NFL Discussion - 2008-09 Playoffs

[nevermore]

Is that the same "Big Baby Ben" that threw for over 200 yds and a TD and didn't get knocked out in a win over the Ravens - in Baltimore - last month?

Yes, that one.

BTW, you are right in that Tennessee has the #7 and Baltimore has the #2 defense.

Of course, Pittsburgh has the #1. Just sayin'. ===> according to NFL.com

Again, that effing Colts game!! Peyton Manning makes me cry.

FL you'll like this one, I guess any Ravens fan might but she is the one I know is diehard.

Steve McNair(QB'd both teams for those who don't know) still has a residence in town and he is currently in town surprise, surprise. One of the local clubs and radio stations is teaming up to host a Ravens Rally to benefit the Ronald McDonald House...in Baltimore(we got one here to you know) and he is to be the MC/guest speaker. Speaking in favor of the Ravens(he QB'd them last those who don't know) and word got out you would have thought a terroist attack on the State Capital had been called in the way people responded in outrage.

Former Titans' quarterback Steve McNair, arguably the most popular player in team history, says he will host Friday night's Ravens rally in Nashville, the night before the Ravens take on the Titans in the second round of the AFC divisional playoffs.
Proceeds from the event will go to the Ronald McDonald House in Baltimore.
McNair told News 2 Thursday he would never cancel and disappoint the many children expecting to him to be there.
"This is a charity event I'm doing for the Ronald McDonald House in Baltimore and that's it," he said. "It doesn't have anything to do with the Ravens or the Titans. I'm gonna be there because I'm not gonna disappoint these kids."

Ah, the old AFC Central those were good times, good times indeed.

Nice. I've been seeing a number of articles about how our #1 receiver was let go in the great salary cap purge of 2004 as well. Gotsta sting.

I apoligize for having erred on some numbers , but hey they haven't moved much from when I last saw them.

No worries. A lot of writers have been getting it wrong too. I think the points allowed stat confuses them...

See you in spirit on Saturday FL!

w00t!!! Smash-mouth football game a-comin'!

 

[Neroon]

To be honest, I can't think of any team I've been more impressed with over the last half of the season than the Ravens. I absolutely love the job that Harbaugh has done there, and his team seems to have HUGE respect and love for the man. And frikkin Ray Lewis is playing like he's been reborn! If that doesn't make a running back wish he were wearing brown pants, nothing will.

 

[nevermore]

Harbaugh was a great pick, and he's put together a really good staff that apparently has even the veterans enjoying practice again. A big key to all that was keep Rex Ryan as well, since that showed a great deal of respect for the D.

Ray is playing well, and hitting like a beast. One of the reasons is that he's apparently playing at 260, which is 10 pounds over his normal playing weight. He says that at 250, he can feel every hit, but with the extra 10 he's got some extra padding and doesn't feel a thing.

I would also like to point out that this will be the Ravens' 17th consecutive game, after their shortened "bye week" in Week 2 due to the hurricane in Houston...which both makes their play in the last few games more impressive, and worries me about their ability to go up against a team coming off a bye. I'm sorta hoping the Titans are a little rusty...

 

[1001001]

I wouldn't mind seeing Tennessee make it to the Super Bowl for Jeff Fisher to get another chance at that ring. His teams don't ever "look pretty" but for the most part he keeps on winning. A Super Bowl win would be just the ticket to get him a bit more of the recognition he deserves.

Ah, the good ol' days....

 

[Neroon]

Hey, I'll have you know I was rooting for the Rams that year. Warner and Faulk were my two favorite players.

 

[Captain Craig]

The biggest irony that could happen in the current state of this years playoffs would be the Titans vs Cardinals for the Super Bowl.

Its the Titans 10 year anniversary of relocating to Nashville. Also 10 years since that Super Bowl berth following what is commonly known as the Music City Miracle where we played the Rams and their QB Kurt Warner.

 

[Mallory]

I'd like to see the Giants in the Super Bowl again and if they can beat the Eagles then I think I will. I don't believe the Giants would lose to either Arizona or Carolina in an NFC title game played at Giants Stadium.

 

[SmoothieX]

If I had my way at this point, it'd be a Pennsylvani Bowl. I don't have a rooting interest in either team but it's just the most appealing matchup to me.

As a Pats fan, I want to see the Giants lay an egg this weekend.

 

[Neroon]

The biggest irony that could happen in the current state of this years playoffs would be the Titans vs Cardinals for the Super Bowl.

Its the Titans 10 year anniversary of relocating to Nashville. Also 10 years since that Super Bowl berth following what is commonly known as the Music City Miracle where we played the Rams and their QB Kurt Warner.

Irony? I'd love it if only because you'd have two such low-profile, smaller markets for the teams involved. That's when the guys in marketing would REALLY have to earn their pay.

 

[Mallory]

As a Pats fan, I want to see the Giants lay an egg this weekend.

I have a feeling you're not the only Patriots fan that feels that way after last year's Super Bowl.

 

[Neroon]

As a Pats fan, I want to see the Giants lay an egg this weekend.

I have a feeling you're not the only Patriots fan that feels that way after last year's Super Bowl.

I think Giants fans are finally coming to the conclusion that they may be missing Plaxico a bit more than they thought they would. Philly looked pretty good against NY that last game. The key to me is have the Giants existing injuries to guys like Jacobs, Hixon and Robbins had enough time to heal up with the bye week?

 

[Captain Craig]

The biggest irony that could happen in the current state of this years playoffs would be the Titans vs Cardinals for the Super Bowl.

Its the Titans 10 year anniversary of relocating to Nashville. Also 10 years since that Super Bowl berth following what is commonly known as the Music City Miracle where we played the Rams and their QB Kurt Warner.

Irony? I'd love it if only because you'd have two such low-profile, smaller markets for the teams involved. That's when the guys in marketing would REALLY have to earn their pay.

Its the Super Bowl, a larger percentage of people are going to watch regardless. I'd wager very few people don't watch just cause their team didn't make it.

Shame on anyone who might not watch cause its not a "big city". That would show some true regional snobbery if that were the case.

 

[tomalak301]

I kinda want to see a Cardnial/Charger super bowl just to see what people say. The two worst conferences in football this year playing in the biggest game. That would be fun, just to get the media response.

It's not going to happen though. As for these games:

Baltimore over Tennessee
Eagles over the Giants
Pittsburgh over the Chargers
Carolina over Arizona

Looking forward to the games.

 

[Mallory]

The key to me is have the Giants existing injuries to guys like Jacobs, Hixon and Robbins had enough time to heal up with the bye week?

According to the news reports all 53 players on the roster practiced this week for the first time in three months. So I'd probably say yes based on that.

 

[Neroon]

Its the Super Bowl, a larger percentage of people are going to watch regardless. I'd wager very few people don't watch just cause their team didn't make it.

Ask the guys at NBC which teams they'd rather see playing. They're charging $3 million for a 30-second spot = $100,000 per second.

Shame on anyone who might not watch cause its not a "big city". That would show some true regional snobbery if that were the case.

It's not a matter of people refusing to tune in to watch a smaller market team play. You get people more involved, more interested and more consistently watching the game - and therefore the ads - when it's their favorite team. You're liable to have a higher volume of those in the home markets of the teams playing in the game. Well, won't you get a larger number of those kinds of fans in say Chicago or New York as opposed to Tennessee or Carolina or Cincinnati? Okay, that last one is pretty ridiculous to think of. It happens in baseball, where we consistently hear about how low the viewer numbers are for such and such a matchup

 

[Captain Craig]

In theory.
The Titans vs Rams in SuperBowl 34 still holds up as one of the most watched SuperBowls. I cut out a portion for easy view.

Super Bowl 37 just narrowly beat it out.
Super Bowl 38 was more decisive.
Super Bowl 39 fell back under.

I couldn't find anything for SB 40-42 but I'd wager that despite the small markets of St.Louis and Nashville that our SB will still maintain a competitive viewership total.

 

[chrisspringob]

This discussion on the size of various NFL teams' "markets" reminds me of this map:

http://www.commoncensus.org/maps/nfl_1280.gif

which attempts to (very unscientifically) illustrate the borders of fandom for all the NFL teams. It's based on user responses from just several thousand people around the country, so it's not that accurate, but it shows how you can't just compare the size of the home city for each team. For a team like the Titans, for example, fandom is spread out throughout the whole state, whereas, say, with Florida, you have multiple teams, but only the Dolphins have statewide reach. Buccaneer and Jaguar fandom is far more concentrated in those respective cities.

Meanwhile, you've got cases like Arizona, where, yes, the Cardinals are the only NFL team in the state, but Arizona is a high growth state with lots of transplants who didn't grow up there, and still root for other teams. So the whole thing's rather messy.

 

[pookha]

I wouldn't mind seeing Tennessee make it to the Super Bowl for Jeff Fisher to get another chance at that ring. His teams don't ever "look pretty" but for the most part he keeps on winning. A Super Bowl win would be just the ticket to get him a bit more of the recognition he deserves.

Ah, the good ol' days....

((((((delete image no eyes should be forced to see ))))))

i will get you digits


as for the ravens titans game..
i dont have a clue how it will turn out.

The biggest irony that could happen in the current state of this years playoffs would be the Titans vs Cardinals for the Super Bowl.

Its the Titans 10 year anniversary of relocating to Nashville. Also 10 years since that Super Bowl berth following what is commonly known as the Music City Miracle where we played the Rams and their QB Kurt Warner.

Irony? I'd love it if only because you'd have two such low-profile, smaller markets for the teams involved. That's when the guys in marketing would REALLY have to earn their pay.

thanks to craig for posting the ratings that the titans rams was one of the highest rated sb's.
this isnt baseball were the size of the markets have a huge impact on the ratings.

really for that matter the small market packers and steelers have some of the strongest national fan bases .

as for a warner titans rematch.. all they would have to show would be the end of the previous game.


sorta related..
a marquee player like manning can overcome being in a small market.
which is one of the bad things about the colossal meltdown of vince young.

 

[trekkerguy]

I wouldn't mind seeing Tennessee make it to the Super Bowl for Jeff Fisher to get another chance at that ring. His teams don't ever "look pretty" but for the most part he keeps on winning. A Super Bowl win would be just the ticket to get him a bit more of the recognition he deserves.

Ah, the good ol' days....

Best Super Bowl ever.

 

[nevermore]

Here we go!