Big game tonight to start the 2011/2012 season.  Should be huge.

I'm going with my Packers (my parents live an hour and a half north of Green Bay, and I was born in Milwaukee).

BUT...

My # 1 team is the Rams and they're supposedly going to have a strong team this year, and win the division, leaving my # 2 team, the Cardinals, 1 game back, and making the Playoffs as 1 Wild Card.

Hope everyone is ready for the NFL!!!!!  

Jeff was born in a house next to Carmine Ragusa.

Rams should be interesting.

Some experts are even picking them to beat the Eagles on Sunday.  That would be a sweet, SWEET way to start the season off!!!!

who cares about the NFL? College football is where the action is!!  Especially the SEC!

Quoted from Grandma Bear who cares about the NFL? College football is where the action is!!  Especially the SEC!

BOO!!!  HISS!!!!!!

I'm taking the saints tonight straight up.  (I'm also taking them with the points.)  Don't know why.  No statistical or professional proof behind it.  Just a good ol' gut feeling.

I do like the Packers more, though, but I'm still taking the Saints.

I despise college football.  I only watched a couple games last year, and that was just to scout out Cam Newton.

What up, mark?  Where you been, man?

I agree, College football pretty much SUCKS!  I do like my Bowling Green Falcons and Michigan Wolverines, though...and Wisconsin.

Sorry, Pia!!!!  

Woohoo!!!!!

College basketball is awesome. You have a true champion at the end. Football has become silly. 75% of the games are meaningless blowouts. And you have the BCS, so you never have a real champion.

The NFL is the most balanced league in sports, professional or amateur. The salary cap guarantees that.

I like the Saints, but the Pats own their number one pick next year, so I have to root for them to lose all year.

Packers are a freaking dynasty in the making. They are loaded...like Jeff, whose gonna watch the game with his 3d shark glasses!

Quoted from Grandma Bear who cares about the NFL? College football is where the action is!!  Especially the SEC!

Backing up my girl, here, and the only game that truly matters.

Everything else is simply a distraction.

Go Niners!!!!!

The Aussie rules playoffs start here tonight. My team, St.Kilda, finished 6th, meaning we need to win 3 knockout games to reach the Grand Final, which gas never been done in the current format.

After losing the last two Grand Finals, and still chasing our 2nd title, the boys have less pressure on them this time around. After a disastrous start to the season - we were 1-8 early on - our mojo us back and we are in good form.

Also, my NRL team Manly - who Libby follows too - finished 2nd, and have a great chance of getting to the rugby league Grand Final.

Gotta wait til monday night to see my fins play the pats.   Might get ugly in a hurry.

Quoted from Dreamscale What up, mark?  Where you been, man? I agree, College football pretty much SUCKS!  I do like my Bowling Green Falcons and Michigan Wolverines, though...and Wisconsin.

I took about a month and a half off work and went out to the lake to work on a feature.  Get away from society and everything for awhile.  Just came home about two weeks ago.  How have things been with you?

I need a couple more weeks to finish the script, then I'll be getting back to reading scripts here again.

Of course, I'm a Longhorns fan, but I also like the Wolverines, even though I'm from Ohio.  I don't watch their games though.  I'll just follow their scores and records.

I do enjoy college basketball, though, because they at least have a championship.  College football, I think I said it before in another post, is nothing but top ranked teams spanking Community Colleges all fall, and then they use gorilla math to map out the hundred meaningless bowl games.

Yeah. Go Manly! Hope they get up there.

And Stevie I'll be watching St Kilda - that would be really something if they can pull that off.

Good luck mate!

Quoted from Ryan1 Gotta wait til monday night to see my fins play the pats.   Might get ugly in a hurry.

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/sports/129325578.html

The Jags cut Gerrard, better snap him up.
You need a real QB by Monday night!

E.D.

Quoted from Dreamscale Big game tonight to start the 2011/2012 season.  Should be huge. I'm going with my Packers (my parents live an hour and a half north of Green Bay, and I was born in Milwaukee). BUT... My # 1 team is the Rams and they're supposedly going to have a strong team this year, and win the division, leaving my # 2 team, the Cardinals, 1 game back, and making the Playoffs as 1 Wild Card. Hope everyone is ready for the NFL!!!!!

The Rams and Cardinals? No wonder you drink, Jeff...

...and Packers.

1) Rams
2) Cardinals
3) Packers

Quoted from ajr The Rams and Cardinals? No wonder you drink, Jeff...

Lol.  It's funny cause it's true.

Damn, that Notre Dame-Michigan game was unbelievable.  Instant classic.

When the NFL first came on Uk television years ago I chose the Seattle Seahawks. God knows why. We do silly things when we're young.

My distant memory of them was they would be  good one week then trip up the following.

Has anything changed? should I remain loyal to a city I've never visited?

The Patriots played in London a few years ago. Not a bad bandwagon on which to jump!

Quoted from Reef Dreamer When the NFL first came on Uk television years ago I chose the Seattle Seahawks. God knows why. We do silly things when we're young. My distant memory of them was they would be  good one week then trip up the following. Has anything changed? should I remain loyal to a city I've never visited?

Actually a lot has changed with Seattle.  Since Paul Allen bought the team back in the late 90's, theyve been to the Super Bowl once (but lost) and also switched from the AFC to the NFC.  They made it to the playoffs somehow last year with a 7-9 record, and then upset the Saints with one of the most epic run touchdowns of all time.  As far as this year, they look to be kinda average, but you never know.

I'd say they look for worse than "average".  It will not be a good year for the Seahawks, but that doesn't mean you can't root for them.

Seattle are ROOTED!!!  The Niners rooted them silly!!!!!!   WOOOHHOOO

HOW DID THE ST LOUIS LAMBS GO BUDDY??

Quoted from stevie HOW DID THE ST LOUIS LAMBS GO BUDDY??

Oooh, fightin words.  

And for the record, Rams look worse than average, too.

The Bears took it to the house today.  Now I'm pulling for a Jets win.

Jets are the luckiest team I've ever seen. Every friggin weak.

God, I hate the jets.

That's my Cowboys.  I expected nothing less from Romo.

Although I do admit Romo is the one who blew the game, what happened to Dez Bryant?  He stopped running or even trying in the 4th.  Then, during that Romo interception, he just two-hand tagged Reevis and expected him to stop running.

Thanks to the Buffalo, San Francisco and Cincinnati games, I'm out a couple hundred bucks for my picks this week.  (Not that I had much hope for the Browns or Seahawks in the firstplace, but I had those written down as my 'guaranteed money games' this week.)

At least it's a good fantasy week for me so far.

That was unbelievable with Bryant. He makes the tackle and it's a different game. That was a horrible pass, horrible to attempt it in the first place. Then Sanchez throws what should have been a pick. The Jets do this crap every week. Luckiest team there is. Witten almost scores the TD that would have iced the game, then Romo fumbles. Dallas is cursed.

OK, you guys, easy on my Rams.  They did play the toughest team in the league, in the Eagles, lost their starting RB, WR, and even QB, before it as all said and done.

Also, keep in mind Brown missed a make able FG and the rookie Kendricks dropped a TD pass, then take away Philly's late 50 yard TD run, and this should have been a much closer game.

OK< we lost...what can I say?  At least my other 2 teams won..and you know what they say, 2 out of 3 ain't bad!  

I guess the Eagles are for real. Not sure if this was a test or not, though, especially with the injuries that developed.

I'm worried about the Pats tonight. With the exception of last year, this trip is always brutal for the Pats. Brady is 4 and 5 down there, and that's actually a great record considering the Pats won there like twice in their history.

Miami has a big time tough D, and I don't hate Chad Henne. I actually think with a little better protection, and better luck, Henne could be decent. A lot of his picks last year were tipped balls.

Pats offensive line is getting old, and one of the key young guys, Volmer, right tackle, is out, which means a rookie will start. We get out of there with a win and T Brady alive I'll be thrilled.

GO FINS!!!!!!

I hate the Pats!!!

What, the Pats can't be one of your 12 teams?

The Pats are at the very bottom of my list, as are all Boston teams.  The Pats killed me, and cost me a shitload of money when they beat my Rams in the Super Bowl.

The Celtics almost got me arrested when they came back against my Lake Show a few years ago in the Finals from like 25 points down.  They also cost me a shitload of cash that I could frickin' use about now, as well.

And, one of my best friends, here in AZ, is from Lynn, Mass - "Lynn, Lynn, city of sin, you never get out, the way you came in" - and is a HUGE Pats and Celts fan, so we go at it all the time (and yeah, he's the Asshole who took my frickin' money...and he doesn't need it, either!).

Pretty big Boston accents in Lynn.

I have moderated my accent over the years. It's there, but a little less comical. I once had to give a presentation in Chicago, and they sent me the videotape. I didn't like the way it sounded. So I rediscovered the letter R. We have a rocky relationship, but a much better one now.

The local sports shows would have driven you crazy when Nomar was here.

Nomaaaaah Gaaaaahciaaahhpaaaaaaraaaahhh...he's got no haaaaaart! People used to call up and say that for real, just like that.

Yeah, Romo giftwrapped that win for the Jets.  First the fumble.  And that interception was definitely Chad Henne-esque, the way he tossed it to Revis like a loaf of bread.

Speaking of Henne, lets see if Miami's new offensive coordinator Daboll makes any difference at all.  One of the fin's biggest problems last year was that their o-coordinator Dan Henning handcuffed the entire offense with his pitiful, limp-wristed play calling.  Now they're actually throwing the ball down the field.  What a concept.  

But for my fins to win, they have to get to Brady early and often.  If they don't, Brady will shred Miami's secondary with Danny Woodhead, Welker and Aaron Hernandez.  Oh, and keep your eye on the right side of Miami's o-line.  This guy Marc Colombo has been a human turnstile in the pre-season.  

Since I'm a homer, I'll say Miami 23- 21.  Logic says no way, but what the hell.

Brady has a terrible record in Miami. Last year was an aberration.  This is going to be a close game. I think the Pats defense will eventually be solid, but there's a lot of new parts. I look for their defense to look dominant at times, but make big mistakes, and possibly wear down.

I think Woodhead will have a big day. They rely on him more than usual if the defense they're up against is oversize.

Miami can turn their whole program around tonight, and they know it. If it's close, they could have the emotional advantage in the fourth.

I hope you don't have Ochocinco in fantasy. Drop him if you do!

Quoted from Ryan1 I'm leaning toward horror, but I have a feeling the majority of scripts are gonna lean that way, too.  Hmm...maybe thriller.  But I can't really think about it until after the fins game.

Whaddya say we get together for the next showdown between our teams?
The loser of this game pays the tab of game two. Are you game?

E.D.

99 yard touchdown smackdown!
Thanks for giving us Welker.
Good night, Miami.
Brady over 500 yards passing!
A MNF record!

No coach is dumb enuff to throw on 4th and six inches.  Oops, not so fast.  Incompetent coaching from Sparano to Mike Nolan To Daboll.  I'd fire the whole damn staff for just that one play.  The owner of the fins is a joke, and unfortunately that trickles down to the team.   He's more interested in rolling out the orange carpet for marc anthony and the williams sisters than actually grab real players in the offseason.  Ah, same ol' shyt for a miami fan.  And yes, I knew when we traded Welker it would haunt us for years.

So in response to your challenge, Brett...no way in hell.

I couldn't believe they did that, Ryan. And it was an awful throw too. Uncatchable. It sucks to be a Dolphin fan. Get Shula out of retirement!

Pats looked good though. Big Albert was pushing the pile, our rookie Dasling looked good on corner, and the TE's are unstoppable.

FUCK NEW ENGLAND FUCKING PATRIOTS!!!!!!

Quoted from leitskev I couldn't believe they did that, Ryan. And it was an awful throw too. Uncatchable. It sucks to be a Dolphin fan. Get Shula out of retirement!

That call was indefensible and inexcusable.  Sparano and Brian Daboll should be hung out to dry for that crap.  Mike Nolan's defense has more holes than a hobo's socks.  Miami failed to upgrade its secondary in the offseason and good god did it ever show.  Brady toyed with them.  Vontae Davis actually said he and Sean Smith were the best cornerback tandem in the league.  LMAO.  Fins were outcoached and outgunned.  Looks like another long season.  Miami, alone in the AFC east cellar.

The NFL is beautiful because it's a chess game. No huddle took Miami's defense out of their game. They couldn't line up their stunts and disguises, and they were exhausted. Plus, tough to guard the Pats two tight ends.

Pats pass rush was still disappointing. We'll take the win!

Quoted from leitskev The NFL is beautiful because it's a chess game. !

Exactly.  Belichick is a chess grandmaster and Sparano is one of those old goobers playing checkers on the front porch of a general store.

Quoted from Ryan1 That call was indefensible and inexcusable.  Sparano and Brian Daboll should be hung out to dry for that crap.  Mike Nolan's defense has more holes than a hobo's socks.  Miami failed to upgrade its secondary in the offseason and good god did it ever show.  Brady toyed with them.  Vontae Davis actually said he and Sean Smith were the best cornerback tandem in the league.  LMAO.  Fins were outcoached and outgunned.  Looks like another long season.  Miami, alone in the AFC east cellar.

I was shocked at that goal line play call. Utterly shocked.
Miami had hung in there pretty decent until that point IMO.
But what a downward spiral after that.

E.D.

It has to demoralize that whole team. You know you can't win when your coach makes calls like that.

Henne actually played well, too. He made a few "Henne" decisions, but so did Brady.

Big Albert won't get credit til they look at the film, but he was bringing it. He just missed Henne several times.

Quoted from Ryan Belichick is a chess grandmaster and Sparano is one of those old goobers playing checkers on the front porch of a general store.

Lol.  This little nugget made my week.

Just thought I'd resurrect this thread to say the Miami Dolphins suck and I hope Tony Sparano burns in the pits of hell.  Way to take a franchise and murder it.

And, who the hell are these Buffalo Bills?

I am really tired of the referees becoming the game. Same thing in the NBA. There's no excuse for blowing a big lead, but the Buffalo drive to tie the game was built on two huge, questionable penalties. Big momentum turner.

Quoted from Ryan1 And, who the hell are these Buffalo Bills?

This week they're the recipient of not one, but two very questionable ref calls.
I wish the refs hadn't suddenly gotten so hands on in the fourth quarter, be consistent.

The Fins were never expected to do much, Henne has been pretty decent, IMO.

E.D.

Quoted from Electric Dreamer The Fins were never expected to do much, Henne has been pretty decent, IMO. E.D.

Nah, same ol Henne.  Browns hand him the game on a silver platter when they commit an excessive celebration penalty on their final td, then get another personal foul on the return, so Miami has 1st and ten on the Browns 48 with 36 seconds left and one time out.  A field goal wins it for Miami.  Chad throws three incompletions and an interception.  That's Chad Henne.

Who's got it better than us?



NOBODY

That was sweet, Stevie. What a game!

Stevie, as I told you in a PM, I was wrong about your Niners all season long.  They're a very solid team and they impressed the shit out of me with this win.

I know it will be painful next week when the Pack ramrods them out of the Playoffs.

Hell of a win and game tonight!  Congrats, bro!

Cheers buddies.

I've been through some sporting pain in the last few years, with St.Kilda losing consecutive Grand Finals.

I enjoyed this one.

Oh and Jeff? We might just be playing the Giants at the Stick next week, you never know...

Would love that Niners D to get a crack at taking Brady down in the SB.

I would not count out the Giants. They are playing hot right now. They have a defense that could slow the Pack, just like it did the Pats.

How 'bout that Pats defense tonight?!

just chiming in to say Tebow still brings excitement. One reason I normally don't watch the NFL is the dullness. There's no excitement whatsoever. Tebow brought some of that college excitement to the NFL. Too bad it ended today, but he'll be back. And it's nice to see a nice guy in the NFL too. The Michael Vick type people and the lot just turns me off.

I'm not religious at all, but I will always cheer for the good guy.  

PS. now when Tebow is no longer in the comp, I couldn't care less about the NFL!  

This game makes me want to watch The Devil Inside.


Phil

Giants.

Being an Eagles fan means I get to catch up on watching and writing movies about this time every year.  A little sooner this year.
But I will have to go with NOT PATRIOTS.  Maybe 49ers because of Akers.

There's so much precision and plannin that goes into an NFL game, though we're in the dark about much of it. From the complex plays the offenses run to the sophisticated disguises defenses use to hide what they're doing, it's an elaborate chess game. There is really nothing in sport that compares to the NFL. Geroge Will waxes poetic about baseball, and don't get me wrong, I love baseball, but the NFL is more team oriented and significantly more dependent on strategy. These guys are pros, so they get paid, but on the field it's all about winning, and the championship caliber teams consist of players that think about football all year. It's their passion. That emotion is on display every week.

Quoted from Dreamscale Stevie, as I told you in a PM, I was wrong about your Niners all season long.  They're a very solid team and they impressed the shit out of me with this win. I know it will be painful next week when the Pack ramrods them out of the Playoffs. Hell of a win and game tonight!  Congrats, bro!

IF the Packers make it past the G-men. They already played once this season and the game was decided by three points. Plus, I think the Giants are the hottest team going into the playoffs.

The niners did impress me, but they haven't played a defense, yet. The Giants have one. One that tears up QBs.

Oh well, my beloved Steelers got Tebowed, who promptly shit the bed last night. I wouldn't mind a Packers vs. Pats Super bowl. Neither team has a D. Their both all offense. Would definitely be high scoring... Or that's what the bookies would like you to think. Happy betting!  

James

Pats D looked good last night. Swarming everywhere. It was just Denver, though. Offenses like NO, GB, and NE are impossible to stop for long.

I called Giants vs Pats before the playoffs. I'll stick with that. For a while I thought GB was unbeatable, but Manning is playing elite, and the Giants have a solid D that can get to Rodgers. Should be great game!

Steelers beat themselves. No excuse for letting Tebow move the ball that way.

Quoted from leitskev Steelers beat themselves. No excuse for letting Tebow move the ball that way.

As much as I love and respect him, it's time for Dick Lebeau to retire. Steeler's D-coordinator. The man helped them win two Superbowls. Sending all of the DBs and safeties up to stop the run on the first play of OT? Nobody back to stop the T-macculate reception? Meh, I'm still bitter. Steelers would've gave the Pats all they could handle. Pitt already beat them this year. Instead, you got the game you had last night...

James

We were thrilled to not have to face Pitt. Lebeau absolutely botched it. I don't know if he should retire because of one mistake, though. You have to put some of it on Tomlin. He is head coach, isn't he? They should have adjusted their strategy during the game.

The Steelers defense wasn't what is used to be all year, anyway. They've been slipping from what I've seen.

Steelers weren't going anywhere and they knew it. Would have had to win in Foxborough then in Baltimore. With the injuries, that wasn't happening. Maybe they just wanted to get to the golf course quicker!

Living in New York for the last 13 years I have to go with the Giants, they always seem to be underdogs in the playoffs and I think a surprise is on the cards tonight.

Mark

Tomlin has openly said, several times, that the defensive play calling is entirely up to Lebeau. Eventhough, Tomlin, himself, built a great defense in Minnesota. By having everyone up front on the first call of OT that can't be decided on a field goal on the first drive... I fault his play call...

James

Now, I'm just a bitter man. I want to see Joe Flacco fail today. Then, I want to see Brady fail in the superbowl. Do they make meds for this sort of hatred? I think, not.

Its called schadenfrued syndrome. Tis when I get my rocks off when others fail miserably. Somehow, I smile when they do...

Good luck, northeast... I'll be cheering against ya.

James

Quoted from leitskev We were thrilled to not have to face Pitt.

I was thankful that Tebow's higher calling paid off in that game.
I felt Tebow's inexperience would favor the Pats in the clutch.

But there was no cluth because Brady was a machine.
That game was way over by half time.

And how about that friggin awesome punt by Brady!?!
What a way to use that play to neutralize a blitz on your star quarterback.

Two "one and done" in a row at your own house in the post season, erased!

And maximum props to the 49ers for a capitalizing on a thrilling finish!

E.D.

Rooting for Houston right now. Hopefully about to score and get back in the game. They're really running it well. Yates looks good for a rookie.

James, there is a cure: make a little bon fire in your back yard, or in a barrel in the middle of an alley if you live in the city; when it gets going good, take a good swig from your flask, and toss in your bleeping 'terrible towel'!

Then...suck it up and buy a Gronkoski jersey. Plenty of room for you on this side!

Brett, Peyton Manning told an interesting story once. He said he dreamt he died and went to heaven. When he got there, the angel showed to him to his new home, a very nice house covered with Colts banners. He was pleased, until he looked out his back window and saw a huge mansion covered in Patriots banners.

Manning frowned and looked at the angel: "That must be Brady's place."

The Angel smiled: "Nope. That's God's house."

Last I checked, Pitt has 6 superbowl trophies. I forgot who has more... is it the Pats? Nope. 49'ers? Nope cowboys? Lol.  And, they will win one more b4 rapistbuerger retires.  

I will actually admit that Pittsburgh is probably the greatest organization in sports. The Yankees owe any advantage to a disparity in resources. Montreal is no longer great in hockey and has not been for many years. The Lakers...F the Lakers. Pittsburgh has been great since the mid 70s, with few off years, in a league that has true parity and a salary cap.

But that said, the Patriots are considered that model franchise in the NFL right now. What remains to be seen is whether that can continue beyond Brady and Belichek.

Quoted from jwent6688 Last I checked, Pitt has 6 superbowl trophies. I forgot who has more... is it the Pats? Nope. 49'ers? Nope cowboys? Lol.  And, they will win one more b4 rapistbuerger retires.

In the grand scheme of the NFL, I agree with you.
However, the last decade has been quite the run for the Pats.
9 out of the last 10 years making postseason trips.
And the one year they missed was when Cassel took them to 11-5.
The first time in over twenty years a 11-5 NFL team missed the playoffs.
Come on now, love or hate Belichek and Brady, they have made their mark on the sport.

E.D.

C`mon Giants  30-13 4th quarter.... it`s so quiet in Green Bay

Mark

Imagine a Super Bowl XLII rematch!

The press would have a field day with that.
And it would feature a match up of marquee quarterbacks.
I'm sure the league would enjoy that.

E.D.

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet....

Mark

Fucking horseshit!  The pack looked like a bunch of 11 year olds trying to get their first mouthful of snatch.

The Giants looked like a bunch of old Professional hookers, having their way with a bunch of kids.

What an embarrassment.  The Pack's D was worse than The Devil Inside's plot, and that's saying quite a fucking lot.

FUCK!  3 of my least favorite teams are left in this mess of a season.  I'll route for anyone over the Pats, but I'm a lifetime hater of both of the 49'ers and Giants.

Eat my baby pussy!

Quoted from Dreamscale Fucking horseshit!  The pack looked like a bunch of 11 year olds trying to get their first mouthful of snatch.!

And we have our first contender for quote of the year.

Quoted from Ryan1 And we have our first contender for quote of the year.

Yeah, I kinda cracked myself up with that one as well.  Funny...

FREAKING GIANTS  JEFF  GO FREAKING GIANTS!!!!!!!!!!!


Mark

Quoted from jwent6688 IF the Packers make it past the G-men. They already played once this season and the game was decided by three points. Plus, I think the Giants are the hottest team going into the playoffs.

Love quoting myself. Sorry niners, hottest team in the playoffs are coming to your house. Nighty night.

James

Rodgers lay down cos he was scared about Justin Smith coming after him  

I had Eli in my fantasy team this year - he's red hot at the mo', but then...so was Brees

I think the bye can be a killer. You ideally want to have it to heal, and hope you get an easy first round team. But you can come out cold.

I forgot to mention this, yesterday.  Go Giants!


Phil