Official 2007 NFL season thread

[infrared41]

Man... I am SO sick of this "Patriots: Best Ever?" talk that is being generated.

Buffalo is being over-looked. Please... PLEASE Buffalo!! Do the world a favor! It would be amazing to see "Patriots Nation" come crashing down!

Go BILLS!! Please!! Please?

This is the ESPN world we live in. If a team goes 3-0 they start with the "greatest ever?" hype. I'm with you, Go Bills. Not because I hate the Patriots or anything it's just because I want ESPN to shut the up.

If the Pats go undefeated at the end of this season, these are the two things I hope will happen:

1) ESPN will annoint them as "Teh Gr8tezt Evar" going into the playoffs.

2) Pats roll through playoffs, ESPN goes to Arizona and pulls a "USC in 2005" and pits the 07 Patriots against all the greatest Super Bowl teams. Of course, everybody in ESPN picks the Pats to beat everybody.

3) Pats lose to some team from the NFC in Super Bowl XLII. ESPN pulls a "Texas in 2005" and immediately backtracks on everything said about the Pats, acting like their season never happened, yet claims this game as the Greatest Game of All Time.

If that happens, that would be the bees-knees. (...lmao.)

The unfortunate part of all this Patriots hype is the backlash against them. It's really not their fault or their fans fault. We're watching a pretty special season from The Patriots but all the hype by ESPN and their minions already has everyone so sick of this team that no one outside their fans wants to see them run the table. Thanks ESPN for ruining what may have been pretty cool to watch.

Memo to ESPN: Here's an idea, let's see if the Patriots actually go undefeated through February before we start asking if they're the greatest team ever. They're 9-0. They haven't even matched The Colts 13-0 start yet. There's a long way to go. Why not shut up and let the fans enjoy it for five minutes before you go ape- over a team that, as of right now, has accomplished exactly nothing. Idiots.

[Burning River]

What totally pushed me over the edge was that little "Countdown to Kick-Off" ticker for the Colts/Pats game that was on the screen. It was just flat-out reciculous. Don't tell me how great somehting is going to be! I have my own teams, Thank You. That afternoon at 4:00, I only cared about the Browns/Seahawks game. Which was a great game.

With all of the hype that ESPN produces and generates amongst themselves... I have to think they are turning a lot of viewers off. I don't watch as much as I usd to. I like Sports Covereage, not Soaps!

The are almost ignoring the fact that the NFL season is very interesting as is. There are some nice little stories this year. The NFL could sell itself.

[See Red]

The are almost ignoring the fact that the NFL season is very interesting as is. There are some nice little stories this year. The NFL could sell itself.

I don't know... I'm as big of an NFL fan as there is and I just can't get into it this year. I think the fact that there's two great teams (even without Freeney, I think the Colts are at the Pats level) and the rest are mediocre is completely uninteresting. Usually college football takes a back seat to the NFL for me but this year the College Football's been the far better of the two.

[rams80]

The are almost ignoring the fact that the NFL season is very interesting as is. There are some nice little stories this year. The NFL could sell itself.

I don't know... I'm as big of an NFL fan as there is and I just can't get into it this year. I think the fact that there's two great teams (even without Freeney, I think the Colts are at the Pats level) and the rest are mediocre is completely uninteresting. Usually college football takes a back seat to the NFL for me but this year the College Football's been the far better of the two.

I'll agree. Now granted, this may partially be because my favorite team has a grand total of 1 win this year, but I have found this college football season to be much more entertaining than the NFL season. Maybe it has to do with the large number of upsets this year, but I will find myself getting sucked into 3 or 4 games on a Saturday.

(Actually this is really odd, because IMO every Conference except the Pac-10 is also having a down year as well.)

[infrared41]

Usually college football takes a back seat to the NFL for me but this year the College Football's been the far better of the two.

It always is. For sheer entertainment value College Football blows away the NFL. Yeah I know the NFL has "the best athletes" etc. but I don't give a about any of that. I am interested in being entertained.

The NFL is great and I am certainly a fan but NFL football places a distant second to College Football for me.

[HedleyLamarr]

Usually college football takes a back seat to the NFL for me but this year the College Football's been the far better of the two.

It always is. For sheer entertainment value College Football blows away the NFL. Yeah I know the NFL has "the best athletes" etc. but I don't give a about any of that. I am interested in being entertained.

The NFL is great and I am certainly a fan but NFL football places a distant second to College Football for me.

Same here.

I get more ramped up about who Georgia's playing on Saturday than the Falcons on Sunday, no matter what their records are. And if either aren't playing at the time, I'm more likely to watch a college game than the pro game, mostly because I have more to choose from on Saturdays.

Also, on Sundays, you can be a little worn out from Saturday's games and not have the same excitement for a second day in a row.....

[HedleyLamarr]

Speaking of the Falcons, their game is soldout, so the locals can watch the game on TV Sunday afternoon.

Starting a new streak, baby!

[rainmaker17]

Sorry guys, but I like the NFL better. College football is great, but the whole lack of playoffs, uneven conference rules and the importance of "style points" really turns my stomach.

Sure the NFL is more Disney than it should be right now, but I'll take structure over schedule-juggling political crap and 56-0 blowouts any day.

My .02

[BlueSky]

Speaking of the Falcons, their game is soldout, so the locals can watch the game on TV Sunday afternoon.

Starting a new streak, baby!

Tell the whole story, bro...they're giving tickets away to get this "sellout."

==

The Falcons said Flagstar Bank, the team's "official bank," and WAGA-TV, the local Fox affiliate that will televise the game, were among the businesses ensuring the sellout...Flagstar said it will give away a pair of tickets to the first 50 fans at a Falcons pep rally from noon-2 p.m. today at the bank's Marietta branch at 2667 Dallas Highway.

==

Falcons Get Help to Avoid Blackout

[infrared41]

Sorry guys, but I like the NFL better. College football is great, but the whole lack of playoffs, uneven conference rules and the importance of "style points" really turns my stomach.

Sure the NFL is more Disney than it should be right now, but I'll take structure over schedule-juggling political crap and 56-0 blowouts any day.

My .02

Fair enough. But here is why I disagree.

If college football had a playoff, Arizona's upset of Oregon last night means absolutely nothing. If Buffalo knocks off New England this Sunday night how much does it change the NFL playoff picture? In one afternoon Ohio State went from a shot at the national championship to maybe playing in the Rose Bowl. New England could lose four in a row and they'll still make the playoffs and win their division.

It's only Friday yet the National Championship picture has already changed in College Football and there are still seven games to play that could alter the picture even more. What's going to happen in week 11 of the NFL season that will change the entire balance of the league?

I'll take the lack of a playoff and a 12 week roller coaster ride over The weekly Raiders-Vikings or Cardinals-Bengals match-up all day long. Both games are great but College Football is a helluva lot more fun. And in the end isn't it supposed to be fun?

My .02

[rams80]

Speaking of the Falcons, their game is soldout, so the locals can watch the game on TV Sunday afternoon.

Starting a new streak, baby!

Tell the whole story, bro...they're giving tickets away to get this "sellout."

==

The Falcons said Flagstar Bank, the team's "official bank," and WAGA-TV, the local Fox affiliate that will televise the game, were among the businesses ensuring the sellout...Flagstar said it will give away a pair of tickets to the first 50 fans at a Falcons pep rally from noon-2 p.m. today at the bank's Marietta branch at 2667 Dallas Highway.

==

Falcons Get Help to Avoid Blackout

So? It's only a couple hundred tickets. The Rams averted blackouts in their other two games only by having corporate sponsors buying up several thousand tickets.

Infrared....I'll dissent with you about Arizona-Oregon...simply because it looks like Dixon may be done for the season (that knee injury was not pretty). Fortunately Oregon has tiebreakers on both ASU and USC, or else I'd say they would be out of the picture on the Conference Title...with faint hopes for an at-large. So that loss could have knocked Oregon out of the playoffs anyway.

[infrared41]

Infrared....I'll dissent with you about Arizona-Oregon...simply because it looks like Dixon may be done for the season (that knee injury was not pretty). Fortunately Oregon has tiebreakers on both ASU and USC, or else I'd say they would be out of the picture on the Conference Title...with faint hopes for an at-large. So that loss could have knocked Oregon out of the playoffs anyway.

You think that loss knocks the Ducks out of the top 16? Isn't a 16 team playoff the standard model that most playoff proponents want? An 8 team playoff and they're on life support for sure but even then they're not completely out of it. If it's 16 teams then they're still right in the thick of things.

Just saying.

[rams80]

Infrared....I'll dissent with you about Arizona-Oregon...simply because it looks like Dixon may be done for the season (that knee injury was not pretty). Fortunately Oregon has tiebreakers on both ASU and USC, or else I'd say they would be out of the picture on the Conference Title...with faint hopes for an at-large. So that loss could have knocked Oregon out of the playoffs anyway.

You think that loss knocks the Ducks out of the top 16? Isn't a 16 team playoff the standard model that most playoff proponents want? An 8 team playoff and they're on life support for sure but even then they're not completely out of it. If it's 16 teams then they're still right in the thick of things.

Just saying.

The model I'm using awards bids to all 11 I-A Conference champs and then has 5 At larges (with no limits on teams per Conference). They might be on the inside (barely) right now, but would a Dixon-less Oregon beat Oregon State?

I've also seen 12 team models doing that with but 1 At Large-then the Duckies would really be toast (likely).

I feel it is an acceptable compromise for everyone around.

[infrared41]

Infrared....I'll dissent with you about Arizona-Oregon...simply because it looks like Dixon may be done for the season (that knee injury was not pretty). Fortunately Oregon has tiebreakers on both ASU and USC, or else I'd say they would be out of the picture on the Conference Title...with faint hopes for an at-large. So that loss could have knocked Oregon out of the playoffs anyway.

You think that loss knocks the Ducks out of the top 16? Isn't a 16 team playoff the standard model that most playoff proponents want? An 8 team playoff and they're on life support for sure but even then they're not completely out of it. If it's 16 teams then they're still right in the thick of things.

Just saying.

The model I'm using awards bids to all 11 I-A Conference champs and then has 5 At larges (with no limits on teams per Conference). They might be on the inside (barely) right now, but would a Dixon-less Oregon beat Oregon State?

I've also seen 12 team models doing that with but 1 At Large-then the Duckies would really be toast (likely).

I feel it is an acceptable compromise for everyone around.

True, in that scenario they're probably done. Still, the game had major ramifications for Kansas, WVU, Oklahoma etc. Under your playoff system even if last night's game knocks the Ducks out, it has very little, or even no effect on anyone else.

I don't see the NCAA ever going with a playoff system that guarantees a spot for a UCF or Troy or Central Michigan at the expense of SEC teams or Big 10 or Pac-10 or Big 12...you get the picture. Any 16 team playoff is going to be heavily weighted towards the polls. In short it will be a playoff based on the BCS model that's in place now. No way does Central Michigan take a playoff spot that could go to Georgia, Texas, Ohio State etc. Basketball is one thing but College Football will never allow Central Michigan's 2200 fans to take the place of Georgia's hundreds of thousands. That's where your model jumps the tracks.

[rams80]

Infrared....I'll dissent with you about Arizona-Oregon...simply because it looks like Dixon may be done for the season (that knee injury was not pretty). Fortunately Oregon has tiebreakers on both ASU and USC, or else I'd say they would be out of the picture on the Conference Title...with faint hopes for an at-large. So that loss could have knocked Oregon out of the playoffs anyway.

You think that loss knocks the Ducks out of the top 16? Isn't a 16 team playoff the standard model that most playoff proponents want? An 8 team playoff and they're on life support for sure but even then they're not completely out of it. If it's 16 teams then they're still right in the thick of things.

Just saying.

The model I'm using awards bids to all 11 I-A Conference champs and then has 5 At larges (with no limits on teams per Conference). They might be on the inside (barely) right now, but would a Dixon-less Oregon beat Oregon State?

I've also seen 12 team models doing that with but 1 At Large-then the Duckies would really be toast (likely).

I feel it is an acceptable compromise for everyone around.

True, in that scenario they're probably done. Still, the game had major ramifications for Kansas, WVU, Oklahoma etc. Under your playoff system even if last night's game knocks the Ducks out, it has very little, or even no effect on anyone else.

I don't see the NCAA ever going with a playoff system that guarantees a spot for a UCF or Troy or Central Michigan at the expense of SEC teams or Big 10 or Pac-10 or Big 12...you get the picture. Any 16 team playoff is going to be heavily weighted towards the polls. In short it will be a playoff based on the BCS model that's in place now. No way does Central Michigan take a playoff spot that could go to Georgia, Texas, Ohio State etc. Basketball is one thing but College Football will never allow Central Michigan's 2200 fans to take the place of Georgia's hundreds of thousands. That's where your model jumps the tracks.

Actually, my model gives home field to the top 8 seeds in the First Round...so attendance shouldn't be an issue.

If letting every Conference Champion in is good enough for basketball, it's good enough for football. If you can't win a Conference or do well enough to get one of the 5 at larges, you can go to one of the bowl games that are still around.

[infrared41]

Infrared....I'll dissent with you about Arizona-Oregon...simply because it looks like Dixon may be done for the season (that knee injury was not pretty). Fortunately Oregon has tiebreakers on both ASU and USC, or else I'd say they would be out of the picture on the Conference Title...with faint hopes for an at-large. So that loss could have knocked Oregon out of the playoffs anyway.

You think that loss knocks the Ducks out of the top 16? Isn't a 16 team playoff the standard model that most playoff proponents want? An 8 team playoff and they're on life support for sure but even then they're not completely out of it. If it's 16 teams then they're still right in the thick of things.

Just saying.

The model I'm using awards bids to all 11 I-A Conference champs and then has 5 At larges (with no limits on teams per Conference). They might be on the inside (barely) right now, but would a Dixon-less Oregon beat Oregon State?

I've also seen 12 team models doing that with but 1 At Large-then the Duckies would really be toast (likely).

I feel it is an acceptable compromise for everyone around.

True, in that scenario they're probably done. Still, the game had major ramifications for Kansas, WVU, Oklahoma etc. Under your playoff system even if last night's game knocks the Ducks out, it has very little, or even no effect on anyone else.

I don't see the NCAA ever going with a playoff system that guarantees a spot for a UCF or Troy or Central Michigan at the expense of SEC teams or Big 10 or Pac-10 or Big 12...you get the picture. Any 16 team playoff is going to be heavily weighted towards the polls. In short it will be a playoff based on the BCS model that's in place now. No way does Central Michigan take a playoff spot that could go to Georgia, Texas, Ohio State etc. Basketball is one thing but College Football will never allow Central Michigan's 2200 fans to take the place of Georgia's hundreds of thousands. That's where your model jumps the tracks.

Actually, my model gives home field to the top 8 seeds in the First Round...so attendance shouldn't be an issue.

If letting every Conference Champion in is good enough for basketball, it's good enough for football. If you can't win a Conference or do well enough to get one of the 5 at larges, you can go to one of the bowl games that are still around.

Change 2200 Central Michigan fans to 2200 viewers and you'll see where I am coming from.

Don't get me wrong, as playoffs go I like your plan and I don't disagree with you philosophically. I'm just saying that TV money and the powers that be at big conference schools won't approve a playoff that doesn't guarantee the "big names." The difference between your football playoff model and the basketball tournament is 49 teams. With a 65 team tournament you can invite the little guys. In fact, the little guys are what make March Madness so much fun. It's just not practical from a money standpoint to do it in football. And don't forget that even when the big names don't win their conference in basketball, most of them still make the tournament. Only 5 at large bids leave an awful lot of big names on the outside looking in.

Here's another way to look at it. Does CBS still pay the money for the NCAA basketball tournament if teams like Duke, UConn, North Carolina, Kentucky, UCLA etc. are in the NIT more often than not? That's what you'd have in football with a 16 team playoff made up of 11 conference champs and 5 at-large. Every single year teams like a Florida, USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma, etc. are not going to be there while teams like Toledo, UCF, Troy etc. will be. That's why it will never happen. No one is going to pay the big bucks for a college football tournament if they know that every year at least 5 or 6 non-marquee teams are in it while most of the big names are playing elsewhere in a consolation bowl game.

There's also this, which first round game would you rather televise as a network; Georgia vs. Michigan or LSU vs. Miami of Ohio?

The TV money is why your model doesn't work. It's nice in theory but it won't happen.

[rams80]

The TV money is why your model doesn't work. It's nice in theory but it won't happen.

That I will admit...although I would like to see LSU play Georgia personally (before the National Championship Game.) Honestly...LSU may win the SEC title, but right now I wonder if Georgia may be the best team in that conference.

Oh...and as a counterpoint to our discussion about how dull and unexciting this NFL season has been.

Bill Simmons continues to grow further detached from reality.

[infrared41]

The TV money is why your model doesn't work. It's nice in theory but it won't happen.

That I will admit...although I would like to see LSU play Georgia personally (before the National Championship Game.) Honestly...LSU may win the SEC title, but right now I wonder if Georgia may be the best team in that conference.

Oh...and as a counterpoint to our discussion about how dull and unexciting this NFL season has been.

Bill Simmons continues to grow further detached from reality.

I'm with you on Georgia. My fear is that Ohio State loses tomorrow and gets stuck playing Georgia in a bowl game. I'd much rather take my chances with Arizona State or Oregon.

Is Simmons watching the same NFL that the rest of the world is watching? Two really good teams, three pretty good teams, and 27 versions of the Cardinals. Yeah that's a real barn burner you got there Bill. Clearly he's still suffering from the effects of his Red Sox celebration.

[TFoA]

Speaking of the Falcons, their game is soldout, so the locals can watch the game on TV Sunday afternoon.

Starting a new streak, baby!

Tell the whole story, bro...they're giving tickets away to get this "sellout."

==

The Falcons said Flagstar Bank, the team's "official bank," and WAGA-TV, the local Fox affiliate that will televise the game, were among the businesses ensuring the sellout...Flagstar said it will give away a pair of tickets to the first 50 fans at a Falcons pep rally from noon-2 p.m. today at the bank's Marietta branch at 2667 Dallas Highway.

==

Falcons Get Help to Avoid Blackout

If getting help is what it takes for them to avoid a blackout, then so be it. I've got no problem with it. Good on the Falcons for doing their best to avoid a blackout and not ending up like the Cardinals or other teams that have had consistent blackouts.

That being said, this might be a moot point because this may be the 2nd Falcons game I go to this year. College has been kicking my ass on the weekends, except for this weekend!

[Burning River]

Woa.. Woa... This isn't a College Football vs. NFL topic, though.

I was just saying that I don't need anyone to tell me that "When the Colts and Pats meet in the AFC Championship..." already. C'mon now, that's jumping the gun to me. I like the NFL this year... Maybe becasue I live in Cleveland, near Buffalo and Detroit. Those are good stories. ...aww crap... even Pittsburgh, too.

I guess this next comment could be regarding any of the other sports: Those of us that live in all the other cities really do not care about the New England/Boston, Dallas, NYG and Chicago soap operas. At first when it (It meaning whatever story) is news, I admit that it's interesting. Then it takes that turn and the networks try to force-feed everyone and create a "chick flick" or soap opera for men.