# NFL Week 16 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 24, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447 "2009-12-24T15:14:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/121 "2009-12-29T00:27:25Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > There’s nothing “inconsistent” about saying a 7-7 team is at .500 and a 13-1 team is 12 games over .500. Perhaps, but you left out part of my argument. Where the inconsistency lies is in saying the three following things: 1. a 7-7 team is at .500 2. a 13-1 team is 12 games over .500 3. a 13-1 team is 6 games ahead of a 7-7 team It’s like saying: a=b c=b+12 c=a+6 Something in there does not compute, mathematically. Idiomatically, it’s fine, as long as everyone knows and understands the quirks of the system, but it’s not very consistent. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/122 "2009-12-29T00:28:07Z")
I was using the “baseball definition” because that’s what the NBC studio graphic used. Apologies for any confusion. ---
**Author:** ![TheBoltEater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheBoltEater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoltEater)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/123 "2009-12-29T00:30:04Z")
> [@Roland\_Orzabal](#): > > WOOT!!! > > Merry Christmas, **ArchiveGuy**! Merry Christmas, **TheBoltEater**! Merry Christmas, **hajario**! First-round byes for all, and for all a good night! First I got all 4 of the 50th anniversary posters from my lovely wife, then I got to watch that butt-whooping. Oh, it was a very Merry Christmas indeed. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/124 "2009-12-29T00:35:16Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Perhaps, but you left out part of my argument. > > Where the inconsistency lies is in saying the three following things: > > 1. a 7-7 team is at .500 > 2. a 13-1 team is 12 games over .500 > 3. a 13-1 team is 6 games ahead of a 7-7 team > > It’s like saying: > > a=b > c=b+12 > c=a+6 > > Something in there does not compute, mathematically. Idiomatically, it’s fine, as long as everyone knows and understands the quirks of the system, but it’s not very consistent. It’s completely consistent if you understand that “over .500” does not mean “games ahead of a .500 team.” ---
**Author:** ![UncleNito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7cd45c/32.png) [@UncleNito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleNito)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/125 "2009-12-29T00:55:18Z")
I still remember back in '94 when the 49ers basically screwed the Packers out of the NFC Central championship. The Packers were in as a Wild Card and needed the Vikings to lose to win the division. San Fransisco was at Minnesota on Monday night, the very last game of the season. They pulled their starters after a series or two, and lost the game. I was pretty pissed about it at the time, but the Packers have pretty much owned the 49ers ever since. Including three straight playoff wins, beginning with an ass-whuppin in San Fransisco the following year. The 49ers actually won their last Super Bowl that year, but for some reason AFC teams have had different luck. Not just Indy, but Denver and KC back in the day. My point being, AFC fans, if the Jets make the playoffs and your team doesn’t, don’t get mad, get even. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/126 "2009-12-29T01:36:03Z")
I remember that game. The 49ers had HFA locked up, and the Vikings were out of playoff contention, so neither team really had anything to play for. The Vikings hit Steve Young a couple of times early, and scored a TD off a strip/sack of Young in the first quarter. After that, the 49er coach (I think it was still Seifert at the time) had seen enough and yanked Young. It was an otherwise dominating season for San Fancisco, and they coasted to a Superbowl win. They pretty much shrugged off the loss to the Vikings as mildly annoying, but not really very significant, and it didn’t affect their post season at all. Sometimes “momentum” can be an overrated factor. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/127 "2009-12-29T01:39:57Z")
I’m trying to figure out a scenario where the Vikes were eliminated but the Packers needed them to lose to win the division. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/128 "2009-12-29T01:43:04Z")
The only math in football should be in tallying the score and figuring out the yards to go for the first down! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![UncleNito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7cd45c/32.png) [@UncleNito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleNito)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/129 "2009-12-29T01:46:17Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > I’m trying to figure out a scenario where the Vikes were eliminated but the Packers needed them to lose to win the division. The Vikings won the division that year. All three WCs came out of the Central, and the Bears beat the Vikings in the first round of the playoffs. So **DtC** was only off by a week 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/130 "2009-12-29T01:47:48Z")
Wait. The Bears were in the play offs? Now I’m really confused… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![UncleNito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7cd45c/32.png) [@UncleNito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleNito)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/131 "2009-12-29T01:54:46Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > Wait. The Bears were in the play offs? Now I’m really confused… 😉 The Lions, too. Heady days for the Black & Blue Division 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/132 "2009-12-29T03:23:45Z")
Speaking of the Vikings and the Bears, the Bears are putting some real hurt on the Vikings. Glad to see that there is no affect on the Vikings from the disagreement between Favre and Childress. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/133 "2009-12-29T03:27:10Z")
Bullshit PI call on Tillman. Rice was grabbing him and preventing what could have been a pick. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/134 "2009-12-29T03:52:07Z")
OMG, they threw a flag against the Bears. Didn’t know they were allowed. I’ve sat here and watched face masks, DPI, late hits, and holding go unflagged the whole game. ---
**Author:** ![UncleNito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7cd45c/32.png) [@UncleNito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleNito)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/135 "2009-12-29T03:54:11Z")
A whole game between Favre and Cutler with no INTs – I knew that wouldn’t last. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/136 "2009-12-29T04:17:21Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Bullshit PI call on Tillman. Rice was grabbing him and preventing what could have been a pick. Really? You must be watching an entirely different game. In the one I am watching, Tillman should have been arrested for indecent assault on that play. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/137 "2009-12-29T04:28:38Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > OMG, they threw a flag against the Bears. Didn’t know they were allowed. I’ve sat here and watched face masks, DPI, late hits, and holding go unflagged the whole game. **cricetus** , thy name is **Diogenes**. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/138 "2009-12-29T04:41:30Z")
Amazing. Does it again. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/139 "2009-12-29T04:45:07Z")
Hope the Vikes give up the #2 seed to Dallas! ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447/140 "2009-12-29T04:46:10Z")
…and the fellating of Brett Favre continues. All that’s left is for Tirico to tell everybody how Purple Jesus is just like a kid out there, jes’ chuckin’ the ball like the ol’ gunslinger he is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/522447.md?page=8)