American Football

[Anon]

I read somewhere of a possible scenario where the Chargers go to St Louis. What an utter farce that would be - it's always one of the negative things non-fans in this country know and think about the NFL, the stereotype that teams move around cities 'willy nilly'. I dunno really, sure the Rams have the LA history but the last 20-odd years their roots are in St Louis, and a lot of fans have only known them as them.

Agreed on the Chargers being at a disadvantage if they go there too. Surely the amount of fans they bring over from San Diego would be neglible, so in effect they're starting again. With a fair weather crowd in LA, I could genuinely see one or both teams getting unreliable crowds if the teams aren't playing well.

They'll take their time with London, LA was the priority (Andrew Brandt said they've been talking in owners meetings about ever since the last team left LA). I would imagine they'll increase the games in London over the next 3-4 years and let LA teams settle in before going further with discussion in owners meetings.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Pretty amazing that Burfict ended Le'Veon Bell's season and then took out Roethlisberger and Brown in the playoffs. He pretty much ruined the Steelers' season single-handedly. Impressive/horrifying.

#Karma4Palmer

 

[thespus]

I've lived in St. Louis since I emigrated for Uni and decided to stay. I'm hardly the most affected fan today. It isn't the most glamorous city; a post-industrial question mark, one of the once-great American cities like Detroit, with convoluted local government issues, but it has a superb set of die-hard sports fans—the Cardinals and Blues are a common denominator in a politically, and culturally, divided city. The Rams spent a significant amount of time in LA, and I understand, even appreciate, the welcome they will receive from the generation which watched them leave a few decades ago. My ire is not with them, nor with the Rams players who likely prefer sunny California—it is with Stan Kroenke and the NFL's willingness to move teams like we replace our vehicles or televisions. I've seen, on social media and local news reports, children crying in their Gurley and Donald jerseys, grown men comforting them in their Warner/Faulk/Bruce/Holt retros, and once proud employees wondering why the NFL misled the St. Louis community on a stadium proposal (which cost us public money, so it goes).

San Diego—with a venue twice as old as the dome which St. Louis built for the Rams and is still paying off—has known for over a decade it needed a new stadium. Never once did they present a stadium plan with as much public funding or viability as the plan a St. Louis committee produced in about six months. Oakland didn't even bother. RG's rejection of the St. Louis riverfront stadium proposal included rhetoric that expecting $100m from the NFL is "fundamentally inconsistent" with league policies and procedures.

Oakland and San Diego now have a $100m gift from the NFL, likely taken from the relocation fees paid by Kroenke, towards a new stadium if they so wish. It reeks of collusion, and seems like the relocation committee, whom by a vote of 5-1 recommended Carson over Inglewood, was nothing more than pandering, the only play in the NFL's PR playbook. In short, Goodell and Kroenke get what they wanted, and it was likely pre-determined no matter the NFL bylaws stating that relocation isn't for improved profit potential.

Then there is Enos Stan Kroenke himself, a Missouri man named after TWO St. Louis Cardinals legends, Enos Slaughter and Stan Musial. The latter remained a living god in this city until he passed in 2012, for his baseball exploits and dedication to the community. Kroenke reminded us of his civic connection, ergo compassion, towards St. Louis in an open statement released after the relocation announcement. The first time Silent Stan spoke publicly to the city, which desired to hear from him since relocation rumours began, and it was only to twist the knife in our collective backs. Meanwhile, his first company, THF Realty, which led to his billionaire status before the sports empire and Walmart money, is still located in Greater St. Louis. Still owns dozens of multi-million dollar properties in the area. Properties which continue to churn cash for him. In a city he publicly slated during his relocation proposal.

 

[Kim Mitten]

St Louis is a funny one, they've become the first city to have an NFL team leave twice yet there is a clear want for NFL in the city. I note the Raiders have already said they'll not be moving to St Louis and the Jaguars have been asked about it already and also said they have no desire to move.
I still think the league will put a team in Toronto or Mexico before London and won't move a team but go toward expansion. If that does happen they'll be another expansion team (especially with the talk of increased playoff field) and that could well see St Louis try a third NFL team.

 

[Kim Mitten]

oh, and latest on the magical merry-go-round that is the Browns HC job - Hue Jackson, good luck to him in all his efforts to last longer than one season.

 

[thespus]

Someone will end up in Toronto. It may still be the Chargers yet.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Is the demand for the NFL there in Toronto though? I mean the Bills International Series in Toronto wasn't so much a resounding success.

It's gutting for the people of St Louis to lose their team though. The thing that grates me is why is Los Angeles, untouched for 20 years, suddenly deserving of two teams? I don't care about market size but if two teams left there in the first place surely the only viable solution is to only have one franchise there?

The NFLs logic is mind boggling at times.

 

[Craig]

What about the Argonauts?

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

The logic is crystal clear. It's a sweet stadium deal, a massive TV market, a slam dunk for filling corporate luxury boxes, and an obvious regular Superbowl host. It'll be worth hundreds of millions to the league.

 

[Mr Elmo]

Much like many other sports nowadays it's all money and no fans, the big companies will never care what the fans opinions as long as they line their back pockets with as many millions as possible. I understand they want a market in LA, but it's so painful for everyone else not there. Could you imagine regular relocations in England? I know it isn't the best of examples, but the only team formed from it had been MK and they've been shat on ever since they moved.

I'm still being a Rams fan for sure as I haven't got any affiliation with the location, but the owner isn't exactly on anyone's good list.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

America is more realistic (...) in its appraisal of the relationship with big biz and sports. Compared to the dead eyed keepers of the sacred soccerball flame over here, anyways. And the idea of teams moving cities is also deeply engrained since the big pro leagues date back to a period when the major population centres were centred around the North East and Midwest. That doesn't make it much better for bereft Expos fans, obviously, but comparisons with the situation here are necessarily apples to oranges.

 

[Renegade]

Hue Jackson to the Browns is strange. By the sounds of things, he was the the most in-demand coach...why did he choose the Browns who have a disastrous front-office and a talent-deprived roster? Surely the 49ers, Eagles, Giants and (soon) Lions would have been more attractive openings. He could probably win now in the NFC East.

 

[kieran_vale]

Strange one sure. So his Head Coaching resume consists of the Al Davis Raiders and now the biggest dumpster-fire franchise in the NFL. Hope it works out for him as he is a really good coach (his record in Oakland was pretty good compared to anyone else in recent times). Will certainly enhance his reputation exponentially if he can turn the "factory of sadness" into something resembling competence. Could simply be a case of being able to keep his family in Ohio if he's happy there I'm guessing.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Hue Jackson to the Browns is strange. By the sounds of things, he was the the most in-demand coach...why did he choose the Browns who have a disastrous front-office and a talent-deprived roster? Surely the 49ers, Eagles, Giants and (soon) Lions would have been more attractive openings. He could probably win now in the NFC East.

I know we spoke about it recently, but I genuinely think even though the Browns are an absolute mess, the 49ers job is the worst job in the league by far for an inexperienced coach to take over as long as Baalke and Jed York are there. They've had some bad luck in the last year with the various problems but there's a proportion of it which is their own doing. Baalke is a prime candidate for the worst GM in the league, not quite Matt Millen bad at Detroit but he coaches the goddamn secondary! At least if someone like Tom Coughlin went to the Niners, the GM would almost certainly be fired if a bad season occurred given Coughlin's standing in the game.

Hue Jackson taking over means Manziel is definitely out. Meaning the Browns need a franchise QB (again), in a draft which doesn't have a good QB depth chart. Plus they need Josh Gordon to behave and put down the damn reefer because he could be a great offensive weapon for the franchise rather than a weapon who is like a millstone round the neck of Cleveland. There's a little bit of talent in that Cleveland side, it won't set the world alight but they will improve under Jackson if they give him time. Be interesting to see who ends up under centre at the factory of sadness in September!

Also a lad I know who supports the Eagles reckons McAdoo has got the job in Philly, interesting to see what happens there. I reckon they'll end up keeping Bradford if McAdoo goes there.

 

[epic73]

Aren't Oakland also thinking of moving to LA?

I feel like the Chargers might move to LA, because it isn't too far and so the fans won't care as much as the Rams fans or Oakland.
Being an ex-San Diego resident, I am probably 100% biased though, so don't take my opinion for anything.

 

[Bobbin']

Few pics from the last game of the regular season in Houston, have a couple of cracking videos in my phone too but fucked if I know how to get them on here!

 

[Bobbin']

 

[Bobbin']

 

[Craig]

Few pics from the last game of the regular season in Houston, have a couple of cracking videos in my phone too but fucked if I know how to get them on here!

Here's a cracking video for you.

 

[Bobbin']

Here's a cracking video for you.

Waiting for that video to load and I knew exactly what was coming.

I was in a bar in New York watching that, painful viewing, I kept the barman pretty busy!

 

[Craig]

I was at home watching it on a dodgy stream. So 1-0 to you I guess.

 

[Bobbin']

I'm not sure, wasting 3 hours watching the Texans getting humped when I could/should have been enjoying NY doesn't feel like much of a victory.

 

[Kim Mitten]

I think the strangest thing about Hue Jackson taking the Browns job is his previous experience with the Raiders. He has stepped into a complete mess of a team with interference from every level. Maybe he liked the chaos in Oakland so much he jumped at the chance in Cleveland. His 8-8 season in Oakland was actually very impressive and he shouldn't have got the chop, you feel the same will happen in Cleveland. He might get them to 7-9, which would be a great achievement even if they draft superbly, but because of the management he'll be on the hot seat.

Still no news from the Lions about Caldwell, Quinn is meant to be meeting with him this week to decide his fate. Looking at the out of work guys the only experienced HC I'd take would be Coughlin, so unless Detroit are thinking a no HC experience guy I'd stick with the current coaching set up (fingers crossed Austin doesn't get any of the HC jobs).

 

[Kim Mitten]

Looks like Ben McAdoo to be the new Giants HC with Joe Philbin coming in as OC. At least he knows he'll get time from the Giants owners whatever happens.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Interesting to see we've hired former Miami HC Dan Campbell as an assistant head coach, also brought Joe Lombardi back after he was fired by Detroit.

I hope Dennis Allen stays as DC then I'll have more optimism for 2016.

Between Coughlin, McDermott and McDaniels for the Eagles job now apparently.

 

[Anon]

Philbin at OC under McAdoo would make sense what with the Packers connection and that they worked closely together there. It wouldn't surprise me if McAdoo is another promotion for fear of losing him elsewhere, much like at the Bucs.

Whisenhunt apparently back to the Chargers as OC, they really do need him...

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Coughlin being re-interviewed at Philadelphia, could be confirmed today.

Having watched the Football Life documentary on Coughlin, there's no way he's going San Francisco, he seems very settled where he's living now and Philadelphia is easily accessible from his home. Whether that'll tarnish his reputation with the Giants fans, I don't know. But be a great move for Philadelphia to get a proven coach after the wild rollercoaster that was the Chip Kelly era!

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Now Tom Coughlin pulls out of the running to take over the Eagles apparently. They really are in a mess.

 

[Bobbin']

Chip Kelly takes over at 49ers.

 

[Kim Mitten]

Wonder if Chip will start a power struggle in San Fran as well? that could be quite good viewing if he does. With the Rams going to L.A, even with Fisher, might give them some momentum for a good season - hell of a tough division Kelly finds himself in, bit different from the NFC East.

Seems Coughlin withdrew from the Eagles job after the face to face interview. Can't personally see him taking a coaching job anywhere now, some talk of him doing a consultant job for the Giants (so basically retiring). Fingers crossed they don't hire Teryl Austin.