Are You Ready for Some FOOTBALL! - Week 7

[reismark]

I'll be honest, Imran, that bet of yours isn't such a sure thing anymore. (And this is coming from someone who predicted the Bears would finish dead last in the league, with a 2-14 record to be exact.) 7-9 looks like a real possibility given the sorry state of that division...

[Imran Siddiqui]

I think the Pack finally found their footing after last week. And Detroit is looking a bit better. Their only win, I see, outside their division is San Fran.

With the sorry state of the division (and how bad Minny has fallen), I'll revise my prediction of 4-12 to 6-10.

[reismark]

I'm not so sure. I think a lot of it was just Green Bay taking out weeks of frustration on a notoriously hot & cold team in New Orleans that was due for a "cold" week.

They should win in Minnesota next week, and then they've got a real tough stretch coming up: away against Cincinnati, home against Pittsburgh, away against Atlanta. Let's see how they do there before we proclaim that the Packers have found their footing...

[-Jrabbit]

There are a lot of crap announcers out there, but I just wanted to say that it's a pretty tough job to do consistently well. I have some professional sympathy for those guys. They have a big target on their backs, every word can be scrutinzed.

I did a fair amount of broadcasting (in my youth), including sportscasting (mostly basketball). It's a tough job to do well. That does not excuse bad announcing, but everything is in realtime, of the moment, and there is tremendous pressure to fill that space, that air time. You don't get a chance to plan your response to what happens. You just react to what unfold before you and just... keep... talking...

It's easy to screw up. It's easy to alienate the fans of one team. And you can't take it back.

My guess is that there was a desire to see the homeless Saints comeback succeed (or at least go to overtime). It would be a good story. Plus there's the home crowd factor, the pressure of the moment, the need to say something and -- suddenly your foot's in your mouth.

Trust me, an intelligence test would NOT help.

The job is about quick-wittedness and good news judgment. Oh, and you're supposed to be an expert on the sport, have everyone's number memorized, and be glib and entertaining at the same time.

I'm sure the incident you guys heard today was not a shining example of good broadcast journalism. But walk a mile in those shoes and you'll know how easy it is for something like this to happen.

Calls like that happen both ways. One ref calls interference, another lets the same play go because the ball was "uncatchable." NBA games mysteriously never seem to end on free throws. Etc. For myself, I believe that rules are rules and should be enforced. But we've all seen our favorite teams benefit from, and get screwed by, an individual ref's decision/style.

Here, you got the call you wanted, got the outcome you wanted. Better to like the call and hate the announcers than the other way around!!

[-Jrabbit]

I can't believe I forgot to enter Lombarki picks for this week... Oops.

[JohnT]

I know Jrabbit. But I'm a Falcons fan so I'm going to whine about everything like that. The announcers were fine and it's not as if the Birds didn't catch a lucky, Michigan-esque break, but still... my fandom forces me to carp.

[JohnT]

Anybody else here just cringe in anticipation whenever Michael Vick has the ball? Not that he's going to make a bad play, but that he's going to go down for the season.

[snoopy369]

Yes. And more to the point, I can no longer consider playing him in FFL Not that I drafted him or anything (got him as excess baggage in a trade for PRIEST!) but still, he's going to have a Q or a P or a D next to his name the entire season

Somebody buy that man a glass of MILK ffs, and maybe some glucosamine and chondroitin...

[asleepathewheel]

Leaving in just a minute for the monday night game. should be a blast. hoping for lots of points

[Imran Siddiqui]

Wow... St. Louis dominating the 1st Q, Indy dominating the 2nd.

[-Jrabbit]

Ram jumped to an early 17-point lead, but Indy didn't panic.
2 minutes to go in the half and it's 17-14 Rams.

[-Jrabbit]

Indy stuck with their game plan, a pretty balanced attack. Edgerrin is in line for a huge game.

[Imran Siddiqui]

It's great that Peyton is mic'd tonight. You can get more soundbites from him than anyone else in the game.

[-Jrabbit]

Hm, maybe I'll turn up the sound in the 2nd half.
What's the word on Bulger?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Not going to return in this game... not sure beyond that.