The American Football Discussion Topic

[Jimbo]

Alright guys, it's playoff time in the NFL. Therefore, I think we need a general thread for American Football. It's one of the top sports in America and has started to pick up popularity in other countries.

 

I've been a fan of American Football for as long as I can remember. I have always been loyal to the New York Jets, who have suffered in recent years from inconsistent play and a media nightmare. They failed to make the playoffs, but I think they're on the rise and will be a good team next year. Even with the Jets out of the playoffs, I still follow the other games that are played. The playoffs always offer exciting games, likes last week's Chiefs/Colts or Saints/Eagles games.

 

I'm not a big fan of college football, but I did watch the National Championship. I wasn't rooting for either team but I was glad that an SEC team didn't win the Championship. I'm glad that they are finally moving away from their flawed BCS system and moving to a traditional playoff format.

 

I played organized football a few years back as well. I can not say I was a great player, but playing for a few years was a great experience for me. I am glad that I took the time to play the sport competitively and learn more about it.

 

What do you guys think about American Football? Are you diehard fans of any specific teams, whether it be in college or the pros? A favorite player? Do you have any playoff predictions? Do you hate a specific player with the last name Manziel Let's get some discussion going about it!

 

 

Some helpful related links:

http://www.nfl.com/ - The official site of the NFL.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/ - ESPN's page for the NFL.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/ - ESPN's page for College Football.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_football- The Wikipedia Page for American football. A lot of rules, regulations, etc. are found here.

[Penny]

Finally! I've been waiting for this thread for a long time!

Anyway, if it's not already obvious, my favorite team is the Green Bay Packers. I've been a huge Packer fan since... oh, January 2011. Ever since then, I've been obsessed with the green and gold. My two favorite football games that I've ever watched are the 2010 divisional round playoff game between the Packers and Falcons, and the Packers 23-point comeback win over the Cowboys from earlier this year. Also, Matt Flynn is da bomb diggety.

My most hated team, though, would have to be the San Francisco 49ers. No, it's not just because they've beaten the Packers four times in a row. It's because I hate the fact that Colin Kaepernick is so damned overrated, especially after he beats the Packers. Honestly, he's not that good! Also, their coach is an annoying prick. And all that is why I hope they get destroyed by the Panthers tomorr- today. Go Panthers!

I'm not a very big fan of College football TBH. I never watch it unless I'm bored or waiting to watch an NFL game. The only time I ever pay any real attention to it is if Wisconsin is doing well.

[LATER BUDDY]

I'm not a very big fan of College football TBH.

 

It's funny because that's the only kind I kinda like watching. The thing is however, I kinda have to be there at the game to enjoy it. It's just way too much of a bore to me watching football (or any sports) on TV. Feels like I have to be there to get into the game, even if I'm not exactly a football fan of any sorts. The only other football related thing I've done in my life is collect cards at one point lmao.

[Jimbo]

It's funny because that's the only kind I kinda like watching. The thing is however, I kinda have to be there at the game to enjoy it. It's just way too much of a bore to me watching football (or any sports) on TV. Feels like I have to be there to get into the game, even if I'm not exactly a football fan of any sorts. The only other football related thing I've done in my life is collect cards at one point lmao.

 

I think this is how it is for a lot of people. There's a big difference between watching a game on television - which can be a bore if the game is bad - and actually attending a game. It's hard not to enjoy it when you see the excitement and passion of the fans in the stadium.

I also think that Kaepernick is overrated, The 49ers have one of the best offensive lines in the league and a great running attack. The last thing the defense is worrying about is his passing ability. He thrives in that offense because he is not the main focus of it.

[Penny]

It's funny because that's the only kind I kinda like watching. The thing is however, I kinda have to be there at the game to enjoy it. It's just way too much of a bore to me watching football (or any sports) on TV. Feels like I have to be there to get into the game, even if I'm not exactly a football fan of any sorts. The only other football related thing I've done in my life is collect cards at one point lmao.

You know, I really don't get why people would prefer to go sit at a football game rather than watch it at home. I mean, at home, you don't have to worry about the weather (though I guess this would be more of a big deal if lived up north like I do). The only thing you really have to worry is the excessively large amount of commercials, which admittedly is pretty damn annoying.

Personally, I enjoy watching from the premier tv camera angles and listening to the commentators (Joe Buck FTW... I'm serious about that). Listening on radio is good too (especially since I really like the Packers radio commentators) but it can sometimes be a little confusing and hard to visualize.

Though I will admit that watching on tv can be boring sometimes (as long as it's not a team you care about) especially if it's a bad game. At the same time, I find all college football games to be utterly boring; I just can't get invested at all. I know some people find them exciting, and that's good for them, but I just don't see the appeal.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Anyone going to post betting tips?

[Kiah]

An American Football topic-awesome! I just love football, as it is my favorite sport and I'm pretty passionate about it.

 

I'm not too much into college football, as I find it too much to keep up with all the teams that are involved. Aside from Auburn and Alabama's football teams (as I was born in Alabama), I'm not too invested in what the other teams are doing. I'll take a glance at Top 25 polls on a weekly basis during the collegiate football season if nothing else.

 

Now as for the NFL (National Football League), although my favorite team is the team closest to my hometown (which would be Washington DC's football team), I can watch nearly every team and enjoy myself, as I am a fan of the game in general. The only time I watch TV is during football season, where I would watch football games on Sundays, Monday and Thursday nights, as I like the sport that much. Football also has a special place in my heart as it is the ONLY thing that my immediate family will get together for. It's kinda sad, but it's better than us doing nothing together and we always have a lot of fun watching the games together as a family, especially since we are all fans of the same team.

 

Aside from watching the games, one of my favorite things in regards to football is interacting with other football fans. I work at a grocery store, and every Sunday and Monday during that time business is booming due to customers buying snacks and things while watching the games. A lot of the customers come in wearing gear from their favorite football team, many of them wearing clothes from the home team. There just seems to be a friendly buzz during this time as customers who don't even know each other often will get into a friendly conversation about football while they are waiting in line, even giving each other high-fives. Even if everyone isn't fans of the same team, everyone overall is very amicable amid our preferences. It's like football is uniting somehow.

 

Then I have the pleasure of talking to them about it too. There are some of my regular customers that will specifically come in my line while I am on the cash register so we can briefly talk about football while I ring them up. There is even one customer that will bring me some kind of merchandise when he attends the games, which is really awesome. I don't get to see all of the games because of my work schedule but some customers are kind enough to give me an update on the game when they run in the store to pick up something during halftime, for example.

 

Another thing that I like about my job during football season is that every Sunday (as well as any other day Washington plays), we are allowed to wear jerseys, hats, shirts-any merchandise involving our team instead of our usual uniforms. That is so much fun and the customers love it and I think it promotes customer interaction talking about football as well. My co-workers and I have taken quite a bit of pictures together with us in our football gear as well to contribute to the fun. There seems to be a more relaxed atmosphere during this time and my co-workers and I are having a lot of fun with it all. Especially on Super Bowl Sunday, as we like to call it an "unofficial holiday" due to all the partying that goes on that day full of football, food and fun.

 

As for the playoffs right now, I honestly don't have a preference for who goes to the Super Bowl, especially since my team didn't even make the playoffs. I guess I'll make a decision who I want to win it once I find out which two teams will be going. In the meantime, I will continue to watch as many of the playoff games as I can and enjoy them.

 

I still had fun this season, even though Washington did not do well at all (they had a record of 3-13). The fans here are pretty loyal, which is something that I really admire. Just interacting with the other fans and sticking together despite the bad record was pretty awesome. Here's to hoping that we have a much better season in 2014-2015.

[Kevin]

I'd like to see how close they get to the Super Bowl. Next week's going to be nail biter. Why the Seahawks should win.

 

It wouldn't surprise me if Seattle does get into the Superbowl and even wins it. They're a really good team this year. Still, anything can happen as we've seen before, so all eyes are definitely going to be on their next game.

[Penny]

Hopefully the super bowl is between the Broncos and Seahawks. Number 1 offense vs number 1 defense? Sign me up! I just sincerely hope that the 49ers dont win it all. Preferably the Broncos would win the super bowl; Peyton needs another ring.

[Jimbo]

I'm thinking a Patriots/Seahawks Super Bowl, as much as it pains me to say that. There's a lot of arguments that go in favor of Denver; Peyton Manning, the explosive offense and a decent defense. But the Patriots have one advantage: BIll Belichick. This man is the best coach in the NFL today. He takes what he's given and constantly puts out a great team year after year. Patriots lose their best receivers? No problem, a new one breaks out and the running game gets better. Loses his top defenders? He has other players step in like there was no change. Belichick knows how to bring the best out in his team, regardless of how much talent they have.

 

As for Seattle?

 

 

Do I need to say any more?

[Dark Qiviut]

I'm thinking a Patriots/Seahawks Super Bowl, as much as it pains me to say that. There's a lot of arguments that go in favor of Denver; Peyton Manning, the explosive offense and a decent defense. But the Patriots have one advantage: BIll Belichick. This man is the best coach in the NFL today. He takes what he's given and constantly puts out a great team year after year. Patriots lose their best receivers? No problem, a new one breaks out and the running game gets better. Loses his top defenders? He has other players step in like there was no change. Belichick knows how to bring the best out in his team, regardless of how much talent they have.

 

As for Seattle?

 

*pic*

 

Do I need to say any more?

You give the Broncos' defense way too much credit. While Denver's the #1 offense, they're thirtieth in defense. The Pats aren't far behind, 26th in overall defense. As much as I don't like it, this is the reason why Peyton Manning only has one Super Bowl championship: Throughout his whole career, the coaching is too offense-happy, when time and time again, the teams with the best defense win the championship. In fact, I consider Denver's win over San Diego an upset because they're so one-dimensional.

 

And on Sunday, I see Denver's defense getting exploited by the run and Belichick's mastermind.

 

But who's gonna win the Super Bowl? The team that wins the NFC Championship Game. Unlike Denver and NE, Seattle and San Fran are first and fifth in defense, respectively. In fact, the NFC Title Game IS the (unofficial) Super Bowl because both teams hate each other; it's the best rivalry in the NFL today! And with the game in CenturyLink Field, the 'Hawks want to keep their twelfth man as noisy (and quake-y ) as possible.

[Penny]

You give the Broncos' defense way too much credit. While Denver's the #1 offense, they're thirtieth in defense. The Pats aren't far behind, 26th in overall defense. As much as I don't like it, this is the reason why Peyton Manning only has one Super Bowl championship: Throughout his whole career, the coaching is too offense-happy, when time and time again, the teams with the best defense win the championship. In fact, I consider Denver's win over San Diego an upset because they're so one-dimensional.

This is a problem with a lot of teams with superstar quarterbacks. Just look at the Packers. Besides the year they won the super bowl, their defense has been consistently downright awful. They've focused too much on giving Aaron Rodgers a wealth of talented receivers, and a running back this year in Eddie Lacy. While that is certainly helpful, they aren't doing enough to help the defense, which continues to be the Packers achilles heel. In essense, they are wasting their quarterback! The same is true for the Broncos, and to a lesser extent the Patriots, but its magnified for the Packers due to the fact that they play in the harder conference.

On that note, I can barely believe how much better the NFC is than the AFC! Seriously. The NFC has the Seahawks, 49ers, Saints, Panthers, Packers, Eagles, and Cardinals. What does the AFC have? The Broncos, Patriots... and possibly, maybe the Bengals and Colts. Just imagine the Broncos record if they played in the NFC. Same with the Patriots. (Don't forget that the Broncos played the NFC East, which sucks outside of the Eagles).

[YoshiUnity]

I watch football occasionally. I wouldn't consider myself a major fan, but I well aware of what goes on in the league here and there. My favorite team are the St. Louis Rams and my second favorite are the Arizona Cardinals. A lot of people don't give them a lot of attention, but overall, they did perform pretty well this season. The Rams were solid and Jeff Fisher is going a great job building them from the ground up again. Arizona had a great second this year to, only suffering from Carson Palmer's constant interception throwing bullshit. It's like he can throw, but he can't at the same time.

 

But despite their problems, I always stick with them through no matter what. In fact, when it comes to teams, I'm always  well aware that anything can happen. So I never count a team out, despite of their record or reputation. Even the Cleveland Browns, who has possibly the worst rep in the league. (I mean, it's really bad when you hear people say "Taking the Browns to the Super Bowl" and they mean something else more than the literal meaning.) Still, they are trying to fix their problems just as much, if not more, than most teams. They were A LOT of games that they should have won this season, but let slip in the last moment. (Heck, they almost beat the Patriots!) Whether things work for them in the future, time can only tell.

 

As for the playoffs, My best case scenario will be the Seahawks vs. Broncos. While I have no problems with the San Francisco 49ers, I can't stand the New England Patriots! So for now, I want Seattle to win the whole thing! I really think that they earn it with how well the team is working, and how far they came.

[Riff-making Love]

This NFL postseason is far more interesting than last year's for two reasons.

 

The first reason of course is the whole Manning v. Brady concept. Its seems that if Manning loses the Championship or the Superbowl he can't be in the 'greatest of all time' conversation in the eyes of the pundits. However, if Brady wins tomorrow, he gets put in a category where he stands alone, 6 superbowl appearances by a starting quarterback however if he loses in said superbowl, he'd be 3 and 3, which while very respectable, will be seen as not as great of a legacy. Either way, seems like a lot is riding on these last two games for two HOF locks.

 

The other storyline is that the Seahawks will be offloading ALOT of talent in the offseason so it's now or possibly never (or at least not anytime soon). Their defense is stacked but they could possibly lose half of those stars that make that secondary what it is just to retain the other half alone. They can't rely completely on defense now and their offense has been not very good this second half of the season.

 

Personally, I want to see a 49ers/Broncos matchup because being a jets fan from new york, it'd annoy the hell out of me to see Tom Brady play at Metlife in the superbowl. Also the 49ers seem like a much better road team than the Seahawks and either team is without a doubt playing on the road in Jersey.

[YoshiUnity]

Yes! Patriots are out! Denver shut them down really good! I'm rooting for the Seahawks in the next game, but to be honest, I'm fine with whoever wins now, knowing that New England is gone.

[Kevin]

Holy shit! That one interception just saved Seattle! Had San Francisco gotten that touchdown they would have won it by one point!

[Jimbo]

Well, we have our Super Bowl matchup! Seahawks versus Broncos. Losing Talib really hurt the Patriots, and their defense was just too banged up to compete with the Broncos this time around. They fought hard this season, and even as a Jets fan I have to say good for them. They made it pretty far with a roster of fill-ins. The Seahawks came out as a different team in the second half and looked like they had all season- dominant. This is going to be an exciting matchup. The self-proclaimed best CB and his defense will go up against the high powered Broncos offense.

 

I also wish Navorro Bowman a speedy recovery. FOX decided to show the injury from multiple angles, which really wasn't necessary. That knee injury just looked gruesome.

 

 

This was just really awkward. Poor Erin Andrews.

[Penny]

Woo! The Super Bowl is set, and it's the two teams I wanted (after the Packers of course), the Broncos and Seahawks. To be honest, I don't care too much who wins, but I'll be cheering for the Broncos. #1 offense versus #1 defense? Awesome! Can't wait. It promises to be an exciting game. Just two more weeks.

In the meantime, I'm curious about the Pro Bowl this year. I mean, yeah its been kind of a joke these past few years, but this year they made some changes, so at the very least it should be different. Plus, my man Eddie Lacy (who better fucking win the Offensive Rookie of the Year, he deserves it) is gonna be in it. I hope I'll be able to watch it.

[YoshiUnity]

Alright! Seattle and their "12th Man" came through! Woot! Was rooting for them in that hard fought game.

 

But with that, the Seattle Seahawks are playing against the Broncos! Since Seattle was in the same division as both of my favorite teams, the Rams and the Cardinals, I've kept my eyes on them for some time. They did everything right, building up the strong team they are now. I knew they weren't a joke for sometime, and it's good to see them back into Super Bowl once again, so I'll be rooting for them in this!

 

The Bronco are no joke though. Like Seattle, they have been doing the same with their team -- building them up strategically and carefully, to be the great team they are now. I think this should be a great game, and I'll definitely say that both teams deserve to be there.

 

I'm hoping for this to be one HELL of a Super Bowl! And with both Seattle and Denver in the Super Bowl, we'll have an appearance from their good friend, Mary Wanna... At both their states, of course.

[Tornado]

I hope Denver wins so we don't have scary Manning like we have scary Marino.

[KHCast]

Since I'm a huge advocate for northwestern teams of any kind really(Timbers,Blazers,,U of O,etc.), you can bet I'll be rootin for the Seahawks! They've been working hard this year, and means almost everyone in Oregon/Washington have wanted to see this for some time!

Still, I also did like the 49ers, and kinda felt bad about their loss, but Seahawks gotta come first man!

[Dark Qiviut]

That was one HELL of a play by Sherman to tip the football and an equally great play by Smith to have the wherewithal to concentrate on it and grab it. There's a reason why Seattle's the number-one defense this season, and we saw it on the last drive (making the play when it counted) and the previous two (fumble, interception).

 

The 12th man wasn't as loud, but they were HUGE in the fourth quarter. If it weren't for the fans' cheering, San Fran wouldn't have been hit with that huge delay-of-game penalty that forced Kaepernick to throw the ball.

 

This should be fantastic: Denver vs. Seattle. The number-one offense vs. the number-one defense. Denver's defense looks like it's stepped up, because it's much more aggressive now than during the regular season, but they need to be much better in the fourth quarter, because they looked very tired. The 'Hawks will be looking after that and will do whatever they can t'exploit it.

[YoshiUnity]

I hope Denver wins so we don't have scary Manning like we have scary Marino.

 

This is what awaits you if the Seahawks win.

 

 

This guy's more in the game than E.A. Sports.

[Jimbo]

Well, today's the big day! How are you guys going to watch the game?

 

I'm just hanging with a few of my buddies. Going to eat a lot of food and probably make myself sick tonight hehe. I'm rooting for the Seahawks. I can't stand to see Peyton Manning win another Super Bowl, and I already posted about my mancrush on Russell Wilson.

[Johnny Boy]

I'm torn to be honest. I want Peyton to win since that would be the biggest "Fuck You" to the Colts for trading him. But at the same time I've really been starting to respect Seattle so I think it would be nice if they won it. That and I just want to play contrarian to my mom since she hates the Seahawks