NFL 2008 Regular Season Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[mattCR]

Kurt Warner simply refused to be denied.

 

[Jim_F]

What can you say about the Cards? Good for them. My envy is tremendous.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Well, almost got the all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl, but it was not to be, as it'll be Arizona vs. Pittsburgh in Super Bowl 43.

 

[Ockeghem]

I want the Steelers to win the Super Bowl. But I have no idea which way it will go. This Cardinals team really does remind me in some ways of last year's Giants team. I hope it's a good, close game.

I've been keeping my eye on the McGahee story. What a scary, scary moment. Here is the latest:

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nflnation...f-on-cart.html

 

[Patrick Sun]

I also didn't understand why the Ravens didn't get the ball back after the helmet-to-helmet hit on McGhahee.

 

[Holadem]

Interesting: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/19/sp...tml?ref=sports

--
H

 

[Malcolm R]

Because it was ruled a fumble by McGahee. There was no penalty for the hit.

 

[Ockeghem]

Patrick,

The Ravens fumbled the ball at that point. I believe the pass was caught and then fumbled (and recovered by the Steelers).

 

[Scott Merryfield]

The Super Bowl will be a matchup of entirely different teams -- the Cardinals offense versus the Steelers defense. Hopefully defense will win.

The Cardinals are the "feel-good" story, and should give Lions fans some small hope. If such an incompetent owner as Bidwell can luck his way into finally getting it right, maybe Ford can do the same... naw, it won't happen.

BTW, the Lions now stand alone as the only team that has been around for the entire Super Bowl era and not made it to the big game.

 

[Ockeghem]

Scott,

By 'big game,' do you mean the Super Bowl proper? If so, how about the Cleveland Browns?

The commentators mentioned the five teams yesterday (before the Cardinals won the game) that had not made it to the big show. The Houston Oilers, New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, and the Cleveland Browns were the other four.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

The Browns are an expansion team. The original team moved to Baltimore to become the Ravens (and won a Super Bowl). And even if you subscribe to the NFL's distorted history, the Cleveland franchise did not exist for a few years after the team moved to Baltimore and before Cleveland was awarded its expansion team that assumed all the franchise's records and history. So, either way Detroit would be the only franchise to exist during the entire Super Bowl era and never play in the game.

BTW, the Oilers franchise has been to the Super Bowl as the Tennessee Titans. The expansion Houston Texans have not been to the SB. Also, Jacksonville needs to be added to your list.

 

[Ockeghem]

Scott,

That's not how it was reported yesterday. The announcers were not considering teams that have changed their names (or those whom had moved, or both); otherwise, I don't believe that they would have mentioned the five teams that they did. But that's okay.

Jacksonville was mentioned yesterday. I neglected to mention that one.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Even if you do not consider the team's relocation, there was no Cleveland Browns franchise for three years, from 1996 - 1998, due to the hiatus while they were waiting on a new expansion team after Art Modell bolted for Baltimore. The other "no Super Bowl" teams -- Houston Texans, New Orleans and Jacksonville -- are all expansion teams that have not been in the league every Super Bowl year.

While double-checking on Cleveland, though, I discovered that New Orleans actually entered the league in 1967, so they only miss joining the Lions in this exclusive club by a single season, as this was the season of Super Bowl II. For some reason, I always thought the Saints joined when the AFL and NFL merged in 1970.

 

[Ockeghem]

Scott,

Thanks for the research on this.

I remember those Art Modell years. Even though I was listening to Michigan radio stations, the announcers during that time were vehemently against what he did with the Browns. And Belichick's name was dragged through the mud quite a lot during those infamous days as well.

I, of course, am rather happy where Mr. Bill ended up.

 

[RobertR]

The irony is that Modell vehemently denounced Al Davis at the time for moving the Raiders.

 

[Robert Crawford]

One more thing about the current Browns being a new team, besides the Browns' name and colors remaining in Cleveland so does their history, records, awards and archives. So in a sense, it can be argued that the Cleveland Browns not the Baltimore Ravens have never played in a Super Bowl. In fact, the NFL and the Pro Football HOF considers the current Browns team, the same franchise that was founded in the 1940s and coached by Paul Brown from which the "Browns" name was derived from their first coach/GM.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Per the NFL, that is correct, Robert. However, the official franchise records have a three year "hole" from 1996 - 1999 when no team under the name "Cleveland Browns" competed in the NFL. When Art Modell moved the original Browns from Cleveland to Baltimore in 1996, he agreed to leave the team name, colors and history behind for an expansion team to take over, and his franchise would compete as a "new" franchise -- even though all the players, coaches and front office staff moved to Baltimore. Under those conditions, he avoided a lot of legal fighting with the league and city of Cleveland (unlike the messes that Al Davis encountered as he bounced his team between Oakland and Los Angeles).

All other franchises, I believe, have kept their team records and history as they have moved from city to city. This includes the Colts during their infamous "midnight moving van" escape from Baltimore to Indianapolis, which was just as ugly a move as those of the Browns and Raiders. It also includes franchises that have changed team nicknames and colors when they relocated, such as the Tennessee Titans (Houston Oilers) and Kansas City Chiefs (Dallas Texans).

 

[Robert Crawford]

That doesn't matter to the NFL as Cleveland is still considered one of the two NFL franchises that were in existence before the first Super Bowl to never be in the Super Bowl along with the Detroit Lions. Now, you can argue that point all you want about the three year gap in the 1990s, but the official history of the league will still show that those two franchises at the beginning of Super Bowl play have not played in a Super Bowl.






Crawdaddy

 

[Scott Merryfield]

No argument there, Robert. My point was that Detroit is the only team that has been in existence for every Super Bowl -- this is the 43rd season with a Super Bowl. No other franchise has competed in all 43 of these seasons and not made it to the big game. New Orleans is closest at 42 seasons, with Cleveland next at 40 seasons.

Back to current events. I was really surprised that Tampa let Gruden go at this late date, and then promoted their brand new defensive coordinator to head coach without (1) interviewing anyone else, or (2) even interviewing him. Gruden will join Cowher and Shanahan as hot commodities for head coaching jobs next off season.

 

[Steve_Tk]

Pretty sure Cowher is not going to be coaching next year. He recently stated that he can't muster the energy and desire to do it right now.