NFL Season 2014

Rogues' Gallery

Technically doesn't count as the first home game. Yes there was a game in the stadium, but the home opener, game everyone will remember as the first game played in the new stadium will be Week 2 when the Bears head to town for the Monday Night game. That's the one that will forever be remembered as the first home game in the new stadium.

Yes, I understand that preseason results don't matter in the long run and most likely nobody will care about this in a month or so when the official season starts, but my point was that (whether officially or not) it was the first game played by the 49'ers at their new home field stadium, and their 57-3 cumulative score in their two preseason games is certainly not justifying that 1.3$ Billion-dollar price tag. In fact, Plenty of the 49ers fans who came out for the team's debut at Levi's Stadium left well before the game ended.

Urouge

@Rogues':

In fact, Plenty of the 49ers fans who came out for the team's debut at Levi's Stadium left well before the game ended.

Wow, you'd almost think it was preseason.

Nex 0

@Rogues':

Yes, I understand that preseason results don't matter in the long run and most likely nobody will care about this in a month or so when the official season starts, but my point was that (whether officially or not) it was the first game played by the 49'ers at their new home field stadium, and their 57-3 cumulative score in their two preseason games is certainly not justifying that 1.3$ Billion-dollar price tag. In fact, Plenty of the 49ers fans who came out for the team's debut at Levi's Stadium left well before the game ended.

But preseason just doesn't matter. 57-3, over the course of 4 games where starters barely play and the coaches don't call anything except the most vanilla plays, is not any kind of indicator of a team's quality. You know what is though? 3 straight NFC Championship appearances, including a Superbowl appearance. Not even to touch on the team's history. Their new stadium is more than justified.

1PceXperience

@Nex:

But preseason just doesn't matter. 57-3, over the course of 4 games where starters barely play and the coaches don't call anything except the most vanilla plays, is not any kind of indicator of a team's quality. You know what is though? 3 straight NFC Championship appearances, including a Superbowl appearance. Not even to touch on the team's history. Their new stadium is more than justified.

Well… I wouldn't go that far. It does showcase what kind of depth a team has.

Urouge

Catching the final score? No way. The games themselves, if you actually watch them, can be an indicator of a team's quality. But just looking at the scoreboard and box score afterwards without watching the game is completely useless. I watched the Jets get completely humiliated by the Bengals this week, so the Jets kept their starters in until halftime and wound up coming back against the Bengals 2nd unit and ultimately won the game. Playing their starters longer also made their stats look more impressive. Sure, it looks nice on paper and a blissfully ignorant Jets fan can imagine that they have superior depth, but anyone who actually bothered watching the game knows the truth about what went down.

A lot of times preseason games aren't exactly "fair," nor are they meant to be. A lot of fans seem oblivious to that aspect of it. As if there should be some established standard for playing time that every team follows.

1PceXperience

@Urouge:

Catching the final score? No way. The games themselves, if you actually watch them, can be an indicator of a team's quality. But just looking at the scoreboard and box score afterwards without watching the game is completely useless..

Look at the score for most of the games. You'd think "Man these defenses are shit letting a team score over 30pts". In that Ravens v Cowboys game, the score for was 33-10 and ONLY became 37-30 when the Ravens brought out their 3rd stringers.

Once upon a time I made the mistake of looking at scores, but scores during preseason don't always mean what you think they'd mean.

Urouge

Le'veon Bell and Legarrette Blount were BOTH arrested for marijuana possession tonight, on top of a DUI for Bell. So now the Pittsburgh running game is going to get really interesting. Go Dri Archer!

1PceXperience

LOL! Stupid Steelers! HAHAHAHAA

loneassassin

@1PceXperience:

Well… I wouldn't go that far. It does showcase what kind of depth a team has.

Eh not really. The year the Detroit Lions went 0-16 they crushed the preseason.

Also have my draft picks set because I am unable to participate live in the draft for the league (damn my work for not having my new guard ready to work by himself.)

Wooden_Giraffe

So I'm going to be in two drafts at the same time tonight. Should be fun.

Nex 0

I actually just moved our draft time to next week. I got called to set. The new draft time is final.

Urouge

Alright! So the Packers are all in this year on fixing this "too many players on IR" thing. They hired a dietician, changed their practice schedule to make sure players are as fresh as possible for the games, and put in mandatory massage and chiropractic sessions on fridays. They're going to be the healthiest team in the league this year, dammit.

BJ Raji is done for the season on the first series of the third preseason game with a torn bicep muscle. Add him to a growing list that includes Don Barclay, Jared Abbrederis, and Colt Lyerla that have all sustained season ending knee injuries so far in training camp (Lyerla was promptly cut from the team).

Sigh.

'ko

so, is it to late to join this fantasy league? it would be the 3rd year in a row that I miss out. I know I'm not a frequent poster in this thread but I've played fantasy football on NFL.com for the past several years and always wanted to play with you guys

1PceXperience

@'ko:

so, is it to late to join this fantasy league? it would be the 3rd year in a row that I miss out. I know I'm not a frequent poster in this thread but I've played fantasy football on NFL.com for the past several years and always wanted to play with you guys

Just ask Nex bro. Also, if you can find one other FF player, that'd be great too because then we'd be even.

Satsuki

Hmmm . . . .
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000386294/article/michael-sam-released-by-st-louis-rams?campaign=Facebook_news

Oh, I know it's probably not because of his sexuality, but it still makes headlines. The question is, will any of the other teams pick him up?

Steven D. Teach

@Satsuki:

Hmmm . . . .
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000386294/article/michael-sam-released-by-st-louis-rams?campaign=Facebook_news

Oh, I know it's probably not because of his sexuality, but it still makes headlines. The question is, will any of the other teams pick him up?

He was always an odd fit with the Rams because they are very deep on defensive line–so he probably needed to play out of his mind to make the team. Somebody will pick him up though.

Urouge

The dude he was competing against for the final spot on the Rams, Westbrooks, played out of his mind in all the preseason action he got. It's really no surprise that he got the spot. But Sams still looked pretty good out there, so yeah someone will sign him.

Satsuki

Looks like nobody did. Poor dear . . . . . .

On our end of the "field", Bill Belichick is a sneaky bastard:
http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/11443840/ryan-mallett-traded-new-england-patriots-houston-texans

loneassassin

Jim Irsay suspended for six games and fined half a million.

Also Wes Welker suspended for four games for amphetamine use.

Steven D. Teach

Favorite comment so far–"Speed and concussions, Welker is basically a Motorhead song." To be honest, I think the Broncos were planning on playing quite a few games without him anyway.

Also looks like Michael Sam may go to the Cowboys practice squad, pending a physical.

KaizokuFan22

Kickoff time! seattle will probably win

Shadowgreed

So how many Ks does Brown gets for his sportsmanship?

Wooden_Giraffe

I can't imagine too much, it's pretty obvious that it wasn't intentional.

loneassassin

http://deadspin.com/heres-video-of-ray-rice-knocking-out-his-fiancee-in-an-1631864196

Ray Rice hit his now wife TWICE without her even touching him.

The NFL is so fucked up for giving him two games without supposedly seeing this

project1980

@Shadowgreed:

So how many Ks does Brown gets for his sportsmanship?

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@loneassassin:

http://deadspin.com/heres-video-of-ray-rice-knocking-out-his-fiancee-in-an-1631864196

Ray Rice hit his now wife TWICE without her even touching him.

The NFL is so fucked up for giving him two games without supposedly seeing this

But the law is more fucked for not doing more IMO

Shadowgreed

@project1980:

Ahhhh It was fun to watch

Satsuki

The Geography of NFL fandom:
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/09/the-geography-of-nfl-fandom/379729/

Poor Rams. Poor Buccaneers. Poor Texans.

Sorikai33

So I guess the Giants are NYC's only football team, huh?

loneassassin

Ray Rice was cut by the Ravens.

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And now he is suspended indefinitely by the NFL.

Wooden_Giraffe

While I have no issue with him getting released I find it odd that he got suspended indefinitely. The NFL already now mandates a minimum 6 week suspension for domestic violence. So why now go above and beyond that with this video that really gives no new information. Only explanation in my mind is if Rice and his wife were't honest with the Ravens and Goodell about just what went on in the elevator.

Rogues' Gallery

Ray Rice Deserves everybit of Punishment he's getting. There's no exucse to punch a woman unconscious like that. Ever. (Except if she's coming at you with a meat cleaver which in this case she clearly wasn't.)
Ray McDonald should also be penalized for beating his pregnant fiancée.

I swear, the NFL is so fucking corrupt its not even funny.

Ubiq

It's pretty disgusting that anybody is trying to defend Rice on any level. Like Ditka complaining about the NFL destroying his earning potential.

@Sorikai33:

So I guess the Giants are NYC's only football team, huh?

The Jets are in Jersey though.

Sorikai33

@Ubiq:

The Jets are in Jersey though.

According to the link Satsuki posted, the Jets aren't anywhere.

Ubiq

@Sorikai33:

According to the link Satsuki posted, the Jets aren't anywhere.

Looking closer, you're right. That splotch of green in southern New Jersey is actually Eagles territory instead of Jets like I thought.

That's why I get for skipping the article in favor of looking at the map.

Sorikai33

@Ubiq:

Looking closer, you're right. That splotch of green in southern New Jersey is actually Eagles territory.

Are they the only team in the NFL not represented on the map?

Yep, only one. I'm honestly surprised. Though some of those counties are probably pretty close. Still, you'd think they would get something.

NateRich

I'm sure they would have some county support 5 years ago

ShinigamiKing

what the hell happened with the Pats yesterday man?

I don't care too much since we normally do that at Miami, but I hope it doens't continue later on in the year.

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Ubiq

@ShinigamiKing:

what the hell happened with the Pats yesterday man?

Same thing that causes every one of their losses: karma.

Rogues' Gallery

Interesting article on the victimization of women in abusive relationships and the complete failure of the NFL to respond to these kinds of brutal incidents.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/culture-of-blaming-the-victim-is-root-cause-of-failure-for-nfl–ravens-in-ray-rice-case-220237076.html

“Janay Rice says she deeply regrets the role that she played the night of the incident,” the Ravens tweeted.

Wow. Just Wow.

The Ravens actually wanted us to go along with the dangerous notion that the woman was "asking for it"? Did they really use a battered woman to shift the blame off her abusive husband? A woman should never be the one to apologize for being unjustly socked in the face. Period. The entire culture of blaming the woman because "they had it coming" is absolute garbage, as is the team that supports this sort of sexist thinking by going out of its way to remind us that is was the Victim that regretted her role in getting KO’d, and not the wife-beating perpetrator. Disgusting.

If you punch a woman, it's never "out of character." It is your character, no matter what else you have done in your life.

And really, by trying to hush-hush the ugly situation with an embarrassingly pathetic wrist-slap rather than swiftly dealing with Rice initially back in February, now the NFL is facing a larger backlash with more damage & spin control, and more evidently, highlighting the NFL & Roger Goodell’s willful blindness and need to maintain plausible deniability. Obviously they knew of the video. They just couldn't care enough until the video became national news. And now that the video is stirring public outrage, they're trying to save face and backpedaling on the entire issue.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/roger-goodells-handling-of-the-ray-rice-case-willful-blindness-and-the-need-to-maintain-plausible-deniability/2014/09/08/68015714-378b-11e4-8601-97ba88884ffd_story.html

http://www.cbssports.com/general/writer/gregg-doyel/24701553/ray-rice-video-demands-more-answers-from-roger-goodell

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-haugh-ray-rice-spt-0909-20140909-column.html

Please hold your applause for the Baltimore Ravens. They don't deserve it. The NFL team finally terminated the contract of running back Ray Rice but only because Monday's airing of a video by TMZ forced its hand. The Ravens spent months defending and enabling a domestic abuser in a way that brought shame to their organization and the NFL, damage the team tried to start controlling Monday with a move that should have been made a long time ago. It shouldn't take a celebrity gossip outlet's video for a professional football organization — or the most powerful sports league in the world, for that matter — to do the right thing.

Couldn't agree more. Bottom Line: Fuck the Ravens.

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In Positive News:

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/09/ray-rice-jerseys-dumped-by-fans-and-stores-106911.html

Green_vs_Red

@Ubiq:

Same thing that causes every one of their losses: karma.

I'm still waiting for them to choke against the Giants in another Superbowl.

1PceXperience

@Rogues':

Interesting article on the victimization of women in abusive relationships and the complete failure of the NFL to respond to these kinds of brutal incidents.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/culture-of-blaming-the-victim-is-root-cause-of-failure-for-nfl–ravens-in-ray-rice-case-220237076.html

Wow. Just Wow.

The Ravens actually wanted us to go along with the dangerous notion that the woman was "asking for it"? Did they really use a battered woman to shift the blame off her abusive husband? l

Look… I know the whole nation is up in arms over this whole situation and rightly so; however, as a die hard Ravens fan (who frequently looks at Ravens news every 4 hours...every single day!) I can't just stay silent about the ignorance that people sprout about the organization.

The Ravens PR fucked up. They made mistakes, but their intentions were not malicious. The personnel of the Ravens staff have wives, daughters and sisters. Why would any person with a brain actually believe that they're shitting on woman and woman's safety?
The organization DID NOT see the tape! They based their judgement on 1) Their conversations with Ray and Janay and 2) The NFL's decision on suspension.

Bottom line… everyone went about each of their situations wrong. Ray shouldn't have hit his wife. Janay shouldn't have hit Ray. Ravens PR shouldn't have shown public support of Ray. Goodell probably should have given Rice a harsher sentence.

Ray Rice is a GOOD person and has given back to his community more than hundreds (hell thousands) of people ever will in their lifetimes. He fucked up, but all those people calling him scum don't know a damn thing about Ray.

"Let those without sin cast the first stone".

Also, here's Janay's response:

loneassassin

@Green_vs_Red:

I'm still waiting for them to choke against the Giants in another Superbowl.

It has been four years since their second showdown and will be eight since round one. I am calling it now: Giants/Pats III

KaizokuFan22

Buffalo bills have been bought..it's not Bon jovi or trump
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000392032/article/buffalo-sabres-owner-reaches-agreement-to-buy-bills?akmobile=ios-tablet&akcarrier=other

Sorikai33

^Of course it's not. The Pegula's have always been the front runner, with both their deep pockets and the commitment to stay in western New York.

Ubiq

@1PceXperience:

The organization DID NOT see the tape! They based their judgement on 1) Their conversations with Ray and Janay and 2) The NFL's decision on suspension.

Assuming that they're not just lying about not watching the tape (which, considering the NFL's conflicting stories about whether or not they've done so themselves, is really questionable), What possible excuse could they have to not see it?

killerbee1000

@Wooden_Giraffe:

While I have no issue with him getting released I find it odd that he got suspended indefinitely. The NFL already now mandates a minimum 6 week suspension for domestic violence. So why now go above and beyond that with this video that really gives no new information. Only explanation in my mind is if Rice and his wife were't honest with the Ravens and Goodell about just what went on in the elevator.

Honestly, Rice being suspended indefinitely has everything to do with damage control.

ShinigamiKing

@Ubiq:

Same thing that causes every one of their losses: karma.

@Green_vs_Red:

I'm still waiting for them to choke against the Giants in another Superbowl.

1PceXperience

@Ubiq:

Assuming that they're not just lying about not watching the tape (which, considering the NFL's conflicting stories about whether or not they've done so themselves, is really questionable), What possible excuse could they have to not see it?

What contradictions do you speak of? It is already known that the NFL didn't even inquiry from the casino to see the tape

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@Rogues':

Ray Rice Deserves everybit of Punishment he's getting.

I hope you're as adamant against other players too!

a) Brandon Marshall
b) Dez Bryant
c) Ray McDonald
d) Greg Hardy

Urouge

@Satsuki:

The Geography of NFL fandom:
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/09/the-geography-of-nfl-fandom/379729/

Poor Rams. Poor Buccaneers. Poor Texans.

Lol South Carolina cracks me up!

@ShinigamiKing:

what the hell happened with the Pats yesterday man?

I don't care too much since we normally do that at Miami, but I hope it doens't continue later on in the year.

Two words. Offensive line. Brady's not the kind of guy who can "buy time" and still be an effective QB. He needs an elite offensive line to be elite himself. Even just creating pressure is usually enough to make him rush some poor throws. Their last two super bowl losses were a clinic in the Giants doing that better than any other team.

Needless to say, I was shocked when I saw that they had traded Logan Mankins.

@1PceXperience:

The organization DID NOT see the tape! They based their judgement on 1) Their conversations with Ray and Janay and 2) The NFL's decision on suspension.

I get that you're a Ravens fan, but don't buy that garbage. They most DEFINITELY saw that tape, and did their absolute best to be the only ones who saw it. Entities that deal with many millions and even billions of dollars like the NFL and Ravens have security teams that can get a hold of that tape within hours of looking for it. You're just being willfully blinded by fan loyalty.

@1PceXperience:

What contradictions do you speak of? It is already known that the NFL didn't even inquiry from the casino to see the tape

And you believe them!

Wooden_Giraffe

Well you could explain away the Ravens trying to hide it because he was a star player. Still doesn't explain why NFL didn't take further action, they don't really benefit from trying to hide it all much. So if the NFL didn't see it then it's totally plausible that the Ravens didn't. I actually wouldn't be surprised if the Ravens specifically made sure they didn't see it. At least that's what I would've done.