Football (american football to those across the pond!)

[J-Sun]

Ball (best. safety. ever.)

[Ursa major]

I suppose if you have to get your first win in your division, doing so at the home of the divisional leaders is a good choice.


(I hope that when GRRM catches up on his viewing and sees this game, it doesn't cause his writing of A Dance With Dragons to stall.)

[Culhwch]

Haven't bought the Giants hype all year , and coupled with the change of coach and the emotional lift that usually brings, this reult is not all that surprising. I'm not going to lie, though, I still tipped the Giants today. I'll be interested to see if the Cowboys can sustain this form - particularly until Thanksgiving, which is shaping up as a tougher clash for the Saints now than it was a week ago....

[pyan]

Second week running, a win in OT - but a win's a win! Go Jets!

[Parson]

Pyan,

Looks like the Jets are among the elite in a year where elite translates to a game or two above .500. Where are the teams that make you go "Wow!" this year? They certainly don't exist in Kansas City; what a drubbing they took!

[pyan]

At least we did it without overtime this week - albeit with less than 10 seconds left on the clock!

[Parson]

Pyan, I've always been intrigued by your avatars. But this Octopus bat has to be the strangest of them all.

I'd rather look at it than contemplate the Vikings game. Utter despair here. Childress is on his way out. Farve will finally retire after this year. If the Vikings had any sense they would start Tavaris Jackson next week because there are no playoffs for the Vikings this year.

[Culhwch]

The eventual LA franchise should call themselves the Los Angeles Octopus Bats.

I get the feeling Favre is going to walk before the end of the season. It's either the ignominy of turning his back now, or of playing out his final games on what looks like a team that has given up. Either way, his already tarnished reputation is going to take another hit. Bet he wishes he'd called it quits at the start of the year.

I was in fact hoping the Vikes would get one over the Pack today, to help the Saints if it comes to a wild card berth in the playoffs. No such luck, and Tampa and Atlanta had the audacity to win as well.

[Parson]

Originally Posted by Culhwch

The eventual LA franchise should call themselves the Los Angeles Octopus Bats.

I get the feeling Favre is going to walk before the end of the season. It's either the ignominy of turning his back now, or of playing out his final games on what looks like a team that has given up. Either way, his already tarnished reputation is going to take another hit. Bet he wishes he'd called it quits at the start of the year.

I was in fact hoping the Vikes would get one over the Pack today, to help the Saints if it comes to a wild card berth in the playoffs. No such luck, and Tampa and Atlanta had the audacity to win as well.

Please, don't even talk about the LA "Vikings!" You know of course that the LA Lakers got their name because they were the Minnesota Lakers moved just after they drafted the hall of famer; George Mikan?

It would be unforgivable to lose another franchise like that. But reading the reports that come out of Minneapolis I have the feeling that it is very possible. The Vikings want a new stadium, and the government, and a majority of the people of Minnesota feel that if the Vikings want a new stadium the league and Ziggy Wolf should build it. Immanently logical, but a recipe to send the team packing.

Prediction: If they go (I don't think it's a certainty by any stretch), within 10 years they will be playing to half full stadiums. If the Rams and the Raiders can't make it in LA, why does anyone think the Vikings will?

[Parson]

Minnesota Vikings Fire Brad Childress

It is clear that I am not a prognosticator. Childress survived only hours (if that) after my last post.

Leslie Frasier is going to get his chance. Will 4 and 2 during his 6 games as "interim" head coach be enough to give him the job?

[Weasel Soup]

Yikes! Both the Vikes and Boys fire their coaches. 10 years ago I would have been in football ecstacy, this year I am contemplating what appears to be player mutinies. Correct me if I am wrong, but football requires everyone to be on the same page and, well, to try. I am more worried for the sport, and I am not generally in the "overpaid primadonna" camp. This may be changing.

Edit: This feeling isn't generated by just these teams misfortunes this year, the Titan temper tantrum last night is another example.

[Culhwch]

Don't get me wrong, Parson, I wasn't suggesting the Vikes should move - though I know that's been suggested. I would think the Chargers or the Jags would be ahead of the Vikes in that queue (and it wasn't so long ago the Saints were also high on that list). I just liked the name 'Octo-Bats'...

Well, Childress was probably lucky to survive the last couple of weeks. It was inevitable, really. I hope they play for Frazier in the coming weeks - they can at least play the role of spoiler from here on out.

[Parson]

Originally Posted by Culhwch

Don't get me wrong, Parson, I wasn't suggesting the Vikes should move - though I know that's been suggested. I would think the Chargers or the Jags would be ahead of the Vikes in that queue (and it wasn't so long ago the Saints were also high on that list). I just liked the name 'Octo-Bats'...

Well, Childress was probably lucky to survive the last couple of weeks. It was inevitable, really. I hope they play for Frazier in the coming weeks - they can at least play the role of spoiler from here on out.

Cul,

I did not think that you were advocating for a move to LA. But the whole idea sticks in my craw. I mean the Vikes sell out every game and have for years and years, even when they aren't overly competitive. The Dome was expressly built for the Vikings. It was a notoriously bad place for baseball and everyone knew it, but to get it passed they threw the Twins into the mix. Now Minnesota has a new baseball only stadium (aka the house that Joe Mauer built) and I don't see the earth moving again in the near future to get another stadium built. If that is what opens the door for a Vikings move to LA or somewhere else, it is just a crying shame.

I agree, Childress was lucky to have lasted the past few weeks. Letting Moss go after giving up a 3rd round draft choice for him, while not contacting the owner about the move, was the death knell. But I often said that Childress would last the year. On the plus side, I think Leslie Farsier finally gets his chance to be a head coach, if only for 6 weeks.

[Culhwch]

Wow, what a game. I didn't think the Saints-Cowboys game would be on here today, but surprisingly it was, so I taped it this morning, kept away from any websites that would give away the score, and just finished watching it. Thought it was going to be a rout early, but it kind of followed the swing of our early games - jump out to a big lead and then misfire the rest of the way to barely hang on (or in this case comeback) for the win. After early dominance I was a little concerned by how easily the Cowboys moved the ball on our defense, not to mention the two-and-a-half quarter stretch our offense couldn't do anything with the ball. Great heads-up play by Jenkins at the death, though, and I wouldn't want anyone but Brees leading a match winning drive late in a game.

Now just need Green Bay to do us a favour Sunday. Baltimore, too, though they've already let us down once this year...

[Parson]

Saints-Cowboys was the best of the three games yesterday. I'm in an ESPN pick em against the spread with my son and his wife. I had the Saints giving 3.5. So in the end i was not too happy with the way that ended. I was actually cheering for the cowboys to make that last field goal, so the Saints could win in overtime by a touchdown..... Dreaming, I know.