NFL playoffs running thread (with poll)

And the Broncos have arrived in NJ. Seahawks clearly have an advantage in terms of practice field proximity.

Broncos have to travel to Jets facility which is 30 miles from hotel. Assume they will get a police escort.

Seahawks have a lot quicker trip to The Giants facility.

 

Rick Stain, I covered two Super Bowls where there was no bye week, and it's a real grind. The bye is a huge break for reporters and editors, especially if their market's team is in the game. Planning Super Bowl XXXVI coverage on the fly by telephone from Pittsburgh was quite stressful. Nobody on this board should be against the bye.

 

The main backlash against the bye was during that period of lopsided Super Bowls, the feeling being that one team lost its edge and the long layoff being the culprit. The recent stretch of very good games has pretty much quashed that.

 

That three of the Super Bowls where there was only a week between (XXV, XXVIII and XXXIV) were some of the more competitive ones of that era probably fueled that thinking.

 

I'm not against the bye, but I hate the fact that the schedule has drug on so late in the year. The Super Bowl is four days before the start of the Winter Olympics and about 10 days before some baseball teams open camp.

If they want the bye week, then push the regular season back to Labor Day weekend and let it end on or around Christmas. I know that's not the greatest schedule to be playing playoff games before New Year's, but that seems to be the best compromise if you want to keep the bye before the Super Bowl.

 

I'm sure the multiple voices in your head see this as a raging conflict.

Do those voices ever ask each other why the NFL would need to worry about any of that and thus compromise?

 

I used to hate that the Super Bowl didn't come until February. Then I remembered that February sucks ass for sports.
The Winter Olympics are once every four years, and who really gives a shit about pitchers and catchers reporting? Call me on opening day. February hockey, NBA and college basketball are important, but not when the most important action is.
Giving us another week of relevant sports before we hit the absolute doldrums is not a bad thing.

 

Ah, good call on Smith. My mistake. And I agree on the Steelers. I'm sure they'd despise the idea of being on Hard Knocks, but unless someone else volunteers, I'm sure the league would love to have them on it (especially since it may never get the chance to force them to do it again).

They're an interesting team with some big personalities, good story lines and a huge national following. I imagine they'd draw better ratings than any team except maybe the Giants. I mean, if the league is picking, are they really going to choose the Bills? The Cardinals?

 

There are all sorts of conflicts in the sports schedule these days. I get that. But as a sports reporter or fan, we're simply expressing an opinion. You wanna be stuck covering whatever on Super Bowl Sunday because it's February? Not any more than I want to be stuck covering the World Series in November.

 

Bad omen for The Broncos, United pilot forgot to wave Bronco flag as they taxied to gate in
Newark.

 

Why didn't the editors plan on most of the Super Bowl coverage prior to the team playing in the championship game? Not saying plan every single story, but at least half, if not more.

 

Shame on him, worrying more about getting the plane safely to the terminal instead of waving a flag.