Football talk

[JoeFootball]

@ JoeFootball - if "Football" refers to the NFL, I imagine you are wearing a wedge of cheese on your head this week? I am.

Yes, American football, and soccer too. While I am in Minneapolis, nearby to the fine Land O' Cheese, I am neither a true Packers nor Vikings fan, but I do appreciate both.

Sadly, my NFL brethren have fallen from the playoffs, and may may soon find themselves playing next year somewhere in the desert, which is even more tragic in my personal opinion. Anyway, I'll be cheering for Pittsburgh this weekend, and we'll see how far that gets me.

In college, our home team made on & off the field news this season, but exited on a high note by winning their bowl game in surprising fashion.

For soccer, our home club just got bumped up to Major League Soccer, so I'm looking forward to that coming in March for our inaugural year in MLS.

A few years ago, I was pressured into selecting a Premier League club to follow, and with my vast depth of soccer knowledge, I chose them by their colors & logo, and it turned out to not be such a bad choice, but boy do they play early in the morning on TV.

So I got that going for me. Which is nice.

Joe

[austin.texas]

I sort of expected a pro-Vikings / anti-Packers response...

[JoeFootball]

I sort of expected a pro-Vikings / anti-Packers response...

Yes, that would have been the logical assumption.

[Penn]

Like Joe, I don't live in the Market of my favorite team but I do root for the current home team as long as they aren't playing the orange and black (oh my, losing 3 coordinators to head coaching positions in just a few years and a single offseason seeing the departure of receivers 2-4 along with the 3 best defensive players having "issues"....).

Living in ATL area it is nice to see what happened to the Pack. But I don't really expect much from the Falcons in 2 weeks against Belichick with 2 weeks to prepare. Watching Quinn's team at the beginning of the season I thought even making the playoffs would be a long shot because that defense was horrid and some of those early wins were games where they "got away with one". I have never seen a unit from a team improve during the course of a season like they have but this defense still have some major weaknesses.

Listening to some of the things the announcers were saying during the AFC game gives hope for Falcon fans. Belicheat likes to take away the primary offensive weapons which would mean whichever running back is in along with Julio and Sanu. But I have seen teams take those away to some extent this year and the result was Ryan setting an NFL regular season record by throwing TD's to 13 different receivers. Really, eighth most points ever scored by a team? Second seed? And no one was talking about this team until they beat Seattle last week?

I don't expect the Falcons to win but I wouldn't be surprised if they do in a shootout. I would be shocked if the game went less than 55 combined points and they somehow pull it off. Like I said, I am still concerned with that defense but they have held up against some pretty good offenses from December until now. Even if they don't win this has been an impressive season.

It would be nice to be living in an area where the home team wins another championship. I have seen that multiple time in other areas. Then again that I did see that here when the Braves won some championship in a sport that people used to care about the first time I lived in this area.

[austin.texas]

We will both be Falcons fans, then, this month. I always root for whatever team is playing against the Patriots.
You have to respect J. Jones' performance with foot injuries.

[JoeFootball]

It was pretty cool to see that the very last NFL game ever to be played in the Georgia Dome was the Falcons winning the NFC Championship.

fyi, Vegas opened the Super Bowl even, with O/U at 56-1/2. Currently at NE -3, 58-1/2. This will be a fun game to watch.

Joe

[racer-x]

Go Pats!

[z31fanatic]

I'd rather Atlanta win it because they never have.

[Schultz]

It wouldn't surprise me if someone in the Patriot's organization paid that person to set off the fire alarm in the Steelers' hotel, the bunch of cheaters.

I'm rooting for Atlanta by default. But I don't care for either team, really.

[majpooper]

I'm pulling for the Falcons (my hometown team is the Eagles). I was sure the Cheese Heads would win and end up in the SB vs the Pats - so I was pretty amazed as the game developed. It's not anything like the Cubs but still the Pats/Brady have dominated for so long I am pulling for the underdog Falcons who haven't been to the SB since what 1999. Besides Matt Ryan is from the Philly area so there is the hometown connection for me as well.

[z31fanatic]

my hometown team is the Eagles

I bleed green too.
Go Birds!

[racer-x]

Yeah the Falcons are a seriously good team and will likely be a formidable foe for New England. Hopefully the Pats will win.

Speaking of home town, I went to high school with Howie Long. He was the biggest dude in school by a large margin. Bummer he didn't play for the Pats back in the day.

[TooMuchTime]

I always root for whatever team is playing against the Patriots.

With a proven track record of cheating, the Patriots are lucky to even be allowed to be in the league. Oh, wait! The league DID know about the cheating, destroyed the evidence, and took no action. Hmmmm!

I hope the Falcons crush the cheaters.

[all41]

Falcons earned their shot--
Should be a great game.

[lexon]

Hang in there Pats.

L

[Fred Barclay]

Uhh... you guys know this isn't real football, right? Real football is where a bunch of guys kick around an ovalish "ball" without helmets and whatnot.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_rules_football

But seriously...
my vote is for the Falcons. Georgia's a nice place and the folks there have let me know in no uncertain terms that the Falcons have endured years of disappointing seasons, so I think they deserve a win.

[deleted]

How about:
George Carlin- Baseball vs Football (some profanity)
Bob Nelson- Hilarious Football Routine
-H

[Schultz]

Fred Barclay wrote:
Uhh... you guys know this isn't real football, right? Real football is where a bunch of guys kick around an ovalish "ball" without helmets and whatnot.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_rules_football

It seems to me, from the little I've seen of it, that Australian Rules Football is like a cross of American Football and Soccer. Would you say my description is accurate or not, Fred?

[majpooper]

Back in the day when as a young soldier the U.S. Army had Combat Football
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_football

"The game did not have any rules and injuries were common. Players did not wear any protective gear nor were there any time outs called. Anything to win the game was legal except weapons"

I never played it but heard lots of stories. However at Fort Sill, the home The Field Artillery School, we played Rugby as part of our physical fitness training. Rugby can get pretty rough.

[1.618]

Football = FIFA World Cup, Premiere league etc, Everybody knows the English version is the correct use of the word 'Football', anything else is rugby

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football

#COYI!