Fuck me side ways, I'm psyched. I LOVE winter football, I live for snow bowls. Patriots vs. Oakland and Patriots vs. Miami stick out, as well EVERY BILLS WINTER HOME GAME! The only legit con I've heard is that it can be an advantage to one team. It's the NFL, they're pros, they should all be able to play in the cold. I forget where I heard it, I believe on 106.7 the Fan, but the reason everyone is bitching is because the sports writers lose out on their January vacation in the sun. One day I hope to see the Bills host the big game. Or even Cleveland. Throw the small market teams a bone. Kinda drinking rum and ready for bed, hope I wasn't too short.
The way it's set up right now, isn't a team like the old St. Louis Rams "Greatest Show on Turf" be at an advantage in a dome over a team like Buffalo? Whereas if Green Bay played against Buffalo in an outdoor Superbowl in cold weather, no one would have an advantage. The advantage depends on who the teams are, and you don't know who that's going to be 3 years from now. Screw the writers. They're too fat and pampered anyway. Go to the Pro Bowl to relax. The main problem with small market teams is logistics. When the SB was in Jacksonville for instance, there weren't enough hotel rooms so they brought in cruise liners to shelter people. The SB brings in not only a ton of fans attending the game (and those just partying in the city), but also media personnel (writers and television), vendors, the people helping to host and put on various activities (parties, halftime acts and their crews). That's a lot of people, and I'm not sure a city like Green Bay, Kansas City, etc could support that kind of mess despite being cities with a rich history of football. I do like the idea of opening up to colder markets though. Super Bowl at Soldier Field? Sounds pretty awesome to me. If it weren't for the logistics problems, I would say just have it rotate on a schedule where it alternates from AFC to NFC each year, and within each conference have it go alphabetically. Or if you want to throw in one more step, AFC/NFC each year, then by division, then alphabetically. Course cities like New Orleans, Miami and Phoenix would throw a fit if they could only host the Super Bowl once every 32 years. A more realistic idea is (if the New York experiment goes well) to just let any city submit a bid to host the Super Bowl and let the owners judge it on its merits like it does with all the others. Decide if the size or other appealing aspects of the city mitigate the cold weather factor. Just give them a chance to be considered.
As far as being advantageous, I 100% agree with you. I kept thinking of the '99 Rams, AND the Tampa Bay Bucs losing something like 4 straight sub 40 NFC Championship games before shaking that monkey off their back and making a Super Bowl winning run in I think '01 vs. the Raiders. In Buffalo, again, you're right... small markets would have a problem. I was living down here when the big deal was made about Jacksonville, and kept laughing 'America's biggest city...' yeah, by square mileage, not population or development. That city is a dump. With Buffalo at least, you'll have Toronto and Rochester within an hours drive... just saying... We also shouldn't forget the freak occurrence with the Atlanta ice storm the year they hosted. But then again, I live in NY when that shit happened so I could give a fuck less. Atlanta is one of those cities that gets shut down by that kinda stuff, but in Buffalo they'd laugh.
How does a player that's been caught with guns and smoking marijuana... oh, and stealing money from a cop's girl friend... not show up for camp? Marshawn is really starting to be a prick. What team in the NFL isn't run by committee these days?
I completely forgot, the Cleveland/Jags game last year! On paper a HORRIBLE game, but turned out to be one of the best I saw all season. And they keep saying, the SB is really in Jersey, hence there will be a commute. Bill-ieve small market team.
As a Jets fan, the Seahawks decision to cut White disturbs me. Given that his potential suspension wasn't enough, per sources, to warrant his release, this leads me to believe that they think Leon Washington must be progressing nicely from his injury and will be full throttle for Opening Day. The injury was a specific issue cited by the Jets when trading him for not all that much. Now they've got McKnight puking on the sidelines every day. I think they should have ridden Leon for one more year (that's what she said) and used that traded pick for yet another defensive player to add to Rex's admittedly awesome arsenal.
Damnit, the Broncos just cut Tom Brandstater. I know it is no big deal when a third string quarterback is let go, but I know this kid personally and have watched him play since pop warner. I hope someone is smart enough to pick him up cause the young man can play in that league. Oh and fuck Tim Tebow.
Not that anyone cares about the Jets save for me, but sources say that the Jets are 'saving up' to give huge contacts to the Core Four: Revis, Mangold, Harris and Ferguson. I get the first three (I was a huge fan of the coolest name in football - Mangold - from his days at OSU), but Ferguson does NOT deserve colossal money. He's great against the pass but I think he's suspect against the run (if anyone has stats to dispute that I'm more than willing to listen b/c I'm not 100% sure) and that money could be better served elsewhere; for example, any of the major free agent signings this year if they actually pan out, or even to lock in Calvin Pace for a few more seasons. Thoughts?
I don't care how good a QB or back is, if there's no one to block for them they will end up on the ground behind the line. Now, I'm not gonna say I watched any Jets games other than their two vs. the Bills and the playoffs, but that's a pretty blanket statement. Googled these facts up. I wish Buffalo could keep a left tackle of that caliber.
While still not participating in OTAs, Marshawn Lynch is at least hitting the weight room at one Bills Drive. Beast MODE!
The way the Golden Tate Maple Log story <insert Najeh Davenport joke here> has been spun, Golden Tate has had us rolling at work today (yeah, it's slow). Carroll and Hasselbeck, along with Qwest's newest donut/coffee/maple log supplier, have handled this as different as night-and-day in to comparison with the media surrounding recent stories with players like Rapelesberger. It's just a funny story. You think those Maple Logs are pretty good? Of course the obligatory weed smoking and wife beating player is included in the article.
San Diego picked up one of Buffalo's most consistent players you've never heard of in Josh Reed. This guy has always come through in the clutch for the Bills, no matter who's the QB, so I'm bummed that they let him go. Maple logs and Golden Tate had us laughing that NFL players can just be rambunctious scamps sometimes. Then Vince Young, in a very Pac Man Jones style move, reminds us why NFL players have such bad reputations. I like the Oakland signing of John Henderson. He's a monster. Outside of the year of the Carolina Panther's Super Bowl run, the Jaguars line in '06 is probably one of my top of the decade (Hayward, Stroud, Henderson and Spicer).
Is anyone else wondering why everyone is speculating that Vine Young is not going to get any suspended for any games for his altercation? I know it's like comparing apples and oranges with Rothlisburger but remember Ben was never charged, Young was given a misdemeanor battery charge but he was charged none the less. Peter Gammons had said he would be surprised to see Young get anything from the league or the team. Yet he has caught on tape trying to attack a guy for making fun of the Longhorns, at a stripclub? I don't really get that. Again I'm not defending Ben but I don't see why young would get off with nothing.
I could see Vince Young getting suspended for 1 game, but nothing more than that. You're right when you say that it's like comparing apples and oranges. Vince's max punishment is a $500 fine. Rothliesburger would have been facing years in jail. And this was the second time that Rothliesburger was accused of rape. Aside from a possible mental episode (that hurt no one, and is in no way a crime or anything resembling a crime), Vince has pretty much been a model citizen. There's a big difference in getting charged with a minor misdemeanor and being investigated for felony sexual assault (and only having it dismissed because the DA understands he can't win the case). In all honesty, if the facts were a little bit different, meaning the girl wasn't underaged and hammered, Rothliesburger would be facing a trial right now. Maybe the people who are saying Vince won't be suspended are incorrect, but comparing it to the Rothliesburger situation is way off base. As you said, its comparing apples and oranges, and whether someone is charged with a crime is not the sole determining factor for the league. It also comes down to the effect on the leagues image, and having a QB accused of rape for a second time during a night where at minimum he was inappropriately trolling for ass in college clubs and providing alcohol to underage girls is far more damaging than a QB punching a strip club employee who had been harassing him. Don't get me wrong, Vince doesn't help the image, and that's why I can see him taking a 1 game seat, but beyond that, Rothliesburger's transgressions are far more damaging.
Fair enough. He's good. Let's say very good. But there are just too many Jets who can command more money and deserve more. Revis, Harris, and Mangold in particular. Not everyone can get max money and he'll have to be the odd man out.
You can call 15 yards and eject a player for taking a shot at someone, I don't think there's a rule on the books for attempted rape at the bottom of a pile. Ha ha ha. I really hope he's pulling a Favre and just doesn't feel like another year of training camp. Outside of serious fans, I don't think this guy is nearly appreciated enough as a top end in the NFL. At the same time he's never seen a playoff game, and this team doesn't look to be making a push for a year or three. Either way, he's been the enduring face of the Bills defense the last decade. Oh, and thanks for showing up Marshawn.
How about that fucking pussy Albert Haynesworth not showing up because he doesn't want to play in a 3-4 scheme. Even though he is (undeservedly, might I add) the highest paid defensive player in football. Darnell Dockett said it best. Something along the lines of "If you're giving me $100 million I'll play in a 4-3, 3-4, 3-8, 2-9 whatever." God I hate how big of crybabies athletes can be.
They were trying to move him draft day, unsuccessfully I might add. Fuck Albert Buttersworth. He'll show up out of shape again and be another reason Dan Snyder and his pocket book can't win it for a fan base that doesn't deserve the regular fucking he and his fuck-ass free agent acquisitions provide.
Mike Vick really is making me crazy. I've backed this guy up since the whole dog fighting shoe dropped. I haven't defended the actions, but I've stuck up for him as a human being, that pretty much has always been of questionable character, but everyone else wanted to make him out to be Tim Tebow. I was reading yet ANOTHER story on him violating his probation in 101 different ways, and this quote stuck out: "I left the restaurant prior to it occurring and did not witness what happened." Are you serious? Do you think we're that stupid? Fuck this guy, I've officially given up. He just FUCKED the Eagles, they could have gotten a retarded good deal for his ass prior to this, but until Goodell rules on it, there's a chance he'll never play again (being at a club till 2 am, prior to a shooting, of a co-defendant from his criminal trial who it's a violation for him to associate with). No one will want this dumb ass. Him and Cedric Benson should take a trip to hang out with Chris Henry and talk about bad decision making. Best line off the deadspin comments in regard to all this-"If you think about it in dog years, he really left the club 21 minutes before the shooting, which is plenty of time to get far away from the scene."