NFL Thread

[topanga]

No--the Wikipedia article has a better concise summary, but essentially Lewis and two other guys were charged with murder and then Lewis plea bargained down to obstruction of justice in exchange for his testimony against the other guys. It's always been pretty clear imo that he paid off the other two guys to keep their mouths closed and take the fall for him. They were not found guilty, largely because the clothing they all wore that night magically disappeared somehow, but Lewis settled with the the families of the two murdered men in lieu of civil suits, so, you know.

Good ol Wikipedia, that bastion of journalistic integrity. I read the article, and did more reading on my own. Yes, he was charged, but charges were later dropped, and none of the many eye witnesses who testified at trial identified Ray Lewis as a person holding a knife. Were these witnesses paid off or threatened? Possibly. Did Ray Lewis settle with the families because he was at the scene of the crime, knew the perpetrators, and felt bad for the families? Or was he actually one of the stabbers?  Certainly possible. The thing is, no one knows for sure except for Lewis, the other two guys, and the victim. But I agree that everything added together makes Ray Lewis looks guilty of several illegal acts. I'm just not sure if one of those acts was stabbing a guy to death. 

 

It's the same amount of reasonable doubt I give to other athletes who were charged of crimes that they possibly did but were never convicted of committing. Did Ben Roethlisberger rape a woman? Possibly. Did Jameis Winston rape a woman and steal crab legs on purpose? Possibly. Did Peyton Manning use PEDs? For that one, I'm still giving Peyton the benefit of the doubt and want to believe that he didn't. But then again, I believed Lance Armstrong for years, and look where that got me.  So Peyton Manning using steroids is another 'possibly.'

[BitterApple]

Bottom line: Cam acted like a dick in his press conference. He's young, but not that young. He knows what's expected of him at this point. He had no problem with the media when the Panthers were steamrolling through their season. Yeah, he was deservedly disappointed but you have to take the good with the bad and do your job. Nobody would be giving Brady or Manning a pass if they acted like that, and both men have suffered heartbreaking SB losses.

[Jx223]

But Brady is currently playing so it makes sense that Denver fans are going to rain boos down on his carefully styled head.

 

Someone on Twitter said Tom Brady came out looking like everyone else's agent. That made me laugh. I thought he did look like that. 

Cam Newton is 26 years old, almost 27.   That does not qualify as 'very young.'  Especially for a professional athlete.  One, he's presumably won and loss dozens of times since he started playing football.  He should know how to act by now.  Second, he doesn't have that many years left to play football.  Does he go straight from very young to over the hill?

 

He could have quite a bit more time to play football considering that that 38 year old Tom Brady is still in the league and a 40 year old Peyton Manning just won the Super Bowl. He has played many times but he has never suffered a loss on this level. Not excusing his actions but I understand that he was upset and reacted poorly..

 

I do wish he would have handled things better, especially considering that he is the reigning MVP. But I think everything will turn out fine, and he will conduct himself more graciously in the future.

Edited February 8, 2016 by Jx223

[ganesh]

There's more blown calls because the refs don't have the authority to call the game on the field and don't have the confidence of anyone in the league. Take all the replay away and let them call the game, give them the resources they need and games will be better.

I barely watch football anymore because the games are far far far too long. I can't invest 3 hours. And it's not even 3 hours of action. There's barely 45 seconds of continuous play. The product on the field has seriously degraded.

There's no guarantee that the Panthers score on the drive if it was a catch. It was one call at the beginning of the game. I don't necessarily think they blew the call either. They had 15 more times to convert on 3rd down and couldn't. That one call doesn't nearly have the effect is being made out to be.

[Jx223]

Bottom line: Cam acted like a dick in his press conference. He's young, but not that young. He knows what's expected of him at this point. He had no problem with the media when the Panthers were steamrolling through their season. Yeah, he was deservedly disappointed but you have to take the good with the bad and do your job. Nobody would be giving Brady or Manning a pass if they acted like that, and both men have suffered heartbreaking SB losses.

They wouldn't have give Brady a pass, but they might have given Peyton one. Then again Peyton probably wouldn't have acted exactly like that. 

Edited February 8, 2016 by Jx223

[ganesh]

I'm all for letting the justice system play out before issuing punishment, but the nonaction on Lewis by the league is why it's a mess now.

[xaxat]

I'm a big fan of Cam Newton, but he really needed to do better at the press conference. He gets the big money to be the face of the franchise when things go good, and when they go bad.

 

It's the same issue I have with Roger Goodell, who now only goes around giving "We loves the women!" speeches and has ducked reporters ever since Deflategate started.

[Jx223]

According to reports LeSean McCoy allegedly attacked a couple of off duty police officers in a club in Philly.  It’s being reported it was over the cops ordering champagne. Allegedly LeSean and three of his friends attacked the officers including punching and stomping them.

 

It's being reported that his friends are also NFL players. One of the officers was taken to the hospital and treated for a broken rib and broken nose and the other received stiches and may have suffered a possible skull fracture. Philly PD could be looking to issue arrest warrants for LeSean and the other guys involved.

 

http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2016/02/here_are_the_details_of_lesean_mccoys_alleged_figh.html

 

This is very unfortunate. I hate seeing news like this pop up.

Edited February 8, 2016 by Jx223

[ShellSeeker]

But Brady is currently playing so it makes sense that Denver fans are going to rain boos down on his carefully styled head.

 

Heh. I'm a huge Broncos fan and I will say this -- I booed him from my sofa, in the privacy of my own home, but had I been there in person I wouldn't have done that. It's tacky. Yes, I really hate the Patriots, but there is no denying that Tom Brady is an insanely gifted and talented athlete. I hate hate hate it when I see fans, any fans, boo their own team from the stands. Show some class. A true fan supports their team even when they're stinking up the joint.

 

That one call sure did look like a catch to me, and it did to my husband too, who is a football encyclopedia. It's the ambiguity that is so frustrating. I am not too sympathetic though. I've seen some really horrible calls against the Broncos, and it's infuriating. But when it has happened in games that they ended up losing, they lost because they were outplayed by the other team. It's very rare that the fate of a game truly hangs on 1 or 2 controversial calls.

 

I was disappointed to see Cam Newton behave so badly at the press conference. I've defended him in the past, and I do think he's a good guy. I hope it was immaturity and not that he's just an ass. It's easy to be gracious, charming, and complimentary when you're winning, but it's a lot harder to be that way when you've lost. I hope he learns from this and can be more gracious in defeat in the future.

 

ETA:

 

 

Someone on Twitter said Tom Brady came out looking like everyone else's agent. That made me laugh. I thought he did look like that.

 

YES. I couldn't put my finger on why I thought he looked like such a tool, but that's it exactly.

[merylinkid]

 

It’s being reported it was over the cops ordering champagne.

 

Seriously, this is the dumbest reason to give someone a beat down.   I cannot imagine the thought process that went into it.   "We're in a club, they got their booze first, let's beat the crap out of them."   Because it will get you served faster next time?   What?   I mean you risked your career over this?   Doesn't matter they turned out to be off duty cops, even if they were just regular joes, it was dumber than dumber.   It's not even worth having words over, let alone putting someone in the hospital.

[Constantinople]

Bottom line: Cam acted like a dick in his press conference. He's young, but not that young. He knows what's expected of him at this point. He had no problem with the media when the Panthers were steamrolling through their season. Yeah, he was deservedly disappointed but you have to take the good with the bad and do your job. Nobody would be giving Brady or Manning a pass if they acted like that, and both men have suffered heartbreaking SB losses.

 

 

They wouldn't have give Brady a pass, but they might have given Peyton one. Then again Peyton probably wouldn't have acted exactly like that.

 

"Let's just say we had some problems in protection" - 29 year old Peyton Manning, when asked why the Colts lost to the Steelers in the Divisional playoffs.

[xaxat]

If he was that determined to not answer questions, Cam should have taken some tips from my man Rasheed.

 

[HalcyonDays]

I don't care how upset he was, Cam was a jerk at the press conference. Being young and passionate is no excuse for being a bad sport.

 

So then why does the press and some football fans, seem to give Tom Brady and Bill Belichick a pass for being pissy and sulky in press conferences when they lose? Not a single Patriot went to the ProBowl (from what I read) this year, because they were sulking over their loss. But no one calls out THEM out in it, but they complain about Cam.

 

The catch or not-catch had literally no bearing on the outcome of this game.

 

Tell that to Dez Bryant and the Cowboys.

[Jx223]

Seriously, this is the dumbest reason to give someone a beat down.   I cannot imagine the thought process that went into it.   "We're in a club, they got their booze first, let's beat the crap out of them."   Because it will get you served faster next time?   What?   I mean you risked your career over this?   Doesn't matter they turned out to be off duty cops, even if they were just regular joes, it was dumber than dumber.   It's not even worth having words over, let alone putting someone in the hospital.

 

Yeah, that is pretty dumb and definitely not worth jeopardizing your career over. I had read that LeSean was supposed to go to Phoenix to today to start training and now he has to deal with the fallout from this. I wonder how the Bills will end up handling things? I guess that may depend on whether an arrest warrant is issued for him or not. 

 

They say there isn't video of the beatdown, but the cops did reportedly have injuries and went to the hospital. I also read there is video of LeSean and the other guys being ejected from the club. It definitely doesn't look good for LeSean right now.

 

Also, I read that Riley Cooper was released today by the Eagles today. I wonder who else may end up getting released and where they may end up. Today is the first day teams can officially start releasing people.

Edited February 8, 2016 by Jx223

[rallymantis]

Roger Goodell, who now only goes around giving "We loves the women!" speeches 

I'm still laughing at this.

 

I thought Marshall Faulk had the best reax to the Cam issue.  He said, I was on the losing team once, and I reacted like that, but when I saw the video after, I knew I had to be better than that; and I think Cam will do the same [paraphrase to the max but you get the point].

 

Ugh.  As a Chiefs fan, I say to the NFC: What happened to the year-long, AFC Sucks/NFC Dominant! meme?  What a crappy time to drop the ball on *that*.

[Bastet]

I thought Marshall Faulk had the best reax to the Cam issue.  He said, I was on the losing team once, and I reacted like that, but when I saw the video after, I knew I had to be better than that; and I think Cam will do the same [paraphrase to the max but you get the point].

 

I still haven't watched press conference footage.  I've read about it, but even though I don't have strong feelings about Cam Newton (I didn't watch him play much in college, and haven't seen a lot of Carolina games), it irks me that he has been the subject of so much bullshit complaining and now he's done something to legitimately criticize and there's going to be this attitude out there that this incident validates all the crap that's been hurled at him.

 

So I think it was very poor form and I wish he hadn't done it.  The man fought his way through a throng of people on the field to congratulate Peyton Manning (when Peyton Manning had only slightly more to do with Denver's victory than I did), and then that embarrassing display.  But what I'm looking for is what he does now.  Because if he gets asked about it and says it was a dumb thing to do in an emotional moment, I'll probably never give it another thought.

[ganesh]

Tell that to Dez Bryant and the Cowboys.

 

I was watching Denver and Carolina not the Cowboys. There were far far far more opportunities to extend drives and get scores after that occurred. And I'm still not agreeing that the ball was a catch anyway. From that pov, there's nothing wrong.

 

Seriously though, there weren't a number of other plays that Dallas couldn't convert in that game, that was the one that lost the game for them. If officials can't rule whether the ball was caught with 99%+ accuracy, then maybe the rules need to be reviewed. This is the only sport where play is stopped routinely for 90-120 seconds minimum for officials to pore over several camera angles and slow the action down to the millisecond level in order to figure out what's going on. That's fundamentally wrong. And the process doesn't guarantee highly accurate success rate anyway. It affects how the refs call the game and the quality of the officiating is worse as a result. 

 

I think the entire officiating system needs to be overhauled. The NFL doesn't care much about the players or about the quality of the game as far as I'm concerned, and don't care enough to improve it because they're raking in billions so why bother?

 

I'm very very anti "that one call cost us the game". Even something as egregious as Dez Bryant. I'm much of the mind that if it really comes down to *that one call* then you probably blew several legit chances on the field yourself. 

 

 

I still haven't watched press conference footage.  I've read about it, but even though I don't have strong feelings about Cam Newton (I didn't watch him play much in college, and haven't seen a lot of Carolina games), it irks me that he has been the subject of so much bullshit complaining and now he's done something to legitimately criticize and there's going to be this attitude out there that this incident validates all the crap that's been hurled at him.

 

I think that's definitely going to happen. And I'll say it's because he's black. If it was Brady or Rogers behaving like that, they'd shrug it off as "his passion for the game" and "how he wants to win so hard". 

 

Cam reacting poorly at the press conference isn't the problem. Him just standing there and not jumping on the loose ball is much much more of a issue imo. 

[merylinkid]

The big problem is that he has been surly in press conference before when the team does poorly.   So he didn't learn from that.   And I could live with being a bit surly since they lost.   But walking out, that is something a four year old does.   Even if you are not happy you stick around and do your job, which in this case involves answering questions from the press.   Unless the press is being totally inappropriate, which they were not.

[ShellSeeker]

So then why does the press and some football fans, seem to give Tom Brady and Bill Belichick a pass for being pissy and sulky in press conferences when they lose? Not a single Patriot went to the ProBowl (from what I read) this year, because they were sulking over their loss. But no one calls out THEM out in it, but they complain about Cam.

 

Because the national sports media is comprised of a bunch of Patriots groupies. That's all any of them talk about, during any given season -- how the Patriots are the greatest team in the history of football, how the great Bill Belichick can do no wrong, and how Tom Brady is a football god. The fawning over Brady is probably legit. The dude is some sort of football cyborg. It's unnatural. But how much of a genius will Belichick still be when Brady retires? Josh McDaniels (the Patriots' offensive coordinator) is a Belichick protege, and he showed that he was completely ineffective without Brady during his brief, disastrous stint as the Broncos' head coach a few years back (what we in Denver refer to as The Dark Time). But none of that matters -- the national media continue to be a bunch of Patriots sycophants. It drives me crazy. Before the AFC championship game, they were all saying that the Broncos shouldn't even bother showing up, because of course the Patriots were going to crush them. Then they had to eat their words. And it was awesome and gratifying.

 

 

But what I'm looking for is what he does now.  Because if he gets asked about it and says it was a dumb thing to do in an emotional moment, I'll probably never give it another thought.

 

I'm so hoping this is what happens. Everyone acts like an asshole sometimes, and it was his bad luck one of those moments happened very publicly. If he owns it and admits that he let his emotions get the best of him, then good on him. If he dodges the issue, well then maybe he really is as big a jerk as everyone says he is. I hope not though.

[HalcyonDays]

I was watching Denver and Carolina not the Cowboys. There were far far far more opportunities to extend drives and get scores after that occurred. And I'm still not agreeing that the ball was a catch anyway. From that pov, there's nothing wrong.

 

Obviously. but the Dez Bryant catch from a couple years ago was ruled a non-catch (it was a catch) and cost the Cowboys the game and their spot in the playoffs. Since then, there have been a myriad of bad calls made by officials that changed the course of the game, to the point that the NFL will sit down this off-season and have discussions about what really constitutes a catch.

 

Bad calls change games. it could be something as simple as denying a team a first down in the final seconds of a game. It could push a team out of field-goal range. It could negate a touch-down that is the difference maker. In Ron Rivera's case, it cost him a time-out and a challenge that may have been vital later in the game. The frustration of a true legit scoring effort being negated by a bad call, affects the teams emotions and causes frustration overall

 

I think the entire officiating system needs to be overhauled. The NFL doesn't care much about the players or about the quality of the game as far as I'm concerned, and don't care enough to improve it because they're raking in billions so why bother?.

 

Yup. I agree. Not sure how they are going to do it, but they should. Breaking up the officiating teams during the post-season should be one thing that goes. I mean, if a well-respected veteran referee like Mike Carey calls it a catch, it most likely is. But like you said, they make billions. The overnight ratings for the SuperBowl was over 100 million viewers. Why make the effort to change an enormously profitable product.

 

Because the national sports media is comprised of a bunch of Patriots groupies. That's all any of them talk about, during any given season -- how the Patriots are the greatest team in the history of football, how the great Bill Belichick can do no wrong, and how Tom Brady is a football god.

 

Exactly it. The media spins it like they want. It reminds me again of Dez Bryant, a couple years ago, where the media was up in arms when he looking like he was freaking out in anger on the sidelines, looking like he was having a temper tantrum. You found out later, he wasn't, he was just trying to be positive and rile up the team. I realize that we actually saw Cam dejection, but the fact that these guys aren't given a pass, but others like Brady are, irritates me.

[ktwo]

They wouldn't have give Brady a pass, but they might have given Peyton one. Then again Peyton probably wouldn't have acted exactly like that.

He would have added, "Now I'm going to go drown my sorrows in Budweiser."

[nowandlater]

He could have quite a bit more time to play football considering that that 38 year old Tom Brady is still in the league and a 40 year old Peyton Manning just won the Super Bowl. He has played many times but he has never suffered a loss on this level. Not excusing his actions but I understand that he was upset and reacted poorly.

 

Peyton is still in his 30s...at least for now.

 

 

The big problem is that he has been surly in press conference before when the team does poorly.   So he didn't learn from that.   And I could live with being a bit surly since they lost.   But walking out, that is something a four year old does.   Even if you are not happy you stick around and do your job, which in this case involves answering questions from the press.   Unless the press is being totally inappropriate, which they were not.

 

That's also something a 3-time Super Bowl MVP does, too.

 

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/12/tom-brady-leaves-press-conference-expletive#

Edited February 8, 2016 by nowandlater

[basiltherat]

Regarding the lackluster commercials, the one about wasting water while brushing your teeth was ridiculous. They showed some poor third world child suffering WHEN YOUR OWN CITIZENS IN FLINT, MICHIGAN are drinking poisoned water!! Clean up your own backyard first, America!

[mojoween]

Well Peyton will turn 40 this year. With the body of a 60 year old.

I know Bradshaw had knee surgery a month or so ago so I can see why he was limping so much, but watching some of the older players...oy. It hurt just to watch them walk.

Edited February 8, 2016 by mojoween

[Rick Kitchen]

 

Doritos needs to stop with the fan created commercials.   They get dumber every year.

 

The ultrasound ad was my favorite.

The singing sheep were second.

[nowandlater]

Why isn't Manning getting raked over the coals for using this big moment of his career to shill for Papa John's and Budweiser*.

 

(*Budweiser claims it didn't pay Peyton, but that was so odd for him to say...If he said Miller Lite for the MVP, that would be understandable.)

 

 

I'm still debating whether to lose my Papa John's virginity. I've heard it's terrible, but can it really be that bad?

Edited February 8, 2016 by nowandlater

[stealinghome]

It is most definitely that bad.

"Let's just say we had some problems in protection" - 29 year old Peyton Manning, when asked why the Colts lost to the Steelers in the Divisional playoffs.

Manning also ran off the field one Super Bowl (I believe the loss to the Saints) without shaking anyone's hand. Of course the media barfed all over itself to twist that into some great display of sportsmanship.

Because the national sports media is comprised of a bunch of Patriots groupies.

You must have missed most of ESPN's coverage of Deflategate. Mort STILL hasn't apologized for or retracted the erroneous PSI levels the NFL told him to leak.

Speaking of, I'm still waiting for Roger "we take HGH allegations super seriously! Really! So seriously we don't run an investigation into them, why bother!" Goodell to release the PSI data from this year....

Edited February 8, 2016 by stealinghome

[benteen]

Well Peyton will turn 40 this year. With the body of a 60 year old.

I know Bradshaw had knee surgery a month or so ago so I can see why he was limping so much, but watching some of the older players...oy. It hurt just to watch them walk.

 

I remember the last time they brought all the MVPs out on the field (I think it was for the 40th anniversary).  I remember the most noticeable thing was seeing how many of them were limping.

[topanga]

Von Miller's heartfelt message to Johnny Manziel: 'I want to see you do good'   

 

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/02/johnny-manziel-von-miller-super-bowl

 

A nice message, but couldn't Von have been grammatically correct and say he wanted Johnny to do well? A little thing, I know. But I can't help it. It's like nails on a chalk board for me.

Edited February 8, 2016 by topanga

[benteen]

It is most definitely that bad.Manning also ran off the field one Super Bowl (I believe the loss to the Saints) without shaking anyone's hand. Of course the media barfed all over itself to twist that into some great display of sportsmanship.

You must have missed most of ESPN's coverage of Deflategate. Mort STILL hasn't apologized for or retracted the erroneous PSI levels the NFL told him to leak.

Speaking of, I'm still waiting for Roger "we take HGH allegations super seriously! Really! So seriously we don't run an investigation into them, why bother!" Goodell to release the PSI data from this year....

 

I had forgotten that Peyton ran off the field after that Super Bowl loss.  I agree, that was another poor display of sportsmanship and if anyone defended him then while going after Cam now, they are hypocrites.

Edited February 8, 2016 by benteen

[Crs97]

So then why does the press and some football fans, seem to give Tom Brady and Bill Belichick a pass for being pissy and sulky in press conferences when they lose? Not a single Patriot went to the ProBowl (from what I read) this year, because they were sulking over their loss. But no one calls out THEM out in it, but they complain about Cam.

 

 

I don't like them either.  I do recall that Brady got some grief after Giselle was heard complaining about people being mean to him.  I agree that once the media picks their favorites, they don't let facts stand in the way of a good narrative.  Bill and Tom get the benefit of a lot of doubts.  I hope Cam comes out with a simple apology for walking away.  I thought the press were bending over backwards to ask softball questions, which just spotlighted his jerkiness.  

 

Peyton was asked about Cam's press conference and said that Cam was very nice to him and congratulated him on the field.  When Peyton left the field after the SB loss to New Orleans, Drew said that Peyton called him that night and was a classy guy.  Those kinds of responses from the opposing players can help to quiet the critics, especially if Cam doesn't double-down on the petulance.

 

I have eaten Papa Johns many, many years ago and it was fine, but I am someone who thinks it is very hard to make pizza taste either terrible or fantastic.  They all hover in the "fine" range of taste for me.

[Hanahope]

Other than Gaga, a pretty bleh SB night.  Unimaginative and almost stupid commercials (with a couple of exceptions, but just a couple).  A fairly boring game.  A half-time show that nearly put me to sleep.

[nowandlater]

I don't like them either.  I do recall that Brady got some grief after Giselle was heard complaining about people being mean to him.  I agree that once the media picks their favorites, they don't let facts stand in the way of a good narrative.  Bill and Tom get the benefit of a lot of doubts.  I hope Cam comes out with a simple apology for walking away.  I thought the press were bending over backwards to ask softball questions, which just spotlighted his jerkiness.  

 

Peyton was asked about Cam's press conference and said that Cam was very nice to him and congratulated him on the field.  When Peyton left the field after the SB loss to New Orleans, Drew said that Peyton called him that night and was a classy guy.  Those kinds of responses from the opposing players can help to quiet the critics, especially if Cam doesn't double-down on the petulance.

 

I have eaten Papa Johns many, many years ago and it was fine, but I am someone who thinks it is very hard to make pizza taste either terrible or fantastic.  They all hover in the "fine" range of taste for me.

 

There is the theory that Cam was reacting negatively to hearing Chris Harris' comments...

http://deadspin.com/did-cam-newton-leave-his-press-conference-because-he-co-1757780472

 

Cam looked genuinely happy for Peyton, based on the photos. (Cam won the Manning Award in college, and taped this funny bit with Peyton's older brother during the middle of the season.)

 

 

Edited February 8, 2016 by nowandlater

[topanga]

I think Cam was genuinely happy for Peyton. But 30 minutes later, after showering and being with his coaches and teammates, reality began to hit him on an emotional level. 'We lost. We really effin lost.' I watched a sad but touching video clip of Cam burying his head in Ron Rivera's chest, probably crying. 

 

No excuse for the bad press conference, but I don't think Cam was deliberately being petty. Just immature and rude. 

[Bastet]

There is the theory that Cam was reacting negatively to hearing Chris Harris' comments...

 

I don't know how he was acting prior to that, but watching that clip the getting up and leaving does seem like a reaction to what he'd just heard.

[ganesh]

The guy who owns Papa John's is a terrible person. So I wouldn't give him my money if it was the best pizza in the world. 

 

What I think will really up the quality of the officiating is paying these guys full time and using those resources to actually improve the officiating and hold them accountable. I didn't know crews were split. That's stupid. Crews should be assessed on each game and fined for blowing it just like players can be fined for onfield stuff. The entire rule book, not just the catch, needs to be thoroughly reviewed. Maybe they'll decide that adding another official is needed. I don't think any of this is going to happen because it costs money. I don't think this will happen in the next 5 years, but if the quality of the game starts suffering eventually people are going to leave. 

 

I just don't buy the "one call can change a game" concept. That's only because that's what people remember. Make more plays. Execute better. Take the game out of the refs' hands.

 

I heard the the NFL doesn't have any PSI data at all. That can't be right?

[Danny Franks]

I think Cam was genuinely happy for Peyton. But 30 minutes later, after showering and being with his coaches and teammates, reality began to hit him on an emotional level. 'We lost. We really effin lost.' I watched a sad but touching video clip of Cam burying his head in Ron Rivera's chest, probably crying. 

 

No excuse for the bad press conference, but I don't think Cam was deliberately being petty. Just immature and rude. 

 

I imagine, given time to reflect, Cam probably also realised that all those racists jackholes who have been attacking him all year where crowing in 'victory' at him losing.

 

I remember Peyton Manning being slammed in 2012 for being unsportsmanlike after the Ravens won at Mile High, because he vamoosed off the field so quickly. It was only later that reports revealed he went into the Ravens' locker room and congratulated them in person for winning the game. Cam seems to have had the opposite reaction, and has shown sullenness and immaturity after the fact. That's not a crime, though some people will be only too eager to feign outrage at it as a way of attacking him. Again.

 

Losing the Super Bowl is a rollercoaster of emotions that most of us can't even imagine. I won't fault someone for not being able to deal with it as well as he might be expected to.

 

But I am happy for Peyton Manning, to finally get that second ring and shut some of the critics up. Sure, he had his defense bail him out but, frankly, he has earned that. Now I hope he does the sensible thing and retires. Never a better time to go out than as Super Bowl champ. Just ask Ray Lewis or Jerome Bettis.

[FuriousStyles]

But if a catch is a catch and its not called as such, what is a player/team supposed to do? You cant execute any better than actually catching the ball.

Whether, one call or play is actually able to change a game is irrelevant. The fact is the players *believe* it does. We hear the term "momentum" a lot in football. One play can certainly inspire one side while simultaneously deflating (couldnt resist) the other, and those emotions can and often do snowball.

Edited February 8, 2016 by FuriousStyles

[CaughtOnTape]

Someone on Facebook posted

"Don't judge Cam because he cut out of his press conference early.  Von Miller was still in the building and he was terrified."

 

Burn!

 

I laughed.

 

Whatever, he acted like a baby.  Past behavior, whether he's young enough, and how other players did or didn't react doesn't negate that he picked up his ball and went home.  Can't say I was shocked, but he's not my quarterback so I don't care.

The Panthers will be a force to be reckoned with over the next few years.  Hopefully he learns to act like an adult the next time.

[ganesh]

The rule for a catch is byzantine at best, and catches are reviewed to death as a result. The officials call the game differently now because of all the reviews. 

 

Why seemingly does only football have to adhere to this level of 100% correct calls anyway? I'm not saying bad calls should be tolerated, and the crews should be assessed accordingly but some calls get missed in other sports. No one talks about officials as much as they do in football. It's because other officials don't have all the endless replays. Imagine if you can to review every time there was a blocking foul to make sure it's not an offensive charge? The ref is right there. He's in the position to make the call. Let him make the call. 

[Crs97]

Why seemingly does only football have to adhere to this level of 100% correct calls anyway? 

 

 

Exactly.  When my children complain about blown calls in any sport, I ask if the players played a perfect game.  If not, then everyone needs to stop whining.  Refs are allowed to make mistakes, too.  Great teams overcome them.

[BitterApple]

I used to like Papa Johns back in the day, but they've gone downhill these last couple of years.

[Kromm]

Well Peyton will turn 40 this year. With the body of a 60 year old.

Oh lord. Still laughing at this...

The guy who owns Papa John's is a terrible person. So I wouldn't give him my money if it was the best pizza in the world. 

It's an odd pattern with franchise food founders that so many of them turn out to be shitbags, isn't it?

Other than Gaga, a pretty bleh SB night.  Unimaginative and almost stupid commercials (with a couple of exceptions, but just a couple).  A fairly boring game.  A half-time show that nearly put me to sleep.

Apparently Gaga liked the half-time show more than you did!

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2016/02/08/lady-gaga-jamming-beyonce-super-bowl-all-us/80017450/

 

Myself, I thought it was okay (at the very least Bruno Mars and Beyonce were good, and Coldplay was.... Coldplay... so, good but maybe wrong for this venue), but the rest of the game and the commercials were so bad it made it hard to appreciate the half-time.

[xaxat]

Well Peyton will turn 40 this year. With the body of a 60 year old.

 

I've heard so much about his neck surgeries and what ails him that I wince, not only when he is hit on the football field, but also when I see him driving golf balls and playing ping pong against kids in that insurance ad.

[BitterApple]

It's an odd pattern with franchise food founders that so many of them turn out to be shitbags, isn't it?

.

I used to be a flight attendant and one of the pilots I worked with flew corporate for years. He said the absolute worst person he ever had on a plane was the guy who owned Sbarro. My co-worker said he treated everyone like dog shit. For example, he'd show up to the plane two hours late and then bitch the pilots out because they couldn't get him to his destination at the originally scheduled time. I remember my co-worker would walk to a different terminal to get food if Sbarro was the only option by our gate, that's how badly he loathed the owner.

What is it with fast food and dickhead CEO's?

Edited February 8, 2016 by BitterApple

[Rick Kitchen]

When I lived in Virginia, there were rumors that Sbarro had mob connections.  Don't know if that is true or not.

 

LeSean McCoy Involved In Brawl That Left Two Off-Duty Police Officers Hospitalized

[BitterApple]

When I lived in Virginia, there were rumors that Sbarro had mob connections. Don't know if that is true or not.

LeSean McCoy Involved In Brawl That Left Two Off-Duty Police Officers Hospitalized

Lol, that's interesting about the mob.

Was LeSean McCoy the one that refused to leave a tip at a restaurant? Or am I thinking of another former Eagles player?

[hendersonrocks]

Would love for all the peeps a few pages back talking about how Colleen might be exaggerating, could be part of the problem, etc. to read this.

 

PS: victim shaming and/or blaming is never a good look.

[Carey]

There's no guarantee that the Panthers score on the drive if it was a catch. It was one call at the beginning of the game. I don't necessarily think they blew the call either. They had 15 more times to convert on 3rd down and couldn't. That one call doesn't nearly have the effect is being made out to be.

 

Gotta agree. Still saddened that it led to immediate points off of turnovers, but even that play could have been better.  Maybe not since Denver is really good. The thing is I'm not blaming the refs for the defensive touchdown.  Probably easier said than done, but what if Cam didn't lose the ball. He just takes the sack. Or a safety to lessen the damage.

 

Hats off to Carolina still for still being in it toward the end. Give Newton time and if he's in position down six he goes down the field for the winning TD instead of giving up at the end.  He's no Brady, but thought he had that shot to do so.  No way he would have been his dominating self given the beatings he took but you never know. Didn't think Tom would overcome major deficits against Baltimore AND Seattle in the same postseason, and Tom isn't as mobile.

 

Still great year for Carolina, and IMO they're lucky they didn't face New England, speaking of which.  In New England, I mean a healthy version or the one that mirrored 2014; this game would have been over before half the Super Bowl ads.

 

The commentary, well most of it was what is was.  While I respect Deion's opinion, as mentioned, I can't completely agree with saying Manning & Brady would have behaved better.  To be fair, they both were criticized (as was Belichick) when they had similar exits.  I do remember Faulk being upset back when he lost.  Not so much for his usual excuse, but it hurt more since he was just there two years prior with a win and so close to another. 

[BitterApple]

If I had to look into my Magic 8 ball, I'd say Johnny will pay her off, no charges will be filed and everyone walks away happy.