# NFL - football fans are there any of them here



## Marko

Cant believe there is no topic about it!


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## Pappy

By the looks of the empty seats in the stadiums, I think the NFL has shot themselves in the foot. That, and the fact my Giants need a total overhaul.


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## Buckeye

I quit watching a few years ago when it became theater instead of sport.  Don't miss it at all

GO BUCKS

Hoot


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## Pappy

Today’s college football has it all over pro ball. Some pro players catch a ball and you would think They conquered Mt. Fuji. One player even hid a cell phone behind the goal post. And the disrespect for the flag...won’t even go there.


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## Marie5656

*Just read that the NFL has canceled the Sunday Night Football game this weekend.

You are right, not a lot of football threads here.  Being in western NY State, we will sometimes, in the right company, claim to still root for the Buffalo Bills.  
*


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## DaveA

I watch pro football every week, during the season.  I too did not enjoy the foolishness regarding not standing for the National Anthem but it seems that they just moved the camera shots away from the sidelines and the problem (IMHO) seems to have gone away.  I've been watching morons not removing their hats for years.  Always a few slow learners.

I was a Giants fan back in the 50's when they were the only team to watch (in B&W) on TV, at least here in the northeast. Y.A. Tittle,, Charley Conerly, Frank Gifford, etc.  They had some powerhouse teams back then in a much smaller NFL.  Some legendary games again Otto Graham and the Browns.  Since the AFL came into being, I've been a Patriots fan and live about 35 miles from the stadium in Foxboro.  They're having another decent season, after a shaky
start, and have been struggling lately.  Brady's thrown picks in 5 or 6 games in a row.  Not something to be expected from him, the last time it happened was in 2002.  They may come to rue the day they traded Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers  and Brisset to the Colts as they're now left with  Brian Hoyer as a back-up QB.  He started with the Pats and has been with 10 teams in 10 years???

I doubt that they'll get by the Steelers in the AFC play-offs but time will tell.


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## Don M.

I like to flip the TV to a football or basketball game, and relax in the recliner.  Generally, I can last at least 15 or 20 minutes before I'm sound asleep....something about getting all enthralled by a bunch of overpaid athletes running back and forth chasing a ball, has never really held my attention very long.  If our nation's schools and universities placed as much attention on giving the students a good education, as they do on promoting their sports programs, we would all be better off.  The odds of a high school football player making it to the NFL are about .2%....99.8% of them either neglect their studies, or sustain injuries, or both.


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## rkunsaw

I haven't watched a game all year and haven't missed it a bit. Watching college bowl games and then waiting for baseball season.


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## moviequeen1

I prefer watching college football,some times I'll watch Canadian football as well,more exciting than the pros 
I feel sorry for the die hard fans of our pathetic pro football team,Buffalo Bills.I haven't followed them in yrs. It looks like their 17yr streak of not making it into the playoffs will continue Sue


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## Lethe200

Most fans gravitate to traditional sports sites, such as SB Nation, or are into Fantasy Football. More in-depth coverage and some very interesting fan discussions.

Please, the reason Kaepernick and other black athletes were kneeling was to PROTEST INJUSTICE. If it makes you uncomfortable, there itself is the reason to do it. Kneeling is *not *disrespectful. A lot of people didn't like it when Tommy Edwards raised his fist at the '68 Olympics, either - but it helped show a country that the "status quo" was not equal for all.

Kaep, btw, has given $1M to various charities as part of a personal pledge to help others, including $100K to Meals on Wheels, whose lack of funding was the subject of a recent Slate.com article*.
_
* *We’re Letting Meals on Wheels, One of Our Best Senior Programs, Slowly Wither and Die*
Our population is aging rapidly, and one of the best sources of support remains chronically underfunded.
http://www.slate.com/articles/healt...s_a_great_program_slowly_whither_and_die.html

_
I still prefer watching NFL football to college football. College has gotten away from NFL-style offenses and defenses, and as a result I see too many rookies with terrible technique and poor strategic skills. It's like watching baseball players who can't throw to a cut-off man to save a run any longer. Bleh.


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## MarkinPhx

Arizona Cardinals fan here so haven't had much to cheer about this year. It would be great if they knock the Seahawks out of the playoffs this weekend though


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## Traveler

I love professional football. That being said, I can't say I like some of the newer rules or the "show off" players. 

I truly miss the old-time athletes who played their hearts out for the fans: Jim Brown, who never, ever ran out-of-bounds; Deacon Jones, Ronnie Lott and Jerry Rice were a joy to watch. they don't make 'em like that any more.

One thing I absolutely hate about the NFL is that the league is much more interested in the money than loyalty to the fans, ie team owners who abandon a city, and go where-ever they can get a better deal. IMO, if an owner wishes to go, ok go, but the NAME stays. And, I absolutely hate the concept of the NFL Network. Seriously, if I support a team for 30 years, I should not have to pay to watch a big game on Monday Night Football. A few more years and we will have to pay to watch the Super Bowl.


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## oldman

I have half-heartedly watched a few Steelers games this season, but it just doesn't feel the same since the whole "taking the knee" incident. I think that Papa Johns is still in a big debacle with the NFL, so I have been buying their pizza in support of their efforts to get the NFL to resolve this issue. I think Goodell is the problem with resolving it. He is nothing more than a puppet and is afraid that if he supports the fans, he will lose his $30,000,000.00 salary that the owners pay their puppet. Think about that. This man earns (Yeah, earns. What a joke.) $30,000,000.00. No wonder ticket prices are so high. That's a ridiculous salary for an NFL commissioner, who does next to nothing, except hand down fines to players. BTW, at one time, his salary was in excess of $40,000,000.00.


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## Traveler

I totally agree.  Goodell is a HUGE problem. IMO he is slowly but surely destroying what was once the greatest, most exciting game in the world.


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## Camper6

We had pools galore for predicting NFL games.

Somehow the interest has waned.

It will come back again. 

My my team is the Minnesota Vikings.


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## Lethe200

MarkinPhx said:


> Arizona Cardinals fan here so haven't had much to cheer about this year. It would be great if they knock the Seahawks out of the playoffs this weekend though



Yes, it will be interesting to see if Bruce Arians returns for 2018 or not. He's done a pretty good job, would hate to see him leave, but that's what happens sometimes.

At least you always have Larry Fitzgerald to cheer on!


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## Camper6

My picks this week 17

Det Ind min ne wish dal pit atl bal Mia no jax den oak sf sea


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## Traveler

My long-shot pick of the week is Buffalo Bills over the Dolphins


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## Lethe200

First round playoff schedule (all times PT, so add 3 hrs if you're on the ECoast!):

Sat:
Titans at KC, 1:35 ESPN
Falcons at Rams, 5:15p NBC


Sun
Bills at Jaguars, 10a CBS
Panthers at New Orleans, 1:40p Fox2


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## 911

Marie5656 said:


> *Just read that the NFL has canceled the Sunday Night Football game this weekend.
> 
> You are right, not a lot of football threads here.  Being in western NY State, we will sometimes, in the right company, claim to still root for the Buffalo Bills.
> *




Was this supposed to be a joke? I thought for sure that I watched the Bengals-Ravens game on New Years's Eve on Sunday night. While watching this game, I noticed that the stands were at least 50% empty, which some may have stayed home due to the weather being so cold. I also enjoyed watching the ending of the game. The question now is; will Marvin Lewis return with the Bengals in 2018? 

It doesn't really matter who coaches the Bengals next season. If they don't put a better defense on the field, they will end of about the same as they did this season.


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## Lethe200

911 said:


> Was this supposed to be a joke? I thought for sure that I watched the Bengals-Ravens game on New Years's Eve on Sunday night.



That game started at 4:25p ET and 1:25p PT. It's considered Game #2 on the broadcast schedule. A Sunday night game would start at 8:30p ET and 5:30p PT, but no game was ever scheduled for game #3 on 12/31/2017:
http://money.cnn.com/2017/12/26/media/nfl-sunday-night-football/index.html


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## MarkinPhx

Lethe200 said:


> Yes, it will be interesting to see if Bruce Arians returns for 2018 or not. He's done a pretty good job, would hate to see him leave, but that's what happens sometimes.
> 
> At least you always have Larry Fitzgerald to cheer on!



Now both Arians and Palmer are gone ! Looks like a rebuilding project is ahead of the team. But as you said, we still have Fitz


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## Lethe200

MarkinPhx said:


> Now both Arians and Palmer are gone ! Looks like a rebuilding project is ahead of the team. But as you said, we still have Fitz



Talk is Cards want to pry draft hot QB pick Baker Mayfield out of Cleveland's hold. Mayfield has already said he doesn't want to go to Cleveland (not surprising, LOL). Question is can they arrange a swap to get Mayfield?

 Cleveland, the team that passed on Deshaun Watson! Sheesh. No wonder their fans wear bags over their heads. I remember the glory days of HOF'er Jim Brown. Must be agony being a Browns fan these days. 1-31 in two years! It's the only first they've managed.....
_(corrected - the Browns won Game 15 in 2016 to end 1-15)_


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## Lethe200

*And speaking of the Browns and their long-suffering fans.....*

*Cleveland** Browns fans finally get a parade ... only one they never hoped for*
It may seem daft to throw a parade after becoming only the second team ever to go winless in a 16-game season, but Browns fans hope the owners will take note

(excerpt)

_A Cleveland Browns fans watches the action from his seat during a home game against the Baltimore Ravens earlier this month. Photograph: Diamond Images/Getty Images_
London Guardian U.S. by Daniel McGraw in Cleveland, Ohio: 5 Jan ‘18 

When talking about the parade he’s helped plan, lifelong Cleveland Browns fan Chris McNeil wants to make one thing perfectly clear.

“Make sure you get this right,” he said loudly. “We are not having a celebration of losing, we are having a protest of losing. We want to let the Browns ownership and front office know we are holding them accountable for having such a bad team.

“And maybe we’ll have some fun while doing that.”

Full article at: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...ly-get-a-parade-only-one-they-never-hoped-for


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## MarkinPhx

Lethe200 said:


> Talk is Cards want to pry draft hot QB pick Baker Mayfield out of Cleveland's hold. Mayfield has already said he doesn't want to go to Cleveland (not surprising, LOL). Question is can they arrange a swap to get Mayfield?
> 
> Cleveland, the team that passed on Deshaun Watson! Sheesh. No wonder their fans wear bags over their heads. I remember the glory days of HOF'er Jim Brown. Must be agony being a Browns fan these days. 1-31 in two years! It's the only first they've managed.....
> _(corrected - the Browns won Game 15 in 2016 to end 1-15)_



I have a feeling that the Cards are going to try to go after Smith or Cousins. They have been burned so many times in the draft at the QB position and have tried to go after experienced QB's after the Matt Leinart fiasco.


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## DaveA

They should have grabbed Jimmy Garoppolo when the Patriots foolishly traded him away to the 49ers.  I think they were 1-10 before he arrived and at season's end they won 5 straight.  I think that the Pats will rue the day that they let him slip away.


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## JimW

DaveA said:


> I watch pro football every week, during the season.   I too did not enjoy the foolishness regarding not standing for the  National Anthem but it seems that they just moved the camera shots away  from the sidelines and the problem (IMHO) seems to have gone away.  I've  been watching morons not removing their hats for years.  Always a few  slow learners.
> 
> I was a Giants fan back in the 50's when they were the only team to  watch (in B&W) on TV, at least here in the northeast. Y.A. Tittle,,  Charley Conerly, Frank Gifford, etc.  They had some powerhouse teams  back then in a much smaller NFL.  Some legendary games again Otto Graham  and the Browns.  Since the AFL came into being, I've been a Patriots  fan and live about 35 miles from the stadium in Foxboro.  They're having  another decent season, after a shaky
> start, and have been struggling lately.  Brady's thrown picks in 5 or 6  games in a row.  Not something to be expected from him, the last time it  happened was in 2002.  They may come to rue the day they traded Jimmy  Garoppolo to the 49ers  and Brisset to the Colts as they're now left  with  Brian Hoyer as a back-up QB.  He started with the Pats and has  been with 10 teams in 10 years???
> 
> I doubt that they'll get by the Steelers in the AFC play-offs but time will tell.





Hi DaveA, Fellow Masshole and Pats fan since 1970 here. I live about 3 miles north of Boston in Saugus. I'm looking forward to Saturday's game against the Titans and then a rematch against the Steelers for the AFC Championship, should be fun. The Pats should be able to handle the Steelers, especially in Foxboro. I contribute Brady's rough patch, (if you really want to call it that), to his achille's injury and the fact that he hasn't had a full compliment of receivers all year. The fact that Gronk has made it an entire season without missing a game is a welcomed surprise.


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## DaveA

Aha Jim - - Home of the historic Saugus Iron Works!  Went by it once when we were detoured off of Rte.1 while heading for the cottage in Maine.

I hope that was Brady's problem (Achilles injury)  They've done well against the Steelers at Foxboro but without the never ending replays, that we have today - - -they were beaten by the Steelers a couple of weeks back. I guess what worries me is their "on again - off again" defense.  Some weeks they really have it under control and others their "bend-don't break" defense just collapses. We'll see, but they should handle the Titans with ease,


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## JimW

DaveA said:


> Aha Jim - - Home of the historic Saugus Iron Works!  Went by it once when we were detoured off of Rte.1 while heading for the cottage in Maine.
> 
> I hope that was Brady's problem (Achilles injury)  They've done well against the Steelers at Foxboro but without the never ending replays, that we have today - - -they were beaten by the Steelers a couple of weeks back. I guess what worries me is their "on again - off again" defense.  Some weeks they really have it under control and others their "bend-don't break" defense just collapses. We'll see, but they should handle the Titans with ease,



Lived in this area for 54 years and have never been inside of the Saugus Iron Works, driven by hundreds of times but never went in. One of these days.........

Whereabouts in Maine is your Cottage? My wife and I vacation frequently in the Sebago area and are thinking of making Maine our retirement place.

I agree that the combination of instant replay along with this horrible rule that changed what a complete pass is saved the Pats a loss to the Steelers and gave them home field throughout the playoffs. I share your concern with the Pats D, they were non-existent on that last Steelers drive and sometimes I wonder what they're doing. A big part of the problem has been a lack of pass rush, Hightower being out for the second half of the season and losing 3rd round pick Derek Rivers (OLB) for the season in training camp certainly didn't help with that. I think and hope that James Harrison will give them a nice boost in that dept for the playoffs. They don't need a lot from Harrison, maybe a dozen or so snaps and a few QB pressures/sacks will go far in stopping the opposing offenses. 

I'm thinking Pats 43 - Titans 17 for Saturday night's game.


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## DaveA

Jim --For shame!!! Missing that Saugus "hot spot".   

We  spend the spring and fall months at our daughter's cottage in Brownfield, ME.  Just a bit west of Sebago.  They use it during the summer months as he's a teacher and has the summer off.  Nice country up there and, if you skip the touristy areas, it's like stepping back in time in some regards.  We've been making the trip for the past 20 years, since they bought the property.  My avatar is a view from the front porch.


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## JimW

DaveA said:


> Jim --For shame!!! Missing that Saugus "hot spot".
> 
> We  spend the spring and fall months at our daughter's cottage in Brownfield, ME.  Just a bit west of Sebago.  They use it during the summer months as he's a teacher and has the summer off.  Nice country up there and, if you skip the touristy areas, it's like stepping back in time in some regards.  We've been making the trip for the past 20 years, since they bought the property.  My avatar is a view from the front porch.



Yeah it's a hot spot alright. Oddly enough, Saugus Iron Works is a National Historic Site and they have Ranger guided tours from May thru October. I keep teasing my wife telling her that's where we're going for our vacation. 

We love Maine and try to spend at least a week there every summer/fall. The smaller lakes away from Sebago are the best and are just like your daughter's area. That's a nice view you/they have. Our retirement dream is a log cabin on the water with a few acres of land, doing everything we can to make it happen.


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