Esoteric

Game is tomorrow (Saturday December 28th) @ 8PM EST. Just thought I'd pass this along for those that didn't know but would like to see this game. I actually just found out this morning. I'll definitely be watching it.

Do you think the Patriots will go 16-0 and shut the '72 Dolphins up? I'd rather the Giants win, but I really think the Patriots will. Who knows though, the Giants have been playing some good football so we'll see!

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Redlemon

I think it's pretty likely that the Giants will be resting many of their starters; they've been pretty banged up recently (I can almost guarantee you won't see Plaxico). The Patriots seem to be working on the theory that you never rest, because that leads to a letdown in performance. Their starters will be in for at least the first half, if not the whole game.

The game doesn't "mean" anything statistically to either team, except for the cool records that the Patriots could set.

(I'm a lifetime Patriots fan first, and a Giants fan second since they are my wife's team.)

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Esoteric

I didn't even think about the Giants resting a lot of their starters. Duh.

And yeah the only thing on the line here really is NE's perfect season.

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From a head full of pressure rests the senses that I clutch
Made a date with Divinity, but she wouldn't let me fuck
I got touched by a hazy shaded, God help me change
Caught a rush on the floor from the life in my veins

Toaster126

Here is an interesting article on the historical aspects of this and motivations of the NFL.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?id=3169890

Hint: I think there is strong evidence they are only doing this because government officials (Senate Judiciary Committee members) threatened to look into the NFL's antitrust bs.

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Strange Famous

Come on Giants!

Fuck Bill Billicheat!

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Esoteric

Thanks for the article Toaster.

I always thought the NFL Network showed past games that were great or just games in general. From reading that article it seems that it's just SportsCenter 24/7 with the scheduled games on Thurs/Sat. I thought the NFL Network was a pretty stupid idea from the get go personally.

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Made a date with Divinity, but she wouldn't let me fuck
I got touched by a hazy shaded, God help me change
Caught a rush on the floor from the life in my veins

laconic1

NFL Network is crap. I've got it on Directv, and there isn't really anything worthwhile other than the handful of games each year, which works out to about 27-28 hours of non craptacular programming a year. The rest is absolute fluff.

Willravel

I wonder if the Pats cheated against the Raiders back in 2002...

I'm rooting for the Giants. The Pats are the Yankees of football.

djtestudo

The NFL caved like a sand castle at high tide

It will be curious to see what happens now between the league and the cable companies. There seems to be no apparent uprising from the viewers to demand the channel.

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thekid65

The worst thing about the NFL network, is listening to Gumbel do the play-by-play during the games. He must the the absolute worst play-by-play man in the history of the game.

Willravel

Makes you miss Dennis Miller, eh?

"This game has turned into an imbecilic cyclotron of disparate particle brains super-colliding into one another at the speed of salary. I mean what happened to edgy games of yesteryear? I remember games more edgy than Gary Oldman after drinking a pot of espresso and realizing he's out of cigarettes."

djtestudo

I remember ESPN.com had a guy who would go through all of the references and explain them the morning after. One of my favorite columns ever

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Bear Cub

I am a Jets Fan.

I am an Ohio State Buckeyes fan.



Do you have ANY idea what it's like just to hear the name "Tom Brady"?

In fact, every time I say that name, I ALWAYS say it as the name "Matt Damon" was recited during Team America, with that nasal, whiny pitch in my voice.

May that Michigan-bred bastard and his team of geriatric defensemen burn in hell! Go G-Men!

n0nsensical

what does it matter anyway, like the Giants backups are going to make a heroic stand against the Evil Empire, haha.

well I hope I'm wrong.

8:04 oh man they got Deion!
8:14 "Roger, why did you decide to simulcast the game?" "Well, we really like money.. er, Congressional interest.. I mean fan interest.. honestly we already lost to the cable companies this year, if we can't get their money why not go national and pick up more from NBC and CBS? It's genius, really." "Will the conflict with the cable companies be resolved?" "Well that depends on one thing.. if they decide to do the right thing for the fans and give us more money, sure, it'll be resolved"
8:24 7-0 Giants Cris: "Uh oh we got a ballgame now!"
8:55 TD PLUS excessive celebration for dancing 10-7 Pats
8:59 Kick return from 25, 14-10 Giants again
9:06 Cris: "the penetration is forcing them to go deeper on the backside..."
9:08 14-13 Not a bad game
10:48 Moss wide open downfield 2 plays in a row. First time he drops it, second time TD. How does he do that? Pats 31-28
11:02 38-28 About time to call it

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Jadedfox

Go Pats.

Edit: What a great game so far. Giants are playing damn hard.

--jaded

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Fotzlid

now that was a great game.

analog

Great fucking game. Perfect season... now they just have to keep the perfect run to the Super Bowl.

Ilow

16-0, fuck the haters. Every team played the Pats like it was the superbowl and brought their "A" game, and they still lost. It's not like the Patriots outspend their opponents or have the highest paid players, they just are well coached professionals.

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Willravel

Why would they need to cheat if they were so professional?

Hanxter

the game was great... awesome fortitude and tenacity... records set... but...

it don't mean squat... the exhibition season is over... let's play some football

as for commen"gasbag"tators... gumbel doesn't come close to bob costas, al michaels, the guy on monday night baseball - john millarky? - and my all time peeve, joe buckface...

but back on topic... i said this early on in the season here the records set are what they are and will always be there... but the record(s) mean nada, zilch, zippo, snooch... it don't mean a thing unless they have that

analog

It's comments like that, that underscore the naivety required to believe that they're the only team who does what they can to get ahead, by whatever means. They just got caught.

Yeah, I wish they hadn't done it... but it's been dealt with, and I'm going to hate the fallout this creates at the end of the season when they win the Super Bowl and the whiny bitches pour out of the woodworks to cheapen and question their stunning victory.

Because they will go all the way. I demand it. lol

EDIT: and Bryant Gumbel is a fucking awful commentator, and I don't even watch that much football.

Hanxter

we've had this conversation in other threads... the teams are allowed to take photo's/video of opposing offenses/defenses from the coach's boxes just like spotters do in nascar and pass (fax) it down to the field generals... the point is moot...

it's what you do afterward that counts

Willravel

I've known Lane Kiffin since he was working down south at USC. He's good people and is too good a sportsman to stoop to such lows. He may still wear diapers, but he's above cheating.

Just because the Pats cheat doesn't mean everyone does. It's baseless pessimism.

Edit: I don't know Kiffin personally, btw. I reread my post and I think I was ambiguous on that point.

Ustwo

Thank pasta.

We can finally put the 72 Dolphins to rest.

I'm not a Pats fan but I've been cheering for them all season just so I wouldn't have to hear about Shula and his champaign anymore.

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Strange Famous

16-0 is a great achievment, but its winning a ring that matters.

Shady Brady and this arrogant organisation carry on as if they've already won the superbowl.... I am sure than me and a lot of neutrals are hoping that pride comes before a fall!

Otherwise the season sucked anyway.

At least Jets got a good draft pick (I'll prolly find from someone that they traded their first round pick for a punter now though)

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"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
without being uncovered."

The Gospel of Thomas

Redlemon

Hats off to the Giants, they put up the best game so far against my Pats. All the Giants fans I've talked to were pleased with the outcome of the game (of course, they would have been fantastically happy with a win, but still).

It feels refreshing to be on the side that is hated, rather than to be on the hating side.

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Strange Famous

I support the Red Sox and Jets, and hate Yankee's and Hatriots (although I remember really wanting them to win the season they beat Tampa and got past the Raiders on a dodgy call on the "tuck rule")

Does this make me a contradiction?

In my defence, I am English and the only times Ive been to the US its beein in CT, where it seems kind of acceptable to support a NYC team or a New England team.

But I guess like a woman, when you pick the team youre going to follow, it isnt based on rational thought but on feeling - but unlike a woman you can never change the team you follow.

__________________
"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
without being uncovered."

The Gospel of Thomas

Esoteric

That was a damn good game. The Giants come to Tampa next week, I have faith in my Bucs though.

__________________
From a head full of pressure rests the senses that I clutch
Made a date with Divinity, but she wouldn't let me fuck
I got touched by a hazy shaded, God help me change
Caught a rush on the floor from the life in my veins

Frosstbyte

I'd be a lot more impressed with the Patriots going 16-0 if they'd been in an even remotely decent division. I guess we can argue about whether or not Buffalo is a respectable team (not really), but to play two games against both the Jets and the Dolphins in one season? The worst team (by a decent margin) in football and the tied for worst team don't really make for good divisional rivalry for a team like the Patriots. For any decent team, those are four completely free wins against two abolutely terrible teams.

I guess they got lucky with how that worked out for them, and that's part of the deal. It doesn't impress me a whole lot, though.

See you in the post season.

Hanxter

we should have a season of cheerleaders... leading up to a playoff... leading up to a Super "Bowl"...

camgate that!!!

Redlemon

Do we really need to go through this again?
The rule might have been obscure, but it was properly interpreted.

And I also wanted to call out:
Umm... the whole season, all they have said is "let's win the next game". I dare you to find a quote otherwise.

If you want to accuse the fans and columnists of acting as if the Patriots have already won, I'll give you that. But the team and coaches, no.

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Ustwo

I think Miami played 2 winning teams or so when they did their undefeated regular season. Pat's had it tougher there.

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Frosstbyte

Well, that doesn't make me feel any better about their record now that you mention it. I know it was division, so no one could do anything about them playing those shitty teams, but it doesn't really make the record feel as good solid as it ought to.

Doesn't help that they're a bunch of snotty fucks, I suppose.

Ustwo

Yea I don't like them but I was just sick of Shula.

Being a Bears fan and remembering that 85 game to the Dolphins helps fuel that

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'cb'

I sure hope the Jags can deliver a big helping of 'humble pie' Saturday.

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