"NFL Football is Back!" 2011 Season Thread

[-Jrabbit]

As long as "traditional" regular season rivalries are continued (Chi-GB, Dallas-NYG-Wash, etc), I don't see a problem.

I like what the NHL is doing.

[Tuberski]

So, take lessons from the 5th most watched spectator sport in the US? That's kinda dumb.

ACK!

[Sparrowhawk]

Just because hockey is only the 5th most popular sport doesn't make what they are doing in regard to conference play irrelevant to this conversation. I like what the NHL is doing, and don't see any value in keeping the traditional "NFC" & "AFC" conferences.

If Green Bay wins the superbowl as a 6th seed (as they did last year), I would like to know that they beat the teams above them, not that they benefited from the teams above them getting upset by the weak teams. If the NFL were to move to reseeding the twelve teams, the 12th team could still win the superbowl, but they would have to beat all the best teams to do it, which would make it both less likely to happen and more meaningful if it did.

I'm not a traditionalist, so the NFC, AFC has little meaning or value to me, I suspect that the old timers would be less willing to giving up the tradition of the conferences and the superbowl being the AFC winner versus the NFC winner.

/me

[Demonbinder]

I agree with JRabbit. That was the problem at first with hockey that they did not keep the traditional rivalries. But re-seeding is something that needs to be done. The other problem is if you go to one league what do you call the championship trophy. I was against the winner of the Super Bowl getting the Lombardi trophy partially because he was only a coach (and of the Packers) but mostly because Halas, who was a founder of the league, basically got relegated to second place. If it gets changed let's go back to the Halas Trophy going to the overall winner. Yes, I know it's a minor point, but I had to say it.

[Al B. Sure!]

I agree with JRabbit. That was the problem at first with hockey that they did not keep the traditional rivalries. But re-seeding is something that needs to be done. The other problem is if you go to one league what do you call the championship trophy. I was against the winner of the Super Bowl getting the Lombardi trophy partially because he was only a coach (and of the Packers) but mostly because Halas, who was a founder of the league, basically got relegated to second place. If it gets changed let's go back to the Halas Trophy going to the overall winner. Yes, I know it's a minor point, but I had to say it.

Well Lombardi won two then died soon after so it was named the Lombardi in tribute.

[SlowwHand]

Not just two, the first two. Leave it alone. Halas has name sakes.

[Donegeal]

I will agree to the name sakes thing. The winner of the NFC gets the Halas trophy, and I'd feel bad about loosing that, but it's such a minor point to a move that would make weeks 16 and 17 so much more important.

[Al B. Sure!]

I saw this at the end of the article:

The Miami front five currently ranks 16th in Football Outsiders' Adjusted Line Yards metric and 30th in Power situations, but try telling these guys that when they're busy vrooming around...

Really? I would've chalked Reggie Bush's success this year to great offensive line play. Guess it's really him.

[Al B. Sure!]

Well Drew Brees has built one hell of a cushion for that new passing record.

[Al B. Sure!]

Jared Allen is one sack away from breaking Strahan's single-season sack record. Stupid Bears offensive line.

Okay he didn't. Close, though.

[Al B. Sure!]

So Aaron Rodgers is just a system QB, after all.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Pats spot the Bills a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Right before the second quarter starts Boston radio says that Belichick told his "coordinators" (they don't technically have a defensive coordinator) to turn off their headsets and sit down between quarters. Final score: 49-21, Pats.

Gee, Bill, think you might want to call the plays from the opening kickoff in the playoffs?

In other news, that Denver lineman may need a bionic foot after his injury. That was ugly.

[Lord Avalon]

Weird event just after the Lions scored their 1st TD. Check out Pat Lee on the kick return.



C'mon, man!

I can't recall ever seeing something like that. I don't think he returned any more kicks.

[SlowwHand]

1) He thought since he didn't step over the line, all was well. Now he knows better.

2) Congrats to the Colts.

3) Sanchez looked like his typically over-valued self. WTG, Mark.

[EPW]

lol@denver making the playoffs. Tebow, so awesome!