[spraggih]

With the NFL draft coming upon us and a new year of "Are ya ready for some football!" I was wondering

• Should the league take back a couple of franchises - because there is too much mediocrity in the leagues? (IMO, you cannot get rid of bad teams who once won a championship or had a prolific Hall of Famers on their team - so Detroit [Barry Sanders] and Buffalo [OJ Simpson] are not on the list).
• Who will be the #1 draft pick
• If so what teams should be done away with?
• Will Oakland ever return to greatness?
• Will Dallas win a playoff series any time soon?
• What's it like to live in Green Bay and basically only have football as your sports... with the Packers playing so poorly?
• Why are people so high on Bulger (QB, Rams) - they haven't won anything since Kurt Warner.

That's a good start - do you have any questions

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

I don't know if you have confronted the reality of NFL TV ratings or the immense popularity of this sport in our country, for your question implies that there ought to be some motivation to decrease the number of teams. On a per capita, economic and popularity basis, the perception of "mediocrity" is unfounded; more players than ever are competing for dwindling spots on NFL rosters in disproportionate fashion to the NFL's team expansion. I have no doubt that the Texans of this year would absolutely thrash the Buccaneers of yore.

The question is how the NFL has managed to shut itself out from the second largest market in the United States of America...and what they can do to discontinue that improbable record.

Further expansion looks like the only hope.

-Matt

 

[virometal]

1. No, Frenchie is right. It should expand. Free Agency and the Cap have more to do with "mediocrity" which is really equality. There is no shortage of good athletes. Great teams can still be made, but ownership has to be ruthless like the Patriot organization.

2.Jamarcus Russell

3. None

4. When Al Davis is dead.

5. Yes, there is some good young talent in Big D. Head coach is the most overrated factor in football unless he is a front office genius like Belichick.

6. Can't answer, but I bet it's better than a big league city where attendance drops. GB still sells out.

7. He has a good arm and makes quick reads. The Rams defense is the real problem - it sucks.

All imo of course!

 

[spraggih]

Politely disagree about the mediocrity in the league - especially in the skills position and offensive lineman.

In the NFL there are no more than 18 good-great QBs - but there are 32 teams. The wide receiver position is ripe with speed but no power; or power but no speed; or a little of both but no skill at running patterns or poor hands; or worse they under investigation (for steroids, DUI, etc)- but that has nothing to do with their skills.

Running backs are now a dime a dozen which has IMO little to do with West coast style offenses but with there is a dearth of players with vision and running skills (let alone those who can block).

I could go on with the offensive line and tight ends who can only block or the wide disparity between the great players (haves) and the ok to less than ok players (have nots) but maybe I am seeing this all wrong.

 

[spraggih]

Quote:

Originally Posted by virometal /img/forum/go_quote.gif 2.Jamarcus Russell

Hmmm. I guess he is the only safe choice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by virometal /img/forum/go_quote.gif 4. When Al Davis is dead.

My history is a little fuzzy but Al Davis has won a number of Super Bowls, right? I agree he is inconsistent and his malcontent with coaches breaks any consistency, steady growth but he did win before - what is wrong with him? Seriously I mean - was it all his head coaches or his GM in the past or what?

 

[TopShelf]

1. No teams eliminated, just like a poster said, its the GM and owner that makes the team, mediocre or not. I would not add anymore, because not enough teams make the playoffs, for 32 teams. I think, 28 or 30 teams, is the max, for 12 teams making the playoffs. If you go 34, you need 14-16 making it IMO. But 12 works well

2. J.Russell, though he isnt the #1 player overall, he is a QB, and thats why

3. This is a no-brainer. Yes, though I would rather them not. Reason being, they sucked before they went to the Super Bowl, and they sucked after. So its only a matter of time before a mistake happens, and they do good for a year

4. Bill Parcells run, was a total success on the large scale, for how poor they were, before he got there. But when you look closely, they blew alot of chances, of being alot better then they were. But I think it will take a few years

5. I don't know first hand, but in todays world, you dont even need to have a team in your state, to be a fan. Think Yankees, when someone lives in Montana, or the Cowboys, from a fan in Rhode island. But if you were in a city, with one pro sport team, I think it would be great, as you love it even greater. And you also have the Brewers somewhat

6. They would of won the same amount with Bulger as QB, as with Warner. Its not the QB, its the team, and how it has changed

 

[niftymatt]

Being a Rams fan I can answer that Bulger is an excellent Quaterback and he has great receivers to throw to (Holt and Bruce). The problem is the defense, especially the run defense. The Rams had the worst run stopping defense in the league last year.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Can't they just eliminate the Raiders and leave the expansion teams?

 

[Sherwood]

But, technically, the Cleveland Browns had Jim Brown, one of the undisputed all time greats. I think The Sporting News actually named him the all-time great... of all time. Thus, they should be out of the running. Plus, didn't Jerry Rice play a season with the Cards? Tough call.

 

[spraggih]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif ... the Cleveland Browns had Jim Brown, one of the undisputed all time greats.

Alright Cleveland stays in but some other team has to go. How about Jacksonville. I mean would Jacksonville miss their only sports team? Probably not over the long run.

 

[steviebee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can't they just eliminate the Raiders and leave the expansion teams?

x2!

 

[Sherwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spraggih /img/forum/go_quote.gif Alright Cleveland stays in but some other team has to go. How about Jacksonville. I mean would Jacksonville miss their only sports team? Probably not over the long run.

Yeah, I'd absolutely vote for Jacksonville. What a joke.

 

[virometal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spraggih /img/forum/go_quote.gif was it all his head coaches or his GM in the past or what?

http://www.raiders.com/History/Default.aspx?id=880

My favorite has to be 2000. Only Oakland would be dumb enough to waste a first round draft pick on a kicker.

Davis is losing it. I said head coach is overrated (unless he is also a coordinator), but promoting a college assistant to NFL head coach is a little nutty. And I thought it couldn't get worse after Shell's second tour.

 

[Denim]

Can't eliminate any teams. The draft and free agency offer a means to keep the playing field somewhat level. Tampa had many bad years, but turned it around after new ownership and a new coach.

 

[scompton]

My wife's family is from Green Bay. I've never seen anything like the football fanaticism there. My wife's aunt's family bought season tickets in the 30's when they played at the high school. We made a mistake of visiting on a weekend with an exhibition game and a hotel room was hard to find and prices were jacked up.

It's really a small city with a metro area population of 299K. Comparable metro areas are Fort Collins CO, Erie PA, Lincoln NE, Utica-Rome NY, Charleston WV, Naples-Marco Island FL, Savannah GA, Eugene-Springfield OR, etc. I can't imagine any of these or similar sized cities supporting a team in any sport. Let alone sell out every game, even in sub-zero weather.