2020 NFL Thread v. Tom Brady aging better than Mila Kunis

[DragonAttack]

My neighborhood of Campus Hills had Johnny Unitas, Gino Marchetti, Alan Ameche and Joe Campanella of the 58-59 NFL champion Colts live here, and a couple made their home down payments from their playoff money, or started up a national food chain (Gino's).  Gino was even the Campus Hills Colts youth football coach for many years.

Since we're on the 2020 bit, I just have to give a shout out to the NFL Network for their advertisement of the upcoming scouting combines.  No talk, just the peeling away of the stripes from a football, to indicate the change from college to pros.  I don't know if this had been used in previous years or not, but it is one of the best ads I have ever seen.

[Dublagent66]

If they are going to tweak the playoff system, start seeding teams by record, that way if a team wins their division at 9-7 or 8-8 they are not guaranteed a home playoff game, but they will never do it.

Thumbs up to this from me.

Then there would be no reason to have divisions.  The record alone would speak for itself.

[pg1067]

My neighborhood of Campus Hills had Johnny Unitas, Gino Marchetti, Alan Ameche and Joe Campanella of the 58-59 NFL champion Colts live here, and a couple made their home down payments from their playoff money, or started up a national food chain (Gino's).  Gino was even the Campus Hills Colts youth football coach for many years.

I don't think Gino's was ever national.  Pretty sure that the original Gino's only had a few restaurants outside the Maryland/DC/Virginia area, and the new chain hasn't expanded beyond that are.

[bosk1]

If they are going to tweak the playoff system, start seeding teams by record, that way if a team wins their division at 9-7 or 8-8 they are not guaranteed a home playoff game, but they will never do it.

Thumbs up to this from me.

Then there would be no reason to have divisions.  The record alone would speak for itself.

Agreed (other than, for schedule purposes, you would have the consistency factor of having to play those other division teams twice each per season, but that itself is rather meaningless if winning the division has no meaning).  I was going to post the same thing.  Winning your division should result in higher playoff seeding than getting in on a wildcard.

[DragonAttack]

My neighborhood of Campus Hills had Johnny Unitas, Gino Marchetti, Alan Ameche and Joe Campanella of the 58-59 NFL champion Colts live here, and a couple made their home down payments from their playoff money, or started up a national food chain (Gino's).  Gino was even the Campus Hills Colts youth football coach for many years.

I don't think Gino's was ever national.  Pretty sure that the original Gino's only had a few restaurants outside the Maryland/DC/Virginia area, and the new chain hasn't expanded beyond that are.

All it takes is a wiki search.  They are down to two (one of them is about five blocks away from me), but they did have 359 sites at one time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gino%27s_Hamburgers

[pg1067]

My neighborhood of Campus Hills had Johnny Unitas, Gino Marchetti, Alan Ameche and Joe Campanella of the 58-59 NFL champion Colts live here, and a couple made their home down payments from their playoff money, or started up a national food chain (Gino's).  Gino was even the Campus Hills Colts youth football coach for many years.

I don't think Gino's was ever national.  Pretty sure that the original Gino's only had a few restaurants outside the Maryland/DC/Virginia area, and the new chain hasn't expanded beyond that are.

All it takes is a wiki search.  They are down to two (one of them is about five blocks away from me), but they did have 359 sites at one time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gino%27s_Hamburgers

That's where I got the info.  The original bunch of restaurants expanded to other parts of the northeast and to the west as far as Chicago, but nothing approaching national.

[Cool Chris]

The players really don't seem to like what is being offered, and it appears they aren't going to get anything better from the owners. I've heard more than one experienced NFL writer on the radio use the dreaded term "work stoppage."

[KevShmev]

If they are going to tweak the playoff system, start seeding teams by record, that way if a team wins their division at 9-7 or 8-8 they are not guaranteed a home playoff game, but they will never do it.

Thumbs up to this from me.

Then there would be no reason to have divisions.  The record alone would speak for itself.

Agreed (other than, for schedule purposes, you would have the consistency factor of having to play those other division teams twice each per season, but that itself is rather meaningless if winning the division has no meaning).  I was going to post the same thing.  Winning your division should result in higher playoff seeding than getting in on a wildcard.

I obviously do not agree. Winning your division gets you in the playoffs, and it should.  I just think seeding the playoff teams in order of record is the most fair way to do it, and might result in more games being meaningful in week 17, instead of a division winner, for example, resting their guys because their seed is locked in and they have nothing to play for. 

[TAC]

There should be some benefit to winning your division.

Divisional strength is cyclical. There's no reason to overreact to that.

[KevShmev]

From Twitter...

Colin Cowherd
@ColinCowherd
Saw Patrick Mahomes at the fight last night.  Just mixes right in w everybody. Low maintenance.  Friendly.  Really impressive.  NFL is lucky.  Impossible not to root for his success.

I guess he ran out of characters before adding "unless your Stadler" at the end.

[CrimsonSunrise]

I like the playoff format as it is now, but I didn't want to judge the new method until I saw how the results would work out. Now I have and it pretty much sucks. I went back five years and came up with this for the third WC spots:

8-8,  8-8
9-6-1,  8-7-1
9-7,  9-7
8-7-1,  9-7
8-8,  10-6

Somewhere Jeff Fisher is cursing this not being implemented earlier.

His was "7-9 Bullshit" 

[Cool Chris]

From Twitter...

Colin Cowherd
@ColinCowherd
Saw Patrick Mahomes at the fight last night.  Just mixes right in w everybody. Low maintenance.  Friendly.  Really impressive.  NFL is lucky.  Impossible not to root for his success.

I guess he ran out of characters before adding "unless your Stadler" at the end.

 

[black_biff_stadler]

From Twitter...

Colin Cowherd
@ColinCowherd
Saw Patrick Mahomes at the fight last night.  Just mixes right in w everybody. Low maintenance.  Friendly.  Really impressive.  NFL is lucky.  Impossible not to root for his success.

I guess he ran out of characters before adding "unless your Stadler" at the end.

Even though I love Mahomes, I hate ever agreeing with CH cuz he's a tenth degree chode.

[Stadler]

From Twitter...

Colin Cowherd
@ColinCowherd
Saw Patrick Mahomes at the fight last night.  Just mixes right in w everybody. Low maintenance.  Friendly.  Really impressive.  NFL is lucky.  Impossible not to root for his success.

I guess he ran out of characters before adding "unless your Stadler" at the end.

So all of a sudden, this "chode" is now gospel? 

As I've said repeatedly, if you like him, more power to you.   I certainly hope he (Mahomes) continues it for a couple more years, through good times and bad.  I certainly do not wish bad things to happen to him.     

[Dublagent66]

If they are going to tweak the playoff system, start seeding teams by record, that way if a team wins their division at 9-7 or 8-8 they are not guaranteed a home playoff game, but they will never do it.

Thumbs up to this from me.

Then there would be no reason to have divisions.  The record alone would speak for itself.

Agreed (other than, for schedule purposes, you would have the consistency factor of having to play those other division teams twice each per season, but that itself is rather meaningless if winning the division has no meaning).  I was going to post the same thing.  Winning your division should result in higher playoff seeding than getting in on a wildcard.

I obviously do not agree. Winning your division gets you in the playoffs, and it should.  I just think seeding the playoff teams in order of record is the most fair way to do it, and might result in more games being meaningful in week 17, instead of a division winner, for example, resting their guys because their seed is locked in and they have nothing to play for.

Well yeah, as long as there are divisions, that would be the preferred method.  But let's just say for a moment that there are no divisions, just the two conferences.  You can still seed the top 6 teams for each conference based on record.  Wouldn't that be easier and more fair and straight forward or am I missing something?  It would also diversify each team's schedule to eliminate playing three other teams twice each year.  Not sure about the ramifications on home and away games for each team though.  That might get a little messy. 

[pg1067]

Just for the heck of it, I took a look to see what might have changed  in terms of playoff seedings over the last few years if the division winners didn't automatically get a home game.  I think the only change of real significance would have been in 2018/19.  In the AFC, we had the following

1. Chiefs (12-4) (bye)
2. Patriots (11-5) (bye)

6. Colts (10-6) at 3. Texans (11-5)
5. Chargers (12-4) at 4. Ravens (10-6)

The Chargers tied with the Chiefs for the best record in the conference but lost the tiebreaker.  If only the records were taken into account, we'd have gotten the following:

1. Chiefs (12-4) (bye)
2. Chargers (12-4) (bye)
6. Colts (10-6) at 3. Patriots (11-5)
5. Ravens (10-6) at Texans (11-5)

With the Patriots not having a bye week, there's a pretty good chance that we'd not have gotten Super Bore 53.

[KevShmev]

From Twitter...

Colin Cowherd
@ColinCowherd
Saw Patrick Mahomes at the fight last night.  Just mixes right in w everybody. Low maintenance.  Friendly.  Really impressive.  NFL is lucky.  Impossible not to root for his success.

I guess he ran out of characters before adding "unless your Stadler" at the end.

So all of a sudden, this "chode" is now gospel?     

Nah, just throwing in some light-hearted humor.

Well yeah, as long as there are divisions, that would be the preferred method.  But let's just say for a moment that there are no divisions, just the two conferences.  You can still seed the top 6 teams for each conference based on record.  Wouldn't that be easier and more fair and straight forward or am I missing something?  It would also diversify each team's schedule to eliminate playing three other teams twice each year.  Not sure about the ramifications on home and away games for each team though.  That might get a little messy. 

My idea has no chance of happening, and the owners getting rid of divisions has less no chance.

And I wouldn't want to have no divisions. 

Just for the heck of it, I took a look to see what might have changed  in terms of playoff seedings over the last few years if the division winners didn't automatically get a home game.  I think the only change of real significance would have been in 2018/19.  In the AFC, we had the following

1. Chiefs (12-4) (bye)
2. Patriots (11-5) (bye)

6. Colts (10-6) at 3. Texans (11-5)
5. Chargers (12-4) at 4. Ravens (10-6)

The Chargers tied with the Chiefs for the best record in the conference but lost the tiebreaker.  If only the records were taken into account, we'd have gotten the following:

1. Chiefs (12-4) (bye)
2. Chargers (12-4) (bye)
6. Colts (10-6) at 3. Patriots (11-5)
5. Ravens (10-6) at Texans (11-5)

With the Patriots not having a bye week, there's a pretty good chance that we'd not have gotten Super Bore 53.

While it's fun to go back and wonder what could have happen, it's not as simple as drawing such conclusions since a different playoff format would have resulted in certain teams approaching their week 16 and 17 games differently, so records and conference positions likely would have changed.  For example, the Bills were locked in to the 5 seed after week 16 this past season, so they treated week 17 like a meaningless game. Same for the Texans, who had the division won and the 4 seed clinched at 10-5 after week 16, and rested many starters in week 17.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I’m more for the expansion of the postseason and the elimination of the first round bye than I am for a reformatting of the playoffs. If you win your division, you should get a home playoff game, but good teams shouldn’t be forced to miss the playoffs because the best team in a shitty division has to make it. The best example of this was the 2010 season, when the 10-6 Giants and Buccaneers missed the playoffs on tiebreakers while the 7-9 Seahawks got to host a playoff game. If the playoffs were expanded to 16 teams, the two 10-6 teams would have had a shot and there would have been far less anger about a team with a losing record hosting a playoff game. The first round would have been as follows:

14-2 Patriots vs 8-8 Jaguars
12-4 Steelers vs 9-7 Chargers
10-6 Colts vs 11-5 Jets
10-6 Chiefs vs 12-4 Ravens

13-3 Falcons vs 10-6 Buccaneers
11-5 Bears vs 10-6 Giants
10-6 Eagles vs 10-6 Packers
7-9 Seahawks vs 11-5 Saints

Sure one 8-8 team slipped in there, but in this scenario, every team who had a winning record would have gotten a shot in the playoffs. I also think that a first round bye in the playoffs creates an unfair advantage. Since the implementation of the first round bye, there has never been a Super Bowl without at least one team who had the wild card weekend off. Hell the Patriots under Belichick have never made a Super Bowl without a first round bye, and they’re the greatest football dynasty of all time. Also, having four more playoff games creates more revenue for the league, and we know how the modern day NFL is mostly money driven. And with two more playoff spots per conference, it puts more teams in the hunt in the later season, giving us more competitive games. Expand the playoff field and I personally believe the product will be better for it.

[bosk1]

I don't see anything "better" about what you posted.  And I have no problem with the 2010 season and don't know why anyone would.

[bosk1]

Sports analysts are stupid.  Tom Brady is NOT going to the 49ers.  I'll take any bets anyone wants to put out there.

[Stadler]

Sports analysts are stupid.  Tom Brady is NOT going to the 49ers.  I'll take any bets anyone wants to put out there.

I won't either, but that DOES fit into my prediction that Jimmy G. would STILL be the guy to replace Tom if/when he leaves/retires.

[Dublagent66]

Who was the sports analyst that said that?  Skip Bayless? 

[bosk1]

Who was the sports analyst that said that?  Skip Bayless? 

I've seen at least three separate ones this week.

[El Barto]

I've seen a few. It seems to have gained some traction, but makes zero sense whatsoever. The reality is that Brady Roullette is the most interesting thing this off season, so everybody and their dog is speculating. Personally, I'm rooting for Bridgewater. Resigning Brady would come at the cost of other, younger veterans, and if it's Brady and nothing else, or Not-brady and plenty more, I'm hoping for the latter. Keeping him couldn't even be seen as taking one last stab at another ring with him, as the team would be significantly weaker than last year's. Plus, might as well get the dead cap out of the way now rather than continuing to grow it. 

[KevShmev]

I'm not still not buying much of this dog and pony show.  Brady will remain a Patriot and that will be it. 

[El Barto]

I'm not still not buying much of this dog and pony show.  Brady will remain a Patriot and that will be it.

Why would he want to? If they keep him they can't afford to bring in the talent he wants. At best they could keep most of the team from last year together, and two of the players they can't keep will come from the O-line. It's in everybody's best interest for him to skedaddle.

[King Postwhore]

I'm not still not buying much of this dog and pony show.  Brady will remain a Patriot and that will be it.

I wish I shared your optimism.  Someone will throw money at him in with the right team, he's gone.

My take, he was not backed un Deflategate and was hung out to dry by Kraft & Belichick. The resentment is festering.  Add taking less was adding up.

Why ask in the last contract to become a unrestricted free agent?

[TAC]

I'm not still not buying much of this dog and pony show.  Brady will remain a Patriot and that will be it.

I did not think so Kev.

[KevShmev]

I'm not still not buying much of this dog and pony show.  Brady will remain a Patriot and that will be it.

Why would he want to? If they keep him they can't afford to bring in the talent he wants. At best they could keep most of the team from last year together, and two of the players they can't keep will come from the O-line. It's in everybody's best interest for him to skedaddle.

All of those things are true, but I just think he doesn't really want to leave and both sides will find a way to get it done.  No one knows Brady as well as he knows himself, and I am sure he knows that he is declining and needs more help now than he ever has, so there is always the possibility that Vrabel makes him an offer he can't refuse or the 49ers pull off something crazy, but I just think when this little show is all said and done, Brady will still be wearing number 12 in Boston.

I'm not still not buying much of this dog and pony show.  Brady will remain a Patriot and that will be it.

I wish I shared your optimism.  Someone will throw money at him in with the right team, he's gone.

My take, he was not backed un Deflategate and was hung out to dry by Kraft & Belichick. The resentment is festering.  Add taking less was adding up.

Why ask in the last contract to become a unrestricted free agent?

I think Brady wants the Patriots to crawl a little to get him to come back. I don't think he really wants to leave, but wants them to get on their knees a little for him, hence this little publicity game he has been playing for the last two months.  I think Belichick is willing to call his bluff and say, "cya bye," but I think eventually Kraft will insist on keeping him and find a way to make it happen.

[TAC]

I don't think so Kev.

[eric42434224]

What scenario hurts the Patriots fans more?  Brady leaving or Brady staying with a depleted team?
Whichever hurts more, I want that one.  I'm a Dolphins fan, and my in-laws are Pats fans.

LOL, Just kidding!!!!!!

Well, actually I'm not.  Maybe a little.  No, I'm not. 

[King Postwhore]

Brady leaving. Lol

[Stadler]

I think the part that bothers me - well, "bothers" isn't the right word; it just doesn't fit - is that Brady is far too smart to not know what the Patriots position is.  He's seen this already with a list of players as long as El Barto's beard.  For 20 years he not only saw it first hand, but played into it (with his salary concessions).   He's no dummy, he knows that it makes zero sense for the club to keep him.  NONE.   I guess I get the role of ego, but that doesn't really play with what I've seen of Tom.

It's not new, it's not out of character, it's not unexpected.  So where does that leave Brady?  I do believe the hype that he doesn't know where he's going to go.  I'm actually not ruling out retirement.  The one wildcard?  The Pats have no real fall-back, and I find it hard to believe that Brady would fuck them over like that.   Is it possible that he's waiting for the draft?  Does this play schedule-wise?

[bosk1]

I don't know whether he is staying or going.  But I do know he isn't coming to SF.  For salary cap reasons and the number of players hitting free agency right now and in a year, they would have to cut talent to get him, and his long-term upside is far short of Jimmy G.'s, given the age difference.  I'm typically quick to say "we don't know what the powers that be in these organizations are thinking and doing behind closed doors, so let's not leap to conclusions."  But the '9ers are trying to built long-term, sustainable success, and anybody halfway paying attention can see that bringing Brady in would undermine that and simply be trading it for short-terms gain (which would be no gain at all, since they would have to downgrade in several key positions due to aforementioned salary cap issues).

[eric42434224]

I would like to see Brady come to the Dolphins.  Not because I think it makes us a better team. Solely for the entertainment value of watching my in-laws heads explode like on Scanners.