NFL Thread Part Three, Take Two

[popacrobat]

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if they kept Fauria around as a backup, if he wanted to.

Vinatieri is obviously staying. Whether a new contract is written up or not - he'll be franchised again if that happens.

They need to resign David Givens - he's a big time receiver. I would make him a top priority.

agreed. Givens should be the top priority. i wouldnt mind if they kept fauria, i just don't expect it. i'd obviously love to have him back because i like him, but he is entirely expendable. givens would be key to re-sign.

they need to draft defense and a rb. need to slowly bring in younger linebackers, the defensive line is fine. secondary would be nice to patch up- wonder if harrison will ever be back and at what strength? i like samuel and hobbs turned out to be OK.

 

[Hewson]

Well that was an interesting weekend of football.

I'll be back later for more detailed commentary, but briefly:

Congrats to the Broncos, the Pats played their poorest big game in a long time, you can't win turning the ball over 5 times. The refs made some poor calls but the outcome wasn't their fault (though it seemed one guy, the back judge who rules Samuel's INT not a pick from across the field and called interference from across the field may have had an interest in the Broncos)

But as for officials on the take...the overturn of the Palomalu INT. was the worst, most blatantly fixed call in NFL history. Luckily Vanderjagt's kick looked like one of my tee shots so the team who deserved to win that game did. Pitt dominated and deserved to win.

Peyton Manning can not handle big game pressure. End of story.

The Panthers will win the SuperBowl.

 

[Hewson]

My God, wait until Hewson reads all of this in the morning...

And it took a long f'in time to read all of it.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Peyton Manning can not handle big game pressure. End of story.

The Panthers will win the SuperBowl.

agreed on both counts.

 

[Hewson]

Certainly is looking more and more like Peyton Manning is going to be this era's Dan Marino, isn't it?

But don't forget that Dan made it to one SuperBowl.

Peyton can't say that, so he's more like his generation's Ken O'Brien.

 

[phanan]

Peyton's gaudy regular season statistics will always drive comparisons to Marino, despite the fact that:

- Marino actually played in a Super Bowl

- Marino had nowhere near the talent around him that Manning has


I'm sure Peyton's final career statistics will rival Marino's, and that will include no Super Bowl wins.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

 

[phanan]

 

[stammer476]

It appears there are no Donkey fans on this board.

So any shit that gets posted, is from a poser.

In my defense, I was detained at the in-laws all weekend. That's a mixed blessing, because the in-laws are also from Colorado and big Broncos fans, so there was plenty of help in the cheering section. The bad part . . . well, it's the in-laws.

Congratulations to New England on your dominance over the last few years. You were great winners, and if it's any consolation, I was sincerely hoping Cincinnati would win so we wouldn't have to play against you guys last weekend. You were a great team. Just not good enough this time.

No gloating from me today. There's still more games to play.

On a side note, I did experience what was for me the strangest sports occurrence of my entire life. Last Thursday night, I had a dream that I was listening to the radio in my car the day after the Broncos-Pats game, and they said the final score was: Broncos 27, Pats 13. Weird.

If I have any more prophetic dreams in the next three weeks, I'll be sure to post them here for the betting folks among us.

Go Broncos.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

some guy called in to mike francesa's sunday morning nfl preview show and predicted the final score of the colts-steelers game would be piitsburgh 21, indianapolis 10

mike told him that he was crazy and if that ended up being the final score that he'd let the guy host the show on monday... came about 5 minutes and one horrific call by the ref from happening.

 

[stammer476]

Yeah, I'm really regretting that I'm not a betting man. I'd have made some BIG money.

The whole thing still weirds me out. It was one of those dreams where you tinker between being asleep and being awake, and it stuck with me all weekend.

When the Broncos were up 24 - 6, I told my father in-law about my dream. After the game he made me promise to have another one this weekend.

 

[Hewson]

Now the pats loss to Denver bothers me obviously, but the absoulte worst part of it is that next Sunday during the AFC championship game, we're gonna have to see that head shot they use of Jake Plummer when they put stats up where he has yet to grow his mountain man beard, but has that awful 70's Porn Star moustache.
I'm starting a petition to CBS to get a new headshot of Jake the Snake.
Please sign: www.nomorepornomoustaches.com

 

[Hewson]

OK I have a little time to dissect some of the weekend's posts on this thread, no better place to start than right here:

The point is, I really don't like you guys,

This is sad.
You don't know any of us outside of a computer message board.
To dislike someone so much from sports banter on a computer is silly.
You are welcome to post here, but you have to be prepared for people to respond. You belabor the same argument repeatedly, and most of the peole here (including non Pats fans) have tried to reasonably argue the point. (Example: If Tom Brady was a no talent product of the system, he and the Pats would have disappeared after beating the Rams much like Trent Dilfer/Ravens and Brad Johnson/Buccanears, but he/they didn't, they won 2 more Superbowls and should contend for several more years, proof that your argument is flawed).
Your problem is you are so blinded by hatred for Brady that you refuse to acknowledge facts, and embellish small things like a one time water bottle toss into a lifetime of bratty behavior and poor sportsmanship with no proof.

I for one would like to see you continue to post in the sports threads, but just provide some better and more logical reasoning to your points.
Brady is a proven winner, to this point Peyton is not. That may change, but after having everything set up so perfectly this season and failing, I don't expect it.

If in fact you never return, thats your choice, the sun will come out tomnorrow (except of course in Seattle).

 

[Hewson]

oh... just one more thing. hewson will be happy to know that he's been right all this time...

Post of the milennium.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Post of the milennium.

don't get used to it

 

[Hewson]

You know I heard the other day from somebody that they thought the Pats' wins were rigged by the US goverment, because their first win was right after 9-11 and the others came during the war, hey, 'patriot' and the American image and all, for morale? Well, I'm sure you'll say this is ridiculous, but it does fit! It wasn't my idea.

This theory can be easily proved ludicrous by looking at one play from that season; Adam Vinatieri's game tying 45 yard field goal through a driiving snow against the raiders. There is no way the refs/NFL/GW Bush or Saint Bono could have put the fix in enough to make that kick good. Its the most clutch kick in NFL history considering the conditions and situation, and nobody could have fixed that aspect of the game.

Why not the Colts? They've earned it, and deserve it, and are very nice guys who don't shoot off their mouths.

Unfortunately I missed my opportunity to be Nostradamus on this one due to home internet issues which will be resolved in a few weeks, but how about Mike Vanderjagt. Nice guy who keeps his mouth shut?
Remember him motioning to the Pats bench in the 2004 opener before gaffing a game tying kick?
Notice him motion to the Steelers' bench when they called time to ice him?
He is enough reson to want to see Indy lose, and what a fitting way to lose Sunday.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Talk about a heart-stopping game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts.

Terry O'Neill, 50, of Pittsburgh, was watching the game at a bar and had a heart attack seconds after Jerome Bettis fumbled trying to score from the 2-yard line late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger prevented the Colts' Nick Harper from returning the recovered ball for a touchdown and the Steelers hung on for a 21-18 win.

O'Neill said Bettis is his hero.

"I wasn't upset that the Steelers might lose," he told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I was upset because I didn't want to see him end his career like that. A guy like that deserves better. I guess it was a little too much for me to handle."

O'Neill, who was recovering at a hospital, credits two firefighters with saving him.

"The Steelers won the game and I'm still alive, so I guess I'm doing pretty good," he said.

He will have a pacemaker implanted to control an irregular heartbeat and he was prescribed medication to deal with the hypertension.

While he would like to go to the bar Sunday for the game against the Denver Broncos to thank the guys who saved him, O'Neill said, "I guess I should probably take it easy and watch the game at home."

 

[speedracer]

If the guy would otherwise be watching the game at home alone, maybe he should go back to the bar.

In other news, the Lions passed on Mike Singletary and are reportedly trying to hire...Jim Haslett. Outstanding.

 

[stammer476]

If the guy would otherwise be watching the game at home alone, maybe he should go back to the bar.

In other news, the Lions passed on Mike Singletary and are reportedly trying to hire...Jim Haslett. Outstanding.

No surprise. There is a reason they are the Lions.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

matt millen... master of his domain.

 

[Mr. BAW]

No surprise. There is a reason they are the Lions.

Please say a prayer for my little cousin....

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

maybe matt millen can higher peyton manning to be his new offensive coordinator... he picks up the blitz so well

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

[random]

Peyton Manning does locker room interviews naked.

[/random]

 

[Got Philk?]

Do you think the Pats will get a new RB? I know Dillon was injured, but will they look to go younger?

I hate Vanderjagt.

So far, I say a team will win, and they lose. Every game so far. Is there a team anyone hates? I'll post it on here! Like, "I think Pittsburgh is going to win the superbowl." They won't now. HAHA! sorry, I'll go now.

 

[phanan]

Do you think the Pats will get a new RB? I know Dillon was injured, but will they look to go younger?

I wouldn't be surprised if the Pats used one of their middle round picks on a RB. Dillon is a question mark right now - was this past year strictly due to injuries, or was it age? Or perhaps a combination of both? Either way, he is starting to get up there, so it wouldn't hurt to have someone waiting in the wings.

But other than the RB position, the Patriot offense is pretty much stacked. While the linebackers are excellent, they are getting older, and I'd like to see them use their first round pick on one of the stud LBs coming out, if they are still on the board. Otherwise, well, we all know another corner wouldn't hurt.

 

[Got Philk?]

I think the thing is that Dillon was hurt, and Patrick Pass and Heath Evans played almost as well as Dillon when healthy. I think age was a major factor personally.

 

[Hewson]

Dillon's contract extension could be his undoing in NE. The Pats may decide he's not worth the remaining money (its like 4 more years and at least $20Mil), so he could get cut if they think they can get a better fit in terms of age/salary/productivity, thru draft, trade or free agency.

 

[Chizip]

This theory can be easily proved ludicrous by looking at one play from that season; Adam Vinatieri's game tying 45 yard field goal through a driiving snow against the raiders. There is no way the refs/NFL/GW Bush or Saint Bono could have put the fix in enough to make that kick good. Its the most clutch kick in NFL history considering the conditions and situation, and nobody could have fixed that aspect of the game.

yes but we all know about the tuck, which gave them the opportunity for the win.

now while i dont really think there was any sort of fixing going on in the superbowl, there is about 1% of me that there is a possibility that the head official, Bernie Kukar was in on something.

If he wasn't, then he is an extremely incompotent ref who missed a few very obvious calls.

He is the guy that is supposed to watch the infractions against the QB. In the play where Warner was intercepted for a touchdown, there was an obvious, verrry obvious blow to Warner's head. This should have resulted in a roughing the passer and given the Rams a first down, but it didn't and the Pats got a TD out of it. huge missed call.

http://www.stlouisrams.net/download/vrab_war.wmv

the second, unbelievably bad call was on the last drive of the game that won it for the Pats. With just 33 seconds left, there was an obvious intentional grounding that wasn't called. this would have pretty much been a drive killer and sent the game into overtime. once again it was kukar who was supposed to make the call, did he miss it because he is incompotent, or for another reason?

http://stlouisrams.net/xxxvi/clips/release2.wmv

when brady released the ball he was obviously not outside the pocket. huge missed call.

another curious thing is, when the rams did get a right call in their favor, the holding against the patriots when they had picked up that fumble for a TD, Bernie Kukar spent 5 minutes trying to convince the ref who threw the flag to pick it up. The call was pretty obvious, so why would Kukar spend so much time trying to overturn it?

here is the blatant hold (more like tackle)

http://stlouisrams.net/xxxvi/clips/015.wmv

and here is kukar doing his best to overturn it

http://stlouisrams.net/xxxvi/clips/refs.wmv

thankfully someone on the staff had a sense of integrity

McGinest again: "The coaches told me to be aggressive. They told me to hit Faulk and they told me to hold him. Hey, sometimes you get caught."

Head Referee Bernie Kukar: QUESTION: "Was there any call in this Super Bowl that you wish you could have had back?"

Kukar: "Absolutely not. The only play was the holding penalty after the Rams quarterback fumbled the ball and the Patriots ran it backs 99 yards for a touchdown; "I certainly tried to talk the head linesman out of that penalty. I gave him every opportunity to back off but he held fast. He was convinced it was a hold and I kept hammering him. However, I did see it on television last night on the replay and it was definitely a hold. It was a good call."

there is about 4 or 5 other plays that are quite questionable as well, (like how they let the clock run out after the last field goal when there should have been 2 seconds left http://stlouisrams.net/xxxvi/clips/020.wmv ), but these are the three that makes me think that maaaaaaaaaaaaaybe something was going on with Kukar.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i hope you're joking... even 1% joking.

 

[Chizip]

i hope you're joking...

did you see the clips? they are blatantly bad/missed calls.

so either this guy is extremely imcompotent, which is possible considering how bad the refs have been lately, or maaaaaaybe there was something up.

like i said, 99% of me thinks the guy is just an idiot, but after reading some things ive read about game fixing, there is 1% of me that thinks something might have been going on.