Divisional Playoffs 2014 Trash Talk

Before we get to the news and notes for the Divisional Playoffs round in the NFL, lets take a quick look at two great NCAA games last night. Unfortunately, I missed both as I was at a wedding at the Desert Botanical Garden where they had the most incredible Chihuly glass display (click on the 2013 photo link). Very cool, especially lit at night.

But, while I was away, the Clemson Tigers dealt the B1G another blow by handily taking out Ohio State in the Orange Bowl. I saw a replay later, and it was a good game until late when the mistakes by OSU and the talent and speed of Clemson took over. Sammy Watkins is unreal, he’s going to be a star in the pros. In the Cotton Bowl, again another close game, but Missouri just had too much for Oklahoma State. For all the talk of ex=Big 12 teams Missouri and Texas A & M not belonging in the SEC, they seem to have done rather well so far. As a last thought, just like to note that vaunted geniuses Nick Saban and Urban Meyer were a combined 0-4 to close out the season.

In the pros, my first comment is on the somewhat startling difficulty of the NFL in selling out three of the four games this weekend, which could have meant local blackouts for home team fans. Bolts/Bengals in Cinci, Niners/Packers at Lambeau and Chiefs/Colts in Indy all struggled to sell out and needed corporate help swooping in to buy up the last blocks to get the required sellout. Maybe, maybe, you can see that at the other two, but the thought of a non-sellout at Lambeau in Titletown? Sacrilege. Our friend Peterr from FDL wrote in with some thoughts:

Reading some of the news stories about this over breakfast, various folks point to the cost of tickets and the prevalence of 55 inch flat screens at home as reasons for people not going.

This strikes me as yet another symptom of the two-tier economic world we’re in these days. For all the 1%ers who have enjoyed the rise in the stock market and have plenty of money to throw around, there are still a lot of lunchpail fans for whom $100+ for the cheapest ticket is still too much, and a lot of other fans who used to carry lunchbuckets whom no job means no tickets either. The NFL is increasingly becoming a rich fan’s sport — PSLs, high ticket prices, higher parking/amenities fees, more games leaving broadcast TV for ESPN on basic cable or the pricier NFL Red Zone cable channel, over-the-top merchandise prices, etc.

Even if all three of these games do get sold out at the last minute, it’s a sign of real problems in the economy generally and the NFL specifically when selling out playoff games goes down to the last minute.

I think that may be right. Not to mention that the Niners and Cheese tilt in the late Sunday game in Green Bay could be the coldest NFL game ever played:

Temperatures at Lambeau Field are expected to be a frigid minus 2 degrees when the Packers and San Francisco 49ers kickoff, and by the fourth quarter it’ll be a bone-chilling minus 7, with wind chills approaching minus 30, according to the National Weather Service. Officials are warning fans to take extra safety measures to stay warm including dressing in layers and sipping warm drinks.

Holy crap, that’s cold! You know where else it’s going to be cold? Philly, that’s where. But Philly had none of the issues of Cinci, Green Bay, or even the temperature controlled dome in Indy. Say what you will about the Philly fans, but they are solid and they show up. Gotta love em.

First game up is the early Saturday game, Chefs at Colts, on NBC. As previously mentioned, there are no weather issues in the dome. We have a bit of a yardstick on this game as these tow teams met in Week 16 at Arrowhead. Where the Colts simply cooked the Chefs by a score of 23-7. Also, while Indy finished the regular season on a clear upswing, with Andrew Luck starting to mesh with a young receiving corps missing Reggie Wayne, KC limped to the finish line, losing four of their last seven. More importantly, while the Colts had huge wins over top shelf teams like San Francisco, Seattle, Denver and, as aforementioned, Kansas City. Both QBs are very solid. Luck has maturity beyond his years and, maybe, bigger play capability (though Alex Smith really started to find some of that in the second half of the year). The Colts are on a roll, are at home, and are a slight favorite in Vegas (-1). But the game is too close to call for me; if forced, I might slightly lean to KC for the upset behind Jamaal Charles rushing through a susceptible Colts front defense.

Second up is the Saints in Philly. There has been a lot of chatter on ESPN and fox, etc about the effect of bitter cold weather on indoor oriented quarterbacks, namely Peyton, who has the week off, and Drew Breeeeeze. New Orleans is a shaky road team, and the Iggles have been a shaky home team. Go figure. Frankly, I give little to no credence to Brees having problems throwing the ball; he is still Drew Breeeeze after all, and the Eagles’ secondary is average at best. But Nick Foles is a great kid, and a good arm. I think most of the rookie element is gone from Foles now, and he has LeShean McCoy to tote the rock in the inclement weather, which he has shown himself very adept at. Good game, but I am taking the Eagles.

Early game Sunday is Bolts at Bengals. Cincinnati is a seven point favorite on the current line. San diego backed into the playoffs with an overtime win over the Chiefs that arguably never should have happened but for the Chefs resting half their team and some (yet again) lousy officiating. Still, the Bolts won 5 of their last six down the stretch to make it and seem to be on a bit of a roll behind an improved defense. But the Bengals have a superb and consistent defense with playmakers front and back. If Andy Dalton simply doesn’t make mistakes, Cincinnati, who is unbeaten at home this year, should be able to beat the Bolts in the cold.

Last game is the best. Niners. Packers. Hard Frozen Tundra. Man, this is real, good old fashioned, slobberknocker stuff. It is improbable that the Packers are even in this game, other than the fact that no one else wanted to win the NFC-Norske. But here they are in all their 8-7-1 glory, revitalized by the return of Aaron Rodgers. Even counting Brady, Rodgers may well be the most important player to his team in the league. Also, the Pack has Randall Cobb back, and that is absolutely huge (though not of the magnitude of Rodgers, of course). Throw in the hard nosed running of Eddie Lacy, and the Cheese are feeling good about their prospects at home in the cold and on the Tundra.

But San Francisco has their own weapons on offense with Frank Gore, Anquan Boldin, Vernon Davis, and, of course, Kaepernick. It is not just offenses that will have to take the field and perform in the inclement conditions, however, so too will the defenses. And on that count, especially with Clay Matthews out for the Pack, the Niners are WAY ahead. So, the odds ought be with the Niners, and Vegas says they are, posting them as a three point favorite. But, if Kaeprnick cannot match Rodgers in the frigid passing game, and Green Bay can thus focus on limiting Frank Gore, they will get the win. I am going way out on a non-frozen rope and predicting the Cheese pull it off. Their once vaunted invulnerability at Lambeau in the playoffs is gone, but I think they pull one out for the ages.

As a last tip, I suggest following my friend Erin Faulk on Twitter. Erin is @erinscafe and she is simply great. She is also, by happenstance, on her way to Green Bay to see the game. She is a HUGE Aaron Rodgers fan (even currently going by the name “Erin Rodgers”. Erin is also the director/co-producer of a movie about Twitter called “#FF the Film”. You may remember the stories of Cory Booker knowing an exotic dancer, @LynsieLee, from a movie they were both in. It caused quite a stir for a while. That movie would be FF the Film, Erin’s flick. She is hilarious, check her out.

image_print
201 replies
  1. Peterr says:

    When the Chefs met the Colts in Week 16, they were without two of their biggest defensive players – Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. These were the two guys that made QBs the most nervous. Without them in the game, Luck had his way with the Chefs secondary.

    With them in the game, it should be much more interesting.

    I’m thinking it will be a spread of no more than 2 with the game being decided by a score in the last minute.

    Put me down for the Chefs, along with the Bolts, Iggles, and the Cheese. You can’t bet against the Cheese when it is below zero in Green Bay (unless they are playing Da Bears, of course).

    Bmaz, since Marcy wouldn’t spring for a plane ticket to Cheeseland, maybe you can find a bar with a walk-in freezer, just so you’ve got the right ambiance in which to enjoy that game.

  2. dakine01 says:

    Digressing to the not-as-well-paid-as-the-NFL game (aka NCAA) – I am not a Uof L fan but I am a bit impressed by Charlie Strong’s integrity in waiting until he can speak with UofL AD Jurich before he accepts the Texas job – unlike one or two previous UofL feetsball coaches who did NOT let the door hit ’em in the a** as they bolted town

  3. bmaz says:

    @Peterr: I KNOW, it is outrageous! I was a little standoffish because of the cold at first, but I been agitating for the blog coverage assignment for at least 18-20 hours now!

  4. Peterr says:

    @bmaz: You could also put a bunch of ice in a large bucket, put it on the seat of your poolside chair, and sit in the bucket for the duration of the game.

    Wouldn’t want you to feel like you missed out on the full Cheesehead experience.

  5. mark says:

    It’s hard to think that the Packers will be able to beat the forty-niners. Pack’s defence is not very good. It’s pretty bad, and their best player is out.

    Let’s hope Aaron doesn’t get killed.

    The NFL is strange. Anything can happen. The Vikings, a terrible team, clobbered the Eagles a few weeks ago.
    The Eagles barely beat the Cowboys, another terrible defence.

    I think the Saints will win this game.

    And I’m hoping for Alex Smith, who must be sick of hearing that he’s a good “game manager” He’s a lot better than that.

  6. randiego says:

    Greetings sportsfans!

    Coldest game ever played?? Not hardly. Here’s the coldest game ever played:

    http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jan/02/nfl-chargers-bengals-freezer-bowl-dan-fouts/

    The fact that Dan Fouts was permanently injured with frostbite indicates to me that the game should never have been played. That Bengal team went to the Super Bowl and was a better team that year than SD. Painful memories for Charger fans.

    This year, the Chargers lost to the Bengals at Thanksgiving by a TD. They played a sloppy game with 3 turnovers (2 in the red zone by Antonio Gates). Hard to say which team shows up, but the Bolts can handle the Bengals.

    My expectations are very low, I’m just happy to be here! The Curse of the Norval is over!

  7. Peterr says:

    For all the talk of ex=Big 12 teams Missouri and Texas A & M not belonging in the SEC, they seem to have done rather well so far.

    And then there’s Alabama.

    *ducking*

  8. bmaz says:

    @randiego: Hey stranger! Among the coldest probably better. But if there is nasty wind, and as late as the game is, it’s possible for it to get down to Freeze Bowl levels. Doubt it, but possible.

  9. randiego says:

    @bmaz: Yeah, at any rate it’s going to be effing cold. Like, freeze-your-beer cold!

    The Cincinnati forecast is manageable, high of 35 with light winds and chance of snow. The Chargers are a SoCal team, but have a ball-control offense which should be fine.

  10. Peterr says:

    @randiego: The vendors at Teh Frozen Tundra should probably sell brandy instead of beer. Maybe even put it in little wooden kegs and have big shaggy dogs deliver it to the folks in the not-at-all-cheap cheap seats.

  11. Peterr says:

    @bmaz: The National Weather Service certainly thinks it’s possible:

    HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
    NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI
    431 AM CST SAT JAN 4 2014 . . .

    DANGEROUSLY COLD ARCTIC AIR WILL BEGIN TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON…AND REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH AT LEAST TUESDAY NIGHT. THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES AND LOWEST WIND CHILL INDICES ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. IT APPEARS THIS ARCTIC OUTBREAK WILL BE ONE OF THE MOST SEVERE SINCE FEBRUARY 1996. OUTDOOR CONDITIONS COULD BE LIFE THREATENING IF PROPER CLOTHING IS NOT WORN. FROSTBITE MAY OCCUR IN AS LITTLE AS 5 MINUTES ON EXPOSED SKIN!

    UTILITIES COULD EXPERIENCE THE HIGHEST HEATING DEMANDS IN DECADES. DEMAND FOR TEMPORARY SHELTER WILL ALSO BE VERY HIGH NEXT WEEK. SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO MAKE A DECISION ON SCHOOL CLOSURES FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY.

    [snip]

    THE CORE OF THE COLD AIR WILL BE ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. WIND CHILL INDICES AS LOW AS 50 BELOW TO 55 BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED AT TIMES DURING THIS PERIOD. WIND CHILLS THIS LOW INDICATE THAT FROSTBITE TO EXPOSED SKIN CAN OCCUR IN UNDER 10 MINUTES.

    Despite their use of ALL CAPS, the National Weather Service tends not to over-hype things. Their use of an exclamation point is stunning, when you are familiar with their stylebook.

  12. JohnT says:

    @bmaz:

    If you’re going, that’s a start. If I were going, I’d wear a snowmobile suit, that coat, and a parka with a hood. Then make sure I had good boots and good gloves or mittens

    If the wind comes up, I’d rather be wearing more, than less

  13. jo6pac says:

    It seems like another life time and took glassblowing class from Flora & Joey in the earlier 80s. It was FUNNNNNNNNNNNN. I own 2 of their wine glasses a strawberry and grape grouping. If your ever on Seattle check out Dales studio/gallery, amazing. Pilchuck Glass School Dale started with funds from a wealthy couple in Seattle, it is near the top of a mountain with forest all around.

    http://www.pilchuck.com/

    http://www.kirkpatrick-mace.com/

    I hope the 9ers win but I’m not sure what team or OC will show up. I’m going to seat next to the fireplace with a glass of wine.

  14. burnt says:

    Watching the FCS Championship on ESPN2 while trying to psych myself up to go retrieve the silly automobile from its parking ramp home. For some reason Bittersweet is not interested in cycling the 4.5 miles to my sister’s home for lunch tomorrow when the predicted high is -11 with a -35 windchill. Soft. Soft I say.

    I’ll be rooting for the Pack but I think a superior defense is going to carry the Niners to victory. I believe even Bud Grant would allow heaters on the field for this game. The trainers and the players better be closely monitoring their colleagues because frostbite is going to be a real danger.

  15. Jim White says:

    @Peterr: Meh. Even for an SEC diehard like me, it was great fun to see Saban and his minions be forced to acknowledge their humanity.

    And with Vandy closing out their game just now, by my count I see the SEC at 7-2 with only the BCS Championship game left.

  16. sluggahjells says:

    Alex Smith has thrown the deep ball a lot this year and vs lately in the last few seasons.

    The whole game manager stuff for him the last year and a half has been silly.

  17. bmaz says:

    So, the Jamaal Charles part of my equation above may be a problem if he is out with a concussion.

    On the other hand, the rest of the Chefs are adding the right ingredients.

  18. sluggahjells says:

    Also, the Cleveland Browns look more smart each and every day with getting rid of Richardson.

  19. Jim White says:

    Chefs are kicking butt big-time even without Charles. Will they be able to hold on? Chefs D against Luck down stretch could be very interesting.

  20. sluggahjells says:

    @Jim White: The SEC has just gotten by though, as A&M, Missouri, and South Carolina could have certainly loss.

    They had Alabama, LSU, and Georgia lose, so three losses for the SEC

  21. sluggahjells says:

    @Jim White: Yup, my mistake, LSU…..

    Nebraska and Georgia.

    It’s unfair for Mississippi State to play Rice and Vanderbilt to play Houston, just inflate their record. They are the “best conference” but it isn’t dominate at all. And the Big East/American Conference has the best win percentage in the BCS BS era.

  22. sluggahjells says:

    @Jim White:
    Yes, but that’s expected when you have the power losses their conference has had….Miami and Virginia Tech were big losses for the league at the time.

  23. sluggahjells says:

    Alex “Me You Can’t Hit” Smith, what a marvelous first half for him. Best I have seen him play, over the playoff game against the Saints two years ago.

  24. sluggahjells says:

    Colts will get the ball first in the second half, so there could be a chance that the score could be 31-24 when the Chefs get the ball again.

  25. sluggahjells says:

    Great calls and coaching from Reid, Sutton, and Peterson in that first half. Just textbook coaching and why the Chefs are so dangerous.

    Saints and Eagles runthough in a bit….. Saints need balance tonight to help Brees or it will be another rough road game for them.

  26. scribe says:

    @P J Evans: My great-grandfather was barely literate, grew up the central European equivalent of a sharecropper, worked hard and lived simple to about 90 y/o (died the year before I was born) with pictures of him showing twinkling eyes (no glasses) and a magnificent white moustache under his Homburg hat. He was also known for pithy one-liners. He once stated that “the two most useless inventions in history are snow shovels and alarm clocks. When you’re done sleeping, you’ll get up. And by June, all that snow will be gone [without your lifting a finger].”

    That’s how they’ll deal with that lighthouse.

  27. sluggahjells says:

    Real concerns for Brandon Flowers, as the Chefs needed another brutal injury here. Charles, Avery, and now Flowers. How awful.

  28. sluggahjells says:

    I really can’t remember the last time, if ever, that a team has had 3 players have an official concussion and be ruled out of the game.

  29. sluggahjells says:

    That really was terrific from both Reid and Pederson that drive, without your first two choices backs, your #2 receiver, and a 3rd down like that to a receiver on Jenkins who has been one of the busts in the league in the last two seasons. Excellent stuff.

  30. sluggahjells says:

    Lewis and Demps took nightmare angles there, but the loss of Flowers hurt since Berry had to play up the field.

    T.Y Hilton, you sir, will be getting commercials now.

  31. sluggahjells says:

    Those two costly timeouts in the last drive has come back to haunt Andy Reid here, but not his fault since it was on his offense.

  32. scribe says:

    And now, because they blew 2 timeouts on … who knows what, Reid and the Chefs will be punting/turning the ball over to Indy with 2-something and no real ability to stop the Colts from running out the clock.

  33. JohnT says:

    Ya know I like Luck. I talked him up when he was at Stanford before most people even heard of him

    But that Duck Dynasty beard’s gotta go

  34. scribe says:

    For those of us approving of Iggles fan behavior make that enthusiasm to be the 12th Man, it is a sadness to note Iggles management somehow got the snow out of the stands.

  35. Jim White says:

    So KC comes up just one measly point short of their first playoff win in over two decades. At least they still have Hayward’s, the best BBQ in the world.

  36. Peterr says:

    I believe I called the spread, even if I got the winning team wrong.

    I had to leave for a church event right after Charles went down, and came home to see Bowe catch the 4th down pass out of bounds. Ugh.

    The Chefs medical crew certainly earned their money today.

  37. emptywheel says:

    @randiego: Actually thinking of changing my playoff picks to have SD winning that game (in spite of a ill-considered bet weeks and weeks ago Cinci would go far) to have SD win this, especially now that I’ve learned SD has ALSO ended their ET curse now that Norval is gone.

  38. CTuttle says:

    @bmaz: *heh* The Ruth curse has been lifted from Fenway, finally…! I think it’ll lift all the devils…! I could foresee the Cubbies winning the Pennant, over the Yanks next year…! ;-)

  39. randiego says:

    @bmaz:
    Mike McCoy has made some serious head-scratcher moves this year, reminiscent of The Norv himself. He’s a bit conservative and known to punt on 4th-1 from his opponents 39, despite having a good running game and a QB that leads the league in Comp Pct (69.5%).

    Having said that, the ghost of Norv is gone I think. Norv/AJ Smith left the cupboard bare, with no cap room, no offensive line, and no secondary. In what should have been a rebuilding year, the Chargers won 9 games, exceeding everyone’s expectations. The difference is that they have very sound coaching. Ken Whisenhunt installed an offense that fits Rivers quick release very well, and he is thriving.

    However, they lost to Washington, Houston and Tennessee. They also beat KC and Denver both on the road. Anything is possible.

    The great thing is, not having any expectations of them, I can just have fun. Nobody expects them to do anything, and for good reason, so it’s all good!

    Go Bolts!

  40. bmaz says:

    @randiego: Remember, Whisenhunt is likely one and done there as OC. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Detroit hire him. He’s a good head coach, and could really help Stafford.

  41. P J Evans says:

    @emptywheel:
    My parents’ chest freezer ran at -10F. We put ice cream in the freezer compartment of the fridge to warm it up enough to get it out of the carton.

    One of the Niners’ players is from Cleveland. He can advise them.

  42. randiego says:

    @bmaz: Yeah, unfortunately you are right on Whisenhunt. I think he’s going to Detroit, and he would be a huge help to Stafford. I actually think he would be a better headcoach than McCoy, but I’m willing to give Marty McCoy some time.

  43. sluggahjells says:

    @randiego:

    The Chargers have to establish the run a bit to not have Rivers throw 40-45 times tomorrow, where Matthews has to have a good day of at least 110 all purpose yards.

  44. sluggahjells says:

    @bmaz:

    I can’t see Whisenhunt making that much of a difference. He’s not a great coach, just a decent coordinator, and offense has never been the problem in Detroit anyway, regardless of Stanford’s erratic ways showing this season.

    They just need someone who is truly no nonsense, where Billick, Cowher and even Danny Green if he wanted to step back in would be better choices.

  45. bmaz says:

    @sluggahjells: Billick is a washed up dope and Dennis Green was one of the biggest piles of bull imaginable in his time here with the Cardinals. There is a reason Green has never had another job in the league since then. Whisenhut, however, took over from Green, finally installed discipline, and took the Cardinals – THE FREAKING CARDINALS – to the Super Bowl. And damn near won it. And he resurrected Kurt Warner in the process. Whisenhunt would still be here if the idiot Bidwells and their front office had given him any kind of quarterback after Warner retired, which they KNEW was coming. Everything I saw here displayed that Whisenhut was a very competent head coach. Cower ain’t coming back.

  46. sluggahjells says:

    @bmaz:

    First on Cowher, he could easily get lured back into coaching arrogant Snyder’s team from talks circulating, but still prefers to stay at CBS.

    Now back on Whisenhunt. He was still back and forth on letting Warner be the starter and still had a preference for Matt Leinart before the epic USC bust got hurt and was done for the season in 2007.

    Warner clearly had something left and Whisenhunt stumbled onto that. Still, the Cardinals were fortunate to go to that Super Bowl the next season, as they only finished 9-7. It’s not like they were just among the elite teams in the league even in Whisenhunt’s best days.

    The minute they were crushed by the Saints in the 2010 was the beginning of the down fall, and Whisenhunt thought Derek Anderson was a worthy enough starter, and it was an idea that failed miserably and exposed him all over the place.

    With the team losing 9 straight games and that historically embarrassing 58-0 loss to Seattle, the team had clearly quit on him, especially the defense that began to get worse under him.

  47. sluggahjells says:

    @bmaz:

    Whisenhunt had to go and hopefully he learns a little humility on how to be a lasting presence instead of an up and down intense “My way or highway” coach.

    The Lions could get a more inspiring choice, and Smith would have been a good move if they pursued him better than Tampa Bay clearly did.

  48. scribe says:

    @bmaz: Yup. Cowher has discovered that being on TV is a lot less stressful – lethal, even – than being a head coach. No one gets in your sh*t when your picks go wrong, while Andy Reid is still dealing with Collinsworth breaking his balls over clock management. Same for Chucky. They have their rings and that’s satisfactory.

  49. bmaz says:

    @sluggahjells: I don’t know where you have been picking up all this crap, but that is not how it went down here. You understand that Whisenhunt did not have front office control and that a bunch of Bidwell family and crony dopes did, right? Because you seem to be ignoring all of that, including that THEY were the ones pushing Leinart, and that then got Anderson, not Whisenhunt. Tampa Bay was already locked in with Lovie Smith well before Scwartz was fired, so he was seemingly never in play there.

    A change was not a horrible thing as to Whisenhunt, but he was far from the bulk of the problem here. Way far. But, hey, whatever.

  50. sluggahjells says:

    @bmaz:

    Whisenhunt stuck with him and Max Hall, and it was just not a good look.

    Plus, he never pushed for a QB in the draft like he needed to and the defense went down. Arians is an upgrade and you should be content to have him for sure.

    It’s not “crap.” The defense quit on Whisenhunt, it became one of the worst in the league as the season progressed from how good it was to start. It was time for him to just go and move on.

    And I’m saying the Lions should have tried to pursue him BEFORE the season was over, the maybe see if they could convince Smith not to go back to a place near and dear to him.

  51. bmaz says:

    @sluggahjells: You are certainly entitled to your own opinion. Even if it is completely misinformed, and wrong on the facts here as to the personnel control and decisions by the Bidwells and Rod Graves.

  52. bmaz says:

    Update from @Erinscafe on her adventure in Green Bay:

    Erin Rodgers ‏@erinscafe 2m
    UPDATE: The alcoholic beverage count thus far: one Bloody Mary, one mimosa. En route to Ice Bowl II. Layers of clothing: 4. Temp: 5 degrees.

  53. sluggahjells says:

    Looks like there will be again just 2 black coaches out of 32 in the NFL. Hard for me to see Lewis survive latest playoff disappointment.

  54. sluggahjells says:

    Jay Gruden and Andy Dalton have looked to have cost Marvin Lewis his job…..Same old Bengals.

  55. bmaz says:

    @sluggahjells: No, what I am saying, the Seattle game notwithstanding, you are are completely wrong and blowing vapor on your statements and understanding of the situation here as to player personnel control and coaching qualifications of Ken Whisenhunt.

  56. jo6pac says:

    It’s show time, 9ers by 14 over cheeseheads. GOOOOO 9ers

    Fireplace is going strong—check
    Rum & ice almost ready to drink—check

  57. sluggahjells says:

    @bmaz: Ehhh, not just the Seattle game, the nine game losing streak……But okay if you want to ignore that just for the sake of usually arguing again.

    Shields and Neal out now as well…..Gosh, like, I know Capers has to be “Who the hell else, Raji?”

  58. bmaz says:

    @sluggahjells: I am done being baited by your nonsense. Except the Seattle game, they played very hard in 2012, and if you had a clue you would know that. Instead you are spewing uninformed bunk. The defense played very hard and, under the circumstances, very well most all of the year and never, save for the Squawks game where they got run over, quit. One fucking game dude.

    If you were half the luminary “pro” you claim to be, you would have at least a minimal clue about the organizational structure of the Cardinals at the time in regards to the Bidwells and Rod Graves, the personnel decisions they made that killed the team on offense in relation to the O-line and QB, and what it did to decimate the team. But, you don’t appear to have the knowledge. Oh well, bluster on dude.

  59. sluggahjells says:

    House should have had two flags so far, lucky for sure on Crabtree

    Still, Shields is a big loss and House will have to hope he gets away with more stuff like that.

  60. sluggahjells says:

    @bmaz:

    I do and Graves was also fired, along with Whisenhunt, and the defense wasn’t as good at the beginning of the season. Sorry if that hurts your soul or something, lol.

    You always just want to argue all over the place and yell, yell, yell for no reason whatsoever.

  61. sluggahjells says:

    @bmaz: You didn’t even know what base defense the Cardinals ran or run, so your yelling is quite wonderful and entertaining, but foolish. And yet I “don’t appear to have the knowledge.”

    Amazing, just amazing.

  62. sluggahjells says:

    @bmaz: And ay, “genius”, Whisenhunt had influence as the offensive “genius”, with Graves….That’s why they were both gone.

    When you go three straight seasons without playoffs, you get fired, whether your owner is a douche or not. Just the way it works.

  63. sluggahjells says:

    Foolish from Kaepernick, and then he tried to make the tackle on WIlliams, just foolish all around.

  64. sluggahjells says:

    @JohnT:

    Actually, if you knew my background, you know I am not trolling whatsoever, and never will, especially since this is my job of covering the game.

  65. bmaz says:

    @sluggahjells: Don’t wander in here and pull that holier than thou shit with me. This is exactly why I quit following you on Twitter. You lord over people like you are some kind of fucking oracle, when you are far from it.

  66. randiego says:

    @bmaz: SECONDED. The Chargers love Whisenhunt and would love to keep him, but that ain’t happening. He’s the frontrunner for the Detroit job, but even if they aren’t smart enough to grab him, someone else will.

    Whisenhunt is one-and-done in San Diego. Too bad, because Philip Rivers has blossomed into an MVP in the offense Whiz designed for him.

    Oh yeah, AND HOW ABOUT THOSE BOLTS!!!

  67. sluggahjells says:

    @P J Evans:

    If you knew my background, you would think a lot differently with that statement. Again, what I said there is all facts and not trolling.

    Whisenhunt is a decent coach but he’s not the next coming of Belichick, and he suffered three straight non-playoffs seasons. When you don’t win at an elite rate in the NFL, and you miss the playoffs 3 straight seasons, and your defense, your strength, falters from what it was at the start of the season, then you get fired.

    I’m not the one cursing here and all, I’m just providing the actual facts instead of angry feelings about douchie owners.

  68. sluggahjells says:

    @randiego: What the hell is the opinion? Dude, do your research, he got fired because they regressed. The information is right there for you to all see if you just do a simple search for yourselves. I mean gosh, it’s right there.

  69. sluggahjells says:

    Whisenhunt was loyal to O-Line coach Russ Grimm and that was a major problem for the team, especially as the offensive line regressed.

    Kolb and Shelton were getting killed and taking too many hits, and Grimm should have been replaced. But Whisenhunt, and along with not getting a quarterback to replace Warner, it was time for a change.

    But I guess I have no knowledge of things and all.

  70. sluggahjells says:

    @bmaz: I clearly did not say that. You just somehow have this weird tendency to not admit you get something wrong.

    See, if I make a mistake, I say, “I got it wrong.” Clearly somehow, those words are not in your lexicon.

  71. sluggahjells says:

    Anyway, Rodgers and this offense has gotten a rhythm. Starks vs Brooks in coverage is always a mismatch.

  72. bmaz says:

    @sluggahjells: Yes, that is exactly what you have said and imparted since you suddenly decided to grace us with your font of superior knowledge. You started by lording over Peterr (who, ironically, actually IS a man of the lord), and are continuing along the path unimpeded since then. If you want to lord over the discussion, do it on your own blog. And this ain’t it jack.

  73. sluggahjells says:

    McCarthy is just shockingly bad there. He should have used the last timeout there. Just baffling choice.

  74. sluggahjells says:

    @bmaz: i didn’t “Lord over Peter” as your hyperbole statements once again pop up.

    I corrected him on how NFL culture works and how Bridgewater (and Bortles) should be chosen way over Manziel (in my opinion).

    No one is lording over anything, gosh, you make it so antagonistic for no reason whatsoever.

  75. bmaz says:

    @sluggahjells: The hell you didn’t. He felt it, I felt it, and several others did. There was NO antagonism before you wandered in and started acting like an indisputable oracle.

  76. Peterr says:

    @bmaz: If ever there was an organization that made decisions based on dollars and not football, it is Cardinals. I may not be “a pro”, but I saw it up close in St. Louis for many years before he pulled up stakes and moved to torment the state of Arizona.

  77. JohnT says:

    Not gonna count up the number of trolling comments about a Cardinals team (why??? who really cares?) that isn’t even playing today but I think Lincoln said it pretty well

    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

  78. jo6pac says:

    Well missed the first part dish WTF moment. Will be glad to go back in time antenna. Big D plays for 9ners, Stop the cheeseheads.

  79. Peterr says:

    The coldest guys at Lambeau have to be the chain gang. “OK, your job is to stand still in one place and hold on to this metal pole, until the guy with the white hat says you can move to a different spot and stand still over there holding that metal pole.”

    At least the on field officials can run around and keep their blood moving.

  80. jo6pac says:

    That hurts, not looking good in my 9er world. If the first play by the 9ers is a run they are doomed.

  81. Peterr says:

    @jo6pac: Folks in church this morning were still shaking their heads.

    Well, everyone but the guy who showed up wearing a blue stocking cap with a horseshoe on it.

  82. bmaz says:

    Well, I suck. 0 for 4.

    But the final cut was the deepest. Bummer.

    Congratulations jo6pac, JohnT, rosalind and all other Niners fans here. Tough game, and SF played it better down the stretch. Man, am I not a happy camper right now though…

  83. jo6pac says:

    @bmaz: No for the loss. That was what I was going to say, close game.
    I hope Aldon can straighten out his off field life.

    Peterr I’ll come back to comment tomorrow morning but I really wanted them to win. Then with few new players and Andy Reid who was trained by the late Bill Walsh the future looks bright in KC.

  84. Jim White says:

    Really feel for the loyal Packer fans who sat through such brutal weather only to lose a heartbreaker at the end. But a great win for the Niners.

  85. Peterr says:

    @bmaz: But the final cut was the deepest

    Yeah, the Cheese blowing that big 28 point second half lead really sucks.

    Oh, wait . . .

  86. scribe says:

    High drama in the living room. The dog somehow managed to get her tennis ball stuck under the sofa, then stood there barking at the sofa. After, this human deduced there was something under the sofa that the dog wanted, as opposed to her just being irritated by Aikman. So I pulled the ball out and we had a vigorous game of toss the tennis ball around the living room and fetch.

    Wait. The game’s over?

    Shit. How’d it end?

  87. jo6pac says:

    @Peterr: Yep, time to move from Myers Rum to white wine and get the homemade stew going and most is from last yrs garden.

    being irritated by Aikman

    So true scribe and hate when is on a 9er game you think he doesn’t like the 9ers because the normal beat him:)

    see all tommorrow

  88. bmaz says:

    @jo6pac: Whoa. Wait. A Meyers Rum fan??

    Outstanding. We used to have a drink I learned in Boulder called the “Boulder Eye Opener”. Meyers rum and tonic, with a twist of lime.

    Cause you sere still drinking it when the sun came up. The stories behind this probably are better left untold….

  89. Jim White says:

    So bmaz, what are you going to use for a Trash Talk title next weekend? Because this week was Wild Card week in the NFL. NEXT week is the Divisional Playoffs.

    But I waited until after 150 or so comments to tell you, because I’m just that nice in trash talk.

  90. sluggahjells says:

    @bmaz: Well, Peter needs to be stronger in his Christian faith, because there was honestly nothing there to make him feel like that.

    The antagonism clearly started with your reply, as it ALWAYS seems to do.

  91. bmaz says:

    @sluggahjells: Listen. I will say this one last time. Neither Peterr, nor anybody else here, has to do diddly shit in order to put up with your trolling behavior.

    Just stop.

  92. sluggahjells says:

    @bmaz:

    Why can’t you just admit when your wrong instead of being an undemocratic person now. Are you just made because you look foolish sometimes when I actually correct you on things?

    Gosh, grow the hell up. You are too old for all of this. Don’t be mad because your Packer couldn’t contain Kaepernick today and that you don’t know what the hell you are talking about sometimes when it comes to sports.

    Your threat makes me laugh “big tough guy.”

  93. sluggahjells says:

    @Jim White:

    So loyal but that cld just doesn’t make it worth it. AT least there wasn’t any shirtless fan from what I said, but there probably was one or a few in the crowd.

  94. bmaz says:

    Ladies and gentlemen: The epitome of a cheap troll.

    I sincerely wish FreePatriot were still around to deal with this mess.

  95. sluggahjells says:

    I’m a “troll” yet all I do was actually adds facts, like it is my job which it is, to help inform someone. But I guess that’s a troll now to a person who can never say the words “I am wrong, I made a mistake” in his life probably.

    How mature for a middle aged person. How so mature.

  96. Peterr says:

    @sluggahjells: The strength of my (or anyone else’s) Christian faith has nothing to do with the behavior of other people.

    And I’ll forgive you for presuming to judge my faith.

  97. sluggahjells says:

    @Peterr:

    Peter, please tell me, in my words, how in the world did I act and offend you. By mentioning that I work in sports and cover the NFL for years? If so, I don’t know how that is somehow offensive.

  98. sluggahjells says:

    @Peterr:

    Well it does, since that is what Christianity is all about since I am a Christian. Your faith (if you’re a Christian, or Jewish, or Muslim, or any religious faith) is tested everyday, including dealing with people that either get along with you, don’t get along with, or in the middle. And I forgive you for any problems you had with me.

  99. Peterr says:

    @sluggahjells: Your words, from last week.:

    Yeah, I don’t think you know you are dealing with here with me, lol

    Again, optics for fans DON’T matter in the NFL over substance. Wins matter. The substance matters, and O’Brien won’t draft Manziel just because he is from the state. Doesn’t work that way. Sorry to break that news to you.

    How did you act and offend me? By assuming that because you work in sports, you are infallible, but you condescend to explain things to mere mortals who can’t possibly comprehend what you’ve spend decades studying.

    Your comments to bmaz above about the Cardinals are another example of exactly what I’m talking about. No, I’m not a professional sports reporter. But I’ve watched the Bidwells in action for forty years, and picked up a few things along the way. Wins don’t matter to Bill Bidwell, except insofar as they allow him to increase his pile of money. If he can cut a star, replace him with a cheap rookie, and make more money even if the team loses, he’ll do it — and he’s been doing it for forty years.

    Trash talk is fine — that’s the name of the thread. But the holier-than-thou, you’d-bow-down-to-me-if-you-knew-me attitude is a bit much.

    Judy Miller was a writer with paycheck from the NY Times, with lots of inside sources, but her access and her paycheck never bought her a free pass around here. Ditto for Bob Woodward. Ditto for a lot of folks who lean on their job title and not their argument.

  100. sluggahjells says:

    @Peterr:

    Peter, where did I say that I was “infallible” there. No where did I say I was perfect and always right. That’s just flat out wrong and an inaccurate. And I, defending myself, have to correct you on that.

    Heck, Jim corrected me forgetting that LSU beat Iowa. And I said, clearly for all the world to see, “My mistake.”

    And again, I was trying to tell you that teams may factor in a college player being close to home as maybe a reason to draft him, but that is way below the pecking order when it comes to evaluating whether a pick,especially a top pick, is going to be your draft pick.

    The Texans aren’t going to draft Manziel over Bridgewater or Bortles because they heavily factor if he is a local kid or not. It’s way more because he is the best NFL quarterback in the draft with elite mechanics and thinking, and clearly Manziel is not that compared to Teddy (and even Blake in my mind). Clearly you would agree with that, right?

    It’s like someone trying to tell you how to pastor but you saying “well, I’m a pastor.”…….Or someone telling Bmaz about property laws in Arizona and them not being in the field like BMaz.

    Plus, I’ve been around “Trash talk for like 2-3 yrs” now, so I am no rookie to the rodeo on this one.

    And you clearly looked at my discussion with BMaz in a one sided “I’m sticking with BMaz regardless of what the truth is” perspective, when he is the one cursing, getting mad, and not being civil by not providing 100% facts and just his strong but incomplete opinions. I, as a person who covers the NFL and all 32 teams, clearly wanted to add my thoughts on Whisenhunt and why he departed, and it’s not accurate to say that Graves had Whisenhunt have no say in personal. That’s just not an accurate statement at all (And by the way, GM’s, even if they have a conflict with their current coach, still consult and tell their coach about who will be their next players, whether as free agents or draft. That’s just a common sense, mandatory thing to do in the NFL and all of sports, both America and abroad.)

    Once again, just because I add a few facts in and have a background in covering these things doesn’t mean that I “am hollier than thou.” Does it make Marcy hollier than tho when she is providing facts to someone who wants to provide opinions on one of her post? No

    Does it make BMaz look hollier than though when he is truly to provide facts on a litigation issue and someone wants to still provide opinion that is not close to the truth? No.

    Then it’s not hollier than thou when I mention facts here and how my background allows me to provide the full story on a lot of sports topics here.

    Let’s be consistent and fair here.

  101. sluggahjells says:

    @bmaz: Accept your apology?

    Dude, don’t lie on me there. I’m not apologizing to you there and you need to stop doing things like that.

  102. sluggahjells says:

    @bmaz:

    Seriously, don’t lie and put words in my mouth. There was no apology there whatsoever to you unless you read something totally different from what was typed there…..I was simply explaining to Peter my reasoning for discussing the two separate issues with him, and with you.

  103. sluggahjells says:

    @bmaz: Look, you can have the last word since I tried to be really reasonable here and all in this thread.

    But if we are going to be chidlish like that and all, then I’ll just see your tomorrow for the BS BCS title game.

  104. sluggahjells says:

    @JohnT: Yeah, way to make the discussion a hell of a lot better, especially with your “contribution out of nowhere” reply.

    Do you want me to give you a gold star too on your wall? How awesome.

    It’s not about “winning” guy. Geesh, there’s nothing to “win” here. We aren’t fighting for a trophy for longest words.

    I was going to let it go, but since you want to just butt in here out of nowhere, then I’m really reconsidering that right now.

  105. jo6pac says:

    @P J Evans: If you look him up it’s sad to think that this job in sports is producing a few words a twitter. Then there soft piece over huffer-post, then he’s going to work on GG new what ever it’s going to be. In that case he has already sold out in that the owner of this new company seats on the board of booze-allen-smith and give million to ultra-conservative groups like alex. I would have been more impressed if he was going to write for some one like Glen Ford. Then again I’m a member of the left.

  106. jo6pac says:

    Peterr

    I do think the KC is on the way to top tier team if the owners (Hunts?) will support Andy Reid in going after players this off season. When Alex was in 9er world we all know he had new OC every yr and new head coach every 2yrs until JH. The only reason Alex was called a good game manager was that’s the style of play under JH and it was great to watch him really grow under Andy Reid full out West Coast Offense. I love the fact that AR keep players out of the last game something he learned from the Master the Late Bill Walsh. I think there’s nothing but good football coming to KC.

    Well, I have start cleaning some Dungeness crabs for tonight’s salad from the greenhouse:)

    Have a great week everyone, stay warm and see you bmz next week;)

  107. sluggahjells says:

    @jo6pac: If you knew my background on Daily Kos, Raw Story and TPM, then you wouldn’t be so foolish to say those things.

    Just weird…..Are you accusing Glenn and Jeremy and Dan Froomkin and Eric Bates of selling out? Bizarre.

  108. sluggahjells says:

    @jo6pac:

    Peter, they have the players there already. They have a bevy of Pro Bowls on both sides of the ball. The players are already there in Kansas City. Injuries is what hurt them.

  109. bmaz says:

    That was cute, the son of Florida State Coach Fisher has a pregame ritual with the smart alec rapist quarterback.

  110. Peterr says:

    @bmaz: I thought the smoke screen for the opening kickoff was a nice touch. Maybe that’s why the team that won the coin flip chose to get the ball in the second half, rather than receive the opening kickoff.

  111. bmaz says:

    @Peterr: Those fireworks and smoke things before the game are insane. I was at Super Bowl XXX and had some great seats in the 15th row. Could barely see the field for better part of first quarter until smoke cleared.

Comments are closed.