The "Watered down" NFL. Garbage product.

[cj]

It is called parity. You guys are nuts if you think football players are going to go out and not try. That is the easiest way to get injured.

[Stillriledup]

You know what odds you could have gotten if you made the prediction that the Rams would score the first 35 points of the game in indy? If they run that computer simulation a million times, does even one simulation have Stl up 35-0 on the road vs a team that's supposed to be better than them? I say no.

Hey Whiz, love your "Script falling out of the briefcase" theory, awesome!

The NFL is a multi BILLION dollar business...heck, some of their individual TEAMS are worth over a billion, the entire league and how much money they make is astounding.

Do you think that the NFL and their head honchos would leave ONE THIN DIME on the table if they thought scripting the results would result in more revenue?

If you were the head of a company worth a hundred billion (yep, with a B) or more would you just sit back in your little NYC corner office and just let the teams "battle it out" and have the best man win? Do their high paid execs just let the results fall randomly, or do they have sophisticated computer models that know exactly what they would want to happen in a "perfect world"?

Most of us were born at night, hopefully none of you were born last night.

[Valuist]

Another thing that's a joke about the NFL is the injury process.

Teams hire doctors as their medical staff. Teams then put a gun to these doctors heads and basically tell them to clear anybody who has a pulse and isn't concussed, to play. Then the coach can make a decision and rationalize it by saying "our medical staff cleared him to play".

This is a joke. Cutler tore his groin three weeks ago. I suffered the same injury in baseball in high school, and I guarantee you, if it truly was a tear, no way could somebody play QB well with that little recovery. So late last week, Trestman comes out and says "our staff has cleared Jay to play". The backup, McCoun, already proved he is capable. At full strength for both, Cutler is better. But if McCoun is 100% and Cutler is 60%, it shouldn't be a difficult decision.

Yet Trestman took the easy way out. He started Cutler because he was "cleared to play" yet we all know that's a joke. If Trestman had any balls, he would've overrode the "decision" and started McCoun. But he took the safe approach, knowing he could throw the medical staff under the bus if the decision was proved wrong. And it was proved wrong.

[delayjf]

PEDs have been around for a pretty good amount of time in the NFL, so why would it start this year?

Its unbelievable how players have grown over the years. I think Romo is listed as weighting 230 lbs - he don't look no 230 lbs.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by Valuist

Another thing that's a joke about the NFL is the injury process.

Teams hire doctors as their medical staff. Teams then put a gun to these doctors heads and basically tell them to clear anybody who has a pulse and isn't concussed, to play. Then the coach can make a decision and rationalize it by saying "our medical staff cleared him to play".

This is a joke. Cutler tore his groin three weeks ago. I suffered the same injury in baseball in high school, and I guarantee you, if it truly was a tear, no way could somebody play QB well with that little recovery. So late last week, Trestman comes out and says "our staff has cleared Jay to play". The backup, McCoun, already proved he is capable. At full strength for both, Cutler is better. But if McCoun is 100% and Cutler is 60%, it shouldn't be a difficult decision.

Yet Trestman took the easy way out. He started Cutler because he was "cleared to play" yet we all know that's a joke. If Trestman had any balls, he would've overrode the "decision" and started McCoun. But he took the safe approach, knowing he could throw the medical staff under the bus if the decision was proved wrong. And it was proved wrong.

Most Everyone in the NFL is playing with some sort of injury, there would be nobody left to play if everyone waited till they were 100%.

[Valuist]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

Most Everyone in the NFL is playing with some sort of injury, there would be nobody left to play if everyone waited till they were 100%.

There's a big difference between playing hurt and playing injured. Bumps, bruises, minor muscle pulls and even sprains can be played with. Cutler didn't have a muscle pull; he had a tear. Huge difference, and it showed as he was completely uncomfortable, and ultimately ended up hurting his ankle as well as it looks like he will be out against the Ravens. I'd take McCoun at 100% over a 60% Cutler.

[Marshall Bennett]

How many are playing with brain damage? Makes you wonder if for no other reason, the drama that played out in Miami.

[NJ Stinks]

Originally Posted by Marshall Bennett

How many are playing with brain damage? Makes you wonder if for no other reason, the drama that played out in Miami.

Imagine the interest in tonight's outcome if there was no gambling involved....

[precocity]

I know the cowgirls defence are a bunch of no heart I pulled my hamstring punks!

[Valuist]

As for the product slipping in quality, several reasons I believe:

Rule changes that purely favor the offense. I guess I'm a purist but the 51-48 Broncos-Cowboys game was not my idea of perfection. Bad defense had something to do with that. And because the rule changes favor the offense so much, DBs do what they have to do; they hold more and interfere more.

Secondly, with the new collective bargaining agreement, teams are limited in terms of how much time they can spend practicing, and how much hitting goes on. If practice makes perfect, lack of practice breeds inperfections.

Now with the focus on head injuries, how long before tackling is outlawed and they play flag football? The game I see now isn't the same game I grew up watching in the 1970s. The NFL has some real problems down the road.

[Quagmire]

Originally Posted by Valuist

Now with the focus on head injuries, how long before tackling is outlawed and they play flag football? The game I see now isn't the same game I grew up watching in the 1970s. The NFL has some real problems down the road.

I agree 100%. That personal foul penalty called against SF late in the game yesterday was ridiculous.

[cj]

Originally Posted by Quagmire

I agree 100%. That personal foul penalty called against SF late in the game yesterday was ridiculous.

Refs don't have the benefit of replay on that play, and live it sure looked like a penalty. Hard to fault them too much in my opinion.

[cj]

Originally Posted by Valuist

Now with the focus on head injuries, how long before tackling is outlawed and they play flag football? The game I see now isn't the same game I grew up watching in the 1970s. The NFL has some real problems down the road.

Well, the game in the 1970s was different. It also left a lot of guys walking around with serious problems, and many of them are long dead, way before the life expectancy of a normal person. I can live without that game even if it was better for fans.

[PhantomOnTour]

The rule I have a problem with is this "extended possession" rule they now have for receptions, esp TD catches.
This is the rule that robbed Calvin Johnson a few years ago and robbed the 49ers yesterday vs the Saints (although they scored on the next play or two).

The Niner receiver caught a pass in the end zone, dragged his second foot in bounds and then out of bounds (which effectively ends the play in my book), only to drop the ball when he hit the ground...which was some two yards out of bounds.
The rule was "no catch" since he didn't hold on through his tumble to the turf.
RIDICULOUS....he established possession and had two feet in bounds. Once that dragged foot makes contact with the ground out of bounds I say the play should end right there....thus a touchdown.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by PhantomOnTour

The rule I have a problem with is this "extended possession" rule they now have for receptions, esp TD catches.
This is the rule that robbed Calvin Johnson a few years ago and robbed the 49ers yesterday vs the Saints (although they scored on the next play or two).

The Niner receiver caught a pass in the end zone, dragged his second foot in bounds and then out of bounds (which effectively ends the play in my book), only to drop the ball when he hit the ground...which was some two yards out of bounds.
The rule was "no catch" since he didn't hold on through his tumble to the turf.
RIDICULOUS....he established possession and had two feet in bounds. Once that dragged foot makes contact with the ground out of bounds I say the play should end right there....thus a touchdown.

Yet, the 'crossing the plane' rule doesnt adhere to the same standards, if you're flying thru the air and extend the ball over the imaginary goal line, its a TD no matter what happens to you before you hit the ground.