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NFL
Aug 28, 2020 0:24:31 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Aug 28, 2020 0:24:31 GMT
Devastating news for the Philadelphia Eagles - starting left offensive tackle and the team's first-round draft pick in 2019, Andre Dillard, will miss the entire season with a biceps injury. They already lost right offensive guard, Brandon Brooks, for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.
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NFL
Aug 30, 2020 16:33:44 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Aug 30, 2020 16:33:44 GMT
Having lost former Pro Bowl DE Everson Griffen and depending on some relatively untested options in the DE rotation to replace him--not to mention the Pro Bowl bookending him, Danielle Hunter, has missed something like 10 practices this summer, the team traded a 2021 2nd-rounder and a conditional 2022 5th-rounder to Jacksonville for Yannick Ngakoue.
A four-year vet, Ngakoue has averaged more than (and never recorded fewer than) 8 sacks a game, including 12 in 2017 (in which season he was a Pro Bowler).
Now the team has two previous Pro Bowlers, both age 25, at DE.
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NFL
Sept 7, 2020 11:56:21 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Sept 7, 2020 11:56:21 GMT
What do you think, is Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer correct that we might see a return to the running game? Obviously the league--all sports, really--is a copycat league. I remember the old Joe Gibbs offense (introducing H backs, multiple TEs, 3 WR, power running game) being all the rage, or the run-and-shoot, the West Coast offense; or when suddenly everyone switched to a 3-4 defense, or later a cover-2. Is the pass-first spread trend almost over?
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NFL
Sept 10, 2020 12:24:57 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Sept 10, 2020 12:24:57 GMT
Tonight is the night, with Chiefs v Texans kicking off the season. It's going to be interesting how long it lasts around the country. I heard tonight's game in Kansas City is going to have 17,500 fans. Green Bay, as I understand it, is going to have something in that range when we play them there; yet Sunday's game here will have zero fans. Seems like quite a disadvantage that's outside of the teams' control.
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NFL
Sept 10, 2020 12:29:38 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 10, 2020 12:29:38 GMT
Tonight is the night, with Chiefs v Texans kicking off the season. It's going to be interesting how long it lasts around the country. I heard tonight's game in Kansas City is going to have 17,500 fans. Green Bay, as I understand it, is going to have something in that range when we play them there; yet Sunday's game here will have zero fans. Seems like quite a disadvantage that's outside of the teams' control. It is outrageous that some teams can have fans and others can not. What happened to a level playing field? It's a joke.
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NFL
Sept 10, 2020 12:33:56 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Sept 10, 2020 12:33:56 GMT
Sadly for Minnesota, we will also be without superstar DE Danielle Hunter, who was missing practices throughout camp for a "minor tweak" that turned out to have him on IR with a neck injury that will cost him three games. No wonder we traded for another star DE at the last minute: it wasn't just a late idea for Everson Griffin's replacement.
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NFL
Sept 10, 2020 12:50:44 GMT
Post by kds on Sept 10, 2020 12:50:44 GMT
It feels so odd that the NFL season is hours away. I'm so used to having those four weeks of really hard to watch football to prime for the season.
I also might have to figure out how to block some of my Facebook friends when I post positive things about the Ravens. I'm so sick of football posts turning into fucking politics.
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NFL
Sept 10, 2020 12:58:47 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Sept 10, 2020 12:58:47 GMT
I'm so sick of football posts turning into fucking politics. YES.
Having been watching a lot of the basketball restart, I can assure you I'm already very, very, very (x1,000) sick of this phenomenon. I email with a couple of friends and we all basically agree on politics, and even in those emails, I'm sick of it! I just don't want it to interfere so much. I'm tired of everyone hating everyone else and finding every excuse possible to let it be known.
Back to football: while I'm not usually one to pay a lot of attention to non-Vikings NFL teams, I'm thinking I'll watch tonight in large part because we've got former Gopher Damien Wilson starting at a linebacker spot on that Chiefs defense. Plus, let's be honest, I want to see Patrick Mahomes! (And not just because his dad pitched for the Twins.)
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NFL
Sept 10, 2020 13:08:52 GMT
Post by kds on Sept 10, 2020 13:08:52 GMT
I'm so sick of football posts turning into fucking politics. YES.
Having been watching a lot of the basketball restart, I can assure you I'm already very, very, very (x1,000) sick of this phenomenon. I email with a couple of friends and we all basically agree on politics, and even in those emails, I'm sick of it! I just don't want it to interfere so much. I'm tired of everyone hating everyone else and finding every excuse possible to let it be known.
Back to football: while I'm not usually one to pay a lot of attention to non-Vikings NFL teams, I'm thinking I'll watch tonight in large part because we've got former Gopher Damien Wilson starting at a linebacker spot on that Chiefs defense. Plus, let's be honest, I want to see Patrick Mahomes! (And not just because his dad pitched for the Twins.)
I was so looking forward to going to the Ravens / Chiefs MNF game in Baltimore at the end of the month. Dammit 2020!!! I used to love talking sports with my father and uncle, but now, I can't even bring up the Orioles or Ravens without a mention of politics. Frankly, I'm not a big fan of the political activism of pro athletes on the field or court, but I'm at the point now where I just....want....to.....watch.....a......fuck-ing......game. And I refuse to let that spoil it for me.
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NFL
Sept 10, 2020 13:14:01 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Sept 10, 2020 13:14:01 GMT
I don't like athletes' political activism, not because I don't think they have a right to express themselves as compared to anyone else, but because I rarely like anyone's political activism, including people I almost entirely agree with.
Activism itself generally annoys me (which I'm not saying is the right way to be, but just that it's the way I am). It seems to me that "activism" is someone else deciding what we will discuss and when, and I just reject that. If we agree to talk about politics, you know me: I'm in! But you don't get to tell me what we'll discuss, when, where, on what terms, etc. And you definitely don't get to interfere with my life beyond that to impose those things on me.
If I hear the words "we never talk about," or "we need to start the conversation," or similar sentiments ever again (which I'm sure I will, probably today), I'll scream. It's ALL we talk about, people!
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NFL
Sept 10, 2020 13:23:37 GMT
Post by kds on Sept 10, 2020 13:23:37 GMT
I couldn't agree more.
My problem with modern activism is that you're only allowed to be on one side. Drew Brees was ripped a new one when he dared to criticize players who kneel for the Star Spangled Banner. Just for sharing an opposing opinion.
So, it's a lot less about actually having a discussion, and more about "I'M RIGHT, YOU'RE WRONG, AND IF YOU SAY I'M WRONG, FUCK YOU!!!"
And those whole "We need to start the conversation or dialogue" thing is bullshit. It's not about starting a dialog. It's about pushing an agenda, based on a narrative that is, at best, questionable.
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NFL
Sept 11, 2020 13:06:42 GMT
Post by kds on Sept 11, 2020 13:06:42 GMT
I watching some of the 2020 NFL Opener last night. Of course, I turned the game on at halftime just to see the NBC crew talking about social justice instead of football. Christ on a stick.
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NFL
Sept 11, 2020 13:13:26 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Sept 11, 2020 13:13:26 GMT
On the other hand, while the game was going on, it sure was nice to see! I had no dog in the race, but just had a good time seeing guys play football. Made me really excited for Sunday. (And Saturday, for that matter, since Notre Dame--my longtime adopted college football home team, which got me through all those years with awful Gopher teams--is still playing.)
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NFL
Sept 11, 2020 13:18:43 GMT
Post by kds on Sept 11, 2020 13:18:43 GMT
On the other hand, while the game was going on, it sure was nice to see! I had no dog in the race, but just had a good time seeing guys play football. Made me really excited for Sunday. (And Saturday, for that matter, since Notre Dame--my longtime adopted college football home team, which got me through all those years with awful Gopher teams--is still playing.)
This much is true. I'm looking forward to watching the Ravens open against Cleveland Sunday afternoon. I guess I just won't be watching any pre, post, or halftime stuff this season (not that I watch much anyway since they spend way too much time talking about Fantasy Football for my liking).
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NFL
Sept 11, 2020 13:26:31 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Sept 11, 2020 13:26:31 GMT
I've got a leg up on that, as I've weaned off the non-game parts of the experience for years now. I used to love that stuff: '90s ESPN Gameday and Primetime were huge for me! That was when I was into every game, every player, etc., and Chris Berman, Tom Jackson, Chris Mortenson, and the rest were integral.
But as the pre- and in-game stuff all got so over the top and less about football, it just meant less. I think it was around 2000 when Fox started putting that weird football robot character on the screen that I threw in the towel. Suddenly everyone--Terry Bradshaw & Co--seemed more like clowns than announcers or commentators, the graphics were out of control, the stories felt cliche. Probably I had just seen it all too many times.
Since then, though, I've basically parachuted in for the game only. Pregame, I'm cooking or something. Halftime, I'm running an errand. Etc. Just the football, please.
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