American Football

[Old Man River]

I'm trying again to get TrueVisions to change the schedule on their website to correctly reflect the broadcast time of the second Sunday afternoon game on Nov 4. Daylight Saving Time ENDS that Sunday morning at 2:00 AM in the USA. So the Monday morning live broadcast here will begin at 4:15 AM, not 3:15 AM, as they show it. I sent them this note, hoping to avoid some screw up that causes them to lose the game. .................................

George, thanks for this. I know better understand that the Pats/Redskins game starts at 3:15AM (Bkk time) and the following week's Colts/Pats game starts at 4:15AM.

[CalicoConsulting]

Any TMQ readers here? He started by saying Colts vs. Pats was Good vs Evil, then said that we knew which was which immediately. Actually, I didn't.

I thought the Colts could be called evil because Bill Polian beats up Jets execs, Manning whines and whinges, Polian gets rules changed just because shutting him up is worth any price, and the naked butt and rectum episode. (Dungy's good, but no analogy is perfect.)

The Pats, meanwhile, are team-first. Brady restructures his contract, something Manning will never do. They've got a guy named Bruschi! Not only is that perfect, but dude came back from a stroke. I've always loved Flutie, and Seau, and Vinny post-Bucs. BeliCheat is brilliant, Darth Sidious hoodie aside, and brilliant still matters where I come from. And only TMQ could find fault with Tom Brady, who I think of as underdog kid done good, so I can forgive him for looking pretty. Anybody out there longing for Bledsoe? Didn't think so.

Ah well. Y'all send TMQ some hate mail if you want. He published my commentary on the Pats-Panthers Super Bowl, first one I'd seen in 6 years, so I'm resting on my laurels. I keep asking Dr Z for some advice on a good Thai wine, but all he can tell me is "My buffalo is sick!"

[Padkapow Guy]

George

What is that emblem on the field at the 50 yard line. It's on both sides of the Pats emblem. It kinda looks like a bridge and a building with light coming out of it.

Pats are shutting out the skins so far. They look a little off but still superior.

PKG

[patsfangr]

George

What is that emblem on the field at the 50 yard line. It's on both sides of the Pats emblem. It kinda looks like a bridge and a building with light coming out of it.

Pats are shutting out the skins so far. They look a little off but still superior.

PKG

It's a representation of the lighthouse that is the "identifying symbol" of the stadium at the open end. Kraft wanted something that would represent the New England area. The lighthouse seemed to do the trick.

As I was typing this, TrueVisions lost the signal, just before the Patriots scored again. Thankfully, I had the internet streaming video running; and it runs about 3 minutes behind the TV broadcast. So I saw the play! Can't believe that Brady ran for another one! :-)

Ya know what? These guys are good! :-)

[patsfangr]

I gotta tell ya, any of you who don't have to work next Monday, and still don't think it's worth staying up to watch the Patriots and the Colts, can't really call yourself NFL fans. There hasn't been a regular season game this big in the history of the game!

[Padkapow Guy]

The Steelers are still my favorite team, but I think we are all having the privaledge of watching one of the all time if not the greatest team of all time. He11 even the back up qb is running in td's. These guys are unbelievable. The pick up of Wes walker , Stallworth and Randy Moss has put this team over the top.

enough tootin the Pats horn. STEELERS ROCK!

PKG

Your right George, anybody that misses the Pats VS Colts game should be a soccer fan!

[Old Man River]

Patsfangr, while you will be celebrating the Red Sox, I will be counting on your New England Patriots to beat the Redskins this coming week. No problem, right?

Patsfangr, yeah Pats! Not only did they beat the Skins, but they humbled them (I saw the game). The Skins are now demoralized and will go through the rest of the season questioning their abilities.

Great job!

[patsfangr]

The single most amazing play I have ever seen in American football. You've GOT to watch this!

For those you didn't catch it before it was removed from youtube it's up on ESPN....

http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/ncf/index

[CalicoConsulting]

I just watched the first half of Pats-Skins, in rerun as I watch all games. Brady's fake spike wasn't running up the score by any stretch of the imagination. It was only 17-0 against a very good Redskins team. The sock puppets are idiots.

Wanna know what I love about both the Patriots and the Colts? The players are intelligent. In my half-ass QB days, my arm wasn't much, but I did have a couple of brain cells to rub together, which is how I won games. Oh, and being mean and loving knocking down big people (I was tiny), but that's beside the point. Brains matter, even in the NFL. Gotta love those two teams for knowing it.

I also watched the game in Wembley. Surprisingly entertaining. Old school football in the mud. Nice to see the British fans appreciate that. I've known many fans in my life who would not. dam_n, those Dolphins don't deserve to be winless. I watched the 1976 Bucs, often in Tampa Stadium, and they deserved to be winless, but not these 2007 Dolphins. I think I'll restrict my cheap shots to the equally winless Rams. What a bunch of frigging loosers!

(Misspelled deliberately. It's my new gimmick.)

P.S. Any team that can manage 15 laterals on a single down also has some intelligence. That was just amazing.

Edited October 29, 2007 by CalicoConsulting

[Padkapow Guy]

The single most amazing play I have ever seen in American football. You've GOT to watch this!

For those you didn't catch it before it was removed from youtube it's up on ESPN....

http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/ncf/index

I don't think you can teach something like that. AMAZING

PKG

[Padkapow Guy]

Something else amazing

The great gun slinger does it again. 1st play in OT , Farve to Jennings. Pack wins.

I love watching Farve.

PKG

[patsfangr]

Something else amazing

The great gun slinger does it again. 1st play in OT , Farve to Jennings. Pack wins.

I love watching Farve.

PKG

I can't imagine how anyone could call himself an NFL fan and NOT love to watch Brett Favre! That was yet another incredible finish for one of the best players in the history of the game!

[CalicoConsulting]

I saw cheeseheads at Wembley.

[CalicoConsulting]

Bill BeliCheat's New Office

[Padkapow Guy]

Something else amazing

The great gun slinger does it again. 1st play in OT , Farve to Jennings. Pack wins.

I love watching Farve.

PKG

I can't imagine how anyone could call himself an NFL fan and NOT love to watch Brett Favre! That was yet another incredible finish for one of the best players in the history of the game!

I agree George

Back in Nov 2005 I had field passes at the legendary Lambeau Field to watch the Steelers play the Pack. I snapped this shot of Favre. I was close enough to tackle him.

PKG

[patsfangr]

TIME CHANGE REMINDER!

As I write this, it is 9:12 PM here in Thailand. It is now 9:00 AM, Sunday morning, in the USA Eastern Time Zone, due to the end of Daylight Saving Time there. The clocks were moved BACK 1 hour at 2:00 AM, Eastern Time, which was at 1 PM, our time. At that moment, the US fell 12 hours behind us, instead of 11, as they were before.

So, the first NFL game played there on Sunday afternoon will begin at 1 AM here, NOT at midnight, as shown in the TrueVision magazine schedule. Compliments to TrueVisions for correcting their website. Whether due my note to them, or their own recognition of the change, the schedule there CORRECTLY shows the first game, Carolina @ Tennessee, beginning at 1:00 AM; and the second game, New England @ Indianapolis, beginning at 4:15 AM.

Take a nap, if you must, but don't you dare miss a minute of that second game! I'm actually going to have it set up for internet streaming also, just in case there's a problem on TrueVisions. I'm already getting butterflies for this one. I'm confident of a Patriots victory; but the shear importance of the game makes me nervous.

GO PATS!!

[CalicoConsulting]

The Panthers were actually hanging with the Colts until Vinny's teammate stepped on his foot and made his arthritis act up. And Vinny's only one guy who played for the Patriots. New England has over 50 of them. It doesn't feel wrong at all to call a defending Super Bowl champ an underdog in their own doggie house. The Pats will pull it off.

I'm actually more worried about Titans/Panthers. I respect Jeff Fisher's competence more than I do any other coach in the NFL not named Belichick, and I have no idea who's slinging that thing for Carolina. It could get very ugly.

(Actually, I think I respect Fisher more than I do Belichick. Look at what he's working with, going back to the move from Houston. The guy was winning in Memphis. <deleted>?)

[Padkapow Guy]

Breathe easy George.

The Pats are still undefeated. They had me worried with all the penalties they had against them. The colts played a good game. I have a little more respect for there defense after watching that game. I expected the Pats to win, but I thought it would have been easier for them than what it was.

The Pats armor has been cracked! they finally trailed in the 2nd half

Belicheck and Dungy barely made eye contactafter the game, I guess there is no love lost there.

Tomorrow night should be another slug fest when the Steelers play the Ravens. Thers no love lost between those 2 teams either.

PKG

[patsfangr]

I don't think that I've seen a worse call in all of the 45 years that I've been watching NFL football than the Pass Interference call that went against the Patriots, and handed the Colts their second Field Goal. It was clearly OFFENSIVE Pass Interference! But, despite that, and the bogus PI call made later in the game, the best team won. End of story!

[dclaryjr]

The Pats armor has been cracked! they finally trailed in the 2nd half

Uh...not quite. The Cowboys had a third quarter lead.

[dclaryjr]

I don't think that I've seen a worse call in all of the 45 years that I've been watching NFL football than the Pass Interference call that went against the Patriots, and handed the Colts their second Field Goal. It was clearly OFFENSIVE Pass Interference! But, despite that, and the bogus PI call made later in the game, the best team won. End of story!

I was pulling for the Colts but I agree--those were some horrible calls. That first pass interference was just a case of great defense.

Moss is incredible!!!

[Padkapow Guy]

The Pats armor has been cracked! they finally trailed in the 2nd half

Uh...not quite. The Cowboys had a third quarter lead.

my mistake, I thought I heard the fox announcer say that was the first time they trailed.

PKG

Edited November 5, 2007 by Padkapow Guy

[calibanjr.]

I don't think that I've seen a worse call in all of the 45 years that I've been watching NFL football than the Pass Interference call that went against the Patriots, and handed the Colts their second Field Goal. It was clearly OFFENSIVE Pass Interference! But, despite that, and the bogus PI call made later in the game, the best team won. End of story!

Wow! We're used to the Colts getting dodgy PI calls against the Pats, ESPECIALLY at Indy, but the cumulative total of CLEARLY bad calls deserves some attention. Two bad defensive PI calls, the second which could have been offensive PI. Then 3rd down and K. Faulk has his hands dragged away, which went completely unnoticed, even though Brady was raving at the ref. The offensive PI call on Moss was SURREAL! If the Pats don't score a TD in spite of it, that would be a BIG-TIME issue with the League. Since they over-came it, it probably won't be pursued, but basically it's the case that given the calls, the refs are either incompetent or biased, no other real reasoning I can see. Either way, the should be suspended, fined, reprimanded, whatever. Of course nothing will happen. We usually get more even judgements at Foxboro, and with the weather and the field, the Pats should run it up a little better on Indy in the AFC Championship (the de facto Super Bowl).

[patsfangr]

The Patriots were hit with 10 penalties for a total of 146 yards. The

Colts were called for 4 penalties for a total of 25 yards.

We won the game. Pats fans are all very happy about that. But, IMO, that

blatantly one-sided officiating should not be passed over. The Patriots

should demand a review of the penalties called (and NOT called) in this

game. It was so outrageous that I thought I was watching the WWF at times!

Seriously, was this a fix gone bad? 10 to 4?! 146 to 25?! How is that

possible between two well coached teams? As happy as I am with this

tremendous victory, I am equally disgusted with such horrible officiating.

This should NOT be swept aside just because the best team won! Will the

media make any mention of it, or will they just spew out a party line of

"great comeback" crap, and ignore one of the most deplorable examples of one

sided officiating in the history of the NFL?

I have been a Patriots fan since 1960. In all of those years, I have never come away

from a victory with as much anger as I feel right now. There were at least 3 of the penalties

called on the Patriots that were obvious bad calls. That second Pass Interference call, when

the Colts WR ran over the Patriots DB was clearly OFFENSIVE interference, and it was called

AGAINST the Patriots! It was one of the worst calls I have ever seen in the NFL. Watch it on

the replay at 9:30 tonight, and tell me that you don't agree. The Colts receiver RAN OVER

the Patriots DB!

If the Patriots had lost this game by 4 points, instead of winning it by 4 points, it woujld go

down as one of the worst travesties in the history of the NFL. The Patriots won. But I will

still be very disapointed if the incompetence of this officiating crew is not held up to

public scrutiny. The NFL was SO concerned about the "integrity of the game" when Belichick

had a guy videotaping from an improper location. What do they have to say about officiating

that is, at the very least, incompetent; and, at the very worst, prejudiced against one team?

[Old Man River]

While a win is a win, I certainly didn't come away from watching this morning's game thinking that the Patriots dominated this game. The Pats defense was riddled with holes (Addai accounted for over 200 yards).

Patsfangr, there is no question the officiating sucked. It sucks all over the league. Perhaps the officials did gang up on the Pats on this one as really nobody likes Belicheat. Did you see the non-greeting between Belicheat and Dungy after the game?

As Addai said, "those guys are good. We will see them again." I would imagine next time Dungy won't be keeping Manning's bread and butter receiver, Marvin Harrison, on the sideline.

Edited November 5, 2007 by Old Man River

[Old Man River]

The Pats armor has been cracked! they finally trailed in the 2nd half

Uh...not quite. The Cowboys had a third quarter lead.

my mistake, I thought I heard the fox announcer say that was the first time they trailed.

PKG

Your hearing is good. The Fox announcer did say that, but he had wrong info.

[patsfangr]

While a win is a win, I certainly didn't come away from watching this morning's game thinking that the Patriots dominated this game. The Pats defense was riddled with holes (Addai accounted for over 200 yards).

Patsfangr, there is no question the officiating sucked. It sucks all over the league. Perhaps the officials did gang up on the Pats on this one as really nobody likes Belicheat. Did you see the non-greeting between Belicheat and Dungy after the game?

As Addai said, "those guys are good. We will see them again." I would imagine next time Dungy won't be keeping Manning's bread and butter receiver, Marvin Harrison, on the sideline.

Well, OMR, the next game will be in New England, outdoors, at the end of January. I certainly hope that the Colts will have all of their players available for the game. By the way, in case you've forgotten, the Patriots played without their starting Free Saftey, Eugene Wilson; and without their leading rusher to date, Sammy Morris. Their TE, Ben Watson, was returning from an injury that kept him out for the last 2-1/2 games. Their best DL, Richard Seymour, was playing in his second game of the season, after rehabbing from knee surgery. When the Colts beat the Patriots in the AFC Championship last year, the Patriots were without starting LB Junior Seau, lost starting LB Rosevelt Colvin late in the first half, and were without starting SS Rodney Harrison, who was on IR.

In this game, the best team won, beating both the Colts and the officials. It should count as two wins! Watch it again tonight at 9:30 when TrueVisions replays it. Count the calls, and non-calls, that were egregiously bad, in favor of the Colts. The second PI, which was clearly offensive PI, and led to the Colts second FG. The phantom offensive PI called against Moss, who was clearly in position to catch the ball. The obvious hold on Kevin Faulk, as he tried to catch a pass from Brady, that was not called. That's just 3. There were more. Let's watch and count them tonight, OK?

I sincerely hope that the Patriots will file a protest against John Parry, and this inept (or worse) crew with the NFL. There's almost always one call, sometimes a couple, in an NFL game. Usually, you can see a bad call, or non-call, against each team. But THIS was was one of the worst, most one-sided officiating jobs that I've ever seen; and it should not go without punishment, in spite of the fact that the Patriots foiled their blatant attempt to help the Colts win the game!

[Old Man River]

While a win is a win, I certainly didn't come away from watching this morning's game thinking that the Patriots dominated this game. The Pats defense was riddled with holes (Addai accounted for over 200 yards).

Patsfangr, there is no question the officiating sucked. It sucks all over the league. Perhaps the officials did gang up on the Pats on this one as really nobody likes Belicheat. Did you see the non-greeting between Belicheat and Dungy after the game?

As Addai said, "those guys are good. We will see them again." I would imagine next time Dungy won't be keeping Manning's bread and butter receiver, Marvin Harrison, on the sideline.

Well, OMR, the next game will be in New England, outdoors, at the end of January. I certainly hope that the Colts will have all of their players available for the game. By the way, in case you've forgotten, the Patriots played without their starting Free Saftey, Eugene Wilson; and without their leading rusher to date, Sammy Morris. Their TE, Ben Watson, was returning from an injury that kept him out for the last 2-1/2 games. Their best DL, Richard Seymour, was playing in his second game of the season, after rehabbing from knee surgery. When the Colts beat the Patriots in the AFC Championship last year, the Patriots were without starting LB Junior Seau, lost starting LB Rosevelt Colvin late in the first half, and were without starting SS Rodney Harrison, who was on IR.

In this game, the best team won, beating both the Colts and the officials. It should count as two wins! Watch it again tonight at 9:30 when TrueVisions replays it. Count the calls, and non-calls, that were egregiously bad, in favor of the Colts. The second PI, which was clearly offensive PI, and led to the Colts second FG. The phantom offensive PI called against Moss, who was clearly in position to catch the ball. The obvious hold on Kevin Faulk, as he tried to catch a pass from Brady, that was not called. That's just 3. There were more. Let's watch and count them tonight, OK?

I sincerely hope that the Patriots will file a protest against John Parry, and this inept (or worse) crew with the NFL. There's almost always one call, sometimes a couple, in an NFL game. Usually, you can see a bad call, or non-call, against each team. But THIS was was one of the worst, most one-sided officiating jobs that I've ever seen; and it should not go without punishment, in spite of the fact that the Patriots foiled their blatant attempt to help the Colts win the game!

Colts' starting OT was also out, not that their offensive line was an issue as Manning had enough time to throw and Addai could have walked through some of those holes.

On the officiating, maybe Donaghy has a new job (the NBA won't live this one down for many years). Seriously, I agree that the officiating was one sided and I really do think they do not like Belichick. It is something the Pats will just have to overcome and they have so far. Besides the cheating issue, the fact that Belichick runs up scores has upset the other coaches and I think the officials are beginning to side with others in the league in an anti-Belichick response.

[patsfangr]

As has been the case in so many of the Patriots come back wins during the Belichick era, the key to the Patriots win yesterday was the coaching staff's ability to make adjustments to counteract the aspect of the opponents game that has been giving them trouble.

You know that Addai had over 100 yards both rushing and receiving, right. Well, I went through the play-by-play test on ESPN, and found that his totals in the 2nd half were 32 yards rushing, and 7 yards receiving. How's that for adjusting? That was the single biggest reason why the Patriots were able to come back and win this game. They took away the Colts most productive player, giving Brady the opportunity to do his thing offensively.

[mauiguy90]

Great game! Got up early to watch it though it was tough to stay up...watching the replay now. Used to be a Patriots fan but can't support a team that cheats in order to win. The sad thing is that they didn't have to cheat to win. This season and seasons past are tainted until coaching changes are made.

I agree that the league's morality is in question but for different reasons. Taking a couple of draft choices away after being caught cheating was less than "a slap on the hands" and more of a slap on the butt as if to say "go for it". It says that winning at all costs is more important than playing by the rules. Its not surprising that the team that will do anything to win, did just that. Hopefully, that's not what the U.S. is about.

I can understand hometown support of the Patriots, however, I think most of the public considers the Patriots 2007 a team with an asterisk attached to its name, whatever the outcome of this season may be. Sorry if I'm ruffling a few feathers here but the Pats brought it on themselves.