Archive for the ‘Live Game Blog’ Category
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1
Sep
2010
It’s just a Fantasy, It’s not the real thing
+10 points for anyone who got the Billy Joel reference in the post title
Along with the start of the NFL season, comes the beginning of Fantasy Football, giving millions of armchair GM’s an opportunity to put their money where their mouth is and show off their football knowledge against their peers.
Admittedly, I’m a bit of a fantasy football geek. I’m currently in 2 leagues, which is down from the 3 I used to play in. With three leagues, it was just way too confusing knowing who to root for/against in any given game, and often times, you were rooting for/against the same guy! So I knocked it down to a much more manageable 2 fantasy teams, much to the delight of my fiancee, I’m sure.
At this point, if you haven’t done your homework and ranked your players, you’re kind of screwed. I mean, I’m sure plenty of guys fly by the seat of their pants, and they probably end up doing fine (which effing kills me) … but in general, you’re better off having a strategy going in. I’m the kind of guy who likes to hit a home run with every pick, though this has never happened. But after enough years doing this, I hope I’ve at least learned the kind of players to avoid, and which guys present the best value at each draft pick. That’s the key word – value. My strategy is to take the best player available – not entirely regardless of position – and stack your roster with people who will actually score points. You can always make trades later in the season. I’m done with rolling the dice on rookies until they show that their talents translate to the NFL. Skip the boom or bust guys … give me the guys I can count on for 10 points every week. Inevitably, quite a few of the players you draft won’t be on your roster come mid-season. But the draft is where you build your foundation, and determines how much you’ll have to scramble in free agency week in and out.
Reality check: Lest we forget, at the end of the day this is all really just for fun, so I try not to take it too seriously. First and foremost, I’m a football fan, and my real-world allegiances (and overall perspective) take precedence over my fantasy world. But you can’t help feel attached to anything you invest this much energy into, and you best believe my roster will be filled with players I like, and can cheer for on Sundays.
16
Aug
2010
Live Game Blog: Giants vs Jets (pre-season)
Eli Manning is a bloody mess. Not what Giants fans wanted to see tonight (Photo: Tim Farrell, US Presswire via ESPN.com)
UPDATE: Eli Manning left the game in the 2nd quarter with a 3-inch laceration on his forehead, requiring 12 stitches.
Watch Eli get bloodied on NFL.com
With the Giants driving and inside the 15, Manning dropped back to pass and ran into Brandon Jacobs, knocking the ball out of his hands. When Manning grabbed for the ball, LB Calvin Pace drilled him from behind, knocking Eli’s helmet flying through the air. As he went down, sans helmet, Manning fell forward into S Jim Leonard, cutting his head on Leonard’s facemask. Eli walked to the sidelines and was replaced by backup QB Jim Sorgi.
From TheBlueScreen:
The Giants have sent Eli Manning home after he got 12 stitches in his forehead. The team says X-Rays were negative and there were no signs of a concussion.
“I feel fine,” Manning said. “I feel normal. … I’ll be back as soon as I can. It’s really not an injur. Nothing serious. I really feel like I could go back out and play right now if I had to.
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UPDATE #2: It’s the Victor Cruz show for the Giants in the 2nd half! Cruz, a rookie WR from Massachussets, has 6 catches for 145 yards and 3 TDs in the 2nd half. The highlight of the night was undoubtedly this one-handed circus catch Cruz takes 64 yards for the score:
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The NFL is officially back after the first full week of pre-season games, culminating in tonight’s Monday Night Football match-up between the Giants and Jets. And we. are. fired. UP!!!
The New York Jets are the current darlings of the media after their AFC Championship appearance last season, and adding players like LaDanian Tomlinson, Antonio Cromartie and Santonio Holmes. Meanwhile, the Giants – who have long held claim to the football throne in New York – have added lots of talent on the defensive side of the ball, and will look to rebound from a horrible finish to the 2009 campaign. Both teams will be looking to plant their flag in the New Meadowlands Stadium with a win tonight.
We’ll be following all the action and posting our running thoughts in the comments section … join us, won’t you?
23
Apr
2010
2010 NFL DRAFT – 3RD ROUND LIVE BLOG
How long will Colt McCoy last?
We’re sticking with the NFL Draft on Friday night, all the way through round 3, baby! Still plenty of talent available at this point in the draft – most notably players like QB Colt McCoy, OT Bruce Campbell and LB Navorro Bowman.
For all the hype surrounding round 1 of the draft, rounds 2-4 are where a team’s draft are really made or broken. So it’s worth paying attention to the guys who are being selected tonight.
Follow the action in the comments section, where you’ll find highlights of as many draft selections as we can find!
22
Apr
2010
THE 2010 NFL DRAFT 1ST-ROUND LIVE BLOG
The hour is now. The future of the league is being shaped this evening as the 2010 NFL Draft gets underway in New York, New York. (Source: AP)
If you’re an NFL fan… today is Christmas Day.
Beginning with the Rams first-round selection at 7:32 p.m. EST, we’ll be following the entire first round, pick by pick.
READ AND REACT IS IN THE HOUSE. ArtieFufkin will track ESPN’s coverage of the event. TheDarkHorse will follow the draft on the NFL Network. (We may even see cameos from steverodgers and C-O-U-R-T-N-E-Y!)
We’ll be trash talking, assessing the action, and also taking a look at tomorrow’s 2nd and 3rd rounds–where, in a deep draft like this one, there will be tremendous competition between the teams to get “their guys.”
There’s a sense around the league that this could be a wild night–we’ll be commenting on the action as it happens, and look forward to chatting with you. Click the comments section to join in the action.
24
Jan
2010
CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY: Live Gameday Blog
(Photos via ESPN.com)
Well, the big day is here. Championship Sunday. Colts vs Jets and Saints vs Vikings for the right to play in Super Bowl XLIV. By now we all know the set-up. It’s time to shut up and play.
We’ll be following the game action all day long, and providing our ongoing thoughts in the comments section. Please join us, won’t you?
CONTINUE AFTER THE JUMP TO FOLLOW ALONG IN THE COMMENTS
27
Dec
2009
Cowboys, Redskins, Live Blog
(AP Photo/Nick Wass)
I am late to the NFL party today, having missed most of today’s games (except for some highlights) because of holiday stuff. I am going to blog tonight’s Cowboys-Redskins game (just underway) . . . .
26
Nov
2009
Live Game Blog: Thanksgiving Day Edition
mmmmm .... Turducken. (Photo: Jeff Kowalsky/Getty Images)
Thanksgiving annually means 3 things: 1) awkward family gatherings 2) overeating/drinking and 3) football. Guess what we’ll be doing today?
As has become tradition, the Cowboys and Lions will be hosting turkey day games … off against the Packers and Raiders respectively (hint: neither of these games will be interesting to watch). But John Madden is no longer a part of the festivities, and in looking at the banner pic above, we can’t help but miss the ol’ son of a gun around this time of year.
This year we also get an extra night game courtesy of the NFL Network, and I – ArtieFufkin – will be attending the Giants/Broncos game this evening in Denver, and will try to report back with images and tales of whimsy from the game.
In the mean time, here is Adam Sandler’s classic “Thanksgiving Song” to get you in the holiday spirit. All of us here at ReadAndReact hope your Thanksgiving is filled with joy and cheer!
And if you can sneak away from the family for a moment, feel free to post your gameday thoughts and follow today’s NFL action in the comments section.
22
Nov
2009
NFL WEEK 11 LIVE GAME BLOG! THE GIANTS DO-OR-DIE EDITION!
(Source: CNYCentral.com)
The 5-4 New York Giants face the 5-4 Atlanta Falcons. Equal records, and a good matchup, but it’s the G-Men who must put an end to a dizzying spiral into the abyss.
We’ll be following the action all day long.
Check out the comments section to share your thoughts, vent, and follow the action.
16
Nov
2009
LIVE GAME BLOG! MONDAY NIGHT SHOWD…. OH WAIT, NOBODY CARES.
I was about to post my writeup on the Browns-Ravens game… but I was overcome with a sense of futility. Back to staring at the wall.
15
Nov
2009
NFL WEEK TEN LIVE GAME BLOG: THE BRADY VS. MANNING EDITION
Love 'em or hate 'em, this is still the best quarterback duel in the National Football League. (Sources: Al Tielemans/SI)
For the past half-decade, it’s been the NFL’s best, if not only, great quarterback showdown. Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning. For two teams that don’t play in the same division, these guys have an uncanny knack for meeting annually at a critical juncture. Brady, of course, is the quintessential NFL quarterback, exuding confidence under pressure, a “team-first” attitude, and a will of steel. He’s got the looks, the super-model wife, and a handful of Super Bowl rings. He’s been lavished with riches beyond belief, and yet he remains likable.
Manning, meanwhile, has always been a perfect fit for Indianapolis, a throwback signal caller who’s been an absolute rock for a franchise that drifted for decades before his arrival. With a richer bloodline than any quarterback in our lifetime (even his little brother’s beaten Brady), he’s answered some of his sharpest critics (who wondered if he’d ever win a Super Bowl) and is currently enjoying one of his finest seasons to date. While he’s over-exposed and marketed idiotically — he and Eli come across a little dim in their countless ad campaigns — there’s no denying his achievements on the field.
The most-heated NFL rivalries almost always involve the game’s best quarterbacks. The Cowboys-Niners matchups featured the likes of Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, and Steve Young in the prime of their careers. The Niners and Giants pitted Montana vs. Phil Simms. When the Browns and Broncos met in three AFC Championships, it only happened because Bernie Kosar and John Elway led those teams.
Remember those great Giants-Redskins matchups between Dave Brown and Heath Shuler? Me neither.
This is a quarterback’s league. Always has been, always will be. Even if the Brady-Manning pregame hype is a bit tedious, it has produced some fascinating games. In a league where there are fewer and fewer powerhouse teams amid increased parody, we long for a true clash of the titans, and this may be as good as it gets in 2009.
We’ll be commenting on the games all day, and look forward to chatting with you. Click the comments section to join us for Week 10 in the National Football League.
