American Sports Thread

Started by magickingdom, October 28, 2007, 06:02:17 PM

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the Deel Rover

i'm hoping its a pats v greenbay final would love to see brady v's farve , Is Favre still on a contract next year?
Crossmolina Deel Rovers
All Ireland Club Champions 2001

Minder

There was talk of a few weeks back of Bengals trading Johnson to the Broncos for Javon Walker, the Broncos would certainly get the best of that trade if it happened. Johnson may be a mouth but he does produce every year.
"When it's too tough for them, it's just right for us"

Great Leap Forward

CJ definitely won't be traded this year. He knows that himself. It is another typical soundbite to the media. Chad craves attention and with the Bengals not involved in the post-season he is not getting the platform to be in the spotlight.

As I said before there is no way the Bengals will trade Chad due the salary cap situation.

However, you can any other of the Johnsons on our team if you want  :)

thejuice

Besides, if he really wanted a Championship calibre team, he's not going to go to Denver. but your probably right he's looking for attention.

But with the problems the Bengals have on Defense i doubt they'll be getting to the play-off too soon. pity becuase i really like their offense, CJ, TJ and Palmer are formidable
It won't be the next manager but the one after that Meath will become competitive again - MO'D 2016

Great Leap Forward

Quote from: thejuice on January 16, 2008, 12:15:07 PM
Besides, if he really wanted a Championship calibre team, he's not going to go to Denver. but your probably right he's looking for attention.

But with the problems the Bengals have on Defense i doubt they'll be getting to the play-off too soon. pity becuase i really like their offense, CJ, TJ and Palmer are formidable

The good thing is the defense can't get any worse. They have a new defensive co-ordinator and a promising young secondary so if they can pull out a couple of good defensive linemen and keep their linebackers off the treatment table (perhaps even getting Thurman back from suspension) they should be fit to mount a better challenge in the next few years. There are no great teams in the AFC North so any of the 4 teams could conceivably win the division next year.

Minder

Quote from: thejuice on January 16, 2008, 12:15:07 PM
Besides, if he really wanted a Championship calibre team, he's not going to go to Denver. but your probably right he's looking for attention.

But with the problems the Bengals have on Defense i doubt they'll be getting to the play-off too soon. pity becuase i really like their offense, CJ, TJ and Palmer are formidable

In fairness a lot of players will use the following criteria for moving teams, (1) Money (2) talent of team, in that order.
"When it's too tough for them, it's just right for us"


thejuice

UK GETS ANOTHER NFL GAME 2008!!!!  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

http://www.nfluk.com/news-display.php?id=2867

lets hope they get 2 good teams and they sort the pitch out this time.
It won't be the next manager but the one after that Meath will become competitive again - MO'D 2016

AZOffaly

Yeee-Haw. Deadly. I hope that between London and Germany there is at least 1 game in europe every season. Great stuff.

Minder

Great news, there will be another scramble for tickets no doubt. There would need to be two competitive teams though, no more Miami's please......
"When it's too tough for them, it's just right for us"

ONeill

4 Questions: Chargers right on schedule
By Michael Silver,

They just had completed one of the best regular seasons in NFL history, securing home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs while cultivating a healthy swagger. "We really feel like this is our year," Pro Bowl running back Jerome Bettis told me late in the 2004 season. "The Super Bowl goes through Pittsburgh."

What went down in Steeltown three years ago doesn't necessarily mean that the Chargers can start getting their Super Bowl rings fitted, but the heavy underdogs in Sunday's AFC championship game at least can take comfort in recent historical precedent.

Once the '04 postseason began, the 15-1 Pittsburgh Steelers suddenly looked choppy and flat. They sweated out a couple of Doug Brien missed field goals to eke out an overtime victory over the New York Jets in the divisional round, then got blown off Heinz Field by the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game, continuing an extended run of playoff futility.

If they couldn't win a Super Bowl that year, many cynics reasoned, those Steelers as we knew them would never get it done.

A year later, it was all set up for the Indianapolis Colts, who won their first 13 games to lock up the AFC's top seed. But in Indy's first playoff game, the Colts were stunned by a No. 6 seed, an upstart which barely had snuck into the playoffs. That spoiler, which would go on to win a third consecutive postseason game on the road before capturing Super Bowl XL? The previously written-off Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Colts, mired in a long run of postseason disappointments, seemed to have missed their best chance for a championship.

In '06 the pattern continued: The Chargers rolled to a league-best 14-2 record and locked up the No. 1 seed. In their first game they blew a lead and got stung by the Patriots, who in turn lost the AFC championship game – to the eventual Super Bowl champion Colts.

Does this mean the Chargers will take down the 17-0 Patriots in Foxborough on Sunday and go on to capture their first Super Bowl championship? With its three most important offensive skill players banged up and one of the most formidable foes in league history blocking its path, San Diego will need an exceptional effort to get it done.

Even if the Patriots prevail, however, we once again are witnessing a team that seems to be peaking a year later than we expected. By pulling out a stunning 28-24 divisional-round victory over the Colts at the RCA Dome last Sunday, the Chargers undid a reputation as "frontrunners" who "don't rise to the occasion."

While most of the rest of us wondered how a team that had struggled so mightily through the season's first 10 games was capable of such a macho performance, the Chargers' players were far less surprised. To them, they finally had lived up to the obvious potential they'd displayed a year earlier, when they went into every game from the middle of the season on expecting to win.

"It means nothing to be in the AFC championship game," outside linebacker Shaun Phillips said after the victory over the Colts. "It means something to win it. Yes, we thought we were going to be in this spot from Week 1 until now. We've got the best team in the league. We got off to a slow start, but everybody needs time to get things rolling."

I'm not sure why three consecutive presumed powers have taken an extra year to achieve the anticipated postseason success, but I do have a few theories:

• In this age of real-time hype and unprecedented media overkill, some players – particularly younger ones – are increasingly susceptible to buying into an aura of invincibility that doesn't exist in today's NFL. In our breathless urge to coronate champions in March, August and October (and, conversely, to write off teams after one shaky performance), perhaps we also cultivate a complacent mindset in some of the men who play the game. I know it may sound somewhat far-fetched, but it is human nature to lose one's edge when overly praised – and football is a physically and mentally taxing sport in which even the slightest subconscious letdown can translate into a missed tackle or extra yard.

• Having stared into the abyss, all three of these teams approached their next postseason opportunities with a discernible lack of fear. In other words, because they had dealt with defeats that were almost universally viewed as calamitous, the players in question didn't seem overly stressed about the potential ramifications of an encore performance. The '05 Steelers were aggressive and focused in winning three road games to get to the Super Bowl. The '06 Colts confronted their biggest nightmare – the prospect of yet another playoff elimination by the Patriots, who jumped out to a 21-3 lead in the AFC championship game – and were unblinkingly poised in completing a dramatic comeback. This year's Chargers trailed at halftime in their playoff opener and came back to defeat the Titans. Several people who spent time around the team in Indy each used the same word to describe the players' mood: loose. The Chargers certainly seemed that way as they pulled out a victory over the Colts that featured six lead changes. If they lose at New England on Sunday, it won't be because they're overwhelmed by the magnitude of the moment.

• In each case, the quarterback learned that he didn't have to carry the team for it to have success. Thrust unexpectedly into the starting lineup as a rookie in '04, the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger smartly executed a conservative scheme that put the onus on the team's veteran skill players and punishing defense – until the playoffs, when he admittedly tried to do too much. A year later, Big Ben didn't force many passes in the postseason and ended up winning the Super Bowl despite playing one of his worst statistical games. For all of Peyton Manning's prolific performances prior to '06, he also won a championship after understanding the importance of playing a subordinate role at key times. Indy's running game and defense were the driving forces in two of its first three postseason triumphs in '06. Now, the Chargers' Philip Rivers, a second-year starter, is on a hot streak that began after he seemed to stop pressing in trying to pull the team out of an early-season funk. He also has diversified his approach to playing the position: Last season Rivers struggled down the stretch as the pressure mounted and seemed overly locked in on halfback LaDainian Tomlinson and tight end Antonio Gates. Thus far in the '07 playoffs, Rivers has spread the ball around to his wideouts and seems more willing and able to get the ball to the open man.

With all of that said, this year's Patriots are the exception to every rule, and it's tough to imagine that this curious run of belated No. 1 seed success will continue. If New England wins on Sunday, I will conclude that while these theories may have some validity, another of my time-tested tenets – never bet against Tom Brady in a big game – carries far more weight.

Either way, in light of what went down last Sunday, watch out for the 2008 Dallas Cowboys.

AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR

Speaking of the Cowboys, it pains me to note that there likely will be no more handy-dandy Jessica Simpson references in this regular Wednesday feature, at least until it resumes sometime over the offseason. I'll miss her, along with Mike Holmgren's snow-drenched 'stache and my relentless Pro Bowl campaign for Fred Taylor, who blessedly will go to Hawaii after all.

I'll also dearly miss those emails from people in Dallas and Indy debating which team rightfully should be No. 2 in my rankings.

Now, for our quartet of survivors:

1. New England Patriots: Isn't it about time for their amazing offensive line to get another national TV commercial?

2. Green Bay Packers: If Brett Favre does it again on Sunday, will it magically start snowing in Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 3?

3. San Diego Chargers: What are the odds that Philip Rivers and Rodney Harrison have a couple of heartfelt "conversations" at Gillette Stadium on Sunday?

4. New York Giants: Will Tony Romo be nicknaming their defensive line "The Paparazzi"?
I wanna have my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.

Gabriel_Hurl


ONeill

Back favourites to reach Superbowl XLII

A re-run of the 1997 Superbowl looms as New England and Green Bay aim for Phoenix
Paolo Bandini



And then there were four. The gridiron feast that is divisional play-off weekend is behind us, and now we reach the business end of proceedings - starting with Sunday's Conference Championship games. Last week the NFC's top seed and the AFC's second seed were beaten on their own turf, but the latest odds suggest few people are expecting a repeat of such upsets this time around. Here are my predictions:

San Diego Chargers @ New England Patriots

In the week of Kevin Keegan's return to Newcastle on this side of the Atlantic, what could be more fitting than the Chargers travelling to New England for the AFC Championship game Stateside? After the Patriots took them down in the divisional play-offs last year, the Chargers would love it, just love it, if they could derail the Patriots' perfect season. The Patriots-Colts rivalry may be more widely feted, but make no mistake - these two teams have a serious distaste for one another.

The Chargers were cut deep by last season's defeat. Entering the play-offs with a league-best 14-2 record, San Diego blew a seven-point, fourth-quarter lead against New England to lose 24-21, despite having intercepted Tom Brady three times. Several Chargers players accused the Patriots of taunting them after the game, while running back Ladanian Tomlinson - normally one of the league's most softly-spoken and level-headed stars - had to be restrained as he railed at New England's players on the pitch. In post-game interviews he accused the Patriots of "a lack of class", saying they took their lead from head coach Bill Belichick.

But for all the previous between these two teams, the Chargers' hopes of springing a surprise will likely come down to far more mundane issues - most crucially injuries.

A full-strength Chargers team could at least give the Patriots a game. They may have been blown out by the Pats 38-14 in week two, but then they were still adjusting to new head coach Norv Turner, and have come on immeasurably to win 13 of their last 15 games (including play-offs) after a 1-3 start. In Tomlinson they have a running back who has proven he can run over better Belichick defences than this one; in Philip Rivers a quarterback who made the Pro Bowl last year; on defence their 48 takeaways led the league. They would need to be at their very best, and the Patriots would have to be below theirs, but an upset would not be inconceivable.

But the Chargers are not at full-strength. Rivers has sprained knee ligaments and is yet to train this week; tight end Antonio Gates - the club's leading receiver - played last week with a dislocated toe, but the injury is reported to have worsened; Tomlinson, although expected to play, will be limited by a hyperextended knee. Michael Turner and Darren Sproles provide talented depth at running back, but there are no such brilliant reserves behind Gates and Philips. Despite his impressive cameo last week, backup quarterback Billy Volek is a mediocre journeyman, and simply not going to beat a team that may be the greatest of the Super Bowl era.

Many more themes and factors could come into play - the success of San Diego's aggressive 3-4 in keeping Tom Brady under pressure; the performance of Randy Moss after a long-term acquaintance accused him of battery; the possibility of snow on the day of the game - but none will matter unless at least Rivers and Tomlinson can play - and play at close to their best. If not, the Chargers, just like Kevin, will surely find that sometimes wanting something just isn't enough.

Prediction: Chargers 24-35 Patriots

New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers

It's tempting to view this year's NFC Championship game as the tale of two quarterbacks. On the one hand Eli Manning - Peyton's much maligned kid brother; an inconsistent fourth year signal caller who is yet to convince many Giants fans he can live up to the family name. On the other hand Brett Favre - one of the NFL's greatest ever at the position; holder of innumerable passing records and one-time Super Bowl winner, and currently enjoying his best season, statistically speaking, since that championship year.

Both have defied expectations to reach this point - Manning by throwing four touchdowns during the Giants' final regular season game against the Patriots, and then turning in superlative back-to-back play-off performances; Favre by rebounding from two of the worst seasons of his career. On Sunday, however, something has to give.

The omens don't bode well for Eli. The weather forecast for the game currently has the temperature likely to be between -18 and -14°C at Lambeau Field, and for as much as Favre loves the cold, Eli seems to hate it. In the snow last week Favre threw for three touchdowns and recorded the best quarterback rating (137.6) he has ever achieved in a play-off game. Manning, on the other hand, has played six regular-season games in temperatures below 5°C, and put up an average rating of 58.6, completing less than half of his passes and mustering just four touchdowns.

Worse yet, the Giants are thin at cornerback following a spate of injuries. Aaron Ross returned to practice on Wednesday following the shoulder injury that hampered him in last week's win over the Dallas Cowboys, but Sam Madison and Kevin Dockery are yet to do so. If Favre manages to rein in the gung-ho instincts that sometimes persuade him to make ill-advised heaves down the field, he is capable of picking the Giants' depleted secondary apart, just as he did during the Packers' 35-13 rout of the Giants in week two.

Of course, the matchup isn't all about the two quarterbacks. The Giants' offence has been founded on its running game - their 134.2 yards per game were the fourth-highest in the league - and Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw will hope to play a central role against a Green Bay rush defence that is no better than average. Then again, the Giants' D will have their own hands full dealing with Ryan Grant, who racked up 201 yards in the snow last week against Seattle and might just have a chip on his shoulder after the Giants deemed him surplus to requirements when the Packers came knocking in preseason.

Giants fans might also point out that they're 9-1 on the road this season, their only loss having come against the Cowboys in week one, and even then only after quite a tussle.

Somehow, though, it's hard to shake the feeling that this one will be a bridge too far for Eli. Deprived of tight end Jeremy Shockey - his favourite target - since mid-December after the tight end broke his leg, Manning has begun to come out of his shell, to start spreading the ball about and to show that he might just have the talent to succeed in this league after all. But on an icy Sunday in Wisconsin he's going to miss the safety blanket Shockey provides. Favre, on the other hand, can generate the heat Green Bay need all on his own.

Prediction: Giants 10-27 Packers

From Guardian
I wanna have my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.

HowdyDoody


thejuice

It won't be the next manager but the one after that Meath will become competitive again - MO'D 2016