NFC & AFC Conference Championship Games

['7']

2 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

I like Eli a lot, always have, but he's definitely not in Rodgers' class...not for sheer talent and ability, anyway. 

He's not. Not even close...I like Eli as well and he definitely has a knack for the clutch. And when he gets on a roll he looks elite, but when he's not at his best it looks like he's maybe never thrown a football before. Rodgers and Brady never look like that. Eli's also had the benefit of a lot of luck in his runs.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

15 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

I will be at the Super Bowl in person in a couple of weeks.  Don't follow NFL too closely, but do I root for NE who is also my boss' favorite team or Atlanta as when I do follow football, I tend to follow the Jets.  Tough call haha.

Full report, when you get back.  I don't ever plan to attend an actual Super Bowl...to me the ultimate "still involving real fans" experience would be either an AFC or NFC Championship Game.  To me, the Super Bowl seems like it would be a lot of corporate schelps and people who are much more concerned about being seen and noticed at the Super Bowl than the actual game itself. 

But...having never been to one, that's pure speculation on my part.  That's why I'm curious to hear about what the whole day is actually like...pre-game events, post-game after parties, etc. 

Edited January 23, 2017 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

1 hour ago, eaglejelly said:

I wasn't trying to say that. I was just referring to the Giants GB game where the Giants dominated most of the first half and ended up 8 points behind because their "Superstar" receivers dropped multiple good passes in critical situations.

Sorry, didn't mean to imply you were putting Eli in Rodgers' class.  Eli definitely makes his fair share of mistakes in general (FAR more than Rodgers), but yeah, lots of similarities in those playoff games, in that both offenses did very little to help their respective QBs.  I think everyone knew that the Giants had pretty well screwed themselves when they were only up 6-0, despite having held Rodgers & Co in check for five possessions.  Giants needed to come away with at least 20 points during that time, and Eli's receivers were a huge reason why they didn't.

Edited January 23, 2017 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[DevsMan84]

1 hour ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Full report, when you get back.  I don't ever plan to attend an actual Super Bowl...to me the ultimate "still involving real fans" experience would be either an AFC or NFC Championship Game.  To me, the Super Bowl seems like it would be a lot of corporate schelps and people who are much more concerned about being seen and noticed at the Super Bowl than the actual game itself. 

But...having never been to one, that's pure speculation on my part.  That's why I'm curious to hear about what the whole day is actually like...pre-game events, post-game after parties, etc. 

Will def type up a full report.  I never thought I would ever go to a Super Bowl in my life, but luckily my company and my company's biggest hardware partner (who also funds my paycheck and are a major corporation/sponsor) decided to reward me for my 5 months of work on a project with a fully-paid for trip to the Super Bowl.  I expect it to basically a giant party with little care/notice of the actual game.

Also included is for myself and my wife (they are paying for her to come with me on this entire trip) to attend the CAA/TPT Tailgate party the day of the game.  Here is a link with details and pictures of it and needless to say, this is probably the part I am most looking forward to.

https://premium.caa.com/experience/tpttailgate

 

[Daniel]

My brother's father in law goes to the Super Bowl virtually every year, and I supposedly have an invitation to go if the Dolphins ever make it there.  So I will probably never attend the Super Bowl.  

[MadDog2020]

My brother's father in law goes to the Super Bowl virtually every year, and I supposedly have an invitation to go if the Dolphins ever make it there.  So I will probably never attend the Super Bowl.  

I wouldn't want to attend it in person. If the Dolphins ever make it to a Super Bowl, for the good of every person that knows me and that I care about, I will be locking myself in a room and watching it by myself. I wouldn't be good company with the Dolphins playing in the game, believe me lol.


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[NJDevs4978]

8 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Full report, when you get back.  I don't ever plan to attend an actual Super Bowl...to me the ultimate "still involving real fans" experience would be either an AFC or NFC Championship Game.  To me, the Super Bowl seems like it would be a lot of corporate schelps and people who are much more concerned about being seen and noticed at the Super Bowl than the actual game itself. 

But...having never been to one, that's pure speculation on my part.  That's why I'm curious to hear about what the whole day is actually like...pre-game events, post-game after parties, etc. 

Yeah on spec I wouldn't want to deal with the Super Bowl gameday either.  Longass lines getting in, you have to stick around for all the dumb pregame and halftime entertainment just cause it's part of the money's worth of the ticket, the game itself takes forever.  I wouldn't even want to deal with it if it was my team, first of all if they lose well that's no good and honestly if they win I'd rather be in front of the damn TV soaking up everything instead of getting a binocular-aided view of the trophy presentation from up high.  And I say this as someone that was AT Game 7 2003 and loved it even in my flu-ridden state that night

An AFC Championship at home is definitely tempting on some level although it'll likely be the 6:30 start in January so that's always a pick 'em how that's going to go weather-wise.  But the Jets have NEVER even had one at home - well not since 1969 anyway - so I probably won't have to worry about that.  These days my more realistic goal is a Met NLCS/World Series clincher (saw them clinch the division in 2006) though if I don't get a ticket plan I'll probably have to pay up the wazoo to get in one of those games.

Edited January 24, 2017 by NJDevs4978

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

9 hours ago, NJDevs4978 said:

Yeah on spec I wouldn't want to deal with the Super Bowl gameday either.  Longass lines getting in, you have to stick around for all the dumb pregame and halftime entertainment just cause it's part of the money's worth of the ticket, the game itself takes forever.  I wouldn't even want to deal with it if it was my team, first of all if they lose well that's no good and honestly if they win I'd rather be in front of the damn TV soaking up everything instead of getting a binocular-aided view of the trophy presentation from up high.  And I say this as someone that was AT Game 7 2003 and loved it even in my flu-ridden state that night

An AFC Championship at home is definitely tempting on some level although it'll likely be the 6:30 start in January so that's always a pick 'em how that's going to go weather-wise.  But the Jets have NEVER even had one at home - well not since 1969 anyway - so I probably won't have to worry about that.  These days my more realistic goal is a Met NLCS/World Series clincher (saw them clinch the division in 2006) though if I don't get a ticket plan I'll probably have to pay up the wazoo to get in one of those games.

Part of the experience for me is being surrounded by lots of your own as your team wins a championship...June 24, 1995 (also my 25th birthday) was such an amazing experience...a building chock full of Devils fans, watching their team win a Cup on home ice...by far my best live sports experience ever.  And it wasn't just the game itself that was so awesome...a parking full of pre-game tailgaters all rocking the red, white and black, the smells of everyone's grilling, the camaraderie...people that might have nothing in common otherwise, but everyone on the same page and fighting the same battle for just one day...random "Let's Go Devils!" chants gaining steam as others join in...it's as pure of an experience as it gets.

You can't get that at the Super Bowl.  It's played in a neutral building.  Many of the fans present will have no rooting interest in either team.  Many of the attendees are casual fans at best, and many others couldn't care less about the actual game itself...like I said, it's a place to be seen, a notch on a belt where some people can say "Hey, look at me, I'm at the Super Bowl!"  Like you say, all the pregame and halftime "nonsense" have a way of detracting from the damned GAME.  Look, if I was in DM84's shoes and someone bestowed the opportunity upon me to go, free of charge, yeah, fvck it, I go.  But as someone who could actually afford to go if I really wanted to...I wouldn't.  Part of me just thinks spending that much money to witness a sporting event (that will likely be more fun spent with friends in a bar or SB Party, as you allude to) is insane.  It's kind of a principle thing with me.

That being said, I hope DM84 has a great time...and I'm sure he and his wife will, even with some of the more annoying issues that will come up (like the long lines, etc).

Yeah, a Met clincher at Citi would be pretty sick.  I'd be totally on board with that...until I saw the actual ticket price, lol.   

[DevsMan84]

Yeah I mean if it wasn't for that I am going on a mega-corporation's dime for the entire way, I wouldn't ever go to a SB.  I am literally getting all my transportation (flight, limos), hotel (at a nice Marriott about 20 min away from the stadium), dinners (a welcome dinner at a restaurant on Saturday and the 3-hour tailgate party I posted in my previous post), and the game itself for free.  If someone told me that I could have that all but pay for one portion of that package, I probably would say no to it.

My wife and I are excited mostly for 2 reasons.  One is that it is a free trip for my wife and I to get away from work (we are returning on Monday and that day is not being taken away from me as my job is considering this trip a "work event"), and the pre-game tailgate party looks amazing.  We are looking forward to the party more than the game.

[Beezer34]

12 hours ago, NJDevs4978 said:

An AFC Championship at home is definitely tempting on some level, but the Jets have NEVER even had one at home - well not since 1969 anyway - so I probably won't have to worry about that.

I was too young to experience the afc championship in 1983. But those 3 title games in 1999, 2010 & 2011 still haunt me to this day as a Jets fan. It's astonishing we walked away empty on all three occasions.

Edited January 24, 2017 by Beezer34

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

15 minutes ago, Beezer34 said:

I was too young to experience the afc championship in 1983. But those 3 title games in 1999, 2010 & 2011 still haunt me to this day as a Jets fan. It's astonishing we walked away empty on all three occasions.

Not really.  Jets were the road team on all three occasions (a WC team in the latter two), and the underdog each time.  They also pulled off impressive upsets just to get to the AFC Championship games in 2010 and 2011.  I think if you go into those games and you're a strong home favorite that's clearly the better team and THEN you don't win, that's a different story.   

If anything, it's pretty astonishing the Jets got as far as they did with the QBs that they had...Testaverde, who wasn't even the starting QB heading into that season (then enjoys a career year that dwarfed many of his other NFL seasons), and then Sanchez twice (who to his credit, did play well in the playoffs as a Jet). 

[eaglejelly]

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Could turn out to be much ado about nothing, but Big Ben wouldn't be the first guy to say "I'm done" while clearly having something left in the tank:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/will-ben-roethlisberger-leave-the-steelers-looking-for-a-qb-in-the-2017-nfl-draft/ar-AAmbatq

His lifetime numbers aren't mind-blowing for this day and age, but they're still plenty good, and of course, he has two rings (though not great playoff numbers:  25 TD and 23 INT in 20 playoff games).  He may not get in on the first ballot (though I think he could), but he's a shoo-in for the Hall. 

[MadDog2020]

Ben will be back. Typical end of the year stuff from an older dude who just finished a long season. I'm sure he'll change his tune come spring.


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[Colorado Rockies 1976]

4 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

Ben will be back. Typical end of the year stuff from an older dude who just finished a long season. I'm sure he'll change his tune come spring.

I'd be surprised too if he wasn't back next season.  He's probably still stinging from the loss. 

[NJDevs4978]

2 hours ago, MadDog2020 said:

Ben will be back. Typical end of the year stuff from an older dude who just finished a long season. I'm sure he'll change his tune come spring.


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Or like someone cracked on Twitter, Ben's now in the Brett Favre stage of his career

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Boomer and Carton giving Big Ben a lot of crap today...I didn't realize it, but apparently Ben would have to write the Steelers a $18.6 million check if he decided to retire (due to bonus payments)...B&C are basically saying that he's full of sh!t in suggesting there's any chance that Ben might choose not to come back in 2017.  Also ripped him for basically throwing his coaching staff and teammates under the bus after the loss...more or less, they're implying he's being a drama queen. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/goodell-itd-be-an-honor-to-hand-trophy-to-brady/ar-AAmeyIv?li=BBnb7Kz#image=BBy1vh6|4

So many people think this is going to be some huge cringe-worthy moment, should the Pats win...but it won't.  No, they probably don't like each other very much.  But neither one is going to give anyone anything to write about or overanalyze.  Brady would be so happy to nab a 5th Championship that he won't care much about Goodell, and Goodell will put on a big fake smile and act like everything is hunky-dory between the two of them...you'll never know there was any bad blood.  Whatever hard feelings remain between the two of them, you won't see a hint of it if this comes to pass.

[MadDog2020]

I couldn't care less. If the Patriots win, I won't be watching the trophy ceremony anyway. The channel will have been long flipped.


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[NJDevs4978]

Goodell can say what he wants, A - nobody's going to believe him anyway for obvious reasons, and B - I wouldn't put it past the Pats themselves to make light of it.  I mean some of them were supposedly making smart-ass comments about Ryan Grigson (who'd just been fired) in the wake of winning the AFC Championship cause he was the one that blew the whistle on them in the first place.

EDIT: Actually it was Kraft's son who digged him lol

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/patriots-president-jonathan-kraft-ryan-grigson-deflategate-colts-afc-title-game/e92ws4sngd4l1d7cazodgmyjp

"That game might have been Ryan's pinnacle, I don't know," Kraft said on his weekly pregame interview on Boston's 98.5 The Sports Hub.

Grigson, the self-admitted whistleblower for Deflategate, was fired Saturday, marking the end of a polarizing four-year tenure in Indianapolis. In a 2015 interview, he explained he notified the NFL of suspicions over air pressure in the Patriots' game balls because he sough an "even playing field."

Edited January 25, 2017 by NJDevs4978

[Derek21]

On 1/23/2017 at 0:50 PM, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Sorry, didn't mean to imply you were putting Eli in Rodgers' class.  Eli definitely makes his fair share of mistakes in general (FAR more than Rodgers), but yeah, lots of similarities in those playoff games, in that both offenses did very little to help their respective QBs.  I think everyone knew that the Giants had pretty well screwed themselves when they were only up 6-0, despite having held Rodgers & Co in check for five possessions.  Giants needed to come away with at least 20 points during that time, and Eli's receivers were a huge reason why they didn't.

Eli threw the ball great in that first half. But the receivers sucked. Maybe Beckham should've stayed in Miami. I didn't even know he played. Combined with Ben McAdoo's predictable playcalling, it was inevitable that Green Bay would figure it out. The 3rd and 1 to our midget RB is one of the worst calls imaginable. Once that happened, I knew it as coming. But the Rodgers hail mary was over the top. Nobody throws a better ball. 

If the Giants could have a semblance of a run game, it would really help. They need a 1 RB badly. And replace Flowers. Our kicking game sucks too. Wing was brutal. Special teams have never been a strong suit. They have to make improvements there. I wouldn't mind finding an actual TE or FB who can add something to the offense. Reese for the most part did a great job with the D. Everything worked. Collins is terrific. What happens with JPP? 

I kinda felt the Falcons were a more complete team than the Packers. They can score at will and boast the real MVP in my book even though he won't get it. Brady probably will win or Rodgers. Atlanta has the best receiver. They should send the game tape of Jones performance to Odell. Maybe then he'll finally get it. Freeman didn't really do much on the ground. He'll need to be a factor in the Super Bowl. Atlanta's D is decent. They can blitz and create takeaways. Keeping the Pats off the field is the best recipe. It should be high scoring and high flying. Let's go Falcons!

['7']

On 1/25/2017 at 2:52 PM, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/goodell-itd-be-an-honor-to-hand-trophy-to-brady/ar-AAmeyIv?li=BBnb7Kz#image=BBy1vh6|4

So many people think this is going to be some huge cringe-worthy moment, should the Pats win...but it won't.  No, they probably don't like each other very much.  But neither one is going to give anyone anything to write about or overanalyze.  Brady would be so happy to nab a 5th Championship that he won't care much about Goodell, and Goodell will put on a big fake smile and act like everything is hunky-dory between the two of them...you'll never know there was any bad blood.  Whatever hard feelings remain between the two of them, you won't see a hint of it if this comes to pass.

I agree with you, both are diplomats in public. Goodell is a fake SOB who nobody seems to like and is pursuing an international expansionist NFL agenda that nobody can stand all the while chipping away at things the traditional fanbase holds dear...but he's making the owners major $$$ and isn't going anywhere for a long long time so I doubt something like this bothers him all that much. I think Brady guards his image very carefully. He's won so much but he doesn't want to be known as a cocky winner (I think Brady would rather follow the Jeter model.)

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

5 hours ago, '7' said:

I agree with you, both are diplomats in public. Goodell is a fake SOB who nobody seems to like and is pursuing an international expansionist NFL agenda that nobody can stand all the while chipping away at things the traditional fanbase holds dear...but he's making the owners major $$$ and isn't going anywhere for a long long time so I doubt something like this bothers him all that much. I think Brady guards his image very carefully. He's won so much but he doesn't want to be known as a cocky winner (I think Brady would rather follow the Jeter model.)

Just all of the "ooooooooooooo what's gonna happen?" crap the media is spewing is getting old.  What do they think, Brady is going to snatch the trophy and beat Goodell over the head with it, while shrieking "Take that you arrogant no-one-likes-you little fvck!"  Nothing is going to happen...not even an exchange of dirty looks.  Goodell can't do anything to make him less-hated in the circles that hate him, but he's not going to give anyone yet another reason to write about why he's such an unlikeable douche.  Not this time, anyway.

It's almost impossible to be Jeter...that guy REALLY gave nobody anything, as far as genuine insights into what him tick.  He kept it as vanilla as possible...and he was brilliant for doing it.  Just showed up and did his job at a high level for a long long time, with minimal distractions and sideshow crap...I think that's part of the reason he's remembered as being much better than he really was (and not saying that he wasn't a terrific player or a Hall Of Famer, he was, but he's often mentioned with all-time Yankee greats that he really shouldn't be in the conversation with).      

[eaglejelly]

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[MadDog2020]

Sickening.


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