Been There, Done That...Or Not

[Lights Out]

I realize they've been, but with the way they played that game, they might as well have not shown up for the game at all.

[rams80]

I'm thinking the Chargers finally stop the choking this year, provided Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeill eventually end their holdouts. Ryan Mathews looks like he'll add an immediate spark in the Chargers' offense and provide more of a running game, taking a lot of heat off Darren Sproles, who's more of a situational back anyway.

As for the NFC, I too would not be surprised to see the Lions make a quick turnaround. They've really upgraded on both offense and defense over the offseason.

They need to fire their offensive coach, though.

[oddball]

Actually what the Chargers need to do is fire the whole organization. It starts with the Spanoses, the stupid and smug GM, and their horrible coaching staff. They've had the talent, but they don't have the coaching, nor the balls to get it done when it counts. The Chargers are the Cubs of the NFL, everyone's pick to win it all, and when it counts they seem to be placing both hands over their throats. Oh, and the Chargers Super Bowl trip, they didn't choke, they just got beat by a superior team. That team was a smoke and mirrors team all season long and seemed to have things fall in place for them to get to the Super Bowl where they met a team that had both and offense and defense. I mean heck, they beat a Steelers team with Neil O'Donnell at QB to get to the Super Bowl, so it's not like that was tough to do, but yet they struggled to beat Pittsburgh. Yes, they got to the Super Bowl and I give them their just due for that, but it was one of the luckiest seasons you'll ever watch. That luck ran out in the Super Bowl.

[Lights Out]

Actually what the Chargers need to do is fire the whole organization. It starts with the Spanoses, the stupid and smug GM, and their horrible coaching staff. They've had the talent, but they don't have the coaching, nor the balls to get it done when it counts. The Chargers are the Cubs of the NFL, everyone's pick to win it all, and when it counts they seem to be placing both hands over their throats.

As a devoted Chargers fan, I absolutely agree with all of that. I mean, that's nothing that the Chargers' entire fanbase hasn't been saying for years. Unfortunately, the Spanoses won't let go and AJ will continue to be stubborn with players' paychecks and coaching hires and hurt the franchise by doing so. If Norv can't get it done this year, he needs to be fired, but he won't be.

Oh, and the Chargers Super Bowl trip, they didn't choke, they just got beat by a superior team. That team was a smoke and mirrors team all season long and seemed to have things fall in place for them to get to the Super Bowl where they met a team that had both and offense and defense.

How was that Chargers team a "smoke and mirrors" team? They started off the year 7-0, Stan "The Man" Humphries proved himself to be a great leader and quarterback, and Natrone Means was unstoppable that year. The Chargers had a good year, it wasn't luck. The Niners weren't that much superior to them, they won only two more games than the Bolts. It's not like the Chargers winning that game would have been a Giants-over-Patriots-esque upset. And yes, that Super Bowl was a chokejob. The Bolts were only down a touchdown after the first quarter, then they gagged in the second and never recovered.

I mean heck, they beat a Steelers team with Neil O'Donnell at QB to get to the Super Bowl, so it's not like that was tough to do, but yet they struggled to beat Pittsburgh.

Not like we had a choice of who to play in the AFC Championship Game.

Yes, they got to the Super Bowl and I give them their just due for that, but it was one of the luckiest seasons you'll ever watch. That luck ran out in the Super Bowl.

That Chargers team won the division and the AFC and played well. They earned it. It was not luck.

[BlueSky]

As someone pointed out recently, it should be mentioned that the Eagles, Lions and Browns have NFL Championships prior to the SB era.

So do the Chargers, they won the 1964 AFL Championship game in a 51-10 rout of the Boston Patriots. The Titans franchise (as the Houston Oilers) won the first two AFL Championships in '60 and '61, also prior to the SB era. The Bills won two championships before the advent of the Super Bowl - in '64 and '65.

And the Cardinals got that controversial 1925 NFL Championship over the Pottsville Maroons, as well as another one in 1947 over the Eagles. Both were won when the team was in Chicago.

Yep, forgot to list the AFL titles. Thanks for the info.

BlueSky seems to start a lot of threads that somehow relate to the Saints winning the Super Bowl.

Explained this at the beginning of my thread about weird Super Bowl champs gear. Never having been in this position, as a fan I'm seeing/noticing many things that Saints fans have never had the chance to before. Since the point of this board is to share things of interest, it only makes sense that any Saints fan's threads would be SB-related for a while. It's not about "hey, we won" - pretty sure everybody's clear on that.

BlueSky seems to start a lot of threads that somehow relate to the Saints winning the Super Bowl.

True, but I also wonder if 'BlueSky' realizes that in the 12-team playoff era, there is 50% turnover in playoff teams from season to season.

I do indeed and do not expect anything like last year. But that's okay. Seeing my team win the SB changed things for me. All the frustration and anger and disappointment and watching the seasons go by knowing no matter how far the Saints went, sooner or later the Acme anvil was going to crush me like Wile E. Coyote and literally wondering whether I'd see it happen in my lifetime (my father didn't)...that's all gone. Sure, losses will always be disappointing, but there's not that soul-crushing misery Saints fans lived with before.

BlueSky seems to start a lot of threads that somehow relate to the Saints winning the Super Bowl.

The dude is an old guy like me. He's been following the Saints his whole life which in his case (and mine with the Browns) is a pretty long time. They finally won something. Let him have his fun.

True. As Bucs fan (I have a creamsicle jersey from Errict Rhett's rookie season), I know what years of misery and the joy of finally winning feels like. I have been on both sides of the fence, years of top 5 draft picks and then years of making the playoffs and losing. I'll take the making the playoffs any day over the top draft pick. Having a top 10 draft pick year after year feels hopeless, it's horrible.

And that too.

[ESTONES6]

To answer a previous question... the Lions take the cake with being the worst... but Cleveland isn't far behind. Since '99 (and a bit before that), it has just been awful. By no means will I say "this is the year" because I refuse to say that, especially being in Cleveland. But, I think with Mangini, Heckert, and Holmgren in place... I think we have the right group to start to move forward. I am hoping for the playoffs not this coming season, but hopefully the one after (yes, I realize that is a large hope).

As for an even earlier question... The Browns are recognized with 8 Championships.

[The_Admiral]

Mangini is kind of a terrible coach, bro. Nobody likes a dissembling tyrant who sucks at his job. Look what happened when the Jets sacked his ass for Fatty McGoodtimes.

[AHcreative]

To answer a previous question... the Lions take the cake with being the worst... but Cleveland isn't far behind. Since '99 (and a bit before that), it has just been awful. By no means will I say "this is the year" because I refuse to say that, especially being in Cleveland. But, I think with Mangini, Heckert, and Holmgren in place... I think we have the right group to start to move forward. I am hoping for the playoffs not this coming season, but hopefully the one after (yes, I realize that is a large hope).

As for an even earlier question... The Browns are recognized with 8 Championships.

Not as large as my hope for the Rams to win a few games this season. I'd be content with 3 wins, 4 wins I'd be pretty happy, 5 wins I'd be ecstatic, and if we 6 or more I'll probably :censored: myself. Then again, the 2007 Dolphins went from 1-15 (same record as we had last year), to 11-5 in 2008. So, it's not impossible...

[ESTONES6]

Mangini is kind of a terrible coach, bro. Nobody likes a dissembling tyrant who sucks at his job. Look what happened when the Jets sacked his ass for Fatty McGoodtimes.

I look at what he did while wearing the Head Coach and GM hats. He got rid of Winslow and Edwards... which were awful players with awful contracts. He stock piled draft picks that lead to a nice draft this year. He "found" players like Harrison and Roth.

He makes some questionable play calls down the stretch, but over all, I could consider this year a success. Let's face it, the Browns haven't seen a 4 game win streak since they came back in '99. He had 2 very solid seasons in NY. I think he has a little bit of growing to do... but I like his background and I like the hierarchy the Browns have in place now.

[BlueSky]

For the record...since the SB, I've started 14 threads, only 5 of which were related to the Saints winning the Super Bowl.