American Football

[Bobbin']

Got tickets for all 3. Managed to get £40 tickets for the 2 Wembley games as well, which was pleasing.

Wouldn't have worked out cheaper to get a season ticket?

Giants vs Rams now sold out.

 

[TomPNE94]

Forgot about this until half an hour ago like a fucking idiot so only managed to get Colts-Jags tickets.

 

[JJ1532]

Wouldn't have worked out cheaper to get a season ticket?

Giants vs Rams now sold out.

Possibly, but was having issues getting 3 equivalent price tickets. There were no £40 season tickets at Twickenham left either, so I'd have had to get 3 £60/£80/£100 tickets across both stadiums. Not overly bothered, didn't plan it well and I wasn't sure until today if I even wanted to go to all 3. So I've spent more than I probably needed to, but I'll plan it better for next year.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Watched Run Ricky Run last night, what a thoroughly nice chap.

Interesting fella aint he. Obviously not Father of the Century back in the day, but the hullabaloo over him having the temerity to decide he'd rather feck off and smoke weed in a yurt than play football rather cut to the heart of the sport's pseudo martial YOU MUST SUBMIT bullshit, dint it. Seems to be be doing alright for himself now too.

 

[Anon]

Am gradually ploughing through all the A Football Life docs via the game pass. Finished 2012 and 2013, now into 2014. Great series - will have to resume the 30 for 30s again at some point.

Just shows really that in general, I couldn't imagine for a second the Premier League making anything like as interesting a series about most football players, coaches or teams. I wonder if it's partially because of the sport too.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Dunno, perhaps not in the exact same register, but A Soccer Life - Jack Charlton or whatever could work just as well A Football Life - Mike Singletary, I reckon. I think most sports are pretty apt for (often bathetic) mythification via the pseudo-cinematic montage + sonorous voiceover treatment, really.

I think the big diff with the NFL is that NFL Films have been sowing the ground with this sort of stuff for decades, and have an amazing film archive of a league that has been extensively televised for over 50 years. In turn that's prompted other broadcasters (HBO, ESPN) to get in on the act.

Until recently Sky Sports have been the only UK broadcaster with the wherewithal and airtime to do something similar, and they seem singularly uninterested in investing in high quality original programming outside of the live events. All we get is cheapo Premier League produced seasons in review, bought in Sporting Greats thingies. I don't understand it. And BT's efforts have been inept thus far, with all the gestures but none of the heft.

 

[Renegade]

I agree, I think it's almost completely down to the quality of NFL Films, the propulsion in popularity of the NFL (from the 60s onwards) in general can largely be attributed to them.

I don't think A Football Life is a particularly great series, but it is superbly produced. They do tell some amazing stories, but a number of the profiles are simply of successful players who had pretty normal hardships in their lives. Amusingly enough, my favourite one is the profile of Steve Sabol and his role in NFL Films, I thought the documentary told you a lot more than all of the others.

The most unique stories they have covered have an equivalent in all other sports as 30 for 30 proves, which is like A Football Life but less diluted by ordinary stories. Look up the 30 for 30 on Hillsborough to show the sort of thing a good production company can do with football. There are plenty of good football documentaries to be fair.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

I was thinking this last week when I watched a few of them on Youtube. But then it's all about airtime and Sky's far too uptight corporate ethos in comparison to the relaxed light hearted presenting of NFL Network. Sky would rather show Premier League Darts/Super League/Half of Leeds United's mid-table Championship games than investing in looking at the history of football. Besides they'd be stumped on anything before 1992! Sky are also far too wooden and serious to have any character in their programming save for twice a year when Jim White's yellow tie comes out. And I find that repulsive.

I always remember the Football Years documentaries on Sky a decade ago that went back to the 1980s and how they were good at embracing the highlights of a season intertwined with the culture of the time, but they haven't done anything since. Match of the 70s/80s/90s by the BBC were good too but again nowhere near the high quality of the NFL Films archive. Fifa tried doing it with the World Cup's but they too were in the trail of the NFLs fantastic work.

I really loved the Lyle Alzado Football Life documentary, the guy was a nutcase but I found that one to be very gripping.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

A Football Life is hardly an exercise in lightheartedness or a break from a corporate ethos. They are the very essence of the NFL's self image as a super serious crucible of manly manliness, an arena for religiose Overcoming, Sacrifice, the acquisition of Self-Knowledge (by smashing one's brains out in the service of an oblivious billionaire, obviously), etc.

They do not completely eschew the negative parts of the profession, which is to their (partial) credit, but let's not pretend they are something other than the NFL burnishing its own shield.

 

[Destruction]

Interesting fella aint he. Obviously not Father of the Century back in the day, but the hullabaloo over him having the temerity to decide he'd rather feck off and smoke weed in a yurt than play football rather cut to the heart of the sport's pseudo martial YOU MUST SUBMIT bullshit, dint it. Seems to be be doing alright for himself now too.

I liked it when he wouldn't take any shit off the old white guy who kept asking him why he was retiring, asking him back if the right time to retire is when his knees are crippled maybe?

Just shows though, anyone who rejects "the system" in any walk of life is made out to be an odd ball. I'm glad he seemed to have found peace come the end, and like you said, a much improved relationship with his children.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Two weeks til National Signing Day and we've got Aggy bloggers calling Longhorn players "boy" on the Twitters.

 

[.V.]

Just about to watch Four Falls of Buffalo.

 

[Stagat]

Just about to watch Four Falls of Buffalo.

Still not got round to that. Good is it?

 

[.V.]

Still not got round to that. Good is it?

Certainly worth a watch.

 

[Craig]

Championship Day!!

Hoping for Pats and Panthers victories tonight.

 

[kieran_vale]

I'm good with that.

Quietly confident with the one caveat that I do fear this becoming some sort of Ray Lewis style retirement tour for fivehead. Still no excuses, got no major players inactive so fancy us to win by 4 or 5 points.

 

[Anon]

Hoping for the complete opposite, Broncos and Cardinals

 

[kieran_vale]

Not the most memorable opening drive that. Stunned BB elected for us to receive the kickoff rather than defer like he usually does.

Concerned about the interior pressure Denver were getting there though, not a brilliant sign.

 

[.V.]

Don't care who wins in the NFC gam,e and if both the Donkeys and Pats could lose I'd be chuffed, but I'll cheer for Peyton; lesser of two evils.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Well then.

 

[RavenBish]

That was very easy

 

[kieran_vale]

Coverage was horrible on that drive. Malcom Butler playing about 15 yards off his receiver when they were 3rd and 10 is probably one he will want back.

And seriously what exactly does Gronk have to have done to him for the officials to throw a flag?

 

[Bobbin']

That was just horrible from Denver.

 

[kieran_vale]

SJax you wonderful person. Finally something good happens. Then Gost goes and misses the PAT.

They've got Hillman to thank for us getting on the board there.

 

[Renegade]

They should just keep Anderson in the game for every play (if he's fit enough), he's just a much better running back despite his slow start this season. The start of this game has been very promising, I was expecting a quite low scoring but simple victory for the Pats, this could be a classic if Denver get a lead. I expect the Pats to come back strong in the second half as Brady wears out the Broncos pass rush with the short passing.

#anyonebutpats

 

[kieran_vale]

Come on Brady that was fucking horrible!!!

 

[Destruction]

DE FENCE DE FENCE.

 

[Renegade]

 

[kieran_vale]

Love watching Brady when he's running, everything seems to happen in slow motion.

 

[Tom_CUFC]

This Pats offensive line is absolutely horrible.