Off-Topic Forum

The first quarter was pretty exciting, but then the blowout began. I can't recall a single NFC Championship game being so boring. What happened to the Vikes? After the first drive, they just couldn't play offense or defense!

The AFC Champions may be boring b/c they keep getting to the SB, but at least that game was exciting to watch.

Two #1 seeds making it to the Bowl again should make for a good game though. SHOULD?! It doesn't always work out that way though. I just hope to see a great game in 2 weeks, not another blow-out!

FLY EAGLES FLY

Regarding the AFC side of things, I grew up a Patriots fan and collect Brady cards. Always have been a fan. And I understand that people hate those who win all the time. But I'm surprised a number of people don't appreciate that we're seeing quite possibly the greatest of all time right in front of us. Instead of being exasperated about it, appreciate and enjoy what you're seeing, because I don't think we'll ever see it again.

Sorry Vikes fans; that was rough to watch. Looking forward to what should be a great game in two weeks regardless.

Two things:

1 - Sorry the NFC game was such a boring game. I had a previous commitment and missed the first half, but I sure did enjoy the second half. :)

2 - Jason - as far as the hate for the NE Patriots, they've been caught and penalized twice for cheating, and there have been other things that were questionable. Basically, it's the same reason people dislike Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Alex Rodriguez. No one denies they were great players, but the fact that they cheated makes you wonder if they would have been that good without it. That questionable past puts quite a shadow onthe organization and the players. Then there are the stats - only 1 penalty today? Really? I doubt that. And the PI call at the end of the first half was questionable. That play I saw live, and I couldn't believe that flag came out, and I was actually waiting for the signal, because I thought it was going to be OPI. Too many questionable calls. 

Sorry, Chad.

To the point with the cheating and comparision to the baseball player you named off, I'm 100% with you. Spot on, and I think that's a great comparison.

I agree that the PI call at the end of the half was ticky-tacky. I wouldn't have been surprised if a flag didn't come out, but I wasn't surprised that one did. Regarding the one penalty...I missed a portion of the game, but I certainly didn't think the referees missed any calls against New England. Not blatant ones anyway. Perhaps a hold here or there, but then, those happen every play. 

I realize looking back on it, my words certainly read like a naive and innocent person. I get why there is "hate" (as the kids say) towards the organization, and I'm sure that because I grew up a Patriots fan is why I'm on the other end of the spectrum, but it is truly amazing to me to watch and see what Brady & Belichick & Co. do every week. Kind of like Nick Saban and Alabama...watching a run like this in sports is something else. But at the end of the day, you're right Dan; I can see the opposide side of things too, even if I don't feel the same 

Coming from across the border here so take with a bit of "meh" lol, I will not be watching the SB now with the Patriots back in it, they are a team with just too much bad to be good IMO, alot of people feel the same way. Plus my blow hard brother in law (who is born and raised Canadian) with his everything USA attitude (my apologies to actual USAers) HAS to cheer for the team called the Patriots. *Rolling eyes* I again aologize but he acts, talks and pretends to be a USA citizen I swear, even has his kids and my sister following in his footsteps. It is sad, they all wear your flag all the time but do I ever see  a maple leaf come out ...... NOPE. Sorry for the rant, was hoping for a Vikings / Panthers SB but what do I know. I stick to hockey. =)

Sorry to Dan! But GO PATS!!!

I won't be upset if the Eagles win though b/c they should've won one already. Just in their run with McNabb at QB, they should have won at least one SB ring. I have a question for Philly's office though. How much do you pay Foles to keep him as the backup for the 2018 season?

As for the Pats, I've been a fan since I really started paying attention to the NFL in the late 80's. Oddly, I liked them b/c of the horrible uniforms back then. Then they drafted Drew Bledsoe in '93 and changed the uniforms around that time and I was really a fan then. I am still ticked at Curtis Martin for leaving the Pats to play for the Jets (and Terry Glenn going to the Cowboys)! The Panthers have been my favorite team since it was announced that we'd get a team in NC, but that was several years after I got interested in the NFL. Before that announcement, it was 49ers, Packers, Patriots. But when the Panthers were put in the same division as the 49ers, I had to drop them. That would almost be the same thing as a Pat's fan rooting for the Jets or an Eagles fan rooting for the Cowboys, it just can't happen!

I still can't believe the top defenses in each league both lost today! Who said that defense wins championships? Today showed how home-field advantage can trump anything else sometimes.

Showing your Canadian side for sure there.  Panthers and Vikings are in the same conference, so they couldn't face each other in the Super Bowl. I really wanted to see Panthers vs. Patriots in the Super Bowl! I am STILL waiting for the Panthers to get revenge for the SB38 loss to the Pats! One of the greatest Super Bowls of all-time with the Panthers losing by a field goal with 4 seconds left on the clock. It went back and forth through the entire second half and came down to the final play.

I'm still going to watch the Super Bowl, no matter who is going to be in it. I watch every year and I won't break that tradition. I'm so rooted in that game every year that I've dragged others into watching it with me and some even play fantasy games (sometimes for real money) just for that game. I can't even remember the last time that I didn't watch the game.

I know I've watched every Super Bowl since the Giants beat the Bills (1990?). I think I watched some of the 49ers wins before that too. It's really hard to forget one team losing 4 times in a row though, so I know I watched that first one.