And so is the Fourth Seminole War. We're (Rob and Cole) going to try something different. Since we don't live in the same town, we have to communicate via the wonderful world of the internet. What we've decided to do is watch games together and comment on them at the end of each half, inning, period, etc. We'll share our comments with each other, respond, and then share them with you.
September 8, 2011
New Orleans Saints vs. Green Bay Packers
Week 1, NFL
Pregame
R.
Good Lord. We almost thought this day would never come, but like a drunk with whiskey dick after four hours, it finally has. The NFL season opens with the last two super bowl champs squaring off, and everyone and their mom is previewing it, breaking it down, and making bold, unfounded predictions about the season. The anticipation is palpable, even though I never really felt there was a chance we would lose the NFL this year, and in fact only the Hall of Fame Game fell victim to the lockout. Perhaps the labor stoppage just gave many of us a sense of football's mortality, raising the spectre of a life without it so we would value it all the more. I suppose I am ready for the start, but for my part, with the Sox and Yanks battling (and the damn Rays just haaaaaaaaanging around), and the Noles ready to take command of their rightful place at the head of the ACC and the college football landscape as a whole, I am too distracted to worry about it too much right now. Still, it's an exciting night.
My understanding is that super bowl champs fair very well in week 1, so Cole, I am going with the Pack. My girlfriend thinks Rogers is a dreamboat, so she is with me. Either way, though, I think it will be a good game despite some mistakes and injuries due to the truncated preseason. Other than that, I don't have much of an opinion on it. Ima watch it with you, and be entertained. What I really want to know, sir, is whether I was right to start ya boy Freeman against the Lions rather than march Schaub in against the Colts. Does he have anything to protect him/ throw to?
C.
On February 26, 2011, I weighed 228 pounds. On August 6th, I weighed 207. The boring sports summer triggered something in me to exercise, eat right, drink less beer, get more sleep and live my life a little better than I had been.
All was going well, until August 7th. That night, I drafted the first of four fantasy football teams. I also consumed a dozen chicken wings, several handfuls of Doritos, a twelver of Coors Light and a few cinnamon rolls. Today, I weigh 211 pounds. It took me 5.25 months to drop 21 pounds. In just a month I've put four back on.
It's definitely football season. The Rays are fighting for their lives, and I'm more worried about my fantasy football opponent starting Drew Brees. I live paycheck to paycheck and I have a Master's degree, but what's worrying me right now is why the Lions are only getting 2 points against the Bucs. I'm a degenerate, and I love it.
The last time a Super Bowl champion lost the following season's opening game was in 1999, the year after John Elway retired. That's a pretty strong pattern, and with the Packers getting better, I have to stick with that pattern. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the youngest team in the NFL. The next youngest? The Pack. That team is gonna be good for ages, and they will beat the Saints tonight. Brees doesn't have Lance Moore, which doesn't sound like much considering the ample weapons they have, but Moore is silently their most consistent wide receiver, and I see it hurting them tonight.
Oh, and Rob: after thinking about it, you should go with your gut. Start Freeman. To quote our good buddy Dan, the Bucs are "youngry," and Freeman has the biggest appetite of them all. See you after the first quarter. By the way, I got Brady and Welker in one of my leagues. Championship!
1st Quarter
R.
Not betting against a streak is always the way to go, and losing a guy as quietly reliable as Lance Moore can really put the zap on ya (just ask Tommy).
After one quarter, no one feels like playing any defense, but that's obvious. The score after one is 21-7 Green Bay, but the Saints are marching at will as well save for one nice hat-on-the-ball forced fumble. What made me most happy in this game was seeing the opening kick-off get run out. I guess it's not dead after all. I also liked Al Michael's point at the end of the quarter, pointing out that the Saints had taken it upon themselves to work out without coaches all off-season while the Pack simply did not. Hasn't seemed to make a whole lot of difference so far. Also, if the Saints are effective tonight in the red zone and aren't kicking field goals, it will hurt my brother's fantasy team, which will in turn help my week one chances. Ugh, fantasy. It creates so much weirdness in my football-watching. I for one don't need any help being interested in the games. but I suppose that could be just me.
For your consideration, my college football system:
Division 1 will consist of three conferences, the PAC (Pacific Athletic Conference), MWAC (Mid-Western), and EAC (Eastern), each maintaining 16-20 teams. The rest are relegated to Division 1 A, playing in their own conferences for their own title as they see fit (hopefully with a playoff). (Division 1 AA will continue to maintain it's dominance over sanity in college football, with it's highly effective playoff system.) Teams in Division 1 may only play one out-of-league opponent each year. Conferences will be split into two divisions, and each will have a title game. The three conference champions will go to what were formerly known as the BCS bowls, with one at-large selection based on record, with conference record then opponents' win % being the first two tiebreakers. The winners of those bowls will go to round 2, then those winners will play for a championship. Conferences will be free, but not forced, to accept Div. 1A teams to replace any crappy basement-dwellers they want to unload, with no minimum or maximum.
It could work, too bad it will never happen.
2nd Quarter
C.
Want to get even more frustrated? Try playing in multiple fantasy football leagues. In one league, my opponent has Drew Brees, and in another, I have Marques Colston. It's like getting sick on vacation. You're not at work, but you feel like horse shit.
Predictably in the second half the Packers slow down a bit, with an uncharacteristic three and out thrown in there. Also, much like Packers fans now say "Brett who?", it looks like Saints fans can now ask: Reggie who? Darren Sproles torches the Packers' punt team for a 72 yard touchdown, and suddenly, it's a four point ballgame. He's also catching balls out of the backfield and getting down the field VERY quickly.
And just when you think the Saints have it figured out, the Packers throw a wrench in their plans. They run a little more on their next drive, and 6:38 later, James Starks pounds the rock into the end zone. Also, can I just say how much it hurts watching Patrick Robinson get burned all night? He's only in his second year, so I think he'll be much better as time passes, but this is rough to watch. Although - I can't be too happy if he's a weak link for one of the Bucs' most daunting divisional foes.
I like your idea for conference expansion. If it gets us to a playoff, I'm all for it. FYI, with the Red Sox loss today, the Rays are only 6.5 games out of the wild card race with six games left against the Sox, including three at the Trop this weekend. If we sweep them, we're still in it!
3rd Quarter
R.
The kick-off lives! Looks like with a little balls this part of the game carries on undaunted. Only downside to the touchdown return was that Cromartie's record got tied. I think the effects are not going to be as drastic as we might think.
I never really felt comfortable with Robinson in college. Him getting torched tonight does not come as a great surprise.
Speaking of bad defense, what bad defense. They are saying it's good for the fans, but I for one want to see smash-mouth D's punishing each other's offenses, and those offenses earning tough yards. The Packers D line is excluded from this rant, though. They are having a great game.
Dare to dream the impossible dream about those Rays. We are so tight lately playing for Wake's 200th, I think it colors everything. Plus Becks went out for a minute, Youk is down, and things were looking a little squirrelly. Now it looks like our rotation will be intact for October, and we have those chances you mentioned to put you away for good, so we'll be alright.
4th Quarter
C.
A nearly catastrophic game for the Packers. The cheeseheads better be glad that AJ Hawk blanketed Sproles on that pass play, because if he hadn't that's a touchdown and we're probably in overtime. I'm happy the Saints start the season 0-1, the Bucs will need all the help they can get.
Helluva first night for the NFL. With this great performance, all memories of the lockout are officially wiped away.
Go Rays, Go Bucs, Go Bolts and Go Noles!
