No coverage on the Ravens??
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For the last two weeks the Bills have cooled off the two hottest teams in the league. Baltimore survived in a close game and the Steelers who desperately needed a win could not prevail at home against Buffalo. They deserved some comment.
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Given how supposedly fanatical American sports fans are, why do they tolerate abuses that would not be tolerated abroad? Why do fans accept their team moving to different cities? Like St Louis or Oakland or San Diego? This is a betrayal of a community and of tradition. No European soccer club would ever be allowed to relocate. There would be riots.
And why do fans tolerate incompetent and indifferent ownership, after decade long track records? In places like Tampa and Cleveland and Detroit? In Europe fans would have organized to pressure the owners to sell, and either boycotted or protested games. Instead here there’s just a pathetic acceptance of failure, a collective resignation. It doesn’t have to be like this.
And why do communities accept cuts in education and infrastructure or increased taxes simply to pay for shiny new stadia for billionaires? Shouldn’t billionaires invest their own money, seeing as how they reap the rewards? This ability to move teams allows individuals to hold cities and communities to ransom. It’s unethical and should be illegal. Fans are not just consumers, they are emotional stakeholders. What is a team without its fan base?
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@Xoxarle it's very simple: the NFL was granted an exception to Anti-Trust Laws by Congress. It makes taking them on extraordinarily expensive.
The entire league should be run like the GB Packers - owned by the city, citizen shareholders.
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The Packers just keep grinding out wins despite the team itself not racking up the numbers. Maybe they just have heart?
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In reality there is nothing to be learned from the NFL.
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Almost nothing to say about The Bills again. Not a surprise.
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@peter Did you notice the Jets were entirely missing? As they should be with the team doing their best to ruin a premier running back and a potential star QB as well.
@William L Gensert
Just saying week in week out I read nothing about the bills. If they win, the focus is consistently on the shortcomings of their opponents. I don’t expect much, but prior to the game all I read or heard about was Mike Tomlin, coach of the year.
The bills defense had issues with the run a few weeks back. Now look how they handled the run versus the Steelers and more importantly The Ravens. 10-4 and a single sentence.
If they beat New England next week I look forward to reading about Tom Brady riding off into the sunset on a golden steed.
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This Pats fan knows we're not going to make it too far in the playoffs as we'll get run over by the Ravens.
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The Buffalo Bills are for REAL ... they’v Got a D that can win games by keeping the opponent in check and Josh Allen has just enough to squeak out victories ... no a dominant team but a ‘capable’ team ... Let’s Go Buffalo !!!!
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Yes, fellow football analysts, Brady will one day retire. The 20 year run and 7 Superbowl* wins will set a new mark. Don’t jolly in their demise, it will have ended on their terms. Struggling now at 11-3 would sure be a sign that not is all well in Foxboro.
* Don’t count them out yet.
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I sure don't. However, I am sick of hering about people filming other team's benches, as a man was caught doing. I am sure New England is not alone in doing this. However (as I already wrote), he was dumb enough to get caught. Can't they play withought cheating? Each year, I lose respect for a sport I used to love. The NBA has already gone out my window. I am sick of it. For me today, no US sport can hold a candle to the world's sport: Soccer (true "football")
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@Easy Goer
The bribes, cheating, blackmail and other dirty deeds committed by FIFA make the NCAA, let alone the NFL, look like a church social.
Let's face it---when there are billions of dollars at stake---there is going to be corruption. We just need enforcement with enough teeth to limit it.
We learned the Patriots are mediocre and they still cheat according to the footage that was released over the weekend and that Tom Brady should have retired. We learned that Dallas figured out that they should use their running back. We learned that the Packers are still winning "ugly." Go Pack!
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Being a Denver Bronco fan I suddenly found myself wishing Denver would loose, and they did. Spectacularly.
Teams with a loosing season have strong dis-incentives to loose. Why? Because winning does nobody any good. I would have thrown the game yesterday.
Let me illustrate. Here are Denver’s incentives to loose for the remainder of the season.
1. Denver needs to protect its players for next season.
2. Denver needs the best draft picks for next season.
3. Denver fought a division rival. In terms of ‘division solidarity’ Denver could be forgiven to let a division rival have a better record for the playoffs.
Reasons for Denver to win? None. Absolutely none.
Why mediocre teams do not throw games (loose on purpose) more than half-way through the season is a mystery to me.
@PC But what about selling tickets, jerseys, and stuff? One winning game, even in a losing season, makes more money. Reason to win, even in a losing season: sales.
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@PC
Well, pride for one.
Also, a dismal season performance is going to lead to cuts and firings. Why would a team voluntarily lose games and give the front office a reason to let them go? That's what always drove me crazy about the ridiculous theory that the Colts tanked a season in order to draft Andrew Luck. Most of that team, coaches included, got fired when the season ended. Tanking makes no sense except to fans looking to next season.
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@JB, I understand but if my investment was on the line, if I was the owner, I’d be throwing it, big time.
I understand losing is rewarded with draft picks but there must be another way. Like ‘best improved team’ gets draft picks. Unfortunately if you ‘incentivize’ losing, then losing is always an option.
The Chiefs disproved the theory that cold and snow cuts in Denver's favor. The Packers' Lambeau field looked like a summer picnic ground compared to Arrowhead's snowy, slippery surface. The Chiefs' "snow angel" celebrations were funny.
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The teams I love to hate, Cowboys and Patriots, won yesterday but the showdown is next week for the Cowboys. As an Eagles fan, it has been a tough year with injuries and the pucker factor has been extremely high in the games won including yesterday. As noted at least they covered the spread on the fluke play at the end. Shout out to Greg Ward, former QB for the Cougars, for some key catches that saved the day.
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With QBs there is no gradual decline, instead, they say it’s like falling off a cliff in the dark. It’s like a pitcher who goes from throwing 98 mph to throwing 89 mph. The zip is gone. Tom Brady still has all the knowledge and instinct of any QB in history but the zip is gone from his arm. His arm strength is another problem, he racks last in the league regarded long passes and the defenses know it. The Patriots have been scored on by three teams with one similarity- mobile QBs- the very thing they don’t see in practice . The long reign of the Patriots is going, going ....gone.
This is the last hurrah. The future does not belong to the Patriots. Father Time is undefeated.
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@Lonnie Lets see how they do against the Bills this time another Mobile young QB, if they lose I'd agree with you 100% if they win I'd would agree to some degree about the aging (no ones escapes father time, not even Brady), but that would be a good test to prepare to play the Chief or the Ravens, which by the way both were winnable games for NE, the game with the chief would change with if it wasn't for the blown call by the zebras and the ravens game what if Edelman didn't fumble ?. What I am saying these 2 games were "winnable" against very good teams
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@Jose Of course they were winnable. Of course the refs/mistakes hurt. They'll beat Bills and get bye, beat anyone at Gillette (even, not easy, KC), but at Inner Harbor? Flip a coin. Again. And again. I think it'll be- in OT epic- crab cakes for all (I hope not). OK if you disagree. Don't all of us up here?
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@Lonnie
"the last hurrah?" No. As a Pats fan, I would agree that Brady is declining, and I don't think they will make the SB this year - but I could be wrong. But you haven't accounted for the coach. I think Brady will go at the end of this season (my druthers would have been for him to go after winning SB LIII), they will take a year, maybe 2 to re-up, then they will dominate again - sorry.
In Bill We Trust.
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Two point I want to make.
Kudos to the Patriots org./team for the incredible run they have made over the yrs.
However, the end is near. The defense if saving Brady. He is no longer the qb he was now that he is on football SS ie age 40+.
Better for him to retire this yr and not play another three/four yrs. and look like a Willie Mays at the end of his career or worse get seriously injured. The Patriots are beatable by any number of top teams.
The Cowboys proved they have some of, if not the best talent in the league against the Rams.
Which team will show up against the Eagles next week?
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@Paul Hear, hear! The end is near, very likely this year, definitely in next two or three. TB12 should hang 'em up the minute he feels it. GOAT can't go out like Say-Hey Kid. Don't see trip to Miami coming. All here hope and pray for one...but crab cakes for all in the end (I think)!...Add Jerry's 'Boys: The one last week. For a phew of my Philly Phfriends..."E-A-G-L-E-S"!
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@Paul
"... the end is near."
And always will be. The Patriots are the Joe Biden of football - the team that everyone confidently predicts is near their end...but oh, wait...there they are hoisting the Lombardi trophy again.
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@Thucydides thank you for your reply. As Herodotus, your pal in Ancient Greece taught us, learn from history.
I hope I am wrong but I have seen too many Willie Mays' in my lifetime to say history will usually prove me right.
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If the Packers keep winning by narrow margins all the way to the Super Bowl, fans will be happy but pundits will be upset. They can't please everyone.
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We've learned the league is rigged and there really is no real competition, just entertainment.
No wait...No..we're all still under the illusion that the league really didn't tell us in open court that all they are is entertainment..
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