We're not that far from having to impose a ban on soccer hooligan jokes...

Alan

Well I got to witness Plaxico Buress catch a nifty TD for the NY Jets tonight. He looked good in first game action since being back in football.
And the Jets won easily against the Bungles at the new Meadowlands.

Pre-season football is crap. I hope they stop this sham soon. I guess the 18 game schedule got put on the back-burner.
Still looks like the same crap-I don't think the play will suffer from the lessening of workouts and such.
September can't come soon enough!
P.S.
Remember when there were SIX pre-season games? Ugh.

The S-Hawks are looking awful. HOPEFULLY, it's because they turned over most of the roster with no mini camps. HOPEFULLY.

The San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders will end their annual preseason matchup as a result of the fan violence at Saturday's game, the San Jose Mercury News reported Monday, citing a high-ranking NFL source.

The source told the newspaper that both the NFL and local police are in favor of ending the preseason rivalry game.


San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee attended Saturday's game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco with Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, and both witnessed the brawling firsthand as spectators.

"They were just constantly wailing at each other without regard to who was there," Lee said of the fans. "This is a family outing, for residents and visitors and people who want to see the game, not for people to look for people they don't like, then saying bad words, then getting into it."

Lee said he was working with police and the 49ers to review footage of the fights and help identify people involved. A meeting was planned later Monday.

Meanwhile, two men who were initially listed as seriously injured in the violence have been upgraded to fair condition by a hospital.

One of the victims, a 24-year-old man who reportedly was wearing a T-shirt reading "F--- the Niners," was shot several times in the stomach. Police said he managed to make it to stadium security for help despite the injuries.

The other victim whose condition was upgraded is a 26-year-old man who was beaten unconscious in an upper-level stadium restroom during the fourth quarter.

Another shooting victim was treated after receiving superficial facial wounds after the game.

Police did not release the names of any victims. No arrests have been made.

Investigators were searching for suspects and interviewing witnesses, said Officer Albie Esparza, a San Francisco police spokesman.

Police also were seeking motives in the shootings, including whether the attacks were influenced by emotions involving the annual Battle of the Bay exhibition game or possibly gang connections.

The Bay Area Newsgroup, citing a source familiar with the police investigation, reported that Saturday's violence is suspected to have been sparked by friction between the Nortenos and Surenos gangs.

49ers president Jed York said in an appearance on KNBR Radio in San Francisco on Monday that there was more security than usual for Saturday's game and there will be even more security for Saturday's game against the Houston Texans.

The shootings evoked memories of the near-fatal beating in March of a San Francisco Giants fan outside Dodger Stadium. The Giants and Dodgers baseball teams also are fierce rivals.

Esparza said police are still looking for a person of interest connected to at least one of the shootings at the football game. He would not specify which shooting.

The crimes previously prompted Lee and Quan to issue a joint statement condemning the violence and saying it will not be tolerated at stadiums in either city.

"The incidents ... are completely unacceptable and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," the mayors said. "Fans come to our stadiums to enjoy an afternoon of football, not to be subjected to intimidation or violence."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello echoed similar concerns on Sunday, saying "we deplore the activities of a handful of fans at last night's game and pledge our full support to Mayors Lee and Quan and to state and local law enforcement agencies."

49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, who once was a coach in the Raiders organization, said he was saddened to hear about the violence.

"I feel bad for the people who got injured and the people who had to see that, for those who had to witness it," Harbaugh said.

Raiders CEO Amy Trask also said the incidents were not acceptable to the Raiders or to any National Football League team and "our thoughts are with all affected."

Police Sgt. Frank Harrell said the man who was wearing the T-shirt drove his truck to a gate and stumbled to stadium security.

He said the two shootings were being treated a separate incidents but were likely related.

The attacks come nearly five months after San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow was severely beaten by two men in Los Angeles Dodgers gear outside Dodger Stadium after the archrivals' season opener.

Two men charged in the beating, Louie Sanchez, 28, and Marvin Norwood, 30, have pleaded not guilty.

Stow, 42, a Santa Cruz paramedic, suffered severe brain injuries and remains hospitalized in serious condition.

Here's a cool photo of Plax's awesome TD catch last night. For his first game back he was an integral part of the offense. So far Sanchez has looked good and the offense, when at full strength, might be pretty powerful.

Don't get too excited just yet. Remember you were playing the bottom feeders of the NFL, a team of castoffs and rookies that will be lucky to win two games this year.

Still, after two deep playoff runs, the Jets have a lot to look forward to and might have picked up the missing pieces this off season to win it all.

Giants romp over the Bears but lose Terrell Thomas for the season w/ a torn ACL.

It was fun to see the Giants dominate a game. Da Bears were last years most disappointing team (that playoff loss was brutal) so they have their work cut out for them.

NFL starts Thursday and nobody has posted on this thread until now for 10 days. Seems that the strike dampened everyone's excitement. Been a Rams fan since 1967, 44 years now and no, I don't have a second or third favorite team and never will, that's not for me. Pick a team and stick with them, but I'm old school. Rams went 4-0 in the preseason (YAWN), games are a huge rip-off. If you go to a spring training game or NBA exhibition game, you aren't paying full price for a game that doesn't even count. I like when they keep stats for games that don't count. Who cares who led the preseason in rushing? Regardless, the Rams open at home against The Dream Team and Michael "You Can't Design A Defense To Stop Me" Vick (at least until he gets to the playoffs.) Team that stocked up and has arguably the most talent in the league against a bunch of guys nobody has heard of other than Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson. Good test right out of the gate, rather play them now then later, worst we can be is 0-1. Defense was shoddy in preseason, we'll see which Rams show up next Sunday.

Enough of the "Dream Team". It was said by a BACKUP QB and NOT ONE OTHER MEMBER OF THE ORGINIZATION.
If that's what you need as some sort of faux-momentum, go ahead. Seems rather desperate.
And, from an actual fan who actually lives in the area, I can 1,000,000% tell you that fans are more worried about the dreadful offensive line, Maclin's health, two rookie kickers and Vick staying alive behind that woeful sieve of a line.
I hear no Super Bowl talk-only one game at a time. The only fools who keep pumping up this forced hatred are ones who have absolutely no idea what's being said for real in Philly. Young was admonished by his teammates for his statement by the way.
Personally, I think St. Louis will be a tough matchup as there are ex-Eagles and an ex-Eagles coach leading the way for the Rams. I wouldn't even be shocked if the Eagles lost as there have been problems trying to get all the new players on the same page in such a short time.
I expect a close game. 1-0, 0-1 or 0-0-1 however does not dictate a whole season.

I haven't commented much lately because the pre-season is - well, the pre-season. I'm ready now! Looking forward to Thursday's Pack-Saints kickoff - should be a dandy!

Of course my personal biggie next weekend is Cowboys-Jets! Should be another good one!

BTW - I have a brief mention in two new books about the NY Jets!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1770410031/?tag=imwan-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0760340633/?tag=imwan-20

I haven't been posting much because it's pre-season and it sucks not due to any lack of interest or the lockout which was just a blip on the radar.

Another season and another attempt for the NYJ to get to a damn Super Bowl. At the very least they are entertaining.

In Seattle many including me have little hope this year. Don't know if it's me or the games but even for preseason the last 2 Hawks games have been incredibly boring.

Please beat the Cowboys. I live about 15 minutes from Cowboys Stadium, I'll be going to the Rams game there in October. Dallas is serious bandwagon fan territory. If they win, they're going to the SB, if they lose, they're bums and a waste of time to watch--and that changes from week to week.

Tough to have a barn-burner preseason game Geff when the game doesn't even count. They're all boring and a rip-off.

Even a casual NFL fan knows that Philly loaded up in the offseason and anything short of a SB appearance at least will be a failure, just like anything short of a World Series appearance is a failure for the Phillies. As for the Dream Team moniker, that is spoken by any media outlet I watch or read and they are talking about the Eagles. The moves they made and the money they threw around wasn't to become a contender in the NFC East. Everybody is picking them to go to the SB and for good reason, they have arguably the most talent in the league. The Miami Heat didn't like the media hype either, but they created it by the moves they made and so did the Eagles. If you want to minimize those moves and huge dollars spent, that's fine. You say I sound desperate in repeating the media hype, you sound like you want to have a ready-made excuse and from what you say, maybe the rest of Philly is the same way. I'm like Rex Ryan, if the Eagles were my team I'd be telling every other team to bring it on, no reason not to be supremely confident as a fan or as a player with that roster. Yesterday in a yahoo sports interview and the source of my quote, Vick said that the Eagles have so many weapons that if a team tries to key on him that those teams "are the teams we'll run-up the score on." Being the first game, I wouldn't be surprised if we won the game or lost 52-0. Like we both said, 0-1 won't dictate a season. Media is starting to hype the Rams too and I'll believe that when I see them beat somebody good in the regular season and play well consistently. Rams are just trying to improve, the Eagles are making a SB run.

I wasn't saying you were desperate-the statement is desperate. It's like forced anger or something that teams (not you) seem to want to use as "motivation". That Vick quote I didn't even reference.
I have NO excuse-where did I ever say they were a Dream Team or winning the Super Bowl? Find it.
I do not offer predictions for a whole season and never have. I just feel there's way too many factors nobody can predict. Of course, everyone handed the Phils the World Series and we'll see what happens. They have been stupendous and have handled all of the hype and pressure incredible so far (not to mention devesatting injuries galore), but the playoffs will determine what happens.
As for the Eagles, you are correct they loaded up for a Super Bowl-they aren't messing around. That however will be tough to get free agenmts and rookies to gel with very little camp. Might not really look like a finished product until October. Not an excuse-a reality.
I am not saying they should be happy with 8-8 and really, with this talent not at least getting to the NFC Championship game will be a failure.
But this Dream Team crap is a joke. ESPN got some milage out of it and Eagles haters will milk everything out of anything perceived (or in actuality) failure.
That is what I meant and I hope I have explained that clearly. And I WILL be pissed if they are a disappointment, but as an Eagles fan and a football fan I'm just thinking they may not be that team-I watch and read about them every day so I can tell you-they have problems-serious problems at LB, K, OL and FB, so I can safely say the intelligent football fans in Philly are rightly cautious.
P.S.
As for St. Louis-a team finally on the right track. Bradford deserves better WRs to throw to, but in that NFC West a playoff birth is a real possibility.

Lee Roy Selmon died after suffering a stroke. He was only 56. It's sad when such a young man dies...and scary to think that he was only a couple of years older than I am.

No team...including the Seahawks or anyone else...will ever amount to anything with Pete Carroll at the helm. He is a major fraud, particularly at the pro level. As long as he's around, I feel for Seahawks fans.

I wasn't in favor of the hiring at the time. We over performed last year. I expect us to suck this year, but we will see. As of yesterday, there were only 10 players left from the pre PC 2009 roster, so it's his team win or lose.