NFL week 1 lets party thread

[Warpticon]

I will say this... the MNF schedule seems to be substantially worse this year. I remember the Bears couldn't buy a MNF game when they sucked for years. Now Oakland, NYJ, St. Louis, Miami, etc get Monday night games?

 

Did they actually add more decent games to Thursday night this year or something?

 

Let's see...

 

Nope. Still looks pretty bad.

 

http://www.nfl.com/schedules/2013/TNF

 

Sunday night is the featured game now like Mondays used to be. That changed when NBC took over Sundays and ESPN got Mondays. I think they made that move because Monday ratings had dropped off regardless of the quality of the game that was on.

 

I know that. But MNF wasn't this bad. And SNF wasn't this bad pre-06 when it was the secondary prime time game (at least, not as far as I remember).

 

I'm just saying that there have to be at least 2-3 somewhat compelling matchups every week, at least to the point that the 2013 Dolphins should never see a national broadcast.

 

I'm confused as to why the Dolphins are your go-to example here, of all teams.

[Banedon]

Peter King tweeted that he will not be picking games weekly this year.

[UMFan83]

Peter King tweeted that he will not be picking games weekly this year.

 

I'm crushed.

[Guest]

Good points about the logistics and such.

 

That said, they should change the rules then. Because Miami @ Tampa Bay isn't good for anyone.

[Banedon]

Peter King tweeted that he will not be picking games weekly this year.

 

I'm crushed.

 

For some reason I eat that stuff up. Power Rankings, game picks...I'm a sucker for it all.

[Guest]

I will say this... the MNF schedule seems to be substantially worse this year. I remember the Bears couldn't buy a MNF game when they sucked for years. Now Oakland, NYJ, St. Louis, Miami, etc get Monday night games?

 

Did they actually add more decent games to Thursday night this year or something?

 

Let's see...

 

Nope. Still looks pretty bad.

 

http://www.nfl.com/schedules/2013/TNF

 

Sunday night is the featured game now like Mondays used to be. That changed when NBC took over Sundays and ESPN got Mondays. I think they made that move because Monday ratings had dropped off regardless of the quality of the game that was on.

 

I know that. But MNF wasn't this bad. And SNF wasn't this bad pre-06 when it was the secondary prime time game (at least, not as far as I remember).

 

I'm just saying that there have to be at least 2-3 somewhat compelling matchups every week, at least to the point that the 2013 Dolphins should never see a national broadcast.

 

I'm confused as to why the Dolphins are your go-to example here, of all teams.

 

Because they're pretty boring, they kinda suck, and they are scheduled for multiple MNF games.

[UMFan83]

Peter King tweeted that he will not be picking games weekly this year.

 

I'm crushed.

 

For some reason I eat that stuff up. Power Rankings, game picks...I'm a sucker for it all.

 

Oh I am too and have been mocked for it here in the past, but I'm not crying over Peter King's picks.

[sneakypower]

some unfounded dumb predictions

 

Calvin Johnson Shady McCoy wins OPOY

Geno Atkins Richard Sherman wins DPOY

Cutler wins MVP

one of Bennie Cunningham/DaRel Scott/Bobby Rainey runs for 1000 yds

Joique Bell leads the Lions in rushing

 

Texans Broncos over Saints Bears

[Guest]

some unfounded dumb predictions

 

Calvin Johnson Shady McCoy wins OPOY

Geno Atkins Richard Sherman wins DPOY

Cutler wins MVP

one of Bennie Cunningham/DaRel Scott/Bobby Rainey runs for 1000 yds

Joique Bell leads the Lions in rushing

 

Texans Broncos over Saints Bears

 

i like these, especially the crossed out ones, for various reasons

[Andy]

To refer back to UMF's prior post on national-TV limits, I think a few teams each year (I want to say 3) can go up to 6 times on national TV, and the rest of the league is capped at 5. And of course with 16 Thursday games now, everyone plays on national TV at least once.

[Guest]

I think Bush is going to be a beast on Detroit, though.

[NOLA]

I think Bush is going to be a beast on Detroit, though.

 

Absolutely. He is a much better player than he was when he played here. Detroit is a perfect place for him to thrive. Receivers to stretch the field and a good tight end to clear out the middle. He is going to kill it on screen passes and counter runs.

[Soul]

...Monday night is for catching up on whatever Sunday night television awesomeness I was too drunk to watch with the wife Sunday night.

 

yeah, i knew part of your reasoning was due to the other shows that you watch. fair enough.

 

i'm not really watching anything right now other than sports and news.

[NOLA]

I am strangely confident about the Saints/Falcons game, which is probably a terrible sign. The offense if anything looks better with a slimmer Mark Ingram, a healthy receiving core, and of course, Sean Payton back calling the plays. I think the addition of Ben Watson as a second tight end is an under the radar huge pick-up. They've been practicing a bunch of red zone sets this fall with an I of Ingram and Sproles, a two tight-end set of Graham and Watson, with Lance Moore and Colston wide. Who do you cover? My big question mark is LT.

 

The defense looks much better so far (yes, I know). Vaccaro is looking great so far, and QB pressure without selling out on a blitz has been pretty solid. I'm not buying the media attention on the defensive injuries. Will Smith being out spares Payton and Rob Ryan of having to have a painful conversation when he loses playing time. I'm really excited to see how Wilson and Gallette look at OLB. Biggest question mark is CB, but your secondary is always going to look rough when the QB has all day to throw like last year.

I know it's meatballish, but I have think everyone has something to prove this year, especially to those fucks in Atlanta.

[Guest]

Yes, I'm paying attention and, beyond fantasy reasons and waiting longer for their own team's games, have no idea why people would prefer fewer national broadcasts to watch and more games on at the same time so they can't watch them all.

 

I also don't understand why a football fan wouldn't want to watch another game on the crappiest night of the week, but that's a separate conversation. I'll pretty much watch any game, especially if there are fantasy implications.

 

You've kinda got your answer here, don't you? I mean, I don't begrudge people who like football that much, but it's not exactly crazy to think otherwise.

 

If you ask me if I can have 4 NFL games on each week and they end on Sunday or 5 with another added on Monday, I would take 4 without question. I like watching NFL games and enjoy playing fantasy, but not enough to start shaping half my week around it. That's half the appeal of football, it's a once a week event and then that week is done and we move on. Random NFL games are fine on a Sunday when it's the big event of the day and there's little else on TV trying to fight it, but random NFL games on a weeknight aren't a blip on the radar for me. Add in the fact that their presence makes the big event of Sunday less enjoyable(fantasy, etc), and it's really a no brainer. My fall/winter Mondays aren't so joyless that I need Titans/Chargers to brighten them.

[Guest]

Yes, I'm paying attention and, beyond fantasy reasons and waiting longer for their own team's games, have no idea why people would prefer fewer national broadcasts to watch and more games on at the same time so they can't watch them all.

 

I also don't understand why a football fan wouldn't want to watch another game on the crappiest night of the week, but that's a separate conversation. I'll pretty much watch any game, especially if there are fantasy implications.

 

You've kinda got your answer here, don't you? I mean, I don't begrudge people who like football that much, but it's not exactly crazy to think otherwise.

 

If you ask me if I can have 4 NFL games on each week and they end on Sunday or 5 with another added on Monday, I would take 4 without question. I like watching NFL games and enjoy playing fantasy, but not enough to start shaping half my week around it. That's half the appeal of football, it's a once a week event and then that week is done and we move on. Random NFL games are fine on a Sunday when it's the big event of the day and there's little else on TV trying to fight it, but random NFL games on a weeknight aren't a blip on the radar for me. Add in the fact that their presence makes the big event of Sunday less enjoyable(fantasy, etc), and it's really a no brainer. My fall/winter Mondays aren't so joyless that I need Titans/Chargers to brighten them.

 

I just don't understand the downside to the one on Monday being there (other than the fantasy thing).

 

I get saying that many of the matchups suck and you don't want to watch them, I just don't get the "there shouldn't be monday night football, just put them all on on sunday" (at which point, there actually is something to lose, which is one more game you can watch in its entirety if you want to) line of thinking.

[Soul]

Some of this depends on what is meant by "watching the game."

 

Unless it's the Bears, when I say I'm watching a football game, that means it is on the TV and the volume is up. But I'm very likely doing any number of other things and just catching big plays, or whatever. If the game is close down the stretch, I'll drop what I'm doing and focus on it. That's probably what, 30 minutes of undivided attention.

 

So they could put a game on every day of the week if they want. It doesn't impact my time really, at all.

[UMFan83]

Some of this depends on what is meant by "watching the game."

 

Unless it's the Bears, when I say I'm watching a football game, that means it is on the TV and the volume is up. But I'm very likely doing any number of other things and just catching big plays, or whatever. If the game is close down the stretch, I'll drop what I'm doing and focus on it. That's probably what, 30 minutes of undivided attention.

 

So they could put a game on every day of the week if they want. It doesn't impact my time really, at all.

 

This is why the Red Zone Channel is the greatest thing ever, for people like you and me who watch non-Bears football in that manner.

[Banedon]

Some of this depends on what is meant by "watching the game."

 

Unless it's the Bears, when I say I'm watching a football game, that means it is on the TV and the volume is up. But I'm very likely doing any number of other things and just catching big plays, or whatever. If the game is close down the stretch, I'll drop what I'm doing and focus on it. That's probably what, 30 minutes of undivided attention.

 

So they could put a game on every day of the week if they want. It doesn't impact my time really, at all.

 

This is why the Red Zone Channel is the greatest thing ever, for people like you and me who watch non-Bears football in that manner.

 

I wish I could order it on directv without getting the whole sunday ticket package.

[Cubswin11]

Yeah as more of a fantasy/general NFL fan with no allegiance to any particular team RedZone is pretty much the only channel on in my house on Sunday. Other than the days/nights of the week there is only one game, playoffs, and superbowl I won't watch a game from start to finish in its entirety.

[Formerly Snayke]

Baltimore +7.5 seems like a good bet. Am I wrong?

[Smack]

Stop talking about [expletive] tebow

[Smack]

Baltimore +7.5 seems like a good bet. Am I wrong?

 

That's a lot of points for the champs to get on the road or not.

[TruffleShuffle]

Stewart Mandel ‏@slmandel 25s

 

Gob Bluth apparently runs the NFL's pre game ceremonies.

[Banedon]

Weather delay, wtf....