Bill Simmons Nails It

[Fixit]

Yeah, then lets see a picture of you...... exactly.

lol @ the Ugly Monkey being one of the best bars in Indy.

If you just turned 21, want to get sloppy drunk, and get laid by a fat chick named Tommysgirl, then yes by all means, it's the place to be.

Great. Here comes the flirting.

 

[Fixit]

Please, the last thing I would ever want is some pasty fat *****y North Eastern chick that pretends to know football.

I'm sure she feels the same way about you.

 

[Gumby]

Great article by Simmons; .....BUT

he is well known as a Pats fan and that gives all national media and all but the dedicated page 2 readership the excuse to wrongly write off his article as blatant homerism and ignore it. expect no more coverage.

note: Even with his extensive list simmons left off a couple of other non or bad calls as well such as calling Light for 15 as unsportsmanlike for a 10 yard tripping penalty. (did he mention in his article the holding of randy's arm in the incomplete in the end zone - I think only a poster mentioned that and it was not in the article.)

I vote Door #2 all the way. First and foremost because.........


THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS DOOR #1. How can you give me a guarantee when you have refs who can give the Seahawks SB trophy to the Squeelers and try to give the Dolts the Squeelers AFC Div game. If they are brazen enough tomake such horrible calls on a WORLD STAGE......they can do it again. Give me the 16-0 and I'll lay dollars to doughnuts they can win 3 more with or without the refs.


As for the Dolts being more built for "COLD Weather". BS. - A running game being required / better in cold weather is 60s era football legacy doctrine. You are a cold weather team or a warm-dome team or capable in either.
If you are cold weather capable you can be pass hvy, run hvy or be balanced attack. It doesnt matter. I submit Indy has NO PAST PERFORMANCE to suggest they are cold weather capable - whether they pass or run more.

Case in point: The AFCC game vs the Faders. Everyone said ahead of time based on conditions that it would be a running day. Yet by the end of the game I think every successful drive was primarily pass based cause the runners couldn't get a grip to make cuts in congestion; but the receivers out in space were able to make cuts and the passers werent as affected by the snow/cold as folks suspected. We won that game with 2 minute drive. Passing almost every down.

I don't believe that just cause we may be playing IN FOXBORO, IN JANUARY that it makes it a RUN ONLY PREMIUM kind of game. that is lazy logic.

 

[Metaphors]

I want it all. I want to finish 16-0. I want to knock off Pittsburgh, Indy and Dallas in 1985 Chicago Bears fashion. I want a top 5 pick from the Niners and I want to use it Glenn Dorsey or Darren McFadden or some luxury player who makes the roster an embarrasment of riches. I want the Patriots to break their own record winning streak. I want this team to put its foot down and annoint itself "best team ever."

So I'm going with door #2.

Only 3 things (that the Pats can at least somewhat control) can derail the train at this point:
1) Losing the #1 playoff seed in the AFC
2) Long-term injuries (key or significant number)
3) Inexperience

So the Pats will obviously go all out every week until HFA is clinched.

Once that happens, I can't see a Pats' player operating at less than 100% due to injury seeing the field until the playoffs. I don't think Belichick will rest players per se, but getting players completely over any injuries will be key for the playoff run. Heading into the playoffs with an injury situation like the Colts have now would be criminal if it could be avoided.

Finally, there are some players on the 53 that could be important come playoff time (injuries, gameplan, etc). The Jacksons, Meriweather and Cassel come to mind. While you surely don't want to tank any games, I don't think we want any of those guys getting the call in a playoff game without some meaningful situational snaps in the regular season.

Cassel in particular...nothing the Pats can do now will prepare him (more than he already is) for an extended number of snaps. However, he may be forced to lead a drive or two in an important game situation. That is why I see Brady getting the hook earlier in games than you might expect and Cassel possibly getting some 2nd half time in the Giants game regardless of score (assuming HFA wrapped up).

 

[Metaphors]

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS DOOR #1. How can you give me a guarantee when you have refs who can give the Seahawks SB trophy to the Squeelers and try to give the Dolts the Squeelers AFC Div game. If they are brazen enough tomake such horrible calls on a WORLD STAGE......they can do it again. Give me the 16-0 and I'll lay dollars to doughnuts they can win 3 more with or without the refs.

I don't understand what you are saying, but I can be slow sometimes. Are you saying there will be a difference in the playoffs depending on if:
a) The Pats go 16-0
b) The Pats go 15-0, lock up HFA, rest players and lose to the Giants

I don't see how losing a game (resting players or not) will have any impact once the playoffs start. Once the seedings are set, the records all reset to 0-0. The regular season record (16-0, 15-1, whatever) will have no affect on the opposition or the refs.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Please, the last thing I would ever want is some pasty fat *****y North Eastern chick that pretends to know football.

Yah, girls are so ewwwww, icky,! Right?

 

[willdeespats]

I think Bill Simmons really has a lot of guts as a media guy to come out and tell it like it was. And I think that kind of officiating brings the NFL right down to the same level as Pro Wrestling, Roller Derby and the NBA. And that is truly a shame.

But what really concerns me is that we have not seen anything yet - it WILL get much worse when Manjudas and his Jests come to town. Goodell WILL have his ref-robots fully primed to prevent a blow out and save his disciple. I predict the penalty yardage will be at least double the Rolts game.

 

[OtisCampbell]

Yah, girls are so ewwwww, icky,! Right?

Its a statistical fact that 84% of young men in the midwest lose their virginity to livestock. In Indiana the percentage is slightly higher.

 

[OtisCampbell]

Don't talk about my sister like that!

This can be interpreted 2 ways

1. 84% of the men in the midwest lost their virginity to your sister
2. You did

Your call

 

[Metaphors]

I think Bill Simmons really has a lot of guts as a media guy to come out and tell it like it was. And I think that kind of officiating brings the NFL right down to the same level as Pro Wrestling, Roller Derby and the NBA. And that is truly a shame.

But what really concerns me is that we have not seen anything yet - it WILL get much worse when Manjudas and his Jests come to town. Goodell WILL have his ref-robots fully primed to prevent a blow out and save his disciple. I predict the penalty yardage will be at least double the Rolts game.

I'm not sure if you are kidding or not, but you can't possibly explain how the bad officiating is due to an overt (term intentionally used) plot or plan from the league office.

How could you carry it out? A league heavy would have to instruct the refs to call a one-sided game. If that fact became public (and you just told it to several people you can't control), the league would crumble. All that because Goodell likes the Jets?

Think about Goodell. Do you think he is enjoying the almost univeral criticism of the officiating in the biggest non-playoff game in years...maybe ever?

Think about the refs now. This is how they make a living. Unless the league paid them off big (which would make the whole situation even worse), why would they risk their careers calling a blatently one-sided game? Not like there wasn't anyone paying attention...

There is just no motivation by anyone outside of the Colts' organization for anything underhanded to occur. Which leads you right to the reason why it did occur...pressure.

These refs know Polian would take great pleasure in destroying their careers if they make a call that Polian feels cost the Colts the game. Which parts of the game are the most visible and (as chance would have it) of particular interest to Polian? The passing game, specifically his receivers not being touched and the Pats receivers not pushing off. The refs had to be hyper-sensitive to this.

A veteran crew would be immune to this. After many, many years calling games, what can Polian do that wouldn't scream "sour grapes". For an inexperienced crew looking to climb the ladder, let's just say they had one eye on the game and another eye on their career earnings potential.

 

[Tommysgirl]

Yeah, then lets see a picture of you...... exactly.

lol @ the Ugly Monkey being one of the best bars in Indy.

If you just turned 21, want to get sloppy drunk, and get laid by a fat chick named Tommysgirl, then yes by all means, it's the place to be.

Okay the fact that you are talking about getting sloppy drunk and getting laid says you are a child.
I don't put pictures of myself on the internet because people like you are on it. I can however assure you I am neither fat nor sloppy.

Now let's reread your brilliant posts and talk about who doesn't know football.

 

[FloridaPatsFan]

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.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Its a statistical fact that 84% of young men in the midwest lose their virginity to livestock. In Indiana the percentage is slightly higher.

Och, Ah dinna ken the sheep were tha promiscuous!

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

ess.

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 multi-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.

Fixed it fer ya

 

[Irish Hooligan]

:agree:

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.

I agree with this completly.

 

[slash83]

I think we actually have a better chance in the cold in foxboro. You guys now have turf, so you can't grow out the grass, and water the field like you did before. No more cheating with that.

We are built for the cold and snow. You guys are like we were back in '04. Finesse. We punched Tom Brady in the mouth right off the bat. You guys tried to go downfield. You guys tried, and it didn't work for 3 quarters. If either Reggie Wayne or Gonzo make one catch it would've been game over. You got lucky.

Face it.

yeah deffinently... your a moron!

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

yeah deffinently... your a moron!

It's you're. Moron.

 

[BradyFTW!]

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.

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.

 

[Gumby]

I don't understand what you are saying, but I can be slow sometimes. Are you saying there will be a difference in the playoffs depending on if:
a) The Pats go 16-0
b) The Pats go 15-0, lock up HFA, rest players and lose to the Giants

I don't see how losing a game (resting players or not) will have any impact once the playoffs start. Once the seedings are set, the records all reset to 0-0. The regular season record (16-0, 15-1, whatever) will have no affect on the opposition or the refs.

The question was would you rather be guaranteed a SB win at 15-1 or take your chances after you went 16-0.

I'm just saying there is no way you could reasonably convince me that the NFL would game the SB FOR the pats; let the pats have a SB win, or even let them play straight up - just because they 'aren't going to break the Fish record'.

I guess I am taking an argument with the question format. Where the writer I guess is assuming he can make a deal with God or something.

There are no guarantees and Pats just need to be prepared against any quality opponent for the rest of the year to play 11 on 15.

Cause the NFL wants parity and they dont want everybody tuning out on SB & playoffs just cause it is going to be a Patriots blowout.

They want to build up the hype that it is anybody's game - any anybody is beatable "ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAY"................So you DARN WELL BETTER TUNE IN AND PAY YOUR NFL NETWORK SUBSCRIPTIONS; or you might miss it.

 

[chrisfx811]

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.

This is what most people don't understand. I argue with friends all the time, who say things like, 'you guys didn't get called for xxx back in the day'
The Patriots played the way the refs allowed them to. the other teams had that option as well, but in the Colt's case, weren't built to be that physical.

Sunday's officiating was so ridiculous because of how one sided it was. The Colt's got away with real PI, and the Pats got flagged for non existent PI.