NFL Twitter Cliche Bingo

With the NFL season fast approaching, we can once again look forward to endless Sunday nights in front of the TV and laptop, watching an unhealthy amount of American Football.  For many of us, it also means countless hours of refreshing our twitter feeds and checking out what our fellow fans think of the action, as well as offering our own views on proceedings.

In the main, this is a good laugh and full of humorous, intelligent comments from lovers of the sport. It also means a glut of NFL cliches - the Sunday Night version of business bollocks.  Of course, Twitter cliches extend far beyond the world of NFL.  Every major sporting victory is followed swiftly by a tweeted photo of John Terry joining in with the victor(s) and a reminder of how long it has been since Arsenal have won a trophy.

It's common knowledge that the worst Twitter cliche of all is "#justsayin",  a phrase that means absolutely nothing!  In reality, all tweets involve somebody "just saying" something, but whilst we're unlikely to read "BBC News: 27 dead in Middle East terrorist attack. #justsayin", we do have to put up with twaddle such as "Arsenal are crap #justsayin".  Of course you're just saying it you utter cretin!  Unless you're sat at home acting it out or interpreting Arsenal being crap through the medium of dance.

But this is about NFL cliches, the words, phrases and hashtags we have to endure every Sunday night during the season.  Some of them highlight a limited vocabulary, some are Americanisms that have crept into our language, whilst some are just lame insults.

Allow me to elaborate by the medium of bingo.  By the way, I also hate bingo. I went to a Gala Bingo once "for a laugh" and found it the most soul destroying place I've ever been to (and I've been to Kidderminster!). Nobody spoke, nobody drank, it was just full of hardcore bingo players concentrating fully on getting their dabbers on the paper before the next number was called out.  Even the outside smoking area had a PA system so players didn't miss a game whilst having a fag!  Anyway, I digress.  I'll assume you all know how bingo works, if not I suggest you visit my sister site www.howbingoworks.com for full details.



In this version of the game you have to mark off each cliche whenever one of your Twitter friends uses it on a Sunday night during the season. Below is a handy "Bingo Card" for you to print off and use.  Hardcore NTCB players can use multiple cards and assign individuals users to each card, in order to find out who the ultimate Lazy NFL Twitter Cliche Merchant is!

Anyway without further ado, here is a glossary of the terms on the card:

Beast - Use of this term is acceptable when describing Marshawn Lynch's famous touchdown against the Saints or any other TD that involves an entire team being flattened.  However, since Lynch's moment, the term beast has been used on Twitter pretty much every time a running back gains double digit yards .  12 yard gain from Mark Ingram? "Ingram's a beast".  It even gets used for players in other positions, Brandon Marshall grabs a high ball - "Marshall's a beast".  No, he's not! He's a very tall man who is very good at catching footballs!  Move on.

Statement - As in "Great statement from the Defence" and the like.  Essentially, it means "they're doing their job".  When Tom Brady throws a 10 yard pass, people don't say "great statement from the Pat's offence", but when a three and out is forced the word statement comes out in force.   Change the record!

Stud - Next time one of your friends does something impressive (eg eats a very hot curry, that type of thing) call them a stud. Or next time you're watching another sport and something great happens give it a whirl - "Wayne Rooney is a stud"!

Let's Go (insert team name) - I know, I know. It's what fans chant in the stadiums, but seriously it's a woeful chant. Embarrassing, cringy, pathetic and many other adjectives.

Saidnobodyever - I'm sure it started as a decent joke, but now it's just a lazy # added to people's opinions.  "Phil Rivers is a great QB #saidnobodyever".  No No No. What you mean is "I don't think Rivers is a great QB", you can't just claim that nobody has ever thought that.  I'm sure even the worst players in the league have their fans. Think of something different!

Monster - Enough with the Eric Hall impressions.  The word monster can refer be massive beasts such as Godzilla and King Kong, however it is also used to describe paedophiles! So next time you call (eg) Jared Allen a monster, you're essentially putting him on a par with Roy Whiting!

Elite - A favourite of the NFL Network.  Who cares which Quarterbacks belong in a purely subjective bracket? Boring!

FACT - Not an NFL exclusive #, but a favourite of LNTCMs everywhere.  If your best way of justifying your viewpoint is to write FACT at the end of a tweet, then I suggest a career in public speaking isn't for you!

Banter - Another abomination that stretches way beyond the NFL.  I recently had a tweet that suggested I follow a chap "if you enjoy top NFL banter".  Suffice to say he wasn't followed.  I refer to the excellent Urban Dictionary for the true definition of the word:  

"A term now applied to what was previously known as "Conversation" (if explicitly referred to at all) by a generation whose aspirations have been systematically lowered (due to endless hours of social networking and reality TV) to the point that events which occur naturally, everyday, everywhere are now praised and honoured as achievements"

Legend - Legendary status used to be nigh on impossible to achieve   Now you just have to throw 3 Touchdown passes in a game and the Twittersphere pronounces you a legend. "304 yards and 3 TDs.  Chad Henne is a legend!"  All meaning of the word has been destroyed.  Mainly by people who "enjoy banter".

Trolling - I'm not talking about the practice of winding up people online or Tweets that identify culprits of it.  I'm talking about the completely inappropriate misuse of the word in reference to activity that is never a)online or b)aimed at winding people up.  For example, it's week one and a player released at the end of the last season scores for his new franchise.  you get bet your life that within 3 seconds at least one LNTCM will post "x is trolling the (insert previous franchise)".  No, he's not...he's scored a touchdown for his team. Have a think!

Buttfumble  - It happened.  It was very funny.  And there were some amusing tweets at the time. But #buttfumble when talking about Mark Sanchez a year later is classic LNTCM behaviour. 

Cowgirls - I don't like the Dallas Cowboys one bit.  But should I wish to insult them, I use words such as *****,  **** or *******.  Calling them Cowgirls, actually makes the writer seem more pathetic than the intended target.  While we're at it, "G-Men" must be the lamest nickname in the whole of sport!

Crads - See above, although this is arguably even more pathetic.

Epic Fail - This is a phrase that should be reserved for monumental mistakes and errors. However, log on to twitter during the NFL season and you'll discover that throwing an interception is apparently an Epic Fail! Get a dictionary!

Ballgame - As in, "This is the ballgame" before a key play.  Another classic example of UK NFL fans thinking they're American.  No doubt these people indulge in blue sky thinking during the work and like to think outside of the box.

Bring Back (insert name of departed Quarterback) - Eg Matt Flynn throws a Week 1 interception, cue "Bring Back Alex Smith."  Lazy, lazy, lazy.

London Bound - Hello Sky Sports!  Yes, we know that 4 teams are playing at Wembley this season, we don't need you to mention it in every tweet.  I even saw this phrase being used by Twitter users not employed by Rupert Murdoch last season.

Money - "Blair Walsh is money from 50 yards". No, he isn't. He is very good from 50 yards. Another phrase that British people never use in the real world, but put them in front of a screen on a Sunday night and it becomes a staple of the vocabulary.

Inane Factual Tweets - I'm talking about "Touchdown", "Wide right", "Interception" and the like. I'm not professing to be the world's greatest NFL expert, but I can see when a touchdown has been scored without some goon on Twitter confirming it!

No doubt, there are many more examples of lazy NFL twitter cliches, but these are some of my favourites. 

NFL Twitter Bingo
Beast	Statement	Stud	Let's Go
Saidnobodyever	Monster	Elite	FACT
Legend	Money	Trolling	Banter
Buttfumble	Cowgirls	Crads	Epic Fail
Ballgame	Bring Back x	London Bound	Inane Factual Tweets

Good Luck!

Live With your Vision

When I'm not watching sport, I somehow find the time to hold down a job with a company called Aum Consultancy.  We deal with stress, depression, anger management, well-being and many many other areas of mental health.  We do 121 counselling, as well as group training for business customers.  I really enjoy working for the company, as (cliche alert) it really feels like we are making a massive difference to people going through troubled times and educating people on mental health issues.

So what's this got to do with the NFL?  Well for a start, there have been numerous cases of mental health issues affecting players.  Ultimately, this can lead to tragedy, and this situation has raised it's head this very season.  I will shortly be writing about this and the issue of mental health in sport.

However, my first dabble at combining my working life with my NFL watching life concerns the amazing story of the Indianapolis Colts and Chuck Pagano.  In our line of work, we are always looking for ways to inspire people and make people think about things in a different way.  The Pagano story certainly inspired me  and his speech to the Colts players after they beat Green Bay was particularly memorable. The below is a short article that I wrote for our company website :

"Aum Business Development Manager Simon Day shares a story that has recently inspired him:

We all want to be inspired.  Some of us are lucky to have a boss who can inspire us.  Others are inspired by friends, family members or even celebrities.  However, it is often difficult to find inspiration.  When we experience stress, it seems impossible to be inspired to overcome situations.One of my guilty pleasures is the sport of American Football.  I have a strong (bordering on unhealthy) passion for the sport and recently I drew inspiration from a story within the NFL.  In September, Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with leukaemia   He is currently undergoing a 4-6 month recovery programme, and is spending the majority of his time in hospital.  A few weeks after being diagnosed Pagano was allowed to leave hospital to visit his team on a matchday.  His team were widely expected to be one of the worst in the league, but they pulled off a shock victory, with Pagano looking on.  After the game, Pagano went into the changing room and delivered a speech that I found truly inspirational.

Pagano talked about how we all have circumstances, but we shouldn't live with those circumstances. -  We should live with our vision.  “I got circumstances. You guys understand it.  I understand it.  It's already beat.  It's already beat.  My vision that I'm living, see two more daughters getting married, dancing at their weddings”.  I found his quote regarding circumstances particularly poignant.  If a man facing a life threatening illness can think so positively, then surely we can all overcome whatever obstacles are in our way. We all need to have a vision of where we want to be, we may need help getting there but we should all have that vision.

Subsequently, the Colts have gone on a winning run and have played at a level beyond everyone’s expectations.  Pagano meanwhile is on the road to recovery.  It’s a touching story of how inspiration can be a 2 way concept.  Pagano inspired his team, and in turn they are inspiring him.  Furthermore, it's a story that has inspired a great many people all over the world - including me!

Pagano's full speech can be seen here"

Pagano's story is one of the reasons I love sport - it can be uplifting, thought provoking, emotional and memorable all at the same time.  The NFL seems to provide more than it's fair share of such stories, but few are as memorable as that of Pagano.   His message of "living with your vision" is one that we can all take on board, and no matter what is going on in life it's important to have a vision of where we want to be.  

My First Season as an Eagles Fan - End of Term Report

It wasn't supposed to end like this.  It was supposed to end in New Orleans next month with Andy Reid hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.  It was supposed to be the culmination of my dream first season as an Eagles fan, a triumphant justification of my absurd process for picking my NFL team.

Then the season kicked off and it all went downhill rapidly.  In fact, looking back, it's hard to think of a game where I genuinely thought the Eagles looked like a good team.  Perhaps the Giants at home, but even that game would have ended in defeat were it not for a last minute missed Field Goal.  4-12 could so easily have been 0-16, in fact the Eagles 4 wins were by a combined total of 6 points!

Fumbles, injuries, interceptions and just rank bad play were visible throughout the year.  With hindsight, I shouldn't have been surprised.  My preseason optimism was naively based around the fact that we hadn't garnered the same media attention as in 2011 and the pressure was off. Our star players would be able to perform, Michael Vick would be fit and raring to go and we'd quietly make our way to the Play Offs.  In reality, the Eagles were full of overpaid, overrated and under performing "stars" and whilst there were encouraging signs from some of the younger players, this was a team at the bottom of the NFL cycle.

Luckily, the key word here is cycle.  Teams very rarely stay at the top or bottom of the pile for too long, and the Eagles failure gives them an easier schedule and higher Draft picks for next season.  What's more, we'll have a new coach, probably a new quarterback, a bolstered line and hopefully some additions to the secondary.  Perhaps one year wasn't enough to scar me for life, but I'm quietly optimistic about the Eagles future.

So how did I find my first season as an Eagle?

First things first, I am still delighted that I picked the Eagles.  The franchise has a strong fan base in the UK and I am glad to be a part of it.  The British Eagles are a great supporters club and have made me feel very welcome.

One thing that genuinely surprised was that atmosphere at Eagles home games.  Whilst the crowd were behind the team at the start of every game, it didn't take much for them to turn on the Eagles players. A bad play call, a turnover or an opposition score were all it took for the boos to start.  And when I say boo, I mean BOOOOOOOO!!!!  In this country, talk show phone lines go berserk when a footballer gets a bit of abuse from the crowd.  There was outrage when Rafael Benitez was given a hostile welcome by Chelsea fans recently.  Compared to what the players and coaches have to put up with in Philly, Benitez had a stroll in the park. Personally, I'm not entirely sure what it achieves, but equally you pay your money so you have the right to express your opinion.  I think booing at the end or when the game is over as a contest is fine, but whilst the team still has a chance it seems pretty counterproductive.  It certainly didn't seem to inspire the Eagles players this term!

Another interesting aspect of the season was watching one team's games closely.  Previously, I'd just watched the live Sky games on a Sunday evening and highlights of any other action.  This year I got Gamepass and tried to watch all of the Eagles games in their entirety.  Aside from the weekend of the Wembley game and the irrelevant Week 17 defeat to the Giants I succeeded in this aim.  It gave me a very different perspective of the game.  I'd previously just noticed the big plays and who the star players were.  Now I was taking a much more detailed look at proceedings and the performance of the Eagles players.  For example, I could see that Evan Mathis was a shining light in an otherwise woeful O line, and that Demetress Bell was the worst member of said O line.  I could see that Demeco Ryans was a leader and the key player in Defence, whilst our much hyped Cornerback pairing were pretty dismal.

As my knowledge of the team grew, then so did my emotional involvement in the games.  So much so that Jeremy Maclin's last second TD in Tampa was greeted by some enthusiastic leaping around my living room, whilst the numerous defeats left me in a bad mood most Mondays!

What's Next?

The Eagles season is over, but there's still plenty of NFL Play Off action to enjoy.  I'm going to try and take more of an interest to the Draft and it's build up this year.  It's an aspect of the NFL that I've not really embraced before, so that should be fun.
In addition, I've started research on my next NFL writing project - The History of the NFL in the UK.  I've already found plenty of fascinating stories on the subject and I'm going to start writing up some of those stories very soon so watch this space!

Bengals 31 Eagles 13 AKA - Who I want to win the Superbowl

It wasn't meant to be like this.  This is the "business end" (as opposed to the pleasure end...ohhh pardon) of the NFL regular season, I was meant to be watching the Eagles secure their Play Off berth and planning their route to the SuperBowl.  Instead, they sit at a pathetic 4-10, are in disarray and the only thing left to play for is Draft position.  A situation that essentially means defeat is preferable to victory!  It all means that the final 2 games of the season aren't exactly going to be nerve janglers!
Don't get me wrong, I'm still delighted that I picked the Eagles as my team, it's just that I'll have to wait until the 2013 season at least, before I can experience some glory.  Luckily, there is still plenty going on in the NFL and the last 2 weeks of the regular season are full of key games that will decide the Play Off places.

Many moons ago, the first franchise I eliminated from my search for a team were the Pittsburgh Steelers.  My reason?  I don't like them.

I worked on the principle that we always want a certain outcome when we watch a sporting event.  It may not be a strong urge and it may not have us jumping out of our seats, but to some degree we will want a certain team to win.  So if I pick 2 random NFL teams....in this case, Carolina and Cleveland - I'd say that I'd rather the Browns won a match up between the two.  Why? No strong reasons, just that I quite like the way Cleveland are building a young team and I find Cam Newton a bit too arrogant.  Naturally, this inclination can change pretty quickly - a couple of years ago I wanted to see the Chargers do well, now I'm completely nonplussed by them

I could apply the same "logic" to any NFL match-up, and to take that principle to it's extreme, it dictates who I want to win the Superbowl this season.

Looking at the remaining contenders, there aren't many that I'd place near the top of my personal "want to win" table.  Indeed, teams like the Steelers, Cowboys, Patriots, Ravens and Giants are at the bottom of my table.  Nothing personal, just a subconscious and fairly inexplicable dislike of these teams.  I find Cowboys and Pats fans can often be arrogant, the Giants won last year so automatically lose a bit of appeal in my weird head, whilst the Ravens just don't float my boat.  Maybe it's the bang average QB, or maybe it's just the stupid purple uniforms!

Of course, there are inevitably teams who I am pretty apathetic towards - I like to see them beat the teams I don't like, but equally I want them to lost to the ones I do like.  Franchises such as the Colts, Broncos, Bears, Packers and Vikings leave me nonplussed.  Although it would be hilarious if Christian Ponder was a SuperBowl winner Quarterback, so I could be persuaded to route for the Vikings.

That leaves me with the franchises I like to see do well - the Texans, 49ers, Redskins, Seahawks, Falcons and Bengals.  I can't see myself cheering for the Falcons or Texans as they will probably be favourites for at least their first play off game.  The same can probably be said of the the Niners, I like watching them play, think their Defence are very exciting and I'm a fan of what Kaepernick is doing at QB.  However, I can see play off heartbreak for San Francisco in the form of a David Akers miss.  He's having a terrible season and it could see them come unstuck in a tight Post Season game.  I enjoy watching RGIII, Alfred Morris and co, but you can't escape the fact that Washington are Divisional rivals of the Eagles, so they have to be eliminated

Which means I'm left with a choice between the Bengals and Seahawks.  Realistically I just can't see the Bengals going all the way, they may not even reach the play offs for a start!  They can be fun to watch, the Dalton-Green link up is just about the best in the whole NFL. They just don't seem to beat the big teams, something they are clearly going to have to do pretty soon if they want to progress.

What about the Seahawks?  Again, I think it's a stretch to see them as SuperBowl winners, despite putting up over 100 pints in their last 2 games, there are questions makers over their offence up against elite teams.  The Defence is strong, but again are they elite?  Possibly, but I'm not convinced they're are SuperBowl winners.  However, I'm loving what Russell Wilson is doing, Marshawn Lynch is great to watch and they've got some great young players on both sides of the ball.

Hmm, it's a tough call, but I'm officially declaring that (following the Eagles elimination) the team I want to win the Superbowl are the.......Seattle Seahawks.


Beat that for logic!

Eagles 33 Cowboys 38: How Did it Come to This?

Another Eagles defeat, but this time I've got something to celebrate!
Forgive the shameless self indulgence, but this week marks the first birthday of this blog.  More importantly, it's marks the first anniversary of my journey to becoming an Eagles fan.  It actually seems as like I've been supporting Philadelphia for an entirety - I guess that's what 8 defeats in a row does to you!

If you're late to this, then I've been following the NFL for around 6 years, but for the first 5 of those I was a complete neutral.  Last year I decided to change that and have some fun whilst doing so.  I became an Eagles fan by starting with all 32 NFL teams as my potential franchise, then eliminating 31 teams 1 at a time for a wide variety of football and non-football related reasons.  It lead to some very strange evenings at home - including a pretty dull couple of hours spent working out which NFL ground would take the longest to get to from my house and a soul destroying episode of coin tossing in order to eliminate a team through blind luck.  My initial plan was to eliminate one team every week, but as I started getting into the project I upped my work rate, and ended up finding my team in about 3 months.  It all ended with a scintillating game of Madden 07 between the Eagles and Lions.  If, you've not read about that game (Reuters didn't seem interested for some reason) then just watch a compilation of bad punts and you'd get the general idea.

It all left me as an Eagles fan, but it also gave me a thirst for discovering more about the NFL and writing more about it.  As such, I've been regularly contributing to the excellent 1amsports.com and have also written articles for the equally excellent Second City Fanatics and the British Eagles website.

Supporting a team with a fan base in the UK has been beneficial in building up my support, and the British Eagles has been great in this regard. Whilst I don't have the same depth of Eagles knowledge or experience as some of the members, I like to think I can support the team just as much.  I've certainly built up my knowledge of the team and the league as a whole over the last few months.

Having dabbled with a couple of over writing projects, I've now decided to write a History of the NFL in the UK and look at the various connections this country has had with the League and American Football in general.  I'm aiming for this to be a somewhat more substantial piece of work, so there's plenty of research going on at present.

As for my Eagles supporting life?  Hmm, well it all started well enough, I was pretty optimistic heading into the season, on paper we had one of the strongest squads in the NFL, with playmakers all over the pitch. A 3-1 start justified my optimism and the Eagles were set to crown my opening season in glorious fashion.

2 months on, the victory column still sits at 3 and the Eagles are one of the worst sides in the League.  They are definitely the most disappointing side in football.  This latest defeat in Dallas came as a surprise to absolutely nobody.  Injuries, poor form, worse coaching and numerous botches have led to a highly frustrating period for fans.  In truth, this display was an improvement and young players like Bryce Brown and Nick Foles are showing signs of maturity and being NFL calibre players.  This campaign is clearly over so I agree with giving the rookies a go for the last 4 games.  I also agree wit releasing Jason Babin, and hopefully a few more will be joining him in the departure lounge soon (Kurt Coleman!).

In a way, this season has been good for my development as an Eagles fan.  Let's face it, I'm not likely to encounter many worse years during my supporting life!  The only way is up, and a massive rebuild is surely going to take place in the off season.  The odds are that it won't bring positive results overnight - the NFL is cyclical and the Eagles are pretty much at the bottom of that cycle currently.  But I just want a team full of young, hungry players who are playing with passion and not just dialing it in so they can take home their paychecks.  There were signs of that on Sunday night, and after a miserable few months, there may be a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.  It just might take a long time to get out of said tunnel!

Overall, I've loved my first year of writing about the NFL.  My appreciation of the sport has grown immensely, I regularly bore friends by crowbarring it into conversations and I watch far too much of the sport on TV.  Supporting a team has been a big part of this, and if you don't already support an NFL team then I'd highly recommend you start doing so...just maybe not the Eagles!

Eagles 6 Redskins 31 A History Project

My mother taught me that if I didn't have anything good to say then to not say anything at all.  This means I've got absolutely nothing to say regarding the Eagles latest  - and worst - defeat of the season.  Suffice to say that, the season is now over, wholesale changes are needed, Andy Reid must go, various players must go and new Co-ordinators are needed.  Aside from that, everything is looking good.

So instead of banging on about the Eagles and their deficiencies, I'm going to talk about something I'm currently working on and will forming the basis for this blog after the NFL season has concluded. I'm talking about the History of the NFL in the UK.  It started as a little bit of Internet research on a slow night in (aka girlfriend watching the soaps!) after reading an article about John Smith.  Smith was the kicker for the New England Patriots for 10 years from 1974 and is most famous for being the kicker during the infamous Snow Plough game against the Dolphins.  I found it interesting that Smith had been brought up in England and was offered a contract as a soccer* player.  He turned it down, moved to the US shortly after and the rest is history.

Me being me, I decided to look up other players from the UK who have appeared in the NFL.  It's not exactly a long list, but it does provide some great stories.  It certainly provided enough to intrigue me and set me off on a long train of thought. So long was the train, that it ended with me deciding to look into the entire history of the NFL in terms of it's connections to the UK.  Cue lots of research and more fascinating stories.

Broadly speaking, I categorised my findings into 5 categories:

* The Origins of the Sport - Like most US sports, American Football derives from an English sport  - in this case rugby.  How did the sport evolve from the time that William Webb Ellis supposedly pick up a ball during a game of football?  How did it get across the Atlantic and evolve into the sport we now watch and enjoy?

* The Early Days - Before Channel 4 got involved in the early 80's, the NFL was a mystery to the vast majority of the UK.  However, there were a few connections, aside from the previously mentioned Smith.  I am also trying to track down a story that I'm sure I read in the guardian a while ago, it concerns a kicker from the UK who ended up in the NFL after a franchise decided to run kicking trials over here.  If anybody has a link to that story or more information on what happened then please can you let me know, as I seem to recall it was a great story.

Possibly the greatest
TV logo ever!

* The 80's Boom - Everyone of a certain age (older than me I hasten to add) remember Channel 4's coverage of the NFL, it led to a massive growth of the NFL in the UK and exhibition games being played at Wembley stadium.  Ultimately, Channel 4's coverage was the catalyst for the League becoming what it has in this country.  They are plenty of interesting facts and anecdotes surrounding the sport and it's presence in the UK during this period.

* The London Monarchs and the World League - With all due respect the likes of the London Blitz and co, it seems ludicrous to think that an American Football team from the UK played and Wembley stadium and regularly attracted crowds of other 40,000.  It was a weird time for the sport in the UK, highlighted by the fact that my geography teacher used to put on Monarchs videos when he had time to kill at the end of a lesson!


*  Finally, after a late nineties dip, we have the "Second Boom" that exists to this day and is underlined by the playing of regular season NFL games at Wembley.  I still get amazed when people complain about aspects of the International Series - Team x are crap, the queues at the Tailgate are too long, tickets are too expensive etc - we shouldn't ever get complacent about the NFL playing in this country.  It is an incredible privilege that the overwhelming majority of sports fans never experience.  It is also growing year upon year -the Tailgates, the Fan Rallies etc and next year we have 2 games to look forward to.  What's more, they are also events such as the Super Bash and the Thanksgiving Party that help to raise the profile of the sport here, as well as more and more games being televised.  It's a fantastic time to be a UK based fan of the NFL, but what does the future hold and how can the sport continue to grow?

I'm still hunting around for stories and information about the NFL/UK connections, but after the end of the NFL season I'm going to start putting the stories together.  I've yet yet decided whether to use this blog to publish my work or to look at other avenues (websites, etc) or even to put it all together in one place.  Either way, I'm excited about working on a more substantial writing project and to find out more about the NFLs connections with the UK.

It's certainly better then writing about the Eagles every week!




(* Like most people in the UK I hate the word Soccer, but it's the simplest way to differentiate between football and American Football...so tough!)

International Series 2012 - Better than Watching the Eagles!

Not many great days out start at 830am on a Sunday morning at Birmingham Moor Street, but the 28th October 2012 was an exception.  Not that I was feeling particularly joyous as I boarded the Chiltern (aka cheap but slow) train to Marylebone.  2 hours, 3 coffees, a few chapters of Scott Mariani's new book and a Frank Turner playlist later, I was in London and meeting up with my friend.

About half of Marylebone station appeared to be NFL fans and I clocked over 20 different team's jerseys whilst getting our tube tickets.  It seem strange to see so many different team colours at a one off sporting event, by the time we'd reached Wembley on the tube I'd completed a full set of 32 team jerseys and it was clear that the Patriots were going to have more fans then the "home team".  I've previously written about how it'd be great to really make the IS seem like a home game for the Rams (or whoever), but this year was always going to be difficult given the popularity of the Patriots in this country and the recent history of the sides.

The Pats popularity was in further evidence as we made our way to the Green Man, which was home to plenty of fans, a large marquee and a heavily populated UK Patriots tent.  I think it's fair to say that the "UK Jags" tent next year will be a bit more sparse!  As usual, the Green Man was an excellent host for the Great British Tailgate Party and full of friendly faces.  It also had beer at only £2.50 a bottle which seemed rather cheap for a Wembley game day.  After a couple of drinks and the first half of the Merseyside Derby, it was time to make our way to the official Tailgate to meet up with some British Eagles.

For a change, there wasn't a massive queue to get into the Tailgate, there were plenty of lanes and the security checks were brief and efficient.  Inside the Tailgate was another matter, the queues were so long it was making it difficult to walk around the site. It was a shame, because the range of food on offer was excellent.  The same couldn't be said for the beer, and one pint of overpriced, flat, Budweiser was enough for me.  By some miracle we managed to find a bench in the beer tent and met up with some of the British Eagles.  It was great to put some faces to names, although I was left feeling rather jealous as Matty had a sideline and changing room pass, whilst Ali had Club Wembley tickets.  Meanwhile, we had seats up in the rafters...grr.

Soon to was time to make our way to the seats in the aforementioned rafters.  Thankfully Wembley has plenty of escalators, otherwise we may have missed the first half!  One of the great aspects of Wembley is that you've got a great view from pretty much any seat.  We were about 10 rows from the back, but the view was still excellent.  Pre match band Train aren't exactly my cup of tea (Nor was the Wembley tea at £2.50!) but I have to admit they sounded good live.  Not having the onfield visual extravaganza of flags and cheerleaders (presumably due to the wet field) actually helped the band connect with the audience.

Welcome to the Cheap Seats

Sitting behind the EndZone means you can't be 100% certain if a short run has gained 2 or 3 yards, but the sideline markings make it pretty easy to guess.  Plus the PA was always quick to announce the result of the play.  The opening Rams drive ended with a spectacular 50 yard touchdown pass from Bradford to Givens and it genuinely felt like a Rams home game at that point.  We were out of our seats and the atmosphere was superb.  Sadly, that was as good as it got, and for the rest of the first half we were treated to a Tom Brady masterclass.  The scoreboard was keeping everyone informed of the Eagles latest disaster, although it sounded as if the Dolphins hammering of the Jets was the most popular score of the evening - not sure if that's a sign of the Fins popularity or evidence of how much people dislike the Jets at present!

NFL thrashings are never much fun, but at least we got to see an NFL all time great performing somewhere near his peak.  Brady was greatly aided by a strong offensive line, a lively running display from Steven Ridley and some unplayable receivers.  Rob Gronkowski in particular was looking unstoppable and even from the cheap seats, he looked like a cross between a lineman and a basketball player.  Despite the one sided nature of the game, I thoroughly enjoyed the first half.  It was my 4th IS game and comfortably the best standard of play I'd seen.

Unfortunately, the Rams weren't matching their rivals and their defence was getting a mauling.  It all meant that the second half was a bit of a non event. Sure, we got a couple more Pats TDs, but they were merely icing on the cake.  The Pats defence also stepped up in the second half and made a number of big plays.  Poor Sam Bradford was getting swamped on a regular basis and his O line was disintegrating in front of him.

By the start of the 4th quarter, the crowd was thinning out.  This is a common occurrence at NFL games and is in no way a poor reflection of UK fans.  The truth is that one sided NFL games fizzle out at an early stage - we get back up QBs, conservative plays and a plethora of punts. The plus side was that it meant that 84,000 people weren't leaving at the same time so getting away from the stadium was pretty easy.  We had time to catch some of the Cowboys-Giants game back at the Green Man before heading off into the night.

I'd rank the 6th IS game as my second favourite.  The Chargers-Saints epic will take some serious beating and the fact it was my first ever NFL game means it was a special occasion for me.  But this was up there, we met some great people, saw some brilliant play and generally had a really fun time. If you've never been to the Is then make sure you get to Wembley next year.  I'm hoping to get tickets for both games - I just hope that they end up being close contests!

Next year will certainly be a big test of how far the NFL has come in the UK.  2 games is going to be a challenge, particularly with the perennially poor Jaguars being one of the teams coming over. The Vikings Steelers clash will be the easier to sell, it looks like being a tough game to call, it will be played in September, so should be decent weather, plus both teams are well supported in the UK.  Ideally, all NFL games in the UK would feature match ups like this, but obviously getting 2 big sides to come over is a difficult task.  After all, if you sell out in the US why move a game to the UK?

It'd be great if the game could have more of a "home" feel for Jacksonville and it's important that NFLUK and Sky hype the Jags over the next 12 months.  It's great that they have committed to playing here for the next 4 years and they deserve our support in return.  Unfortunately, they are up against one of the best supported teams in the 49ers and will probably be big underdogs. A lot can change in the NFL so maybe it'll end up being a close contest, but as it stands it's not the most appealing of fixtures.  Of course, the die hard fans will go whoever is playing, but for the sake of converting more new fans it's vital that the game is well marketed and that the Jags put on a good show.

Personally, I'd be surprised if there was ever a franchise in the UK, but for the sake of teams wanting to come over here for fixtures we need to promote Wembley (or whenever) as being a strong home venue.  Somewhere where they will have an advantage and get strong support. I'd like to see the Jags name written in both the EndZones, only Jacksonville banners on the side of the stadium and for the franchise themselves to make every effort to connect with the UK audience.  Gestures to get the crowd going, spending some time in the UK, lots of PR activity etc.  The Rams did a reasonable job on this front, but more can be done.

We are really lucky to have NFL games in the UK, and to have 2 here next year is fantastic.  Now it's time to make the most of it and make sure it continues and gets even bigger!

Ten Tips For a Great NFL International Series

This week is the highlight of the sporting year for thousands of sports fans in the UK.  Given that we've had the Olympics, Paralympics, European Championships and Ryder Cup this year, that's a pretty bold claim.  But for the hoards of NFL fans in this country the International Series at Wembley is what they look forward to all year.
The International Series is so much more than a game of football, it's a fantastic day out, a chance to meet fellow fans and is supplemented by plenty of other great events like the Tailgate party and the Fan Rally.  I've been to 3 previous IS games and have gradually learnt how to make the most of my time at the NFL, so here's my Top Ten Tips to ensure you have a great day out at the 2012 International Series:

1.  Get There Early!
The game doesn't start until 5pm, but try to get to Wembley late morning. This ensures you've got as much time as possible to enjoy the Tailgates, the bars , the food outlets and to just generally soak up the superb pre match atmosphere.  It also gives you the best chance of beating the crowds at the official Tailgate and getting a decent chance to grab some merchandise without having to queue for ages.

2.  Try to Arrive at Wembley Park
Wembley has it's fair share of critics.  Yes, it was absurdly expensive, massively delayed and is situated in one of the less salubrious areas of London.  But, as you emerge from the bowels of Wembley Park tube station, you cannot fail to be impressed by the grandeur of the stadium. The arch in particular is a magnificent site.  What's more, you are looking at it with Wembley Way in the foreground. Well worth spending a few minutes for a photo sessions.

3. Have a Stroll Down Wembley Way
Please note - This is to be done pre match!  The 500 yards or so from Wembley Park to the Stadium is one of the most famous pedestrianised roads in the country (Phrases you never read in an NFL blog No1!) and is great to get the metaphorical juices flowing.  You'll encounter plenty of other fans, as well as an assortment of colourful characters (i.e. crooks) pedalling some knock off merchandise.  So, if you fancy wearing a "New Egnland Patroits" scarf or a "St Louis Rams" hat, this is the place to be.

4. Visit the Great British Tailgate Party
In truth, I'm not a massive fan of the official Tailgate organised by the NFL.  2008 was fun with the Mardi Gras, but the other occasions have been pretty dull.  Lots of overpriced merchandise and food, plus massive queues and some variable entertainment.  Last season, we discovered the GBTP at the Green Man pub near the stadium and had a great time on the Sunday afternoon.  Wembley isn't blessed with great pubs, it's not even blessed with average ones, but the Green Man turns into an NFL stronghold once a year.  The pub has a large beer garden that is home to a fair sized marquee with plenty of merchandise and food stalls (including a lovely spit roast (Phrases you never read in an NFL blog No2).  Plus, you'll be surrounded by hoards of friendly NFL fans, and if round ball football is your thing you can watch the afternoons Premier League action.  This was particularly good fun last year thanks to Man Utd 1 Man City 6!
The pub is only a 5-10 minute walk from the stadium and is open post match until 1am.

5.  Try to catch the Pre Match Entertainment
Even if the Prematch band aren't your thing  - and Train certainly aren't my thing! - it's well worth getting into the ground at least 30 minutes before kick off.  The NFL knows how to put on a show and the fireworks, dancing and general visual extravaganza are another great photo opportunity.  It's not exactly Danny Boyle and won't have you marvelling at the subtlety, but it certainly looks impressive!

6. Support the Rams
Probably best for Patriots fans to bypass this section!
If you support one of the other 31 franchises then I'd urge you to help make the occasion feel like a Rams home game.  There are usually flags provided on every seat, plus the obligatory PA propaganda.  They will be the underdogs, and it'll create a fantastic atmosphere if we all get behind them.  Plus, nobody likes the Patriots do they?  Also, a fervent "home" atmosphere will send a great message to other franchises and encourage them to want to play over here.

7. Don't start/join in with a Mexican Wave
In the unlikely event I get invited onto Room 101, I'll be sending the likes of Jeremy Clarkson, the Stereophonics and Swindon to the Orwellian nightmare.  I'd also be condemning the Mexican Wave and anyone who starts one.  For a start, it gives the impression that the game is dull and people are bored.  That may well be the case, but try and encourage the players rather than demonstrate how bored you are.  Even booing at least indicates you're watching!
It's also really irritating when everyone in front of you stands up every 30 seconds. Usually accompanied by feet stomping and a "whoooh" that sounds like you're at a boy band gig (So I'm told!).  Boycott the Wave!

8.  Don't Bother with the Food and Drink in the Stadium
Unless of course, you're a fan of microwave pizza slices and flat Carlsberg.  All at 2035 prices!  Luckily, there are more than enough food and drink options outside of the stadium for this not to be a problem.

9.  Stay til the End!
The Patriots will be favourites but in the last 2 weeks you've thrown away 10 point leads in the 4th Quarter.  Against the Seahawks, it lead to an inglorious defeat, but against the Jets it ended in an Overtime victory.  This isn't the Patriots we've come to know over the years and they are showing plenty of signs of vulnerability this season.
The Rams are a work in progress, but there are clear sign of progress. Finnegan and Jenkins are an excellent CB tandem, Jackson and Richardson give them a solid ground game and Sam Bradford is showing flashes of developing into a bonafide NFL QB.  St Louis needs a signature win to rubber stamp their improvement, and Wembley would be a great place to do it.

10.  Stick Around After the Game
If nothing else, it means you avoid the misery of Wembley Way!  If you're on a high post match, then standing around for an hour in the cold, whilst moving at a snails pace is a sure fire way of getting you back down to Earth.  In previous years, I've been part of this misery, and followed it up with a midnight train ride back to Birmingham.  This year we're opting for a few post match drinks before getting a taxi to our hotel. It means we can watch the Cowboys-Giants game, discuss the Wembley game and chat to even more NFL fans.  All of which sounds far more preferable to being herded around like cattle and will make an excellent end to a fantastic day.



There you have it, it's just what I'd recommend for a great day out, it's a once a year event (Although twice next year!) so make the most of it and if you see a man in an Eagles t-shirt in Block 509 or at the Green Man, come and say hello.  Just don't ask me to join in with the Mexican Wave!

Just like Watching the Gills! Lions 26 Eagles 23

For years, supporting Gillingham Football Club has been a stressful, frustrating and largely disappointing experience.  I've sat through plenty of heavy defeats at the hands of mediocre opponents, as well as watching us throw away leads on a regular basis.  Even the most casual of football fans is familiar with our stunning Play Off Final defeat to Man City in 1999 - 2-0 up with just seconds to play, we managed to concede 2 goals and wound up losing on penalties.  A string of poor players and even poorer managers, plus the occasional moments of glory (A promotion in 2009) have been the story of my Gills supporting life.  The team have a very clever knack of conceding late goals and turning simple victories into agonizing draws and defeats.  Worst of all, the majority of games have been exceedingly dull, and it's only threw a perverse sense of obligation that I've carried on going.

Tactical Genius

Then, this summer, something changed.  Along came Martin Allen with a few new players, hilarious press conferences and some "interesting" ideas.  Suddenly Saturday afternoons are a pleasurable experience, full of exciting play, excellent goals and, most importantly, victories.  The season is only a quarter of the way done, but the Gills are sitting proudly on top of the league and it feels great to be a fan.  Everything is looking rosy ....and then we get to the Philadelphia Eagles.

This is my first season supporting the Eagles (For any new readers this is why) and so far they are doing a pretty good job in replacing the "misery gap" in my supporting life.  Close, stressful games, terrible management and heartbreaking defeats have been the story of the season.  In fact, the errors besetting the Eagles are almost identical to those suffered by the Gills over the years.  It's as if they've filled in the void created by the Gills excellent form.

As sport's fans, we love to wallow in our misery and misfortune. Even supporters of Manchester Utd or Barcelona will find things to moan about. The away draw becomes a source of disappointment, the red card the start of a crisis and the penalty conceded is a reason to ring up 606 and whinge about referees.  It's the same in the NFL, my Twitter feed is full of negative comments.  Last Sunday I had loads of tweets from Falcons fans complaining about Matt Ryan and the fact they weren't stuffing the Raiders.  The team have a 100% record for Christ's sake, why can't fans just be happy?

Supporting a team is a chance to let off some steam and the best way to do that is via negative emotions.  Bad week at work? Don't shout at the boss, let your team's Quarterback have it instead!  Fell out with the girlfriend?  Nothing a few screams at a ref won't fix.

I'm no different. It's not a conscious effort to be negative about supporting the Eagles and Gills, but it's just that I (like most people) use my supporting life to vent my spleen.  A successful period for the Gills is nicely offset by the misfiring Eagles.  Instead of moaning at Andy Hessanthaler and various sub standard footballers, I get annoyed at Michael Vick and Andy Reid.

This week's game against the Lions was a prime example of how frustrating the Eagles can be.  After an error laden first half went largely unpunished by a distinctly average Detroit team, the Eagles improved considerably in the second half.  So much so, that when Jeremy Maclin scored a 70 yard touchdown we were 10 points up, with only a few minutes remaining.  That's when the "spirit of Wembley 1999" kicked in and a seemingly unassailable lead was turned into a soul destroying defeat.  This time the ingredients were an inexplicable change in the defensive scheme, some absurd offensive play calling and an offensive line that were completely unable to stop the rush.

Still we managed to reach Overtime and by virtue of winning the coin toss we had the first chance to score.  What happened next was a truly catastrophic period of possession which saw us make a grand total of -21 yards in 3 plays before punting the ball away and giving the Lions excellent field position.  From which they duly went on to win the game.

After Maclin's touchdown, I made the fatal error of thinking the game was done.  No way could we lose from here!  Having done my research on the history of the Eagles I should have known better.  Perhaps I should be thankful that they've allowed me to let some steam off now the Gills are winning regularly, but at present it doesn't feel great being an Eagles fan.


Luckily enough, this week is the Eagles bye week, so no Sunday misery for me in Week 7. Instead Ill be able to watch the fixtures and enjoy them.  Which given the last 2 Eagle's debacles will make a nice change.
Next week, I'll be looking ahead to the International Series and how the sport is developing in the UK

Sky's Limits! Eagles 14 Steelers 16

Week 5 represented the Eagles first appearance on Sky Sports this season.  Coming off the back of an excellent victory over the Giants, it seemed to be a great chance for the Eagles to put on a show in front of a UK TV audience...hmmm we'll get to that in a bit!

Love it or hate it, Sky Sports NFL coverage is a prime reason for the growth of the NFL in the UK. Their Sunday night coverage has been a staple of UK fans viewing for years and they've supplemented it with programmes such as Total Access and America's Game.  Of course, the likes of ESPN, Channel 4 and the Beeb have dipped their toes, but it's Sky that have led the way in broadcasting the NFL in this country.

The Sunday night set up has been largely the same since I started watching the NFL 6 years ago.  The only major change has been Neil Reynolds replacing Nick Halling as lead analyst.  The Halling-Reynolds switch didn't go down too well with a lot of fans who missed Halling's infectious enthusiasm and found Reynolds a bit too drab for their liking.  I do miss Halling and can't really take to him as a boxing commentator, but I've no real problem with Reynolds.  My Sunday night twitter feed is full of people disagreeing with his opinions, but that doesn't make him a bad pundit.  Reynolds isn't an ex-player so is limited in his "insight", but he does stick his neck out and if I don't agree with a lot of what he says then that's fine.  It's preferable to the non committal analysis that blights coverage of soccer in this country.

The Reynolds-Halling switch aside, you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching coverage from 2006 most of the time. Even the rota of studio guests is largely the same, some of them are very good (Cecil Martin) and some don't really offer much (David Tuckman)., the format of the show is unflinching and at the head of it all is Kevin Cadle.

I like Cadle, in the same way that I liked Richard Whiteley on Countdown.  He's clearly not going to win any awards for his presenting style, but despite the frequent factual errors, missing of cues and stumbles, I do find him entertaining.  Or maybe it's because of those errors!

Sky have a difficult task in pitching their coverage at the right level for a sport that is growing in the UK.  Make it too analytical and people new to the game switch off.  Make it too simple and long term fans get bored.  In this regard, Sky get it about right.  We get some technical analysis, but in the main it's easy enough to understand for even the newest of NFL followers.

However, I do feel that Sky could do with revamping the coverage a bit.  A new studio, a couple of fresh faces, maybe even a change of style.  As the sport grows in the UK, then surely the coverage should develop.  Use the 30 minutes prior to kick off for some in depth analysis of the upcoming game, the midweek show that currently features highlights from 2 matches could be extended into a "Match of the Day" type programme with all the touchdowns and some analysis of the key moments.  Also, it'd be good to have more features  - probably at half time - on the development of the sport in the UK.  They sometimes cover the BritBowl, but what about the various fan clubs for franchises and the links they have developed, or the work that goes into making the International Series such a big event.  And for new fans, a short feature focusing on an aspect of the game - eg blitzes or draw plays.  It's not a radical upheaval, but just a few things to keep the programming fresh and relevant for all fans.

Anyway, back to Week 5 and Michael Vick was  - deservedly! - getting a pummelling from the studio for a couple of fumbles early on.  I do think that the Eagles are a steady QB away from being a SuperBowl contender.  They don't even need an elite talent there, just a Schaub, Smith or Flacco type to run the offence and not turn the ball over.  Luckily, Vick's fumbles weren't being capitalized on and the Eagles defence were holding firm.  This meant a pretty drab first half and most of the studio chat revolved around other games.  Usually this is a bit annoying as I feel that they should be focusing on the game in hand (after all, it's easy enough for fans of other teams to keep track of their sides score), however, Vick aside, there really was nothing much to discuss.

Things picked up in the second half and the Eagles finally got some drives together, but the slow starts are blighting the season.  There was a crushing inevitability about the Steelers game winning drive, and in truth we didn't deserve to win.  At the final whistle, it was back to the studio for the expert views.  Except that it was time for Brady v Manning so the Eagles and Steelers were quickly put on the shelf.

This is a bit of a tricky one for Sky, as the NFL scheduling means that there is hardly ever any time between the early and late games.  The late game finishes at around the same time as the Channel 4 game game starts, so the window for detailed post game analysis is very small.  Another reason why a more detailed midweek show what be a good idea.  The game is growing in the UK, and the fans deserve coverage that mirrors that growth.

And if anybody from Sky TV is reading this, I am available at a very reasonable rate!

Bad Day: Eagles 6 Cardinals 27

This was an eye opener!  After 2 hard fought, exciting and slightly fortunate victories, the Eagles came crashing down to Earth, thus handing me my first defeat as a fan.  In the context of the season, a defeat to a team from another Division isn't a fatal blow, but the manner of the Eagles displays so far hasn't given fans much confidence for the next 14 weeks.

In truth, the signs had been there in the first 2 games: Too many turnovers, too many hits on Vick and some strange play calling.  But even so, not many fans were expecting such a resounding beating against a talented but unfancied Arizona side.

Give the ball to this man please!

As a lower league football fan, I've experienced my fair share of humiliating defeats.  In most cases, there are some running themes and this Eagles game was no different.  For a start, the "fumbleitis" resurfaced early on, coupled with some strange play calling (Note to Andy Reid:  LeSean McCoy is one of the best runner sin the League) it mean that the Cardinals had a lot of possession.  The difference this week was that the Defence, whilst playing reasonably well, weren't getting the ball back quickly.  The result was a series of long, efficient Cardinals drives, usually resulting in points.

It's hard to explain, but from a very early stage you could just tell that it was going to be a long and completely fruitless evening of Eagles watching.  It's a familiar feeling for sports fans: when you just know it's not your day.  You know that nothing is going to go your way, the players won't turn things around and the team are destined for defeat.

It's not just fans who experience this "bad day at the office" feeling.  Players also suffer from it occasionally too, I can remember a few occasions playing cricket when I've just not been able to bowl the bowl where I want to and couldn't do anything about it.  The Eagles offence seemed to be having a similar experience here.   Time after time, Michael Vick would hold on to the ball for what seemed like an eternity, before either throwing the ball incomplete or being swallowed up by the Cardinals defence.  Receivers weren't getting getting free and the O line were struggling to keep control.  Andy Reid had no answers and the we couldn't even blame the officials!

Every "bad day" has signature moments, in this case both Eagles units contributed a gem.  First of all the Defence cleverly decided to not mark Larry Fitzgerald near the goal line, leading to a very simple TD pass for Kevin Kolb.  Not to be outdone, Michael Vick then proceeded to fumble the ball near the Cards goal line, leading to Arizona recovering the ball and running it back the length of the pitch for a TD of their own!

All of which meant it was 24-0 at Half Time and I had my first loyalty test.  Generally I can't abide fans who leave games early and I've never committed that sin, but on the other hand, NFL thrashings are seriously boring, especially if your team is on the receiving end.  The team in the lead are content to run down the clock and the team chasing the game usually fail to move the chains against containing defensive formations.  I eventually decided to stick with my team for the Second Half, although I'd be lying if I said I didn't flick over to RedZone a fair few times.

As expected, the Second Half was a complete non event.  Which was actually more demoralizing then the First Half.  At least the First Half had incidents, this was just lots of short gains from both teams, the odd Field Goal and plenty of punts.  In short, we were soundly beaten and made to look like a very poor team.

So where does this leave the Eagles?

In my humble opinion, the main issue is with the use of Michael Vick.  He is being asked to throw far too much and his style of play is always going to lead to turnovers. The best plays are made before the snap, but Vick seems to make it up on the fly far too often.  There is room for that type of QB in the NFL and Vick has succeeded in spells, but he needs to be used correctly.  We've got one of the elite runners in the League in LeSean McCoy and he needs to be getting more carries.  In all 3 games this season he has made big gains, but hasn't had enough carries.  Teams are expecting the pass, so send blitzes against our patched up Offensive line.  Vary the play a bit more and it's harder for teams to defend.
Then again I'm no Andy Reid!

And where does this leave me?

In many ways, this was probably a good thing.  Experiencing a low, can only make the highs seem better.  It also stops me feeling like a "Johnny Come Lately" fan who's only experienced victory and hasn't .....oh who am I kidding?! This was horrible and I hated every minute of it.

Luckily, we've got the minnows from New York up next, so that should be a doddle.  The Week 4 Divisional encounter also represents my first Eagles "through the night" game, so if anybody from Relentless is reading this, I'm happy to plug your drinks in return for a few freebies!

Memorable! Ravens 23 Eagles 24

Now this felt like a big game of football! In the future, I may look back at this game as a key moment in my supporting career.  So, aside from the Eagles winning, what made this a memorable game? And what do we want from our sport's matches in order to make them memorable?  Here is my take on those questions, using last Sunday night as the template...

For a start, I spent large chunks of the weekend thinking about the match-up; Could we beat a SuperBowl contender? Could we improve on Week 1's mediocre display? This was a step up from my nonchalant approach to the previous match and was far more akin to my "pre Gillingham" mood.  Whilst I wasn't attending the game so couldn't experience the pre-match atmosphere, I did feel as though my build-up to the game was a notch up from the previous week.

Come 6pm, I was really looking forward to the game, but feeling a tad apprehensive. It soon became clear why..after a few nice plays, Michael Vick throw a familiar looking pick and the Eagles momentum disappeared quicker than you can say "Just throw it away!".  Hmm, it was looking like a long evening.  The overcoming of adversity is another vital ingredient in a memorable game.  We all enjoy an easy win, but unless it is a record breaking one or against a close rival, it is soon forgotten.  Winning against the odds in so much sweeter, it's why fans love "giant killing".  Just 2 days ago, Gillingham beat Southend 1-0 and it was the most memorable game of the season so far. Why?  Because we played the entire second half with 10 men and overcame the odds to cling on to the victory.

The Eagles once again defended outstandingly and at were level at 7-7 after the first quarter.  As with Week 1, I wasn't getting overly excited by the Eagles scoring.  I guess that's where the NFL differs from (eg) football - an early goal could be a vital goal winning effort, but an early touchdown, whilst useful, rarely is enough.  For a start, it hands possession to the opposition so there's always a twinge of apprehension.  It's late in the game that the NFL turns the excitement level up high..but we'll get to that in a bit..

More turnovers from the Eagles, and a lovely pass from Joe Flacco meant we were 17-7 down at half time and I was fearing the worst.  Encouragingly, I was caring a lot more than the previous week. I was genuinely disappointed during the interval and whilst defeat wouldn't have meant the end of the season, it would have been a firm sign that the Eagles weren't good enough.  One common thread throughout the half had been errors from the replacement referees.  Numerous flags were thrown, random brawls broke out and the refs completely lost control of the game.  In this instance the errors became annoying, but generally speaking I do enjoy controversy in my sporting encounters.  If the controversy is against our team, all the better.  

If the Eagles do reach the Play Offs, then the second half of this game will be seen as a key turning point.  It wasn't flawless, but the performance was markedly improved.  The defence shut down Baltimore's passing game and slowly got on top of the game. The crowd got more into the game and consequently so did I.  Atmosphere goes a long in defining the mood of a game.  My most memorable Gillingham matches have all involved a fantastic crowd atmosphere, and even if the on field action hasn't been the best, you still fondly remember the game. Gillingham's 1996 promotion season was full of 1-0 wins and long ball football, but it was played out in front of full houses.  I'm pretty sure I wouldn't remember a 1-0 victory over Plymouth (Thanks to a penalty!) if it wasn't for the amazing atmosphere in the ground!  Similarly in Philadelphia, the atmosphere at Lincoln Financial Field really helped make this game more memorable for me.

The Eagles improvement was typified by DeMeco Ryans and rookies Mychael Kendricks and Fletcher Cox.  They were everywhere making tackles, deflecting balls and just stopping the Ravens from generate much offence.  This performance was typified by a superb sack from Ryans that left Flacco on the turf almost 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
On the other side of the ball, Vick was finally getting his game together and finding his targets.  This was highlighted by a 47 yard bomb that DeSean Jackson somehow managed to catch by the sideline despite being pounded by a flat out Ed Reed.  It is individual moments like those from Ryans and Jackson that fans remember in years to come.  Moments that change the momentum of a game and get everyone off their seats.

Despite the improved performance, the Eagles were still trailing heading into the final few minutes.  If last season saw the birth of Tebow Time, then maybe 2012 will be known for Vick Time! For the second week in a row, he led the Eagles down-field for the game winning score.  In fact, this time he even ran the ball in himself.  We all love a late winner and the Eagles have now got 2 in a row.  By now, I was feeling like a proper Eagles fan and jumping around my living room like a lunatic.  However, the Ravens still had 90 seconds to get the ball within field goal range and attempt to win it.  But, once again the Eagles defence held strong and amid a cacophony of noise they held up the Ravens in midfield and completed a thrilling 1 point victory.

That is certainly a game I'll remember for a very long time.  In short it had a big build up, adversity, controversy, atmosphere, individual moments and a late winner.  Exactly what I want from my sports matches and a massive moment for me in my Eagle supporting life.  Oh, and remember at the start I mentioned that this had "almost" all of the ingredients of a memorable game.  All that was missing from this game was that there wasn't a title riding on the outcome, let's hope that box gets ticked later on this season!


Two games in and the Eagles are 2-0, coupled with Gillingham's top of the table position this represents a brilliant time for me as a supporter. Let's hope it can continue for a long time.
This week the Eagles take on the unbeaten Cardinals in a tough looking match-up in Arizona.  I'll be back next week to look at that and also my Sunday evening NFL watching experience as a whole.