiver versatile enough to lineup anywhere. I will say most slot receivers can't. Miles Austin, when healthy, lines up on the outside in 2 receiver sets and the slot in 3 receiver sets. He's one of the more versatile. From my limited viewing of Roddy White, he can too. I just don't see Welker as that big threat on the outside.
Wild NFL day yesterday. I had the Jets in my Pick 'em and then changed it last minute. Grrrrrr!
Nicky Foles soared like an Eagle yesterday. Let's see what he does next week in Green Bay.
ianimal - The Steelers are a mess.
They took Foles out too early. They should have let him break the record. Hell, he could have thrown for TEN TDs before the game was over.
I suppose when you're up 49-13, it's a good idea to take your quarterback out.
Now everybody can talk again about how Chip Kelly is revolutionizing offense in the NFL.
Well, it sure will light up any defense that's playing badly.
"Now everybody can talk again about how Chip Kelly is revolutionizing offense in the NFL."
At least until the next time they go two full games without scoring an offensive touchdown...
As someone who was bullied as a kid, I find whole situation in Miami disgusting:
"Multiple sources told FOX Sports the Miami Dolphins and the NFL Players Association have been told guard Richie Incognito sent Martin text messages and left him voicemails that are both threatening and racially charged in nature."
Richie Incognito has a reputation for being a dirty player. This doesn't surprise me one bit. Again, he's innocent until proven guilty but there is a pattern of character issues.
The NFL has had so many stories of bizarre and just plain evil behavior, it really is sad. Sometimes (especially when the Ravens lose) I just ask myself, why do I keep watching this stuff?
ianimal -- I was just being sarcastic. Maybe I should follow every sarcastic comment with a IWJBS so people won't post comments alleging I'm stupid or something.
You've really gotta be thick skinned to dare venture into social media. YOW.
What I would like to know is if the other black players knew of and read the text messages Incognito supposedly sent. Reilly Cooper was vilified for using the N-word at a concert. Here, Incognito used the word against one of their own teammates. Rookie hazing or not, I know I wouldn't tolerate that crap.
RUFKM, Andy? My comment was directed at the fickleness of the sports media, not your comment. I was actually agreeing with you... but go ahead and have yourself a nice little cry; you'll feel better.
I just listened to that Incognito voice mail. I really wish I hadn't. Absolutely horrendous.
Who said I'm crying? There are much more serious things in the world than this stuff. This is just amusement.
Yeah, the NFL is unpredictable, I've known that since I started watching it in 1958.
Every time John Unitas was out there, the announcers would say, "with Johnny U, expect the unexpected."
Anybody else out there old enough to remember hearing that?
Cool. I always enjoyed watching Randall ... I adopted the Eagles as my favorite team from 1984 to 1995 ... the years Baltimore did not have NFL football ... they happened to be the Randall Cunningham years in Philly.
He did some amazing things, in Philly and Minnesota. Too bad the Ravens didn't get him until he was past his prime. I remember when the Raves touted Tony Banks as their quarterback of the future ... he was promoted as The Next Randall Cunningham.
Thanks, Calico... what's on the Hallmark Channel at 9?
Just weighing my options (-;
Well, your Christmas miracle came early - Eagles vs Packers with Seneca Wallace starting.
Does anyone else think that the "product" that the NFL is putting out there is much lower quality than in years past? I'm not even talking about the ridiculous amount of penalties being called for shots to the head... just the overall quality of play. Even the teams with good records are sloppy and ineffective more often than not. I blame the new CBA that severely restricted the amount of practices that were allowed during training camp and in the offseason overall. A lot of these games, even now, have the consistency and entertainment value of preseason games.
Or, maybe I'm just a disgruntled Steelers fan, lol... has anyone else noticed a marked decline in quality of play? Across the board... feel free to make Steeler jokes, lol, but it definitely goes way beyond that, IMO.
I'll take it emaxx.
ianimal - Yes, I have been saying for weeks that there are 5-6 good teams and all the rest are awful What ever happened to the in between group?
ian - I agree. I used to stay up and watch all of the Sunday and Monday night games. I didn't even watch both night games this week. The lack of quality on those nights (don't even bring up the terrible NFL Thursday games) has been apparent.
Even the division leaders are average. Seattle, despite its record, has looked weak on the road. Denver's defense is terrible. NE ... not your dad's Patriots. LOL.
I think the Saints are the most complete team but they have had flubs too. Defense is better than average but the offense is struggling with Graham hurt. Sproles has a concussion and that may be a big hit too...of course, I'll take it since Dallas has to go to the dome this week.
Who-Dat ...damn,why did I jump from you this year to go to a team from Florida ? Boy o boy do I miss those players meet and greet at the Superdome ! :-(
The NFL has been trying to legislate "parity" for a long time and now it has gotten what it has been wishing for. Like they say, be careful what you wish for.
We didn't need the 93 expansion, certainly don't need any further expansion, the talent pool has been diluted between so many teams.
Great teams can't keep their rosters together anymore, the way the Packers of the 60s, Steelers of the 70s, and 49ers of the 80s were able to do. The Cowboys were on their way to being the team of the 90s but it just turned out to be the early 90s.
Teams are constantly in transition now with roster turnover going on all the time, even for the teams that end up being the big winners in the post-season.
It's not necessarily the best team that wins the Super Bowl anymore, it is the hot team, the team that puts it together in those three or four games.
Like I've said before, the Saints are a completely different team on the road. They average 32 points in the Dome and only 22 away from it. If you could combine KCs defense with Denver's offense, you would have the complete team. Other than that, I might have to, gulp, say that Carolina is probably playing the best on average on both sides of the ball.
Now that the Pats have Gronk back and Amendola (as long as that lasts), they can compete against anyone, but they still don't strike me as consistently "good". They're mediocre in an awful league. There's no one in the NFC that strikes me as all that great... Like I said, Carolina is probably most consistent, but they can also lose to just about anyone, as evidenced by their loss to Arizona. Seattle is a beast one week, a mess the next.
The Colts have quality wins over Denver and Seattle, but losses to Miami and San Diego. Just when San Diego looks good, they lose to Washington. The Skins are up and down and might actually win that division before it's all over.
I guess this is what "parity" looks like...
Midget Football Championship Game -The Washington Township Panthers will be playing this Sunday at 130pm at Meadow Breeze field against Riegel Ridge..
Both teams are undefeated.
Some of you might like this.
Wtf? Where's Steele Hill at? We used to destroy those punks at Riegel Ridge every year. Washington Borough was always tough though...
I'm waiting for the Warren Hills varsity to go undefeated one of these years. Best year in recent memory was in 2000, 11-1, North 2 Group 3 champs. Only loss was Phillipsburg, early in the season.
Steele Hill is a P'burg feeder program. Back to the NFL, anybody see Joe Philbin, the Miami coach's press conference today at around 5 p.m.?
Boy, did he put the media heat on himself by refusing to answer any questions. He could have said the coaches had issued no order for Incognito to "toughen up" Jonathan Martin, but he failed to indicate if that had happened one way or the other. Just offered platitudes about everything we do being in the interest of getting each player to reach his full potential.
So now the media suspects he's hiding something, and is going into full scale investigation mode, and if they find out the coaches did put him up to that, it's going to be much worse for Philbin than if he just admitted it now.
If he did tell Incognito to "toughen him up," he could have apologized for the bad judgment and said he didn't think it would go this far. After all, they did suspend the guy for "conduct detrimental to the team," so they have acted on the problem.
Nothing ever kills the NFL, one thing after another, and we still keep watching.
I have no doubt that the bullying is nothing other than a "code red" ordered by the coaches. Philbin probably can't admit it because that would put the Dolphins in the legal liability crosshairs.
I agree 100% emaxx. I'm waiting for someone to say, "You can't handle the truth!"
Here's some nice news.
http://nbcphiladelphia.csnphilly.com/football-philadelphia-eagles/foles-memorabilia-put-display-canton
PBM Yes, congrats to Nick Foles.
This Martin/Incognito thing gets stranger by the minute. Sigh.....
I don't think Philbin is capable of channeling his inner Colonel Jessup.
This is going to have the end effect of eliminating ALL rookie hazing from the NFL. Expect a proclamation from God-dell shortly.
But..but...but there is no hazing. That's what they're all saying. This was an isolated event they say.
Well, there are lawyers involved, so I'm not saying anymore until it all gets sorted out.
Thank goodness there is a game tonight ... Minnesota and Washington may not be the best teams in the world but at least it is a game being played on the field ... I'd rather watch that anytime.
Some real good college games tonight, and the Rangers are starting to look like a good team on the ice.
To be honest, I'm a lot more interested in the Stanford Oregon game than watching the Vikings and Redskins play. I'd like to see the Baylor offense in action, too. And the Rags are on, like you said... Good night to be a sports fan.
Thanks, Andy... I had no idea we had such quality NCAA ball going on tonight. I would have heard about it tomorrow and been pissed that I missed it, lol
I didn't hear Bill say Ian is full of sh*t but he was thinking it -
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/extra_points/2013/11/watch_bill_belichick_was_micd_up_for_steelers_game.html
Glad to be of service. I'm more about getting information out, than I am about opinions.
So, back to sports, how about that Stanford? A win for the smart guys.
The way they were running, running, and running the ball, I thought I was watching West Morris.
There's still life in those Ravens ... up 17-0 at the half, great to be at home.
Theirs still life in the Giants also ,but the whole NFC east is bad football. The Giants Did so many things good, then do just as many bad. Brown made his presents known.
Amazing that the Eagles are 5-5 and all five wins are on the road.
That is weird.
The Ravens survived. Anybody see that final Hail Mary Cincinnati threw? The Ravens defender batted the ball into the air, like a volleyball player setting up a striker. Of course, it went right to the Cincinnati receiver.
You're supposed to knock it DOWN ... DOWN. Arrrrgh.
But, in the end, they won, even though I aged another five years.
Nick-folian Dynamite had another good game, but still not named the starter. Sigh...
GO SAINTS!!!
Historically, some teams have stayed with the hot starter (until he plays a stinker) while others have maintained the position that nobody should lose a starting job due to injury.
Tough spot for a coach to be in.
Anyhow, Foles has shown he belongs in the NFL. He'll be around for a few years.
Glad the Ravens won (as much as it pains me to have to say that), but they sure didn't deserve it after that boneheaded play by the DB, lol.
I think I would rather watch a rerun of the Martha Stewart Christmas special than the horrendous game they have scheduled for tonight.
Well, the Ravens did help the Steelers remain the number one team in Super Bowl championships by beating the Niners last year.
I've read that Cowboys games have their highest TV ratings when they are getting beat in a one-sided game, a time when other games get turned off.
My source is Sports Illustrated, don't recall which issue, but I do remember reading that.
Martin sent Incognito a text that read: "I will kill your whole f*#%ing family". I smell a counter-suit, lol.
This gets more ridiculous by the day. Hopefully, this will help to make it all go away.
Nothing to see here. Please disperse. All is well.
Here's a good column about that whole mess. Certainly, anyone who has played a varsity sport understands there is a certain amount of "toughening up" that goes on. Our basketball team used to practice free throws with everybody yelling out the name of the shooter's mother, just to try and distract him. It worked, we made some big free throws in big games in front of nasty crowds. It's an experience I still draw on when people are nasty to me in everyday life. You know, who cares what they say? Nobody can make me feel inferior without my consent (an Eleanor Roosevelt quote but it applies here).
But, as is the case with anything, there are limits.
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/nov/11/even-boys-can-act-adult/
Actually it's not a good column, because it neglects to touch on the point that Martin threatened to kill Incognito's entire family. As despicable as racism is, it's not nearly as bad as mass murder, is it?
What a wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable Sunday night of television viewing. I thought I was watching an episode of The Walking Dead with all of the lifeless bodies just walking around aimlessly.
I thought DeMarco Murray looked good. The Saints did a great job of bracketing and locking down Dez Bryant though. The final score was a bit embarrassing but the outcome wasn't exactly unexpected. The Saints are crazy good at home, especially in prime time games.
Whoof. I just read that the Cowboyzzz gave up FORTY first downs last night. That's beyond awful.
http://dailysnark.com/nflqbdanceparty/
Disturbing. Very disturbing.
RG3, Cutler, and Foles are images that you simply can't erase.
I got a laugh out of it. They got their groove on, brotha. Public figures know it goes with the fame, they laugh all the way to the bank: although Drew Brees can't be too thrilled with the way he got shown. Who dat?
Ed Reed is a Jet. When you're a Jet you're a Jet all the way (sorry for the West Side Story digression).
The Jets obviously won't have to pay a lot to get Reed for half a season and Ryan must really like Reed from their Baltimore days ... why not ... Reed was, next to Ronnie Lott, probably the best ever at his position in his prime -- that's the operative word -- when he was in his prime.
Reed may just be a nickel back for the Jets, free to float around and try to make picks. If the Jets put pressure on the quarterback, he may still have some big plays left in him.
Flacco's been having a rough year, I'm sure the last thing he wants to see is Reed back there ... it just happens the Ravens have a game coming up with the Jets soon.
Was a witness to something that only happens once a year ... an Eagles win at home. LOL
It was nice to be among a happy group of people in the parking lot ... nobody in any ugly moods that I could see.
Glad I wasn't in Chicago for that Ravens game ... yikes ... the Ravens have a talent for getting those long delays ... could not believe what I saw on the news reports upon coming home. Is Global Warming doing all this? No politics, please. We have to rationally examine what's happening and find workable solutions ... we can start with Bryan's weather threads.
I was really happy watching the Eagles game yesterday, until FOX switched over to the DET/PIT game and I missed almost the whole 4th quarter. *&^%$#@!!!!!!
Fly Eagles Fly...........
Yeah, the Redskins play so bad we aren't even allowed to be on TV. Is it next fall yet?
FOX thought that game was over?
The birds had to sweat it out at the end ... you would have had some serious agita.
Nothing ever comes easy in the NFL.
Here is an anniversary from 35 years ago the Eagles fans can celebrate.
By the way, the Eagles made the playoffs that year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lysQ8xt_Css
And the worst part about Fox switching over is that they then switched to the Giants game before the Det/Pit game finished - so you missed the end of two games after getting into both of them...and the Giants game was completely uninteresting!
Bamby? You mean Heidi?
The local network affiliate HAS to switch to the Giants game at a specific time. That's one of those weird contractual obligations that have to be upheld. But if it were a nationally televised game, they would have stayed with the game in progress.
I was able to watch the rest of the Eagles game by switching to channel 252 on Comcast. That is the Phila. Fox Channel.
The Comcast Philadelphia Fox channel 252 ( the former channel 29 - 12 on the tv dial years ago ) has all the Eagle games televised from beginning to end. Sadly they are broadcast in standard definition as does CBS standard def Philly channel 256 with many Steeler games .
3rd row seats on the 45... gift from my loving wife. Unfortunately, they were on the visiting side, so I got better pics of the Lions than the Steelers, lol
PBM - True that. I wish I were home and could have done the same. :-(
Wow ianimal! Megatron looks uh.....megatron!
I don't think we have ever discussed this, but I love this commercial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcQmBCM3JMs
Very superstitious.
Were those Pittsburgh uniforms a throwback to the days they were the Steagles?
Since they won, with "Ben being Ben," they might as well wear them again.
I liked Mike Golic's line about throwback uniforms - "they should throw them back."
Personally, I prefer the unis of the Bradshaw, Swan, Franco, Steel Curtain era; they were classy.
Looked it up, found out those were the 1934 uniforms.
http://www.fathead.com/nfl/baltimore-ravens/baltimore-ravens-2012-helmet-wall-graphic/
The Ravens should wear their logo on only one side of the helmet, the way the Steelers do. On the right side, the bird looks fine, but on the other side, the letter B just does not look right. Notice the fathead ad shows the helmet on the right side only ... the other side just does not work.
I remember the 1966 Steelers uniforms, which were known as the Batman uniforms. They've never used those as a throwback.
Those @%!!*& Colts have never changed the uniforms since the late 1950s, which drives the old-timers in Baltimore nuts.
Nickfolean starting to get some love. I hope the poor kid doesn't totally crash and burn. I know, just like an Eagles fan. We are ALWAYS waiting for the other shoe to drop.
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/11/nick-foles-eagles-stats-peyton-manning-records/
Just enjoy it game by game ... young players have their ups and downs, but Foles looks like just what the Eagles needed, in the nick of time.
He does not turn the ball over, not too graceful when he runs with the ball but he scored a TD.
Some things I observed from watching the game at the stadium ... the Eagles' secondary was great in man coverage, but they blundered twice in the fourth quarter.... when they went into "prevent" mode and nobody was really covering anybody.
The linebackers were fantastic, two sacks for Cole and Barwin and Ryans looked like Ray Lewis in his prime. Goode also was really good.
Brent Celek is a marvelous tight end and the wide receivers really block on the edges.
McCoy is great, but we all already knew that.
I see in the sports media that RG III and several Redskins players are all pointing fingers at each other and commenting about this and that.
One thing I can say positively about Joe Flacco, Big Ben, Tony Romo, and Eli, is that when their teams were struggling in the first half of the season, they were not making excuses or blaming teammates for not blocking or running the right route, etc.
All four of those teams still find themselves in the hunt, despite all the setbacks, and all are capable of making a push for the playoffs in the remaining games. Having a mature quarterback is a plus, especially when things around him are going badly. You've got to get that kind of leadership from your quarterback.
Bob is a jerk. You can already see it - from his comments about not wanting to play in the preseason to now this. He was trying to call out the coaches while not making it obvious.
Masshole Sports þ@MassholeSports
"So @ESPNMondayNight busts Tom Brady's balls over his wardrobe yet they've never once made fun of Peyton's forehead? Seems unfair."
Now that is a comeback!
When Tony Romo gets time to throw, he makes plays and wins.
Funny how that happens.
Once again, Brady proves he is the best QB of his generation. I actually felt bad for Manning last night... He looked like an old man with osteoporosis and dementia. His failures in the cold don't bode well... Denver isn't any warmer than Foxboro in January. I'm foreseeing yet another one and done for Peyton.
Big game Thursday night, Andy. The Pittsburgh defense has finally turned the corner. The offense is playing a lot better, too. The Ravens still seem out of sync when I watch them but they're always dangerous at home. But every carry by Ray Rice looks like the end of the game where you're trying to position your kicker for a GW field goal. *
They should trade Rice to TB... Schiano appears to be building Rutgers, Florida down there.
* not my quote. I read it somewhere but forget where. Thought it was funny.
I think whoever wins the game gets the 6-seed (or the division - Cincys schedule isn't easy); the loser watches from home.
Yes, big game, hope to have a big serving of Rice with the T-day turkey, but I'll take whatever they can get from wherever it comes, even if it is a bunch of field goals. The big key is always picking up that Blitzburgh blitz and exploiting it, if it does not annihilate you first. Those P'burgh defensive coaches always come up with something good.
These Steelers - Ravens games usually get decided by a field goal. An occasional blowout, but they are the exception rather than the rule.
No bold predictions, will just watch and hope. A lot of these new faces on the Ravens are new to this rivalry thing ... they'll get their baptism by fire soon enough.
Rice just hasn't been the same guy this year ... a big reason the Raves are struggling.
It's funny that Tampa is being called Rutgers, Florida these days, because when Schiano was at Rutgers, he was recruiting a boatload of Miami area guys and RU was being called Miami, New Jersey.
College coaches work their pipelines, I remember three decades ago when Denny Crum built a national champion basketball team at Louisville with his "Camden Connection."
I hope the Ravens are done running those gimmick wildcat formations.
Lining Flacco up on the wing is simply playing 10 on 11 ... you know they are not going to throw the ball to a zillion million dollar quarterback and expect him to risk life and limb laying out to make a catch.
The guy is only the second quarterback (the other one was a guy named Montana) to win a Super Bowl with no INTs in the post season.
Let the guy be a quarterback, for goodness sake.
When Tony Romo gets time to placehold he fumbles and gets tackled on the two. Cow blokes are 133-133 over the last ten years. Very telling
Justin Tucker saved the night for the Raves in this one.
Big Ben led a great comeback to make it another cliffhanger.
It's never easy.
Ahhh...nothing like a Deadskin fan harping on Romo's botched FG hold. Good luck with no 1st round draft picks for the foreseeable future thanks to the franchise-killing pick of RG3. Looks like it was all worth it.
Just in case you were asleep from the effects of too much turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie and missed this ... watch for what Coach Tomlin does while Jacoby Jones is running with the ball on the sideline.
He could get fined for this, the refs on the field could have awarded Jones a touchdown. The Ravens ended up getting a field goal on the possession and did win the game, so I'm just getting a good laugh out of this, but what the heck was Tomlin thinking?
http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=331128033
One more ditty ... why is that Giants - Washington game on national TV Sunday night? Egads, they can move games this late in the season ... if KC/Denver was "protected" by CBS, I'd rather watch the San Diego game or the Eagles game.
Why is that Giants - Washington game on national TV Sunday night?
Because it's two losers and it will be a close game to see who is worse. Neilson and TV run the show.
Guess they think all the Giants' fans are loyal and will still watch.
I noticed they took the big Eli Manning figure down at the Dunkin Donuts.
Cincinnati and San Diego are "small TV markets," but that is so much the better game.
Ha emaxx. Good luck with Jerry Jones. He might be worse than Snyder because he thinks he knows what he's doing in a draft room. A place he should be nowhere near. While I don't necessarily think it was a great move, I don't think it's franchise killing. You get a chance to get a franchise qb, you make a move. They did give up too much. RGIII will be better next year. Pretty big setback in his development with the knee.
While Dallas hasn't had as much success in the draft as a fan would like, it hasn't been horrible. The drafts under Garrett have been much better....good actually. Where Jerry f's things up is in his meddling with the coaching. He needs to let his coaches coach. His son Stephen has more influence now though. Hopefully that means fans won't have to endure an Al Davis-like tenure.
Bob's success is predicated on his ability to run. I agree he's not fully recovered right now but his skills from the pocket are really bad. If he doesn't improve on that, he'll become just another Vick.
Yesterday's Eagles game was exciting, and I'm happy they won, but the officiating was really weird ... there should be an investigation. (-:
Andy - The officiating is ALWAYS weird. Every week it's something else!
Anyway, fly Eagles fly.......................
Officiating couldn't have been worse than that on that last drive for the Redskins. Refs really screwed the pooch on that one; not that it mattered a whole lot. Redskins still had the 1st down and the strip fumble by Will Hill is what sealed the loss.
Family members are die hard Giants fans, but choose to watch The Walking Dead instead. LOL!
Are you ready for some football?
Monday Night PAR-TY...
Good one, Saints at Seahawks
All my rowdy friends are here
on Mon-day N-I-I-I-IG-H-T
I used to actually sing this on the air in the good old days...
Are you ready for some football?
Friday night PAR-TY
With Harlin Jeffries and An-dy the WALRUS in the booth ... oh yeah ...
The Hackettstown Tigers gettin ready to play
It's Friday Night Football on W - R - N - J
I see NBC changed next Sundays scheduled game to the Carolina, New Orleans game. They must have read Andy's rant.
what about the player who shoved the ref?
How many games should he be suspended for? I say he should sit out the rest of the season.
Seahawks looking pretty nasty right now.
I've seen Joe Flacco fumble the same way Brees did ... Brees usually gets rid of it quickly.
They're all human.
who can beat the Seahawks at home plating like that?
That was a good show by Wilson
They opened up a can of whoop ass for sure! Look for the Saints to rebound at home against Carolina Sunday night.
Vernon Davis want a new "no penis tackling" rule put into effect. LOL
http://larrybrownsports.com/football/vernon-davis-league-rule-player-tackled-penis/212485
Meister -- since they let me keep doing it, it must have sounded good. Made people laugh, anyway.
Speaking of laughs, Tomlin really did some "spinning" today at his press conference ... would never hurt the integrity of the game, etc. May have a future in politics.
Some of you guys might remember the musical group out of Philly called The Spinners. Tomlin has a few of those dance moves ... yeah, rubber band man he's all I can stand ...
I can see Tomlin doing this ... he's got the moves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jte7Jhii4e0
Chip Kelly said something funny about Tomlin to a sideline reporter today at the Eagles' "snow bowl" game.
Nobody could tell where the sideline was, and Kelly said, "Tomlin would love this."
thanks for the news about the FG, i hadn't heard. the record that was beat, wasn;t that the kicker with the squared off shoe? I think i saw him make that kick back in my college days. Andy, do you recall what i'm trying to remember?
man, those giants can really play football, can't they? or is it that they can't play football? which is it?
I think that kicker was Tom Dempsey ...not sure of spelling.Didn't he also have part of one of his arm's missing ?
Yes, Tom Dempsey. He played for the Saints.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Dempsey
Dempsey was born without toes on his right foot and no fingers on his right hand. He wore a modified shoe with a flattened and enlarged toe surface.
There has to a Patriot's player pool on how many points they can spot a team in the 1st half and still win.
That thin air in Colorado affects the flight of baseballs, too
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_record_for_the_longest_NFL_field_goal&altQ=Longest_NFL_field_goal&isLookUp=1
I do remember the Tom Dempsey field goal, it came against the Detroit Lions.
Dempsey later kicked for the Eagles and had the nickname "Concrete Foot."
He was born with a "club foot" (no toes) and a deformed hand, too ... when asked if he had an unfair advantage with that special shoe, he didn't like the inference he had any advantage ... the guy had a tough life, going through school must have been hard... the kicks still had to be accurate.
Gronk smashed. Luckily I have Julius Thomas as a backup for the fantasy playoffs... the real-life Pats aren't so lucky, lol.
Prater's kick came at a mile above sea-level. Dempsey's kick was made at old Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, which is about 5 feet or so BELOW sea level. Any kicks made in Denver should have an asterisk. I'll let David Akers slide because his was made at Lambeau which is only about 500 feet above sea level (-;
Eagles fans will remember Tony Franklin (Do I sound like Andy?), the barefooted kicker who played for them in the '80s. He once kicked a 64- and 65-yard field goal in the SAME GAME in college, while playing for Manziel U (aka Texas A&M) versus Baylor. The 65-yarder was the collegiate record at the time.
However, it was short-lived... Ove Johannson kicked a 69-yarder for Abilene Christian on that very same day as well.
I'm guessing there was quite a breeze in Texas that day...
I remember a 59-yarder Tony kicked in a Monday night game against Dallas.
The theory was the bare foot moves through the air faster, so you can get a stronger kick, like increasing bat speed in baseball?
Whatever, it worked for Tony.
I think more likely that it's due to your foot bone having less give than a leather shoe and less loss of energy in the impact.
Yeah, I get it. Like a hard bat hitting a baseball, rather than a bat covered with leather.
Also, a catcher wears a leather mitt, to soften the impact of the ball smacking into it.
You don't catch 100 mph fastballs barehanded, for obvious reasons.
Finally a team with a meddling owner with more dysfunction than the Cowboys !
http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/12/8/5188198/rg3-dan-snyder-redskins-mike-shanahan-frustration
Also Tom Dempsey's previous field goal record of 63 yards was eventually shared with Jason Elam , Sebastian Janikowski , and David Akers .
Where have you been? Dan Snyder has been more incompetent and meddling than Jerry. Jerry at least has 3 rings and his teams have been in the race for the division title since Romo took over as QB. There was only one year where they were eliminated before the last game - the year Wade Phillips was fired.
Here is Snyder's legacy:
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/40063/the-cranky-redskins-fans-guide-to-dan-snyder
Where have I been ? Here on planet earth where the Redskins have an actual GM and the Cowboys have Jerky Jones who hasn't won jack squat in almost 20 years ! You can kid yourself about Jones whose team will be 30 million dollars over the salary cap next year and his dink and dunking QB who always chokes in big games , but us realist fans know better . And you should too ! Or maybe it's just that I grew up as a fan in the Tom Landry/Tex Schramm/Roger Staubach years as a fan and expect more than mediocrity every damn year ?
Tom Landry brought the franchise 2 SB's and some greatness for sure. No true Dallas fan could ever forget that. The last years of Landry's tenure were terrible though. That's a fact.
Jerry Jones hasn't won anything in 20 years. True. When is the last time the Redskins something.
Redskins have a real GM. So what? The GM doesn't have final say over personnel. The coach does. Reports right now are surfacing that Shanny (and he didn't deny it yesterday) had packed up his boxes and was ready to quit last year before RG3 got hurt because Snyder was playing favorites with Bob. Bob is turning out to be an insecure baby.
Do we need to get into how Snyder figuratively castrated Jim Zorn before firing him?
And of course, the Romo big choker argument.
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/11/tony-romo-clutch-november-december/
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1815309-is-tony-romo-clutch-un-clutch-or-a-victim-of-a-media-narrative-gone-wrong
Of course, I'm sure you think Romo is the only one on the team so of course it's his fault.
Romo is a dinking and dunking QB? Any respect I may have had for your football knowledge was wiped out by that comment.
Romo's looking good tonight, two TD passes in the first half.
But Bryant got hurt ... that's a lousy break.
Da Bears are marching up and down the field and scoring like crazy.
I'll call them the Allas Cowboys ... no D.
Check your history son . Tom Landry wasn't just a coach who won two super bowls he was an NFL legend and innovator inventing the 4-3 defense , the multiple set offense , the flex defense , taught every player including linemen to read their keys(how the opposing team lined up) and brought back the shotgun formation in 1975 (a supposed rebuilding year when the team went all the way to the super bowl) with HOF QB Roger Staubach as the trigger (and much more ) .
If you saw happen maybe you'd realize how lame the current owner of the team and his weak armed QB were compared to NFL LEGENDS ! Jerry Jones is just a tiny turd in Cowboy history compared to Clint Murchison Jr. who literally established the franchise for a song or more accurately the rights to Hail to The Redskins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hail_to_the_Redskins
Lombardi had his linemen reading keys, too, especially for that famed Packer sweep.
Well, he and Landry used to be assistants together, they must have shared lots of ideas.
I'm a HUGE Staubach fan, going back to when he had NAVY ranked number two in the nation and playing for the national championship.
That's something we will never see out of NAVY ever again.
Staubach doesn't seem to be in the conversation when people talk great quarterbacks, but he certainly was a WINNING quarterback who made the right play at the right time and often overcame his teammates' mistakes (and he never pointed fingers at anybody, just went to work).
I got a good idea of the kind of respect Landry got, from an interview I did with Marty Horn, who got into a couple of games at QB for the Eagles in the 80s, after breaking all the passing records at Lehigh.
He got into his first NFL game at Dallas, where the Eagles were getting blown away. He said when he was actually on the field, and there was Landry on the other sideline, he was blown away by the fact that he was in the same game with Landry.
He said he ran a few plays he can't even remember, but he'll always remember the classic Landry standing there, with that hat, serious as ever, all business and no nonsense, even though the Cowboys had the game wrapped up.
It has to be excruciating for Cowboys fans, watching that defense get pushed around like that. A few weeks ago, they set a record by surrendering 40 first downs. Last night, they gave up another 33. Every time they got to third down, you knew they weren't going to get off the field. Death by a thousand cuts. I almost think it would be better if they were giving up big plays, rather than getting nickeled and dimed all the way down the field on every single possession.
No one is disputing Tom Landry's greatness, especially me, a lifelong Dallas fan. However, his last 3 years all had losing records culminating with a 3-13 record. Jerry fired Landry (granted it could've been handled better) and hired Johnson. I think that worked out well for them.
Now back to the original comparison that you made - what has Snyder done for the Redskins that is so great compared to what Jerry has done? Nothing! No championships. Nothing but a carousel at the head coaching position. Nothing but the earned the ire of even the most diehard Redskin fans over the years.
Jerry is not going to win the humanitarian of the year award anytime soon but, like my original statement, the Redskins franchise has been a mess since Snyder took over.
During the Landry years, what was up with that move where all the lineman would stand straight up out of the ready position before going into their three-point stance? Dumbest thing ever... I used to HATE that, lol.
ian - I was thinking the same thing. Each time Forte ran for a first down, I thought they should have just let him run it for a TD. It would conserve time on the clock for the offense, which wasn't that bad, to do something.
Why Dallas stopped running the ball in the 3rd, I have no idea. Murray was unstoppable running the ball. For whatever good Garrett brings to the table, he simply needs to go. He's too stubborn and it's like he's trying to relive his QB years. Granted, they were down 10 pts, but that could easily be made up. Instead, they tried to throw when pass protection was an issue.
Monte Kiffin is a walking disaster. This scheme is like a pop warner defense now.
I remember the first time I saw Dallas doing that stand up out of the ready position and then into the three-point stance thing, and it just looked so weird.
We used to talk about it in school, what's the purpose of doing that?
Well, Landry used to call the cheerleaders "porn queens." The guy was just different.
Callahan is the play-caller but you couldn't tell. They abandon the run even when it's working. At the end of the day, Garrett is the head coach, the offensive scheme is his, and the results have been the same. Now, I put a lot of blame on Jerry's meddling but Garrett has had more power than any other coach not named Jimmy or Bill.
Another Tony Franklin memory, he kicked field goals and extra points (barefoot) in that 20-7 Eagles win against Dallas that sent Vermeil's team into the Super Bowl. It was about 10 degrees.
Ouch.
An old high school buddy ... hard core lifetime Eagles fan who went to games even when the team was beyond awful ... became a trucker.
I don't know HOW you can forget you are in Texas ... because the state is so big it must take a couple of days to drive through ... but ... he told me he forgot he was in Texas that day. He just knew the Eagles were playing to get into the Super Bowl and he wanted to see it.
He saw a joint that had a sign that they had TV sets for football fans and he stopped in, ordered food and started watching the game. Wilbert Montgomery broke free for the first touchdown and he stood up and started cheering. By the way, my buddy is a black guy, a distinction I never make in sports writing but it is relevant to the story here.
A voice behind him said, "you best be going, BOY" ... he just said to the waitress, check please ... went on his way with the game on the radio.
I still can't get over that he "forgot he was in TEXAS."
You're talking about the Dallas shift Andy where the players in the o-line stand then reset . Some think it was meant to draw the defense off sides which it did a few times , but actually it's purpose was to hide the receiver in motion behind the line from the defense . Of course with the way the team played defense last night nothing the offense did would have helped . Worst defense in the NFL , maybe they could have hired a defensive coordinator older than Methuselah Kiffin !
All the football people I've talked with for the last 40-some years and that's the first time I've gotten an explanation for that shift.
However, they did it pretty fast, like 1 - 2 .... was Bob Hayes that fast, that his motion pattern was done by then?
I know Dan Reeves wasn't that fast. LOL
They would come to the line and then UP - DOWN ... and then they'd snap the ball.
About Jerry Jones ... he had Jimmy Johnson, who was a great evaluator of talent.
Jones has always wanted to control the talent procurements and Johnson got tired of the meddling.
Since Johnson left, Dallas has been in a sorry state ... they won one more Super Bowl when Barry Switzer had the talent Johnson brought there, but since then ....eh..
The joke was that Switzer's Super Bowl would be the first one ever vacated for recruiting violations and using ineligible players.
Oddly enough, Johnson and Switzer are the only two head coaches to win both a national championship and The Super Bowl. Interesting Cowboys' tidbit of info.
You got that right Andy . Jones was responsible for adding Charles Haley and safety Thomas Everitt back then with Jimmy Johnson's approval ,but that was about it . And possibly the Landry Shift was just to disguise the formation of the RBs . Whatever - it looked pretty darn cool ! Looking for a video of it I only found this about the team running backs . Hey diddle diddle Perk up the middle - which was what the players always said to describe the first offensive first play the Cowboys always used back in the day with Ring of Honor member Don Perkins .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPIcCbyf4ao
Nick Foles aka Nickfolean Dynamite aka St. Nick has made the cover of Sports Illustrated.
It's been quite awhile since Eagles fans have had someone who has caused such a stir.
I have to admit that the Eagles , with the new Foles and McCoy are looking good.
And now the Eagles and Foles are doomed due to the Sports Illustrated jinx.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_Illustrated_cover_jinx
If he winds up on the cover of next years Madden game, he's REALLY in trouble...
Being cynical, I think the "Landry shift" was just something ownership came up with to get more people watching the games on TV ... the "ooo, that's cool" effect. Just something to draw attention to the Cowboys, get people talking about them.
If it produced any tangible benefits, the whole league would have started doing it.
It didn't help much against the Packers when it was 10-below on "The Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field" or against the Colts in The Super Bowl when they kept fumbling the ball away. I'll let ian chime in about the Steelers' wins over the Cowboys in their Super Bowls. Nothing fooled that Steel Curtain. I won't steal the I-man's thunder, it's his team.
The Cowboys had some marvelous defenses in the late 60s and early 70s and then along came Staubach and then they became big winners. When the Cowboys beat Miami for their first Super Bowl win, it was the first time somebody was held without a touchdown in "the big game." I watched the running backs video ... they certainly have had some great ones.
ESPN has certainly been guilty of overkill, treating this benching of RGIII like it is the Germans' attack on Pearl Harbor (that's what he said in Animal House LOL)...
So they're letting the backup play ... probably want to showcase him so they'll get something in a trade.
RGIII will be taking the snaps for the Skins next year for a new coach.
Was it OVER when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
Remember the personality contest between Tom Landry and Bud Grant?
There was no winner.
LOL (-:
The lousy prevent defense lost the Ice Bowl for the Cowboys . If they used their conventional D and pressured Starr they probably don't march down the field and score. That RB video omitted two of my favorite Cowboy running backs Calvin Hill and Walt Garrison . People remember Garrison for those Skoal commercials , but he was an undersized fullback tough as nails and ran straight up the middle twisting , turning and fighting for every yard . Not to mention hitting the rodeo circuit in the off season earning him the name the cowboy's Cowboy .
He wrote a great book too Once A Cowboy in which he quotes his folksy type of humor - Landry to Garrison "Walt you don't have to run the 40s , if the rookies see how slow you are they'll think it's a cinch to make the team " Dick Butkus to Garrison - "If you run this way again I'll bite your head off , Garrison replies , Well that will be the first time you ever had any brains in your head !" Butkus laughed . And who could forget the Zero Club (first link below) ? Best Cowboy books I've read ;
http://books.google.com/books?id=bRkLzDMg9GAC&pg=PA26&lpg=PA26&dq=dallas+cowboys+zero+club&source=bl&ots=cXHcEmdnMr&sig=VZlKfS7Ad07ZYCCdF5UfhEYSO0A&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Tf-oUpbLE8nckQf2sIGABg&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=dallas%20cowboys%20zero%20club&f=false
http://www.amazon.com/Cowboys-Have-Always-Been-Heroes/dp/0446519502/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386808407&sr=1-1&keywords=Cowboys+have+always+been+my+heroes+have
http://www.amazon.com/Out-Control-Confessions-NFL-Casualty/dp/0671663267/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386808509&sr=1-2&keywords=out+of+control+hollywood+henderson
http://www.amazon.com/Once-Cowboy-Walt-Garrison/dp/0394576853/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386808552&sr=1-1&keywords=once+a+cowboy
http://www.amazon.com/Man-Inside-Bob-St-John/dp/0849941628/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386808631&sr=1-1&keywords=landry+the+man+inside
Love the funny old stories ... I remember Fred "The Hammer" Williamson saying about Max McGEE "It takes him an hour and a half to run the hundred yard dash."
Calvin Hill was from Baltimore and played for Yale ... certainly an old favorite of mine. Gotta be smart to go to Yale ... those Ivy schools actually expect the football players to go to class.
Today, know how many college football players it takes to change a light bulb?
Just one, but he gets three credits for it.
I'm looking at Calvin Hill's smiling mug shot right now in my 1992 Baltimore Orioles media guide. He was Vice President/Personnel for the O's at the time they were moving into Camden Yards .... he was in charge of hiring people who worked for the team in a non-playing capacity.
The Cowboys used to love spreading the mystique that they did all these "wow" things that nobody else had thought of, but I remember when the Baltimore Colts beat them 35-3 with Tom Matte at quarterback.
It was the "Bowl Game" the NFL used to put on at the end of the season in which the second place teams in the East and West divisions played each other ... it was not a playoff game (only the first place teams played for the championship) ... it was called The Playoff Bowl and a national TV audience watched ... there was bonus money involved and the winning team got the bigger share as an incentive.
Anyway, after the game, Landry marveled at how Matte (who was forced into the QB role by injuries to Unitas and backup Gary Cuozzo) had figured out the "flex defense."
Don Shula remarked, "he didn't figure anything out, all he was doing was throwing to the guys who were getting open." And there were plenty of them, too.
By the way, of the 10 playoff bowls (officially named after Bert Bell - it raised $$$ for the players' pension fund) ... the two most highly attended ones were the games in which the Baltimore Colts played.
The biggest crowd was Baltimore vs. Dallas, the second biggest crowd was the following year for Colts vs. Eagles.
The west won eight of the 10 games, and it still puzzles me why Baltimore was in the west and Dallas was in the east.;
It was discontinued when the leagues merged and wild cards were brought in to the championship playoffs.
Stupid Manning. I really needed him to show up big for my FF team. I'm in round 2 of 3 for the playoffs. I'll be pissed if I lose because Denver couldn't get it going last night.
Has the NFC East ever had a worse year?
Standing at 23W and 30L, it appears that there is a potential that a losing team can still cinch the Division title.
Rodges is out and Flynn is in at QB for GB at Dallas. That means the no-show Dallas D will only give up 400 yards of offense.
If they lose to Flynn (who won't have Lacey as of right now), they should just concede the season and get the higher draft pick.
Alex Calico, your post about the Cowboys also applies to Orioles baseball fans my age.
One thing I need to explain to the Cowboys fans ... I didn't became a Ravens fan because of Ray Lewis, or Brian Billick, or anything that was "cool" ...etc.
When Baltimore went through a dozen years without an NFL team, I was going to hope for success for whatever team they eventually would get ... whether through expansion (which went to Carolina and Jacksonville) or a franchise relocation. I even attended Canadian Football League games when the CFL played in Baltimore for a couple of years (and Baltimore won the Grey Cup, woo hoo). They didn't draft Ray Lewis yet, didn't even name the team yet.
I understand the reasons people don't like Ray Lewis ... it never was about him for me anyway, but somebody in a decision making capacity allowed him to keep playing, the league allowed him to keep playing.
Last year during the playoffs the biggest Rutgers fan I know said he was rooting against the Ravens because he hates Ray Lewis ... so I just asked, so you're rooting against Ray Rice, too?
Just to set the record straight on an above post, the Eagles have eight wins and will not finish with a losing record.
They are one of the league's big stories this year ... you never know what a backup will do until he actually gets a chance.
And, somebody in a decision making capacity allowed Michael Vick to keep playing, the league allowed him to keep playing. The NFL did not shut the Eagles down because Michael Vick was on the team.
I think you're just grasping at straws to defend your beloved Ravens. The CBA is what allowed Lewis and Vick to continue to play. It would take a ridiculously egregious violation for any commissioner to ban a player for life (and have that ban withstand the appeals process.) With that said, both the Ravens and Eagles franchises could have said, no, we don't want to be associated with individuals like that. They didn't. They saw an opportunity to make their team better and went with it.
At least in the Ravens' case, Lewis wasn't convicted of murder. Vick, on the other hand, ran an organized crime ring that murdered animals for sport.
Like the Cowboys have not had any miscreants over the years. Ha. Pot calling the kettle black, I'd say.
Remember the jokes not that long ago ... How do you get a Dallas Cowboy to stand up? You say, will the defendant please rise.
Eagles Sports Illustrated cover jinx ...
Man, did those corners get toasted today. They've been bend but don't break all year, but today, they broke.
What was up with all the short kickoffs? Giving Minnesota great field position every time. Don't they have special teams guys who can cover kickoffs?
Eagles got away with a stinker today, because Dallas choked one away.
What a division. What will the over/under be when that battle of "defenses" is played in two weeks?
One thing winning a Super Bowl does, it allows a city to say ...
Our overpaid mercenary millionaires are better than yours. LOL (-:
"I think you're just grasping at straws to defend your beloved Ravens"
Saying something does not make it so. They don't need me to defend them, they are the Super Bowl champions. It is in the books.
You didn't "get" any of that stuff about how the people in Baltimore had to wait 12 years to get a team. I was going to be a fan of the next team to play in Baltimore no matter what they named it, no matter who the players would be ... that's what I was saying. Now I'm glad they have a team that is good enough to be hated by fans of other teams ... nobody hates a crappy team ... people laugh at lousy teams, but they only "hate" the good teams.
Michael Irvin once stabbed a rookie teammate in the neck with a pair of scissors because he wouldn't surrender a barber chair. I don't think he missed a down because of it.
Andy, nobody hates the Ravens or Steelers this year... except for each other (-;
Andy - No pot calling any kettles black here. I never defended any of Dallas' players' past or current sins. In fact, I've been pretty consistent in that I despise any hero/celebrity worship of any kind including football players.
Say what you want in your unsolicited soliloquy, but the Ravens won championships with a thug mentality. Lewis is a thug. Suggs is a thug. It's great for the fans of the team but that doesn't absolve the team or make them saints no matter how much man-love you have for them.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/12/08/woman-says-suggs-hit-her-spilled-bleach-on-her/
http://nypost.com/2013/01/27/inside-tale-of-ray-lewis-parking-lot-brawl-homicide-case/
"Michael Irvin once stabbed a rookie teammate in the neck with a pair of scissors because he wouldn't surrender a barber chair. I don't think he missed a down because of it."
And Jerrah deserves as much fault for allowing Irvin to play as the CBA/league. The point is, each franchise has a responsibility to keep players it feels that best represent its values. The Ravens and Eagles made their choices. Dallas-Jerry made its choice. It's ridiculous to assert that simply because the "league" didn't ban the player, that a franchise is w/o any role in keeping/signing a player.
The other two incidents happened away from the team and there was a process to play out.
The Irvin incident happened during training camp at the team facility. There was no real doubt as to his guilt. Not only did they not punish him internally, they actively covered it up so that he didn't face external punishment either. Way worse than Philly or Baltimore, IMO.
I would agree 100%...but I didn't defend Dallas keeping him around. Even with this cover up, Irvin also had lots of other legal violations involving hookers and lots of powder. Dallas chose to ignore them. You're not hearing me say, "well the league let him play so you can't blame Dallas."
Die-hard fans will defend their teams and overlook things to a fault. While I root for Dallas, I'm not under any kind of illusion that Dallas is sin-free.
Let he who's team is sin-free cast the first stone.
Meanwhile, about Dallas' play calling. They do have a running game, some pretty darn good run-block linemen, too, so why weren't they using it when they had a big lead and a beat-up defense with a bunch of guys I'd never heard of before. Control the ball, keep the other team's offense off the field, even if it was the Packers with their backup QB.
Jimmy Johnson's teams protected their leads with Emmit Smith pounding away, with Emmit's touchdowns adding to the lead while they ground down the clock. I saw enough of their playoff games and games against the Eagles and Giants to remember that much. Yes, the game has changed, but there is always something to be said for ball control to protect a lead.
The Eagles also were guilty of not using the run game effectively, and they have the best running back in the league.
Got a good dose of NFC East football yesterday, yeesh.
Speaking of thug mentality, the Ravens are in Detroit tonight ... thug night on national television ... put the kids to bed early, what transpires in the game may not be suitable for young audiences.
As ian, who appreciates AFC North football would say, a classic slobber knocker.
I'm not going to watch the game tonight. I need Megatron to put up 100 yards and 2 TDs to save my fantasy team from Jamaal Charles. Watching it not happen would only serve to aggravate me further. Especially when he gets tackled inside the 5 three times, lol. I'll check the stats in the morning. Plus it frees me up to watch the Victorias Secret fashion show tonight... strictly for medicinal purposes, of course.
Of course, you're watching it for the gift ideas, just like I used to read Playboy for all those well-written and informative articles. wink, wink.
Megatron may have a big game with the Ravens still winning. DeSean Jackson had a tremendous game yesterday and the Eagles still managed to lose.
There may be some dirty hits tonight, but it could still be a high scoring game, with a big play by Jacoby Jones and a late field goal deciding it (I hope).
The math wizards that calculate playoff possibilities still have the Steelers alive in the race. One of the myriad things necessary is two Ravens losses. You'll forgive me if I root for the Lions to cut that number in half?
Andy - It makes no sense why Dallas abandons the run like they do. I think Garret is trying to live through Romo and be the QB that he never was.
The refusal to stick with the run is why I will blame the failures of the team on the coach and the GM before I blame Romo. For years, the drafting was so bad that they couldn't run the ball even if they wanted to. Now that they clearly can run the ball very well, they still give up on it.
The loss yesterday is first a defensive player/coaching collapse. It then is an OC/HC failure. Romo shouldn't force those bad throws but he also should never have been given the choice. The play call should have been run the ball no matter what the defense shows.
I remember seeing Garrett play at Princeton ... was pretty good, in the Ivy League.
I've never been an anti-Romo guy ... there's just some weird stuff going on with his team that's hard to understand.
If you fell asleep last night or were otherwise engaged, here it is ... by the way, a big thank you to our friends from Pittsburgh for helping us get closer to those Bengals.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=331216008
The problem in Dallas is:
1) JJ wants players that have the potential to make "big splash" plays, eg Dez, but doesn't realize that 90% of the time, you need players that can grind it out 5 yards at a time.
2) The coaches have zero ability to adjust at half-time.
3) JJ is an insecure child who is always chasing what others have. The fact that he wants Romo to be more like Peyton is proof of that. Peyton is a once in a lifetime QB. Even Brady does what his coach tells him to. The coaches need to coach and direct the players including the QB.
Even Peyton has lost playoff games.
Most of our lives are spent grinding it out ... once in awhile there are flashy moments, but they are fleeting.
If anybody watches the Ravens highlights I posted, they'll see Detroit lost a touchdown when the defender put an arm bar on the receiver. Still no guarantee the guy would have caught it, the way the balls were going through the Lions' paws all night.
Well, an arm bar is legal in wrestling. LOL
Fans can joke when the last game was a 'W'
WOW. That was some beat-down by the Eagles.
The much maligned pass defense was amazing tonight and the offense was spot on, and they decided to boot those kickoffs deep this time.
Everything they did wrong last week, they corrected. Some game!
Not only has Peyton lost playoff games....he even lost a Super Bowl !! I was at the game ....Who-Dat ! Just my 2 cents,no negative criticism feedback please , Merry Xmas all.
Don't worry about me, I'm not into negative criticism feedback, unless someone gives it to me first ... the old "If you kick my dog, I'll kick yours" thing.
Merry Christmas to you, too.
I'm sure people want to see what I have to say about my (as if I was the owner) Ravens after their awful performance yesterday ... for the last couple of years they have needed good performances from Joe Flacco to win ... they are not the team that was able to win a Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer at QB simply managing the game and staying away from turnovers. With his injured knee, Flacco was a sitting duck for that New England pass rush yesterday.
Talk about negative criticism, when one of our regular posters said Flacco did not deserve Super Bowl MVP last year ... my goodness ... they never would have gotten there without him last year and they certainly would not have beaten the 49ers if their backup QB had to start the game ... that's for sure.
Well, as someone who covered the Eagles in person at a time they were so pathetic I wrote that they "disgraced the national bird," (at the same time the 76ers were disgracing the flag and the Phillies were disgracing the national pastime) .... I'm happy to see they will be playing a BIG GAME after Christmas. Fly, Eagles, fly on the road to victory.
If they win on Sunday, they should dedicate it to my old truck driver pal who got kicked out of some dive in Texas on the day Vermeil and "Jaws" got them into a Super Bowl.
You can look up my post from a week ago about that one.
Based on our performance I would say that Dallas is beatable and that the Redskins su....... oh never mind. Guess we will have some new coaching personnel next year. RGIII looked so sad. At least until Cousins started throwing em to the bench....
Eagles look like they want to win the Superbowl. Will be hard for them but wish them all the luck in the post season. Think Vick and RGIII do lunch at Subway to talk about the good ole days?
Not saying he won't ... but so far RGIII has not accomplished as much on the field as Vick has in the NFL. Anytime Vick talks anywhere, he needs to say, don't be like me, don't make the mistakes I made.
We've all made mistakes in life, but mine have never been intentional mean or cruel "mistakes" where living things get injured or killed in a premeditated fashion. It's really, really hard to forgive what Vick did, but when he's on the football field, I've loved watching him play ... especially that big comeback against the Giants ... man, that was one of my all-time favorite games to watch. I stayed with it because the Eagles had a history of comebacks at The Meadowlands. The rest of the team deserved credit, too, for some really special plays that day.
&#(*!@%$ CRAP!!!!
Romo out for the final game due to a back injury!!!
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1898321-tony-romo-injury-updates-on-cowboys-qbs-status-and-recovery?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=programming
That stinks!!!! Now if the Eagles pummel them next week, all the Cowgirls fans will say that it was because Romo was out. *&^%$#@!!!!!
Well, if they pummeled Dallas with him playing, critics will say it's because Romo was in. Either way, the loss is all Romo's fault.
I hope Jerry has a coronary because of this. Despite the Washington win, fire everyone, get a proven college head coach, and draft some defensive linemen!
Calico, if the Eagles win, the division title is in the books and just celebrate.
You can't worry about what people say all the time, it would just drive you crazy.
A championship is a championship, no matter what excuses people make, just move on.
Nobody feels sorry for the Ravens because Flacco is hobbled and nobody cares that the Ravens were unlucky enough to play Green Bay when Aaron Rodgers was still healthy. Injuries happen, you just do the best you can and if things don't work out, you say wait till next year.
Of course, if next year just never seems to come, it can get frustrating, I get that.
Very classy move by Jon Kitna.
http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas-cowboys/post/_/id/4722267/jon-kitnas-check-going-to-high-school-team
Classy? He's not using the $ to buy computers for underprivileged students... He's giving it to a booster club to buy "protein supplements" for the football team for whom he is the head coach. Presumably, he stands to benefit with a better coaching position somewhere else if his current team is successful... so it seems somewhat self-serving in that regard.
He still didn't have to make the donation. I also don't think he's going anywhere. He's a math teacher, he lives in the town, and his son is the QB. Yes, he's probably hoping that the donation will boost the football program but I hardly think it's so he can secure a job elsewhere. What's the going rate for a HS coach in the state of Washington?
Kitna has always been an active contributor to whatever community he happens to reside in.
He bought protein powder for his HS football team. If I came into $50k and spent it on booze and high priced hookers for all my friends, would that make me a philanthropist too? They could call me Andrew Pornegie, lol.
You think his ultimate goal is to coach high school football? No ambition for a position at his college alma mater, maybe? What if UW came calling? Would he turn down a PAC-12 job? Why did he even play in the NFL? He probably could have gotten the HS job right out of college, if that was his ultimate goal.
Not arguing with anybody, just saying that most players don't start pursuing coaching jobs until they have gone as far as they can as players.
When it dawned on me the NBA (or the good old ABA) did not need me, I went into journalism to stay connected to sports.
My mom keeps saying I should have been an opera singer. People who have heard me sing say I should keep my day job. Well, with some of the proper voice training ...
On this date in 1958 ... the Baltimore Colts won the NFL championship in overtime at Yankee Stadium, in what some old-timers still consider "the greatest game ever played."
That game is credited with launching the NFL to the top in terms of fan interest and money, money, money. The monster that is the modern NFL was given life that day.
How about those J-E-T-S JETS, JETS, JETS!
No Ravens repeat. Funny thing, the first two years that I watched football, 1958 and 59, the Baltimore Colts were the World Champions.
At that young age, you think they are going to win it every year. It's tough enough to win one Super Bowl, let alone expect it to happen every year.
Go Eagles, let's see how long they last. Poor Calico has been waiting all her life for a Super Bowl championship ... doubt it will happen this year, but I'm hopeful of watching them in the playoffs.
If KC beats San Diego today and gets the Pizzaburgers into the playoffs, I hope it increases ian's appreciation of fat guys named Andy. LOL
So far, Kansas City is looking pretty good.
If he would have played his 1st-stringers, maybe... as it is, he's public enemy number one, win or lose.
But for some reason, I have a craving for a full rack of ribs and a tall glass of Kool-Aid.
At times like this, I have to wonder why I subject myself to real stress and aggravation over something as meaningless in the big picture as professional sports. At least it's not a psychosis unique to myself... It's fairly common. Bread and circuses and all that.
Eagles and Cowboys fans... your turn, lol.
This song is for everyone (including me) whose teams got eliminated today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQvbJ-spKuU
Drama in Dallas.
Eagles haven't been able to put any pressure on Orton all night and the Cowboys have stayed close, but here come the Eagles inside the Dallas 20 ...inside the 10 ...they're getting Shady McCoy going (finally) ... to the six ...Mike Brown TOUCHDOWN EAGLES ...they finally man-up and get physical.
Eagles 24 Cowboys 16 ... stay tuned.
Given the ending... It's like Romo wasn't injured at all.
Sorry, emaxxman, couldn't resist... Misery loves company. There's always next year, lol.
Can't blame ROMO for this one.
Did the Eagles win it or did Dallas lose it?
Whatever, DeSean Jackson was shut down but the birds still managed to win.
Who Dat coming to Philly?
Turn out the lights, the party is over in Texas. You best be going, COW boys (see earlier post).
I wonder where my old truck driver buddy is tonight (see post from two weeks ago)
I can hear him now, THEY BEAT THE STINKIN WEASEL COWBOYS.
Ugh. At least the slugs can't blame this on Romo. Of course, too bad the defense couldn't play like tonight with other games. I thought tonight would be a blowout. It's even more annoying given Dallas had a chance to win it....Baily has a great leg.
Fly Eagles Fly! Saints at home next week. Talk about a shoot out in my domestic life. :(
Yes, Dan Bailey has a great leg, indeed.
So many 8-8 teams this year, amazing that Pittsburgh was a doinked field goal away from winning a five-way tiebreaker.
Well, New England did not use injuries for excuses. They deserve a lot of credit for where they stand. Cincinnati had a shot at a first round bye ... unfortunately for the Ravens, Cincy had something meaningful to play for yesterday, but I don't expect any sympathy for the Ravens ... they've had their run and they need a good draft ... maybe even trade some guys for draft picks.... facing the challenge which all teams do, of staying in contention while in a time of roster transition.
Good old Ed Reed with an INT to kill the Dolphins chances today.
The Jets played hard so Rex Ryan would keep his job.
LOL Old Gent. I like the Eagles odds against the Saints in Philly. I do not, I repeat.....do not want them have to go to Seattle at any time. Yikes!
Well I am glad to say the Redskins lost the Desperation Bowl and now are the most dismal team in the NFC East with only Houston to laugh at in the entire NFL matching our last worst season of 1994 and our longest losing streak of 8 games since 1960.
Talk about a fun game to watch :>(
We did complete the Shanahan-off, he is fired, but one has to question boy wonder Snyder who has had 8 coaches in 15 years including the Jim Zorn experiment. Can we impeach Dan?
The Eagles are home on Saturday NIGHT ... it will be really cold. Maybe too cold for the visiting NuOrlins Who Dats.
The road to Seattle unfolding?
Upon further review ... looks like some bad calls in the KC-San Diego game cost the Steelers a playoff spot.
This whole system of using tie-breakers stinks. Back in a time when scheduling was simpler, the NFL left a weekend open at the end of the season for ties to be broken on the field. Most of you are too young to remember those days, they were before 1967. But you never had multiple-team ties for the final wild card in those bygone days, either.
Back in 1999, Brian Billick's first year there, the Ravens went into the final week on a four-game win streak with a chance to get into a multi-team tie-breaker, but lost on the last day to the Patriots and missed the playoffs, finishing 8-8. Won the Super Bowl the next year, with essentially the same team.
This may be the most frigid Eagles home game since the birds put the NFC title "on ice" against the Cowboys in January of 81.
And at least that one was played in the daylight.
is this one more sign of a struggling economy?
"NFL should be alarmed that three of four playoff games, including Green Bay's home game, still not sold out"
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/nfl-alarmed-three-four-playoff-games-including-green-213137570--nfl.html
Well, I'm not going to that Eagles game, even if someone gives me tickets.
Football in January AT NIGHT in this part of the country in an outdoor stadium? That's nuts. It's OK for the players, they're moving around and all amped up.
When I was young I went to some really cold Baltimore Colts playoff games, with tickets from older folks who did not want to sit there and shiver.
Now, I'm one of those older people. Merrill Reese and Mike Quick on quality sound FM radio with the TV sound turned down and some hot chocolate will do nicely.
I think today's ticket prices are also very prohibitive for the normal (non corporate- CEO-from-the-one-percent) type of fan. If Mitt Romney and Chris Christie want to go, fine, enjoy.
I think today's ticket prices are also very prohibitive for the normal (non corporate- CEO-from-the-one-percent) type of fan. If Mitt Romney and Chris Christie want to go, fine, enjoy.
That goes for all sports today. CEO's go to a warm box and there employees get the best seats. Many don't even know what the sport is all about. It's just business as usual to them. I was in there company once at Daytona and it was amazing.
Nice article on Eagles CB Brandon Boykin.
“I’ve got a list of all the corners that were taken before me,” he said. “My fiance made it and put it in our room, framed it. I told myself that I’d end up being better than all of them.
http://www.phillymag.com/birds247/2014/01/02/boykin-getting-last-laugh/
not bad...I told you so...
"That's not funny Calico.
Eli always has his games.
The game was terrible... Only Eli can start the season throwin an interception..
Giants 7-9"
Well, I was completely backwards with my original 6-10 prediction at the beginning of the season. I revised my prediction later thinking the Eagles could go 8-8. Guess they proved me wrong on that too.
Fly Eagles Fly!
Horatio's Saints versus Calico's Eagles on Saturday night... loser pays the bar tab?
It's nice to be wrong when your team exceeds expectations.
"Only Eli can start the season throwin an interception."
Well, Johnny Unitas' first pass of his NFL career was intercepted and run back for a touchdown by J.C. Caroline of the Chicago Bears. Johnny U got a bloody nose trying to tackle him.
The rest of his career went a lot better than that. It's not how you start, it's how you finish.
This was obviously for last week's game, but I didn't see it until today. Pretty funny though.
If your team didn't make the playoffs, follow this simple flow chart to figure out who you should be rooting for. I'm torn between the Panthers and the Bengals cuz I'm not a fan of either teal or orange, lol.
http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/66245872/?partnerId=ed-7812907-638668063
I'll pull for the Eagles. I used to cover them, anybody out there remember John Bunting? Roman Gabriel standing tall among the masses with that long flowing hair. Some of his passes were caught by Eagles' receivers, some were completed to the other guys. Watching Randall Cunningham during the 12 years Baltimore didn't have an NFL team eased the pain of the Colts leaving Charm City. Philly was one of two teams that voted for Baltimore, when the NFL expanded to Carolina and Jacksonville. Jacksonville!!
In the AFC I'll stick with the AFC North, go Bengals. Would be cool to see Andy Reid get to the Super Bowl with KC though, after the Eagles' fans ran him out of town.
Andy Reid against the Eagles in the Super Bowl? Too early to think that far ahead. That wouldn't happen, would it?
Andy Reid winning the SB this year would be liking driving a dagger into the hearts of Philthy-nation.
If I had to put money on it, I would pick the Eagles over the Saints. The Saints' 3-5 road record is not very inspiring. Obviously, go Saints!!!!
This weekend: SF, Philthy, SD and KC (KC is my upset pick)
Emaxxman, the Eagles are only 4-4 at home. I think it's a toss-up.
KC and SD must both lose this week. Otherwise, evil triumphs.
Damn it people...it's my first day back to work. My brain is mush right now. I can't be expected to get all of my facts correct. So yes, I have two upset picks.
Regarding the Eagles 4-4 record, what is their home record with Foles? That's what matters. I don't know the answer but either way, I think the Saints are in for some hurt.
Better QB play from the pocket has been the difference with the Eagles IMO...sucks to have to say that.
The Eagles lost games at home in warm weather, won home games in cold weather.
They really should have beaten San Diego in September, they lost a wild one in the last minute, 33-30. Against NYG and Dallas at home, the offense was just non-existent, and it was mild October weather. They've been a different team since Nov. 3, when Foles threw the seven TD passes at Oakland ... been on a roll since then.
I was in the press box at Rutgers for state playoffs on the day the Eagles played that snow game against the Lions, but it was showing on several TV sets, before the Phillipsburg game began. That game really made me think the Eagles are for real.
I don't think home or road made that much difference for the birds ... it was more a matter of how well or poorly they were playing at the time.
With their shaky secondary, they would be toast if this game was in New Orleans, the Saints are a team that definitely clicks on their Superdome turf. They're more like sinners on the road.
I expected a wild 47-45 type shootout in that Eagles game at Dallas ... both defenses surprised me, considering what they had showed during the season. Give them credit for studying film, rising to the occasion, etc.
Oh god, it's like Andy Reid exploded!
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1910463-kansas-citys-attempt-to-dye-frozen-fountain-to-support-chiefs-fails?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=programming
LMAO exmaxx! Love it!
That said, Kansas City is an awesome city. Many don't know that they have one of the largest number of fountains of any city in the US.
The people are extremely gracious, of that mid-western quality. We enjoyed our time spent there very much!
I was there years ago for a customer visit. I didn't get to sightsee much but the people were indeed very friendly and man, the BBQ was good!
Were you singing, "going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come..."
One of the all-time classic golden oldies.
There are two very distinct Kansas Citys... and I'm not talking about the one in Kansas.
There's the one that you guys went to and there's the one where they razed dozens of properties in advance of the MLB All-Star game so as not to paint the city in a poor light nationally. Just a microcosm of the overall state of the union, I suppose.
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2012/jul/07/all-star-game-cleanup-efforts-rankle-some/
Eagle fans force Saints fans to cancel Rocky Run -
http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2014/01/nfl_playoffs_eagles_fans_force_saints_fans_to_cancel_rocky_run.html#incart_m-rpt-1
WC weekend picks:
KC (+2.5) @ Indy
I thought KC had done themselves a disservice by not playing their starters last week. They were 2-4 in the 6 previous games and only had wins versus the Skins and Raiders during that stretch. I think Andrew Luck does for the Colts what Manning rarely could... win a home playoff game. Colts 27, Chiefs 17
NO (+2.5) @ Philly
The Saints are half the men they used to be when away from the dome. The temps are going to be frigid at game time. Did Foles play his college ball in Montana? No? Arizona, you say? I'm gonna go with Breesy. Saints 31, Eagles 27
SD (+7) at Cincy
Phillip Rivers actually has decent stats in cold weather. I don't like his receivers in these conditions though. I also look for the Bengals defense to force a couple Ryan Matthews fumbles. Dalton to Marvin Jones all day long. Bengals 34, Chargers 21
SF (-2.5) @ GB
Green Bay a home dog on the tundra in January? I'll take the weather and AaRod over Kaepernick... GB 21-20
ianimal - Foles did play his first college season in Michigan. ;-)
I'm going:
IND
PHI
CIN
SF
Reid has never played his regulars in games following clinchings.
He did the same thing the last time the Eagles got to the Super Bowl.
That's not a prediction that KC will win, just saying that's what Reid has always done as an NFL coach. This season was no different. They still were a missed FG and some bad calls away from putting Pittsburgh into the playoffs.
Theres a big difference between a dominant 13-1 team that clinched homefield throughout and a team that started 9-0 but stumbled to a wild card after a 2-4 stretch. I'm not arguing with you... what you said is 100% correct. I just think it was a tactical error on his part.
Two interesting facts:
Tickets for Eagles / Saints game sold out in 3 minutes.
Drew Brees and Nick Foles both graduated from the same high school in Austin, Tx.
Last year the Ravens played second stringers in their final game and they went into the playoffs with zero momentum, only a win against the Giants in the last month of the regular season. They even replaced their offensive coordinator, on the day they clinched a playoff berth.
Flacco started to keep his consecutive games streak going (as if he's going to be the next Cal Ripken or something) but got pulled in the first period.
Thanks for giving me one more opportunity to mention that the Ravens won the Super Bowl. I know, that's so-o-o-o-o last year. =)
That's one situation where, if an important guy gets hurt and the team loses in the playoffs, the coach never hears the end of it from the second guessers. More importantly, the owner who signs the paychecks is not a happy camper.
Right. And the Ravens were completely dominated in the game against the Broncos. Only a miracle for the ages and another choke job by Manning allowed them to advance. You are actually helping to prove my point.
I'm not out to prove anything, just relating things that happened.
See ya, it's time to take some time off from HL.
This pic is making the rounds online....
I really thought the Eagles where going to advance.
The Indy game was an absolute barn burner for sure. Great game.
Greg LOL, good one Greg. But shouldn't it say Super Bowl win? They have played in two.
That Indy game was a shoot out for sure. That game took a couple years off my life.
Go Colts!
KC/Colts was a nice shootout. They have some real speedsters.
Was hoping for the Eagles, they're one of the most fun teams to watch now. Hope they keep that no huddle offense; they could change a lot about the very nature of football with that one. Loved how NO had to take time out for oxygen to catch their breadth. Defenses are going to have to rethink many things including special training to be able to keep up. We going aerobic-anaerobic now!
Biggest change to a sport since the Williams sisters revolutionized women's tennis.
Well, 0-2 for Wildcard Saturday. Let's see how today goes.
I have to say, both games were very enjoyable from a pure football perspective (since I didn't really have a horse in the race.)
Don't ever let anyone tell you that it's all about the QB. Drew Brees will (unjustly) get the majority of the credit for the win but it was all about the run game.
Actually, the first game was an abomination from a pure football perspective. Goodell has turned the game I loved into the friggin Arena Football League. I remember fondly a time when defenses were allowed to play, too. Alas, that time is gone, probably never to return.
Why is Jeff Triplette refereeing a playoff game? In a sea of incompetence, he is the Great White shark. This guy should be refereeing Pop Warner games.
Yeah, "pure football." Like what is that new fangled shotgun stuff?
I really don't agree. Since the beginning, defense has been a purely anaerobic activity; just be able to handle 15-45 seconds of exertion and then take a 40-second or more break to re-oxygenate. All the training and practice is targeted towards that activity. All Goodell has done is challenge that paradigm and now the defense will have to learn how to defend without a 40 second or so break between tackle and snap.
Once they change their training to defend against it, it is be a moot advantage.
Amazingly, Philadelphia offense had the least time of position of any team in the NFL this year so they actually reduced their total time (and the opposing defenses) on the field.
To me, that is pure football, sorry you have an issue with evolution. And I am enjoying watching the result.
At least he didn't go on and on with one of those long winded explanations after that fumble review.
Mister google, what have you been smoking today? Do you think Goodell is the Eagles coach? Do you think the Eagles played the first game yesterday?
I have no problem with the no-huddle or the zone-read or any other true "evolution" of the game. My problem is with the league consistently passing new rules that penalize the defense and only serve to turn the game into one lopsidedly in favor of the offense. Apparently they feel that will make the game more attractive to casual fans such as yourself, who don't know the difference between Chip Kelly and Roger Goodell (-;
For me, it's not an improvement, not even close... when you have defensive backs who make clean hard hits have to look around for a flag on every single pass play, that's a bad thing. The pendulum has swung way too far and it's starting to alienate true fans of the game. Every year, the offensive record book is getting rewritten. That tells me that the balance of the game has been lost along the way and needs to be addressed.
It's all about Commissioner Greedell and the NFL owners wanting higher scoring games to increase the fan base , which is why there is rarely an offensive line holding penalty these days . Also why he wants a team in London (the Jaguars) to market the NFL there . Then there is the lucrative fantasy football market which the NFL has a 1.6 billion dollar slice of and is looking for more . So more scoring and rules favoring the offense to the detriment of the defense will become prevalent more and more with expansion further watering down the talent pool . Jaguars should just move to L.A., but no the NFL wants the 160 million or so franchise fee for a brand new NFL team . Owner greed is changing the game and ruining it in some respects . Why else would they pay their commissioner 30 million a year ?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/briangoff/2013/08/20/the-70-billion-fantasy-football-market/
Oooops my bad but chillax "true fan" of "pure football" As a casual fan, I bow to the master race who feels it's important to remember names and such but I still like the Eagles no huddle offense. I just figured your thread was in response to mine. My bad.
But frankly many of the things you say are bad are being supported by the actual men of the game.
I was just joking, gman... I like the Eagles offense as well. Whether it winds up switching the paradigm remains to be seen, but it's interesting.
But my comments had nothing to do with scheme innovation, rather the deliberate legislation by the league that has had the effect of skewing any semblance of balance between offense and defense. The men of the game, as you call them, recognize this as well and you're mistaken if you think they are in favor of it.
I'm all for protecting WRs from helmet to helmet hits when they are defenseless, but more than half of the penalties called turn out to be shoulder to shoulder and they aren't reviewable. Bad for the game. But this isn't the only rule that has had an effect, obviously. Over the last 10 years, rule after rule has been passed that gave more and more advantage to the offense. The net result is the current state of the game, which is about as fair and balanced as Fox News.
Back in the '70s, the reverse was true. Defenses dominated the league. The Steelers once won their last 9 games of the season. They shut out 5 opponents, held 2 to a FG and another team to 6 points. Only the Oilers were able to score double digits in a 32-16 loss. As a result of the imbalance, the league passed the "Mel Blount rule" which prohibited defensive backs from contacting receivers after 5 yards (illegal contact - 5 yds and 1st down). Prior to this, DBs could hit receivers all the way down the field as long as the ball wasn't in the air.
I think repealing this rule will go a long way to restoring the balance of the league. It will also result in less big hits on WRs because the DBs will be in a lot closer contact with them running down the field instead of getting a 10 yard start from a zone coverage.
I also think that they should modify pass interference to a maximum of 15 yards instead of a spot foul that can be 50 yards or longer. That's one of the few things the college game has right, IMO.
Yeah I guess..... What I was saying were the penalties designed to reduce concussions and the like where numerous players and ex-players which, given the recent $765M settlement, have not only spoken out but successfully sued the league.
When I saw Terry Bradshaw say "If I had a son today, and I would say this to all our audience and our viewers out there, I would not let him play football" I was in shock figuring Terry is Terry and there goes his career. That was a turning point in my "casual" love affair with the game. But Terry is Terry and has always been of many minds: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/score-hits-love-game-article-1.1477300 so I would not say he is against football. I think he would just like to see a safer game where players can retire after a successful carerr without regrets.
Point is that part of the game is to physically grind down, overwhelm and destroy your opponent based on physical contact. And, over time, we get better and better, stronger and stronger and more scientific in how we achieve that goal. So we put in controls, safety equipment, rules, and sometimes the pendulum may seem to swing a bit too far. At this point I would rather err on the side of safety of the players than on seeing great hit.
Meanwhile we have scientifically bred and trained these fellows for an average maximum exertion time of 5.1 seconds +/- 2 seconds and a total playing time average of 11 minutes (both sides) over an average 185 minute interval. And there's a 40 second break between exertions. And during that exertion, inflicting the most damage is certainly a goal of the game. Given the rules, that's just the nature of the game and that's what we are paying to see. We cheer for touchdowns, great plays and great hits. Players are revered for both hitting and taking the hit.
And after it's all over, unless they hit the commentator circuit, for the most part we throw our hero's on the bone pile to be ever forgotten except in the stats. The pain that many of them go through is cruel and unusual punishment for the money and the glory received.
So yes, I love the Eagles offense. And if that changes the game forcing a training regime that favors aerobic as well as anaerobic, I think it will be a good change if for no other reason that to break the paradigm and shake some things up.
But I too hate to see penalties called on what seems to be trivial conduct and contact.
Princeton was the first team to ever throw a forward pass, over a hundred years ago, at least they were in games that were reported in newspapers. You can blame the diminished brutishness on those guys.
The Philly media always was on Andy Reid's case about his being unable to make in-game adjustments. His inability to do that when Indy got rolling, appeared to me to be his undoing. He didn't have any answers.
New Orleans kept Shady McCoy from dictating terms, hence, another Eagles' disappointment. The Saints defense looked really, really solid.
Cincinnati just turned the ball over, there 's one where it falls on the quarterback.
San Francisco is one mentally tough bunch of guys. They'll be a tough team to take out, even for Seattle. The quarterback's ability to take off and run gives the Niners an added dimension. He's like Randall Cunningham, can throw darts and also beat you with his feet, only better, because he has nerves of steel.
OK, I'll crawl back into my hole now.
Although Indy's comeback was one of the greatest in the history of the game, one thing in Reid's defense is, look at the players he lost to injury.
He certainly could have run the ball a lot more and controlled the clock if he had his horse in there, but Reid always drove the Philly fans up the wall, the way he'd always have his team throw it, when he could run it.
Add Johnny Unitas to the list of HOF quarterbacks who advised their sons to stay away from football.
In a biography about Johnny U, I read that his son had a choice between college scholarship offers for football and golf. He didn't want to offend his dad and forsake football, until one day, Johnny U said, "I won't tell you what to do, but if you want to still walk when you are 50, stay on the golf course."
Losing players doesn't have anything to do with clock management. It's an issue that has plagued Reid his entire coaching career.
Agreed, Calico. I've watched plenty of Eagles games.
One more case in point about people choosing not to play football, goes back to my high school days. Often, when I've talked about experiencing the extremes of being on a winless high school football team (one 0-0 tie) and a state champion basketball team in the same calendar year, people have asked how that could be possible.
Easy, the best athlete in the school who would have excelled in any sport, chose to run cross country instead of play football. Why should he, when he had schools like Syracuse, Michigan, Temple, North Carolina, Kansas all offering basketball scholarships? He chose to stay close to home and went to Temple, where he played on an NIT champion, and was captain ... name is John Richardson. He later won over 400 games as a high school basketball coach.
One football injury could have kept all those good things from happening.
Funny story about John, our local basketball hero.
Several years later we were honoring him, I was sports editor of the local daily paper, so I was making a presentation, and I asked him, in front of a big group of people, "why were you worried about getting hurt in football, when you would have had me blocking for you?"
He winked and replied, "that's why I didn't play."
We all had a laugh and I took no offense.
FSU will probably be the pre-season favorite to win it again next year, they have so many players returning.
Some of them will have a tough adjustment to the NFL, they'll have to get used to the cut in pay. LMAO
So much for the Heisman Trophy jinx, that was a great game after a slow start and getting sacked four times in the first half. Scoring just before the half to stay in the game and then that 100 yard TD return ... wow. What a classic game.
Guess that pass interference call in the end zone on the final drive will be controversial. If they allowed physical play all game, why call it then? Tough job, being a referee.
If the comparison is to the Kiffin defense, then yes.
Rob Ryan never had a top 10 defense until now.
He never appeared in a playoff game till the Eagles/Saints game.
Dallas finished last year with an 8-8 record, same as the year before under Ryan and this year under Kiffin.
The Ryan's are nothing but a bunch of loudmouthed, never-achieved-anything do nothings. If it wasn't for the N.O. run game, the Ryan-led Saints defense would be 0-1 in the playoffs.
So no.
Yes, ball control is a good way of keeping the other team off the scoreboard, especially when you have a lead to protect, or if you're on the road and just need to stay close, hoping to capitalize on a turnover or anything that can give you a chance to win.
Wholeheartedly agree with the above statement.
The play Luck made on Brown's fumble should go down as one of the greatest in playoff history. It reminded me of the fumble Bettis made in the Divisional playoff against Indy in 2006. It may have been going into the very same end zone, even. Big Ben made a miraculous tackle on Nick Harper around midfield and Vanderjagt eventually missed the FG. The Steelers went on to win the SB that year. After the Immaculate Reception, it's probably the biggest play in Steelers history.
But Luck's may have been even more amazing. He was arguably out of position as he should have rolled out and sold the pass in an attempt to freeze the MLB. But the fumble came right to him like long rebound to a guard at the top of the key. He got skinny, drove the lane and finished strong to the hole. If he had been where he was supposed to be, that could have killed the comeback and ended the Colts season.
The Super Bowl in January of 1991, where Bill Parcels and the Giants beat a high-powered Buffalo team, is probably the best example of ball control keeping a potent offense off the field.
That, and a missed field goal at the end, were the Giants' recipe for victory.
Here's a big heads-up play Joe Theisman made to avert disaster in the Super Bowl
back in January of 83.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6PbAF0lYOo
There was also the pick-6 he threw against the Raiders right before half time that signaled the beginning of the blowout to come. One of the all time biggest SB blunders...
One of the worst quarterbacked Super Bowl games, ever, indeed.
But he did win the ring the year before. Nobody can take it away.
I'm sure you've seen the highlight of the miked-up Raiders on the sidelines ... "let's keep dom-in-a-tin this team, dom-i-na-tin, let's ABUSE em, let's ABUSE em."
They put stuff like that on NFL Films, then issue fines for bad behavior. Go figure. They punish the very thing they sell to the public.
Anybody have tickets for the Super Bowl?
Watch out for the traffic jams, this is New Jersey.
I remember something Paul Blair (RIP) said after he joined the Yankees and moved to Parsippany, after 12 years with the Orioles. I asked him to compare the traffic in the two metro areas and he said, in Baltimore, you know where and when the jam ups would be and learn how to avoid and get around them.
I'll never forget this. He then said, "In New Jersey, you can end up in a traffic jam anywhere at any time." That was in 1977, must be 10 times worse now.
I don't have any tickets to this one ,but I did go the Super Bowl 4 years ago when the Who-Dats opened up a can of woop ass on the Colts ! It was quite an experience to say the least,being that the wifeys nephew was on the Who-Dats we even got to go the post game party/celebration in the their hotel.......but that's another story ! Lolll...
That's awesome.
I've been to the World Series, the NCAA Final Four, the NBA and Stanley Cup finals, college bowl games, but have never been to a Super Bowl.
pmnsk Ground and pound still works.
The folks in Baltimore are feeling no sympathy for the Colts.
NE is tough, you are right, talented and well managed,
right now i am backing Denver all the way through.
Yep, Denver definitely has the edge.... would like to see a competitive game though... manning/brady again!!
New England (while under Belichick) being able to field a consistent playoff contender for over 10 years is an amazing feat by itself. NE making it to its 8th AFC championship in that time is a coaching/management feat that we may never see another franchise accomplish.
Get ready, Giants' fans. Here comes Tom Brady to play a Super Bowl in your stadium.
San Fran as the Cinderella candidate just seems so right. Would rather see them try NE than Seattle.
Here's to Kaepernicking at the Super Bowl !
San Francisco was in the SB last year... Not sure the Cinderella designation applies.
No one is giving Denver a shot against NE? That's odd. I think the horsies win by 14 at least. I also think that Seattle is the only team who can slow them down. The Legion of Boom shut down the Saints and I think they can do the same to the Broncos. Those big, physical, long-armed DBs are capable of knocking guys off their routes at the ball and upsetting the timing of the routes. Then the front 7 needs to start knocking Manning down on a regular basis. Formula for success. Plus, if Marshawn Lynch can pound the rock and get 150+ yards and keep the Broncos offense off the field, so much the better. The Broncos did a good job stopping the run yesterday, but Danny Woodhead doesn't even have a Bumblebee Mode, let alone a Beast Mode, lol.
So Peyton won't "choke" this time, like he allegedly did against the Ravens? I know that's what you'll be saying if he loses.
Since Moreno is a Jersey Shore guy, I'd love to see him in a Super Bowl played in New Jersey. That would be cool.
There was a story that the Seattle fans caused a seismic event (earthquake?) with all their stomping. That is one wild place to go and be the visiting team.
I hate all four remaining teams. But I guess I have to root Broncos because I love Mr. Manning.
I don't remember Moreno on Jersey Shore. Did he smoosh with Snookie?
If the Broncos lose to the Pats, it will indeed be another choke job, just like against Baltimore last year. The talent levels between the two teams aren't even close.
My forecast is that the AFC game will be better than SB48.
SB48 will be a blowout, boring game.
I think it will be Broncos and Seahawks. I think 49ers are better than Seahaws, but it will be tough to win in Seattle
Well, if San Fran could overcome the cold in Green Bay, perhaps they also can overcome the noise in Seattle.
Have to say, this is the NFC title game I was expecting all season, even though I would have liked to see Philly make it and the Who Dat team was looking real good, too, until they lost to the J-E-T-S.
Impressed that New England has overcome all the things they've had to deal with this season, and has reinvented itself and gotten in on the strength of their ground game ... although Brady still can throw it when he needs to ... that's what you call balance.
Denver should win with all the personnel they have at their disposal, but you never know.
Any player who takes the field has to have the attitude, it's what we do TODAY that counts. Forget about the press clippings.
i get tired of hearing about Peyton Manning and whether he's the best quarterback ever. In my personal opinion he is the greatest I've ever seen. And I've seen them all in the modern football era from Johnny u to the present. Although there are more quarterbacks with more rings there is none better. Terry Bradshaw was not a great quarterback but he had a great team around him. Joe Montana was a great quarterback and had a great team around him. Peyton Manning rarely has had good teams around him Manning teams are always lacking in something whether it be a defense or a running game. Put Peyton Manning on a team like San Francisco or Seattle with devastating defenses and a top shelf running game and I really think he would never lose a game
I get tired of people saying that Peyton Manning is better than Tom Brady. There isn't a metric you can name where Tom Terrific doesnt come out on top... and he's had far fewer offensive weapons at his disposal. Manning apologists point to poor Colts defenses. That's because they spent all their money surrounding Peyton with Marshall Faulk, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Edgerrin James, Dallas Clark, etc., etc., Brady put up his numbers to no-names for most of his career. He's also won 9 out of the 13 h2h match ups with a 2-1 record in the playoffs. If not for a miracle comeback, it would be 3-0 and Peyton still wouldn't have a SB win under his belt. Manning is great, but not better than Brady... No way.
Both are great, but I'm with ian here, Brady has done it with guys off the scrap heap, bargain basement pickups, fill-ins when someone got hurt and this year was a great example of that.
When he had Randy Moss, he was devastating.
Hoping Blount and Pats revamped run heavy offense is enough to keep Peyton off the field for a majority of the game. Always the off chance that Belichik switches to a pass oriented attack instead, especially since Denver lost one of their key CB's Sunday night. Brady should be 5-0 in the Superbowl if not for a hail mary helmet catch in the first meeting with the Giants and a key drop by Welker that may have sealed the game in the second meeting. I would love to see what everyone has to say if the Patriots beat the Broncos high arsenal attack and make it to the Superbowl with their injury depleted team and wide receivers that weren't much before this season. I'd like to see a Patriots-Seahawks Superbowl and there's no quarterback left in the final 4 who I believe would play better than Brady in the cold Giant's stadium.
People may not like the style of Coach Bellicose, but he's a master at Xs and Os and game planning and Brady is a resourceful quarterback, to say the least.
Belichik played for Annapolis High and his first coaching job was with the Baltimore Colts back in 1975, spending most of his time studying film of the next opponent, so as a Maryland guy I've always been happy for his success. He's one of those guys, like Johnny U as a QB, who advanced the way the game is played.
Interesting factoid... Manning is the only starting QB left NOT to have been drafted by an MLB team.
Russell Wilson was drafted as an infielder (2B) in the 4th round in 2010 by the Colorado Rockies.
Colin Kaepernick was drafted as a pitcher in the 49th round in 2009 by the Chicago Cubs.
Tom Brady was drafted as a catcher in the 18th round in 1995 by the Montreal Expos.
ianimal how much of Bradys wins came from his head coach cheating. filming the other teams practices Oh that's right he wasn't cheating he just misinterpreted the rules
Cheating? Like illegally pumping in crowd noise when the other team has the ball? Everyone knows the Colts were doing it, even if the NFL never could prove it.
I can't stand the Patriots or Belichick. To tell the truth, I hate Tom Brady, too. Doesn't change the fact that he's surpassed his boyhood idol Montana as the greatest ever.
I like the factoids.
Some parents want their kid to specialize, but it seems the top world class athletes are always guys who played multiple sports as youths and were good at all of them.
Anquan Boldin must have played basketball somewhere. He's like a football power forward.
Ravens are not looking real smart for getting rid of HIM.
LMAO.... I just KNEW Dierdorf was one of those "FW all" a-holes.
The Jurr-ah IMs were great, too.
And Dan was still on Earthlink! LOL. I was thinking of you when I read the Jeff Triplette email.
That Denver-New England game shapes up to be high scoring. If Denver puts seven in the box, Brady will throw over the top and have a big day. Otherwise, the Pats run, run, and run. However, the Patriots' defense does not look like they'll give Manning any problems, so if you like offense, this is your game.
I think the NFC wins this Super Bowl because their two teams have better defenses, and either of the two NFC quarterbacks can move the ball against either shaky AFC defense.
Looks like that adds up to Seattle winning its first-ever Super Bowl. If San Fran pulls it off, they'll be the Super Bowl favorite.
I predict -
If Seattle wins the NFC, they lose the SB
If SF wins the NF, they win the SB
To me, Seattle is not the same dominant team on the road and both Peyton and Brady/Belichick can carve up Seattle.
I'm with you maxman but feel SF stands more of a chance to surprise NE........if anyone can.
The first sign Spring is near; the Australian Open in full swing. Play suspended at 111 degrees yesterday, probably hotter courtside, as the Russian Sharapova had to play through the entire third set at 111 before she could get out of the heat. It went 10-8 for a 3.5hr match probably one of the most brutal matches I have seen. Might have been the match of the tournament, hope she recovers.
Was she super sweaty, misterg? Maybe you can find a picture and start a thread for the men of HL, lol.
Adds new meaning to the term, "she's hot."
Yeah, have to agree that Seattle on a neutral field (especially if it is bitter cold) would not play as well as a real gritty San Fran team would
Have to add, hope she recovers. That is unbelievable hot weather for that sort of exertion.
Seattle's defense is actually pretty consistent. They gave up 113 points at home and 121 on the road (14 ppg vs 15 ppg). The big disparity is on the offensive side, where they averaged 29 points at home versus 23 on the road.
When's the last time that four of the top six WRs in a conference championship game were white? Edelman and Amendola for the Pats and Decker/Welker for the Broncos. Not that I care what color they are; but you gotta admit that it's more than a bit anomalous these days, lol.
Just heard something funny... Peyton Manning is the NFLs equivalent of Michael Jordan, if Jordan would have gotten called for traveling every time the game was on the line (-;
Probably have to go back to 1965 when the Colts had Raymond Berry and Jimmy Orr and the Packers had Boyd Dowler and Carroll Dale.
This joke goes back almost 20 years ... did you know John Elway has a part in the new movie about OJ Simpson? He's the slow, white Bronco.
Another joke said there was proof that OJ could not have been at the crime scene. They found a Super Bowl ring.
Pass the Doritos, Chips, Pizza, Pretzels please
If the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks will win the conference championship games today, then gear up or munchie up for what will be a Super Bowl for the ages.
Not because of the talents that will be going head to head, but the first ever Marijuana Bowl?
These two teams represent the major cities in Colorado and Washington, the only states that have legalized recreational marijuana.
I predict winning score will come with 4:20 left in the game
Haha. Too bad the biggest thing weighing on Peyton's mind is how fast he can get a Bud Light in his mouth, not some lit bud, lol.
Peyton may be drinking that beer in Disney! Hoping for a Patriots loss, just because I don't like the Patriots. Favor Seattle over SF, but don't really care who wins that game.
maja i'm rootin' for seahawks right now, but the 9ners are looking stronger than i ever thought they were.
What drama.
The Niners are like the Brooklyn Dodgers of the early 50s for heartbreaking finishes.
Peyton Manning... you've just won the Super Bowl. Are you going to Disney World?
Disney World? F$&@ that sh?t! I'm headed back to Colorado. Didn't you hear? They got legal WEED there. I'm gonna smoke some Orange Crush for my neck pain and chow down on some edibles with my boy Seth Rogen in Aspen. Better weed. Better high. Papa John's.
One difference between playing at home or the road is the calls (or non-calls) you get from the officials.
Just saw the extended weather forecast (granted it's a guess this early) but it looks like it will be interesting Super Bowl weather - cold with snow potential.
Also, just realized that I will have to share my parking garage with all of the SB fans since my lot is at the Westin JC :-(
Bonv I'm sure when they first scheduled the thing, they knew it would be cold with snow potential.
It's Feb 2, for goodness sake.
One of these years they'll have it in Green Bay, if they think it will draw TV ratings.
Andy, the home cooking for calls is more of a basketball thing than football, no?
And having the game in NY has nothing to do with ratings. It's the Super Bowl. The tv ratings will be exactly the same no matter where it is. I think it was just a bone that Goodell threw the Mara family.
I also don't think Green Bay can handle the crush of the Super Bowl... not enough seats, not enough hotel rooms, etc.
I was being facetious with the Green Bay comment, although they have played late games there in the playoffs for the sake of TV ratings.
As for calls, the refs could call holding just about any time they want. Lots of calls in football are debatable.
Surely, you've heard Tom Fallon's afternoon Happy Hour show on 1230 AM in the Lehigh Valley. He's a HUGE Steelers fan and I've known him at least 15 years or so.
He told a story on the air about that Franco Harris Immaculate Reception game, said the ref was ready to call it an incomplete pass, but with the crowd going crazy, he just put up his hands and said "Touchdown, Pittsburgh" and got the heck outta there.
For folks who have never seen it before, here's the Immaculate Reception with Franco Harris, from Mt.Holly in South Jersey (Rancocas Valley High) scoring a most improbable touchdown.
I hated the Raiders in those days, they had a reputation for being dirty. I absolutely loved this when it happened.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xMDIcsUMmA
Andy, the way I heard it was that, after the play was over, they were discussing whether or not there was illegal touching or if the ball hit Jack Tatum when he leveled Frenchy Fuqua. The referee asked how many cops they had to escort the officiating crew out. When they told him the detail consisted of six men, he replied: "Six? Then six for Pittsburgh!!!!"
But no, I don't listen to AM radio... I have satellite. Occasionally I'll turn the FAN on if the Mets are playing an afternoon game while I'm driving home... but that's it.
Yes, six for Pittsburgh is right. Now that it is 5:25 in the morning I'm thinking more clearly. LOL
Anyone who doesn't listen to Francesa missed this ..
http://thebiglead.com/2014/01/21/mike-francesa-struggled-putting-on-his-super-bowl-xlviii-earmuffs-assures-you-he-doesnt-watch-new-girl/
As is pretty much the case all the time, anyone who doesn't listen to Francesa hasn't missed a thing...
Goodell wants to make NFL better by eliminating the PAT. For the record, I believe the only way Goodell could ever improve the NFL is by quitting.
But in the online discussions that have ensued, one potential change is somewhat intriguing to me. Instead of having the PAT snapped from the 2 and kicked by the place kicker, have it snapped from the 12 and whoever scored the TD has to be the one to attempt the kick. It would bring a new necessary skill set to the skill positions, that's for sure. And how about those occasional DT fumble recoveries for TDs? Wouldn't it be hilarious to see Ndamukong Suh channel his inner Martin Grammatica and attempt a 30 yard PAT with the game on the line? ( I would probably go for two in that situation, lol)
All in all, I think it's another dumb idea from the man who never seems to run out of them, but there might be some potential somewhere.
Goodell is taking the foot out of football. He says extra points are almost automatic, which means he never was the guy making the center snap, or the holder who has to catch that snap and place it just right. Sure they convert PATs in the NFL with the same regularity as outfielders catch routine fly balls, but when somebody messes up, it's all over sports center. And sometimes that kick gets blocked, and that's a great play, even greater because it is rare.
He took the kickoff return out of the game, what next? At least on that one, he was somewhat convincing that it was for safety reasons.
As far as I'm concerned a touchdown is a team accomplishment, no matter what player scored it. The kicker is a position, just like the quarterback or left tackle. You put the guy with the skills for the position in each spot ...to score as many touchdowns as your opponent and lose by a point, because your defensive end had to try a place kick, is ridiculous.
He's messing with a game that is drawing phenomenal TV ratings. What's he doing?
If all the players have to start practicing place kicks the way basketball players practice free throws, that's crazy. Basketball players practice free throws when they are growing up, in their driveways, at the school yard, etc. it is something one can do on his own and it is an intrinsic part of the sport..
How many parents put goal posts in the yard for their kids?
A few points:
1) It's stupid to change the PAT. It's not automatic. Dallas' former kicker, David Beuhler, is proof of that. How many times have we seen a game decided by the PAT? Lots. They should focus on getting replay reviews and playoff seeding better if they want to improve the game.
2) This whole pro bowl draft is STUPID! It's so far been the Deion/Jerry ego booster show in my opinion. If they want to increase the excitement, change it back to being played after the SB. It's stupid to put players in a position where they have to drop out because their team is in the SB.
3) Richard Sherman should have never apologized. The uproar is stupid. As I wrote on FB, the guy talked smack AFTER he made plays on the field. There a lot of people who talk smack and never actually played the game...and yet they have a problem with Sherman? Nuts if you ask me.
The Pro Bowl is so lame, I've never even seen anyone set up a block pool for it. And I hang out with some pretty degenerate gamblers... 'nuff said.
Sherman is a beast. I'm hoping that he and the rest of the LOB can shut down Thomas, Thomas, Decker and Welker... a daunting task, to be sure, but they're the only secondary in the league who has a shot at doing it, IMO.
Sherman said something after the fallout that rings true to me and I've been saying it for months, if not years. The use of the word "thug" in internet message boards and elsewhere has really become just a euphemism for calling black guys the n-word. You can tell by the tone of the posts in most cases exactly what the poster is really saying.
"The only reason it bothers me is it seems like it's an accepted way of calling someone the N-word nowadays. It's like everybody else said the N-word and they said thug and they're like, 'that's fine,'" Sherman said. "That's where it kind of takes me aback. It's kind of disappointing because they know. What is the definition of a thug, really?"
I agree ianimal about the thug thing. I never thought it had a color. All news to me.
A thug is a guy who mugs old ladies. When you apply it to a person with a degree from Stanford who plays a game for a living... there's some other motivation.
On a happier note, the Steelers just went a long way toward improving the play of their talented but young and underachieving offensive line by hiring Mike Munchak, recently fired Titans head coach, as their new offensive line coach. I'm pretty confident that he can turn that unit into a top-10 O-line that will open some holes for LeVeon Bell and keep Ben upright. Now, a few tweaks on defense and we should be back to contending for the next 5 years at least.
http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/ravens-talk/munchak-staff-steelers-will-zone?p=ya5nbcs&ocid=yahoo
Unfortunately, the Pro Bowl had poor TV ratings when they played it after the Super Bowl.
Back in the day, before we had all these playoff games, and the NFL played its championship game around Christmas time (when the Eagles won!) people used to watch. It was early January, you wanted to see guys like Butkus, Unitas, Sayers, Jim Brown one more time, and it was fun.
You always have to watch out that you don't go over the saturation point with anything, including football games on TV.
The old AFL tried something interesting with their Pro-Bowl on Jan. 15, 1966, a year to the day before the first "Super Bowl."
The AFL All-Stars played the league champion Buffalo Bills. People were curious to see how a team that had played together all year would do against a team of stars that only had a couple of practices.
There were no limitations on blitzes, the teams were actually allowed to play.
Joe Namath had a big passing night, behind the all-pros who were blocking for him, and the AFL stars won 30-19.
The NFC won the first AFC-NFC Pro Bowl after the merger in 1971 and then the AFC won the next three. Then the novelty seemed to wear off and it has been "a joke" ever since.
The Pro Bowl is played with no defense and the league is embarrassed every year because of it, with players playing half speed.
The tv ratings by itself are still very good .
They need to steal a page from the NHL and have it turn into a weekend of skills competitions (maybe even bring back the old Superstars style events), culminating with an exhibition game where no one expects any defense to be played with scores that look like a different sport all together. For the NHL, it winds up as a football score; for the NFL, NCAA basketball scores will be the norm. But have the weekend concentrate on personal interactions with the players; kinda meet the guys behind the helmets.
If the Pro-Bowl ratings still are good (I'm not doubting your info) it is interesting that nine out of 10 football fans I talk to will always say "I never watch it" and most sports talk hosts also show it disdain.
Compared to other football games, it gets crappy ratings. But it still draws in just as many, if not more viewers than the baseball all-star game. Baseball has sunk to a distant number two in popularity.
Hell, the Pro Bowl almost did better than the average ratings for the World Series...
7.7/12.2M for the Pro Bowl; 8.9/14.9M avg for the World Series games in 2013.
The sad part is that was a 17% viewership increase for the WS from 2012; they probably lost the year before.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidlariviere/2013/11/07/low-world-series-tv-ratings-again-here-to-stay-unless-changes-are-made/
Baseball has not connected, it seems, with the millennial generation.
One problem I've often heard discussed, is the fact that baseball has not had a World Series game played in the daytime since 1987. A whole generation never watched the WS as kids because their parents made them go to bed.
I remember walking home from school when Bill Mazeroski hit the home run to beat the Yanks in game seven of the 1960 series, I was in fifth grade. Everybody was listening on their transistor radios ... you could hear the play-by-play everywhere.
It isn't like that today.
"Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?"
Former Yankees pitcher Jim Bouton, from my Ocean County Times archive.
For me, baseball on TV ranks right down there with golf, bowling, and scrapbooking on the excitement meter. Part of it is that I don't know enough of the "strategy" in baseball to appreciate it. The other part is that it's soooo slow moving.
Baseball definitely needs a pitch clock....pitchers gets the ball and he has 10 seconds to pitch ! But what would his consequence be ?? Any suggestions ?? Just my opinion,so no bashing please....
The obvious penalty would be to issue a ball to the batter. But what about the batter stepping out of the box? I guess that's his tough luck if the pitcher throws a strike?
Baseball can be interesting if you keep trying to guess what the pitcher will throw next, when there are men on base you're thinking hit and run? Bunt? Swing away?
Steal, will they pitch out on this count? When you try to put yourself in the position of the manager, or the pitcher and catcher, it keeps your mind active.
I realize most fans don't watch the games on that level.
Back to football, if extra points are "too easy," how about narrowing the goal posts? You need to keep it close to the goal line, because it gives you the option for the two-point conversion.
That would almost totally eliminate the long field goals, except for desperate situations.
Of course, extra points are far from automatic in high school, so leave that game the way it is.
I don't mind batters stepping out of the box, because he has to be ready.
That pitcher's going to throw the ball 90 to 100 miles per hour, and it might be coming right at your head.. or a change-up to throw you off ... even if it is a curve low and away, you only have a fraction of a second to decide if it is a ball or strike, how will it break, swing or take?
You have to be ready. It's not the game we played on sandlots as kids. These pitchers are scary.
And last years Pro Bowl did take a dip in the ratings compared to the year before but still was the Sunday night winner overall in ratings.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-dipping-pro-bowl-415841
NFL is also feeling desperate this year by having a 2 minute warning not just at the end of each half but at the end of each quarter and having a change of posession after the conclusion of that quarter.
Another side note is I don't believe a quarterback kneel down is allowed, i thing there must be a running play into the line for an attempt at positive yardage.
I can't help but think that the NFL is trying some of these ideas for possible future consideration along with all the talk about removing the PAT or moving it back 10 or 20 yards. The league just seems to be gettingwacky with so many new possible changes. If It's not broke don't fix it, it's exciting enough with all the points being scored.
I think some of the rule changes in the Pro Bowl are simply experiments. They want to see how they work out in a real game.
The one rule I like is the clock stoppage if the offense doesn't gain a yard within the 2 final minutes. It effectively eliminates the benefit of kneel downs. We can call it the Schiano Rule.
I'm not sure if any of the football thread people saw my posts in the Christmas display thread regarding a local family that does snow sculptures.
Anyway, here are the contributions for the Super Bowl.
Super cool IMO. If anyone wants to check them out in person, they are located on Mine Hill Road in Oxford.
Some comments from Mad Dog regarding the negatives of having the Super Bowl here, and you know he's always going to be asked about his relationship with Mike.
I'll always remember Mad Dog for picking the Ravens to beat the Giants "Double three to goose egg" in that Super Bowl. Good job, final score was 34-7 and the only Giants score was a kickoff return.
http://www.nj.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/01/ex-wfan_host_chris_mad_dog_russo_talks_super_bowl_mike_francesa_and_imitators_on_youtube.html
The Ravens were blessed that year, they had a Priest on the team (Priest Holmes).
I know, this will dredge up all the Ray Lewis stuff. Brian Billick dealt with it in the press conferences, over and over.
That was a team that didn't mind punting the ball. When they did, they knew they were at full strength.
Billick had an interesting comment about this year's Super Bowl.
He said Seattle can win, but they won't win if they don't respect Peyton Manning.
Interesting comment from a guy who won a Super Bowl on the strength of a very good, and very arrogant, defense. I guess when it's YOUR team, it's called confidence. Semantics.
I don't like Billick as an analyst and I HATE his garbage justification for how he handled the Lewis situation. With that said, his Ravens weren't facing a lock first ballot HOF who had made many defenses look foolish. If I were on the Ravens that year, I probably would have pulled a Pete Carroll and locked it in as a win already.
Know who I think is a good analyst? Troy Aikman. Gets better each year, that means he does his homework.
Ron Jaworski keeps proving they didn't call him "Jaws" for nothing.
I like Aikman as well. Unlike Michael Irvin, who always tries to spin Dallas' in a good light, Aikman isn't afraid to call out the Cowboys' performance. That tells me that he's at least trying to be objective. I know a lot of people don't like Joe Buck but he doesn't bother me at all as well. I like the tandem.
Maybe the ESPN MNF gig ruined Jaws for me but I thought (still do) the Tirrico (sp?), Gruden, Jaws crew was boring. All they do is lavish praise on average performers. I almost turned them off when they started praising Bobby Carpenter's performance with the Lions. The guy was a total bust (drafted by Parcells as HC of Dallas) and because he made one play during a game vs. Dallas, they made it seem like he was just in a bad spot in Dallas. The Lions cut him so I guess he wasn't that great.
As a guy who has done hundreds of game stories, and has broadcast over 100 high school football games, praise is lavished on a game-by-game, play-by-play basis.
A big play is a big play, by whoever makes it. Press clippings don't matter.
Every game starts out 0-0 and you never know who the hero of the day will be.
Over the long haul, as stats accumulate, you know who the all-stars and HOF guys are, but on any given Sunday ... as the old NFL mantra goes ...
The only sports stuff I watched was the Rangers-Devils game from Yankee Stadium and the Australian Open.
I usually watch the Pro Bowl, but not this time.
I would have watched it but there were 15-year old Law & Order reruns on at the exact same time. What are the odds?
I watched a few minutes, then I went to bed...
It was interesting to see the mixed teams, however not worth watching..
As if the 3-1/2 hours of wasted air time that was the Pro Bowl wasn't bad enough... at least it was only on a single network.
Tonight, prepare for the 3-hour waste of time that is the State of the Union Address. Just imagine if you kept turning the channel and the Pro Bowl was STILL ON, lol.
We could listen to Gary Kubiak instead.
http://www.wbal.com/article/105056/23/ravens-name-new-offensive-coordinator
Usually when your QB and RBs both suck, it's an O-line issue. I'm glad we got Munchak instead of you guys.
Or maybe he had a bad year *because* his running backs were having a bad year? Do elite $100m QB's struggle w/o a run game?
He had a bad year by the standards he had set previously, and you know the Ravens have been a strong running team for several years under Billick and then Harbaugh. With Jonathan Ogden and similar guys who followed him making blocks, how could they not be?
I haven't been a Romo critic, like many other people. The money in pro sports is nuts. Flacco got what he did because the Ravens did not want him to leave and he did what any modern capitalist would do, got whatever he could get. Whatever Unitas made (I'd have to look it up but it was the 50s and 60s) ... he was worth every penny.
The guys of that era were as underpaid as the modern guys are overpaid.
You could look up things I've said about Romo ... I've been more than fair to him.
It takes a team to win and Romo could win with a good team just like Eli and Cool Joe did.
To the Ravens' credit, when something isn't working, they make a move to try and fix it. And it isn't the owner making the football personnel decisions.
I think Flacco's problems are related to losing Boldin. In years past, he could chuck it deep on second down knowing that Quan would move the chains on 3rd. He didn't have that this year and his numbers on 3rd down reflected that:
58.7 QB Rating
53.4 comp %
4 TD, 10 Int, 24 sacks, 4 fumbles, 1 lost
I'm just having fun with you Andy. I know you've been very objective with Romo. I actually think Flacco is pretty good...downright stupendous in the postseason.
Yeah, last year he had a post-season for the ages.
It's tough to repeat in the NFL, they aren't the first team to miss the playoffs the year after winning it all.
Football is odd in that it takes a team to win, but without a quality quarterback, you have no shot at winning. It becomes more evident with each passing year (hope Meister enjoyed the spontaneous pun).
Players cash in after doing something special ... look at Derek Jeter, you know he's being paid more for past performance than for anything you could expect out of him in the next year or two.
Couldn't find the Eagles' ring. LOL.
http://www.nfl.com/photos/09000d5d82618287/0ap2000000287843?campaign=Facebook_SB_gallery_rings
They may be like the Mets, cursed because of violent fan behavior.
You don't want to offend the Sports Gods.
emaxx - You will find the Eagles championship rings here. :-)
http://www.hoffco-inc.com/sb/rings-nfl.html
Right there with Buffalo, Cleveland, and Detroit.
Those were the days, Chuck Bednarik, Jack Kemp, Jimmy Brown, and Bobby Layne!
Old time football.
Yea congrats on winning the NFL title when it was a 13 team league and no playoffs
very impressive..
Darwin Darwin - You were also lucky to get out with your life back then. A rougher sport for sure.
No playoffs?
The Eagles are the only team, I repeat, ONLY TEAM to ever beat the Packers of Vince Lombardi in a championship game.
A little respect where it is due, please.
By the way, I went to Philly in 1967 to see my beloved Colts thrash them, wearing the horseshoe on my sweatshirt proudly.
It didn't hurt that I was 6-5, 220 pounds, and had a couple of big guys with me, but I had no trouble from anybody. Philly crowds were different back then, they took out their anger on Santa Claus with snowballs. LOL
yes andy, no playoffs. just a championship game. No 2 or 3 games to get to the title game.
The 67 Colts certainly wish they had more playoff games. Check this out...
http://miamimigraine.blogspot.com/2007/05/1967-baltimore-colts.html
Regular season games were more meaningful then, in fact some of those late season games were WARS when they knew what was at stake.
Also, when there were fewer teams, the teams were better ... the league wasn't as watered down ... there were no "weeks off" on the schedule.
When will we ever see a team with as many Hall of Famers (and should be HOFs) on it, as those Pittsburgh teams of the 1970s ... their 1974 draft was THE BEST EVER.
I never mind looking back at the old days ... if it wasn't for that odd alignment in 1967, that famous Green Bay "ice bowl" might never have happened ... the Cowboys might have been in 40-degree Baltimore that day, or 75-degree LA.
Also, when there were fewer teams, the teams were better ... the league wasn't as watered down
come on now Andy, there was still the AFL. Also the 1960 eagles were 10-2 with the next team at 8-3-1, there were no late meaningful games for them. their trip to the championship games was sealed by week 13. Last 2 games didn't really matter.. Also Dallas was 0-11-1 so trust me there were some "weeks off" :)
If we had a time machine, the 2-14 2014 Houston Texans would have won the 1960 NFL championship by about 35 points... hell, I'd make them a TD favorite against the '78 Steelers.
Just look at the rosters and you know today's teams are bigger, stronger, faster ...
I get that.
Still, Vince Lombardi was 9-1 in post-season games with Green Bay. His name is on the championship trophy.
The Eagles were his only loss in the post season. If your dad was on that Eagles team you'd be damn proud. Historically, it's special.
When fans try to devalue championships, shows a lack of respect.
The 1960 Dallas Cowboys' tie was on the road against the Giants ... who went 6-4-2, so the Cowboys could not have been THAT bad. That was an expansion team that year and they became a championship contender pretty quickly under Tom Landry.
The Cowboys worst loss in 60 was to the Colts. Given time to throw, Johnny U was devastating.
The AFL was also in its first year in 1960, and for the first couple of years it was just a league for players who were not good enough to play in the NFL.
That started turning around in 1965, when the Jets spent a lot of money to sign Joe Namath and other AFL teams started out-bidding NFL teams for top players coming out of the colleges, too. By 1968, the AFL caught up to the NFL, in large measure due to the fact that former NFL coaches like Weeb Ewbank were lured there with bigger contracts. The AFL by then was attracting top coaches from the college ranks, too, now that they were spending some serious money.
The AFL and NFL agreed to a common draft in the late 60s so they would not get into any more bidding wars for the top picks.
The AFL started signing about three of each four top NFL draft picks right from the get-go in 1960. They had a chance to start right away in the AFL, rather than have to earn a job in a competitive NFL camp. By 1966 the overall quality of the league was really good and the NFL realized that league was not going away, so merger talks got serious.
Heard on the news that they thought this would be the coldest Super Bowl, but they say its not. In 1972 (?) It was 39. BUT they say at kick-off it will be 35. Wouldn't that make it the coldest?
We'll have to wait and see what the temp is at the kick off.
As of now, 39 degrees at Tulane Stadium in Jan 72 is the record ... Cowboys won their first SB championship that day, beating the Dolphins.
One more thing about that Super Bowl, Duane Thomas of the Cowboys became the first player to score a touchdown in back-to-back Super Bowl games.
He scored them in SB 5 and 6.
Go Peyton!!! Sheesh, I've been cooking all morning, can't wait to eat some of this stuff later. Ugggh!
That's what I said...
My forecast is that the AFC game will be better than SB48.
SB48 will be a blowout, boring game.
I think it will be Broncos and Seahawks. I think 49ers are better than Seahaws, but it will be tough to win in Seattle.
What's the difference between Peyton Manning and Papa John?
Papa John delivers.
And Peyton Manning chokes . But seriously he is a first ballot HOFer just like Dan Marino who won zero SBs . The sports media totally blew up this whole Peyton legacy thing to drum up interest in the game when it was a non-story to begin with . I mean if he won he would still be 2-1 in the big game to Montana's 4-0 . It's nice to see in today's game with the rules heavily slanted in favor of the offense that defense STILL wins championships !
Well, two weeks ago I said on this thread either NFC team should beat the AFC team.
Didn't expect this kind of a blow out, but the best team certainly won.
And Seattle is young, they'll be around for awhile. They are like that 1974 Steelers team that won with a very young squad, and look what they went on to do.
Agree with Zombo above that it is especially impressive that Seattle won this way with today's rules all rigged up to create advantages for the quarterbacks.
On Mike and Mike, Sherman was very complimentary of Peyton Manning.
Can't lay it all on him, he was just up against a team that outplayed the Broncs in every phase of the game.
Super Bowl history is full of cases where the superior defensive team wins, with a kickoff return and interception return for touchdowns thrown in.
RU He was one of the sport's greatest coaches to be sure. That first Super Bowl broke a long drought for Pittsburgh ... and then they went on to be an all-time great team.
RIP.
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