Macca

Detroit have been dealt a tougher schedule and it looks like it may be too much for them ... if they lose to Denver this week then it might be all over for them. They then have to go to Seattle in week 4. So much depends on these early games ... a season can be over very quickly unless a team can at least break even - as an example, the Giants could easily be 2 & 0 but are now 0 & 2 and staring down the barrel. The Ravens are another team who already desperately need a win. It might be a year with a lot of upsets as there's any number of teams who are capable on their day. I see AP had a big day today and Bridgewater's completion percentage was very good. Division wins are always good value - anytime.

GRRM got 2 and missed on the Ravens (like most of us) Interesting that 3 of the 6 road winners this week won their division last year whilst Arizona went 11/5 last year and may have won the NFC West but for the injury to Palmer. Atlanta with Ryan are always capable. Some of the pundits are saying that Romo might miss up to 10 games so if your Eagles can string a few wins together, the division can be won with a low win count. The Giants are not a good team and Washington aren't much chop either. We might see a repeat of 2011 when 9 wins won the NFC East ... even 8 wins might get it done. Dallas have a tough schedule and without Romo & Bryant, every win they get will be hard earned.

Dallas, Denver, Arizona, Atlanta & New England all won on the road ... isn't hindsight a wonderful thing JV7 Granted, picking Tampa was never a logical option. But you're right, luck does play a big part and if a team gets lucky, that can build confidence. Just like losing, winning becomes a habit. The Falcons now have a quite winnable game @ the Cowboys next week whereas 2 weeks ago, the same game could have been marked down as a probable loss. Add to that the Saints poor start but the Panthers are still the team to watch out for - when Newton is on, they're hard to beat.

I thought the Seahawks were playing very well and a big chance but that early 4th quarter drive led by Rodgers turned the game on it's head ... quelling Lynch was key although Wilson made a lot of good yards with his legs. Starks the RB was the difference though ... once Lacy was injured he had to step up and he duly did so - 20 carries for 95 yards. It's just nice to beat a team like Seattle though - they'll still be very hard to beat anytime (especially at home) The big news though is the broken collarbone to Romo (twice in the same spot now?) ... Dallas have a tough schedule and they'll really miss him - it could be 8+ weeks. However, can Dallas' rivals take advantage? Some big wins (Steelers, Arizona) but equally, some big losses (Saints, Ravens & Miami) The Vikings get on the board but unless the Lions get a win shortly, their season could be over very quickly - next 3 .. vs Denver, @ Seattle & vs Arizona. Atlanta had an important win helped by more clock mismanagement by the Giants ... Rams were disappointing by the looks of it but so were the niners. And true to form, no one picked 3 road winners in the comp - a few went 0 for 3 - yikes!

And KC lose a game they could have won ... the impact of 1 loss in a 16 game season can be quite profound (especially when it comes to losing at home in a divisional game) Everything can be a risk ... even running the ball in the last 30 odd seconds when a team is nowhere near it's end zone in a tied game. Kneeling down was not such a no-brainer but would a team not kneel down if the same circumstances were in a Super Bowl? Reid has always had the odd issue with time management ... however, he brings a lot of positives too - which includes his teams participating in the playoffs on an almost constant basis. All the same, that KC loss could be costly. .

'Elo' predictions for week 2 Playing for 2 points this week My tips ... Miami Baltimore New England

2 points are up for grabs in week 2 of the tipping comp (the first of the bonus weeks) It's not an easy week to find road winners though (are any of the weeks easy?) The following link may act as a guide for your tips ... note the points spreads are not the Vegas lines - most are close though. 'Elo' predictions for week 2 and the yearly forecast for each team Here's the points tally again ... 1 - JV7 0 - The rest of us

I'll give Romo due credit ... that last TD drive was impressive. Shouldn't have had all that time though. Dallas have got a tough schedule coming up (especially in the first half of the season) and a loss today might have further accentuated that tough schedule. Yeah that was talked about as well ... however, 20 odd seconds to get within field goal range is possibly more do-able than 1 minute to score a TD. The Giants might have ran the ball in regardless with 2 goes at it. Other observations from today ... KC won an important game ... home to Denver this Thursday night. The AFC East teams all won and the Bills might be more than nuisance value Packers might have covered the loss of Nelson somewhat with Jones back and firing Mariota & the Titans have jumped out of the blocks The Rams had a big big win Arizona & San Diego had good wins at home Detroit just can't get it done away from home ... Stafford's away record in particular isn't good. Colts continue to start poorly ... against a team with good defense, it's hard to play catch-up. Looking forward to both games tomorrow ... it's a pity work continues to get in the way of my sports viewing habits Replay will have to do. The Vikes might surprise whilst the other game could be a barnburner.

If you change your mind on your tips just delete your original tips and post up your new tips ... it's more so the tips just have to be in before the games start. So, no drama on a change of mind - it's just a quick scroll back regardless to see if anyone happened to get lucky. Anyway, here's the points tally after week 1 1 - JV7 0 - Everyone else And the Giants mucked up that last 3rd down play on offense - at least Coughlin owned the decision. The question is if running the ball was the right play, why throw it? A breakdown in communication or perhaps just incompetence? It's one thing admitting an error but they must know and plan for these exact same circumstances. Just run the ball to eat up the clock - it's a no-brainer. Instead of Dallas having 1:43 to score a TD they would have only had just over a minute - a significant difference. It's not like the Giants were rushed either - they made the decision to throw the ball during Dallas' last time out.

7mate are covering the Packers @ Bears (3am), Ravens @ Broncos (6.30am) and then SNF (Giants @ Cowboys - 10.30am) Redzone is back on ESPN and ESPN is also covering SNF & MNF (double header for MNF this week) Thursday Night Football looks like it's being covered by both 7mate & ESPN Here are the 'Elo' predictions for this week and the yearly forecast for each team (with the weekly predictions you can click on 'Win percentage' or 'Points spread'. Interesting that 'Elo' can only find 4 clear favourites this week that are road teams (Packers, Seahawks, Panthers & Bengals) Miami are also 2 point favourites according to Elo. The Elo lines often differ quite markedly from the Vegas lines.

I can see the Pats heading towards the AFC Championship (again) ... unless a team or 2 from that division puts their hand up. They get the 1 or 2 seed and then it's win 2 games to get to the SB. The Colts might dominate their division but the other 2 AFC divisions are up for grabs. Didn't watch all of yesterday's game but I'm told that New England did it reasonably comfortably.

Colts Packers Panthers

Just a shout out to you blokes about the tipping comp ... no need to reply Also, if you're reading this ... DemonDave, daisycutter, old dee, Strafford, bananas, Arrow, Norm Smith's Curse, Beelzebub et al ... feel free to join in if you like Here are the rules again (posted on the previous page) ... Rules of the 'Demonland' NFL tipping competition ... (the same as last year except a couple more bonus weeks have been added) * All participants get 3 picks only in any given week (but .. they must all be 'road' teams) * Anyone who correctly tips all 3 winners from their 3 picks receives 1 point (any number of people can win a point in any given week) * Bonus points are up for grabs in weeks 2, 5, 8, 10, 13 & 15 (2 points to all winners) whilst week 17 carries 3 points to any given winner. * No margins or correct scores are required - just the straight winners. * If you miss a week or come into the comp later on, there is no penalty. You just simply miss the chance to win points for that week or weeks. You can join in the comp at any time. * Your tips must be in before the start of Monday's games (AEST) ... or before the Friday game if you include that game. All 3 tips must be included in your post (editing your tips is strictly forbidden ) * The person (or persons) with the most points at the end of the regular season wins. For those out there who just read this thread, feel free to join in the comp. It's just a bit of fun and we could do with a few more people on the thread anyway. Last year's notable point scorers (regular season) ... 8 - Dappa Dan 7 - Georgiou R. R. Martin 4 - Gorgoroth 3 - JV7, Go the Biff, Macca The season kicks on Friday (our time) - Pittsburgh @ New England. Regular Season Tipping Competition Year Winner Runners up 3rd place 2013 cowboy_from_hell/ pantaloons/ Gorgoroth Strafford Macca 2014 Dappa Dan Georgiou R.R Martin Gorgoroth Post Season Tipping Competition Year Winner Runners up 3rd place 2013 titan_uranus DemonDave cowboy_from_hell/ Macca 2014 JV7/ pantaloons Gorgoroth/ Go the Biff Macca

Regular Season Tipping Competition Year Winner Runners up 3rd place 2013 cowboy_from_hell/ pantaloons/ Gorgoroth Strafford Macca ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2014 Dappa Dan Georgiou R.R Martin Gorgoroth ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post Season Tipping Competition Year Winner Runners up 3rd place 2013 titan_uranus DemonDave cowboy_from_hell/ Macca ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2014 JV7/ pantaloons Gorgoroth/ Go the Biff Macca ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rules of the 'Demonland' NFL tipping competition ... (the same as last year except a couple more bonus weeks have been added) * All participants get 3 picks only in any given week (but .. they must all be 'road' teams) * Anyone who correctly tips all 3 winners from their 3 picks receives 1 point (any number of people can win a point in any given week) * Bonus points are up for grabs in weeks 2, 5, 8, 10, 13 & 15 (2 points to all winners) whilst week 17 carries 3 points to any given winner. * No margins or correct scores are required - just the straight winners. * If you miss a week or come into the comp later on, there is no penalty. You just simply miss the chance to win points for that week or weeks. You can join in the comp at any time. * Your tips must be in before the start of Monday's games (AEST) ... or before the Friday game if you include that game. All 3 tips must be included in your post (editing your tips is strictly forbidden ) * The person (or persons) with the most points at the end of the regular season wins. For those out there who just read this thread, feel free to join in the comp. It's just a bit of fun and we could do with a few more people on the thread anyway. Last year's notable point scorers (regular season) ... 8 - Dappa Dan 7 - Georgiou R. R. Martin 4 - Gorgoroth 3 - JV7, Go the Biff, Macca So get your tips in Ladies & Gents ... the season kicks off next Friday (our time) - Pittsburgh @ New England.

If we can get enough starters (say 6 - 8+) I don't see why not I'll post up the rules again in another post Dappa ... along with our 'Honour Board!' Yeah mate, I'm in as long as it's not too time consuming.

Brady free to play in the season opener ... Mike & Tony on PTI devote nearly the whole of the following episode discussing the matter ... Pardon the Interruption 3/9/15

Here's a free book that is out in the public domain ... Mark Twain ... 'Following the Equator - A Journey Around the World.' Mark Twain visited Australia as part of his travels around the world in the late 19th century and wrote about & visited many towns, cities & places (including Melbourne, Sydney, Wagga Wagga, Horsham, Bendigo, Ballarat, Tasmania et al) He was engaged in his own speaking circuit per se because of the financial difficulties that he was facing at the time (he'd lost most of his money in a failed business venture) ... all the same, it must have been quite a treat for the locals (especially in the country towns) In the book he also made many observations about our history, culture and somewhat chequered past up until that point .. the Australian part of the book is from chapters 9 through to chapter 29 but the whole book is a thoroughly enjoyable read (and he absolutely pulls no punches too) Anyway, here's the book in text form and also, here's the book in audio form (read by John Greenman) .

New England Baltimore Indianapolis Denver (?) Dallas Packers Carolina Seattle Reckon I'll get at least 3 wrong and the Colts & Pats are my only lead-pipe locks.

I'll have go as well in time JV7 but I reckon you're close to the mark ... not sure on my Packers but not just because of the Nelson injury (we should be able to cover for him to a reasonable extent) ...much will depend on how hungry the group is after bombing out the way we did against the Seahawks. There's always a few teams that come out of nowhere and this year will probably be no different ... other fancied teams drop away inexplicably. I'm intrigued with what Rex will do with Buffalo whilst the Panthers and your team in your division will make it tough for the Saints. The Ravens are another team to watch and who knows what will happen with Denver & Peyton. As usual, the NFC East will an interesting division to watch as will the NFC West. Depending on how much the Vikings improve, the NFC North could be a real bunfight between all 4 teams.

Harper Lee's long lost manuscript of "Go Set a Watchman" was discovered in 2011 and the book form was finally published just last month (July, 2015) The book was a follow on about the events of "To Kill a Mockingbird" twenty years on except Harper Lee wrote 'Go Set a Watchman' before she ever wrote 'To Kill a Mockingbird.' Upon reviewing 'Go Set a Watchman', Harper was commissioned to re-write the book by her publishers ... it was retitled 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and of course, the rest is history. Anyway, here's the first chapter (in text form) of 'Go Set a Watchman' and on this same link you can listen to the first chapter (read by Reese Witherspoon) .

Your team payed way overs for Jennings for instance but I'm not sure he was ever that good anyway. Every team gets injuries but unless it's an out and out game breaker like AP or Rodgers, those teams just have to get on with it. To my way of thinking, it all evens itself out when it comes to injuries. Footy is the same - we're not the only team who gets a rash of injuries. Nelson going down gives more opportunities to the other WR's & TE's but a lot still rests with Rodgers anyway - same as the Pats with Brady etc etc. Cobb probably becomes the main man exclusively and he's very capable. Devante Adams shows a lot of promise also. .

Hammers lose at home to Bournemouth, Demons smashed and I'm greeted with the Nelson news first thing this morning. Ugh ugh ugh!

We're losing a lot of experience in one hit (Rogers, Clarke, Watson & Haddin) so I reckon there's room for someone like Voges or perhaps Voges himself - he or Shaun Marsh might be retained but I doubt whether it would be both. The issue is that we need to find another opener, the no.3 or 4 spot is up for grabs whilst the all rounders spot needs to be consolidated - Mitch Marsh looks the most likely ... I reckon they'll continue with Nevill. Khawaja or Burns will possibly get another run at it whilst Bancroft is now being talked about as the possible opener to partner Warner. Interesting that Bancroft's fielding position is listed as a wicketkeeper so he's obviously got a bit of talent ... not sure he keeps for WA though - he may have filled in occasionally.

I've got Starc in - I reckon he'll have a big summer. On our hard, fast tracks, all our young fast bowlers will be a handful (especially against the Windies) Jackson Bird and Coulter-Nile are another couple who could play that 3rd seamers role. The batting remains the concern but we might consolidate and recover a lot more quickly than people think. The upcoming 11 tests (which includes the tours to Bangladesh in October and the tour of New Zealand in February next year) offer lots of opportunities for the would-be batsmen that will come into the side. As it happens, it's an ideal time to re-build the team.

I see you finally got Siddle into the side TD - Warne wasn't too happy about it though. Shane wanted him in for the 4th test but I'm not sure whether he said as much "at the time" ... I hope he does well all the same and Hazlewood did need a spell - Josh will be back though, he's got loads of potential. And you're right, that session was a bit of a throwback. A good, solid start.