NFL (2020-2024)

[JayhawkCO]

My answers in bold:

I'll try my best to change the subject here....

Q1:  How will the addition of Devonte Adams help the Jets?
Very little. Having good receivers weren't their issue on offense. It's the line that can't protect.

Q2:  How will the addition of Amari Cooper help the Bills?
Moderately. He's a consistent receiver that they haven't had since Diggs maybe 3-4 years ago.

Q3:  How will the addition of DeAndre Hopkins help the Chiefs?
Mildly. Patty spreads the ball around to everyone, so his stats won't be big either way.

Q4:  Any other player movements/changes that I did not mention?
Not yet. But there are rumors about Cooper Kupp being traded. Tampa seems like a logical spot.

Q5:  Will James Winston do better than Deshaun Watson?
Doesn't take much.

[1995hoo]

Only a handful of people cared about the Cardinals when I lived in Phoenix.  The Broncos has by the largest following among long term residents in the city. 

As for the Chargers, they are never going to be able to compete for followers in Los Angeles.  The Ram fans comprise the vast majority of the local NFL following.

Am I correct in understanding that the Raiders still maintain a large fanbase in LA even almost 30 years after they left?

[Max Rockatansky]

Only a handful of people cared about the Cardinals when I lived in Phoenix.  The Broncos has by the largest following among long term residents in the city. 

As for the Chargers, they are never going to be able to compete for followers in Los Angeles.  The Ram fans comprise the vast majority of the local NFL following.

Am I correct in understanding that the Raiders still maintain a large fanbase in LA even almost 30 years after they left?

Yes, but they have a fairly spread out fan base throughout California.  They are everywhere, but I wouldn't say they are the most popular team in any region.

[JayhawkCO]

Only a handful of people cared about the Cardinals when I lived in Phoenix.  The Broncos has by the largest following among long term residents in the city. 

As for the Chargers, they are never going to be able to compete for followers in Los Angeles.  The Ram fans comprise the vast majority of the local NFL following.

Am I correct in understanding that the Raiders still maintain a large fanbase in LA even almost 30 years after they left?

Yes, but they have a fairly spread out fan base throughout California.  They are everywhere, but I wouldn't say they are the most popular team in any region.

The Raiders' fan base is also delineated on different lines than almost every other American team - they have a high percentage of fandom among the Latino community no matter where they live.

[Max Rockatansky]

Only a handful of people cared about the Cardinals when I lived in Phoenix.  The Broncos has by the largest following among long term residents in the city. 

As for the Chargers, they are never going to be able to compete for followers in Los Angeles.  The Ram fans comprise the vast majority of the local NFL following.

Am I correct in understanding that the Raiders still maintain a large fanbase in LA even almost 30 years after they left?

Yes, but they have a fairly spread out fan base throughout California.  They are everywhere, but I wouldn't say they are the most popular team in any region.

The Raiders' fan base is also delineated on different lines than almost every other American team - they have a high percentage of fandom among the Latino community no matter where they live.

Strangely though, not so much in Fresno.  I hardly see anyone wearing 49ers or Raiders apparel around me.  Probably about 80% of jerseys, shirts and hats I see are those of the Rams. 

I have a theory about Fresno following the Los Angeles teams.  I think that Los Angeles has more appeal to blue collar demographics which largely comprise the Central Valley.  The area has a fairly substantial Dodgers and Lakers following as well.

[hobsini2]

Only a handful of people cared about the Cardinals when I lived in Phoenix.  The Broncos has by the largest following among long term residents in the city. 

As for the Chargers, they are never going to be able to compete for followers in Los Angeles.  The Ram fans comprise the vast majority of the local NFL following.

Am I correct in understanding that the Raiders still maintain a large fanbase in LA even almost 30 years after they left?

Yes, but they have a fairly spread out fan base throughout California.  They are everywhere, but I wouldn't say they are the most popular team in any region.

The Raiders' fan base is also delineated on different lines than almost every other American team - they have a high percentage of fandom among the Latino community no matter where they live.

Strangely though, not so much in Fresno.  I hardly see anyone wearing 49ers or Raiders apparel around me.  Probably about 80% of jerseys, shirts and hats I see are those of the Rams. 

I have a theory about Fresno following the Los Angeles teams.  I think that Los Angeles has more appeal to blue collar demographics which largely comprise the Central Valley.  The area has a fairly substantial Dodgers and Lakers following as well.

I get what you mean but I would not say the Dodgers and Lakers are for blue collar fan bases though. Like here, most of the blue collar fan base is for the White Sox and the Cubs are more for the corporate type in my opinion. Funny thing is I am a Cubs fan who is blue collar. Go figure.

[Max Rockatansky]

Only a handful of people cared about the Cardinals when I lived in Phoenix.  The Broncos has by the largest following among long term residents in the city. 

As for the Chargers, they are never going to be able to compete for followers in Los Angeles.  The Ram fans comprise the vast majority of the local NFL following.

Am I correct in understanding that the Raiders still maintain a large fanbase in LA even almost 30 years after they left?

Yes, but they have a fairly spread out fan base throughout California.  They are everywhere, but I wouldn't say they are the most popular team in any region.

The Raiders' fan base is also delineated on different lines than almost every other American team - they have a high percentage of fandom among the Latino community no matter where they live.

Strangely though, not so much in Fresno.  I hardly see anyone wearing 49ers or Raiders apparel around me.  Probably about 80% of jerseys, shirts and hats I see are those of the Rams. 

I have a theory about Fresno following the Los Angeles teams.  I think that Los Angeles has more appeal to blue collar demographics which largely comprise the Central Valley.  The area has a fairly substantial Dodgers and Lakers following as well.

I get what you mean but I would not say the Dodgers and Lakers are for blue collar fan bases though. Like here, most of the blue collar fan base is for the White Sox and the Cubs are more for the corporate type in my opinion. Funny thing is I am a Cubs fan who is blue collar. Go figure.

I wouldn't either, but that seems to be the local perception.  My view was/is that the As are the real collar market team. .

[SEWIGuy]

Only a handful of people cared about the Cardinals when I lived in Phoenix.  The Broncos has by the largest following among long term residents in the city. 

As for the Chargers, they are never going to be able to compete for followers in Los Angeles.  The Ram fans comprise the vast majority of the local NFL following.

Am I correct in understanding that the Raiders still maintain a large fanbase in LA even almost 30 years after they left?

Yes, but they have a fairly spread out fan base throughout California.  They are everywhere, but I wouldn't say they are the most popular team in any region.

The Raiders' fan base is also delineated on different lines than almost every other American team - they have a high percentage of fandom among the Latino community no matter where they live.

Strangely though, not so much in Fresno.  I hardly see anyone wearing 49ers or Raiders apparel around me.  Probably about 80% of jerseys, shirts and hats I see are those of the Rams. 

I have a theory about Fresno following the Los Angeles teams.  I think that Los Angeles has more appeal to blue collar demographics which largely comprise the Central Valley.  The area has a fairly substantial Dodgers and Lakers following as well.

Maybe they just have been in those media markets for a long time?

[thspfc]

Q1:  How will the addition of Devonte Adams help the Jets?

Holding any optimistic thoughts regarding the Jets should put a person in jail.

Q2:  How will the addition of Amari Cooper help the Bills?

On the other hand, I think this is actually a very significant move, addressing the team's biggest deficiency.

Q3:  How will the addition of DeAndre Hopkins help the Chiefs?

That's like asking how Tesla's daily market cap change will affect Elon Musk's financial stability. Hopkins takes the Chiefs from an undefeated team coming off back-to-back titles, to an undefeated team coming off back-to-back titles.

Q5:  Will James Winston do better than Deshaun Watson?

I am not a Jameis believer at all. My answer is still a resounding yes.

[webny99]

A Web forum like this one allows you to post damn near any sort of opinion or idea you like for no financial cost. However, the price you pay is, if others disagree, they can respond to you critically. It is on you to defend your idea at that point. If others feel you are making a habit of declining to do so, that is fair game for criticism as well, and is not something that justifies moderator action, especially when it is as mildly worded as the posts here, which I would characterize as "critical but respectful".

On the other hand, you are well within your rights to not engage with further replies if you feel that doing so would not be a good use of your time for whatever reason. Nobody can make anyone else make a post. (I would suggest, however, that if you are suffering a noticeable decline in your mental health due to a thread on a Web forum—especially in the Sports section, which is the most piddling, low-stakes section of the forum—you should probably take a break from the forum and/or seek assistance from someone more qualified to address the problem than, well, me.)

Fully understood, and I really appreciate you taking the time to reply even though the main point was to say you didn't need to be replying, LOL. This was absolutely necessary from my perspective not just because of the specific comment(s) I took issue with, but also because of the incessant negativity and vulturous nature of piling on that was occurring that had simply become completely unreasonable and too much to handle (mentally and otherwise). That has now been dispelled and normalcy restored to the thread in a manner that, quite frankly, I could not have done (and had in fact tried and failed to do) on my own, so thanks.

It's also important to state for the record that I DID take an extended break from the forum when the discussion previously imploded a few weeks ago. I was completely offline for three days and even after returning, stayed away from this particular thread for over a week. I had no intention of ever reopening the previous discussion ever again, but I also wasn't going to let that keep me away from a thread I follow with genuine interest forever, so I eventually checked back in hoping to resume contributing as normal. Turns out a week wasn't long enough for others to move on, even though it was plenty for me, so that's why things had to take this path instead... Anyways, enough said on that.

This could well be a sticky post (with the part about sports modified, of course) in the "Forum Guidelines."

I'm curious what particular part of this you think isn't already covered by the existing forum guidelines.

[webny99]

Not defending his arguments (and theories) has become an increasing webny staple forum wide.

Forum-wide? Sorry, but I would be doing a major disservice to myself and everyone else on the forum not to follow up on this bizarre claim. I would like some specific examples from other threads so I can research and make sure they've been defended accordingly, or else this is just as much of a pseudo-theory as the one that I ill-advisedly brought up.

[webny99]

People on either side can disengage from the debate at any time for any reason, and "disengaging would be the kindest thing to do" is a pretty good reason to do so.

Agreed on this too, and in fact another major advantage of stepping away from a heated conversation -- even if only for a short time -- is that it makes it much easier to arrive at and accept disengagement as a solution. I speak having had the very recent experience of typing (offline) an extended reply best described as a "leveling" of two particular posts in this very thread. 

I learned when I was young that "the subconscious mind solves things better than the conscious mind" and that often comes to mind when I start overthinking things, especially late at night. And it was never more top of mind than it was last night, so when I was done writing down and overbaking my thoughts, I fortunately had the sense not to post them here, or even so much as open my internet browser, for the risk of one thing leading to another.

By this morning, I was able to have a good chuckle about what I had written, muse over what could have been, and somewhat regretfully but decisively file it in the drafts, and that will be where it remains.. (or I certainly hope so anyways).

[Max Rockatansky]

Not defending his arguments (and theories) has become an increasing webny staple forum wide.

Forum-wide? Sorry, but I would be doing a major disservice to myself and everyone else on the forum not to follow up on this bizarre claim. I would like some specific examples from other threads so I can research and make sure they've been defended accordingly, or else this is just as much of a pseudo-theory as the one that I ill-advisedly brought up.

I was referring to you trying to counter argument several posts in various threads only to back pedal by saying you don't "want to engage further" upon being challenged.  As for which threads, I can't say I'm inclined to help you look given the tact you chose in this thread. 

[webny99]

I was referring to you trying to counter argument several posts in various threads only to back pedal by saying you don't "want to engage further" upon being challenged.  As for which threads, I can't say I'm inclined to help you look given the tact you chose in this thread. 

Except that these "several posts in various threads" don't actually exist, so there wouldn't be much sense in looking for them.

[Max Rockatansky]

I was referring to you trying to counter argument several posts in various threads only to back pedal by saying you don't "want to engage further" upon being challenged.  As for which threads, I can't say I'm inclined to help you look given the tact you chose in this thread. 

Except that these "several posts in various threads" don't actually exist, so there wouldn't be much sense in looking for them.

Oh whatever, you've flaked out on continuing to debating with even just me several times this last couple months.  I was fine with it until you threaten to bring mods into it. 

But if me telling you this makes you feel uncomfortable, then maybe you ought to disengage?  I'd be more of the mind to tell you not to offer contrarian opinions if you aren't willing to defend them like an adult.

[webny99]

But if me telling you this makes you feel uncomfortable, then maybe you ought to disengage?  I'd be more of the mind to tell you not to offer contrarian opinions if you aren't willing to defend them like an adult.

No, I am not uncomfortable in the least. In fact I am quite settled, now that we have both made statements and been unable/unwilling to support them, we are on equal footing and can indeed disengage.

[Max Rockatansky]

But if me telling you this makes you feel uncomfortable, then maybe you ought to disengage?  I'd be more of the mind to tell you not to offer contrarian opinions if you aren't willing to defend them like an adult.

No, I am not uncomfortable in the least. In fact I am quite settled, now that we have both made statements and been unable/unwilling to support them, we are on equal footing and can indeed disengage.

I mean hey, you still really haven't even answered the questions posed to you in this thread.  I'm just surprised you want to make this all about you after that weak hearted statement you made. 

It is a little too late to try to act like an adult in this thread.  Maybe defend your stances and opinions next time rather than threaten a bunch of users with a report to the mods.

[NWI_Irish96]

NFL needs to make missed face masks reviewable, if not for the entire game at least in the last two minutes of each half.

[Big John]

NFL needs to make missed face masks reviewable, if not for the entire game at least in the last two minutes of each half.

Hard for "judgment calls". Was a disaster when they tried to make pass interference reviewable in 2019.

[NWI_Irish96]

NFL needs to make missed face masks reviewable, if not for the entire game at least in the last two minutes of each half.

Hard for "judgment calls". Was a disaster when they tried to make pass interference reviewable in 2019.

It's not really a judgment call though. You either grab the face mask or you don't.

[jgb191]

So let me get this right:  The LA Rams got the favorable non-calls on what was a missed pass interference in a Conference Championship and now missed face-mask last night??  Was it the same officials in both games?

[Big John]

So let me get this right:  The LA Rams got the favorable non-calls on what was a missed pass interference in a Conference Championship and now missed face-mask last night??  Was it the same officials in both games?

The referee #3 was not yet hired by the NFL in the 2018 NFC championship game.

[mgk920]

For many years no I have also been calling for the NFL to issue 'yellow' and 'red' cards to its game officials, with the same awesome powers that they now confer to the fútbol refs.  anyone who is flagged for a  personal foul or unsportsmanlike conduct penalty would also, at minimum, be shown a 'yellow' card.  The specter of your team being limited to one or more fewer players on the field for the rest of a game will be a strong incentive, indeed, for those guys to behave.

Mike

[JayhawkCO]

I'm not going to whine too much about the officiating last night causing my Vikes to not have a chance in the dying minutes, since we never should have been in that place to begin with. But there were an awful lot of 3rd down calls that went against us that would have gotten us off the field on drives that eventually led to allowed points.

Anyway, Darrisaw being out for the year probably screws our chances of being Super Bowl worthy anyway. So, the whole game gets a middle finger from me.

Edit - The statement from the refs that they couldn't see the facemask. Uhhh......

[ZLoth]

This may be crazy talk, but.... Houston Texans vs Detroit Lions in the Super Bowl this season? Especially since neither team has appeared in the Super Bowl era, while the Detroit Lions were in the NFL championships in 1957.