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QuoteWild Card Weekend NFL Football Point Spread
NFL Playoff Game Spreads 1/3 - 1/4, 2015

Date & Time    Favorite    Spread    Underdog
1/3 4:35 ET    At Carolina    -4.5    Arizona
1/3 8:15 ET    At Pittsburgh    -3    Baltimore
1/4 1:00 ET    At Indianapolis    -4    Cincinnati
1/4 4:40 ET    At Dallas    -7    Detroit

Quote from: alfred russel on December 29, 2014, 02:12:09 PM
So after all the blabbering about how the NFC South representative is going to suck, Carolina is a 4.5 pt favorite.

Quote from: Admiral Yi on December 29, 2014, 02:14:50 PM

Quote from: alfred russel on December 29, 2014, 02:12:09 PM
So after all the blabbering about how the NFC South representative is going to suck, Carolina is a 4.5 pt favorite.

Dude, home field gives you 3 points.

Quote from: Admiral Yi on December 29, 2014, 02:36:17 PM
Is that Soo?  Dude seriously should be banned from the league.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on December 29, 2014, 02:34:26 PM
Accidental?  Or on purpose?

I say it was an innocent accident by House of Spears, who still suffers from being painted by the bad reputation brush, no matter what he does. 

Quote from: derspiess on December 29, 2014, 03:59:01 PM
You're kidding, right?  He's clearly putting all his weight on that left foot.  He even lifted his right foot off the ground.  He didn't even bother faking surprise at stepping on someone's ankle.

Quote from: derspiess on December 29, 2014, 03:59:01 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on December 29, 2014, 02:34:26 PM
Accidental?  Or on purpose?

I say it was an innocent accident by House of Spears, who still suffers from being painted by the bad reputation brush, no matter what he does. 

You're kidding, right?  He's clearly putting all his weight on that left foot.  He even lifted his right foot off the ground.  He didn't even bother faking surprise at stepping on someone's ankle.

One game suspension is much too lenient.  Suspend him for the playoffs (however many games that would be) plus the first 4 games of next year.

Quote from: Admiral Yi on December 29, 2014, 04:28:04 PM
U joking Dorsey? :huh:

Quote from: alfred russel on December 29, 2014, 04:34:13 PM

Quote from: Admiral Yi on December 29, 2014, 04:28:04 PM
U joking Dorsey? :huh:

Not at all.

Quote from: Admiral Yi on December 29, 2014, 04:52:43 PM
What does an epidemic have to do with anything?  If it's wrong it's wrong and the discussion turns to the appropriate punishment.

Quote from: alfred russel on December 29, 2014, 04:48:17 PM
He stepped on a guys leg. He didn't hurt him. It isn't completely obvious it was even intentional. 

Quote from: derspiess on December 29, 2014, 05:05:55 PM
You mentioned self-policing.  In some cases (like baseball) I'm sort of okay with that.  In the NFL I'm not sure it's totally feasible.  How would you self-police this incident?  Go after one of Suh's teammates?  I'm not sure he'd even care about that.

QuotePITTSBURGH -- An MRI did not reveal any ligament damage to the knee that Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell injured Sunday night in a 27-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, a source told ESPN.

But Bell will have to play through considerable pain if he is able to suit up Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens, the source said, making the second-year man questionable at best for the prime-time AFC wild-card game at Heinz Field.

"I know if there is a chance he can be out there he's going to be," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said after the Steelers' win over the Bengals, "because that's how he is."

Rookies Dri Archer and Josh Harris are the only other running backs on the Steelers' 53-man roster, and the two have 19 carries and 56 rushing yards between them. Harris had a 59-yard run against the Bengals called back because of a holding penalty.

Bell left the game Sunday night with a hyperextended knee after taking a direct hit on his right knee from Bengals safety Reggie Nelson following a 19-yard catch in the third quarter.

Coach Mike Tomlin said after the Steelers won the AFC North for the first time since 2010 that Bell that did not appear to sustain any structural damage. Bell was one of the last people out of the Steelers' locker room, and his injured knee was packed in ice, though he did not have a brace on it or walk with crutches.

The Steelers did not take objection with Nelson's hit even though he and Tomlin exchanged words after the game. Tomlin said there was misunderstanding between him and Nelson, and the latter called his hit on Bell "a football play."

Bell has played in 29 consecutive games since missing the first three contests of his rookie season because of a midfoot sprain. Bell led the AFC with 1,361 rushing yards this season and caught 83 passes, a Steelers single-season record for running backs, for 854 yards.

Bell's teammates voted him Steelers MVP last week.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on December 29, 2014, 02:08:07 PM
Goodbye, Kyle.  :(

Quote from: derspiess on December 29, 2014, 05:05:55 PM

Quote from: alfred russel on December 29, 2014, 04:48:17 PM
He stepped on a guys leg. He didn't hurt him. It isn't completely obvious it was even intentional. 

It's blatantly obvious. 

Quote from: alfred russel on December 29, 2014, 02:12:09 PM
So after all the blabbering about how the NFC South representative is going to suck, Carolina is a 4.5 pt favorite.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on December 29, 2014, 02:08:07 PM

QuoteWild Card Weekend NFL Football Point Spread
NFL Playoff Game Spreads 1/3 - 1/4, 2015

Date & Time    Favorite    Spread    Underdog
1/3 4:35 ET    At Carolina    -4.5    Arizona
1/3 8:15 ET    At Pittsburgh    -3    Baltimore
1/4 1:00 ET    At Indianapolis    -4    Cincinnati
1/4 4:40 ET    At Dallas    -7    Detroit

Goodbye, Kyle.  :(

Quote from: KRonn on December 29, 2014, 02:45:14 PM
In the last few games the Patriots stumbled their way into a bye week and home field advantage for all playoff games. Their offense was stopped the last couple of games, and yesterday they lost the final game of the season to Buffalo.  I hope their post season offense improves or else it'll be a short season. Prior to that it was extremely good, and their defense has been very good, but injuries have hurt them too.

QuoteNdamukong Suh's step on Aaron Rodgers could squash Lions' season
By Michael Rothstein
ESPN


ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Ndamukong Suh almost made it through the entire season without controversy about the way he plays. Now, with one placement of his foot, the Detroit Lions defensive tackle will miss one of the team's biggest games in decades.

Suh was suspended Monday for one game -- the Lions' wild-card game against Dallas this weekend -- because he stepped on the ankle of Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Sunday. In doing so, Suh's actions jeopardized Detroit's playoff hopes in the process.

Detroit now loses its best and most indispensable player -- the guy whom the Lions defense revolves around. For those who wondered what a post-Suh world might look like for Detroit in 2015 after he reaches free agency, the playoffs now become a preview for that at the worst possible time for this franchise.

This started when Rodgers fell to the ground and Suh's feet found Rodgers' calf and ankle. Twice. It all started after Packers offensive lineman T.J. Lang blocked Suh as Rodgers was falling down behind both of them.

Both Lang and Suh were looking up the field at a completed pass to Jordy Nelson. Suh stepped backward and initially couldn't have seen Rodgers lying on the ground. So the first step was apparently unintentional, based on getting balance.

It is the second one of Suh's two-step that got him in trouble. It was clear he felt his foot hit something when it came down on the play. That something was Rodgers. Then he stepped back again, right onto Rodgers' ailing calf and ankle and left it there for a moment before walking away.

Figuring that Suh's history with questionable play factored into this decision, it is clear why the league chose to act as it did even if in the pantheon of Suh missteps, this was not the most egregious.

It wasn't as blatant or as obvious as the Evan Dietrich-Smith stomp in 2011. It wasn't as vicious as the low block on John Sullivan last season or the slamming of Andy Dalton without a helmet in 2011. Those were all much more vicious and much more obvious than what happened at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

The issue for Suh is the same as it was for center Dominic Raiola last week when he was suspended for the Green Bay game after stepping on Chicago defensive lineman Ego Ferguson's ankle. The benefit of the doubt has long since disappeared because of prior transgressions.

In Suh's case, it vanished long ago, shredded for good against Green Bay in 2011 when he stomped on Dietrich-Smith, resulting in a two-game suspension and the semi-permanent bad boy image Suh now possesses.

Unlike Raiola after his stomp in Chicago, Suh did not talk with the media after Sunday's loss to Green Bay, so it is unknown what he thought. But his coach, Jim Caldwell, called it unintentional. That would be worth something -- except Caldwell also called Raiola's stomping on Ferguson unintentional last week, because that's what Raiola told him. The league suspended Raiola anyway.

If it were other players in the league, there is a good chance the player might have been subjected to only a fine -- and that is where the benefit of the doubt comes in.

And the lack of the benefit of the doubt may be what costs the Detroit Lions their season.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on December 29, 2014, 11:49:09 PM

Quote

The issue for Suh is the same as it was for center Dominic Raiola last week when he was suspended for the Green Bay game after stepping on Chicago defensive lineman Ego Ferguson's ankle. The benefit of the doubt has long since disappeared because of prior transgressions.

If it were other players in the league, there is a good chance the player might have been subjected to only a fine -- and that is where the benefit of the doubt comes in.

Quote from: Tonitrus on December 30, 2014, 01:48:15 AM
I would love to see the Seahawks smack down Brady and the Pats in the Superbowl.  :)

QuoteThe Raiders are reportedly set to interview a former NFL head coach for their top coaching position.

Former Browns and Jets coach Eric Mangini will meet with Oakland, Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports reported Monday night.

The 43-year-old Mangini was 23-26 in three seasons in New York (2006-2008) and 10-22 in two seasons with Cleveland (2009-2010). He is currently the 49ers' tight ends coach.

Before joining the Jets, Mangini rose to prominence as a defensive assistant during New England's run of three Super Bowls in four seasons. He has been off the radar as an NFL head coaching candidate in recent years, but he appears ready to meet with Oakland.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on December 30, 2014, 08:19:19 AM
we

Quote from: Tonitrus on December 30, 2014, 01:48:15 AM
I would love to see the Seahawks smack down Brady and the Pats in the Superbowl.  :)

Quote from: jimmy olsen on December 29, 2014, 10:01:44 PM

Quote from: KRonn on December 29, 2014, 02:45:14 PM
In the last few games the Patriots stumbled their way into a bye week and home field advantage for all playoff games. Their offense was stopped the last couple of games, and yesterday they lost the final game of the season to Buffalo.  I hope their post season offense improves or else it'll be a short season. Prior to that it was extremely good, and their defense has been very good, but injuries have hurt them too.

They didn't play Gronk, Edelman or Browner. Brady didn't play the second half. They didn't try to win that game, just survive in good health.

Quote from: alfred russel on December 29, 2014, 02:52:25 PM
I present the famous "giving the business call":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eslz06J9hFw

The point here isn't the call. The point is pinning down a future hall of fame QB and going for blows to his head only got a 15 yard penalty (after sparking guys to come off the bench). No ejection etc.

If we are going to throw out Suh, we should retroactively throw out most of the guys that played before 2000.

I think things started going awry in football when they started making lawyers NFL commissioner and college ADs.

Quote from: Neil on December 30, 2014, 08:41:29 AM

Quote from: Tonitrus on December 30, 2014, 01:48:15 AM
I would love to see the Seahawks smack down Brady and the Pats in the Superbowl.  :)

The Patriots should lose in the divisional round.  Anything else is evil.

Preferably to Baltimore, but anyone will do.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on December 30, 2014, 11:11:17 AM
I'm actually glad the Ratbirds are dodging the Bengals the first round;  Pittsburgh, you know what you're getting.  Bengals are just a big fucking variable.  :lol:

Seems the Bengals get up for the Ravens, while the Ravens get up for the Steelheads.  If they can get to Rapistburger like they did in Week 2, it will certainly help their chances.  That meathead gets slapped around, the passing game gets unhinged.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on December 30, 2014, 11:52:08 AM
I think if Red Retard can keep his head in the game, the Bengals defense can do the job, even against Luck.  The Bengals can run on Indy.

QuoteDetroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has won his appeal of his one-game suspension, sources told ESPN.com.

Suh was suspended for stepping on the leg of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the Lions' regular-season finale.

The one-game suspension would have kept Suh out of Detroit's wild-card playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

In lieu of the suspension, Suh has been fined $70,000.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on December 30, 2014, 11:11:17 AM
I'm actually glad the Ratbirds are dodging the Bengals the first round;  Pittsburgh, you know what you're getting.  Bengals are just a big fucking variable.  :lol:

Seems the Bengals get up for the Ravens, while the Ravens get up for the Steelheads.  If they can get to Rapistburger like they did in Week 2, it will certainly help their chances.  That meathead gets slapped around, the passing game gets unhinged.

Quote from: Admiral Yi on December 30, 2014, 05:43:31 PM
:glare:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on December 30, 2014, 05:36:33 PM

QuoteDetroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has won his appeal of his one-game suspension, sources told ESPN.com.

Suh was suspended for stepping on the leg of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the Lions' regular-season finale.

The one-game suspension would have kept Suh out of Detroit's wild-card playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

In lieu of the suspension, Suh has been fined $70,000.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on December 30, 2014, 10:00:22 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on December 30, 2014, 05:36:33 PM

QuoteDetroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has won his appeal of his one-game suspension, sources told ESPN.com.

Suh was suspended for stepping on the leg of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the Lions' regular-season finale.

The one-game suspension would have kept Suh out of Detroit's wild-card playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

In lieu of the suspension, Suh has been fined $70,000.

Disgusting

Quote from: dps on December 30, 2014, 10:10:33 PM

If it was intentional, then a 1-game suspension (at least) is completely justified.

Quote from: alfred russel on December 30, 2014, 10:14:42 PM

Quote from: dps on December 30, 2014, 10:10:33 PM

If it was intentional, then a 1-game suspension (at least) is completely justified.

For stepping on a leg. In a football game.

Quote from: alfred russel on December 30, 2014, 10:14:42 PM

Quote from: dps on December 30, 2014, 10:10:33 PM

If it was intentional, then a 1-game suspension (at least) is completely justified.

For stepping on a leg. In a football game.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on December 30, 2014, 10:17:20 PM

Quote from: alfred russel on December 30, 2014, 10:14:42 PM

Quote from: dps on December 30, 2014, 10:10:33 PM

If it was intentional, then a 1-game suspension (at least) is completely justified.

For stepping on a leg. In a football game.

Yeah.  Perspective, people.

Quote from: alfred russel on December 30, 2014, 10:14:42 PM

Quote from: dps on December 30, 2014, 10:10:33 PM

If it was intentional, then a 1-game suspension (at least) is completely justified.

For stepping on a leg. In a football game.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on December 30, 2014, 10:19:09 PM

Are you literally retarded? A three hundred pound man stepping on another man's leg is a lot more likely to cause serious injury than him throwing a punch, and I'm sure even you would say that would merit a suspension.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on December 30, 2014, 10:19:09 PM
A three hundred pound man stepping on another man's leg is a lot more likely to cause serious injury than him throwing a punch,

Quote from: Berkut on December 30, 2014, 10:26:09 PM

For intentionally stepping on someones leg, twice, yes. That is an attempt to injure someone.

Quote from: alfred russel on December 30, 2014, 10:14:42 PM

Quote from: dps on December 30, 2014, 10:10:33 PM

If it was intentional, then a 1-game suspension (at least) is completely justified.

For stepping on a leg. In a football game.

Quote from: alfred russel on December 30, 2014, 10:27:27 PM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on December 30, 2014, 10:19:09 PM

Are you literally retarded? A three hundred pound man stepping on another man's leg is a lot more likely to cause serious injury than him throwing a punch, and I'm sure even you would say that would merit a suspension.

No harm no foul. Suh is welcome to come over and step on my leg for $70k whenever he pleases. I'll even fly to Detroit.

I frankly don't get why throwing a punch has become such a big deal in football. Don't get me wrong--definitely deserves a penalty and a fine, but go back and watch games from the 80s. Not nearly such a big deal. And why should it be? In hockey punches are thrown all the time without the sky falling, and in football guys are armored up. Hitting a guy in the head is more dangerous to the puncher than the punchee.

Quote from: sbr on December 31, 2014, 08:50:40 AM
In his appeal Suh said his feet were so frozen he couldn't tell the difference between standing on the flat ground and standing on someone's leg. :lol:

Quote from: sbr on December 31, 2014, 08:50:40 AM
In his appeal Suh said his feet were so frozen he couldn't tell the difference between standing on the flat ground and standing on someone's leg. :lol:

Quote from: sbr on December 30, 2014, 10:58:55 PM
Rodgers has been dealing with a lower leg injury for 2 weeks.  That was more than being an asshole.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on December 31, 2014, 10:22:13 AM
In his appeal Suh said his feet were so frozen he couldn't tell the difference between standing on the flat ground and standing on someone's leg. :lol:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on December 31, 2014, 10:39:40 AM
And besides, isn't he Samoan? 

Quote from: derspiess on December 31, 2014, 10:46:15 AM
No, and I think you owe Samoans an apology for that.

QuoteRavens head of security charged with sex offense

The head of security for the Baltimore Ravens was charged Tuesday night with committing a sex offense, according to court records and a law enforcement source.

Police obtained a summons for Darren I. Sanders, the team's senior director of security and a former Baltimore police homicide detective, on a charge of fourth-degree sex offense stemming from allegations lodged Dec. 14, according to online court records and a law enforcement source with knowledge of the case.

Details of the case were not immediately available. A fourth-degree sex offense is punishable by a maximum of a year in jail or a fine of $1,000, or both.

Reached late Tuesday, Sanders' attorney, Andrew Alperstein, said the claims were "totally fabricated, made up."

"It does a disservice to real victims when people make things up like this," Alperstein said. "People like [Sanders] are susceptible to made-up allegations. It puts you in a vulnerable position."

Alperstein added, "He's had nothing but an exemplary career, both with the police department and the Ravens. He wouldn't get to the position he's in if he didn't."

In a statement on behalf of the Ravens, team spokesman Kevin Byrne said, "We are aware of the situation and have been investigating thoroughly."

Sanders has been affiliated with the team for more than a decade. In 2004, he was traveling with owner Steve Bisciotti to a University of Maryland basketball game in North Carolina and accidentally discharged his weapon inside the auditorium. He was charged by police there.

Because he was charged Tuesday in Maryland through a summons, Sanders was not arrested but was assigned a Feb. 9 court date.

The charges are the latest trouble for the Ravens.

Sanders has previously been on the investigating side of incidents. He figured prominently in the controversy surrounding whether the team had obtained or attempted to obtain footage of the assault involving Ray Rice and his then-fiancee, Janay Palmer. Sanders said he had asked Atlantic City, N.J., police and the Revel Casino for a copy of surveillance video of the assault, but an official instead described the video to him.

He also said Rice told him that he had slapped Palmer, but denied punching her. Video later showed Rice punching Palmer, whom he has since married. Rice was cut from the team and was entered into a pre-trial program after pleading not guilty in an Atlantic City court.

That tumultuous offseason included the arrests of four other Ravens players.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on December 31, 2014, 10:39:40 AM
He's a Detroit Lion;  they're a dome team.  Been a long time since Nebraska.  And besides, isn't he Samoan?  The cold probably disoriented him.  It's cold in Lambeau this time of year, you know.

QuoteWashington Redskins are the victims of top-down organizational dysfunction
By Sally Jenkins Columnist December 31, 2014
Washington Post

An NFL player's chief commodity and source of earnings is his body, and he has only so many bone-breaking efforts contained in it. Would you invest your savings in a company run by Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen? No, you wouldn't. Of course not. So why would the players? This is what is wrong with Washington's football club, why there are so many losses and whiffed tackles. It's very basic and purely transactional. There is a gnawing doubt inside the club whether the effort is worth it.

A lot of thought and literature has been devoted to how to transform a losing culture into a winning one. Management experts define culture as the shared psychology in a working environment, which sets habits and defines an organization's identity. "The only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture," says Edgar Schein, former MIT professor of management and author of the standard textbook "Organizational Culture and Leadership." The trouble with the leaders in Washington, Snyder and Allen, is that one is an amateur and the other is a phony. The culture they've created is not just a losing one but a laughingstock. This is why the team can seem so hapless, unprofessional and slapstick, why they snatch comedy from the jaws of defeat.

There already has been one firing in Jim Haslett, and there may be more, but it's a sure sign of amateurism to believe that all you have to do to change a culture is make some heads roll. "Just changing a coach isn't going to do it," says author-consultant Jon Katzenbach, a senior global adviser at the management firm Strategy&. To really make a change, you have to expose the "discrepancies" between the stated values of an organization and its actual behavior, Schein teaches. Think about how many discrepancies there are between what people say within the franchise and what they actually do.

In fact, when is the last time you heard a coherent expression of a company value from anybody at the Ashburn headquarters, much less saw it carried out?

There is lip service to tradition and loyalty — there have been seven coaching changes in 15 years. Which explains Jay Gruden's demeanor, that odd combination of bite and fatalism. Players are pursued, seduced, petted, berated, betrayed, swept away and brushed aside. It's no mystery why there are continual miscues, penalties and missed assignments; their competitive instincts are at war with an is-this-really-worth-it sense of self-preservation.

If you had to sum up Snyder's organizational philosophy, it would be this: Stability is for wimps. Year after year, he commits one dictatorial error after the next, piling self-deceit on self-deceit as he tells fans success is close. His style is a cross between a cat caught in a yarn and a moth banging at a windowpane.

As for Allen, he is such a public relations puppet you can practically see the jerking motion when he moves. At a dodging, evasive news conference Wednesday, Allen made one thing clear: The team's problems have nothing to do with him. "We're winning off the field," he said. Not a breath of doubt ruffled a lock of his sprayed hair as he said it.

This is the culture of Washington's football team, and it comes straight from the top: self-satisfaction for doing absolutely nothing of merit.

Allen is right about one thing. Washington is indeed "winning off the field" — if the metric of success is fiscally gouging fans while offering a perfectly horrible on-the-field product. Over the course of an execrable 4-12 season, the game-day experience at FedEx Field was the fourth-most expensive in the NFL, according to the annual Team Marketing Report. Parking prices were second highest ($57.50) in the entire NFL. A team hat cost $30 — 10 bucks more than a Dallas Cowboys hat. The average price for a premium seat was $375.32, which was $116 more than a premium seat for the Baltimore Ravens and $158 more than for the Philadelphia Eagles.

As fullback Darrel Young was cleaning out his locker for the offseason this week, he asked rhetorically, "Are we trying to be football players, or are we trying to make money?" Nobody summed up the club's paycheck culture better than that.

There is only one way things can change in Washington. (Unless fans decide to break Snyder, force him to sell by staying away until the team's debt service is more than its operating income.) Snyder would have to listen, really listen, to his staffers and his players. Not to his pets and his stars and top jersey sellers, either, but to those who he has often disregarded and disrespected, the rank and file who show up for work every day and manage to do a professional job in an unprofessional environment. He would have to ask them, "What are the three or four behaviors you consistently see in this club that need to change?"

According to Katzenbach, in every organization there are critical informal leaders further down the chain who, if they're properly empowered and energized, can help create a turnaround. They may not have the most exalted titles or salaries, either. They are "people respected not for their position but for who they are and the kind of interactions they have with their peers," Katzenbach says.

"Who are the informal leaders on the team right now?" Katzenbach asks. "Who do members of the team respect? You look for people who generate that respect, even without a hierarchical position. There have to be some of those informal leaders inside the team, and I'd be trying to figure out who they are. And to get some help from them in converting this sense of give-up."

For too long, no one has trusted the basic set up of the organization. So many flatterers and yes men survive while the truth tellers get offed or ignored, and every three or four years everyone gets fired and the club starts from scratch again. Step one for Snyder is to identify some real leaders, not just enablers. And to convince them he's not out to waste their best efforts and earning years.

QuoteKelly takes bigger role, Roseman promoted

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Before winning his first playoff game, Chip Kelly won a power struggle.

Kelly got control of the Philadelphia Eagles' player personnel department on Friday after Howie Roseman was promoted from general manager to executive vice president of football operations.

The shake-up ends speculation about Kelly's future in Philadelphia following a turbulent week that included the dismissal of vice president of player personnel Tom Gamble on Wednesday.

''It's most important that we find players that match what our coaches are seeking,'' owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. ''This is part of an all-encompassing vision that takes you from the scouting process all the way to on-field performance. Howie, Chip and (president) Don (Smolenski) are all united in their desire to win. Together, we decided this approach was the best course of action for the Philadelphia Eagles.''

Kelly has led the Eagles to consecutive 10-6 seasons. He already had final say on the 53-man roster. Now he'll hire a new personnel executive who will answer directly to him.

''I am very confident about where we are headed as a team and as an organization,'' Kelly said. ''I look forward to continue working with Jeffrey and Howie as well as the personnel department. This is not a one-man operation. It will truly take a team effort to acquire and develop the best football players and then put the best team on the field each week. It will take all of us working together.''

The 39-year-old Roseman had been the youngest GM in the NFL and held the position for five seasons. He began his career with the Eagles as an unpaid intern in 2000.

''My No. 1 goal is to help bring a championship to this city and that will never change,'' Roseman said. ''I believe this will solidify the trust we have all placed in Coach Kelly.''

The Eagles won the NFC East in 2013, a year after finishing 4-12 under Andy Reid. They lost a playoff game at home to New Orleans. This year, they became only the third team since 1990 to miss the playoffs after a 9-3 start.

Lurie said after the season finale last Sunday that Roseman would return as GM. That was before Gamble was let go and reports of a rift between Roseman and Kelly began circulating.

''After carefully listening and reflecting on the lengthy discussions that I had with our senior team, I changed my mind (about Roseman staying as GM),'' Lurie said. ''I have a very good relationship with Chip that continues to grow stronger and stronger. When we spoke, he was thoughtful, thorough and professional. There were no demands, no threats; quite the contrary, he was passionate, engaged and articulated a dynamic and clear vision on how this fully integrated approach will work. We look forward to seeing it come to life over time.''

When Kelly left Oregon to join the Eagles two years ago, he made it clear he wasn't interested in total control.

''I've heard questions that I want control over this, control over that,'' Kelly said on Jan. 17, 2013. ''That has never been an issue, never is an issue for me. I'm a football coach. I'm not a general manager. I'm not a salary-cap guy. I coach football. I need people who can go out there and say, 'Hey this is what you want. These are the people.' And it's going to be a collaboration. We're all going to be on the same page. I've got no delusions of saying that I want all these different titles. I just want to coach football.''

Quote from: CountDeMoney on December 31, 2014, 10:39:40 AM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on December 31, 2014, 10:22:13 AM
In his appeal Suh said his feet were so frozen he couldn't tell the difference between standing on the flat ground and standing on someone's leg. :lol:

He's a Detroit Lion;  they're a dome team.  Been a long time since Nebraska.  And besides, isn't he Samoan?  The cold probably disoriented him.  It's cold in Lambeau this time of year, you know.

Quote from: sbr on January 02, 2015, 09:41:21 PM
After some sort of power struggle in the front office Chip Kelly is now in complete control of all player personnel decisions in Philly.

Can anyone else think of such a meteoric rise by anyone?  In 2006 Kelly was Offensive Coordinator at University of New Hampshire and today he has almost complete control of an NFL franchise.

Quote from: Caliga on January 03, 2015, 06:46:49 AM
What about the dude who is coaching the Cleveland Browns right now?  He was coaching high school football not that long ago.

Quote from: Neil on January 03, 2015, 11:38:42 PM
Next week we are all Ravens fans.

Quote from: katmai on January 03, 2015, 08:51:22 PM
Welp should we tell seedy the score since he switched it off already?

Quote from: katmai on January 03, 2015, 11:26:10 PM
I realized why Seedy went quiet, past his curfew.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 03, 2015, 11:52:45 PM
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B6ekXdJIQAALQDP.jpg)

Quote from: Neil on January 04, 2015, 12:05:48 AM
DeSean Jackson is hilarious on the NFL Network.  The guys are doing their commentary, and he'll just come in with a one-word comment, said in a funny way.

Torrey Smith catches a touchdown?
"SIX"

Suggs intercepts a pass with the ball cradled between his thighs?
"LEGS"

Arizona gets less than 80 yards total offence?
"TERRIBLE"

Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 04, 2015, 02:37:15 PM
The air raid siren during the Bengali's huddles is pretty dickheaded.

Quote from: Neil on January 04, 2015, 04:02:22 PM
Poor Bengals.  So snakebit.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 04, 2015, 04:11:33 PM

Quote from: Neil on January 04, 2015, 04:02:22 PM
Poor Bengals.  So snakebit.

I was wondering which Bengals were going to show up, but then I realized it doesn't really matter. 

I really like Marvin Lewis, but one of these days they're just going to have to go in a different direction.   I can appreciate coaching stability, but stale is stale is stale.

Quote from: alfred russel on January 04, 2015, 04:23:17 PM
Dont know how fair it is to expect much more with dalton as the qb.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 04, 2015, 04:11:33 PM

Quote from: Neil on January 04, 2015, 04:02:22 PM
Poor Bengals.  So snakebit.

I was wondering which Bengals were going to show up, but then I realized it doesn't really matter. 

I really like Marvin Lewis, but one of these days they're just going to have to go in a different direction.   I can appreciate coaching stability, but stale is stale is stale.

Quote from: Neil on January 04, 2015, 05:04:45 PM
In other news, I love the fight in Matt Stafford.

Quote from: Ed Anger on January 04, 2015, 04:24:06 PM
I'm tired of this bullshit.

Quote from: Neil on January 04, 2015, 07:14:55 PM
I think that this game might be fixed.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 07:30:36 PM
The NFL didn't give up that 3rd down TD pass just now.  That was all Lions.

Quote from: Neil on January 04, 2015, 07:41:15 PM
The cowardice was vintage Caldwell, but that was exactly the way they've called interference all year.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 07:39:12 PM
Probably actually noticed that Pettigrew's hands were all up in that LB's facemask.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 07:42:20 PM

Quote from: Neil on January 04, 2015, 07:41:15 PM
The cowardice was vintage Caldwell, but that was exactly the way they've called interference all year.

Easily could have been OPI.  It still didn't give Dallas any points.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 07:49:33 PM
Why was Christie even there?

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 07:47:29 PM
LOL you can see his hand in the LBs face right there at the beginning of the gif.  Don't grab the facemask, won't be a problem.

Quote from: sbr on January 04, 2015, 07:53:16 PM
What part of the defender has to be playing the ball are you having difficulty grasping?

QuoteSeeing as how a stiff arm to the face mask is a penalty these days, players should be leery about grabbing it any time - even their own, the refs might throw a 15 yard penalty when all they are doing is fixing their helmet.

Quote from: sbr on January 04, 2015, 07:58:05 PM
@MBM You're not even making sense anymore.  You keep on with an opinion that is shared by no one other than Cowboy honks and have a nice night.

QuoteActions that constitute defensive pass interference include but are not limited to:

(a) Contact by a defender who is not playing the ball and such contact restricts the receiver's opportunity to make the catch.

(b) Playing through the back of a receiver in an attempt to make a play on the ball.

(c) Grabbing a receiver's arm(s) in such a manner that restricts his opportunity to catch a pass.

(d) Extending an arm across the body of a receiver thus restricting his ability to catch a pass, regardless of whether the defender is playing the ball.

(e) Cutting off the path of a receiver by making contact with him without playing the ball.

QuoteMike PereiraVerified account
‏@MikePereira
I am out of here. Biggest call was the DPI pickup. It was DPI and it was defensive holding as well. Not good. Flying back to Sac tonight.

Quote from: alfred russel on January 04, 2015, 08:01:25 PM
MBM, whether there was OPI or an offensive face mask, I don't think that should get called, I think almost everyone outside texas would agree, but that isn't the point.

They called defensive pass interference. If someone saw OPI or offensive face mask, the solution isn't to waive off defensive pass interference. It is to call the offensive penalty.

BUT..that would have been offsetting penalties, replay the down, and that would have been to Detroit's advantage.

Quote from: sbr on January 04, 2015, 08:03:43 PM
http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/passinterference

QuoteActions that constitute defensive pass interference include but are not limited to:

(a) Contact by a defender who is not playing the ball and such contact restricts the receiver's opportunity to make the catch.

(b) Playing through the back of a receiver in an attempt to make a play on the ball.

(c) Grabbing a receiver's arm(s) in such a manner that restricts his opportunity to catch a pass.

(d) Extending an arm across the body of a receiver thus restricting his ability to catch a pass, regardless of whether the defender is playing the ball.

(e) Cutting off the path of a receiver by making contact with him without playing the ball.

The offensive played went back to make a play on an underthrown ball.  Because the defender wasn't playing the ball he had no idea where the ball was so the offensive player's path to the ball was cut off.

Quote from: sbr on January 04, 2015, 08:06:34 PM
Incidental facemask grab rule was removed years ago.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 08:10:01 PM
The talking heads noted after the game if it wasn't announced then withdrawn without any explanation, no one would have cared.

Quote from: sbr on January 04, 2015, 08:20:55 PM
After saying it was pass interference.  :huh:  Lots of call are missed so that one being missed wouldn't be a huge deal but they called the right thing then changed it for no reason.

QuoteYou* are the only person I have seen that thinks that wasn't DPI.I was listening to the game on the radio and heard that play; both radio guys said it was PI and should not have been picked up.  Then I got home and rewound the Tivo and watched it.  I thought it was PI; Buck and Aikman thought it was PI; Mike Pereira thought it was PI; everyone on the FOX post-game set said it was PI but if it hadn't been called it would not have been a huge issue.

There is no doubt it was DPI and should have been called, at all.

*Well Dorsey too, but I can't think of a person in the entire world whose opinion or understanding of football rules I respect less than his.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 08:23:54 PM

Quote from: sbr on January 04, 2015, 08:20:55 PM
After saying it was pass interference.  :huh:  Lots of call are missed so that one being missed wouldn't be a huge deal but they called the right thing then changed it for no reason.

Not announced.

Quote

QuoteYou* are the only person I have seen that thinks that wasn't DPI.I was listening to the game on the radio and heard that play; both radio guys said it was PI and should not have been picked up.  Then I got home and rewound the Tivo and watched it.  I thought it was PI; Buck and Aikman thought it was PI; Mike Pereira thought it was PI; everyone on the FOX post-game set said it was PI but if it hadn't been called it would not have been a huge issue.

There is no doubt it was DPI and should have been called, at all.

*Well Dorsey too, but I can't think of a person in the entire world whose opinion or understanding of football rules I respect less than his.

You saw a few of them on TV.  They were wearing the ref jumpsuits. 

Once again, that call didn't lose the game for Detroit.  Detroit did.

Quote from: sbr on January 04, 2015, 08:28:01 PM
:huh: What is not announced?

QuoteI never said it did lose the game for Detroit, it was a big missed call though.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 08:30:24 PM
Blaming the refs sucks.  They're just dudes out there, and they miss some shit.  It could be worse.  See:  replacement refs.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 08:30:24 PM
:huh: It wouldn't have been a problem if it wasn't announced and the flag was picked up.  It was announced, then picked up and dude didn't say shit about it.  It became crybaby heaven.

Quote

QuoteI never said it did lose the game for Detroit, it was a big missed call though.

Nah, he grabbed the facemask and caused the contact.  But you're entitled to your opinion.  I blame Detroit, not the refs, for this shit. 

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 04, 2015, 08:36:04 PM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 08:30:24 PM
Blaming the refs sucks.  They're just dudes out there, and they miss some shit.  It could be worse.  See:  replacement refs.

The referees are merely the puppets in the Commissioner's and NFL Properties' marionette play.  Dance, little zebras, dance.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 08:36:18 PM
Lost in all this is the fact that Romo didn't piss the game away.  Goddammit.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 04, 2015, 08:38:09 PM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 08:36:18 PM
Lost in all this is the fact that Romo didn't piss the game away.  Goddammit.

He was out-pissed by his earlier, younger version:  Mr. Stafford.  Damned shame, too.

Quote from: sbr on January 04, 2015, 08:20:55 PM

You* are the only person I have seen that thinks that wasn't DPI. 

*Well Dorsey too, but I can't think of a person in the entire world whose opinion or understanding of football rules I respect less than his.

Quote from: sbr on January 04, 2015, 08:37:14 PM
I already partially agreed with that.  :huh:

Quote
His hand inadvertently hit the facemask while both were handfighting, and after #59 grabbed Pettigrew's jersey more than 5 yards down field.  The contact was caused by 59 not playing the ball.

QuoteYou blame Detroit because the officials missed a call then people on the internet got upset by that?

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 04, 2015, 08:38:09 PM
He was out-pissed by his earlier, younger version:  Mr. Stafford.  Damned shame, too.

Quote from: sbr on January 04, 2015, 08:37:47 PM
Huh, someone else's fault again?

QuoteHistorians discovered a dispatch from Brig. Gen. Andrew Luck to his beloved Martha after defeating the marauding Cincinnati Bengals.

(https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gXGmZK4K47YsUpuc3HC5UUgDxPQ=/0x0:564x376/709x473/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45149964/luckcivilwar__1_.0.0.jpg)

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2015/1/4/7490869/colts-bengals-andrew-luck-civil-war-general

And what strange brigands opposed us! They were led by one Major Dalton, who has won many campaigns in his years as a leading plunderer, but his offenses have stalled in the winter months, leading many back East to question his bona fides. But I shall not question such a valiant warrior! I too know this feeling. Tis one thing to fend off a gregarious bunch of Chiefs with a rally. It is quite another matter itself to hold off a whirlwind of devils such as these!

Quote from: Neil on January 04, 2015, 09:53:24 PM
I think that was CdM who was suspecting the refs of Steeler assistance.  The only call they made that annoyed me was the helmet-to-helmet call when a defender went low on an RB who caught the ball and lowered his head.  I feel like the idea of a strike zone is meaningless if the only thing you can do is dive at their ankles and knees.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 09:53:49 PM
This wasn't an overturned touchdown, it didn't give Dallas any points.  Detroit still had the lead and the ball in Cowboys territory.  Even after they fucked it all up and shanked the punt, then gave up a TD, they STILL got the ball back. 

And fumbled it.  Twice.

Quote from: alfred russel on January 04, 2015, 10:01:02 PM
The test of the Lions wasn't to play a perfect football game or take advantage of all their opportunities. It was only to be better than the Cowboys.

Quote from: Grey Fox on January 04, 2015, 10:16:34 PM
The refs are part of the game just like that wind that threw a kick ball 15 yards to the left and that shoe lace that broke after Suh stumped on it.

Live with the decisions, you can never change them.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 10:26:07 PM
:lol:  Look at what the punt did to their odds of winning. "Punt."  The 10 yard thing after they took an intentional delay of game.  Looks like that was an even bigger deal.

Quote from: alfred russel on January 04, 2015, 10:31:46 PM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 10:26:07 PM
:lol:  Look at what the punt did to their odds of winning. "Punt."  The 10 yard thing after they took an intentional delay of game.  Looks like that was an even bigger deal.

Well yeah, punting on its own was a stupid idea on the plus side of the field with a 4th and 1. The analysis probably assumed the team would go for it. Then you only punt 10 yards.

When the flag was thrown and called, an astute Lions fan would have know he had about an 80% chance of winning. The game wasn't locked up, but it was almost there. But then after the very next play, the percentage fell to ~50%--a toss up. Even for a veteran of disappointment like most Lions fans, that had to be discouraging.

Quote from: Neil on January 04, 2015, 10:36:10 PM
The punt is Caldwell though.  There's a reason he got fired last time he was a head coach.  They guy just has no drive to win.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 10:33:59 PM

Quote from: alfred russel on January 04, 2015, 10:31:46 PM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 10:26:07 PM
:lol:  Look at what the punt did to their odds of winning. "Punt."  The 10 yard thing after they took an intentional delay of game.  Looks like that was an even bigger deal.

Well yeah, punting on its own was a stupid idea on the plus side of the field with a 4th and 1. The analysis probably assumed the team would go for it. Then you only punt 10 yards.

When the flag was thrown and called, an astute Lions fan would have know he had about an 80% chance of winning. The game wasn't locked up, but it was almost there. But then after the very next play, the percentage fell to ~50%--a toss up. Even for a veteran of disappointment like most Lions fans, that had to be discouraging.

~50%?  Mer?  Am I looking at something wrong here? The percentage fell to 69% according to their graph.  Then 58% after the punt.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 04, 2015, 09:41:39 PM
E:  Whatever happened with the refs being all juiced up to help out Pittsburgh, btw?

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 04, 2015, 11:01:35 PM
Plausible deniability, man.  Luckily the Ravens scored too many points to make the difference in a 20-17 game.  That's when it's time to be concerned.  :D

Quote from: Neil on January 04, 2015, 11:29:58 PM
In news not related to the screwjob in Dallas, Kubiak is going to definitely have some head coaching interviews this offseason.  Will he take the job?  Last time he was HC, he had a stroke on the field.  Will his health be up to the top seat?

Quote1/10 4:35 ET    At New England       -7    Baltimore     48    -$340 +$280
1/10 8:15 ET    At Seattle       -11.5    Carolina     40.5    -$700 +$500
1/11 1:00 ET    At Green Bay       -6.5    Dallas     53    -$310 +$260
1/11 4:40 ET    At Denver       -7    Indianapolis  54    -$340 +$280

Quote from: Ed Anger on January 05, 2015, 10:18:37 AM
I hope Suggs or Mount Cody falls on Brady's crotch. Repeatedly.

QuoteIn Ravens and Patriots, the NFL Playoffs Just Got an Extra Ingredient: Hate

So it'll be the Ravens. Why's everybody so a-scared?

The most deplorable organization in American professional sports punched its ticket for a playoff rematch with the New England Patriots next weekend in Foxborough with a convincing 30-17 win over the No. 3 seed Pittsburgh Steelers Saturday night. The Baltimore Ravens and New England will meet in the postseason for the fourth time in the last six seasons, and the previous three contests haven't been pretty for the Patriots.

In the 2009 playoffs, former Baltimore running back Ray Rice broke off the first play from scrimmage and set the tone for a 33-14 Ravens victory.

Two years ago, the Patriots' rematch in the AFC Championship game with the Ravens didn't go so hot with the absence of Rob Gronkowski, who underwent surgery after breaking his arm in a playoff rout against the Houston Texans. Baltimore rolled, 28-13.

Even in their 2011 AFC title game win, the Patriots had the good fortune of watching Lee Evans drop a sure touchdown, and Billy Cundiff blunder an easy field goal attempt in order to reach the Super Bowl with a 23-20 win.

Only the Ravens and New York Jets have waltzed into Gillette Stadium in January and emerged victorious. And the Ravens have done it twice.

"You've done it before, so you think you can do it again," Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, who returned to the Ravens Saturday night after sitting out a four-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs, said.

It's true that maybe the Ravens were the worst potential opponent for the AFC's top seed, if only because John Harbaugh's team has proven it isn't a unit that will pee its pads the moment it sees the makeshift lighthouse. As the No. 2 seed, the Denver Broncos just got gift-wrapped either the Indianapolis Colts or the Cincinnati Bengals in next weekend's divisional round, either of whom would presumably have come to Foxborough and gotten demoralized on Saturday afternoon.

No. Instead, the Patriots drew the more difficult card in their quest to return to Glendale, Ariz.

So what?

New England has already opened as 7 1/2-point favorites over the Ravens, who smothered the Steelers with familiar playoff names like Joe Flacco and Terrell Suggs leading the way. The absence of Le'Veon Bell, sitting out with a knee injury, was a glaring one for Pittsburgh, who had trouble moving the ball down field the entire evening.

Do the Ravens present specific problems for the Patriots to deal with? Yes, and Suggs' presence against New England's schizophrenic offensive line is near the top of the list.

But Patriots quarterback Tom Brady ought to be able to pick apart the Ravens' decimated defensive backfield like Roethlisberger could not do on Saturday night, provided that Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell are healthy enough to contribute as offensive weapons along with Gronkowski. And hope to God nothing happens to the All-Pro tight end.

The Ravens were the only team that would be headed to Foxborough Saturday that the Patriots hadn't already faced during the regular season. The last time New England faced Baltimore, the Patriots essentially knocked the Ravens out of the playoffs with a 41-7 demolition two Decembers ago.

It's better this way. In beating the Ravens on Saturday, the Patriots can shut some people up (mainly, the Ravens) about the luck factor in getting past Baltimore in the Cundiff game. They can enact their own form of justice on a franchise that has further proven itself to be a despicable, blind-eye machine in the wake of the Rice scandal that rocked the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell this season.

I mean, my God. This is still up on the Ravens' website.

The Ravens are brash, a characteristic that once defined them under former linebacker Ray Lewis, one of the reasons for their recent postseason success.

They're also the most hated team in the NFL. Ninety-eight percent of the country will be rooting for the Patriots on Saturday, and mind you this is a nation that still likes to accuse Bill Belichick of somehow attaining all his success because of Memorex.

It's also a group that, of course, includes Suggs.

"These are the most arrogant [expletives] in the world," Suggs said, "starting with Belichick on down ... [It's] funny, ever since Spygate, they haven't been able to win."

But in fact, Belichick's job should be easy this week. There's extra motivation in beating the Ravens. Colts? Bengals? Layup.

With Baltimore there's much more.

Everybody hates the Ravens.

Everybody.

It's a more difficult matchup, but what did you expect? It's the playoffs. But the Patriots are better now than when they faced this team each of the last three times in the playoffs.

And the Ravens, simply, are not as good.

QuoteRivera's sister-in-law told the television station that six people -- Rivera, his wife, Stephanie, his two brothers and their wives -- were in the house.

According to officials, 55 firefighters responded to the two-alarm call around 4 a.m. and found heavy smoke and flames coming from the house. A hole was cut in the roof of the three-story brick house to get the fire under control, and the family's pets were also rescued.

Most of the damage to the house was to the roof and attic.

"It's a busy week ahead for the city of Charlotte, including this family, who is devastated by the fire," Charlotte Fire Capt. Rob Brisley told reporters. "Early indications are this is an accidental fire."

It took firefighters more than an hour to get the flames under control. Investigators have not determined how the fire started.

The home also sustained smoke and water damage, and Brisley said Rivera's family will not be able to stay there in the short term. Rivera, who is working on temporary living arrangements, will address the media later Monday.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 05, 2015, 10:26:04 AM
Pretty funny to see a sportswriter that covers the Patriots calling the Ravens "the most hated team in America".  Didn't know Berkut blogged for them.

Quote from: Valmy on January 05, 2015, 09:39:47 PM
I hate the Cowboys but I love Romo.  Anybody who is a Cowboys hater who does not love Romo is suspect in my book.  He is the second coming of that great Cowboys killer Danny White....only more so.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 04, 2015, 04:56:16 PM

Quote from: alfred russel on January 04, 2015, 04:23:17 PM
Dont know how fair it is to expect much more with dalton as the qb.

I think it's a little unfair for Dalton to play without his top two passing weapons, but you have to adjust for that.

Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 05, 2015, 09:38:29 PM
A lot of Pats hate is based on them winning a lot and Brady banging trillion dollar pussy.

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on January 06, 2015, 05:56:52 PM
There's a lot of Steeler hatred out there as well.  Which is awesome.  Being giftwrapped two Super Bowls by the refs and having horribly annoying fans acorss the country will do that to a franchise.  Also having a repeat offender rapist as your qb doesn't endear people.

QuoteYou Mad, Bro? A Recap of Terrell Suggs' Beef with the Patriots
By Jack Andrade
Boston.com Correspondent | 01.06.15 | 1:02 PM

Baltimore Ravens pass rusher Terrell Suggs is the sparkplug of the Ravens/Patriots rivalry, and he's up to his old tricks again this week in advance of the AFC Divisional Round game this Saturday at Gillette Stadium.

"We all know the matchup the NFL wants to see. Something for the TV. Something for the sponsors," Suggs told NFL.com, hinting at a possible Brady/Manning AFC Championship Game matchup that would be a ratings machine. "But we have faith in ourselves and Ravens Nation, and we'll see if we can disrupt some people's plans."

It's not the first time Suggs has thrown shade at the Patriots or Tom Brady, and it's actually pretty mild in comparison to some of his previous remarks over the years.

Suggs infamously voted for then-Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick on his Pro Bowl ballot in 2010, excluding Brady (36 TDs, 4 INTs, and an MVP Award that season) altogether. When asked to justify omitting the best player in the league that season from his ballot, Suggs opined that "He [Brady] probably didn't vote for me either." :lol:

However childish and innocent the feud was at that point, Suggs took it to another level after the Ravens won the AFC Championship Game in Foxboro in January of 2013, spitting the type of competitive vitriol that would make Richard Sherman blush.

"Those are the most arrogant pricks in the world, starting with coach Belichick on down," Suggs said. "That's funny, ever since Spy Gate they haven't been able to win."

Spy Gate seems to be Suggs' ace in the hole when discussing the Patriots' three Super Bowl wins in the early 2000's. He's also on record with ESPN.com as saying Brady's three rings are "questionable" because of the Tuck Rule.

The "Suggs vs. Patriots" tour kept rolling in February of 2013, following the Ravens Super Bowl win over San Francisco. Suggs said he didn't think the Patriots "respected anybody" and guaranteed in the same ESPN article that "the other 31 teams hate the New England Patriots."

Suggs also criticized the NFL for enacting the "Brady Rule" forbidding defensive players from hitting quarterbacks below the knee. Brady tore his ACL and missed the 2008 season after being hit low (and legally, at the time) by Bernard Pollard of the Chiefs.

"Years before, I hit Drew Brees and accidentally tore his knee up," Suggs said in interview for an ESPN E:60 profile. "No rule was made. Of all the quarterbacks that got their knees blown out when they got hit—Carson Palmer blew his knee out—but then one guy got hit and changed the whole rule for the NFL?"

Suggs was not done with Brady in that E:60 interview. When asked to describe his feelings on Brady, Suggs stated, "I don't think that's appropriate for camera. I don't like him. He don't like me. I don't like his hair. I don't like his smug attitude."

Suggs didn't just call out Brady in the interview. He also took shots at the Patriots' organization and fans of the team. "Who pisses you off most in the NFL?" he is asked. "New England," Suggs replies. "It just seems like there's a lot of suspicious stuff going on over there." Suggs went on to argue that the "Spy Gate" scandal was a bigger infraction against the NFL than the bounty program in New Orleans.

When Patriots fans were mentioned, Suggs was quick to chirp, "Yeah they hate Suggs and I hate them."

So there you have it. The Patriots are cheaters, Tom Brady gets preferential treatment, and Terrell Suggs hates all the Patriots fans. At least according to Terrell Suggs.

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on January 06, 2015, 06:12:56 PM
What a blow.  I always figured Suggs voted for Fitzpatrick out of respect for his Ivy League cred.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 06, 2015, 06:40:31 PM
Fitz played pretty damn well this year, especially relative to expectations.  That injury was a shitty way to go out.

QuoteThat's funny, ever since Spy Gate they haven't been able to win.

Quote from: frunk on January 06, 2015, 08:52:48 PM

QuoteThat's funny, ever since Spy Gate they haven't been able to win.

This was stupid the first time I read it, and it hasn't gotten any better over time.  The Patriots have won at least 10 regular season games every year since 2008, at least 12 since 2010.  I don't think there's another team that's come close to that good a record over that long a time span.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 06, 2015, 09:00:34 PM

Quote from: frunk on January 06, 2015, 08:52:48 PM

QuoteThat's funny, ever since Spy Gate they haven't been able to win.

This was stupid the first time I read it, and it hasn't gotten any better over time.  The Patriots have won at least 10 regular season games every year since 2008, at least 12 since 2010.  I don't think there's another team that's come close to that good a record over that long a time span.

I think he was referencing winning the Big One.  Their playoff record before Spygate: 12-2.  Post-Spygate: 5-6.  Super Bowls versus Tom Coughlin teams, of all people: 0-2.

Quote from: frunk on January 06, 2015, 08:52:48 PM

QuoteThat's funny, ever since Spy Gate they haven't been able to win.

This was stupid the first time I read it, and it hasn't gotten any better over time.  The Patriots have won at least 10 regular season games every year since 2008, at least 12 since 2010.  I don't think there's another team that's come close to that good a record over that long a time span.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 06, 2015, 09:08:38 PM
Dan Snyder ownership era - 108–148

Robert Kraft ownership era - Three Superbowl Championships, six conference championships

I wonder what the difference is? :hmm:

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 06, 2015, 09:08:38 PM
Dan Snyder ownership era - 108–148

Robert Kraft ownership era - Three Superbowl Championships, six conference championships

I wonder what the difference is? :hmm:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 06, 2015, 09:00:34 PM

I think he was referencing winning the Big One.  Their playoff record before Spygate: 12-2.  Post-Spygate: 5-6.  Super Bowls versus Tom Coughlin teams, of all people: 0-2.

Quote from: katmai on January 06, 2015, 09:19:02 PM
oh really??

1983-1998 Niners won at least 10 games a season and for 5 straight years 11 games or more.

QuoteMueller report finds no evidence that NFL saw Ray Rice elevator video early

The NFL didn't press hard enough for details of the Ray Rice domestic violence incident, and the Ravens should have been more forthcoming to the league with information, former FBI director Robert Mueller III said Thursday in releasing his report on the league's handling of the situation involving the former Ravens running back.

In his investigation, paid for by the league, Mueller did not find evidence that anyone in the NFL saw video of Rice punching his future wife before the footage was released in September.

He criticized the Ravens for failing to share with NFL officials a detailed description of Rice striking Janay Palmer in an elevator at the Revel Casino Hotel, information the team's security director gleaned from an Atlantic City Police lieutenant in late February.

Mueller also questioned why league officials never pressed the team for more details. He pointed to this as an early missed opportunity in an investigation he criticized as generally insufficient. He further portrayed NFL investigators as overly deferential to law enforcement agencies.

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has apologized for not pursuing a more detailed investigation. The team released Rice just a few hours after TMZ posted video of the incident on Sept. 8.

The 96-page report was a reminder — two days before the Ravens were to face the New England Patriots in the playoffs — of a scandal that shadowed the franchise and league for much of 2014.

"The NFL should have done more with the information it had, and should have taken additional steps to obtain all information about the February 15 incident," Mueller said in a statement attached to the report.

The NFL faced serious questions about the possibility it had ignored the video after an anonymous law enforcement source told the Associated Press he had sent the footage to a league official in April.

But Mueller said that, after interviewing hundreds of people and reviewing millions of documents, emails and texts, investigators found no evidence anyone with the NFL had received or seen the video.

The NFL announced Mueller's investigation two days after the footage of Rice striking Palmer emerged. It was the league's chief response to a public firestorm that included widespread calls for the resignation of commissioner Roger Goodell.

The report confirms Goodell was forthright, said New York Giants owner John Mara, who assisted Mueller. But "this matter tarnished the reputation of the NFL," he added.

In his own statement, Goodell said Mueller "made a series of very constructive observations and recommendations regarding our prior investigatory procedures."

Goodell said the league has already addressed many of Mueller's concerns in recent changes to its personal conduct policy. "We have all learned a great deal in the past months and expect to be judged by how we lead going forward on issues of domestic violence and sexual assault," he said.

In a separate memo to NFL staffers, obtained by The Baltimore Sun, Goodell thanked employees for cooperating with Mueller and said the report's findings "confirm what I have always believed to be true."

Ravens president Dick Cass released the following statement Thursday: "We welcome completion of the 'Mueller Report,' and we look forward to cooperating with the League on any new policies resulting from this report.

"More than anything, the report reminds us all of the gravity of the consequences of intimate partner abuse and the lessons we must all learn. We have taken steps to educate ourselves, and others, about this important issue, and will continue to do so."

Asked about Mueller's criticism of the Ravens, Mara said: "I think that, at the time, the league has acknowledged and the Ravens have acknowledged that mistakes were made. I think the league has put in a new policy now that would require clubs to share any information they have about an incident like this. So, I would hope that kind of obligation would prevent something like this from happening again."

Though the NFL described Mueller's investigation as independent, critics noted the former FBI director works at WilmerHale, the same law firm that employed Cass for more than 30 years. Others noted the owners assisting with the process, Mara and Art Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers, are close allies to Goodell.

Mara and Rooney released a joint statement praising the report as "detailed, extensive and thorough."

"As owners, we are the first to agree that the NFL did not have a sufficient policy in place to deal with players or other personnel accused of domestic violence," Mara and Rooney said. "We were slow to react, and in the case of Ray Rice, the original punishment was insufficient. In addition, the steps taken by the NFL to investigate this matter were inadequate."

Mara and Rooney added they had spoken with Goodell on Thursday morning. In a later conference call, Mara said owners have expressed, "resounding support for Roger. He did tell the truth. We're happy the report confirmed that."

Mueller's report did little, however, to satisfy some of the league's sharpest critics.

"I still stick with the premise that the NFL only got the information they wanted to get," said Joel Corry, a former NFL agent who writes about the business of football for National Football Post. "The tape was apparently readily available to media outlets and could be obtained for a price. To me, the NFL was operating under the domestic silence policy. I don't think it will ever be the same going forward because of how much attention this incident received."

Added Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of the anti-sexism group UltraViolet: "The NFL has a domestic abuse problem, and it simply doesn't have the leadership to fix it. It's clear from this report that Goodell's NFL took no initiative to uncover the facts in this case— a continuation of Goodell's long record of ignoring this issue. It's time to take domestic violence out of the NFL, but first Goodell must go."

Even a Ravens player, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he was unsurprised that the investigation wasn't more critical of Goodell.

"I really didn't expect the Mueller report to be a big deal," the player said. "Roger Goodell is their guy. The report makes that very clear. There isn't much to this report."

Mueller said his investigators reviewed millions of printed documents, text messages, emails and electronic files and interviewed more than 200 people, including Ravens employees. He said he also used forensics experts to search more than 400 computers for digital traces of the Rice video. An email The Baltimore Sun sent New Jersey State Police in attempting to obtain a police report of the incident was described in the report.

Ravens sources have said they provided phones and computers for review by Mueller's investigators. Cass instructed all team employees, in a September email observed by The Baltimore Sun, to maintain all electronic records, including emails, text messages and phone records, in advance of the inquiry.

Mueller said the investigation was limited only by the Associated Press' unwillingness to reveal the source who said he'd mailed the video to an NFL official and by the refusal of Atlantic City Police to make officers available for interviews.

Mueller recommended better training for NFL investigators, the creation of an NFL investigative team specializing in domestic violence and sexual abuse and the introduction of policies to require information sharing between the league office and individual teams during investigations.

He painted the NFL's investigation of Rice as flimsy, saying it consisted mostly of unsuccessful attempts to obtain records from Atlantic City Police and of gaining updates from media accounts and public court records.

He faulted the NFL for not going further, given how troubling the known details were. "The information did not provide the graphic detail that the in-elevator video depicted, but it should have put the League on notice that a serious assault had occurred and that it should conduct a more substantial independent investigation," Mueller wrote.

Goodell faced wide criticism when he initially suspended Rice for two games. The NFL made Rice's suspension indefinite a few hours after TMZ released the footage of him striking Palmer. But Rice won his appeal in November, when an arbitrator said Goodell had improperly punished him twice for the same misdeed.

Rice has been eligible to play since, though no team has signed him. He still has a grievance pending against the Ravens over his 2014 salary, which is scheduled to be heard next week.

The Ravens said in September they had received a detailed description of the Rice incident from Atlantic City Police.

But Mueller's report included the most detailed account yet of what Ravens security director Darren Sanders — currently on paid leave after he was charged with a fourth-degree sex offense — learned in that February conversation

"Argue at elevators, Ray appears to spit on her, she elbows him, then spits on him. She walks away and then reappears, slapping at him. She enters elevators first with him behind her," Sanders wrote in his notes on the conversation. "He slaps/punches her, she spits on him and punches at him, he slaps/punches her again causing her to fall striking her head against the wall, going 'unconscious.' He stands over her for a brief moment then tries to drag her off the elevator."

Sanders then briefed general manager Ozzie Newsome, Cass and coach John Harbaugh.

Newsome told Mueller's investigators he recalled this happening on March 10 or March 11. Newsome wrote in his notes: "She elbow him starting throwing/Punches after she spit on/him he slap her she sailed/backward – more intoxication/than the hit."

Cass told investigators Sanders characterized Palmer as the aggressor and Rice as defending himself with a slap. Cass said Sanders described Rice and Palmer as very intoxicated and said it was unclear if Palmer was knocked out because of the blow, colliding with the wall or being drunk.

Quote from: frunk on January 07, 2015, 06:42:35 AM
I meant contemporary teams (which my post really doesn't make clear), but the 14 year stretch for the Patriots from 2001-14 is similar. 

Quote from: Valmy on January 09, 2015, 03:53:44 PM
The Patriots lost to Eli Manning.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 09, 2015, 05:25:37 PM
NFL investigators are former cops, which means they will take other cops at their word when it comes to investigations.  If Atlantic PD describes the nature of the video to an NFL or team investigator, then an actual copy of the video isn't necessary because we're all part of the "brotherhood" and our word is good enough and shit.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 09, 2015, 05:25:37 PM
NFL investigators are former cops, which means they will take other cops at their word when it comes to investigations.  If Atlantic PD describes the nature of the video to an NFL or team investigator, then an actual copy of the video isn't necessary because we're all part of the "brotherhood" and our word is good enough and shit.

Quote from: dps on January 09, 2015, 07:42:44 PM
To what extent do you think that's appropriate?  Your tone seems to indicate that you think it's BS, but maybe I'm reading something that's not there.

QuoteSAN JOSE -- When a San Jose police officer who moonlights as security for the 49ers interjected himself into the alleged domestic violence investigation of team defensive lineman Ray McDonald, it did more than just give the appearance of a conflict of interest.

It put the SJPD squarely in the national spotlight and provided a rare glimpse into the shadowy world of close connections between major sports organizations and local law enforcement agencies. It's common, in fact, for teams to hire local police as an extra layer of security -- essentially serving as a protective detail for athletes.

But the case of Sgt. Sean Pritchard, who reportedly has even traveled with the team, underscores how ethical lines can become blurred, calling into question who exactly off-duty cops are supposed to be serving and protecting.

Dennis Luca, a former SJPD lieutenant-turned-attorney and onetime NHL liaison to the Sharks, is blunt about the unspoken agreement when professional sports teams hire sworn officers for security.

"There is that tacit wink and a nod: 'If something happens, you're going to be there for us, right?' " Luca said. "That doesn't mean that every officer working a side job is going to do that. But to not recognize every day there is a potential conflict of interest is absolutely foolish."

He added: "Of course, you'll never get that admission from anyone in pro sports."

The 49ers would not give any specifics about their security arrangements.

McDonald reportedly called Pritchard in the early-morning hours of Aug. 31, and the officer, in uniform, already was at the player's home in the Silver Creek area of San Jose when other cops responded to a 911 call. McDonald, a key contributor to the 49ers' defensive unit, would be arrested on suspicion of domestic violence after police said his pregnant fiancee showed "visible injuries."

But Pritchard's presence, sources say, complicated the SJPD investigation and contributed to why it took a month to reach the prosecutor's office -- a time during which the 49ers' controversial decision to keep playing McDonald grew into a national fervor. The Santa Clara District Attorney's Office announced on Oct. 2 that it had received the case and continues to review whether charges should be filed.

Former San Jose Police Chief Chris Moore said that he could not speak specifically to the McDonald case, but he sees no reason for an officer to go to a scene when someone connected to the cop's second job is involved.

"If it sounds at all like it has the potential for a criminal complaint, you not only tell them to call 911, but as an officer, you also call 911," Moore said. "Unless it occurs right in front of you, do not become involved. It will just cloud the potential investigation and prosecution."

Sources also said this week that on the evening prior to the McDonald call, Pritchard visited the home where the player was throwing his birthday party with teammates. That close relationship is why some on the force are upset about the perception of preferential treatment by police in exchange for rubbing elbows with sports stars on glamorous side jobs.

"These assignments never should have been authorized," said one veteran officer on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal from the department.

Andy Dolich, a longtime Bay Areas sports executive who has worked with the 49ers, A's and Warriors, said most teams have off-duty law enforcement working for them, and that in his experience, it is a positive arrangement.

"The important thing is you want everyone to act professionally and just do their jobs," Dolich said. "You emphasize that any crossing of the line is unacceptable. Not knowing the circumstances in this case, it does seems like SJPD might be rethinking its policies and making sure that officers are using the best judgment possible."

Last week, Pritchard, who is assigned to the gang-suppression unit, was prohibited from working for the team pending an Internal Affairs investigation. Then on Friday, the department issued a blanket suspension of all officers doing off-duty work with the 49ers "until further notice."

In total, there had been 17 officers moonlighting for the 49ers through a third-party security contractor.

But those moves were not swift enough for many inside the department, who have been grumbling privately about the damage the situation has inflicted on the force's reputation.

Just as San Jose officers have begun working after-hours for the team, the 49ers have become the NFL's bad boys. The team leads the league in recent arrests with 10 since the beginning of 2012. Several of those have occurred in San Jose, including cases involving Aldon Smith and Chris Culliver.

SJPD hardly is unique when it comes to law-enforcement agencies wrestling with ethical concerns about secondary employment. But this was the sort of potential conflict that a 2012 city audit explicitly warned could happen because there wasn't enough oversight governing the after-hours work performed by officers.

And the McDonald case isn't the first time pro athletes in San Jose have turned to a police officer working for a team for help. In 2004, former Los Gatos detective Randy Bishop, who moonlighted as a security consultant for the Sharks, was convicted and Judge William Danser was disbarred after a conspiracy to dismiss traffic and parking tickets for players and friends.

Dan Durbin, director of the USC Annenberg Institute of Sports, Media and Society, said it's wise to have a police presence at sporting events. He notes that the lack of security has been cited as a factor in the infamous beating of Giants fan Bryan Stow outside of Dodger Stadium in 2011.

But off-duty cops serving as what amounts to bodyguards leaves the potential for too-cozy relationships to develop, he added.

"McDonald obviously felt this was a safety net," Durbin said. "If you have a cop coming to your house, it's a lot nicer if it's a cop you know. So who is going to blame McDonald for doing that? But it really puts the cop in a challenging position because now his objectivity is in question."

Sports leagues have created sophisticated security operations -- often populated with former high-ranking federal law enforcement officials. Each team, including the 49ers, hires its own security staff.

"But leagues don't have the breadth or ability to know everything in all cities, so they work through the teams with local police departments," Dolich said. "Knowledge really is power, and you want to work to protect your athletes and your fans."

When Dolich ran the business operations of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies, the team employed local police.

"Officers might travel with the team so that the players are protected from all manner of threats, like from known gamblers or stalkers," he said.

Leigh Steinberg, who has been one of the NFL's most prominent player agents over the past four decades, said he too has hired off-duty officers to serve as "companions" of his clients when they are out in public.

"High-profile athletes always have people coming at them," Steinberg said. "Police understand crowd control, sense pending danger and know how to prevent worse things from happening. It's just smart. If I owned a team, I would have a good group of them around."

Michael Gilleran, the executive director of the Santa Clara University Institute of Sports, Law and Ethics, said it's not necessarily a bad thing for sports teams to cultivate relationships with law enforcement.

"There's nothing wrong with them saying, 'We'd like a head's up if our guys are hanging out with bad actors,' " Gilleran said. "That's fine. That's constructive because nobody wants trouble in their community."

But Gilleran also is a former NCAA investigator who saw how "cooperation" turned into something more nefarious as police -- often in small university-towns -- actively would help athletic departments cover up missteps by athletes.

"The local chief might call the school and say, 'Hey, Joe Bob is causing a ruckus. We'll be there in 20 minutes, so you better get down there in 10 minutes,'" Gilleran said.

Luca contends that the risk of conflict is inherent for police officers, off-duty or otherwise, and that it boils down to each officer's moral fiber.

"This mistake is a judgment mistake by an officer who forgot his primary job is as a police officer," he said. "It's about whether or not you recognize your ethical and moral duty and whether or not you can follow the damn rules."

Contact Robert Salonga at [email protected]. Contact Mark Emmons at [email protected].

Quote from: sbr on January 09, 2015, 09:52:30 PM
i think the reverse is the bigger problem

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 10, 2015, 05:30:22 PM
Tom does so hate to get his uniform dirty, doesn't he?

Quote from: crazy canuck on January 10, 2015, 06:13:50 PM
Its nice to know there is still some good in the world.

Quote from: Neil on January 10, 2015, 05:38:50 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 10, 2015, 05:30:22 PM
Tom does so hate to get his uniform dirty, doesn't he?

Screaming at the refs, trying to kick guys from the ground.  What a bitch.

Quote from: Neil on January 10, 2015, 06:42:53 PM
Joe Flacco has 4 TD passes.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 10, 2015, 06:57:02 PM

Quote from: Neil on January 10, 2015, 06:42:53 PM
Joe Flacco has 4 TD passes.

Doesn't mean shit if Tom Brady has more, which is what's going to happen if they don't get to him and stop giving up the middle of the fucking field.

Quote from: katmai on January 10, 2015, 08:00:27 PM
Fucking Flacco

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 10, 2015, 08:01:26 PM

Quote from: katmai on January 10, 2015, 08:00:27 PM
Fucking Flacco

If Torrey Smith had decided to go up for the ball instead of playing DB, it would've turned out differently.

Quote from: Neil on January 10, 2015, 08:08:21 PM
Yeah, a terrible end to a great game.

Quote from: Neil on January 10, 2015, 08:13:38 PM
Speaking of the Steelers, LeBeau is out.

QuoteSpeculation Mounting Over Which Fired NFL Head Coaches To Be Emasculated As Coordinators Next Season
Sports News in Brief • Sports • football • NFL Football • ISSUE 51•01 • Jan 8, 2015

NEW YORK—With several names circulating as possibilities for the unique brand of public humiliation, speculation continued to mount Thursday over which recently fired NFL head coaches will be utterly emasculated by working as coordinators next season.

"As teams begin assembling their staffs for next year, it remains to be seen whether the likes of Mike Smith will have to swallow their pride and accept a position where they will pathetically wield a mere 10 percent of their former power, authority, and prestige," said ESPN NFL analyst Adam Schefter, adding that league sources are "fairly confident" in former Raiders coach Dennis Allen debasing himself as a defensive coordinator, for which he must humbly follow the orders of another head coach who was once his peer.

"We know that several teams feel they could benefit from taking someone who once managed every aspect of an entire organization with total autonomy and then relegating him to the oversight of an offense or defense. There are even rumblings that at least one former head coach will pitifully spend a season taking orders from a current head coach who actually used to be his assistant."

At press time, sources confirmed that former Bears coach Marc Trestman will likely be forced to endure the ultimate embarrassment of taking a job as a quarterbacks coach.

Quote from: Neil on January 10, 2015, 11:56:56 PM
I wasn't able to continue on, so revolted was I by the way the first game ended.

Quote

"I don't know if a strong safety can have a better game than Kam did tonight," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said.
Chancellor wowed everyone by twice jumping over the Carolina offensive line (http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2014/story/_/id/12148944/kam-chancellor-seattle-seahawks-hurdles-line-scrimmage-consecutive-field-goal-attempts) on a pair of Graham Gano (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/12460/graham-gano) field goal attempts at the end of the first half. And he showed that he's a pretty good safety in coverage, too.
With Carolina driving and trying to cut Seattle's 14-point lead in half, Chancellor anticipated Cam Newton (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/13994/cam-newton)'s throw. Newton's primary target was covered and when he came back to try and find Ed Dickson (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/13272/ed-dickson), Chancellor jumped the throw and returned his third career postseason interception for a touchdown.
For all the tackles Chancellor made -- and his hurdling exhibition -- it was the hulking safety running alone for the first TD of his career that left CenturyLink Field shaking.
"We have a full trust and understanding of his athletic ability. He's a freaking monster," Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/14086/richard-sherman) said. "... He damages people's souls."
It was the longest touchdown in Seattle's postseason history, topping Percy Harvin (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/12569/percy-harvin)'s 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in last season's Super Bowl.
http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400749516 (http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400749516)

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 06:50:27 AM
Shut up.

Quote from: celedhring on January 11, 2015, 09:22:48 AM
I should start watching NFL again (a bit late now I guess). The only thing I remember from when I lived in NYC is that I didn't like the Pats.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 11, 2015, 03:51:07 AM
One of the best playoff games I've ever seen. Super competitive and beautifully played. :)

Quote from: Neil on January 11, 2015, 08:37:19 AM
Tim, what the fuck are you doing?

Quote from: Neil on January 11, 2015, 11:28:01 AM
He's playing with fire.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 11, 2015, 09:35:19 AM
Cheer up!

http://www.sportingnews.com/photos/4610308-retro-nfl-cheerleaders-1980s-dallas-cowboys-philadelphia-eagles-san-francisco-49ers-oakland-raiders/slide/282460

QuoteJohn Harbaugh: Pats' substitutions deceptive, illegal
By Chris Wesseling
Around the NFL Writer

Patriots coach Bill Belichick reached deep into his bag of football tricks and came up with a four-man offensive line that had Ravens coach John Harbaugh crying foul after New England's thrilling 35-31 victory in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Counteracting a ferocious first-half pass rush, the Patriots called a change-up in the third quarter, aligning four blockers on the line of scrimmage with another player checking in as an ineligible receiver.

Harbaugh believes the Patriots should have been penalized for the "deceptive" substitutions utilized on those plays.

"It's not something that anybody has ever done before," Harbaugh said. "They're an illegal type of a thing and I'm sure that (the league will) make some adjustments and things like that."

The Ravens' main complaint was they weren't given enough notice that the player was not eligible, Ian Rapoport reported Sunday on NFL GameDay Morning. They were given some notice -- and it was announced in the stadium -- but the Ravens felt it wasn't enough. To review, the referees will go through the game Sunday and look at the mechanics like always.

Tom Brady countered in typical Patriots fashion, saying "maybe those guys gotta study the rule book and figure it out. We obviously knew what we were doing and we made some pretty important plays. It was a real good weapon for us. Maybe we'll have something in store next week."

On one play, running back Shane Vereen didn't alert the officials to his ineligibility until just before the snap.

"We wanted an opportunity to be able to identify who the eligible players were," Harbaugh explained, "because what they were doing was they would announce the eligible player and Tom (Brady) would take it to the line right away and snap the ball before (we) even figured out who was lined up where. And that was the deception part of it. It was clearly deception.

"The officials told me after that they would give us the opportunity to do that, which they probably should have done during that series but they really didn't understand what was happening. I had to go take the penalty to get their attention so they can understand what was going on."[/b]

The Patriots can't be penalized retroactively for a new play introduced by their coaching staff this week. Even if the competition committee sides with Harbaugh and eventually outlaws the tactic, Belichick can take solace in the fact that it helped him to the biggest playoff comeback victory in franchise history.

QuotePer various reporters, ESPN's Adam Schefter first among them, the Buffalo Bills are on the verge of making Rex Ryan their next head coach. He'll reportedly sign a five-year deal today.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 01:33:11 PM

QuotePer various reporters, ESPN's Adam Schefter first among them, the Buffalo Bills are on the verge of making Rex Ryan their next head coach. He'll reportedly sign a five-year deal today.

Now that's a real shame.   :(

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 11, 2015, 02:47:22 PM
Fox... stupid.

Quote from: Neil on January 11, 2015, 02:51:43 PM
That's how they do.  They're the worst of the five NFL shows, and for very good reason.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 11, 2015, 03:03:57 PM
Dallas vs. New England is the ultimate NFL meteor game.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 03:05:36 PM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 11, 2015, 03:03:57 PM
Dallas vs. New England is the ultimate NFL meteor game.

The League will ensure it happens.

Quote from: Neil on January 11, 2015, 03:07:46 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 03:05:36 PM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 11, 2015, 03:03:57 PM
Dallas vs. New England is the ultimate NFL meteor game.

The League will ensure it happens.

They'd like to, but the officials would have to job the Seahawks pretty hard.  And there might be some hope that Manning can beat Brady one more time.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 03:10:50 PM

Quote from: Neil on January 11, 2015, 03:07:46 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 03:05:36 PM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 11, 2015, 03:03:57 PM
Dallas vs. New England is the ultimate NFL meteor game.

The League will ensure it happens.

They'd like to, but the officials would have to job the Seahawks pretty hard.  And there might be some hope that Manning can beat Brady one more time.

Manning won't beat Brady, because it's under 80 degrees now.  The Seahawks can win, but they have to drop 30 points on them first.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 11, 2015, 04:04:46 PM
Helluva catch/non-catch that got called back.  Guess he shouldn't have reached for the endzone like that.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 11, 2015, 04:04:46 PM
Helluva catch/non-catch that got called back.  Guess he shouldn't have reached for the endzone like that.

Quote from: dps on January 11, 2015, 04:38:25 PM
I like GB, and I'm not a Dallas fan, but frankly that was a catch.

Quote from: dps on January 11, 2015, 04:38:25 PM
I like GB, and I'm not a Dallas fan, but frankly that was a catch.

Quote from: sbr on January 11, 2015, 05:09:52 PM
Does anyone actually pay attention to the rules anymore, or just spout off whatever idiotic nonsense runs through their head at any random time?

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 11, 2015, 05:27:56 PM
Okay, Mr. his hands just inadvertently hit the facemask. 

E:  And Mr. Faceguarding.  Yeah, maybe you shouldn't be saying shit about idiotic nonsense being spouted off.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 11, 2015, 05:43:10 PM
He looked pretty damn good this year whenever I saw them play, but just seems off so far in this one. 

E:  Peyton Manning getting booed at home for suckage.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 05:54:09 PM
Lulz, faceguarding.

The rule does lead to some inconsistent interpretations.  So he's supposed to make a "football move" before the ground causes the player to lose possession, we get that.  But he wasn't juggling the ball at the catch, and he made two complete steps with the ball in his control, establishing possession.  So how many more "football moves" is a receiver expected to make during the "process of the catch"?

Just seems odd that the rules for possession and control for receiving plays--and the whole relatively recent concept of the "process of the catch"--are applied differently than they are to rushing plays.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 04:17:48 PM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 11, 2015, 04:04:46 PM
Helluva catch/non-catch that got called back.  Guess he shouldn't have reached for the endzone like that.

I miss the 1980s, where the ground could not cause a fumble.

Quote from: Valmy on January 11, 2015, 07:53:41 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 04:17:48 PM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 11, 2015, 04:04:46 PM
Helluva catch/non-catch that got called back.  Guess he shouldn't have reached for the endzone like that.

I miss the 1980s, where the ground could not cause a fumble.

That wasn't a fumble.  Maybe that was a joke but damn it pissed me off all the time when Musburger would be all 'the ground cannot cause a fumble!' on an incomplete pass.  Um pretty sure the ground can cause a pass to be incomplete.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 07:49:24 PM
Peyton Manning is the NFL's Greg Maddux.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 07:59:01 PM
My point was, the rulings were easier to make back then, when there were none of the silly ass "process of the catch" rules and other assorted nonsense involving the ground or "football move" interpretations. 

I will include the proper annotated end notes when making glib comments and arcane references for you in the future.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 11, 2015, 08:13:12 PM
Wonder if the Colts can pull it off in Foxboro.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 07:49:24 PM
Peyton Manning is the NFL's Greg Maddux.

Quote from: Valmy on January 11, 2015, 08:05:41 PM
I am not sure what fantasy 80s you lived in but there was plenty of that back then, we eventually got the initial version of instant replay at the end or in the early 90s after all.  And yes if you are going to bitch about fumbles when discussing incomplete passes you might want to give a bit of context.

Quote from: alfred russel on January 11, 2015, 08:39:36 PM
I think Manning's problem is that he just isn't a good cold weather quarterback (see the last month in addition to today). Also, his competitive advantage is preparation, and you can't really capitalize on that in the postseason when everyone goes all out in prep. If he didn't end up in a super bowl against Rex Grossman, he would probably be retiring without a ring.

Quote from: sbr on January 11, 2015, 05:09:52 PM

Quote from: dps on January 11, 2015, 04:38:25 PM
I like GB, and I'm not a Dallas fan, but frankly that was a catch.

Does anyone actually pay attention to the rules anymore, or just spout off whatever idiotic nonsense runs through their head at any random time?

QuoteOWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Gary Kubiak will not interview for any head coaching openings and will remain the Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator in 2015.

The New York Jets had requested permission to talk to Kubiak earlier this month, and the Chicago Bears were expected to pursue him.

"It is flattering and humbling to be invited to interview for a number of NFL head coaching positions, and I greatly appreciate these opportunities," Kubiak said in a statement released by the team. "But I have decided to stay with the Ravens."

Kubiak led the Ravens to their highest offensive ranking in 17 years, so it's not a surprise that a team would be interested in him to be its next head coach. Under Kubiak, the Ravens finished No. 12 in offense and set a franchise record for points scored in a season (409). "This is a special organization and we, like [Head] Coach [John] Harbaugh says, are building something great," Kubiak said. "I want to be a part of that and contribute in whatever ways I can."

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 11, 2015, 11:01:16 PM
Is he also the QB coach there?

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 11, 2015, 05:27:56 PM

Quote from: sbr on January 11, 2015, 05:09:52 PM
Does anyone actually pay attention to the rules anymore, or just spout off whatever idiotic nonsense runs through their head at any random time?

Okay, Mr. his hands just inadvertently hit the facemask. 

E:  And Mr. Faceguarding.  Yeah, maybe you shouldn't be saying shit about idiotic nonsense being spouted off.

E2: Anyway, Colts take the lead.

Quote from: sbr on January 11, 2015, 11:50:14 PM
I don't know where you got the faceguarding thing into your thick shit-filled skull but that play had nothing to do with faceguarding.  The defender impeded the offensive player's ability to catch the ball without making a play on the ball himself.  That is almost verbatim the defensive pass interference rule in the NFL rule book.

QuoteWhat part of the defender has to be playing the ball are you having difficulty grasping?

QuoteHis hand inadvertently hit the facemask while both were handfighting, and after #59 grabbed Pettigrew's jersey more than 5 yards down field.  The contact was caused by 59 not playing the ball.

Quote from: katmai on January 11, 2015, 11:39:46 PM
I don't know where the coverage you keep watching I keep hearing about Hawks and their run for back to back titles or the amazing Aaron Rodgers.

Quote from: frunk on January 12, 2015, 12:07:27 AM
I don't know why you bother listening to any of the coverage.  It's always incredibly dumb and driven into the ground, no matter who they are talking about.

Quote from: Neil on January 11, 2015, 11:30:09 PM
So, here's the thing:  Even though respectable teams won 75% of the games this weekend, that one team is such a media darling that we're all fucked.  Every time we watch TV, there'll be some Peter King-style asshole telling us how the Patriots are such a great team and definitely deserve their victories and how their fanbase aren't a pack of inbred, hateful racists. It's like the Axis won WWII, and NBC is being run by Lord Haw-Haw and CBS by Tokyo Rose.

QuoteAfter suffering his 13th playoff loss, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning wasn't ready to commit to returning in 2015 for his 17th season.

"My mindset right now is just disappointment after today's game. I kind of need to process this game, and we'll meet tomorrow," Manning told reporters after Denver lost 24-13 at home to the Colts.

"I can't give that simple answer," he said when pressed further.

Before the playoffs, the 38-year-old indicated he'd return.

But in a postgame interview with 850 KOA, Manning said a lot of factors are in play.

"I can't answer every what-if circumstance," he said. "What if you're not as healthy? What if certain coaches leave? I can't answer every what-if situation. I think I'll have to take some time to see how I feel, see how I feel physically."

Manning averaged 4.6 yards per attempt against Indy as he was unable to connect deep with Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas. Manning completed 26 of 46 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown and lost a fumble.

Manning has two years left on his contract. He has a non-guaranteed salary of $19 million for next season.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 11, 2015, 09:35:19 AM
Cheer up!

http://www.sportingnews.com/photos/4610308-retro-nfl-cheerleaders-1980s-dallas-cowboys-philadelphia-eagles-san-francisco-49ers-oakland-raiders/slide/282460

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 11:39:23 PM
I hope next season all teams adopt the Patriots' strategy of declaring eligible receivers as ineligible the second before the snap so it's too late for the referee to inform the defense, and it drives everybody as nuts as the fad of calling timeouts at the snap before field goal attempts.

QuoteEx-NFL player says he swam 9 miles in ocean to safety
By Ashley Fantz, CNN

(CNN)A former Miami Dolphins apparently lived up to his old team's name and says he swam nine miles in the ocean to shore after falling off his boat.

Fighting back tears, Rob Konrad, 38, recounted an incredible story Monday at a press conference in Plantation, Florida. He said he swam through cold water in the Atlantic Ocean for about 16 hours, alternating between the breast stroke and backstroke. Jellyfish bit him, and he was once circled by a shark, he said.

Appearing healthy, his wife sitting next to him, Konrad told reporters that, treading water in the moments after falling off his boat Wednesday off the South Florida coast, he knew how improbable his survival was.

He had read about what happens to the body under such circumstances. He figured that he had maybe three hours before hypothermia set in.

It might take him more than 10 hours, at best, to get to shore. But he told himself he would make it.

"I've got two beautiful daughters," he said, his eyes watering. "I was hitting shore."

Konrad said he departed alone in his 36-foot Grady White boat from Deerfield Beach, Florida, at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday and went about nine miles offshore. He set the boat on autopilot for 5 mph and started to fish. He said he hooked a fish around 1 p.m. and while trying to reel it in, a huge wave smashed into the boat and he lost his footing and fell overboard. The boat was moving east, he said, toward the Bahamas.

He wasn't wearing a flotation device and didn't see any other boats around.

"I quickly realized I was in a real bad situation," he recounted. "I made a decision that I was going to start swimming toward shore, west."

Hope for rescue rises and falls

Over the next 16 hours, he said he had two opportunities to be rescued.

He saw a recreational fishing vessel. He was floating about 50 yards from it and tried to swim closer, but no one spotted or heard him.

A little later, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter circled and shined its light on him, he recounted.

"They had come right over the top of me," he said. But the helicopter flew away.

"That was a difficult time. I realized at that point in time ... I was on my own."

Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Gabe Somma told CNN on Monday that Palm Beach authorities contacted the Coast Guard to report that Konrad was missing and that it had a helicopter out looking for the former fullback.

Down to his underwear, Konrad alternated between breast stroke and backstroke, mustering the strength to keep swimming.

He made it through the night, and managed to coach himself to remain calm despite seeing "glowing" creatures in the water.

When he heard waves crashing against the shore, he told himself: "At that point, you can't not make it?"

At around 4:30 a.m. Thursday, Konrad said he hit the shore in Palm Beach. He was shivering uncontrollably so he curled into a ball and tried to warm himself up.

He had trouble walking but eventually made his way to a home where a security guard was working. The guard notified that Palm Beach Police Department, according to a department report.

Konrad was taken to the hospital, where he said he was treated for hypothermia, severe dehydration and rhabdomyolysis, the breakdown of muscle tissue.

Even conditioned athletes would struggle

Konrad's remarkable experience has wowed distance swimmers.

Sid Cassidy, a nationally renowned distance swimmer, has swum the 22-mile course around Atlantic City, New Jersey, five times. He's trained in the same waters in South Florida where Konrad fought against the odds.

"If you're a good swimmer and you're faced with an emergency, you could be capable of doing what he did," Cassidy said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said it is investigating the boat incident.

Depending on Konrad's location in the Gulf Stream, he would have had to swim west, across the water's south-to-north current, according to CNN meteorologist Chad Myers. The current could have been up to 4 mph.

Normally swimming a mile in the ocean could take 20 to 30 minutes -- if a person is very fit, Cassidy said. Most professional swimmers don't attempt that many miles without help from a team providing hydration and nutrition.

Konrad played for the Dolphins from 1999 to 2004 and is the CEO of Alterna Financial, a South Florida financial services company. It appears Konrad had an average football career. He was the second-round pick in the Dolphins' 1999 NFL draft. He played 57 games for the Dolphins and was released from his contract in 2005.

"I can't imagine that swimming isn't part of his typical workout," Cassidy said.

Konrad said he judged which direction to swim by looking at the sun during the day and the stars at night.

But even if Konrad knew which direction to start swimming, he'd have to contend with constant saltwater in his eyes, intense muscle fatigue, wind and, of course, current, noted Bruce Wigo, president and CEO of the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale.

"From the salt alone, you'd have a tongue the size of a baseball," said Wigo.

It makes sense that Konrad stripped down in the water to lessen the drag, Wigo added.

A former pro athlete like Konrad knows what it takes to push past pain, Cassidy surmised. He would know how to focus and to stay calm, too.

Sitting next to her husband Monday, Tammy Konrad said he has always been the kind of guy who never gives up.

"Rob is a very powerful human being," she said. "He set his mind on something and he does go after it."

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 07:59:01 PM

Quote from: Valmy on January 11, 2015, 07:53:41 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 04:17:48 PM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 11, 2015, 04:04:46 PM
Helluva catch/non-catch that got called back.  Guess he shouldn't have reached for the endzone like that.

I miss the 1980s, where the ground could not cause a fumble.

That wasn't a fumble.  Maybe that was a joke but damn it pissed me off all the time when Musburger would be all 'the ground cannot cause a fumble!' on an incomplete pass.  Um pretty sure the ground can cause a pass to be incomplete.

My point was, the rulings were easier to make back then, when there were none of the silly ass "process of the catch" rules and other assorted nonsense involving the ground or "football move" interpretations. 

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 12, 2015, 09:48:38 AM


Some of those passes looked so bad, I was kinda wondering if there was some sort of injury involved.

E:  Well alrighty then.  Torn right quad for the last month according to Schefter. 

QuoteJohn Fox isn't the Broncos coach anymore: http://fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasyfootball/update/24957886/report-broncos-coach-john-fox-parting-ways

E:  I know what he said, and I think he's best as an OC, but I wonder if Kubes could resist going back to Denver if they were to ask.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 12, 2015, 07:31:48 PM
Rex Ryan should have gone to Atlanta. Buffalo doesn't need a defensive head coach, their defense is already great. Ryan has shown no ability to coach up a quarterback and improve the offense. He should go to a team with a good offense and build up the defense. This move is just playing to his strengths without mitigating his weaknesses. I predict the same trajectory that the Jets went on, two years of success followed by a collapse.

Quote from: dps on January 12, 2015, 07:33:57 PM
He shouldn't be a HC, period.  He's strictly DC material, just like his dad.  Making them head coaches is an excellent illustration of the Peter Principle.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 12, 2015, 05:09:30 PM
Fullbacks rock.

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on January 12, 2015, 06:40:24 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 07:59:01 PM

Quote from: Valmy on January 11, 2015, 07:53:41 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 04:17:48 PM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 11, 2015, 04:04:46 PM
Helluva catch/non-catch that got called back.  Guess he shouldn't have reached for the endzone like that.

I miss the 1980s, where the ground could not cause a fumble.

That wasn't a fumble.  Maybe that was a joke but damn it pissed me off all the time when Musburger would be all 'the ground cannot cause a fumble!' on an incomplete pass.  Um pretty sure the ground can cause a pass to be incomplete.

My point was, the rulings were easier to make back then, when there were none of the silly ass "process of the catch" rules and other assorted nonsense involving the ground or "football move" interpretations. 

Wasn't familiar with this rule but having gone and read it - CDM has a good point here; the rule as written  is rather vague, not very bright-line, and calls for judgment. 

Quote from: Valmy on January 12, 2015, 11:39:27 PM
Still better than the Tuck Rule.

Quote from: derspiess on January 13, 2015, 12:15:11 AM
I'd like to see the Packers beat the Colts in the Super Bowl.  Or the Colts beat the Packers; not that picky.

Quote from: citizen k on January 13, 2015, 02:29:59 AM

Quote from: derspiess on January 13, 2015, 12:15:11 AM
I'd like to see the Packers beat the Colts in the Super Bowl.  Or the Colts beat the Packers; not that picky.

However, neither team is likely to make it past next Sunday.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2015, 10:51:13 PM

QuoteOWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Gary Kubiak will not interview for any head coaching openings and will remain the Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator in 2015.

Apparently the recent job opening in Denver suddenly changes things for Gary.   :glare:

QuoteJets to hire Todd Bowles as head coach, Mike Maccagnan as general manager

Gang Green intends to hire Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to a four-year deal as their head coach, according to sources.

Bowles, a hot candidate that garnered interest from multiple teams, had his second interview with the Jets on Tuesday and then dined with owner Woody Johnson, GM Mike Maccagnan, and consultants Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, according to a source. Maccagnan was in on the interview with Bowles as well.

He had been scheduled to fly out for a second interview with the Falcons on Wednesday morning, according to a source, a trip he now clearly won't be making.

Bowles has been the Cardinals defensive coordinator for the past two seasons, helping to post top-10 rankings in fewest points allowed in both of those seasons. The Cardinals were ranked 24th in total defense this season, however.

He joins Maccagnan, hired earlier on Tuesday, as a New Jersey pairing to lead a New Jersey team. Bowles is a native of Elizabeth, N.J., while Maccagnan hails from Highstown, N.J.

Bowles, 51 had an eight-year playing career with Washington and the 49ers, and part of his time in Washington came while Casserly was the GM there. Bowles spent one season as the secondary coach with the Jets in 2000 under Al Groh.

Bowles had been one of the favorites to land the Jets job along with Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Had the team wanted to hire Quinn, however, they would have had to wait until Seattle's season was over and even then there was no guarantee they would have gotten Quinn given the level of interest in him.

Earlier on Tuesday the team made the almost inevitable official: that Maccagnan would be the team's next GM.

"We interviewed a number of impressive, qualified candidates, but Mike Maccagnan clearly stood out," owner Woody Johnson said in a statement. "Mike's attention to detail, strong personnel background and collaborative approach to evaluating players made it clear that he is the right choice to be the next General Manager of the New York Jets."

Maccagnan was the only general manager candidate to receive a second interview and had remained in New Jersey since that second interview last Friday.

Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 14, 2015, 12:42:15 PM
Good writing for a 7 year old.  :)

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 14, 2015, 12:29:47 PM
I wonder if the Texans will promote one of their current scout type dudes to replace him or if they'll go out and get someone new.

E: Maccagnan I mean.

Quote from: derspiess on January 14, 2015, 12:46:26 PM
FWIW I heard they fired their video director and equipment manager.  Harsh.

Quote from: derspiess on January 14, 2015, 12:45:26 PM
Agree.  Almost looks like an adult trying to write like a kid. 

That said, my 6-year old has reached the point where his handwriting is neater than mine.  But I'm still a better speller :contract:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 14, 2015, 12:50:15 PM

Quote from: derspiess on January 14, 2015, 12:46:26 PM
FWIW I heard they fired their video director and equipment manager.  Harsh.

You send your resume?

Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 14, 2015, 01:04:26 PM

Quote from: derspiess on January 14, 2015, 12:45:26 PM
Agree.  Almost looks like an adult trying to write like a kid. 

That said, my 6-year old has reached the point where his handwriting is neater than mine.  But I'm still a better speller :contract:

I was talking about the syntax more than the penmanship.  Some good sentence complexity.

Quote from: derspiess on January 14, 2015, 12:46:26 PM
FWIW I heard they fired their video director and equipment manager.  Harsh.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 14, 2015, 01:52:06 PM

Quote from: derspiess on January 14, 2015, 12:46:26 PM
FWIW I heard they fired their video director and equipment manager.  Harsh.

That sucks for those guys.  Any idea what it was all about?

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 14, 2015, 01:52:06 PM

Quote from: derspiess on January 14, 2015, 12:46:26 PM
FWIW I heard they fired their video director and equipment manager.  Harsh.

That sucks for those guys.  Any idea what it was all about?

Quote from: derspiess on January 14, 2015, 02:41:39 PM
but apparently the video guy had taken a year off a while ago for health reasons.  And you just don't do that.

QuoteColts issue statement on Josh McNary rape charges
Posted by Darin Gantt on January 14, 2015, 5:56 PM EST
Indianapolis Colts v Tennessee Titans Getty Images

Colts linebacker Josh McNary was walking around the locker room today during a media availability, so suffice it to say the team was surprised at the reports he's been charged with rape.

So while they had to make a statement, they didn't have much to say just yet.

"We are aware that there has been a report about Josh McNary, but unfortunately that's the limit of our knowledge," the statement read, via Mike Wells of ESPN.com. "At this time we are very concerned and trying to find out what the relevant facts are, but we have insufficient information to venture any opinion. As we learn more we will make appropriate updates."

Yes, that's a statement from a team that has no idea what to say, or how to proceed in the middle of their preparations for the AFC Championship Game.

QuoteIndianapolis Colts linebacker Josh McNary has been charged with rape, a Marion County, Ind., official told SI.com on Wednesday. FOX59 in Indianapolis first reported the news.

Court documents filed with the county on Wednesday show that McNary, 26, was charged with one count of rape, one count of criminal confinement and one count of battery. You can view the criminal complaint here. (Warning: graphic content).

The alleged incident occurred on Dec. 1. The victim told the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department that after her work shift ended at 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 30, she went to a few different bars in Indianapolis with co-workers before ending up at an "unknown apartment" with an "unknown male."

She alleges that she and the male had a physical fight before she was sexually assaulted. She then took the man's cell phone and left the apartment and contacted the police after returning to her residence.

The Indianapolis Star reports that the Colts were not previously aware of the investigation.

The team released the following statement on Wednesday:

    We are aware that there has been a report about Josh McNary​ but unfortunately that's the limit of our knowledge. At this time we are very concerned​ and trying to find out what the relevant facts are​ but we have insufficient information to venture any opinion​. As we learn more we will make appropriate updates​.

McNary was signed by the Colts in April 2013 after he served two years of active military service after attending Army. When he graduated Army, he was the school's all-time leader in sacks (28.0) and tackles for loss (49).

In 2014, McNary played in 15 games for Indianapolis and started four, registering 16 tackles and half a sack.

The Colts play the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game on Sunday.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 14, 2015, 07:47:28 PM
Not the best news to hear when you're preparing for the AFC Championship! :o

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/14/colts-issue-statement-on-josh-mcnary-rape-charges/related/

QuoteColts issue statement on Josh McNary rape charges
Posted by Darin Gantt on January 14, 2015, 5:56 PM EST
Indianapolis Colts v Tennessee Titans Getty Images

Colts linebacker Josh McNary was walking around the locker room today during a media availability, so suffice it to say the team was surprised at the reports he’s been charged with rape.

So while they had to make a statement, they didn’t have much to say just yet.

“We are aware that there has been a report about Josh McNary, but unfortunately that’s the limit of our knowledge,” the statement read, via Mike Wells of ESPN.com. “At this time we are very concerned and trying to find out what the relevant facts are, but we have insufficient information to venture any opinion. As we learn more we will make appropriate updates.”

Yes, that’s a statement from a team that has no idea what to say, or how to proceed in the middle of their preparations for the AFC Championship Game.

EDIT: More info

QuoteIndianapolis Colts linebacker Josh McNary has been charged with rape, a Marion County, Ind., official told SI.com on Wednesday. FOX59 in Indianapolis first reported the news.

Court documents filed with the county on Wednesday show that McNary, 26, was charged with one count of rape, one count of criminal confinement and one count of battery. You can view the criminal complaint here. (Warning: graphic content).

The alleged incident occurred on Dec. 1. The victim told the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department that after her work shift ended at 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 30, she went to a few different bars in Indianapolis with co-workers before ending up at an "unknown apartment" with an "unknown male."

She alleges that she and the male had a physical fight before she was sexually assaulted. She then took the man's cell phone and left the apartment and contacted the police after returning to her residence.

The Indianapolis Star reports that the Colts were not previously aware of the investigation.

The team released the following statement on Wednesday:

    We are aware that there has been a report about Josh McNary​ but unfortunately that's the limit of our knowledge. At this time we are very concerned​ and trying to find out what the relevant facts are​ but we have insufficient information to venture any opinion​. As we learn more we will make appropriate updates​.

McNary was signed by the Colts in April 2013 after he served two years of active military service after attending Army. When he graduated Army, he was the school's all-time leader in sacks (28.0) and tackles for loss (49).

In 2014, McNary played in 15 games for Indianapolis and started four, registering 16 tackles and half a sack.

The Colts play the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game on Sunday.

Quote
Green Bay's Board-Game Obsession
Competitive Juices Fuel Lengthy Rounds of 'Settlers of Catan' Among Packers' Players

There may not be a more unusual bonding tradition in the NFL than the gang of Packers who get together regularly to play a board game called "Settlers of Catan." For the past two months, it's been the talk of the locker room. The number of players that have devoted a long night to the game is in the double-digits and—including most of the team's starting offensive line, among others. And don't let the words "board game" fool you, this is not Candy Land.

Any player in the locker room will readily admit that it's a nerdy endeavor. The game's object is to build settlements on the board using "resource" cards. Think of it as a fantasy version of Monopoly. "At first we're like, 'What the hell is this? Brick? Wool? What kind of game is this?'" said starting center Corey Linsley. But that quickly faded. "We are completely addicted to it, we play it whenever we can," said tight end Justin Perillo.

On any day in Green Bay's locker room, you can find starting tackle David Bakhtiari, who introduced the game to the team, rounding up players for a Settlers get-together that night—and there's no shortage of willing participants. But players may not know what they are in for. Backup quarterback Matt Flynn said he was interested in the game because it was "a nonviolent version of Risk," referring to Parker Brothers' notoriously lengthy game of world domination. But Flynn said the players take it so seriously that when he stopped by to play for the first time after a win last month, he was shocked by what happened when he attempted to turn on some celebratory music.

"I was just trying to play some music—some Pearl Jam, and [Bakhtiari] wouldn't let me. He wanted to hear the players talk and strategize. He was very serious," Flynn said. "They take it to a different level."

The competitive nature of the Green Bay's Catan tradition is now legendary in the locker room. Two weeks ago, Linsley won the game, but Bakhtiari, who typically hosts the games at his house, had briefly gone outside to cook a chicken for the group. He furiously protested Linsley's victory because of this. "He put an asterisk by it. I didn't," Linsley said. Backup quarterback Scott Tolzien is famous for slamming the board in frustration when he loses.

QuoteGary Kubiak turned down other head-coaching interviews because he said he wanted to remain the Ravens' offensive coordinator. However, the chance to be the head coach of the Denver Broncos is apparently too enticing for him to pass up.

Kubiak will interview for the Broncos' head-coaching job on Sunday, multiple sources confirmed, a discouraging development for the Ravens who soon may have to search for their fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons.

The Broncos, who parted ways with head coach John Fox on Monday, a day after a divisional round playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts, interviewed their own offensive coordinator, Adam Gase, for the opening Thursday. They reportedly will interview Cincinnati Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph today.

Denver was also expected to interview Detroit Lions defensive coordinator and former Ravenssecondary coach Teryl Austin. However, Austin, who has interviewed twice for the Atlanta Falcons' head-coaching opening, has withdrawn from consideration for the Broncos' job, a source confirmed.

It's widely believed that Kubiak, who directed an offense that set franchise records in points and yards this past season, is Denver's top choice. Kubiak spent 20 seasons in the Broncos' organization as a player and assistant coach, and he remains extremely close with Denver general manager John Elway.

The Broncos asked the Ravens for permission to interview Kubiak on Wednesday and that request was granted after coach John Harbaugh spoke to Kubiak yesterday to gauge his interest in the Denver opening.

Kubiak has not returned repeated requests for comment. On Sunday, he withdrew his name from consideration for the Chicago Bears and New York Jets' head-coaching openings. He released the following statement on the Ravens' website: "It is flattering and humbling to be invited to interview for a number of NFL head coaching positions, and I greatly appreciate these opportunities. But I have decided to stay with the Ravens. This is a special organization and we, like John says, are building something great. I want to be a part of that and contribute in whatever ways I can."

However, the Broncos' opening became available the next day. On Monday, Harbaugh said he didn't believe the situation had changed Kubiak's plans. However, this latest news certainly indicates Kubiak's interest in becoming a head coach again for a franchise with which he has a lot of history. 

Before joining Harbaugh's staff, Kubiak was the head coach of the Houston Texans for eight seasons, compiling a 61-64 record and leading them to two AFC South titles.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 16, 2015, 03:08:44 PM
It was fun while it lasted, Gary.  :( You were the Ravens' most important free agent to retain.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 17, 2015, 01:00:29 AM
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B7fBTUFCYAInmSe.jpg)

Quote from: 11B4V on January 18, 2015, 06:43:10 PM
Fucking Sea chickens.

QuoteAlabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin is the "front-runner" for the 49ers offensive coordinator position, according to ESPN.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 18, 2015, 08:51:33 PM
Blount is smoking the Colts.  :cool:

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 18, 2015, 09:09:53 PM
Knock out!

The weather is a huge advantage for us.

Quote from: alfred russel on January 18, 2015, 09:37:07 PM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 18, 2015, 09:09:53 PM
Knock out!

The weather is a huge advantage for us.

Wow tim! I thought you were a dumbass cripple! I never knew you were an NFL player made stronger by bad weather conditions!

Also, you are a lot more hardcore than I gave you credit for, considering that hispanic members of the patriots are murderers!

Quote from: Neil on January 18, 2015, 09:44:40 PM
You know, I'll always respect and appreciate Kubiak, but I hope Manning retires and the Broncos go into a death spiral.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 18, 2015, 10:09:20 PM
You can't really blame Kubes for taking that.  Has to be his dream job.

QuoteI just hope he doesn't have another stroke from the stress.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 18, 2015, 10:09:20 PM
You can't really blame Kubes for taking that.  Has to be his dream job.

I just hope he doesn't have another stroke from the stress.

Quote from: katmai on January 19, 2015, 12:24:13 AM
Sounds like Kubiak is taking two coaches with him from Ravens.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on January 19, 2015, 12:59:15 AM
It would have been interesting if he had stayed and the Broncos had gone after mini-Shanahan instead.

QuoteThat means the Ravens will have to find a new offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, tight ends coach and secondary coach after Steve Spanguolo was hired last week as the New York Giants defensive coordinator. Ironically, Harbaugh's staff was picked to coach one of the Pro Bowl teams this week because the Broncos' staff was in flux.

QuoteOther names that Harbaugh could consider are ex-Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman, :bleeding: former Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and Broncos quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp.

QuoteBreaking: A league source tells me the NFL is investigating the possibility the Patriots deflated footballs Sunday night. More to come.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 19, 2015, 02:30:43 AM
Maybe I'm misunderstanding how this works, but both teams use balls from the same collection, so it should be easy for both teams shouldn't it?

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/nfl-investigating-patriots-deflated-footballs-report-article-1.2083559

QuoteVince Wilfork Rescues Woman from Car Crash After Winning Championship

Heading to the Super Bowl isn't enough for Vince Wilfork.

While the New England Patriots defensive tackle was driving home from Sunday night's AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts, he stopped to rescue a woman from an overturned SUV, the Massachusetts State Police posted on their news blog.

Just after midnight, "Troopers arrived to find a 2015 Jeep Wrangler rolled onto its side," the blog reads. "To their surprise, New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork was beside the vehicle checking on the operator."

The driver, 38-year-old Mary Ellen Brooks, was trapped in her car. So, together with the troopers, Wilfork helped pull the woman out.

"Trooper Kenneth Proulx stated that he held the driver's door of the vehicle open, and Vince Wilfork reached in and helped lift the operator out of the vehicle with one hand," the blog continued.

"It was something we saw and we knew she needed help, so we helped," Wilfork told reporters Monday, according to WVCB. "The good thing is that we got her to safety.

"The first thing I told her was 'don't panic,' " he added. "My job was to help the person in the car."

Brooks was charged with operating under the influence of alcohol and negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

All in all, it was a good night for Wilfork. In addition to saving the woman, he helped the Pats rout the Colts 45-7, earning the team a trip to Super Bowl XLIX. (Though the team is now reportedly being investigated for allegedly deflating footballs during the game.)

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 19, 2015, 07:04:33 PM
2015 Jeep Wrangler

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 20, 2015, 09:18:40 AM
Lol  :lmfao:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ83nnODDjs

I forgot how crazy those two games were, they should really add back in the net point differential to the tie breaker rules.

Quote from: citizen k on January 20, 2015, 12:08:34 AM

Pike Place Market fishmongers celebrate Seahawks win:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB5kTvm9X9c (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB5kTvm9X9c)

Quote from: derspiess on January 20, 2015, 11:44:29 AM
Andy Dalton is in the Pro Bowl :lol:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 20, 2015, 11:40:36 AM
Word on the street is the Ravens will introduce Adam Gase as the new OC today, even though Harbaugh apparently wanted to talk to Marc Trestman.

I think, between the two, I would rather have Trestman.  :mellow:

Quote from: derspiess on January 20, 2015, 12:13:06 PM
Now Ed's gonna have to get another Dalton Pro Bowl jersey to go with the 2012 one.

A good sign! :w00t:

QuoteLas Vegas Screwed Up The Point Spread For The Super Bowl — And It Could Cost Millions

Cork Gaines

 

   
• Jan. 20, 2015,  9:37 AM

With 12 days to go before the Super Bowl, there is no favorite to win the big game. But it didn't start out that way, and that could spell disaster for Las Vegas sportsbooks.

Shortly after the New England Patriots completed their destruction of the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship game, the 2015 Super Bowl opened with the Seattle Seahawks as 2.5- or 3-point favorites, depending on where you looked.

However, in the first 24 hours of betting, the line fell all the way to a pick 'em (no favorite), a surprisingly big move for a point spread and a rare miss by Las Vegas.
Bill Simmons of ESPN discussed the point spread on his podcast, saying that "Vegas really screwed up with that line" and that it is rare for them to miss by that many points.

Keep in mind, point spreads are not designed to predict the winner. Rather, the purpose of a point spread is to find a number where equal amounts of money are being bet on both sides. When this happens, Vegas wins, as losing bets typically have to pay an extra 10% (i.e., a person placing a $100 bet is actually betting $110 to win $100).

In the case of the Super Bowl, that didn't happen. About 80% of the bets on the big game in the first 24 hours were on the Patriots, according to PreGame.com (http://pregame.com/sportsbook_spy/default.aspx).

What is even more intriguing about this big swing is that the early betting action is typically done by the more seasoned and often professional gamblers making big bets (aka "sharps"), while Joe Public typically waits until a day or two before the game or even until game day.

This means that the usually smarter gamblers felt the opening line with the Seahawks favored was a terrible line and immediately put a ton of money on the Patriots, including at least one "six-figure" bet at the MGM Casino, according to ESPN.com (http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2014/story/_/id/12192052/seattle-seahawks-open-favorites-super-bowl-line-move).

So when the Super Bowl kicks off there will likely be a lot more money riding on New England — which means if the Pats win, Vegas is going to lose big time.

[/list]

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 20, 2015, 07:53:33 PM
So when the Super Bowl kicks off there will likely be a lot more money riding on New England — which means if the Pats win, Vegas is going to lose big time.

[/list]

Quote from: alfred russel on January 20, 2015, 10:08:26 PM
I think I will support the Patriots in this thing. Carroll and Wilson are annoying. Especially Carroll. Belichick and Brady have already established superstardom, so they will gain less from a win. Also, a Patriots win has already been tainted due to the cheating.

Hell, next year Belichick and Brady may even be sentimental favorites. Two guys that have won so much together, but as the clock runs out on their time together, can they get over the hump and win their first legitimate super bowl?

Quote from: alfred russel on January 20, 2015, 10:08:26 PM
I think I will support the Patriots in this thing. Carroll and Wilson are annoying. Especially Carroll. Belichick and Brady have already established superstardom, so they will gain less from a win. Also, a Patriots win has already been tainted due to the cheating.

Hell, next year Belichick and Brady may even be sentimental favorites. Two guys that have won so much together, but as the clock runs out on their time together, can they get over the hump and win their first legitimate super bowl?

Quote from: alfred russel on January 20, 2015, 10:08:26 PM
I think I will support the Patriots in this thing. Carroll and Wilson are annoying. Especially Carroll. Belichick and Brady have already established superstardom, so they will gain less from a win. Also, a Patriots win has already been tainted due to the cheating.

Hell, next year Belichick and Brady may even be sentimental favorites. Two guys that have won so much together, but as the clock runs out on their time together, can they get over the hump and win their first legitimate super bowl?

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 21, 2015, 12:02:31 AM

Quote from: alfred russel on January 20, 2015, 10:08:26 PM
I think I will support the Patriots in this thing. Carroll and Wilson are annoying. Especially Carroll. Belichick and Brady have already established superstardom, so they will gain less from a win. Also, a Patriots win has already been tainted due to the cheating.

Hell, next year Belichick and Brady may even be sentimental favorites. Two guys that have won so much together, but as the clock runs out on their time together, can they get over the hump and win their first legitimate super bowl?

:w00t:

My brothah from anothah mothah! :hug:

Quote from: crazy canuck on January 20, 2015, 11:43:33 PM
I didnt think it was possible for someone to sink lower than Timmay. Congratulations.

Quote from: grumbler on January 21, 2015, 07:48:11 AM
I love the increased whining that ensues when whiners see the team they whine about succeed, so I am a New England fan for the next two weeks or so.

Quote from: derspiess on January 21, 2015, 09:56:10 AM
I was on the fence and was tempted to root for New England purely out of AFC solidarity.  But the deflategate thing, regardless of whether it had a real impact on the AFC Championship game, reminded me how much of a cheating sack of shit Belichick is and how his legacy must not be rehabilitated by a post-Spygate Super Bowl win.

Quote from: alfred russel on January 21, 2015, 10:03:05 AM
How is his legacy going to be rehabilitated when he is caught cheating again?

Quote from: derspiess on January 21, 2015, 09:56:10 AM
I was on the fence and was tempted to root for New England purely out of AFC solidarity.  But the deflategate thing, regardless of whether it had a real impact on the AFC Championship game, reminded me how much of a cheating sack of shit Belichick is and how his legacy must not be rehabilitated by a post-Spygate Super Bowl win.

Quote from: derspiess on January 21, 2015, 01:54:41 PM
Bengals blocked Vance Joseph from taking the DC job in Denver.  Glad to have him here for another year, but feel kind of bad for him.

Quote from: Neil on January 21, 2015, 02:20:09 PM
That's not something you see very often.  It's normally pretty hard to attract top-level folks when you trap them into low-level jobs.

Quote from: derspiess on January 21, 2015, 01:54:41 PM
Bengals blocked Vance Joseph from taking the DC job in Denver.  Glad to have him here for another year, but feel kind of bad for him.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 27, 2015, 09:46:35 PM
After the way Belichick and Kraft went all in, I'm pretty convinced in their innocence. That kind of showing just increases the penalty immeasurably if they are proven to have done it.

QuoteBill Nye says Bill Belichick made no sense on DeflateGate explanation

Bill Nye "the Science Guy" listened to Bill Belichick the football guy give a science-y explanation for how the New England Patriots' footballs became deflated last week and "what he said didn't make any sense."

This is probably the first in a procession of scientists who will bring a whole new level of scrutiny to the subject as Super Bowl XLIX week begins, but Nye, a mechanical engineer who made a name for himself on TV, said he believes that scientific explanations for how the balls lost their loft hold no water. "I'm not too worried about Coach Belichick competing with me," Nye said. "What he said didn't make any sense."

Instead, Nye told "Good Morning America" that he thinks they could have become deflated only by deliberate, manual means. That's the opposite argument Belichick made in a press conference Saturday, when he said that no one had tampered with the balls, deflating them below the NFL's 12.5 pounds per square inch threshold.

To change the pressure in a ball, Nye said, "you need one of these" and held up gauge with a needle.

Nye didn't offer a lot in the way of specifics and, of course, as you weigh his opinion, note that Nye, who formerly worked for Boeing in Seattle, closed with "Go Seahawks."

Among others, the folks at HeadSmart Labs subjected footballs to testing and came up with a different conclusion than Nye.

Quote
"Professor Belichick got it exactly right," said Richard P. Binzel, professor of planetary science at MIT.

By Felice J. Freyer
Globe Staff  January 26, 2015

It's basic physics, folks.

Four of the Boston area's best scientific minds, zeroing in on the controversy over the Patriots' use of underinflated footballs, agreed: If you take a ball from a warm place to a cool place, it will lose air pressure.

"Professor Belichick got it exactly right," said Richard P. Binzel, professor of planetary science at MIT, referring to the Patriots' coach, Bill Belichick.

On Saturday, Belichick blamed "atmospheric conditions" for the lower-than-required air pressure in 11 out of 12 Patriot footballs in the team's 45-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts a week ago. Belichick said the game balls had been inflated to the regulation 12.5 to 13.5 pounds per square inch and then got softer in the 51-degree air.

Although not all were ready to endorse the Patriots' theory, the scientists contacted Sunday agreed that the team's explanations do not defy the laws of nature.

"Everything they said doesn't seem impossible to me," said James Bird, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Boston University. "Based on simple ideal-gas-law calculations, I would not be surprised if the Patriots are vindicated. That said, there are many unknowns that can make small differences. . . . "

Binzel said the basic facts apply everywhere. "If you take a football at room temperature and take it outside to a cold playing field, the ball pressure will go down every time," he said. "This is true not just at Foxborough but at every playing field, whether here on earth or all the way out to Pluto."

Binzel calculated that a 5 to 10 percent dip in temperature could bring about a drop of 0.5 to 1.5 pounds per square inch, or psi, in a ball's air pressure.

As for reports that the pressure had dropped by as much as 2 pounds per square inch in some of the balls, Binzel said that "there are a lot of fuzzy numbers" being talked about, and the accuracy of the meters used to measure the footballs is unknown.

Softer footballs are thought to be easier to handle, and the NFL is investigating whether the Patriots deliberately sought an advantage by underinflating the balls.

In his press conference Saturday, Belichick explained that the team had conducted a simulation to determine how the air pressure could have dropped. Along with cooler temperatures, he also offered another factor: The team routinely rubs the balls to break them in, a process that he said can raise the air pressure by heating the ball. Then, he said, the pressure could drop once the balls were turned over to the referees.

Michael J. Naughton, chairman of the physics department at Boston College, called the ball-rubbing argument "technically possible."

"If there's enough friction, it could change the pressure," he said. If the pressure measurements were taken soon after this "rubdown," the balls would be starting out warmer than room temperature, making for a steeper drop in temperature.

"I'm not forming any opinions on what happened," Naughton added. But there is no question that temperature affects pressure, and every football on every football field in history has lost pressure when brought from a warm place to a cooler one, he said.

L. Mahadevan, a professor of applied mathematics, physics, and biology at Harvard, also found Belichick's argument within the realm of possibility. "If the ball was just at regulation pressure indoors after the players had worked with it, it very well could depressurize a little — but that depends on the temperature difference, all other things being equal (which may not be the case)," he wrote in an e-mail.

Mahadevan estimated that a drop from 80 degrees to 53 degrees would cause the pressure to fall from 12.5 to 11.1 pounds per square inch.

Mahadevan's calculations explain only a small drop in pressure, but not one as great as the 2 pounds per square inch that had been reported.

But Bird points out that only small differences are at play, and the measurements are not precise enough to draw conclusions. "If it lost 5 psi, I think this would be a very different conversation," he said.

Under NFL rules, each team supplies their own footballs to the game. The Belichick explanation suggests that the Colts, who have not faced similar questions, may have used balls with higher air pressure.

The Patriots are preparing to face the Seattle Seahawks in Sunday's Super Bowl, even as the air pressure controversy that has come be known as Deflategate continues among fans and scientists.

At least one attempt to reproduce conditions on the football field seems to support the Patriots. HeadSmart Labs, a Pittsburgh research company working on preventing head injuries from sports, said that it conducted a study that found weather and field conditions alone could have lowered the pressure by as much as 1.95 psi.

"We took 12 brand-new authentic NFL footballs and exposed them to the different elements they would have experienced throughout the game," said Thomas Healy, founder of HeadSmart Labs, in a press release. "Out of the 12 footballs we tested, we found that, on average, footballs dropped 1.8 psi when being exposed to dropping temperatures and wet conditions."

Meanwhile, Bill Nye the Science Guy, who has become a minor celebrity for his ability to make science understandable to the masses, couldn't help but weigh in. He told "Good Morning America'' that Belichick's explanation about rubbing the footballs did not make sense.

But Nye added: "I cannot help but say, Go Seahawks."

As for the Boston-area professors, could they be influenced by their football allegiances? They all said no. Naughton is a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan, but said, "My answers to any of these questions don't change regardless of whether I'm a fan or not."

Mahadevan does not follow football at all. Bird says he will probably watch the game but is not passionate about it.

And Binzel acknowledges being a Patriots fan, but notes: "The laws of physics know no fandom. The laws of physics play no favorites."

Quote from: alfred russel on January 28, 2015, 12:17:35 AM
Basically all the scientists were from Boston. The journalist should have gotten feedback from the top science minds in the Colt's geographic footprint, even if the Creationist Museum was closed on the Sunday he wrote the article.

QuoteAt least one attempt to reproduce conditions on the football field seems to support the Patriots. HeadSmart Labs, a Pittsburgh research company working on preventing head injuries from sports, said that it conducted a study that found weather and field conditions alone could have lowered the pressure by as much as 1.95 psi.

"We took 12 brand-new authentic NFL footballs and exposed them to the different elements they would have experienced throughout the game," said Thomas Healy, founder of HeadSmart Labs, in a press release. "Out of the 12 footballs we tested, we found that, on average, footballs dropped 1.8 psi when being exposed to dropping temperatures and wet conditions."

Quote from: alfred russel on January 28, 2015, 12:17:35 AM
Basically all the scientists were from Boston. The journalist should have gotten feedback from the top science minds in the Colt's geographic footprint, even if the Creationist Museum was closed on the Sunday he wrote the article.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 28, 2015, 12:29:31 AM
Bill Nye is from Seattle, and only has a BS.

The guys in the above article have PhDs, and the lab that did the test is in Pittsburgh.

Quote from: Syt on January 28, 2015, 01:09:16 AM
So, if the elements could deflate the balls, why did they only do so for one team?

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 28, 2015, 01:22:04 AM

Quote from: Syt on January 28, 2015, 01:09:16 AM
So, if the elements could deflate the balls, why did they only do so for one team?

If you fill one up to the league maximum and the league minimum and they fall the same amount one will end up out of the allowed range. it's unlikely they both fell by the same amount however, because that's not taking into account differences in how they prepare the ball, with regards to rubbing it and such.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 28, 2015, 01:22:04 AM
because that's not taking into account differences in how they prepare the ball, with regards to rubbing it and such.

Quote from: derspiess on January 28, 2015, 09:40:39 AM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 28, 2015, 01:22:04 AM
because that's not taking into account differences in how they prepare the ball, with regards to rubbing it and such.

:lol:  I bet you still think nothing happened in Spygate, either.

QuoteNFL didn't log the PSI of each Patriots football
Posted by Michael David Smith on January 29, 2015, 5:30 PM EST
Football Getty Images

What was the precise PSI of each of the 12 footballs the Patriots' offense used in the AFC Championship Game? We'll probably never know.

NFL head of officiating Dean Blandino confirmed today that the NFL didn't log the exact PSI of each football. According to Blandino, when officials inspect footballs to see if they're properly inflated, they simply approve them or disapprove them.

In other words, although the Patriots did play with under-inflated footballs, the NFL hasn't kept detailed records of whether those footballs were slightly under-inflated (which could be the result of a change in temperature) or significantly under-inflated (which would indicate that someone purposely let air out of the footballs).

The NFL will apply a low standard of proof to the Deflategate investigation, which means that the NFL doesn't necessarily need an air-tight case to conclude that the Patriots broke the rules. But anyone who wants the NFL to get to the bottom of this should want the NFL to be as careful as it possibly can to preserve every piece of evidence it possibly can. And a detailed log of the inflation levels of each football is a piece of evidence the NFL should have.

QuoteDeflation Experiments Show Patriots May Have a Point After All

By JAMES GLANZJAN. 29, 2015

Thomas Healy does not have tickets to the Super Bowl, but he plans to fly to Phoenix with something that is even harder to come by than seats at Sunday's game: the first detailed, experimental data on how atmospheric conditions might have reduced the air pressure in footballs used by the New England Patriots in their victory over the Indianapolis Colts nearly two weeks ago.

Those footballs, which the N.F.L. has said were deflated to pressures below league standards, have created a national meta-bowl whose outcome is seemingly as important as who wins on Sunday. The question driving the public dialogue is whether the Patriots tampered with the balls to make them easier to handle, or whether simply moving them from the warmth of a locker room to the chill and dampness of the field could account for the deflation.

The Patriots have absorbed a beating in that larger contest, with many scientists concluding that only the surreptitious hiss of air being released from the balls could explain the difference. But now the Patriots have started to rally, and in a big way. Healy, who provided The New York Times with an advance copy of his technical paper on the experiments, concluded that most or all of the deflation could be explained by those environmental effects.

"This analysis looks solid to me," said Max Tegmark, a professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who reviewed the paper at The Times's request. "To me, their measurements mean that there's no evidence of foul play."

Other evidence is also turning the Patriots' way. In a usually obscure profession that has received extraordinary attention during the controversy, some physicists now concede that they made a crucial error in their initial calculations, using an equation called the ideal gas law.

When that error is corrected, the amount of deflation predicted in moving from room temperature to a 50-degree field is roughly doubled. Healy, a graduate student in mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, went further: He measured the pressure drop in 12 footballs when they were moved from a room at 75 degrees to one at 50 degrees (the approximate temperature on the field in the Colts game).

In the experiment, the deflation of the footballs was close to the larger, correctly calculated value. When Healy moistened the balls to mimic the rainy weather that day, the pressure dropped even further, close to the deflation of 2 pounds per square inch that the N.F.L. is believed to have found.

Still, several loose ends ensure that the controversy is not close to finished. For one, if the Colts' footballs were properly inflated, as they reportedly were, it would possibly indicate that they were handled differently or inflated more fully to start with. If it turns out that both sets of balls were inflated and handled similarly, the N.F.L. is back to the likelihood that there was tampering by the Patriots.

As the Super Bowl approaches, physicists and engineers at some of the nation's most prestigious research institutions have been put into an unaccustomed spotlight as they try to resolve the issue. The Times reported on Tuesday that N.F.L. investigators had contacted the Columbia physics department for help with "matters relating to gas physics and environmental impacts on inflated footballs."

Alan Nathan, a nuclear physicist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who is known for his work in the physics of baseball, said that field had not garnered such interest since Sammy Sosa, a Chicago Cubs outfielder, was caught with a corked bat in 2003. Nathan eventually concluded that corking a bat did not make much difference, especially for Sosa's specialty, which was hitting home runs.

"It's probably much ado about nothing," Nathan said of the football controversy. "I would be pretty surprised if the N.F.L. takes any serious action on this."

Some physicists welcomed the attention to a field usually obsessed with particles that most people would find unpronounceable and equations that were less understandable than colloquial Mandarin.

"The fact that the word 'physics' appears in the sports pages is something that I wouldn't have expected," said Rocky Kolb, dean of physical sciences at the University of Chicago, "so that makes me happy."

When the football controversy arose, a number of physicists cited the ideal gas law, which many of them taught in introductory courses. But applying the equation to real situations can be surprisingly deceptive. When a gauge indicates that the ball contains 12.5 p.s.i. — the minimum allowed by the N.F.L. — the actual pressure is more than twice that amount because the surrounding pressure of the atmosphere must be considered.

This roughly doubles how much a dip in temperature can lower the pressure. During a phone conversation, even Tegmark, the M.I.T. professor, initially used the lower value until recognizing the mistake. "I stand corrected," he said, adding, "It's pretty funny that the ideal gas law is making headlines."

Timothy Gay, an experimental physicist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who once wrote a book called "The Physics of Football," with a foreword by Bill Belichick, the Patriots' coach, said there was no doubt that a slightly deflated ball would be easier to grip. But he said his own calculations and Healy's paper, a few details of which had previously leaked out, persuaded him that the weather could account for the pressure drop.

Belichick and Tom Brady have denied tampering with a football, but Belichick may have undermined his case with a confusing appeal to scientific principles in a news conference Saturday. "Belichick's press conference raised exactly the correct issues, inarticulate as it was," Gay said.

Healy, 22, is an entrepreneur as well as a graduate student. He founded an independent lab, HeadSmart, which he said was created to study ways in which football helmets could better prevent concussions. He was also a punter on Carnegie Mellon's football team until leg injuries forced him to stop playing.

When the football controversy began, Healy said, the lab had most of the necessary equipment for the new experiments. The team has also started looking at other effects that could be important, including commercial pumps that often spit out air as hot as 130 degrees. When the air cools, that could affect the deflation as well, he said.

Healy, who is from the Boston area, conceded that he would be rooting for the Patriots — whether he gets tickets or not — but said engineers who were not Patriots fans had helped with the experiments to nix any bias. He said his interest was just in the science.

"It's bringing science to a really public light, especially when everybody is getting interested in the Super Bowl," Healy said.

Quote from: Razgovory on January 29, 2015, 11:57:17 PM
So will one of the mods just temp ban Tim on Sunday?

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 30, 2015, 12:09:20 AM

Quote from: Razgovory on January 29, 2015, 11:57:17 PM
So will one of the mods just temp ban Tim on Sunday?

It's patently unfair. No Seahawk fans will banned. Nor have fans of other teams (Ravens!) ever been banned. It's just anti-Olsen sentiment!

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 30, 2015, 12:09:20 AM
It's just anti-Olsen sentiment!

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 30, 2015, 12:09:20 AM

Quote from: Razgovory on January 29, 2015, 11:57:17 PM
So will one of the mods just temp ban Tim on Sunday?

It's patently unfair. No Seahawk fans will banned. Nor have fans of other teams (Ravens!) ever been banned. It's just anti-Olsen sentiment!

Quote from: 11B4V on January 30, 2015, 12:27:17 AM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 30, 2015, 12:09:20 AM

Quote from: Razgovory on January 29, 2015, 11:57:17 PM
So will one of the mods just temp ban Tim on Sunday?

It's patently unfair. No Seahawk fans will banned. Nor have fans of other teams (Ravens!) ever been banned. It's just anti-Olsen sentiment!

Raider Nation

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 30, 2015, 12:09:20 AM

Quote from: Razgovory on January 29, 2015, 11:57:17 PM
So will one of the mods just temp ban Tim on Sunday?

It's patently unfair. No Seahawk fans will banned. Nor have fans of other teams (Ravens!) ever been banned. It's just anti-Olsen sentiment!

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 30, 2015, 12:09:20 AM

Quote from: Razgovory on January 29, 2015, 11:57:17 PM
So will one of the mods just temp ban Tim on Sunday?

It's patently unfair. No Seahawk fans will banned. Nor have fans of other teams (Ravens!) ever been banned. It's just anti-Olsen sentiment!

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on January 30, 2015, 11:40:43 AM
NFL is hiring Ben Bernanke as a special consultant in case there are any further deflation events to counter.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 29, 2015, 10:20:19 PM
NFL's case is starting to look as leaky as the Titanic.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/29/nfl-didnt-log-the-psi-of-each-patriots-football/

QuoteNFL didn't log the PSI of each Patriots football
Posted by Michael David Smith on January 29, 2015, 5:30 PM EST
Football Getty Images

What was the precise PSI of each of the 12 footballs the Patriots' offense used in the AFC Championship Game? We'll probably never know.

NFL head of officiating Dean Blandino confirmed today that the NFL didn't log the exact PSI of each football. According to Blandino, when officials inspect footballs to see if they're properly inflated, they simply approve them or disapprove them.

In other words, although the Patriots did play with under-inflated footballs, the NFL hasn't kept detailed records of whether those footballs were slightly under-inflated (which could be the result of a change in temperature) or significantly under-inflated (which would indicate that someone purposely let air out of the footballs).

The NFL will apply a low standard of proof to the Deflategate investigation, which means that the NFL doesn't necessarily need an air-tight case to conclude that the Patriots broke the rules. But anyone who wants the NFL to get to the bottom of this should want the NFL to be as careful as it possibly can to preserve every piece of evidence it possibly can. And a detailed log of the inflation levels of each football is a piece of evidence the NFL should have.

Quote from: Razgovory on January 29, 2015, 11:57:17 PM
So will one of the mods just temp ban Tim on Sunday?

Quote from: alfred russel on January 30, 2015, 03:38:40 PM
Maybe a wager should be built in. If the Pats lose, he is banned for a few days, if they win he is a mod for a few days.

Quote from: Berkut on January 30, 2015, 02:52:02 PM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 29, 2015, 10:20:19 PM
NFL's case is starting to look as leaky as the Titanic.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/29/nfl-didnt-log-the-psi-of-each-patriots-football/

QuoteNFL didn’t log the PSI of each Patriots football
Posted by Michael David Smith on January 29, 2015, 5:30 PM EST
Football Getty Images

What was the precise PSI of each of the 12 footballs the Patriots’ offense used in the AFC Championship Game? We’ll probably never know.

NFL head of officiating Dean Blandino confirmed today that the NFL didn’t log the exact PSI of each football. According to Blandino, when officials inspect footballs to see if they’re properly inflated, they simply approve them or disapprove them.

In other words, although the Patriots did play with under-inflated footballs, the NFL hasn’t kept detailed records of whether those footballs were slightly under-inflated (which could be the result of a change in temperature) or significantly under-inflated (which would indicate that someone purposely let air out of the footballs).

The NFL will apply a low standard of proof to the Deflategate investigation, which means that the NFL doesn’t necessarily need an air-tight case to conclude that the Patriots broke the rules. But anyone who wants the NFL to get to the bottom of this should want the NFL to be as careful as it possibly can to preserve every piece of evidence it possibly can. And a detailed log of the inflation levels of each football is a piece of evidence the NFL should have.

That is jsut stupid.

Unless the NFL does this very differently than college, which is possible, recording the PSI of each ball would be inane.

We get the balls before the game, and one of the officials (the back judge in college) checks each of them. If the pressure is not right, he corrects it himself.

So the "record keeping" afterwards would be a list of each ball showing it was at some PSI between 12.5 and 13.5. What is the point of that?

It doesn't matter whether or not "records" were kept, as long as the officials did in fact check the balls. Saying that absent a record of the PSI there is no case is idiotic.

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on February 01, 2015, 04:25:02 AM
Interesting article on Marshawn Lynch.  http://www.vox.com/2015/1/31/7956685/marshawn-lynch-media-race

Quote"He's not just Marshawn Lynch. He is a figure — a visibly black person — who is simultaneously working extremely effectively and performing resistance against primarily white owners that are trying to force him into working for them," he said.

Quote from: Kleves on February 01, 2015, 01:13:25 PM

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on February 01, 2015, 04:25:02 AM
Interesting article on Marshawn Lynch.  http://www.vox.com/2015/1/31/7956685/marshawn-lynch-media-race

Quote"He's not just Marshawn Lynch. He is a figure — a visibly black person — who is simultaneously working extremely effectively and performing resistance against primarily white owners that are trying to force him into working for them," he said.

:bleeding:

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on February 01, 2015, 04:25:02 AM
Interesting article on Marshawn Lynch.  http://www.vox.com/2015/1/31/7956685/marshawn-lynch-media-race

QuoteEleven of the 12 footballs used in the first half were judged by the officials to be under the minimum of 12.5 PSI, but just one was two pounds under. Many of them were just a few ticks under the minimum.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on February 01, 2015, 02:20:58 PM
Lord have mercy! :x

(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FmJej2fw.png&hash=ad34265e169a2fb4b1286a63627b39fb013e1047)

Quote from: mongers on February 01, 2015, 05:22:43 PM
Hadn't you guys set up a new Super Bowl thread, isn't it tonight?

I'll not watch the game, but I would dip into a Languish running commentary on the game.  :cool:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 01, 2015, 07:15:08 PM

Quote from: mongers on February 01, 2015, 05:22:43 PM
Hadn't you guys set up a new Super Bowl thread, isn't it tonight?

I'll not watch the game, but I would dip into a Languish running commentary on the game.  :cool:

I think there's a decided amount of apathy for this one (Seattle?  Again?  New England?  Again?). 
With the exception of Timmay, who is retarded;  grumbler, who roots for evil mastermind villains everywhere; and a couple of New England faggits--and they know who they are--I don't think there's a whole lot of interest in this game.  I mean, it just feels "bleh".

Quote from: Razgovory on February 01, 2015, 07:00:26 PM
My dad refuses to watch it, and since I have no TV I'm not watching it. :(

Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 01, 2015, 07:15:08 PM

Quote from: mongers on February 01, 2015, 05:22:43 PM
Hadn't you guys set up a new Super Bowl thread, isn't it tonight?

I'll not watch the game, but I would dip into a Languish running commentary on the game.  :cool:

I think there's a decided amount of apathy for this one (Seattle?  Again?  New England?  Again?). 
With the exception of Timmay, who is retarded;  grumbler, who roots for evil mastermind villains everywhere; and a couple of New England faggits--and they know who they are--I don't think there's a whole lot of interest in this game.  I mean, it just feels "bleh".

Quote from: katmai on February 01, 2015, 07:34:34 PM
I'm rooting for SeaChickens as its the Pats, c'mon man!

Quote from: dps on February 01, 2015, 08:06:29 PM

Quote from: katmai on February 01, 2015, 07:34:34 PM
I'm rooting for SeaChickens as its the Pats, c'mon man!

Yeah, ya gotta go that way, but my heart's not really in it.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 01, 2015, 08:24:33 PM
I though she looked cute in the beach ensemble.  She's got nice legs and nice tits, not everybody has both.

Quote from: Ed Anger on February 01, 2015, 08:26:01 PM
I question her intelligence. She let Russell Brand fuck her.

Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 01, 2015, 08:26:52 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 01, 2015, 08:24:33 PM
I though she looked cute in the beach ensemble.  She's got nice legs and nice tits, not everybody has both.

Are you joking?

Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 01, 2015, 08:22:34 PM
Holy shit, a Missy Elliot sighting. 

Now I feel better.  Not like last year, when nobody knew who that guy was that performed with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Quote from: Ed Anger on February 01, 2015, 08:26:01 PM
I question her intelligence. She let Russell Brand fuck her.

Quote from: Grey Fox on February 01, 2015, 09:12:30 PM

Quote from: Ed Anger on February 01, 2015, 08:26:01 PM
I question her intelligence. She let Russell Brand fuck her.

She was a homeschool hyper religious little girl. Every thing she does as an adult is rebelling against her dumbass parents.

Quote from: Ed Anger on February 01, 2015, 09:15:38 PM

Quote from: Grey Fox on February 01, 2015, 09:12:30 PM

Quote from: Ed Anger on February 01, 2015, 08:26:01 PM
I question her intelligence. She let Russell Brand fuck her.

She was a homeschool hyper religious little girl. Every thing she does as an adult is rebelling against her dumbass parents.

Thank you for the infodump that wasn't  needed.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 01, 2015, 09:20:43 PM
Ed's wife was home-schooled.  The script wrote itself.

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Price: $27.99 MSRP – Large Vase Candle; $24.99 MSRP – Medium Vase Candle; $15.99 MSRP – Small Vase Candle

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To learn more about Yankee Candle and the new spring fragrances, visit www.yankeecandle.com, the brand's Instagram (@TheYankeeCandle) and Pinterest (TheYankeeCandle) pages, or join the conversation on Facebook at facebook.com/TheYankeeCandleCompany or on Twitter (@theyankeecandle).

Quote from: MadImmortalMan on February 01, 2015, 09:47:55 PM
Well this is gonna be fun.

Quote from: MadImmortalMan on February 01, 2015, 09:47:55 PM
Well this is gonna be fun.

Quote from: mongers on February 01, 2015, 09:50:06 PM

Quote from: MadImmortalMan on February 01, 2015, 09:47:55 PM
Well this is gonna be fun.

What the Ed-Cdm Candlespate/gate or the game? :unusure:

Quote from: Kleves on February 01, 2015, 10:06:38 PM
Holy fuck. They gave it away. They had it in the bag. They gave it away.

Quote from: crazy canuck on February 01, 2015, 10:07:28 PM
Worst coaching decision ever

Quote from: MadImmortalMan on February 01, 2015, 10:08:27 PM

Quote from: crazy canuck on February 01, 2015, 10:07:28 PM
Worst coaching decision ever

Yep. Just run. That's all.

Quote from: crazy canuck on February 01, 2015, 10:07:28 PM
Worst coaching decision ever

Quote from: 11B4V on February 01, 2015, 10:10:29 PM
great call sea chickens :lol:

Quote from: crazy canuck on February 01, 2015, 10:07:28 PM
Worst coaching decision ever

Quote from: alfred russel on February 01, 2015, 10:18:31 PM
Worse than leaving Reggie Bush on the sideline on a 4th and 1 and you have a running play called when a first down puts away Texas for the national title?

Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 01, 2015, 10:17:27 PM

Quote from: 11B4V on February 01, 2015, 10:10:29 PM
great call sea chickens :lol:

When my mother says "Whoever called that play needs to be strung up by their balls", you know it was a bad coaching decision.

I think that is probably the single worst Super Bowl playcalling decision ever.

Quote from: 11B4V on February 01, 2015, 10:22:50 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 01, 2015, 10:17:27 PM

Quote from: 11B4V on February 01, 2015, 10:10:29 PM
great call sea chickens :lol:

When my mother says "Whoever called that play needs to be strung up by their balls", you know it was a bad coaching decision.

I think that is probably the single worst Super Bowl playcalling decision ever.

It will forever be in NFL specials.

They should immediately fire whoever made that play call.

Quote from: sbr on February 01, 2015, 10:16:25 PM
I've always known I hated the Seachickens, and really who wouldn't, but I never realized how much until today.

QuoteIn the battle of Evil vs. evil, evil won.

Quote"You just won the Super Bowl where are you going next?"
"I'm going to Disneyland!"
*son dies of measles*
🎶Nationwide is on your side🎶

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on February 01, 2015, 10:29:05 PM
:lol: It always seemed so weird to me that they give multi-millionaires a car like that after winning whatever.  Like Tom Brady wants a damn Chevy Colorado.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 01, 2015, 10:28:19 PM

Quote from: sbr on February 01, 2015, 10:16:25 PM
I've always known I hated the Seachickens, and really who wouldn't, but I never realized how much until today.

What particular epiphany occurred today to allow you to realize how much?  What specifically happened today that granted you such insight into understanding that, until this day, you had no idea you still had more hatred than ever displayed before?

Quote from: dps on February 01, 2015, 10:43:53 PM
What he wants isn't the point.  The point is, the sponsors want the winning players to be seen with their products.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on February 01, 2015, 11:05:25 PM
Unfortunately, my sister threw up in the back of the car on the way back, really took the shine off it.  :(

Quote from: jimmy olsen on February 01, 2015, 11:05:25 PM
Really happy. Was a great game and a great super bowl party. The North Korean Bamboo Liquor was a hit. Unfortunately, my sister threw up in the back of the car on the way back, really took the shine off it.  :(

Quote from: Valmy on February 01, 2015, 11:19:32 PM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on February 01, 2015, 11:05:25 PM
Unfortunately, my sister threw up in the back of the car on the way back, really took the shine off it.  :(

Seriously?

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on February 01, 2015, 10:29:05 PM
:lol: It always seemed so weird to me that they give multi-millionaires a car like that after winning whatever.  Like Tom Brady wants a damn Chevy Colorado.

Quote from: alfred russel on February 01, 2015, 11:25:03 PM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on February 01, 2015, 10:29:05 PM
:lol: It always seemed so weird to me that they give multi-millionaires a car like that after winning whatever.  Like Tom Brady wants a damn Chevy Colorado.

Had Gisele known that her husband would end up with a Chevy Colorado after winning, she might have told him to lose.

Quote from: alfred russel on February 01, 2015, 11:25:03 PM
Had Gisele known that her husband would end up with a Chevy Colorado after winning, she might have told him to lose.

Quote from: Kleves on February 01, 2015, 10:06:38 PM
Holy fuck. They gave it away. They had it in the bag. They fucking gave it away.

Quote from: Valmy on February 01, 2015, 11:19:32 PM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on February 01, 2015, 11:05:25 PM
Unfortunately, my sister threw up in the back of the car on the way back, really took the shine off it.  :(

Seriously?

Quote from: Alcibiades on February 01, 2015, 11:31:54 PM

Quote from: Kleves on February 01, 2015, 10:06:38 PM
Holy fuck. They gave it away. They had it in the bag. They fucking gave it away.

As a packers fan, the shock stays with you for a few weeks.  :(

Quote from: jimmy olsen on February 01, 2015, 11:44:36 PM
Seriously

Quote from: alfred russel on February 01, 2015, 11:25:03 PM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on February 01, 2015, 10:29:05 PM
:lol: It always seemed so weird to me that they give multi-millionaires a car like that after winning whatever.  Like Tom Brady wants a damn Chevy Colorado.

Had Gisele known that her husband would end up with a Chevy Colorado after winning, she might have told him to lose.

Quote from: sbr on February 01, 2015, 10:54:10 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 01, 2015, 10:28:19 PM

Quote from: sbr on February 01, 2015, 10:16:25 PM
I've always known I hated the Seachickens, and really who wouldn't, but I never realized how much until today.

What particular epiphany occurred today to allow you to realize how much?  What specifically happened today that granted you such insight into understanding that, until this day, you had no idea you still had more hatred than ever displayed before?

I said so in the part of my post you deleted.  I knew I wanted the Pats to win (actually the Chickens to lose) no matter how dirty that made me feel, but as the game went into the fourth quarter I was getting physically ill at the thought of Seattle winning.  I was more excited for Amandola's go ahead TD than I was for the long TD Larry Fitzgerald scored to give the Cardinals the lead over the Steelers.  Then the Seattle drive was excruciating; after the bullshit juggling catch by Kearse I broke at least one piece of furniture and at least one toe.

Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 02, 2015, 11:40:40 AM
Kind of trippy that the entire Seattle receiver corps were free agents.

Is that because they spent all their cap on Lynch and the secondary?

Quote from: crazy canuck on February 02, 2015, 12:05:06 PM
Yeah, Wilson is going to go from 700,000 a year to about 20 million a year.  Not sure what the capologist is going to do with that one.

Quote from: sbr on February 02, 2015, 12:24:43 AM
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8z-PZGCAAA8ZrK.jpg)

Quote from: celedhring on February 02, 2015, 04:29:48 PM
I see more people talking about the ads than about the game itself, in my Facebook stream.

Quote from: Caliga on February 02, 2015, 07:29:50 PM

Quote from: celedhring on February 02, 2015, 04:29:48 PM
I see more people talking about the ads than about the game itself, in my Facebook stream.

Same here, but the vast majority of my active FB friends are either women or fans of Kentucky sports only.

Quote from: Caliga on February 02, 2015, 07:29:50 PM

Quote from: celedhring on February 02, 2015, 04:29:48 PM
I see more people talking about the ads than about the game itself, in my Facebook stream.

Same here, but the vast majority of my active FB friends are either women or fans of Kentucky sports only.

Quote from: Ed Anger on February 02, 2015, 07:33:04 PM
YEW KAY