Football (american football to those across the pond!)

[Parson]

Leslie Frazier would indeed make a likely candidate. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't go for it, but I'd like to see Tony Dungy myself.

[Weasel Soup]

Wisconsin up to 6th. Smiles for Bucky.

[Weasel Soup]

On the NFL side of things, tonight is the Cowboy Packers game. Always a nail biter for me since all the misery delivered by those mean blue stars in the 90's.

[Culhwch]

You can't be too worried, WS, surely!

Good to see my Saints do today what they should have been doing all year - dominate a lesser opponent. Only half a game back from the Falcons now, and hopefully, with Bush and Thomas back after the bye, looking good for a playoff wildcard at the least. Long ways to go yet, though.

[pyan]

Well, we had to go to OT, but we finally shook off them pesky Lions...

I'll never understand the NFL ranking system.
The Jets are one place above the Pats in the AFC East (Division), three places above them in the AFC itself (Conference), yet one place below them in the NFL as a whole (League)...

[Ursa major]

Don't the standings in the divisions and conferences depend on the results within those domains, whereas the standing in the NFL as a whole does not?

I think it works something like this: Imagine two 5-2 teams, the Goats and the Sheep, in the Erehwon Division. The Sheep are one place above the Goats in the NFL but because their two losses are in the Erehwon Division, the Goats (who've won their divisional games) would be ranked higher in the division. (Conference results are treated in a similar manner, as are head-to-head games, I think.)

[Ursa major]

And in other "news": Dallas 7 Green Bay 45.

Packers 45!?

Cowboys 7!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

[Weasel Soup]

Ursa I watched the whole game, and it didn't even look like the cowboys were trying. It was surreal. And to be honest boring. The boys sideline looked like a bunch of scolded and pouting kids.... I have never seen anything like it.

I was hoping for the game to end for the cowboys and this as both a Packer fan and the Cowboys being my nemesis team.

I actually have to say for the first time ever: I felt bad for the Cowboys. I was watching the game at a bar, and people were getting up and leaving, which during a packer game is unheard of. And how wisconsin people drink.....even more odd.

There is something very wrong with that team, looks like a serious restructure is in order.

Pyan, did the Jets lose to the Pats?

[J-Sun]

And Jerry Jones probably won't pull the trigger on Wade because of stupid finances - but he seems to be at least considering it. But it doesn't really matter for Cowboys fans - when asked about his own role: '"Don’t imply that my role is going to change at all," Jones said.' The one guy who needs to be fired first... is the guy who controls the firing.

And to symbolize the disaster that is the Cowboys this season (even though it has nothing to do with them) dallascowboys.com lost their domain today, as they seem to have forgotten (or didn't want) to renew it.

Other than the mysterious victory over the Texans, we're winless. Other than the fluke Dez Bryant drive, we were shutout while giving up 45 points - that could easily be more except the Packers have far more class than the Vikings. (On their last drive, they ran the ball four times, not even kicking a field goal from our 10, for instance.) Aside from Bryant, we really did nothing right. And we shouldn't be using Bryant like we are - we should be defending, then rushing, then throwing to Austin and Williams, then throwing to Bryant just to change things up and work him in. (And even Bryant proved he was a Cowboy with that bizarre arching-backwards muffed punt return.)

Speaking of Williams, I completely agree with Collinsworth - we've got to start ejecting people. The NFL is so inconsistent in that. In an earlier game, a guy got sandwiched between two players and the first hit spun him a little which caused his head to crack into the second defender's helmet and that defender got flagged for helmet-to-helmet. That's nuts. In the Cowboys game (I think) a Cowboy's or Packer's hand brushed the opposing quarterback's helmet when he was trying to strip the ball and he got flagged for a "blow" to the head. Also nuts. But that Packer lowered his helmet and speared a defenseless Williams and should have been ejected. (Not because I'm a Cowboys fan and Williams is a Cowboy, but because incidental contact is incidental contact and using your helmet as a weapon is using your helmet as a weapon.)

Anyway, I'm sure Dallas will get flexed out of the Week 14 SNF game against Philly and I'm not sure what'll happen with the Week 16 NFLN game or if it even counts, so we'll only have to get humiliated in a 'national network only game on' context one more time on (aptly) Turkey Day.



Just wait 'til next year!

[J-Sun]

Re: the hit on Williams: Actually, Roy Williams is saying he doesn't think Collins should be fined and McCarthy is arguing that Collins hit Williams "in the back and came up to the helmet". If so, okay. I'd have to see the replay again. But it sure looked to me that, while low on the helmet, it was a direct shot to the above-the-back area.

[Weasel Soup]

Wade has been fired.

And Collins fined 50k

[J-Sun]

Wow. It happened. It won't change anything - in what way has Garrett and the offense been any better than Phillips and the defense? or will be? - but at least it admits that the situation is intolerable. Now let's start by benching Jenkins (Scandrick is playing like crap, too, but the WhiffMeister needs to take a seat) and Ball (worst. safety. ever.) and the entire offensive line. And I figure McGee needs to get in there. Maybe not the ideal learning situation (heh) and Kitna's been no worse than anybody else, but might as well aim more for the future. Not sure about that part, though. But the changes definitely can't stop at Phillips.

-- Well, Weasel Soup beat me to it. Took too long pondering Kitna and McGee and whatnot.

[Captain Campion]

Phillips' firing and Garrett getting the job has as much to do with next season's expected labor dispute as anything else. At least in terms of how it was handled.

Jones loses nothing by firing Phillips: he gives the kid a half-season audition as a head coach. This saves Jones from hiring a big name/big money guy only to have him sit home next season during the lock out/strike that appears imminent. At the same time, making this "change" might provide a spark or, at the very least, give fans a reason to buy tickets and visit Jerry's world (someone has to pay the light bill, you know).

Win-win situation for the Cowboys, no down side. Personally, I think Garrett is a big part of the problem and Phillips was just a figurehead, hence no real improvement will be forthcoming. But someone had to pay for this season, given the expectations and the Superbowl in Dallas this year, and it sure as heck wasn't going to be Jerry Jones.

[Culhwch]

Bloody Baltimore! Couldn't hold a lead for a measly one minute!

[Parson]

Originally Posted by Culhwch

Bloody Baltimore! Couldn't hold a lead for a measly one minute!

I hear the cry of a hairy chested "Oh NO" bird!


Truth is it looked like your oppenents might have had a couple of people in stripes judging the last minute's activities.