Sport

N-F-L

thefadd.

Posted to Sport on Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 06:21:21 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.

American football begins yet another season in its annual quest for the Lombardi Trophy. Tee En Tee has shown its affinity for making baseless predictions -- and occasionally being right -- so it's as good a time as any to give those another shot.

The storylines ain't too bad this year. 18-1. Favre reneging on his promise to leave us all alone (and giving the Madden curse another chance to claim a victim). Betting houses giving odds on arrests along with wins (are odds on getting shot next?). Got a favorite team you need to tout? Angsting over your fantasy roster already? Just want to show us exactly how much your bookie's gonna owe you by year end?

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Tags: edited by Port1080, written by thefadd, NFL, sports, football (all tags)
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4

Re: N-F-L

Lou.

Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 11:54:34 AM EST

5.00 (funny)

Where do the Sox fit in all of this?

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine

5

^ 4

Re: N-F-L

MayorBob.

Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 12:04:17 PM EST

none

White or Red?

Illegitimi non carborundum.

6

^ 5

Re: N-F-L

Lou.

Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 12:05:32 PM EST

none

Pinot Grigio is a white, right?

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine

7

^ 6

Re: N-F-L

thefadd.

Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 12:10:46 PM EST

none

Even that would have been a better name for the new Oklahoma City basketball franchise.

It is easy to buy small plaster models of what you think life is like.

8

^ 7

Re: N-F-L

Lou.

Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 12:12:10 PM EST

none

The Oklahoma City Pinot Grigios?

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine

10

^ 8

Re: N-F-L

thefadd.

Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 12:14:13 PM EST

none

Oklahoma City Pinot Grigio Sox

It is easy to buy small plaster models of what you think life is like.

11

In memory of Tim Russert

pO157.

Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 12:20:53 PM EST

5.00

Go Bills.

13

^ 11

Re: In memory of Tim Russert

keta.

Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 03:51:08 PM EST

none

This thread is officially Godwinized.

18

End Of An Era?

uncarved block.

Tue Sep 09, 2008 at 09:45:14 AM EST

5.00 (interesting)

    So Brady is out for the season, and perhaps the Patriot dynasty- and it is/was a dynasty- might go down with him. At 29, Brady was already in the downward curve of his career, and whether or not he'll be anywhere near what he has been a year from now is dubious, to say the least. Now is when the league will discover if the system made the QB, or the QB made the system. With that offensive line, though, I wouldn't bet against the new guy (the Pats are already interviewing to replace Cassel) having a "surprise" season.
     Everyone who picked the Seahawks for division champs this year want to renege on that pick? It was only one game, but they didn't look like they could have beaten USC last Sunday. The Bill's D could have been that good .  . or the Hawks O could have been that bad. I'm voting on the latter, having grown up being disappointed by the Seachickens for as far back as I can remember.
    The Tony Kornheiser era in the booth should come to an end ASAP. I like PTI, but I don't want to have the "soap opera" angle to the game brought up the whole . . fucking . . game.
    The Giants will not repeat. You heard it, and I'll stand by it. Lightning doesn't strike twice in the NFL, even if it does in real life.
    The Packers looked good last night. Expect to hear idiotic analysts and fans find ways to try and find fault when they go 12-4, which while it ain't 13-3, is a damn respectable accomplishment in the NFL. Due to the overwhelming number of man-crushes on Favre, though, and the general atmosphere of absurd perfectionism that bedevils the league, expect the criticism to be long and loud. The Jets dismal season, OTOH, will get less attention as the year goes along.
    No predictions for anything else here on out. I won't be off many Sundays after October, and without seeing a good chunk of the game personally, picking teams off the media analysis is a sucker bet.

Ex ignorantia ad sapientiam; e luce ad tenebras

19

^ 18

Re: End Of An Era?

thefadd.

Tue Sep 09, 2008 at 08:46:32 PM EST

none

I hate Brady but to say a QB is on the downward side of his career at 29 is ridiculous. The average age of a Super Bowl winning quarterback is over 30. Brady's fast success is amazingly unprecedented. Plenty of QB's don't gain a starting position until after 30. If anything, I'm willing to bet this extends the dynasty as it will merely provide Belicheck with more challenges before he reaches that let's just retire 'cause I've done everything else time.

Tony Kornheiser is worse in the booth than Dennis Miller.

It is easy to buy small plaster models of what you think life is like.

20

^ 19

Point Taken

uncarved block.

Wed Sep 10, 2008 at 09:43:57 AM EST

none

   But I was thinking more of injuries than abilities. Talent is great, but not very useful if it's sitting on the bench. QBs like Favre and Elway were exceptional in this respect, and I was suggesting that Brady's luck on that front was at an end. But of course that's just speculation-- will Brady go on to win more Superbowls, or head down the path that Donovan McNab and Kurt Warner (among others) know far too well?
     Should have been more clear. All apologies.

Ex ignorantia ad sapientiam; e luce ad tenebras

21

^ 20

Re: Point Taken

port1080.

Wed Sep 10, 2008 at 09:59:25 AM EST

none

or head down the path that Donovan McNab and Kurt Warner (among others) know far too well?

The thing that those two examples, and even (or maybe especially) Favre and Elway show us is that with an older quarterback, the most important thing is the quality of the team around him.  Both Favre and Elway looked like they were going downhill for a few years, and then their respective franchises rebuilt and they started to look good again.  The same may well be true of McNabb, and maybe even Warner (who has been doing a decent job for Arizona recently).  An older quarterback will be either really good (if he has a lot of protection, good skill players to throw to, and a good running game to take the pressure off him later in the game) or really bad (if he has to try to take the entire weight of the team on his arms).  Older quarterbacks know what they should be doing (something that younger, more athletic QBs often don't) - the problem is giving them the time to do it, and especially taking the pressure off them to compensate for their lack of mobility.  

22

^ 21

Yep

uncarved block.

Wed Sep 10, 2008 at 10:39:38 AM EST

none

    And the $64,000 question after the last Superbowl is whether or not the league- or at least its top teams- will be able to reproduce what the Giants did to the Patriots when it counts. I'm not so sure; Belicheck has had the unbeatable sales pitch, "join the team and you're in the fast track to win a championship" to counteract what has been ruthless (even by NFL standards) contract dealings. Will that still hold after Brady misses this whole year? My hunch, pulled straight out of the air this minute, is that if the Pats can win a playoff game with Cassel, the Belicheck pitch will continue. If they go 7-9, though . . it will be a little harder, but maybe still possible. The NFL is all about winning, and "the hoodie" has certainly done that lately. But then I'm hardly an expert :)

Ex ignorantia ad sapientiam; e luce ad tenebras

1

Re: N-F-L

port1080.

Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 10:11:10 AM EST

none

Well, last year I got some things right and some things wrong.  I picked Tampa Bay to come out of nowhere and have a good season (and they did).  I picked a Baltimore vs. San Francisco Super Bowl (...yeah that didn't work out).  So, with that in mind, here are my picks for this year:

AFC

East:
Patriots (d)
Jets
Bills
Dolphins

North:
Steelers (d)
Browns (w)
Ravens
Bengals

South:
Colts (d)
Jaguars (w)
Texans
Titans

West:
Broncos (d)
Chargers
Raiders
Chiefs

NFC

East:
Cowboys (d)
Giants (w)
Eagles
Redskins

North:
Vikings (d)
Lions
Packers
Bears

South:
Saints (d)
Buccaneers (w)
Falcons
Panthers

West
Seahawks (d)
Cardinals
Rams
49ers

PLAYOFFS

AFC Wildcard Round
Steelers over Browns
Jaguars over Broncos

NFC Wildcard Round
Giants over Vikings
Saints over Buccaneers

AFC Divisional Round
Colts over Steelers
Jaguars over Patriots

NFC Divisional Round
Giants over Seahawks
Cowboys over Saints

Divisional Championships
Jaguars over Colts
Cowboys over Giants

SUPER BOWL
Jaguars over Cowboys

9

^ 1

Re: N-F-L

thefadd.

Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 12:13:33 PM EST

none

That AFC South is really good so I like that you picked the Jags to make it past the Colts in the playoffs. I really think one of those teams is going to over take them in the regular season, though. I don't see any reason for the Titans to take a step back and if I were to bet on anything it would be two wild cards coming from that division--in addition to the NFC East.

It is easy to buy small plaster models of what you think life is like.

2

I Love American Football

MayorBob.

Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 10:21:37 AM EST

none

Taking into account that I suck at this sort of thing, here's my predictions:

AFC

East:
Patriots (win division)
Jets (wild card)
Bills
Dolphins

North:
Browns (win division)
Steelers
Ravens
Bengals

South:
Colts (win division)
Jaguars
Titans
Texans

West:
Broncos (win division)
Chargers (wild card)
Raiders
Chiefs

NFC

East:
Cowboys (win division)
Eagles (wild card)
Giants
Redskins

North:
Vikings (win division)
Packers
Bears
Lions

South:
Buccaneers (win division)
Saints (wild card)
Panthers
Falcons

West
Seahawks (win division)
Cardinals
49ers
Rams

I'll spare you the early playoff predictions and go right for the jugular -- Patriots will beat the Eagles in the Super Bowl and the half time show will suck and some of the commercials will be entertaining.

Illegitimi non carborundum.

12

^ 2

I take issue with your AFC predictions.

pO157.

Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 02:55:11 PM EST

none

Bills edge out the Jets, Farve or no, but lose the wild card to the Steelers.

14

^ 12

I agree, Farve is no big deal.

MayorBob.

Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 04:02:26 PM EST

none

Now, that Favre guy, he's all that and a bag of chips.  I'm hoping your prediction is wrong, not because I hate the Bills, but because I'm a Favre fan from way back.  And, if he can make the Pack look bad for having turned their backs so quickly and completely on him by taking the Jets to the playoffs (and nobody is going to supplant the Pats atop the AFC East) while the Packers make tee times in January, that's all to the good to me.

Illegitimi non carborundum.

3

Here We Go Again...

keta.

Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 11:21:10 AM EST

none

Ah, the NFL campaign begins again.  The time of year when a shallow confidence in my prediction abilities, slowly nurtured over the course of a long NHL campaign, is raped and pillaged by point spreads.

I must be a masochist.

15

play of the week?

pO157.

Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 11:25:41 AM EST

none

A) Tom Brady getting sacked and ending his season
B) Farve finding the end zone
C) Crazy trick play that gave a punter a QB rating of over 150 (Couldn't find video of this one)

I report, you decide (and vote).

Lock in your choices now!

16

^ 15

Re: play of the week?

thefadd.

Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 01:57:48 PM EST

none

Definitely C. Don't want to gloat over A and Favre tossing up no look prayer's ain't nothin' new.

It is easy to buy small plaster models of what you think life is like.

17

^ 15

I have to go with A.

MayorBob.

Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 04:31:39 PM EST

none

And I do so without gloating.  The hit to Brady, which the NFL reviewed and determined legal, is the play which changes everything in the AFC, IMHO.  With Brady gone and the offense in the unproven hands of Cassel, this opens up the sluice gates for post season possibilities for teams like the Bills (who looked awfully good on Sunday) and the Jets in the same division.  Sorry, Miami fans, it doesn't do a thing for your dismal outlook.

Illegitimi non carborundum.

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