The Chimera of Football

PUTTING THE SLEEPER TO BED (LONG READ) but good read

by jjigga3000

PUTTING THE SLEEPER TO BED.
By Bill Simmons
Page 2
www.espn.com

After five weeks of the 2006 NFL season, we've only learned 10 things:

1. If you're a QB, and you blow out a knee or smack your body up in a motorcycle accident, definitely take your time coming back. No rush. Seriously.

2. The Bears have a chance to be historically good.

3. The Raiders have a chance to be historically bad.

4. Drew Bledsoe has added a degree of difficulty for blowing big games. In the old days, he'd just throw a back-breaking interception at the worst possible time. But since everyone knows that's coming now, he added a fascinating wrinkle: An improbable play to throw us off and make us forget he's about to blow the game (like last week's fourth-and-18 bomb to Glenn), followed by the back-breaking interception that becomes doubly back-breaking because of the preceding events.

WEEK 5 REDUX
Last week's picks found me on the wrong side of three killer gambling moments:

1. With the Pats giving 10 and headed for a push, Maroney gets a game-clinching first down inside Miami's 20, only nobody tackles him, so he keeps going and it looks like he's going to score ... NO! He gets pushed out at the 4-yard line. That's followed by three Brady kneels.

2. The Browns are getting 8.5 points and trailing by 11. Fourth down, 15 seconds left. Instead of taking one more crack at the end zone, Romeo Crennel sends out the FG team for the cover. This actually happened.

3. The killer of killers: Getting 6.5 points, the Lions are trailing by two at midfield and it's fourth-and-10 with less than 90 seconds to play. Kitna scrambles, two guys pull him down ... and as he's falling, he flips it right to a Vikings lineman, who scrambles untouched for a clinching TD and the cover. I hate gambling.

5. You're not winning a Super Bowl with Brett Favre or Steve McNair. They're both washed up. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it's true.

6. San Diego has the most talent in the AFC. Unfortunately, the Chargers also have an uptight coach who runs his team about as loosely as Ted Knight handled his daughters in "Too Close For Comfort."

(Note: Sadly, that show was canceled 21 years ago, making the reference Bermanian for everyone younger than 30. Normally I avoid doing this, but I have two defenses: First, it's the perfect comparison. You really had to see the show. And second, Ted Knight was a comedic genius. So I'm standing by the reference. Now if I only had a clip of me and Glenn Frey standing outside the Hotel California. Back to the column.)

7. If you're getting points with the Lions on the road and covering in the final minute, and the Lions have the ball, and they're driving, and the only way you could ever lose is if Jon Kitna fumbles a touchdown, throws an interception...
- Channel: NFL TALK
-10-13-2006, 10:26 AM
One thing about some "fans" that i can't even fathom

by FestusRam

As bad as the Rams are and have been, I don't get when people say, "I'm definitely not watching this weeks game. They're probably going to lose".

Whaaattt....

As an avid fan of football and the Rams, I will NEVER understand this.

If we lost 45 straight games, I would be watching the 46th.

Why? Because, I love football and the Rams are my team. I get up every Sunday excited to watch the Rams no matter how they perform(of course I want a win).

I just don't get it. They play only 16 times a year and some "fans" skip games.

Any Given Sunday people!! We can beat any teams any week, ask the Saints.

Even if I knew they were going to lose, I'd still watch the game. Because, like I said, I love football and the Rams. I honestly hardly understand when fans quit watching when its turning into a blow out. I've watched every game down to the last minute and I always will.

I don't about anyone else, but in my book, don't call yourself a die hard fan and in the same sentence talk about skipping a hard matchup. If you want to use the excuse that we're bad, go watch the Patriots. They'll gladly take another bandwagon fan.
- Channel: RAMS NATION TALK
-11-29-2011, 06:24 PM
Tuesday Edition... Saints @ Rams.........(long)

by Coach_Largent

Rams fans.... this is the first in my weekly posts that I do for the upcomong weekend. This is just to offer the game from another perspective. I always enjoy going to the enemy forums and checking out the different takes on the game. It is not intended as smack, that is what smack boards are for. I watch tapes of just about every game that I can get my hands on, and between myself and 2 other coaching friends we usually tape 8-10 games a week. Take it as it is.

So, here we are as little as 3 weeks ago this looked like a possible clash between NFC elite. The battle for NFC West ( and NFC ) supremacy. It has turned into a wild-card hopeful vs. a Super Bowl expectant. Is this realistic ?
Yes and no. The season is still very early, the inevitable injury bug is starting to hit every team in the league and many team fortunes will be won or lost by undrafted or unheralded young back-ups and grizzled veterans hanging on for one more season as back-ups. That being said, the Rams are playing very well. The improvement in speed on D is evident and they force teams out of their normal gameplans early, in effect, not having defend near as much field or scheme, think of it as defensive offense.

So what can we expect ? Depends on what New Orleans team shows up and how big the loss of both Willie Roaf, to injury, and Aaron Brooks missing confidence are.

Let's take a look at the Rams. The first question is, "Are they vulnerable and where ?" The answer came in the most suprising tape of all. The Detroit Lion game. I watched this Monday night tilt live and remember James Stewart taking the Lions straight down the field only to have Batch throw that pass to I don't even know who , for an INT. When watching on tape, I found something WAY more interesting. Stewart got almost all of his yardage (6.8 ypc ) straight up the middle. A-gap.When the Lions ran the stretch or slide plays off-tackle, the Rams swarmed them with LB's and Little off of the backside. Lots of speed. So, my objective was clear, watch the other 5 games and see where guys got yards. Lo and behold the Jets blowout gave me these numbers ( Curtis Martin 4.5, LaMont Jordan 8.5, and Richie Anderson 6.5 ypc ) 9 (of 24) rushes inside the OG's and a 74 % of their rushing yardage on these carries. LaMont Jordan had good success up the gut. The Dolphins and Chan Gailey never went away from the stretch and Smith was bottled up all day by a fast, aggresive defense that was unconcerned with Fiedler.
So, what does this give the Saints? A liltte hope. The Saints can be effective running the football UP THE GUT. The Rams D is fast and it does hit, and it is improved, so the running game will have to come right up the middle, although I am interested in seeing a team run the counter tre' right at L.Little. Seems like you could take his upfield speed and the pursuit of the LB's and use it against them by trapping him upfield. So, why haven't we seen...
- Channel: RAMS NATION TALK
-10-23-2001, 06:55 AM
What Have The Rams Ever Done For You?

by Guest

I was stumped, dumbfounded, astonished, bewildered, bemused, puzzled, perplexed and speechless after the bellowing of a niner fan that has taken a new turn in his life and has decided that football is not all that important after-all.

No my confusion is not why this niner fan has better things to do then support a losing team. That was expected. My bewilderment surfaced when I was asked a somewhat personal question regarding my lifetime support of the Rams.

Before I put forth to you the question which rendered me temporarily speechless it is important that you grasp what has been going on for the better part of 25 years here in the arrogant empire they call niner country.

I am an expert when it comes to niner wrong doings both criminal and civil, from their owners to their water boy therefore it has been a long time since I have been left standing speechless by a niner fan.

At one time, niner fans along with their arrogance were so thick in these parts that you could cut them with a knife and perhaps a few legitimate football fans did just that.

Like locusts dressed in red their swarm was thick, their chatter was unnerving, and their knowledge of the game was limited to a few over used, over stated phrases.
Phrases that consisted of:
�Blank is the best blank ever.� (Fill in the Blanks with any niner name then add their position respectively.)

�I have been a loyal niner fan since 1981�.

�The niners are the greatest franchise in sports history�.

"How many superbowls has your team won?�

�All breaks even out over the course of a season.�

Referee huddles leading to a reversal favoring my niners happen to every team.�

�All teams cheat the salary cap.�

�Free agents come to the niners and sign for millions less then their market value for a chance to win a championship.�

It was as if each niner fan was a clone of the other then to make matters worse all you had to do was turn on a sports talk radio station and there they were. Yes indeed, there were clones hosting sports talk radio stations up and down the dial.

It didn't matter if the topic was the Sacramento Kings or the Golden state warriors or the Oakland Raiders, all you had to do was listen for a few minutes and one of the clones would work in a comparison to a niner player.

"Chris Webber's work ethic should be like that of the Great Jerry Rice."
"All you have to do is look across the bay to see what a great franchise can achieve."
�Look no further then Walsh, the genius himself, the father of pro football and the inventor of the short pass as to why Mike Holmgrun has been winning in Green Bay and as to why Dennis Green has been successful in Minnesota. Look at the inventor of the forward pass as to why the Bronco�s won...
- Channel: RAMS NATION TALK
-11-22-2004, 06:26 PM
Officiating this past season...

by RamsFanSam

I have a few minutes here before I go to catch up with my best friend from high school. I haven't talked with him for 25 years. So, while I am waiting for the hot water heater to catch up, I figured I would have my say.

The new uniforms worn by the zebras this year did nothing to hide their lousy eyesight.

Rams fans were at the bad end of lousy officiating during several games this year, but we were not the only ones. In the majority of the games I watched (and with Sunday Ticket and the Red Zone channel, it was a lot) I saw a lot of 'non-calls', a lot of 'over-done' calls, and a lot of bogus calls. Probably the worst of all was the pandering to the NFL's 'pet' QB's.

Hey, Zebras, I have a news flash for you. Football is a physical game. When a 350 pound defensive end, running at full speed, leaps toward the QB a half second before the QB throws a pass, it is impossible for said DE to stop in mid-air. He will hit the QB. Seriously, ask any high school physics teacher. Sometimes, the QB is going to get hit. Next time Brady or Vick or Manning gets knocked on his backside, think before you throw a flag. Ask yourself whether the defensive player could have avoided contact. I bet you'd find that the majority of the time, the defensive player couldn't have done anything to avoid the contact. Just look over at the little pansy QB, tell him that football is a man's game, so quit acting like a 'girly man'.

Another thing I would like to point out is that you are supposed to be impartial. I believe that you should look the definition of that word up in a dictionary. I have asked around, and those who know football say that they thought Seattle benifited from 'non-impartial' officiating more than any other team. I'm not sure I agree, but I do think Seattle did get more favors from you than did teams like the Cards, Lions, etc.

Someone (I wish I could remember who) suggested that the officiating of each game should be reviewed by an impartial group, and that the officials should be held responsible for their performance. Miss a blatant foul, get a big fine. Throw an unnecessary flag, get a big fine. I bet that the games would be officiated a lot more fairly once cash started disappearing from the pockets of the zebras who don't do their job well.

Now, for my last point:

I said football is a physical game. I know the zebras have to be 'in the action', but what genius thought a ball cap and a whistle would be enough protection when a 350 pound linebacker blindsides your butt? Seriously, I have seen 5 year old kids with enough sense to know that a helmet is a good idea when riding a bike.

Then again, maybe if a few of them had some sense knocked into them (or some BS knocked out of them) it might not be a bad thing....but, no. Even I can't be that cruel unless it involves someone mistreating my family.

Well, that's all the time I...
- Channel: NFL TALK
-01-02-2007, 03:57 PM

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