The Weird, Wacky and Awesome World of the NFL - General Banter thread

Hazys

Wompa1 wrote: »

More so the following they get here. It's like with Celtic only the connection shouldn't be as strong. I can't believe that all the supporters are people who have family from Boston.

I like meeting Irish people around that support different teams, it makes it cooler than soccer for me. I know 2 guys that follow the Ravens, 1 that follows The Colts, A couple of Giants fan, a Packers fan, A Bengals Fan and I'm a Bucs fan. If you go to the games in London too you'll see mostly jerseys for the teams playing but last time I went we managed to see every jersey except a Lions one. I thought it was pretty cool.

Just a bit worrying that some fans may go for the Pats because of some false Irish pride. If they want to follow an Irish team I'd imagine The Steelers would be closer with their owner...Could it be the fact alot of people starting watching when they started to win?

TBH most teams were sucessful at one point in the history of the NFL (except obviously the Bengals), so anybody following most of the teams can be called a glory hunter, whether they are or not.

The Colts have been nearly as good as the Patriots for the last decade, the Ravens won the Superbowl in their short history and have always been a playoff team, the Giants won only a couple of years ago and were a top team in the 80s/90s, the Packers have all the prestige, Bucs won in the early 2000's...

Being from Ireland, very few of us have legimate reasons to follow a specific NFL team. Its not a lot of fun to just follow the NFL without having an alliegence to a team, so we just have to pick a team. So a lot of us just picked a team for the most random reasons i.e. i like their jersey, they're my favourite team on Madden, my fav player plays for them, i went for them in the first game i watched, i have a 2nd cousin i never spoke to who lives in the city, etc.

Then a lot of people follow the NFL for awhile before they pick a team. So some people feel like they have to pick the worst team so they will never be called the Glory Hunter and have a smugness when it comes the topic of glory hunters. Other people pick the up and coming team that could win the SB in the near future so they get the best of both world's; an exciting team to follow and immunity from being called a glory hunter.

TBH when it comes to people picking a good team, i dont think many people pick the team for the sole purpose that they are successful. There is probably a ton of reasons, like they have one or two players/coaches they like, they have a great offense/defense to watch so they root for them and like watching them, then slowly they follow the team.

I hate when people whine over who follows who, when very few of us have legimate links to the team we follow and people with legitmate links look down at people who dont have legit links because they couldnt possibly be a die hard fan of the team they support. Get over it...





My story: I was always an NFL fan even from a very early age i was fascinated by the sport. There are some funny pictures of me, my brother and cousins playing AF in the hall way of my cousins gaff with hurling helmets and mini rugby ball, i wouldnt have been more than 10 at the time. (Aww a very nostaligic image for me ) By dad had a passing interest in the sport (so thats where i picked it up), we'd sit down some sundays and watch a game till my mum kicked us out to watch the news. Madden then just reinforced my interest in the game.

I never really had a team, i kinda filp flop tru teams when i was a teenager. But the first Superbowl i was allowed to stayed up and watch fully was the Rams and Pats Superbowl...i rooted for the underdog in that game and they have been my team ever since. I thought Tom Brady was a fcuking legend for that drive to win the game so he became my fav player.

It's slightly coincidental i live in Boston now but i'll be a die hard fan for life...Go Pats!

tallaghtoutlaws

Chucky the tree wrote: »

It's because they won. People won't say that obviously, and I'm sure there's other reasons but them winning is a huge help. Look at the thread on boards, there clearly the most supported team, big coincidence? Hardly, if the Pats played like the Lions the last decade they'd have very few supporters.

Not always. I started following the Pats when they were sh1te and I was a kid. Hugh Millen was the QB Leonard Russell the RB and Cook and Fryar were our two best WR at time as far as I remember. The Pats went 6-10 that season and it was the "little guy" that made me follow them. Knew nothing of the NFL other than the fact my uncle gave me a redskins jersey and when I was on holiday as a child in Kerry some American dude told me I should play the sport when I grew up so naturally I took interest. Now my GF in from MA, I have gone to many Pats games and spend a lot of time between MA and WI. I have a soft spot for the PAckers also.

These days you are going to get plenty of Pats fans due to their success just like Colts fans, Giants fans, Steelers fans, Cardinals Fans and pretty much anyone who has won a bowl in the last decade or the era of Sky Sports and their coverage of football through the age of the modern internet.

eagle eye

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

Not always. I started following the Pats when they were sh1te and I was a kid.

Me too except for the crossed out bit.:D

I was a season ticket holder for a couple of years in the fridge that was Foxboro Stadium during the Parcells and Carroll years.

mikemac

This is the weird, wacky and awesome thread after all

Over in Wembly I spotted this jersey


I found it in a google image search
I believe the Patriots were to play some exhibition game in China or Japan and it got cancelled making the jerseys pretty rare and give instant coolness :cool:

Well I'm not a Patriot fan but I'd say the few who have this jersey are pretty happy with themselves

ReacherCreature

Chucky the tree wrote: »

It's because they won. People won't say that obviously, and I'm sure there's other reasons but them winning is a huge help. Look at the thread on boards, there clearly the most supported team, big coincidence? Hardly, if the Pats played like the Lions the last decade they'd have very few supporters.

Personally for me, that's horseshit. I picked the team completely at random playing Madden one year and stuck with them. Not because they're winners. I picked them, stuck with them and always will.

cooker3

raven136 wrote: »

Everyone is prepared for our running game so letting him throw other than 4 yards might help.All QB have awful stats their first 2 seasons but their teams didnt try and hide them and let them mature.

Aaron Rodgers says hello.

davyjose

cooker3 wrote: »

Aaron Rodgers says hello.

So does the bench he was warming

eagle eye

RE: Maroney

It appears it was off the field issues as in work ethic which is suggested here by Fred Taylor. He really praises lawfirm here and his work ethic.

Asked how that compares to former Patriot Laurence Maroney's work ethic, Taylor said: "Laurence, he had his — not quite the same. And this isn't me throwing him under the bus. But he would work. It would take him a few snaps to kind of get him going. He would work when he felt there was a sense of urgency and a need to, as opposed to, 'Let me make these deposits and then later I can go in and make a withdrawal and still have more.' That wasn't necessarily his mindset, like Kevin and Benny and Sammy [Morris] and a few other guys on the team, not just our position. That light switch, you have to turn it on and start getting the picture and grasping that concept, and that's what we've been trying to instill in him. Hopefully, that switch comes on, and he won't need anybody to push him that extra step. He can do it when the doors are closed and nobody's watching. That's what it takes to be special in this league."

http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/this-just-in/2139312/taylor-hope-switch-comes-maroney

f1dan

Just curious if anyone else listened to this. Tuesday was the first episode and I have to say I really enjoyed it. He had a great interview with Ray Lewis about preparing for a game and about getting switched on, really interesting. It's available on iTunes for anyone interested

Peyton Manning

Downloaded it the other day but never got round to listening to it, I stuck on the Patriots Playbook instead which was a good two hours and completely forgot!

Is there much previews of the weekend games in it? I probably wont get to listen until Monday, but if its all a look at whats coming up tomorrow, there might not be much point on Monday!

spiralism

interestingly enough, san diego have their 1st home game blacked out... they're a fickle bunch down in so cal it seems....

mikemac

You sure?

I know Oakland have their game blacked out

I didn't hear about that about the Chargers

spiralism

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/09/16/san-diego-blackout-official-chargers-falls-7000-tickets-short/

it was on the official NFL site too so i'm pretty sure... some fans they are

mikemac

For an opening home game, that's poor form!

*shakes head in disgust*

spiralism

feelingstressed wrote: »

For an opening home game, that's poor form!

*shakes head in disgust*

It is... typical SD fans though, disloyal bandwagoners... I mean, it's not like they're going to watch total muck, this is a consistent 10+ win a season team we're talking about... I can at least understand the Raiders blacking out to some degree as their fans are sick of shelling their money out to Al Davis for utter s***e, year in, year out. Charger fans... nope... both Kansas city and Denver are smaller cities with currently weaker teams yet they have 2 of the most loyal fanbases in the NFL

landsleaving

Despite the fact I'm Irish and picked the Chargers as my team for no other reason than I liked the lightning bolt logo and the jersey, I'd jump at the chance to see them play. I don't get that type of attitude from fans at all. They're actually good to watch, unlike many NFL teams, and are more than likely going to the playoffs. I can't understand how one lost game can be such a big deal.

Is it maybe the fact that they do the same thing every year, and the fans just think they can go after game 4 or 5 and watch them when they start winning? :pac:

Si Conando

In fairness this is the first blackout since 2004 for the chargers, and they have had poor starts to the season in many of those years.

f1dan

Archimedes wrote: »

Downloaded it the other day but never got round to listening to it, I stuck on the Patriots Playbook instead which was a good two hours and completely forgot!

Is there much previews of the weekend games in it? I probably wont get to listen until Monday, but if its all a look at whats coming up tomorrow, there might not be much point on Monday!

I don't think there were any game previews IIRC. It's well worth listening to

ArmCandyBaby

spiralism wrote: »

It is... typical SD fans though, disloyal bandwagoners... I mean, it's not like they're going to watch total muck, this is a consistent 10+ win a season team we're talking about... I can at least understand the Raiders blacking out to some degree as their fans are sick of shelling their money out to Al Davis for utter s***e, year in, year out. Charger fans... nope... both Kansas city and Denver are smaller cities with currently weaker teams yet they have 2 of the most loyal fanbases in the NFL

Southern California is smashed broke. I'd say that is the most significant factor. That's the team's view anyway.

Hazys

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4683569/former-jets-rb-woodhead-to-join-pats

Pats sign former Jet Danny Woodhead to replace Maroney.

Peyton Manning

Hazys wrote: »

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4683569/former-jets-rb-woodhead-to-join-pats

Pats sign former Jet Danny Woodhead to replace Maroney.

Sounds like a reverse Kevin O'Connell deal to me.

Love that little guy after Hard Knocks

Guarantee you he'll be captain on Sunday too

davyjose

ArmCandyBaby wrote: »

Southern California is smashed broke. I'd say that is the most significant factor. That's the team's view anyway.

C'mon man, Southern California still the richest place on the planet. I get that there's a recession on, but I'm not buying that excuse.

mikemac

This weekend the Chargers and the Raiders face a blackout

Despite their rich history, the 49'ers don't fill their stadium

No NFL franchise in LA and many say the city couldn't and wouldn't support it though it's a massive market

I'm sure some senior NFL executive is looking at all this

ArmCandyBaby

davyjose wrote: »

C'mon man, Southern California still the richest place on the planet. I get that there's a recession on, but I'm not buying that excuse.

So, what, Chargers fans aren't turning up to watch a team in their prime because they're "disloyal bandwagoners" as someone said above? That makes much more sense(!) It's just that rival fans always like to stick it to each other. Here's a good article on the state of California and here's a more recent one. We have a similar unemployment rate and look at the state of Croke Park this year. Some parts of San Diego are very rich but the vast majority is as blue collar as any other part of the US.

spiralism

ArmCandyBaby wrote: »

So, what, Chargers fans aren't turning up to watch a team in their prime because they're "disloyal bandwagoners" as someone said above? That makes much more sense(!) It's just that rival fans always like to stick it to each other. Here's a good article on the state of California and here's a more recent one. We have a similar unemployment rate and look at the state of Croke Park this year. Some parts of San Diego are very rich but the vast majority is as blue collar as any other part of the US.

Denver and Kansas city are facing record unemployment yet the Broncos and Chiefs sell out larger stadiums, with huge waiting list for season tickets... so i'm not really buying that tbh....

at the end of the day, the chargers are the only team currently regarded as "elite" that cant sell out its own stadium, and thats down to both their fans and their front office, simple as.

davyjose

ArmCandyBaby wrote: »

So, what, Chargers fans aren't turning up to watch a team in their prime because they're "disloyal bandwagoners" as someone said above? That makes much more sense(!) It's just that rival fans always like to stick it to each other. Here's a good article on the state of California and here's a more recent one. We have a similar unemployment rate and look at the state of Croke Park this year. Some parts of San Diego are very rich but the vast majority is as blue collar as any other part of the US.

It's the same across America. The much smaller markets of Pittsburgh and Indy are suffering huge unemployment rates too, but the 85-90% who are employed are more than capable of filling 70-odd thousand seats eight times a year.

Blaming unemployment smacks of an excuse to me. It's still an extraordinarily wealthy part of the world.

spiralism

AFC west teams 4-0 this week, a nice change, it has to be said!

cooker3

Kenny McKinley committed suicide. Only 23, very sad.

http://www.kdvr.com/news/kdvr-broncos-mckinley-death-txt,0,3972716.story

Hazys

cooker3 wrote: »

Kenny McKinley committed suicide. Only 23, very sad.

http://www.kdvr.com/news/kdvr-broncos-mckinley-death-txt,0,3972716.story

Wow very sad, didnt really know the player but its very sad. Another young male takes his own life.

Its amazing how a guy you presume has everything that so many people dream for, is so depressed he takes his own life, so sad, poor guy. It just shows how fragile the human mind is.

I hope he is free from his pain and his family and friends dont suffer too much either.

raven136

Reports say Braylon Edwards was arrested for DUI early hours on Tuesday morning.BAC double the limit.

Can anyone say Idiot.