Nfl 2011

[marnold]

C'mon, who really thought the Giants would be in the SB this year? Anybody?
Props to them, 2 good games yesterday but I'm still bummed about my Saints.

Of course they, along with last year's Packers, are the reason I always remind people clamoring for replacing the BCS with a playoff that the best team does not always make the championship. A playoff determines the hottest team that made the playoffs.

Did I also hear correctly that the Ravens were the first team the Pats beat with a winning record?

I'll probably be rooting for the Giants (as much as I root for any non-Detroit team, which is very little), although the Michigan man in me still has a soft spot in my heart for Brady.

 

[R_of_G]

Of course they, along with last year's Packers, are the reason I always remind people clamoring for replacing the BCS with a playoff that the best team does not always make the championship. A playoff determines the hottest team that made the playoffs.

I still think that's the exact point of playoffs, to crown the champion that navigated their way through the tournament. I contend there's no way to determine a "best" team since that's a subjective word. We don't need a "best" team, we need a champion. They can be the same, but they can also be exclusive.

Did I also hear correctly that the Ravens were the first team the Pats beat with a winning record?

Yup. Prior to Sunday, the winningest teams the Patriots beat were the Broncos and Jets, both 8-8.

 

[Spudman]

At least it's not like the cycling World Championship. That's determined by a single event. So if the guy that won the Tour of Italy, Tour of France, Tour of Switzerland, Tour of Colorado gets knocked down during the race and some 'no-name' rookie rider crosses the line first, he's then the reigning World Champion regardless if he's won or even placed in a race all season.

At least with football the season record matters.

 

[R_of_G]

Interesting Spud. I had no idea cycling used such a method to determine a champion. It seems rather arbitrary, have one good day when it matters and you're the champ.

 

[piebaldpython]

Interesting Spud. I had no idea cycling used such a method to determine a champion. It seems rather arbitrary, have one good day when it matters and you're the champ.

Isn't that how it is in most sports?? You kick-butt in the World Championships and you DA-MAN for a year; even if you stunk up the joint for the rest of the year.

Same thing with the Olympics......you catch fire at the right-time, you DA-MAN. Likewise, you can tear it up all year long, winning most everything in sight......yet, during the Worlds or Olympics, you have a bad 5 seconds and you're OUTTA THERE.

 

[R_of_G]

You're exactly right PBP. That's why I find it interesting that so many will use "championship team/athlete" and "best team/athlete" as if they meant the same thing.

 

[marnold]

Super Bowl picks from Carl!

 

[R_of_G]

Is Eli Manning an elite QB yet?

He now has more Super Bowl wins than his brother. More than Brees. More than Rodgers. One more and he ties Brady.

I'd take him on my team in a heartbeat. For all the nonsense we had to endure all year about how Tim Tebow is such a winner and such a clutch player, Eli Manning just showed what clutch really means and he didn't have to rely on the opponent stupidly dropping into a prevent defense to do it.

I will never pass for a Giants' fan, but when it comes to any NY team taking on any Boston team, I'll pull for the hometown every time.

 

[marnold]

Is Eli Manning an elite QB yet?.

I thought he was before the game. This cements it. Maybe one day my Lions can do that...

 

[duhvoodooman]

 

[piebaldpython]

This certainly cements it for Manning. Pretty good game........lame performance by Madonna. Another old geezer act brought in for SB. UGH! If she would have put as much energy into her singing as she did "giving the finger" and cursing, it might have been tolerable.

 

[marnold]

UGH! If she would have put as much energy into her singing as she did "giving the finger" and cursing, it might have been tolerable.

Actually that was MIA (whoever that is), not Madonna who did that. Madonna was the one falling off the bleachers. If she would have brained herself it would at least have been entertaining. I suppose it is better than having Up With People again--if only barely. They might actually have don't their own singing, though.

 

[R_of_G]

Actually that was MIA (whoever that is), not Madonna who did that. Madonna was the one falling off the bleachers. If she would have brained herself it would at least have been entertaining. I suppose it is better than having Up With People again--if only barely. They might actually have don't their own singing, though.

The only tolerable thing to me about MIA is that she runs her own record label, which is currently the home of Sleigh Bells. Last night was the first time I'd ever heard her "perform" and she was pretty much as awful as I assumed she'd be based on the acts with whom I always hear her associated.

I think they should do away with the halftime shows altogether. Tom Coughlin commented in his post-game interview with ESPN that the length of the Super Bowl halftime is difficult for a coach to overcome when trying to motivate his team for the second half. He said he gave his rah-rah speech and then realized they still had 25 minutes to kill. If they want to have a famous act come out and lip sync a hit or two that's fine, but keep halftime to the same 15 minutes it is for every other game in the season.

 

[NWBasser]

I pretty much always skip the halftime show (exception was The Who because Pino Palladino was on bass).

I'll spend that time mixing drinks, playing bass, eating, or some other semi-productive endeavor.

I've found it to work out best that way. I even missed what's-her-name's wardrobe malfunction some years back.

 

[R_of_G]

I pretty much always skip the halftime show (exception was The Who because Pino Palladino was on bass).

I'll spend that time mixing drinks, playing bass, eating, or some other semi-productive endeavor.

I've found it to work out best that way. I even missed what's-her-name's wardrobe malfunction some years back.

I usually skip it as well, though I tuned in for Prince a few year's back because you know, it's Prince. Last night I watched it pretty much solely to live tweet jokes about how awful it was.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

The halftime show is not about football fans. It is to draw the people that don't care about football, but maybe want to check out the ads, etc. Thus, the mediocre, middle of the road, entertainment choices that often are made. The Prince show a couple years ago was pretty darned good though. And U2 was ok. I personally would like to see the Foo Fighters rock a real live show. I bet they could pull it off. And pick songs that would fit the demographic.

 

[Commodore 64]

I expected to hate the halftime show. Instead all I could think about was how much I'd like to .....that 55 year old woman.

 

[kidsmoke]

Congrats to the Giants, who once again, simply showed up and wanted it. Manning shouldn't have to prove anything to anyone. I think all the praise for Brady has gotten to his head, when all the cameras are pointed at him. When he was sneaking up on everyone, he was money. Now he can't quite get her done for the big game. That underthrown Bomb to Gronk was the game for them. AFC win was a stinker that they eek-ed out, The Jets Game last year, the Ravens the year before, and of course the 2007 Super Bowl. Talented, but you gotta win the big one.He still dominates the regular season, and they should continue to be there for a couple of years. But something about the big stage. He just doesn't get it done. Had a good game, but that interception.....

Ah well, Next year.

 

[R_of_G]

The halftime show is not about football fans. It is to draw the people that don't care about football, but maybe want to check out the ads, etc. Thus, the mediocre, middle of the road, entertainment choices that often are made. The Prince show a couple years ago was pretty darned good though. And U2 was ok. I personally would like to see the Foo Fighters rock a real live show. I bet they could pull it off. And pick songs that would fit the demographic.

It'd probably be better if they didn't use the Foo Fighters as fans would only be disappointed when the FFs were forced to lip sync at least part of the performance. I still haven't forgiven Springsteen for that. I still love the guy, but I do count that as a negative. That said, even a lip synced FFs performance would be better than Madonna or the Black Eyed Peas.

Also, I agree with TKs points about Brady. He's a phenomenal QB, but he's not exactly Captain Clutch.

I'd also like to add that the Patriots have still yet to win a title since Bellichick was caught cheating. Maybe that means nothing. Maybe it means something. Either way, it's a fact.

 

[Tig]

Foo Fighters would be a great show, and then I wouldn't mind the extra time Super Bowls use for halftime. They are so consistent and tight, they would never need to lip synch. I remember how much they praised Prince's cover of their song. saying they could never sound nearly as good as he did.

 

[piebaldpython]

lol You have to remember that Brady had 1 or 2 excellent throws dropped in their final series. So that cost 15-20 yds........the final bomb was a good high throw and Gronk was out of position to snatch up a tipped ball. Kind of hard to blame Brady for that too!! lol

Kind of a shame Hound Dog Taylors and The Houserockers aren't around......they'd be a great show to catch.

 

[R_of_G]

lol You have to remember that Brady had 1 or 2 excellent throws dropped in their final series. So that cost 15-20 yds........the final bomb was a good high throw and Gronk was out of position to snatch up a tipped ball. Kind of hard to blame Brady for that too!! lol

Welker is taking a lot of heat for his drop, but that one is more on Brady than Welker to my eyes. He threw it too high and forced Welker to turn against himself to get it. Yes, Welker got his hands on it and he has to share in the blame, but it was not a good throw. Hernandez's drop was all his fault. Brady got it to him perfectly but Hernandez looked up for a second to see if he was about to get hit and when he turned around the ball was closer than he must have realized it would be.

Conversely (or inversely, whichever one is correct) Manningham made an absolutely spectacular catch on the Giants' last drive and deserves the praise he's getting for it, but that throw from Manning was one of the most accurate passes I've ever seen in my life. There was a space no bigger than the ball itself into which Manning could have thrown it for the catch to be possible and he put it exactly in that space. Unbelievable.

 

[R_of_G]

Foo Fighters would be a great show, and then I wouldn't mind the extra time Super Bowls use for halftime. They are so consistent and tight, they would never need to lip synch. I remember how much they praised Prince's cover of their song. saying they could never sound nearly as good as he did.

It's not a "need" to thing with the lip sync/music sync at the Super Bowl, it's a requirement by the broadcast people. Recall if you will my horror a few years back when Springsteen did it. If ever there was a band that was tight enough to never need to pre-record anything it's the E Street Band and yet here we are. They weren't given an option. Same for Prince. Same for the Stones. And I would imagine, same would apply for the Foo Fighters.

 

[Tig]

It's not a "need" to thing with the lip sync/music sync at the Super Bowl, it's a requirement by the broadcast people. Recall if you will my horror a few years back when Springsteen did it. If ever there was a band that was tight enough to never need to pre-record anything it's the E Street Band and yet here we are. They weren't given an option. Same for Prince. Same for the Stones. And I would imagine, same would apply for the Foo Fighters.

Ah, the smell of NFL money and power! I consider the NFL as a modern corporate mafia that people actually worship (reference American Gods: A Novel by Neil Gaiman). When I whine about what the music business has done to music, it is in the same vein as what the NFL has done to football. Any business that happens to print or say "Superbowl" in an ad will be sued unless they pay up for the privilege. Remember when it wasn't like that not too long ago?

Sure, I love to watch the game, but I never forget just how powerful the business really is. Even college football has turned into a multi-billion dollar business.

/rant :wave:

 

[Tig]

:rollover

 

[marnold]

Last I checked, no one put a gun to any of their heads and forced any of those acts to perform. If big, top-name acts say they won't perform under those circumstances, things would change. They don't, so they won't.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I didn't realize it was a forced deal. Makes the performance of the remains of the Who even worse in retrospect. I am a Springsteen admirer and didn't like his show much either. That knee slide was over the top and forced seeming. I guess I did not remember it was lip synced too. For some reason, I thought the Prince show was live. I guess I am gullible.

 

[piebaldpython]

Any of those acts could have said NO....but.......the chance to perform before untold millions of people....a decent amount who might not know who they are.....and hence, sell CDs to.......is too tempting to resist.

Seriously, if it wasn't for the CSI TV shows, would many kids under 25 know who the WHO is?

 

[R_of_G]

And you thought this thread was over.

I thought this was a nice piece on Eli by ESPN.com's Liz Merrill. It balances out things a bit for me with ESPN, with whom I was once again disappointed yesterday. Two days after Eli Manning wins his second Super Bowl (and second SB MVP) ESPN is running a special on Tim Tebow.

I barely understood the network's obsession with him during the Broncos' season, but there were several QBs whose stories were (to me anyway) far more interesting this season and performed at a significantly higher level.

At the top of that list is Eli Manning who began the season as fodder for imbecilic sports columnists and talk radio hosts because he dared to answer a no-win question.

What's the guy to say when asked if he thinks he's an elite QB?

If he says no, they jump on him for having no confidence in himself.

Instead, when he says yes, they jump on him pointing out that he's not as good as his brother or Rodgers or Brees, all of whom would now have to pool their championship rings together to have more than Eli.

This was the season he finally stepped out from Peyton's shadow. If you still question whether or not he's an elite QB, I question whether or not you're an elite appreciator of the game of football.

Anyway, here's the piece.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/201...hifts-back-peyton-manning-future-indianapolis

 

[piebaldpython]

+1 on Eli................now it's Peyton who has to play catch-up. lol Nothing shuts people's mouths faster than WINNING........especially winning the way the Giants won.....at the end with some fine passing by Eli.

My wife asks me "no-win" questions every now and then. I just look at her and laugh.....and say no matter how I answer that I LOSE. She agrees and then finds a way to ask the question that doesn't get me in Hot water. lol