NFL - Are you ready for some Football - Week 4

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

http://bogp.com/recordingits.gif

(Picture is too big, so click on the link)

Here ya go

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by asleepathewheel
not quite McClaren fines, eh?

I'm surprised Belichick wasn't suspended a game.

Q F T

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Belichick says:

“I accept full responsibility for the actions that led to tonight’s ruling. Once again, I apologize to the Kraft family and every person directly or indirectly associated with the New England Patriots for the embarrassment, distraction and penalty my mistake caused. I also apologize to Patriots fans and would like to thank them for their support during the past few days and throughout my career.

“As the Commissioner acknowledged, our use of sideline video had no impact on the outcome of last week’s game. We have never used sideline video to obtain a competitive advantage while the game was in progress.

“Part of my job as head coach is to ensure that our football operations are conducted in compliance of the league rules and all accepted interpretations of them. My interpretation of a rule in the Constitution and Bylaws was incorrect.

“With tonight’s resolution, I will not be offering any further comments on this matter. We are moving on with our preparations for Sunday’s game.”

The interesting part is 'while the game was in progress'...to me, this means he thought he found a loophole by taping signals and analyzing them for use in future games (this had already been suggested, I just think this statement gives the suggestion some weight.) Goodell decided it wasn't so much a loophole and slapped him for it.

[pchang]

Belichick

is a weasel.

[Zopperoni]

A successful weasel though

[Sparrowhawk]

Not sure if I should be creating a seperate thread or cluttering up this thread every week, but I am looking for some football pick help as I am not a huge fan of the NFL, and I am in a pool where I could use some help.

Basically I need to pick a winner every week and can't pick the same team twice. Last week I took Pittsburgh so I can't pick them again.

This week I am debating between Chicago (versus Kansas City), Jacksonnville (versus Atlanta) or maybe Denver (versus Oakland).

Being as I don't know a lot myself, I am hoping for some help from those at Apolyton that do know something about football.

/me

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by Sparrowhawk
Not sure if I should be creating a seperate thread or cluttering up this thread every week, but I am looking for some football pick help as I am not a huge fan of the NFL, and I am in a pool where I could use some help.

Basically I need to pick a winner every week and can't pick the same team twice. Last week I took Pittsburgh so I can't pick them again.

This week I am debating between Chicago (versus Kansas City), Jacksonnville (versus Atlanta) or maybe Denver (versus Oakland).

Being as I don't know a lot myself, I am hoping for some help from those at Apolyton that do know something about football.

* Sparrowhawk

Fun. Obviously, you choose based on who has the worst opponent.

In the preseason thread, you asked who had the best chance of going 0-16 in the NFL this year, and I claimed the Kansas City Chiefs were the worst team in football. Their 20-3 drubbing at the hands of the Texans (whom I suspect are probably not very good) helps me confirm that notion.

I think the Bears will be fairly safe against an anemic Chiefs offense. They shut down LaDainian Tomlinson last week, which lends credence to the theory that the Bears are still pretty good on defense. If they shut down Tomlinson, they can probably contain Larry Johnson pretty handily.

The only danger with picking the Bears is that you could stumble into a patented Rex Grossman Freakout. However, Rex Grossman's truly awful games have generally come against good defenses. The Chiefs do not have a good defense.

Take the Bears for this week. They should have a very good chance to win, and so should any Chiefs opponent in the foreseeable future.

I do like that you were looking at Oakland and Atlanta. The Oakland offense still sucks (don't let a good performance against Detroit fool you) but it's probably not going to be the worst in the league again. However, their defense, which was pretty good last year, looked bad in its first game against Detroit. So Oakland should be a comfortable cider dweller once again. Atlanta is in trouble for obvious reasons, but their defense may surprise people and do kind of well.

Other bad teams to pick against:
1. The Browns. They're one of the reasons I said I don't expect the Raiders to have the league's worst offense. They're awful on defense too. They let Ben Roethlisberger throw four touchdowns in a little over a half, and the Steelers did nothing but run the ball for the rest of the game.
2. Miami was another team I suggested would suck in the preseason thread. But they held the Redskins to overtime, and I expect the Redskins to be decent this year. I wouldn't be prepared to write them off just yet, but odds are they aren't going to have a good year.
3. Keep an eye on the Rams. Their defense is awful, and their offense might be in big trouble without Orlando Pace.

At this point there are four teams I think are obviously going to be really bad, and two others that might end up being doormats. That's plenty to work with at the moment.

[Zopperoni]

Yea... it's tough to bet against the Bengals who are playing the Browns...

[-Jrabbit]

I recommend a dartboard, Sparrowhawk. Or some form of randomization.

Of course, I would also recommend getting Orlando Bloom out of your avatar...

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit


Of course, I would also recommend getting Orlando Bloom out of your avatar...

Q F T

[Zopperoni]

In other news:

Ricky Williams to seek reinstatement to NFL again
MIAMI (AP) -- Bad news for NFL linebackers, good news for soap opera fans: Ricky Williams is planning another comeback.

The suspended running back is eligible to seek reinstatement by the NFL after Oct. 1 and will do so, his attorney said Friday.

In recent years, Williams has made more headlines than first downs, playing in only 12 NFL games since the start of the 2004 season. His current suspension began in April 2006 after he violated the league's drug policy for the fourth time, and a positive test for marijuana this April delayed his return.

Williams' attorney, David Cornwell, said they spoke by phone Thursday.

"He sounds wonderful," Cornwell said. "He sounds like he's in a great place, and I'm confident that will come through to the commissioner."

It's uncertain how quickly the 30-year-old Williams might be cleared to return -- or where he would play. He remains under contract with Miami, where he won the NFL rushing title in 2002, but first-year Dolphins coach Cam Cameron has given no indication he wants Williams.

Discussing Williams' most recent relapse in May, Cameron said it's difficult to salvage the careers of troubled players.

"The easiest predictor of future behavior is previous behavior," the coach said.

Dolphins general manager Randy Mueller is unlikely to lobby for Williams' return. It was Mueller who traded Williams to Miami when both were with the New Orleans Saints in 2002.

Since that deal, the Dolphins have endured a five-year playoff drought, the longest in franchise history.

Even if Miami no longer wants Williams, there's likely a market for player who rushed for 3,225 yards in 2002-03 -- assuming he can persuade a team he's eager to play. That has been a subject of debate in the past.

"All indications I have are that he has an interest in playing," Cornwell said. "He's a very eclectic young man with a lot of interests, and I think that's good. It's good for the NFL to have such players.

"I don't think he would go through this process if he didn't have a desire to play."

An NFL spokesman confirmed Williams is eligible to apply for reinstatement after Oct. 1 but declined further comment.

Cornwell said the process to seek reinstatement requires Williams to show he has followed the requirements of the NFL drug policy. Cornwell said commissioner Roger Goodell would decide whether to hold any face-to-face meetings.

Cornwell declined to say how quickly he thought Williams might be cleared to play.

"That's a hard thing to gauge," Cornwell said. "The commissioner has to collect a number of reports and information. I'm sure he'll move expeditiously, but I don't know what that translates into in terms of hours, days or weeks."

The season will be four weeks old before Williams is eligible to seek reinstatement.

Williams spent an extended vacation in Australia and India during a one-year retirement in 2004. He played in the Canadian Football League in 2006, then taught yoga in California.

Cornwell declined to say what Williams has been doing in recent months -- or even what hemisphere he's in.

"I don't know," Cornwell said with a laugh. "I spoke to him over the phone, so I don't want to be misleading."

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Link:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....ap/index.html

[snoopy369]

I'd take Jacksonville, because they're a totally safe bet, and are not as good as the other teams you mention (CHI, DEN) so you may want to take CHI/DEN later.

I'd look at a season schedule and do it all at once...

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by Zopperoni
In other news:

Ricky Williams to seek reinstatement to NFL again
MIAMI (AP) -- Bad news for NFL linebackers, good news for soap opera fans: Ricky Williams is planning another comeback.

The suspended running back is eligible to seek reinstatement by the NFL after Oct. 1 and will do so, his attorney said Friday.

In recent years, Williams has made more headlines than first downs, playing in only 12 NFL games since the start of the 2004 season. His current suspension began in April 2006 after he violated the league's drug policy for the fourth time, and a positive test for marijuana this April delayed his return.

Williams' attorney, David Cornwell, said they spoke by phone Thursday.

"He sounds wonderful," Cornwell said. "He sounds like he's in a great place, and I'm confident that will come through to the commissioner."

It's uncertain how quickly the 30-year-old Williams might be cleared to return -- or where he would play. He remains under contract with Miami, where he won the NFL rushing title in 2002, but first-year Dolphins coach Cam Cameron has given no indication he wants Williams.

Discussing Williams' most recent relapse in May, Cameron said it's difficult to salvage the careers of troubled players.

"The easiest predictor of future behavior is previous behavior," the coach said.

Dolphins general manager Randy Mueller is unlikely to lobby for Williams' return. It was Mueller who traded Williams to Miami when both were with the New Orleans Saints in 2002.

Since that deal, the Dolphins have endured a five-year playoff drought, the longest in franchise history.

Even if Miami no longer wants Williams, there's likely a market for player who rushed for 3,225 yards in 2002-03 -- assuming he can persuade a team he's eager to play. That has been a subject of debate in the past.

"All indications I have are that he has an interest in playing," Cornwell said. "He's a very eclectic young man with a lot of interests, and I think that's good. It's good for the NFL to have such players.

"I don't think he would go through this process if he didn't have a desire to play."

An NFL spokesman confirmed Williams is eligible to apply for reinstatement after Oct. 1 but declined further comment.

Cornwell said the process to seek reinstatement requires Williams to show he has followed the requirements of the NFL drug policy. Cornwell said commissioner Roger Goodell would decide whether to hold any face-to-face meetings.

Cornwell declined to say how quickly he thought Williams might be cleared to play.

"That's a hard thing to gauge," Cornwell said. "The commissioner has to collect a number of reports and information. I'm sure he'll move expeditiously, but I don't know what that translates into in terms of hours, days or weeks."

The season will be four weeks old before Williams is eligible to seek reinstatement.

Williams spent an extended vacation in Australia and India during a one-year retirement in 2004. He played in the Canadian Football League in 2006, then taught yoga in California.

Cornwell declined to say what Williams has been doing in recent months -- or even what hemisphere he's in.

"I don't know," Cornwell said with a laugh. "I spoke to him over the phone, so I don't want to be misleading."

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Link:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....ap/index.html

Zopperoni

If any one were to take him, they need to check their stash, for its grundge/ragweed

I cannot imagine Goodell even closely considering Ricky being reinstated

[Sparrowhawk]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
Of course, I would also recommend getting Orlando Bloom out of your avatar...

Not quite the kind of suggestions I was looking for, but since I had forgetten it was even there (from a former Mafia Game) I suppose it was well time I replaced it, thanks for the tip. The dartboard suggestion I am not so sure about.

My original thinking at the start of the season was to pick the team I thought would go 0-16 or close to it and pick their opposition all season, if I thought they were playing a game they might win, I could always pick another team. But I kinda already threw that out the window, it will get tougher as I am later in the season as I keep taking the favourites, making it harder later in the season, but I don't want to be eliminated in September/October, so I will take my chances later likely.

As Grandpa Troll suggested, I am basically going with a short list of teams I think will usually lose, and pick whomever they are playing on that week.

I had to have my pick in by 11 pm local time, so I went with Chicago over Kansas City.

/me

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by snoopy369
I'd take Jacksonville, because they're a totally safe bet, and are not as good as the other teams you mention (CHI, DEN) so you may want to take CHI/DEN later.

I'd look at a season schedule and do it all at once...

I wouldn't. Then you can't take into account teams that are surprisingly good, or surprisingly bad. If you did that last year, for example, you probably wouldn't use the Saints, even though the Saints were obviously a team worth using.

Best to start out with teams you know are pretty good vs teams you know suck. Bears vs Chiefs fits the bill.