The 2008 NFL/NCAA/ NFL in London thread

[Dodge]

Going to start it nice and early this year, mainly to tell you that I'm off to Wembley in october again. Go saints! :D

Great idea keeping all news to one thread the last couple of year. I'm sure we can keeo the fantasy league seperate

[paul_oshea]

the league has already started in London dodge. Got a game this weekend actually ;)

[Dodge]

Thought your NFL had finished ages ago POS?

[paul_oshea]

Thought your NFL had finished ages ago POS?

well ya actually it did, i was thinking clubs but then thats not the NFL really.

Anyhow when is the NFL game I've always wanted to go to one but never went cos the season is so short.

[Dodge]

;)

The NFL game in wembley is on the lat sunday in October. tickets went on sale this morning

[Boo_Boy]

Can i join the fantasy league when its created?, i missed out last season!

[Aberdonian Stu]

I'll be announcing the details in July and the draft will be in August. It'll be on NFL.com again as it seems to be the best format.

[max power]

i got a code for tickets goin on sale on June 27, hope i can go this year. if not i'll let someone else have the code.

[DaveyCakes]

I got one too

[max power]

I'll be announcing the details in July and the draft will be in August. It'll be on NFL.com again as it seems to be the best format.

yeah i really enjoyed it last season

[Burny89]

I'll be in on the fantasy lark this year again too!

[max power]

does anyone want the code ???

[Angus]

Yep please

[Aberdonian Stu]

I haven't set up the league yet. Will notify everyone in July. I've forgotten the date for the draft last year but am going to try and go a little later this year.

Will notify people about the draft in the middle of July and hold the draft in mid-August.

By the way in other gridiron related news the DCU Saints won 6-0 in Belfast yesterday against the Bulls to qualify for the playoffs for the first time ever. I was at left guard, second time this season that I've moved to the interior. I played RT last year and moved to LT this year. Played LG in my first season though so was well used to it.

[RogerMilla]

what about shockey to the saints , any opinions ? i think its a tremendous trade.
got two tickets for wembley as well...

[Burny89]

yeah great pick up by the Saints
Redskins will improve with Jason Taylor too

[Burny89]

oh and this whole Favre situation is a pain in the ass and hasn't been of the TV over here

[Murph]

Favre has joined the Jets! Chad Pennington released. Glad to see they decided to take the gamble on him.

[Aberdonian Stu]

It'll be interesting to see if Pennington ends up anywhere. He'd make a decent back-up for a lot of teams.

[Dodge]

It'll be interesting to see if Pennington ends up anywhere. He'd make a decent back-up for a lot of teams.

Salary dependent of course. Good move for the jets. Wish Favre all the best. As if he wasn't a big enough star, he's now in fecking New York...

[Aberdonian Stu]

Well if he's been cut then he can be offered any salary from the minimum for his age up so it shouldn't be an issue. The bulk of the teams in the NFL have cap room this season. He could comfortably slot into a Todd Collins kind of role.

[Aberdonian Stu]

I've asked this in another forum and figured I'll ask it here as well.

I have the choice between watching the Pats-Bills in Foxboro or Jets-Rams in the Meadowlands when I got on holiday in November.

Normally this is a no-brainer but No.4 has suddenly made me think that maybe it's no a done deal.

Any views on which of these you would pick if given the choice?

[strangeirish]

I've asked this in another forum and figured I'll ask it here as well.

I have the choice between watching the Pats-Bills in Foxboro or Jets-Rams in the Meadowlands when I got on holiday in November.

Normally this is a no-brainer but No.4 has suddenly made me think that maybe it's no a done deal.

Any views on which of these you would pick if given the choice?
Jets/Rams are poor teams. Favre or no Favre, I'd take the divisional game at Foxboro. Should be a much better game.

[Burny89]

You should go to the meadowlands and i'll buy the Pats tickets of you ;)

[Aberdonian Stu]

UL Vikings won the Shamrock Bowl today, their second consecutive title. They beat the Dublin Rebels 14-12 and the game was held in Cork IT.

[max power]

Got myself NASN and started watching college ball. Following the Florida Gators, i go to Florida a lot so i have a chance of actually seeing a game.

College ball is so open and great to see young guys playing for that NFL contract.

[swano]

I'm just back from a sport filled trip to the states. Was supposed to start off with UT at home to Arkansas but the hurricane put paid to that. Went to Cowboys v Eagles, Rangers v Angels (15-13!), Bears v Bucs and two Red Sox games, including the one that clinched the playoffs. I ended up drinking with the team in a bar at fenway after the game which was crazy.

Also just missed the Cubs clinching the division as my flight into Chicago was delayed.

Watching number 1 USC get spanked by Oreagon state at the moment! USC were over 20pt favs and if they lose this it's unlikely they will make the BCS game as the Pac10 is very weak compared to the SEC

[Aberdonian Stu]

USC has managed to choke again, to a bad Oregon State team.

Here's one though that might have SEC fans both raging and worried. Suppose no-one in the SEC runs the table with an undefeated year, the conference is so strong that it will prove very hard for anyone to come out on top in every game this season.

While a one-loss SEC team will likely end the year ranked above the Trojans, there's a very realistic possibility that the Big 12 champion, most like Oklahoma or Missouri, will end the year without a loss. That winner is likely a lock and you would think that a one-loss SEC team would stroll into the second slot in the BCS title game.

But oh wait what's this? Penn State posts a 12-0 record to win the Big 10, and get it instead.

There's a long way to go, and I don't think Penn will run the table, but I can see the arguments starting already.

[strangeirish]

Gators screwed up at home to Ole Miss, 31-30. Poor play calling by Meyer and a blown coverage on one play killed them. Fair play to Ole Miss, they always play Florida tough.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Meanwhile Alabama gave Georgia a good old fashioned beatdown. Expect the Tide to rise to about 2 in the polls.

The top 5 I expect to see is:

1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. LSU
4. Missouri
5. Texas

I'd make two changes to this based on 'quality' wins, I'd switch Oklahoma and Bama while Texas would be replaced by Penn State.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Great win for Penn State today to secure a Rose Bowl berth, delighted for JoePa and co.

I'm currently watching the Holy War between Utah and BYU, it's looking special.

[Dodge]

Just about to watch Texas Tech and Oklahoma

I'm hoping for a texas tech win....

[Aberdonian Stu]

Tech need to start making things happen in that game soon Dodge, otherwise OU will run riot. Leach is a great character so I hope they pull it out.

Meanwhile in the Holy War, the Utes secondary has made two huge picks in the second half. With 8 minutes to go it's 41-24 to Utah and another possible score in the offing. They are all but in a BCS game now.

EDIT: With about 3 minutes to go, it's 48-21 to Utah. That'll be enough to guarantee the win and a BCS berth. Not looking good for Texas Tech, trailing 21-0 to Oklahoma.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Mercy, Oklahoma is making Tech look very ordinary. It's 42-7 to the Sooners approaching halftime. ABC's Brent Musberger put it best "It's a stompin in Norman folks, an old-fashioned stompin".

It's a real pity as Tech's breakthrough year is essentially being ruined by this one result. They'll drop from number 2 in the rankings to out of the BCS picture altogether.

Only two teams are allowed per conference is a BCS bowl game. There's an automatic bid for the Big 12 champion (which will likely put them in the title game) and whichever of Texas or OU doesn't make the Big 12 championship game will be given the other.

[OneRedArmy]

Alabama v Florida for the SEC Title is going to be huge.

Apart from the narrow loss to Ole Miss (which shouldn't really matter if they beat 'Bama), they have had a great season with Tebow being able to sit back and conduct the offense a lot more (at the cost of another Heisman, but to the overall benefit of the team). Defense has come on leaps and bounds also.

P.S. 5 in a row against Florida State last night, a far cry from previous times when Bobby Bowden owned the Gators.

[eamo1]

Has anyone else here tried CoachStilo website.Seen it always advertised on Sky Sports during the games,its actually good.Its for beginners so its basically stating what we all already know but theres good interactive stuff on it.Your a rookie and you have to try make Coach Stilo's team by passing a few tests.Its starts off basic enough and gets alot more into it then.Id recommend ye give it a try.

www.coachstilo.com

[strangeirish]

Great game between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State last night. Back and forth most of the game, with the Sooners pulling ahead at the end. The 61-41 score doesn't really reflect how close it actually was.

The Gators tore up the Criminoles:D and look the team to beat. If they beat Alabama next week in the SEC championship game, they'll play for the national title. I've always liked Alabama, but can't stand Saban, so I hope Florida knocks lumps out of them. Big concern for the Gators is that Percy Harvin sprained his ankle yesterday, but I think they have enough weapons to take down the 'Tide and go on and win it all, no matter who they play.

[strangeirish]

Has anyone else here tried CoachStilo website.Seen it always advertised on Sky Sports during the games,its actually good.Its for beginners so its basically stating what we all already know but theres good interactive stuff on it.Your a rookie and you have to try make Coach Stilo's team by passing a few tests.Its starts off basic enough and gets alot more into it then.Id recommend ye give it a try.

www.coachstilo.com (http://www.coachstilo.com)
That's class!:D

[Aberdonian Stu]

I was well annoyed that Oregon State choked last night. I'm not a fan but if they'd won it would have kept USC out of the Rose Bowl, sadly the Trojans will be there now :(

[joeSoap]

American Idiot (http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80ce8eda&template=with-video&confirm=true)

[thesilverfox]

The New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play at Wembley on 25 October 2009, in the third competitive NFL game to take place in the UK.
New England have won three of the last seven Super Bowls, while Tampa Bay were champions in 2003. Wembley secured the fixture despite interest from Murrayfield in Scotland and Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/american_football/7759299.stm

[strangeirish]

The New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play at Wembley on 25 October 2009, in the third competitive NFL game to take place in the UK.
New England have won three of the last seven Super Bowls, while Tampa Bay were champions in 2003. Wembley secured the fixture despite interest from Murrayfield in Scotland and Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/american_football/7759299.stm
That should be a good one to go to. Now, speaking of New England, Wes Welker gets knocked into the middle of next week...ouch!

XaPPHcBm4ro

[max power]

wow a chance to roar abuse at brady in person and not at the tv:D

[OneRedArmy]

Have not really bothered about going to the previous two games I'm definitely going to try and get tickets for this one.

Bucs all the way.

[DaveyCakes]

This year's game was a cracker, will definitely try to get tickets again next year.

[swano]

So the Sooners made the Big 12 championship game. To me it should have been Texas as they beat the Sooners on a neutral field and their only loss was in the last second to Tech. They also hammered Missou.

It looks most likely that it'll be Sooners v Gators in the BCS although Bama will give the Gators a better game than Missou will give Oklahoma.

Be interesting to see what order all the QBs will go in the NFL draft next year. Can't see many big name college players choosing a senior year ahead of entering the NFL with the signing bonus structure for Rookies due to change in 2 years time.

I'd put the QBs in the following order;

1 McCoy
2 Tebow
3 Bradford
4 Daniel
5 Sanchez
6 Harell
7 Ganz

150th J Lee of LSU

[Aberdonian Stu]

You've got to look at the pro-potential (in the eyes of NFL teams which differs wildly from College Football fans) of players.

Despite a mediocre year for Georgia, Matthew Stafford is still very high on most draft boards. Theoretically Bradford could declare as he's redshirt sophomore as opposed to a true sophomore, but NFL teams will baulk at him this year (irrational I know, but it'll happen) so he'll hang on one more year.

With Tebow it's all about the title. If Florida doesn't win the BCS title game this year he'll look at coming back next year as the Gators will be stacked, and he'll be primed to move to possible Number 1 overall pick. If they win the title, he's got a chance of doing a Vince Young and rocketing up draft boards so he'd declare this year.

Daniel will likely face a Brohm-ish reaction and unfairly drop down the board. Sanchez will stay on for another year, USC QBs not called Cassel usually do two full years as starter before declaring for the draft.

Harrell's stock will have plummeted because of the beating the Sooners gave Tech but look at the way he throws. People may say system, but yeah it's not the Texas Tech system he's built for they should think about. Look at the way he throws the ball, it's a perfect fit for the Bill Walsh short passing system used by game managing QBs in the NFL. Like Colt Brennan last year, I think Harrell has the potential to be a bargain late round QB with real pro-potential.

The biggest potential omission is Utah's QB Brian Johnson. He is a neat, efficient passer. If he has a good BCS Bowl, watch out. He could be this year's Flacco.

[Soko]

Daniel will likely face a Brohm-ish reaction and unfairly drop down the board.


Brohm's drop was very fair, he couldn't even beat out Matt Flynn for the GB backup. Daniel should drop a lot too, just not good enough

[Aberdonian Stu]

Brohm's drop was based far more on how Louisville's D performed than his own play in his senior season, which saw him post similar stats to his junior year.

Daniel will make for a very interesting case. He could go all the way down to the fourth or fifth rounds, which would be an absolute bargain for any team. A lot will depend on how his performances in the Big 12 championship game, the bowl game (yet to be determined) and the combine.

Elsewhere in the QB draft hunt...the word appears to be that irrespective of what happens Saturday night or in the bowl games, that Tim Tebow will stay for his senior season. From a draft value perspective that should only serve to benefit him. NFL teams want to see more of his arm before taking a high value punt on him.

Stafford, who has enjoyed a good but not great, year looks all set to be the first QB chosen which would make for an interesting pick. He's a little less high profile than some of the other QBs but just as high risk.

[strangeirish]

Gators beat Alabama 31-20. Very good game which should see the Gators through to the BCS championship game. Interesting stat about Tebow, in that this was the first time he has won a game in which Florida trailed in the second half. He had a pretty good game, throwing for 216 yards, ran for 56 and threw 3 TD's.

Go Gators!!!