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National Football League

Page 12 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
I think a lot of people feel that way.

Heard Jack Youngblood on ESPN radio today. Man that guy was one of the toughest football players ever. He said he fully supports the rule changes in the NFL to make the game safer. Didn't hesitate for a second when answering the question. Part of the discussion was how many other players from his era have serious health injuries, and I think that's something Harrison just doesn't understand. The players in the 70's were incredibly tough. Rules back then allowed things like head slaps, clothes lines, full-on helmet to helmet hits, chop and crack back blocks, horse collar tackles, and more. Listening to Youngblood, and Stan Brock who I'm acquainted with, talk about the old (brutal) days, and you'll understand why the rules have been changed, how that's a good thing, and Harrison is wrong. The rules are there to help him as well, lest he end up like another extremely gritty player from the past who was certain as tough as Harrison, Raiders great Jim Otto.
 
Al Davis died this morning. 82. I thought his health was doing okay. I guess not.

This could clear the way for two things. First, if a new owner comes in beyond the reach of his family and other minority holders, you'll see either a new stadium in Oakland, or Santa Clara (where the money is). Or, the team will move back to Los Angeles again when that city builds a new stadium. Expect a real serious push for this in the months or years to come.
 
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Alpe d'Huez said:
Al Davis died this morning. 82. I thought his health was doing okay. I guess not.

This could clear the way for two things. First, if a new owner comes in beyond the reach of his family and other minority holders, you'll see either a new stadium in Oakland, or Santa Clara (where the money is). Or, the team will move back to Los Angeles again when that city builds a new stadium. Expect a real serious push for this in the months or years to come.


I too was shocked when I read Al passed...didn't even know he was doing poorly, unless it was just being 82.

Interesting take on them coming back to LA...had not figured the Raiders seriously into the picture for Farmers Field. Thanks Alpe, the one team I don't want to occupy that field is now an option in my head. Agree that now that Al is gone, it just might change things. There are still loads of people who have Raider stuff all over their cars. One of the local TV stations still has a Raider show. There would be no need to build a fan base.
 
Alpe d'Huez said:
Al Davis died this morning. 82. I thought his health was doing okay. I guess not.

Terrific remembrance by Jim Plunkett:

This game against San Diego was different. This was my chance to be on stage again, to be the man in charge and to be at the center of what was probably going to be a high-scoring game. That’s when Al came up to me and did everything he could to make the pressure vanish. That’s when Al helped turn my career around.
“It’s not important you play well,” Al said. “It’s important we win. If you go five of 15 and we win, that’s OK.”

Al wasn’t just a brilliant football man, both on and off the field. He wasn’t just a great coach and personnel evaluator. He wasn’t simply dedicated to being great for himself. He was all those things. Plus, he was the antagonist who drove his opponents to be great just so they could beat him. While some people dismiss him as sinister, he was the very definition of sand in the oyster.

The most important quality is that he treated us like men. At that stage of my career, I wasn’t going to be able to play for someone like **** Vermeil, who ran everything like a boot camp. Al let men be men. If you were two minutes late for a meeting, he didn’t fine you. If you were habitually late, it got taken care of by the players. There was structure even if it didn’t seem like there was structure. Al picked guys who might have been a little different – OK, some of us were a little nuts – but everyone cared about winning. You might not get every guy’s undivided attention during the week, but come Sunday everybody was ready to play.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_y...?slug=ys-plunkett_remembering_al_davis_100811

When Plunkett played in his first Super Bowl, it was against the Vermeil-coached Eagles. It was in New Orleans, and Vermeil insisted on a strict curfew every night for his players. Davis, on the other hand, allowed the Raiders to enjoy the night life pretty much as they wanted. The Raiders won the game easily, and when someone asked one of the players later how they did so well after all the pre-game partying, he replied (in effect), "With all the liberties Al gives us, we wouldn't dare lose."
 
Cool quotes. Al definitely changed the game with his style of leadership as an owner, and before that, coach. Maybe more than any other owner in sports. Real shame tha after putting so much stock and money into the Gannon/Brown/Rice years, and paying for it for the last decade, they just now start to look like they could be good again, and should contend for their division.

With Davis gone, his wife Carol now has majority ownership. The rest of the owners are a mix of Wall Street investors splintered about. I don't even know any of their names. It's hard to say what Carol is going to do, and she can't possible be a young spry thing, or what kind of input she's going to get from any minority owners. I mean, Al Davis in many ways was the Oakland Raiders, with him gone it's a great unknown.

As to the move. I think it's inevitable that LA is going to get a grand stadium built, and a team with it. LA is a better sports town that it gets credit for, and there's plenty of people and money to fill the seats. It comes down to maybe five teams, and whether or not their cities will build newer stadiums, and have assertive owners. The teams are (in order, IMO): San Diego, St. Louis, Oakland, Minnesota and Jacksonville. I actually think the city of Santa Clara will build a stadium there, and both the Raiders and 48ers will play there for the next few decades. San Diego and St. Louis are both on the edge, and both teams actually started in LA, so it would be a move home.

Al-Davis-John-Madden-77-Supe-Bowl.jpg
 
NFL Week 5 Predictions

NFL WEEK 5 PREDICTIONS
Sunday:
1. NO at CAR. NO wins.
2. TEN at PIT. PIT won’t lose two in a row. PIT wins.
3. KC at IND. IND wins.
4. PHI at BUF. PHI wins.
5. SEA at NYG. NYG wins unless they physically don't show up.
6. CIN at JAC. CIN wins.
7. OAK at HOU. HOU wins.
8. ARI at MIN. MIN wins.
9. TB at SF. Tough call. Short week for TB vs. improved SF at SF. SF wins.
10. NYJ at NE. NE wins. Any doubters?
11. SD at DEN. SD should win and does, but scares SD fans.
12. GB at ATL. Would love an upset here, but GB wins.

Monday:
13. CHI at DET. DET plays like wild lions for the win.

Byes: BAL, CLE, DAL, MIA, STL, WAS
 
1. NO at CAR. I'll take the Saints in a track meet.
2. TEN at PIT. I'll take Tennessee in a close one.
3. KC at IND. KC is improving, but so is Indy, who gets a close win.
4. PHI at BUF. Very tough call. This is a must win for the Eagles, I'll take them.
5. SEA at NYG. Giants, but it will be closer than many think.
6. CIN at JAC. Bengals. Jags don't have enough offense here.
7. OAK at HOU. Another tough call. Should be Houston, but the Raiders will be very emotional and motivated after Al's passing.
8. ARI at MIN. I like the Vikings for their first win.
9. TB at SF. I like the 49ers at home.
10. NYJ at NE. I like the Patriots in a 48-38 type game.
11. SD at DEN. Chargers, but it will be surprisingly close.
12. GB at ATL. Falcons seek revenge, but won't get it.

Monday:
13. CHI at DET. Lions go 5-0 for the first time since "Night Train" Lane.
 
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Sunday:
1. NO at CAR. Carolina wins.
2. TEN at PIT. PIT wins.
3. KC at IND. IND wins.
4. PHI at BUF. BUF wins.
5. SEA at NYG. NYG wins unless they physically don't show up.
6. CIN at JAC. JAC wins.
7. OAK at HOU. HOU wins.
8. ARI at MIN. MIN wins.
9. TB at SF. SF wins.
10. NYJ at NE. NYJ wins. "Any doubters?" Yes, weak D even at home.
11. SD at DEN. SD should win and does, but scares SD fans.
12. GB at ATL. ATL wins
Monday:
13. CHI at DET. DET win.
 
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goodbye Al. my family hated you.not only for the quality team you fielded but for moving them. For me the Stabler, Branch and dozens of other greats you put on the turf helped me enjoy football. You will always be missing from pro football
 
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on3m@n@rmy said:
NFL WEEK 5 PREDICTIONS
Sunday:
9. TB at SF. Tough call. Short week for TB vs. improved SF at SF. SF wins.


Alpe d'Huez said:
9. TB at SF. I like the 49ers at home.


Thoughtforfood said:
Sunday:
9. TB at SF. SF wins.

Damn no love for the Bucs...ya'll are just haters :p

Also....I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Al Davis. I was shocked and saddened to hear of his passing this morning. He was a pioneer; the NFL would be a totally different league without him. Real Talk.

...ya'll are still haters! :cool:
 
on3m@n@rmy said:
Here's objective: I'm a died-in-the-wool C-Hawk fan who bleeds gun barrel blue. But I still don't pick them to win most games. Even vs. Arizona (which they won much to my surprise).
I saw that game. As I recall Arizona lost it. To phrase it that Seattle won is being kind.

A little Oakland Raiders story for you all. When I was a boy, after the Raiders beat the Chargers on that famous "Holy Roller" play, I hated them. They were the one west coast team I didn't like. I thought they were cheaters (even though Dan Fouts laughed about the play later). But as time grew and I learned more about football, I admired the great players they had. Stabler, Casper, Upshaw, Shell, Ray Guy, etc. and after time learned to embrace their way of doing this different, and their commitment to excellence. Now they are one of my favorite teams. I also learned that the bad guy image was really just that, image. And a lot of that was for fun.

vader-davis.jpg
 
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on3m@n@rmy said:
Fixed it for ya. :D

Here's objective: I'm a died-in-the-wool C-Hawk fan who bleeds gun barrel blue. But I still don't pick them to win most games. Even vs. Arizona (which they won much to my surprise).

See, I am objective about every other team than the Panthers. I will pick them in weeks I am positive they will lose. I don't gamble, so it is my show of support for my team that is important (as well as the show of support for my stupidity).
 
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on3m@n@rmy said:
Fixed it for ya. :D

Here's objective: I'm a died-in-the-wool C-Hawk fan who bleeds gun barrel blue. But I still don't pick them to win most games. Even vs. Arizona (which they won much to my surprise).

HAHA. You got me. :eek:

But like TFF, I'm objective about every team but the bucs. You'll never see me pick against them. In fact the most objective I can be going into this game is acknowledging the fact that they typically don't play as well on the west coast, but regardless of that, I still see the bucs with an advantage in every other aspect of the game. ;)

@Alpe. When I was growing up, I was always of afraid of the raiders, there was something about the colors, fans, and the image that could make a kid nervous. Then I realized, like you said, it was just an image; can't say all the fans feel the same though.
 
Alpe d'Huez said:
I saw that game. As I recall Arizona lost it. To phrase it that Seattle won is being kind.

A little Oakland Raiders story for you all. When I was a boy, after the Raiders beat the Chargers on that famous "Holy Roller" play, I hated them. They were the one west coast team I didn't like. I thought they were cheaters (even though Dan Fouts laughed about the play later). But as time grew and I learned more about football, I admired the great players they had. Stabler, Casper, Upshaw, Shell, Ray Guy, etc. and after time learned to embrace their way of doing this different, and their commitment to excellence. Now they are one of my favorite teams. I also learned that the bad guy image was really just that, image. And a lot of that was for fun.

True, but I have to show my team something other than having no voice left on Monday mornings.

You hated THAT group? Those were some of the best Raider years. And don't forget "the assassin" Jack Tatum. I wonder how he would play (if he was playing nowdays) or how he feels about the new safety rules in the NFL?
Top Ten Most Feared Tacklers - Tatum #6... and he was a little dirty at times.

EDIT: Many of those hits are illegal in the NFL today. And he might have been thrown in jail for some.
 
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ImmaculateKadence said:
I haven't seen the bucs play this bad since..... :mad:

Yea, we lost because some idiot called a TO at the end of the 1st half when the time was going to run out before NO could get the field goal off. Dumbest TO in the history of the NFL. Then we didn't call a single TO when NO was driving at the end of the 4th. We could have given ourselves 30 seconds to a minute more if we had called ONE time out...and guess how many TO's we had left over at the end of the game. If you guessed ONE, you win a can of chicken soup.
 
First - TEBOW!!! Okay, they lost. But wow, what an effort by him, and on that last play. One for the highlight reel. I think this seals Kyle Orton's fate as QB for the Broncos. Tebow still needs to develop, but this guy is exciting, and has leadership quality and determination the team badly needs.

Emotional day and a great win for the Raiders . I was wrong yesterday, Al Davis' son Mark now has controlling ownership of the team, and has been involved in the team management for some time. So that's hopefully good. 49ers looked absolutely awesome. Great coaching, defense, and Alex Smith is finally turning into the player many thought he could be. The Jets lost, but I don't think they are out of the picture just yet. I think the Eagles however may be finished. As I said before the season I thought they were overrated on defense, and Vick was overrated. But I didn't think they'd be 1-4. As the rate they are going, they'll be lucky to finish about 9-7. Seahawks this time did play well. This is the best Whitehurst has looked in a game that mattered, and I have to think he may be the starter soon. Panthers definitely have a bright future. Falcons have to be super motivated tonight, and I expect a great game.

Thoughtforfood said:
See, I am objective about every other team than the Panthers... (as well as the show of support for my stupidity).
Well, you are going to be an attorney. ;)

Seriously, nothing wrong with anyone picking their home team to win every time. Imagine if you were a fan of the 2008 Lions, and then decided to forever give up on the team?

on3m@n@rmy said:
You hated THAT group? Those were some of the best Raider years.
You have to remember, I was about 13 years old. By the time I was about 18 or so I started to really like them.

Yes, as I mentioned before, if you go back to the 60's and 70's, nearly all of those Jack Tatum type of hits were entirely legal. Helmet to helmet, chop & crackback blocks, horse collars, even head slaps were very common. This type of play was praised even.

Video clip of "Mad Dog" Mike Curtis.

:cool:
 
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Thoughtforfood said:
Yea, we lost because some idiot called a TO at the end of the 1st half when the time was going to run out before NO could get the field goal off. Dumbest TO in the history of the NFL. Then we didn't call a single TO when NO was driving at the end of the 4th. We could have given ourselves 30 seconds to a minute more if we had called ONE time out...and guess how many TO's we had left over at the end of the game. If you guessed ONE, you win a can of chicken soup.

It's funny how watching your team lose can ruin your day. Even though the panthers lost a close game and the bucs gave away one big time, I suspect we have similar feelings: disgust, frustration, etc. I can't even watch the GB/ATL game, don't even want to think about football right now.

The bucs and niners are pretty evenly matched. The niners didn't win, the bucs just lost. I have to giver the niners credit though, they took advantage of every mistake the bucs made.
 
Thoughtforfood said:
Yea, we lost because some idiot called a TO at the end of the 1st half when the time was going to run out before NO could get the field goal off. Dumbest TO in the history of the NFL. Then we didn't call a single TO when NO was driving at the end of the 4th. We could have given ourselves 30 seconds to a minute more if we had called ONE time out...and guess how many TO's we had left over at the end of the game. If you guessed ONE, you win a can of chicken soup.

ImmaculateKadence said:
It's funny how watching your team lose can ruin your day. Even though the panthers lost a close game and the bucs gave away one big time, I suspect we have similar feelings: disgust, frustration, etc. I can't even watch the GB/ATL game, don't even want to think about football right now.

The bucs and niners are pretty evenly matched. The niners didn't win, the bucs just lost. I have to giver the niners credit though, they took advantage of every mistake the bucs made.

I feel for you guys. No really. Why? Cuz your not PIT fans :), and being a Hawk fan I understand. But you can borrow my Hawk Block if you'd like. It's a concrete colored foam block shaped like a brick. Keep it by the widescreen TV and is for throwing at the screen when something bad happens. At least Carolina can hold their heads up for making it close. But the sails came off Tampa. I'll say this about the niners... if your team makes mistakes, SF has the ability to make them pay for it. Seattle got drubbed by SF last year in similar fashion. Plus they are getting better and can't be taken lightly.
 
Alpe d'Huez said:
First - TEBOW!!! Okay, they lost. But wow, what an effort by him, and on that last play. One for the highlight reel. I think this seals Kyle Orton's fate as QB for the Broncos. Tebow still needs to develop, but this guy is exciting, and has leadership quality and determination the team badly needs.

The Jets lost, but I don't think they are out of the picture just yet. I think the Eagles however may be finished. As I said before the season I thought they were overrated on defense, and Vick was overrated. But I didn't think they'd be 1-4. As the rate they are going, they'll be lucky to finish about 9-7. Seahawks this time did play well. This is the best Whitehurst has looked in a game that mattered, and I have to think he may be the starter soon. Panthers definitely have a bright future. Falcons have to be super motivated tonight, and I expect a great game.

First, TEBOW. I've been waiting for him to get a shot. And yes he does need to develop, but experience may cure some of that. Only time will tell. Now is as good a time as any to give him a go.

I agree Jets are not out of the picture yet. Dang, I didn't see if Mangold was back at center or not. But that should help down the road.

It's not too late for Philly to turn things around, but you're right it does not look good for them. In fact, Seattle may be looking better right now than Philly. At least Seattle has things going in the right direction. But Seattle today... I think they played better overall. They played well most of the time, but really made some mistakes and turnovers that cost them at least two TDs. That game could have been a blowout for Seattle 50-25. But I can't explain what happened with the Giants. Maybe they just overlooked the Hawks, or needed to play with more pride. One thing the Giants were prolly NOT planning on is the game put out by Hawks WR Doug Baldwin (8 recepts for 136 yds), who is 3rd on their depth chart. What's cool is that he is an undrafted rookie free agent. We all expect the top draft picks to play well, but it is always nice to see a guy like that do well. Now if he can just keep it going. But that will be harder to do as he will not be overlooked as teams prepare for them.

Cam in Carolina looks like a difference maker for them this year. He looks like he will have a bright future along with Carolina.
 
on3m@n@rmy said:
...You can borrow my Hawk Block if you'd like. It's a concrete colored foam block shaped like a brick. Keep it by the widescreen TV and is for throwing at the screen when something bad happens.
Funny. I have a chunk of the Kingdome on my doorstep that I use as a door stop. What's extra funny is that no one knows what it is, it's historical value. It's just a chunk of concrete, no one would think of stealing. The not so funny thing is that for the next several years the poor people of Seattle will still be paying for that chunk of concrete.

As bad as the Seahawks are on paper, and they have many gaps, and players that may never pan out, and as much as some people don't like Pete Carroll, I think the Hawks are a very well run and well coached team. I mean, they have no stars, hardly any name players even, but they're 2-3 right now after beating a streaking Giants team, when some pundits were saying they were like an expansion team that might struggle to win one game. A lot of credit for that goes to Carroll, Cable, Bradley and the rest of the staff for doing a good job with almost nothing. Now they may still finish 4-12, but if I were a big Hawks fan I'd be thinking the future is potentially bright. Some guys will develop, they'll get a decent draft pick for sure (so be it if it's not Luck), and they'll soon have plenty of money under the cap as well.
 
Alpe d'Huez said:
Funny. I have a chunk of the Kingdome on my doorstep that I use as a door stop. What's extra funny is that no one knows what it is, it's historical value. It's just a chunk of concrete, no one would think of stealing. The not so funny thing is that for the next several years the poor people of Seattle will still be paying for that chunk of concrete.

Seriously? How'd you get a chunk of that junk? I remember seeing the old Kingdome demolition live on a webcast. What a cloud of dust. Then the contractor building the new football stadium (Quest Field) right next door used the larger chunks of concrete from the old Kingdome as fill for some of the concrete pours. I have always wondered just how sound the structural of the new stadium is with chunks of the old stadium imbedded in it. I mean those chunks must have been cracked or something. The last time I thought about how they built the new stadium was the playoff game last year against the Saints when Marshawn Lynch ripped off the touchdown run that caused the seismographs a few blocks away to register. The reason I recall that... I was in the stadium watching the game when that happened. I was not worried about it, but still the thought was there... "Meh, what about those chunks of old concrete". So if you keep that thing safe it might be worth some money some day to some Hawk fan who strikes gold. Or not.
 

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