NFL is back!!

[Billy Mays]

Just out of interest gentlemen what are the reasons for your respective NFL allegiances? Mine is simple enough. I'm a Jags fan because I live in Jacksonville (well technically just outside but the stadium is only about 20 miles from my house). Guessing Lyndhurst 14 is a Giants fan for similar reasons although he did of course have the option of the Jets.

How about everyone else?

Just realised I assumed all contributors to be gentlemen there. How very dare I! Apologies to any lady fans for that.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

I arrived in New York a week before the Super Bowl when the Giants were very definitely predicted to lose against the Patriots. Being an Albion fan you automatically back the underdog don’t you ? Great game, great upset and I’ve followed them ever since. Technically, you could argue that neither the Giants or the Jets are New York teams as Giant Stadium is in New Jersey but no different to watching Brighton play in Gillingham ! I think they’ve also confounded their critics who thought they were just a flash in the pan with their subsequent performance.

 

[Starry]

i grew up in egypt and we had pretty much no sports coverage on tv back then - someone who lived close by to us went to america and came back with book about walter payton. ole sweetness. and let me read it, i was about 7 years old and i decided that i wanted to be walter payton when i grew up.

that same person who had gone to america went back a few more times (his son was at school in chicago i think) and always bought me back something. i used to bug my dad to find out the scores every week for me but it wasn't until 1982ish that we started to be able to get the scores regularly.

then they did the superbowl shuffle in 1985 and then won the superbowl and i was truly hooked.

but a small little book about sweetness hooked me really.

one of the greatest sports teams songs, surely?

YouTube - The Super Bowl Shuffle:The Bears

i still have my original cassette tape of the shuffle somewhere.

 

[Da Man Clay]

I'm a Bucs fan because when I was about 12/13 we went to america and my dad took me and my brother to Raymond James Stadium, we beat the Detriot Lions 12-7. I was hooked after that!

 

[Skint Gull]

Quite simply the Steelers were playing on Sky the first time i really tried to watch NFL sometime towards the end of the 2005 season. I'd managed to work out that they needed to win to get in the playoffs so kind of cheered them on from that, the rest as they say is history

 

[Starry]

just a reminder that they have sent out the emails with the pin codes to register for pats/buccs tickets on nfluk.com

first batch of tickets go on sale in mid january so don't leave registering too late.

 

[Billy Mays]

Off to see the Jags vs Colts game tomorrow night. Not the AFC South title decider it was meant to be but it's always nice to go to a game and will be great to see the Colts. Naturally I'm hoping for an upset but that's probably a bit optimistic. Score predictions anyone? For the hell of it I'll go 24-17 Jags.

 

[B.M.F]

I sat down some 28 years or so ago to watch a game with my dad, It was Cowboys vs Redskins and as soon as my old man said he would support the Skins my mind was made up. I am Cowboy through and through

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

I'll go 31-10 to the Colts. With my tipping record you'll probably get the Jags victory you want!

 

[Starry]

i saw on the pro football pick em fantasy thing that jacksonville are the least backed team this week 90/10 against them.

23-10 colts for me.

we have the packers at soldier field on monday night, have finished work until january now so my brother and i are going to make a night of it. hopefully it'll be a win for us (famous last words!) packers have lost their last four. the vikings have the falcons at home, really need atlanta to turn them over to help us with a trip into post season

 

[Billy Mays]

Well thanks for that glowing endorsement of the Jags chances tonight! Just leaving now. On the plus side it's currently 78F here just after 6 in the evening so at least I won't freeze while watching my team get their arses kicked!

 

[Starry]

some game that for us last night. with the vikings loss against the falcons we had to win. went to overtime. our special teams were back on form, they have been our saving grace. orton made a few really dumb mistakes, but we got a good block on a packers kick, a couple good returns.

got stupidly drunk while watching with my brother and seeing the fans at soldier field in the freezing cold, drinking their beer and having a merry old time made me realise why football in this country is freaking shite. so yeah, brother and i were very drunk and so have spent the money that was saved for next seasons five elland road season tickets on a trip to houston this weekend, saturday to tuesday taking the older two kids and they'll be darn grateful. screw soccerball. am done.

lets go bears.

will be a great last weekend of the season as well so many teams with something to play for. will probably peeter out into nothing for my bears but it'll be good fun in doing so.

the chargers game looks a good one as well this weekend, winner takes all. and the afc east, the dolphins were laughable last season.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Can't believe the Broncos managed to blow it again in the second coldest game ever played in Denver at 17F. Shame we had to face the Bills who are used to the cold rather than someone like Tampa. If only we could finish one game with our fullbacks/running backs intact. On Sunday, everything going fine until we lost our 7th back of the season in Pope. Still keep it going with Young and Bell until Young also drops out injured. Even then we blew one chance to even things up and then another in the last minute.

Given that Denver is historically known as a team with a good running game it shows how our season has gone when Cutler smashes our all time record for passing yards in a season with one game still to go. Most annoying thing now is that they have moved the Chargers game to prime time on Sunday which means a 1:15am start over here.

 

[Billy Mays]

Face it mate. The Broncos are done. If they didn't play in the Mickey Mouse division they play in (basically the Chargers and the Dog and Duck x3) they would have been done weeks ago.

Merry Christmas from Fruit Cove!!

 

[Skint Gull]

Face it mate. The Broncos are done. If they didn't play in the Mickey Mouse division they play in (basically the Chargers and the Dog and Duck x3) they would have been done weeks ago.

In general I agree with you, they are in a shot division but the fact is they are 3-1 against teams in a very tough NFC South so they can't be all bad

 

[Skint Gull]

Bloody windy in NY today! Gotta feel for Brees, there's only so much one man can carry a team

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

So the great coaching merry-go-round begins. Browns, Jets, Lions and Broncos so far. Suprised that the Broncos got rid of Shanahan - not because of the results but because he was always seen as being fairly bomb proof all the time Pat Bowlen was in charge.

Who else do you think might be fired?

 

[Starry]

was very surprised myself about shanahan getting the boot, he has always been at denver and while they failed at the last to get into post season you have to be pretty unlucky to be 1st in your division all season and miss out. but a 24-24 record since 2006 isn't going to earn you much credit.

you seem to get sacked in new york if you don't win so not too much surprise that mangini is gone. i read earlier that shanahan's name, along with rex ryan, was near the top of their list to replace mangini now that cowher has bowed out.

we had a great time in houston last weekend. fantastic city, great people, but as predicted chicago's season fizzled out into nothing. so frustratiing as well because the vikings lost, buccs and dallas too so the division was there for the taking and had we won we would have taken the wildcard spot from the eagles. oh well.

am looking forward to the post season, i think the colts might go all the way. though with my track record of tipping teams they will probably lost 65-7 to the chargers this weekend.

colts, dolphins, falcons and eagles to survive this weekend for me.

and the college bowl games? i have about nine recorded by my brother to catch up on. my mizzou tigers won in overtime 30 - 23 to win our bowl game. haven't had chance to watch that yet but will do, our wr maclin is off into the draft this year and i think he is one of the best out there so will be interesting to see how high up the draft he goes. maybe to the seahwaks.

 

[The Lemming Stomper]

was very surprised myself about shanahan getting the boot, he has always been at denver

Apart from getting sacked as head coach of the Raiders

I agree with you about the Colts. I think they are a tremendous bet in a 'pick em' game against the porous Chargers pass defence.

Also Miami in a low scoring contest (probably 47-40 now!)

I do fancy Minnesota over the Eagles as a bit of an upset.Often teams that stutter over the line into the playoffs do well and with Adrian Peterson even Detroit would have a chance!!

I also think Arizona if healthy might have too much for Atlanta at home. Whatever happens , the Falcons and Dolphins have had outstanding seasons

It's gonna be a great weekend !!

 

[Skint Gull]

I have to say as a Steelers fan the one team i'm worried about it Indy. I appreciate if a couple of very near picks in our game against them a couple of months back had stuck the game would have been very different but since then they've just rolled on without really getting out of 3rd gear.

I'd love for the Chargers to do them this weekend but I just can't see it, especially with Tomlinson and Gates doubtful!