What's boring/What's not

[HardlinerKC]

Cutting to the chase, and being the consumate carrier of the truth banner, here are my candidates for the teams I've viewed thanks mainly to Directv/Sunday Ticket and the a few off Fox, CBS, NBC and ESPN:

First the BORING:

Chiefs. You think? If I wasn't a lifelong Chief's fan, I could not begin to watch this team. Worse, they seem to be getting worse as the season progresses. How's THAT for a truth squad reality check?

Lions (once), Rams (twice), Jax (twice), Washington (twice), Seattle (once), Tampa (once), Carolina (twice), Cleveland (once), Buffalo (once). These teams show little imagination, seldom make adjustments and just plain suck.

Now the really INTERESTING (to me) that are off the top of my mind:

Dallas: Not sold on Wade Phillips and yet, with the emergence of Miles Austin, they've become must-see, at least to me.

Tennnessee: Oh wait! They've won but one game! Still with VY now in the mix, Jeff Fisher coaching and all the age on the team, they're still interesting to watch.

Steel: You know that was coming, or at least should have known. I watch mainly because they seem to find a way and are clicking always as a TEAM. Isn't that the goal for every franchise?

Cincy: It's the coming back from the dead syndrome with Palmer clicking and 85 performing and talking. Interesting.

Miami: How can you not like the Wildcat? Not like Ronnie Brown? Not like...oh, you get the point.

Atlanta: Just to see if Tony G can get them over the top. Anytime they're on, I find the time to view a few plays or many.

OK, there are more on both sides but those are the immediate ones. The point? No point, actually. Just fun. Just loving on the NFL everyone.

[Lonbull]

Hardliner - Always a pleasure to have you visit the board.

I'm a guy that (outside of the Steelers) likes to follow certain players.

Interesting: Cadillac Williams comeback season - I'm really rooting for this guy.
Uninteresting: The rest of the Tampa Bay Squad, especially now that Byron has been benched.

Interesting: Calvin Johson - I believe he's the most talented young WR in the league.
Uninteresting: The fact that the Lions continue to look awful.

Uninteresting:

Eric Mangini - I'm certainly glad this is happening to the Browns, but this whole Mangini thing is just ugly.

The Raiders - Even more pathetic than the Browns - honestly the NFL should just offer up an auction and let one of the fans run this team.....I seriously believe any Joe could do just as well if not better than the current management.

The Mannings - I think Eli is more hyped than he should be, and Peyton is great --- but I just don't like the way he's put on a pedestal by the advertisers / analysts. When Peyton falls it's going to be a very hard fall - unless he goes out on top.

The Chargers - I liked the Chargers better when L.T. was "the man". When he was dominate I enjoyed watching the Chargers a lot more.

Interesting:

The Vikings - A. Peterson is playing on a completely different level - he's like a miniture Earl Campbell and Walter Payton --- and I say that respectively to all of the players I've just mentioned. Favre adds some disagreeable drama - but it's interesting to me to see the Vikings with a Championship Quality team.


The Saints - Greatest Show on Turf Part II - So many weapons on that team, if they can stay healthy, I think they're headed for their first Super Bowl.

Cedric Benson - Okay he's a Bengal, but the guy has made a solid comeback for his career - and I'm the first guy to appreciate someone making the most of a second chance. Here's hoping the Bengals criminal attitude doesn't catch up to him.

Ricky Williams - Seriously it cracks me up that this is the SAME Ricky Williams that gave up on football - played in Canada -- and the Saints spent an entire draft on.....it's like it's not even the same guy! I'm with you Hardliner - I enjoy watching the Wildcat, and Ricky Williams is quietly having a stellar season in that organization. I give a lot of credit to Parcells he seems to know how to these kinds of attitudes in.

The 49ers / Coach Singletary - I liked Coach Singletary to become the Steelers coach when we were hiring - then I thought he embarrassed himself with his pulling down his pants, sending a first rounder to the showers early, followed by a public Tirade - however he's got the 49ers playing above their heads (IMO) and with a little luck the 49ers should be 5-2 right now, instead of 3-4. If the 49ers could just get solid QB play they could return to playoff football.

L.B.

[SteelAbility]

Good post!

INTERESTING
Denver. Will they repeat last year's fiasco to drop out of the playoffs?
Patriots. Will they return to 2007 form? Hopefully not.
Jets. Can they win that division?
Giants. Is this meltdown for real?
Saints. 16-0?

Rashard Mendenhall. Can he sustain 5.3 YPC?
Mike Wallace. Can he push Harvin for OROTY?
<my token homer interests>

UNINTERESTING
Everyting you mentioned. :Cheers

[HardlinerKC]

Excellent points made and thanks for the props, Lonbull. One other thing to mention and this certainly reveals the current status of MY team.

EXCITED in anticipation of the 2010 draft! (I know, it's a little sick to be looking so far ahead but what the heck?) Anyway, I put the Chiefs back in the top 10 of pickers with them quite possibly landing in the top 5 again.

My hope is they take the top rated LT off the board with the first pick, move Albert to OG or RT and start to solidify the foundation of the offense. Might the Steel be looking for Oline help early as well?

[RuthlessBurgher]

I wouldn't mind if they addressed the o-line early, since I believe you can never have too much beef up front, but if I had to guess, the most likely targets for our early picks are NT (Casey Hampton is an UFA, and his back-up, Chris Hoke, is actually older than Casey) or FS (Ryan Clark is an UFA, and his back-up, Tyrone Carter, is old as well...and we still aren't sure what he have in our only young safety, Ryan Mundy). If a promising OT is available when we pick, though, that could definitely be a consideration, since starting RT Willie Colon will be a free agent as well (but if there is no new CBA we can retain him with an RFA tender again...if there is a new CBA then he'd be unrestricted as well).

[SteelAbility]

Excellent points made and thanks for the props, Lonbull. One other thing to mention and this certainly reveals the current status of MY team.

EXCITED in anticipation of the 2010 draft! (I know, it's a little sick to be looking so far ahead but what the heck?) Anyway, I put the Chiefs back in the top 10 of pickers with them quite possibly landing in the top 5 again.

My hope is they take the top rated LT off the board with the first pick, move Albert to OG or RT and start to solidify the foundation of the offense. Might the Steel be looking for Oline help early as well?

How did you feel about the Matt Cassel signing? Personally I thought Cassel became another beneficiary of the Randy Moss factor making his QB look real good. Wes Welker didn't hurt either. ;) Personally, I thought the Cassel signing was bad for the Chiefs, not because Cassel is bad or poor but because I felt he was overvalued straining the Chiefs' ability to get quality player signings.

[HardlinerKC]

I love coming over here without the filter of the homer Chief's fans interrupting a legit conversation. I want to address a couple of comments, specifically, with this posting.

First up: Ruthless and his excellent review of Steel probables for the draft. I hear you about replacing Hampton at NT. I do. KC has been returning to the well for the past several drafts to upgrade their DTs and the result has been: Ryan Sims (1st rounder) BUST. Jr. Siavii (2d rounder) BUST. Eddie Freeman (2d rounder) BUST. Glenn Dorsey (1st Rounder) WORK IN PROGRESS= Questionable. Tyson Jackson (1st rounder) ANOTER work in progress. Neither TJack or Dorsey are performing like players picked in the top 5 of the draft by the way.

The talent evaluation for DTs or NTs cannot fall that far from the tree, can they? Maybe so, but I will simply submit that finding stud DTs is not all that easy. Bear that in mind, if you will, when the Steel goes on the clock for the '10 draft?

Next, Steelability makes some excellent obseration points on the Matt Cassel acquisition. This one goes to the new GM, Scott Pioli, and his affinity for Pats players. If I'm looking to build for the future, build and sell the merits of the team for the longterm, I'd be wanting to do a little better job of prioritizing.


Cassel, to his credit, is a good guy, a hard worker but in over his head because of the holes in the Oline. No way they can protect this guy. The Oline should have been the first area of concern because with the then Thigpen and Croyle, the Chiefs could have been no worse than they are at present.

I blame the lovefest for exPats and Pioli for that mistake. Anyway, it'll be tough to see the KC/Steel game coming up because I'll be sort of hoping for you guys to prevail (not that this will be a reach) but to put you in a better positon for the post season.

[RuthlessBurgher]

I love coming over here without the filter of the homer Chief's fans interrupting a legit conversation. I want to address a couple of comments, specifically, with this posting.

First up: Ruthless and his excellent review of Steel probables for the draft. I hear you about replacing Hampton at NT. I do. KC has been returning to the well for the past several drafts to upgrade their DTs and the result has been: Ryan Sims (1st rounder) BUST. Jr. Siavii (2d rounder) BUST. Eddie Freeman (2d rounder) BUST. Glenn Dorsey (1st Rounder) WORK IN PROGRESS= Questionable. Tyson Jackson (1st rounder) ANOTER work in progress. Neither TJack or Dorsey are performing like players picked in the top 5 of the draft by the way.

The talent evaluation for DTs or NTs cannot fall that far from the tree, can they? Maybe so, but I will simply submit that finding stud DTs is not all that easy. Bear that in mind, if you will, when the Steel goes on the clock for the '10 draft?

Next, Steelability makes some excellent obseration points on the Matt Cassel acquisition. This one goes to the new GM, Scott Pioli, and his affinity for Pats players. If I'm looking to build for the future, build and sell the merits of the team for the longterm, I'd be wanting to do a little better job of prioritizing.


Cassel, to his credit, is a good guy, a hard worker but in over his head because of the holes in the Oline. No way they can protect this guy. The Oline should have been the first area of concern because with the then Thigpen and Croyle, the Chiefs could have been no worse than they are at present.

I blame the lovefest for exPats and Pioli for that mistake. Anyway, it'll be tough to see the KC/Steel game coming up because I'll be sort of hoping for you guys to prevail (not that this will be a reach) but to put you in a better positon for the post season.

We'll be happy to bestow upon you a better draft positon via another loss. :wink:

[HardlinerKC]

We'll be happy to bestow upon you a better draft positon via another loss.


That should NOT be a problem, Ruthless! :Cheers Sadly, that's the case in 2009 but hope springs and future years and seasons? Things could change. Right now, it's hard to see any progress being made.

[flippy]

Everything is simultaneously fascinating and completely boring.

The thought of boredom interests me.

But at the same time that's some of my most boring thinking I do during the day.

Here's an example:

The 1 hour drive to work is mindless and boring.

But playing the alphabet game during the drive is fun and makes the time fly by.

So I guess it all boils down to how occupied and engaged your mind is at a particular time.

I can do the exact same thing and sometimes be bored with it or sometimes love it.

Bored is just a weird emotion to me.

And any time I feel slightly bored, I start to think about how to overcome it and I try to make all boring things fun.

But I haven't quite figured out how to make Brett Favre interesting.

He perplexes me.

Everything that could ever be said about him has been said.

And said.

And said.

And it drives me nuts.

But being crazy is not boring.

I just think what I think about Brett Favre is the closest thing I can think of to being bored.

Did I bore you yet?

[RuthlessBurgher]

We'll be happy to bestow upon you a better draft positon via another loss.


That should NOT be a problem, Ruthless! :Cheers Sadly, that's the case in 2009 but hope springs and future years and seasons? Things could change. Right now, it's hard to see any progress being made.

Although I liked Tyson Jackson as a 3-4 DE prospect, I thought he was overdrafted that early...I think that if he was their target, then they should have traded down (and if they were dead-set on taking a d-lineman to start their new 3-4, I thought a potentially dominant NT like Raji would have been the way to go).

I thought that the Chiefs could have taken Eugene Monroe to play LT, moving Brandon Albert to LG, just like they did at UVa. They already had experience working together, and it would have solidified the right side of your line for the foreseeable future.

The other option I thought they could have taken would have been to draft Crabtree to go with Bowe (and kept Gonzalez in this case)...since Pioli (and Cassel) was used to having Moss and Welker in NE and Haley was used to having Fitz and Boldin in Zona, it would have made some sense to give your new QB a plethora of weapons that he could spread the field with.

[SteelAbility]

Did I bore you yet?

Mission accomplished! 8)

Seriously though, along the same lines, when I need to kill that final 30 minutes before a Steelers game, I just bust out an Evil Sudoku. It makes the time evaporate into smoke. :wink:

The philosophical/paradoxical points you make about boredom make my mind blow into smoke. See, I'm blowing smoke already.

[RuthlessBurgher]

I'd be willing to be our newly minted Steeler fan LordVile is probably blowing smoke right now as well (or at least inhaling it). :wink:

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:zYM80YyLntTiDM:http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k267/kagefury/terrible_towelie_game.jpg

[HardlinerKC]

We'll be happy to bestow upon you a better draft positon via another loss.


That should NOT be a problem, Ruthless! :Cheers Sadly, that's the case in 2009 but hope springs and future years and seasons? Things could change. Right now, it's hard to see any progress being made.

Although I liked Tyson Jackson as a 3-4 DE prospect, I thought he was overdrafted that early...I think that if he was their target, then they should have traded down (and if they were dead-set on taking a d-lineman to start their new 3-4, I thought a potentially dominant NT like Raji would have been the way to go).

I thought that the Chiefs could have taken Eugene Monroe to play LT, moving Brandon Albert to LG, just like they did at UVa. They already had experience working together, and it would have solidified the right side of your line for the foreseeable future.

The other option I thought they could have taken would have been to draft Crabtree to go with Bowe (and kept Gonzalez in this case)...since Pioli (and Cassel) was used to having Moss and Welker in NE and Haley was used to having Fitz and Boldin in Zona, it would have made some sense to give your new QB a plethora of weapons that he could spread the field with.


Ruthless, next time there's a GM opening for the Chiefs, I want YOU to apply! Seriously. Excellent overview.

[AngryAsian]

Harliner... you need to come and banter more often brother. Always have enjoyed your perspective. Just some Asian thoughts....


Drew Brees. When will the Charger organization ever realize that they really missed the boat on this proven commodity. Poise, intelligence and this season.... grit. The guy just flat out wins and continues to impress. What's even more impressive is his coach, to have the vision to see what kind of special skills his QB has and how to employ those skills to maximum capacity. Not only surrounding him with skill in excess at the varied positions, but complimenting him as well with notable ST and Defensive talent.

Dan Snyder... does he have that much money to where he has purchases over priced talent to turn it yet another lack-lustered season?. Sure the Skins' defense is having a solid year, but how sad is it to be so lopsided in that you have no ST, Offense or coaching to help that defense thrive. Defense wins championships, but you can't do it with a failed project at QB as your field general on offense.

The Patriots.... a shell of their former selves... and I'm loving every minute of it. There record doesn't reflect how truly hurting this team is. By season's end we'll see a Brady swan song.

Brett Favre... I believe the hype. His team is pretty complete and will obviously do some damage in the NFC this year. I can't help but to be impressed of the calibre of play from a 40 year old... and at this level! I remember Warren Moon playing until he was 344 years old.... didn't look anything like Brett.

Michael Vick.... a non-story in my book.

The only player to wear a Cowboys' jersey that has earned my respect is Demarcus Ware. The guy is a quality human being off the field and a beast on the field. Very un-Cowboy like and just that alone merits big props.

The Asian "Overly-hyped and not overly impressive" list:

Phillip "She-Li and Big Ben Envy" Rivers

Roy "Going to be the next T.O." Williams

Chris "I might be fast, but my team sucks and we'll not win a thing" Johnson

Larry "Where did my field-cred go?" Fitzgerald

Jay "John Lennon donated DNA to grow me in a lab" Cutler

Braylon "Where will I land next with my Ike Taylor Hand's of Stone" Edwards


too tired from a long night at work, to think of anything else for the moment... more tonight. Good night all.

[RuthlessBurgher]

When I saw Larry "Where did my field-cred go?" I assumed that it was going to end with Johnson, not Fitgerald. In 3 out of the past 4 seasons, Fitz has had over 1400 receiving yards and double digit TD's. This season, his numbers are down slightly because his YPC is under 11 instead of his usual 14 or so, but he's still a beast in my mind. He's one guy that I wouldn't even think of including on an "Overly-hyped and not overly impressive" list.