NFL 2015

Sneakdefreak

Green Bay Packers suffer a big pre-season loss - WR Jordy Nelson is out for the season with a knee injury. Houston Texans have chosen former Browns QB Brian Hoyer over Ryan Mallett. Both started as back up QBs to Tom Brady.

ACT Crusader

Yeah I reckon they'll take him as a punt return as its a lower risk option but has huge highlight reel potential. There could be big marketing potential as well with Aussies buying 49ers gear etc. 
I gotta say I'm getting excited for the season and the Hayne factor is definitely contributing to the excitement.

red terror

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="canefan" data-cid="510813" data-time="1440418615">
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It is an amazing thing for americans to see a lateral pass in football. Basically it is seen as a trick play, I've never seen one in the pros, only at college level, from one non QB player to another
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There are laterals, but almost always from the hand of the QB to the RB. It's an option pass or a sweep, and if you watch enough NFL you'll see plenty. The trick-plays, as you say, are things like reverse "flea-flickers," etc., where the ball is tossed between QB, RB and/or a WR who then throws the ball deep. American spectators lose their shit any time a ball is moved between three sets of hands (and I'm not counting the center snap).

red terror

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="bondibludger" data-cid="510800" data-time="1440415796">
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Possession is just treasured so highly - it would take a coach with a massive risk tolerance to call the play during an actual game (even a college game). 
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Possession is EVERY-THING. Turnovers are the WORST. That is why the game is played so tight and safe. The coach is playing for his job, and elevated risks usually get them fired. If an athlete starts throwing the ball around in open-play, that will get the athlete and the coach fired. The only athletes who can change plays called by the sideline are veteran HoF-level QBs, like Brady & Manning, and they are usually calling audibles only because they don't like the way the defense is schemed (and sometimes in the "hurry-up" a.k.a. "no-huddle" offense.) I could be wrong, but seems to me the last two QBs who were regularly permitted to call their own offensive plays on complete drives were Jim Kelly (Bills) in the 1990s, and before him Terry Bradshaw (Steelers) in the 1970s.

red terror

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="510792" data-time="1440414589">
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Preface: I have a very basic understanding of the game of grid iron, but none of its intricacies.
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Just 'cos it's a small pet-peeve of mine, and because this is the 21st century, the game is "American Football" and never called grid-iron (certainly not in the past 50 years). (Ratpoo or a Herald sub-editor made same mistake today, made me groan.)
 
Sometimes, and then only very rarely, will somebody (a commentator, maybe) refer to the surface or playing field as a "grid-iron," but never the game itself.
 
No big deal, shurely, and I would say you are correct. But then I get equally irritated when people up here call my code "rugger." For many years people up here actually believed that's what the sport was called, although that has mostly evaporated the past 20 years as the globe has gotten smaller. Certainly few can probably tell the difference between Union and League, yet most here can now uniformly recognise the game as "rugby" and blessedly it seldom-if-ever gets called "rugger" any longer.
 
And thankfully, nobody up here as far as I can tell has ever called the game "paddock" or "pitch" or "field" (although a certain expat Sydney Swans supporter up here always calls it "outdoor wrestling.")

Quo vadis

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Sneakdefreak" data-cid="507531" data-time="1439270117">
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Btw anyone playing fantasy football this year?
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 always! who else?

canefan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="red terror" data-cid="511228" data-time="1440599701">There are laterals, but almost always from the hand of the QB to the RB. It's an option pass or a sweep, and if you watch enough NFL you'll see plenty. The trick-plays, as you say, are things like reverse "flea-flickers," etc., where the ball is tossed between QB, RB and/or a WR who then throws the ball deep. American spectators lose their shit any time a ball is moved between three sets of hands (and I'm not counting the center snap).</blockquote>I'm referring to lateral passes that happen when the ball has passed the line of scrimmage, and stipulated passes not made by QBs....

Sneakdefreak

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
 
 
always! who else?</blockquote>
 
It appears no one else. The mighty TSF league might have to go on hiatus this year.

Emerican AB

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="red terror" data-cid="511230" data-time="1440600831">
<div>
Just 'cos it's a small pet-peeve of mine, and because this is the 21st century, the game is "American Football" and never called grid-iron (certainly not in the past 50 years). (Ratpoo or a Herald sub-editor made same mistake today, made me groan.)
 
Sometimes, and then only very rarely, will somebody (a commentator, maybe) refer to the surface or playing field as a "grid-iron," but never the game itself.
 
No big deal, shurely, and I would say you are correct. But then I get equally irritated when people up here call my code "rugger." For many years people up here actually believed that's what the sport was called, although that has mostly evaporated the past 20 years as the globe has gotten smaller. Certainly few can probably tell the difference between Union and League, yet most here can now uniformly recognise the game as "rugby" and blessedly it seldom-if-ever gets called "rugger" any longer.
 
And thankfully, nobody up here as far as I can tell has ever called the game "paddock" or "pitch" or "field" (although a certain expat Sydney Swans supporter up here always calls it "outdoor wrestling.")
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I love that he called it "gridiron!"
 
I was chatting with a guy in NZ 10 years ago (has it really been that long... :morning: ) and he called it that...I though it was very cool.
 
You know what my pet peeve is? People here in the US trying to "Euro-ize" their soccer teams' names to make them sound more important...they call them "F.C. this $ that" and "blah blah Union" and "whatever United." Total douche move, because no one in the history of organized sports in this country every called a sports team any of those things until we started seeing Euro soccer here in TV. 
 
Did I mention I'm not really a soccer fan? World Cup soccer got disturbingly trendy here last time around, while the RWC will once again get no attention whatsoever. Meanwhile, there is no question which is better to watch.
 
Anyway, don't sleep on the Bills. They've upgraded at coach, rb, wr, ol, from last year's 9-7. If they can somehow go from the bottom to the top 20 in QB play, they will be a 10-11 win team.
 
Unless of course, they get ravaged by injuries, which can certainly happen (didn't last year, which is a big reason they won what they did), and makes this sport so absurdly unpredictable.

Sneakdefreak

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
 
 
World Cup soccer got disturbingly trendy here last time around, while the RWC will once again get no attention whatsoever.</blockquote>
 
It's because of all those fucken hipsters, the ISIS of everyday life*.
 
 
 
 
*Unless you live in Syria, then it is probably just ISIS.

canefan

Real Salt Lake is one of my ultimate worst names. Sporting KC as well
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Emerican AB" data-cid="511666" data-time="1440761841">
<div>You know what my pet peeve is? People here in the US trying to "Euro-ize" their soccer teams' names to make them sound more important.</div>
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SammyC

I'll probably get vilified on here for being racist but the above posts made me think of this blog 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2010/06/01/133-the-world-cup/'>http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2010/06/01/133-the-world-cup/</a>

Smudge

I watched some of the warm-up game between Tampa Bay and Cincinnati. Now THAT was an average game of football. The commentators were scathing of Tampa's execution, and they were up 14-0 at the time! That tells you something about the dross that the Bengals produced.

taniwharugby

running with blockers would be a hard thing to get used to I reckon, having other players running at you and then watching for yours to run alongside/behind to deal to their defensive lines would be a new learning for your peripherals and spatial awareness.

canefan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="511984" data-time="1440904385">
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running with blockers would be a hard thing to get used to I reckon, having other players running at you and then watching for yours to run alongside/behind to deal to their defensive lines would be a new learning for your peripherals and spatial awareness.
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Not to mention you are wearing a helmet which takes away a decent amount of awareness of things to the side of you I'd imagine

Hooroo

<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/71624386/league-convert-jarryd-hayne-survives-first-roster-cut-at-the-san-francisco-49ers'>http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/71624386/league-convert-jarryd-hayne-survives-first-roster-cut-at-the-san-francisco-49ers</a>
 
Survived the first cut. Final cut on the 5th of September.
 
Man I hope he makes it.
 
What courage to leave a sport as one of the top guys and probably one of the best paid to chance it in a completely differnt sport. Wicked self awareness! Love it!

Sneakdefreak

Looking at the remaining RBs it seems likely Hayne will make the final 53 man roster, although it is a massive cut coming on Sept 5 when it drops from 75 to 53.
 
My guess is the 49ers will have 5 - 6 running backs in the final squad.
 
Carlos Hyde is the lead running back and Reggie Bush will be his back up. That means Reggie will arguably see lesser time on kick and punt returns which bodes well for Jarryd. Bruce Miller will be the blocking fullback for the side so he's in. Kendall Hunter and Mike Davis are similar sized players so both are probably fighting for the same spot. My guess is Davis makes the team and Hunter is cut. The other two RBs are Kendall Gaskins and fullback Trey Millard. Gaskins will be cut but Millard could make the squad as a back up fullback but my guess is he's gone. So Jarryd Hayne makes the squad as the 4th ranked RB and main kick and punt returner with Bush and wide receiver Bruce Ellington backing him up there.
 
So looking at the RB position for the San Francisco 49ers:
Lead: Hyde
Back up: Bush
3rd down: Davis
Blocking: Miller
Special Teams: Hayne

Hooroo

Gee, reading your post Sneak, it makes the position seem underwhelming to me. I struggle to see how you could enjoy the sport more than the glam?

Sneakdefreak

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
 
 
<div> </div>
<div>Gee, reading your post Sneak, it makes the position seem underwhelming to me. I struggle to see how you could enjoy the sport more than the glam?</div>
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This from the man who enjoys watching midgets in pyjamas ride farm animals around a grass track.
 
I view American Football as my cricket. Takes forever, they wear helmets and pads, there are a lot of stats and half the team stands around doing nothing for most of the game. But it is enjoyable, I swear! (and fills in the NRL off season quite nicely) :)

Hooroo

Sorry! I mean the players, not the audience.
 
I mean in a game how many opportunities would Hayne likely get to run the ball? That's what I mean bout enjoying the glamour of the sport more than playing it. (if that makes sense)

The Silver Fern

NFL 2015