NFL 2021 Postseason

[ImLawBoy]

Hockey was virtually unwatchable on TV for me until I started going to games (had season tickets to Michigan hockey my junior year). Part of it was low-rez TV in the day (heck, was it still black and white back then?), but also I really had no idea what was going on. Not just the stuff that Meal is talking about with just understanding the rules (although NHL video games helped greatly with that!), but mostly not knowing what to watch/where to look. The puck moved too fast to keep track of (which is why Fox's puck tracker was a good idea in concept) and I didn't intuitively understand where the puck was going and why. Once I watched games in person with long time hockey fans (mostly Red Wings fans, of course) and was able to see how things unfolded live, I was able to watch on TV.

That said, it's still my least favorite of the "big 4" sports to watch on TV, but that's probably due in large part to it being my least favorite of the big 4 in general.

[LawBeefaroni]

I grew up listening to hockey on the radio. Still love "watching" games that way.

[Unagi]

This is pretty great.

Wooot!!! You guys went to the Super Bowl!!!!!! It's kinda fun to re-watch.

[Unagi]

I love this:

[LordMortis]

It's a pretty contentious subject among local sports fans, which entertains my tiny pathetic world. The self loathing for Lions fans has come to a head over this. No one hated Verlander for going on to win a world series but there seem to be battle lines for Stafford and cheering for or jeering at his success. Personally, I know he always played with heart, even if I would have traded his salary away a long time ago for the right trade. I rooted against him, if only increase Lions draft position. Once that was shot, I became apathetic.

The basking in failure has been funny. Some locals wanted to Stafford to lose because he couldn't win a playoff here with Suh and Johnson and Farley and... Other locals wanted the Bengals to lose because if they win, that's one more worst to first team we could never be and one less team that has never won it all.

[Carpet_pissr]

For a game that came down to the last drives, it felt really low-energy throughout and anticlimactic at the end. Part of that may be due to the refs deciding that they actually existed in the last minutes (the first holding call was terrible), but I'm not sure that can explain all of it. It all just felt very casual and low-stakes.

Also, as I mentioned upthread somewhere, the quality and energy and excitement of the post-season games was unreal this year, and not likely to be topped by the SB. And it wasn't just one! This post-season was an abundance of football game riches.

[El Guapo]

It's a pretty contentious subject among local sports fans, which entertains my tiny pathetic world. The self loathing for Lions fans has come to a head over this. No one hated Verlander for going on to win a world series but there seem to be battle lines for Stafford and cheering for or jeering at his success. Personally, I know he always played with heart, even if I would have traded his salary away a long time ago for the right trade. I rooted against him, if only increase Lions draft position. Once that was shot, I became apathetic.

The basking in failure has been funny. Some locals wanted to Stafford to lose because he couldn't win a playoff here with Suh and Johnson and Farley and... Other locals wanted the Bengals to lose because if they win, that's one more worst to first team we could never be and one less team that has never won it all.

This is where Boston fans were in the 90s when Ray Bourque left to win a title with the Avalanche. Mix of happy and sad. But hey, look how that all turned out for Boston fandom!

[msteelers]

I would argue football is the best sport for TV, with possibly only basketball being able to challenge it. Baseball is by far the best sport for radio, and I don't think it's a coincidence that as we started watching more and more sports on TV rather than listening on the radio, baseball has fallen in popularity while the NBA and NFL skyrocketed.

Hockey's biggest issue is there's a lot of institutional knowledge that isn't inherently obvious to new fans. It'd be a lot like me tuning into a random cricket match. I wouldn't expect the announcers to explain everything to me like it was my first game (though it would be). There's a lot of beauty in hockey for what it is, but a new fan would suffer greatly for not knowing a lot of the whys behind how things are playing out.

Also agreed, but this is a massive issue with football, as well.

I don't think it's that big of an issue in the NFL. I feel like the best color commentators in the game have always broken down the complexities of the sport and presented them in a way that new people can easily understand. John Madden was famous for it. I think Chris Collinsworth is also really good at it, without the comedy flair Madden had. And Romo became an instant hit simply because he was able to tell everyone exactly what the QB was thinking (and also predicting plays).

[Unagi]

It's a pretty contentious subject among local sports fans, which entertains my tiny pathetic world. The self loathing for Lions fans has come to a head over this. No one hated Verlander for going on to win a world series but there seem to be battle lines for Stafford and cheering for or jeering at his success. Personally, I know he always played with heart, even if I would have traded his salary away a long time ago for the right trade. I rooted against him, if only increase Lions draft position. Once that was shot, I became apathetic.

The basking in failure has been funny. Some locals wanted to Stafford to lose because he couldn't win a playoff here with Suh and Johnson and Farley and... Other locals wanted the Bengals to lose because if they win, that's one more worst to first team we could never be and one less team that has never won it all.

The Lions have always been 'my enemy', I married an 11-mile girl, so I've been forced to be reasonable about it all.. but honestly, with Stafford, it wasn't hard. Stafford was always a good guy. My understanding is that he and his wife did a crap ton of good for the people of Detroit. I like to think of the good people of the Detroit Fan Base, to look at Stafford as being 'their son', and they should actually be happy for him. I'm honestly a bit saddened (although I shouldn't have been so stupid to think otherwise) to hear that some people in Detroit rooted against him. Our house was 'full-on' for the LA Rams, and it was all for him.

[LordMortis]

My understanding is that he and his wife did a crap ton of good for the people of Detroit.

For more than a few communities in and around Detroit, yes, which is precisely why you shouldn't shit on him even if you want to.

[Unagi]

My understanding is that he and his wife did a crap ton of good for the people of Detroit.

For more than a few communities in and around Detroit, yes, which is precisely why you shouldn't shit on him even if you want to.

To the casual reader, that’s going to sound like you’re saying I shit on him.

[LordMortis]

My understanding is that he and his wife did a crap ton of good for the people of Detroit.

For more than a few communities in and around Detroit, yes, which is precisely why you shouldn't shit on him even if you want to.

To the casual reader, that’s going to sound like you’re saying I shit on him.

That's the das man form of you. It's the They of you. If this were R&P it would be the a lot of people of you.

[The Meal]

I got a lot of mileage out of sending out versions of this text today:

"Matthew Stafford - 1
Aaron Rodgers - 1"

[Isgrimnur]

[RunningMn9]

For a game that came down to the last drives, it felt really low-energy throughout and anticlimactic at the end. Part of that may be due to the refs deciding that they actually existed in the last minutes (the first holding call was terrible), but I'm not sure that can explain all of it. It all just felt very casual and low-stakes.

Watch the play right before the holding call. The holding call itself was hot garbage, but on the play before the receiving target was straight up mugged with the ball in the air. I’ll bet just about everything that I have that the phantom hold was simply a makeup for the egregious hold on the previous play.

Nothing holds a candle to that long TD by the Bengals. That was an absurd embarrassment for the officiating crew. Even in a game where you are letting them play, when the DB turns to track the ball, you can’t let the WR grab their face mask, spin them back, toss them to the ground, and then make an easy uncontested catch for a 75 yard TD.

The game had drama because it was close, but it was close because we were watching two teams that aren’t particularly great, playing poorly. Had OBJ not gotten hurt, that game was likely not close at all.

The halftime show was probably my second favorite halftime show though, after Prince. I cannot imagine the Prince show ever being topped.

[Octavious]

Nobody will ever top Prince. I still go back to the video of While My Guitar Gently Weeps and wonder where the guitar went. He was one of a kind.

[msteelers]

Nobody will ever top Prince. I still go back to the video of While My Guitar Gently Weeps and wonder where the guitar went. He was one of a kind.

Wasn’t that the hall of fame performance? I don’t think that was his halftime show.

[disarm]

Nobody will ever top Prince. I still go back to the video of While My Guitar Gently Weeps and wonder where the guitar went. He was one of a kind.

Wasn’t that the hall of fame performance? I don’t think that was his halftime show.

That was part of a tribute show for George Harrison

[Octavious]

Nobody will ever top Prince. I still go back to the video of While My Guitar Gently Weeps and wonder where the guitar went. He was one of a kind.

Wasn’t that the hall of fame performance? I don’t think that was his halftime show.

Ya I know it's not from the halftime show. I'm just saying he was a god at performing and that was probably one of the most ridiculous performances he ever did.

[msteelers]

Nobody will ever top Prince. I still go back to the video of While My Guitar Gently Weeps and wonder where the guitar went. He was one of a kind.

Wasn’t that the hall of fame performance? I don’t think that was his halftime show.

Ya I know it's not from the halftime show. I'm just saying he was a god at performing and that was probably one of the most ridiculous performances he ever did.

Gotcha. Yeah, I love that performance too. For some reason though I'm blanking on what his halftime show was like. I'll have to go back to youtube and watch it.

[RunningMn9]

Purple Rain, in a monsoon.

[msteelers]

Yeah, that was nuts. I can't believe I blanked on the details of that halftime show. Prince was awesome.

My personal favorite is still Bruno Mars. We rewatch that one every year and it's one of those performances that always seems to get me hyped.

[Isgrimnur]

ESPN

Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley has been suspended for at least the 2022 season after gambling on games in 2021.

The NFL released a statement Monday announced his suspension, saying he gambled on games over a five-day stretch during November 2021 when he was on the non-football injury list list while dealing with mental health issues.

Ridley stepped away from football on Halloween, saying he needed to get his personal issues in order.

[naednek]

Lol

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

[Jaymann]

Russell Wilson to the Broncos. Guess they made this move after Aarogant Rodgers re-signed with the Packers. Just what we need, another high level QB in the AFC West.

[Hrothgar]

Ridley, Wilson and Rodgers are all interesting, but can we move this to the off season thread?

[naednek]

Ridley, Wilson and Rodgers are all interesting, but can we move this to the off season thread?

I blame ISG, if he had posted in the right thread my picture would have followed

[Isgrimnur]

Glitches happen.