NFL Thread

[xaxat]

The Pro Bowl should institute a rule where the receiving team must lateral the ball during the return after every change of possession (kickoffs, punts, turnovers).

[MarkHB]

And all kicks must be dropkicks when that is allowed in the rules.

[Constantinople]

Part of me thinks it's ridiculous that nfl.com has a countdown clock till the start of the Super Bowl.

Part of me is grateful that I know exactly how much pregame hype & BS is left.

[merylinkid]

I love all the Super Bowl hype and BS.   Yes I will be watching "opening night" tonight.   Because it's the most wonderful time of the year -- Super Bowl week.  

[topanga]

5 minutes ago, merylinkid said:

I love all the Super Bowl hype and BS.   Yes I will be watching "opening night" tonight.   Because it's the most wonderful time of the year -- Super Bowl week.  

I can only watch a little. It becomes painful after a while listening to the same stories over and over. The same analysis of the offense, defense, past Super Bowls, etc. After listening to several segments last year that focused on Cam Newton's dancing, I turned off the TV and the radio. 

[SuburbanHangSuite]

I didn't watch the game but flipped by as they were speaking to Dak and Elliot during the pregame.  Ezekiel Elliot 's belly-shirt jersey. No.  Just no.

[mojoween]

I love the Super Bowl and most of the folderol associated with it but for cod's sack I could seriously do without the breathless app notifications of "BREAKING NEWS the Falcons have landed in Houston" and "BREAKING NEWS the Patriots have landed in Houston".

Breaking news would be if the planes DIDN'T land, NFL.  Everyone calm down.

[merylinkid]

Any channel but the NFL Network should not be carrying breaking news that the planes landed.

Although I may have inserted current events to a few sports reporters yesterday when they were at the airport for the Falcons.   

[Jx223]

I like the video clips of Marshawn Lynch traveling to Houston Scotland and promoting the Super Bowl. I thought they were entertaining. He looks like he's having fun talking to the people there and passing out Skittles, lol.

[DrSpaceman73]

Superbowl opening night is stupid. 

I'd think that even if my team were in it. 

What's next, are they going to have a red carpet and start commenting on how the players are dressed, what 'designers' they are wearing? 

What I do enjoy is that they start showing replays/summaries of old the old Superbowls this week. 

[merylinkid]

8 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

What's next, are they going to have a red carpet and start commenting on how the players are dressed, what 'designers' they are wearing? 

What do you mean next?   They did.   Well not the designers.   But someone was asked why the hell they were in sweats.   League Rules.   Had to wear outfits designed by the uniform maker.    Honestly, it looked horrible.   Big deal, out on stage lights on them and they are team sweats.    Horrible, horrible look.   Let them wear suits, please.    

 

Also, you will get a lot of the "how are they dressed" and how the people with them dressed at the Super Bowl Awards on Saturday night.   They DO have a red carpet for that.

There is also now a red carpet for the draft.   Where what their mammas are wearing is requested.

[mojoween]

I never turned on Michael Vick.  He did a terrible thing, and he did his time, and while he can't bring back the animals he hurt, he is trying to make amends.

He wrote an article on The Player's Tribune that was so thoughtful and so moving...except I came away unfulfilled.  Maybe he has said this in other articles I have not read, but what I really wanted to know is WHY.  Why, Michael, did you throw it all away?

[Silver Raven]

Bad Lip Reading, the NFL 2017 edition, is out.

[DrSpaceman73]

Pat Mcafee is retiring as punter of the Colts, which is completely unexpected. 

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2017/02/02/pat-mcafee-walks-away-colts-29/97374974/

3 knee surgeries in 4 years.  He will be missed, one of the few bright spots for the COlts the last few years. 

He does stand up and is on local sports media quite a bit, but I imagine he will continue his career in those areas now that he is retired. 

[topanga]

14 hours ago, mojoween said:

I never turned on Michael Vick.  He did a terrible thing, and he did his time, and while he can't bring back the animals he hurt, he is trying to make amends.

He wrote an article on The Player's Tribune that was so thoughtful and so moving...except I came away unfulfilled.  Maybe he has said this in other articles I have not read, but what I really wanted to know is WHY.  Why, Michael, did you throw it all away?

Do you mean why did he throw it all away by having a dog fighting ring on his estate? According to stories I've heard about Michael Vick and people from Virginia, dog fighting is a big thing down there. And Michael apparently was surrounded by people from his old neighborhood who never told him that he probably should consider changing his ways now that he was a high-profile professional athlete. Oh yeah, and because killing dogs is wrong. Or maybe someone told him exactly that, and he just didn't listen. 

[mojoween]

Yes.  I realize I didn't articulate myself well and you said it better than I did.  I want to know why he did it in the first place.  How anyone could look at a beautiful animal and do that is beyond my comprehension.

[SuburbanHangSuite]

On his ep of "A Football Life" I think he mentions watching dogfights as a small kid and it was just something he became desensitized to as he grew up.  Of course that doesn't excuse the behavior but I can understand how his environment colored his judgment in a way most of us can't relate.  I love a good redemption story and I'm proud of the work he did in Philly, on and off the field.

And from that article, why do I get extreme joy imagining President Carter on the sidelines getting his Dirty Bird on after a TD?  Great letter.  Falcons, Rise Up.

Edited February 2, 2017 by absolutqt
Adding more stuff

[Carey]

Quote

Pat Mcafee is retiring as punter of the Colts, which is completely unexpected. 

Yeah, I didn't see that coming. Hardly shocked, but not something I'd bet on either.  Looked like he was Adam's successor. Oh well

[DrSpaceman73]

15 hours ago, absolutqt said:

On his ep of "A Football Life" I think he mentions watching dogfights as a small kid and it was just something he became desensitized to as he grew up.  Of course that doesn't excuse the behavior but I can understand how his environment colored his judgment in a way most of us can't relate.  I love a good redemption story and I'm proud of the work he did in Philly, on and off the field.

And from that article, why do I get extreme joy imagining President Carter on the sidelines getting his Dirty Bird on after a TD?  Great letter.  Falcons, Rise Up.

I've heard that argument before, that it was part of the "culture" where he grew up, but I still find that a pretty weak argument. 

We all I think are exposed to odd things growing up that we just accept when we are young.  At some point though, we are exposed to the world at large and really how wrong it is and how screwed up those things really are and we change.  At least most of us do.  He went to college. You'd think at some point someone would have pointed out that dogfighting really isn't part of standard middle America or common culture in this day and age

Plus its one thing to watch dogfighting, which in itself is questionable.  But hey, Spain has had bullfighting for centuries.  Its something else altogether to OWN and breed dogs yourself to do the fighting. 

But he served his time, certainly paid a price for what he did.  Pretty much ruined his career.  Hopefully he truly learned from this and at the very least with the exposure the places where dogfighting was still happening may have shut it down because of his case.

[Constantinople]

10 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

We all I think are exposed to odd things growing up that we just accept when we are young.  At some point though, we are exposed to the world at large and really how wrong it is and how screwed up those things really are and we change.  At least most of us do.  He went to college. You'd think at some point someone would have pointed out that dogfighting really isn't part of standard middle America or common culture in this day and age

In my opinion, dog fighting is so out of the mainstream that I don't know who that someone would have been.

[Silver Raven]

NFL Players' Association is going to recommend that players not sign with the Bears if the state of Illinois actually passes a law to change workers' comp for professional athletes.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nflpa-threatens-to-deter-players-from-signing-with-bears-if-illinois-passes-bill/

[Moose135]

Has the Super Bowl pregame show started yet?

[Silver Raven]

Just now, Moose135 said:

Has the Super Bowl pregame show started yet?

It's been running all week on the NFL Network.

[DrSpaceman73]

32 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

NFL Players' Association is going to recommend that players not sign with the Bears if the state of Illinois actually passes a law to change workers' comp for professional athletes.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nflpa-threatens-to-deter-players-from-signing-with-bears-if-illinois-passes-bill/

Not sure I understand exactly based on the article what they want to change or how it works now with workmen's compensation for athletes. 

If they are collecting workmen's compensation however until age 67 based on their professional athletic salary when they obviously have no way of playing to anyways near that age, I think its reasonable to amend the law somehow

[MarkHB]

I'd want to know what the law is in other states with major league teams. You can get examples from states as diverse as Massachusetts and Texas with everything in between.

[Carey]

14 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

It's been running all week on the NFL Network.

It's been a rather quiet week or season for pre Super Bowl hype.  Maybe it's just me, but I couldn't really get into it as much as I used to.  It's probably been 12 or 14 years since the pregame hype has been mediocre or just okay.  Not so much for the teams involved, but likely due to the fact that the season suffered for the first time in quite a long time, if not two years ago

[merylinkid]

It has been kinda low key this week.   It hit me this morning why.   These are low key teams with low key players.    They don't trash talk where they can be overhead and quoted.   They behave in public.   Etc.    The coaches keep it businesslike.    So not  a lot to focus on to hype up.   Hence the low key super bowl week.   

But still bouncing off the walls just thinking about the game tomorrow.

 

Oh Amy Trask aka the Princess of Darkness will take over the CBS SPorts twitter feed for the second half of the game.   

[mojoween]

Terrell Owens is very salty about not getting in the HOF and while I never liked him as a player (Giants fan + 24 point comeback = sadness), his production is HOF-worthy by any measure, IMO.  He's being kept out for garbage off the field reasons.

HOF is a total joke.  Honestly, doesn't mean anything to me to get in beyond this point.

[ganesh]

Well, TO had those domestic violence charges. No, that wasn't him. Oh, it was the DUIs where he killed someone while driving drunk. No, I was thinking of someone else. Was it the drug charges? No, he didn't do drugs. Oh, it was that time he lied to police during a murder investigation. Wait. That wasn't him either. 

Oh, I got it now. He was kind of bitchy to reporters and ran his mouth a lot in the locker room. Right, that's it. You just can't have someone like TO who talked a lot in the HOF. This is an institution representing the paragon of humanity. 

[DrSpaceman73]

TO should be in.  He had his locker room issues, but his numbers speak for themselves, as good or better than any WR in history not named Jerry Rice, who is just in a class by himself

PLUS he came back from a horrible injury during the season to play in the SB, played very well in that SB AND he wasn't the one sucking wind and puking sadly and pathetically trying to run the hurry up offense for the Eagles down 14 points in the 4th quarter

Jerry Jones and Morten Anderson don't belong in.  I don't care if he did kick for like 30 years and accumulated a whole lot of points. 

 

I am good with the others.  I know people are complaining about TD and Kurt Warner.  I was hesitant on TD for a long time, but just influence on the league is a factor and he had a huge influence in a short career.  He basically was responsible for John Elway's career being transformed from failure to success in his last two seasons.  Plus his playoff rushing numbers are astounding.  He averaged 140 yards per game rushing, which is the best all time in the playoffs, by far.  scored 12 TDs and had over 1200 yards from scrimmage in 8 playoffs games.  6th all time in playoff rushing yards

 

For Kurt Warner, for QBs, if we are going to judge them a huge amount by Superbowl wins/appearances and playoff performance, he also excels in that area.  Took one franchise to its only SB win and another franchise to its only SB appearance.  Three total appearances.  On the short list of QBs to play a SB as a starter for two different teams.  (I think its 3, him, Peyton Manning and Craig Morton, I could be missing one though).  Second all time in playoff passer rating at 103 (first is Bart Starr, whole different era).  Brady and manning, by the way, are both way down the list at around 88 one that stat.  Top 10 all time in playoff passing yards and TDs (9th and 7th). 

[merylinkid]

I'm a Cowboys fan and I do not think Jerry Jones belongs in.   His ego is why that team has not been in a Super Bowl in over 20 years.   Why they miss the playoffs year after year.   He took a once proud franchise and made it a joke.   I can only think the luck he had this year influenced the voters.   And it was luck that Dak Prescott turned out to be so good.

I think Tagliabue should be in not Jones.   

As for TO, I am just fine with him not getting in.   When you bounce from team to team because you cause problems, that says a lot.   They didn't care how well he played, it didn't make up for the trouble he caused.

[Mountainair]

6 hours ago, merylinkid said:

It has been kinda low key this week.   It hit me this morning why.   These are low key teams with low key players.    They don't trash talk where they can be overhead and quoted.   They behave in public.   Etc.    The coaches keep it businesslike.    So not  a lot to focus on to hype up.   Hence the low key super bowl week.   

But still bouncing off the walls just thinking about the game tomorrow.

 

Oh Amy Trask aka the Princess of Darkness will take over the CBS SPorts twitter feed for the second half of the game.   

You have one team that makes it to the super bowl every other year it seems and then another team that is obscure as hell and well..... not much to tune in for really. I'd like to think that most of America hates the Patriots as much as I do but I feel like the win is in the bag for the Patriots due to their sob story of having their QB benched for the first four games. I like the Falcons sob story of never having won a super bowl for their tenure in the league to be much more compelling.

[Popples]

JJ does belong in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Jimmy Johnson. How the hell is he not in yet? He's responsible for the 90's Cowboys teams, but Jerral's ego can't handle that truth.

[Jx223]

I enjoyed tonight's NFL Honors show. I liked how Dak brought Zeke up on the stage with him when he won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. (I am also glad Zeke ended up winning the ground award.) I was happy to see them Khalil Mack, Matt Ryan, Mike Evans and others win awards.

Even though I didn't think they were going to win, I was also glad to see Derek Carr and Adam Gase get nominated in the MVP and Coach of The Year Categories. 

I am very happy for Kurt Warner for getting into the Hall of Fame. And I am fine with Jerry Jones getting in. I do think that TO should be in. But it seems voters are determined to keep snubbing him for a while. Maybe one day they will say "Oh, What the heck" and let him in. Maybe that will happen down the line.

Edited February 5, 2017 by Jx223

[mojoween]

In 2018 Ray Lewis will be in his first year of eligibility and watching him get in on the first try while TO sat for at least two years is going to be infuriating.

I am already planning on finding something else to do when Murderin' Ray steps up to the podium for his induction speech.

[Crs97]

If I remember correctly, when Kurt Warner left the field in each of his three Super Bowls, his team was winning.  If his defense had held up, he would have three rings.  I am good with voting him in.  I am sure some people don't like many of his political views.  I don't like many of them either, but I certainly am not keeping someone out for being too faithful to his religious beliefs.

[Carey]

I'm really not going to get upset when Ray gets in next year.  Ask me 15 years ago, and I would have stopped watching at the very least.  However, I'm over that nonsense that happened.  Ray getting in next year and TO possibly being left out would be interesting. Actually it would be interesting if Urlacher got in next year. Nothing against Brian, but that would ruin the credibility of the HOF if he made it (if he gets there in 2019 and/or soon after, I'm okay with that)

Ray's situation is rather similar to New England likely getting their 5th title.  I would have been bitter a decade ago, but what they do & what they're about is so off the hook that I probably won't lose sleep over the Pats tying San Francisco & Dallas.  Bill & Brady were the best even before they won two years ago; now they'll have documented proof of it

Speaking of Dallas, same thing. Not upset over Jerry getting in.  Jimmy Johnson not in Canton sucks but it really makes a lot of sense if you think about it.  Dallas was very, very good when Jones took over 28 years ago, for nearly a decade.  They hit a bump for 10 years, then they really turned it around.  I realize they haven't make it in January as it relates to the NFL, but compared to almost every other team, they are much better.  Most of the franchises (since 2006) have no business being in the league.  Basically the Cowboys haven't made it, but they were close most times in the past decade, unlike several teams that continue to draft high only to hit a brick wall

[ganesh]

I have no doubt Lewis will get in. I mean yeah, what happened, but he says god now. But what he did on the field was incomparable. And that will be the narrative. Oh wait! He yelled a lot too! Because you have to yell a lot so everyone knows you are *totally* into football. If you don't, no one will think you're really into it. Besides showing up every week putting up consistent numbers that you're second to only the deity at your position and literally coming back from a broken leg to almost singlehandedly win the superbowl had your QB not thrown up. It's not about being a professional. You have to figuratively open your veins on the 50 yard line.

But if you whine? NOPE. The hypocrisy is galling. #LockerRoomCancer You just have to say it and they're branded forever. 

Seriously though. Strictly on the field, Lewis is a lock. Strictly on the field. Does that not apply to everyone else?

[Constantinople]

In general I think only players and coaches should be eligible for a sports hall of fame.  Outside of that, you need to do something extraordinary, not just own a team for a few decades.

I'm glad Terrell Davis made it.  I think voters too often conflate "Hall Of Fame" with "Hall Of Played A Really Long Time".  I'm not sure the Broncos would have won those Super Bowls without him (well that and the salary cap violations).

On the fence about Kurt Warner.  I don't mind him getting in, but I wouldn't be upset had he been left out.

I can understand an argument for Terrell Owens not being in the Hall of Fame, but for that argument to be valid, existing and future membership needs severe pruning.

[MarkHB]

So far as I know, the only major pro sports HOF for which personal character is stated as a qualification is Cooperstown.  The others (Canton, Springfield, and hockey's in Toronto) just base things on on-field performance.

It also just struck me that, of those 4, if someone were to say that a given player were bound for Canton, or Springfield, or Cooperstown, we'd know instantly what was meant.  A hockey player being bound for Toronto could just mean they know a good sushi place on Yonge Street.

Also, we have created a Super Bowl Live Chat thread that will be open starting at 6 Pm tonight.  Enjoy the discussion and the game!

[DrSpaceman73]

14 hours ago, Crs97 said:

If I remember correctly, when Kurt Warner left the field in each of his three Super Bowls, his team was winning.  If his defense had held up, he would have three rings.  I am good with voting him in.  I am sure some people don't like many of his political views.  I don't like many of them either, but I certainly am not keeping someone out for being too faithful to his religious beliefs.

I believe SB 36 against the Pats they were tied. 

The other two, yes, they had the lead. 

[Fukui San]

I wonder if OJ Simpson were up for enshrinement this year if he'd be voted in. Or if Aaron Hernandez Hernandez had Hall of Fame stats. 

[BettyFiona]

I'm just ecstatic Kenny Easley made it in! 

[ganesh]

I don't know why it bothers me because the HOF affects my life zero. I guess I just don't like petty people. 

[Mick Lady]

Hate the Pats, but today I'm rooting for them! Why? Because I want my beloved Giants to be the only team to beat them (Twice!), in the SB during the Belichick/Brady era!

[mojoween]

Oh my God get this Bill O'Reilly interview off my Super Bowl coverage.  Fuck this noise.

[Carey]

3 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

I believe SB 36 against the Pats they were tied. 

The other two, yes, they had the lead. 

And that game 8 years ago he had the lead due to a missed play on defense that allowed Fitz to score (took the lead).  Of course there was the incredible 14-point swing in the previous half of said game

[Carey]

Quote

Enough about which team has the better defense, who's better at 3rd down conversion, etc.  I have the important statistics that will predict who wins the Super Bowl

The winner of the AFC East has always won the Super Bowl when it's played in Houston.

The Patriots have never lost the Super Bowl to a team with a bird mascot.

The Falcons have never won the Super Bowl after beating a team from the Midwest to win the NFC Championship.

 

In any case, I don't mean to distract us from more important stats

The Patriots have never lost the Super Bowl to a team that has ever played in the NFC West or to an expansion team.

The Falcons have never won a Super Bowl when the last name of the opposing team's QB ended with the letter Y.

The Patriots have never lost the Super Bowl when Tom Brady finished the season as the starting QB after someone else started as QB in the season opener.

Never got a chance to add to Constantinople's stats; however:

The Patriots are undefeated whenever facing a team that features the league MVP.  That is, when it's for the NFL Championship.  They actually were 5-0 prior to the 2013 AFC Title Game (and 4-0 before the 2006 AFC Title Game).

Patriots are undefeated in postseason games played after being the Steelers (at least since Bob Kraft took over).

Teams that beat Pittsburgh at home end up winning the Super Bowl if the season was played in a year ending in a six

There is a connection between The NFC South non-Super Bowl winners and the two AFC teams that shared the top two spots from 2012-2015

Atlanta lost to Denver (Elway's last year and Manning's first year) in 1998

Carolina lost to Denver (Manning's last year and Elway's first year at an executive champ) in 2015

Carolina lost to New England in Houston in 2003 (New England's first year as top seed)

Atlanta lost to New England in Houston in 2016 (New England's last year as top seed to date).  That's a statement that's likely to be upheld by this time tomorrow unless it doesn't

AFC South had the league MVP in Carolina's Cam Newton last year, and in Atlanta's Matt Ryan this year

Looks like I'm sticking with my preseason pick of New England, though my score shifted from 31-27 to 35-31.  However, Mack not at 100% is a big deal. 

One more stat that might help Atlanta is that the last time Pittsburgh lost to New England in Foxborough the Pats foes featured the league MVP.  That means Matt Ryan might not win the Super Bowl MVP with a win (although I think he definitely will with a victory; as Desmond isn't walking through that door)

[mojoween]

The last seven MVP's who have played in the SB that year have lost.

[voiceover]

Now that the SB thread is closed, I am here to make my complaint, which probably belongs here, anyway.

Sure, impressive record/coach/QB/ teams..but the Pats have been playing in the year-in, year-out, worst of the AFC divisions.  

So fer crissakes, AFC East: man the fuck up!!!