Superbowl

[Oak Glaister]

We've already had two weeks of games, yet no Superbowl predictions.

Superbowl winner: Indianapolis Colts

[Han Solo]

I say Denver. Indy always seems to stumble somewhere in the postseason.

The winner will be from the AFC regardless.

[CJL]

I'd like to see the Colts, but you're right about Indy faltering in the playoffs. I say they turn it around this year and win it all.

Surprisingly, Green Bay looks like the NFC's best. They've played some chumps, but last year their problem was beating the lousy teams - they did well in the big games.

I predict San Diego loses in the AFC Championship, Cincinnati will miss the playoffs by one spot, and the Colts beat the Packers in the Super Bowl.

[mopete]

I'm with y'all on the AFC, though I'm leaning towards Tennesse (provided they can win a game w/o Mcnair, and he returns soon).
Many good teams will miss the playoffs this year since only 4 per side are going in.

[Dr T Non-Fan]

According to recent history, those "good teams" haven't won many games.
Yes, they have been better than average, but it's more likely to wear out the winner of the first round game more than provide an eventual champion.

[Dr T Non-Fan]

My prediction:
I have no idea. Mobile QB are opening up offenses, and the pocket QB is becoming passe (until a new generation of offensive line is created -- or they start calling holding as the WAC officials do).

Chargers over Packers

Best quote so far: "Who was reviewing the game films in Buffalo before they let Flutie go?"

[Anonymous]

>>Many good teams will miss the playoffs this year since only 4 per side are going in.

And the Titans aren't one of them. A good team, I mean. They never were.

[Old Timer]

Looks like the NFL is going to try to get 16 games per team and all of the playoff games in as well. They are trying to trade dates with a car dealers convention I heard. I guess there is too much money at stake for all concerned to cancel any games.

[Dr T Non-Fan]

Missing a week of playoffs is a one-time expense. The league should be able to absorb it and work it out with the networks, which have paid for the broadcast of these games.

If the NFL started Labor Day weekend as it should, there wouldn't be a problem. Having that extra week of cushion may be needed from now on.

I'm sure the auto dealers' convention would change, if it provided how much money it would cost in total to change the date or location. Including conventioneers' flight changes, etc. Not everything is so set in stone that it can't be flexible.

[CJL]

I disagree with the Titans comment. They are a good team. Probably not going to win the Super Bowl, but they're in that upper tier of legitimate contenders. If they could learn to throw some 20+ yard passes, which won't happen with their receivers, they'd be big favorites to win it all.

[Abducens]

>>I disagree with the Titans comment. They are a good team.

I wish my team could play the Browns and Bengals 4x year. And they can't even dominate them. They trailed the Browns 7-0 in the 3rd last year. I predicted they'd be trailing in the 2nd and they did me one better.. They not only play like cr*p, but predictably so!

They were tied 0-0 with Cowboys at halftime, at home, in a game they needed to sew up the #1 seed. They win 15-13 and 9-7 on last second Del Greco field goals (they classily cut him despite accounting for 2/3 of their scoring 1999-2000). If they were any good they would be winning by double-digit margins over these awful teams.

Thankful that Baltimore exposed them as pretenders. People are overrating Miami for having beat them in 2001. It's not that Miami was good, it's that the Titans were never good to begin with.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Abducens on 2001-09-27 13:18 ]</font>

[Ray Finkle]

"the Titans were never good to begin with."

So 2 yards from winning the Super Bowl doesn't qualify?

The Titans built their team around solid defense and ball control offense. As a result, they aren't going to blow many teams out. But they should be in most games and win a lot of them. They wear the other team out with their physical play. They are the stronger team in the 4th quarter.

I don't know how anyone can questions the Titan's success over the last couple years. They are off to a bad start this year, but I wouldn't count them out.

[CDC]

Tampa Bay Bucs Super Bowl Winner

[Abducens]

>>So 2 yards from winning the Super Bowl doesn't qualify?

All they would have done was tie it. Why does everyone assume that Dyson's lunge for the end zone was for the win?!

They were a yard from tying it, but they only got there at all because a lateral went about one inch backwards.

They were lucky. They didn't even know enough to go for 2 after Homerun Throwback worked. If the Bills had returned the ensuing kickoff for a TD of their own, they would have been screwed.

The media's in love with them so you'll never really get the real scoop, but the Titans are nowhere near as good as advertised. They're ridiculously lucky and have benefited from a pitiful schedule. The luck appears to be running out though, and the schedule toughens up with realignment next year. Of course, realignment still gives them their 3rd expansion to team to feast on since 1995.

Tampa Bay Bucs - that's funny stuff. Hey, looked good against those Cowboys.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Abducens on 2001-09-28 13:51 ]</font>

[Anonymous]

No one has picked the defending champs. So I will (to represent the AFC).

Eagles 17 Ravens 14
Led by this year's MVP: McNabb

Philly's a great team, very young, playoff tested, and no cap problems. They will be in the Super Bowl this year or next year.

[CJL]

Waterboy's got it right. Don't give me that Bengals/Browns crap. Unless you're in the AFC East or NFC Central (and not even the AFC East this year), every division's got two cakewalk teams in it. The only difference is that Cincy and Cleveland keep the distinction year after year, whereas other divisions pass it around a little more.

The "one inch lateral" argument doesn't hold water, either. Is Joe Montana less of a champion because "The Catch" was one inch from being out of bounds? One inch is frequently the difference between mediocrity and greatness. They ran a risky play and pulled it off.

Tennessee is a solid team. I've watched a lot of their close games. They don't seem nearly as close as the score indicates. They may only be up by single digits, but their opponents would be better off if they were down 18 to St. Louis.

[WWSituation]

On Tennessee:

Cut the crap, they are good - get over yourself!

On the Super Bowl:

Eagles - great shot, as good as any with a great defense, 2 phenomenal corners that allow them to put 9 in the box, and a QB who is LEGIT.

Rams - if defense holds up, they are a terror. Even Eagles mad blitzes couldn't shut them down.

Colts - defense needs to upgrade themselves before they can be taken seriously, but who else will contend?

Broncos - still fighting hard after losing their top 2 offensive players. This team is deep and can withstand injuries.

[CJL]

Rams - Did you see how accurate Warner was yesterday? Amazing. Sure made Miami's defense look like chumps.

Eagles - hope McNabb doesn't get used to how much time he had in the pocket against Dallas.

Chargers - probably win the AFC West

Packers - can't wait to see them play some good teams, I expect they'll do well and win the Central, but I don't know how their depth is.

[WWSituation]

Can Flutie survive the AFC west bloodbath late in the season??

Cheifs, Raiders and Broncos will not go down quietly.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: WWSituation on 2001-10-01 13:08 ]</font>

[Abducens]

>>Cut the crap, they are good - get over yourself!

Well, hey, I can't beat "cut the crap," I guess you must be right! God forbid we actually look beyond W-L records.

Everyone's love affair with the Titans continues...

[WWSituation]

I don't know how I got sucked into this discussion - I don't even like the Titans.

Coming within an inch if tying the superbowl is good. You can't be a bad team and get there. Last team they had a great record and they lost two of their best players in Dyson and Kearse for the year. I don't need to look beyond that record to know that they are a resilient team, they have one of the best running backs in football, and now with their team healthy, they are a tough team to beat.

[Abducens]

Cut the crap: the Titans suck!

Wow, it really works! I'll tell my boss to cut the crap next time I disagree with him.

[Dr T Non-Fan]

Does anyone have a real estimate of the value of the four "divisional playoff" games?
I guess it's more than $12 million, but I can't see how. I don't recall watching these games last year.

Does anyone know how much it could cost to move a convention one week, given nearly four months to prepare for it?

There can't be that much problem with hotel rooms, since the rooms have already been reserved for one or the other.
Airlines can be accommodated (paid) to change flights of NADA conventioneers.
Same hookers would be at both events.

[Preppy]

There are hookers at those events? Shocking, shocking indeed! (How do you find them?)

[Dr T Non-Fan]

That kind of 411 ain't free, bro.
(As I lean against my limo, with my big hat and flashy pinky ring.)

[Griffin 1]

If the NFL cancels those divisional playoffs, it has to give the network (NBC?) $60 million.

Switching dates with the NADA presents other problems. There will be Superbowl-related events during the week prior to the game that will conflict with NADA events.