[X] My Assistant

[Lord Raven]

I'm wondering if anyone here follows the NFL as closely as I do? What's your favorite team(s)? What about the history behind your favorite teams and why you like them? And maybe comment on your teams' offseason..

Favorite team: Ravens
reasoning: I'm from Baltimore and I have followed them since i was like 8 watching them dominate the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, and XLVII was ridiculous to watch because it was a heartpounding nailbiter. I had been following 2012 especially closely because of how they dominated 2011 and how heartbreaking the ending to 2011 was - whiffed field goal mixed with that pass stripped in the endzone (damn Lee Evans, not holding onto the ball at a crucial moment). But on the bright side, it lead to the Patriots getting dominated by another Eli Manning miraculous comeback.

And yeah, I supported them even through the Billick days, when Boller started quite a few times and turned out poorly. It doesn't help that he had this tendency to play lights out football once in a blue moon - the 2007 game where we almost beat the Patriots springs to mind, and Boller played some ridiculous football and made some ballsy moves (including a block he made for the running back at the time, Willis McGahee iirc?). It was awesome to watch but sad to see it end as it did, since we could've upset their perfect season.

I love Joe Flacco because it brought a consistency to the position the franchise had always attempted to establish and never seemed to be able to. The fact that Kyle Boller played on Joe Flacco's defense and could never propel us to the playoffs should speak marvels on just how much Flacco deserves all the praise for the past 5 years, especially with this Super Bowl run. And the shivers that went down my spine for that Broncos-Ravens playoff game, that's when I knew we were winning the Super Bowl. No way in hell would we let that slip, especially against the Patriots.

Second favorite team: Broncos
Fell in love with Colorado when I went there, and been supporting them ever since. Kinda mad that their first qb when I started following them was Tim Tebow; I don't like him and I think he is overpraised because he had one good game against a competent team and propelled his team to an 8-8 playoff berth when he had to face AFC West teams that were all sucking something fierce. On top of that, there were three 8-8 teams in the AFC West that year lol, so he only got through on a tiebreaker. He had the easy stretch of the schedule over Brady Quinn.

2012 was the first proper season I had to like them - I've always been a fan of Peyton Manning (only Broncos jersey I own is Peyton Manning's), but players like Von Miller, Demaryius Thomas, Champ Bailey, Rahim Moore, Eric Decker, Dumervil (now a Raven), and McGahee (formerly a Raven) made me like the team more. Hopefully there's no impedance for Peyton Manning this year (like every other year) to get to a Super Bowl.


Other teams by division;
AFC South - Texans AND Colts; Texans remind me of the old school Ravens because of their defense, and in years to come maybe they can match our Ravens level of defense through the years. Arian Foster and Andre Johnson are exciting players too, but in time I feel they will win me over a little more. The Colts, I wasn't around when they left but I only really am not fond of their owner - yet they gave the Ravens to us indirectly (let's not bring up the Browns) so I'm not going to complain. They also had Peyton Manning for many years, and I am very fond of Peyton Manning, and Andrew Luck is a very likable person that could mold into Manning's proper successor in time. Not only that, but they have all of the old Baltimore memorabilia, so I still try to maintain connection to my hometown even if they left (which is Irsay's fault and not the players')

I don't really like many other AFC teams. I can respect the Steelers because they are effectively the divisional brothers of the Ravens, but I absolutely despise the Patriots and the Jets make me sad because they used to be good. The Jets-Colts game was exciting to watch a few years ago because it was a defensive genius (Rex Ryan) vs the field general. Sadly, its a circus now...

NFC North - Lions; I have a good friend who is a Lions fan, who really likes the Ravens, so it's partially obligation. Also had a roommate who is a Packers fan, brother-in-law who is a Vikings fan, and I'm in Chicago now so I just have to be the hipster. I think they have what it takes, just lots of bad luck going alongside it. They have the potential to be the greatest offense in the league except injuries at key positions (RB, WR) keep holding them back. Megatron can't be their only receiver

NFC West - Seahawks; I like birds of prey and the Washington/Seattle area.

NFC South - Saints. Hate the Falcons fans that crowd Baltimore randomly, I don't care too much for the Panthers (but Cam Newton is interesting) and I dislike Florida too much for the Buccs. Saints offense is also very interesting to keep up with, much like the Lions offense. Historically bad defense kept them back from any sort of success this year... sadly Drew Brees isn't Jesus like Aaron Rodgers or Peyton Manning. But he's up there. Sean Payton's back too, so the Saints will have a better year coming up.

NFC East - Giants; maaaaan, fuck eagles fans, fuck Redskins fans (they talked so much crap about the Ravens the past decade despite having no success until RG3, and that's Robert Griffin not Rex Grossman; they still talk crap after beating us despite Shanahan being too stupid to take RG3 out after injury and the Ravens winning the Super Bowl on a crippled defense), and I hate the Cowboys fans that are everywhere. Giants fans are the only fans that barely exist here, so I went for the Giants, if only because they crush the Patriots' hopes at becoming a dynasty in the past two Super Bowls. Both Super Bowls coming after particularly heartbreaking Ravens-Patriots games (whiffed field goal and the 2007 game...)


At any rate, Ravens and Broncos are enjoying pretty spectacular offseasons and I can see 2013 becoming a far more exciting year than 2012 in terms of playing. The 2011 and 2012 draft classes were spectacular and seeing them becoming something far better than they were the past two years mixed with many MANY coaching revamps around the league (and a revitalized Ravens defense and offensive line that was not there at all in 2012 until the playoffs) is going to be good. I'm excited.