NFL Conference Championships (2010)

[Bearflag70]

Peter King says,

The confusion of the 12th man: I hear, reliably, that the reason Vikings fullback Naufahu Tahi was on the field for the infamous 12-men-in-the-huddle penalty is because of confusion on the Minnesota sidelines – and not because Tahi himself thought he should have been in the game. Last week, the Vikings changed the personnel group that was supposed to be in the game on the ill-fated play . . . So when the play was called, Tahi stayed on the sidelines until a coach – I don’t know which one – told him to go into the game.

[D_Odds]

@wolfman

This only made Shockey’s ego get bigger and become a more insufferable ass who was always on Camera, and spent less time giving a shit about improving his game.

Shockey’s game did improve, but he turned out to be rather fragile. Even when he was on the field, he was never at even 90%. Also, when Coughlin first came in, the OC didn’t have a very big role for TEs other than as a blocker. Shockey didn’t like that (he went from ~75/25 receiving/blocking to 25/75) and made a cardinal sin - he announced that he didn’t like it. He was also significantly slowed that year with ankle problems. Giants did better relieving themselves of a distraction for malleable rookies.

Also, while we watched Vishante Shiancoe benefit under Favre, on the Giants he was behind Shockey in an offense that really didn’t use him as much as they could.

(P.S. I’m working completely from memory, so I apologize in advance if I’m merging years together)

[Hamlet]

It’s too early to start a new thread about the NFL draft, but one of the guys I really liked this year going into the draft blew out his knee at the Senior Bowl practices.

O’Brein Schofield played DE for your Wisconsin Badgers, but has the size, speed, and tackling abilities to be a very good, if not great OLB in the 3-4. I was really hoping the Pack would grab him in the 2nd or 3rd round to complement Clay Matthews, but now he’s out for a year, so may not even get drafted.

Such shitty luck for the kid. A huge chance at a big payday, and he blows out his knee practicing. Darn.

[EllisDee]

@wolfman

Shockey is well and trully hated, largely because he is the poster boy for Idiot sports reporters declaring the greatness of someone in New York who has accomplished nothing. He came out of good UMiami teams, with a huge freakin ego. In the preseason of his rookie year He had a monster play or two where he completely steamrolled the defensive back and got on all the XTREEM PLAYS OF THE WEEK!!! shows. Then for a couple years they kept reporting on his every move as though he was a superstar, when at best he was slightly above average for a tight end, and had some major failings as a player(i.e. blocking, catching, not punching opposing players in front of the ref.)

This only made Shockey’s ego get bigger and become a more insufferable ass who was always on Camera, and spent less time giving a shit about improving his game.

Shockey is an excellent blocker, he duplicated that preseason truck-stick action countless times throughout his career, and he regularly made circus catches in games where he’d get drilled just as the ball got to him and he’d hold on anyway. He is well and truly hated because he’s a asshole, not because of any of these made up reasons you mistakenly believe are true.

The legitimate critcisims of Shockey are that he seemingly drops one easy catch every game despite his circus catches, he can’t stay healthy (he’s never started all 16 games in a season), and his whining for the ball is on par with prima-donna wide receivers. A weak QB (eg: Eli in his early years) will end up forcing the ball to him too much, resulting in picks. That’s why he’s such a great fit in NO, where Drew Brees is clearly the man.

[Ivorybill]

Can only speak to what I’ve seen of Shockey in New Orleans. He did get frustrated last year when his sports hernia went incorrectly diagnosed by the team’s docs, resulting in a delay in his getting proper treatment. I’d bitch about that, too. He did get taken to task last year by Drew Brees when his routes weren’t what Drew wanted, but again he was running those routes with a sports hernia. This year he’s struggled with turf toe and has had a knee blown up on a few plays and has missed some games. He’s made a lot of great blocks and a lot of great catches when he’s played. Glad he’s on the team because we’re a better team when he’s on the field.

To my knowledge he has not whined publicly in New Orleans about getting more balls thrown his way. Has been polite and funny with the press corps. Has been very polite with my friends who are his neighbors. He might be a big jerk at other times, but I cannot speak to that.

So, aware of his history and reading your comments, I’m inclined to believe that the guy’s making a real effort to redeem himself here and do better. Good for him.

Bummer about the injuries, but it’s a rough game, and he takes massive hits several times every game he plays. Does the fact that he’s been nicked up every season - - and suffered and come back from a broken leg - - and missed a few games on that account really justify the distain some are showing here? Can a person not redeem himself, or is should he always be judged by what he did a couple of years ago?

[DSYoungEsq]

Ask Hester Primm that.

[kenobi_65]

@Hamlet

O’Brein Schofield played DE for your Wisconsin Badgers, but has the size, speed, and tackling abilities to be a very good, if not great OLB in the 3-4. I was really hoping the Pack would grab him in the 2nd or 3rd round to complement Clay Matthews, but now he’s out for a year, so may not even get drafted.

Such shitty luck for the kid. A huge chance at a big payday, and he blows out his knee practicing. Darn.

Damn, indeed.

[kenobi_65]

@EllisDee

The legitimate critcisims of Shockey are that he seemingly drops one easy catch every game despite his circus catches

My college roommate and I used to make the same criticism of James Lofton for that. It seemed like, once a game, the announcer would say, “Boy, you won’t see James Lofton drop many of those!”

[Ivorybill]

@DSYoungEsq

Ask Hester Primm that.

Yes, but she always had trouble running the slant route.

[Hamlet]

@Ivorybill

Yes, but she always had trouble running the slant route.

At least she did after Chillingsworth gave her a concussion with the forearm shiver when she ran that route in last years’ Boston Puritans game. She got a bad case of Alligator Arms after that.

[sub]And it’s Hester Prynne[/sub]

[Ivorybill]

@Hamlet

At least she did after Chillingsworth gave her a concussion with the forearm shiver when she ran that route in last years’ Boston Puritans game. She got a bad case of Alligator Arms after that.

Came out wearing the scarlet jerseys that game, right?

[tnetennba]

I thought she played for the Philadelphia Athletics. Based on the uni.