2011 NFL Season

[sahyder1]

So all the talk about 'Brady has never thrown for 420 yards and whatever'... how about 511?

Yes, because clearly there are thousands of people saying that. This is a guy who threw 50 TDs in a season, I really don't think anyone is doubting how prolific a quarterback he is.

'

I guess you didn't watch any of the ESPN shows today. "Cam Newton is the greatest, he threw for over 420 yards, Tom Brady has never done it!!" So I was laughing at that fact.

I like to knock ESPN as much as the next guy but they were just trying to put Newton's debut in context. Who on ESPN meant it as a knock on Brady?

[Ron]

So all the talk about 'Brady has never thrown for 420 yards and whatever'... how about 511?

Yes, because clearly there are thousands of people saying that. This is a guy who threw 50 TDs in a season, I really don't think anyone is doubting how prolific a quarterback he is.

'

I guess you didn't watch any of the ESPN shows today. "Cam Newton is the greatest, he threw for over 420 yards, Tom Brady has never done it!!" So I was laughing at that fact.

I like to knock ESPN as much as the next guy but they were just trying to put Newton's debut in context. Who on ESPN meant it as a knock on Brady?

I never said they were knocking Brady. I just found it funny how the day they kept mentioning Brady never did this, he came out and did that and MORE. It was just a funny observation.

[Maxx]

No one, it's ESPN, they'd have been fired if that was the case.

[Meacon Keaton]

Between Notre Dame and the Broncos, I should just stop following football for the rest of the year.

[naiwf]

Between Notre Dame and the Broncos, I should just stop following football for the rest of the year.

You just need more Crist and Tebow respectively. Amen.

[Meacon Keaton]

Decker.

[Lint]

I like Kyle Orton, so I wanna see the Broncos win this, but Janikowski could've made that from 65 yards easily

[gunnar hendershow]

So guys, you ready to challenge me in the Pick Em league this week?

[naiwf]

So guys, you ready to challenge me in the Pick Em league this week?

8 underdogs won. You picked a lot of them to win. Most "normal" people didn't. Thus you have a lead. But like Joey Flaccid, you will choke by the end of the season and I still have plenty of time to win my 3rd Pick 'Em championship now that I know certain teams suck harder than I thought. Whatcha gonna do brother? Whatcha gonna do?

On a more serious note, did we ever play with the spread before? I don't ever remember seeing a push (Ari/Car & Jax/Ten) in the past.

Edited September 13, 2011 by naiwf

[sahyder1]

On a more serious note, did we ever play with the spread before? I don't ever remember seeing a push (Ari/Car & Jax/Ten) in the past.

I don't know for sure. I just set it up with the spread. Makes things slightly more challenging then just picking a good team versus a bad team.

[naiwf]

On a more serious note, did we ever play with the spread before? I don't ever remember seeing a push (Ari/Car & Jax/Ten) in the past.

I don't know for sure. I just set it up with the spread. Makes things slightly more challenging then just picking a good team versus a bad team.

It is clearly a better option than straight up leagues. I just don't think we ever did it before and it's easier to adjust going forward now that we know it's a factor.

[jrhodes]

Yeah I failed to notice it was a spread league until I just checked on my results.

That's my excuse for sucking anyway.

[Maxx]

I've never mastered the concept of the spread, and thus will continue picking as if it isn't there.

[naiwf]

I've never mastered the concept of the spread, and thus will continue picking as if it isn't there.

Here's the easiest way to look at it. The team that is the underdog is given whatever the spread is for that particular game to add to their score at the end of the game.

For example, let's say the Patriots were favored by 5 over Miami last night. NE won 38-24. Miami would add the 5 points and it's still 38-29, so NE wins the game AND covers the spread.

However, If the score had been 38-34, Miami's 5 point "bonus" would have given them the win 39-38 so NE wins the game in the NFL standings, but Miami wins the game in the Pick 'Em league.

If you're picking a favorite, you're saying that they will win by more points than the spread regardless of what that number is. If you're picking an underdog you either think they'll win outright, or not lose by as many points as the spread says they're expected to lose by. I hope that makes sense.

[Maxx]

It did, very good explaining.

Back on the Brady thing from last night. Great as he is, it so obvious that he is monstrously insecure. I'm betting he heard the praise people were heaping on Newton, then heard someone say he'd never thrown for that many yards, then had a 20 minute crying session in his hotel bathroom, then resolved to go out and throw for 500 yards.

I really don't think what drives Brady is a desire to be the very best, but rather a desire to prove that he's capable of doing it, to rub it in the face of anyone who doubted him.

[Toe]

I don't think Brady is insecure. I just think he is driven to win. Remember, last season Brady was the unanimous MVP and threw 36 TDs with only 4 INTs. Thats incredible.

[Maxx]

Clearly you've never seen him crying about the day he was drafted, 10 years after the fact.

[mystikz]

wait there was a spread? honestly I had no idea either. no wonder two of the games went with no pick winning.

it's not like Brady actually TRIED to get 500. 99 came on one play, I'm sure he was thrilled Welker took it all the way though. he definitely exploited Miami's D, he knew they couldn't cover either TE.

I can't believe Bronco fans are already bitching about Tebow not being in.

[naiwf]

I don't think Brady is insecure. I just think he is driven to win. Remember, last season Brady was the unanimous MVP and threw 36 TDs with only 4 INTs. Thats incredible.

He's driven to win because he's insecure. As Ellis said, he still weeps about being slighted on draft day. I remember his utter disbelief when Plax predicted they would hold the Pats to 17 points in the SB. It was as though he was supposed to assume the Pats would score 35 and the Giants would need to go for 38 in order to win. The guy is an assassin, but he's not secure in himself as a player. Maybe the best way to put it is that he's thin skinned and is always aware when ANYONE says anything negative about him or his team.

[Meacon Keaton]

I'm not. But a lot of fans were calling for him before the season even started. Of course they're going to keep it up after one loss.