The OFFICIAL Unofficial Achewood Message Board
Trivial Pursuits => Sports & Leisure => Topic started by: pmcd9 on January 02, 2017, 11:40:19 pm
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Let's see who is the best pro football prognosticator. Who wants to play? I'll go first
Wild Card Round is probably the easiest round to predict, but there are sometimes surprises.
Pittsburgh Vs. Miami
I predict Pittsburgh will win.
Oakland Vs. Houston
Had Derrick Carr not been hurt this would be a no brainer, but he's out and so is his backup. Houston has the top defense in the league. They will shut down Oakland.
Seattle Vs. Detroit
Seattle will win easily at home
Green Bay Vs. New York
This is a tough one, but the way Green Bay has played the last 6 weeks I'm not sure anyone can beat them.
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We could probably set up a playoff pick-em game on Yahoo, if people were into that.
I'm with you on Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Green Bay, but I expect Oakland to pull it out. Houston's got QB woes as well.
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Only one difference of opinion so far.
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Okay, it looks like I got all of my predictions correct. Yay me! Now moving on to the next round, where the picking will be much tougher. Who will play this game with me?
Okay, here are my picks...
Houston vs. New England
Might as well get the easy one out of the way. New England will win, possibly in a landslide.
Seattle vs. Atlanta
I like Seattle and they are proven winners. The Falcons have a history of choking in the postseason. However, Matt Ryan is having an epic year and the Seahawks are not very good away from home. This one goes to Atlanta.
KC vs. Pittsburgh
Very tough call. I like both of these teams. Rothlesberger is one of the all time greats, but Alex Smith is no slouch. I don't think he gets his due as a player. Maybe that will change after this weekend. I'm going to pick the Chiefs.
Greenbay vs. Dallas
Two QB's having MVP years. Add in a running back that can't be stopped and homefield advantage and Dallas wins this one.
I just reallized I picked all home teams. For what it's worth, I would have picked New England even if the game were in Houston.
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I don't know enough to give reasons.
NE
Seattle
Pittsburgh
Dallas
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Very tempting to go all chalk this round, but someone's going to lose at home. Probably KC.
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It was so hard for me to pick Dallas! But like, they are all new players I've never even seen play football.
And I'm right there with you, it's so much easier to hate teams and have vague good feelings for others than to actively like a team.
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It was so hard for me to pick Dallas!
Yeah, me too. I'm sure I've bored you all with this before, but I think I am one of the only true loyal fans in existence because I still carry a torch for The Oilers. But they left me many years ago and all of my illusions about team loyalty went down the toilet. I was so shattered I didn't watch football at all for about a decade except for the Super Bowl. But it turns out I love the game and the broadcast are so awesome now with cameras everywhere and so much tech it's unbelievable*. Sometimes I go into a zone and I'm hardly even watching the game I'm just marveling at the technology. But I will never be a fan of any one team ever again. That's why I'm the only person I know in Houston who doesn't have their head in the clouds about the Texans. To the rest of the country, if the Texans were to win it would be a Shocker, one of the biggest upsets in NFL history. But most Texans fans think they have a fair shot at winning. So anyway, I don't have strong feelings toward any one team. I have my favorites, based almost entirely on how they play. Green Bay is probably my favorite team, because they are great on the field and the way their ownership is structured they are the only team that truly represents the city in which they play. Dallas is an exception for me, I've reserved the right to hate the Cowboys because it's the last vestige of my Oilers fandom. That is to say, hating the Cowboys is part and parcel of being an Oilers fan and it's all I have left. That and a crumbling edifice (the Astrodome) awaiting it's inevitable demolition. But daaaaang, The Cowboys are playing too good to ignore. They are a treat to watch. So I gotta pick 'em, but I won't be sad if they lose.
*Don't believe me go to NFL's YouTube page and search for full games. I watched a game a couple of weeks ago from 1982. first off let me say, I had for gotten just how awesome John Madden and Pat Summerall were. I'm watching the game and I kept expecting the reverse angle shot or the overhead shot or the pilon cam. Then I was like wait, where is the first down marker stripe? Where is the chyron telling me what down it was? I had forgotten how to keep track of the down in my head. Also, the time left on the play clock, or the game clock even. It was maddening for about a quarter. I wonder what it's like for a younger viewer who's never had to rely on their own mind to keep track of these things?
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the day I got an HDTV the steelers and ravens were on Sunday night football. Don't know year...2008-2010 probably. Heath Miller damn near got decapitated. In glorious hd! I now watch football if it is on at my work or if it is OSU-OU and I am with my dad.
This might make me a pansy (I don't know the appropriate way to say pussy. Sorry if pansy is worse?) I guess I'm okay with that. I still vaguely follow it (deadspin, basically) so I'm not moralizing, just it ain't for me.
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And yeah, I think Dallas seems like a fun team.
Then I remembered they were owned by jerry jones. But then I thought...maybe I like jerry jones? He just seems like a coked up drunk, or at least was when people hated him. Hey! I'm okay with that! But it was too much, I didn't want to re-evaluate my opinion on the cowboys and upset the universe. You were born to either hate or love the Yankees and cowboys, I was put in the hate group. No ones fault, just the way the world works.
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Modern problems: my company started blocking video ads on the network. So if you're trying to get to a video but the provider requires you to watch an ad first, you can't get to the video you actually want since the firewall blocks what's coming from the ad server.
Happening right now with nfl.com, in fact. I didn't watch the end of the KC-Pittsburgh game; was the holding penalty on the 2-point conversion legit?
I'm guessing yes. I know KC's tight end is pissed, but to suggest that the penalty was called because the refs either wanted Pittsburgh to win, or that one of them thought America REALLY WANTED TO SEE A PENALTY FLAG RIGHT NOW is freaking ridiculous. I'm sure that ref didn't want to call a penalty at all, but felt like he had to because rules.
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Yeah, I'm the guy who obsessively watches line play. So much malicious nuance goes on in there it sucks me in.
It ain't pretty, but so much of the game is won and lost there. I remember reading something by SI's Dr. Z that he watches the line play first.
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Oh, and how boring is this: the results guarantee that for the 13th time in 14 years, the AFC's starting Super Bowl QB will be Manning, Brady, or Roesthlisberger. Joe Flacco in 2013 is the only outlier.
Hell, you can go back two more years and get Brady one more time, plus Rich Gannon of all people.
I am actually rooting for the Atlanta Falcons at this point. What the HELL people.
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I'm guessing yes. I know KC's tight end is pissed, but to suggest that the penalty was called because the refs either wanted Pittsburgh to win, or that one of them thought America REALLY WANTED TO SEE A PENALTY FLAG RIGHT NOW is freaking ridiculous. I'm sure that ref didn't want to call a penalty at all, but felt like he had to because rules.
You think that's nuts, listen to this theory put forth by my ding-a-ling of a roommate. In the Texans, Patriots game the Patriots came out in the second half and intentionally played poorly in their first offensive series. This was to lure the Texans into a false sense of security so they'd let their guard down. And that's what happened, apparently because after that first series Brady and the Pats steamrolled the Texans for the rest of the game. I don't know if this strategy was also responsible for Osweiler throwing 3 picks in the second half. Geez, what a maroon my roommate is!
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Well, I was 2 for 2 in my predictions this weekend. I have to say though, both KC and Dallas took it to the limit. I can't find it, but I thought I said somewhere that Dallas has an awesome team, but the way Green Bay and Rogers are playing I don't think anyone can beat them. I should have listened to that advice. KC played tough and almost got it done, but one mistake at the end kept them from grabbing that brass ring.
Oh well, better luck this week.
Packers vs. Falcons
I'm gonna take my advice this week and pick the Pack.
Steelers vs. Patriots
I know it's popular to hate Tom Brady, but I have no personal feelings for him. I just know he's an incredibly great football player. In the conversation for best QB ever. Pats are going back to the Superbowl.
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Oh, and how boring is this: the results guarantee that for the 13th time in 14 years, the AFC's starting Super Bowl QB will be Manning, Brady, or Roesthlisberger. Joe Flacco in 2013 is the only outlier.
Hell, you can go back two more years and get Brady one more time, plus Rich Gannon of all people.
I am actually rooting for the Atlanta Falcons at this point. What the HELL people.
This is one of the problems of rooting for teams. You find yourself rooting against the better teams because they frequently beat the team you regularly root for.
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I want the packers to win so I am choosing them. Atlanta seems bush league.
I have a neutral positive feeling on the steelers and neutral negative on the patriots. The steelers packers super bowl would seem classic, packers patriots would actually be the classic for this five year span. Idk...
Steelers packers cause I guess that's what I want?
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This/the first reply to it are the best thing
http://deadspin.com/i-am-a-cowboys-fan-and-i-wasn-t-all-that-sad-when-it-wa-1791251110
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That was pretty funny. True enough though - bandwagoners have the advantage over diehards in a loss.
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Speaking of watching line play, I saw that Ash's old buddy had a bit of an on-camera situation owing to his penchant for pance pissing.
https://twitter.com/pardonmytake/status/811970804330205184?lang=en
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I want the packers to win so I am choosing them. Atlanta seems bush league.
That's just because the Green Bay has the better brand. Atlanta played better than Green Bay all year and Matt Ryan is the best QB this year.
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That's just because the Green Bay has the better brand. Atlanta played better than Green Bay all year and Matt Ryan is the best QB this year.
I think it was 10-0 when I posted this. 24-0 now. There are few things I love seeing more than a disappointed/angry Aaron Rodgers. Still a lot of football left and Aaron is clutch though. Sometimes.
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Packers vs. Falcons
I'm gonna take my advice this week and pick the Pack.
Man, I sure got that one wrong.
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Please...someone...break Tom Brady's spine...fuck*ng please.
That dude is awesome. Man, he was unstoppable today.
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I used to hate Joe Theisman real good, but I just happened to be watching the game that shut down his career (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUIf5m0bgu0) and after that even Cathy Lee Crosby couldn't get me a good hate on him any more.
Man, you ain't need no link, dude, not that I'm gonna click it anyway. That moment is seared into my brain already and I don't want to reinforce it anymore. Just mentioning it makes me wince. Besides, I never hated Theisman anyway. He and the Redskins were the nemesis of The Cowboys so I loved to watch him beat their ass. Also, he was a pretty good announcer and that goes a long way.
I'm the kinda guy, or at least I used to be when I rooted for the Oilers, that hated the opposition team, but always had mad respect for the individuals on that team that played well. That's why I love Terry Bradshaw. After watching him beat down the Oilers time and again you gotta start to develop some admiration. Maybe it's Stockholm Syndrome. That's why it was so satisfying when the Oiler's finally put together a team that could challenge that dynasty. So close to grabbing the brass ring. (https://youtu.be/SF6gWCNDolM)
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Man, you ain't need no link, dude, not that I'm gonna click it anyway. That moment is seared into my brain already and I don't want to reinforce it anymore. Just mentioning it makes me wince.
Yeah, this. Yeesh.
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Somehow I'm the only person my age in America who never saw that clip. Missed it when it happened, and I've avoided it since then. Doesn't sound like something I need to see to improve my life.
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That clip ain't shit compared to when Tim Krumrie got all broke in the Super Bowl.
I remember a picture of that in Sports Illustrated. Totally "dude's leg is NOT suppsoed to bend there."
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I remember a picture of that in Sports Illustrated. Totally "dude's leg is NOT supposed to bend there."
I stopped watching arm wrestling videos a long time ago for similar reasons. Recently I discovered that I must eliminate weight lifting from my diet as well. Fortunately, a concussion rendering punch to the face is still A-Ok!
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I remember a picture of that in Sports Illustrated. Totally "dude's leg is NOT suppsoed to bend there."
Napoleon McCallum's maiming is the one that came to mine for me. Bryant Young and Navorro Bowman's also come quick to mind. At least those two guys got to come back and make more money afterwards. I wonder how many other pro sports have a 100% injury rate.
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Friends, I beseech you. Can we get back to the football predictions and save the broken bone horror stories for another time? Thank You!
One game left, who's gonna win it?
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Those fuck*ng undead asshole Patriots are chalk.
I need an English to Asherdan translator for this one. I think you're saying the Patriots are going to lose, but I'm not certain.
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Chalk is a gambling term for strong favorite. I assume he is using it to mean definitely going to win, though I've never heard it used that way. I don't get nerd shit, but I think the undead has something to do with like elves or something?
The way I'm familiar with chalk you would say I'm taking chalk if it meant you were going to wager on the patriots. I know what it means but have never used it/don't totally know how.
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I've heard "chalk" in use with the NCAA tournament. Like, if all the favored teams won in a region in the first round, you'd say "The East region was all chalk today."
Anywho, as much as I'd like to pick the Falcons, the Patriots are just too good.
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Their only chance, really, is if they score like they are capable, and they get home on blitzes. Pat's O-line is looking better and better though.
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I think it's going to be high scoring affair.
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I am so not a Patriots fan, and would have preferred a Falcons win, but damn that was an entertaining finish. The Patriots did a much better job of adjusting after halftime--the Falcons were getting to Brady in the first half, then in the second half the Pats started picking up that rush. I know the CW is that if you blitz Brady he'll destroy you, but the Falcons just refused to send more than four guys after him and just couldn't do a thing.
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In a reversal of SOP the Superbowl was the best goddamn game of the year. It was especially nice for me because despite the fact that Brady is the Trump supporter it seemed that most of my Atlanta loving Facebook friends were predominately the Trump folks. Suck it Trumpsters.
I mean, Tom Brady's victory parade float could keel over and burst into flames, crushing and burning him to death simultaneously, and I'd go for sticks and marshmallows but I still gotta admit how hella classic the SB LI game was.
Congratulations to an entire class of insufferable fuck-balls.
This is my sentiment completely.
The Patriots did a much better job of adjusting after halftime.
I told my sister on the phone that it looks pretty bleak for the Patriots, but they are so smart and well coached that if any team can come back it's them.
Regardless of Team affiliation, the consensus among my Facebook friends is that Lada Gaga was fuck*ng awesome. On that I hope we can all agree.
I didn't take part in the festivities, but I was living it vicariously on Facebook. It looks like Houston did a real bang up job of hosting the game.
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Yeah, I enjoyed the Gaga show. It was ridiculous and over the top, but Lady Gaga + Super Bowl Halftime Show, what would you expect.
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There is no basketball topic. Last night's Cavs-Wizards game was ridonk.
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Is basketball still a sport? It's been hard for me to follow ever since #8/#21 cratered that purple and gold franchise.
(I realize this is a rhetorical question, but I'm answering it anyway.)
Well sure, but I don't like the turn the game has taken in the past few years. In the other major sports, there's at least some sense that if you make the playoffs and things go your way, you could win a championship. In the NBA right now, there are MAYBE six teams with a realistic shot at the championship. Sure, 16 teams make the playoffs, but if you're a five seed or below the chances are close to 100% that you will get crushed by one of those six teams long before the NBA finals. And the realization of this fact has led to shitty basketball teams racing for the bottom in an effort to get better draft picks. And that may in fact be a good long-term strategy, but it's painful to watch. So some 70% of the national basketball coverage is "What are the Cavs and Warriors up to?" with occasional checks on the Spurs, Thunder, and maybe Rockets and whoever's second or third in the East.
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In a reversal of SOP the Superbowl was the best goddamn game of the year. It was especially nice for me because despite the fact that Brady is the Trump supporter it seemed that most of my Atlanta loving Facebook friends were predominately the Trump folks. Suck it Trumpsters.
The reverse seemed to be true for my Facebook friends. A few in particular thought cheering for the Patriots was a patriotic act and some worked Trump into it.
This reminded me of how I came to hate the Patriots. I had an insufferable prick of a roommate in college from Connecticut. He was also a fan of all the teams in New York and New England. After 9/11 he went on incessantly about how the Yankees just "had to" win the World Series that year. I felt for New York like any other American and I love the city, but they had just knocked my Mariners out in the ALCS (after their wildly successful regular season) so I was getting really tired of him. Then my man and former Mariner Randy Johnson and the Diamondbacks took care of business and shut him up for a few months.
Then came the Super Bowl. The Patriots just "had to" win, because America and it would really show those terrorists. And again he wouldn't shut up about it. And they won. And ever since then I've hated that team.
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There was back and forth about this on my Twitter feed. A few people said New England = mostly blue states, and Georgia = red state. But consensus seemed to be that Brady and Belichek are friends with Trump, so fuck them, and Atlanta's got John Lewis, so.
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There was back and forth about this on my Twitter feed. A few people said New England = mostly blue states, and Georgia = red state. But consensus seemed to be that Brady and Belichek are friends with Trump, so fuck them, and Atlanta's got John Lewis, so.
For my friends it was definitely a north south thing.