NFL 2010

[Cimmerian Nights]

Curious, are you a Badgers fan?

It is interesting on so many levels beyond football - politics, geography, academics, rivalries, economics. This could develop into a huge shakeup and there's a lot at play.

This conference realignment is weird. It's going to change college football significantly.

Seems like the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer.

As a college fan I'm excited, as a Big East fan I'm not. Looks like the other conferences are looking to consolidate and the Big East gets raided all the time. Miami, BC, VT. Sucked to see them go, killed our clout.

That's something I'd rather not see too much of, tired of watching small, non-BCS teams like Utah, TCU, Boise State win out and get nothing. Not even a shot.

As a Big Ten fan Nebraska is a great acquisition

It is a great fit. I see them meshing well with programs like Ohio State, PSU, Mich. etc.

Personally I don't want Notre Dame, though. Let them join the MAC.

I'd like to see ND get burnt for acting so holier-than-thou all this time and refusing to join a conference. But again, weird situation as they are, with the exception of football, a Big East School in every other respect. It'll be fun to see them be jerked around as a pawn by others now. Or get stuck forever with the other indies they've been beating up for the last 50 years.

I don't know why Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, USC, Ohio State, and LSU don't just group up in a single, nation-wide premier conference. They would relegate every other conference to second-tier status.

Travel. Cost. Loss 0f regional rivalries.

I think the SEC has the right template. You build a large conference, but split it in 2 based on geographic area to preserve regional rivalries and reduce travel/cost. Badass conf. championship at the end of the year with the winner almost a lock for nat'l championship contention. It's almost not fair the crucible a SEC team has to pass through.

Now there's talk they'll raid the ACC of Miami, Florida State and maybe Clemson or Georgia Tech. It's getting crazy. I wonder what's precipitated this all of a sudden.

Could be really bad ass to see 4 mega-conferences SEC, PAC-16, Big 16 and some kind of Big East/ACC. I think we'll get shafted as usual, the north east isn't a hot bed of college football.

 

[UniversalWolf]

Curious, are you a Badgers fan?

It's my alma mater, so yeah.

I got there shortly after Barry Alvarez made them good at football for the first time in decades.

The Badgers were a frustrating team last year. If you watched them play, they were awesome...except that they would constantly screw up in crucial situations. The would fumble on the 1-yard line, or give up kickoff returns for touchdowns, or whatever, and lose big games. They were kicking Ohio State's ass up and down the field until they destroyed themselves with mistakes. They were thrashing Miami in the bowl game too, until they almost choked it away at the end.

As a college fan I'm excited, as a Big East fan I'm not.

Your region really is lacking a power conference in football, isn't it? That's kind of strange.

From what I hear, Nebraska and some of the other Big 12 teams were upset because when the Big 8 became the Big 12, the league HQ moved to Dallas, and all the political power moved to Texas.

I think geography and culture are extremely important for a college sports conference, which is why Nebraska's a good fit for the Big Ten. If you look on a map, Lincoln is an easy road trip for Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and even Illinois fans. It sounds like the Big Ten is not pursuing Missouri now, but they're a little less culturally similar to rest of the conference. The transition between "Midwest" and "South" happens right in the middle of Missouri. Half the people down there talk normal and say,"you guys," and half the people drawl and say ,"y'all."

At one time there was a rumor that the Big Ten was trying to get Texas, which wouldn't fit at all. It's a great college for sports, obviously, but it has nothing in common with the rest of the conference. I've also heard Pittsburgh mentioned - that would make much more sense than Texas.

If the Big 12 can keep Texas from bolting, I don't see why they couldn't keep the conference going in a reconstituted form. They still have plenty of teams, and if they want more they could consider adding, say, TCU. All the good Texas colleges plus the Oklahomas plus the Kansases - that's a decent conference that's more geographically and culturally similar than the Big 12 was.

Travel. Cost. Loss 0f regional rivalries.

True. But consider the recruiting advantages and the TV revenues. There would be one conference every good HS player in the country would want to be a part of. One conference that was clearly better than any other.

 

[Cimmerian Nights]

It's my alma mater, so yeah.

I got there shortly after Barry Alvarez made them good at football for the first time in decades.

The Badgers were a frustrating team last year. If you watched them play, they were awesome...except that they would constantly screw up in crucial situations.

I think you and I are the same age give or take a few. I remember those couple blockbuster years Alvarez had there. Northwestern had a good run about the same time too IIRC.

I think what makes college ball so intense is that all it takes is a bad handle on a punt or something to change a team's fortunes so dramatically. There's not a lot that separate the competent teams from the great teams. Couple bounces.

Your region really is lacking a power conference in football, isn't it? That's kind of strange.

Well you can't have a power conference without power teams. New England, New York, New Jersey combined account for 4 D-1 football teams - BC, Syracuse, UCONN and Rutgers - that's weak. I think that's it. BC has some clout, Syracuse did 50 years ago and actually although really in their infancy, Rutgers and UCONN have cracked the top 20, even top 10 a few times in the last couple years.

The problem is we have lots of football, but it's sub-D1 - which relegates most of it to irrelevancy. Apart from UCONN, if somebody wanted to see good college ball around here I'd tell them to go to an Ivy League game. You haven't lived football culture until Yale-Harvard tailgating with Cabernet Sauvignon and a good brie out of the back of a Volvo dressed like a Ralph Lauren ad.

Problem with the Big East, lots of small basketball schools, some of which don't even have football at all - think all those Catholic schools like Providence, St. John's etc. They add nothing to the football side of the conference.

Big East did well to replace Miami and BC with some good, ranked schools in Cincinnati, Louisville, and South Florida. But you need to beat good teams to get ranked. There's no scary, powerhouse team in the Big East to give it prestige.

If you follow precedent, for a Big East team to win it all, they either need to be full-blown Thug-U like Miami in it's heyday, or pull off another Flutie Hail Mary miracle.

all the political power moved to Texas.

I guess I never realized all the leverage and alliances and political involvement in all this before. It's intriguing to see the mechanisms, the protectionism, hearing that Texas, Tech and A&M are a package deal.

I've also heard Pittsburgh mentioned - that would make much more sense than Texas.

See, why do you gotta raid the Big East of every team that's above .500.

There would be one conference every good HS player in the country would want to be a part of. One conference that was clearly better than any other.

College football is already a landscape of 'haves' vs. 'have nots', and living in a 'have not' area, I don't want to see it get even more out of whack. Besides, if you put them all in the same conference, somebody's got to lose. Every conference needs it's Appalachian States or Central Floraida Methodist A&Ms to feast on come bowl selection time.

I like my 4 superconferences with a 2 game playoff idea.
But then again you were right about the pre-Super Bowl Pro Bowl a few years ago too.

 

[UniversalWolf]

I think you and I are the same age give or take a few. I remember those couple blockbuster years Alvarez had there. Northwestern had a good run about the same time too IIRC.

Yeah, we're the NMA forum geezers, I suspect. Or two of them.

Alvarez is underrated, despite his success. Wisconsin was the conference doormat and had been for decades. Barry turned things around overnight and won three Rose Bowls. His overall bowl game record is superb, too. He was offered the HC jobs at Oklahoma, Notre Dame, and Miami, and turned them all down to stay at Wisconsin.

Well you can't have a power conference without power teams.

Yeah, that's funny though, considering how many good recruits come from the region. Barry used to recruit heavily from New York and Jersey. That's where he got Ron Dayne. What happened to Syracuse, anyway? I remember when they were good.

You haven't lived football culture until Yale-Harvard tailgating with Cabernet Sauvignon and a good brie out of the back of a Volvo dressed like a Ralph Lauren ad.

I'm surprised Harvard and Yale don't wear neckties as part of their uniforms.

I guess I never realized all the leverage and alliances and political involvement in all this before. It's intriguing to see the mechanisms, the protectionism, hearing that Texas, Tech and A&M are a package deal.

I'd say losing Nebraska and Colorado means the power scale tips even further toward Texas, too. That conference might still have trouble surviving like that.

See, why do you gotta raid the Big East of every team that's above .500.

Ha!

College football is already a landscape of 'haves' vs. 'have nots', and living in a 'have not' area, I don't want to see it get even more out of whack.

That's why I really don't follow college football more closely. There is no parity at all. For the most part, the teams that are powerhouses now are the same teams that were powerhouses 40 or 50 years ago: Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, USC...

The best teams with the most tradition get the pick of the best prospects year after year. If one of them wins the national championship (and for what it's worth I don't acknowledge the existence of a college football national championship, and I never have), so what? They should win it. Plus the BCS made things worse. Plus the NCAA are a bunch of filthy hypocrites. Meh.

I follow the Badgers and I don't care that much about it beyond that, except for evaluating NFL prospects. I'd rather go back to the way it was before the BCS when the winner of the Big Ten played the winner of the Pac-10 in the Rose Bowl, and that's all we cared about.


Here's good Alvarez info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Alvarez

His bowl record is 8-3, which happens to be the best bowl game winning percentage in history with a minimum of 11 appearances.

BTW, go Celtics. I hate the Lakers.

 

[Sander]

All this college football talk is boring.

Then again, so is NFL offseason talk. Didya hear, Haynesworth is an ass?

 

[Cimmerian Nights]

What happened to Syracuse, anyway? I remember when they were good.

It's weird, they used to be one of those powerhouse teams back in the day, but they've really fallen off the map recently. They still produce some All-Pro level players (McNabb, Freeney) but as a team they are really bad. Used to be like the Mecca of Lacrosse too there in upstate NY. Still a basketball power.

I'm surprised Harvard and Yale don't wear neckties as part of their uniforms.

Yeah, I'm not what you'd consider a WASPY, blue-blooded New Englander, but the Yale/Harvard trash talking is some highbrow shit. Harvard kids taunting the Yalies with "safety school!" chants. That's a whole 'nother world.

That's why I really don't follow college football more closely. There is no parity at all.

Yeah, but there are those Cinderella anomalies that squeak through like the TCUs and Boise States and Utahs - spoiler types. But the deck is stacked against them, I hate watching teams like that run the table and get shafted by the BCS.

and for what it's worth I don't acknowledge the existence of a college football national championship, and I never have

It's hard to stand up for it's legitimacy, no doubt. Even way back I remember that year ('91?) they had co-Champions - Washington and Miami IIRC - I knew then the process was bullshit - umm we can't pick a champion without controversy, so we pick both! You got a coach's poll, press poll, and the one calculated by HAL from 2001. And there's never consensus. All the while the answer to legitimacy is right in front of their faces : playoffs. They're too greedy and entrenched in the status quo to ever do the right thing for the sport.

BTW, go Celtics. I hate the Lakers.

Oh yeah. Beat L.A.!
I shouldn't talk because I've been a frontrunning Celtics fans since I was a kid. I don't usually jump on the bandwagon until Rd. 2 of the playoffs.

But, how awesome is Finals game 7 Lakers/Celtics? I feel like a kid on Christmas. Can't wait to finish work and get home, crack a few cold ones.

Gotta say though, I can't stand the refereeing in the NBA, or the way the players play up to it. I feel like I'm watching the WWF sometimes. It's embarrassing sometimes.

No cigars in my house but I think I can find something to toke up in honor of Red if they win it.

Haynesworth is an ass?

But didn't we know that before. Didn't we all know Snyder grossly overpaid him. Dipshit owners like Snyder are complicit in this mess. And if you're so committed to this guy that you make him the highest paid defensemen ever, why would they be so unaccommodating to switch scheme like that. That tells me something:
They don't want him, they know they made a mistake with him, so now they are being all passive aggressive so that he's the one that makes the move so they can probably salvage some money out of the deal.

I find a lot of this contract stuff to be really distasteful. The agents, the unions, the owners, this is not why I follow football. Fuck Drew Rosenhaus and his ilk. NFL better be careful, lockout is looming, bone-headed thuggery at all time highs, ticket prices through the roof. They have a lot of issues brewing and you;d like to think cooler heads will prevail, but they haven't yet and time is ticking...

 

[UniversalWolf]

...Haynesworth is an ass?

Yeah, Haynesworth's always been an ass. I'm surprised he's managed to put the "stomping on an opponent's head" incident behind him considering how much of an ass he's continued to be ever since then. Sounds like the other 'skins players are turning on him, though.

Chris Johnson's holding out. I don't blame him for a second. He's outplayed his contract more than any player in recent memory. Got to cash in while he can.

All this college football talk is boring.

Then again, so is NFL offseason talk.

This has been one of the more entertaining offseasons I can remember. Lots of scandal, holdouts, contract nonsense...and JaMarcus Russell getting released.

Russell got permission from the Raiders to skip the end-of-season team meeting for "personal reasons," only to be caught on camera gambling in Vegas a few hours later. Hilarious. I can't wait to see where that clown resurfaces.

If Favre plays again this year and there's a work-stoppage next year, his career records will be invulnerable for a long time to come.

 

[Brother None]

It's been a fun off-season to be a Seahawks fan. Who knows how Pete Carroll is going to work out, but he sure as hell isn't boring. Dropping and adding players on the fly, it's been a constant rotation of camp bodies all off-season trying to find people who fit in. Including Rob Riggle

 

[Cimmerian Nights]

Yeah, Haynesworth's always been an ass.

And you knew the deal was a disaster to begin with. Watch the same thing happen to Peppers after Lovie gets fired and they bring in a new coach with a new scheme who wants to turn over a new leaf. When I heard about the Haynesworth and Peppers contracts the first thing I think, is "really? they 'won'?"

I'm surprised he's managed to put the "stomping on an opponent's head" incident behind him

That was criminal, if it were the NHL he'd probably get arrested. The guy was defenseless, helmet off and Haynesworth stomped him with cleats!
I got my hand stomped on with football cleats once, opening kickoff of a game, granted it was superficial, but it was a bloody mess, still have the scars. Never forget, coach just looked at it and said "you better not fumble today Roche". Gotta love those sympathetic, nurturing football coaches.

Chris Johnson's holding out. I don't blame him for a second. He's outplayed his contract more than any player in recent memory. Got to cash in while he can.

No doubt, him, Revis and Andre Johnson are grossly underpaid given their production.
But especially a HB, how many great HBs have we seen lesser coaches milk dry to mask their ineptitude, just to toss these guys away when they're done.
Either way, I don't see CJ in the NFL in 5 years, he should fight for what he deserves while he can.
Another 2,000 yard rusher, Terrel Davis, how'd his career end up? Bo Jackson? Potential all-timers, never to be realized.

What did you guys think of that Ricky Williams doc? Granted he's a flake of the highest order, but I can't say I blame him for turning his back on that kind of situation rather then be ground down to nothing and then tossed aside.

Russell got permission from the Raiders to skip the end-of-season team meeting for "personal reasons," only to be caught on camera gambling in Vegas a few hours later. Hilarious. I can't wait to see where that clown resurfaces.

I don't even think Pros vs. Joes would take him. The only football job he could get now would be a HS coach in Louisiana.

Who knows how Pete Carroll is going to work out

Hopefully better than in NE, the players used him like a doormat. He was 'meh' in NE and NYJ. Not outstandingly good or bad. I don't have the blind animosity for him that a lot of the USC haters do. But the haters are just projecting their jealousy IMO.
I don't know how much stock you can put into his USC record given the disparity of talent he had to work with.

Good news for Pete, he's in the shittiest div. in football.

 

[UniversalWolf]

No doubt, him, Revis and Andre Johnson are grossly underpaid given their production.

RBs have a very short career window and get kicked to the curb the second they can't play anymore, too. I think I read CJ was set to make less money than LandWhale this year...before LandWhale got traded and released. If I were CJ I wouldn't play a snap without a new contract. He just had one of the best years ever for a RB.

What did you guys think of that Ricky Williams doc?

I didn't see it, but I saw it got plenty of attention from football fans. Have to say Ricky's really redeemed himself since he came back, though.

It'll be interesting to see how Carroll does, yes. I really have no idea how that will turn out.

This is a make-or-break season for Leinart in Arizona, too.

 

[Cimmerian Nights]

So now the Big-12 has 10 teams, the Big-Ten has twelve teams, and the PAC-10 has 11. That makes sense.

This is a make-or-break season for Leinart in Arizona, too.

He could very well fall into that JaMarcus, Vince Young, Mike Vick category if he doesn't get his shit straight this year. WHat's odd is that he probably had the most promise, and IMO was more of an NFL-ready QB under the helmet and not reliant on athleticism (foot speed/arm strength) like those others.

Look at how that spectacular Rose Bowl turned out producing a whole generation of bums and washouts - Leinart, Bush, LenDale, VY, was Cushing there then too?


This is douchey in iteself, but the last clip is priceless
http://cdn.tauntr.com/sites/default/files/videos/philly_mocumentry_3.flv
Not enough Cowboys animosity from the Jimmy Johnson era.

Wow, you can go right from the 'Phins game to the PETA rally without having to change shirts with this one. I should buy this for my wife (she's Japanese), that would go over even better with the PETA types.

Poor Snowflake.

Yes, the offseason does suck tremendously. And now we're in that wasteland of American sport. Baseball season. The only thing I had to look forward to between now and Sept. was a Federer/Nadal rematch.

 

[UniversalWolf]

So now the Big-12 has 10 teams, the Big-Ten has twelve teams, and the PAC-10 has 11. That makes sense.

I don't know if you noticed but ever since Penn State joined the Big Ten, there's been an "11" hidden in the Big Ten logo. Not sure how they're going to fit a "12" in there.

Wow, you can go right from the 'Phins game to the PETA rally without having to change shirts with this one.

Nice.

The only thing I had to look forward to between now and Sept. was a Federer/Nadal rematch.

I always look forward to the Andy Roddick what's-my-excuse-for-losing-this-time presser. Never disappointing, that.

Sounds like the Jets might be interested in JaMarcus Russell. Possibly as a replacement for Faneca.

 

[Cimmerian Nights]

I have gone beyond the NFL films stage of offseason football jonesing, into the NFL films satire stage in a feeble attempt to satisfy my football addiction. I still refuse to stoop so low as to watch the CFL, I do have some dignity.


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<table cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='360' height='353'><tbody><tr valign='middle'><td>Chappelle's Show</td><td></td></tr><tr valign='middle'><td style='padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;' colspan='2'Great Moments in Hook-Up History, Pt 2<a></td></tr><tr valign='middle'><td colspan='2'><a target='_blank' href='http://www.comedycentral.com/'>www.comedycentral.com</td></tr><tr valign='middle'><td colspan='2'><embed src='http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:24417' width='360' height='301' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='window' allowFullscreen='true' flashvars='autoPlay=false' allowscriptaccess='always' allownetworking='all' bgcolor='#000000'></embed></td></tr><tr valign='middle'><td colspan='2'><table cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='100%' height='100%'><tr valign='middle'><td></td><td><a target='_blank' href='http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/chappelles_show/videos/index.jhtml'>Black Comedy</td><td><a target='_blank' style='font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;' href='http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=11909&title=hes-rick-james'&gt;True Hollywood Story</a></td></tr></table></td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[UniversalWolf]

So, is "Purple Drank" becoming the new scourge of the NFL?

And I thought crystal meth was low-class! Gee, I'm a superstar athlete with millions in the bank and I'm drinking addictive, supercharged cough syrup in my 7-Up. Cool!

 

[Cimmerian Nights]

I think the embedded scripts from those clips hosed this page...edit: fixed the page but hosed the post, worthless embedded links

But yeah, talk about low rent, I can remember kids around here did the same in HS "Robos", and these soft-ass suburban white kids drank it straight, none of this sugarcoating faux-gangster 'drank' nonsense. Pound some robos, smoke a blunt and go see Laser Pink Floyd at the planetarium. I never did it myself, if you're going to trip, trip on LSD on shrooms, not cough syrup. Cheaper, better trip and no drooling uncoordinated codeine stupor.

What's next Jamarcus, getting a buzz off whipped cream canisters? Sniffing magic markers? I swear, when I saw this news I thought it was like a 'The Onion' style gag news story.


Hey I met the UFL Omaha DC at a 4th of July BBQ. Guy was HC in NFL Europe league in Germany and they won the title, was LB coach for the Pats too. Rick Lantz. Cool to talk to somebody inside the UFL and get some insight into what they're trying to accomplish and how.

 

[UniversalWolf]

Packers DL Johnny Jolly suspended for an entire year at least.

He must've done much more than is known publicly, or that's a very extreme punishment from the league. Donte Stallworth only got suspended a year for killing a guy, afterall.

 

[Cimmerian Nights]

Methinks distribution or manufacturing are the charges if one year is the punishment. This cough syrup thing is so .... low brow. I have a hard time respecting guys who earn more per QTR of play than I do all year and then sip children's cough medicine, which, like most prescription drugs turn you into a drooling, uncoordinated vegetable.
New money, humph.

I'm actually in favor of Stallworth's return, to my knowledge, despite a lethally stupid mistake, he's not a recidivist thug wannabe-gangster. Drunk or not, the guy he killed was jaywalking across a freeway at night.
Leonard Little and Ray Lewis though...


Reading Kriegel's book on Namath right now, nice, fun read. I usually don't read sports books, but Kriegel did a fine job on this one.
Funny how guys like Namath could be such a public pussy-hound and lush, and not catch much hell for it. Because he was upfront and out-in-the-open about who he was. It's the closested straight edge nice family guys like Tiger that get roasted alive for living a double life.
Namath was a barfly man-whore, but he was honest about who he was and never sold a false image to people.

Good book, love the early AFL and merger backstory, genesis of Jets/Giants rivalry, etc. Funny how they haven't changed, Giants are still the older, classier, more conservative franchise and Jets are blatant publicity whores desperate to sell seats.


I know this isn't strictly NFL, but the ESPN Ombudsman really tore ESPN a new asshole for the LeBron fiasco. Wow, someone's actually employed at ESPN that doesn't have their face buried in some jock's jock. Yee-ouch, he truly scorched them.

 

[UniversalWolf]

Methinks distribution or manufacturing are the charges if one year is the punishment.

Yeah, those are the rumors. I wouldn't be surprised if the Packers cut ties with Jolly if he really was involved in Purple Drank to that degree. They've dumped players for less. What a waste.

Sheds some light on Ted's draft strategy, though.

Funny how they haven't changed, Giants are still the older, classier, more conservative franchise and Jets are blatant publicity whores desperate to sell seats.

Is there anything worse than being the second sports franchise in NYC? Jets, Mets, Islanders...

No respect!

 

[Sander]

Methinks distribution or manufacturing are the charges if one year is the punishment. This cough syrup thing is so .... low brow. I have a hard time respecting guys who earn more per QTR of play than I do all year and then sip children's cough medicine, which, like most prescription drugs turn you into a drooling, uncoordinated vegetable.
New money, humph.

I'm actually in favor of Stallworth's return, to my knowledge, despite a lethally stupid mistake, he's not a recidivist thug wannabe-gangster. Drunk or not, the guy he killed was jaywalking across a freeway at night.

Yeah. There's no real reason why this should be treated like any other DUI, really. It's stupid and irresponsible, but this could've happened to anyone drunk driving.

And yeah, Jolly isn't getting a year for just doing pizzurp or whatever the fuck it's called. He must've been doing something more with it.
Really stupid, too. You'd think he was getting paid plenty.

 

[IMissLark]

I have gone beyond the NFL films stage of offseason football jonesing, into the NFL films satire stage in a feeble attempt to satisfy my football addiction. I still refuse to stoop so low as to watch the CFL, I do have some dignity.

Pffft, you can't even handle the CFL. You just sit there in awe, cause we have bigger balls. </old>

Also, Purple Drank is the dumbest thing I've ever heard of.