Any South African NFL fans?

[Kaleb]

At times?let's not sell them short,they suck all the time

 

[Stickfigure]

I'm an NBA fan but if I was to watch NFL I'd support the Detroit Lions (Dad lives in Detroit so yeah, what can I do)

What's happening with the lockout at the moment? I know the NBA are probably heading for one next season as well.

 

[greg0205]

Got to be honest I can't stand the skins and Danny boy.

Some owners get it... Some don't. Did I mention I was a Liverpool fan?

 

[Kaleb]

I'm an NBA fan but if I was to watch NFL I'd support the Detroit Lions (Dad lives in Detroit so yeah, what can I do)

What's happening with the lockout at the moment? I know the NBA are probably heading for one next season as well.

-I thought the lions had the best draft this season,their defensive line is going to be nasty this season (depending on lockout)

 

[Helghast]

The Colts!

 

[obtv]

Cowboys fan for a long time

 

[SEF]

Cowboys fan for a long time

howdy partner

 

[Reddevil10]

Love the colts, peyton manning is awesome

 

[Kaleb]

Manning is a crybaby when things don't go his way and is very quick to throw his oline under the bus if he loses a game or gets sacked.They need to fix their defence,most notibly their run D.

 

[thestaggy]

I'm an NBA fan but if I was to watch NFL I'd support the Detroit Lions (Dad lives in Detroit so yeah, what can I do)

What's happening with the lockout at the moment? I know the NBA are probably heading for one next season as well.

Detroit Lions are going to be good soon. Their problem is Matthew ''Made of Glass'' Stafford. If they could keep this guy from getting hurt they could win as much as 10 - 11 games. They won 6 last season with a backup QB, incluiding 4 wins in a row to end the season. Their defensive line got a whole lot scarier. Just need to keep Stafford away from the doctors.

The lockout was off during day one of the draft, then it was back on. Still negotiating the last I heard. But it's screwed everything over as all training sessions and even rookie symposiums are cancelled. The new QB's are going to have a hard time as they will have little time to train and many of them will likely be immediate starters or be expected to compete for the job right away.

 

[Stickfigure]

Detroit Lions are going to be good soon. Their problem is Matthew ''Made of Glass'' Stafford. If they could keep this guy from getting hurt they could win as much as 10 - 11 games. They won 6 last season with a backup QB, incluiding 4 wins in a row to end the season. Their defensive line got a whole lot scarier. Just need to keep Stafford away from the doctors.

The lockout was off during day one of the draft, then it was back on. Still negotiating the last I heard. But it's screwed everything over as all training sessions and even rookie symposiums are cancelled. The new QB's are going to have a hard time as they will have little time to train and many of them will likely be immediate starters or be expected to compete for the job right away.

Really? I know they went 0-16 and 2-14 a few seasons back so that is encouraging to hear

 

[thestaggy]

Really? I know they went 0-16 and 2-14 a few seasons back so that is encouraging to hear

Yeah, they're making good progress. One of their major problems was their former President, CEO and GM Matt Millen. The fans hated him and he was guilty of terrible draft and roster decisions. He joined in 2001 and by the time he left in 2008 only 3 of his 8 first round draft choices were still on the roster. Martin Mayhew is the new guy and he has made a huge improvement. Good drafts and smart trades has seen an influx of talent. Plus Jim Schwartz, their Head Coach that took over after the 0-16 season is a quality coach.

 

[thestaggy]

Hmm 2 pages and still no inevitable comments like "nfl is for sissies,rugby is for men,we like to wear short shorts and stick our heads up peoples backsides (scrum)"

You need to appreciate both games for what they are. I love watching both and would have played football if I could have. The NFL is fought over inches, so size, power and explosiveness are the names of the game. Doctors say that over the course of a junior high, high school, college and pro career, an NFL lineman can have head impacts that would equal over 1000 car crashes. That is why the need the pads and helmets. They play at a much faster tempo and are significantly larger, and because it is fought over inches, the impacts are much heavier.

Rugby is played over metres, were stamina plays a greater role. You also do not need to stop a man dead in his tracks as you are not holding on for those precious few inches. Obviously if you can stop him dead, that's a bonus but you do not have to. Rugby players have no need for serious padding as they are not prone to as heavy a impact as a football player.

To step out onto either field means you are not a sissy. Both sports can result is serious injuries and you need to man up to play both.

 

[Kaleb]

You need to appreciate both games for what they are. I love watching both and would have played football if I could have. The NFL is fought over inches, so size, power and explosiveness are the names of the game. Doctors say that over the course of a junior high, high school, college and pro career, an NFL lineman can have head impacts that would equal over 1000 car crashes. That is why the need the pads and helmets. They play at a much faster tempo and are significantly larger, and because it is fought over inches, the impacts are much heavier.

Rugby is played over metres, were stamina plays a greater role. You also do not need to stop a man dead in his tracks as you are not holding on for those precious few inches. Obviously if you can stop him dead, that's a bonus but you do not have to. Rugby players have no need for serious padding as they are not prone to as heavy a impact as a football player.

To step out onto either field means you are not a sissy. Both sports can result is serious injuries and you need to man up to play both.

Brilliantly said,and I agree with all that you said on the Lions,they going to be formidable really soon,also if you looked at a lot of their games that they lost last season some of those games they came really really close to winning(I.e Lions V Bears where Calvin Johnson should have got that TD in week 1)

 

[hungrybeaver]

I also think that the gear the NFL players wear gives them a sense of indestructibility. Thats why they can throw themselves at full force into the opposition and why we have NFL tackle montage videos

 

[Kaleb]

That used to be the case,but since Rodger Godell (NFL Commish)took over,he has implemented fines for dangerous tackles,or touching the Quarterbacks head during a sack.

 

[hungrybeaver]

That used to be the case,but since Rodger Godell (NFL Commish)took over,he has implemented fines for dangerous tackles,or touching the Quarterbacks head during a sack.

Do you have a link for this info? I'm unable to find NFL commissioned rules/guidelines regarding tackling. The NFL rulebook has no such rules for the way in which a player can be tackled body-on-body. I know that any contact with the helmet/head of the quarterback is now a foul and that collar tackles were ruled out some years ago, and helmet tackles or helmet-to-helmet tackles are discouraged. Players are still allowed to throw themselves into the opponent with tremendous force though.

I remember a few years back seeing Polamalu with the ball and he got tackled by his hair (ouch!). The commentators mentioned that if hair is outside the helmet it is considered 'part of the uniform' and using it to tackle is allowed. Is it still allowed?

 

[The Source]

Anyone think this labour disagreement will ever be settled? I really hope so, because I don't want to be stuck with soccer Sep-Feb.

 

[thestaggy]

Do you have a link for this info? I'm unable to find NFL commissioned rules/guidelines regarding tackling. The NFL rulebook has no such rules for the way in which a player can be tackled body-on-body. I know that any contact with the helmet/head of the quarterback is now a foul and that collar tackles were ruled out some years ago, and helmet tackles or helmet-to-helmet tackles are discouraged. Players are still allowed to throw themselves into the opponent with tremendous force though.

I remember a few years back seeing Polamalu with the ball and he got tackled by his hair (ouch!). The commentators mentioned that if hair is outside the helmet it is considered 'part of the uniform' and using it to tackle is allowed. Is it still allowed?

With regards to a QB;
- No defensive player may run into a passer of a legal forward pass after the ball has left his hand (15 yards). The Referee must determine whether opponent had a reasonable chance to stop his momentum during an attempt to block the pass or tackle the passer while he still had the ball.
- No defensive player who has an unrestricted path to the quarterback may hit him flagrantly in the area of the knee(s) or below when approaching in any direction.
- Officials are to blow the play dead as soon as the quarterback is clearly in the grasp and control of any tackler, and his safety is in jeopardy.

Essentially, the only ''target area'' of the QB is his waist and torso. Even going for the thigh area can get you into trouble. If tackling the QB from his blindside - his back - a player must also do his best to ensure his helmet does not come into contact with the QB's head/neck. A tackler is also not allowed to use his forearm to charge a QB. You can't touch them and they must blame Tom Brady and Peyton Manning for that nonsense. Alot of this is also really tough on tacklers as most pass rushers, wether linebackers or defensive ends are huge and cannot stop on a dime to readjust themselves if a QB moves. I've even seen players penalised for falling into a QB's knee after they have been pushed in the back by an offensive linemen.

And yeah, they've gotten very tough on helmet-to-helmet hits.

 

[thestaggy]

Anyone think this labour disagreement will ever be settled? I really hope so, because I don't want to be stuck with soccer Sep-Feb.

It's getting tight. This time last season teams were already heading into their OTA's (Official Team activities). The latest court ruling was this morning (Monday night States side), and it was in favour of the owners that continues the lockout. If the owners win the case, we may see ''replacements''. Also, if the owners win the case, they will not be obliged to pay the players and this may force the players to accept whatever the owners offer if they want to earn some money in 2011. Established big name players will cope with a season out of football, but there are a lot guys who's livelihoods depend on their seasonal salaries and they do not already have millions guaranteed or sponsorship deals.