The NFL Thread (with added College Football)

[taylorsworkrate]

It has been a pretty crazy season, I didn't expect the Steelers to be here, but here they are again......their ability to do this year after year without the flash names is really staggering.   Still, as I said, the Jets will be just as tough as Baltimore and I'm not taking anything for granted.

The Steelers are this year's Man United. It just seems inevitable that you're going to win another Superbowl although you're right about the Jets... they really have thrown a spanner into the works, however Pittsburgh won't let them win again at Heinz Field.

As a neutral Packers vs Steelers would be a great match up. It's funny really, everyone was hyping up the Packers big time in pre-season and they flattered to decieve quite a bit losing 6 games and just scraping through to the playoffs as a WC... now they've stepped up in the playoffs and now everyone's talking about them again.

Packers did lose 6 games true,(interestingly all of them by 4 points or less) but had to deal with an almost Aston Villaesque run of injuries earlier in the season. Having players like Grant and Finlay out all season is going to hurt any team massively.  Add to that Clay Matthews missing a third of the season and many other players missing a number of games, it looks quite a strong effort to ONLY lose 6 games.  A number of those could have been wins if the Packers could have kept their discipline.(The game at Chicago is a strong example of this.  19 penaltys in a game lost by only 3 points).

They look the real deal now.  Aaron Rogers is playing out of his mind good, whilst the wide receivers offer so much threat. Defensively the Packers look strong too. ( How on earth was Tramon Williams overlooked for the pro bowl by the way?)

It's gonna take a lot to stop them.

[DaveD]

Oh I think we all recognise that behaviour. Chelsea were a very unfashionable team to support in London until about 15 years ago - now you see as many blue shirts as red or white. In the 1990s you suddenly couldn't go anywhere without tripping over lifelong Newcastle fans. I confidently expect sky blue shirts to start proliferating all over the UK.

I'm afraid I live a long way from Foxboro, and have never even been there (one day), but I've been a Pats fan since 1985, when I first started following the game, and we were utter crap for most of that time...I'm enjoying this period while I can, because it will end sometime, probably fairly soon when Brady and Bill retire, and we'll almost certainly never be this good again.

[Mac]

I had a soft spot for the Pats.  With "Brit" John Smith doing the C4 show.

<Nostalgia>
I'll always remember that prior to one of their regular season games in 1980 he had an interview with Steve Grogan, his ex team mate whom Grogan showed the play book.  They talked about a "flea-flicker"  And there, in the game was the actual play.  To see something written down and then executed perfectly is what got me hooked on American Football.  It made sense of the actual mayhem it looked like.

I think in a post match interview Groagan admitted to Smith that he'd only shown him that play because he thought there was zero chance of them using it.

</Nostalgia>

[UK Redsox]

At least John (and I think I can call him John, based on the fact that I knew his brother!) still sounded British, unlike Mick Luckhurst

[UK Redsox]

NFL selling $200 tickets to watch the Superbowl in Dallas............... on a screen OUTSIDE the stadium

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/news/story?id=6037397

[DaveD]

Mac, uncanny, that show with the flea-flicker is the reason I chose to be a Patriots fan !!!

I'd been watching for a few weeks but hadn't settled on a team, and seeing that made my mind up.

[pmarachi]

Oh I think we all recognise that behaviour. Chelsea were a very unfashionable team to support in London until about 15 years ago - now you see as many blue shirts as red or white. In the 1990s you suddenly couldn't go anywhere without tripping over lifelong Newcastle fans. I confidently expect sky blue shirts to start proliferating all over the UK.

I'm afraid I live a long way from Foxboro, and have never even been there (one day), but I've been a Pats fan since 1985, when I first started following the game, and we were utter crap for most of that time...I'm enjoying this period while I can, because it will end sometime, probably fairly soon when Brady and Bill retire, and we'll almost certainly never be this good again.

it's all good.

I do wish they would go back to the old symbol though.

(same for the birds)

[pmarachi]

also...

Aaron Rodgers is my boy.

I honestly love that man.

I have secretly been rooting for him since the first Favre-gate.

I wouldn't mind seeing him win a superbowl as kind of a tribute to the packers fans who stuck by him.

Which makes me think of another question if anyone cares to answer it.

Top 5 current favorite players that don't play for your team. (in my case, the birds)
(Don't have to be all stars or anything)

1) Aaron Rodgers (Just love to see this guy do well)
2) Devin Hester (The U!)
3) Terrel Suggs (the BEAST)
4) T.J. Houshmandzadeh (My fellow half Iranian Iranian-American)
5) Tom Brady (yeah... I said it.  He's fantastic)

Honorable mentions:
Wes Welker, Ed Reed, Chad Johnson,  Matt Forte, Donald Driver, Marshawn Lynch, Dawan Landry

And I will always love Brian Westbrook and Donovan McNabb.

[The Situation]

1. Tim Tebow ('nuff said)
2. DeSean 'troll' Jackson (love his trolling just before he makes a TD)
3. Josh Freeman (Had a great season with the Bucs)
4. Michael Vick (Redemption)
5. Drew Brees (class act)

Honourable mentions: Suh, Rodgers, Woodhead, Lynch and Garrard

[UK Redsox]

1. Tim Tebow ('nuff said)
2. DeSean 'troll' Jackson (love his trolling just before he makes a TD)
3. Josh Freeman (Had a great season with the Bucs)
4. Michael Vick (Redemption)
5. Drew Brees (class act)

Honourable mentions: Suh, Rodgers, Woodhead, Lynch and Garrard

1) Nooooooooooooooo. Hopefully some linebacker will soon smash Tebow and his smug "holier than thou" attitude into the middle of next week

2) Agree. Despite Goodell's efforts to stamp it out, the NFL needs arrogance and humor

3) Yep, very underrated

4) Got more stick for mistreating animals than other players got for mistreating humans

[The Situation]

Tebow's probably the closest thing I have to a hero.

Humble, aesthetically pleasing and is adored by everyone.

He's the greatest college football player of all time and he'll turn around the Denver Broncos single-handedly from awful to Awesome. Future NFL HOF'er and is bound to win a few Superbowls.

A gift from God, a gift from Tebow.

[pmarachi]

1. Tim Tebow ('nuff said)
2. DeSean 'troll' Jackson (love his trolling just before he makes a TD)
3. Josh Freeman (Had a great season with the Bucs)
4. Michael Vick (Redemption)
5. Drew Brees (class act)

Honourable mentions: Suh, Rodgers, Woodhead, Lynch and Garrard

I agree with Jackson, and maybe even Brees, he was great 24 months ago and I also like him...

But...

Tim Tebow?
Mike Vick?

Tim Tebow?!?!?!  Really?!?!?!
 
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but this is getting insane!!
Can we put a one year ban on this guy from NFL board?

hahaha
J/K



(no, seriously, is that possible to do?  Tim Tebow?!?!)

[pmarachi]

Tebow's probably the closest thing I have to a hero.

Humble, aesthetically pleasing and is adored by everyone.

He's the greatest college football player of all time and he'll turn around the Denver Broncos single-handedly from awful to Awesome. Future NFL HOF'er and is bound to win a few Superbowls.

A gift from God, a gift from Tebow.

ok, I get it.

I am pretty sure this a joke now.
I guess my humor isn't fully tuned up at 7:30 am

My bad.

[The Situation]

No wind up's here.

Tebow's jersey is the #1 selling jersey this season. You can't argue with that. He's just loved. How can you dislike him?!

Oh Timmy Tebow!
Timmy Timmy Timmy Timmy Tebow!

[UK Redsox]

No wind up's here.

Tebow's jersey is the #1 selling jersey this season. You can't argue with that. He's just loved. How can you dislike him?!

Oh Timmy Tebow!
Timmy Timmy Timmy Timmy Tebow!

Because of his smug "holier than thou attitude" and stance on abortion rights etc