2009 NFL

[Sky]

I thought alot of those hits on Favre would draw a flag for late hits or something? Are they more liberal about that than they used to be? I haven't really watched alot of football in the last few years so my theory is that the pendulum swung back. I remember when if you bumped the QB while running past it'd be a personal foul and all that.

Seeing Ryan go apoplectic as his QB got planted without a flag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wESYtS9B9o

[HaemishM]

Roughing the passer has swung from getting flagged every time you looked cross at the QB (if the QB's name was Tom Brady) to letting a guy get skullfucked on the field by three black studs. The officiating has been more egregiously idiotic this year. Pass interference has been called the same way. Favre got a few late hits that should have been called but weren't, and one that was called and should not have been. Of course, the play where his ankle got hurt was a clean tackle, IMO.

EDIT: And yes, that Sanchez hit should have drawn a flag.

[Hoax]

It wasn't though if I understand the Carson Palmer rule correctly.  That was the exact type of play that got him hurt (player diving in below the knees as he threw the ball.  But I haven't really figured out what the rule change they made was since only Tom Brady has gotten that kind of protection since the rule change.

I thought the one they did call was iffy but live it sure did look like the defender attempted to jump off the ground holding him in order to drop all his weight onto Favre.  This is football and that should be part of the game but (again live) I thought the guy was going out of his way to hurt him and the flag didn't surprise or insult me too badly as a result.

[Murgos]

The Saints did not win that game, the Vikings lost it.  The Vikes were completely dominant in the second half - shutting down the Saints O and marching down the field with almost every possession.  A little more liberal use of sticky tape and all we would be talking about is how annoying the next two weeks of Favre coverage is going to be.

[Nebu]

As much of a diehard Vikings fan as I am, I'm kind of glad that the Saints won.  It would have been hellish listening to the media talk about Favre for the next two weeks.  Instead, this may be the incentive he needs to retire for good.  It's time for him to let someone else run the show.  I just hope the Vikings go out and get a decent QB.  What they have now after Favre is pretty terrible.

[Hoax]

As much of a diehard Vikings fan as I am, I'm kind of glad that the Saints won.  It would have been hellish listening to the media talk about Favre for the next two weeks.  Instead, this may be the incentive he needs to retire for good.  It's time for him to let someone else run the show.  I just hope the Vikings go out and get a decent QB.  What they have now after Favre is pretty terrible.

You are not diehard the way I understand that word to work.  For most franchises five superbowl chances per lifetime is as good as it gets.  Even though I knew they were hardly a playoff team I would have shed blood to see the Bengals win a game or four who knows when if ever they'll make another run?  Green Bay and potentially Chicago have QB's that will be solid to amazing for most of this decade, acting like one less fumble away from the superbowl is no big deal because the media would talk about Favre too much is even more crazytalk then this Favre lost the game shit.

Also losing because of his fumbles could damage Peterson for his entire career, if he had a shot at redemption against the undersized Colts in the superbowl?  I would have put money on him fucking up their day.

The thing about this game was, I wanted the better team to win because I don't need to see Manning get another ring and the Saints are clearly not the better team.

[sigil]

I don't think "clearly" means what you think it does...

[HaemishM]

The Saints were the better team. Why? Because they made less fuckups - and their fuckups didn't hurt them. The Vikes left at least two field goals on the ground in regulation by fumbling inside the 30, and another by tossing that INT at the end of regulation. They left at least 6 and as much as 17 points on the field through fumbles and INT's and there could have been more if the Saints had fallen on the ball. It was only the Vikings defense that kept them from being absolutely blown out, because the Saints left at least a few field goals on the field with 3 and outs after turnovers.

The better team doesn't give the ball away 6 times.

[sigil]

That's the thing about Brett Favre; he's not afraid to throw an interception. That's one of the things I most admire about him -Tom Jackson ESPN


Which led to the ESPN Favre Rules for all hash tag and the comedy gold from that before it went sideways.




That's the thing about Leon Lett; He's not afraid to try and pick up a blocked field goal on the two yard line.

That's the thing about Mike Vick; He's not afraid to unleash the hounds when the fight starts. That's what winners do.

And for the footy fan...
That's the thing about John Terry; he's not afraid to go wide on a penalty in the rain on field turf.

[Tannhauser]

Keep the OT rule as is; your defense is part of your team too.  If you look at the OT record, there isn't a statistical advantage to having the ball first.

College 'playoff' system is a joke, please don't troll that shit.

As for the Vikes, turnovers lose games.  Period.  Why do you think coaches flip out when one happens?  Farve is a future Hall of Famer, but he lost that game and no one else.  QB's get most of the praise and most of the blame.  That's the way it goes.  But he did get them in position to win it in OT.  He just had make a dumb decision and it cost them.

[Ingmar]

College 'playoff' system is a joke, please don't troll that shit.

Who said anything about the playoff system? 

[Trippy]

Keep the OT rule as is; your defense is part of your team too.  If you look at the OT record, there isn't a statistical advantage to having the ball first.

Yes, there is. Post various rules changes like moving the kickoff line back the winner of the coin flip wins 60% of the time. 60/40 or 3:2 is a big advantage.

[Paelos]

College 'playoff' system is a joke, please don't troll that shit.

Who said anything about the playoff system?  

He probably meant the overtime rules. If he did, he would have just uttered one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. The college OT system is by far the best and fairest possible way to end the game. The NFL system is by far the stupidest and most arbitrary.

And yes, it is 60/40 after the kickoff change in 1994. That's an overwhelming disparity.

[Tannhauser]

No, I meant the BCS, not OT rules.

[Sjofn]

I have got to laugh at the "man up and play defense if you want to win in OT." Nothing about letting both teams have a possession in OT takes away the "man up and play defense" aspect. You'll just have to man up and play defense to win if your team scores first AS WELL as man up and play defense if you lost the toss. The current sudden death rules are total bullshit, all the dick waving about DEFENSE RAAR MANLY MANNESS isn't going to change that.

As for Favre lost the game/no he didn't ... I bet you a dollar HE thinks he lost it.   Also yeah, the better team doesn't turn over the ball a jillion times. But like I said, I don't know if the Saints can beat the Colts, just because when your opponent turns the ball over a jillion times, you should kick their ass in regulation. :/

[Paelos]

I wouldn't want Adrian Peterson to ever carry the ball for my team. He's just become this total ball security nightmare that no amount of 100 yard games can overcome. He's lead all runningbacks in fumbles for the last two years.

[BoatApe]

Some of those turnovers were gifts but the Saints actively caused 2-3 of them. They've shown a huge improvement in going after the ball this season.

[Fordel]

I always thought OT was supposed to represent the last few minutes of regulation. If two teams are tied and there is 1 minute left, no one seems to care if one team can march down the field for the last second field goal to win the game then.



Maybe they should just ban Field Goals in OT if that's the real issue, make it so you have to score a TD then?

[Sjofn]

I could support the "OT is just an extension of regulation, rite" thing if they didn't stop and reset the way they do. If it was simply "play as normal until the score isn't tied anymore," that would be OK, but they stop and do a coin toss and shit.

[caladein]

My only problem with the college system is the start at the 25.  It turns overtime into as much of a minigame as a Field Goal Shootout.

Change the starting position to midfield or your own 40 and bring it up to the NFL.

[Trippy]

I always thought OT was supposed to represent the last few minutes of regulation. If two teams are tied and there is 1 minute left, no one seems to care if one team can march down the field for the last second field goal to win the game then.

Maybe they should just ban Field Goals in OT if that's the real issue, make it so you have to score a TD then?

One proposal is the first to 6 points. So 2 FGs or 1 TD would win it.

[Tannhauser]

Look, each team had 60 minutes to beat the other.  If it goes into OT and you lose well tough titties.  The Saints sucked hard in the second half and the Vikes were on a roll but they didn't do enough to win. So the Saints win the coin toss and march down the field and win.

Let's not forget the turnovers by the Vikes; they were lucky even to go to OT.

[Fordel]

I always thought OT was supposed to represent the last few minutes of regulation. If two teams are tied and there is 1 minute left, no one seems to care if one team can march down the field for the last second field goal to win the game then.

Maybe they should just ban Field Goals in OT if that's the real issue, make it so you have to score a TD then?

One proposal is the first to 6 points. So 2 FGs or 1 TD would win it.

That seems like a really keen idea, they should do that. Lets a defense 'settle' with allowing a FG the first time and lets their own offense have a crack at things. Little of both camps that way.


Sjofn - Clock management is still a component of the game, without the hard stop and reset, then the last minutes of regulation are entirely moot in a tie game.

[Paelos]

Look, each team had 60 minutes to beat the other.  If it goes into OT and you lose well tough titties.  The Saints sucked hard in the second half and the Vikes were on a roll but they didn't do enough to win. So the Saints win the coin toss and march down the field and win.

Let's not forget the turnovers by the Vikes; they were lucky even to go to OT.

See it would be fine if college hadn't created a vastly superior OT, and they just ignore it. It's just as stupid as college football ignoring the vastly superior playoff system. Both are retarded and are only motivated by money.

[Chimpy]

The College Football OT was not some amazing new idea that the NCAA came up with.

Illinois has had a very similar system in place for decades for high school games. I am sure other states had it at the high school level for a long time as well.

[01101010]

SO are any of you actually going to watch the probowl?

I tend to, just to see if some "pro" will end his career on the field with a Theismann-like injury which will inevitably get the NFL to drop this farce of a game... 

[Paelos]

SO are any of you actually going to watch the probowl?

I tend to, just to see if some "pro" will end his career on the field with a Theismann-like injury which will inevitably get the NFL to drop this farce of a game... 

You mean the "Pro" Bowl where QB's Aaron Rodgers and Matt Schaub will start? How about Antonio Gates and Vernon Davis! No? Miles Austin? Adrian Peterson?

Oh that's right, all the best players can't play...

Yeah. I think I'll be watching golf.

[HaemishM]

The Pro Bowl has been a joke for a long while. They need to shitcan that whole thing, take out the extra week between the championships and the Super Bowl and just name the people who would've gone to the Pro Bowl All-Stars or something. It was stupid when it was a week after the Super Bowl and in Hawaii. It's worse now, because all the Super Bowl players won't be playing.

And the college OT system? Lame.

[Rasix]

The Pro Bowl has been a joke for a long while. They need to shitcan that whole thing, take out the extra week between the championships and the Super Bowl and just name the people who would've gone to the Pro Bowl All-Stars or something.

They already do, it's called the "All Pro" team and it's far more selective than the Pro Bowl.  I'm not sure why the owners/coaches allow the Pro Bowl to exist with how paranoid everyone is about injuries. Maybe they should just play the thing in a giant inflatible bouncy castle.

[Sky]

It's worse now, because all the Super Bowl players won't be playing. .

I was wondering about that.

I don't think I've ever seen more than ten minutes of a pro bowl game.

I'm not sure why the owners/coaches allow the Pro Bowl to exist with how paranoid everyone is about injuries.

I can't even conceive of the insurance premiums.

[Draegan]

People watch the probowl?

[naum]

The Pro Bowl has been a joke for a long while. They need to shitcan that whole thing, take out the extra week between the championships and the Super Bowl and just name the people who would've gone to the Pro Bowl All-Stars or something. It was stupid when it was a week after the Super Bowl and in Hawaii. It's worse now, because all the Super Bowl players won't be playing.

And the college OT system? Lame.

When it was in Hawaii, Pro Bowl just served as a vacation mecca for players and their family/friends. Now that it's part of the superbowl pre-event gala hype, not sure what function it really serves.

It should be replaced with a skill competition carousel — fastest runner, have QBs fire passes through tires and/or put a radar gun on 'em, 3v3 (fl|t)ag football, lineman reverse tug-o-war (i.e., line up on opposite sides of tackle "dummy" and see who can push who off), strongest man, etc.…

That would be more exciting than the extremely lame pro-bowl game…

[WayAbvPar]

Battle of the Network NFL Stars.

[Paelos]

Think about it though, the skills events surrounding the All-Star games generally draw better ratings than the games themselves. The Home Run Derby and the NHL skills competition jump to mind.

[Azuredream]

I would watch NFL dudes racing each other. Pro bowl.. no thanks.