NFL 2012

[Thanas]

I have to say that I love Upshaw. Just watch these two video (and number 2) and then contrast it to his play on the field. Such a mannered, humble guy - and an absolute beast on the field.

I don't think we need to worry about him driving drunk, falling down stairs or catching the commissioner's ire.

I'll post a larger opinion on the draft later on.

[Col. Crackpot]

Pats seriously upgraded the pass rush, and i can't help but be giddy as they are in an even better position this year.

[weemadando]

Jones has some remarkable potential given the fact that his older brother Jon has said in interviews he's never been able to beat him in brotherly combat or sports.

Coming from a guy who has been blowing minds and breaking records in his sports of choice recently, that's quite something.

[HeadCreeps]

The Browns are certainly not doing themselves any favors, and on top of that they have the most difficult strength of schedule in the AFCN, due mainly to difficulty of divisional rivals.

How is the Ravens' offensive line looking now? I haven't been paying attention -- they lost what, G Grubbs and their C, right? This year sounds like it could be a step down at least until the new guys are properly on their feet. The Steelers might actually have an offensive line this year.

[CarsonPalmer]

Junior Seau died today...wow. I remember watching him with the Chargers when I was four. RIP.

[Elfdart]

Apparently he killed himself.

I remember when he was pretty much the entire franchise for a decade.

[Thanas]

In other news, every single player on this list is a complete and utter scumbag. Make that three more.

[Tsyroc]

In other news, every single player on this list is a complete and utter scumbag. Make that three more.

I like the comments of fans crying about how it isn't fair and the players only have a certain amount of years to play etc....

WAAAA FUCKING WAAAAA!!!! Douchebags.

Paul Horning and Alex Karas each got suspended for a year for gambling on games. It made a point that was necessary to preserve the perceived integrity of the game.


Other fans call for people to show the Saints actually making cheap hits or going for cheap hits during games. HELLO JACKASSES! The suspensions are because these players participated in a bounty system that encouraged them to take opposing players out. That's the sort of thing that the league just can't tolerate. It's already at risk because of former players suing for health reasons. It can't afford to be lax when it comes to it's own rules if it wants any sort of chance not to shell out huge amounts of money to former players or their families. Medical law suits tend to rule in favor of the victim if the person or agency being sued doesn't go above and beyond, so the minimum you can do is never straying below your own standards. You can still lose following those rules to the letter but count on paying lots more if it's found that you disregarded those rules or standards even a little.

So, anyone have any idea just how shitty the Saints are going to be this year? Are they going to be the team with a HUGE chip on their shoulder, or are they missing so many important parts that they are barely going to try for most games?

[Tsyroc]

Apparently he killed himself.

I remember when he was pretty much the entire franchise for a decade.

It was surprising when he departed San Diego. He really was that team for a long time.


They haven't said anything about his death except that it's being investigated as a suicide and that he was shot in the chest.

Given how young he was and his general personality, my first thought was that this might have been depression caused by repeated brain trauma. I thought I'd read that sort of thing had been documented as an issue with former NFL players.

Clearly I don't know what happened or why but that was my first thought when I saw that he was dead from an apparent suicide.

[Elfdart]

Apparently he killed himself.

I remember when he was pretty much the entire franchise for a decade.

It was surprising when he departed San Diego. He really was that team for a long time.


They haven't said anything about his death except that it's being investigated as a suicide and that he was shot in the chest.

Given how young he was and his general personality, my first thought was that this might have been depression caused by repeated brain trauma. I thought I'd read that sort of thing had been documented as an issue with former NFL players.

Clearly I don't know what happened or why but that was my first thought when I saw that he was dead from an apparent suicide.

Mine too. Apparently the really tough characters are the ones most susceptible because they play with reckless abandon and aren't likely to admit they're injured. Dave Duerson made sure to shoot himself in the chest so his brain could be examined. I know when they examined Andre Waters' brain they said it looked like the brain of an elderly Alzheimer's victim, which is shocking considering he was only 44 when he killed himself. Mike Webster also had severe brain damage when he ended it all.

[CarsonPalmer]

There's also the contributing factor that Junior Seau defined himself as being good at football for almost thirty years of his life, got praise for being the best at it for thirty years of his life...and now can't do it anymore and has an enormous amount of free time. That'll be tough to handle even without any concussions involved.

[Thanas]

The number 55 must be cursed.

Terrell Suggs tears achilles tendon, out for the season.

GODDAMN IT. We finally draft someone opposite him and then this happens.


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH.

[houser2112]

Go Ravens in 2013? Well, it might not be so bad. The Giants won the SB with their best CB out for the whole year.

[HeadCreeps]

Are there any specifics on what leads from brain damage to depression to suicide? Is it largely a result of no longer being a professional athlete or is it more to do with what's chemically transpiring in their heads?

Sorry to hear that, Thanas. I was looking forward to the line battles between the AFCN teams this year.

[Block]

Are there any specifics on what leads from brain damage to depression to suicide? Is it largely a result of no longer being a professional athlete or is it more to do with what's chemically transpiring in their heads?

Sorry to hear that, Thanas. I was looking forward to the line battles between the AFCN teams this year.

I think it has something to do with the damage messing with seratonin levels and various other happy chemicals that would normally be released are generated in much lower levels, but I could've misunderstood or heard wrong.

[Thanas]

Gregg Williams and the saints scumbags should never get to play again.

[Elfdart]

The Donkeys just fired their GM -a week after the draft!

The Denver Broncos and general manager Brian Xanders and the team have mutually decided to part ways, the Denver Post reported.

The team later confirmed the report.

"This is the worst part of this business," said John Elway, Denver's executive vice-president of football operations.

Xanders, 41, spent four years in the organization, three as the team's general manager. He had one year left on his contract.

"John and I had a lengthy conversation today and we mutually decided to part ways for the best interest of my career aspirations," Xanders said.

"I appreciated everything that (owner) Pat Bowlen has done for the Broncos and for bringing me here in 2008. It was great working coach John Fox. I'm telling you, he's a great coach to work with. And it was great working with John Elway."

The move comes following a Monday morning meeting with Elway.

"It was tough because I have a great deal of respect for Brian as a football man but also as a person," Elway said. "Even more so as a person. He was very helpful to me in this first year getting acclimated back to the NFL. I owe him a lot. Just from the conversation we had, we just thought for his career and for the Broncos, we felt that now was the best time to go a different way."

"Brian deserves a tremendous amount of credit and recognition for the contributions he made to the Broncos during his four years with the organization. His hard work and dedication played a major role in the recent success of our team, most notably last season's division title and playoff win," Elway said.

The Broncos had successful drafts in 2010 and 2011. Tim Tebow, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker were selected in the 2010 draft. In 2011, the team's first-round pick, Von Miller, was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and rookie Orlando Franklin started 16-games.

Xanders spent 14 years with the Atlanta Falcons in a variety of capacities before being hired by the Broncos in 2008 as assistant general manager by Mike Shanahan, head of football operations at the time. The next year, Xanders was promoted to general manager by then head coach and head of football operations, Josh McDaniels.

One of the posters at the Union-Tribune sums it up rather well:

Elway just f***ed up his first NFL draft but good, and fired someone else for it.

He just wanted to see what being a Spanos felt like.

I'm just worried the Donkeys will hire Bill Polian to replace Xander.

[Darth Fanboy]

Doesn't being a Spanos mean that you keep your GM even when he fails to capitalize on a golden window of opportunity and then lets every team in the division get better in the midst of a downward spiral?

[Elfdart]

That's true, and the Spanoses prefer to fire winning coaches like Don Coryell, Bobby Ross and Marty Schottenheimer.

[Tsyroc]

That's true, and the Spanoses prefer to fire winning coaches like Don Coryell, Bobby Ross and Marty Schottenheimer.

Isn't that because they really would rather have the team in LA?

[Elfdart]

That's true, and the Spanoses prefer to fire winning coaches like Don Coryell, Bobby Ross and Marty Schottenheimer.

Isn't that because they really would rather have the team in LA?

They were making the same dumb decisions back when the Rams and Raiders were still in L.A.

Funny thing is, because Spanos is Greek for "FAIL", no investor in their right mind would pay for a new stadium just to let them foul the nest, and they flat-out refuse to sell the team. They threatened to move north 13 years ago and the L.A. city council said "Are you fucking kidding me?"

[Darth Fanboy]

LA didn't have a prayer for a new stadium, now they all but have it if they can get a team. Minnesota is off the list of potential suitors now which leaves the Jags and Chargers as the only two realistic options left.

[Tsyroc]

LA didn't have a prayer for a new stadium, now they all but have it if they can get a team. Minnesota is off the list of potential suitors now which leaves the Jags and Chargers as the only two realistic options left.

The best move would be the Jags.

Jacksonville really shouldn't have had a team to begin with. Just because the NBA was able to shoehorn two teams into the state doesn't mean Florida needed two pro football teams.



As for Minnesota. Have any details about their new stadium deal come out yet? I'd like to see them have an open air stadium again. Hopefully with built in heated stands/seats but the field needs to be open air.

[Darth Fanboy]

Jacksonville really shouldn't have had a team to begin with. Just because the NBA was able to shoehorn two teams into the state doesn't mean Florida needed two pro football teams.

It's actually a pretty bigmarket, Jacksonville is one of the biggest cities in America nobody has ever heard of. Largest in Florida and 11th largest in the country and that part of Florida should be chock full of football fans. True they have to compete in a similar market to the Falcons, Dolphins, and Bucs, but I think the problem with the Jags is that they have just never really done much since their early success and the lack of wins has translated into little support from the hometown.

As for Minnesota. Have any details about their new stadium deal come out yet? I'd like to see them have an open air stadium again. Hopefully with built in heated stands/seats but the field needs to be open air.

All i've seen is that the state passed legislation to pay for it, I don't think any designs exist that have been decided upon but I could be wrong.

[Tsyroc]

It's actually a pretty bigmarket, Jacksonville is one of the biggest cities in America nobody has ever heard of. Largest in Florida and 11th largest in the country and that part of Florida should be chock full of football fans. True they have to compete in a similar market to the Falcons, Dolphins, and Bucs, but I think the problem with the Jags is that they have just never really done much since their early success and the lack of wins has translated into little support from the hometown.

I lived in the area (Mayport) for awhile when I was in the Navy. Jacksonville is spread out like crazy.

The team might have worked there if they had stayed more consistently good. It also probably didn't help that they also had to compete with college football teams that were doing really well about the same time the Jags choked or just plain sucked.