Football discussion

[Gen. Volkov]

Well, that is a worse penalty than I believe any other team has ever been hit with. But I could be wrong.

[Nuclear Raunch]

It's the worst offense (by far) that any team has been caught with. Hell Denver had to pay more cash and lost a 3rd round draft pick for a salary cap mistake that was unintentional and provided no benefit whatsoever. And this was under Tagliabue, who was wayyyyy less strict than Gooddell is.

As far as cheating is concerned an assistant coach took HGH for his diabetes and he suffered a much worse penalty than Belicheck did, sans draft pick(s). That's a non-player taking a performance enhancing drug, how is that an advantage? Or what about an individual player taking one? If Brian Urlacher got busted for steroids the Bears would be hit harder than the Pats were, and what the Pats did was lightyears beyond what Urlacher would have done.

[Gen. Volkov]

Look, I don't like the Patriots either. Honestly, I hate the buggers. But I don't think it was all that serious an offense. It's pretty widely acknowledged that all the teams do it. Dan Marino flat out said so. Is it cheating? Yes, but going 5 mph over the speed limit is also speeding. The cops don't stop you for it though. Cause everyone does it. The only thing the Pats did wrong is that they got caught. Should the penalty have been worse? I don't know, but if Gooddell is as strict as you say, then I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt that the punishment fit the crime.

Besides, the NFL has new Golden Boys now. The Colts. Though I don't know if the Colts even need to steal defensive signals, seeing as they have Manning at the helm of that offense.

If a Bear got busted for a performance enhancing chemical, they might get hit harder than the Pats. Then again, they might not, we just don't know.

So there have been worse penalties, like I said, it was just what I thought. It still seems pretty serious to me. Aren't they losing a first round draft pick, and possibly two? That first rounder is one they traded the Browns for as well. Given how much the Browns suck, that pick could be really high, that's a really big hit to a team. You've got quite a few really high quality players coming up in this draft. Well, you do in every draft, but this one in particular has quite a few. You've got Slayton from WV, Hart from Michigan, Booty from USC, a bunch of defensive players from all over, that Brennan kid down in Hawaii, and a stack of others. This years draft is gonna be pretty loaded in the top 30 or so.

[Nuclear Raunch]

It's a first rounder if they make the playoffs, or a 2nd and a 3rd if they don't make it. The first rounder is their own pick, not the one the 49ers traded to them. BTW the Browns pick went to the Cowboys (when they picked Quinn) the 49ers sent them next years first to trade up to select Joe Staley.

Hey everyone takes steroids in sports, should we not punish them?

PEDs warrant an automatic 4 game suspension for the first offense regardless of the team, spying didn't even catch BB a 5 minute suspension, which I find to be completely bogus.

[Kraken]

come on nuke: every team does at least some form of spying. now, in baseball, they solved this by making 30 hand jesters in which only 3 or 4 of them make any sense to the player they are directed to.
besides, Bill will stay as head coach and the Pats are the team to beat this year.

anyways!
week 2 reflections!

some real shockers for me was Cleveland beating Cincinnati, but the real shocker of that game was the 51 to 45 score! has either of these teams ever heard of defense?
another shocker is just how well Tennessee is doing. they beat a better team last week agianst Jacksonville and this time, they held Manning in check and lost by only 2 points to the Colts. Tennessee is a sleeper team this year; wait and see.
also, Detriot beats Minnisota and that makes them 2-0 for the first time in like: forever. go lions!
New England beat the crap out of the Chargers. New Englands defense really proved to be a punishing force out on the field regardless of any accusations out there.

on the flip side, Green Bay is now 2-0 as well as the Texans. i truly expected Greenbay to be 0-2 by now, but they arent and Farves 3 touch down passes sunday shows why he is still the man. oh, he also passed John Elways record for most wins and is only 3 away from most touhdown passes which is held by Marino. there is a link in my signature all about it if you likey to ready.

here is my pick for tonight!
Philidelphia beats Washington by 7

on the College side of things: Florida looks fantastic and is my pick for the Championship. But the way the not only Beat Tennessee, but freaking used them as tissue paper for thier arses, was so frustrating; i turned the game off way too soon to see just how bad it would get.

[Gen. Volkov]

Bill will stay as head coach and the Pats are the team to beat this year.

Pfft. We'll see what's what when the Colts play the Pats.

It's a first rounder if they make the playoffs, or a 2nd and a 3rd if they don't make it. The first rounder is their own pick, not the one the 49ers traded to them. BTW the Browns pick went to the Cowboys (when they picked Quinn) the 49ers sent them next years first to trade up to select Joe Staley.

Alrighty then.

Hey everyone takes steroids in sports, should we not punish them?

No they don't, most NFL players don't, due to extensive testing.

PEDs warrant an automatic 4 game suspension for the first offense regardless of the team, spying didn't even catch BB a 5 minute suspension, which I find to be completely bogus.

I stopped caring about 5 days ago Nuke. Because it doesn't matter what 3 people on some random forum for a game called Frost And Flame think. The NFL commissioner is going to do what he wants, and there isn't crap we can do about it.

Remember how you all said week 1 doesn't mean much, well neither does week 2. But despite that I will say this: The Saints SUCK! Tampa Bay pwned their noob asses, just like Indy did last week. I called it. Saints are not the team to beat in the NFC. Dallas, Green Bay, and Chicago are though. Green Bay found a defense is why I say that.

My prediction: Bears are going back to the SuperBowl.

I though Cleveland Cincy was hilarious. GO BROWNS! (I say that for two reasons: 1. Quinn is now a Brown, 2. Palmer is a Bengal. I hate Carson Palmer.)

another shocker is just how well Tennessee is doing. they beat a better team last week agianst Jacksonville and this time, they held Manning in check and lost by only 2 points to the Colts. Tennessee is a sleeper team this year; wait and see.

Yeah, Tennessee is a good team. I was rather surprised at how well they did against the Colts.

also, Detriot beats Minnisota and that makes them 2-0 for the first time in like: forever. go lions!

That was just incredible. I only saw the highlights, as I was watching the Bears beat the Chiefs.

I'm really surprised the Pats beat the Chargers that badly. The Chargers are a good team.

Farves 3 touch down passes sunday shows why he is still the man

Favre is a good QB. But the man? Hardly.

My pick? Washington crushes Philly by a lot.

If I had to pick right now, I'd say it would be USC - Florida, or USC - LSU for the Championship. We'll see who's better when LSU plays Florida.

Kraken, just be glad you aren't an ND fan right now. ND has been beaten 3 times in a row. We've scored 2 field goals on offense. No touchdowns. 1 touchdown on defense. the teams we've played have beaten us by a combined score of 102-13. We didn't score a point against Michigan, and I am officially pissed off at Charlie Weis.

[Kraken]

*laughs* Redskins won, but not by alot. i really thought that Philly was going to be in good shape this year.
ugh.
and Popov, Farve is the man, your just to ignorant on just how much of the man he is.

[Gen. Volkov]

I dunno, 8 points is a good solid win. It wasn't a blowout, but they beat them pretty soundly.

Favre was the man, he'd make an all time top ten QB list, but he's no longer the QB he was. Manning and Brady are both better QB's than he is right now.

[Nuclear Raunch]

If you insist on hanging off of the old washed up has-been's jock can you at least spell it Favre? For Chrissakes you call yourself a Packers fan and you don't know how to spell his name.

[Kraken]

ah, when have i ever claimed i could spel nuke?
besides, you can call him what you wish and...wait....Oakland is what this season....0-2? is that right?

[Gen. Volkov]

They are 0-2, but they should be 1-1, that timeout by Denver was BS.

[Kraken]

Week 3 reflections:

well, the biggest shocker for me was Green Bay beating San Diego. I really thought that GB wouldnt of pulled it off: but they did and they are now 3-0. also Favre ties Marino's TD mark: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap;_ylt= ... 09&prov=ap the link also gives details about the game. now he just has to pass his mark
Indianapolis squeaks by Houston and I think that Houston is going to be a great team in a few years and one to watch out for.
so much for Detriot eh? Philidelphia spanked that arse by beating them 56 to 21
New England is showing why i think that they are going for the superbowl victory this year and Oakland wins thier first game! hurrah for nuke!
Another surprise was the way Dallas tore through the Chicago Defense and beat the heck out of em. also, reports are that Grossman is on his way out of the starter position. better late than never on that one.

Tennessee plays New Orleans tonight! go Tennessee!

[Gen. Volkov]

Honestly, the Cowboys, while effective against Chicago, mostly won because the Bears offense couldn't move the ball. The Bears defense was on the field for so long, that eventually they just got tired. That defense kept Chicago in the game for far, far longer than they should have been. I was surprised that the Cowboys managed to move the ball on the Bears, but the Bears D still made enough stops and enough plays for the Bears to win that game. Of course, with any other QB, the Cowboys would probably still have lost that game, I gotta give credit to Romo. He avoided at least 6 sacks in that game by moving around in the pocket and generally just being an annoyingly mobile SOB. He looked like a Bret Favre in his prime.

Still though, Grossman and the offense made the mistakes that lost the Bears that game. The Bears got an interception, and Grossman threw one right back. Then Benson fumbles on a 2nd and 2 play, I thought it was a highly questionable decision, but OK. So the Cowboys get the ball right back twice in that game. So the game is 20-10 early in the fourth, still winnable for the Bears if they can get something going on offense. Then Grossman throws an interception for a TD. That pretty much killed the game for the Bears. But I mean, a 17 point difference at that point in the game isn't impossible. So back on offense the Bears go, and what happens? Grossman throws another pick that leads to points. That put the game firmly out of reach.

If the Bears could their offense back together, they would be the best in the NFC though, I'm pretty sure. Both their losses so far would have been winnable with an offense that could move the ball, score points and not make big mistakes. Which is all they really need, with that defense. They don't need Peyton Manning at QB, or Marvin Harrison at wide out. They have the receivers and other talent they need to win. They just need a decent QB who won't mess up like Rex does. I sure hope those reports of Grossman getting benched are accurate.

The Packers are looking scary. It's just crazy that they beat SD. They might very well be the best team in the NFC. Or at least tied with the Cowboys for that position. The Pats are pretty scary looking as well. We will see just how good they are when they play the Colts. The Colts aren't racking up really impressive wins, but they are winning, and that's the point. I think it's gonna be Colts vs Patriots in the AFC championship. I've no idea who will win that game though.

Not sure about Philly, that could just be a one game fluke, or the start of something big. I mean after all, Cleveland beat Cincy in a shootout, and then they lost to Oakland. I don't think the Lions are a spectacularly good team either.

[Kraken]

i agree with what you say popov except that i think that the Lions have Alot of potential right now to become some kind of monster in the coming years because they do have some daggone good players on thier team...maybe its a choaching issue...
the packers are looking....prime...
i dont think that anyone else in thier division i.e. the Lions, Vikings & Bears will beat them out this season although i think that the Bears have the best shot at it. replacing Grossman i think should be a priority for the Bears and i have felt this way since i saw the shoddy way he preformed last season.
If it did come down to a Indianapolis v/s New England game for the division title, it would boil down to Defense on both sides of the ball. both teams have exceptional offensense with the Colts winning on that aspect, but the defense of both teams have really stepped it up and will have to counter act the great offenses. but you know what: its too damn early in the season if you really stop and think about it.
this could be an undefeated season for the colts or it could be a hard season for the pats and yet, they win it all....non the less: its going to be exciting.
as for Cincinatti: wtf happened to them?
they have such a great QB and great recievers and so much potential that it is almost sad to watch them implode, same goes with team like New Orleans and Seattle.
Tennessee is looking fan-freakin-tastic and you wait and see if they dont win thier way to at least the playoffs.

[Gen. Volkov]

i agree with what you say popov except that i think that the Lions have Alot of potential right now to become some kind of monster in the coming years because they do have some daggone good players on thier team...maybe its a choaching issue...

They do have some good players, and certainly have potential, but right here, right now, they aren't a top tier team. Like you said, it could be coaching.

the packers are looking....prime...
i dont think that anyone else in thier division i.e. the Lions, Vikings & Bears will beat them out this season although i think that the Bears have the best shot at it. replacing Grossman i think should be a priority for the Bears and i have felt this way since i saw the shoddy way he preformed last season.

Yeah, they are. But they can't throw the ball 45 times a game and expect to keep winning. Without a running game, they are a vulnerable team. I think San Diego got surprised at first, and then battled their way back. With the kind of lead the Packers had early though, the win they pulled off was a lot easier than it might have been otherwise. I think if they played again, it would be a totally different game.

As far as the NFC north, I think you're right. Bears have best shot, especially if they replace Grossman, while the Vikings and Lions will likely lose. Of course the Bears need to have a healthy defense. If Lance Briggs, Nathan Vasher and Tommie Harris are hurt come the Packers game, I don't think they have much of a shot. Especially if Briggs and Harris are out. Losing Mike Brown hurt them, losing Briggs would essentially destroy the linebacker corps. Urlacher is probably a bit better than Briggs, but he's not good enough to do it all on his own. Harris is probably the best pass rusher in the NFL. Losing him would also hurt the Bears very badly. It then would be up to the offense, and I don't know if they have a QB up to the challenge.

If it did come down to a Indianapolis v/s New England game for the division title, it would boil down to Defense on both sides of the ball. both teams have exceptional offensense with the Colts winning on that aspect, but the defense of both teams have really stepped it up and will have to counter act the great offenses. but you know what: its too damn early in the season if you really stop and think about it.

No disagreement on that point.

this could be an undefeated season for the colts or it could be a hard season for the pats and yet, they win it all....non the less: its going to be exciting.

Agreed here as well.

Tennessee is looking fan-freakin-tastic and you wait and see if they dont win thier way to at least the playoffs.

I think they will, provided Vince Young stays healthy.

as for Cincinatti: wtf happened to them?

I think they lack defense. They're offense can score points, but they can't stop the other side from doing so.

they have such a great QB and great recievers and so much potential that it is almost sad to watch them implode, same goes with team like New Orleans and Seattle.

Yeah, though when it comes to New Orleans, it's kinda satisfying to watch my predictions come true. It really is too bad about Deuce McCallister though. I think NO problem is that they've become 1 dimensional. They no longer have much of a passing game, despite Drew Brees, because they don't have any older, more experienced recievers, so it's all the running game, and most defenses are effective at stopping the run.