[Archived] NFL 2011 --lockout season

[speeeeeeedie]

Not NFL related but American football all the same. Joe Paterno, Penn State University coach for over 40 years (he's 84) was fired the other day, along with the university president. Paterno's old boss and a high up finance director have been arrested on perjury charges relating to a child sex abuse case.

A very murky scandal has had the lid blown off it. It started when one of his former assistant coaches was arrested on multiple charges of kiddie fiddling. Lots of times it's alleged to have happened on university grounds. The star witness is another assistant who caught him in the act, back in 2002. Apparently, instead of throttling the perv, he told Paterno the next day, who in turn told his boss. The end result is that they took the accused's building keys off him. No police were called.

It's not finished yet. No one knows how many more incidents were covered up.

[Rovermatt]

I read the Grand Jury's indictment yesterday. I'm not a parent but I found it absolutely chilling.

Paterno did what any loyal and powerful American catholic would do: passed it up the chain and forgot about it. Other incidents have certainly been covered up. Sandusky (the accused) retired suddenly in 1999. His abuses date back to the early 90s at the very least. There's no way Paterno only became aware of the proclivities of a long-time defensive co-ordinator in 2002. Nor can anyone else closely involved with the program honestly say that they were ignorant of this behaviour before 2002.

Buzz Bissinger (author of the excellent Friday Night Lights) wrote an outstanding - though very frank - piece on this the other day. I would recommend it.

[American Rover12]

Good article on the time line.

[ABBEY]

Q: What do you call 47 millionaires around a TV watching the Super

Bowl?

A: The Kansas City Chiefs.

Q: What do the Kansas City Chiefs and Billy Graham have in common?

A: They both can make 70,000 people stand up and yell "Jesus Christ."

Q: How do you keep a Kansas City Chief out of your yard?

A: Put up goal posts.

Q: Where do you go in Kansas City in case of a tornado?

A: To Arrowhead - they never get a touchdown there.

Q: What do you call a Kansas City Chief with a Super Bowl ring?

A: A thief!!

Q: Why was Todd Haley upset when the Kansas City Chiefs play book

was stolen?

A: Because he hadn't finished coloring it.

Q: What's the difference between the Kansas City Chiefs and a dollar

bill?

A: You can still get 4 quarters out of a dollar bill.

Q: How many Kansas City Chiefs does it take to win a Super Bowl?

A: Nobody knows and we will never find out.

[ABBEY]

Still completed less than half his passing attempts against the 3rd worst defence in the NFL. Good week? Sure. Franchise QB? Still don't see it. He doesn't throw the ball well enough and he won't make 100 rushing yards too often, so how is he planning to win games?

He may not the finished article but teeeeebow is a winner!! Now how did the kittens do last night? Oh yea I just googled it!

[Jeru tha Damaja]

Yeah, that was an embarrassing game. Tough second half to the season for us, too. Anyway, it'll be fine.

Tebow only completed 2 passes in an entire game yesterday, only won the game because the Chiefs suck. Maybe I was wrong, but for now he still has a long way to go before he's a decent QB.

[Redrose49er]

Certainly going to win the division, but this weekend is a good test of just how good this team is.

No Frank the Tank but Smith and the D came through strong, 8-1

[ABBEY]

Yeah, that was an embarrassing game. Tough second half to the season for us, too. Anyway, it'll be fine.

Tebow only completed 2 passes in an entire game yesterday, only won the game because the Chiefs suck. Maybe I was wrong, but for now he still has a long way to go before he's a decent QB.

We won its a tebooow W

[T4E]

Yeah, that was an embarrassing game. Tough second half to the season for us, too. Anyway, it'll be fine.

Tebow only completed 2 passes in an entire game yesterday, only won the game because the Chiefs suck. Maybe I was wrong, but for now he still has a long way to go before he's a decent QB.

No, we won because Tebow reads the run option incredibly well. Our first two RBs went down and we still put up circa 250 yards on the ground. It's not a fluke.

Insult Tebow as much as you like but he's 3-1 with the same team that was 1-4 under a so called NFL QB. Times are changing.

[Redrose49er]

Insult Tebow as much as you like but he's 3-1 with the same team that was 1-4 under a so called NFL QB. Times are changing.

That's a fair comment

[ABBEY]

Moreno out for season ACL ! Think that's him outta here .

[Jeru tha Damaja]

No, we won because Tebow reads the run option incredibly well. Our first two RBs went down and we still put up circa 250 yards on the ground. It's not a fluke.

Oh, alright then. I was under the impression that it was a match-up with the Chiefs who were annihilated by the Lions not so long ago. The same Chiefs team whose wins this season have come in close games against the rather poor Vikings, the Suck for Luck frontrunners Indiannapolis and the unpredictable Chargers. Their one comfortable victory was against the Raiders, and even the Dolphins thrashed them in week 9.

Matt Cassel is a sub-par signal caller who managed a 10-6 record last season on the back of an easy schedule and an exceptional running back. Without Jamaal Charles they are easy meat.

Tebow can do what No Show Moreno can't, but with him playing at QB you can practically load the box on every play to stop the run and just wait for the turnovers when he tries to throw. Sure he made one nice pass to Decker on Sunday, but I'd take the gamble that he won't do it often enough to win games through the air.

Happily for the Broncos they won't finish bottom of their division because the Chiefs are awful and have a very difficult end to the season.

(Having said all that, if we keep putting in displays like the Chicago game then the Lions will only be kept of the foot of the NFCN by virtue of the Vikings awfulness.)

[ABBEY]

One nice pass? Er that one nice as you put it was the game winner. Christ almighty you'd think the kittens were champions or been a good , no decent (ooops they ain't been that either) or ok team over the last twenty years.

[T4E]

Tebow can do what No Show Moreno can't, but with him playing at QB you can practically load the box on every play to stop the run and just wait for the turnovers when he tries to throw.

The last two teams he played didnt manage to do that, neither did anyone during his college career. We'll see how he goes from here. No one is saying he's the perfect QB, but he's far better than you give him credit for.

[RibbleValleyRover]

9-0!

Rodgers continues to play like a man possessed and the Defense looked a lot better last night in terms of pass rush and coverage in the secondary.

[ABBEY]

8-1 to stay unbeaten.

[Rovermatt]

No Frank the Tank but Smith and the D came through strong, 8-1

Poor stuff from the Giants. Eli had one of his bad days.

[T4E]

8-1 to stay unbeaten.

I think they will. Aaron Rodgers is every bit as good as Brady in 2007, if not better. Great to watch.

[RibbleValleyRover]

I think they will. Aaron Rodgers is every bit as good as Brady in 2007, if not better. Great to watch.

I hope we do but I can't see it. There is already a lot of pressure and a target on their back because they are the reigning champions, each win and thus continuation of the unbeaten streak is only going to add to that pressure.

Remaining schedule:

Buccs

@ Lions

@ Giants

Raiders

@ Chiefs

Bears

Lions

The Bucs have a pretty decent record against a Rodgers led Packers (I don't think Rodgers has beaten them). Lions have a fierce D, Suh and Fairley will look to get at Rodgers. Giants on their patch won't be easy, they have a very good D that should lineup well against our wide recievers and their front line will get pressure. Two final games at home could be tough, also there is the question will the Packers rest players if they have the No.1 seeding?

I had us going 14-2 before the season started and think that's a reasonable prediction even now. Though I would love to see us go unbeaten and repeat.

[Eddie]

Looking to order a bit of NFL gear, but I've never had stuff shipped to Europe before, what is the best site in terms of price, delivery speed and, if possible, avoiding the import tariffs.

[T4E]

Yeah that Tebow, he's no good

[sleepyjack]

That Von Miller kid is something, at least.

[Eddie]

He's certainly got something about him, but in the long-run the offense is going to need to be more sophisticated. Gimmicks can work, but not for long.

[RibbleValleyRover]

He's been pretty clutch but Teams will find out a way to gameplan him. He's going to have to develop and diversify his game a lot.

Von Miller is a beast.

[Eddie]

It's a nice story, but the Jets should have won last night. The result was more down to the Sanchez interception and his general inability to manage a game than because of Tebow's good play.