2014 NFL Season **OFFICIAL THREAD**

[John F Kennedy III]

Yeah, I'd say it's the offensive line, especially when they can't push for an inch. Alex is a good quarterback, I wouldn't blame him.

Alex Smith is a really good QB. Not much separated him and Rodgers when they were drafted. We screwed him over with a new OC every season and West Coast offense instead of shotgun. With a good defense and a good offensive line Smith could win a ring if he was allowed to run a shotgun offense.

[John F Kennedy III]

"Bad calls" never go in the Redskins favor but their opponents get away with penalties and worse constantly. The refs taking away Griffin's td over a 'judgment call' was the last straw for Moss, who has been on the team for like 10 seasons and watched it happen season after season. Fans have too. Opposing teams breathe on Peyton Manning the wrong way and get flagged. Opposing teams go after Griffin's legs and refs look the other way. Then they take away his td on a judgment call that would have given them the lead. Nope, not allowed. But then the Redskins beat the Eagles (clearly a much better team, by record at least), thus setting up the Cowboys big "win and in" game today......where their 10-4 opponents forgot how to play the game suddenly.

Playoff teams are predetermined before the season even starts (offseason owner's meetings....could call it the NFL Bilderberg meetings?) and everything from week 1 to week 17 is about making it happen for maximum profit to the league and owners, whether it's general revenues, ratings and/or public money to owners for various stadium projects. As always, follow the money. The rigging to get this predetermined outcome becomes more obvious later in the season when you see certain teams (ahem Indy) forget how to play the game suddenly and help usher in another predetermined team (ahem Cowboys). Or like Brian noticed, horrendous officiating. It's not accidental. DAL/IND is an example I noticed today but it's fairly obvious to see it in action if you can separate yourself from any "team spirit" and realize it's simply a business and is run no differently than governments are. The schedules are set up to ensure these match-ups late in the season. You see the same principle in elections.

I called the cheating all the way when the Patriots won their 3 Super Bowls. A few years after Goodell gets the tapes of them cheating and simply destroys them without us learning a damp thing and nothing really in the way of punishment for the Patriots. The Refs giving Bettis a ring as a retirement present, etc.

[Zippyjuan]

Seahawks are definitely hitting their stride at the right time of the season- and yes, I am worried that Denver may have to play them again. That could happen as early as the second round of the playoffs.

[devil21]

Seahawks are definitely hitting their stride at the right time of the season- and yes, I am worried that Denver may have to play them again. That could happen as early as the second round of the playoffs.

A SB rematch? Oh no! The Seattle Eyes of Horus vs. The Denver Pale Horses?

[acptulsa]

I called the cheating all the way when the Patriots won their 3 Super Bowls. A few years after Goodell gets the tapes of them cheating and simply destroys them without us learning a damp thing and nothing really in the way of punishment for the Patriots. The Refs giving Bettis a ring as a retirement present, etc.

Nothing new. Elway got a retirement present that way--in both the year he was just thinking of retiring and the year he actually did it. And NASCAR did as much for Richard Petty.

Seahawks are definitely hitting their stride at the right time of the season- and yes, I am worried that Denver may have to play them again. That could happen as early as the second round of the playoffs.

Maybe you should stick to the English Premier League.

It has been some time since the Seahawks were in the AFC West. If they see Denver again, it'll be in the very last round of the playoffs, in a game with the initials SB.

[cajuncocoa]

Seahawks are definitely hitting their stride at the right time of the season- and yes, I am worried that Denver may have to play them again. That could happen as early as the second round of the playoffs.

[acptulsa]

Hey. Makes at least as much sense as six years of claims that the FRN isn't losing value and the economy is making measurable gains daily. And even easier to disprove, too.

But it is a pity he doesn't stick to remarking on things he knows a little truthful and useful information about. I'm sure I'm not the only one around here woefully ignorant about cricket.

[Origanalist]

Maybe it's because zippy only has one eye now.

[John F Kennedy III]

Nothing new. Elway got a retirement present that way--in both the year he was just thinking of retiring and the year he actually did it. And NASCAR did as much for Richard Petty.



Maybe you should stick to the English Premier League.

It has been some time since the Seahawks were in the AFC West. If they see Denver again, it'll be in the very last round of the playoffs, in a game with the initials SB.

That's probably why 90s NFL was so awesome to me. I was too young to catch on to the cheating yet and didn't know the rules nearly as well as I did when the Patriots started cheating in 2001.

[cajuncocoa]

That's probably why 90s NFL was so awesome to me. I was too young to catch on to the cheating yet and didn't know the rules nearly as well as I did when the Patriots started cheating in 2001.

I hate to break your heart, but our two teams benefitted from many questionable calls in the 90s. It was almost orchestrated that there would be a Cowboys/49ers NFC Championship at the end of the season. Since I don't live in Dallas, I don't have a lot of people around me making excuses for the Cowboys....and the people who live around me were in the 49ers division at the time. I was able to see everything with an objective point of view. Yes, football was still fun in the 90s....because if they're not cheating for your team, they're cheating for someone else's....it's a lot more fun when they're cheating for you.

[green73]

I hate to break your heart, but our two teams benefitted from many questionable calls in the 90s. It was almost orchestrated that there would be a Cowboys/49ers NFC Championship at the end of the season. Since I don't live in Dallas, I don't have a lot of people around me making excuses for the Cowboys....and the people who live around me were in the 49ers division at the time. I was able to see everything with an objective point of view. Yes, football was still fun in the 90s....because if they're not cheating for your team, they're cheating for someone else's....it's a lot more fun when they're cheating for you.

So true!

[John F Kennedy III]

Oh and since you mentioned NASCAR they handed Jimmy Johnson all 6 of his championships. I stopped watching any NASCAR after the 2nd year in a row Jeff Gordon let Johnson pass him for the win over and over.

[John F Kennedy III]

I hate to break your heart, but our two teams benefitted from many questionable calls in the 90s. It was almost orchestrated that there would be a Cowboys/49ers NFC Championship at the end of the season. Since I don't live in Dallas, I don't have a lot of people around me making excuses for the Cowboys....and the people who live around me were in the 49ers division at the time. I was able to see everything with an objective point of view. Yes, football was still fun in the 90s....because if they're not cheating for your team, they're cheating for someone else's....it's a lot more fun when they're cheating for you.

Makes sense. I mean we only met in abut 6 NFC championships in 14 years

[Zippyjuan]

Yeah- screwed up on the "could happen as soon as the second round" bit since we are in different conferences. Only possible rematch for this season would be the Super Bowl. Oops.

[John F Kennedy III]

Would be weird if the NFL adopted "Top 12 by record get in playoffs" instead of current system. Heard they're trying to push for a Top 16 playoff format for the NBA since the East pretty much has never fielded more than 3-4 competitive teams.

[CPUd]

LOL they thought they were going to push him out of bounds

[JK/SEA]

looks like the ref's aren't a factor to be considered by the Seahawks...10 penalty's and they still destroyed the Cards...

[JK/SEA]

one more time..

thats Marshawn Lynch btw...

[torchbearer]

I still watch games but holy $#@! these games are so obviously rigged to make final week suspense ratings.

I think Jimmy Graham will agree with you.

[cajuncocoa]

I think Jimmy Graham will agree with you.

I don't think Jimmy Graham is alone, and the Saints have been on the receiving end of the "fix" before.... all 32 teams have been victims at times, and beneficiaries at other times.

[torchbearer]

I don't think Jimmy Graham is alone, and the Saints have been on the receiving end of the "fix" before.... all 32 teams have been victims at times, and beneficiaries at other times.

The only call that matters is the one that changes the entire outcome of the game.
Like the 5th Down Bowl game. Ever seen that one?
A team was given 5 downs at the end of a bowl game and won it with an extra down.
The refs lost count.

[Origanalist]

The only call that matters is the one that changes the entire outcome of the game.
Like the 5th Down Bowl game. Ever seen that one?
A team was given 5 downs at the end of a bowl game and won it with an extra down.
The refs lost count.

I hate it when that happens, stupid refs.

[acptulsa]

I don't think Jimmy Graham is alone, and the Saints have been on the receiving end of the "fix" before.... all 32 teams have been victims at times, and beneficiaries at other times.

Not really.

I still remember Marty Schottenheimer's last news conference with the Chiefs, which came after Denver got handed a playoff game so Elway could get two rings in a row (and Marcus Allen would get to retire without two rings). Someone asked him if it was just not fated that he would lead the Chiefs to the big game, and he rather quickly and sharply replied, 'Apparently not!'

There were some uncomfortable looks in the room.

Remember the old prayer? '...and Lord, may the best team win! Amen.' Never hear that much any more...

But these dream endings and last chance championships are the exception. Mostly, if you knew which way the majority of the money was going in Vegas, you'd have a very good idea how the game is not going to come out.

[John F Kennedy III]

looks like the ref's aren't a factor to be considered by the Seahawks...10 penalty's and they still destroyed the Cards...

Hopefully because the refs have been against em at least since the Super Bowl last year when they should have put up 65-70 to 0 on Denver. The refs did everything they could to keep it competitive for ratings. Even Super Bowls will have most chaNing the channel by 4th quarter if it's a clear blowout.

[John F Kennedy III]

one more time..

thats Marshawn Lynch btw...

BeastMode for real. Sat out the 1st with stomach problems and promptly runs for 1500 yards or so in the final 3 quarters.

[cajuncocoa]

Not really.

I still remember Marty Schottenheimer's last news conference with the Chiefs, which came after Denver got handed a playoff game so Elway could get two rings in a row (and Marcus Allen would get to retire without two rings). Someone asked him if it was just not fated that he would lead the Chiefs to the big game, and he rather quickly and sharply replied, 'Apparently not!'

There were some uncomfortable looks in the room.

Remember the old prayer? '...and Lord, may the best team win! Amen.' Never hear that much any more...

But these dream endings and last chance championships are the exception. Mostly, if you knew which way the majority of the money was going in Vegas, you'd have a very good idea how the game is not going to come out.

When I said "all 32 teams have been victims at times, and beneficiaries at other times" I wasn't speaking exclusively of championships. But I do think the NFL has a habit of freezing out small market teams (with the exception of Green Bay) when it comes to championships.

[Zippyjuan]

The only call that matters is the one that changes the entire outcome of the game.
Like the 5th Down Bowl game. Ever seen that one?
A team was given 5 downs at the end of a bowl game and won it with an extra down.
The refs lost count.

Fifth down was during the regular season in the Big Eight (later the Big 12)- Colorado playing at Missouri. The field was in really bad shape too. The fifth down allowed Colorado to eventually score a touchdown which was the difference in the game. The "missed down" was a second down but the markers were not flipped to show what should have been third down coming up. Colorado was ranked #12 at the time and ended the season with a co- National Championship shared with Georgia Tech. (there was no title game so polls picked the champ and the polls were split). Colorado's only national title.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Down_Game_%281990%29

The whole drive:

[JK/SEA]

BeastMode for real. Sat out the 1st with stomach problems and promptly runs for 1500 yards or so in the final 3 quarters.

he ain't no bull$#@! thats for sure....my voice blew out on that play...

[Origanalist]

Skittles.

[torchbearer]

Fifth down was during the regular season in the Big Eight (later the Big 12)- Colorado playing at Missouri. The field was in really bad shape too. The fifth down allowed Colorado to eventually score a touchdown which was the difference in the game. The "missed down" was a second down but the markers were not flipped to show what should have been third down coming up. Colorado was ranked #12 at the time and ended the season with a co- National Championship shared with Georgia Tech. (there was no title game so polls picked the champ and the polls were split). Colorado's only national title.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Down_Game_%281990%29

The whole drive:

Yeah, I know. I sat there and counted the downs over and over.
It seems like a time-out threw off the refs.
The quarterback spiked the ball on fourth down. (third on the marker)
Should have been turn-over on downs.