Does anyone actually care about football this year?

[KentState]

I'm thanking the league and players for giving me a year off. It actually felt good to cancel my Sunday Ticket subscription and even better if there isn't anything to miss.

 

[KeithTalent]

I care; can't wait to see my boy Ponder shoot the lights out! :awe:

KT

 

[purbeast0]

"we" refers to being part of team as a city or town. nobody is stating that they are on the actual team. they are stating that they are with the city of the team, through the thick and thin, ups and downs, etc.

some of you get bothered by really small things.

 

[BoomerD]

"we" refers to being part of team as a city or town. nobody is stating that they are on the actual team. they are stating that they are with the city of the team, through the thick and thin, ups and downs, etc.

some of you get bothered by really small things.

Yeah...even when they've never lived within 1000 miles of the team's city...

 

[Tim]

I've always laughed at the "diehard fans" who talk about how "We are going to go to the Super Bowl this year," or how "We need to get rid of so-and-so if we're going to win."

Those fans are only fans...they are NOT part of the team. When is the last time the quarterback had you over for dinner and a movie? When is the last time the team came to your house for a BBQ? Does your wife "hang out" with the players' wives?

No? I didn't thing so. Fans are important for the team...that can't be denied...but stop acting like YOU are important to the team...or like you are PART of the team.

I've heard this petty argument from people a few times now, and I still think it's r*tarded to even bring this up...

We're going to the superbowl again this year! (Are your teeth grinding yet?)

 

[DrPizza]

I can see your point about the diehards going over the top with sports is life and how they need to get a grip on reality. But the whole, "then I got a life" is generally code for the wife wants to go shopping to Bed, Bath and Beyond on Sunday or the kids want to watch Barney all day. I fail to see how hanging out with friends and family on Sunday is a waste of time, but I guess if I had the time to post on the internet 10 times a day I'd know what a full life is.

Hanging out with your family, sitting on the couch sounds soooo wonderful. For the last three weeks, I've spent at least 50 hours a week engaged in outdoor recreational activities. This Sunday, I'll be out boating, water skiing, tubing, fishing. The outdoor weather is usually awesome for the first half of the football season, and I can guarantee you that I'll spend at least 8 hours outdoors engaged in recreational activities every one of those Sundays through the end of November. I *may* listen to a game or two on the radio while doing so. Enjoy the couch.

 

[Terzo]

Hanging out with your family, sitting on the couch sounds soooo wonderful. For the last three weeks, I've spent at least 50 hours a week engaged in outdoor recreational activities. This Sunday, I'll be out boating, water skiing, tubing, fishing. The outdoor weather is usually awesome for the first half of the football season, and I can guarantee you that I'll spend at least 8 hours outdoors engaged in recreational activities every one of those Sundays through the end of November. I *may* listen to a game or two on the radio while doing so. Enjoy the couch.

Different strokes for different folks. If a family genuinely enjoys Sunday football and bonds over it there's nothing wrong with that. It's easy to judge others (something I'm very guilty of), but in the end as long as their actions don't negatively impact you why should you care?

Whatever makes a person happy and all that.

 

[Andy22]

Labor day weekend is like Christmas to me. Opening weekend of college football and the NFL starting the next week. Plus football ushers in my favorite weather season, Fall. Love the HS football on Friday nights, the Saturdays full of college football and then the Sunday watching my Bengals and fantasy football team. Win or lose it all starts over again in one week. It's a sacred time of the year for me.

 

[MotionMan]

Owners approve proposed labor deal

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/6...deal-immediately-lift-nfl-lockout-sources-say

Thursday, July 21, 2011
Owners approve proposed labor deal
ESPN.com news services

NFL owners voted to approve the proposed labor agreement with the NFL Players Association on Thursday, putting the potential end of the league's lockout in the hands of the players -- who might vote on the proposed deal Thursday night.

According to sources, owners voted 31-0 to accept the proposed 10-year collective bargaining agreement, with the Oakland Raiders abstaining. Sources told ESPN.com's John Clayton that the owners have notified the players they would accept this deal contingent on all union matters being resolved next week, and the players' association being reconstituted as a union.
The likely start of training camps is estimated to be Aug. 1, sources said.

Commissioner Roger Goodell announced at a news conference in Atlanta shortly after the completion of the vote that the league has canceled the Aug. 7 Hall of Fame preseason game between the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears.

Goodell said team training facilities would open Saturday and the new league year would begin next Wednesday, contingent on the NFLPA's recertification.

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith and Goodell on Thursday were working to impose certain conditions to immediately lift the lockout if the two sides approve a deal tonight, according to sources.

Shortly after results of the owners' vote was announced, Smith told ESPN that team representatives would examine the agreement.
NFL Labor Negotiations and Lockout

Earlier Thursday, the NFLPA had scheduled an 8 p.m. ET conference call with its executive committee and player reps to decide whether to accept an approved settlement from owners, and how to start the voting process for the 1,900 players who have to decide if they want to vote in a recertified union.

NFLPA sources say league lawyers Bob Batterman and Gregg Levy were pushing for the condition that the lockout remain in effect until the players recertify as a union. However, there was more dialogue between Goodell and Smith throughout the day to build a trust that in the event the players approve the agreement later Thursday, the lockout could be immediately lifted if the players also agree to re-certify as a union.

Players then would begin the process of acquiring enough player signatures to begin the recertification process, which would allow the 10-year agreement to formally become a collective bargaining agreement. Under that scenario, the league would open facilities so the players could use them to discuss the matter and get signed union cards as early as Friday.

Smith said the decision to recertify as a union wouldn't be taken lightly, just as the choice to decertify in March was taken seriously "because we were a real union" -- taking a shot at owners' claims that the NFLPA's decertification was a "sham."

"The decision to decertify as a union was a significant one," Smith said. "Every individual person has to make a decision on whether they want to become part of a union. The individual decisions are something that our players take extremely serious."

The players were unable to negotiate a one-time only application of the franchise tag, which is something that was of particular interest to the plaintiffs in the Brady vs. NFL antitrust case.

An NFLPA official said: "Are we happy with that result? No. Is it worth hanging up a deal with 1,900 players? No. The tag has had very few multiple uses and does carry some financial rewards for players. Not allowing more transition tags, via right of first refusal, was a big victory. That would have impact more free agents than franchise tags."

MotionMan

 

[zinfamous]

well, that^ looks like good news right there, but at this point, I have become completely happy with the idea that the season would be canceled.

I think the league needs that kind of disruption at this point. I would certainly miss those days, but maybe it would make me more productive on Sundays (bah! who the fuck am I kidding? )

 

[zinfamous]

The NBA makes me sad. I was a fan in the later 80s to late 90s/early 2000s and particularly in the early 90s, its popularity was really growing. Once they started losing the legends (Jordan, Magic, Bird, Barkley, Stockton, Malone, Ewing, etc) and replacing them with thugs like Iverson and Anthony and the Pacers roster circa 2003, people stopped caring. The horrific officiating and obvious favoritism towards certain teams and individuals didn't help, either.

this.

though, I rather liked Iverson. dude had some serious skills--and seemed more of a thug on the outside than he really was.

watching the championship rounds and finals this year was the first NBA that I had followed in....9 years?

If you asked my advice today, I would still say, "Hands Down! You must draft Gary Payton first in your fantasy draft, son!"

 

[Fern]

I'm in North Carolina. While I used to enjoy the NFL I'm not sure I watched any games last year (other than the play-offs).

The Panthers sucked.

With new coaches, new offensive and defensive system and new players they should suck again. They've had no time to learn system or the players.

I expect Cam Newton to fail. Pretty much any rookie QB is gonna fail, but one who, by all reports, doesn't really understand the game will fail hard. If Newton is starting I'll probably watch to see how he does.

Mostly, I'm all into college FB at this point. I can't wait for that season to start.

Fern

 

[Gigantopithecus]

Yeah, my first thought was "bummer, no college football on Sundays."