Dirty Football Tactics

[jmb1099]

Just finished reading an article on fox about the field not being covered properly before the game. This would cause the condition of the field to at the very least be wet and slippery, possibly frozen if they don't use the heating system. When Billicheck was asked about it he said it wasn't his job to pull the weeds or something like that and offered a faint smile. This has to be the most cheesy thing I have heard of all year. He's supposed to be one of the great football minds of our time, this type of thing has nothing to do with coaching. The NFL shouls force the organization to be consistent with its policies and procedures regarding field maint. If they get away with this garbage it will be a sad day for football.
www.msn.foxsports.com/story/3320958 (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/3320958)

[helmetguy]

Seems like something like this came up during the '70's between Pittsburgh and Oakland. It was before the "Immaculate Reception" game. Seems Pittsburgh did cover the field, except that two large tears in the tarp mysteriously opened up...right about where the Raider WRs ran their routes. That part of the field was frozen and very slick. The center of the field was perfect for running the ball, as was Pittsburgh's wont.

[DraftBoy]

Dirty Football tactics....Denver Broncos OL?

[Larry]

Just finished reading an article on fox about the field not being covered properly before the game. This would cause the condition of the field to at the very least be wet and slippery, possibly frozen if they don't use the heating system. When Billicheck was asked about it he said it wasn't his job to pull the weeds or something like that and offered a faint smile. This has to be the most cheesy thing I have heard of all year. He's supposed to be one of the great football minds of our time, this type of thing has nothing to do with coaching. The NFL shouls force the organization to be consistent with its policies and procedures regarding field maint. If they get away with this garbage it will be a sad day for football.
www.msn.foxsports.com/story/3320958 (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/3320958) Negged.

[Iehoshua]

Negged.
:roflmao:

[The_Philster]

They're only required to start clearing the field 24 hours before kickoff according to what I heard on NFL Network radio (or whatever it was called) on WGR550 just a half hour ago :idunno:

[jmb1099]

Pats must be getting pretty desperate. I used to hate the Pats but respect their game, but this move removes the respect element as well.

[DaBills]

They're only required to start clearing the field 24 hours before kickoff according to what I heard on NFL Network radio (or whatever it was called) on WGR550 just a half hour ago :idunno:


Yeah. Dan Patrick was all over this earlier today on ESPN Radio too. They said 24 hours and the 'potential for rain' qualifies a field for covering. Does fog and mist qualify? lol.

They also had a reporter on who writes for a Boston paper who was on the field today and the day before. He said it's in bad shape. He laughed about BB saying he's 'not responsible for the field,' since BB controls EVERYTHING in NE, including 'when a toilet flushes.'

Covering the field would seem to help both sides, not just the Colts. Why wouldn't he want his offense to have a decent field to play on.

I hope NE loses. Bigtime.

[Tatonka]

yeah.. damn the patriots for using homefield advantage.

:rolleyes:

[jmb1099]

yeah.. damn the patriots for using homefield advantage.

:rolleyes: Homefield advantage is local support and knowledge of the field. Billy tampering with stadium policies regarding field conditions is pushing it. It shouldn't happen, but it especially shouldn't happen during a playoff game. But maybe you're right...maybe they should call in the fire department and really wet the field...after all homefield advantage right? Why not dig some holes while they're at it?

[mybills]

We had fog here, too. It got rid of the 4" of snow we had. :up:
btw, jmb1099..:bf1: on that last post!

[Pride]

Ummm.... you all seem to be forgetting that this is what Homefield advantage is all about! If the colts wanted to play on turf throughout the playoffs.. they should have won homefield.

If buffalo was in, and we had a blizzard... and were playing the dolphins.... wouldnt we be saying "hey, dont clean off the field, lets see them play in that!" Hell yes we would!

Double Standards!

[jamze132]

Ummm.... you all seem to be forgetting that this is what Homefield advantage is all about! If the colts wanted to play on turf throughout the playoffs.. they should have won homefield.

If buffalo was in, and we had a blizzard... and were playing the dolphins.... wouldnt we be saying "hey, dont clean off the field, lets see them play in that!" Hell yes we would!

Double Standards!
I agree completely. Too many times I have prayed for a blizzard before a home game.

[Historian]

Ummm.... you all seem to be forgetting that this is what Homefield advantage is all about! If the colts wanted to play on turf throughout the playoffs.. they should have won homefield.

If buffalo was in, and we had a blizzard... and were playing the dolphins.... wouldnt we be saying "hey, dont clean off the field, lets see them play in that!" Hell yes we would!

Double Standards!

Amen.

[Mr. Miyagi]

I can't wait to see Brady slip up on a patch of ice on that field and get his ass sacked. :rofl:

[superbills]

Ummm.... you all seem to be forgetting that this is what Homefield advantage is all about! If the colts wanted to play on turf throughout the playoffs.. they should have won homefield.

If buffalo was in, and we had a blizzard... and were playing the dolphins.... wouldnt we be saying "hey, dont clean off the field, lets see them play in that!" Hell yes we would!

Double Standards!

You get home field advantage so that you can play in front of your crowd and control the noise, etc. not to turn the home field into a wintery soup to try and affect the other team's offense.

And it's not a double-standard. There is a big difference between the Pats purposely letting the field rot and Buffalo fans hoping for some snow on gameday. And the field at the Ralph would have to be cleared of the snow. It would be unplayable for both teams otherwise.

Praying for a blizzard and harsh conditions on game day is completely different from a team purposely trying to trash the field before the day of the game. We might be hoping that the Bills would not clear off the field for the Miami game and I would expect Pats fans to hope that the field is a muddy tundra for the Colts. However, the Ralph's turf is always cleared as good as well as possible and Gillette's field should receive the same treatment. This is bush-league.

[don137]

I guess the wise choice is to bet the under in the game...

[DaBills]

Ummm.... you all seem to be forgetting that this is what Homefield advantage is all about! If the colts wanted to play on turf throughout the playoffs.. they should have won homefield.

If buffalo was in, and we had a blizzard... and were playing the dolphins.... wouldnt we be saying "hey, dont clean off the field, lets see them play in that!" Hell yes we would!

Double Standards!

Not forgetting. Just think that preventing a ****ty field when you're able to goes beyond yelling, heckling and throwing iceballs. How does San Diego counter that? Watch out, we've had the sun on the grass all week!

Look, I'm not complaining about the elements either come game day. That makes it fun. But at least Mother Nature is out of your control come kickoff time. Not BB supposedly allowing the field to get worse all week.

If we're going to say all advantages are fair, then based on that criteria, MLB shouldn't cover the infield during a rain delay. (And if that's the case, then I have to get back to work on my helmet-play calling receiver radar-jamming device for opposing QBs.)

Why not at least put down FieldTurf in all stadiums? A newer stadium like Gillette can afford luxury boxes coming out of their ass, but can't afford anything better than grass, which was already replaced once this year?

And talk about a double standard: the NFL will only hold Super Bowls now in domed or perfect weather climates/stadiums, so as to not affect sponsors and fans. Yet they allow NE's ****ty conditions prior to the SB? That's ironic.

I'll toss this idea out: from now on, any team that is an outdoor home team, prep the field any way you want. Lay down grass or artificial. Roofing shingles. Whatever. But Super Bowl games will now be chosen from ALL 32 team's cities without regard to climate. You play the SB in the weather conditions the way the playoffs and regular season are played. If it happens to fall in Buffalo, so be it.

This would also give every city that wants a SB a chance to share in the revenues, not just domed sites or Florida coast year. They won't lose out on TV money either. People will still watch and laugh at everyone freezing their ass off in GB and Janet freezing at halftime.

;-p

[don137]

I never hope anyone gets injured but how many people will scream at the TV yelling "serves you right" if a star patriot player hurts himself because of the poor field conditions. They put their players at risk too out there...

[mybills]

Aren't SB tickets expensive? :yikes:

[mybills]

Don, that's exactly why they should cover it.

[don137]

It also back fire on BB because he won't be able to get any pressure on Manning since the field is so slow. Manning has a tendency of keep backing up and then unload the ball...How is the NE defense going to get any pressure on Manning?

[mybills]

Manning doesn't need any time to throw. Go COLTS! :D

[Dozerdog]

Yeah. Dan Patrick was all over this earlier today on ESPN Radio too. They said 24 hours and the 'potential for rain' qualifies a field for covering. Does fog and mist qualify? lol.

They also had a reporter on who writes for a Boston paper who was on the field today and the day before. He said it's in bad shape. He laughed about BB saying he's 'not responsible for the field,' since BB controls EVERYTHING in NE, including 'when a toilet flushes.'

Covering the field would seem to help both sides, not just the Colts. Why wouldn't he want his offense to have a decent field to play on.

I hope NE loses. Bigtime.
It's been sloppy and wet all week in Boston.


They are keeping the field uncovered to make it sloppy and slow.

[Dozerdog]

The teams should provide the best field possible, if nothing other than safety.


In the AFC & NFC championship games I think the NFL does supervise all field maintenance conditions anyway.


Keeping the field uncovered is bush league.

[Mr. Miyagi]

Maybe they will declare the field "unplayable", like they did at the Vet a couple years ago. :naughty:

[jmb1099]

This isn't about double standards. Do I hope for a blizard every time we play the dolphins? Yes. Do I think we should go to Kissing Bridge and Holiday Valley to borrow their snow machines and create one? No. Nor do I think we should leave the field full of snow. If it snows during the game so be it and hooray for us. He is supposed to be brilliant so let him figure out a legitimate way to beat the Colts. He said it himself his job is to coach, not grounds keep.

Ummm.... you all seem to be forgetting that this is what Homefield advantage is all about! If the colts wanted to play on turf throughout the playoffs.. they should have won homefield.

If buffalo was in, and we had a blizzard... and were playing the dolphins.... wouldnt we be saying "hey, dont clean off the field, lets see them play in that!" Hell yes we would!

Double Standards!

[TedMock]

I think it's a brilliant move by the Patriots. They're not going out and creating anything, they're just not doing any prevention. They're letting mother nature do what she does, and they're not trying to stop her. Hey, I hate the Pats, and I'm pulling 100% for Indy, but I see nothing wrong with what the Pats are doing. It's within the legal NFL limits, and they have that right. Had Indy won homefield advantage, they'd be playing in a dome, which is an automatic un-natural advantage to them. Even if the field conditions are fine, maybe the Pats feel like they could get in Indy's head with all of this. Indy has Pollard and Clark at TE for short passing and a little 1500 yard power-back named Edge, for conditions like this. I actually think it hurts their small, fast defense even more than the high-flying offense.

[jmb1099]

I think it's a brilliant move by the Patriots. They're not going out and creating anything, they're just not doing any prevention. They're letting mother nature do what she does, and they're not trying to stop her. Hey, I hate the Pats, and I'm pulling 100% for Indy, but I see nothing wrong with what the Pats are doing. It's within the legal NFL limits, and they have that right. Had Indy won homefield advantage, they'd be playing in a dome, which is an automatic un-natural advantage to them. Even if the field conditions are fine, maybe the Pats feel like they could get in Indy's head with all of this. Indy has Pollard and Clark at TE for short passing and a little 1500 yard power-back named Edge, for conditions like this. I actually think it hurts their small, fast defense even more than the high-flying offense. You're not the only one to mention the dome, so lets get this out of the way...the dome is kept up and consistently in good condition. The Colts would have an advantage because its home field, same way the Pats should have an advantage (crowd etc). It would be interesting to know if this type of groundskeeping has been consistent all year, or if Billy told them to keep it uncovered for just this game. They may be within NFL guidelines, but the inconsistency would indicate his classlessness and lack of sportsmanship. It's not brilliant coaching its desperation and I truly hope it back fires on him this time before he cheapens everything that the Pats (and I say this through gritted teath) have accomplished.

[Liverpoolkev]

I say too bad if they dont like it win more games like the Pittsburg Steelers did to get home field advantage .

[Billz_fan]

The field is covered. They reported on ESPN a couple hours ago on one of the afternoon talk shows that it's been covered for at least a day now.

The NFL leauge office sent someone to NE to make sure it was being taken care of properly.

[mybills]

The field is covered. They reported on ESPN a couple hours ago on one of the afternoon talk shows that it's been covered for at least a day now.

The NFL leauge office sent someone to NE to make sure it was being taken care of properly.
Amen!
:bow:

[Mudflap1]

Who cares, the Colts (the 2005 version of the K-Gun era Bills) are going to smoke the Pats this time.

Jon

[jmb1099]

Glad the NFL is on top of it...

There are some truly talented players on the Patriots that deserve to either win or lose without Billy Boy's non-sense.

[steveincolorado]

It might be the only way the Pats second string DB's would be able to cover the Colts Wr's??

[jmb1099]

It might be the only way the Pats second string DB's would be able to cover the Colts Wr's??
Right on.