NFL 2017-2018 Season

[Gfted1]

I wouldnt assume Elliot playing this season is a forgone conclusion. Goodell still has the ultimate trump card, the "commissioners exempt list".

[Guard Dog]

Give me a break http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/patriots-fans-already-calling-for-jimmy-garoppolo-to-start-over-tom-brady/ar-AArwMvA?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

[Bartimaeus]

I wouldnt assume Elliot playing this season is a forgone conclusion. Goodell still has the ultimate trump card, the "commissioners exempt list".

 

Well, unless the NFL wants to violate court orders that specifically disallow them from suspending Ezekiel Elliot for the duration of the lawsuit as a result of the case, I wouldn't bet on it. Maybe if they felt comfortable taking a gamble on the courts not interpreting the commissioner's exempt list as being a sort of suspension, but I doubt they'll do that.

[Keyrock]

With or without Zeke, our offense should be great, unless Dak comes down with a serious case of the sophomore slump.  I seriously doubt that will happen, given that Dak showed more poise in the pocket and understanding of reading defenses as a rookie last year than most QBs in their 3rd or 4th season.  It's as if he was already a senior last year.  Anyway, it's going to come down to what kind of voodoo magic Rod Marinelli can pull off with the patchwork defense he has.  I'll give a conservative prediction of 11-5.

[the_dog_days]

Give me a break http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/patriots-fans-already-calling-for-jimmy-garoppolo-to-start-over-tom-brady/ar-AArwMvA?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

 

At least Pat fans can still make me smile.

[Volourn]

L0L This is why  players should NEVER be loyal to to teams and especially not scumbag fans.   But whateves.

[Gromnir]

as we noted earlier, the nfl bungled the appeal process for elliott, which will ultimately not matter, but will substantial delay the inevitable. is a bit like deflategate.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Volourn]

The NFLPA better do their job at next negoiations. If they weren't so weak-ass this nonsense would not be an issue. In no other major professional league do suspensions cause this much issue. A suspension is laid down, player potentially appeals it, might knock a few games off, but then everyone moves on. The NFL can't even do that. LMAO

[Bartimaeus]

I mean...the NFLPA caved because the players caved. It's not like the NFLPA is some nebulous organization that has its own mind: it's a players' union. It was either cave or shorten/cancel the season...and no surprise, the NFL can suffer not having a season much better than players who only have an average career length of about 3 and a half years can. The NFLPA will never gain much power until the players get serious about actually holding out, which isn't likely to occur (especially given a strong majority appear to have awful financial skills). Sadly, this isn't baseball where players can play for forever and so could afford to lose seasons: the NFL knows this and exploits it to its full capacity. It's not right, but what can they do?

Edited September 9, 2017 by Bartimaeus

[Volourn]

The NFLPA failed the players. They at epaid to do a job and support them. They did not do that.    This is 100% on the NFLPA who failed their employers. the owners themselves have already stated that they are 'willing' to change these rules at the next negoiations but expect other 'major concessions'. The bottom line her eis the NFLPA failed. PERIOD. don't make excuses for them.

[Bartimaeus]

I don't disagree that the union totally failed...but the union only goes as far as its members (the players) want it to, and they collectively decided they'd rather take money now than fight for a better CBA. In other words, the players and their union are the same thing, and so they failed themselves by agreeing to the CBA. If that's the point you're trying to make, well, okay then. Like for most everything else that's wrong with the sport, though, I generally prefer to blame the NFL.

Edited September 9, 2017 by Bartimaeus

[Volourn]

" In other words, the players and their union are the same thing"

 

No. No, they're not. Ideally they are, but that isn't exactly how unions work. It is clear the NFLPA clearly failed their employers. If they hand't there would be no need to go around suing and pursuing long court cases that will  - odds are - change nothing. Total failure. Espicially when compared how similar unions have done much better.

Edited September 9, 2017 by Volourn

[Bartimaeus]

Even so, the players did literally vote for the current CBA back in 2011. So while the union may not have been that great at negotiating (looking back at the changes that it enacted, they actually did have some decent progress for what they wanted at the time...but some of them then became self-inflicted wounds to a degree, such as the extremely limited practice time and the rookie wage scale), players did collectively agree to it. The funny thing is, I am pretty sure the commissioner's broad power wasn't even that big of a deal to them at the time - I don't think they expected it to be wielded like it has been, especially when they had their minds on other concerns such as pay and injuries. Now it'll be a big thing that they have to fight to limit next time, which means they'll likely have to concede even more ground to reverse something they probably could've easily nipped in the bud in 2011...

[Keyrock]

We're just a couple hours away from the NFL season starting in earnest. 

 

Also, we're just a few more hours away from people overreacting to what happened in week 1.  Remember, if your team wins in week 1, you're not necessarily going to the Superbowl, and if you team loses in week 1, your season isn't necessarily over...

 

...

 

Fast forward to me overreacting to the outcome of the Boys/G-Men game tonight. 

 

Side-note: Is it just me or does it seem like we play the G-Men in week 1 every year?

Edited September 10, 2017 by Keyrock

[Volourn]

"Even so, the players did literally vote for the current CBA back in 2011."

 

Yeah, but the players can only vote based on what the negotiators/NFLKPA tell them. Clearly,  they were told this was a good deal and the NFLPA negotiators were proud of their work.  Obviously, they were wrong, or we wouldn't be seeing so many repeat situations like this. If the union  feels the need to constantly go to court for clearly uphill battles it means they failed  the people they represented in the first place. Again, the fact the other professional league player unions don't feel the need to sue their leagues while the NFLPA does is warning flag of failure for the NFLPA negotiators.

[Keyrock]

Exclusive footage of the Washington Redskins from the 1st quarter:

 

[ShadySands]

Bleh, so far everyone on my fantasy team is way underperforming 

[Keyrock]

Not the game the Texans were looking for to lift the spirits of Harvey-battered Houston in their home opener. 

[Bartimaeus]

Some really bad - atrocious, really - games today...Falcons-Bears was good, some games like Raiders-Titans and Cardinals-Lions started out good, but really fell apart in the second half.

[Keyrock]

Oh for ****s sake, we gotta stop outsmarting ourselves.  We got 1st and goal on the 3 and throw the ball 3 times.  Just stop trying to be "clever" and cute and hand the ****ing ball to Zeke, 3 times if necessary, though it will likely not take him 3 tries.  It's so simple, we have the best O line and the league's rushing champ from last year, let the man do the job you have him on the team for. 

 

Gah, we're moving the ball well, meanwhile the Giants have done nothing on offense, yet all we have to show are two measly FGs.  I've seen this movie before.  This is THE script for losses you look back on and say "we gave that game away".

 

Edit: Finally a TD, about time.  We should be up more than 13-0 right now, but I'll be satisfied if we can keep the G-Men at zero going into the half.

 

Edit 2: Woot, we added 3 more before the half.  I'm feeling better about this game now, though far from secure.

Edited September 11, 2017 by Keyrock

[Volourn]

Damn Giants. Horrible game.

[Keyrock]

I'm definitely happy with the Boys win over the G-Men, but I'm not going to read too much into it, for a few of reasons:

1. It's week 1, sloppy play is expected and teams aren't yet the teams they will be at mid-season.
2. The Giants didn't have OBJ.
3. We only had 1 TD and settled for 4 FGs.

Still, a win is a win, and a divisional win is even better.

 

Edit: Also, this ridiculous Cole Beasley catch happened:

 

Edited September 11, 2017 by Keyrock

[Bartimaeus]

this is the worst broadcast team of all time

 

(e): ahh, screw it, I'm going to bed

Edited September 12, 2017 by Bartimaeus

[ManifestedISO]

I watched it on the local FM radio station. Was more entertainingly tense than TV broadcasts of recent memory.

 

Am now starting a gofundme to make icing the kicker illegal for thirty-one teams.

[ShadySands]

Things aren't looking good for my fantasy team once again. Going to need a huge game out of Rodgers and Bennett while hoping Montgomery seriously underperforms.