February 7, 201114 yr I picked GB. Since I didn't grow up here, I don't share the same animosity to Pittsburg that the natives do, but I was happy to see the Packers win anyway. This was the first SB I got to watch with my son. We watched the first 2 GB possessions, so he got to see them score a touchdown. That was a big deal for him. He equally enjoyed the Doritos commerical where the guy ripped off his co-worker's pants.
February 7, 201114 yr I picked GB. Since I didn't grow up here, I don't share the same animosity to Pittsburg that the natives do, but I was happy to see the Packers win anyway. This was the first SB I got to watch with my son. We watched the first 2 GB possessions, so he got to see them score a touchdown. That was a big deal for him. He equally enjoyed the Doritos commerical where the guy ripped off his co-worker's pants. My kids liked the Doritos one where the pug knocks the door in over the guy who was taunting the dog. Overall the commercials were a B-. I personally liked the Dorito one with the guy sucking the cheese dust off of the fingers of his co-worker, right up until the point he ripped the pants off of the other guy, that kind of weirded me out. The Chrysler commercial with Eminem was tight (The Lipton Brisk one with Eminem was annoying). Too bad it couldn't have been for Detroit its self and not Chrysler. I did relate to the Pepsi max one where the guy was trying to sneak food. I have never gone as far as hiding in the bathtub to eat a burger, but god knows I have discarded the evidence of getting fastfood on the way home from work, on more than one occasion...
February 7, 201114 yr I was rooting for Green bay. Great to see them win. How many times now have the Browns passed on Clay Matthews? In any event, great to see a team with very few superstars (except at the Linebacker Possisions) win the Superbowl. Almost reminded me of watching a Browns game with dropped passes all over the place.
February 7, 201114 yr That Detroit Chrysler commerical was awesome... Gave me goosebumps: http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?xl=xl_blazer&v=JavOpNSpsXk Me too I thought it was awesome. I was going to mention it but forgot. Thanks for posting Ditto. Not sure it will help sell anymore Chryslers though. In terms of the game, Rogers was playing at such a high level, he was nearly unstoppable. When a QB can deliver the ball to a spot where only his receivers can catch it, hitting them in perfect stride, a split second before the pass rush gets to him, he is unbeatable. Hats off to Pittsburgh for rallying from a big defecit to keep it an exciting game.
February 7, 201114 yr The Steelers didn't get much heat on Rodgers and their secondary isn't good enough (aside from Polamalu who still wasn't 100%) to dare someone like Rodgers to throw into coverage. Not surprising Rodgers ripped the Steelers for 300 yards. He was a gunslinger yesterday. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 8, 201114 yr ^ I actually thought Rodgers was getting rushed but stayed calm. Ben had all day every time
February 8, 201114 yr Pittsburgh is a great city, like it more then Green Bay, but there is no way in hell you'd see me rooting for the Steelers, unless it was against a team I hated more, like the Cowboys, Jets, or Giants. Sports are different for me, and for sports, I hate Pittsburgh. I have rooted for the Steelers in the playoffs many times when the Browns were out of it (and I am a born and bred Clevelander that's a die-hard Browns fan). However, there were two quarterbacks this year I refused to root for: Roethlisberger and Favre.
February 8, 201114 yr It was nice to see the MAC schools so well represented in the Super Bowl this year. I believe I read that there were something like 16 or 17 MAC players on the the SB rosters. Notables being Big Ben (Miami), James Harrison (Kent) and GB running back James Stark (Buffalo). I am sure there are some anomynous offensive linemen in the group too.
February 23, 201114 yr To me, Pittsburgh is Cleveland's brother city. pitts=bad brother buffalo=good brother
February 27, 201114 yr With this being one of the major differences during the discussions, which one, as a fan, would you like to see?
February 27, 201114 yr With an 18 game season, all records would be destroyed. 1000 yard rushing season would be nothing, which it has already become, but even more so. They need to stay at 16 games. Plus you already start to see a ton of injuries at the end of the season, imagine how bad it would be with two additional games.
February 27, 201114 yr I agree with the two comments above. Not to mention, 16 games is already long enough... and I love football.
February 27, 201114 yr In a perfect world, I would have the owners cut the pay of the players, ticket costs, concessions and apparel. With the money saved from paying the players less, the owners could then pass those savings down to the fans, the people that keep the league alive. Ticket prices and concessions have become just outrageous. The owners would still have the same profit margin because they would be paying the players less. The players already get paid greatly. And the players union might complain but what can they do. For most of the players its the best opportunity out there for them even if they have to take a pay cut. And kids coming out of college will still take the still extremely large salary instead of going into a real career.
February 27, 201114 yr Given the rush of recent stories that I've seen about problems players from the 80's and 90's are currently having today (chronic joint pain, to severe brain injuries) I'd say I'd probably rather we keep the game number where it is today. Also, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Two extra games and I'm afraind we're starting to push the 'NBA never ending season' limits.
February 27, 201114 yr ^agreed on all accounts. I'm as big an NFL fan as there is, but I don't want to see an 18 game season.
March 4, 201114 yr NFL, union extend CBA talks for 7 days Updated: March 4, 2011, 3:14 PM ET ESPN.com news services WASHINGTON -- The NFL and the NFL Players Association have mutually agreed to a seven-day extension of the collective bargaining agreement, and the sides will resume labor negotiations Monday under the continued supervision of federal mediator George Cohen. The CBA was set to expire at the end of Thursday, but a 24-hour reprieve was granted. Now, the sides have until midnight of next Friday going into March 12 to work on a new deal. MORE: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6181794
March 4, 201114 yr Is there anybody else here that might welcome a lockout? As much as I love the NFL and my god forsaken Browns, I might welcome a reprieve from the torture. I can't help myself from watching or at least catching everygame on the radio. I think of how much I love the feeling of relief on the bye weekend Sunday and I wonder if that is what the lockout would feel like for the entire Fall?
March 4, 201114 yr I honestly don't care. I love watching football, but both sides have 'rich people problems', that I can't relate to. Let them sit for a while and stew. I still have college.
March 4, 201114 yr ^ Oh come on you can relate, you know you are known around town as "BiG Money II"... :)
March 12, 201114 yr Arrogance unnecessarily jeopardizes ’11 season The sad thing about the NFL Players Association’s decertification and the courtroom tempests that are sure to follow is there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the most lucrative sports league in the world. Sure, NFL players don’t have guaranteed contracts, and the league and union have never done enough to provide for its former stars who took beatings on the field as the sport’s popularity blossomed. But these are not issues at the heart of the dispute between the NFL and the players’ union. The players have long ceded the hammer to the league on contract issues with their refusals to stick together on strikes. As one former player rep once told me 10 years ago: “I’ve got a family. If we had a strike I would seriously consider crossing [the picket line].” The tradeoff was a general period of peace in which the bonuses paid to players steadily rose and the owners got richer too with sweetheart stadium deals and television contracts too fantastic to be true. Aside from the possible addition of a rookie wage scale that all of America probably believes should be implemented, there is little else in the negotiations that changes the way the NFL is run. Regardless of what comes out of court rulings in the next few months, the players will still get big bonuses without guaranteed contracts and the owners will continue to get rich. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=lc-nfluncertainty031111
March 12, 201114 yr Rich people suck. It's only sports. Real life goes on. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 12, 201114 yr ^ True, but I love our Browns Message from Commissioner Goodell Dear NFL Fan, When I wrote to you last on behalf of the NFL, we promised you that we would work tirelessly to find a collectively bargained solution to our differences with the players' union. Subsequent to that letter to you, we agreed that the fastest way to a fair agreement was for everyone to work together through a mediation process. For the last three weeks I have personally attended every session of mediation, which is a process our clubs sincerely believe in. Unfortunately, I have to tell you that earlier today the players' union walked away from mediation and collective bargaining and has initiated litigation against the clubs. In an effort to get a fair agreement now, our clubs offered a deal today that was, among other things, designed to have no adverse financial impact on veteran players in the early years, and would have met the players’ financial demands in the latter years of the agreement. http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-1/Message-from-Commissioner-Goodell/d971feaf-7017-4f8c-b6a5-f29db6cfb668
March 12, 201114 yr It's just plain ridicuous that the owners and players could not come to an agreement after all the negotiating. The greedy owners are the ones to blame IMO. They want the players to play MORE games for LESS money. I know many people say pro athletes are overpaid, and I can't say I disagree with that, but most people are not going to be happy with having their workload increased while asked to take less pay. I still think they will probably come to an agreement before September, it would be preposterous if they don't. Frankly, I don't even see why it's taking the two sides this long to make a deal. However, if they cannot come to an agreement before the season starts, it really would not make a difference to me.
March 12, 201114 yr ^They are overpaid. One player today can make more than a whole team combined back in the 60's. My income didn't go up that much. Not even close.
March 12, 201114 yr I can't wait for this sort of story from the onion as the lockout drags on.... Fantasy Football League Invents New Use For Time By originaljbw August 12, 2011 Life at Mike's Auto Repair shop has been mundane over the past six months as the NFL Lockout drags on into fall with no hopes of a finalized contract. Instead of arguing for endless hours about what which Wide Receiver is most overrated in the AFC North, they have devoted their time to much nobler pursuits. Matt Englebrook, once the league commissioner, has spent much of his time this summer inventing an automobile that runs on pure water. "I've had some spare time," a dog-eyed Englebrook commented, "I can't watch four hours of sports center every day, I've got to find something else to fill the time. Baseball was ok for a few weeks, but it's so boring." The same is true for many of his compatriots who made up the rest of his fantasy league. "The other guys have been workin harder too," said Englebrook, "the other guys at my shop are taking shorter breaks, and they've all taken up new interests." continue reading the story at http://www.notarealinternetsite.com
April 12, 201114 yr NFL labor mediation begins Thursday ESPN.com news services Updated: April 11, 2011, 6:55 PM ET ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The NFL and its locked-out players have been ordered to start talking again. The federal judge handling the lawsuit against the league told both sides Monday they will participate in court-supervised mediation, saying she still is considering whether to grant the players' request to lift the lockout that's been in place for a month. The players got their wish, with the talks held in the federal courts in Minnesota rather than the collective bargaining setting where the two sides unsuccessfully met last month. U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson said formal mediation will begin Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan at his office in the Minneapolis federal courthouse. Boylan will meet with representatives for the players Tuesday, then representatives of the NFL on Wednesday. READ MORE: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6330778
April 21, 201114 yr From ESPN: NFL talks adjourn until May 16 Updated: April 21, 2011, 10:43 AM ET MINNEAPOLIS -- After four long and intense mediation sessions between the NFL and its locked-out players, the judge decided to give both parties an extended break. By the time they reconvene in mid-May, the landscape of their discussions could be completely different. Executive vice president Jeff Pash, the NFL's lead negotiator, said Wednesday that U.S. Judge Magistrate Arthur Boylan told both sides they likely won't convene again until May 16 because he has a few other matters on his judicial calendar. In the interim, U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson is expected to decide well before then on the players' request to immediately lift the now 40-day-old lockout. READ MORE: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6395141
April 26, 201114 yr Judge ends lockout; owners file appeal Updated: April 25, 2011, 10:18 PM ET ESPN.com news services MINNEAPOLIS -- Seven weeks into the NFL lockout, players have an early triumph over the owners in court. U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson ordered an immediate end to the lockout Monday, siding with the players in their bitter fight with the owners over how to divide the $9 billion business. The fate of the 2011 season remained in limbo: The NFL responded by filing a notice of appeal questioning whether Nelson exceeded her jurisdiction, seeking relief from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis. Hours later, the league filed a motion for an expedited stay, meaning it wants Nelson to freeze her ruling to let the appeals process play out. What will happen in the next few days is murky, too. Players may very well show up at team facilities on Tuesday; whether they'll be allowed access is unclear. READ MORE: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6424084
May 5, 201114 yr After ruling, NFL lockout back EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The on-again, off-again NFL lockout is on again. Hours after NFL players reported to work for the first time in nearly two months, the league announced late Friday the lockout would resume immediately, thanks to an appeals court ruling in the league's favor. READ MORE: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6451701
June 16, 201114 yr Geez, keep the lawyers out! Source: NFL talks 'almost blew up' Tuesday NFL and NFL players hope to make significant progress in next two-three days By Adam Schefter ESPN At a time when many are waiting for and anticipating a deal between owners and the NFL Players Association, there was a point Tuesday when talks clearly regressed. One person close to the talks went so far as to say, "This almost blew up yesterday." How close it got to that point is a matter of opinion. The moment may have come shortly after lawyers from both sides were brought back into the process at an undisclosed location in the Washington, D.C., area. As tensions rose and anger grew, two sources said NFLPA leader DeMaurice Smith instructed his lawyers to "stand down." READ MORE AT: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6663832 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 22, 201113 yr NFL owners approve labor deal; players have yet to vote After a 10-year collective bargaining agreement is ratified by owners, player representatives hold a conference call but take no further action. By Sam Farmer, L.A. Times July 21, 2011, 9:27 p.m. Reporting from Atlanta — In a move that led to more confusion than clarity, NFL owners voted Thursday to approve a proposed labor agreement, putting a conditional end to the four-month-old lockout. Less than an hour later, the notion that a deal has been struck was denied by DeMaurice Smith, head of the decertified players' union. In an email to the 32 team players representatives that preceded their two-hour conference call, he wrote: "There is no agreement between the NFL and the players at this time." MORE: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-nfl-labor-20110722,0,133125.story Owners pressure players to deal By John Clayton, ESPN.com July 21, 2011 ATLANTA -- The lockout prevented HBO from having a training camp version of "Hard Knocks," so NFL owners decided Thursday to play "Hard Knocks" with the players, passing a proposed collective bargaining agreement in a 31-0-1 vote. This was an obvious power play by owners, who want to pressure players into accepting their latest proposal and see how they respond to public pressure. On Thursday night, the NFL Players Association executive board and 32 player reps opted not to vote on the proposal. Players finally received a copy late Thursday of what the owners had passed, but their initial response wasn't favorable. They think they are being played. Said one player who was on a conference call with the NFLPA and reps: "What they said they voted on were things we didn't even agree to. Players were ticked off at owners and have just dug a deeper trench." MORE: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/6791952/nfl-owners-put-all-blitz-players
July 22, 201113 yr Ochocinco Tweeted: "Smart move by the owners to gain positive public perception and pressure the players into a bad deal shifting the negativity on us #kudos" "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
July 22, 201113 yr I agree with Skip Bayless. This is actually increasing my interest in the NFL as well as my desire to see them return. I think the free agency signing period is going to be absolutely the most crazy fun I've seen from the NFL in a long time. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 22, 201113 yr When the owners unanimously approved the proposal, we should have all known it was doomed. For purely strategic reasons, you would have thought all those billionares would have had the sense to at least not give off the appearance that this was a deal they would jump on. What the h-e-double hockey sticks do they pay their high-priced negotiators for!
July 22, 201113 yr Assuming things wrap up here in the next couple weeks the Kluwe v Jackson tiff has made the whole lockout process worth it. http://deadspin.com/5823788/chris-kluwe-responds-can-i-kick-it-yes-i-can
July 23, 201113 yr I agree with Skip Bayless. This is actually increasing my interest in the NFL as well as my desire to see them return. I think the free agency signing period is going to be absolutely the most crazy fun I've seen from the NFL in a long time. I can't get really excited about it because, from everything I've heard, I expect that the Browns will be sitting on their hands.
July 25, 201113 yr ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL??? NFLPA approves labor deal Updated: July 25, 2011, 2:15 PM ET ESPN.com news services The NFL Players Association executive board and 32 team reps have voted unanimously to approve the terms of a deal to the end the 4½-month lockout. The updated timeline: • Monday: The NFL will announce that teams can go to 90-man rosters and the official free-agent list will be distributed to teams. • Tuesday: Trading begins. Teams can reach agreements with rookies and undrafted free agents beginning at 10 a.m. ET. Teams can reach agreements with all free agents and signed players are allowed to enter team facilities. • Wednesday: Players can begin reporting to training camps 15 days before their first preseason games. According to the proposed timeline, 10 teams would report on Wednesday, 10 more on Thursday and 10 additional teams on Friday. The New York Jets and Houston Texans would be the last two teams to report, on Sunday. • Thursday: Teams can begin to cut players at 4 p.m. ET. • Friday: Teams can begin filing transactions to the league office at 6 p.m. ET. • Aug. 4: Deadline for recertification and ratification of the collective bargaining agreement by the players. MORE: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/6799301/nflpa-unanimously-approves-labor-deal
July 25, 201113 yr I can't get really excited about it because, from everything I've heard, I expect that the Browns will be sitting on their hands. They can't sit on their hands. They must spend to reach the minimum salary, and the Browns are $33 million below the salary cap. And they can't do it by spending like crazy on their draft picks and rookies since there is a rookie pay scale now. They MUST acquire draft picks. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 26, 201113 yr Hottest NFL Training Camps http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/hottest-training-camps_2011-07-25
July 29, 201113 yr Ochocinco and Albert Hanesworth to the Patriots?I guess if any team has a shot with older or more controversial figures its the Pats!Brady to Ocho hmmmm.... sounds weird!
August 5, 201113 yr This morning I saw some amusing comments regarding Smith to Edwards being a setup for the Luck sweepstakes. Also, a lot of chatter about his weak contract (1yr $1m up to 3.5ish with escalators).
September 8, 201113 yr WOW!!! The NFL will now pay ESPN $1.9 BILLION per year..... http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Morning-Buzz/2011/09/08/ESPN-NFL.aspx ....so get ready for ESPN to start covering the NFL more heavily than the NFL's own network which isn't even part of basic cable. $1.9 billion! I. Am. In. The. Wrong. Business. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
September 9, 201113 yr WOW!!! The NFL will now pay ESPN $1.9 BILLION per year..... http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Morning-Buzz/2011/09/08/ESPN-NFL.aspx ....so get ready for ESPN to start covering the NFL more heavily than the NFL's own network which isn't even part of basic cable. $1.9 billion! I. Am. In. The. Wrong. Business. Stories like this remind me why I laugh every time someone says "this country is broke"! Actually, I can see why ESPN would pony up the dough. The NFL is the most popular sport in America. Watching last night's opening game between the Packers and Saints just reminded me why it's so popular.
September 14, 201113 yr Entertaining Week One in the NFL. Here's what caught my eye: (list not meant to be comprehensive - if something else caught your eye, please share) - Some great performances like Tom Brady throwing for 517 yds and 5 TD's in a Monday Night win (incl. 99-yd TD pass to Wes Welker). / Like the Sunday debut of Cam Newton throwing for 422 yds, 2 passing TD's and 1 rushing TD. / Like Ted Ginn Jr. returning a kickoff for a TD and a punt for a TD, within one minute in the fourth quarter, leading SF to win over SEA. - Some poor performances like Donovan McNabb throwing for 39 yards. Not in one quarter. Not in one half. But 39 yards in the entire game ... that he played in its entirety. Needless to say, MIN lost at SD. / Add Tony Romo to this list. He played great for three quarters in give DAL a lead over NYJ. And then helped lose the game with a fumble and interception in the fourth quarter. - What was the most surprising loss? How about PIT getting pasted 35-7 at BAL? - And how badly will the Indy Colts miss Peyton Manning? How about 34-0 at halftime bad?
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