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NFL open thread

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I’m predicting a Pack beatdown of Chicago and a tight Steelers victory.

Let’s face it gang, both games will be won in the trenches by the team that wants it more. Execution, halftime adjustments, clock management, and the Tampa 2 could also play important roles.

Keep those legs churning in the comments.

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420Comments

  2. 2.

    morzer

    I just hope that all these great American teams opt for a localist offensive strategy based on their reading of the Wind in the Willows playbook, coupled with a Numenorean Second Age defense, the way Coach Aragorn ran it in the year when Gondor won the Super Bowl.

  5. 5.

    Athenae

    Allow me to channel John Madden for a moment: What the winning team has to do, erm, here, uh, is to get the ball down the field, and score some points.

    For serious, the winner of Green Bay/Chicago will be the team that, having been hit the hardest, gets the fuck back up. GO PACK GO!

    A.

  6. 6.

    morzer

    @BD of MN:

    Noted in a previous thread *smiles*. There was speculation about whether it shot itself from a helicopter to avoid being associated with Jay Cutler.

  8. 8.

    morzer

    @Athenae:

    The team that wants it the most and balls the hardest on the field of play while minimizing turn-overs will most likely be the winner, unless the other side does it better.

  11. 11.

    morzer

    Predictions:

    Steelers 23 – Jets 17

    Packers 30 – Bears 20

    We reserve the right to lose, amend, delete or deny these predictions at any time in our NFL coverage.

  12. 12.

    The Dangerman

    Let’s face it gang, both games will be won in the trenches by the team that wants it more.

    Which is why I have to pick the Jets; Steelers O-Line sounded decimated. Also, I’d welcome a stat on Steelers W/L the week after they and the Ravens beat the shit out of each other.

    I’m glad first game is the Pack/Bears. I expect a serious ass whooping. Sorry, Bears fans.

  13. 13.

    BD of MN

    @morzer: Reminds me of the Far Side cartoon with the bear and the target birthmark. “bummer of a birthmark, dude…”

    We could see super bowl hype: “Sanchez! Cutler! Super Bowl!”

  14. 14.

    Loneoak

    Wooo! Go Pack Go!

    One of the rare times that the pregame hype films wasn’t an exaggeration. This shit is about to get real.

  16. 16.

    morzer

    @Loneoak:

    This shit is about to get real.

    You mean:

    “Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered! A sword day… a red day… ere the sun rises at approximately 3 pm EST!”?

  18. 18.

    Andy K

    Let’s face it gang, both games will be won in the trenches by the team that wants it more. Execution, halftime adjustments, clock management, and the Tampa 2 could also play important roles.

    Givin’ it 110%, coach!

  20. 20.

    dmsilev

    @morzer:

    “Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered! A sword day… a red day… ere the sun rises at approximately 3 pm EST!”?

    I’ll have to check the rule book, but I’m pretty sure that cavalry charges are not allowed by an offensive line, and are good for at least a 15 yard penalty. Even if the defensive line is comprised of orcs.

    dms

  21. 21.

    J.W. Hamner

    J-E-T-S, JETS! JETS! JETS!

    I don’t like the Jets any more than I like the Steelers, but I can’t stomach another SB ring for Big Ben and I’d kinda like the idea of Sanchez bashers who think you have to have a Brady or Manning to win to have to eat a heaping of crow.

    I think Green Bay is going to win it all though. How everybody underrates Chicago is kind of appealing, but Jay Cutler reminds me too much of every lacrosse jock I hated in High School to root for.

  23. 23.

    Angry Black Lady

    Let’s face it gang, both games will be won in the trenches by the team that wants it more. Execution, halftime adjustments, clock management, and the Tampa 2 could also play important roles.

    i thought the games will be won by whomever scores the most baskets.

    (i actually woke up nervous for you john.)

  24. 24.

    Angry Black Lady

    Let’s face it gang, both games will be won in the trenches by the team that wants it more. Execution, halftime adjustments, clock management, and the Tampa 2 could also play important roles.

    i thought the games will be won by whomever scores the most baskets.

    (i actually woke up nervous for you john.)

  28. 28.

    morzer

    @dmsilev:

    It depends whether the charge hits the quarterback in the knee area or below. If not, it’s all good, standard pass-rushing stuff.

  30. 30.

    morzer

    Where IS Cole anyway? Did Tunch have to take his browser keys away from him? Friends don’t let friends drunk-drive browsers and all that.

  31. 31.

    Ed Marshall

    Bear down, Chicago Bears, make every play clear the way to victory!
    Bear down, Chicago Bears, put up a fight with a might so fearlessly.
    We’ll never forget the way you thrilled the nation with your T-formation.
    Bear down, Chicago Bears, and let them know why you’re wearing the crown.
    You’re the pride and joy of Illinois, Chicago Bears, bear down.

  33. 33.

    stuckinred

    @Ed Marshall: Hell yes! You see the article in the Chicago paper that Halas saved the fucking cheese eaters when they were going to leave podunkville for an actual ciry?

  35. 35.

    J.W. Hamner

    Also, too… I asked this in the Pet Open thread, but perhaps football fans are a more appropriate group to ask… does anybody have any good ideas as to what to do with 1.5 lbs of pork belly? I impulse bought it.

    I think I need to get the Momofuku cookbook out of the library.

    “Help me David Chang, you’re my only hope!”

  36. 36.

    stuckinred

    More than animosity, respect defines the NFL’s oldest and best rivalry.

    To grasp this fully, you have to go back to one day in 1956 when it wasn’t Bears legend George Halas coaching against the Packers. It was Halas coaxing the people of Green Bay on behalf of the home team considered his nemesis.

    With the Packers facing the threat of NFL relocation unless city residents approved a new football stadium, Halas boldly sought to keep his field enemies closer to Chicago. Everybody in Wisconsin knew Halas despised the Packers for two Sundays every football season.

    But less publicized was the honorable way Halas treated the Packers organization the other 363 days of the year, best illustrated when the Bears founder showed up to push public funding for what is now Lambeau Field.

  38. 38.

    Jade Jordan

    The slipper falls off the foot of the Cinderella Packers and DA Bears win. Love for Louvie.

    Hate to cheer for the Stealers because of Big Ben but
    I predict they win the footsie fetish contest.

  39. 39.

    mellowjohn

    my prediction on bears-packers? one team will win, one team will lose, and i’ll have to get up tomorrow and go to work.
    that said, let’s kick some packer ass (in a civil way, of course).

  40. 40.

    dmsilev

    @Ed Marshall:

    We’ll never forget the way you thrilled the nation with your T-formation.

    Amusing story in the Trib about that:

    A monument marks the spot of one of those breakthroughs, yet only tells half the story. The work of modernist sculptor Henry Moore, it stands on Ellis Avenue between 56th and 57th streets and has a hint of ambiguity. From some angles, it looks sort of like a mushroom cloud. Or, just maybe, a football helmet.
    __
    Perhaps so passersby aren’t confused, a plaque notes: “Site of the First Self-sustaining Controlled Nuclear Chain Reaction.”
    __
    With equal justice it might also say: “Here Were the Fortunes of Professional Football Born.”

    I work about half a block or so away from that sculpture (and used to be right across the street from it), so the story caught my eye.

    dms

  41. 41.

    MEME MEME MEME!

    Pawlentropy! – from Atrios-linked bobblespeak. 10 out of 10 stars – please add to categories.

  42. 42.

    stuckinred

    @mellowjohn: I’ve been a Bear fan all of my life and I have to agree. I had a huge party for their superbowl win 25 years ago and, because it was such a blowout, I basically watched the 4th quarter by myself. I sat there and thought, “so this is it?” I’m not sure winning it is as much fun as chasing it. I was talking to a guy that was the UGA strength coach, John Kasay, and he said “people thought that when we won the National Championship we must have partied all night. We were exhausted and went to bed”. Go Bears any fucking way.

  43. 43.

    Loneoak

    @morzer:

    Where IS Cole anyway?

    He’s obsessively ironing his terrible towel and muttering the names of the 1974 Steelers roster in reverse alphabetical order.

  44. 44.

    morzer

    @Loneoak:

    Cthulhu, Shub-Niggurath, Nyarlathotep and the rest of the boys from ’74 will be so pleased.

    I just wonder what Tunch is up to.

  46. 46.

    PanAmerican

    McGrath: Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let’s really try to win this one.
    Ned Braden: You have to hand it to the old bastard, he’s highly original.
    Jim Ahern: That man traveled 15 hours by bus to say that?

    Reggie Dunlop: Goddamn lard-ass Barkley Donaldson, I’m tellin’ you he jumped us!
    Steve Hanson: [nodding head] Mm huh.
    Reggie Dunlop: Gloves off, stick down, no warning, he challenged the Chiefs!
    Steve Hanson: Called us names!
    Reggie Dunlop: Called us names! But Dave was there.
    Steve Hanson: Dave’s a killer!
    Johnny Upton: Dave’s a mess.
    Reggie Dunlop: But Dave’s out. Who’s gonna take his place?
    Ned Braden: Is the answer Jesus?
    Reggie Dunlop: [looks at the Hanson brothers] Ok guys. Show us what you got.

  47. 47.

    Hunter Gathers

    Steelers – Bears Super Bowl

    Polumalu was out when the Jets beat Pittsburgh, and the Bears D will be able to contain Rodgers, and the entire league is scared shitless of Devin Hester.

  50. 50.

    lol chikinburd

    I’m guessing the combined over-under for both games today will be like 14. Including safeties. At least I hope it will.

    I’m rooting for Packers 5, Bears 3, but I can easily see Lovie Smith orchestrate another humbling of Green Bay; he’s good at that.

  52. 52.

    The Grand Panjandrum

    Where IS Cole anyway?

    Checking his stockpile of smelling salts and the calibration on the defibrillator next to the La-z-boy. Lilly is probably hiding all the sharp objects with Tunch right behind her putting them back out in plain sight.

  60. 60.

    Redshirt

    Sadly, I am still in a state of shock from last Sunday. Talk about a Red Day! I haven’t watched a lick of football coverage since (and I was obsessive before), and now… I’m hesitant to watch. The Jets Steelers game the most.

    I’m so lame! But that was a brutal loss, in person, and I got blamed for it! Not due to the Tunch poster though, thankfully.

    So, I guess, go Pack and Stillers….

  64. 64.

    Parallel 5ths (Jewish Steel)

    I am looking forward to someday cheering for a team that, rather than submit to the tyranny of central planing, will be an aggregation of atomized individuals each looking to their local concerns. Football started sucking when it went all soshilized.

  70. 70.

    lol chikinburd

    Dammit, touchdown already.

    If they were going to score, they should have given it straight to Raji, just to say “Fridge this”.

  73. 73.

    asiangrrlMN

    ::pokes head in to say:: Go, Pack.

    @BD of MN: Seriously, thanks for the heads up. I’m DVRing it now. I didn’t know they showed that on network TV.

    ::Wave of testosterone hits, creeps back out::

  75. 75.

    Andy K

    If the Packers drive for another TD here, it’s game over. Chicago’s game is predicated by field position on both offense and defense. Take that away and…

  76. 76.

    Violet

    I’ve got relatives who are incredibly rabid Packers fans. When their kids were born they registered them immediately for season tickets. Hilariously the boy has become something of a Vikings fan. This is not going down well with Dad. LOL.

    If the Bears win do you really think the President will go to the Super Bowl? Security nightmare!

  77. 77.

    fucen tarmal

    2002,2006, 2010, every mid term year, the bears go as far as their talent, and every break will let them…i am telling you, 2014, bet the bears on every season-long prop bet vegas has to go over….

  79. 79.

    Andy K

    Hilariously the boy has become something of a Vikings fan.

    He’s violet, Violet?

    (Thanks for giving me the opening: I look for a way to squeeze that in every time I see your comments, but never have a way to do it.)

  80. 80.

    Loneoak

    @Violet:

    One of my good friends grew up in Wisconsin and became a big Bears fan mostly to be provocative. Of course, if he really wanted to be provocative he would have just not cared about football. But some things are just beyond the pale.

  84. 84.

    J. Michael Neal

    The last time these two teams played, wasn’t the score something like 3-3 at the end of the third quarter? Where was this Green Bay offense that day?

  85. 85.

    Violet

    @Andy K:
    Heh. I thought they were purple, which is a little different from violet. My grandpa was a Vikings fan and I remember him talking about the Purple People Eaters, which had something to do with the Vikings.

  89. 89.

    2liberal

    I am pulling for an NFC win this year, I don’t care which one. For the rapists vs the bigmouth foot fetishists, I am praying for a meteorite.

  91. 91.

    asiangrrlMN

    The hell? After a gangbusters of a start, this game has stalled. However, the Pack is about to have great field position…what the fuck? DUDE. Catch. The. Ball.

  94. 94.

    Andy K

    @asiangrrlMN:

    Nah, the pass was high. It was high because it was rushed. It was rushed because T.J. Lang is in for Chad Clifton at left tackle, because Clifton got banged (concussion?) on that TD.

  96. 96.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Andy K: I meant the punt return. He was trying to run before he caught the ball. Good run by this dude, though (can tell I’m a hop-on-the-bandwagon fan, right?).

    @Loneoak: An ouchie that really hurts.

    TD! Woot woot!

    And, I don’t give a shit about Rex Ryan’s foot fetish. He is harming no one with it, and it’s fairly mild as far as fetishes go.

  98. 98.

    Loneoak

    @2liberal:

    I don’t really get the Rex Ryan hate. The NFL desperately needs more bigmouth foot fetishists and less phony reverence for the game. Sometimes it’s like the NFL is the last remaining outpost of the early ’60s, just with better graphics.

    This classic satire is how I feel about Rex Ryan, btw.

  104. 104.

    Yutsano

    @Loneoak:

    What kind of injury is a “stinger”?

    Basically a minor pinched nerve. They’re usually not permanently debilitating but they hurt like hell.

  105. 105.

    Andy K

    @Yutsano:

    Oh, admit it: You like us Packer fans (Loneoak, Omnes, Battochio, myself, etc.) more than you like the Bears fans who are here. It’s alright to have favorites.

    ;|

  106. 106.

    J. Michael Neal

    @Loneoak: I’m with you on Rex Ryan. Yeah, he’s a loudmouth, but he’s at least a somewhat entertaining one. Beyond that, I note three things:

    1) He’s successful;
    2) His players love him;
    3) Based upon previous jobs he’s held, his players also respect him.

    If a manager is successful while being loved and respected by his employees, those are some big legs up towards my liking them that take some ethical lapses to overcome.

    Meanwhile, I loathe Belichick.

  107. 107.

    Polar Bear Squares

    This post is really Maddenesqe.

    Next you’ll be saying “You need 10 yards to get a first down” and “You can’t win if you don’t score more points than the other team.”

    Thanks for the post, tho. I’m pulling for the Pack. Not because I’m a fan of seeing white people with foam cheese hats but because I hate the Steelers (Cowboys fan) and I can’t stomach them and their ridiculously obnoxious fans celebrating in Cowboys Stadium.

    Eff that sideways.

  110. 110.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Yutsano: Hi, hon. I’m pulling for the Pack because I have a soft spot in my heart for them. It might also be because they are a tad closer to us than is Chicago.

    And, I have sympathy with them because they had to deal with this guy for so long.

  114. 114.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Omnes Omnibus: Heh. No. Sorry. I should have explained. It’s a parody commercial, and it’s pretty funny. You should know I would not promote anything of his (and especially not that).

    @MikeJ: You mean you don’t know he–oh, I don’t want to spoil the ending for you! And, thank you so much for updating the pie filter for Chrome. I would send you a real pie in gratitude if I could. (I never knew how much I relied on it until it was gone and I was forced to read m_c’s inane, insane ramblings).

  115. 115.

    Andy K

    @Polar Bear Squares:

    I’m pulling for the Pack. Not because I’m a fan of seeing white people with foam cheese hats…

    To be fair, almost 100% of the African Americans in, uhm, metropolitan Green Bay- and probably all of northern Wisconsin- are at Lambeau on game days.

  116. 116.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: Aaargh. You just HAD to mention Old Man Yells At Football didn’t you? Although the vid itself is fucking hilarious. Especially the ritual burning of his Pack jersey.

    @Andy K: I admit nor deny nothing. I am a total neutral observer in all this. Plus nothing will ruin my affection for stuckinred, so nyah.

  119. 119.

    J. Michael Neal

    @asiangrrlMN: So, you’ll root for Packers, but not Badgers, is that it?

    I’m with you on that, at least this week. I’m making the trip down to Madison for the hockey series next weekend. It’s a clash of #1 vs. #4.

  120. 120.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Andy K:There are some at UWGB and other colleges in the region, like for example Lawrence University in Appleton, WI.

  121. 121.

    fucen tarmal

    @MikeJ:

    nixon is a lot like the patriots, he couldn’t win nothing without the tapes, not saying the tapes helped nixon for sure, but there had to be a reason he continued to do it, right?

  125. 125.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Yutsano: Yes. I had to do it to preempt a certain SOMEONE who always manages to mention the diva in every damn football thread.

    @morzer: Point made for me! Ha.

    @J. Michael Neal: I root for the Badgers, depending on the situation. I have a very complex system in deciding for whom I will root.

  127. 127.

    BruceFromOhio

    @Polar Bear Squares:

    I’m pulling for the Pack. Not because I’m a fan of seeing white people with foam cheese hats but because I hate the Steelers (Cowboys fan) and I can’t stomach them and their ridiculously obnoxious fans celebrating in Cowboys Stadium.

    Yep, that pretty much covers it. Nicely done.

  131. 131.

    Parallel 5ths (Jewish Steel)

    Exactly opposite of my expectations. I don’t think the Bears D is doing so bad, but the O? Anemic.

  132. 132.

    Loneoak

    Whoa, what kind of fucking rule is that?! Under 2 minutes only the fumbling player can advance it? Cannot imagine what the point of that bullshit is.

  133. 133.

    Andy K

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Yeah, I know…

    Back in the mid ’70s we had a series of K family reunions that rotated between 3 the hubs of the family: Green Bay, Gladstone and Muskegon. After the Muskegon reunion, dad’s cousin from Green Bay took his family to Pere Marquette Beach. The two older kids went swimming while the youngest, Daniel, 4 or 5 at the time, built a sand castle. After a while Daniel came back to mom and dad and pointed at a black person on the beach and said, “Look Dad, it’s Yogi Bear!”

    “No, Boone,” answered dad. “That’s a black man- just like on the Packers.”

    Growing up in a racially diverse neighborhood in a racially diverse city, it’s still weird for me going to Green Bay and barely seeing anyt5hing but white people, so I figure it was equally odd for a preschooler from Green Bay in the mid ’70s to experience seeing someone of color up close for the first time.

  134. 134.

    The Dangerman

    Gotta prep for the 2nd game. Beer, check. Beer double check, check. Nap? Soon if the Bears don’t do something quick.

  135. 135.

    The Dangerman

    @Loneoak:

    Under 2 minutes only the fumbling player can advance it?

    Because of the Dave Casper play; I saw that one live and couldn’t believe there wasn’t a rule. There is now.

  138. 138.

    Yutsano

    @The Dangerman: Okay it’s almost halftime and I feel okay with missing the third quarter. Gotta run out and take care of a couple of matters before settling in from the second game. And chili cheese fries. Nom.

  141. 141.

    Cacti

    Cutler throws a beautiful tight spiral.

    If only he could do it with some touch.

    Dude is Jeff George 2.0

  142. 142.

    The Dangerman

    @Yutsano:

    And chili cheese fries.

    Oh, man, now I need a Tommy’s run (LA folks know what I am talking about here). Thanks for taking months off my life (if I was jonesing for Hat’s Pastrami Sandwich, another LA thing, that would be years, but it’s worth it).

  145. 145.

    Yutsano

    @The Dangerman:

    Thanks for taking months off my life

    I only live to serve good sir.

    EDIT: it’s halftime and I need to attend to a couple of matters and shower. Should be back by the fourth quarter.

  146. 146.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Andy K: A family friend from Chicago came to visit us in central WI back when I was in high school. It was the weekend of a major cross country meet in my town and I was running in it. The friend came to watch and commented that he had never seen that large a group of totally white people together before in his life

  149. 149.

    Gravenstone

    It’ll be interesting to see what sorts of halftime adjustments will be made. Chicago doesn’t seem to have a clue offensively just now. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. And nice to see some other members of the Packers D come to the fore. Capers certainly keeps you guessing.

  150. 150.

    RareSanity

    Let’s face it gang, both games will be won in the trenches by the team that wants it more. Execution, halftime adjustments, clock management, and the Tampa 2 could also play important roles.

    I agree, DougJ. It’s all about execution and who comes ready to play. The difference in the game will be who makes the least mistakes, and can take advantage of the other team’s mistakes.

    I think that we are both ready for columns on ESPN.com…

  153. 153.

    IndyLib

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I’ve been to Door County and that’s what it looks like up there. Wisconsin does have African American and Hispanic residents, it’s just that they all live the narrow band from Milwaukee to the border within 25 miles of the lake shore.

  154. 154.

    stuckinred

    @IndyLib: We used to go to Sister Bay years ago. There was a bar in a bowling alley that had a sign that said “Free beer when the Bears win the superbowl” This was the mid 70’s so they have only payed off once.

  155. 155.

    Violet

    Were the fans just booing that American Idol guy who is the halftime entertainment? That’s kind of funny.

  156. 156.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @stuckinred: Speaking as a Packer fan, I don’t disagree, but I’ma hold off any celebrations until the end. The Bears can be dangerous, and they have been lucky all year. Luck can matter.

  157. 157.

    RareSanity

    @stuckinred:

    You get no argument from me…I’m a Falcon fan.

    I’m keeping my, “ass-whooped, on your home field”, mouth shut about the Pack.

  158. 158.

    jurassicpork

    My Pats got expatriated to the golf course by the Jets on my birthday a week ago so I really don’t give a fig who wins.

    On the homefront: I didn’t ask for this to happen to me. I don’t blow what little money I have on coke and hookers. But I had to make a choice between the lesser of two evils and I need help more desperately than I’ve ever needed it. And, come what may, this is my very last appeal.

  163. 163.

    WaterGirl

    @stuckinred: I am not a baseball fan but i care about this game because my brother-in-law is there and he is a huge bears fan. I just checked the half-time score… what do you think the chances are of the bears pulling out a win?

  165. 165.

    Andy K

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    With the exception of, probably, the southeast corner of Wisconsin, the state didn’t industrialize like the lower half of our Lower Peninsula, so there wasn’t the need for the unskilled labor- black or white- from the South like there was here. With the exception of Lake County, MI, the non-industrialized northern half of the Lower Peninsula and the entire U.P. look just like Wisconsin.

    ETA: As if I had to type any of this.

  167. 167.

    Violet

    I love that they’re playing this game outside in the cold. That’s how football should be played. None of the cushy domed stadiums.

  169. 169.

    morzer

    what do you think the chances are of the bears pulling out a win?

    Pick a number between minus 1 and 0.

  171. 171.

    WaterGirl

    @Violet: OT but i wondered if you had seen the posting last week in response to your gravatar concerns last week by someone who works for WP? The comment came pretty much after the thread was dead, so i wanted to let you know in case you hadn’t seen it.

  174. 174.

    Morbo

    Chicago is pretty lucky this game is still only 14-0. Or perhaps Green Bay has not made the most out of its opportunities, whichever.

  179. 179.

    morzer

    @WaterGirl:

    Sorry, but I just don’t see Jay Cutler (who is banged-up) leading a come-back, and their number 2 Collins doesn’t strike me as likely to win games against Rodgers and a very confident Packers defense.

  180. 180.

    RareSanity

    @Violet:

    I love that they’re playing this game outside in the cold. That’s how football should be played. None of the cushy domed stadiums.

    Speak for yourself. I love 72 degrees and no wind chill. It’s like their playing in your living room. If the Falcons built an outdoor stadium, it would be empty, starting around November.

  181. 181.

    Gravenstone

    Sounds like Cutler may be out due to injury. I’m confident in how the Packers could do if Flynn had to step in, no clue how the Bears might be with Collins at the helm.

  182. 182.

    The Dangerman

    @Violet:

    Worst American Idol winner evah.

    Not big on AI, but has a past winner disappeared as quickly as him? Ruben Studdard, maybe. Oh, yeah, Taylor Hicks. DeWyze or Hicks.

    1st and Goal? Game over. Naptime.

  183. 183.

    WaterGirl

    @Violet: Give me a minute and I’m sure i can find it in my browser history. It was a long post and I felt better about gravatar after reading it. I’ll post the link as soon as i find it.

  184. 184.

    asiangrrlMN

    Who the hell was the halftime singer? I unmuted him for approximately ten seconds before muting him again. Excruciatingly painful.

    @WaterGirl: You really crack me up. “I am not a baseball fan…” Ha!

    @morzer: And you! I read you blushing and scraping in another thread to someone else sometime this week!

    ::slaps you in the face with a black velvet glove)::

    Shit shit shit.

  190. 190.

    morzer

    @asiangrrlMN:

    Do we have to go through conflict-resolution again? I preferred the beatings and compulsory viewings of Brett Favre’s complete career archive.

  196. 196.

    Gravenstone

    Rodgers giveth, Rodgers taketh away. If he doesn’t make that tackle (okay, lunge) of Urlacher, Chicago scores.

  205. 205.

    asiangrrlMN

    @morzer: Dude, that’s the exact same video I posted earlier. ::shakes head sadly:: No nookie for you.

    ETA: It was going to happen, but now that I know you pay no attention to my links. ::Gives you the evil eye::

    @BruceFromOhio: As long as I don’t have to pay for it, I agree.

    ETA II: Brekkie time.
    ETAIII: More like touchdown saving wave by Rodgers and a stagger by Urlacher.

  206. 206.

    Violet

    @The Dangerman:
    Lee DeWyze is the lowest selling American Idol winner ever.

    @WaterGirl: I think I found it. Was it this one?

    I don’t feel better after reading it because whoever posted it only claims to work for WP. I can claim to work for them too when posting on blogs. Doesn’t mean I do. (I don’t.)

    He’s also an as$ in the way he posted. People have opinions about things. I had a bad experience with gravatar on another blog a few years ago. It was long and convoluted and I have zero interest in revisiting that experience. Hence, I detest gravatar. Whoever that guy is who posted, he didn’t have my experience. Had he, he might feel differently.

    Thanks for standing up for me and others in your reply to him, btw. If that’s the kind of people WP has representing them out in public on blogs, color me extremely unimpressed.

  208. 208.

    WaterGirl

    @morzer: I bow to all of you who know more about football than I do. And that group probably includes even suzanne’s new baby. I just want the bears to win!

  214. 214.

    morzer

    @WaterGirl:

    Well, I suspect you may have to draw consolation from sharing your disappointment with our esteemed President. I know it’s not much, but every little helps, right?

  216. 216.

    WaterGirl

    @asiangrrlMN: Oops! I really do know that football and baseball are not the same sports. Until last year I was able to say with pride that I hadn’t been to a football game since 1972.

    I do have a soft spot for baseball, though, because my dad used to take me to white sox games whenI was a kid. My dad liked the white sox and my mom liked the cubs, but I was always a daddy’s girl, so that’s where my allegiance lies. :-)

  217. 217.

    asiangrrlMN

    @J.W. Hamner: I WANT IT!

    @morzer: A REAL friend sent it to me ages ago. Harrumph.

    @Violet: Who the? What the? I’ve never even heard of this guy, and I at least know the names of the other Idol winners. Dude just sucks.

    Question for the room at large: Did they flip the Pro Bowl/Super Bowl weekends?

    ETA: WaterGirl, awwwww. That’s a very sweet story about you and your dad. I say this with love–down with the White Sox!

  218. 218.

    Parallel 5ths (Jewish Steel)

    @morzer: I am hoping the Bears start drafting straight out of the Uruk-Hai bypassing collegiate football altogether.

  219. 219.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @morzer:I am not going with a literal representation of what happens on the field. Hobbits did lead to Boromir’s downfall.

  221. 221.

    geg6

    So far the tailgating fare is excellent. Bloody Marys and duck liver pate with shrimp with an Asian dipping sauce still to come. Got some Reisling and Pinot noir. Roast duck and yams and roasted beets for the main. Double chocolate cheesecake with blueberries on top for dessert. I may be in a food coma by kickoff.

  223. 223.

    IndyLib

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    That’s nice to know, I haven’t been everywhere in the state, but everywhere I’ve been north of Milwaukee is a titch on the all-white side.

  225. 225.

    Violet

    @asiangrrlMN:
    He won last year. The hippie chick girl lost. What was her name? She’d been really good all season but didn’t win in the end. He had trouble staying in tune on the show, with all the help they give. It’s no surprise he couldn’t stay on pitch singing outside in the cold.

  227. 227.

    BruceFromOhio

    Jennings so-far 121 yards were mostly from the same piece of Chicago coverage, right side in the secondary. What a fracking awesome stat.

    This one is pretty much over.

  229. 229.

    Violet

    @WaterGirl:
    I appreciate you standing up for me. That guy is a terrible representative for WP. I’m half inclined to send that post to WP and say, “If this is who you have representing you, they’re doing a terrible job.” What an asS.

  230. 230.

    morzer

    And now Devin Hester experiments with rolling towards the Green Bay endzone.. this game has turned into Green Bay regressing towards the Bears’ level of incompetence and apparent lack of interest.

  233. 233.

    asiangrrlMN

    @morzer: Riiiiight. Like you wouldn’t be all over it if I batted my eyelashes at you. Hee.

    @geg6: Damn, girl. Pace yourself! That sounds yummy, though.

    @Violet: Wow. I managed to miss a complete season of AI? I didn’t even read anything about it on Yahoo!? That is a sure sign it’s slipping in popularity.

  237. 237.

    JenJen

    (Heavy Russian male accent): Jay Cutler is like woman.

    Good gawd. This isn’t going to end well with this Todd Collins thing.

  240. 240.

    Comrade Luke

    I already thought Green Bay was significantly better than Chicago, and now Todd Collins is in?

    I’m sorry, but Cutler is a coward. You play in the NFC Championship game unless you’re missing a limb.

    ETA: From FauxJohnMadden on Twitter: Bad news for Jay Cutler.. It appears Bears trainers were applying large amounts of Vagisil to help ease his injury.

  241. 241.

    asiangrrlMN

    @BD of MN: Hm. I vaguely remember this from last year, I think? It makes sense, I guess. Whatever. That game is a joke. Though it is nice to see the NFL playing in a foreign country.

    @Omnes Omnibus: Here, too, in MN. It’s always been weird to me that the people of Laos got placed in the Midwest (talk about a culture shock in so many different ways). We have the second largest Hmong population in the states besides CA. Or we did the last time I checked. I can’t be bothered to Google it again.

  242. 242.

    morzer

    Man, this game is turning into a desultory battle between two disorganized rabbles, both of which obviously want to go somewhere warmer and do something more interesting.

  244. 244.

    asiangrrlMN

    @morzer: More like let me see if I can fit you in….

    @Violet: I knew there were new judges by the commercials, but no. I did not really absorb that Simon was leaving. I watched one season of the show…can’t remember which. Jasmine was on. Then, I had enough. Nothing but a popularity contest.

    @Omnes Omnibus: Never read it. Tried to read The Hobbit and couldn’t finish it. Everyone may now flame away.

  245. 245.

    Parallel 5ths (Jewish Steel)

    The upside is that now I can end my football season and dedicate my sports watching time to the Bulls, a talented team that will likely win a series in the playoffs and be shown the door by a superior team. The White Sox are stacked this year too and might make the post season and get shown the door by a superior team.

    Rinse. Repeat. Sigh.

  248. 248.

    WaterGirl

    @morzer: Are you kidding? That’s great consolation! Have you ever been in a room with Barack Obama? He is amazing! I went to iowa to work for the last two weeks before the Iowa primary and was lucky enough to see him in some small settings, and even get to speak with him. Thanks for your comment, which brought it all back to me!

  249. 249.

    scav

    I’m not even watching the game and now I’m trying to visualize where Gollum is on the field. Running along the sidelines and then jumping in, frantically clutching at the football yelling my precious as it flies past? Or is a ref?

    No, I never was one of the cool kids and I’m not about to pretend even now.

  250. 250.

    geg6

    @asiangrrlMN:

    Heh. It’s a tailgate. No such thing as pacing yourself. The food is fucking awesome, though. As is having a Winebago to party in instead of freezing your ass off. I don’t have to put on the 37 layers of clothes until we actually head to the gates. And, thankfully, there is a bathroom less than 20 steps from our seats.

  258. 258.

    The Dangerman

    @Comrade Luke:

    I’m sorry, but Cutler is a coward. You play in the NFC Championship game unless you’re missing a limb.

    Agreed and, fuck, tape the limb back on and play.

    Edit: And if the Packers puke it away to a 3rd string QB, there should be a mass suicide watch in WI.

  262. 262.

    WaterGirl

    @Violet: It wasn’t my intention to upset you, though. I really though that some of the content would help relive your worries, since it did relive mine.

    But yea, I thought he was pretty arrogant, and an ass at the end, but I did feel better after reading the technical stuff. As a woman who managed a group of technical folks for a number of years, I had plenty of opportunity to notice that some of the younger technical guys could be pretty arrogant. (Not the guys I hired, though! They were all great.) So maybe I learned how to sift through the arrogance and get to the information.

    He did really piss me off at the end, though, with his snippy little digs.

  263. 263.

    Comrade Luke

    Fucking Pack better not blow this game. Mike McCarthy’s play calling leaves something to be desired.

  264. 264.

    ed_finnerty

    thank god he is out. He was a high wire act all day. Those first quarter over throws were pathetic.

  270. 270.

    Parallel 5ths (Jewish Steel)

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Hobbits did lead to Boromir’s downfall.

    Let’s not forget the crucial forshadowing scene at Rivendell. Boromir’s plea to the council of Elrond. He stands up and performs the affecting Gondorian ballad, “Hobbitz Ain’t Shit But Hos and Tricks.”

  271. 271.

    stuckinred

    For all you kiddies

    Longley is probably best remembered for his performance in a Thanksgiving Day game in 1974 for the Cowboys against the Washington Redskins. Filling in for an injured Roger Staubach, Longley, then a rookie, threw two touchdown passes including the game winning 50 yarder to Drew Pearson with less an a minute remaining. The game was named the second-best in the history of Texas Stadium by ESPN in 2008.[1] Because Longley had no expectation of playing in that game and was completely unprepared, Cowboys lineman Blaine Nye sarcastically called his winning effort “the triumph of the uncluttered mind.”[2]

  274. 274.

    Comrade Luke

    McCarthy basically went into drain-the-clock mode the entire second half, which is idiotic when you’re up only 14, plus you have to kick to Hester.

  278. 278.

    ppcli

    Can someone explain to me the remarks of the Commentators saying that Collins is out too. Is there some rule that says if you bench a QB before the 4th quarter you can’t bring him back in? I found that discussion mystifying.

  283. 283.

    The Dangerman

    @ppcli:

    Is there some rule that says if you bench a QB before the 4th quarter you can’t bring him back in?

    3rd String QB is true emergency QB; if he’s in, the other two have to be out (though I didn’t realize it was waived in the 4th quarter).

  287. 287.

    asiangrrlMN

    @ppcli: I think if you take a QB out (besides injury), he can’t go back in. I am not sure, and I can’t be bothered to Google.

    Or wot zattarra said.

    Um, Green Bay? You’re making me nervous.

  289. 289.

    zattarra

    @ppcli: The NFL rule is you can only suit two QBs for a game. The third string QB is only for emergencies and is not considered part of the official roster for the game if he does not play. If your emergency third string comes into the game before the fourth quarter then you cannot bring back into the game your first or second string QB. If they waited til the 4th then they could have brought back Cutler or Collins.

  291. 291.

    stuckinred

    @Omnes Omnibus: Yea, picking someone up well after the play is over and slamming him head first on the ground is the same as a contested rush on a qb who is releasing the ball as you arrive.

  293. 293.

    Rommie

    I’m just rooting for Overtime, since I dislike both teams. Either side will have lots of angst if they lose this one.

    Cutler = EPIC FAIL reaffirms that the world isn’t totally wonky.

  297. 297.

    Andy K

    @asiangrrlMN:

    I think if you take a QB out (besides injury), he can’t go back in. I am not sure, and I can’t be bothered to Google.

    IIRC, if the 3rd QB is listed as the emergency QB, and he has to come in after #1 & #2 go down, and then he’s pulled, he (#3) can be replaced by the #1 but not the #2. IIRC.

  302. 302.

    Violet

    @WaterGirl:
    I worked in tech for awhile too (networking side, not programming) and dealt with some male egos. But no one got away with talking to me like that. That’s ridiculous. Especially since he was supposedly representing his company. Bad way to do that. But no worries. I appreciate you pointing it out.

    I stepped away for a bit. The Bears scored? How did that happen?

  307. 307.

    Andy K

    @stuckinred:

    My problem wasn’t that Martin didn’t deserve a penalty and expulsion- he did- but that he was called for roughing the quarterback for an action against a player who was, at that point, a defensive player. Remember, McMahon threw a pick and was chasing down the interceptor when the play ended.

  308. 308.

    The Dangerman

    Only player more nervous than Pack fans is the Bears 4th String QB; that Dude is crapping bricks.

    Edit: Hold on, I guess in this day of wildcat packages, that would be the 4th QB.

  334. 334.

    J. Michael Neal

    @stuckinred: What the hell are you going on about? The resident Packers’ fans have all admitted that Martin deserved to get tossed out of the game. You won the debate, so shut up.

  336. 336.

    BruceFromOhio

    .. down by two possessions, hurry-up and no huddle, to march down and score. That’s really hard to do.

    ETA and it would be really cool to see the new OT rules enforced for the first time, hint hint NFL.

  338. 338.

    morzer

    Well, after a quick trip to Target I return to see that Green Bay has done valiantly in the cause of screwing up what looked like a cakewalk.

    *shakes head*

  340. 340.

    stuckinred

    @J. Michael Neal: Fuck you asshole. Andy bitched about the call being roughing the passer and it was NOT the fucking call. If you don’t know what you are talking about stay out of it.

  346. 346.

    WaterGirl

    @morzer: Sounds like it’s all your fault for leaving. So… thank you! (could you run out to Walgreens now and pick something up for me?)

    Edit: And now I see that you have just moved the chances of winning to the positive range! Yippee.

  351. 351.

    morzer

    @WaterGirl:

    Oh thanks. It’s minus 20 out there with high winds and you want me to catch pneumonia so you and Obama can high-five each other as the Bears waddle back into contention?

    Sister, I have some news for you…

    NOT GONNA HAPPEN

  353. 353.

    Andy K

    @stuckinred:

    My point being that if Martin had body-slammed Jimbo Covert or Walter Payton, it would have been Green Bay’s ball, but 15 yards further back from where Mark Lee was downed. It was a post possession foul.

    I’m not saying it wasn’t a heinous foul by Martin: It was.

  359. 359.

    Violet

    This is crazy. I’m working outside and keep coming in to check the score. How did Da Bears get TWO TDs?

  360. 360.

    WaterGirl

    @morzer:

    t’s minus 20 out there with high winds and you want me to catch pneumonia so you and Obama can high-five each other as the Bears waddle back into contention?

    That works for me! :-)

  361. 361.

    Gravenstone

    Gotta say this Hanie kid is acquitting himself admirably under the circumstances. That’s still no excuse for the Packers letting the Bears hang around all game.

  367. 367.

    WaterGirl

    @morzer: Truth be told, I admire anyone who is not a fair weather fan and sticks with their team, no matter what anyone else thinks.

  375. 375.

    asiangrrlMN

    @WaterGirl: Well, the Pack is not my team. The Vikings are. Sigh.

    @morzer: Well, I wouldn’t mind that, either. Yum. Yum. Yum.

    PICKED! Whew. Still, the kid did a good job. Can’t fault him.

    ETA: OK. Time for a snack run. Maybe I’ll even put on a coat. Nah. It’s ten degrees out.

    ETA II: This is reminding me of the Stillers winning it all going on the road to do it.

  377. 377.

    Gravenstone

    And the D seals it with a pick, again. Damn that was an uglier/closer game than it had any right to be.

  379. 379.

    Mark S.

    Well that’s that. Looking at the stats, you’d think Green Bay won by 28. Sloppy ass game.

  381. 381.

    morzer

    Well, that’s the game, kids. God knows how Green Bay made such an awful hash of the 4th quarter. Good first half, lousy second. The Jets and Steelers must be feeling much more confident after watching this.

  382. 382.

    Rommie

    An end-around? Really? Good job, Lovie Howell. Put your 3rd stringer into a 4th down must-throw.

  385. 385.

    Violet

    So do I understand this correctly: The Bears put in their THIRD string QB? And he’s the one who got the TDs?

  388. 388.

    WaterGirl

    @morzer: Hmm. i got that you didn’t agree with my comment, but I don’t understand ‘creep!” in this context. Maybe it’s a regional thing?

    I was about to warn you guys that the only other time i watched a Bears football game via a mobile web page, the bears pulled it out at the last minute. But now I see that there are only 37 seconds left, so I’m not so hopeful!

    Edit: and now I see that the bears have lost. :-(

  391. 391.

    morzer

    @WaterGirl:

    Creep as in toady, groveller, goody-two-shoes, kiss-up artist, fawning lickspittle, flatterer, cringing minister to power…..

    ETA: I may be thinking in the British English of my youth.

  395. 395.

    The Dangerman

    No business being that close; too bad no late TD, I’d love to have seen the Coach have some monster onions and go for 2.

    3rd down call sucked. Gotta run a little rollout flare or screen, something simple.

  398. 398.

    Parallel 5ths (Jewish Steel)

    Well, that seems about right. The Bears are the 2nd best team in the NFC. Definitely the second best team @ Soldier Field today.

  400. 400.

    WaterGirl

    @morzer: That seems quite harsh, since I wasn’t sucking up! i really do respect folks who stick with their team, no matter what anyone else thinks. I guess I’ll just have to learn not to say it out loud.
    :-)

  402. 402.

    morzer

    @WaterGirl:

    Well, if you are going to take every piece of exaggerated raillerie seriously….. I shall just have to confine myself to tipping my hat when we pass in the virtual street,Ms WaterGirl.

  403. 403.

    Andy K

    @lol chikinburd:

    No, watching Jim Del Gaizo start at QB after the Jerry Tagge failure in ’73 was terrible. This got a bit uncomfortable for most of us- but not me. I’ve got faith in this defense.

  410. 410.

    2liberal

    @Loneoak:

    rex ryan hate…

    I am a patriots fan. I don’t care about foot fetishes other than the humiliation RR has to endure. I don’t have him because of a foot fetish, i hate him for being a Jet.

  415. 415.

    Three-nineteen

    Couldn’t be on here during the game, but now that’s it’s over I just stopped by to say SUPERBOWL! A typical Packers/Bears game, ugly and close until the end. I hope my heart can take one more game.

  416. 416.

    Elie

    @Cacti:

    Agree with that…

    Saomethin wrong with that boy (Cutler). Has all the physical gifs but something is missing in his spirit and character.

    Don’t want to say he was not hurt. I am sure that he was. I also feel, however, that his state of mind prior to getting hurt caused him to GET hurt. This guy choked way before he got hurt. The injury just let him take a graceful way out…

    I think that the Bears saw their future quarterback today and it is not Cutler. As to whether the Bears can trade Cutler? Hard to think who would want him…

  419. 419.

    Elie

    @morzer:

    Hard for me to think any team would want him under any circumstances.

    Again, the issue for me was not whether he was hurt or not. He was. But his mentality (pointing finger at temple), is very very screwed up…

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