SWITZERLAND FORUM

[Emeritus]

Lady, I'm just trying to learn what's going on with all of the teams in the division. After the lockout I feel that I have to play catch up. I don't even know if the Titans have decided on their offensive starters. Obviously the Texans have the worst defensive in the division and I'm hoping for a big improvement there. I feel pretty good about our offense once the dings are healed up. The Colts will be the favorites of course and will be as long as Payton is around. Truthfully, he's the only starter on the Colts offensive that I'm sure of, but he's Peyton Manning.

[Emeritus]

Our secondary includes two top draft picks and two free agents. They've been getting a workout.

"The Texans' defensive backs also benefit from facing All-Pro receiver Andre Johnson and one of the league's top passing offenses every day in practice. Johnson was back at work on Sunday after missing four days with a dislocated left index finger.

Johnson leaped over McCain to catch a touchdown pass on Sunday, then made a one-handed grab on a deep sideline route with Jackson covering him."

[cklaurence]

"You're from Miami?" Favre asked. "Don't you have anything better to do?"



obviously...not...

I would take Brett Favre over Chad Henne in a heart beat. not even a second's hesitation--not try-out required. I would take Ricky Williams over all of the running backs they've hired. I would have been thrilled with Chad Johnson or an of the other clown receivers--just to have a receiver!!! This moron Ross sent out letters telling long-suffering season's ticket holders (i.e. ME!) letters telling us this is the year he's striving for the Superbowl. I wish I had this guy's sense of humor so I could laugh my self to death of this ridiculousness. What a YUTZ!!!!!

[cklaurence]

I just re-read my last post and realized how badly my writing skills have disintegrated over what football has done to me over the past ten years...

[Emeritus]

LOL. I don't know if he's a yutz or just a schlemiel (one of Sarah's favorite adjectives for people that she didn't like).

[dredwak]

i got to watch most of the game last night...i was a little impressed with tebow...and chagrined to hear all the negativity from the talking heads...


Tebow’s numbers were good. He completed 6 of 7 passes for 91 yards. He also ran twice for 15 yards, producing a pair of field goals in four drives.

[cklaurence]

Watching Mia/Atl (what else?)--def. holds Atl beautifully--3 and out. Get the ball back in our own territory. Henne actually takes advantage of it and throws beautifully right into Fasano's hands, Fasano spins and takes off, Ooops, his bad--forgets to hold the ball, but Atl doesn't--and so it goes... BRB - Going to get myself a little drinkee so I don't have to watch Atlanta score...

[dredwak]

Chad Henne 4/8 77yds 1 td 2 int

2 oh shits and one attaboy throwing 8 passes...

[dredwak]

21 20

[Emeritus]

I'm just hoping that everybody gets through the preseason uninjured. The games mean nothing and nobody looks ready. The harm done by missing training really shows.

[cklaurence]

Well, the Fins pulled it out and won last night--but it was an away game, and we do tend to win away games because Ross, our esteemed owner isn't responsible for the entertainment as he is at home--next week , however, he has his orange carpet, all-star cast, "Fins-up" crowd and all the other essentials to work on, so it's a crap shoot when it comes to the game itself.

Did anyone else's team play yesterday?

[dredwak]

very happy to see mccoy march down the field on the Browns first possession...

[Emeritus]

We have the Jets on Monday night and we are far from ready. I just hope that they don't set a scoring record on us in front of the whole country. It's hard installing a new defense without a training camp.

[dredwak]

GO...

[Emeritus]

Thanks, dred. I'm just glad that the preseason doesn't count!

[cklaurence]

ANYONE SEEN TRYTHINKING AROUND? FINS WON AND I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM HERE OR ON FACEBOOK--JUST DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT. I HOPE HE'S OKAY. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU'VE SEEN HIM ANYWHERE. IT'S TOO EARLY TO CALL HIM, BUT I WILL LATER ON...

[dredwak]

[Baglady]

Nice win for your TX's Em - even w/ a limited amount of preparation time, no OTA's etc looks like Wade has turned around the D and a few rookies impressed. Don't think I could ever be a Jets fan ....

Didn't get to see all the preseason games but no surprise to see the Colts 7th straight - preseason loss that is. And I never thought I'd wish to have Sorgi back....

[Emeritus]

Tom Landry had a NFL record 20 consecutive winning seasons. In that time they might have won two preseason games, only because the other team fumbled them away. He said that if you won preseason games, you weren't using them right. I think that it is especially true this year, with no training camp.
Having said all of that, I'm still happy that the Texans beat the Jets, if only because of Rex Ryan's mouth. I don't think that we will have to worry about that against the Saints. I'm picking them to be the NFC champions. I just hope that they don't embarrass us too badly and that we have no injuries.

[cklaurence]

I don't put anything into preseason games either. A good coach is working all the newbies the first two games to see what treasures he's got hidden away, the last two he's got to be eliminating and working the best of them and getting his oldie goldies back into the rhythm. Shula always had his teams ready to play by the season opener, bless his heart. Sparano? God help us all...

[Emeritus]

Shula was another of my hero coaches. Frankly, I miss that old breed of no-nonsense coaches. In my opinion, the only one of that stripe still around is Bill Belichick.

[cklaurence]

Shula was another of my hero coaches. Frankly, I miss that old breed of no-nonsense coaches. In my opinion, the only one of that stripe still around is Bill Belichick.

BB should not be mentioned in the same breath as Don Shula. Shula was certainly no nonsense when it came to his players. He worked them hard, took no excuses and made championship teams. He was class all the way, though. He never sneered at another coach. Always shook hands after a game. Never blamed another coach for his loss or shirked shaking hands with the other coach for any reason. Shula, Landry--even though I had my issues with him--the coaches of that era were a class group all the way. BB is tough, but Class? Ya can't buy it...

[Emeritus]

Who do you think was the toughest? Lombardi certainly had that reputation, but I think that he cultivated it. He certainly had the best quotes. One of my favorites was by his great tackle, Henry Jordan. Jordan was a Black man. Asked how Lombardi treated him, he said, "He treats us all the same.......like dogs." He also knew a lot about teams. He said, "The worst thing about losing is that it becomes a habit. Once a team has accepted losing it is finished."

[cklaurence]

I don't rightly know who was the toughest, Em, but that quote is a real gem and the truth as sure as I've ever seen it. It becomes the teams' persona and once it is a part of the players, there's just no going back. Look at the Fins since Shula and then Marino left. Two owners, each out-'badding' the other, and not one QB that can lead, much less carry the team. One horrible decision after another by everyone from owner down through the coaches and Oila! A team of losers since the '90s from a team that didn't know what losing was. So very sad, and it doesn't look to be getting any better. New England? Couldn't think past losing, then BB comes in, shows them how to win and what have you got? A team that doesn't know how to lose. And I don't care what anyone says, it isn't that Brady is superman. He is maybe a bit better than average, with a great line and receivers that will do whatever they have to to catch the ball and a defense that wants the win just as badly. They're all in for the win...

[Emeritus]

That's the way that I see it, ck. It takes somebody at the top who won't accept losing and the attitude that you either buy into it or you're gone. George Allen was like that, too. When he went to Washington he ran everybody off and brought in a bunch of over-the-hill (so everybody thought) players that he pick for their desire to win. All of the talent in the world can't replace that. That's why there have been so many hotshots coming out of college who were busts when they had to play against athlete with equal talent. Troy Polamalu isn't great because he's fast, or big, or strong, but because of his will to win.

[Emeritus]

LOL. I need to start proofreading what I write. I especially notice that I left some esses of the end of words.

[cklaurence]

That's the way that I see it, ck. It takes somebody at the top who won't accept losing and the attitude that you either buy into it or you're gone. George Allen was like that, too. When he went to Washington he ran everybody off and brought in a bunch of over-the-hill (so everybody thought) players that he pick for their desire to win. All of the talent in the world can't replace that. That's why there have been so many hotshots coming out of college who were busts when they had to play against athlete with equal talent. Troy Polamalu isn't great because he's fast, or big, or strong, but because of his will to win.

Exactly, Em! That's why sending players like Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas and most lately Ricky Williams (because Sparano got pissy about a criticism Ricky made of him in an interview--a legitimate criticism with no malice, AND an apology, should he take offense)--you just don send away someone that valuable, bring on someone who was never a workhorse like Ricky, leave yourself with no one to go to if (when?) Bush gets hurt and no real leaders on the team (save Jason Taylor who had to beg like no one should to come home, where he rightfully should have been all along). This silly ass owner thinks that the important thing is entertainment and so long as he keeps the "B" stars popping large on the big-screens screaming "Fins-up"--walking in on the orange carpet and waving, and waving as they leave--is going to keep everyone happy. I feel like I'm in Margariteville, or Wonderland, but I haven't felt like I'm at a football game since Huigzenga left...

[Emeritus]

I'm glad that you mentioned Zack Thomas, because he's a perfect example. Nobody thought much of him coming out of college, but as somebody said, "How do you measure heart." Sometimes rare athletes play above their talent. Zack did it all the time. He might have been the least talented player on the Miami defense, but he was its heart and soul.

[dredwak]

ck...whatever you do...dont stop raggin on the it seems to be working...

[cklaurence]

dred: lmbo! No, it isn't really. Here's the deal. Last night, as we sat in our "complimentary" (as the supervisor referred to them) box seats--dead in the end zone--that were given to me by the venerable asshole StevenRoss--(vs. my nearly perfect 45-yd-line seats) as a 'thank you' for my participation in some meetings and surveys (though they paid absolutely no attention to our responses)--but that's a whole 'nother story...I watched them totally overwork the first string for a full 3 quarters--putting their health and well-being of our players and with complete disregard of the fact that we have NO string. We are TOTALLY F*CKED for the 2011 season...