Bill Simmons Nails It

[Hollywood_Brady]

oh goodness... the article made me realized that we almost got screwed.... i hope this never happens when we face indy again...

 

[jdk19]

Who was that guy. The Iraqi foreign minister of defence I believe.

" There are no American Tanks in Bagdad." While the M1s and Humvees were rolling in behind him.

This is nothing pure patriots propaganda that the calls were terrible!!!!!!

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

How does that make the Pats the favored franchise? EVERY game was called like that back then. The Colts' defenders could have done the exact same thing to the Pats' receivers and nothing would have been done.

We're not objecting just to the calls. We're objecting to the fact that the refs were calling the Pats based on a different rulebook, it appears.

Seriously, it is my honest opinion that people as dumb as you should be put down like stray dogs. Since that can't be done, can the guy at least get banned? I understand that it's good to get some input from other fans, but there's a difference between contributing some substance (there are plenty of Colts fans here that do that) and this guy.

Whoa! Although I also have a deservedly low opinion of IndyJoe from his inane posts is Michael Vick now posting here under a pseudonym?

 

[BradyFTW!]

Nobody wants to hear that the league ordered the refs to call the game in favor of the Colts but I have news for some of you.

The NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry that is as much concerned with who is representing them in thier biggest games as well as how much money that team will bring the league.

While the Patriots and Colts are bringing the league a significant percentage of the league revenue (As well as the Cowboys, Steelers and a few others).
Payton Manning, like it or not, is now the face of the NFL. Who do you think the NFL wants to promote?

The league knows that if the playoffs go through New England, the Colts chances of representing the NFL in the SuperBowl are significantly less.

So for those who think with thier hearts that the NFL would not fix a game here and there, think of it this way: If you were a CEO of a billion dollar corporation, would you invest the most money into a product that produced a modest return or a product that produced a giant return? You'll kill your company if you choose the former.

The NFL has been fixing games for several years. Lately its gotten obnoxious. With High def, Tivo, and instant replay, we can now see how blatant it has become.

Some say, the first game to be fixed was when the Jets beat the Colts in superbowl III.

There's another side to the equation though: if the NFL were to be exposed for this systematic destruction of competitive integrity, or if it were to become so blatant as to clue people in with what's going on, then the fallout would be so severe that it would make the advantage of having Peyton in the SB vs. Brady seem inconsequential.

Of course, with the Patriots being involved, if that kind of scandal was exposed, most people would probably call it Karma and devote most major coverage to the fact that it's unfair to ask Manning to play in the cold when he isn't used to it, so all Colts games will now be played in a dome.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Whoa! Although I also have a deservedly low opinion of IndyJoe from his inane posts is Michael Vick now posting here under a pseudonym?

It's a general expression, not an endorsement of the practice. Stray dogs get put down all the time, and it's cruel and wrong, but it happens. The Vick comparison is a little uncalled for.

 

[Gumby]

oh goodness... the article made me realized that we almost got screwed.... i hope this never happens when we face indy again...

I would be just as worried about the Squeelers and Giants. they are also fairly strong teams and media/NFL darlings (at least compared to us).

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

It's a general expression, not an endorsement of the practice. Stray dogs get put down all the time, and it's cruel and wrong, but it happens. The Vick comparison is a little uncalled for.

It was a joke. Get a humor implant.

Dog fans are SUCH humorless weenies!

 

[Evil Tom]

I just don't get all the whining coming from Pat's fans. It's pathetic.

As Bill all but admitted during the AFC Championship game a few years ago it's the Pats strategy to grab and hold on every play because they can't call a penalty on every single play. Kraft and the pats were the favored franchise back then.

Things have changed.

No they just had a coach and players who realized that the refs tend to "let em play" in the playoffs and they decided to find out where the refs would draw the line. If the refs had been calling defensive holding on the Colts that game Polian & company would have a legitimate complaint but that didn't happen.

Nobody looks happy walking off the field after losing this type of game but the Colts had the look of a team that knew every break and every call went their way and they still lost.

 

[jimmyjames]

Here is the thing about the refs: this was far and away the most watched regular season game in years (if not ever) it pulled 22 household rating (22% of US homes had the game on)- Something unheard of in the cable TV era. For reference Sunday Night Football does around a 10 rating each week, and Dancing with the stars does a 14

These are the games that Goodell shoudl be dreaming about becuase they draw the casual fan (read women - sorry Tommysgirl) and in many cases get people who are not genarally footaball fans interested. It's the only chance outside of international expansion that the league has to grow at this point. For TV viewers that don't watch much football the draw is obviously scoring- which the refs can't really control, although you could argue that def. PI calls are more likely to result in scoring.

Looking back at the game the Pats threw 3 "bombs - 30+ yard throws" The int. to Stallworth, The 55 yarder to Moss (def PI - negated by catch) and the throw to Stallworth to set up the final score (ruled push out - I agree with the call but it's highly subjective)

The Colts threw 4 bombs - Throw the Clark in the EZ (no call - but could have been PI on IND), the two throws that resulted in def PI to Samuel and Hobbs and the drop by Wayne.

The Offense got the call on 5 of a possible 7 plays. The drop and the int were the only long plays where the refs did not - and could not- intervene.

Clearly there was an emphasis placed on giving the offense the benefit of the doubt in this game - but it totally backfired. By putting a rookie crew in that the league must have known would be more prone to ticky tack calls (every snap of each crew is monitored) they tried to influence the game. But if you are a casual fan and this is one of the few games you watch all year all you are going to come away with is the idea that footaball is full of weirdly subjective rules and it's tough to follow and all the other stuff that usually comes up when casual and overseas fans are asked why they don't like the game.

Goodell had the two best teams of a generation facing off and he failed to put the best product on the field by not getting a Super Bowl caliber crew to call the game. And that is why he will never be Rozelle or even Tagliabue - becuase he is a freaking lawyer and politician obsessed with enforcement of subjective rules and trying to exert undue influence as opposed to a marketer and businessman that knows when to take advantage of free PR and let the product speak for itself. He will be the ruin of the league if he is not careful.

 

[Bostonian1962]

The other poster is right. All you guys whine like little *****es. Ohhhh, the refs. Ohhhh, the crowd is too loud. Waaaaaaa! Waaaaaa!

lol, so hilarious. Not sure if there has ever been a team in history that has benifitted more from ridiculous call/non-calls then the Pats during their Superbowl runs. Now the tables have turned, and you guys can't take it. All you said before was "give us credit, we wer just better." Now you can't do the same.

I pray that we get the Pats again in the playoffs. Facts are: Indy left about 17 points on the field. The game shouldn't have been even close. We are a built for the bad weather, not the bad running game of the pats, and their exposed defense. With a healthy team, we will dominate the Pats in the playoffs. Your old defense will be tired from not resting trying to go undefeated. The Colts are one of the youngest teams, and will be fresh.

Can't wait. I just hope you guys are healthy so you won't have any excuses.

Yeah, sure you want the Patriots again little boy. You're full of crap. You had us at home, had the heat turned up, the noise pumped in, fake snap calls shouted out, blocked the coach to QB communication, and the Patriots had the most penalty yards against them in the franchises history, and guess what little boy, YOU STILL LOST! You want the Pats on the road, in the playoffs? Yeah, sure you do. Post your lies somewhere else.

 

[ColtinIraq]

Yeah, sure you want the Patriots again little boy. You're full of crap. You had us at home, had the heat turned up, the noise pumped in, fake snap calls shouted out, blocked the coach to QB communication, and the Patriots had the most penalty yards against them in the franchises history, and guess what little boy, YOU STILL LOST! You want the Pats on the road, in the playoffs? Yeah, sure you do. Post your lies somewhere else.

There ya go! This is a pure, simple, concise example of a miserable Pats fan. Can't win without complaining about all the injustices, real or perceived, done to you. Can you record this and just loop it for the opening of the website?

And Simmons!?!?!?! If he wrote Hitler was a great guy just misunderstood you all would nod your head in agreement.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

And Simmons!?!?!?! If he wrote Hitler was a great guy just misunderstood you all would nod your head in agreement.

Well, he made the trains run on time, didn't he?

Oh wait! My bad. That was the other guy.

 

[captain stone]

If he wrote Hitler was a great guy just misunderstood you all would nod your head in agreement.

How dare you, you piece of dolts troll hayseed fanboy garbage.

I would taunt you a second time, but that would risk receiving another nastygram.

Welcome to my Ignore list. Goodbye, scum.

 

[bradmahn]

There ya go! This is a pure, simple, concise example of a miserable Pats fan. Can't win without complaining about all the injustices, real or perceived, done to you. Can you record this and just loop it for the opening of the website?

And Simmons!?!?!?! If he wrote Hitler was a great guy just misunderstood you all would nod your head in agreement.

What was that? Oh... yup... that's right... ColtinIraq is a scumbag? Really!? Doesn't matter that he's in the military? He's still a ****? Yup.

******' moron.

 

[groundgame]

Subtle Translation: This is not about all the the 30 NFL football teams, it's how the high and righteous NFL Commissioner and his Front Office have now
established the earliest and most blatant strong suspicions of fiduiciary breach of honesty and integrity since the start of any Commissioner's time in office in NFL history.

Note: The Commissioner's best short term screening counter-move
to divert attention and buy time until when Pats will howl when it's hurts the
most: Automatic (4) game suspension without pay for any NFL player stealing Starbursts from any candy vending machine at any NFL stadium.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Nailed it alright. This is how I've felt all week. I've never been more pissed about a win in my life. The refs were horrific and truthfully it downright scared me to think this could happen again. I could understand 1 or 2 bad calls in a game but nothing like this.

And to top it all off we had all the apologists claiming moral victory,these guys can hang with us,injuries,they outplayed us for 3 and 1/2 quarters. My ass they did. The only thing they did was apply pressure and slow down our scoring.

If this game was called correctly our defense would of came out like f----ing heroes. Our defense was awesome Sunday and because of these lame duck penalties it has fools claiming our defense was a weakness.

We may have won the game and overcame those officials and for that it was a gratifying win. But other than that,I'm still p'od and I'm with Bill Simmons in all things Patriot's. EFFF emmm!!!! Kill them all and let God sort out the rest!!!

 

[groundgame]

All you conspiracy theorist realise that Goodell and Kraft are best friends, right? Come on, don't be so dumb. If anything, he wants to see the Pats win.

With best friends like that who needs enemies: Last Sunday's game was an absolute bag job, and Goodell has left the entire Patriots organization hanging and bleeding from a cross for the last 2 months. Be glad you do not have best friends like that!!

 

[Patjew]

And Simmons!?!?!?! If he wrote Hitler was a great guy just misunderstood you all would nod your head in agreement.

Poor choice of words, bud.

 

[TomBrady'sGoat]

And Simmons!?!?!?! If he wrote Hitler was a great guy just misunderstood you all would nod your head in agreement.

Wow. You somehow Godwinned a football thread. Bravo.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

A GREAT column. Simmons is speaking the truth. Something smells really bad about that game.
But it's not the first time "fishiness" has come out of HolierThanThou, Indiana.
The Steelers got screwed the same way in the GoodellDome. Phantom PI call on Troy Polamalu. piped in crowd noise et al during their playoff game a couple of years ago. But as with the Patriots the Steelers overcame the leagues attempt to tilt the game the Indy Angels way.