NFL Week 16

[korme]

The Bills are 0-7 on the road yet up 3-0 on us and driving inside the 10. Palmer already threw a pick and our best player on defense (Deltha O'Neal) just headed to the locker room.

http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/frown.gif

Not looking good as head towards the playoffs.

[henry296]

So far so good for the Steelers. 20-0 first half vs. the Brownies and the Chiefs are winning vs. San Diego.

Seems like very exciting football everywhere today.

[GrantDawg]

D'Angelo is my new favorite cornerback.

[Hurst2112]

So far so good for the Steelers. 20-0 first half vs. the Brownies and the Chiefs are winning vs. San Diego.

Seems like very exciting football everywhere today.

looking at the jags game closely too.

[Radii]

slow thread today! Carolina jumps out 10-0 early but allows Dallas to get back into it. Julis Jones is running well and Carolina's D just doesn't look very special at all. I'm liking new pickup Drew Carter for the Panthers, but Steve Smith needs to get the ball more, doubleteamed or not at this point. 13-10 Panthers early in the 3rd quarter.

[henry296]

looking at the jags game closely too.

True, but a San Diego loss plus 2 Steelers wins is enough. All I want is to control our own destiny next Sunday and not hope for a Jacksonville win.

[Hurst2112]

go Parker!!!!

[Hurst2112]

True, but a San Diego loss plus 2 Steelers wins is enough. All I want is to control our own destiny next Sunday and not hope for a Jacksonville win.

assuming all top 3 teams stay the same position wise, i would rather face the bengals than the pats.

ways to go before i start worrying about that though.

[SirFozzie]

Ok.. that jingle bells noise after every play has GOTSTOGO!

[JonInMiddleGA]

And Julius Jones languishes on my fantasy bench :(

[SirFozzie]

Ramsey's in for the Deadskins

[Radii]

holy shit steve smith just got ejected

[Radii]

Smith I think felt he was fouled while being tackled and touched an official while making his case. Unless he said something that he shouldn't have, the ejecction was for touching a ref. Carolina down 17-13 with the ball after a nice defensive series.

[Hurst2112]

holy shit steve smith just got ejected


for what?

[Rizon]

Ramsey's in for the Deadskins

Did Brunell get hurt?

[TazFTW]

He touched an official.

[Hurst2112]

34-0, time to put maddox i-...

ummm, maybe not quite yet.

[Rizon]

Does anyone think the Bengals are just fucking with the Bills? I wouldn't be surprised if they drop a 20 spot on them in the 4th.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I hate the NFL's broadcast rules sometimes. Pittsburgh is up 34-0 in the third quarter, and I'm stuck with this as my only game until it's over or Philly and Arizona start on Fox. This is nuts.

[Hurst2112]

I hate the NFL's broadcast rules sometimes. Pittsburgh is up 34-0 in the third quarter, and I'm stuck with this as my only game until it's over or Philly and Arizona start on Fox. This is nuts.

lucky bastard! :D

[Dutch]

He touched an official.

He was in a crowd of whooping and hollering Cowboys and grabbed the ref to get his attention to plead his case that that Cowboy players on the sideline were taunting him.

And he got ejected. I think if you are intimidating a ref, that's one thing, but trying to get his attention is not means for an ejection. That rule should be looked at.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Rizon -- Brunell out with a sprained right knee (according to the Glog at cbssportsline.com)

[Radii]

Carolina really doesn't look good at all, Delhomme is not throwing well, and they're letting Jones run all over them.

[Pumpy Tudors]

http://www.gribblenation.net/personal/jp/2005wk16-cbs1.gif

I'd rather be watching any of those other games right now. :( Well, OK, maybe not Tennessee and Miami, but still.

[Hurst2112]

the white regions don't have anything on!? Seems strange.

I remember living up near green bay back in 97. I could get the CBS milwaukee station and the local CBS. Sometimes I would get 2 different AFC games (or was it NBC back then?). It was nice. Sorry that you can't see anything else. Could be worse, you could be a Browns fan.

[Hurst2112]

41 points.

NOW sit Ben and some starters please! Put Batch in there.

[Hurst2112]

dola...

Oh, looks like Batch threw that last TD

[GrantDawg]

Wow. Did you see that catch by Jenkins?

[Hurst2112]

way to go texans. grrr

[TazFTW]

Did this actually happen?

4-4-CAR 15 (1:08) B.Cundiff 33 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-L.Ladouceur, Holder-T.Romo. PENALTY on CAR-J.Peppers, Running Into the Kicker, 5 yards, enforced at CAR 15 - No Play.

[Hurst2112]

running into? on a field goal? strange things. suspicious.

[TazFTW]

Play Challenged by Review Assistant and Upheld.

You can review running into the kicker???

[Hurst2112]

dola,

did he come around the corner or straight through?

[Hurst2112]

bullcrap touchdown it seems for the cowboys.

hehe. kidding

[TazFTW]

Yes!!!!!!!!!


3-1-CAR 2 (:29) D.Bledsoe pass to T.Glenn for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

[Hurst2112]

come on cincy. show the world you can come back in a meaningful situation

[Hurst2112]

way to go Palmer!!!!

[GrantDawg]

Difference between this years Falcons and last years Falcons: The defense falls apart under pressure late.

[JonInMiddleGA]

come on cincy. show the world you can come back in a meaningful situation

Touchdown
T. McGee intercepted C. Palmer for 46 yard touchdown

Oops :(

[Hurst2112]

panthers...damn. they were in a great position to get some time off in the playoffs.

[Pumpy Tudors]

the white regions don't have anything on!? Seems strange.
Those white regions were home markets for FOX games. I only posted the 1pm Eastern CBS map because I didn't get a FOX early game.

[Hurst2112]

Touchdown
T. McGee intercepted C. Palmer for 46 yard touchdown

Oops :(

what i like to see. they aren't super-human. mental mistakes by a team that doesn't have the experience to know what they are playing for.

[Buccaneer]

Worse fucking day ever in the NFL. Happy fucking holidays. :mad:

[Hurst2112]

it is my understanding that the steelers can only be a 6 seed now. probably play the bengals if denver wins out?

[Pumpy Tudors]

Worse fucking day ever in the NFL. Happy fucking holidays. :mad:
One of these days, I'm going to figure out which teams you like and which ones you don't.

[cthomer5000]

geez, how big is the Atlanta-Tampa outcome right now? Tension is mounting!

[Rizon]

What an ugly day of "football". I'm embarrassed to even watch this crap.

[korme]

:(

Atleast Chad had a nice celebration. The media will really enjoy his selflessness today.

[cthomer5000]

One of these days, I'm going to figure out which teams you like and which ones you don't.
I believe Bucc is:

pro-San Diego
anti-Washington
anti-Vick

[Pumpy Tudors]

http://www.gribblenation.net/personal/jp/2005wk16-fox.gif

At least I'm one of the few people in the country who gets to see the cute outfits the Cardinals cheerleaders are wearing today. :rolleyes:

[TazFTW]

I was wondering why the ATL/TB score never updated with the Falcons so close.

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg2 vAlign=center align=right height=17><TD class=bg3 align=left>3-2-TB10</TD><TD class=bg3 align=left>(13:34) T.Peterson 28 yard field goal is BLOCKED (D.White), Center-D.Rackley, Holder-M.Schaub, RECOVERED by TB-B.Kelly at TB 22. B.Kelly to TB 31 for 9 yards (A.Crumpler).</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

That answers it.

[Rizon]

http://www.gribblenation.net/personal/jp/2005wk16-fox.gif

At least I'm one of the few people in the country who gets to see the cute outfits the Cardinals cheerleaders are wearing today. :rolleyes:

PICS!

[JonInMiddleGA]

So Houston takes another step toward the Reggie Bush sweepstakes, but ...

New Orleans, Green Bay, J-E-T-S - 3 wins
Arizona, Tennessee, San Fran, Oakland - 4 wins

Anybody know who has the tiebreaker "advantage" for the #2 spot (yeah, I know there's probably a ton of possible combinations). What started me wondering was whether the Saints might get the #2 & whether they would take Leinart with it if they did.

[Eaglesfan27]

:(

Atleast Chad had a nice celebration. The media will really enjoy his selflessness today.I didn't get to see that game down here. What did he do?

[cthomer5000]

from what i've heard, the Jets have the weakest SoS amoung teams vying for top picks.

[Rizon]

I was wondering why the ATL/TB score never updated with the Falcons so close.

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg2 vAlign=center align=right height=17><TD class=bg3 align=left>3-2-TB10</TD><TD class=bg3 align=left>(13:34) T.Peterson 28 yard field goal is BLOCKED (D.White), Center-D.Rackley, Holder-M.Schaub, RECOVERED by TB-B.Kelly at TB 22. B.Kelly to TB 31 for 9 yards (A.Crumpler).</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

That answers it.

And I was just curious why the ATL/TB score never updated with the Buccs so close.

2nd-9, Atlanta 20
M. Bryant missed a 27-yard field goal

JOKE

[MizzouRah]

The Rams suck!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

[Pumpy Tudors]

I didn't get to see that game down here. What did he do?
From what I've read, Chad Johnson brought out a big sack of presents and started handing them out to the fans. He tried to do it in the end zone, but the officials stopped him, so he had to finish up along the sidelines.

[korme]

Eagles, he after he scored he grabbed a Christmas bag and threw signed balls, signed AFC North Champion t-shirts and hats into the stands.

[Solecismic]

AFC Playoff Picture (very easy at this point)

1. Indy (Clinched #1 spot)
2. Denver (Clinches #2 spot with 1 win in last two games, or Cincy loss next week)
3. Cincinnati (Clinches #3 spot with 1 win in last two games, or 1 New England loss)
4. New England
5. Jacksonville (Clinched #5 spot)
6. Pittsburgh (Clinches #6 spot with 1 win, or 1 San Diego win, or 1 Kansas City loss)
7. Kansas City (Takes #6 spot with 1 win, 1 San Diego loss AND 1 Pittsburgh loss)

[cthomer5000]

it is my understanding that the steelers can only be a 6 seed now. probably play the bengals if denver wins out?
Correct, the Jags are locked into the #5 seed. Pittsburgh and Kansas City are the only possible 6 seeds.

[korme]

From what I've read, Chad Johnson brought out a big sack of presents and started handing them out to the fans. He tried to do it in the end zone, but the officials stopped him, so he had to finish up along the sidelines.
No, he couldn't find the bag at first so the officials just told his time was up, per se. So he went to the sideline and one of the Bengals staff located the bag for him (that he misplaced). Everything was signed.

[Eaglesfan27]

Very cool. Much better than doing something with a reindeer :)

[Pumpy Tudors]

No, he couldn't find the bag at first so the officials just told his time was up, per se. So he went to the sideline and one of the Bengals staff located the bag for him (that he misplaced). Everything was signed.
Oh, I see. Yeah, I was stuck watching the most unwatchable game of the day, so I didn't get to see it. I was just given bad information. Thanks.

[cthomer5000]

A tie seems like a very real possibility in the Atlanta-TB game. I know a loss eliminated Atlanta, a tie can't be very good for them.

[Solecismic]

Bush Bowl Standings

1. Houston 2-13, SoS of 125
2. New Orleans 3-12, SoS of 120
3. San Francisco 3-12, SoS of 125
4. New York Jets 3-11, Sos of 123
5. Green Bay 3-11, SoS of 125
6. Tennessee 4-11, SoS of 119
7. Arizona 4-10, SoS of 119
8. Oakland 4-10, SoS of 126

[Pumpy Tudors]

I really think that Jim ought to share whatever method he's using to determine these playoff scenarios so damn quickly.

[cthomer5000]

Interesting that Atlanta played for the tie there. I don't think they're technically eliminated with a tie, but they're basically on life support if it ends in a tie.

[Solecismic]

I really think that Jim ought to share whatever method he's using to determine these playoff scenarios so damn quickly.

http://tinypic.com/j5giuo.jpg

[Pumpy Tudors]

That is fucking beautiful.

[MikeVic]

I agree. Nice spreadsheet.

[cthomer5000]

Vicks = eliminated.

[Buccaneer]

Ok, I take that back. Sorry for my outburst earlier. Damn, that was gut wrenching. Go Bucs.

[Buccaneer]

One of these days, I'm going to figure out which teams you like and which ones you don't.
Let's see:

1. pro-Bolts
2. pro-Bucs
3. pro-Pats
4. anti-Falcons
5. anti-anything that would help the Falcons (like Panthers losing)
6. anti-anything that would hurt the Bolts (like Pburg and Jax winning)
7. anti-Raiders
8. anti-Ravens

I think that covers it. :)

[kingfc22]

Damn Ninershttp://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/mad.gif

[Buccaneer]

http://tinypic.com/j5giuo.jpg
:fap: :fap: :fap:

[WSUCougar]

The Seahawks are a juggernaut. :D

[Buccaneer]

I believe Bucc is:

anti-Washington

I wonder where that came from? :confused:

[MikeVic]

What does an "aborted" extra point mean? I just saw it on the nfl.com scoreboard for the Broncos TD...

[Terps]

I think it's when there's a bad snap on the extra point and they have to run or pass it.

[Rizon]

Elam didn't even kick it. Plummer and Elam were talking and the snapper thought it would be funny to snap it at that point.

[stevew]

I hate the NFL's broadcast rules sometimes. Pittsburgh is up 34-0 in the third quarter, and I'm stuck with this as my only game until it's over or Philly and Arizona start on Fox. This is nuts.

Ah, I have an alternate Youngstown Fox station and at least we got the Giants/Skins game. I enjoy ever minute of a huge ass victory over the Stains, however.

[Solecismic]

I should do the NFC as well. It's a little more complicated.

1. Seattle: 1 win or 1 Chicago loss secures #1, otherwise #2.
2. Chicago: 1 win secures #2; 1 win or 1 Minnesota loss secures Division.
3/4. Tampa Bay: 1 win AND 1 Giants loss secures #3; 1 win or 1 Carolina loss secures Division.
3/4. New York Giants: 1 win AND 1 Tampa Bay loss secures #3; 1 win or 1 Washington loss secures Division.

5. Washington: 1 win AND 1 Giants loss secures Division.
6. Carolina: 1 win AND 1 Tampa Bay loss secures Division.
7. Minnesota: 2 wins AND Chicago loss to Green Bay secures Division.

Wild Card:

1. Carolina secures Wild Card with win AND Tampa Bay win.
2. Washington secures Wild Card with win AND Giants win.
3. Chicago secures Wild Card with 2 losses AND Minnesota win over Baltimore AND (Carolina loss OR Tampa Bay win OR Giants loss OR Washington loss).

4. Washington secures Wild Card (at 9-7) with loss AND 1 Minnesota loss AND Dallas loss.

5. Carolina secures Wild Card with loss and Washington loss OR Dallas loss OR 1 Chicago win OR 1 Minnesota loss.

6. Tampa Bay secures Wild Card with loss and Carolina win AND 2 of the following (1 Chicago win OR 1 Minnesota loss; 1 Washington loss; 1 Dallas loss). However, all is not lost if this doesn't happen.

Seven different teams can finish with 10-6 records. Of those, only two teams - Dallas and Minnesota - do not control their own destiny.

New York Giants: Hold tie-breaker over Dallas and Carolina; lose to Washington, Chicago and Minnesota and it's uncertain (close SoV) with Tampa Bay.

Washington: Holds tie-breaker over every team but Tampa Bay; however, would win any three-way tie-breaker including Tampa Bay.

Dallas: Holds tie-breaker over Minnesota and Carolina; loses to Washington, the Giants and Chicago; is uncertain (close Sov) with Tampa Bay.

Chicago: Holds tie-breaker over every team but Minnesota and Washington. Needs rather freakish turn of events to miss playoffs.

Minnesota: Holds tie-breaker over Giants and Chicago; loses to the other four teams.

Tampa Bay: Holds tie-breaker over Washington, Minnesota and Carolina; loses to Chicago; is uncertain (close SoV) with Dallas and Giants.

Carolina: Holds tie-breaker over Minnesota; loses to the other five teams.

[Dutch]

Tampa Bay is the worst 10-5 team I've ever seen. Keep it up!!!

[Buccaneer]

It's funny, reading the Falcons message board (I read many team's boards), there is the same BS from all sides as it is here, esp. among professed Falcons fans. There are plenty of blame-it-all-on-Vick, Vick-can-do-no-wrong, Vick-is-under/overrated, etc. opinions and counter-attacks. I guess it goes with the territory. One good thing about it all is that through most of my years (decades) of following the NFL, no one paid any attention to the Falcons (except in 1980 or whatever year that was) but now they are one of the most talked about teams.

[Solecismic]

Going back to Bush Bowl:

Houston is 2-13, and wins the #1 seed with a loss against San Francisco next week.

If Houston wins, the following teams can finish 3-13:

Houston, San Francisco, New Orleans, New York Jets (with 2 losses), Green Bay (with 2 losses).

The strength of schedule is very close among those teams. Assuming a 3-13 record:

Houston, 132 guaranteed, up to 5 more up for grabs.
New Orleans, 132 guaranteed, up to 5 more up for grabs.
New York Jets, 134 guaranteed, up to 5 more up for grabs.
San Francisco, 136 guaranteed, up to 5 more up for grabs.
Green Bay, 137 guaranteed, up to 4 more up for grabs.

Remember, low number wins this one.

Based on trivial analysis (assuming good teams beat bad ones), New Orleans should win this tie-breaker. However, one upset could turn that around completely.

San Francisco is in bad shape because all their speculative points are with division-leaders either playing very bad teams or in must-win situations.

Green Bay just has too much ground to make up. The Pack can not win the #1 pick.

The Jets have a lot to make up, and basically are anti-Ravens fans right now.

The key games next week are Pittsburgh/Detroit (a Pittsburgh win helps New Orleans and hurts Houston) and Seattle/Green Bay (a Seattle win helps New Orleans and hurts Houston).

[st.cronin]

So I'm guessing Bush to Houston, Leinart to New Orleans.

[Rizon]

Raiders look uninspired and horrible as usual today. I was curious why they always seem to look this way, then I ran across this today:

http://home.comcast.net/~rizon1976/Oakland_Raiders_Generator.jpg

[Radii]

So I didn't get to see it, but on the radio the announcers were saying that on Peppers' running into the kicker penalty that gave the Cowboys a first down, the trajectory of the ball clearly changed(meaning it was touched by a Panther, either Lucas or Peppers). Is there major controversy here or are the announcers idiots?

[Dutch]

I thought it touched Peppers jersey and I assumed it was wide right because of a deflection. However, about 3 feet of Julius Peppers was higher than the ball, so the kicker could have angled it to avoid the impending block.

It *probably* was one of those things where if it were overturned, it would have been argued that it wasn't conclusive.

[cthomer5000]

Did Brunell get knocked out hte game today? I saw Ramsey in late and i'm too lazy to research this myself.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Did Brunell get knocked out hte game today? I saw Ramsey in late and i'm too lazy to research this myself.

Sprained knee I believe.

[RPI-Fan]

How do you get those maps???

[Pumpy Tudors]

How do you get those maps???
hxxp://www.gribblenation.net/personal/jp/2005maps.html

[JonInMiddleGA]

This really bugs me:
Atlanta coach Jim Mora considered trying to run the clock out when the Falcons got the ball for the last time with just over two minutes left in overtime. But team officials were unable to determine how a tie would affect the club's chances of making the playoffs.

"We couldn't come up with a solid, solid answer, and I'm not really one to play for ties. ... If someone had said: 'If you tie this game and win next week, you're in the playoffs,' play for a tie," Mora said.

Okay lemme get this straight, we sit around here this afternoon & in a matter of a few minutes get a pretty good handle on the draft order implications of today's games & were even (I believe) updating them on the fly. Meanwhile apparently nobody in the Falcon chain of command managed to figure out sometime during the week "hey, what happens if we tie the Bucs"? Damn, that's just lame.

[cthomer5000]

This really bugs me:


Okay lemme get this straight, we sit around here this afternoon & in a matter of a few minutes get a pretty good handle on the draft order implications of today's games & were even (I believe) updating them on the fly. Meanwhile apparently nobody in the Falcon chain of command managed to figure out sometime during the week "hey, what happens if we tie the Bucs"? Damn, that's just lame.
Or even while the game is going to overtime! Unbelievable.

[TazFTW]

Looking at Jim's synopsis of the NFC, maybe I should have rooted for a Cowboys lost to give us a better draft pick.


Sources say Parcells is considering retirement

<!-- end pagetitle --><!-- begin bylinebox -->ESPN.com news services

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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top><!-- begin leftcol --><!-- template inline -->At age 64, the toll of another long season has [url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=dal"]Dallas Cowboys (http://log.go.com/log?srvc=sz&guid=79207913-777F-4CAC-AD6A-DEBA8213AAE0&drop=0&addata=1332:275:218152:65&a=1&goto=http://www.mobileespn.com?campaign=mobile&source=insider_ah) coach Bill Parcells privately contemplating a final retirement -- even as team owner Jerry Jones is urging the coach to sign a contract extension.



http://espn-att.starwave.com/media/nfl/2005/1224/photo/w_parcells_275.jpg
Robert B. Stanton/WireImage.com
A turbulent season has Cowboys coach Bill Parcells considering another retirement.




Sources tell ESPN's Chris Mortensen that the death of Parcells' brother at midseason is one of the events that has triggered the coach's thoughts of retirement.

If Parcells stays in Dallas, it's because he truly likes the team he has assembled, even though his work is not complete.

The Cowboys (9-6) won a 24-20 thriller against the Carolina Panthers on Saturday and are still alive for a playoff berth.

Dallas needs to win its final regular-season game against St. Louis to have any shot at earning one of the NFC's wild-card spots.

Parcells didn't berate his team after a 35-7 loss to the Redskins last week. He figured that approach would only make things worse for a team already feeling bad enough.



"When everybody else is killing them, it would be nice if somebody tried to lift them up," Parcells said. "The week before last they were saying that it was one of the greatest wins we'd had here against Kansas City. Now, and I don't know if this type of thing happens in Charlotte, but West of the Mississippi it's either outhouse or castle." Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


Doh!

[Cuckoo]

Wouldn't surprise me if Parcells retired, but it wouldn't surprise me if he sticks around either. I think he really likes the team he has put together, especially many of the younger guys.

My money's on him not deciding anything until long after the season ends.

As for the playoffs, that was a nice win for Dallas. I hate that they don't control their destiny, but if they can beat the Rams and hope for a Panthers or Redskins loss, they can get in.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Or even while the game is going to overtime! Unbelievable.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=2270951
Falcons coach Jim Mora, who was on a cell phone with team officials during the overtime attempting to decipher how a tie would affect his team's playoff status, suffered a bit of a meltdown during his postgame radio segment. Asked why he punted on fourth-and-2 in overtime, with the Falcons' postseason aspirations barely a flicker at that juncture, Mora abruptly ended the interview.

[DeToxRox]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=2270951
Falcons coach Jim Mora, who was on a cell phone with team officials during the overtime attempting to decipher how a tie would affect his team's playoff status, suffered a bit of a meltdown during his postgame radio segment. Asked why he punted on fourth-and-2 in overtime, with the Falcons' postseason aspirations barely a flicker at that juncture, Mora abruptly ended the interview.

Mora is gonna crash and burn as an NFL coach. He's so high strung and intense, but he lets little things (Criticism of Vick) get to him, and he then overlooks big things (Implications of a tie), all while being so wired up that I can just see him snapping, or needing to step down for his own sanity.

[Solecismic]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=2270951
Falcons coach Jim Mora, who was on a cell phone with team officials during the overtime attempting to decipher how a tie would affect his team's playoff status, suffered a bit of a meltdown during his postgame radio segment. Asked why he punted on fourth-and-2 in overtime, with the Falcons' postseason aspirations barely a flicker at that juncture, Mora abruptly ended the interview.


I guess they simply didn't think about it beforehand. That's understandable. But every team should at least have an intellectual curiosity about its playoff chances and should at least have done enough homework to be in position to answer that overtime question within a few minutes.

I do doubt that there are that many people who have done as much as I have. I guess Mora needed my number on his cell.

As for the decision he made, playing for the the tie wouldn't have been a terrible choice. With their conference record, the Falcons finish behind all the other 10-6 teams anyway, so being 9-6-1 is not much of a difference. All they sacrificed was the opportunity to win the division, which would have required New Orleans beating Tampa Bay next week.

So, the middle ground (needing losses from Dallas and Washington) versus risking elimination and gaining a small chance at that division actually seems like an okay bet. That's just a quick analysis - I think I'm right on that one - but it's far better than what Mora had available.

[Ben E Lou]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=2270951
Falcons coach Jim Mora, who was on a cell phone with team officials during the overtime attempting to decipher how a tie would affect his team's playoff status, suffered a bit of a meltdown during his postgame radio segment. Asked why he punted on fourth-and-2 in overtime, with the Falcons' postseason aspirations barely a flicker at that juncture, Mora abruptly ended the interview.Unfathomable. This reminds me of Richt not having the special teams ready to go for 2. How can guys who do this full-time NOT be ready for the what-ifs???? :mad: I'm in freakin' youth ministry, often viewed as the epitome of unprofessionalim, yet we have an entire book that we're constantly updating regarding various scenarios that could happen at our camps. I show up to work camp for a month this summer and I am briefed by the property manager (who is 37 years old and has only been there 18 months), on over a dozen scenarios that have never even happened, such as who interviews witnesses in the event of a terrorist attack on camp, who leads a team of college kids to wet down the dorms in the event of a forest fire, and many others that aren't in any way *intuitive* to what we do. Not being ready for scenarios that are so *BASIC* to football is just inexcusable. Inexcusable. You're playing at this point for one thing. ONE THING: to get into the playoffs, and you don't ever even consider the ramifications of a tie. Sheesh.

I didn't get to see any football due to being with a bunch of basketball-loving Carolinians (I don't get these people some times), and I haven't gone to AJC.com yet this morning. How much did this impact the final result?

[cthomer5000]

I didn't get to see any football due to being with a bunch of basketball-loving Carolinians (I don't get these people some times), and I haven't gone to AJC.com yet this morning. How much did this impact the final result?
I think Atlanta could have basically guaranteed a tie by just running the ball 3 times on their final posession.

[WrongWay]

Is this statement correct?

If San Diego wins next week, Pittsburgh is in the Playoffs.

[JonInMiddleGA]

But every team should at least have an intellectual curiosity about its playoff chances and should at least have done enough homework to be in position to answer that overtime question within a few minutes.

I do doubt that there are that many people who have done as much as I have. I guess Mora needed my number on his cell.

That pretty much sums it up -- how in the bloody Hell we seemingly knew more about the various scenarios than someone whose career revolves around this stuff is mind-boggling. Okay, by "we" I really mean "you" but that's the point -- somebody knew.

(FTR, no slight intended there, I know you've probably got a professional interest in knowing how to solve this kind of thing but I suspect Mora(jr) et al get paid at least a tad more than you for it. And I'm quite certain they have considerably more manpower at their disposal).

It is truly, as SD called it, unfathomable. And somebody somewhere probably ought to be looking for work after such a disgraceful lack of preparation. It might not be Mora or McKay, but somebody needs to get a pink slip for this, surely some underling somewhere in the organization has this sort of thing in their job description.

[henry296]

Is this statement correct?

If San Diego wins next week, Pittsburgh is in the Playoffs.

I think so. If San Diego wins then they would be tied with KC if KC wins. However, San Diego wins the tiebreaker over KC, but would lose a tiebreaker with the Steelers at 10-6 b/c of the Steelers win over them.

Todd

[cthomer5000]

• The Steelers can clinch a playoff spot with:
1. A win
2. A Chiefs loss or tie
3. A Chargers win (note: although Chargers have been eliminated, if they win vs. Broncos and they, the Chiefs and the Steelers all finish at 10-6, you would break division ties first. Chargers would win tiebreaker vs. Chiefs based on common opponents (8-4 vs 7-5) and that would eliminate the Chiefs. They would then go to tiebreaker vs. Steelers, which Pittsburgh would win based on its head-to-head win vs. Chargers)

[gottimd]

I hate the Rams, they knocked me out of my survivor pool. 5,000 people in it, a $250K pot, and I make it to week 16 with only 217 people left, and I lose.

[Neuqua]

Wow, a completely different Bears offense on that opening drive. Grossman, if he continues to play like this, makes the Bears a legitimate contender for the Super Bowl.

[st.cronin]

Wow, a completely different Bears offense on that opening drive. Grossman, if he continues to play like this, makes the Bears a legitimate contender for the Super Bowl.

Why didn't Grossman make the Pro Bowl, anyway?

[TazFTW]

Tackle eligible scores a TD does a Lambeau "leap" and it is called back because of holding. That ref deserves coal!

[hoosiergoody]

This week sure didn't help me at all in fantasy football. Makes you appreciate the games and not the fantasy games. who's the guy who scored 3 rushing touchdowns for the Jag's? If you owned Taylor, this had to stink. And then there's Smith getting ejected for pleading his case innocently. And the Bungles... At least my Dolphins finally look respectable again. I lost Fantasy Football because Ricky Williams finally found paydirt. Talk about happy/sad at the same time. Glad to see Favre bounce back and play respectable today.

[WrongWay]

Why are we still watching Brett Favre play?

I want to see what Aaron Rodgers can do.


They just flashed Brett's last couple of game stats as 0 TDs and 7 Ints.

[WrongWay]

Oops I gues you better now make that 0 TDs and 8 Ints.

[Buccaneer]

Why are we still watching Brett Favre play?
What? You don't think he has the Heart of a Warrior anymore?

[WrongWay]

What? You don't think he has the Heart of a Warrior anymore?
I think is heart is still there, but I believe he comes up short for the talent competition.

[korme]

It's sad, but I still love Brett Favre. Go Fav-ra!

[hoosiergoody]

I think I spoke too soon on Favre. Forcing the pass into coverage. not good
looks like the bears will be a good candidate for the super bowl with their styfiling defense

[Buccaneer]

Forcing the pass into coverage. not good
Ah yes, there's the Heart of a Warrior. Sometimes he puts too much Heart on it and overthrows by 10 yards.

[korme]

I think I spoke too soon on Favre. Forcing the pass into coverage. not good
looks like the bears will be a good candidate for the super bowl with their styfiling defense
The Bears aren't as good as the hype. They play in that crappy division of theirs and stockpile easy wins. They are not Super Bowl bound.

[WrongWay]

I know it is cheap....But you can make that 0 TDs and 9 Ints.

[Neuqua]

The Bears aren't as good as the hype. They play in that crappy division of theirs and stockpile easy wins. They are not Super Bowl bound.

Them be fighting words...

[Cringer]

Blah blah blah. More bitching about Favre. Give it a rest. Look at his team. I have said it before, physically the guy still has it, so all of you people who rip on him and say he is washed up must think he has lost his mental abilities which is not exactly what happens with veterans.

Anyone watch the game? Favre was playing pretty good today most of the day. Build up the talent around him again and the Packers are a playoff team again. But, he will be gone before that happens so oh well.

And the calls for Aaron Rodgers should stop too. He got to play last week and had 3 turnovers. He didn't improve much in the last week.

[MrBug708]

Them be fighting words...

Bears and Bengals fans talking crap. Is the NFL that bad this year?

[korme]

Them be fighting words...
http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20050925_CIN@CHI

[WrongWay]

Blah blah blah. More bitching about Favre. Give it a rest. Look at his team. I have said it before, physically the guy still has it, so all of you people who rip on him and say he is washed up must think he has lost his mental abilities which is not exactly what happens with veterans.

I wonder what game you were watching.

Without Favre's 4 Ints today the Packers could of won that game. Exactly how many points did Favre score for The Bears today?

[hoosiergoody]

staying out of the middle of this one... will root for my qb-less dolphins. at least they got rid of fiedler.

Looks to me like the Seahawks and the Dolts anyways for the SB.

[cthomer5000]

The Bears aren't as good as the hype. They play in that crappy division of theirs and stockpile easy wins. They are not Super Bowl bound.
Short... the NFC is a fucking joke as a whole. I've come to the frightening realizitation that the Bears do have a very real chance to make the super bowl, because everyone else sucks too.

[WrongWay]

What is wrong with Seattle? 11 straight wins. They look like they are going to just roll through the Playoffs.

After the beating Pittsburgh gave Chicago by running the ball, Sean Alexander may go over 200 yards in that game.

[kingfc22]

What a hit by Ed Reed. Oh my!!!!

[cthomer5000]

What is wrong with Seattle? 11 straight wins. They look like they are going to just roll through the Playoffs.
It might be just me, but I have a feeling they will get exposed in the playoffs. I just have zero faith in this team the way they have shown absolutely no heart in past seasons.

[Cringer]

I wonder what game you were watching.

Without Favre's 4 Ints today the Packers could of won that game. Exactly how many points did Favre score for The Bears today?

I saw a game in which Favre started something like 10 for 12. I also saw a game in which the Bears were more and more able to tee off on Favre and that poor offensive line (two bad guards and the starting center go out w/ injury) as the game went on because the Packers stopped running the ball.

I saw a game that included two long ass, great drives in the first half that ate up clock and kept the Bears offense off he field. This against the so-called top defense in the league. These included several 3rd down plays that all got converted because of Favre passes. I saw Favre looking at one WR and throw to a completly different guy for a completion (and 6 inches short of a TD).

4 INT's hurt the Packers. I will buy what the commentator said about the INT for a TD. Favre had a couple Bears right in his face, he never saw the LB who got the INT. He could have taken the sack (safety) I guess. Would that have been much better at the time?

The last INT was at the end of the game, so I don't even include that crap as game changing. One INT was a bad pass that was short, and the DB made a pretty good leap to get it. The other was short and forced. Both bad decisions overall. I don't claim Favre isn't perfect but don't even tell me he is washed up because he isn't.

I also saw a game that had some good passing at the end to help get the Packers back into this game. A comeback that died in the end. Do you want to tell me the comeback died because Favre is washed up? I will argue that it died because the Bears smacked his ass down to the ground for sacks because the protection wasn't there and the WR's were covered.

But if you want to think Aaron Rodgers could come close to what Favre did today then fine, you live in dream world.

Passes to 8 different receivers, 7 of whom could not start for the majority of teams in this league. 6th starting RB this year. Yup, must all fall on the QB's shoulders. It's all on him for sure. It's a one man game.

Favre has one major flaw. He presses too much. He thinks he can do anything. So be it. He doesn't have the talent around him and it shows more now then before. He is not much different then when they won the Superbowl. Personality wise and playing style he is the same. Did you call for the backup QB during Green Bay's peak years? Didn't think so....

[Solecismic]

Updated Playoff Information:

AFC

Indianapolis: Has clinched 1-seed.

Denver: Has clinched 2-seed.

Cincinnati: Has clinched division; Needs win or 1 New England loss for 3-seed.

New England: Has clinched division; Needs 2 wins AND Cincinnati loss for 3-seed.

Jacksonville: Has clinched 5-seed.

Pittsburgh: Clinches 6-seed with win, or with San Diego loss, or with Kansas City loss.

Kansas City: Clinches 6-seed with win AND San Diego loss AND Pittsburgh loss.


NFC:

Seattle: Has clinched #1 seed.

Chicago: Has clinched #2 seed.

Tampa Bay: Clinches #3 seed with win; if loses, then wins division if Carolina loses; if not, then clinches WC if Washington wins AND Giants lose and Tampa Bay holds Sov over Giants, or if Washington loses, or if Dallas loses, or if Tampa Bay holds SoV over Dallas.

New York Giants: Wins division with win OR Washington loss; Clinches #3 seed with win and Tampa Bay loss; Takes #4 seed with win and Tampa Bay win; if loses AND Washington wins, then still gets WC. If Carolina wins AND Tampa Bay loses AND Tampa Bay holds SoV over Giants, then WC is #6 seed. If Carolina and Tampa Bay win, then WC is #6 seed. If Carolina loses, it is a #5 seed.

Carolina: Clinches at least #5 seed with win; if win, and Tampa Bay loses, then wins division; if loses, then clinches WC if Washington loses or Dallas loses.

Washington: Wins division if wins and Giants lose; clinches WC if wins; clinches WC if loses and Dallas loses.

Dallas: Clinches WC with win AND Carolina loss OR Washington loss; if wins AND Tampa Bay loses AND Carolina wins AND Washington wins AND Giants lose, then clinches only if both Dallas and Giants hold Sov over Tampa Bay.


Strength of Victory in NFC:

Applies only if Carolina wins AND Tampa Bay loses AND 2 of the following: Dallas win, Washington win and New York Giants loss.

SoV between Tampa Bay and Dallas: Each are tied. Tampa Bay gains from (WAS > PHI, GBY > SEA, MIN > CHI, BUF > NYJ and MIA > NED); Dallas gains from (PHI > WAS, NYG > OAK, ARI > IND, SFO > HOU, KCY > CIN and SDO > DEN).

SoV between Tampa Bay and New York Giants: Giants hold edge of +1. Tampa Bay gains from (WAS > PHI, DET > PIT, GBY > SEA, MIN > CHI, BUF > NYJ and MIA > NED); Giants gain from (PHI > WAS, ARI > IND, SFO > HOU, DEN > SDO and KCY > CIN).

These are close enough that the Strength of Schedule tie-breaker could be considered. In each case Dallas and the New York Giants have clinched this tie-breaker over Tampa Bay.

If Carolina and New York Giants tie at 11-5 (not 10-6, where Giants win on Conference record), the Giants have clinched the SoV advantage over Carolina.


Bush Bowl Update:

Houston is 2-13, and clinched the top draft pick with a loss Sunday against San Francisco. If Houston wins, the following teams could finish tied at 3-12:

Houston, San Francisco, New Orleans, New York Jets and Green Bay.

The top pick is really between Houston, New Orleans and the Jets. San Francisco and Green Bay would need help to get down as low as #2.

At 3-12, the tie-breaker would be negative Strength of Schedule.

1. New Orleans (benefits from OAK > NYG, PIT > DET, SEA > GBY, DAL > STL)

2. Houston (-1 to New Orleans) (benefits from DET > PIT, ARI > IND, GBY > SEA, DAL > STL)

Notice there is one game in common, which is self-eliminating, and two games that affect both teams differently.

3. New York Jets (-3 to New Orleans) (benefits from CLE > BAL, TEN > JAX, CIN > KCY, NYG > OAK).

Note that the best the Jets can do is tie New Orleans in a three-way non-race. They really need the Saints to win and focus on out-losing with Houston.

If Houston and the Jets tie, Houston wins the tie-breaker. If New Orleans and the Jets tie, I believe (and I'm not certain about this) New Orleans wins the tie-breaker because they lost to the Jets head-to-head.

If Houston and New Orleans tie, or I'm wrong about the head-to-head tie-breaker with New Orleans and the Jets above, a coin is flipped to determine the lucky winner.

[Senator]

Great. So, for Dallas to have a chance, somewhere in the world Chris Simms has some input.

I can't get away from that guy.

Thanks for the updates, this if great.

[TazFTW]

Dallas: Clinches WC with win AND Carolina loss OR Washington loss; if wins AND Tampa Bay loses AND Carolina wins AND Washington wins, then clinches only if holds Sov over Tampa Bay.
Go Vick or Go Mike McMahon!

[twothree]

Regardless of what happens this weekend, the NFC will have five new playoff teams. The Seahawks, who clinched the top seed with a 28-13 victory over the Colts, are the only returning playoff squad.

Just, wow. It's hard to believe that in the NFC the only returning playoff team from last year is Seattle.

[Cringer]

So Atlanta keeps the streak of never having been to the playoffs two straight years alive then. Wow. As much as I wanted them to miss the playoffs, I didn't think they actually would.

[GrantDawg]

So Atlanta keeps the streak of never having been to the playoffs two straight years alive then. Wow. As much as I wanted them to miss the playoffs, I didn't think they actually would.

But a win next week ends never having back-to-back winning seasons. I'm not hopefull.

[cthomer5000]

Cowboys situation appears to be a win and either a Redskins or Panthers loss.

[Solecismic]

Cowboys situation appears to be a win and either a Redskins or Panthers loss.

Looking at the SoV, I'd say the Cowboys also get in with a win and a Bucs loss, though it's close.

[cthomer5000]

Dallas: Clinches WC with win AND Carolina loss OR Washington loss; if wins AND Tampa Bay loses AND Carolina wins AND Washington wins, then clinches only if holds Sov over Tampa Bay.

I'm not following this second part. The standings in that scenario:

NFC EAST
Was 10-6
Dal 10-6

NFC SOUTH
Carolina 11-5
Tampa 10-6


Carolina takes the division at 11-5. Now we've got 3 10-6 teams fighting for two playoff spots. You need to break the division first, and Washington swept Dallas. So now it goes to Tampa/Washington. Tampa beat Washington so they are in as the 5 seed. Washington is then the 6 seed due to the sweep of the Cowboys.

Or am I missing something?

[cthomer5000]

dola...

I'm thinking the Giants are the missing component in that scenario. I haven't looked, but im guessing if the lose, they take the 5 seed, then it goes to Dallas/Tampa for the 6 seed.

[Solecismic]

dola...

I'm thinking the Giants are the missing component in that scenario. I haven't looked, but im guessing if the lose, they take the 5 seed, then it goes to Dallas/Tampa for the 6 seed.

Right. The Giants must lose for that to take place. Then the Giants have to have a higher SoV than Tampa Bay. I should amend that note.

[twothree]

Last postseason appearance
(updated to include teams that have qualified as of week 16 for 2005)

AFC
2005
Cincinnati Bengals
Denver Broncos
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
New England Patriots

2004
New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers
San Diego Chargers

2003
Baltimore Ravens
Kansas City Chiefs
Tennessee Titans

2002
Cleveland Browns
Oakland Raiders

2001
Miami Dolphins

1999
Buffalo Bills

NFC
2005
Chicago Bears
New York Giants
Seattle Seahawks

2004
Atlanta Falcons
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
Philadelphia Eagles
St. Louis Rams

2003
Carolina Panthers
Dallas Cowboys

2002
San Francisco 49ers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2000
New Orleans Saints

1999
Detroit Lions
Washington Redskins

1998
Arizona Cardinals

[Solecismic]

That just goes to show the remarkable parity in the NFL. I do believe that the salary cap system has directly led to the explosion in popularity of the sport, while baseball isn't picking up as many new fans.

Well, that and Fox's horrendous coverage of the baseball playoffs. But that's another item.

Here's the chart for baseball:

2005

Chicago White Sox, Boston, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, St. Louis, Houston, San Diego, Atlanta.

2004

Minnesota, Los Angeles Dodgers.

2003

Oakland, Florida, San Francisco, Chicago Cubs.

2002

Arizona

2001

Seattle, Cleveland

2000

New York Mets

1999

Texas

1997

Baltimore

1995 (first year of wild cards)

Colorado, Cincinnati

1993

Toronto, Philadelphia

1992

Pittsburgh

1987

Detroit

1985

Kansas City

1982

Milwaukee

1981

Montreal (now Washington)

[cthomer5000]

Wow... was the Music City Miracle game really the last Bills postseason appearance?

[Solecismic]

Just some notes to illustrate baseball a little better, because I don't think baseball is very well set up to handle a two-tiered playoff system.

- The Yankees have not missed the playoffs since the wild card was established in 1995.

- Boston has not won its division since 1995.

- In the last 10 years, 10 of the current 30 teams have not been to the playoffs.

- Atlanta has won its division every year since 1991.

- Atlanta has only won one World Series in those 15 seasons.

- As an aside, I don't buy the poorly assembled label on the Braves system, by the way. Atlanta has excelled in pitching over those 15 seasons, and the better pitching team has a slight historic edge in a short playoff series. I don't buy the choker label, either. Only 6 players from that 1991 team are still in professional sports, as of the end of the 2005 season. John Smoltz was still with Atlanta. Tom Glavine was with the Mets. Kent Mercker was with Cincinnati. Mike Stanton was with Boston, more or less. Vinny Castilla was with Washington. And Deion Sanders was with the Baltimore Ravens.

- Only one of four baseball playoff teams is a wild-card team. Since its inception in 1995, 7 of the 22 World Series participants have been wild cards. And three have won the World Series.

- In football, 1 of 3 playoff teams is a wild-card team, and before 2002, 1 in 2 playoff teams was a wild-card team. Since 1994, only 3 of 22 Super Bowl participants have been wild cards. And two have won the Super Bowl. Before 2002, 1 of the 3 wild card teams could host a playoff game. All 3 of the Super Bowl participants were in that category.

- In football, despite the demonstrated parity, the regular season is an excellent predictor of post-season play. The Super Bowl means something.

- The Super Bowl has seen ratings ranging from 40 to 45 over the last 11 seasons.

- In baseball, there is much less parity. The regular season is 162 games long and determines the best teams. The regular season has no predictive value for the playoffs. You might as well get a monkey to pick your World Series winners out of a hat.

- In 1995, the World Series posted a 19 rating, which at the time was its third-lowest ever. It dropped to 17 the following year and has never been as high since, getting as low as 11.9 in 2002 and 11.1 in 2005. The expanded playoffs have actually destroyed interest in the World Series. It was like spinning Joey off from Friends.

[Cringer]

It was like spinning Joey off from Friends.

Hater!

;)

[Solecismic]

I've been thinking about this all afternoon for some reason, maybe because I don't have a real job, so I don't have anything better to do with my life. So here's my long and boring manifesto for fixing baseball:

1. Eliminate the DH. Games are too long, and there's enough offense. It adds an element of strategy. It makes the rules simpler - you're either in the lineup or you aren't.

2. No telelvision time-outs during pitching changes. The game has changed and there are more situational pitching changes. Why kill interest just when things are heating up? If a game drags out endlessly, this is usually the reason.

3. Players may not leave the batter's box during an at-bat. They may hold one foot out for ten seconds to receive the next signal. In turn, pitchers have 20 seconds to make their next pitch.

4. Lower the mid-inning (not end of inning) commercial break to one minute.

5. Increase the roster to 27 active players. The increased use of relief pitchers makes this a useful change. Increase the roster limit to 43.

6. There needs to be a hard salary cap. Screw the union. Shut down baseball for two years if necessary.

7. If you have a hard cap, you need real revenue sharing. Even the NFL is going to have some trouble soon if they don't start sharing luxury box and seat license revenue. Tell Steinbrenner he can go take ARod, Jeter, Sheffield, Godzilla, the Big Unit, Mussina and all his other All-Stars and schedule exhibition games with the Coors Silver Bullets. See how many people show up for a full slate of 81 exhibitions. Everything gets shared, especially local television contracts. Make it 55/45 if Steinbrenner produces real tears or beats up an elevator man.

8. Merge the leagues, from a schedule and statistical perspective. I don't give a damn that ARod led the AL with 52 home runs in 2001, because Barry Bonds hit 73. Inter-league play is at a weird level, like we're supposed to rejoice when Texas visits Florida, because it only happens once every three years, or six years, depending on the "unbalanced" schedule.

9. Four divisions, 7 or 8 teams per division. Keep the "league" designations only for familiarity and minor schedule differences. If you're in a 7-team division, you play teams within your division 11 or 12 times, teams in the 8-team division in your league 6 times and teams in the other league 3 times per season. If you're in an 8-team division, you play teams within your division 10 or 11 times, teams in the 7-team division 6 times and teams in the other league 3 times per season. Obviously, inter-league play goes on all season long. But it won't be a novelty and it won't be played with a different rule set.

10. Here are the divisions:

AL East - Yankees, Boston, Baltimore, Toronto, Detroit, Tampa Bay, Cleveland.
AL West - Seattle, Angels, Oakland, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Texas, Kansas City, White Sox.
NL East - Mets, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Florida, Washington, Atlanta, Cincinnati.
NL West - Cubs, St. Louis, Arizona, Dodgers, San Diego, San Francisco, Colorado, Houston.

These are divided by time zone. It would be fairer to have the east with the 8-team divisions because the travel distances are shorter, but there really isn't a logical candidate to move in either league. Expanding to 32 teams is a good idea, though the best sites are more western.

11. Eliminate the Wild Card round. It's a distraction. I want the regular season to mean more again. Baseball has traditionally balanced on the concept of 1 division or league winner per 7 or 8 teams. In its heydey, there were only two leagues of eight teams.

12. The team with the best overall record hosts the World Series (4 games of 7). It was a cute gimmick to have the All-Star game "mean something." But they did it by cheapening the World Series. You don't sacrifice your best milk cow for a nice Thanksgiving dinner. Okay, that analogy sucks, but you get my meaning.

13. Speaking of the All-Star game, lower rosters to 21. Eight position players, nine pitchers, an extra catcher and three extra players, one of whom will serve as the DH. Yes, the DH will exist only in the All-Star game. Of the nine pitchers, three will be only eligible to pitch if the game enters extra innings. If the All-Star game is tied after 15 innings, it ends right there. People will accept that rule if it's in place beforehand and it's reasonably long that it probably won't ever happen. Obviously, the rule that every team is represented needs to go away, though the host team should be represented and one of the extra position players should be required to go to a current legend of the game (someone like Tony Gwynn in his last season).

14. Allow instant replay. The technology is there, and in baseball close plays are going to be pretty clear to an experienced eye.

15. Automate balls and strikes calls. Quest-tec was a good idea but a bad implementation. Let's have something fast and let's get the umpires' egos out of the game as much as possible.

16. Back to television. Playoff games can not overlap. This means a return to afternoon games during the LCSes. All weekend playoff games take place during the afternoon.

17. Screen graphics should not make noise. Eliminate screen wipes entirely - they just waste time. Tell Fox to go fuck itself. No more closeups of fans throughout the game. No more extreme closeups between pitches unless something important happened. No more jump-cutting. No more replays of at-bats in past innings or past games unless it's of incredible historic value (like Reggie Jackson hitting three home runs, or Kirk Gibson gimping his way around the bases) unless you're going into commercial. Think of how annoying that would be during a football game.

I really believe all 17 points are necessary for baseball to make any sort of a comeback. If the owners are happy with steadily declining ratings simply because attendance hasn't yet dropped, they're certifiable. The population has increased quite a bit during the last 20 years, it would stand to reason that ticket sales would increase a little. But the television ratings are a serious problem. The World Series is essentially half of what it was pre-realignment. That just seems unprecedented in recent sports history. Notice I didn't mention the word "steroids" once. Until now.

[st.cronin]

needs it's own thread

[Cringer]

needs it's own thread

It does, i agree.

As for the cutting commercials, I at first thought "fat chance." But I think with the amount of in-game ads now (behind home plate) that it is not unreasonable to cut back on the normal commercials.

the division lineups would take some getting used to, but I agree that having only LCS' and then the WS is pretty attractive.

[Dutch]

I haven't paid much attention to baseball since 1994, so I might not be the right guy to agree with those ideas, Jim, but I like those suggestions.

[SirFozzie]

Hope Bruschi's injury isn't too bad.. no way he plays against Miami.. Samuel probably has a low grade concussion

[cthomer5000]

Goodbye Monday Night Football (as we know it).

[Karlifornia]

The end of an era. Growing up with the Montana/Young Niners, I have many good memories of staying up a bit past bedtime trying to catch the end of the game.

[SirFozzie]

Bruschi's done for the year. Serious Leg Injury.

[Rizon]

Goodbye Monday Night Football (as we know it).


http://www.mvps.org/st-software/Movie_Collection/images/10592f.jpg

[JonInMiddleGA]

As for the cutting commercials, I at first thought "fat chance." But I think with the amount of in-game ads now (behind home plate) that it is not unreasonable to cut back on the normal commercials.

I imagine you have a better chance of seeing a pig fly out of Mike Piazza's ass than of seeing any sort of reduction in commercial minutes. Right now, the big network deals with MLB (Fox & ESPN) are struggling to make money (or probably even come close to breaking even) because of the enormous cost of the rights fees for MLB. As it is now the rates are so high for spots that it's a tough sell for most national telecasts & reducing the inventory would drive those up even further & make that situation even worse.

[cthomer5000]

The end of an era. Growing up with the Montana/Young Niners, I have many good memories of staying up a bit past bedtime trying to catch the end of the game.
Same here. I can distinctly rememeber sneaking around watching the game after bedtime a few times to finish watching the game. Then there are just a million epic games I can remember watching on Monday night:



The Elway-Montana Denver-KC game
Jerry Rice breaking the receiveing TD record while Napolean McCallum broke his leg (yes, that was the same game)
Favre having that epic game the day after his dad died
The Jets ridiculous comeback against the Dolphins
A Tampa Bay-St. Louis game from around 2000 which is one of the very best regular season games I have ever seen
...and a zillion more. I can't wait to see what the ESPN clowns do with this next year. http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/frown.gif

[Cringer]

This has nothing to do with Week 16 really, but i wasn't going to start a thread for it.And since the talk about Favre got me looking at things for other QBs I figured this place works.....

Joe Namath was a Pro Bowl QB in 1972, with these stats.....

1972 nyj | 13 games| 162 Att. 324 Comp. 50.0% 2816 Yards 8.7 YPA 19 TD 21 INT

I guess that was a down year for QB's? Of course Namath had a good year if he completed over 50% of his passes I guess so maybe that was what got him in. Or was it more people being nice since he had missed much of the previous two years?