Football (american football to those across the pond!)

[Culhwch]

Originally Posted by Parson

Cul --- Rise at 3 am to watch a football game live when you could record it and watch it later. I bow to a much greater fan than I. (I would only think about it if the Vikings were playing, but probably wouldn't anyway.)

If I didn't have to go to work, I'd probably tape it and watch it when I got up. But I have to go to work (more's the pity) and there's no way I'll have the willpower to go twelve hours without checking the scores, and watching isn't as much fun if you know the score...

[Parson]

Ah! Now we do have a difference. If it were any football game,I would simply avoid learning the score. "No harm, no foul." It doesn't take that much will power.

If it were a Viking game I would likely seek to know the score so that I could watch with a much easier temperament. ---- This Parson gets pretty testy when the Vikings lose a game they could have won. Last week my mood worsened steadily in the last half. I kept yelling (actually) that all the blitz's without sacks were going to come back and haunt them, (they did) and that they had to throw the ball if they were going to win. (they didn't) --- I guess I didn't yell loud enough to reach San Diego. After the game I wasn't fit to live with for about a half hour.

[jojajihisc]

SEA @ PIT 1:00 PM
OAK @ BUF 1:00 PM
ARI @ WAS 1:00 PM
TB @ MIN 1:00 PM
JAC @ NYJ 1:00 PM
CHI @ NO 1:00 PM
GB @ CAR 1:00 PM
BAL @ TEN 1:00 PM
KC @ DET 1:00 PM
CLE @ IND 1:00 PM
DAL @ SF 4:05 PM
CIN @ DEN 4:15 PM
SD @ NE 4:15 PM
HOU @ MIA 4:15 PM
PHI @ ATL 8:20 PM (Sunday)
STL @ NYG 8:30 PM (Monday)
Byes: None

[J-Sun]

Originally Posted by Parson

Let's just say that no one (J-Sun slightly excluded) lit it up on this first week of the challenge.

*slight bow*

Originally Posted by Parson

If it were a Viking game I would likely seek to know the score so that I could watch with a much easier temperament. ---- This Parson gets pretty testy when the Vikings lose a game they could have won. Last week my mood worsened steadily in the last half. I kept yelling (actually) that all the blitz's without sacks were going to come back and haunt them, (they did) and that they had to throw the ball if they were going to win. (they didn't) --- I guess I didn't yell loud enough to reach San Diego. After the game I wasn't fit to live with for about a half hour.

Parson, you sound like a fan after my own heart. I wonder if we're in the minority or majority in this thread? (We'd obviously be in the minority overall.)

SEA @ PIT 1:00 PM [PIT ain't going to have it happen twice in a row]
OAK @ BUF 1:00 PM [if OAK was the home team, I'd be a lot happier w/this]
ARI @ WAS 1:00 PM
TB @ MIN 1:00 PM
JAC @ NYJ 1:00 PM [NYJ ain't all that, but JAC just doesn't have enough]
CHI @ NO 1:00 PM [rooting for CHI and, if Urlacher plays and Cutler plays safe, they could do it - otherwise NO]
GB @ CAR 1:00 PM
BAL @ TEN 1:00 PM
KC @ DET 1:00 PM [shouldn't be as bad for KC, but they'll still lose]
CLE @ IND 1:00 PM [CLE ain't HOU and IND should make some "corrections" ]
DAL @ SF 4:05 PM [if Romo & Co. don't collapse again and a game can be won without corners]
CIN @ DEN 4:15 PM [Denver is pretty banged up, though]
SD @ NE 4:15 PM [though I'll be rooting for SD]
HOU @ MIA 4:15 PM
PHI @ ATL 8:20 PM (Sunday) [ATL will play better, but not well enough]
STL @ NYG 8:30 PM (Monday)

Cowboys/49ers and Raiders/Bills are the ones I feel worst about. Well, except that I hate picking the Bears and Chargers to lose (and believe both certainly can win).

[J-Sun]

Originally Posted by J-Sun

CHI @ NO 1:00 PM [rooting for CHI and, if Urlacher plays and Cutler plays safe, they could do it - otherwise NO]

I'd earlier read that Urlacher missed practice for unspecified "personal reasons", but I just read that his mom died at 51.

[Parson]

Trying to be a bit better than last week.

Week 2

SEA @ PIT 1:00 PM Pittsburgh will not lay an egg 2 weeks in a row???
OAK @ BUF 1:00 PM Both teams were surprising, I'll go with the home team.
ARI @ WAS 1:00 PM I'm not buying Washington yet.
TB @ MIN 1:00 PM Hopes he's not picking with his heart.
JAC @ NYJ 1:00 PM Jets have too much fire power at home for Jacksonville.
CHI @ NO 1:00 PM A potential great game. New Orleans by a hair.
GB @ CAR 1:00 PM Green Bay by another hair
BAL @ TEN 1:00 PM Baltimore in a squeaker
KC @ DET 1:00 PM Detroit makes it 2 in a row and stays tied for the North lead.
CLE @ IND 1:00 PM I don't buy Peyton Manning as being indispensable, but Indiana looked horrible.
DAL @ SF 4:05 PM Another toss up. I think Dallas has too much fire power.
CIN @ DEN 4:15 PM Denver was wounded last week. This week they come back.
SD @ NE 4:15 PM New England, but it will be closer than nearly anyone imagines.
HOU @ MIA 4:15 PM Houston, but I'm having a hard time getting a fix on Miami.
PHI @ ATL 8:20 PM (Sunday) The "can't miss" team goes 0-2
STL @ NYG 8:30 PM (Monday) Giants roll
Byes: None

[jojajihisc]

The Sea vs. Pitt. pick for the Steelers need not be qualified for any reason whatever. I wouldn't pick the Seahawks against any east coast team away from home, let alone one of the best in the league, and especially not after coming off an embarrassing beat down at the hands their rival.

[Culhwch]

Doing much better this week, picked all of the early games bar one - Baltimore at Tennessee.

I did get up at three this morning to watch my Saints, and am predictably paying for it now. It was a good game, though, and I'm glad I did catch it live. A huge improvement defensively from last week, though their tackiling still worries me - in one-on-one situations they fall off the tackle far too easily. I think Jay Cutler lost heart and gave up early in the second half as well, when his o-line started to resemble a sieve. That said more about their o-line than our d-line, though - Williams was sending lots of bodies constantly, and if he had to rely on a four-man rush the sack total wouldn't have been nearly so high. Brees and the offense did what they needed to do, but I would have liked to see more of Ingram, especially on short third downs. They also could have started to close out the game with the rush a lot earlier than they did. I know Brees is a great passer and all, but I figure when you don't need to throw, don't throw. In limited work (and excusing the late fumble, which was excellent wrk by the Bears defender) Ingram showed signs of just how good I think he'll become.

[BookStop]

In my 40+ years, I have not watched a game of football until this season. thought it was dull, I mean, what's the big deal.

But...now that I'm surrounded by football fanatics and have had the ins and outs explained to me, much like one would explain to a child (a good thing), I am really beginning to see what all the excitement is about.

The down side is that KC is my hometeam, and they are performing monumentally poorly so far. And my fav, Charles is out! It's not as exciting as GB or Jets, but I still feel the pull to root for KC. Strange for me to say the least. I want to like the Eagles, but I have hard time sending all my good thoughts out to a team that hires M Vick as thier quarterback.

I also still have issues with cheering for the other team when they make a spectacular play, but it just seems so wrong when all my fellow fanmates are booing or stunned and I'm ready to jump up with a "Wow, that was amazing!"

Am I just too much of a noob, am I too girly, or will my football loving quirks disappear with time?

[Parson]

Originally Posted by BookStop

I also still have issues with cheering for the other team when they make a spectacular play, but it just seems so wrong when all my fellow fanmates are booing or stunned and I'm ready to jump up with a "Wow, that was amazing!"

Am I just too much of a noob, am I too girly, or will my football loving quirks disappear with time?

Actually I would say you are more mature fan. A fan of football would applaud a play of excellence no matter what the team. A fan that is only a fan of a local team would boo an excellent play. Enjoy the game!

[BookStop]

Thanks, Parson (never been called mature before )

[Parson]

Originally Posted by BookStop

Thanks, Parson (never been called mature before )

In your mouth my comment sounds like a veiled insult. It was not meant that way. May you stay forever young.

[jojajihisc]

Andy Reid needs to improve his judgment in determining what calls to challenge. Arguably, he cost his team that game.

[Parson]

I don't think there's much argument to it. Andy Reid should have challenged the call. It changed the course of the game for sure.

[BookStop]

Originally Posted by Parson

In your mouth my comment sounds like a veiled insult. It was not meant that way. May you stay forever young.

Oh my, I hadn't thought of it that-a-way. (now I kind of am, though)