Football American style

All SFA to me .................

http://deadspin.com/5976517/manti-teos-dead-girlfriend-the-most-heartbreaking-and-inspirational-story-of-the-college-football-season-is-a-hoax

OMAR wrote:http://deadspin.com/5976517/manti-teos-dead-girlfriend-the-most-heartbreaking-and-inspirational-story-of-the-college-football-season-is-a-hoax

This is a big story in the States. College football is huge there and shouldnt be confused with Siguerson. Top college games regularly attract crowds of 100,000, while the war among universities for top talent rivals anything in professional sport. The top coaches will 7-figure have salaries, while the players get the chance to showcase themselves in advance of the NFL draft.

Te'o would have been expected to be a 1st round draft selection, somewhere between no.10-20 overall. His first contract as a professional will be worth c.$10m over 4 years.

Notre Dame are supporting Te'o, saying that their mormon superstar was duped by a fake online romance, and that he is an unfortunate innocent in all of this. Others will wonder if Te'o was more involved, in an attempt to raise his profile. Te'o will speak to the media today.

Thomas Clarke wrote:

OMAR wrote:http://deadspin.com/5976517/manti-teos-dead-girlfriend-the-most-heartbreaking-and-inspirational-story-of-the-college-football-season-is-a-hoax

This is a big story in the States. College football is huge there and shouldnt be confused with Siguerson. Top college games regularly attract crowds of 100,000, while the war among universities for top talent rivals anything in professional sport. The top coaches will 7-figure have salaries, while the players get the chance to showcase themselves in advance of the NFL draft.

Te'o would have been expected to be a 1st round draft selection, somewhere between no.10-20 overall. His first contract as a professional will be worth c.$10m over 4 years.

Notre Dame are supporting Te'o, saying that their mormon superstar was duped by a fake online romance, and that he is an unfortunate innocent in all of this. Others will wonder if Te'o was more involved, in an attempt to raise his profile. Te'o will speak to the media today.

I would expect the All star football hero in a college football team might have some chance of getting a bit of female companionship in the flesh rather than relying on an on-line romance

OMAR wrote: I would expect the All star football hero in a college football team might have some chance of getting a bit of female companionship in the flesh rather than relying on an on-line romance

He's a mormon, which probably means that even a cyber romance was risking an eternity in hell!

SuperBowl tonight, between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers, and it is full of storylines. It will be Ray Lewis' last ever game, and possibly Ed Reed and Randy Moss will retire as well. Also, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is making only his 10th career start, having replaced Alex Smith midway through the season.

But the biggest story, by a mile is that the two coaches, John and Jim Harbaugh, are brothers! No other brothers have ever previously coached against each other in the NFL, nevermind in a Superbowl. It's an amazing achievement for them, and I can't think of a parallel in any other sport. As for the game itself, it will be very physical and hard hitting, but if Kaepernick avoids nerves (and Ed Reed on interceptions), I fancy the 49ers to prevail.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8904906/daring-ask-ped-question

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0ysMOV8TYU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

What time is it?

OMAR wrote:http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8904906/daring-ask-ped-question

As scandals go, this is a minor one compared to the last time Ray Lewis was in the Superbowl. That time he had recently avoided a murder rap, turning witness against his friends. No-one was ever convicted, and many still wonder what exactly Lewis was doing in that streetfight. However, Lewis won the MVP of the superbowl, won 2 league defensive MVP awards, and reinvented himself as the most popular athlete in America.

Thomas Clarke wrote:

OMAR wrote:http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8904906/daring-ask-ped-question

As scandals go, this is a minor one compared to the last time Ray Lewis was in the Superbowl. That time he had recently avoided a murder rap, turning witness against his friends. No-one was ever convicted, and many still wonder what exactly Lewis was doing in that streetfight. However, Lewis won the MVP of the superbowl, won 2 league defensive MVP awards, and reinvented himself as the most popular athlete in America.

Like oj,s Career except the other way round

New England Patriots' Tight End Aaron Hernandez charged with murder. Released immediately by Patriots.

This comes a year after Hernandez signed a $40m contract. It's hard to fathom the ability some people have to turn everything to nothing.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000214854/article/aaron-hernandez-charged-with-murder-in-odin-lloyd-death

Thomas Clarke wrote:This comes a year after Hernandez signed a $40m contract.  It's hard to fathom the ability some people have to turn everything to nothing.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000214854/article/aaron-hernandez-charged-with-murder-in-odin-lloyd-death

Been done before TC....Here's the man.....

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Thursday night sees the start of the 2013 NFL season, with the Baltimore Ravens bidding to defend their Superbowl title.  It's been a strange off-season, with 3 Offensive Tackles selected in the first 4 picks of the draft, Patriots' star Aaron Hernandez in jail on a 1st degree murder charge, and Tim Tebow continuing to make massive headlines for basically no reason whatsoever (the Irish Times have a story on this journeyman today).  

Set up brilliantly to ensure parity among sides, the NFL is always very difficult to predict, but here are my thoughts on what to expect in the season ahead.

AFC

Despite the loss of several receiving options, it's hard to see past the New England Patriots in the East.  Tom Brady (or, to the less well-versed, Mr Gisele Bundchen) still sets them a class apart.  The Dolphins have spent plenty of money, but they still look light on the O-Line and RB.  Neither the Bills nor Jets have a quarterback, and will do well to win >6 games.

Peyton Mannings' Denver Broncos are easily the best team in the West, even allowing for Von Miller's 6 game suspension.  The Kansas City Chiefs should improve dramatically from that rock bottom position in 2012, but the Chargers and Raiders are both in the running for the first pick in next year's draft (i.e. outright last in the NFL).

The North looks delicately balanced.  The Superbowl champion Ravens have lost a lot of senior players, while Pittsburgh are in a rebuilding phase.  The Cincinatti Bengals have loads of talent, but a very average QB in Andy Dalton.  I'd also expect the Cleveland Browns to continue their slow progress.  I'll go for the Bengals here, based on overall strength of squad.

The South is a shootout between the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts.  Having had Peyton Manning as their QB for 15 years, the Colts moved seamlessly to the prodigiously talented Andrew Luck last year.  I think that his class will make the difference here, and the Colts will win this division.  The Titans and Jaguars are poor and very poor respectively.

NFC

The NFC East is the NFL's glamour division, and always the toughest to predict.  No-one has won back-to-back titles in the last 9 years, and that should concern fans of the Washington Redskins. They should also be concerned by the fitness of their young QB Robert Griffin III, who is coming back from a cruciate injury.  You could make a strong argument for any of the teams here, including the NY Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, but I'll stick my neck out for the Dallas Cowboys, as I think that Tony Romo to Dez Bryant could become the best combination in the league.

For so long the poorest division in football, the West now looks like the strongest.  Whoever comes out of it (probably Seahawks or 49ers) will be conference favourites.  All 4 sides here have strong defences, and it will come down to who performs best in the matches against each other.  I'll take the 49ers to pip the Seahawks, but either the Rams or Cardinals could make the wildcard.

The cold North has some of football's oldest rivalries and biggest names.  The Green Bay Packers will again be the team to beat, and their QB Aaron Rodgers is probably the best player in the NFL.  However, if he has a rival to that crown, it is either the Detroit Lions' Calvin Johnson, or Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson.  Thrown in the Chicago Bears, and this division certainly doesn't lack star power.  I'll take the Packers to top it.

The NFC south looks to have a clear Top 2 (Atlanta & New Orleans) and bottom 2 (Carolina and Tampa Bay Buccaneers).  I think that Atlanta's superior home form will see them edge out the Saints, while some soccer fans may have a supporting interest in the Buccaneers (Manchester United are their sister club).


Superbowl

The Denver Broncos look like the strongest team in the AFC, but we've said that about Peyton Manning led sides before, only to see them fail in the playoffs. New England will also be tough to beat, while Houston & Cincinatti may be held back by their QBs.  The Indianapolis Colts could be a dark horse.

In the NFC, it is really wide open, but I'll go for the Atlanta Falcons' extra firepower to see them pip the San Francisco 49ers.  The Packers, Seahawks and a few others will also fancy their chances.

Watching the NFL this evening, and I heard an incredible stat. Midway through week 13 (out of 17), 31 of the 32 NFL teams still have a mathematical chance to make the playoffs (12 teams). Basically, 31 teams still have something to play for despite the season being over 75% complete.

It speaks volumes for the NFL's aim of parity within its league, and certainly adds to the excitement for fans.

Brief highlight from last night's match between Philadelphia vs Detroit.  Intercounty football starts back next month, and I don't want to hear about any games being called off due to 'unplayable pitches'...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/american-football/25292683

Reports of minus 14 for the big game this weekend and we call a game off for a bit of rain! We are lightweights compared to the yanks, who have yet to call a ThrowBall game off in over 100 years!

Go Seahawks!

bald eagle wrote:Reports of minus 14 for the big game this weekend and we call a game off for a bit of rain! We are lightweights compared to the yanks, who have yet to call a ThrowBall game off in over 100 years!

Go Seahawks!

Having the game in New York has created a lot of controversy, with some people saying that it is an outdoor game and that the weather should always be a factor, while others say that the final should always be played in perfect conditions to remove the element of chance.

Tennis has the same issue, with Roger Federer and Andy Murray arguing previously about whether or not the roof should be closed on Centre Court.

But yes, the NFL always plays, it's their thing. They even played 48 hours after JFK was shot, a decision that still remains controversial to this day.

Never knew that about JFK, really interesting fact there! I was staggered that Kansas played last year the day after one of their players killed his girlfriend then shot himself in the club car park!

bald eagle wrote:Never knew that about JFK, really interesting fact there! I was staggered that Kansas played last year the day after one of their players killed his girlfriend then shot himself in the club car park!

The show must go on!
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/0ap2000000282049/The-JFK-experience

Yeah, Kansas played too. A lot of players will also take the field immediately after suffering personal tragedies - I guess it is just the culture of the league.

I see the NFL Commissioner talking again this week about a future franchise and possibly even a Superbowl in London. 3 games scheduled for 2014 and, if they all sell, out I'd expect to see serious steps towards having a franchise in London before this decade is out.

Do you think they could sustain such a franchise TC? I mean would the interest be there to pack stadiums for a whole season? I mean a one off game will get a crowd but would a regular season be maintained? Distance isn't really an issue as its just as close to London from NY than from NY to a lot of other cities over West in the US.

The NBA are looking at expansion into Europe, although the consensus seems to be that there would need to be a full division of teams (5) in Europe to make it feasible. The game schedule in the NBA (82 regular season games) is such that a once-off trip to a single team in Europe would not work.

bald eagle wrote:Do you think they could sustain such a franchise TC? I mean would the interest be there to pack stadiums for a whole season? I mean a one off game will get a crowd but would a regular season be maintained? Distance isn't really an issue as its just as close to London from NY than from NY to a lot of other cities over West in the US.

They only need to fill Wembley for 8 home games, as a season is 16 games excluding playoffs.  Last year they packed it for 2 games, and this year they are trying 3.  If you can fill an 82,000 stadium for 3 games between random neutral teams, then I'd be fairly sure that you can fill it for 8 games when you have a home team that fans can actually support.

London is a very wealthy city with 10m people, and the UK has 60m as a whole in an area roughly the size of Michigan.  Throw in a strong fanbase in Ireland (48,000 at 2012 college game in Croke Pk) and the rest of Europe, all of which can get to London quite easily and cheaply, and I you have a massive potential market.  Certainly, there is no as yet untapped market in the states that could compare to that.  It's also worth noting that the NFL is run by the owners, all of whom are businessmen.  3 of these owners already own Premiership football clubs, and Liverpool is owned by a baseball family - these men already have ties to the UK sports market.

It's also telling that one of the 3 games this year is being trialled at 1.30pm London time, meaning that it is an early morning start in the US.  This means that it can be televised live in a totally new spot (currently the NFL have 5 live game slots per week - Thursday night, Sunday lunchtime, Sunday afternoon, Sunday night and Monday night).  A Sunday morning slot would allow a new television network to get a piece of the action, and sell advertising accordingly.  A regular London game would create a new television revenue stream.

The NFL tried to form a European league in the '90s, but it failed.  The reason it failed is because it was a substandard product, made up of guys who weren't good enough to play in the NFL.  People don't want that.  They want superstars that capture their imagination, and if the NFL fully commits and sends over a genuine product, then I'd be very confident that it would be a huge success.

RMD, I can see how it would be much harder with basketball for the reasons that you stated.  If you only had one European team, and they had to travel regularly to the states, you'd need a lot of flexibility in the schedule to make that work, probably more than actually exists.

Spectacular Superbowl last night. The game itself was a blow out, but the performance of Seattle was well worth the late night. Their defense destroyed Denver's record-setting offense, and Peyton Manning was reduced to a pitiful future from very early on. Percy Harvin, more-or-less playing his first game of an injury ravaged season, was electric, and must be one of the best athletes playing team sports anywhere.

Seattle's defence is among the top 3-4 that has ever been seen and, as the second youngest side ever to win a Superbowl, there is no reason why they can't come back again next year.

SamiPremier08 wrote:I think it's crap.

The American President saw a game of rugby and declared it too dangerous and therefore introduced the forward pass and massive amounts of body armour.

So when the Yanks make out how tough they are someone should remind them that it's basically rugby for pansies.

Interesting fact from Sunday's Superbowl. 3 members of Seattle's highly rated secondary (basically their 4 man full-back line, in GAA terms) were suffering badly with injuries going into the game.

Richard Sherman had torn ligaments in his elbow from the previous game against the Packers, while Earl Thomas dislocated his shoulder in the same match. Both played on against the Packer , and both also lined out in the Superbowl.

Then, last Friday, Kam Chancellor tore his MCL. He also played in the Superbowl 2 days later.

I know they are professionals, but that is serious will to win. Any chance we could get a few of them on the Tyrone team, even in their current injured state?