tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13718554.post113076192372731231..comments2023-10-10T03:21:23.580-04:00Comments on Motown Sports Revival: NFL Road RageJakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16208921021297172480noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13718554.post-75941249759009840962010-10-11T23:50:09.421-04:002010-10-11T23:50:09.421-04:00Teams have ample time to prepare for the noise and...Teams have ample time to prepare for the noise and know perfectly well that they will have to dial it up a notch to meet their opponents intensity. For someone making $5 million per year, that shouldn't bee too much to ask. Getting destroyed by someone who you could beat if the game were played in your home stadium is embarassing to you and your teamLindahttp://coupongrove.com/Fathead/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13718554.post-1130858833245626542005-11-01T10:27:00.000-05:002005-11-01T10:27:00.000-05:00Another potential explanation for the Detroit-Chic...Another potential explanation for the Detroit-Chicago outcomes could be that Chicago is so much better than Detroit that the Bears were able to mail it in at Detroit and still beat the Lions.<BR/><BR/>Not that Chicago's any good or anything - it's just that the Lions are that bad.Chris of Dangerous Logichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16803423721930178447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13718554.post-1130796867571665372005-10-31T17:14:00.000-05:002005-10-31T17:14:00.000-05:00Don't get me wrong. The "homefield advantage" exis...Don't get me wrong. The "homefield advantage" exists. There probably isn't a sport in the world where the home team doesn't win more than the road team. I understand all of the intricacies that a road team goes through before a game. I definitely understand that there will always be a difference in home winning percentage vs. road winning percentage. What I don't understand (and it drives me nuts)is just how big the winning percentage for NFL home teams is (66%!!!!!) and how poorly road teams play on a regular basis. I'm not talking about a road team losing. I'm talking about totally inept performances that you would expect to see if a college team played a pro team. <BR/><BR/>What you said about going on a "business trip" and how players react is exactly what I'm talking about. No matter how you slice it, focusing on "hoochies" and per diem, and where you're going to party and room service is totally unprofessional. These people are getting paid more than 99.999% of other professions. It is not unreasonable to expect that they take road games as seriously as home games and do everything in their power to be prepared emotionally, and physically for a game. If you go on the road and lose a hard fought battle to a talented team then I've got no qualms. However, too many times, road teams look like the Bad News Bears on the first day of practice. It's inexcusable, yet widely accepted.<BR/><BR/>These guys get paid for four months of work per year. They have six days of practice for every game not to mention two months of training camp. Most players in the league have been around for a few years so they know what it takes to get up for a road game. Teams have ample time to prepare for the noise and know perfectly well that they will have to dial it up a notch to meet their opponents intensity. For someone making $5 million per year, that shouldn't bee too much to ask. Getting destroyed by someone who you could beat if the game were played in your home stadium is embarassing to you and your team. I don't expect a road team to beat a good team on the road. But, I expect them to play their hearts out for the money they're making. All it takes is to turn on the TV on a Sunday afternoon to see how many NFL teams mail it in because they're on the road. We're not even talking about the fans being loud late in the game. We're talking about a noticeable lack of anything remotely close to execution and passion. After watching the Eagles and Redskins this week, I would love it if road teams were losing because they couldn't hear in the huddle on a game winning drive in the 4th qtr. The games that I'm talking about are long over by that time.Jakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16208921021297172480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13718554.post-1130775473443587772005-10-31T11:17:00.000-05:002005-10-31T11:17:00.000-05:00I really believe in the "homefield advantage" for ...I really believe in the "homefield advantage" for many reasons. Teams have to pack, travel, unpack, wait, get bused, wait, then play in front of people who are screaming really sobering things about your mother. Outside of Philly, this is not a normal thing teams see at home. The crowd to me makes a big difference and the type of crowd at an NFL game is usually much different than those even in college. <BR/><BR/>At college games there are 78 year old men with headsets and diapers and then all the students. NFL games feature fans that are usually working stiffs with decent jobs who may have never even went to college. Even the stiffest of pro fans will let out a bellow when their team scores a TD. It's quite amazing. <BR/><BR/>As far as the players are concerned it's like if you go on a business trip and you have to actually do business. You can never sleep right, you tend to let loose a little, and you feel more free outside of those meetings than ever. If I was an NFL player I'd be thinking about where I was gonna eat, which of my outta town hoochies I was gonna see, and how much room service I could charge to the team. Sure I'd be thinking about the game but only at the stadium. Otherwise I'm getting my drink and eat on and livin' it up a bit. <BR/><BR/>You might think that is strange but I was in a heavy travel job for three years and it sucked. When I was out there I tended to cut lose after I worked my day and I got paid more on the road than I did at home. NFL players get per diem too and I'm sure they spend every cent of it on the road.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com