NFL and NCAA Season 2016 (newcomers and salty veterans welcome!)

[glb]

Will take a look at All or Nothing, love Hard Knocks so anything of that ilk will do nicely when the missus has got Penny Dreadful on.

 

Hopeful Adam Gase will breathe a bit of fresh air into the Phins this year. Early buzz is good and the squad is solid enough to reach the play-offs. Probably not good enough to go too deep, but even a season ending in the first week of January would be a welcome improvement.

[Trigg]

42 minutes ago, glb said:

Will take a look at All or Nothing, love Hard Knocks so anything of that ilk will do nicely when the missus has got Penny Dreadful on.

 

Hopeful Adam Gase will breathe a bit of fresh air into the Phins this year. Early buzz is good and the squad is solid enough to reach the play-offs. Probably not good enough to go too deep, but even a season ending in the first week of January would be a welcome improvement.

 

If you like Hard Knocks then you'll love it, I'm sure. 

[JohnnyNolan]

I have episode 7 lined up next. Not looking forward to seeing that OT meltdown again.

[Trigg]

Anyone interested in maybe doing a Fantasy League this season? Only problem would be not having enough people I guess.

[glb]

I would be @Trigg - did one last season and the draft was great fun. One of the gyms I go to had a coach host, we ordered in a load of pizza, chips and dips and spent about four hours nerding out over football. Gyms are much more fun when they're filled with junk food too.

 

Thread delivers! All or Nothing is great. Guess because, despite huge amount of game coverage, the access to NFL remains reasonably obscured, so even a glimpse behind the curtain is fascinating; getting the lid lifted to the extent All or Nothing does is bloody amazing. Add in NFL Films' footage and think it might be even better than Hard Knocks, especially because it's season-long and not just training camp. So good, and now have a soft spot for the Cards going into the new season (but not on December 11th!)

[ilpostino]

I'd be interested in a fantasy league, time zones permitting. (I'm BST-5)

[glb]

Yeah, I'm BST +3. Just thinking, can the draft be set up as closed bids or on a delayed clock? Only done the one league so not sure if there are other mechanisms.

[Trigg]

If we get enough people I'm sure we can look into what options we've got to play with.

[glb]

Cool, in regardless and happy to pull a late one if it ends up being a live draft. Honestly, that's the most fun I've had with any Fantasy game, running a draft board and making picks on the fly. Good times.

[p1nseeker]

Set up a weekly pick 'em league for the upcoming season:

 

http://weeklypickem.fantasy.nfl.com/group/124571

 

Password is 'rllmuk'

 

It's fantasy football lite for those who haven't done it before you just pick your winners each week.

 

Also I've done a survivor league. You pick one team each week if they win you stay in, if that team loses you're out. Last one in wins!

 

http://survivor.fantasy.nfl.com/group/20245

 

Password is 'rllmuk' .

 

Come one come all, the more the merrier.

[TehStu]

Those two sound ace, will sign up. I haven't done fantasy football for American football so wouldn't know where to start.

 

Can't believe college football starts in 3 weeks. One of two things will happen in the next 4 months:

 

- Hawkeyes will build on that amazing 12-1 season and make a good bowl game

 

- we'll choke and it'll be back to being mocked by ESPN pundits

 

I'd accept a Big Ten championship as an outcome.

[Harrisown]

Loving that the Gamepass app now supports picture in picture.

My Bills play midnight on Saturday but the rookie injuries are already taking hold. Reggie Ragland is out with ACL and shack Lawson might only just make it this side of Christmas.

 

FOOTBALL IS BACK

[JohnnyNolan]

For those looking for some interesting football shows to watch before the regular season kicks off I highly recommend Last Chance U on Netfilx.

 

It follows a highly successful team from a low level College in the middle of nowhere Mississippi filled with troubled young men, like a kind of real life Friday Night Lights, as they try to win a championship and get their schooling scores to a level that would make the eligible for one of the big University teams.

 

It's a really interesting insight into the nature of the game and what these lads go through. Ms Wagner the poor woman who has to try and get their ass in class to get their grades up is an absolute star.

[kiroquai]

On 12/08/2016 at 00:59, Harrisown said:

Loving that the Gamepass app now supports picture in picture.

My Bills play midnight on Saturday but the rookie injuries are already taking hold. Reggie Ragland is out with ACL and shack Lawson might only just make it this side of Christmas.

 

FOOTBALL IS BACK

 

Meanwhile, RG3 threw an amazing long bomb that was well-caught by Pryor on his first pass, got obliterated by the Packers' second line defence thereafter and also threw a pick.

 

Oh, and Cody Kessler got confused by lines in the end zone, ran out the back and gave the Packers a safety

 

Going to be a long, Brownsy season, this.

[glb]

10 hours ago, JohnnyNolan said:

For those looking for some interesting football shows to watch before the regular season kicks off I highly recommend Last Chance U on Netfilx.

 

It follows a highly successful team from a low level College in the middle of nowhere Mississippi filled with troubled young men, like a kind of real life Friday Night Lights, as they try to win a championship and get their schooling scores to a level that would make the eligible for one of the big University teams.

 

It's a really interesting insight into the nature of the game and what these lads go through. Ms Wagner the poor woman who has to try and get their ass in class to get their grades up is an absolute star.

 

Thoroughly recommend the 2012 documentary Undefeated, which chronicles an inner-city Memphis team, and the teacher, Bill Courtney, going to great lengths to give his players a greater chance at success than they'd normally have. Bill is an absolute hero.

[Agent L]

On 16/08/2016 at 09:11, JohnnyNolan said:

For those looking for some interesting football shows to watch before the regular season kicks off I highly recommend Last Chance U on Netfilx.

 

It follows a highly successful team from a low level College in the middle of nowhere Mississippi filled with troubled young men, like a kind of real life Friday Night Lights, as they try to win a championship and get their schooling scores to a level that would make the eligible for one of the big University teams.

 

It's a really interesting insight into the nature of the game and what these lads go through. Ms Wagner the poor woman who has to try and get their ass in class to get their grades up is an absolute star.

 

Thanks for the recommendation, just finished ep2 and loving it already.

 

A little help for someone unfamiliar with the American education/college football system:

Does the U in the title mean university?

What's a JUCO, junior college? Is that like old polytechnic unis in the UK?

[Harrisown]

Just wait till you see the fisty cuffs. I thought it was hilarious! "Get the F*ck off the side line!' - "You get the f*ck off the sideline!" *Throws clipboard

 

in other news it look like the Bills defense is getting back on form. Very impressed from these two opening pre season games. 

In the first game they only allowed 30nyards rushing the entire game. Against the Giants now they're not giving up much at all.

[JohnnyNolan]

I think the U in the title is for University. 

 

There's not really a UK equivalent to community colleges I can think of. My understanding is that they are schools for people who failed high school and need to better their grades for employment, or like these lads to try and get on one of the university teams.

 

To be honest I was surprised the Universities looked at the players grades. I thought they were all so desperate to win that they'd take the best athletes no matter what.

 

Glad you're enjoying it. I found some of the last couple of episodes brutal to watch. It's a real eye opener to what these lads go through and have come from.

[LaParka]

I think with college players they still have to be doing well in their studies, to play up the student athlete charade. They can be benched for failing tests etc. There's some interesting reading on reddit college thread about the way colleges try and get round it. Always worth looking at what players are studying (lot of students at alabama do 'horticultural studies'). 

 

Plus some colleges have higher academic grading (if that's the right word) so to play football at Stanford is harder than to get in at Florida. 

 

I think I'm going to struggle this year. Since we've moved we've not bothered to get any sports packages and I've not stumped up the money for the NFL. Saturdays should be watching college game day and Sunday should be red zone! Might last until week 1 and then just pay up. 

[RadgyAdgy]

Romo down again! The guy just can't catch a break. 

[Scribblor]

He's broken a bone in his back. FOR FUCK'S SAKE. That's this season down the drain then.

[JohnnyNolan]

That's a huge blow for the Cowboys. 

[RadgyAdgy]

Just heaps even more pressure on Zeke as if he needed any more on his shoulders. Most likely means another very lean season for Dez Bryant as well without Romo there to actually throw him some good passes. 

 

Cant bloody wait for the season to start! 

[Harrisown]

Any of you clowns playing madden this year?

it's sucked me in again despite its flaws. It's still full of FU moments but the running game is actually fun this year.

[JohnnyNolan]

Not yet, but I'll pick it up at some point over the next month. Let them get the first couple of patches out before picking it up.

[kiroquai]

I got it on Thursday and am finding it pretty good - like the changes they've made to Franchise mode this year. Have taken a decision this season that I am going to try and steer clear of all the Ultimate Team stuff because last year it quickly got grindy and annoying.

[wullie]

So far I like the Franchise mode change where it's basically NFL Redzone and throws you in on big plays like a third down or 2-minute drill.

[kiroquai]

Oh yeah, Play The Moment mode!

 

I know it probably sounds weird, but my excitement in Franchise mode was always slightly tempered by knowing that generally all my good/bad draft picks and team building were being slightly overridden by the fact I was playing the games myself. This year you can actually just watch the AI go at it (Play The Moment mode, slow sim allowing you to watch from Broadcast mode) which kind of makes your roster and draft moves more interesting.

[dr_manhattan^]

Just ordered tickets for Jags v Colts

[wullie]

With Madden this also feels like the first time they've put effort into the commentary for many years. So far it feels like two people are actually in the same room watching the game you're playing for once, plus they're going to keep patching it with new items like apparently referencing Kaepernick's anthem thing. Bravo EA.