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 | Who do you fancy to win the Superbowl? Posted by |
It's a little quiet around here. I first got into Anerican Football back in the 80's when a new UK Channel (Four) started showing it. It was the strike year when only 9 regular season games were played (all this is from memory) and Washington beat a then unbeaten Miami side in the Superboal (XVII ?). The season after I became such a fan I listened to the games on Armed forces radio broadcast from Germany from around 7:30 (when the signal could get through) till atone midnight, and then the Monday night game (2AM onwards). That year the Raiders beat Washington something like 38-17.
After that it's a bit sketchy. 1988-1989 was the last season of that era as I met my first wife who wasn't into sports and I lost track. After we split up Four no longer had it and it had moved to Five which only showed the Monday night game (Four had a one hour highlights program every week) and I never really got back into it. Somewhere two more teams were added to each conference and the 4th division was created. I saw the odd Superbowl.
Then last year BBC started showing it and this year we have Sky and, although I don't subscribe to their sports channels, they do have Sky Sports Mix which shows highlights every two or three weeks and have NFL Red Zone live on a Sunday. My new wife is no more into sports than the old one but I have an ally: if Jacob goes to bed late I stay up while the wife goes to bed. If he wakes up early and I get up I also get a chance to watch a recording. If she gets up with him then she's tired early... And I would never expect her to sit through me watching.
I don't see it every week but from what I've seen I'm going for Raiders beating the Cowboys in the Superbowl..
Readers Comments
Our American Football stories sound very similar Steve. I found NFL Red Zone at the beginning of the season and it's now become a Sunday staple.
My wife was into American Football in the 80s and while I followed The Raiders, she was a Dolphin's fan and her claim to fame is she has a playing shirt, sent by Don Shula himself to her as a wedding present, via a friend of ours who went to school with the great man.
For the last 15/20 years I have followed the results but not much more than that.
Looking The Raiders (hopeful rather than expectant) to go all the way this season. Our defence has tighten-up and all is looking good at this stage.
So, I'm going Raiders this season. 😀
Cowboys have looked very tough. Ezekiel Ellliot is ridiculous. Defense is good enough, and they are well coached.
My football story is life long American fan, don't watch as much as I used to due to life/kids. We live in Boston, so I am a Patriots fan, but somewhat reluctantly due to their status as a team who is easy to hate. I also struggle with Coach Bill Belichick's attitude/interaction with the press. He just doesn't seem like a nice guy, but maybe that is what it takes to be great (which he is).
Steve,
Like you I got addicted to American football when C4 started screening it. I loved learning about a new sport and luckily for me I adopted the Redskins as my team, that season. Not sure why, but I was cheering all the way to end in that superbowl final. My interest after 4-5 years waned a bit, until I moved over to the States for a while when my nearest teams were the Raider s and 49'ers. 49'ers were a bit too nicey, so I became a Raiders fan since 2000.
I had a couple of teams I liked after getting into it, Miami Dolphins because of their rookie QB Dan Marino and New England because I thought I'd probably live there if I moved to America and rooted for the Celtics when basketball was shown previously and the Red Sox - oh and I loved Cheers! I went off New England when they went to black jerseys for some reason.
Now I don't really have a favourite team.
Vick, Raiders are looking great this year, good for you!
I like Monday night footy with no ads !
49 ears fan and have followed them since the late 80's.
i have fox sports / espy etc so can watch all games along with college football etc etc
I try to get a few games in each week, taking a break this year from fantasy NFL
Trying to work out if you posted this before or after their loss, Phil.
I can't see Pittsburgh beating New England. Hopefully Green Bay vs Atlanta will be something like a game from when I first started watching, when both teams were worse than they are now. It finished 48-47!
Wrong team. I found Green Bay beating Washington by that score in 1983.
Nothing'll be sweeter than Tom and Bill winning their 5th together and Kraft telling Goodell to hand the Lombardi to Tom.
Let's do it Pats!
I recorded it (on way too late for me) and watched it Monday evening, Monday night (half time), Tuesday morning, Tuesday evening (end of regulation) and Tuesday night. And I didn't know the result. Great game.
I started on US football when the Fridge ran over New England 44-10 - Pats had Eason @ QB but I liked Steve Grogan...in 1985 I think. I then joined a postal game using Statis Pro football game from Avalon Hill and was the Pats coach for a season or 2 (that right, Dave D?? He played in the same set up - God, we go back over 30 years...!!)
Mick L:uckhurst is another name from the past - English FG kicker who used to be in the studio on Channel 4's programme - I don't have Sky Sports now - prefer BT Sports - so have not kept up to date with the competition this year. Soft spots for the Pats, Green Bay, and the Colts. (Also love baseball !!)