Recently became interested in this sport. We now get it here on free to air and I have been watching.
Enjoying it. Have little idea of what is going on. But still finding it entertaining.
I have very little idea of the states in the US and how good or bad they are. What their values are etc
I know Greenbay is the only publicly owned club right?
1) Minnasota Vikings - What can I say.. I like vikings. But these ones have horns?
2) Greenbay Packers - I like that it's public and have a friend that goes for them
3) Cincinnati Colts - don't know why
4) New Orleans Saints (But I hate the when the saints come marching in song) - I just like fleur de lis
I assume the Detroit Lions following is fairly small now? I kind of like their symbology. I like the Broncos symbol as well. Love horses.
I chose my rugby teams by animal rather than territory here when I was a kid and never looked back.
My son goes for the New England Patriots and has since found out his new high school teachers also do!
Any recommendations? Does anybody here follow NFL?
Quote from: Destraex on September 15, 2017, 10:58:46 AM
3) Cincinnati Colts - don't know why
It's the Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts.
It might not be a bad idea to merge them :P
Both would have to have a team to merge first.
Quote from: Destraex on September 15, 2017, 10:58:46 AM
Recently became interested in this sport. We now get it here on free to air and I have been watching.
Enjoying it. Have little idea of what is going on. But still finding it entertaining.
I have very little idea of the states in the US and how good or bad they are. What their values are etc
I know Greenbay is the only publicly owned club right?
1) Minnasota Vikings - What can I say.. I like vikings. But these ones have horns?
2) Greenbay Packers - I like that it's public and have a friend that goes for them
3) Cincinnati Colts - don't know why
4) New Orleans Saints (But I hate the when the saints come marching in song) - I just like fleur de lis
I assume the Detroit Lions following is fairly small now? I kind of like their symbology. I like the Broncos symbol as well. Love horses.
I chose my rugby teams by animal rather than territory here when I was a kid and never looked back.
My son goes for the New England Patriots and has since found out his new high school teachers also do!
Any recommendations? Does anybody here follow NFL?
I'd watch as many games as you can and see if a particular team stands out to you. The Packers are one of the NFL's most storied franchises and are generally fun to watch. The Vikings will break your heart every time and in every way imaginable.
You can't really go wrong with the Patriots at the moment, but they are also universally hated by the rest of the League.
Some people follow players rather than teams so if the player changes teams it's time for a new jersey :)
My personal recommendation is follow the Ravens.
This isn't only a question for someone outside the country - I am an American without a team.
I was born in Oakland and grew up in San Diego, so I like the Raiders and Chargers growing up. I used to go to Charger games in the early 80s when they had an exciting team.
Since then I haven't followed football except if one of these teams is doing well and playoff bound. But last summer my daughter told me that the Chargers are moving ho Los Angeles and the Raiders are moving to Las Vegas. I dislike those cities, and the move takes away any connection I had with the teams.
I live near Washington DC, but I'm not going to adopt the Redskins.
My daughter's husband is a huge Packers fan, so I guess that's my team now. I think they play outdoors year round, which is the manly way of playing football.
I have a greater connection to NC St football than any pro team, but as a Cajun, I'm duty-bound to cheer for the Saints and simultaneously programmed to hate Atlanta.
As for who an Aussie could cheer for?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australians_in_American_football
see if there are any connections on this list that strike your fancy
A BanzaiCat Primer on NFL Teams
(my opinion, so likely I'm totally wrong about everything)
Because I need to take a bit of a break. I also used to do Fantasy Football articles for a variety of sites a few years back. I also suck at Fantasy Football, so the joke was on them, I guess?
AFC East
Buffalo Bills: A perennial disappointment to their fans. These guys dominated in the late 80s/early 90s, having gone to the Super Bowl (aka The Big Show) four times in a row. Each time, they lost. They tended to beat up on the Miami Dolphins when it counted, and as I was a big fan of the Dolphins back then, I learned to hate the Bills with a passion (especially when they'd beat the Dolphins in a playoff game, then go on to get their asses kicked in the next round).
Miami Dolphins: This franchise as I said used to be a favorite of mine, back when Dan Marino was their quarterback, and he had stars like Mark Duper and Mark Clayton to pass the ball to. They've done decently as of late. Their uniforms are a little on the ghey side of cool.
New England Patriots: Perennial dominators. Can't stand them personally, because they always bloody win. The last Super Bowl was an utter WTF moment when they pulled a win out of their hind end. Admittedly I appreciated them back in 2001, and the fact that they won the Super Bowl then (post-9/11). It was also one of the better halftime Super Bowl shows (U2). Most Super Bowl halftime shows are completely lame and boring.
New York Jets: I admit, I like the Jets. Mostly because they're always underdogs. I enjoy that their fans love to bitch about them. That's a God-given right when you like a team that sucks, to bitch about them. It's highly entertaining.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens: Always had a reputation for having a very tough defense (and the team tends to harbor hardcore professional criminals, too). The Ravens are a relatively newer franchise, having taken the mantle in Baltimore years after the Colts (now of Indianapolis) left. In the middle of the night, no less. The NFL is nothing but predictable when it comes to their scum-sucking owners.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Usually a safe bet, insofar as they have a reputation for being a tough team (their name itself comes from the local steel industries, that have long since dried up I think). My father lives in PA and the whole family are hardcore Steelers fans...up there, anyway. There's worse teams to root for.
Cleveland Browns: Used to be a powerhouse. The Browns have been around a long time, but the funny thing is, the old Browns franchise moved to Baltimore to become the Ravens. A few years passed before Cleveland got another Browns franchise. The current Browns franchise is pretty much about as useful and a contender as a pile of something that is the same color as what's in their name. I think current Browns fans are fans because they hark back to the days when Bernie Kosar and "the Dawg Pound" were active (the former was a good quarterback in his time; the latter were the rather rabid fans at home).
Cinncinnati Bengals: They exist to f*ck up the Houston Texans' run for the playoffs (when the Texans bother to go, that is). I used to like the Bengals back in the late 80s. They've had ups or downs but they're not much of a factor these days, I don't think.
AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars: Came onto the scene sometime in the 90s I think during the NFL's expansion at the time. They've gone to the playoffs a couple of times but aren't much of a team. Case in point: they love to beat the Texans (but so does everyone else).
Houston Texans: Don't follow these guys unless you're used to morose depression around your sports and love disappointment. They've had more starting quarterbacks than years they've been around, I think (since 2002). They draft like idiots but have J.J. Watt, one of the best defensive players of all time, and a local legend when it comes to helping the community out. It's hard not to like Watt for his efforts around town (case in point, raising nearly 40 million US for Hurricane Harvey victims). Their drafting of J.J. Watt goes to prove that a broken watch is right twice a day at least.
Indianapolis Colts: No. I hate the Colts. Peyton Manning was their QB for years, and he was a constant pain in the Texans' rear. They used to be a dominating force, but not so much any more, though they do well enough for themselves.
Tennessee Titans: How could I forget these wise guys? Used to be the Houston Oilers. Moved because the owner is a jackass. I thought it was funny; I moved to Houston the same year that they had the worst playoff loss in NFL history (arguably)...to the Buffalo Bills. It was hilarious how many here got their panties in a wad over that. Good riddance.
AFC West
Denver Broncos: Meh. The only good thing to come out of Colorado, arguably, is their lax weed laws. Which I think you'd need a lot of to be a Broncos fan.
Oakland Raiders: They're well-known to have the worst fans in the entire league; obnoxious, bordering on criminal. The team itself used to be owned by Al Davis, whom was a huge figure in the league for the longest time, but also a total asshole. The Raiders haven't done anything in a long time, which prompted them to do the West Coast Shuffle a few times (moved to Los Angeles, then moved back to Oakland). Nobody outside of Oakland cares about the Raiders, and even then only the people that like Mad Max cosplay really care that much.
Kansas City Chiefs: Off and on, a decent team with more than their fair share of damn good running backs.
Los Angeles Chargers: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Ha. Ahem. Sorry. They used to be the San Diego Chargers. Los Angeles could care less so I have no idea how they thought moving there was a good idea. Expect them to return to San Diego in less than ten seasons.
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles: One of those East Coast teams that have obnoxious fans that like to talk shite and pose about...wait, well, arguably that's a LOT of NFL fans, but East Coast folks tend to be more hardcore about it. I don't know the Eagles well but have friends that are Eagles fans that tend to be about as disappointed as Texans fans, if that says much about them.
Dallas Cowboys: Nope. Don't. Please, God, just...don't. I hate the Cowboys. They arrogantly call themselves "America's Team," when they're nothing of the sort. Their owner, Jerry Jones, is a horse's ass. But admittedly, he's a shrewd businessman, having grown up piss poor and turning himself into a multi-billionaire. He's not an idiot, but his team is, and their fans are legendary for being more obnoxious somehow than Raiders fans in their rabid worshiping of a team that plays in a billion-dollar giant silver cockroach of a stadium.
New York Giants: I've always liked the Giants. Especially when they beat the Patriots in Super Bowls.
Washington Redskins: Many SJW people like to moan about the "offensive" name, but that's silly. If you look hard enough, you can find things to be offended by in EVERY NFL team's name. My grandparents were from the D.C. area and were HUGE Redskins fans. My memories of the Redskins are better with age, but not so much lately. They're an okay team I suppose, but nowhere near great.
NFC North
Minnesota Vikings: There are much better Grogs around here that can speak to the Vikings. If you think Texans disappointment is perennial... :)
Detroit Lions: A team that is always mediocre but has spurts of occasional greatness. They tend to always play on Thanksgiving here and always tend to roll over and die like a turkey, too.
Green Bay Packers: Used to be a good team when Brett Favre was QB, until he started texting peter pics. Aaron Rodgers, the QB now, was a star at first but he, I think, has been on the decline (could be wrong about that like I am about every other damn thing in this post).
Chicago Bears: Disliked them very much back in the 80s. The Superbowl Shuffle music video was a crime against humanity, but there's no denying how they dominated the field back then. Nowadays, not so much, though I kind of like the Bears. Ish.
NFC South
Carolina Panthers: Joined the league when the Jacksonville Jaguars did. They did fairly well and have had occasional moments of greatness as well as murderers on their team, too. It's difficult to get excited about the Panthers, because they feel like an expansion team that's just joined the league. "Who's that?" you may ask. So too does the rest of the league.
Atlanta Falcons: Another meh. Atlanta's about as nice as Houston to live in, I suppose, which is to say, not at all. They were a decent team back in the day, and I think they have decent showings, though I don't pay much attention to them.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: To really understand Tampa Bay is to understand their history. They didn't get their first win until their second season (13th game, if memory serves). That pretty much says it all. They've had moments of greatness as have most (read: not all) NFL franchises. One thing is for sure: their pewter/red uniforms are 1000% improvement over their uniforms when they first started out.
New Orleans Saints: The "Aints" have had a storied history. Fans used to love to wear brown paper bags over their heads because they didn't want to be recognized. That all changed in recent years when they actually got good under QB Drew Brees. But Brees is long gone, and so too is the Saints' pertinence. Or not, what do I know. Being an NFL team in a city that's on average six feet below sea level isn't the brightest of ideas.
NFC West
Los Angeles Rams: "The Laughening, Part II." How the hell a city like Los Angeles can get TWO NFL franchises in one off season when the entire town is more concerned about plastic surgery and pandering to Asian film markets is extraordinary. Now, Los Angeles has twice the teams to not care about. The Rams used to be in St. Louis, Missouri, and I think they started out in Cleveland, before moving to Los Angeles, and then to St. Louis, and now apparently because the Chargers are a team to be jealous of, they moved there yet again.
Seattle Seahawks: Another team that was long a laughing stock that recently started getting good. Personally they 'feel' a lot like the Panthers do to me, insofar as being an expansion team (which they technically are, but an older one). I get the feeling the only Seahawks fans are ones in Seattle.
Arizona Cardinals: Another gypsy/vagabond team, starting out in Chicago, then going to St. Louis, and now in Arizona (because that's what you do). They've performed well enough but aren't Super Bowl worthy.
San Francisco 49ers: Maybe more pertinent back when Joe Montana was quarterback. Certainly not when asshat Colin Kaepernick was.
...but again, what the hell do I know? I'm an idiot.
Quote from: Marty Ward on September 15, 2017, 11:59:38 AM
My personal recommendation is follow the Ravens.
Do not listen to Marty.
I love the Cowboys, Patriots and Texans. Cowboys are in my blood, Texans represent my hometown since the Oilers crawled to Tennessee on their knees, the Patriots represent greatness and should be the model for the rest of the No Fun League. The Titans remain unforgiven for leaving Houston or having an asshat like Bud Adams as their owner. Indy is the whiny little sister of the league, hosting "participation" banners and having a big-mouth druggie owner who calls "cheat" on other teams while throwing a season in the infamous "Suck for Luck" campaign where they threw games to draft their current QB (how'd that work out for you, Indy?). I both hate and respect the Steelers because they used to give my Oilers and Cowboys hell in the 70's, but they are mostly a model franchise. Respect. On the other side of PA, the Eagles...LOL....I spent a year outside of Philly and those talk show fans cracked me up with their hatred for the Cowboys. How many rings ya got, Eagles??? Spent five years in Phoenix and never could catch the Cardinals bandwagon. Just....no. Cleveland is a situation comedy and Cincinnati deserves better but the Cinncy owner makes a profit despite his win-loss column and couldn't care less.
The rest of the league? I'll never root for the Bills, Gnats or Jets (sorry but....New Yawk, ya know?) but besides those guys, I often take interest in a team depending on certain players, underdog status or otherwise a good storyline.
Quote from: BanzaiCat on September 15, 2017, 12:13:36 PMBut Brees is long gone, and so too is the Saints' pertinence
you know Brees is still there, right?
Quote from: mirth on September 15, 2017, 12:16:23 PM
Quote from: Marty Ward on September 15, 2017, 11:59:38 AM
My personal recommendation is follow the Ravens.
Do not listen to Marty.
Watch out, I'm a Raven maniac and can't always be responsible for my actions! ;)
Well, I was born and raised in Dallas, so the Cowboys are part of my DNA. I practically grew up in Texas stadium and actually got to meet and interact with a lot of the players back in the 80's.
The team has one of the most storied franchises in the league, and has always been very front and center in American football even when they didn't field good squads. If you even have a remote interest in them, you can look up some objective histories on why that's the case, but you should be careful because when you talk about the Cowboys extreme hyperbole both pro and con come into play with the team.
The Cowboys are both blessed and cursed with having the largest fan base in the country, bolstered by a huge following in Mexico. This popularity led the media (not the team itself) to declare the Cowboys "America's Team" in the 70's. This, over time, has led to the Cowboys being one of the most loved and also the most hated franchises in the nation. There's not much in between. You become a fan of the team, or you hate it for the exact same reasons that people love it.
And yes, they have obnoxious fans, but this is more an effect of how large the base is than anything else. Even Cowboys fans hate the segment of the fandom that sees everything through Cowboys tinted glasses, and go nuts if the Cowboys don't win by enough points and start throwing their own players under the bus if they don't perform perfectly. I can assure you from direct experience that this is NOT the majority of the fandom. Not even close.
I've seen games in a LOT of NFL stadiums. As a fan of an opposing team I've actually felt seriously threatened in a couple of places for wearing my team's colors, and have had a lot of vitriol and hate thrown my way in a lot of the others. In my experience, when I've gone to games in Dallas we've always tried to make the visitors feel at home, even if they were Redskins, Eagles or Giants. If you play nice, we'll let you come up to our tailgate, get BBQ and talk football, no matter what jersey you wear. I'm sure there are exceptions, but as a rule that's something we as a fandom pride ourselves on. I always prefer to see the Cowboys fans that way, not through the filter of the unfortunately vocal minority.
And yes, even Cowboys fans think Jerry Jones is a dingus. Fortunately his influence on the operations of the team have waned massively in the last five years in favor of his son and Chief Scout Will McClay. This is one of the reasons the team has imrpoved and been competitive of late.
Leaving aside their owner (albeit the source of much drama), the Titans are a team you can expect an exciting game of will-they-or-won't-they-win. Technically proficient but tend to get lost in their own hype.
If you want to cheer for winners who win, there are maybe two or three Tier I teams (led by the Patriots). If you want to cheer for contenders, who win more often than not, there are selections available. If you want to cheer for a team that you have no idea from week to week whether they have any chance, and so generate excitement and drama that way, the Titans are a good choice.
Also, they have a solid state-wide fanbase, as a side effect of having a contender-level college football team with a massive fanbase -- which is arguably the reason why the Titans are "Tennessee" and not "Nashville" (or "Memphis" for that matter. Almost all NFL teams are metro-urban based, not regional or state.)
Quote from: BanzaiCat on September 15, 2017, 05:50:24 PM
Is he? Who knew?
pretty much everyone except you, since they've been talking about how Tony Romo (calling the game) is younger than either of the starters (Brees & Brady)
Meh! :D
Quote from: JasonPratt on September 15, 2017, 02:06:59 PM
Leaving aside their owner (albeit the source of much drama), the Titans are a team you can expect an exciting game of will-they-or-won't-they-win. Technically proficient but tend to get lost in their own hype.
If you want to cheer for winners who win, there are maybe two or three Tier I teams (led by the Patriots). If you want to cheer for contenders, who win more often than not, there are selections available. If you want to cheer for a team that you have no idea from week to week whether they have any chance, and so generate excitement and drama that way, the Titans are a good choice.
Also, they have a solid state-wide fanbase, as a side effect of having a contender-level college football team with a massive fanbase -- which is arguably the reason why the Titans are "Tennessee" and not "Nashville" (or "Memphis" for that matter. Almost all NFL teams are metro-urban based, not regional or state.)
Fixed that for you, JP. ;) The Vols suck out loud and can't even contend in the SEC East. Unless you were talking about Vanderbilt.
Destraex, I think the best suggestion by far is to watch as much of it as you have a taste for and form your own opinions. But, if you somehow find your way to the dark side, a.k.a. rooting for the Cowboys, wash your brain with bleach and try again. Dallas is just evil.
Thanks for the replies so far. Especially BanzaiCat.
There are a whole bunch of teams that at least I can strike off my list for one reason or another. The teams that harbouring criminals or have bosses that are into drugs are the stuff of hollywood movies about NFL we get over here. Like the replacements with keanu. I know that the cowboys and oakland raiders were favourites for people that just loved wearing the gear here to be cool when I was a kid. Most of them knew nothing about it. When I met my wife she had a cowboys shirt and did not even know what it was. She just liked the star design and had got it from some cheap copy stall at the markets.
We played rugby union for school and rugby league at lunch here as well as soccer because we all grew up playing that when really little. We tried playing grid iron in the playground at school once and had no idea what we were doing except this one kid who was a fan. We just did not find it fun to seemingly run around and not get any action with the ball and then stop.
Now that I understand it a bit more I like the coach strategy involved and the careful planning of each chess like move. For kids though, I don't think it's the best game to play for fitness and endurance. Unless their is a mode that plays faster than touch footy (rugby league). I guess I would have to have grown up with it for that to be understood.
As a kid of 18 my best time was 11 seconds on the 100 metre dash and loved playing winger, the equivalent of wide receiver for rugby. I might take a close look at these boys... what is the fastest position for running in NFL?
Just thinking as well. All the teams that have moved even once are off my list.
One of my pet hates are clubs that don't represent their community well. Ideally I would love it if teams represented their area so well that they only hired local talent.
That would be amazing but unrealistic. However it is one of the reasons that I became disenfranchised with rugby league here. It got so commercial and players were being swapped around so much for money that there was no spirit in it. No soul. NFL is probably the same but at least the strategy is more interesting. Where rugby league although it has plays, flows so well that their are really only a finite number of "off the cuff" moves that a team performs. There is no time to setup grand strategic plays. It's all whatever happens according to the moving conditions from second to second on the field. It never stops. Half time is it. And it's an 80 minute game of two halves.
Quote from: Destraex on September 15, 2017, 08:22:10 PMEspecially BanzaiCat.
there was a mountain of sarcasm and inside jokes in his write-up, so take it all with a grain of salt :)
Quote from: Destraex on September 15, 2017, 08:22:10 PMwhat is the fastest position for running in NFL?
Usually wide receivers/kick returners and cornerbacks, several of whom, over the years, have appeared on Olympic teams as sprinters
Quote from: Destraex on September 15, 2017, 08:32:26 PMIdeally I would love it if teams represented their area so well that they only hired local talent.
the way the amateur draft process works in US sports virtually guarantees that rarely happens.
If you're looking for teams that haven't moved to root for, it'll depend on how you want to parse it. There are teams like the Chicago Bears, New York Giants, and Washington Redskins who have been there since professional football started in the 20's. There have been several waves of expansion/rival leagues/consolidation since then and some of those teams have stayed put since their inception: the Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and more. And as noted, some franchises have moved, some several times: the Arizona Cardinals, the Los Angeles Rams, the Los Angeles Chargers, and one or two others.
Learning the game, its rules, strategy, and tactics, will aid in your decision, too. Watch as much as you enjoy and ask questions. We'll be glad to help.
Also, playing Madden on a console or PC. ;) It has its cons as well as pros, but it does help give a visceral feel for the offensive and defensive tactics and operational strategies, so to speak.
MD: yes, the Vols have been terrible (spiced with random genius) for years now; I was regressing back to college days. :'( The SEC generally used to be the powerhouse of college competition, but has devolved seriously in the past ten years. Not sure exactly why.
The Vols have a team that sure plays very 'young' this year, but our turnovers and errors in the first game were pretty clean. (I don't count the second game which was a curbstomp against a sacrificial opponent whom I felt very sorry for.) Considering our psychology has long been our own worst enemy (and a cruddy defensive secondary for decades), that gives me a bit of hope.
Whether we can level up sufficiently against Florida tomorrow remains to be seen -- also a shell of their former glory.
Yeah, the Gators suck, too. Their offense has no QB worth the initials.
And I second the playing of Madden. A great way to look at and study plays and formations and the tutorials for how to play the game help in understanding what you're seeing and why you are doing what you are doing.
I don't really think I want to play PC games on it. But if I did it would not be Madden as that does not seem to be on PC.
Anything for PC recommended?
It sounds like the Vikings may be the team to stick with in the end. Not too bad or good, fairly well set in the community, no violent fans or criminals. Not overly bandwagon style cool or popular but with a solid fanbase. Not gonna get lynched if I ever visit America and get some of the gear.
I realise their was loaded sarcasm in Banzaicat's post. But I think I can read between the lines there.
Quote from: Destraex on September 15, 2017, 08:22:10 PM
I know that the cowboys and oakland raiders were favourites for people that just loved wearing the gear here to be cool when I was a kid. Most of them knew nothing about it. When I met my wife she had a cowboys shirt and did not even know what it was. She just liked the star design and had got it from some cheap copy stall at the markets.
That traditionally is the thing that makes the Cowboys and to a lesser extent the Raiders so hated. They're both marketed as much as brands as they are football teams, sometimes even more so.
For the Cowboys, that's part of their history and identity. In the early 70's the Cowboys GM and President, Tex Schramm, decided to make the team as much of an event as possible. He added the Cheerleaders, which were really just very attractive women who danced, not a real cheerleading squad. He sold the idea that the Cowboys should always play the late game on Thanksgiving. He took the media moniker of "America's Team" and ran with it. He made the team a brand, and one that's endured. They started to permiate movies, TV, pornos, comic books, honestly it was, and has continued to be hard to avoid them if you're even remotely interested in football, and many times hard even if you're not interested.
But, beside that, they have been a great team at many points in their history. They have five Super Bowls, Eight Conference Championships, the longest seasonal winning streak in NFL history and so many Hall of Fame players that the team can't even retire numbers.
And yeah, they've got Jerry Jones. And he's a TERRIBLE football man who managed to torpedo the franchise with bad front office decisions after they won Super Bowls in three out of four years. But, he's also been a great business owner, and has continued to successfully market the team and make it vitally important to the entire NFL to the point where he was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. Currently the team is worth $4.4 Billion, now the most successful sports franchise in the world.
But, I'm not trying to sell you on them. Honestly, one of the biggest frustrations for me as a Dallas born Cowboys fan has been to see all of the out of state fans that are bandwagoners and fair weather and really don't represent the people that grew up caring for the team. In the 90's everyone and anyone became a Cowboys fan, and sometimes I actually felt compelled to carry a picture of myself at 4 years old wearing a Roger Staubach shirt so that I could prove to others that I wasn't a bandwagoner.
So, I'd say pick the team that speaks to you. Game wise, the Cowboys are about a power running game, strong offensive line and aggressive offense. They've traditionally also had strong defenses, but they're kind of a question mark in that respect this year. They have in the past however had some legendary defenses, the Doomsday Defenses, that brought them great success.
If that doesn't appeal to you, there are others. One I'd suggest that is a very inoffensive, very well run organization with a good fanbase is the Denver Broncos. I've always been partial to them in the AFC, and they're a team that I don't think will let you down in the future.
Interestingly enough this was published on 538 blog today. I am a huge diehard pats fan since before the days of Bellichick and Brady when the pats put up 8-8 seasons or worse in the crappiest stadium in the NFL. I froze my but off in sub zero temps sitting on metal benches while idiots drenched me in beer and you usually had to get into a fight in order to get out of the parking lot.
That being said here is an innovative way to see who you should root for and against
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/who-hates-the-patriots-the-most/
Quote from: Con on September 15, 2017, 11:13:13 PM
Interestingly enough this was published on 538 blog today. I am a huge diehard pats fan since before the days of Bellichick and Brady when the pats put up 8-8 seasons or worse in the crappiest stadium in the NFL. I froze my but off in sub zero temps sitting on metal benches while idiots drenched me in beer and you usually had to get into a fight in order to get out of the parking lot.
That being said here is an innovative way to see who you should root for and against
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/who-hates-the-patriots-the-most/
You know, I've got zero problems with the Patriots or their fans. But they're getting a lot of the stuff the Cowboys got back in the 70's-90's.
The list makes a good and strong case for the Packers too. They have a huge amount of appeal objectively. They've got a great past, great present, collective ownership and a fanbase that really can't be faulted. Only thing I'd say is that the Packers are SO the property of their town that I'd almost feel odd as an outsider picking them. They're really a true home town phenomenon. I am a fan of Aaron Rodgers though, even after he knocked my Cowboys out in two playoffs.
It also makes a good point about how the Cowboys are so hated because of the deep rift with the Redskins and Eagles. I'll never forget the Eagles coach Buddy Ryan putting injury bounties on Cowboys players, or any of the bordering on violent experience I've had with the fans of those teams. Heck, there's even a documentary being made on how deeply and sometimes physically violent Eagles fans react to the Cowboys in the works. That's a stadium I would NEVER wear my colors into. I've heard too many nightmare stories of people being assaulted from verbally to physically. A lot of them, especially Eagles fans, get deeply more angry because the Cowboys don't hate them back with the same vigor.
Humorously enough I have a lot of great friends who are both Eagles and Redskins fans. They all agree that some of their fellows would actually murder Cowboys fans if they could get away with it.
The rivalries in the NFC East run deep.
Yes we have some rugby league teams here where the fans get out of control. Funnily enough the worst soccer and rugby league fanbases are the same ethnicity. Very firey people combined with another trait I will not mention because Ai do not want to be rude.
Tell me. Where is the NFL heartland in america. The real grass roots fan bases. I am guessing Minnesota is pretty close to more hockey than NFL fanbases.
Quote from: bayonetbrant on September 15, 2017, 12:13:08 PM
I have a greater connection to NC St football than any pro team, but as a Cajun, I'm duty-bound to cheer for the Saints and simultaneously programmed to hate Atlanta.
As for who an Aussie could cheer for?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australians_in_American_football
see if there are any connections on this list that strike your fancy
All these punters or kickers are pretty uninteresting.
Quote from: Destraex on September 15, 2017, 10:58:46 AM
Recently became interested in this sport. We now get it here on free to air and I have been watching.
Enjoying it. Have little idea of what is going on. But still finding it entertaining.
I have very little idea of the states in the US and how good or bad they are. What their values are etc
I know Greenbay is the only publicly owned club right?
1) Minnasota Vikings - What can I say.. I like vikings. But these ones have horns?
2) Greenbay Packers - I like that it's public and have a friend that goes for them
3) Cincinnati Colts - don't know why
4) New Orleans Saints (But I hate the when the saints come marching in song) - I just like fleur de lis
I assume the Detroit Lions following is fairly small now? I kind of like their symbology. I like the Broncos symbol as well. Love horses.
I chose my rugby teams by animal rather than territory here when I was a kid and never looked back.
My son goes for the New England Patriots and has since found out his new high school teachers also do!
Any recommendations? Does anybody here follow NFL?
New England Patriots FTW
Quote from: JasonPratt on September 15, 2017, 09:53:02 PMbut has devolved seriously in the past ten years. Not sure exactly why.
easy - look at the coaches that are gone
Urban Meyer
Phil Fulmer
Les Miles
Houston Nutt
Mark Richt
David Cutcliffe
Steve Spurrier
you lose that much coaching talent from one conference and there's no way they get better
Yeah, but it isn't a vacuum! -- a lot of those guys were replacing classic coaches.
Sucky coaches being hired are a more positive reason. ;)
Quote from: JasonPratt on September 16, 2017, 07:34:13 AM
Yeah, but it isn't a vacuum! -- a lot of those guys were replacing classic coaches.
Sucky coaches being hired are a more positive reason. ;)
Urban Meyer --> replaced Ron Zook
Phil Fulmer --> replaced an over-the-hill Johnny Majors
Les Miles --> replaced Nick Saban when he left for the NFL, so there's a legit classic replacement here
Houston Nutt --> replaced Danny Ford, who was over a decade removed from his title at Clemson, and had a losing record at Arkansas
Mark Richt --> replaced Jim Donnan, who was actually better than his reputation, but hardly an all-time classic
David Cutcliffe --> had 1 losing season at Ole Miss, replaced Tommy T when he jumped for Auburn, got Duke -
Duke! to a conf title game
Steve Spurrier --> First time around was replacing Galen Hall under NCAA investigation, second time replaced an over-the-hill Lou Holtz
Personally, I'd not worry about an NFL team and find a college team to support.
Quote from: OJsDad on September 16, 2017, 12:28:13 PM
Personally, I'd not worry about an NFL team and find a college team to support.
QFT.
Quote from: Destraex on September 15, 2017, 10:33:30 PM
I don't really think I want to play PC games on it. But if I did it would not be Madden as that does not seem to be on PC.
Anything for PC recommended?
Old Madden for PC. ;) ...or maybe not, last one was 2008, and there could be some serious problems with it.
Quote from: OJsDad on September 16, 2017, 12:28:13 PM
Personally, I'd not worry about an NFL team and find a college team to support.
The problem with that is we will not get any games here.
Quote from: Destraex on September 16, 2017, 01:28:22 AM
Yes we have some rugby league teams here where the fans get out of control. Funnily enough the worst soccer and rugby league fanbases are the same ethnicity. Very firey people combined with another trait I will not mention because Ai do not want to be rude.
Tell me. Where is the NFL heartland in america. The real grass roots fan bases. I am guessing Minnesota is pretty close to more hockey than NFL fanbases.
When I first started writing FF articles back in 1999 or so, one of my first pieces was a primer on the history/roots of the NFL. That's a good place to start. 1920, I think was the start of 'official' league records but there were games going back for 30 or so years before that.
While this is a Wiki article, this will give you a good overview of where the NFL was 'born' and will probably go a long way to answering your question as to where the 'heartland' of the NFL is.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_National_Football_League#Beginnings
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Pre-war_NFL_teams.png)
Wow. What a convoluted read. Thanks for that. It's really disheartening to read about all the racism early on. Especially since African American now make the majority of most teams, obviously being better athletically than most ehites. All the various pirate tactics and cut throat poachings and buyouts.
Yeah, it's Wiki, so it's not the best read. I'd have posted a link to the article I wrote but that site went dead a while ago unfortunately. No idea where it may reside now, if anywhere.
The racism thing isn't indicative necessarily of America, though I'd be curious to see how that evolved in other countries (namely European football, rugby, etc.). When I was over in the UK last I wish I had been able to reach a rugby or football game but didn't have the chance. I'd much rather watch that than American football, to be honest. I have a love-hate with it; my hate mostly stems from that each NFL owner and the NFL itself are all whores that will sell their mothers to tattoo an advertisement on their forehead if it'll make them a buck. I can't stand the advertisement overload. I'm sure there's an overload overseas too.
Funny you should mention Rugby as a sport that is less commercialised.
Rugby Union, which is what I think you are referring to, had for most of it's life been an amateur sport. One that was not paid. Only Universities and Private schools generally played it here. Now when I say universities, I mean real university students, not people that universities get just to play sport. So a lot of fairly intelligent people were playing the game. It was kind of a badge of honour to represent your school or university, then your local club/county, state and then even your countries team. The local club competition would obviously get talent from anywhere, but here in Australia most not affiliated with private schools or uni would go to rugby league which is much more popular for the common man in Australia. It meant that the sport having little money did not have the profile for media that other sports like soccer/football had. The following more came from the people who supported the private schools and universities. People were very loyal to their clubs, rarely having cause to leave as far as I am aware. The sport is however world wide especially amongst commonwealth nations.
In the last 10-15 years however, it has been commercialised and professionalised. This has meant that their has been an influx of players to where the money is from other countries in Australia where I am. Our national team is now more like the Fijian national team and not doing much better either. I watched Australia VS Argentina last night and one commentator chatting in a lull mentioned of one of the Australian players "he scored a few tries a few months back against his native Fiji". I mean why the hell can you play for Australia if it's really fairly clear you are here for the money and then going back afterwards?
Rugby Union is a great game to watch but very rough on the body to play. Probably the hardest game to play on your body out of Rugby League. NFL and Rugby Union. The contact is rough and messy and you are often on the ground getting stomped on by big men. The rules are vast and complex as well. The referee's job is to keep the game flowing rather than to be exact with rulings. There are a lot of tactics in this game but NFL is the most complex by far when it comes to strategy/plays/tactics.
Australia (FIJI :P ) VS Argentina - Rugby Union
(https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/y/i/y/b/f/image.related.wideLandscape.640x360.gyizme.gmfjrc.png/1505639260573.jpg)
Rugby League This competition is fully paid and was created as a spin off to rugby union because working class players especially wanted to be paid when they played because of the time they had to take away from work to play the game iirc. It's the most popular sport on the east coast of Australia but is not very popular in the rest of the world. It's fast, clean and there are really only so many plays that happen because the nature of the game. It's predictable and really based on player skill rather than smarts. The players are not as heavy as rugby union players usually because their is less of a pushing game and more of a breakthrough and run game. Although both have this aspect.
It's so commercial now that I pretty much wash my hands of it apart from the state of origin series. It's very similar to the NFL with money, however they do have what is called a salery cap top ensure rich clubs dont poach all the players. This game is the game where most of the fighting (outside the usual soccer fighting) happens between fans. Some minority areas being especially hot headed. It's also where most of the in game fights happen and the parent fights etc. Not that it's a really big problem but it does crop up way out of proportion to the other oval ball codes.
This game has a very weak worldwide competition outside Australia. Some players convert back and forth from Union and League now. Currently since Australia has been doing badly in Rugby Union all the bandwagoners have left and it's not in a great state. Rugby League is the sport Jarrod Hayne who recently tried in the NFL came from.
Rugby League NSW vs QLD - Australian state vs state. One of the most passionate competitions in the world. Jarryd Hayne in centre.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2F_%2Fmedia%2F2017%2F06%2F21%2F12%2F27%2FBlues_210617_a_1000.jpg&hash=22c4d6d7575828282b390050c4014c51b7ec8eca)
AFL The kicking game that most of you boys got your kicking teams from Australia from. This game is very family oriented and the fans are fanatical about their local teams. They have drafts to ensure proper distribution of players. This game is a little like a giant game of kick forcings back. The field is a huge oval. It's expanding fast in Australia as mums and dads are tending to either go for AFL or Soccer in light of the chance of unjury in the Rugby codes. The islanders especially being huge at a very young age. So the Rugby codes are looking at implementing weight classes rather than age classes to bring the main stream back.
Club competition AFL
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Stoppage_in_an_AFL_game.jpg/1200px-Stoppage_in_an_AFL_game.jpg)
I am interested in NFL because of the tactics and strategy. That's the main draw card. All of the typical American style speciality in the field. Each player having one job primarily and not really being able to do other jobs. In most Rugby codes, most players can do most jobs to at least a reasonable degree. Out of all of them Rugby League is probably the easiest to play for kids because you can play it with almost no space almost anywhere. You can even have a fairly good game of Rugby League with just two players a side or even one. I suppose you could modify any game to be like that though.
Thanks for all that - it's an interesting read. Admittedly I don't know that much about rugby but I've learned a little here and there over the years. I watched a match on TV the last time I was in the UK and thought it was a hell of a lot more entertaining than the NFL. The major difference is there were so few commercials/interruptions in the action - it was all go, go, go pretty much.
Maybe my tolerance of American commercials are at a low; they're the reason why I do not watch network television any longer. I had stopped going to movies when they started putting in commercials. I just simply cannot stand the mouth-breathing, stupid, lowest common denominator aspect of them. And the NFL absolutely revels in that. Everything has to have a label from a sponsor, from the stadium to the halftime report and pre- and post-game shows, and on and on. It's annoying as sin.
To be fair I found UK commercials to be actually entertaining. No idea why that is, maybe because they don't have the filter that corporations in the U.S. have. So maybe I didn't notice how annoying they are over there. Here, though, they long ago went over that line with me. I'm shocked they haven't yet put ads all over player jerseys like they do in European football leagues.
One last thing (sorry for the long post). I only learned about the English Premiere League's structure a few years back and thought it was brilliant, how technically some low-scum team can technically advance from the bottom of the barrel to the tops. I wish American sports had a similar structure. I think in American football the only place I've heard of such a thing was in a video game (Blitz: The League).
Quote from: BanzaiCat on September 19, 2017, 05:47:57 AM
One last thing (sorry for the long post). I only learned about the English Premiere League's structure a few years back and thought it was brilliant, how technically some low-scum team can technically advance from the bottom of the barrel to the tops. I wish American sports had a similar structure. I think in American football the only place I've heard of such a thing was in a video game (Blitz: The League).
sadly, the disconnected structure of the NFL and their 'minor' league (college football) means you'll never get movement between them
the NBA could do wonder w/ sending shitty teams to the D-League tho
Ditto baseball and AAA
College football might arguably do better with a Premiere League-type structure, but there would be endless quibbling over whom goes where or how the various divisions are ranked (SEC > Big 12?).
Quote from: BanzaiCat on September 19, 2017, 10:01:34 AM
do better with a Premiere League-type structure
can't do it w/o a single table structure, otherwise you're stuck moving people between divisions / leagues
If it makes sense, the NCAA will avoid it like the plague.
I actually found all of my old Fantasy Football articles, including my League History pieces. I haven't laid eyes on these since 2003.
Here's an excerpt from the first part of the first article. I feel like I'm reading someone else's words even though I know I wrote this. It's really weird.
QuoteA hush fell over the crowd that I held in my deep oaken arms. A yellowed field of grass flowed over the center, splashing against the walls and railings that the fans held to, spellbound by the actions on the field. Jim Thorpe, resplendent in a Canton Bulldogs uniform (he also happened to be their coach) trotted onto the field to try a hand at kicking the game-winning field goal. The score had been tied at 0-0 all day, the back-and-forth tumblings of men and dirt governed only by their own stratagems, the hazy sun above oblivious to all it shone on. Thorpe nonchalantly kicked the ball through the uprights, giving the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead and a victory over the Massilon Tigers.
My grasp saw many other games, but eventually I fell into disuse and disrepair. The ebb and flow of professional football in Canton, Ohio, came and went over the years as teams went bankrupt as often as they sprouted up. Even though my town didn't hold an NFL team for long, I can at least be proud that, not but a few hundred yards down the way there, is the Football Hall Of Fame.
Jim Thorpe was one of the first to be inducted into its gleaming, honorable halls.
Jim Thorpe was one of the omnipresent athletes of his day; he could kick, run, throw, and catch, where most of his caliber could only do one or two well. He could out-juke anybody on the field, and if they did decide to make contact with him, Thorpe could rely on a secret (if illegal) weapon: his shoulder pads were coated with sheet metal, concealed under his jersey. Would-be tacklers often didn't get up again, and if they did they thought twice about trying to take Thorpe on again. In 1925, when he joined the New York Giants, they managed to get it into his head that having such 'Mad Max' style killing implements as part of his uniform was not in the spirit of the game. Imagine someone today sticking steel plates into their shoulder pads today!
In July of 1919, five entrepreneurs met in a small auto agency in Canton, Ohio, to form the first professional football league. They and their teams were:
Frank Neid, owner of the Akron Pros
Ralph Hays, owner of the Canton Bulldogs
Joe Carr, owner of the Columbus Panhandles
Carl Storck, owner of the Dayton Triangles
Leo Lyons, owner of the Rochester Jeffersons
Each franchise cost $25.
Please forgive this moment of self-congratulation. I'm still floored that I found this. :D
Really, steel pads? Was glue on gloves a thing as well?
Yes. Back in the 70's, there was a substance called, Stik-um, that receivers used to wear. Fred Biletnikoff of the Oakland raiders was famous for using it.
Quote from: Destraex on September 29, 2017, 07:03:20 PM
Really, steel pads?
Yup. Really.
http://time.com/4202906/football-uniforms-evolution/
QuoteSome of the evolution has been driven by innovation: In the 1920s, one new idea was to have players wear silk pants, on the thought that they were lighter than other options—or, on the other side of the spectrum, to have players wear shoulder pads reinforced with sheet metal, an innovation of the famed Jim Thorpe. In the 1940s, walkie-talkie-type helmets were patented, to let coaches speak directly in players' ears. And, for the last few decades, protecting players from head trauma has been the top priority—not that early football games weren't dangerous too.
(Emphasis mine)
There's some sources that claim it was a rumor, but I had my doubts at the time I wrote it.