OFFICIAL 2012-2013 NFL Thread

[Liam]

Dudes munchin' Bündchen .... that's not gay...

It's a cover.

[slucero]

Dudes munchin' Bündchen .... that's not gay...

It's a cover.

hahaha

...even if it is.. he's still gets hetero points... with a few homo deductions..

[Liam]

Belicheat is his dominatrix.

[mikemarrs]

To cap an unpredictable afternoon that was fitting given his unpredictable nature, receiver Chad Ochocinco has been released by the Patriots.

The team has formally announced the move.

As Adam Schefter of ESPN reported, and as we separately have confirmed, the Patriots tried to trade Ochocinco before cutting him. Earlier this year, he agreed to drop his base salary from $3 million to, per NFLPA records, $925,000. Ochocinco was due to earn $3 million in base salary in 2013.

The Patriots acquired Ochocinco and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth last summer, after the lockout. They were praised at the time for both moves, although neither panned out.

Ochocinco ended up being the far more costly mistake. Via a contract restructuring, the Pats gave him a $6 million signing bonus. He also earned a salary of $1 million in 2011.

In return, the Pats got 15 receptions for 276 yards and one touchdown.

Ochocinco instantly becomes an unrestricted free agent. The fact that no team was willing to to trade for a contract that would have paid him $925,000 this year means that he’ll at best be getting a one-year deal for the veteran minimum, under the device that allows the contract to account for only $540,000 under the salary cap.

He may not even get that.

Miami,Buffalo,St. Louis,Minnesota and Oakland have been mentioned as possible landing spots.

[mikemarrs]

So what is mandatory for potential Super Bowl teams? It's not hard to see where this is going. Here are the passing game rankings,1st,running game rankings 2nd.

So a quick tally of the past 20 Super Bowl participants:

6/20 participants had a top 10 run game. I'd classify this as the elite category.
9/20 participants had a top 16 run game (average or better).
The last four years has seen a particular shift away from the run game. Only one team in the past four years has had a top 10 ground attack.
If we were to split the ten years into two halves, 4 of the 6 participants with a top 10 ground attack were in the first half.
Of the teams with great running games, 4 of the 6 were victorious.

From this data it doesn't seem like there is anything strongly associating a great rushing attack with championships. You can win a championship with great running, but it's not a must.


2011: New York Giants (5th, 32nd) vs. New England (2nd, 20th)
2010: Green Bay (5th, 24th) vs. Pittsburgh (14th, 11th)
2009: New Orleans (4th, 6th) vs. Indianapolis (2nd, 32nd)
2008: Pittsburgh (17th, 17th) vs. Arizona (2nd, 32nd)
2007: New York Giants (21st, 4th) vs. New England (1st, 13th)
2006: Indianapolis (2nd, 18th) vs. Chicago (14th, 15th)
2005: Pittsburgh (24th, 5th) vs. Seattle (13th, 3rd)
2004: New England (11th, 7th) vs. Philadelphia (7th, 24th)
2003: New England (9th, 27th) vs. Carolina (18th, 7th)
2002: Tampa Bay (15th, 27th) vs. Oakland (1st, 18th)

Now we're getting a little closer to the truth.

11/20 had top 10 passing games. Again as above, this is an elite category.
16/20 had top 16 passing games (average or better).
Again if we're using the most recent four year block, 6/8 teams had elite passing games.
Using the equal split, 7 of the 11 teams with elite passing games are in the most recent five years.

Looking at the complete offensive rankings seems to provide a much clearer picture. It is rare (4/20) for Super Bowl teams to have poor passing attacks.


[From 2000-2009] In the past 10 years, only two teams have won a Super Bowl without a top ten offense or defense (2007 Giants, 2001 Patriots), and only one other team has made it to the Super Bowl with out a top ten offense/defense (2008 Cardinals). That tells me that, in general, you need to excel at one or the other. Expecting to excel in both is not reasonable, only three of the 20 teams have been in the top ten in both categories. Being just slightly above average at both doesn't usually get it done.

[slucero]

Sandusky.... from Penn State to State Pen...

[Liam]

Sandusky.... from Penn State to State Pen...

Add Killing JoePa to that sentence.

[mikemarrs]

I'm not a Penn State fan or anything but its sad that one man had the ability to totally ruin such a great football program that had a very rich tradition and a lot of great history behind it.

Joe Paterno was one of the best college football coaches ever and coached many decades and lead a great program to storybook success and it all gets completely tainted and soiled all based on the sick and twisted actions of just one man.All it took was one individual to ruin all the great success and hard work that was put in.

Jerry Sandusky should be ashamed he did what he did because people trusted him but his program was used not to help young boys but to help Sandusky with his own perverted and sick desires.

[slucero]

Holy shit...

http://news.yahoo.com/report-ex-psu-pre ... --spt.html

Report: Ex-PSU president OK'd not reporting abuse

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Emails show Penn State's former president Graham Spanier agreed not to take allegations of sex abuse against ex-assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky to authorities but worried university officials would be "vulnerable" for failing to report it, a news organization has reported.

CNN says the emails, first obtained by and reported on by NBC, followed a graduate assistant's 2001 report of seeing Sandusky sexually assaulting a boy in a team locker room shower.

The emails show athletic director Tim Curley and retired vice president Gary Schultz intended to report the allegation, then reconsidered. Spanier responded that he was "supportive" of their plan, but he worried they might "become vulnerable for not having reported it."

Sandusky was convicted this month of 45 counts of sexually abusing 10 boys. The scandal led to the ouster of Spanier and revered coach Joe Paterno and charges against Curley and Schultz, who are accused of perjury for their grand jury testimony and failing to properly report suspected child abuse. Spanier hasn't been charged.

The CNN report cites an email from Schultz to Curley on Feb. 26, 2001, 16 days after graduate assistant Mike McQueary told veteran coach Joe Paterno about the shower assault. Schultz suggests bringing the allegation to the attention of Sandusky, Sandusky's charity and the Department of Welfare, which investigates suspected child abuse, according to the report.

But the next night, Curley sent an email to Spanier, saying that after thinking about it more and talking to Paterno, he was "uncomfortable" with that plan and wanted to work with Sandusky before contacting authorities, the report said.

If Sandusky is cooperative, Curley's email said, "we would work with him. .... If not, we do not have a choice and will inform the two groups," according to the report.

Spanier wrote back and agreed with that approach, calling it "humane and a reasonable way to proceed," according to the report. But he also worried about the consequences.

"The only downside for us is if message isn't 'heard' and acted upon and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it, but that can be assessed down the road," the email said, according to CNN.

Spanier's attorney didn't immediately return a call from The Associated Press seeking comment Saturday.

Schultz and Curley's lawyers on Saturday echoed recent comments by Gov. Tom Corbett about the need for a solid case before charging Sandusky. Corbett began the investigation in 2009 when he was attorney general.

"For Curley, Schultz, Spanier and Paterno, the responsible and 'humane' thing to do was, like Governor Corbett, to carefully and responsibly assess the best way to handle vague, but troubling allegations," the lawyers said. "Faced with tough situations, good people try to do their best to make the right decisions."

Paterno, ousted by the school's board of trustees for what was called his "failure of leadership" surrounding allegations against Sandusky, died of lung cancer in January. After Sandusky's arrest, Paterno said through a spokesman that he reported the allegation to the head of his department and "that was the last time the matter was brought to my attention until this investigation and I assumed that the men I referred it to handled the matter appropriately."

Schultz, 62, and Curley, 58, deny the allegations and have asked a judge to dismiss the charges. A status conference for their case is scheduled for July 11.

Spanier sued Penn State in May to try to get copies of his email traffic from 1998 to 2004, citing the pending investigation being conducted on the university by former FBI director Louis Freeh. Two weeks ago, lawyers for Penn State asked a judge to throw out the lawsuit and said the attorney general's office, which is prosecuting Curley and Schultz, had asked them not to provide Spanier with the emails.

[slucero]

The JoPa crucifixion has begun...

Joe Paterno's role in covering up Jerry Sandusky's child molestations grows as evidence is leaked
Sat, Jun 30, 2012 2:14 PM EDT

The Penn State administration had finally hatched a plan. It was too kind, backward and included possibly tampering with a criminal investigation. Still, it was enough of a plan that it could've stopped Jerry Sandusky, child molester, back in 2001. Just a couple weeks earlier, a football graduate assistant, Mike McQueary, had witnessed Sandusky abusing a boy in a Penn State locker room shower. He told coach Joe Paterno. He told vice president Gary Schultz and athletic director Tim Curley. He could've been more specific. He was clearly specific enough, however, to get their attention.

Schultz plotted out a course of action, according to a bombshell report by CNN, citing an email exchange that's been uncovered in the school's independent investigation by former FBI chief Louis Freeh. The report could be released as early as next month. According to CNN in an email dated Feb. 26, 2001, Schultz wrote to Curley about a three-part plan that included talking "with the subject asap regarding the future appropriate use of the University facility," … "contacting the chair of the charitable organization" and "contacting the Department of Welfare."

Former Penn State athletic director Tim Curley's alleged email could be damaging for Joe Paterno. (AP)It would have been better to skip directly to the third action and let the welfare authorities do the meeting and informing, but this should've been enough to end Sandusky's reign of terror. Except that Curley sent an email to Schultz and school president Graham Spanier on Feb. 27, 2001, that changed everything.

"After giving it more thought and talking it over with Joe yesterday, I am uncomfortable with what we agreed were the next steps. I am having trouble with going to everyone but the person involved. I would be more comfortable meeting with the person and tell them about the information we received and tell them we are aware of the first situation," Curley's email said, according to CNN.

It's unclear why Curley suggested that Sandusky (the "person involved") wouldn't be contacted when Schultz's email told Curley to "talk with the subject asap." But the bottom line is that child welfare services was never contacted. And Sandusky, convicted earlier this month on 45 counts of molestation, continued to stalk and abuse the area's disadvantaged boys for seven more years. The email is devastating on multiple levels, perhaps most for Paterno, who had escaped some measure of scorn thus far by having played the, in-hindsight-I-should've-done-more angle. Paterno, who won more games than any other major college football coach, died at age 85 in January of lung cancer. According to Curley's email, Paterno participated more than he ever admitted, including likely talking Curley – and thus the others – out of the plan to turn Sandusky over to authorities.

Take a second for that one to sink in.

It is now perfectly reasonable to postulate that Joe Paterno protected Jerry Sandusky, who had been a Penn State assistant coach from 1969 until retiring in 1999. Sandusky went right along with his business of showering with boys in the locker room, of bringing kids to the sidelines during games, of sitting in the press/luxury box area of home games. Sandusky used the program's allure like a lollipop to draw kids into his van.

Paterno will never have the chance to defend against this charge or answer these troubling questions.

However, what would be his defense? The first could be that he and Curley never met on or about Feb. 27, 2001, or if they did meet, Sandusky wasn't mentioned.

In a 2011 appearance to the grand jury, Paterno said McQueary detailed what he saw in the shower. Within a couple days Paterno relayed the story to Curley over the phone. He said he wasn't involved in the investigation after that.

"Because I figured that Tim would handle it appropriately," Paterno testified on Jan. 12, 2011. "I have a tremendous amount of confidence in Mr. Curley and I thought he would look into it and handle it appropriately."

Curley's email tells a different story, that he discussed with Paterno the plan to bring in child protective services. Perhaps Curley lied in that original email, although why is anyone's guess. Perhaps Paterno forgot about the meeting (a decade had passed by the time the then 84-year-old testified in front of the grand jury). Or perhaps Paterno was trying to cover his tracks by not mentioning it under oath. The other possibility is that the meeting did take place and Paterno supported turning Sandusky over to child welfare but Curley, after "giving it more thought," overruled Paterno's position and changed direction.

That one is difficult to believe. Tim Curley was Joe Paterno's boss in title only. Curley grew up in State College in a house just down the street from the current Beaver Stadium. He parked cars and sold programs as a kid. He played football at Penn State and was said to be JoePa's handpicked choice as athletic director years later. This latest report could really damage former Penn State coach Joe Paterno's legacy. (AP)Tim Curley, like so many in State College, stood in awe of Paterno. Forget the organizational chart, he worked for the coach more than the coach worked for him.

The notion that he would ignore Paterno's advice, and then upon doing so never have Paterno question him or later overrule him, is highly unlikely.

There are more details to be sifted through. One is Curley cryptically mentioning he would "tell [Sandusky] we are aware of the first situation."

This seemingly refers to Sandusky being investigated by Penn State police in 1998 for abusing a boy, later known as Victim No. 6, in the showers. The Centre County district attorney at the time chose not to prosecute Sandusky.

While most believe there could be no way that Curley, Schultz and Spanier, let alone Paterno, didn't know about the 1998 investigation when choosing not to act in 2001, this is a smoking gun. It establishes that at least the three administrators did know. And wouldn't Curley have brought it up when discussing Sandusky with Paterno?

It's the most galling and evil part of the CNN revelations. These officials were learning of a second allegation that Sandusky had abused a boy in the showers and yet their reaction wasn't to turn the case over to authorities. Instead they allowed Sandusky to continue to operate on campus, only with the caveat he wasn't supposed to bring children around, an order he routinely violated.

After 1998, you could argue there wasn't much they could do. There was an investigation but no charge. People who work with children are always in fear of such a thing. If the district attorney said there was nothing to it, then you accept there was nothing to it.

Until a similar accusation is made, this time not from a possibly confused kid, but from McQueary, your own 27-year-old, no-reason-to-invent-such-a-story graduate assistant.

In 2001 there was zero excuse to not stop Sandusky. Zero. Penn State's decision was pathetic. It's a chief reason why Curley and Schultz are facing prison time for failure to report a crime. It's also why Spanier remains a candidate for similar indictment from the attorney general.

Did Spanier realize the stakes of his decision? You bet he did. His email back to Curley concerning not going to child welfare says as much.

"I am supportive," Spanier wrote, according to CNN. "The only downside for us [is] if the message isn't heard and acted upon, and then we become vulnerable for not having reported it."

Graham Spanier is a bad person. That wasn't the "only downside" or even the primary downside of Sandusky not hearing "the message."

The fact that additional children would be abused was the downside. Spanier, ever the self-obsessed top administrator, cared only about his own liability, not some terrified 10-year-old in an empty shower room. At no point, apparently, did anyone write an email about finding the boy McQueary said was being molested. What remains is the question of why otherwise reasonable people would make such an ethically bankrupt and criminal decision. These are highly educated, high-functioning men. The answer may never be determined. It may help to go back to that moment.

In hindsight, the smart move would have been to have Sandusky arrested. Viewed from today, Curley, Paterno, et. al. would have been lauded for making the correct decision.

At the time, however, the story would've been about a recently retired defensive coordinator molesting kids in JoePa's locker room.

Paterno was 74 and coming off a 5-7 season. He didn't have much of a team for the foreseeable future, either. Rumblings were growing that it was time for him to retire, that the game had passed him by, that at his age he couldn't handle the responsibilities of a major college football program.

An act of child molestation in the locker room would have only fueled that. When word would have eventually leaked out that in 1998 Sandusky had been investigated for the same charge yet still maintained all-hour access to the facilities, it may have too much for Paterno to survive, let alone explain.

In the precise moment, each of the men must have feared being fired. Even Joe Paterno.

Perhaps that wasn't the case. We may never know and it certainly isn't an excuse for allowing Sandusky to continue. It may explain it, however. Self-preservation is a powerful motivator.

If Sandusky had sought the help they suggested, had he stopped his behavior, had the school not commissioned Louis Freeh to dig through every scrap of information in the football program, a witch hunt that found its witches, they may have gotten away with it.

They didn't, though. Instead, the whole thing gets worse for Penn State. The full report looms. The noose tightens on Curley, Schultz and Spanier.

And Joe Paterno, the beloved saint of the Nittany Lions, is left looking nothing like the man everyone believed he was.

[Ehwmatt]

The JoPa crucifixion has begun...

It's looking like he deserves it.

Ironically, those Paterno supporters imploring people to "Wait for the all the facts to come out" might wish they never felt that way. As the press revealed more facts about this case in the immediate aftermath (say, the 3-4 weeks after the whole thing broke in November), I started believing that Paterno would be indicted (figuratively, not legally), rather than exonerated, by whatever was left to be revealed. Looks like my instincts were right.

[No Surprize]

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) -- Ben Davidson, the hulking defensive end who starred for the Oakland Raiders in the 1960s before becoming a famous television pitch man, has died. He was 72.
Davidson died Monday night. He was being treated for prostate cancer. Former Raiders coach John Madden first reported Davidson's death Tuesday on KCBS radio in San Francisco.
Davidson spent 11 years in pro football, starting with the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins in the NFL before joining the Raiders in the AFL in 1964.
That's where the 6-foot-8 Davidson became famous. With his distinctive handlebar mustache, raspy voice and physical play, Davidson helped personify Al Davis' renegade Raiders on the 1960s.
''He was a tough, gutsy ballplayer, team oriented with enough meanness in him to be feared and enough talent to be effective,'' former Raiders teammate Tom Flores said. Flores, who recently played golf with Davidson, got the news while in Las Vegas for a celebration of Davis, who would have turned 83 on Wednesday.
Davidson played in the second Super Bowl for Oakland after the 1967 season and then was on the team that lost the conference title game the next three seasons.
One of Davidson's most memorable plays came on Nov. 1, 1970, against Kansas City. The Raiders trailed 17-14 late in the fourth quarter when Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson ran for a first down to seemingly seal the win.
As Dawson was on the ground, Davidson dived into him with his helmet. In a rage, Chiefs wide receiver Otis Taylor jumped on Davidson and a brawl ensued.
''Their attitude was, if you've got a shot at the quarterback, take it,'' Dawson recalled in 2010.
The play was negated by offsetting penalties and the Chiefs eventually had to punt. Oakland tied the game on a field goal by George Blanda with 8 seconds remaining and that proved to be the difference in the AFC West race. The Raiders won the division with a record of 8-4-2, while the Chiefs missed the playoffs at 7-5-2.
Davidson didn't play football until going to East Los Angeles Community College. He went from there to the University of Washington, where he helped the Huskies win Rose Bowls in 1960 and '61.
He was then a fourth-round pick by the New York Giants in 1961. He played his rookie season with Green Bay, winning the NFL championship with the Packers in 1961.
He then spent two years in Washington before joining the Raiders in Davis' second season as coach in Oakland. He spent eight seasons with the Raiders. He was a second-team Associated Press All-AFL selection in 1965 and first-teamer in 1967.
''He was just a big, tall, skinny guy that Davis took a chance with,'' Flores said. ''He was able to rush the passer and worked hard to get bigger and stronger, with the character and personality. He was always that way.''
After his playing career, Davidson became a successful actor with roles in films like ''M-A-S-H,'' ''Conan the Barbarian'' and ''Necessary Roughness'' and he played himself in Miller Lite ads.
Davidson is survived by his wife, Kathy, and daughters Jan, Dana and Vicki.


I remember watching him play when I was young.That dude had one thing on his mind.To destroy anybody in front of him...Hell,It was scary and I was on the other side of the tv...R.I.P Ben..........

[slucero]

the name of the new kicker for Pitt:

Chris Blewitt


no shite... http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr- ... ncaaf.html

[YoungJRNY]

12 days till training camp mothertruckers....

I came.

[Liam]

I hate this fucking DEAD part of the offseason. Since they're paid this fucking much, they SHOULD play 9 months a year. Add a couple more BYEs, I don't give a shit.

[conversationpc]

I hate this fucking DEAD part of the offseason. Since they're paid this fucking much, they SHOULD play 9 months a year. Add a couple more BYEs, I don't give a shit.

There are already too many injuries. Adding games to the schedule is madness.

[conversationpc]

the name of the new kicker for Pitt:

Chris Blewitt


no shite... http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr- ... ncaaf.html

"Here's the kick for the win...It's up...It's long enough...WIDE RIGHT! Blewitt blew it!"

[mikemarrs]

I hate this fucking DEAD part of the offseason BUT a couple more weeks and its preseason and we get to see the rookies compete for roster spots and football will be back.



2012 PRESEASON WEEK-BY-WEEK SCHEDULE
HALL OF FAME GAME – AUGUST 5
Arizona vs. New Orleans (NFLN)

WEEK 1 – AUGUST 9-13
Green Bay at San Diego (ESPN, 8/9)
Dallas at Oakland (ESPN, 8/13)
Arizona at Kansas City
Baltimore at Atlanta
Cleveland at Detroit
Denver at Chicago
Houston at Carolina
Minnesota at San Francisco
New Orleans at New England
NY Giants at Jacksonville
NY Jets at Cincinnati
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia
St. Louis at Indianapolis
Tampa Bay at Miami
Tennessee at Seattle
Washington at Buffalo

WEEK 2 – AUGUST 16-20
Cincinnati at Atlanta (FOX, 8/16)
Detroit at Baltimore (FOX, 8/17)
Indianapolis at Pittsburgh (NBC, 8/19)
Philadelphia at New England (ESPN, 8/20)
Buffalo at Minnesota
Cleveland at Green Bay
Dallas at San Diego
Jacksonville at New Orleans
Kansas City at St. Louis
Miami at Carolina
NY Giants at NY Jets
Oakland at Arizona
San Francisco at Houston
Seattle at Denver
Tennessee at Tampa Bay
Washington at Chicago

WEEK 3 – AUGUST 23-26
Arizona at Tennessee (ESPN, 8/23)
Chicago at NY Giants (CBS, 8/24)
Houston at New Orleans (CBS, 8/25)
San Francisco at Denver (FOX, 8/26)
Carolina at NY Jets (NBC, 8/26)
Atlanta at Miami
Detroit at Oakland
Green Bay at Cincinnati
Indianapolis at Washington
Jacksonville at Baltimore
New England at Tampa Bay
Philadelphia at Cleveland
Pittsburgh at Buffalo
San Diego at Minnesota
Seattle at Kansas City
St. Louis at Dallas

WEEK 4 – AUGUST 29-30
Atlanta at Jacksonville
Baltimore at St. Louis
Buffalo at Detroit
Carolina at Pittsburgh
Chicago at Cleveland
Cincinnati at Indianapolis
Denver at Arizona
Kansas City at Green Bay
Miami at Dallas
Minnesota at Houston
New England at NY Giants
New Orleans at Tennessee
NY Jets at Philadelphia
Oakland at Seattle
San Diego at San Francisco
Tampa Bay at Washington

[mikemarrs]

12 days till training camp mothertruckers....

I came.

Won't be long.Hey i meant to ask you are we gonna do the predictions for each division like we always do? I didn't know if we've already done that yet or not.Really looking forward to the season and like you i can't wait.Should be an interesting year and i would like to point out some things i think will be interesting.

1.Will Peyton Manning play like he always has.If so will he be able to carry the team like he did in Indy especially if the defense ends up having an off year.IF Manning does play very well and Denver puts a good defense out there they could go very far.

2.I personally think Cam Newton and the Panthers will have a winning year this year and i think he will benefit greatly once they get the defense up to par and he doesn't have to come from behind much.

3.Will the New Orleans Saints go through an off year after losing many coaches and the defense being warned to watch themselves and how aggressive they play.

4.Will the Cowboys finally get over the hump this season? I predict that there will be a QB controversy once Romo gets injured or benched and they go to Orton.If Orton lights it up like Kitna did things could get interesting if Orton does play well.

5.Will the Houston Texans take a step back or forward.Before the starting QB got hurt they had one of the best rosters in the league.Schaub is in his final year so if he plays poorly then they could go with another QB sooner rather than later.

6.Will Jeff Fisher be able to bring the Rams back from the dead? The Rams have had the worst five year stretch in NFL history according to their win loss record.I am on the fence here not sure but i do know Fisher always has good defenses and if Bradford plays well the Rams will be in business.

7.Will Buffalo win this year.Well they got Mario Williams,Shawn Merriman and a few others on what could be a very good defense.They also brought in Vince Young to backup Fitzpatrick.The Bills do have a talented roster but can they win?

8.I'm not sold on Alex Smith at all.The 49ers have an outstanding offense plus a good defense.The weak link to me is the QB plain and simple.I do know Moss and the great talent catching the ball will be calling for Smith to be replaced if things don't go well.

9.I'm wondering what we will see out of San Diego.As long as they have Phillip Rivers they will have a good shot at winning but after so many times of falling short who knows.Well Norv Turner better win this year or he will be gone.

10.Will Baltimore be the same especially with an aging defense full of great players nearing the end of their playing days

11.Will be interesting to see how well the Steelers do on offense with new coordinator Haley running things.

12.How long will it be before the Colts field a winning team again and will Andrew Luck have enough talent to get them back to winning.

[Liam]

I hate this fucking DEAD part of the offseason. Since they're paid this fucking much, they SHOULD play 9 months a year. Add a couple more BYEs, I don't give a shit.

There are already too many injuries. Adding games to the schedule is madness.

I just get antsy right about now. In reality, I don't want to go to an 18 game schedule.

[mikemarrs]

When running back Chris Johnson arrived with the Titans in 2008, the weight of the team’s offense was placed squarely on his shoulder pads.

The Titans counted on Johnson to carry the load, and opposing defenses regularly built game plans to slow him down. During his four NFL seasons, not much has changed in that regard.

Heading into the 2012 season, Johnson once again will be a key component in the team’s offensive attack. And it’s a big year for Johnson, coming off the least productive season of his NFL career.

But things have changed, and Johnson knows it.

“We were more of a smash-mouth team when I got here,” Johnson said. “And now it is more of a passing offense.”

Still, Johnson said, “I expect to have a big role.”

No running back in the NFL has had more success than Johnson over the past four seasons. Since entering the league in 2008, Johnson has complied 5,645 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns.

That trumps the success of backs such as Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson (5,411 yards) and Atlanta’s Michael Turner (5,281) over the same time period.

The Titans believe Johnson is ready to bounce back after a disappointing season in 2011, when he managed a career-low 1,047 yards and 4.0 yards per carry average.

He gained eight pounds of muscle to make him sturdier in the trenches, and he spent the offseason working with his coaches and teammates at Baptist Sports Park in the offseason program.

“I think Chris (Johnson) has been great,” coach Mike Munchak said. “He has done everything we asked him to do, and he’s looked good.”

With more weapons surrounding him on the offensive side of the ball — the Titans plan to get first-round pick Kendall Wright heavily involved right off the bat — Johnson knows it could free him up for big gains.

As he looks to his left and right at the team’s talented receivers, he knows that could help him in the middle of the field.

“Since I got here, a lot of seasons, everybody has been keying on me,” Johnson said.

“So, having all the extra additions, I feel good that everybody is not going to be able to key on me. I feel like a lot of teams won’t be able to focus on me like they have in years past.”

[Liam]

Dez Bryant beat up his mama. Here's Irvin's reaction...

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-player-in ... ent_stream

[Liam]

25 fucking days.

Ya KNOW it's bad when I'm counting the days to just watch rookies/2nd and 3rd stringers.

[YoungJRNY]

12 days till training camp mothertruckers....

I came.

Won't be long.Hey i meant to ask you are we gonna do the predictions for each division like we always do?

Hell yeah dude. That's the best part! We'll do it about a week before Week 1 of the regular season. Too many variables at the moment to really dig into the rosters because they simply aren't set yet. Roster spots, competition and rookie stand-outs need to take place before all official predictions. Can't wait for pre-season. I love camp battles.

[Liam]

Kickoff: COWBOYS. Eli will throw a record 10 picks.

[No Surprize]

Norman Sas, who died last month, and his Electric Football invention caused a buzz that will live on for generations


Vero Beach, and the toy world, lost an innovator when Norman Sas died at age 87.
It would be tempting to wax poetic while conjuring images of Sas’ creation, a vibrating electric football game so old it pre-dates Madden (the video game) and nearly Madden (the retired football coach and analyst). It also would be tempting to toss in an obligatory joke about Sas’ tiny, plastic players going in endless circles, leaving everybody exasperated.
But just as actual football games require player introductions and the national anthem before the fun, so too must particulars take priority here. First, consider that Sas’ game began being mass-marketed in 1949, took off with an NFL licensing deal in 1967, sold more than 40 million copies and still enjoys a subculture of enthusiasts who annually contest their Super Bowl.
Yet until Sas’ death three weeks ago, hardly even those fanatics had heard of Norman Sas.
By all accounts, Sas didn’t mind. For years, he served as a councilman in his borough of New Jersey and as such was covered in the local paper, yet never once was there a mention of his true claim to fame: a sheet of metal decorated like a mini football field that vibrated to make tiny players move every which way. Sas’ modesty ran so deep that Wendy Jones can still hear her father wondering, “What’s all this hoopla about?” regarding his accomplishment.
Back in the day, finding an electric football game under the Christmas tree — it wasn’t one of the best things that could happen, it was the best gift, says former NFL coach and current Cleveland Browns President Mike Holmgren, speaking on behalf of millions of ex-kids. That includes New Orleans attorney Ron Bell, 43, a four-time mini-Super Bowl champion who today mourns Sas.
“When you come upon it, you don’t really think about the guy who was behind it,” Bell says. “We play it for a million years and then the guy dies and it’s kind of uneventful amongst the people that still do it. I mean, this guy ought to be worshipped by this group … pay him a little more respects.”
Efforts are under way to correct that. Next month, Sas will join Bell in the Missouri-based “Miniature Football Coaches Association” Hall of Fame, although Lynn Schmidt, the group’s president, says, “He should have been in there from Day 1. … We’re just bummed we couldn’t reach him while he was still alive.”
Jones is, too, but adds, “I think deep down inside, Dad would be just thrilled.”
Sas certainly lived a full life, with a stint in the Navy sandwiched by degrees in mechanical engineering and business administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He eventually took over as president of his father’s company, which became Tudor Games, and, inspired by a vibrating horse-racing game, Norman created Tudor Electric Football, selling for $5.95.
“Those early No. 500 Electric Football models look crude to the modern eye — but, just for a second, imagine being a child on Christmas morning in 1949,” says the website of the firm, which still sells the game and recently restored the Tudor name to honor the Sas family. ” … Just turn on the game and watch your players run — all by themselves!”
Another switch was flipped when the NFL deal was signed, allowing actual teams and players to be represented.
“For the first 10 years, we generated more money for NFL Properties than anyone else,” Sas told The Washington Post in 1998. “Then the (video) games came out, and that was the beginning of the end.”
Ira Silverman, who handled public relations for NFL Properties, says the electric game still offers advantages over Madden on Xbox.
“It’s very hands on,” Silverman says. “For every play, you were setting up the offense or defense and your opponent was doing the opposite. You’re able to touch and feel them. It was very social. A lot of the things like Madden and such are played individually. … It just has a magic to it that the video games don’t have.”
Sas and wife, Irene, were married for 62 years, moving to Vero Beach about 15 years ago. Not even a stroke could curb his pursuit of the hole-in-one that never came. Since his death on June 28, his family has been reminded that fans still get good vibrations by the mere mention of his invention. Jones refers to it as an “oh my gosh, I had that game!” reaction.
Bell was a law student when he recaptured his love of the game. He decided he was going to be the national champion, and years later, he was in the semifinals, watching his dream short out as his opponent was about to score on a 90-yard run … until he ran out of bounds at the 10-yard line. (Anyone who ever played electric football surely can appreciate this underutilized, counter-intuitive tactic by NFL players.)
A dynasty was born, with Bell winning three national titles as, of all teams, the Dolphins.
Fast-forward to 2005, when Bell returned to his New Orleans home following Hurricane Katrina.
“As soon as I walked in, I saw kickers and football guys all over the house and I just said, ‘Oh, this is going to be bad.’ Everybody else was like, ‘Look at all the mud’ and I was like, ‘Look at all the electric football guys all over the place.’ “
Straight from the games-mirror-real-life files, Bell salvaged what he could, renamed his team the Saints … and won the Super Bowl the next year.
Some hardcores have used performance-enhancers such as boiling players to reshape them (not even Gregg Williams, the deposed Saints defensive coordinator, resorted to that). Minus fear of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Bell admits to placing bounties: “I tell my players to kill everybody.”
Joking aside, Sports Illustrated once referred to Bell as almost normal. He’s “not what you think of when you think what these guys might be like,” Schmidt says. Which is? “Some sort of geek.”
Norman Sas never could have envisioned that kind of devotion in the 1940s. He was just trying to make kids smile on Christmas morning.
Those smiles are still there today, as the Sas family has repeatedly heard these past couple of weeks. All conjured by the memory of little plastic men with no particular place to go.
“As hard as it was to lose Dad, we’re just hearing wonderful stories,” Jones says.
Decades later, Norman Sas is still creating a buzz.

[Liam]

http://www.theonion.com/articles/great- ... ory,28779/

[YoungJRNY]

New England, leads the league with 13 players older than 30. The Cardinals are next with 11, followed by the Ravens and the Bills with 10 each.

TIME TO GET FIRED UP. Steelers, in one off-season, got younger. We don't rebuild, we reload. The talking heads and critics talking out of their asshole's need to find SOMETHING wrong with the Steelers every year. All we hear about is age. This stat puts that bullshit to rest. I expect Pittsburgh to be #1 overall defense again. Even in 2011, we ranked #1 overall and we were amongst the DEAD LAST in the league creating turnovers. If those turnovers start coming in droves, the Steelers may not be stopped.

[Enigma869]

New England, leads the league with 13 players older than 30.

You might want to read this article. According to ESPN, the Patriots have the best talent in the NFL under the age of 25. Apparently, not everyone believes the Patriots are over the hill and quite ready to be put out to pasture!

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/story?id ... -25-talent

[YoungJRNY]

I'm not seeing an article. Just audio of some sort? Anyway to copy and paste if you got it from a different link?

That doesn't surprise me that ESPN ranks New England high with the best talent "under the age of 25." I believe that plays a HUGE part in their 2 young tight ends in Gronkowski and Hernandez, respectively. It's pretty much the easy thing to do. As long as Tom Brady has people around him, 25 years old or not, the media is going to take the easy way out and annoit New England the team to beat in the AFC pretty much automatically. Their still the class of a weak AFC EAST and has shown they can get away with a terrible defense while advancing to the Super Bowl.

New England's offensive line all of a sudden has huge question marks entering 2012. Reliable veteran Matt Light has retired and Logan Mankins jacked up his knee in the Super Bowl. Their depth positions are also hurt as well so Brady is going to go through a transition year with who to trust and who NOT to trust and gradually work his way around it.

He gets the ball out as quick as lighting as it is, but givin' the uncertainly of the line, he may have to think even quicker. Late into last season, he showed shades of frustration and I believe he's starting to handle way too much without much help from the defense.

Bellichick is going the route into patching up a contender on the ropes, going out and experimenting with wideouts after wideouts outside the organization & also tight ends. Brandon Lloyd brings dimension, but there's no telling any of these guys will pick up the offense quick after the Ochocinco experiment, even though Lloyd came aboard because of McDaniels.

Brady will be Brady, but I believe we're going to see more frustration out of him if the offensive line doesn't hold up. He needs his protection. He needs a pocket. If he doesn't have it, then the timing of the offense suffers. There's been many times last season that New England's offense was flat out one-dimensional and lacking, but at other times, still a well-oiled machine. Made for an interesting watch.

They'll probably be in the AFC TITLE game once again but the fact remains they lead the league with 13 players older than 30 years old. In Pittsburgh, we've been hearing that since 2005. Even though the media plays the "old" card with the Steelers, they barely mention our young talent, which is phenomenal and focus ONLY on our veteran players and how the downfall of Pittsburgh is going to smack cement hard this season because of it, even though we've been quietly building a mixture of young talent and key veterans alike.

Teams like New England lead the league with players over 30, have young talent just like every team in the NFL, but are favorites to win the Super Bowl with a defense that can barely cover anybody. New England's the comfortable pick for any discussion & they always get the nod because of Brady and Bellichick. They'll be in the discussion though. I don't think New England is done either, but the team seems to have more loopholes than usual.