2012 NFL Season Thread

[CS85]

I don't think that Sharks video is fake?

I didn't even see the Sharks one. The Ravens one didn't convince me that he wasn't playing it up a bit for the camera, but it wasn't out of control, so who knows. The Sharks one...not sure. I never trust a camera in these situations.

[The_Admiral]

Aaaaaaand of course, he's a Sharks fan. Normally, I'd just consider that you taking (yet another) jab at Sharks fans, but it's so sadly spot on. I don't know what it is about that team that just enrages even the most calm and level headed of people. I remember absolutely destroying a chair after they lost to Detroit in 07, and my first thought was, "What the HELL am I doing? That was my favorite chair! And I only have a slightly mild interest in Hockey!" They're like that one chick you meet who isn't all that pretty, and basically kinda sucks, but for whatever reason, she just shatters your heart. You know you'll get over it and wonder why the you even bothered to care for such a nutty bitch in the first place, but at the time it just PISSES YOU OFF SO MUCH.

I'd mentioned in a previous thread that between the grind of the season, the pace of the game, and sudden-death playoff overtime, liking a hockey team is the most emotionally taxing of the four. I've certainly never felt this way after a football game. Deep down, we're all that kid by the end; it's just a matter of not letting him out. It's not just a Sharks thing, whose fans aren't unhinged so much as plain weird.

Right on about it being not necessarily the prettiest girls that tear you up the most, though.

[Still MIGHTY]

Eh, Ravens one looks too fake. It's just a little too out there and over the top. Angry Ravens fan after the missed Cundiff kick from last year was better.

As far as the Sharks one:

Eat your friggen hearts out, Ducks fans. You're team helped draw these reactions.

Oh I am hahaha. These are great. Definitely one of my favorite Ducks playoff series, and these make it even just a little better.

And definitely more real/believable than the Ravens one. Especially since this was more than a one time thing, and the parents coming in seals it.

It's not just a Sharks thing, whose fans aren't unhinged so much as plain weird.

I know right? I don't get it.

[IceCap]

http://ww.youtube.com/watch?v=kDYuVDI9pHA

w

best.

"You are making an ass of yourself for all eternity."

Aaaaaaand of course, he's a Sharks fan. Normally, I'd just consider that you taking (yet another) jab at Sharks fans, but it's so sadly spot on. I don't know what it is about that team that just enrages even the most calm and level headed of people. I remember absolutely destroying a chair after they lost to Detroit in 07, and my first thought was, "What the HELL am I doing? That was my favorite chair! And I only have a slightly mild interest in Hockey!" They're like that one chick you meet who isn't all that pretty, and basically kinda sucks, but for whatever reason, she just shatters your heart. You know you'll get over it and wonder why the you even bothered to care for such a nutty bitch in the first place, but at the time it just PISSES YOU OFF SO MUCH.

I'll give it a shot about why this is, but I want to make it perfectly clear that this isn't me trying to bash the Sharks or their fans. This is just my observation of the Sharks fandom over the years, from what I've seen online.

And only 65% of my opinions on the matter were formed from dealings with ICS! I kid, I kid.

Anyway it seems like San Jose Sharks fans desperately want to, or do already, believe that the Sharks are a "cornerstone" team of the NHL. Not "one of the 90s expansion teams that worked out," but a team to viewed at as being on the same level as the New York Rangers or Philadelphia Flyers. They want their team to be viewed as a marquee NHL club. They do play next to one of the great American cities after all, and they have a passionate fanbase.

Yet they haven't won a Stanley Cup. They haven't even managed a Western Conference Championship. All despite having one of the best teams in hockey for years now. These post-season losses are a bit tougher to take for their fans because they signify that their team has failed to get the victories necessary to cement the idea that the Sharks are a "cornerstone" franchise in the minds of people outside of the Sharks' fanbase.

In short it appears that there are more then a few Sharks fans out there with a chip on their shoulder because they believe that their team doesn't get the respect they feel it deserves, and that's at least partly due to the team flaming out come playoff time.

[ninersdd]

I know were veering off topic, but I'm much more pissed at 2007 then 2009. The Sharks were so much better then the Wings in the first 4 games that series, but absolutely gifted them Game 4. Their D-core besides Lidstrom was pretty weak(Kronwall was hurt), yet they only got 9 goals in 6 games. 2009 was obviously brutal, but in hindsight was the Ducks last real run at the Cup despite the 8 seed. I knew that wasn't gonna be easy at all.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I was under the impression San Jose was office parks and sub divisions. It's supposed to be a great too? Or are Sharks fans claiming the entire Bay Area?

[IceCap]

I was under the impression San Jose was office parks and sub divisions. It's supposed to be a great too? Or are Sharks fans claiming the entire Bay Area?

Well they are San Francisco's de facto team.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I was under the impression San Jose was office parks and sub divisions. It's supposed to be a great too? Or are Sharks fans claiming the entire Bay Area?

Well they are San Francisco's de facto team.

I may be showing my ignorance here, but is that true? The few times I've been to San Francisco I didn't notice any presence of the Sharks (or Warriors) at all.

[dbadefense1990]

I was under the impression San Jose was office parks and sub divisions. It's supposed to be a great too? Or are Sharks fans claiming the entire Bay Area?

Well they are San Francisco's de facto team.

Which explains a lot of their hatred here by both SoCal teams. Initially, my hate of the Sharks was a tree root extension of Giants-Dodgers, but after their own fan base became pompous, annoying, irritating and downright disrespectful, despite the Sharks blowing chances in the playoffs and blatanly cheating to win at times (Chechoo, Clowe), I have zero tolerance towards respect for them. At least there's friendly fervour when I converse with Duck fans.

[FiddySicks]

http://ww.youtube.com/watch?v=kDYuVDI9pHA

w

best.

"You are making an ass of yourself for all eternity."

Aaaaaaand of course, he's a Sharks fan. Normally, I'd just consider that you taking (yet another) jab at Sharks fans, but it's so sadly spot on. I don't know what it is about that team that just enrages even the most calm and level headed of people. I remember absolutely destroying a chair after they lost to Detroit in 07, and my first thought was, "What the HELL am I doing? That was my favorite chair! And I only have a slightly mild interest in Hockey!" They're like that one chick you meet who isn't all that pretty, and basically kinda sucks, but for whatever reason, she just shatters your heart. You know you'll get over it and wonder why the you even bothered to care for such a nutty bitch in the first place, but at the time it just PISSES YOU OFF SO MUCH.

I'll give it a shot about why this is, but I want to make it perfectly clear that this isn't me trying to bash the Sharks or their fans. This is just my observation of the Sharks fandom over the years, from what I've seen online.

And only 65% of my opinions on the matter were formed from dealings with ICS! I kid, I kid.

Anyway it seems like San Jose Sharks fans desperately want to, or do already, believe that the Sharks are a "cornerstone" team of the NHL. Not "one of the 90s expansion teams that worked out," but a team to viewed at as being on the same level as the New York Rangers or Philadelphia Flyers. They want their team to be viewed as a marquee NHL club. They do play next to one of the great American cities after all, and they have a passionate fanbase.

Yet they haven't won a Stanley Cup. They haven't even managed a Western Conference Championship. All despite having one of the best teams in hockey for years now. These post-season losses are a bit tougher to take for their fans because they signify that their team has failed to get the victories necessary to cement the idea that the Sharks are a "cornerstone" franchise in the minds of people outside of the Sharks' fanbase.

In short it appears that there are more then a few Sharks fans out there with a chip on their shoulder because they believe that their team doesn't get the respect they feel it deserves, and that's at least partly due to the team flaming out come playoff time.

You basically hit the nail right on the head. Of the California teams, and specifically the 90s expansion teams, there is no other team IMO that has worked out as brilliantly as the San Jose Sharks. Not only are they usually a great team, but they have one of the most rabid fan bases I've ever seen in any sport. Hell, I'd even say that the Sharks fan base is better than any other team in the Bay Area. They're as well the only Northern California team that doesn't have to compete with another team for fans (I'm lumping in the Warriors and Kings because, well, it's basketball). Sharks games are absolutely electric, and EVERYONE in Northern California absolutely loves them. I mean, it's really telling when you try to get tickets to see the Sharks play the Red Wings and other rivals months in advance and you can barely scrape together enough to cover the $95 a seat for upper deck obstructed view tickets. My first ever hockey game was a Sharks game and it was downright amazing. I've NEVER been to a Sharks game in San Jose that hasn't been on the tops of my sporting experiences. It's something that the Ducks and Kings will never be able to do (part of that could be their building sizes, though), despite them winning cups first. It's downright insulting to a lot of people to see those teams win cups in front of mild crowds where you can get tickets to see them play any team in the league on the day of the game for under $15. It just gives you the feeling of, WTF? How the hell can teams that play in such mild buildings win championships where the majority of their city population doesn't even know it even happened? I honestly think that's part of the reason that the Sharks (and other teams with packed houses every night) struggle in the playoffs so much. There's just an added element of pressure, and when you get the feeling that their only undoing is their massive support, it makes you want to throw grandmas off of buildings.

I was under the impression San Jose was office parks and sub divisions. It's supposed to be a great too? Or are Sharks fans claiming the entire Bay Area?

Well they are San Francisco's de facto team.

I may be showing my ignorance here, but is that true? The few times I've been to San Francisco I didn't notice any presence of the Sharks (or Warriors) at all.

The Warriors have no support because they suck, they play in Oakland, and because it's basketball (It's just not popular in that region for whatever reason. Probably because your options are the Warriors and the Kings. Uggh.). The Sharks on the other hand, are absolutely loved all throughout Northern California. There are bars as far East as Reno, Nevada which are known as Sharks bars.

[The_Admiral]

The Warriors have great attendance considering they're always terrible.

My stab at it is that demographically, hockey fans are either older blue-collar knuckleheads or younger maladjusted dorks, and because the Sharks aren't old enough to have the legacy of blue-collar knuckleheads--and play in affluent Silicon Valley suburbia--you're left with a fanbase consisting wholly of maladjusted dorks.

Can we spin off the last few posts into "Sports Fans Embarrassing Themselves On Youtube" so we don't get scolded for going off-topic?

[dbadefense1990]

I was under the impression San Jose was office parks and sub divisions. It's supposed to be a great too? Or are Sharks fans claiming the entire Bay Area?

Well they are San Francisco's de facto team.

I may be showing my ignorance here, but is that true? The few times I've been to San Francisco I didn't notice any presence of the Sharks (or Warriors) at all.

San Francisco is a baseball/football city. The Warriors are ignored because of the NBA's dynasty-friendly structure of a few teams actually competing and the other teams being in the lottery by December. The Sharks' base tend to be isolated to their immediate Silicon Valley home, but are followed throughout the whole California north, and are advertised by the media to the whole Bay Area, so outsiders tend to link them to San Fran.

[dbadefense1990]

My stab at it is that demographically, hockey fans are either older blue-collar knuckleheads or younger maladjusted dorks, and because the Sharks aren't old enough to have the legacy of blue-collar knuckleheads--and play in affluent Silicon Valley suburbia--you're left with a fanbase consisting wholly of maladjusted dorks.

Hockey = upper class sport (in terms of equipment, costs and skill)

San Jose/Silicon Valley area = filled with Gen Y hipsters and yuppies

So hockey = yuppie sport in the Bay Area, only appreciated by the young (35 and younger mostly).

[Still MIGHTY]

It's something that the Ducks and Kings will never be able to do (part of that could be their building sizes, though), despite them winning cups first. It's downright insulting to a lot of people to see those teams win cups in front of mild crowds where you can get tickets to see them play any team in the league on the day of the game for under $15. It just gives you the feeling of, WTF? How the hell can teams that play in such mild buildings win championships where the majority of their city population doesn't even know it even happened?

Whoaaaa there. Don't start making it out like we're the Coyotes or something.

Day of the game, $15? Not that I've ever experienced. Against Columbus or Florida maybe, but definitely not in the playoffs.

Winning cups in from of mild crowds? In my own experience during the playoffs, and especially during the two Finals runs, Ducks crowds were far from mild. (Can't say about the Kings. Unless it was a Ducks series, it'd take a fair amount of money to get me into Staples for a Kings playoff game. Just the "Stanley Cup Playoffs" on the ice next to their logo makes me ill.) Honestly and unfortunately, crowd performance is linked to team performance around here. The Ducks and Kings both have very passionate and large core bases, (hell, the Ducks got 5,000 people at friggin training camp on Sunday) but that alone doesn't fill the arena. It's the SoCal sports landscape. The only team immune from that is the Lakers. They're the only team that could suck and still sell out. But I will guarantee you, when the Ducks/Kings are good and in the playoffs, both buildings are as good as any in the league.

But are Sharks fans crazier and probably more numerous? Sure. I don't know why, but sure. But it's not as bad as you try to paint. (Ducks/Kings also split the hockey base, whereas the Sharks are the only thing between the Bay/Vancouver/Colorado.)

---

But yeahhhhh, how about those NFL playoffs right?

Pats are 8.5 point favorites over the Ravens - That's some spread. I mean sure, the Pats have steamrolled lately, but that's still too large. That has to come down, right? Vegas is just asking for Ravens money.

Niners are 3.5 point road favorites over Atlanta - That spread also basically means SF would be 9.5 point favorites if it was at Candlestick. Yikes. I'm still leaning towards the Niners, but you've gotta think Atlanta has more than that, right?

[infrared41]

Can we spin off the last few posts into "Sports Fans Embarrassing Themselves On Youtube" so we don't get scolded for going off-topic?

Seems like a good idea for a thread to me.

[Kramerica Industries]

Atlanta was a +1 or +2 I believe from Vegas last week, so the odds makers were actually favouring Seattle on Sunday. That faith was nearly rewarded.

Honestly, Atlanta should be underdogs. San Francisco steamrolled a better defensive team last week, and, to me, the 49ers and Seahawks are kind of the same team, with the Niners being a bit better because they have more experience on their side. Seattle is one of the youngest teams in the league. They should be a force for a few years to come. The Niners became a force last season. They have four All-Pro players on defense, with at least one in all levels of the defense. It took a miracle for the Falcons to beat the Seahawks in a game where they led 27-7, at home. I honestly think San Francisco is going to win big on Sunday. The marquee game, matchup-wise, is going to be the game that leaves everyone without fingernails.

[FiddySicks]

It's something that the Ducks and Kings will never be able to do (part of that could be their building sizes, though), despite them winning cups first. It's downright insulting to a lot of people to see those teams win cups in front of mild crowds where you can get tickets to see them play any team in the league on the day of the game for under $15. It just gives you the feeling of, WTF? How the hell can teams that play in such mild buildings win championships where the majority of their city population doesn't even know it even happened?

Whoaaaa there. Don't start making it out like we're the Coyotes or something.

Day of the game, $15? Not that I've ever experienced. Against Columbus or Florida maybe, but definitely not in the playoffs.

Winning cups in from of mild crowds? In my own experience during the playoffs, and especially during the two Finals runs, Ducks crowds were far from mild. (Can't say about the Kings. Unless it was a Ducks series, it'd take a fair amount of money to get me into Staples for a Kings playoff game. Just the "Stanley Cup Playoffs" on the ice next to their logo makes me ill.) Honestly and unfortunately, crowd performance is linked to team performance around here. The Ducks and Kings both have very passionate and large core bases, (hell, the Ducks got 5,000 people at friggin training camp on Sunday) but that alone doesn't fill the arena. It's the SoCal sports landscape. The only team immune from that is the Lakers. They're the only team that could suck and still sell out. But I will guarantee you, when the Ducks/Kings are good and in the playoffs, both buildings are as good as any in the league.

But are Sharks fans crazier and probably more numerous? Sure. I don't know why, but sure. But it's not as bad as you try to paint. (Ducks/Kings also split the hockey base, whereas the Sharks are the only thing between the Bay/Vancouver/Colorado.)

---

But yeahhhhh, how about those NFL playoffs right?

Pats are 8.5 point favorites over the Ravens - That's some spread. I mean sure, the Pats have steamrolled lately, but that's still too large. That has to come down, right? Vegas is just asking for Ravens money.

Niners are 3.5 point road favorites over Atlanta - That spread also basically means SF would be 9.5 point favorites if it was at Candlestick. Yikes. I'm still leaning towards the Niners, but you've gotta think Atlanta has more than that, right?

Last I'll say about hockey here, and those aren't necessarily my feelings as a whole, but it's where the frustration stems from, and I think it's at least somewhat justifiable. From my experience, which has been about equal with Kings games and actually more frequent with the Ducks, I've been able to get playoff tickets to Ducks games day of and get change from a $20 bill (vs Calgary the year before they dropped Mighty), and I've seen them play the Red Wings, Canucks, Flyers, Oilers, and Sharks where I've gone to the box office right before the game with a $20 bill and still had enough left for a beer. It's no knock on the organizations or the loyal fan bases. It's just that hockey is such a hard sell in that area. Actually, sports as a whole are a hard sell due to the amount of things to do in Southern California, and as a sports fan, that's a bit of a shame to me. Oh well, unless they're truly cursed, the Sharks will get theirs eventually. And that's gonna be one ROCKIN party once they do.

NOW, back to football.

I really hope the Niners win. I've been an enormous Kaepernick supporter since his days in college and it would really be so awesome to see a kid from Nevada become the next big thing. CK leading the Niners to a Super Bowl berth/win would be such a huge boost for that school's football program which would help to keep Nevada as a long time formidable opponent to Boise State (which would be HUGE for college football IMO) and it would really validate just how good of a coach Chris Ault was.

I expect them to win, and they match up really well with Atlanta, who has struggled against the run most of this season. And winning the NFC would really snuff out those final doubters who are still ridiculous enough to think that Alex Smith is a better option.

For the AFC, I'd love to see the Ravens get revenge for last year, and considering that this is potentially Ray Lewis and Ed Reed's final game, I can't see them not coming out without being totally locked in.

This is how I see the potential Super Bowl match ups this year

Ravens vs 49ers. Best possible match up if you ask me.

Patriots vs 49ers. Old guard vs new blood, and the potential to send Tom Brady to a .500 record in the Super Bowl would be awesome.

Ravens vs Falcons. It looks awful on paper, but at least it'd be a refreshing match up.

Patriots vs Falcons. Uggh. Pats would roll Atlanta out of the building before the second half IMO in what would be one of the least memorable Super Bowl match ups ever.

Just as long as New England doesn't win another freaking Super Bowl. I don't think I could handle Tom Brady becoming the full fledged NFL version of Kobe.

Anyone know who has what game? Is the NFC in the morning slot this year because the AFC had it last year? I kind of hope it's a reverse from last season.

[Rockstar Matt]

The Falcons-Niners game is at 3pm ET and the Ravens-Patriots game is after.

[max]

Pats beat Niners in the Super Bowl.

Jets beat Pats in E. Rutherford in first game of 2013-14 season.

[HedleyLamarr]

Atlanta was a +1 or +2 I believe from Vegas last week, so the odds makers were actually favouring Seattle on Sunday. That faith was nearly rewarded.

Honestly, Atlanta should be underdogs. San Francisco steamrolled a better defensive team last week, and, to me, the 49ers and Seahawks are kind of the same team, with the Niners being a bit better because they have more experience on their side. Seattle is one of the youngest teams in the league. They should be a force for a few years to come. The Niners became a force last season. They have four All-Pro players on defense, with at least one in all levels of the defense. It took a miracle for the Falcons to beat the Seahawks in a game where they led 27-7, at home. I honestly think San Francisco is going to win big on Sunday. The marquee game, matchup-wise, is going to be the game that leaves everyone without fingernails.

Green Bay hadn't faced one of these read-option QB offenses this season. It's similar to playing against a triple-option offense....it's pretty different from the norm. The Falcons have already played this style of offense numerous times this year, and will be better prepared for it. The Falcons have played (and beaten) the likes of Vick, Cam Newton (twice), RG3, and just this past weekend, Russell Wilson. The Falcons defense has also beaten Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Phillip Rivers, and Drew Brees throughout the season. The Falcons defense bends about as much as a unit can bend without breaking.

What got lost in the fray is that outside of one dump-off pass, the Falcons pretty much had Marshawn Lynch bottled up, and did a decent enough job on Wilson's running ability. Zach Miller came out of nowhere with his receiving day.