# No pro-football thread here???



## Eeralai (Oct 2, 2007)

So I found this great site that combines math and football together, and I thought I would share it here since there is a high concentration of smart people.  But there is seemingly no football thread here which really surprises me.   Well, I will post it anyway in case there are lurker football fans out there who might still like it.  Enjoy!

http://www.playoffticker.com/Standings.aspx


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## GlassJaw (Oct 2, 2007)

There's an NFL thread on occasion.  But seriously, the Pats are so dominating there isn't really much to talk about.


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## trancejeremy (Oct 2, 2007)

Or rather you mean, the Rams are so awful. 0-16 is a possibility.


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## Goose (Oct 2, 2007)

GlassJaw said:
			
		

> There's an NFL thread on occasion.  But seriously, the Pats are so dominating there isn't really much to talk about.





Just the way i like it!   Actually, being a fan of the pats is good because we're winning, but at the same time there is little incentive to watch a full game when they are all blowouts.  (or wake up at 2:30 am to watch them like id have to here in germany)


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## GlassJaw (Oct 2, 2007)

Goose said:
			
		

> Just the way i like it!   Actually, being a fan of the pats is good because we're winning, but at the same time there is little incentive to watch a full game when they are all blowouts.  (or wake up at 2:30 am to watch them like id have to here in germany)




Blowout or no, they are one of the most exciting teams in the NFL to watch.  Watch a Pats game and then try watching something like the Giants-Philly game from Sun night.  It's like they are playing different sports.


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## Alaric_Prympax (Oct 2, 2007)

trancejeremy said:
			
		

> Or rather you mean, the Rams are so awful. 0-16 is a possibility.





I think you misspoke there, or I should say mistyped.  I think you meant to say the Saints not the RAms. 0-16 is looking likely down here in Louisiana.  The magic is gone (along with Deuce for another year).   

Now where's that bag again?


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## kenobi65 (Oct 2, 2007)

GO PACK GO!



Honestly, I'm stunned by them being 4-0, especially given that they've got no running game at all.  Here's hoping the Bears secondary stays injured this week.


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## Ilium (Oct 2, 2007)

I'm having about the best football-watching season EVAR!

Pats 4-0...check
Packers 4-0...check
Badgers 4-0...check (or is it 5-0 now?)


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## kenobi65 (Oct 2, 2007)

Ilium said:
			
		

> Badgers 4-0...check (or is it 5-0 now?)




5-0 now.  An ugly 5-0, but, with 4 top-10 teams losing last weekend, they're ranked #5.

(Badger alumni, and Packer season-ticket holder, in exile in Chicago.  )


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## drothgery (Oct 2, 2007)

Packers 4-0 teh awsom
Syracuse 1-4 teh suck
Chargers 1-3 even more of teh suck


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## Ilium (Oct 2, 2007)

Oh, and I forgot to mention the very best thing about this season.  A couple years ago, my wife suddenly became interested in football.  So every week I am REQUIRED to sit on my butt, eat greasy food, drink beer and watch the game whether I like it or not.


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## Alaric_Prympax (Oct 2, 2007)

Ilium said:
			
		

> Oh, and I forgot to mention the very best thing about this season.  A couple years ago, my wife suddenly became interested in football.  So every week I am REQUIRED to sit on my butt, eat greasy food, drink beer and watch the game whether I like it or not.





Sounds like you're in Heaven.


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## TerraDave (Oct 3, 2007)

NFL math?

Redskins + Joe Gibs return = massive disapointment. 

But he has got another season....to confirm the formula.


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## Alaric_Prympax (Oct 7, 2007)

Well at least last week my Saints didn't lose.  (Looks away from everybody who knows that the Saints didn't play last week     ).  That's an improvement from the first 3 weeks in the season.  Maybe with their non-loss they will continue with that and break into the win column.

They can still go 13 - 3 this season!    

Hey! What are you doing with that white coat!    

Note to self:  Ask for paper bags next time when checking out at the store.


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## TerraDave (Oct 9, 2007)

TerraDave said:
			
		

> NFL math?
> 
> Redskins + Joe Gibs return = massive disapointment.
> 
> But he has got another season....to confirm the formula.




OK, the 'skins brutally beat-down the lions, so I will suspend my whining. 

The cheeseheads will be a good test if they are the real deal or not.


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## kenobi65 (Oct 9, 2007)

TerraDave said:
			
		

> OK, the 'skins brutally beat-down the lions, so I will suspend my whining.
> 
> The cheeseheads will be a good test if they are the real deal or not.




Ayup.  I think that both teams are in need of some affirmation of their status.  Odds are that one of them will look more like the real deal after this one.


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## Ilium (Oct 9, 2007)

Well I suppose the Packers had to lose some time.  But did it have to be the Bears?


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## Aurora (Oct 9, 2007)

drothgery said:
			
		

> Packers 4-0 teh awsom
> Syracuse 1-4 teh suck
> *Chargers 1-3 even more of teh suck*



[grumble]That's what happens when you get rid of your coaching staff.[/grumble]


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## drothgery (Oct 9, 2007)

Aurora said:
			
		

> [grumble]That's what happens when you get rid of your coaching staff.[/grumble]




... and replace them with a bunch of guys who have never won anything. I mean, last week was great for the Chargers, and even with a horible start and bad coaching, the Bolts should manage to win ten games and the division. But Norv's still a bad head coach.


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## kenobi65 (Oct 9, 2007)

Ilium said:
			
		

> Well I suppose the Packers had to lose some time.  But did it have to be the Bears?




Ever since the "Payton Game" (the Packer-Bear game at Lambeau, a couple of days after Walter Payton died), I've always had a bad feeling about hosting the Bears.  The Bears get up for that game like they don't for any other, and the Packers seem to come out flat.

They'd gotten to 4-0 by avoiding turnovers.  They dropped to 4-1 by committing them.  Pretty simple math, really.


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## drothgery (Oct 10, 2007)

kenobi65 said:
			
		

> They'd gotten to 4-0 by avoiding turnovers.  They dropped to 4-1 by committing them.  Pretty simple math, really.




True, but only one of them was a classic Favre mistake (the first interception). The others were two fumbles after catches (this never happens), one fumbled kick return (these usually go out of bounds), and an interception on the game-ending hail mary (which doesn't really count). If one out of three (excluding the game-ending hail mary, which you can't count on completing) breaks the Pack's way, they win.


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## Aurora (Oct 10, 2007)

drothgery said:
			
		

> ... and replace them with a bunch of guys who have never won anything. I mean, last week was great for the Chargers, and even with a horible start and bad coaching, the Bolts should manage to win ten games and the division. But Norv's still a bad head coach.



I agree. "Let's get rid of our coach who has finally built us a good team and can get us into the playoffs and replace him with a guy who has trouble winning period. That sounds like a good idea, right?"


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## kenobi65 (Oct 10, 2007)

Aurora said:
			
		

> I agree. "Let's get rid of our coach who has finally built us a good team and can get us into the playoffs and replace him with a guy who has trouble winning period. That sounds like a good idea, right?"




There was a very interesting article on SI.com about Schottenheimer's firing the other day.

It said that, when he was first hired as the Chargers coach, he wanted to put both his son and his brother on the staff.  The owner balked at this, indicating that the team had a policy against that kind of nepotism, but eventually relented, and let him hire his son.

When Wade Phillips (last year's Chargers defensive co-ordinator) got hired away as the Cowboys head coach, Schottenheimer had a job to fill.  He again insisted on his brother to fill the role, knowing that it wasn't going to be something that the owner would allow.  Marty forced the owner's hand, saying, "I get my brother, or I leave."  So, while reports have varied, it does sound like Schottenheimer played a significant role in his own ouster.


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## GlassJaw (Oct 10, 2007)

Well the biggest game of the season so far is coming up this weekend: Pats at Cowboys.

Interesting note: the line opened with the Pats giving the 'Boys 4 1/2.  The line usually has a 3 point pad for the home team so on neutral ground, that's more than a TD (7 1/2).

Right now, the line is Pats by 5 1/2.  Looks like the bettors don't have much confidence in Dallas after barely surviving the Bills on MNF.

I still think I'd take the Pats and the points.  They should tighten up their sloppy play against Cleveland and pressure Romo.  The Pats should be able to stop Dallas's running game but I worry more about Witten in this game than TO.


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## drothgery (Oct 10, 2007)

GlassJaw said:
			
		

> Well the biggest game of the season so far is coming up this weekend: Pats at Cowboys.




I'm sure that's what it'll be built up as, but I'm not sure why. Both teams are already extremely likely to make the playoffs. It's not a divisional game. Even if Dallas loses (and the Packers win) they're still tied for the best record in the NFC. Even if the Pats lose (and the Colts win), they're only one game back.

The biggest (regular season) games of the year aren't when the best teams play each other. It's when a couple of 7-6 or thereabouts teams battling for a playoff spot face off.


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## GlassJaw (Oct 10, 2007)

drothgery said:
			
		

> but I'm not sure why.




You're really not sure why?  Really?!  It's because the chase to 16-0 is sexy to talk about, that's why, as is who is the best team in the NFL.  Again, more talking points.

Plus, it should be a great game to watch.  I'd much rather watch two great teams that will probably both make the playoffs than two mediocre teams that will get beat in the first round of the playoffs.


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## Crothian (Oct 10, 2007)

I think the game looks good on paper with their records but the Pats will win by 14 at least.  Randy Moss likes to play big against the Cowboys and with the year he's having a big game could be 200 receiving yards and 5 TDs


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## TerraDave (Oct 17, 2007)

*Greenbay vs Washington*



			
				kenobi65 said:
			
		

> Ayup.  I think that both teams are in need of some affirmation of their status.  Odds are that one of them will look more like the real deal after this one.




And they confirmed that neither was the real deal. 

Yikes. The first half was good, but then...yikes. And DC is now hurting, hard to play football without an offensive line. 

The Pats on the other hand...they are just...sick.


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## Ilium (Oct 17, 2007)

TerraDave said:
			
		

> And they confirmed that neither was the real deal.
> 
> Yikes. The first half was good, but then...yikes. And DC is now hurting, hard to play football without an offensive line.
> 
> The Pats on the other hand...they are just...sick.



 Yeah, the Pats pulled it together, but I was worried for a while there in the 3rd quarter.  Marion (sp?) Barber is just too explosive.  And now the Pats seem to be out their first AND second string running back.  Kevin Faulk is no slouch, but I hope Laurence Moroney can come back this week.

I have to agree with you on the Green Bay/Washington game, too.  It came down to who wanted it LESS.  I guess it was the Redskins this week.   Maybe the Packers can get their act together during the bye week and come back strong against Denver.


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## GlassJaw (Oct 17, 2007)

Ilium said:
			
		

> Yeah, the Pats pulled it together, but I was worried for a while there in the 3rd quarter.  Marion (sp?) Barber is just too explosive.  And now the Pats seem to be out their first AND second string running back.  Kevin Faulk is no slouch, but I hope Laurence Moroney can come back this week.




Maroney should play this weekend but to what capacity is anyone's guess.  Faulk will definitely get some more carries.  It looks like Morris will miss at least a few games and possibly up to a month.


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## kenobi65 (Oct 17, 2007)

TerraDave said:
			
		

> And they confirmed that neither was the real deal.




LOL.  Very true.  The Packers defense is playing pretty well.  If only we had a running game. 



			
				TerraDave said:
			
		

> Yikes. The first half was good, but then...yikes. And DC is now hurting, hard to play football without an offensive line.




I feel for you.  It could get to be a long fall for young Mr. Campbell.



			
				TerraDave said:
			
		

> The Pats on the other hand...they are just...sick.




Yah.  I hate seeing Randy Moss doing well; I think he's such a twit.

The Pats remind me of what the 49ers were like in the late 80s/early 90s.  So talented, so well-coached, that they could just take it to another level.


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## GlassJaw (Oct 17, 2007)

kenobi65 said:
			
		

> Yah.  I hate seeing Randy Moss doing well; I think he's such a twit.




Why?  Of course he's had a checkered past but he's been the complete opposite this year.  There's always a chance for redemption in sports (except for maybe Michael Vick).


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## kenobi65 (Oct 18, 2007)

GlassJaw said:
			
		

> Why?  Of course he's had a checkered past but he's been the complete opposite this year.  There's always a chance for redemption in sports (except for maybe Michael Vick).




I just have never liked his attitude.  I'll need to see him trying hard when things aren't going his team's way, for me to think he's changed.


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## Ilium (Oct 18, 2007)

I feel the same way.  He's playing very well (nobody would argue about his talent, I think) but I'm waiting to see how he behaves when things go badly.  If he keeps his mouth shut and/or says the right things then, I'll believe he drank the Belichick Kool-Aid.


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## Thornir Alekeg (Oct 18, 2007)

Ilium said:
			
		

> I feel the same way.  He's playing very well (nobody would argue about his talent, I think) but I'm waiting to see how he behaves when things go badly.  If he keeps his mouth shut and/or says the right things then, I'll believe he drank the Belichick Kool-Aid.



 Hoopefully the Belichek Humble Pie will keep them from needing any Kool-Aid.


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## GlassJaw (Oct 22, 2007)

It's great to be a sports fan in New England these days.


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## kenobi65 (Oct 22, 2007)

GlassJaw said:
			
		

> It's great to be a sports fan in New England these days.




Indeed.  Tom Brady's having the kind of season I have when I play Madden on my Xbox.


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## Dr. Harry (Oct 23, 2007)

Alaric_Prympax said:
			
		

> I think you misspoke there, or I should say mistyped.  I think you meant to say the Saints not the RAms. 0-16 is looking likely down here in Louisiana.  The magic is gone (along with Deuce for another year).
> 
> Now where's that bag again?




Nah, the Saints are back on track in a weak division.  Pity the poor Dolphins fan ...


Oh, one thing about the Pack ... even if you're just watching them casually, they'll pull you in, get you excited - and then spit in your face.

Sigh


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## Dr. Harry (Oct 23, 2007)

Ilium said:
			
		

> I feel the same way.  He's playing very well (nobody would argue about his talent, I think) but I'm waiting to see how he behaves when things go badly.  If he keeps his mouth shut and/or says the right things then, I'll believe he drank the Belichick Kool-Aid.





I'm right with ya.


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## kenobi65 (Oct 23, 2007)

Dr. Harry said:
			
		

> Oh, one thing about the Pack ... even if you're just watching them casually, they'll pull you in, get you excited - and then spit in your face.




Ehhh, I've been a Packers fan since 1975.  Which means I lived through close to 20 years of mostly-stinky teams, before the Favre Epoch began.  The current Packers edition is far more entertaining than, say, the David Whitehurst or Randy Wright eras.


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## Ilium (Oct 23, 2007)

kenobi65 said:
			
		

> Ehhh, I've been a Packers fan since 1975.  Which means I lived through close to 20 years of mostly-stinky teams, before the Favre Epoch began.  The current Packers edition is far more entertaining than, say, the David Whitehurst or Randy Wright eras.



 David Whitehurst...

*shudder*


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## Jdvn1 (Oct 27, 2007)

Two games I look forward to this season.

Pats - Colts

Texans - Bucs (my team and my buddy's team)


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## Dr. Harry (Oct 27, 2007)

Jdvn1 said:
			
		

> Two games I look forward to this season.
> 
> Pats - Colts




  If you have not seen this column, you may find it interesting.  It is a (semi-)humorous send-up of the Pats-Colts game as good vs. evil.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/071023&sportCat=nfl

  (Uh-oh, I think I just made this into another alignment thread!)




> Texans - Bucs (my team and my buddy's team)




  As a Dolphins fan, I was glad to see Sage Rosenfelds do so well last week.  Just kinda says a lot about the 'Phins front office.  Sigh.


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## Crothian (Oct 27, 2007)

It even has Paladins!!  That article is right for the D&D crowd!!


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## GlassJaw (Oct 27, 2007)

Dr. Harry said:
			
		

> If you have not seen this column, you may find it interesting.  It is a (semi-)humorous send-up of the Pats-Colts game as good vs. evil.
> 
> http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/071023&sportCat=nfl




I read that when it was posted earlier in the week.  Easterbrook is a tool, and obviously has an agenda with Belichick and the Pats.


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## TerraDave (Oct 31, 2007)

And speaking of the pats...the beatdown the 'skins got on Sunday was so bad, I couldn't even stand to post about till now. 

What can I say: go Colts.


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## kenobi65 (Oct 31, 2007)

Ilium said:
			
		

> David Whitehurst...
> 
> *shudder*




You know, his son, Charlie, is a backup quarterback for the Chargers.


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## Ilium (Oct 31, 2007)

kenobi65 said:
			
		

> You know, his son, Charlie, is a backup quarterback for the Chargers.



 I did NOT know that.  Cool.  I shouldn't give Whitehurst a hard time.  He was obviously the best the Packers had.  It was just a dark time in Green Bay in general.


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## drothgery (Oct 31, 2007)

Ilium said:
			
		

> I did NOT know that.  Cool.  I shouldn't give Whitehurst a hard time.  He was obviously the best the Packers had.  It was just a dark time in Green Bay in general.




See, I started following the Pack in the Don Majkowski era when I briefly lived in Wisconsin, and about when Art Modell moved my hometown Browns to Baltimore. So I missed a lot of that , but at least I was following them before Favre, so I can claim I'm not a bandwagon Packers fan.


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## kenobi65 (Oct 31, 2007)

Ilium said:
			
		

> I did NOT know that.  Cool.  I shouldn't give Whitehurst a hard time.  He was obviously the best the Packers had.  It was just a dark time in Green Bay in general.




Yeah, it sure was.

The team traded away a ton of its future for John Hadl in '74 (the "Lawrence Welk" trade: a 1, a 2, a 1, 2, 3), and he was washed up when he got there.  Then, they traded for Lynn Dickey, who was talented, but kept getting injured.  That's when David Whitehurst was put on the field.  I was 12 or 13 at that time, and I remember all the girls thinking Whitehurst was hunky (I thought he looked like a goob).

They had a little bit of a spark of life in the early '80s, once Dickey got healthy, and had Lofton, Jefferson, and Coffman to throw to, but they had no defense then.

But, hey, we're 6-1 this year, better than I think anyone expected, though I keep wondering, "how the hell did we do that?"


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## drothgery (Oct 31, 2007)

kenobi65 said:
			
		

> But, hey, we're 6-1 this year, better than I think anyone expected, though I keep wondering, "how the hell did we do that?"




Yeah. I mean, I was a lot more optimistic than most people about this year. I figured 10-6, winning the division (figuring on the Bears getting worse), and maybe even a playoff game was plausible. But I didn't think we'd be 6-1 after 7 games -- and a few crazy bad luck plays from 7-0 (of course, we're also a few crazy bad luck plays from 5-2 or 4-3, but who cares?).


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## kenobi65 (Nov 4, 2007)

Packers at 7-1 now.  Not a pretty win, but I'll take it.


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## Ilium (Nov 5, 2007)

But Detroit is 6 and 2, right?  And Minnesota won big today.  The packers are not running away with it by any means.

I thought the division was supposed to be weak?


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## kenobi65 (Nov 5, 2007)

Ilium said:
			
		

> But Detroit is 6 and 2, right?  And Minnesota won big today.  The packers are not running away with it by any means.
> 
> I thought the division was supposed to be weak?




Yup, the Leos look real, too, at 6-2.  Minnesota's only 3-5 (as are the Bears), and completely one-dimensional on offense, but that one dimension is pretty damned scary.


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## kenobi65 (Nov 12, 2007)

Well, the end of that Colts-Bolts game was pretty wild.  Lesson to be taken from that: don't get cute.  One wonders if Vinatieri's kick would have been good from 5 yards closer, if the Colts hadn't tried to draw San Diego offsides, and gotten caught for illegal procedure in the process.

And, the Packers looked great against Minnesota.  8-1, I just can't believe it!


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## Ilium (Nov 12, 2007)

kenobi65 said:
			
		

> Well, the end of that Colts-Bolts game was pretty wild.  Lesson to be taken from that: don't get cute.  One wonders if Vinatieri's kick would have been good from 5 yards closer, if the Colts hadn't tried to draw San Diego offsides, and gotten caught for illegal procedure in the process.
> 
> And, the Packers looked great against Minnesota.  8-1, I just can't believe it!



 I was definitely doing my happy dance yesterday.   The Packers not only won big, they looked really convincing doing it.  After what Minnesota did to San Diego, I was pretty worried.

So...The Packers beat the Chargers.  The Chargers beat the Colts.  The Colts are, by anybody's estimation, an amazing team.  But the Bears beat the Packers.

This league hurts my head.  I guess that's why the play the games, huh?


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## GlassJaw (Nov 12, 2007)

kenobi65 said:
			
		

> Well, the end of that Colts-Bolts game was pretty wild.  Lesson to be taken from that: don't get cute.  One wonders if Vinatieri's kick would have been good from 5 yards closer, if the Colts hadn't tried to draw San Diego offsides, and gotten caught for illegal procedure in the process.




The Colts-Chargers game was great to watch but man, both teams looked horrible.  For as bad as the Colts played, the Chargers were lucky to win and won _despite _Norv's horrible coaching and play-calling.  Take away one punt return, one Manning pick, one Adam missed FG, whatever and the Colts win.

Here's an interesting article  about how the Chargers felt after the game.


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## kenobi65 (Nov 12, 2007)

GlassJaw said:
			
		

> The Colts-Chargers game was great to watch but man, both teams looked horrible.




At least the Colts had the excuse of being injury-ravaged.  By the end of the game, they had Manning, Addai, Wayne, and the equipment manager's kid suited up.


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## sydbar (Nov 12, 2007)

You need to remember, Bears-Packers games never follow the rules, when they play its a toss up on who will win, the whole NFC north is like that, but Bears-Packers games are almost always great games, and you never know who will win.  The Bears and Packers also are the only teams that play true football in the NFC north, since both teams play in the weather, and the fans still pack the stands, no matter how bad the weather is.  If our running game can keep getting better, the Packers should be able to go deep in the playoffs.


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## kenobi65 (Nov 12, 2007)

sydbar said:
			
		

> You need to remember, Bears-Packers games never follow the rules, when they play its a toss up on who will win




Particularly the games at Green Bay, in the past few years (really, ever since the "Walter Payton Game", the week that Payton died, when the Bears blocked the winning FG).

The Packers have some challenging games coming up -- road games at Detroit on Thanksgiving (a short week to prepare, and their play on Turkey Day has not always been the best), then at Dallas (a game I have to believe Dallas will win).

Still, it's entirely possible that the Packers could wind up with 12 or 13 wins, and a first-round bye..  That's just wild.


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## drothgery (Nov 12, 2007)

sydbar said:
			
		

> If our running game can keep getting better, the Packers should be able to go deep in the playoffs.




The Packers ability to go deep in the playoffs will by determined by the pass defense and Brett Favre's passing. Never think otherwise. Heck, there's not a team in the NFL that will go deep in the playoffs without a good passing game and a good pass defense. You need a historically great defense to try and be the exception -- the Ravens managed it once, and the Bears came close -- but that's just not the formula for success in the NFL, and except in the passing-challenged 1970s, it never has been.


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## RatPunk (Nov 12, 2007)

kenobi65 said:
			
		

> At least the Colts had the excuse of being injury-ravaged.  By the end of the game, they had Manning, Addai, Wayne, and the equipment manager's kid suited up.



Ain't that the truth. For a team that only dressed 17 offensive players total (and then lost two of them during the game), I thought they did remarkably well to only lose by two, not to mention even having a good shot of walking away from the game with a victory. The Chargers should certainly celebrate their win, but they should count their blessings as well. Offensively, they looked absolutely horrible all game.


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## Ilium (Nov 26, 2007)

It's almost the end of the third quarter in the Patriots/Eagles game.

Score: New England 24...Philly 28.

The crowd at Gilette is all but silent, as stunned as I am.  The game is far from over, but...wow.  I predicted the Eagles would be tougher than anybody gave them credit for, but I never expected this.  What a game!


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## kenobi65 (Nov 26, 2007)

Ilium said:
			
		

> It's almost the end of the third quarter in the Patriots/Eagles game.
> 
> Score: New England 24...Philly 28.
> 
> The crowd at Gilette is all but silent, as stunned as I am.  The game is far from over, but...wow.  I predicted the Eagles would be tougher than anybody gave them credit for, but I never expected this.  What a game!




Yeah, that was pretty dang impressive.  The Eagles gave them everything they had.

I'm not a huge fan of either team, but it was great to watch.  On the one hand, part of me wants to see someone play David to the Patriots' Goliath.  OTOH, the '72 Dolphins alumni have gotten kind of obnoxious about their celebrations when the final undefeated team loses, and I'd kind of like to see a team finally put that thing to rest.


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## Nicodemis (Nov 26, 2007)

*Da Bears*

Yes, we stink.  Yes, Devin Hester is the greatest kick/punt returner of all time.


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## Ilium (Nov 26, 2007)

Nicodemis said:
			
		

> Yes, we stink.  Yes, Devin Hester is the greatest kick/punt returner of all time.



 Did you see Keith Olber (I think that's his name) on TV?

"Do not kick to Hester.  Do not kick to Hester!"  I think I and three other people in the country found it funny, but I was cracking up.


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## Ilium (Nov 26, 2007)

Kenobi65 said:
			
		

> Yeah, that was pretty dang impressive. The Eagles gave them everything they had.
> 
> I'm not a huge fan of either team, but it was great to watch. On the one hand, part of me wants to see someone play David to the Patriots' Goliath. OTOH, the '72 Dolphins alumni have gotten kind of obnoxious about their celebrations when the final undefeated team loses, and I'd kind of like to see a team finally put that thing to rest.



Wow.  So the Pats pulled it out, but my favorite bit was Bill Belichick after the game.  Everybody was stunned that it was so close and talking about this huge near-upset, etc.

The coach comes out for his post-game press conference and says, "Yeah, that was pretty much what we expected.  The Eagles are a good team."


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## GlassJaw (Nov 26, 2007)

Ilium said:
			
		

> The coach comes out for his post-game press conference and says, "Yeah, that was pretty much what we expected.  The Eagles are a good team."




LOL.  I'm a huge Pats fan but that's obvious BS.  Can't say I'm surprised at Beli-speak anymore though.

If that's pretty much what they expected, they would have covered the onside kick in the first half better!!    

Definitely a good game to watch though.  Back and forth - lots of cool plays too.  I was impressed by Philly.  They didn't play scared at all.  Again, going for it on 4th down in the 1st half and then attempting (and succeeding) at an onside kick totally caught the Pats by surprise.

If they didn't get greedy in the last drive, it probably would have gone to overtime.  Brady can throw into double-coverage to Moss in the endzone.  AJ Feely cannot.  Ballgame.  I don't understand why they called that play.  They were moving the ball and there was still plenty of time left.


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## Ilium (Nov 26, 2007)

GlassJaw said:
			
		

> LOL.  I'm a huge Pats fan but that's obvious BS.  Can't say I'm surprised at Beli-speak anymore though.
> 
> If that's pretty much what they expected, they would have covered the onside kick in the first half better!!
> 
> ...



 I know, it was weird.  Madden said the same thing, pointing out that even if it had worked, they'd be turning the ball back to the Pats with four minutes on the clock and less than a touchdown lead.  They should have kept up with the screens and inside patterns that had been working all night.

Oh, well.  I'm glad they didn't.


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## kenobi65 (Nov 28, 2007)

Ilium said:
			
		

> Did you see Keith Olber (I think that's his name) on TV?
> 
> "Do not kick to Hester.  Do not kick to Hester!"  I think I and three other people in the country found it funny, but I was cracking up.




Keith Olbermann.  Yeah, that was a great bit.

"Sauerbrun was once suspended for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.  Now, he should be suspended for violating the NFL's *stupid abuse* policy!"

I'm not a Bears fan, but Hester is scary-good to watch.  As the Bears' radio announcer says: "Devin Hester...you are ridiculous."

On another note:

I was playing an online Living Arcanis game on Monday night, which meant I was away from my TV.  So, I was following the Miami-Pittsburgh game using the live play-by-play page on NFL.com.  I was amazed that it was 0-0 for most of the game, and figured Pittsburgh was just underachieving.  Only after the game, when I was able to read the game summary, did I discover just how wretched the field conditions had been.


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## drothgery (Nov 28, 2007)

kenobi65 said:
			
		

> Keith Olbermann.  Yeah, that was a great bit.
> 
> "Sauerbrun was once suspended for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.  Now, he should be suspended for violating the NFL's *stupid abuse* policy!"




Of course, unless your kick coverage is spectacularly awful, it's really not all that stupid to kick to Hester. He fumbles a lot, and you give up a lot of yardage on a squib kick or kickoff out of bounds.


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## kenobi65 (Nov 28, 2007)

drothgery said:
			
		

> Of course, unless your kick coverage is spectacularly awful, it's really not all that stupid to kick to Hester. He fumbles a lot, and you give up a lot of yardage on a squib kick or kickoff out of bounds.




That was, actually, the point that Sauerbrun apparently made before the game, when he said that they were going to kick to Hester.  He noted that they've got people who are paid to make those tackles.

The primary criticism of Sauerbrun that I've read (beyond Olbermann's rant) isn't that he kicked to Hester at all...it's that his kicks went to the middle of the field, rather than to one side or the other, thus giving Hester more real estate to work with.  Then again, I'm no special-teams coach, so I don't know if that's really a valid criticism.

Regardless...Chicago's offense was moribund for much of that game.  Giving up two kick-return touchdowns (and a blocked punt that set up a third touchdown) was what let Chicago back in that game.


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## Ilium (Nov 28, 2007)

kenobi65 said:
			
		

> I was playing an online Living Arcanis game on Monday night, which meant I was away from my TV. So, I was following the Miami-Pittsburgh game using the live play-by-play page on NFL.com. I was amazed that it was 0-0 for most of the game, and figured Pittsburgh was just underachieving. Only after the game, when I was able to read the game summary, did I discover just how wretched the field conditions had been.



It was unbelievable.  You couldn't even see the players' feet most of the time because they were sinking into the quagmire.  Worst conditions I've ever seen, I think.  And that's after decades of watching the Packers play.


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## kenobi65 (Nov 28, 2007)

Ilium said:
			
		

> It was unbelievable.  You couldn't even see the players' feet most of the time because they were sinking into the quagmire.  Worst conditions I've ever seen, I think.  And that's after decades of watching the Packers play.




Having seen the video highlights, I think my favorite shot was the punt that hit the turf and just sunk into a divot, without bouncing.

I've seen some seriously heavy rain at NFL games (especially in Florida), but those fields generally seem to handle it OK; I imagine that they're engineered to do so, knowing that they can expect those kinds of downpours.

In this case, it seems likely that the brand-new sod they'd laid the day before, combined with the water that leaked through the tarp during the day, just doomed them.


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## GlassJaw (Nov 30, 2007)

Well Favre killed my fantasy team this week.  After being the MVP of my season, he throws 2 picks and then gets hurt.  Fantasy football is a cruel mistress.


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## Ilium (Nov 30, 2007)

GlassJaw said:
			
		

> Well Favre killed my fantasy team this week.  After being the MVP of my season, he throws 2 picks and then gets hurt.  Fantasy football is a cruel mistress.



 I know, he really looked terrible last night.

I'm so depressed... 

Aaron Rodgers looked surprisingly good.  They kept it closer than I though they were going to.  Doesn't bode well for the playoffs, though.

Hopefully Favre's injury isn't serious.  I haven't heard anything.


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## kenobi65 (Nov 30, 2007)

Ilium said:
			
		

> Hopefully Favre's injury isn't serious.  I haven't heard anything.




Sprained right elbow, which caused his hand to go numb.   In the postgame press conference, he said he'd suffered the same injury in the Patriots game last year, and had come back the following week with no problem.

Interestingly, he *also* has a separated left shoulder, which he wasn't even aware of at first.  That one almost strikes me as more problematic.

The good news, I suppose, is that he's got 10 days to get better before the Raiders game.


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## Ilium (Nov 30, 2007)

kenobi65 said:
			
		

> Interestingly, he *also* has a separated left shoulder, which he wasn't even aware of at first.  That one almost strikes me as more problematic.




Bah, it's not his throwing shoulder.  Suck it up!  

I've dislocated my shoulder a couple of times and it is NO fun.  A separated shoulder, I thought, was even worse.  How could he not know?


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## kenobi65 (Nov 30, 2007)

Ilium said:
			
		

> Bah, it's not his throwing shoulder.  Suck it up!
> 
> I've dislocated my shoulder a couple of times and it is NO fun.  A separated shoulder, I thought, was even worse.  How could he not know?




Yeah, that's pretty astonishing.  Apparently, when they took him into the locker room at halftime to look at the elbow, they discovered the shoulder injury.  Brett must have some kind of pain threshhold.

Early word on Packers.com is that it's not expected that either injury will keep him out of the next game, but we'll see.

It was good to see Rodgers play well, at least.  First time he's gotten any kind of significant playing time, in a meaningful game, and he kept them in it, on a night when the defense was looking rather suspect.


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## Ilium (Nov 30, 2007)

kenobi65 said:
			
		

> It was good to see Rodgers play well, at least.  First time he's gotten any kind of significant playing time, in a meaningful game, and he kept them in it, on a night when the defense was looking rather suspect.



Yeah.  I "suspected" they were out there but I couldn't prove it.


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## kenobi65 (Nov 30, 2007)

Ilium said:
			
		

> Yeah.  I "suspected" they were out there but I couldn't prove it.




Well, it was clear that they were missing their injured guys.  Romo picked on Woodson's replacements (Bush, then Williams) very effectively, including drawing the two long pass interference penalties.  And, without KGB, they rarely got much pressure on Romo.  

I got the feeling that Harris was trying to overcompensate for Woodson's absence or something, and take Owens out of the game single-handedly...as a result, he seemed to frequently get caught out of position, and played one of the poorest games I've seen him play in a long time.

And then there's Mr. Atari Bigby.  His aggressiveness cost them more than once (particularly on that face-mask penalty, when he tore Barber's helmet clean off his head).  I start to wonder if Bigby attended the Chuck Cecil School-of-Idiot-Hardnose-Play.


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## Ilium (Nov 30, 2007)

kenobi65 said:
			
		

> Well, it was clear that they were missing their injured guys.  Romo picked on Woodson's replacements (Bush, then Williams) very effectively, including drawing the two long pass interference penalties.  And, without KGB, they rarely got much pressure on Romo.
> 
> I got the feeling that Harris was trying to overcompensate for Woodson's absence or something, and take Owens out of the game single-handedly...as a result, he seemed to frequently get caught out of position, and played one of the poorest games I've seen him play in a long time.
> 
> And then there's Mr. Atari Bigby.  His aggressiveness cost them more than once (particularly on that face-mask penalty, when he tore Barber's helmet clean off his head).  I start to wonder if Bigby attended the Chuck Cecil School-of-Idiot-Hardnose-Play.



 Same here.  I haven't looked at his stats, but in the games I've gotten to see this year he seems to be committing a LOT of penalties.


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## Ranger REG (Dec 2, 2007)

*Taking a Pause...*

At the Redskin-Bills game this Sunday, after the Washington Redskins' special team scored a field goal and the first score of the game, the Washington Redskins defensive team paid tribute to their fallen safety Sean Taylor by lining against the Bills' offense first play with only 10 men on the field.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7617991?nclick_check=1


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## Angel Tarragon (Dec 3, 2007)

WOO-HOO!

Chargers Won!

Woot!


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## GlassJaw (Dec 4, 2007)

Very surprised the Pats pulled that one off.  They put together a drive to win at the end but I still feel like the Ravens lost it rather than the Pats winning it.  I don't think the Raven can complain about the calls at the end though - they really couldn't maintain their composure.

I was actually pleasantly surprised with Don Shula.  After some of his comments over the past couple of months, I had the impression that he was a senile and bitter old man.  Last night, I thought he actually added some meaningful contribution to the broadcast.  Tony Kornheiser, on the other hand, was a twit.


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## TerraDave (Dec 7, 2007)

Ranger REG said:
			
		

> At the Redskin-Bills game this Sunday, after the Washington Redskins' special team scored a field goal and the first score of the game, the Washington Redskins defensive team paid tribute to their fallen safety Sean Taylor by lining against the Bills' offense first play with only 10 men on the field.
> 
> http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7617991?nclick_check=1




Sean Taylor's death makes it hard to even do any kind of post here. But I will try, keeping in mind that that is on a different level.

Since I last posted, the team continued its loosing ways, the teams best defensive player is shot and killed, and in the game after the hall of fame coach looses it by making a bone-head play. 

They did beat da bears last night in a nasty game, but may loose their quarterback for the rest of the season. 

Sheesh. Truly sad on different levels. But they can still make the playoffs  :\ .


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## TerraDave (Dec 21, 2007)

I sank the thread!

Anyways...the skins are somehow in playoff contention, also beating the giants. Sunday its the Vikings...and they could actually win it.

Its been a weird season.


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## TerraDave (Jan 3, 2008)

One little picture of Sean Taylor, and no one is posting here. And its the PLAYOFFS!

Even better, the Skins are in after wailing on the Cowboys starters! Carried by an old coach and a middle aged quarterback. Its the story of the season (well that and Patriots perfection). 

But nobody is posting here. Oh wel..


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## kenobi65 (Jan 3, 2008)

TerraDave said:
			
		

> Even better, the Skins are in after wailing on the Cowboys starters! Carried by an old coach and a middle aged quarterback. Its the story of the season (well that and Patriots perfection).




Always does my heart good to see the Cowboys get spanked, even if it was in a game that they had no motivation to take seriously. 

My Packers get a week off to try to get healthier, but I still fear that the run defense has gotten soft, and that they may not make it out of the divisional playoff round, much less being able to beat Dallas at Texas Stadium (which has proven to be a massive mental block for the Pack).


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## GlassJaw (Jan 3, 2008)

This year's Superbowl will be help the weekend of the 19th - Colts at Patriots.


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## drothgery (Jan 3, 2008)

GlassJaw said:
			
		

> This year's Superbowl will be help the weekend of the 19th - Colts at Patriots.




While the AFC Championship game is likely to feature better teams than the Super Bowl (and the Chargers and Jags will have at least a little to say about things), and the AFC Champion will be heavily favored in the Super Bowl, this does not mean the AFC Championship Game is, in fact, the Super Bowl.

Really, if they can get there, I think the worst matchup for the Pats is the Pack. I may be a shameless Packers fan, but a high-powered pass offense, good pass rush, and good corners are most of what you need to give New England a game, and Green Bay has that. Indy's got most of that (and their offense is better and better balanced), but their pass rush has been decimated by injuries to Freeney and Mathis.


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## TerraDave (Jan 7, 2008)

The Redskins finally come to an end. 

Oh well. Now its time to just kick back....and root against the pats.


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## Kahuna Burger (Jan 7, 2008)

TerraDave said:
			
		

> The Redskins finally come to an end.
> 
> Oh well. Now its time to just kick back....and root against the pats.



So, you enjoy disappointment?   

(not a sports fan, but unwillingly fascinated by streaks.)


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## TerraDave (Jan 7, 2008)

Me, a masochist. I wonder. 

Another ____Dave agrees on the pats. From David Noonans Blog:



			
				WotC_Dave said:
			
		

> *Why You Should Root Against the Patriots:* As far as me and my buddies can tell, no American city has captured all three of the big pro sports championships (baseball, football, basketball) in one twelve-month year. But Boston has one in hand right now (baseball), a football team that’s a freakish juggernaught, and a basketball team that’s one of the best in the East. Mark my words: If Boston pulls off all three championships, their sports fans will achieve a level of smug insufferability that will make all the rest of us miserable. (And remember, I’ve got to sit near Bostonian Mearls, so this is a very real danger.)
> And I genuinely like the Celtics—how can you not admire Garnett’s intensity and work ethic? So please, someone beat the Patriots so I’m not forced to root against the Celtics.
> 
> As a side note, someone with some sort of sports-database access could probably tell me whether it’s actually true that no city has captured all three championships in the same year. I could think of only one city that pulled off two-out-of-three: Boston in 2004 (Sox and Patriots). There may be others. And if you include hockey or college sports, then that muddies the waters further, but there might be some really neat “this was the perfect time to be a fan” moments in history out there.
> ...


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## GlassJaw (Jan 8, 2008)

TerraDave said:
			
		

> The Redskins finally come to an end.




And so did their coach.  Didn't expect Gibbs to throw in the towel.



> Oh well. Now its time to just kick back....and root against the pats.




Yeah, good luck with that.    

Go Pats!


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## TerraDave (Jan 11, 2008)

*Gibs:* its was a shock. And its probably means more overpriced restructuring for little gain. Oh well, the Daniel Snyder--the owner--claims he learned things from Gibbs. We'll see.


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## TerraDave (Feb 4, 2008)

TerraDave said:
			
		

> Oh well. Now its time to just kick back....and root against the pats.






			
				GlassJaw said:
			
		

> Yeah, good luck with that.
> 
> Go Pats!




Thanks. It worked out pretty well.


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