NFL Divisional Playoff Thread

[Soul]

When the inevitable Packers/Patriots Super Bowl occurs, I am not watching TV for 2 weeks.

 

The one time I root for the Cowboys and they lose. I hate my life as it pertains to sports.

 

Patriots, inevitable yes (or close).

 

Packers though? I agree they're favorites, but NY is riding a pretty good wave of momentum right now, and unlike the Seahawks, they don't wish they were somewhere else when the weather turns bad. I'm still picking GB, but it's not a foregone conclusion.

[shnsajax]

I am actually starting to really like the guy, and can't believe the complete 180 he has conducted.

 

 

fixed

 

/pet peeve

 

Stupid mistake now that I see it, thanks.

[wekse]

T.O. should get considered for an oscar for his press conference performance.

[shnsajax]

T.O. should get considered for an oscar for his press conference performance.

 

Well I'm pretty sure he didn't have any writers prepare his speech for him.

[wekse]

T.O. should get considered for an oscar for his press conference performance.

 

Well I'm pretty sure he didn't have any writers prepare his speech for him.

 

he may as well have, it might have been more convincing if he had practiced it.

[Soul]

T.O. should get considered for an oscar for his press conference performance.

 

Well I'm pretty sure he didn't have any writers prepare his speech for him.

 

he may as well have, it might have been more convincing if he had practiced it.

 

I think T.O. might be slightly manic/depressive -- he seems to mood swing at the weirdest times. It didn't seem like something to cry about.

[CubColtPacer]

To say up front, Sanders should not have done what he did whatsoever when he drew the taunting flag in the second quarter. It was an easy flag. I was glad to read this though:

 

Kaeding took no offense to Sanders' actions. In fact, he started the byplay after hitting an extra point after San Diego's first score. Sanders is one of the Colts' outside rushers against placement kicks.

"I grabbed him, smiling," Kaeding said. "We were all smiling."

The smiling ended when an official flagged Sanders after the miss.

"It was just a case of a referee not knowing what the real deal was," Kaeding said. "I couldn't go up to the ref and be like, 'We're just buddies' after he already threw the flag."

 

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080114/SPORTS03/801140377&theme=

[dew1679666265]

these playoffs demonstrate why I would love a college football playoff. Is San Diego a better team than Indy? are the Giants better than Dallas? maybe not in the long term, but for one day they were, which created excitement, upsets, etc. now add in the passion of college football fans and you have an amazing thing

 

yes, there's also the regular season, which concludes with teams like indy, gb and dallas sitting a lot of their regulars for the last week or two because they're already locked into their playoff spot. 95% of people who don't want a college football playoff (16 teams, say) feel that way not because they think a playoff would be boring, but because it would cheapen what is the most important "regular season" in major sports.

 

and I contend that it the regular season being so "important" is ruining what could be a good thing

 

And I can't figure out why it's more important to have an important regular season than an important postseason. Seems to me like sports are played to win in the postseason primarily, so why cheapen that to make the regular season more important?

[dew1679666265]

T.O. should get considered for an oscar for his press conference performance.

 

Well I'm pretty sure he didn't have any writers prepare his speech for him.

 

he may as well have, it might have been more convincing if he had practiced it.

 

I think T.O. might be slightly manic/depressive -- he seems to mood swing at the weirdest times. It didn't seem like something to cry about.

 

I see it potentially as a means of getting the attention focused back on him. The reporters were focused on Romo and his escapades in Mexico with Jessica Simpson and TO wanted the focus back on him - so he teared up in the press conference.

 

I could very well be wrong, but I wouldn't put it past TO for a second. For what it's worth for TO fans, I doubt it was pre-meditated either way.

[jersey cubs fan]

these playoffs demonstrate why I would love a college football playoff. Is San Diego a better team than Indy? are the Giants better than Dallas? maybe not in the long term, but for one day they were, which created excitement, upsets, etc. now add in the passion of college football fans and you have an amazing thing

 

yes, there's also the regular season, which concludes with teams like indy, gb and dallas sitting a lot of their regulars for the last week or two because they're already locked into their playoff spot. 95% of people who don't want a college football playoff (16 teams, say) feel that way not because they think a playoff would be boring, but because it would cheapen what is the most important "regular season" in major sports.

 

and I contend that it the regular season being so "important" is ruining what could be a good thing

 

And I can't figure out why it's more important to have an important regular season than an important postseason. Seems to me like sports are played to win in the postseason primarily, so why cheapen that to make the regular season more important?

 

College FB already is a good thing. Sports are played to compete in meaningful games. It already happens. Determining who can make it through a mini-playoff isn't really all that meaningful.

[Derwood]

these playoffs demonstrate why I would love a college football playoff. Is San Diego a better team than Indy? are the Giants better than Dallas? maybe not in the long term, but for one day they were, which created excitement, upsets, etc. now add in the passion of college football fans and you have an amazing thing

 

yes, there's also the regular season, which concludes with teams like indy, gb and dallas sitting a lot of their regulars for the last week or two because they're already locked into their playoff spot. 95% of people who don't want a college football playoff (16 teams, say) feel that way not because they think a playoff would be boring, but because it would cheapen what is the most important "regular season" in major sports.

 

and I contend that it the regular season being so "important" is ruining what could be a good thing

 

And I can't figure out why it's more important to have an important regular season than an important postseason. Seems to me like sports are played to win in the postseason primarily, so why cheapen that to make the regular season more important?

 

i made this point before, but i think that the importance on the regular season (this season being the exception) usually kills your team's chances for a title really early. If USC, for example, loses to OSU in the first few weeks next year, they may be eliminated from title contention. It would be like being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs in April of the baseball season

[dew1679666265]

these playoffs demonstrate why I would love a college football playoff. Is San Diego a better team than Indy? are the Giants better than Dallas? maybe not in the long term, but for one day they were, which created excitement, upsets, etc. now add in the passion of college football fans and you have an amazing thing

 

yes, there's also the regular season, which concludes with teams like indy, gb and dallas sitting a lot of their regulars for the last week or two because they're already locked into their playoff spot. 95% of people who don't want a college football playoff (16 teams, say) feel that way not because they think a playoff would be boring, but because it would cheapen what is the most important "regular season" in major sports.

 

and I contend that it the regular season being so "important" is ruining what could be a good thing

 

And I can't figure out why it's more important to have an important regular season than an important postseason. Seems to me like sports are played to win in the postseason primarily, so why cheapen that to make the regular season more important?

 

i made this point before, but i think that the importance on the regular season (this season being the exception) usually kills your team's chances for a title really early. If USC, for example, loses to OSU in the first few weeks next year, they may be eliminated from title contention. It would be like being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs in April of the baseball season

 

Exactly. It's more exciting for fans whose teams are lucky enough (or have a weak enough schedule Ohio State) to make it through the season unbeaten. For those who play in a tough conference a lot of teams are screwed early in the year.

 

A postseason deciding a champion is better than a regular season doing so because, in theory, everybody has similar strengths of schedule in a postseason. OSU getting to play Youngstown State, Akron and whatever other crap they played non-conference was a built-in advantage over a team like Tennessee, for instance, which played Cal plus a tougher SEC schedule.

 

In a postseason though, Ohio State and Tennessee both would have to make it through tough teams.

[Derwood]

these playoffs demonstrate why I would love a college football playoff. Is San Diego a better team than Indy? are the Giants better than Dallas? maybe not in the long term, but for one day they were, which created excitement, upsets, etc. now add in the passion of college football fans and you have an amazing thing

 

yes, there's also the regular season, which concludes with teams like indy, gb and dallas sitting a lot of their regulars for the last week or two because they're already locked into their playoff spot. 95% of people who don't want a college football playoff (16 teams, say) feel that way not because they think a playoff would be boring, but because it would cheapen what is the most important "regular season" in major sports.

 

and I contend that it the regular season being so "important" is ruining what could be a good thing

 

And I can't figure out why it's more important to have an important regular season than an important postseason. Seems to me like sports are played to win in the postseason primarily, so why cheapen that to make the regular season more important?

 

i made this point before, but i think that the importance on the regular season (this season being the exception) usually kills your team's chances for a title really early. If USC, for example, loses to OSU in the first few weeks next year, they may be eliminated from title contention. It would be like being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs in April of the baseball season

 

Exactly. It's more exciting for fans whose teams are lucky enough (or have a weak enough schedule Ohio State) to make it through the season unbeaten. For those who play in a tough conference a lot of teams are screwed early in the year.

 

A postseason deciding a champion is better than a regular season doing so because, in theory, everybody has similar strengths of schedule in a postseason. OSU getting to play Youngstown State, Akron and whatever other crap they played non-conference was a built-in advantage over a team like Tennessee, for instance, which played Cal plus a tougher SEC schedule.

 

In a postseason though, Ohio State and Tennessee both would have to make it through tough teams.

 

and the current system discourages teams from scheduling tough non-con schedules

[dew1679666265]

these playoffs demonstrate why I would love a college football playoff. Is San Diego a better team than Indy? are the Giants better than Dallas? maybe not in the long term, but for one day they were, which created excitement, upsets, etc. now add in the passion of college football fans and you have an amazing thing

 

yes, there's also the regular season, which concludes with teams like indy, gb and dallas sitting a lot of their regulars for the last week or two because they're already locked into their playoff spot. 95% of people who don't want a college football playoff (16 teams, say) feel that way not because they think a playoff would be boring, but because it would cheapen what is the most important "regular season" in major sports.

 

and I contend that it the regular season being so "important" is ruining what could be a good thing

 

And I can't figure out why it's more important to have an important regular season than an important postseason. Seems to me like sports are played to win in the postseason primarily, so why cheapen that to make the regular season more important?

 

i made this point before, but i think that the importance on the regular season (this season being the exception) usually kills your team's chances for a title really early. If USC, for example, loses to OSU in the first few weeks next year, they may be eliminated from title contention. It would be like being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs in April of the baseball season

 

Exactly. It's more exciting for fans whose teams are lucky enough (or have a weak enough schedule Ohio State) to make it through the season unbeaten. For those who play in a tough conference a lot of teams are screwed early in the year.

 

A postseason deciding a champion is better than a regular season doing so because, in theory, everybody has similar strengths of schedule in a postseason. OSU getting to play Youngstown State, Akron and whatever other crap they played non-conference was a built-in advantage over a team like Tennessee, for instance, which played Cal plus a tougher SEC schedule.

 

In a postseason though, Ohio State and Tennessee both would have to make it through tough teams.

 

and the current system discourages teams from scheduling tough non-con schedules

 

It's really kind of silly that this system is in place in a major sports atmosphere. You'd think a sport as wildly popular as college football would have at least a mediocre championship season. It's a shame.

[Derwood]

these playoffs demonstrate why I would love a college football playoff. Is San Diego a better team than Indy? are the Giants better than Dallas? maybe not in the long term, but for one day they were, which created excitement, upsets, etc. now add in the passion of college football fans and you have an amazing thing

 

yes, there's also the regular season, which concludes with teams like indy, gb and dallas sitting a lot of their regulars for the last week or two because they're already locked into their playoff spot. 95% of people who don't want a college football playoff (16 teams, say) feel that way not because they think a playoff would be boring, but because it would cheapen what is the most important "regular season" in major sports.

 

and I contend that it the regular season being so "important" is ruining what could be a good thing

 

And I can't figure out why it's more important to have an important regular season than an important postseason. Seems to me like sports are played to win in the postseason primarily, so why cheapen that to make the regular season more important?

 

i made this point before, but i think that the importance on the regular season (this season being the exception) usually kills your team's chances for a title really early. If USC, for example, loses to OSU in the first few weeks next year, they may be eliminated from title contention. It would be like being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs in April of the baseball season

 

Exactly. It's more exciting for fans whose teams are lucky enough (or have a weak enough schedule Ohio State) to make it through the season unbeaten. For those who play in a tough conference a lot of teams are screwed early in the year.

 

A postseason deciding a champion is better than a regular season doing so because, in theory, everybody has similar strengths of schedule in a postseason. OSU getting to play Youngstown State, Akron and whatever other crap they played non-conference was a built-in advantage over a team like Tennessee, for instance, which played Cal plus a tougher SEC schedule.

 

In a postseason though, Ohio State and Tennessee both would have to make it through tough teams.

 

and the current system discourages teams from scheduling tough non-con schedules

 

It's really kind of silly that this system is in place in a major sports atmosphere. You'd think a sport as wildly popular as college football would have at least a mediocre championship season. It's a shame.

 

you can blame:

 

- "tradition"

- a spineless NCAA

- too much power given to conferences

- different conference sizes

- different scheduling

- small schools being allowed to take money from big schools to come get the snot beat out of them

- multi-million payouts by corporate sponsored bowl games

[jersey cubs fan]

you can blame:

 

- "tradition"

- a spineless NCAA

- too much power given to conferences

- different conference sizes

- different scheduling

- small schools being allowed to take money from big schools to come get the snot beat out of them

- multi-million payouts by corporate sponsored bowl games

 

Tradition is why ncaa football has gotten as popular as it is in the first place.

 

The NCAA is simply a collection of the schools administrations. They aren't an autonomous organization. The conferences are also a collection of the schools administration, how they can be conceived to have too much power is beyond me. They are the schools deciding what they will do. The different conferences sizes is something that happens when you deal with such large institution.

 

Corporations are going to pay multi-millions for a playoff if it ever happens. Those sponsorships are what allow football to exist, and allow fans to be able to see so many games.

 

And the fact is basketball shares every single one of those issues to blame, yet they have a playoff.

 

There is no perfect system. There never will be in a "league" where 120 teams can play just 12-13 game schedules.

 

I think the topic of deciding college football championships gets far too much air time for what it's worth. It's not the national travesty so many try to portray it.

[Guest]

these playoffs demonstrate why I would love a college football playoff. Is San Diego a better team than Indy? are the Giants better than Dallas? maybe not in the long term, but for one day they were, which created excitement, upsets, etc. now add in the passion of college football fans and you have an amazing thing

 

yes, there's also the regular season, which concludes with teams like indy, gb and dallas sitting a lot of their regulars for the last week or two because they're already locked into their playoff spot. 95% of people who don't want a college football playoff (16 teams, say) feel that way not because they think a playoff would be boring, but because it would cheapen what is the most important "regular season" in major sports.

 

and I contend that it the regular season being so "important" is ruining what could be a good thing

 

And I can't figure out why it's more important to have an important regular season than an important postseason. Seems to me like sports are played to win in the postseason primarily, so why cheapen that to make the regular season more important?

 

i made this point before, but i think that the importance on the regular season (this season being the exception) usually kills your team's chances for a title really early. If USC, for example, loses to OSU in the first few weeks next year, they may be eliminated from title contention. It would be like being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs in April of the baseball season

 

Exactly. It's more exciting for fans whose teams are lucky enough (or have a weak enough schedule Ohio State) to make it through the season unbeaten. For those who play in a tough conference a lot of teams are screwed early in the year.

 

A postseason deciding a champion is better than a regular season doing so because, in theory, everybody has similar strengths of schedule in a postseason. OSU getting to play Youngstown State, Akron and whatever other crap they played non-conference was a built-in advantage over a team like Tennessee, for instance, which played Cal plus a tougher SEC schedule.

 

In a postseason though, Ohio State and Tennessee both would have to make it through tough teams.

 

and the current system discourages teams from scheduling tough non-con schedules

 

It's really kind of silly that this system is in place in a major sports atmosphere. You'd think a sport as wildly popular as college football would have at least a mediocre championship season. It's a shame.

 

It wouldn't be as wildly popular as it currently is if you had a full on playoff.

[Derwood]

It wouldn't be as wildly popular as it currently is if you had a full on playoff.

 

in your opinion.

 

in my opinion, it would be the most wildly popular playoff in sports, even bigger than the men's basketball tourney

[Guest]

It wouldn't be as wildly popular as it currently is if you had a full on playoff.

 

in your opinion.

 

in my opinion, it would be the most wildly popular playoff in sports, even bigger than the men's basketball tourney

 

No, I'm talking about the sport in general. College football as a whole would not be as wildly popular if it had a full on playoff.

 

And there's not a chance in the world that a college football player would be more popular than March Madness. There's just no way that's possible and there are a ton of reasons why.

[XZero771679666304]

When the inevitable Packers/Patriots Super Bowl occurs, I am not watching TV for 2 weeks.

 

The one time I root for the Cowboys and they lose. I hate my life as it pertains to sports.

 

 

Maybe I am the only one, but I am a Bears fan who doesn't hate the Packers. I don't like them, but that burning hatred just isn't there.

 

Now the Cowboys, there's a team that I hate. I probably dislike the Vikings more than the Pack as well. The Colts, too. Heck, there may be 10 teams I like less than the Pack.

[jersey cubs fan]

When the inevitable Packers/Patriots Super Bowl occurs, I am not watching TV for 2 weeks.

 

The one time I root for the Cowboys and they lose. I hate my life as it pertains to sports.

 

 

Maybe I am the only one, but I am a Bears fan who doesn't hate the Packers. I don't like them, but that burning hatred just isn't there.

 

Now the Cowboys, there's a team that I hate. I probably dislike the Vikings more than the Pack as well. The Colts, too. Heck, there may be 10 teams I like less than the Pack.

 

I'm similar. I respect the heck out of Favre, and don't really hate anybody currently associated with the team. The Cowboys are a much bigger villain. I wouldn't actually cheer for them or anything, but as things stand now, I think I'd rather see GB win than anybody else.

[rawaction]

When the inevitable Packers/Patriots Super Bowl occurs, I am not watching TV for 2 weeks.

 

The one time I root for the Cowboys and they lose. I hate my life as it pertains to sports.

 

 

Maybe I am the only one, but I am a Bears fan who doesn't hate the Packers. I don't like them, but that burning hatred just isn't there.

 

Now the Cowboys, there's a team that I hate. I probably dislike the Vikings more than the Pack as well. The Colts, too. Heck, there may be 10 teams I like less than the Pack.

 

I'm similar. I respect the heck out of Favre, and don't really hate anybody currently associated with the team. The Cowboys are a much bigger villain. I wouldn't actually cheer for them or anything, but as things stand now, I think I'd rather see GB win than anybody else.

 

Ditto. Of course if GB wins the Superbowl the NFL is fixed, because Favre will retire on top just like Golden boy, Elway.

[Soul]

When the inevitable Packers/Patriots Super Bowl occurs, I am not watching TV for 2 weeks.

 

The one time I root for the Cowboys and they lose. I hate my life as it pertains to sports.

 

 

Maybe I am the only one, but I am a Bears fan who doesn't hate the Packers. I don't like them, but that burning hatred just isn't there.

 

Now the Cowboys, there's a team that I hate. I probably dislike the Vikings more than the Pack as well. The Colts, too. Heck, there may be 10 teams I like less than the Pack.

 

I'm similar. I respect the heck out of Favre, and don't really hate anybody currently associated with the team. The Cowboys are a much bigger villain. I wouldn't actually cheer for them or anything, but as things stand now, I think I'd rather see GB win than anybody else.

 

Ditto. Of course if GB wins the Superbowl the NFL is fixed, because Favre will retire on top just like Golden boy, Elway.

 

I really respect Favre too.

 

It's hard to hate these Packers. They were built through the draft, have a lot of young, high motor guys especially on defense -- they've got a running back off the scrap heap, a safety in Bigby who was similarly not highly thought of yet is tearing it up.

 

I won't be doing jumping jacks if they win, but I won't be able to muster up much hatred either. I also agree, the Cowboys are infinitely less likeable.

[TruffleShuffle]

It wouldn't be as wildly popular as it currently is if you had a full on playoff.

 

in your opinion.

 

in my opinion, it would be the most wildly popular playoff in sports, even bigger than the men's basketball tourney

 

No, I'm talking about the sport in general. College football as a whole would not be as wildly popular if it had a full on playoff.

 

And there's not a chance in the world that a college football player would be more popular than March Madness. There's just no way that's possible and there are a ton of reasons why.

 

not to mention that it's not always true that the "best team won" at the end of a tournament, even though everyone says this. was NC St better than Houston in 1983? how about villanova-georgetown in 1985? villanova won the ncaa title as an 8 seed, which is the equivalent of the ncaa football championship going to a team that isn't ranked in the top 25. more than an insignificant amount of the time, the team that wins the title in ncaa men's basketball is the team that happened to get hot and lucky at the right time. i like the ncaa tourney for what it is, but i also like that the team winning the ncaa title in football is the team that was the best for 4-5 months, not 3 weeks.

[Derwood]

It wouldn't be as wildly popular as it currently is if you had a full on playoff.

 

in your opinion.

 

in my opinion, it would be the most wildly popular playoff in sports, even bigger than the men's basketball tourney

 

No, I'm talking about the sport in general. College football as a whole would not be as wildly popular if it had a full on playoff.

 

And there's not a chance in the world that a college football player would be more popular than March Madness. There's just no way that's possible and there are a ton of reasons why.

 

not to mention that it's not always true that the "best team won" at the end of a tournament, even though everyone says this. was NC St better than Houston in 1983? how about villanova-georgetown in 1985? villanova won the ncaa title as an 8 seed, which is the equivalent of the ncaa football championship going to a team that isn't ranked in the top 25. more than an insignificant amount of the time, the team that wins the title in ncaa men's basketball is the team that happened to get hot and lucky at the right time. i like the ncaa tourney for what it is, but i also like that the team winning the ncaa title in football is the team that was the best for 4-5 months, not 3 weeks.

 

so LSU was the best team all year, eh?