I'm calling it

[Ormazd]

The motherfucking Packers are going to win the Super Bowl.

The only joy I've gotten from the NFL the last 10 years has been watching them get eliminated.

Sure, Rodgers owns the Bears. But, he didn't own Kaepernick running wild, the Seahawks coming back from 0-16 in the last 2 minutes, or the GOAT last year.

The league is filled with bumblefuckery this year and, as much as it pains me to say it, Packers look like they'll be the ones to survive.

Please let me be wrong.

[southdakbearfan]

Rams, chiefs or patriots.

[Arkansasbear]

Don't think they make it to the Super Bowl, much less win it.

[Otis Day]

Not seeing they make it either. I can't go against Brady, ever. The Buc D is getting healthy. The Buc O is kicking ass. We will all be happy, Packers are not seeing the SB.

[UOK]

The Packers will do their usual bit of getting to the NFC championship game and losing.

Super Bowl will be Patriots vs. Bucs.

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

The Packers will do their usual bit of getting to the NFC championship game and losing.

Super Bowl will be Patriots vs. Bucs.

The NFL would fall all over itself for that match up. Either that or just rig the games if both get into the playoffs.

[UOK]

The NFL would fall all over itself for that match up. Either that or just rig the games if both get into the playoffs.

[dplank]

I'll wager even odds that Rodgers is still a Packer next season.

[IE]

I called it yesterday AM in the game thread. I think the Pack are definitely going to the Superbowl. I guess with an asterisk around Rodger's toe.

Agreed, Plank. Rodgers isn't going anywhere. He's just an attention seeking narcissist diva.

[wab]

I think it'll be Rogers vs Brady in the NFC Championship. IMO the winner is a toss-up

But yeah, I don't think Rogers leaves GB in the offseason. I do hope I'm wrong about that.

[o-pus #40 in B major]

I'll wager even odds that Rodgers is still a Packer next season.

Maybe I'm in the minority about this, but I hope the fucker sticks around a couple more years so we can whip his ass a few times.

[spudbear]

The NFC playoffs should be interesting, considering how the game last night went. After the Bears got stomped by the Cards I thought Arizona would cruise to the #1 seed, but the Rams had other plans. With the lack of warm bodies on the Bears squad on defense most everyone thought the Pukers would roll over the Bears, but Chicago made a game of it.

The Bears have played 5 of the current 7 top playoff seeds (so far) this year, and lost to each of them. 5 teams in the NFC have identical 6-7 records and are fighting for a playoff berth, and one of those is the next opponent, the Viqueens. I don't see a clear cut dominant NFC team, so it should be an interesting playoff round in spite of the Bears absence.

The AFC should be battle between Titans-Chiefs, particularly if Henry can come back and run effectively.

I'll go with Tits-Rams for a prediction at this time.

[Hema2.0]

Football is dead to me when Chicago isnt playing meaningful games. Which happens to be most of my life, I guess.

Please, dear baby Jesus, make the Chicago Bears relevant again, with a new owner of the franchise!

And fuck the Packers.

Amen.

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

The bears can still make the playoffs 8-9 will be enough in my opinion

[The Marshall Plan]

The motherfucking Packers are going to win the Super Bowl.

The only joy I've gotten from the NFL the last 10 years has been watching them get eliminated.

Sure, Rodgers owns the Bears. But, he didn't own Kaepernick running wild, the Seahawks coming back from 0-16 in the last 2 minutes, or the GOAT last year.

The league is filled with bumblefuckery this year and, as much as it pains me to say it, Packers look like they'll be the ones to survive.

Please let me be wrong.

No chance in hell.

They won't get past The GOAT and even Kyler Murray will give them fits.

Then there's the Rams.

The Packers have a great record because they play in a shitty division.

[crueltyabc]

For Rodgers to come back to the Packers next year they'd have to extend him with void years until infinity and lose at least two defensive stars just to get back under the cap. And that's before they think about Adams. They're $33m over the cap right now so "they're going to have to make some tough choices" and he knows it. So we're saying Rodgers will be back because of what... loyalty? Belief in that front office that they'll build through the draft while they pay his huge contract?

[crueltyabc]

I couldn't stand hearing the damn announce team talking about his return like it's a matter of two gentlemen arriving at a handshake deal. The Packers are a broke team and he's a selfish turd

[RichH55]

The motherfucking Packers are going to win the Super Bowl.

The only joy I've gotten from the NFL the last 10 years has been watching them get eliminated.

Sure, Rodgers owns the Bears. But, he didn't own Kaepernick running wild, the Seahawks coming back from 0-16 in the last 2 minutes, or the GOAT last year.

The league is filled with bumblefuckery this year and, as much as it pains me to say it, Packers look like they'll be the ones to survive.

Please let me be wrong.

No chance in hell.

They won't get past The GOAT and even Kyler Murray will give them fits.

Then there's the Rams.

The Packers have a great record because they play in a shitty division.

Didn't they play the Rams already?

[RichH55]

For Rodgers to come back to the Packers next year they'd have to extend him with void years until infinity and lose at least two defensive stars just to get back under the cap. And that's before they think about Adams. They're $33m over the cap right now so "they're going to have to make some tough choices" and he knows it. So we're saying Rodgers will be back because of what... loyalty? Belief in that front office that they'll build through the draft while they pay his huge contract?

I sadly don't think that is the case if he is staying. Though maybe I just followed too many New Orleans Saints offseasons where 33 million is a joke

"Releasing outside linebacker Preston Smith and receiver Randall Cobb would clear around $20 million, probably making both moves necessary."

Restructure Rodgers probably saves another 15 million

Jaire Alexander is all base salary (13 million and change) - Coverting that into a SB saves like 10 or so

I'm under the cap and have enough to extend Adams - and thats before touching Z. Smith's bloated Cap Number.

[The Marshall Plan]

No chance in hell.

They won't get past The GOAT and even Kyler Murray will give them fits.

Then there's the Rams.

The Packers have a great record because they play in a shitty division.

Didn't they play the Rams already?

Hello Newman.

[RichH55]

Didn't they play the Rams already?

Hello Newman.

Look the Packers have an absolute history of being the dumbest in the Playoffs - and them losing is fantastic for two big reasons
1) They don't make the SB
2) It strengthens the likelihood that Rodgers leaves - and that kills them for a good few years

But its weird to pimp two NFL West teams over them and not note they literally Played and BEAT both teams this season.

Brady might be our only hope - Cue the Churchill comments about Stalin for me

[crueltyabc]

For Rodgers to come back to the Packers next year they'd have to extend him with void years until infinity and lose at least two defensive stars just to get back under the cap. And that's before they think about Adams. They're $33m over the cap right now so "they're going to have to make some tough choices" and he knows it. So we're saying Rodgers will be back because of what... loyalty? Belief in that front office that they'll build through the draft while they pay his huge contract?

I sadly don't think that is the case if he is staying. Though maybe I just followed too many New Orleans Saints offseasons where 33 million is a joke

"Releasing outside linebacker Preston Smith and receiver Randall Cobb would clear around $20 million, probably making both moves necessary."

Restructure Rodgers probably saves another 15 million

Jaire Alexander is all base salary (13 million and change) - Coverting that into a SB saves like 10 or so

I'm under the cap and have enough to extend Adams - and thats before touching Z. Smith's bloated Cap Number.

Ugh I just went through the process on spotrac and you've changed my mind. They could run it back if everyone was on board

[wab]

I think Brady gets one more.

Outside chance...the Cowboys. I don't think they can win the whole thing, but they could make it.

[Boris13c]

I think it'll be Rogers vs Brady in the NFC Championship. IMO the winner is a toss-up

But yeah, I don't think Rogers leaves GB in the offseason. I do hope I'm wrong about that.

one of the east coast sports talk sessions had the members discussing Rodgers to the Steelers to replace the retiring Roethlisberger and they had an interesting discussion on how that could happen

this would cause a little weird fan anxiety ... I hate hate hate him as a member of the Packers regularly kicking the Bears asses but through that hate I can acknowledge he is one of the best QB's in the game ... seeing him in Steelers gear would probably make me hate him less

[The Marshall Plan]

Hello Newman.

Look the Packers have an absolute history of being the dumbest in the Playoffs - and them losing is fantastic for two big reasons
1) They don't make the SB
2) It strengthens the likelihood that Rodgers leaves - and that kills them for a good few years

But its weird to pimp two NFL West teams over them and not note they literally Played and BEAT both teams this season.

Brady might be our only hope - Cue the Churchill comments about Stalin for me

The Packers lose in the playoffs because they don't get to play either the Bears, Lions or Vikings.

Then the Rodgers Protected Class goes away because they run into a team the league is equally interested in seeing advance.

The Packers are never as good as their record indicates anyway. Look at their division. Even if they're just above average that's 5 or 6 wins. That's halfway to a division title or home field advantage on its own.

[Grizzled]

The bears can still make the playoffs 8-9 will be enough in my opinion

I like your enthusiasm.

I think the Cards make it this year and take it all.

[RichH55]

Look the Packers have an absolute history of being the dumbest in the Playoffs - and them losing is fantastic for two big reasons
1) They don't make the SB
2) It strengthens the likelihood that Rodgers leaves - and that kills them for a good few years

But its weird to pimp two NFL West teams over them and not note they literally Played and BEAT both teams this season.

Brady might be our only hope - Cue the Churchill comments about Stalin for me

The Packers lose in the playoffs because they don't get to play either the Bears, Lions or Vikings.

Then the Rodgers Protected Class goes away because they run into a team the league is equally interested in seeing advance.

The Packers are never as good as their record indicates anyway. Look at their division. Even if they're just above average that's 5 or 6 wins. That's halfway to a division title or home field advantage on its own.

Why - and I know I'm indulging a conspiracy - so facts are going to be shaky - BUT WHY would the League be interested in Seeing the Packers advance in the Regular Season to the point where seemingly MANY here

Believe - flat out - that the league rigs Regular Season games for the Packers (Sometimes against the SAME teams that they then project to beat the Packers in the Playoffs)

What is the goal for the league?

1.). Why is it SO darn important the Packers win the NFC Central, but not Playoffs games?

2). Why the Packers? Small market team in a relatively smaller state - With no "real" Owner that could be a barrier to league internal politics (Dealing witha Robert Kraft or Jerry Jones? OK. But Tammy from Kenosha and her 9 Shares? That is who has the power to force the league to literally RIG games - Though ONLY regular season ones)

What is the actual argument besides we hate the Packers and people feel every marginal call is a conspiracy?

[The Marshall Plan]

The Packers lose in the playoffs because they don't get to play either the Bears, Lions or Vikings.

Then the Rodgers Protected Class goes away because they run into a team the league is equally interested in seeing advance.

The Packers are never as good as their record indicates anyway. Look at their division. Even if they're just above average that's 5 or 6 wins. That's halfway to a division title or home field advantage on its own.

Why - and I know I'm indulging a conspiracy - so facts are going to be shaky - BUT WHY would the League be interested in Seeing the Packers advance in the Regular Season to the point where seemingly MANY here

Believe - flat out - that the league rigs Regular Season games for the Packers (Sometimes against the SAME teams that they then project to beat the Packers in the Playoffs)

What is the goal for the league?

1.). Why is it SO darn important the Packers win the NFC Central, but not Playoffs games?

2). Why the Packers? Small market team in a relatively smaller state - With no "real" Owner that could be a barrier to league internal politics (Dealing witha Robert Kraft or Jerry Jones? OK. But Tammy from Kenosha and her 9 Shares? That is who has the power to force the league to literally RIG games - Though ONLY regular season ones)

What is the actual argument besides we hate the Packers and people feel every marginal call is a conspiracy?

I'm convinced this shit is real. We all watch the games. We all see the highlights of games we don't watch. The bias is right there and it's been present for a long ass time. One game here and there, like twice a season, that goes the Packers way? OK, that's the way the cookie crumbles. But we're way past that.

In response....

1) The Packers make an interesting intra-season story. There's a romanticism about Cracker Town Norman Rockwellian Smallville Green Bay that's "owned" by the fans. If the league started today from 0 teams, would Green Bay even make the top 100 list of towns to get a team? Shit no.

In the playoffs all that bullshit doesn't matter so much because you have winning teams. Teams from big markets. Superstar players. There are already reasons for people to watch the games besides the romanticism of it all.

2) See #1 for the first part. Your last question isn't one call in isolation. It's 30 years worth of calls and non-calls against a variety of opponents.

[dplank]

Good post TMP I agree completely. And I’ll add that I am about as anti-conspiracy minded as they come. This sort of thinking has taken deep root in our culture the last 20 years or so, and I put the people who fall for this stuff in a very special class of stupid.

That said, you simply cannot ignore the decades of evidence that we have all seen first hand. The evidence is so overwhelmingly tilted one direction that it cannot be swept aside, some reason must exist for it to not even out over a long measurement period as probability demands normalization. Unless your dealing with weighted dice, then normalization is now skewed towards the weights.

I think there are a lot of factors also, it’s not just that the league wants GB relevant (they do). It’s also the super star rules (Favre Erin getting Jordan treatment), it’s also some bad luck (because Bears), it’s also magnified because we suck and can’t overcome the weighted dice (also because Bears). But none of that explains why they get favored treatment over other teams as well, which they do. Seattle, Detroit come immediately to mind.

Pittsburgh is also NFL royalty and gets this same favorable treatment from the league, and has for decades.

[o-pus #40 in B major]

TMP and plank are absolutely right. The packers are the quaint, nostalgic, but still powerful and extraordinary, small-town champions of professional football. That perception is deeply ingrained in the NFL culture.


This is a quote taken from the first (and hopefully last) quickie search I just did about Titletown, USA:

"That's right, Green Bay, Wis. How can a city with only 100,000 people in northern Wisconsin support the most legendary football team in the nation? Clearly, Green Bay is simply TitleTown USA."


They even named the SB trophy after fuckface Lombardi. Call it whatever you want, its the league culture and its been like that for a long time. Its just part of the NFL dynastic-heroic theme and legendary history, legendary this, legendary that, blah blah blah..