Tag: Lambeau Field

Thanks But No Thanks ! It’s The NFL For Me !

Thanks But No Thanks ! It’s The NFL For Me !

The NFL season kicks off tonight with a lively NFC — game between the last two Superbowl champions , with the Green Bay Packers hosting the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field in Green Bay , Wisconsin . All of the hoopla , pomp and pride expected , will be regaled upon the nation and fans in attendance . With the tenth anniversary of the “9/11” about to be commemorated this apart from being a sporting event will also be a somber and reflective point of time for the nation at large .

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Slide show gallery for your perusal .

It seems hard to believe that a decade has come and gone in the blink of an eye with the coalition forces still fighting a war on two fronts in Afghanistan and Iraq but if we are to live in a much safer world then the nation’s enemies must be defeated !

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In this photo taken Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011, workers set up the stage for NFL Kickoff concert at S. Oneida Street and Armed Forces Drive in Green Bay. Wis. The Packers open the 2011 NFL football season on Thursday, when they host the New Orleans Saints. AP Photo/The Green Bay Press-Gazette, H. Marc Larson …

I certainly believe that this game will give us a pointer as to the desires of both teams . There’s no denying that both Aaron Rodgers and his opposite counterpart Drew Brees will be yearning to lead their respective rosters in seeking that initial first season win. Certainly Packers’ coach Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff having prepared the team during their preseason wants to come flying out of the gate and showing the rest of the league that the Green Bay Packers are looking to successfully defend their crown. Sean Payton for that matter is likely to feel the same way about the ambitions of his New Orleans Saints’ team as they look place themselves amongst the viable NFC contenders this season .

In what’s sure to be a raucous crowd at Lambeau Field cheering on the Green Bay Packers and the game being televised on prime-time television by NBC this is perhaps a great way to open up the season. Mike McCarthy during the offeseaon made the moves sought to bolster the organization’s ambitions through the draft and via free agency . Though based on the team’s performances of last season it’s hard to see how they could be faltered for even wanting to make what they believe are necessary changes. And even the Packers’ foray into the postseason was simply one of a team believing in itself , adapting to the environment and the challenges placed in front of them .

That justification for the Packers was borne out in their defeat (31-25) of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Superbowl XLV (SB 45 ) . Aaron Rodgers was named the MVP of the game and therein laid waste to the claim that he was simply not good enough to succeed his predecessor Brett Favre or to lead the team to a Superbowl triumph . It wouldn’t be remiss to suggest that Favre the long beloved hero in Green Bay may well be now something of a distant memory for the fans within the city. But such are the vagaries of the NFL then even when you’ve reached the ultimate heights within the game you can easily be forgotten when your last moments with an organization is to seemingly act like a petulant child who has been rebuked for behaving badly .

For Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints after being unceremoniously dumped out of the playoffs last season it has to be said that I started to consider this team to be one and done ! As prolific as the offense was said to be over the course of the regular season you simply had the feeling that somehow they would come up short . And that was sorely pointed out when they fell by the wayside in their wildcard round —- loss (41-36) to the Seattle Seahawks .

The roster some might say was purged with the loss of Reggie Bush and others . The running back was traded to the Miami Dolphins —— some might feel that it wasn’t that big of a loss considering the player’s proclivities off the field and the fact he may well have lost the respect of some of his former teammates . But GM Mickey Loomis in line with the thinking of the coach saw fit to draft players whom he felt would be able to contribute to this team . Amongst the players drafted by the New Orleans Saints were Mark Ingram , Heisman Trophy winning running back out of Alabama . Joining Ingram also , are Jordan Cameron , Martez Wilson , Johnny Patrick , Greg Romeus and Nate Bussey . All viewed as players who’ll no doubt be able to offer something to the organization .

As I alluded to earlier within this piece the Saints’ offense is as potent as any within the NFL . The team’s depth within that category says a great deal and the figures put up by the players says a great deal as mindset of Sean Payton and in particular offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr . Most certainly the team will be looking for another productive season from Marques Colston , Lance Moore , Robert Meachem amongst the team’s receving corps to complement the running game that will be provided by Ingram , Chris Taylor and Darren Sproles amongst others .

It is hoped tonight that this game showcases the very best that the NFL has to offer the fans and public at large . If nothing else , going into the weekend’s scheduled series of games we can only feast on the delights of the match-ups games themselves and at the same time solemnly remember those lost in the senseless events of 9/11. My sincerest hope is to commemorate this anniversary with the utmost respect that it deserves but also for all of the fans to celebrate the return of the NFL after a needless drawn-out and protracted stoppage .

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Picture gallery for your perusal .

What if anything will you be looking forward to from tonight’s game and also with regard to the weekend’s NFL schedule ? By all means do leave a comment as to your thoughts and anything else you feel may well be pertinent to the subject matter . Thanks as always , for the continued support as it is greatly appreciated !.

Alan aka tophatal …… https://tophatal.wordpress.com

Picture and slide show details below .

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(1) Packers’ fan Dean Haberle is seen before an NFL football game between the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011, in Green Bay, Wis. AP Photo/Mike Roemer ……

(2) David Bowman, right, and James McNally are seen before an NFL football game between the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011, in Green Bay, Wis. AP Photo/Mike Roemer ….

(3) (L – R) David Asman and Emmitt Smith visit FOX Studios on September 7, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Getty Images …..

(4) In this photo taken on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011, former Green Bay Packers running back Ahman Green (3) works with kids while participating in the NFL PLAY 60 Youth Football Festival inside the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon, Wis. The Packers open the 2011 NFL football season on Thursday, when they host the New Orleans Saints. AP Photo/The Green Bay Press-Gazette, Evan Siegle …….

(5) INDIANAPOLIS, IN – AUGUST 26: Aaron Rodgers (12) of the Green Bay Packers calls a play at the line during the first half of an NFL preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 26, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images ……

(6) In this photo taken Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011, workers set up the stage for NFL Kickoff concert at S. Oneida Street and Armed Forces Drive in Green Bay. Wis. The Packers open the 2011 NFL football season on Thursday, when they host the New Orleans Saints. AP Photo/The Green Bay Press-Gazette, H. Marc Larson ……

(7) Head Coach Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints looks on as his team plays the Tennessee Titans during their pre season game at Louisiana Superdome on September 1, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana Photo by Sean Gardner/ Getty Images …….

(8) New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, left, and quarterback Drew Brees (9) watch from the sidelines in the third quarter of a preseason NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez ……..

(9) Marques Colston (12) of the New Orleans Saints is dragged down at the one yard line by Tyvon Branch (33) of the Oakland Raiders in the first quarter during an NFL pre-season football game at the O.co Coliseum August 28, 2011 in Oakland, California. Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images …….
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Since When Did Mediocrity In The NFL Become Synonymous With The State of New York And In Particular New York City ?

Since When Did Mediocrity In The NFL Become Synonymous With The State of New York And In Particular New York City ?

I sat and watched three NFL games over this past weekend and in doing so I saw all three teams within New York State literally fall apart at the seams. The Buffalo Bills , New York Giants and New York Jets have respectively seen their seasons simultaneously come apart at the seams. The Bills were ripped apart like a hyena feasting on the carcass of a dead animal. So much so that Tom Brady and the New England Patriots weren’t at all tested by the lowly Bills in an AFC East divisional matchup. Suffice to say that by the second half the result of this game was a foregone conclusion .

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Slide show for your perusal .

It’s hard to see how this Bills’ coaching staff can return to the organization next season as there’s little to really suggest that this team is actually heading in the right direction. Head coach Chan Gailey hasn’t really been able to gain the confidence of this team and there’s no reason to believe that the front office can truly believe that he’s the answer to what’s really needed for this team from a coaching standpoint. Gailey in all probability will be a coaching casualty in the offseason.

The New York Jets for all of the perceived hype surrounding this team have been literally in a downward spiral since their merciless beating ( 45-3)at the hands of the New England Patriots . And as a reminder to a somewhat opinionated patron of my site who suggested to me that Jets’ quarterback Mark Sanchez is a player who’s not restrained by the playbook of coach Rex Ryan . Anyone who witnessed what took place in the game against the Chicago Bears really needs to look intensely at the game between the two teams. Sanchez and his teammates were inept on both sides of the ball. And anyone who’s of the belief that this defense is good enough to even to stop the run much less the pass really needs to look at this team in great depth. Not only that but Sanchez when placed under a great deal of pressure becomes like a deer caught in headlights. I guess that patron really doesn’t know what the hell he’s actually talking about as he must simply watch these games through rose colored glasses ? The 38-34 loss to the Bears itself though not entirely surprising adds fuel to the fire that the Jets in recent weeks have become all too complacent and wrapped up in their own belief that they’re now amongst the elite within the NFL . Is it any wonder that Rex Ryan breathed a sigh of relief once he found out that the Jacksonville Jaguars had essentially foregone their chance of making the playoffs by losing to the
Washington Redskins — ( 20-17 ) in overtime at Everbank Field (Alltel Stadium) , in Jacksonville,Florida.

Jay Cutler and the Bears’ offense were allowed to run wild all over the Jets and for any of the Jets’ fans out there they can’t be entirely happy with what they’re now witnessing from their team or the coaching staff on the whole. Rex Ryan has to be extremely disappointed with what he’s now witnessing from his team. And you’d be hard pressed to suggest that even with a favorable seeding as a wildcard in the playoffs that the New York Jets would be successful in the divisional rounds . There’s a great deal that needs to be addressed with this team on both sides of the ball.

I know that the New York Giants must be shellshocked after their shellacking by the Philadelphia Eagles . But what took place against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field where this Packers’ team led by Aaron Rodgers had several members of their roster team on the injured reserve list but they simply laid the wood to the Giants and made Tom Coughlin’s position with the team now look all the more precarious . It certainly didn’t help that the Giants turned the ball over eight times during the game with quarterback Eli Manning throwing four interceptions. I guess $100 million in this day and age doesn’t get you a great deal at all ! As to Manning being given a pass because he’s led the team to a Superbowl may well mean a lot but t the NFL nowadays has become more about what have you done for me lately and not what you did yesterday ! The Giants are now in so much of a tailspin that were they in a popularity contest their approval rating would be lower than that of the Democrats and the members of Congress and Senate . To say that the Giants are stinking up the joint would be an understatement as the team now makes fecal matter smell a great deal better than a bouquet of red roses .

The city of New York is a proud one that looks upon its professional sports franchises with a great deal of pride especially when it comes to their baseball and football teams. But in essence what those fans have been witnessing recently now seems to resemble mediocrity to the “nth degree” . As good as the teams mentioned are perceived to be it’s hard to believe that simply based on their form at present that they’re simply good enough to be even thought as being amongst the elite within the NFL at present ! And say what you will about the fans in New York but when their teams tend to play badly rarely at times do you simply hear those fans come out and be openly critical of their teams. Instead they remain obnoxious self opinionated and not always willing to accept criticism when it’s aimed their way.

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Picture gallery for your perusal .

What thoughts if any do you have about how all three New York teams have played in Week 16 ? And how do you now see the future of the Giants and Jets as they embark on their postseason ambitions ?

NB Week 17 schedule

NFL news

NFL Divisional Standings

NFL Team Statistics — Defense & Offense

NFL Players’ Stats …..

NFL Tie break procedures

Alan aka tophatal ……………………………………..

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Eye candy … Rosa Acosta does her bit to enhance this model courtesy of Lowrider Magazine.com

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Nikki Lowri shows that she too is a fine figure of a woman !

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