Football (North America: NFL, CFL, Arena Football, minor leagues)

[MNHighwayMan]

I always thought it was odd that the Minnesota Football program was one of the best in the Country before the mid-20th Century.  Interestingly the Golden Gophers have 7 claimed national championships.

It is fully typical of Minnesota sports to win championships before anyone cares. No one ever mentions the NFL championship the Vikings won the year before the merger, or the World Series that the then-Washington Senators won. I guess the latter is a bit different, though.

Or after anyone (in MN) cares, in the case of the former Minnesota North Stars.

[Henry]

I always thought it was odd that the Minnesota Football program was one of the best in the Country before the mid-20th Century.  Interestingly the Golden Gophers have 7 claimed national championships.

It is fully typical of Minnesota sports to win championships before anyone cares. No one ever mentions the NFL championship the Vikings won the year before the merger, or the World Series that the then-Washington Senators won. I guess the latter is a bit different, though.

Or after anyone (in MN) cares, in the case of the former Minnesota North Stars.

...or the Minneapolis Lakers, the predecessors to L.A.'s premier sports franchise.

[kurumi]

I'm calling it now: Jets and Ravens in the Super Bowl.

"B-but that can't happen..." you say.

Nobody thought Brexit would happen either.

"B-but Brexit hasn't happened! There was only the referendum!"

You know what I mean.

If you're tired of the dynasty from B*, M* on I-95, an hour's flight from New York, get ready for another dynasty from B*, M* on I-95, an hour's flight from New York :-)

[NWI_Irish96]

I'm calling it now: Jets and Ravens in the Super Bowl.

"B-but that can't happen..." you say.

Nobody thought Brexit would happen either.

"B-but Brexit hasn't happened! There was only the referendum!"

You know what I mean.

If you're tired of the dynasty from B*, M* on I-95, an hour's flight from New York, get ready for another dynasty from B*, M* on I-95, an hour's flight from New York :-)

I do like the Ravens to make the SB this year, but as for a Jets/Ravens SB, I do think the NFL would be well-served to eliminate conferences, and seed the playoffs as a single bracket with teams seeded 1-12, opening up the possibility that any two teams could meet in the Super Bowl. 

[webny99]

Who will win the Super Bowl? 

The Saints and Chiefs (and Rams, of course) all look considerably worse than they did last season.
My prediction is that the conference championships will be NFC West Winner (Niners or Seahawks) vs. Vikings and a rematch of Pats vs. Ravens. After that, who knows.

[nexus73]

Who will win the Super Bowl? 

The Saints and Chiefs (and Rams, of course) all look considerably worse than they did last season.
My prediction is that the conference championships will be NFC West Winner (Niners or Seahawks) vs. Vikings and a rematch of Pats vs. Ravens. After that, who knows.

Bingo.  Now to see if injuries affect the "obvious" outcomes.  That is when things get interesting!

Rick

[Max Rockatansky]

Who will win the Super Bowl? 

The Saints and Chiefs (and Rams, of course) all look considerably worse than they did last season.
My prediction is that the conference championships will be NFC West Winner (Niners or Seahawks) vs. Vikings and a rematch of Pats vs. Ravens. After that, who knows.

The Saints?  That defense looked pretty killer when Drew Brees was out.  I'd attribute the poor play you're seeing right now to having a massive lead in the Division.  The 49ers couldn't come up big (granted the back up kicker didn't help) against the Seahawks.  Usually teams fresh to the top tier of the NFL usually don't crack out clutch wins unless they stick around a year or two.  I'd still bet on the Saints to make the Super Bowl from the NFC.  With the Ravens my biggest question is when will the NFL defenses start figuring out that offense?  Running quarterbacks traditionally haven't been able to maintain that style of play like what is going with the Ravens and Lamar Jackson at a top level for very long. 

[webny99]

The 49ers couldn't come up big (granted the back up kicker didn't help) against the Seahawks.

I think that has less to do with the Niners being flawed (they just demolished the Packers 43-8!), and more to do with Russell Wilson being exceptionally good at getting the W close games.

Just this season alone:
Bengals 20, Seahawks 21
Steelers 26, Seahawks 28
Rams 29, Seahawks 30
Browns 28, Seahawks 32
Bucs 34, Seahawks 40
... and of course Niners 24, Seahawks 27.

[1995hoo]

Today is a glorious football day!

[kevinb1994]

Today is a glorious football day!

What a comeback for UVA! Took them the better half/part of 15 years...

[Max Rockatansky]

Today is a glorious football day!

Yes, seeing highlights of the "Dog Pee Touchdown" fiasco all day was highly amusing. 

[1995hoo]

Today is a glorious football day!

Yes, seeing highlights of the "Dog Pee Touchdown" fiasco all day was highly amusing. 

That play needs to lead off "C'Mon Man!" this Monday night.

[DaBigE]

I'm super excited to see my college team (the Badgers) play Minnesota next week.

I want to watch this game, but the one Gophers game I've watched this year, they lost. So I'm a little torn.

If you did decide to watch the game, a BIG thank you. 


Now, I just hope we learned from our last go-around with Ohio State.

[Alps]

I'm super excited to see my college team (the Badgers) play Minnesota next week.

I want to watch this game, but the one Gophers game I've watched this year, they lost. So I'm a little torn.

If you did decide to watch the game, a BIG thank you. 


Now, I just hope we learned from our last go-around with Ohio State.

Do what Harbaugh can't. It won't stop them from reaching the CFP, but at least take the title.

[Max Rockatansky]

Looks like the Bengals might get off the winless list the way things are going.  It also looks like the Steelers are going to beat the Browns.  Considering how much the Steelers lost to injury and "other"  Mike Tomlin should be pretty high up in Coach of the Year voting for just having them in playoff contention. 

[Buck87]

I was hoping for a Minnesota win, because I don't really like the idea of playing the same team twice in one season (and also because it would have meant having yet another team make their first B1G title game appearance before Michigan)

though at least it's not playing the same team in the same stadium in consecutive weeks like Memphis and Cincinnati

[Eth]

though at least it's not playing the same team in the same stadium in consecutive weeks like Memphis and Cincinnati

This should be Conference Scheduling 101: no cross-division games in the final week! The championship not being at a neutral site just compounds the problem.

As for my own team, I'm just glad this season's over. At least I was spared from seeing the offense shut out for a third time this season, even if it did require a muffed punt in the red zone to accomplish it.

[Beltway]

How about the London Blighties? London Dickens? The British Humours?

London Fogs.

[NWI_Irish96]

though at least it's not playing the same team in the same stadium in consecutive weeks like Memphis and Cincinnati

This should be Conference Scheduling 101: no cross-division games in the final week! The championship not being at a neutral site just compounds the problem.

As for my own team, I'm just glad this season's over. At least I was spared from seeing the offense shut out for a third time this season, even if it did require a muffed punt in the red zone to accomplish it.

In the AAC, that's possible because they have 6-team divisions.  For the conferences with 7-team divisions, this is unavoidable, though they can do what the BIG does and pick a pair of teams that are never ever going to meet the following week for their crossover game.

[Beltway]

It is fully typical of Minnesota sports to win championships before anyone cares. No one ever mentions the NFL championship the Vikings won the year before the merger,

Because that was the year of Super Bowl IV, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, the first of their 4 super bowl losses?

[nexus73]

It is fully typical of Minnesota sports to win championships before anyone cares. No one ever mentions the NFL championship the Vikings won the year before the merger,

Because that was the year of Super Bowl IV, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, the first of their 4 super bowl losses?

Hank Stram had a great time on the sidelines for the last AFL-NFL Super Bowl.  Here is a film with such classics as "Chinese fire drill" and "matriculate it down the field boys" as said by him during the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKKVcFvKys4

Rick

[Beltway]

It is fully typical of Minnesota sports to win championships before anyone cares. No one ever mentions the NFL championship the Vikings won the year before the merger,

Because that was the year of Super Bowl IV, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, the first of their 4 super bowl losses?

Hank Stram had a great time on the sidelines for the last AFL-NFL Super Bowl.  Here is a film with such classics as "Chinese fire drill" and "matriculate it down the field boys" as said by him during the game.

Dallas won two NFL Championships in the 1960s, as well.

[webny99]

The 49ers couldn't come up big (granted the back up kicker didn't help) against the Seahawks.

I think that has less to do with the Niners being flawed, and more to do with Russell Wilson being exceptionally good at getting the W close games.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from the Seahawks, we have the Chargers, who never fail to find yet another way to inexplicably lose a close game. Yesterday's loss to the Broncos is their 8th loss of the season, and all 8 have been by a TD or less.
But then again, how could you expect anything else from this team?

[Big John]

It is fully typical of Minnesota sports to win championships before anyone cares. No one ever mentions the NFL championship the Vikings won the year before the merger,

Because that was the year of Super Bowl IV, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, the first of their 4 super bowl losses?

Hank Stram had a great time on the sidelines for the last AFL-NFL Super Bowl.  Here is a film with such classics as "Chinese fire drill" and "matriculate it down the field boys" as said by him during the game.

Dallas won two NFL Championships in the 1960s, as well.

They made the playoffs in the 1966 and 1967 seasons, but they were not championship seasons, NFL nor Super Bowls.

[nexus73]

It is fully typical of Minnesota sports to win championships before anyone cares. No one ever mentions the NFL championship the Vikings won the year before the merger,

Because that was the year of Super Bowl IV, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, the first of their 4 super bowl losses?

Hank Stram had a great time on the sidelines for the last AFL-NFL Super Bowl.  Here is a film with such classics as "Chinese fire drill" and "matriculate it down the field boys" as said by him during the game.

Dallas won two NFL Championships in the 1960s, as well.

They made the playoffs in the 1966 and 1967 seasons, but they were not championship seasons, NFL nor Super Bowls.

The only Dallas team to win a football championship in the Sixties was the Dallas Texans of the AFL.  That team moved to KC and became the Chiefs.

Rick