Baron von Costume
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Like an iron maiden made of pillows... the punishment is decadence!
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Post by Baron von Costume on Jan 14, 2016 12:39:49 GMT -5
Toronto doesn't seem to care enough about football in any form to really make it work. Montreal loves their CFL team and university football is a big draw but I'm not really sure what the NFL presence would be there. They're definitely keener on getting the expos back than anything. Vancouver seems to already have their NFL fans sated by the Seahawks but I suppose it's possible.
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monodrone
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Post by monodrone on Jan 14, 2016 12:56:49 GMT -5
The problem with the idea of a London team is that the team itself is guaranteed to suck, right? I know free agency and trades are a bit less of a factor in the NFL than the other pro sports because so much of building a strong team is done through the draft, but still, who is going to want to go play or stay there? Certainly some players would latch on to the novelty of it, but it will never be a big destination team. And so, it's one thing to draw a crowd to London a couple times a year for NFL games because it's the only chance those football fans have to see the product live; it's an entirely different matter to create a profitable local fanbase for a team that will likely always struggle to be competitive. Really if the NFL was set on expanding outside the U.S. wouldn't Toronto/Montreal/Vancouver make much more sense, even considering the CFL? The team will suck. Almost all NFL fans in Europe have already picked a team to support for whatever flimsy reason (I like purple, I went to Tennessee once, I got kicked in the head as a baby and think that it's great to support the Cowboys, whatever). They/we aren't going to drop those allegiances for a team with a London name which is only going to lead to more complaints from states-based fans that we're stupid and why don't we just support the home team and why are y'all wearing jerseys of teams that aren't even playing. If it did happen the time of games will be no different to what they have been the last few years, there's no way a game could kick off in the late afternoon slot because of the transport headache that would cause - 80,000 people piling out of Wembley after the tubes have stopped for the night aren't all going to get in taxis to get back into central London. It's a boneheaded idea and I hope it doesn't happen. |
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Post by Superb Owl 🦉 on Jan 14, 2016 13:10:22 GMT -5
The problem with the idea of a London team is that the team itself is guaranteed to suck, right? I know free agency and trades are a bit less of a factor in the NFL than the other pro sports because so much of building a strong team is done through the draft, but still, who is going to want to go play or stay there? Certainly some players would latch on to the novelty of it, but it will never be a big destination team. And so, it's one thing to draw a crowd to London a couple times a year for NFL games because it's the only chance those football fans have to see the product live; it's an entirely different matter to create a profitable local fanbase for a team that will likely always struggle to be competitive. Really if the NFL was set on expanding outside the U.S. wouldn't Toronto/Montreal/Vancouver make much more sense, even considering the CFL? The team will suck. Almost all NFL fans in Europe have already picked a team to support for whatever flimsy reason (I like purple, I went to Tennessee once, I got kicked in the head as a baby and think that it's great to support the Cowboys, whatever). They/we aren't going to drop those allegiances for a team with a London name which is only going to lead to more complaints from states-based fans that we're stupid and why don't we just support the home team and why are y'all wearing jerseys of teams that aren't even playing. If it did happen the time of games will be no different to what they have been the last few years, there's no way a game could kick off in the late afternoon slot because of the transport headache that would cause - 80,000 people piling out of Wembley after the tubes have stopped for the night aren't all going to get in taxis to get back into central London. It's a boneheaded idea and I hope it doesn't happen. Times would certainly stay the same because I think 90% of the reason the NFL wants a London team is adding a profitable 4th time-slot of NFL football on Sundays, at least for the home game weekends. That part I get but I don't understand how they don't see that the travel issues and impact on player health would be a PR disaster. You can't work out scheduling byes for teams ahead of weeks where they play Thursday night games (also monumentally cynical and stupid) or the two one-off games you play in London already, but you want to add a permanent team across the Atlantic and still pretend to give a shit about player welfare?
And like you said, how much of the attendance of these games is American ex-pats or whatnot that already have allegiances to U.S. teams. It is far from a guarantee that those numbers will translate into season tickets.
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Post by Ben Grimm on Jan 14, 2016 15:26:10 GMT -5
The 49ers just hired Chip Kelly.
As someone who's hated the 49ers since the 80s, I find this very amusing.
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Post by MarkInTexas on Jan 14, 2016 15:49:20 GMT -5
What I don't understand is why they don't just try a European minor league again.
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Baron von Costume
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Like an iron maiden made of pillows... the punishment is decadence!
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Post by Baron von Costume on Jan 14, 2016 15:56:57 GMT -5
The 49ers just hired Chip Kelly. As someone who's hated the 49ers since the 80s, I find this very amusing. TeeHee |
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Post by Superb Owl 🦉 on Jan 14, 2016 17:00:39 GMT -5
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Post by Albert Fish Taco on Jan 14, 2016 17:29:20 GMT -5
Really surprised Jerry Jones hasn't gone nuclear to prevent a third team in Texas. I guess he's gotten very charitable in his dottage (what with keeping Jason Garett employed year after year). For the Raiders this makes a lot of sense to me. Texas is certainly big enough and prosperous enough to support a third team, and with San Antonio you'd be pulling in Austin as well. While southern California is certainly even more wealthy/populous enough to support three teams, I really think two teams is its ceiling in terms of football fandom (and I'd imagine the Chargers have the edge in getting the OK there). Now granted I'd still assume either Jones or McNair would put up a lot of resistance to this, and maybe SA is more the kinda place where everyone already is too tied into their current fandoms (or are college only) than I realize. I've actually thought El Paso/West Texas might be a viable option as it's so far away from Dallas and Houston to not be an issue, it would give the HS fanatics something to do on sundays (and I can see the Raiders being a team that heavily experiments with undrafted players with just a minimal year in community college), and if any team seems like a fit to go for a Narcocorrido stadium vibe it'd be the Raiders. In terms of a Canadian team, would Calgary be an option? It's got oil/shale $ (granted itsstarting to plummet) and it's not near current US teams like Vancouver or Toronto. |
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Post by Bedroom Pastrami on Jan 14, 2016 21:56:25 GMT -5
What I don't understand is why they don't just try a European minor league again. a big part of the problem was the players that went over wound up getting hurt and not being ready for training camp / preseason so the usefulness was pretty dead |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2016 22:54:00 GMT -5
Really hoping the Cardinals aren't feeling too overconfident about the beat down they put on the Packers a few weeks ago. I'm still worried they just aren't going to put the effort in. Never forget! Also, this game brought us: |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2016 23:00:22 GMT -5
Part of me suspects the only reason it is in San Antonio is because the spurs use Silver, Black, and White as a color scheme. |
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Post by Not a real doctor on Jan 15, 2016 8:02:42 GMT -5
I imagine that Cincinnati natives have no such ability to feel, however. Hey! I! We! Uhh...what were we talking about again? I will, however, say my favorite part was when they were carting Rapelisburger off the field and the fans threw garbage at him. |
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Post by The Stuffingtacular She-Hulk on Jan 15, 2016 9:04:51 GMT -5
I imagine that Cincinnati natives have no such ability to feel, however. Hey! I! We! Uhh...what were we talking about again? I will, however, say my favorite part was when they were carting Rapelisburger off the field and the fans threw garbage at him. I admit, I laughed like fucking hell at that. Garbage thrown at a garbage human being! Also, my entire family calls him "Rapelisburger". We hate him. A lot. |
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Baron von Costume
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Like an iron maiden made of pillows... the punishment is decadence!
Posts: 4,684
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Post by Baron von Costume on Jan 15, 2016 10:21:17 GMT -5
In terms of a Canadian team, would Calgary be an option? It's got oil/shale $ (granted itsstarting to plummet) and it's not near current US teams like Vancouver or Toronto. I would doubt it. Hockey will always be king and while the Calgary metro are has a population of about 1 1/4 million you're not going to get a province wide draw like I think you'd need just because Northern Alberta always has to dislike anything southern Alberta likes. Edmonton is actually more of a football town of the two. And it's more than starting to plummet, the province basically pissed away all the oilbux in the good times and they're absolutely cratering at the moment. |
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Post by Jimmy James on Jan 15, 2016 11:12:24 GMT -5
I simply can't imagine a London team being viable, no matter how much of a hard-on Roger Goodell might have for the city. The networks won't like it, since it will mean only one American TV market for each game against the Monarchs or Crown Jewels or whatever the team will be called. Players won't like it because each road trip would require a cross-ocean flight every single time. Viewers won't like it because games will likely air at wacky times, like early Sunday morning. London viewers won't like it because a lot of games will probably be scheduled for American audiences, which means games might start very, very late (forget any primetime games). If a franchise does ever relocate to London, I'd except they'd be back in North America somewhere within ten seasons. They just need to hold out until they inevitably replace all the players with robots. The game will still be "played" by human athletes, but they'll just plug into a virtual reality suit at their team's home facility, while the Londoners watch the robots bash each other up live. There may be some technical challenges, getting the signals from the VR suits to the robots on the field in close to real-time, but every concussion study that comes in makes me think this is a better idea. |
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Post by Hawkguy on Jan 15, 2016 11:42:22 GMT -5
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Post by Bedroom Pastrami on Jan 15, 2016 12:04:15 GMT -5
Really hoping the Cardinals aren't feeling too overconfident about the beat down they put on the Packers a few weeks ago. I'm still worried they just aren't going to put the effort in. Never forget! Also, this game brought us: to be fair that game the entire offensive line was injured forcing them to play third-string guards at left tackle (barclay and walker are really, really bad). that problem carried over into the next week for green bay and they finally found a suitable replacement for bakhtiari in jc tretter if bakh can't go again this week. not having shields also really sucked. also not having randall. randall will be active and shields hopefully will be (still in concussion protocol). that being said still anticipating a loss because the offense really hasn't been great but the defense should keep them in it for a little while. they can't get away from the run game like they have in so many losses this year. lacy's injuries have sucked, sure, and starks fumbles a bit too often, but really gotta have some semblance of balance because having no real boundary receiver right now (because adams finally looked pretty good then gets an mcl injury, of course) is going to present some major problems. cobb will be lined up outside with jones, abberderis will be in the slot, and some practice squad guy that they promote soon will be the 4th option because jeff janis sucks at everything except for being a gunner. EDIT: also 28 of the 38 points came off of packers turnovers--two scoop and scores, one fumble recovery immediately after the packers got the ball back setting up a short field, and a rodgers endzone pick. the game should be competitive. i hope. |
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Post by Albert Fish Taco on Jan 15, 2016 13:34:25 GMT -5
I'm feeling really good about my blind picks office fantasy pool this week.
I have Palmer at QB and Cards RBs (Ellington/Johnson), Demaryius Thomas as individual WR, and Pats for All Other WR/TEs (so Edelman, Amendola, LeFell).
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2016 14:52:13 GMT -5
Never forget! Also, this game brought us: to be fair that game the entire offensive line was injured forcing them to play third-string guards at left tackle (barclay and walker are really, really bad). that problem carried over into the next week for green bay and they finally found a suitable replacement for bakhtiari in jc tretter if bakh can't go again this week. not having shields also really sucked. also not having randall. randall will be active and shields hopefully will be (still in concussion protocol). that being said still anticipating a loss because the offense really hasn't been great but the defense should keep them in it for a little while. they can't get away from the run game like they have in so many losses this year. lacy's injuries have sucked, sure, and starks fumbles a bit too often, but really gotta have some semblance of balance because having no real boundary receiver right now (because adams finally looked pretty good then gets an mcl injury, of course) is going to present some major problems. cobb will be lined up outside with jones, abberderis will be in the slot, and some practice squad guy that they promote soon will be the 4th option because jeff janis sucks at everything except for being a gunner. EDIT: also 28 of the 38 points came off of packers turnovers--two scoop and scores, one fumble recovery immediately after the packers got the ball back setting up a short field, and a rodgers endzone pick. the game should be competitive. i hope. I'm so confused, the clips I posted were from a playoff game years ago, when Kurt Warner was still on the cardinals. |
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Post by Bedroom Pastrami on Jan 15, 2016 15:33:00 GMT -5
yeah i noticed that after the fact it was a facemask  |
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Post by Desert Dweller on Jan 16, 2016 23:46:10 GMT -5
OMG, Larry Fitzgerald, you are a Sports God. I cannot even believe that just happened.
Edited to add:
Watching the replays now. So, literally, the Packers weren't defending LARRY FITZGERALD in OT in the playoffs. The replay currently on NFL.com has an angle from behind the 3rd-to-last play. The big one that started at the 20. It shows that the Packers just let Larry Fitzgerald run all alone across the field until Palmer threw him the ball. There was not even a Packer player paying the slightest bit of attention to him.
Now going to Twitter to ask Fitz what went through his mind there, when he realized no one was paying attention to him.
Edited again:
Watching a better replay. Packers were playing zone defense. For some reason Peppers was back, in the general vicinity of Fitz to start. Don't know why Peppers was back. Then Fitz cuts left, Peppers is watching Palmer, and this allows Fitz to fun free across the field. I think Palmer was the only player on the field who even noticed where Fitz was.
Amazing.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2016 5:23:30 GMT -5
Whenever you can have the pass rushing LB who is closer to 40 than 30 drop back and get lost in coverage, ya gotta do it!
And yes I know that Peppers actually has been good as a jack of all trades LB for the packers, he is still old as dirt.
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Post by rimjobflashmob on Jan 17, 2016 13:44:46 GMT -5
At a crowded sports bar in Seattle secretly ecstatic that Carolina is slaughtering them
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Post by Desert Dweller on Jan 17, 2016 15:46:32 GMT -5
Whenever you can have the pass rushing LB who is closer to 40 than 30 drop back and get lost in coverage, ya gotta do it! And yes I know that Peppers actually has been good as a jack of all trades LB for the packers, he is still old as dirt. Hahahaha! I even like Peppers! But...I mean, look at the replay. Look at what Peppers is doing there. Or, rather, NOT doing. Why did this happen? Why was Peppers back? Wow, this is one of the most mystifying things I've seen to end an NFL game. Would not have predicted this kind of defensive failure as the reason the Packers lost. Look, I know the NFL OT rules are ridiculous. But, with this, I start to see the NFL's point. If you are going to leave Larry Fitzgerald undefended in OT in the playoffs, then maybe you don't deserve another chance, eh? |
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Post by rimjobflashmob on Jan 17, 2016 15:49:20 GMT -5
My heart can't take this
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Post by Desert Dweller on Jan 17, 2016 15:50:34 GMT -5
At a crowded sports bar in Seattle secretly ecstatic that Carolina is slaughtering them Last night, everyone in Arizona somehow decided that we should be rooting for Seattle. In order to get a home game. I mean, EVERYONE was saying this, on tv, radio, the papers.... Nah. I'm still going to enjoy watching Seattle lose. Really hoping they don't pull off an epic comeback here. |
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Post by rimjobflashmob on Jan 17, 2016 16:34:11 GMT -5
So happy right now. It's weird because as a team, I actually really like the Seahawks, but being surrounded by their fanbase 24/7 makes me actively root against them. Whatever. I was raised a Bears and Browns fan, so I welcome defeatism and its hilarity. The game was fun to watch. Now to spend the next few weeks rooting against the Pats and Steelers. Woo!
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Post by Bedroom Pastrami on Jan 18, 2016 1:03:12 GMT -5
OMG, Larry Fitzgerald, you are a Sports God. I cannot even believe that just happened. Edited to add: Watching the replays now. So, literally, the Packers weren't defending LARRY FITZGERALD in OT in the playoffs. The replay currently on NFL.com has an angle from behind the 3rd-to-last play. The big one that started at the 20. It shows that the Packers just let Larry Fitzgerald run all alone across the field until Palmer threw him the ball. There was not even a Packer player paying the slightest bit of attention to him. Now going to Twitter to ask Fitz what went through his mind there, when he realized no one was paying attention to him. Edited again: Watching a better replay. Packers were playing zone defense. For some reason Peppers was back, in the general vicinity of Fitz to start. Don't know why Peppers was back. Then Fitz cuts left, Peppers is watching Palmer, and this allows Fitz to fun free across the field. I think Palmer was the only player on the field who even noticed where Fitz was. Amazing. while it was zone it was a broken play so everything goes totally out the window. even if green bay won they'd be fucked next week because cobb has a bruised lung and is spitting up blood. that being said that was one of the best games of football i've ever seen. how did a wr corps of james jones, abberderis, and jeff janis even make it a game? seriously there is no reason why green bay should have been in it and they would have won if shields held on to one of two picks. go geddim nfc teams. fuck the pats god bless. EDIT: the ot rules are really bad in a league that already favors the offense. the best option would be giving each team the ball for one possession and if the first team scores forcing the second team to go for two. |
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Post by Hawkguy on Jan 18, 2016 8:17:12 GMT -5
That first half was so good but man that 2nd was rough! hopefully they play Arizona only like the 1st half... |
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Post by Hawkguy on Jan 18, 2016 10:06:06 GMT -5
Also speaking of that packers-arizona game: how the hell is NFL overtime still so much bullshit?
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