The injuries.

Every sport has injuries, injuries are part of the game, but football seems to be ruled by injuries. There seem to be more of them, of a more serious nature, and most importantly they seem to have more of an impact upon a team's success from year to year than in any other sport.

Everyone talks about the great parity in the NFL, and how you never really know what teams are going to make the playoffs in any given year because the league is so well balanced. Well, I've long felt that one of the biggest keys, if not THE biggest key, to success in the NFL is to stay injury-free for the whole season. Two or three key injuries can knock a Super Bowl contender completely out of the running early in a season, while a mediocre team that stays healthy can make a run at a championship.

I don't know. Every year I get frustrated watching teams lose their best player and therefore all hopes at success. It makes me feel like the game that is the ultimate test of athleticism and execution ends up coming down to a matter of luck.

And no, I'm not a Jets fan.

my least favorite thing is the flags. There is nothing worse than seeing your favorite team make a big play, only to have it called back because of a penalty.

The true mark of a Super Bowl team is depth. If a team can't replace a measly 2 guys (with the exception of the QB), then I would contend they don't deserve to be on top in the first place.

celebrations... though, this is the best time to see a flag... after some idiot is dancing in the endzone and notices none of his teammates are there to share it with him

at least they have the graphic now where you see that a flag has been thrown before us fans pump our fist one too many times... even with this, after every big play im always "sitting, waiting, wishing" for no friggin flag

my least favorite thing about football is the players', coaches', and media's insistence on saying the word "football" as many times as humanly possible.
"He's a great football player."
"We just need to make pays on the football field."
"That was a nice football play he ran, he took real good care of the football, outdid some real great football players, and carried his team to a victory in the football game."
"football football football football football football."

You never hear this in any other sport.
"He was throwing the baseball real well yesterday."
"Yeah, I thought I shot the basketball great tonight."
"It was a touch hockey game, but we toughed it out."

Seriously, give it up. if you play football, we know that you play on a football field.

the damn week between games infuriates me. especially after a Rams loss....waiting for Sunday to come around so they (hopefully) win and erase the memory of the last loss...

I hear you on the injury issue, being a devout fan of FSU football, I could not believe the news when Antonio Cromartie went down with a severe knee injury, it was like this low hush permeated through Tallahassee on that day. I mean a six foot three corner that weighs over two hounded pounds and yet still runs a sub 4.4 is a rare commodity. The team is doing well though, much better then many thought but the D would have been just unfair, ah well, what could have been.

The fact that $250 for DirectTV's NFL Package is not enough to get the games in HDTV -- you have to spend an additional $100 and get the Superfan Package. What a load of shit.

direct tv being the only service to have the rights to the nfl package is just plain fucked up

Penalties on clean hits against QB's piss me off worse than anything. Back in the day I'd be rooting for a big hit against the opposing QB to either shake him up or knock him out of the game. Now you rarely see those type of hits, almost never without drawing a flag.

I used to watch Aikman take 2-3 nasy shots every game, Young, Montana, Simms. All QB's actually.

The "hits" that Eli Manning took and the Chargers were flagged for on Sunday night were absolutely ridiculous. One "hit" involved the lineman throwing his hands in the air to block the ball on a pass and brushing the side of Manning's helmet on the way down. Manning's head didn't even move. Too bad -- 15 yards. Even Theisman said it was a silly rule (and it takes a lot for him to admit such a thing when it involves protecting quarterbacks).

I hate that most of the Eagles games are on at 11am MTN time. Its the nicest time of the year outside.

you forgot "in the national ... football ... league"

I have no complaints besides the fact that there isn't one good announcing team in the booth. The game itself is pretty perfect as far as i'm concerned

The Patriots led the league in games missed due to injury and won the Super Bowl.

in 2004 or 2003?

i know in 2003 they set a record by using over 40 different starters.

I didn't include the year because I can't remember Although I think it was 2003.

my bad, 2004 was the year they won it with the likes of Earthwind Moreland, Hank Poteat and Randall Gay in the secondary instead of Ty Law. remember when Seymour sat out in the playoffs against Indy and Pittsburgh? as long as Brady, Belichick and their system is in place I expect more of the same.

We sucked with Spikes; we can suck just as easily without him.

The whole time I've been reading this thread I've been thinking of the bucs and how they are attempting to ride to the super bowl on the wheels of the Cadillac, I mean the guy has, what, 3,000 carries in three games, I hope he can take the punishment.