Sportsball Talk

[LtBroccoli]

So this has nothing to do with any of the normal content around here, but I didn't see a thread for sports talk yet. So, here's one. Feel free to post anything about your favorite team, teams you hate, refs that pissed you off, or whatever is sports related. Hell, feel like brining it back to the main theme of the site by talking about what you'd like to do or see done to some sports person, go ahead.

[LtBroccoli]

I'll start. The NFL regular season ended yesterday. I'm a Steelers fan. I think I had 3 heart attacks last night watching the game. My team is so fucking frustrating. 55 minutes of boredom and ineptitude followed by 5 minutes of sheer panic, with some black magic bullshit thrown in. Our offense is made up of pro bowlers from 7 years ago and schemed like our offensive coordinator's fetish is tight ends. The defense relies on high end talent and crazy luck.

They are the best shitty team in the league. And last night proved it's better to be lucky than good. After scoring a last minute touchdown, all the kicker had to do was make the extra point to go up by 3, which means that the best the Ravens could do was tie with a field goal. The kicker, Chris Boswell, hasn't missed an XP in 4 years. Of course, he misses. Defense holds the Ravens until the very last chance where they blow it, and the Ravens are in chip shot field goal range. The odds of their kicker missing are like 5%. A kick wins the game.

He missed.

A missed kick is the difference between who won the division and goes to the playoffs, and who gets fired. And the fucked up funny thing, the Ravens last year had a kicker named Justin Tucker. He was the most accurate kicker in league history and would've made that shot but they fired him because he "got handsy" at a few massage parlors about ten years ago and the story finally made national news last year.

If they'd just kept the guy who was getting a happy ending, the Ravens would've had a happy ending. Instead, it's the fucking Steelers.

[joey]

Not a Steelers fan, but was pulling for them Sunday night. I couldn't believe their secondary left Flowers so wide open several times. Once, on a busted play maybe but repeatedly? Never been the biggest Rodgers fan but have to say he can still throw the ball. I know Tomlin has been getting his fair share of grief this year but he's been doing this a long time and he could coach my team anyday!

[LtBroccoli]

What really sucked with those plays is somehow we (Steelers) ended up with an inside linebacker covering Zay Flowers, twice. One of the best wideouts in the league and he's covered by a linebacker? What, was Cam Heyward too busy?

I'm ride or die with Tomlin, especially after 2019. Big Ben goes down in week 2, yet somehow Tomlin led them to the brink of the playoffs with a third and fourth string QB, the offense was completely gutted and everyone was injured that year. 2019 is also the last time we had a "good" QB. Ben's arm looked okay to start, but he was never the same after destroying his elbow. Elderly Aaron Rodgers is the best QB we've had since then, by a country mile. It's like getting with your high school crush at your 25th reunion, but now she's on her third divorce with 4 kids.

Speaking of coaches, looks like John Harbaugh just left the Ravens. In the hour after he was let go, 8 teams contacted him about being their next coach. There's only 6 openings aside from the Ravens, so two teams are ready to fire people if he's interested.

[joey]

Totally agreed on Tomlin. It's hard to own up to being a Jets fan, but that's me. Story of my life. My soccer teams get relegated in Europe, football team is a disgrace (imagine not a single interception in an entire NFL season), hockey team (Rangers) one cup in over a century, even my college football team (Notre Dame) got shafted in the playoff seeding. Ugh! So if Harbaugh can be had the Glynn experiment can be aborted. Johnson doesn't lack for money, that's for sure. We're allowed to hope.... although I know I'm dreaming?

[LtBroccoli]

That sucks @joey . I'm still not sold on Aaron Glenn being a complete washout after a year, but the fact that the defense had no interceptions is insane. Interceptions have become a stat less about sucky QB play and more about good DB play and luck. Most of the picks the Steelers had this year were tipped first and they were in the right place at the right time.

I want to be hopeful for the Jets, Woody Johnson has to die eventually. And Harbaugh being in Green would be weird to see but would add instant credibility.

At least the Justin Fields experiment is over. We had him start last season for 6 games, and his record did not reflect his play. He'd miss wide open receivers, couldn't read a defense even if it were an audiobook, and would screw up the snap at least once per game.

Though if I had to bet, I'd say the top 3 places Harbaugh ends up are the Dolphins, Raiders, or Giants. The Phins just fired McDaniel, the Raiders will probably throw all the money at him, and the Giants would give him whatever he wants. Though I still think the funniest thing ever would be Harbs to the Browns and Stefanski to the Ravens.

[Shocker]

I’m still a bit of a shock that Carolina made it into the playoffs.

[LtBroccoli]

I’m still a bit of a shock that Carolina made it into the playoffs.

I know, right? I definitely didn't have them making it on my bingo card. And they're just chaotic enough to pull off some crazy shit to make a run.

This season deserves nothing less crazy than Steelers/Panthers Super Bowl.

[LtBroccoli]

Looks like Steelers/Panthers is off the menu, and after an absolute shitshow of a playoff game, the Steelers are done. On top of that, Mike Tomlin stepped down. Looking forward to seeing him on one of the pregame shows, but it feels so weird. NGL, I got a little teary eyed when I got the news.

There have been more Popes since 1969 than Steelers head coaches.

Now that the Steelers are done for the year and about to do their 4th coaching hire since LBJ was POTUS and before we landed on the Moon, I get to figure out who I'm cheering for, if anyone. In the AFC, I'm cheering for the Bills. That's it. Fuck everyone else in the AFC. Fuck Sean Payton and the Broncos. Fuck the Patriots with a rusty chainsaw, and fuck the Texans for Monday night. In the NFC, fuck the Niners, fuck the Bears, let's go Hawks and Rams.

Which somehow we'll end up with Niners/Patriots and I'll be cheering for the meteor.

[joey]

Strong rumors in NYC that Harbaugh is all but signed up by the Giants. This is a situation I had really hoped to avoid. For myself at least as a Jets fan I hate (in a good way) the Giants. It's unbearable to deal with the condescension from their fan base when you're a fan of the city's "second" team. Not looking forward to their revival as we continue to languish at the bottom of the barrel.

Was sad to see Tomlin step down. Truly an end to an era. Knoll, Cower, Tomlin. That's some lineage!

As an AFC fan I'm also pulling for Buffalo. They've had so many heartbreaks over the years would like to see them bring it home.