NFL 2009 Thread

[footiefan]

Training camps starting soon, won't be long till the season is upomn us :D

[max power]

Indeed,

we have a new connection to the steelers with the owner being the new US amb.

Can't see past the Pats ( hate saying it ) with Brady back.

From my own side it doesn't look good for the Colts with a new coach and in flighting about retiring coaches coming back and Manning actually coming out against the franchise in public.

Oh and ESPN having college ball on their own channel should be interesting.

[Aberdonian Stu]

I'm worried about a reduction in College ball coverage actually. Looks like ESPN America will just be merged into the new ESPN channel, meaning that it will have to make way for lots of soccer coverage etc. That's a big worry as to how it will affect coverage of US sports.

[footiefan]

We'll loose Gameday & the early games at least :(

ESPNA won't be getting my money this year

[SkStu]

do you get many games over there? one game on Sunday and Monday Night Football? Do you get the holiday games like Thanksgiving, around christmas etc?

Any coverage of the CFL? Love it almost as much as the NFL, almost a different game but pretty well marketed etc. Have been to about 12 Saskatchewan RoughRiders games since i came - it deadly, lots of mentallers. :D Not sure if theres enough people here that are into it to start its own thread?

[footiefan]

do you get many games over there? one game on Sunday and Monday Night Football? Do you get the holiday games like Thanksgiving, around christmas etc?

Any coverage of the CFL? Love it almost as much as the NFL, almost a different game but pretty well marketed etc. Have been to about 12 Saskatchewan RoughRiders games since i came - it deadly, lots of mentallers. :D Not sure if theres enough people here that are into it to start its own thread?


We get choice between 2 early games(1 kick-off) choice between 2 later games (4ish kick-off) & the Sunday night game, Monday night game & all thursday/saturday games during the season. Last season we got up to 3 college games live on a saturday & as live games also.
No CFL here but we used to get it up to 2 years ago.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Yeah losing Gameday is a big one as none of the legit online packages have it so will be hit or miss to find it through 'alternative' sources.

I am quite concerned as to how many games will be cut back to make room for the Premiership. It seems like it would make more sense for them to keep most of the US Sports on a separate channel to their one with the Premiership, leaving just the top games for that channel rather than abandoning the lower-interest games, which would still have a healthy market via ESPN America.

[max power]

I'm actually happy about ESPN.....i bought setanta for the odd perm game and espn america.....the rest was pointless for me.

Now i get the prem and the americann sports on just one channel ( 417 ) so happy.

Also available in HD.

I only want to see the Gators anyway:D

Hoping for Tebow to do the business again in his senior year !!

[Aberdonian Stu]

Well the way I look at it is that we'll get less of the American sports than we did before which is a concern.

[Real ale Madrid]

I though ESPN were launching a new Channel in GB&I simply called ESPN and ESPN America was being left alone??

[max power]

No its going on Sky 417 which is currently the ESPN America position.

BUT if you have HD it will look good.

Too much baseball on.......i wonder will they have NBA as they have the european rights.

No sign yet on Sky site of live NFL games.....i'm itching for the new season.

[max power]

Just seen on sky this morning that Vicks has had his suspension lifted in a way.

He is allowed do pre season, but does have the go ahead yet to play next season.

[SkStu]

TO was all over the tv last night saying how it was tragic that Vick mightnt be able to play...

never thought the NFL would pay heed to TO!!!

[eamo1]

I just love how nobody ever gives much thought to the Steelers and in '06 and last year they crept up and were winning the superbowl faster then you can say Big Ben:).
With Brady back it will be interesting,can the Pats do it??
I think the Eagles could be a dark horse,anyone agree??
I wonder was last year just a flash in the pan for the Cardinals??
I have to say i just love the coverage on Sky Sports.Nick and Kev are great craic and really know what they are talking about.Hoping to switch to Sky Digital in the next few weeks so i can get the red button games too.Was annoying without them last year.

[Soko]

We get choice between 2 early games(1 kick-off) choice between 2 later games (4ish kick-off) & the Sunday night game, Monday night game & all thursday/saturday games during the season. Last season we got up to 3 college games live on a saturday & as live games also.
No CFL here but we used to get it up to 2 years ago.


That coverage is better than regular American free to air tv. Its almost better to watch NFL on Sky on Sundays with the time etc... than it is to watch it in the US, especially if you are out west. Unless you have the cash to spunk out on the direct tv package and a few extra tvs...

[footiefan]

Just seen on sky this morning that Vicks has had his suspension lifted in a way.

He is allowed do pre season, but does have the go ahead yet to play next season.


Yeah he can sign go to camp & play in the first 2 pre-season games. can't play then till week 6

[footiefan]

I just love how nobody ever gives much thought to the Steelers and in '06 and last year they crept up and were winning the superbowl faster then you can say Big Ben:).
With Brady back it will be interesting,can the Pats do it??
I think the Eagles could be a dark horse,anyone agree??
I wonder was last year just a flash in the pan for the Cardinals??
I have to say i just love the coverage on Sky Sports.Nick and Kev are great craic and really know what they are talking about.Hoping to switch to Sky Digital in the next few weeks so i can get the red button games too.Was annoying without them last year.


Personaly I can't stand it & thought Channel 5 was much better. Nick knows his stuff but Kev can barely string 2 words together without tripping over them

[max power]

any sign of sky to announce their schedule, getting close and nothing on the website yet.

[Boo_Boy]

Nobody has a clue whats going on yet.

Buying NFL Gamepass myself, works out at about €140 for all the games from 1 team of your choice in HD, also get a 24/7 NFL Network stream.

[Real ale Madrid]

ESPN now at 417, ESPN America at 430.

Not sure how much it will be in Ireland but its £9 per month to upgrade to ESPN and you get ESPN America as a bonus channel.

Great news really.

[footiefan]

First 4 Weeks scheduled on ESPN America

http://www.espnamerica.com/images/espna/portal/tvschedule/feed1/listings.pdf (http://www.espnamerica.com/images/espna/portal/tvschedule/feed1/listings.pdf)

Week 1
Thur (Fri midnight) – South Carolina @ NC State
Thur (Fri 3.00am – Oregon @ Boise State
Sat 5pm – Navy @ Ohio State
Sat 8.30pm – Georgia @ Oklahoma State
Sat (Sun 1.00am) – Alabama v Virginia Tech (Atlanta, Ga)
Sun 9.00pm - Ole Miss @ Memphis
Mon 9.00pm - Cincinnati @ Rutgers
Mon (Tue 1.00am) - Miami @ Florida State

AS LIVE GAMES BELOW (Shown on Sunday)
Missouri v Illinois (8am)
Maryland v California (1.30pm)

Week 2
Thu (Fri 00.30) – Clemson @ Georgia Tech
Sat 5pm – Fresno State @ Wisconsin
Sat 8.30pm – Notre Dame @ Michigan
Sat (Sun 1.00am) – USC @ Ohio State

AS LIVE (Shown on Sunday)

UCLA @ Tennessee (Sun 9.30am)


Week 3
Thu (Fri 00.30) – Georgia Tech @ Miami
Sat 5pm – East Carolina @ North Carolina
Sat 8pm – Tennessee @ Florida
Sat (Sun 1.00am) – Texas Tech @ Texas

AS LIVE (Shown on Sunday)
Utah @ Oregon (9.30am)

Week 4
Thu (Fri 00.30) - Ole Miss @ South Carolina
Sat 8.30pm – California @ Oregon
Sat (Sun 1.00am) – Iowa @ Penn State

AS LIVE (Shown on Sunday)
Notre Dame @ Purdue (1.30pm)
SEC Game? (10.00am)


There is also the possibility that some of these AS-Live games may be aired on the normal ESPN channel after midnight as was the case with Setanta Ireland but that is purely speculation.

[Boo_Boy]

So...much...football...

*dribbles*

This is my first season that I've had ESPN America for college football. Looking forward to watching it live on a big screen and not my laptop!!

[footiefan]

This is my first year without :(

Great line-up just a shame I can't afford both it & sky

[eamo1]

FAO Boo Boy,how do you get that NFL ticket and a team of your choice??Also,is ESPN America available on Sky Digital??

[Real ale Madrid]

NFL Season ticket available at NFL.com - ESPN America now on sky channel 430

[Boo_Boy]

FAO Boo Boy,how do you get that NFL ticket and a team of your choice??Also,is ESPN America available on Sky Digital??

Gamepass HD is here (https://gamepass.nfl.com/nflgp/secure/registerform), Yahoo will offer the cheaper SD version soon too probably.

ESPN America is part of the ESPN pack on Sky now for 12 yoyo's per month. You get ESPN(the new setanta) & ESPN America.

[swinfordfc]

What do the redskins like like this year - any chance with them?

[footiefan]

same as every year LOL high spending offseason home for the playoffs

[footiefan]

This is a message from Alistair Kirkwood:

At the start of the year, one of our objectives at NFL UK was to complete the 2009 TV contracts early and communicate them to fans promptly. Sadly this has not been achieved – partly given the challenging nature of negotiations and partly due to the aim of providing the best possible outcome for everybody. I appreciate the frustration that must be felt by the lack of information and apologise that we haven’t been able to do a better job of alleviating it.

The broadcast landscape has changed since our TV rights were last up for renewal. A combination of the international economy, as well as the shifting sands of the broadcasters, has meant that several curve balls have been thrown over the past few months. As yet, the contracts for the 2009 season have not been totally finalized, and until they are, we are not at liberty to announce anything concrete. Suffice to say that we will have this completed in the next two to three weeks, and the first place you will hear about these finalized deals will be here on nfluk.com.

I can tell you that, despite the difficulty of negotiations, some advances in our broadcast situation have been made, which I think will be exciting to fans here. Having said that, with the economy and TV landscape in mind, we have also seen some elements of our presence on British television disappear – the first casualty of which is the preseason, which will not be shown this season on Sky Sports.

Looked at as a whole picture, I think you’ll see that the sport is in a better situation once these contracts are signed and sealed. I think a top line view is that we have probably taken three steps forward and a couple of steps back. However, it is apparent for us as fans of a relatively niche sport with plenty of growing still to do, we have no ‘divine right’ to expect wall-to-wall coverage of the NFL in the UK.

Over the next two to three weeks, in addition to the announcement of the TV broadcast contracts, you can expect some other exciting announcements to come from NFLUK.com. We will have finalized ticket sales dates for the final part of the sales process for this year’s International Series game at Wembley. We will also have information on a very new, and exciting Tailgate Party concept that will bring some major attractions for hardcore NFL Fans. We also have a brand new website that will stand alongside NFLUK.com featuring 600+ pieces of exclusive tailored video content. As the season approaches, it will also be time to launch this year’s new Fantasy Football competition, as well as some other new interactive elements for this website.

Thanks as always for your ongoing support and of this website. It never goes unnoticed and is truly appreciated.

Alistair Kirkwood

[max power]

This is a message from Alistair Kirkwood:

At the start of the year, one of our objectives at NFL UK was to complete the 2009 TV contracts early and communicate them to fans promptly. Sadly this has not been achieved – partly given the challenging nature of negotiations and partly due to the aim of providing the best possible outcome for everybody. I appreciate the frustration that must be felt by the lack of information and apologise that we haven’t been able to do a better job of alleviating it.

The broadcast landscape has changed since our TV rights were last up for renewal. A combination of the international economy, as well as the shifting sands of the broadcasters, has meant that several curve balls have been thrown over the past few months. As yet, the contracts for the 2009 season have not been totally finalized, and until they are, we are not at liberty to announce anything concrete. Suffice to say that we will have this completed in the next two to three weeks, and the first place you will hear about these finalized deals will be here on nfluk.com.

I can tell you that, despite the difficulty of negotiations, some advances in our broadcast situation have been made, which I think will be exciting to fans here. Having said that, with the economy and TV landscape in mind, we have also seen some elements of our presence on British television disappear – the first casualty of which is the preseason, which will not be shown this season on Sky Sports.

Looked at as a whole picture, I think you’ll see that the sport is in a better situation once these contracts are signed and sealed. I think a top line view is that we have probably taken three steps forward and a couple of steps back. However, it is apparent for us as fans of a relatively niche sport with plenty of growing still to do, we have no ‘divine right’ to expect wall-to-wall coverage of the NFL in the UK.

Over the next two to three weeks, in addition to the announcement of the TV broadcast contracts, you can expect some other exciting announcements to come from NFLUK.com. We will have finalized ticket sales dates for the final part of the sales process for this year’s International Series game at Wembley. We will also have information on a very new, and exciting Tailgate Party concept that will bring some major attractions for hardcore NFL Fans. We also have a brand new website that will stand alongside NFLUK.com featuring 600+ pieces of exclusive tailored video content. As the season approaches, it will also be time to launch this year’s new Fantasy Football competition, as well as some other new interactive elements for this website.

Thanks as always for your ongoing support and of this website. It never goes unnoticed and is truly appreciated.

Alistair Kirkwood


What a load of poo......what date was that message posted ???

Could EPSN jump in and get some games ?

[footiefan]

just recently on nfluk yesterday/day before

[max power]

its a bloody joke.

was looking forward to pre season......little one due any time now and night feeds could have been interesting:D

[footiefan]

Brilliant play, seems a shame to waste it in pre-season
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-cant-miss-plays/09000d5d811c9292/Can-t-Miss-What-a-fake

[Boo_Boy]

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d81208f33/Pre-WK-2-Chad-Ochocinco-the-kicker

Always entertaining :D. Ochocinco baby.

[strangeirish]

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d81208f33/Pre-WK-2-Chad-Ochocinco-the-kicker

Always entertaining :D. Ochocinco baby.
Ha Ha Ha...too funny.

[strangeirish]

The Dallas Cowboys just played their first home game in their new 1.2 billion dollar stadium. One problem though...the jumbotron may be a little low. During pregame warmups, the punters kept hitting the the screen. It was also hit once, during the game itself by the Titans punter.
http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_nfl_experts__15/ept_sports_nfl_experts-280547247-1250950178.jpg?ymjAZxBDuRE6XrI9

[footiefan]

Hillarious

[max power]

any sign of a schedule for this season.......i'm getting the sweats just thinking of no nfl this season !!

[strangeirish]

any sign of a schedule for this season.......i'm getting the sweats just thinking of no nfl this season !!
Here (http://www.nfl.com/schedules?seasonType=REG&season=2009#Week)

[max power]

Sorry i meant on TV !!!!

[Boo_Boy]

No schedule till rights are sorted out. I'm sure Sky have already decided what they will show first week if they get the rights but they wont release anything till it's all confirmed.

Just looking at the ESPN America schedule for College ball. Opening weekend there is 2 live games on Friday the 4th, 2 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday. Also got repeats of other games.

[max power]

I see that 5 in the uk have rights to sunday games.

This is an add on channel for sky here......here are the freq to programme it in FIVE 10.773 H 22000 5/6

No word on anything else !

[Boo_Boy]

I'm sure now that FIVE have picked up SNF again they wont be renewing the NBA rights with their cut downs :(. The coverage and analysis was terrible but it was better than internet streams.

[washington66]

Howdy ye-all. I'm new to the game of posting messages to a forum, so please be patient with me. We are big NFL fans and are just as frustrated as the rest of you's that we are still non the wiser as to who will have broadcasting rites to this season - duh! FIVE! Well that's great news if you are in UK and can use Sky+. But we have read comments on this, too. And YES with have it on "Other" channels. I just have a question or 3 to ask: On the NFLUK site, there is an option to subscribe to online streaming. The season ticket being $240. Has anybody subscribed to it, is it worth your money and is it un-interupted streaming? Thanks in advance. NY Jets fan Washington 29:p

[SkStu]

watched the Eagles pre-season game against Jax last night. Vick got a huge reception from the fans, threw a few passes and looked pretty sharp. They had some pretty unique formations with both him and McNabb on the field at the same time. Based on last night I think McNabb has matured a lot and is going to have a huge season.

[Boo_Boy]

Howdy ye-all. I'm new to the game of posting messages to a forum, so please be patient with me. We are big NFL fans and are just as frustrated as the rest of you's that we are still non the wiser as to who will have broadcasting rites to this season - duh! FIVE! Well that's great news if you are in UK and can use Sky+. But we have read comments on this, too. And YES with have it on "Other" channels. I just have a question or 3 to ask: On the NFLUK site, there is an option to subscribe to online streaming. The season ticket being $240. Has anybody subscribed to it, is it worth your money and is it un-interupted streaming? Thanks in advance. NY Jets fan Washington 29:p

Yep it's uninterrupted, but make sure you have the internet speeds for it. You can try the demo here (http://gamepass.nfl.com/nflgp/move/player/demo.htm). Welcome to foot.ie :).


watched the Eagles pre-season game against Jax last night. Vick got a huge reception from the fans, threw a few passes and looked pretty sharp. They had some pretty unique formations with both him and McNabb on the field at the same time. Based on last night I think McNabb has matured a lot and is going to have a huge season.

I thought Vick did well considering he hasn't played a game in 2 years. You also got to applaud McNabb for helping out Vick by letting the Eagles bring him in.

[swinfordfc]

How are the Redskins doing in the pre-season games and when is it starting for real? :D

[max power]

Just been announced that sky will show 6 and 9 on a sunday ( no red button games:( ) still no word on monday night but sky also have thursday and saturday games as well.

Fingers crossed espn will step in with monday nights !!

[Boo_Boy]

Looks like FIVE will be the only channel showing sunday night football :rolleyes:.

Can't even feckin record that with sky, Gameday not mentioned either, hope that is part of the package.

[footiefan]

think we'd all be better off getting Gamepass to be honest