Archive for the ‘NFL Highlights’ Category
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22
May
2012
Watch the 2011-2012 NFL Season in six minutes (VIDEO)
Every year, around this time, we start missing football a little bit. Sure, there are owners meetings, OTAs are starting, and we’re getting a sneak peek at some teams in action, but we’re still more than 3 months from the start of the regular season, and it’s been more than 3 months the Giants hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. And as much as we can appreciate the NBA and NHL playoffs, can see how some people (not us) can enjoy the start of the epically long baseball season, and even don’t mind watching a little Champions League soccer now and again … combined, they still somehow don’t compare to the thrill of the NFL by itself.
In case you’re like us and are starting to go into football withdrawls, the good people at NFL Films put together this nice little walk down memory lane to help you re-live this past season, and remind us once again how awesome the sport is. It isn’t exactly new, but we were saving it up for a time when we thought you might need it most … enjoy:
14
Mar
2012
Calvin Johnson: No one man should have all that power … or money (VIDEO)
(Photo: NFLGridironGab.com)
The Detroit Lions just made Calvin Johnson the richest wide receiver in the NFL, signing him to an new eight-year contract worth up to $132 million, including $60 million guaranteed. It’s one of the biggest deals in league history, surpassing the contract Arizona gave Larry Fitzgerald last year (8-year, $120 million), and ensures fans in Detroit will have the Johnson-Stafford connection to look forward to for the foreseeable future.
In case you were wondering why the Lions were willing to break the bank for Johnson (and were curious why we chose the headline we did for this post), this Megatron highlight video should give you an idea:
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
8
Mar
2012
Did Peyton Manning’s neck issues start with a Gregg Williams bounty back in 2006? (VIDEO)
Was this the moment that changed Manning's career forever?
The two biggest stories in the NFL right now are Peyton Manning’s release from the Colts, and the bounty system run by Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams while with the Saints and Redskins before them. And now it seems that those two stories might intersect in a most interesting way, as former colts head coach Tony Dungy has suggested that Manning’s neck issues could be traced back to an injury sustained while facing a Williams-coached Redskins defense in 2006. And if that’s the case, Williams’ little bounty program will have made a far bigger impact across the league than anyone could have imagined.
On the play in question [VIDEO HERE and below], Manning was hit by Redskins defenders Andre Carter and Phillip Daniels in a high-low combo, with Daniels holding on to Peyton’s helmet all the way to the ground, thus twisting the QB’s neck and body into an extremely awkward position. Manning’s helmet eventually popped right off of his head, and he immediately showed signs of being injured, shaking his right arm ”as if trying to get the feeling back in it.” The Colts called a timeout and Manning was able to return on the next play without any immediate ill-effects, but many believe that this was the beginning of the nerve damage that led to four neck surgeries and his current free agent status.
“The guy wouldn’t let go of my head,” Manning said after the game of Daniels, who was fined $5,000 by the NFL for the hit. “I looked at my helmet to see if my head was in it.”
VIDEO OF MANNING’S INJURY AFTER THE JUMP
27
Feb
2012
Giants fans, re-live the 2012 Super Bowl run with these awesome highlight packages (VIDEO)
Jacquian Williams entered Giants history with this forced fumble (Image via Sportsgrid.com)
Earlier this year, we posted a tremendous NY Giants 2011 regular season highlight reel from Youtube user gocolts123456789100, that stood head and shoulders above the average fan-made video. And ever since the Giants wrapped up Super Bowl XLVI, we have been anxiously awaiting his follow-up installment, prior to posting any post-season wrap-up videos.
Well, the new highlight reel of the Giants Super Bowl run is up, and once again our man didn’t disappoint, with another superbly-edited piece, set to perfectly apropos background music – this time, “NY NY” by B.o.B. It’s a great way for Giants fans to re-live the emotion of the team’s improbable yet impressive run through the NFC playoffs, with emotional wins over the Falcons, 49ers and Packers, and ultimately defeating the Patriots to hoist the Lombardi trophy.
And if you’re looking for something more in-depth, we also found this remarkable, 44-minute highlight package covering the entire playoff run in chronological order (starting with the Week 15 victory over the Cowboys) and with painstaking detail, which we’ve embedded below as well.
VIDEOS AFTER THE JUMP
20
Feb
2012
Back in 1984, the Los Angeles Raiders were “Wild Boys” (MUSIC VIDEO)
The steroid-feuled Alzado was a nightmare for opponents
Wow … this one really brings us back.
It was 1984, and a young MTV was sweeping the nation. In an attempt to tap-in to the up-and-coming music video market, NBC put together a series of sports highlights set to some of the day’s hottest hits for an end-of-year special. To give you an idea of how old I am, our high school football coach actually used to play these videos to get us fired up before games … and believe it or not, it worked. You’ve got to understand, at the time, most sports highlights were set to the old-school, classical, NFL Films-style music. So to see the game set to our favorite music – stuff that we actually listened to – was a revelation. Hell, “Walk of Life” by Dire Straits is a great song, but I remember watching the music video for it over and over and over again, simply because it was set to sports highlights.
One of the more memorable clips from the special was this video about the bad boy-era Los Angeles Raiders, set to Duran Duran’s “Wild Boys”. As the defending Super Bowl champions, the 1984 Raiders were on top of the world, and they weren’t afraid to let people know it. With colorful personalities like Lyle Alzado, Todd Christiensen, Matt Millen and Marcus Allen, these Raiders mirrored to personality of their owner Al Davis and played with a chip on their shoulder. That same year, the US Supreme Court also upheld the Raiders victory in Davis’ antitrust case against the NFL, making the franchise the very definition of rebellion in professional sports. Unfortunately, they also seem to have gotten caught up in some of the LA hype, as evidenced by this video’s fashion show, and their wild card round exit from that year’s playoffs.
But this video still remains a treasured piece of NFL & pop culture history, and we’ll do our best to try and track down some of the other clips from that NBC special …
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
9
Feb
2012
Super Bowl XLVI is even more thrilling mic’d up (UPDATED w/VIDEO)
Manning makes the throw of his life (Photo: NFL.com)
As always, the NFL Films crew was in full force at Super Bowl XLVI, capturing all the sights and sounds of the world’s biggest game as only they can. For this game, the Sound FX team had WR Victor Cruz and LB Michael Boley mic’d up for the Giants, and QB Tom Brady and DT Vince Wilfork wired for the Pats. And the result is every bight as insightful and exciting as you’d expect it to be.
Here are the links to watch the entire Sound FX program on NFL.com: PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4
A few of the more interesting moments from the broadcast:
- Justin Tuck’s pre-game speech inspiring his teammates who have yet to win a Super Bowl to reach for their ring (which possibly inspired the team’s now-famous post-game “I got a ring” celebration)
- Patriots owner Robert Kraft asking to look into Tom Brady’s eyes before the game to see if he has “the look”, and Brady responding “I got it today. I’ve had it for three days”
- Victor Cruz pre-game: “Super Bowl 46 … I used to think it was all about me, and what I could do. It’s all about this team, man.”
- Wes Welker: “I’m open on every play.” Brady: “I know you are, man. I know you are.”
- Brady, following the intentional grounding call that resulted in a safety on the first offensive play of the game
“I looked at Gronk, I looked to Wes, he dropped, then I felt him, I had no place to throw it away. I threw it over his head. I didn’t want to throw an interception.”
- On Cruz’ fumble/non-fumble in the first quarter, when the Patriots were flagged for 12 men on the field, the Giants saw it all the way, urging Manning to snap the ball to catch New England for a free play
- After Jason Pierre-Paul knocks down a Brady pass, the QB says to Welker on the sideline: “It’s like throwing in a forest, dude, those f*ing guys arms are like…”
- When Giants Kevin Boothe was called for holding Vince Wilfork in the 2nd quarter, nullifying a big first down and ultimately killing the drive. Immediately, the referee asks the official who thew the flag “You’re good with it? I thought he spun off of it”, which Wilfork later confirms, saying “That was a bad call”.
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
8
Feb
2012
Watch these Giants fans react to winning the Super Bowl (VIDEO)
So it seems that the trend of fans recording themselves while watching the final moments of a championship game continued on Sunday, with Giants fans everywhere looking to preserve their viewing memories of Super Bowl XLVI – good or bad – for all the internet to see. Fortunately for these fans, Brady’s last-second hail mary fell harmlessly to the turf, sealing New York’s fourth Super Bowl championship in franchise history, and sending legions of Giants fans around the world into fits of hysterical joy.
This compilation of reaction shots goes on a bit long, but it’s still fun to re-live the final seconds (as well as the emotional post-game celebration) through the eyes of these passionate fans.
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
5
Feb
2012
Giants defeat Patriots 21-17 to win Super Bowl XLVI, Eli wins MVP (VIDEO)
Eli = Elite (Photo: NY Giants Facebook)
The New York Giants are Super Bowl Champions once again, and Eli Manning has won his second Super Bowl MVP award after defeating the New England Patriots 21-17 in Indianapolis tonight. With the win, Eli officially steps out of the shadow of his brother Peyton, and cements himself in the annals of NFL history as one of the game’s greatest quarterbacks.
The biggest play of the game came in the fourth quarter, as the Giants attempted to drive the field for the game-winning score. Manning hit Mario Manningham for this incredible 38-yard sideline catch:
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
29
Jan
2012
Brandon Marshall makes ridiculous TD catch; wins Pro Bowl MVP (VIDEO)
(Image via SportsGrid.com)
Sunday’s 2012 Pro Bowl started out pretty much as expected, with defensive players giving minimal effort at little things like rushing the passer, covering and tackling, setting the stage for the offensive shootout that ensued. The AFC ultimately out-gunned the NFC 59-41, with Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall reeling in a Pro Bowl record 4 TDs and earning the MVP trophy.
And while this laissez-faire defensive attitude elicited boos from the crowd and groans from television viewers everywhere, the game did end up providing a few noteworthy moments. To be honest, we didn’t actually watch the whole thing, but we got a pretty good feel for things via the stats and game highlights … and with 100 total points scored, you get the general idea: defense (and running backs) took the day off in Honolulu today. For their part, the NFC had three players – Tony Gonzalez, Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Smith - with more than 100 yards receiving, with Fitzgerald pulling in three scores of his own.
Marshall finished with 176 yards on six catches, but none of them were as memorable as this unbelievable (and wildly lucky) third quarter grab of a tipped Andy Dalton pass while laying on his back in the endzone:
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
28
Jan
2012
Watch this amazing compilation of fan reactions to the AFC Championship game (VIDEO)
(Image via Youtube.com)
There has been a trend sweeping YouTube in recent years of fans recording themselves watching live sporting events unfold, and then uploading their reactions for all the world to see. This has provided us with all kinds of tremendous sporting moments caught on camera from the fan’s point of view, like this remarkable compilation of fans watching Landon Donovan’s game-winning goal in the 2010 World Cup.
And as you might guess, last week’s AFC Championship game between the Patriots and the Ravens provided all kinds of fodder for superfans everywhere to freak the eff out, with their cameras rolling. Between both Lee Evans’ near-game-winning-TD that wasn’t and Billy Cundiff’s field goal shank that lost it for Baltimore, the final few minutes were an emotional roller coaster for fans of both teams.
So that’s what makes this compilation of fan reactions to the game (aptly titled “The Agony of Defeat and Thrill of Victory“) – which features both ebullient celebrations and soul-crushing collapses from Pats and Ravens fans alike – just so fantastic. You really get to feel the win/loss from both perspectives, and get a sense of just how much this game means to people everywhere. And of course it includes this guy.
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
