matthewk wrote:It seems like there are a lot of lopsided games this year. Each week still has a couple close ones, but most of the ones that aren't down to the last play are complete blowouts.
It's definitely feast or famine this year, and this past weekend was particularly bad. But still, Steelers-Vikings was good and Saints-Dolphins was a hell of a game. And the always entertaining Texans found a way to make a 21-0 lead interesting.
Sunday Ticket definitely helps. If I was subject to the whims of local programming the NFL would be much less fun for me.
Badger_Fan wrote:Your last point only makes the game more absurd. You have a team that hasn't really had a lot of penalties all year suddenly take 11 penalties for 78 yards. That makes sense. Again, the tripping penalty was total bullshit (and everything I've read online today by analysts of the game confirms that), but even more ridiculous was the delay of game call.
Did any of those analysts say the Steelers win "comes wrapped nice and purdy from the men in stripes?"
And did any of those previous Vikings games come against one of the best defenses in the NFL in front of a record crowd in full throat at one of the toughest places to play in the NFL? The answer is no. I bet those esteemed analysts would point out you are probably going to get more penalties on the road in a hostile environment against a top defense.
And I never said the Steelers outplayed the Vikings. Who did? Besides, the better team on a given Sunday loses quite a bit in the NFL. If games were decided by which teams played better the Steelers probably would have lost to Tennessee and beaten either Chicago or Cincinnatti (games in which they lead the entire game).
Minnesota had a sure touchdown nullified midway through the fourth quarter when Vikings tight end Jeff Dugan roll-blocked a Steelers rusher and was called for tripping. I thought it was a bad call. In the NBC viewing room, Rodney Harrison and Tony Dungy were apoplectic. The Vikings, instead of taking a 17-13 lead, now had to come back to try to score again.
Now that isn't saying that it came gift-wrapped by the refs, but it sums up my thoughts pretty well. And the way the Vikings defense was playing against the Steelers offense, if they take the lead right there, the game is over.
Badger_Fan wrote:And the way the Vikings defense was playing against the Steelers offense, if they take the lead right there, the game is over.
?
Why would you say that (other than being a Vikes fan)...Pittsburgh barely had the ball in the second half yesterday. When they needed to score at the end of the first half, they went right down the field on 'em.
I don't know how much time would've been left had the Vikes scored, but for my money, there aren't many QB's I'd rather have with a minute left than Big Ben.
edit: Took out shot at Peter King because he said this in the same article:
"Back home Sunday night, Woodley sounded content, as if the team had finally played a complete game against a good team. It had -- with a little help from an official's call and a little more from the slippery hands of Taylor. But that's football. Mistakes happen. What are you going to do when they're made?"
Anyway, as a fan of a team with six Lombardi's and almost annual trips to the playoffs, I realize that it's pretty senseless to get all worked up about a few bad calls in a single game. The long NFL season does a pretty good job of thinning the heard and eventually things will even out. I can't wait to see how you react when your team gets the benefit of some iffy calls.
On a positive note, the Vikings have a hell of a team and if Favre and Peterson stay healthy they can certainly beat anyone.
Badger_Fan wrote:Now that isn't saying that it came gift-wrapped by the refs, but it sums up my thoughts pretty well. And the way the Vikings defense was playing against the Steelers offense, if they take the lead right there, the game is over.
I'll buy that the tripping call was a bad call, but not that a score there would have put the game away. Based on what? The Steelers driving down the field on the Vikings defense on their way to a TD in the 4th qtr before a stupid Mendenhall leap and fumble inside the 5? The end of the first half where the Steelers did nothing on offense until the final minute where they went right down the field for a TD? Based on the Vikings previous game, where they let the Ravens march right down the field on them to get into fg range after taking the lead late in the game? Even if the Vikings had taken a lead before that interception, I would have liked the Steelers chances to win the game, seeing as quite a few of their wins last year came in the same situation.
GameSeven wrote:I think Fox Sports must have some guy in the booth with a robot fetish. Witness this compilation of NHL robots to have appeared in varying forms over the past 15 years or so.
Just curious what everyone's opinion on Jon Gruden is. I think he is great - awesome energy, great technical analysis, works well with the rest of the MNF crew.
macsomjrr wrote:Just curious what everyone's opinion on Jon Gruden is. I think he is great - awesome energy, great technical analysis, works well with the rest of the MNF crew.
You need to add...juggles the balls of the "star" player on each team to your analysis. He jocks guys WAY too much. I almost killed myself when the Vikings were on earlier in the year.
macsomjrr wrote:Just curious what everyone's opinion on Jon Gruden is. I think he is great - awesome energy, great technical analysis, works well with the rest of the MNF crew.
He's a drastic improvement over recent third men in the booth Monday night: Theismann, Madden, Kornheiser, Dennis Miller, etc., etc.
It took working with Michaels the last couple of seasons on NBC's Sunday Night Football to bring Madden back anywhere near his 1980s glory days on CBS and early 90s on FOX. He was horrible -- cliched, lazy -- for about 10 years before he teamed up with Michaels at NBC. I thought his final two years were some of his most insightful, analytical work.
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
macsomjrr wrote:Just curious what everyone's opinion on Jon Gruden is. I think he is great - awesome energy, great technical analysis, works well with the rest of the MNF crew.
Great. I'll take him over anyone they've had in the last 10 years or so. If he gets a coaching job, I nominate Norm MacDonald. Why not...
My Tesla referral code - get free supercharger miles!! https://ts.la/gregg43474
macsomjrr wrote:Just curious what everyone's opinion on Jon Gruden is. I think he is great - awesome energy, great technical analysis, works well with the rest of the MNF crew.
Great. I'll take him over anyone they've had in the last 10 years or so. If he gets a coaching job, I nominate Norm MacDonald. Why not...
I love Norm MacDonald's comedy, but no more gimmick color guys. It doesn't work.
Gruden does a good job and seems to have a natural knack for doing the analysis. Definitely one of the better announcers to come along in recent years.
Heard that there are helmets which would alleviate the problems but they look cumbersome compared to the model most players use.
It's also a macho thing, a lot of players don't want these funny-looking new models.
As for whether they'd change the rules to get rid of helmet-to-helmet hits, anyone remember back in the day the neck injuries and paralysis cases like Daryl Stingley? I think a safety for the Packers also had a serious injury because he didn't get his head and helmet down quickly enough. So while not exactly helmet to helmet, players were advised to get the helmet low and gird for impact to reduce the chances of neck/spinal injuries.
Instead of neck/spinal injuries, now concussions are the problem.
If the NFL admitted that, they may have to care more for retired players, which could be a big liability.
The easiest thing they can do is make sure players always get plenty of rest after any concussion, and are not sent out to play the next week like Merril Hoge was in the 90s. Hopefully that's already happening.
I personally don't think new helmets will do anything to eliminate brain disorders later on in life. As everyone knows, it's all about playing or being replaced so most players will deny or lie about head traumas, i.e. Zach Thomas.
Lets face reality people the NFL is an ultra violent sport where the object is to neutralize your opponent which may include breaking that players body parts. When you have rock solid, muscle bound dudes colliding into each other at fast speeds, bad things are going to happen. The human body was not designed to be subjected to the NFL, Boxing, or the MMA.
What do you mean Zack Thomas? Dude got a concussion his last year and miami and didn't see the field for the rest of the season almost. He or the team Docs were clearly being cautious.
dbdynsty25 wrote:What do you mean Zack Thomas? Dude got a concussion his last year and miami and didn't see the field for the rest of the season almost. He or the team Docs were clearly being cautious.
The articles I read from the Miami Herald indicated that he had numerous concussions through out his playing days in Miami. He was only benched and shut down when he complained of severe headaches off the field. He also said that while in Miami he preferred to play without a mouth piece. That's when he starting wearing a mouth guard and using the new style helmet.
I don't remember him ever using the Revolution helmet (the one Joey Porter wears)...especially in his last year. He always wore that same helmet he had from the jump.
