Fadingpain

Funny timing for this thread. Up-thread I said I like Al Michaels. Then we have the game last night...at the moment I hate Al Michaels (LOL) and continue to find his sidekick highly annoying. Al is also starting to get old; all great announcers tend to reach that age where they are not as mentally super sharp as they were and it starts to show. Bob Cole of CBC HNIC fame was one of my favorite announcers of all time; the last 3 to 5 years of his career, he was unlistenable. Al is not on that level now, but he is not what he was 5 years ago even. I really like Gruden. Sure, he has fun with it and kind of hams it up, but I believe his enthusiasm for the game is genuine and that is usually contagious. When he praises a young player for making a great play, he almost says it as though he was the kid's coach or father, and just wants to see good things to happen for the kid in his personal life. That sort of thing is easy to listen to.

Fair enough, but the "didn't fit his vision" was your wording in your post, not a quote from LORAX. That was my thinking at least, hence my request for clarification! Whatever....we know they are trying to make the team better the best way they can. What more than that really needs to be said? The question is whether or not they actually achieve their goal, and in a reasonable time frame. If they turn this organization around, big time, in 2 to 3 years and things keep getting better...who cares what individual moves they make or who gets traded/retained/drafted, etc. A good team is a good team. Who cares what the names on it are!?

I highly doubt the division is up for grabs. We remain a 4-6 win team and NE is too good not to get the benefit of the doubt. Assume BB will get things sorted out, Brady will get angry and bounce back, and they go on a 6 or 8 game win streak....until they show us otherwise. If they repeat last night's performance 3 out of the first 5 games or something, we can re-evaluate then.

What does "cut the fat" mean in this context? You said "didn't fit his vision" but I would equate that phrase normally with "incompetent" or "redundant". Getting rid of players that don't fit a coach's football philosophy is not really what I'd call trimming fat. It is also pretty common. No?

I am still watching and will continue to watch, always, because it's what I do... And the moment we are a few minutes away from kickoff for a Bills game is still a time of excited anticipation for me. That feeling was burned into my brain as a little kid and now @ 35 years later it is there to stay.

According to a report from the Boston Globe, the Patriots are having a Foxboro, MA Wallgreens send an emergency supply of Pamprin to the Patriots dressing room in order to treat "symptoms" being suffered by a "sizable contingent" of the roster and coaching staff. Brady was reported to demand 6 packs exclusively for himself.

Yes, I've heard that as well.

This was a good game all the way through and it has the perfect outcome. Nice to see NE take a historical beating in their home opener!

What did Al Michaels say? This is the most yards given up by a NE defense since BB has been the head coach? And also the most points allowed? WOW

This one is over; NE's back has been broken.

That last one by Brady hung up there a bit; underthrown

There we go! Drive Brady into the turf!

Most fans in the stadium right now are thinking: "After the game I'll have to ask someone who knows something about football what happened tonight. I thought we were supposed to do the winning!"

I know; that stuff gets in your blood up there, apparently. They all whine, complain, beg for calls.. It's embarrassing.

My God Brady has lots of time and room and throw the ball....and they still didn't do anything on that possession.

Let it go and just relish in the moment, should the Pats lose tonight. It's going to feel so good to see that stadium quietly empty. And the look on Brady's face will be priceless. If it happens that is.

Item 1. Roughing the kicker. It is a foul for roughing the kicker if a defensive player: contacts the plant leg of the kicker while his kicking leg is still in the air slides into or contacts the kicker when both of the kicker’s feet are on the ground. It is not a foul if the contact is not severe, or if the kicker returns both feet to the ground prior to the contact and falls over a defender on the ground Note: When in doubt, it is a foul for roughing the kicker.

Wow, the ball on the extra point literally hit the upright flag, which was hanging straight down just inside the pipe.

From the NFL video rulebook site: Item 2. Running into the Kicker. It is a foul for running into the kicker if a defensive player: contacts the kicking foot of the kicker, even if the kicker is airborne when the contact occurs slides under the kicker, preventing him from returning both feet to the ground

Well a much closer game than I would have thought as we approach the end of the 3rd quarter

He shoved the ball in his balls.

Is that "Barracuda" by Heart I hear in the background at the stadium?

TD Mike earns his nickname again.