2 & out
My two favorite NFL teams are the Panthers and Broncos. I’m an NC native and I lived in Colorado for 10 years, so there you go. I was therefore hoping for a Black & Blue & Predominately Orange kinda Sunday yesterday, you know? I didn’t know which team I’d be rooting for if both made the Super Bowl – probably the Panthers, but you never know until the game starts.
Fortunately I won’t have to make that gut-wrenching choice. The Broncos game I felt like could go either way because the teams are so similar. Ultimately, I figured whoever started making mistakes was hutzed. The thing that scared me was that Pittsburgh has a couple serious mistake motivators in Polamalu and Porter, and Denver has a guy with a history of making mistakes in Plummer.
With the NFC game, you couldn’t help being worried about the Cats. They were down to their 9th-string running back (hell, one more nasty hit and He Hate Me would have been the featured back) and Peppers was banged up. The D simply hasn’t been as dominating as I’d have liked, aside from the Giants game, and Seattle is not a fun place to play if you’re a visiting team. Delhomme can hurt a defense, especially when Steve Smith is running wild out there, but he’s like most QBs in that he has a hard time getting it done if you know he has to throw. And thanks to injuries to Foster and then Goings, Seattle pretty much knew Carolina was going to throw. So they put four guys on Smith and took their chances.
So yesterday more or less went as I feared, not as I hoped. [sigh] Oh well. At least SBXL will involve two teams I sort of like (you have to love the Steelers, and how great would it be to see The Bus get a ring) and Seattle, well, they simply have the best uniforms in football.
And when all is said and done, the most important thing isn’t that my team wins, it’s that the Cowboys and Raiders lose.
lullaby pit 
Not really
Actually you don’t have to love the Steelers. Yes they have some of greatest* football fans in the nation, and yes Bettis and Big Ben are classy guys, but who wants to see that annoying coach Bill Cower. Here are a few definites for XL. There will be Jerome Bettis Parent’s cam, there will be a Coach Cower annoying face cam. This game has a lot of factors. The first being, are the Hawks that good? Look at their conference and schedule? Will two weeks cool off the Steelers? This much I know, the Steelers will be the Nation’s favorite, except in B-Lo where their third stringers made us look like chumps last year.
*As far as the greatest fans comment here’s MY equation, what would yours be?
This is Pro teams only, college is a different animal. It’s easy to offer free tickets a bunch of college kids who just did their first keg stand the night before and live in a small town where it’s the only thing going is the game. There’s also the 35 year old guy who is trying to relive his “glory” days of funneling 3 beers before he goes into the game where he got dirt cheap tickets. I’m not saying that there aren’t rivalries that command $300 plus a ticket, however living in Vols country for a while I know that this happens when they play Florida, not Vandy, or any other chump team they play.
1) You have to live in a “tough” city. ie. Detroit, NY, not Miami. Basically you have to have an over abundance of abandoned, rusty, graffiti filled warehouses.
2) Fans have to sell out games when your team is showing promise, and not when they suck. Bo Sox fans only started to sell out games within the last 5 years, same with the Yanks, great fans are going to protest with their wallets. Going to a game just to get drunk when your team sucks doesn’t constitute a great fan, that means you drunk Cubs fan.
3) You have to have a sports history
4) You have to have suffered sports heartbreak
5) You can’t like a team only because you have cool colors. This one explains all the white trash that show up when the Raiders play.
6) They have to be realistic, and knowledgeable. Titan fans are ridiculously optimistic. There’s faith, and there’s realism.
7) Have to be witty when making fun of a team, not so cocky that they sound stupid. Pats fans are by far the dumbest, and by far the most unfunny and least original fans. Jets fans are pretty good.
8) No Domes, 2/3d’s of the Vikings fans might tailgate 4 hours before the game, but that’s easy when you know you’re going to be in a balmy 72 degree greenhouse.
9) Notorious tailgating skills, Bears, Packers. I went to a Titans tail gate the year after they went to the Super Bowl, one word………..weak!
10) Fans don’t necessarily have to fear for their lives, but they must be significantly worried about getting stuff thrown on, or at them when visiting your team’s home.
What are yours? I’ll have some more later.
Not really
Actually you don’t have to love the Steelers. Yes they have some of greatest* football fans in the nation, and yes Bettis and Big Ben are classy guys, but who wants to see that annoying coach Bill Cower. Here are a few definites for XL. There will be Jerome Bettis Parent’s cam, there will be a Coach Cower annoying face cam. This game has a lot of factors. The first being, are the Hawks that good? Look at their conference and schedule? Will two weeks cool off the Steelers? This much I know, the Steelers will be the Nation’s favorite, except in B-Lo where their third stringers made us look like chumps last year.
*As far as the greatest fans comment here’s MY equation, what would yours be?
This is Pro teams only, college is a different animal. It’s easy to offer free tickets a bunch of college kids who just did their first keg stand the night before and live in a small town where it’s the only thing going is the game. There’s also the 35 year old guy who is trying to relive his “glory” days of funneling 3 beers before he goes into the game where he got dirt cheap tickets. I’m not saying that there aren’t rivalries that command $300 plus a ticket, however living in Vols country for a while I know that this happens when they play Florida, not Vandy, or any other chump team they play.
1) You have to live in a “tough” city. ie. Detroit, NY, not Miami. Basically you have to have an over abundance of abandoned, rusty, graffiti filled warehouses.
2) Fans have to sell out games when your team is showing promise, and not when they suck. Bo Sox fans only started to sell out games within the last 5 years, same with the Yanks, great fans are going to protest with their wallets. Going to a game just to get drunk when your team sucks doesn’t constitute a great fan, that means you drunk Cubs fan.
3) You have to have a sports history
4) You have to have suffered sports heartbreak
5) You can’t like a team only because you have cool colors. This one explains all the white trash that show up when the Raiders play.
6) They have to be realistic, and knowledgeable. Titan fans are ridiculously optimistic. There’s faith, and there’s realism.
7) Have to be witty when making fun of a team, not so cocky that they sound stupid. Pats fans are by far the dumbest, and by far the most unfunny and least original fans. Jets fans are pretty good.
8) No Domes, 2/3d’s of the Vikings fans might tailgate 4 hours before the game, but that’s easy when you know you’re going to be in a balmy 72 degree greenhouse.
9) Notorious tailgating skills, Bears, Packers. I went to a Titans tail gate the year after they went to the Super Bowl, one word………..weak!
10) Fans don’t necessarily have to fear for their lives, but they must be significantly worried about getting stuff thrown on, or at them when visiting your team’s home.
What are yours? I’ll have some more later.
Re: Not really
Well, MY criteria for BEST fans are going to be really skewed, because one of the things that I look for is how smart are they? Do they know the game? Are they able to get their brains out in front of their passions?
I respect loyalty and I respect fervor and all that, but gods, I hate fans whose IQ drops 50% when the whistle blows.
Re: Not really
Well, MY criteria for BEST fans are going to be really skewed, because one of the things that I look for is how smart are they? Do they know the game? Are they able to get their brains out in front of their passions?
I respect loyalty and I respect fervor and all that, but gods, I hate fans whose IQ drops 50% when the whistle blows.
Re: Not really
lol… pretty good list — I would have to say that Pittsburgh and Buffalo pretty much satisfy all of the criteria on your list ! I would amend #2 slightly, and say that the fans are required to at least follow the team when they suck and not just jump on the bandwagon when the team starts to win! Consistent with #7, Pats fans fail this test miserably, and they’re not even aware of it — it was beautiful to not see any Pats jerseys around here in CT the past week — no Super Bowl for the Pats this year, so now who do I root for (answer: whichever team wins the Super Bowl!).
I totally agree with you on #7 — case in point: I was tailgating between two caravans of Pats fans at the game on December 11th, and one dude comes up to me before the game and says, “Well, at least it will help your draft pick position next year after you guys lose this game!”. First of all, I wouldn’t even think of saying anything like that if I am a fan of the visiting team…heck, I keep a low profile and pretty much keep my mouth shut! Second, these guys were being loud and obnoxious, firing off air horns every few minutes, generally acting like horses’ *sses , as if they owned the place! That kind off stuff is a privilege reserved for fans of the home team, you morons!
I will add #11 to your list: The play-by-play radio announcers absolutely must not be homers, unlike the homer-of-homer Pats fans radio guys — they must be willing to absolutely skewer and criticize the players and coaches when things don’t go well, not just whine, make excuses and blame things on the officials and other non-existent reasons!
My comment on #9 — the Bills’ fans top this list, no doubt! At what other stadium do those crazy Canucks come down to and party, and feast on AUTHENTIC wings, Labatt blue, and beef-on-weck ? Answer: none !
Go Bills !!!
Re: Not really
lol… pretty good list — I would have to say that Pittsburgh and Buffalo pretty much satisfy all of the criteria on your list ! I would amend #2 slightly, and say that the fans are required to at least follow the team when they suck and not just jump on the bandwagon when the team starts to win! Consistent with #7, Pats fans fail this test miserably, and they’re not even aware of it — it was beautiful to not see any Pats jerseys around here in CT the past week — no Super Bowl for the Pats this year, so now who do I root for (answer: whichever team wins the Super Bowl!).
I totally agree with you on #7 — case in point: I was tailgating between two caravans of Pats fans at the game on December 11th, and one dude comes up to me before the game and says, “Well, at least it will help your draft pick position next year after you guys lose this game!”. First of all, I wouldn’t even think of saying anything like that if I am a fan of the visiting team…heck, I keep a low profile and pretty much keep my mouth shut! Second, these guys were being loud and obnoxious, firing off air horns every few minutes, generally acting like horses’ *sses , as if they owned the place! That kind off stuff is a privilege reserved for fans of the home team, you morons!
I will add #11 to your list: The play-by-play radio announcers absolutely must not be homers, unlike the homer-of-homer Pats fans radio guys — they must be willing to absolutely skewer and criticize the players and coaches when things don’t go well, not just whine, make excuses and blame things on the officials and other non-existent reasons!
My comment on #9 — the Bills’ fans top this list, no doubt! At what other stadium do those crazy Canucks come down to and party, and feast on AUTHENTIC wings, Labatt blue, and beef-on-weck ? Answer: none !
Go Bills !!!
yeah, i think the Steelers will win it this year … which sends the wrong message. Bill Cowher is a great guts and grits coach, but his bad clock and play management at the ends of halves almost bit him again this past weekend. it feels too much like being at work where you win despite management, not because of it.
of course, this Superbowl is more significant than most. it’ll be the last time in a bunch of years that a team other than Cincinnati wins it all. ;P
yeah, i think the Steelers will win it this year … which sends the wrong message. Bill Cowher is a great guts and grits coach, but his bad clock and play management at the ends of halves almost bit him again this past weekend. it feels too much like being at work where you win despite management, not because of it.
of course, this Superbowl is more significant than most. it’ll be the last time in a bunch of years that a team other than Cincinnati wins it all. ;P
Uh-huh. See, you think it looks good. Everything is getting better with each passing season. Except now you get to wait and watch as Chad Johnson pulls a Me.O. and tears the team apart, just like his good friend Terrell.
7-9 unless they trade him and get value.
Uh-huh. See, you think it looks good. Everything is getting better with each passing season. Except now you get to wait and watch as Chad Johnson pulls a Me.O. and tears the team apart, just like his good friend Terrell.
7-9 unless they trade him and get value.
Re: Not really
That would fall under #6 in my rules
Re: Not really
That would fall under #6 in my rules
Re: Not really
I have a love hate relationship with Buffalo talk radio. In the morning I become optimistic, then in the afternoon I become the opposite. It helps me get through the day. It keeps my mind off important things; actually I?d rather worry about sports then my personal finances. I?m looking forward to the Bills next season, I wonder how the new coach will shake things up. I want to add a #12, must have a significant amount of fans that have moved away and form clubs nation wide, ie (your team here) Nation.
Re: Not really
I have a love hate relationship with Buffalo talk radio. In the morning I become optimistic, then in the afternoon I become the opposite. It helps me get through the day. It keeps my mind off important things; actually I?d rather worry about sports then my personal finances. I?m looking forward to the Bills next season, I wonder how the new coach will shake things up. I want to add a #12, must have a significant amount of fans that have moved away and form clubs nation wide, ie (your team here) Nation.