General NFL discussion thread

[steve bryant]

To my Bears fandom friends....good luck and I hope you are horribly pissed off on Sunday evening.

I for one am hoping that Rodgers trades in General Sherman costume for Mrs O'Leary's cow this weekend.

Ha! Well-played, Tom!

I'm still soaking up all the historic anecdotes right now, drinking in all the cool stories, and just plain reveling in the NFL's most storied (and best) rivalry.

Of course, that's gonna change about 2:01 CST on Sunday, at which time my Twitter account (and brain) will become temporarily taken over by a crazed, vitriol-driven fan for about three-and-a-half hours.  Hopefully, when the dust clears, I'll be happy, but I have no idea what the outcome is going to be.

Both teams have terrific defenses. The Packers have a better passing game, the Bears a better run game and special teams. I hope that it'll be one for the ages.

I think it'll be a close game, though, with one team edging the other out in the 4th quarter (as has been the story each time these teams met during the regular season). If it turns out to be a blow-out, it'll be due to a Martz-Cutler turnover-fueled meltdown...the Packers haven't been blown out all season long, and I don't think it's about to start now.

Bear down!

[steve bryant]

Bitchin'! I just read that Fox has moved the performance by the Chicago American Idol kid from the National Anthem to the halftime show. After last week's  awesome performance before the Bears/Seahawks game, there was a huge public outcry for Jim Cornelison (opera singer who does the Blackhawks games) to do it again...and Fox backed off! Public demand beats corporate synergy!

Here's Cornelison (and 61,500 friends) singing the Anthem before last week's game:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/wMmIKoC3DQQ&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/wMmIKoC3DQQ&rel=1</a>

Here's an article about the fans cheering during the anthem (a Blackhawks tradition) and how a Medal of Honor recipient viewed it:
http://www.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2010-12-16/salvatore-giunta-salutes-fans-for-national-anthem-enthusiasm

[judekill]

Replace Raiders with Jets and that's how I've been all week. 
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/17sX3z0SMYg&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/17sX3z0SMYg&rel=1</a>

[tomkaters]

I have two distinct childhood memories involving the Packers/Bears game.

The first one is from 1985 when the Bears played the Packers on Monday Night Football. My parents had friends over. The Packers hadn't been on MNF in years. The Fridge ran for a touchdown and my dad got angry and tipped a chair over. I got to stay up late at age 6. It was awesome except for the fact that the Packers got smoked and everyone was pissed off. Later that year was the game with Kenny Stills and Charles Martin taking cheap shots at Bears and the disillusionment with Forest Gregg set in.

Second one is in 1989 and the Bears playing the Packers at Lambeau. My grandparents have season tickets so I would go to a couple games a year (This was back when the Packers played two home games in Milwaukee, so we only had 6 home games to pick from).  That was the rather exciting ending where Majikowski hit Sharpe in the end zone with time running out. That instant replay on whether Majik was over the line scrimmage seemed to take an hour. They said he wasn't over the line and the guy in front of me picked me up and started shaking me in excitement. He was very drunk.

Good times.

[ojedi]

Let's play a game Zombie or NFL Owner:

[judekill]

" They said he wasn't over the line and the guy in front of me picked me up and started shaking me in excitement. He was very drunk."
Karma to you, it's time now to live vicariously through fans whose teams are still in the playoffs. Now that my Pats shamefully exited the onus of SuperBowl favorites is passed onto you. I am totally rooting for the Pack to squeak by the Bears and then crush the Jets in the Big Game.

[thefreakytiki]

Here's Cornelison (and 61,500 friends) singing the Anthem before last week's game:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/wMmIKoC3DQQ&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/wMmIKoC3DQQ&rel=1</a>

Here's an article about the fans cheering during the anthem (a Blackhawks tradition) and how a Medal of Honor recipient viewed it:
http://www.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2010-12-16/salvatore-giunta-salutes-fans-for-national-anthem-enthusiasm

Maybe it's because I lived in Chicago for 14 years but I absolutely understand the Anthem tradition.  I actually prefer the crazy, ape shit exuberance more than the solemn dead air.  It gets you SO pumped.  I miss it a bunch.   


The Tiki

[thefreakytiki]

It's Wednesday and the knots are starting to form in my gut again.


The Tiki

[Chris Campbell]

See, if your team had just lost last weekend like mine did, you wouldn't be in this awful predicament.

[thefreakytiki]

See, if your team had just lost last weekend like mine did, you wouldn't be in this awful predicament.

I'll send ya one of my extra Terrible Towels if you want to join in. :insertterribletowelicon:

The Tiki

[tomkaters]

Cool story in the Tribune about history of the Packers and Bears -

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-0119-haugh-george-mccaskey-bea20110118,0,1833548.column

I have always heard about Halas pushing for the stadium in GB but I had never heard about the loan the Packers gave Halas during the Depression in 1932. Interesting stuff.

[Dave A]

Replace Raiders with Jets and that's how I've been all week. 

I heard Bob Ryan on Tony Kornheiser's radio show today say that there's been some blowback from Pats fans because of the loss, and that some people are even questioning the wisdom of keeping Belichick and/or Brady.

This information made me speechless.

[judekill]

I heard Bob Ryan on Tony Kornheiser's radio show today say that there's been some blowback from Pats fans because of the loss, and that some people are even questioning the wisdom of keeping Belichick and/or Brady.

This information made me speechless.

That's ridiculous, not as ridiculous as Brady and Belichick both having their worst games of the season at home, in the playoffs, against an opponent who has completely disrespected and humiliated you for a week straight. But C'mon I love those guys! Superbowl next year I can feel it!!

[zack kruse]

Cool story in the Tribune about history of the Packers and Bears -

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-0119-haugh-george-mccaskey-bea20110118,0,1833548.column

I have always heard about Halas pushing for the stadium in GB but I had never heard about the loan the Packers gave Halas during the Depression in 1932. Interesting stuff.

I think that's my favorite part of the Packer/Bear history. The Packers would not still exist today without George Hallas, and then there's the story of that loan from 1932.

We were at Lambeau a couple years ago for the home opener, did the tour of the stadium and our tour guide told us that story. It wouldn't be honest to say that it blew my mind, but it definitely gave me pause and made me think about the importance of these two franchises. Not just to the history of the league, but to each other.

[Christopher Stark]

Bitchin'! I just read that Fox has moved the performance by the Chicago American Idol kid from the National Anthem to the halftime show. After last week's  awesome performance before the Bears/Seahawks game, there was a huge public outcry for Jim Cornelison (opera singer who does the Blackhawks games) to do it again...and Fox backed off! Public demand beats corporate synergy!

Here's Cornelison (and 61,500 friends) singing the Anthem before last week's game:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/wMmIKoC3DQQ&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/wMmIKoC3DQQ&rel=1</a>

Here's an article about the fans cheering during the anthem (a Blackhawks tradition) and how a Medal of Honor recipient viewed it:
http://www.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2010-12-16/salvatore-giunta-salutes-fans-for-national-anthem-enthusiasm

That is by far one of my favorite things about going to Blackhawks games.  I've taken friends to their first game and everyone is just stunned at the awesomness of it.

[thefreakytiki]

I heard Bob Ryan on Tony Kornheiser's radio show today say that there's been some blowback from Pats fans because of the loss, and that some people are even questioning the wisdom of keeping Belichick and/or Brady.

This information made me speechless.

I have heard it with my own ears.  I am rather shocked myself.


The Tiki

[ValorPhoeniX]

bob was telling tony some of the most extreme things he had heard. ive been in the same store with  bob ryan when he went to get the morning paper, and the things people say . i always wanted to be a sportswriter but after that i felt bad for bob and wondered if he could do anything without getting his brain picked about last nights game.
bob ryan on the tony kornheisers podcast makes my week, every week. im glad that im not the only one on this board listening. ive been a listener for about 10 years now.

[thefreakytiki]

I never listened to Tony's show... I was referencing Boston sports talk and heard all the hub bub.

Speaking of sports talk, I've been listening to as much New York sports talk (Wfan 66 AM) as I have Pittsburgh's this week.  I gotta say, depending on each show, intentionally or unintentionally it if funny as hell.  Anyone in earshot of the station is lucky.   


the Tiki

[Dave A]

bob was telling tony some of the most extreme things he had heard. ive been in the same store with  bob ryan when he went to get the morning paper, and the things people say . i always wanted to be a sportswriter but after that i felt bad for bob and wondered if he could do anything without getting his brain picked about last nights game.
bob ryan on the tony kornheisers podcast makes my week, every week. im glad that im not the only one on this board listening. ive been a listener for about 10 years now.

Oh sure, love Bob and Tony, I catch Tony's podcast every day. I figured that had to be the outer edges of the fan reaction, but that ANYONE would be thinking it was beyond me. Of course, I say this as a Redskins fan who came up in the glory days of the 1980s, so I remember what it's like to have a spoiled fanbase.

[Wood]

The Brady/Belichick stuff is the biggest nonsensical thing I've heard in a long time. Fans today have no perception of history or statistical normality. In a league with such talent, resources and parity, to expect even the best run teams to win at a level consistent with what many expect is next to, if not completely, impossible.