I have some luck at seeing into the future. Let's try out my newest prediction:
Sunday;
January 21, 2007;
6:30 PM Eastern;
Keene, NH;
In a sports bar;
In a sea of New England Patriots fans, one lonely man is dressed in blue and white with a hoofprint on his hat.
Some call him the redheaded stranger.
;D
How do those guys get that hoof print on their foreheads? Is that from an actual jackass or is it from being kicked by a fellow democrat? :biglaugh:
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Patriots+plus+playoffs+equals+party%2c+party%2c+party&articleId=b3c5c942-3283-424e-b6fc-93ac404eb3bd
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Patriots+plus+playoffs+equals+party%2c+party%2c+party&articleId=b3c5c942-3283-424e-b6fc-93ac404eb3bd
Patriots plus playoffs equals party, party, party
By CRAIG N. LIADIS
Union Leader Sports
SHIFT MANAGER Greg Giorgio could barely hear drink orders above the cheers and jeers while bartending at JW Hill's Sports Bar & Grill in Manchester last Sunday. Football fans were two and three deep at the bar watching the New England Patriots eke out a come-from-behind playoff win over the San Diego Chargers.
"It was louder than it was for our Halloween Party or New Year's," Giorgio said.
Giorgio expects to hear the drink orders at home this Sunday. He's putting out a spread of Italian food for a dozen or so friends for the AFC Championship game between the Patriots and Indianapolis Colts at 6:30 p.m.
"I'm at work for every football game," Giorgio said. "I figured I'd throw my own party this time."
Giorgio won't be alone. In what has become an annual tradition, the Patriots' march to a Super Bowl gives fans an excuse to host house parties and pack sports bars. New England has won three of the last five Super Bowls and, after making it to the second round of the playoffs last year, now has a chance to make it four-of-six.
Expect overcrowded chip and beer aisles, overwhelmed pizza delivery drivers and overblown bar tabs this Sunday.
"During the regular season, you have the hard-core fans, but in the playoffs interest spreads to the casual fan, culminating with big-game parties," Judy Chong said for Shaw's Supermarkets. "We're pulling out all the stops for this."
The Shaw's on South Willow Street in Manchester has three prominent beer and chip displays: two with televisions showing highlights of past Patriots playoff wins and another with a Patriots-themed canopy.
Stores also see an increase in playoff-day sales for party platters, chicken wings, ribs, chips, soda, beer and Patriots-themed party supplies.
"It's like the old adage: During a snowstorm people look to buy milk, eggs and bread. The same goes for football in terms of things most associated with parties -- salty snacks, beer," said Neil Coutu, assistant manager at the South Willow Street Shaw's.
As for watching the game, advertisements for big-screen televisions are prevalent at this time of year. Surprisingly, television rentals have not picked up at area Rent-A-Centers.
"We haven't had a lot of interest thus far," said Steve Lachapelle, assistant manager at the Rent-A-Center on Elm Street in Manchester. "Usually, there's a big push at this point."
Sports bars are getting that push. Giorgio was impressed with the atmosphere at JW Hill's last Sunday.
"You could tell every time the Patriots were doing something good," Giorgio said. "It was real loud -- a fun atmosphere to be involved with."
Radio station Rock 101-FM will be raffling off Manchester Monarchs tickets at JW Hill's from 4 to 6 p.m., before Sunday's game.
Jillian's in Manchester also will raffle off items, said event sales manager Wendy Colby. Like JW Hill's, Jillians was packed for last Sunday's Patriots win, she said.
"It's usually pretty full during games," Colby said. "We have it on every TV. It's a good time. This week will be even bigger because they're getting ready for the Super Bowl."
Beauty's Pizza in Manchester is getting ready for a big Sunday. Owner Alex Nirgianakis said sales during the Sunday-night playoff game should rival that of a Friday night, and extra workers will be on hand to meet the demand.
He said Beauty's will offer specials for the game.
Baked Bean Pizza
I'm just waiting for the government to get involved and ruin everyone's fun.
Quote from: error on January 19, 2007, 10:47 AM NHFT
I'm just waiting for the government to get involved and ruin everyone's fun.
If there was a resolution proposed that "The senate hereby officially hates all New Hampshirites who don't like the patriots" it would pass.
Quote from: aries on January 20, 2007, 11:38 AM NHFT
Quote from: error on January 19, 2007, 10:47 AM NHFT
I'm just waiting for the government to get involved and ruin everyone's fun.
If there was a resolution proposed that "The senate hereby officially hates all New Hampshirites who don't like the patriots" it would pass.
How could you not like the Patriots... they are a true TEAM. The way football was meant to be played. And a GREAT coach.
Quote from: Dreepa on January 20, 2007, 02:11 PM NHFT
Quote from: aries on January 20, 2007, 11:38 AM NHFT
Quote from: error on January 19, 2007, 10:47 AM NHFT
I'm just waiting for the government to get involved and ruin everyone's fun.
If there was a resolution proposed that "The senate hereby officially hates all New Hampshirites who don't like the patriots" it would pass.
How could you not like the Patriots... they are a true TEAM. The way football was meant to be played. And a GREAT coach.
Is it OK if I don't NOT like them?
Quote from: Pat McCotter on January 20, 2007, 02:59 PM NHFT
Is it OK if I don't NOT like them?
If Pat doesn't like the Pats, is that a form of self hatred? :dontknow:
Quote from: Facilitator on January 20, 2007, 09:48 PM NHFT
Quote from: Pat McCotter on January 20, 2007, 02:59 PM NHFT
Is it OK if I don't NOT like them?
If Pat doesn't like the Pats, is that a form of self hatred? :dontknow:
Read what Pat wrote carefully. ;)
Oh, I see, double negative. :blush:
Quote from: error on January 19, 2007, 10:47 AM NHFT
I'm just waiting for the government to get involved and ruin everyone's fun.
You don't think the government is involved in football? :o
Army? Navy?
Quote from: Kat Kanning on January 21, 2007, 07:25 AM NHFT
Quote from: error on January 19, 2007, 10:47 AM NHFT
I'm just waiting for the government to get involved and ruin everyone's fun.
You don't think the government is involved in football? :o
If people are enjoying it, you can be sure the government is involved, was involved or will be involved.
In the case of football, how do you think the stadium was built?
Can you start your own professional football league?
Quote from: Kat Kanning on January 21, 2007, 08:02 AM NHFT
Can you start your own professional football league?
Probably.
At least 2 have been started within the past 20 years.
The USFL
and the recent
XFL.
Quote from: Kat Kanning on January 21, 2007, 08:02 AM NHFT
Can you start your own professional football league?
Sure. "Professional" only means the players get paid. A while back there was this XFL or whatever, it ran for a couple of years and then dropped off the radar. I suspect it wasn't making money.
QuoteSure. "Professional" only means the players get paid. A while back there was this XFL or whatever, it ran for a couple of years and then dropped off the radar. I suspect it wasn't making money.
The USFL was making money. But it got shut down by the federal government after the NFL took it to court.
Quote from: Caleb on January 21, 2007, 11:51 AM NHFT
QuoteSure. "Professional" only means the players get paid. A while back there was this XFL or whatever, it ran for a couple of years and then dropped off the radar. I suspect it wasn't making money.
The USFL was making money. But it got shut down by the federal government after the NFL took it to court.
Told you the government was screwing things up somewhere.
The Arena Football League. Kurt Warner formally of the St. Lewis rams played for one of the AFL teams before taking the rams to the superbowl. Columbus has a team, the Destroyers.
They play in would you guess, arenas. The field is only 50 yards. The number of players on the field is smaller, I think 7. It is a much faster paced game than the nfl. Very offensive dominated. :'( Unfortunately I love watching a good defense play.
It has been 101 years since Teddy Roosevelt threatened to outlaw football in order to extort a change in football's rules (the following comes from a pro-TR website):
Quote
President Roosevelt saves the game. . .
Strange as it may seem, high school football, college football, and even the Super Bowl might not exist today if President Theodore Roosevelt had not taken a hand in preserving the game. As originally played on college campuses, the game was extremely rough, including slugging, gang tackling and unsportsmanlike behavior. Quite a number of players died (18 in just the year 1905 alone, with 20 times fewer players than there are today). Interest in becoming a football player was declining!
But Roosevelt saw merit in the game. It built bodies and could build character, a sense of team and never giving up. Ten of the Rough Riders, the soldiers who fought with him in Cuba, gave their occupations as football players when they enlisted in 1898.
So in 1905, President Roosevelt summoned representatives of the Big Three (Harvard, Yale and Princeton, the universities who first played the game and who also set the rules of play) to the White House. In his best table-thumping style, Theodore Roosevelt convinced them that the rules needed to be changed to eliminate the foul play and brutality.
As a result, the American Football Rules Committee was formed and, in 1906, plays designed to open up the game and make it less dangerousd to play were introduced. Some of the changes made included:
- the introduction of the forward pass,
- the distance to be gained for a first down increased from five to ten yards,
- all mass formations and gang tackling were banned.
Football became less dangerous to play, injuries and deaths decreased, and it became more fun to watch.
http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/kidscorner/football.htm
Quote
In 1904, US President Theodore Roosevelt threatened to outlaw football after 19 college football players were killed or paralyzed from brain or spinal cord injuries. (Statistic from Maroon et al., Neurosurgery, 47:659-672, 2000.)
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/concuss.html
Quote from: error on January 19, 2007, 10:47 AM NHFT
I'm just waiting for the government to get involved and ruin everyone's fun.
ever heard of ID and over 21?
Quote from: KBCraig on January 14, 2007, 10:34 PM NHFT
I have some luck at seeing into the future. Let's try out my newest prediction:
In a sports bar;
In a sea of New England Patriots fans, one lonely man is dressed in blue and white with a hoofprint on his hat.
Some call him the redheaded stranger.
There were other dolts fans at the Railroad tavern in Keene. But the place was full of "patriots".
all new leagues have to be owned by the NFL or have their permission to exist
Quote from: Russell Kanning on January 31, 2007, 06:16 AM NHFT
Quote from: error on January 19, 2007, 10:47 AM NHFT
I'm just waiting for the government to get involved and ruin everyone's fun.
ever heard of ID and over 21?
Well, yes, but I wasn't aware you had to have an ID and be over 21 to watch football.
in a sportsbar
but I have still not been asked for ID
Speaking of screwing up football, the security for the Super Bowl is utterly insane. They've got enough manpower down there to fight a small WAR, but there are no specific threats of an attack on the Super Bowl...
http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/01/31/super-bowl-prepares-for-terrorist-threat/
And they've banned my favorite part, tailgating!
Go Bears!
(//)
[attachment deleted by admin]
Go Colts! ;D
Go, Lippizanners! (http://www.fourstatesfair.org/calendar/view_entry.php?id=293&date=20070204) (That's where we'll be Sunday afternoon.)
I like both teams. I was cheering Da Bears in the '80s, with Ditka's brand of football, Superbowl Shuffle, and all that.
I don't much care for dome/astroturf teams in general, but Peyton and the Colts have really impressed me over the last few years. I'm glad to see they're finally going to the Big One.
Mary's big "rubbing shoulders with celebrities" moment was getting to hang out with Da Bears in a bar during Spring Training. Of course, this was just the local pub in Platteville, WI, when she was staying with her dad, and she was 14 or 15. It's perfectly okay for young teens to hang out and drink pop in a bar in that part of the country (as it should be). She turned 38 yesterday, so this little adventure would have been during Da Bears' 1980s heyday, when the Class of '83 was hitting the ground.
Not that she give a flip about football. But all four of my brothers-in-law will be rooting insanely for Da Bears.
And, I kinda hope Da Bears win, just for the sake of the family. After all, they're Cubs fans, too. ;)
Kevin
My wife and I used to do that annual trek to the Platteville training camp. It was surprising in a way to see how 'real' the players were in that environment at the bar. Seeing Jim Harbaugh, starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears, waiting in line for a beer and pulling out a 5 dollar bill.....paying his own way. I guess i was surprised to see them engaged in commerce rather than having people take care of them.
This years team does not have the personality of the 85 team but I wish them well.
Quote from: KBCraig on February 01, 2007, 02:39 AM NHFT
Go, Lippizanners! (http://www.fourstatesfair.org/calendar/view_entry.php?id=293&date=20070204) (That's where we'll be Sunday afternoon.)
I like both teams. I was cheering Da Bears in the '80s, with Ditka's brand of football, Superbowl Shuffle, and all that.
I don't much care for dome/astroturf teams in general, but Peyton and the Colts have really impressed me over the last few years. I'm glad to see they're finally going to the Big One.
Mary's big "rubbing shoulders with celebrities" moment was getting to hang out with Da Bears in a bar during Spring Training. Of course, this was just the local pub in Platteville, WI, when she was staying with her dad, and she was 14 or 15. It's perfectly okay for young teens to hang out and drink pop in a bar in that part of the country (as it should be). She turned 38 yesterday, so this little adventure would have been during Da Bears' 1980s heyday, when the Class of '83 was hitting the ground.
Not that she give a flip about football. But all four of my brothers-in-law will be rooting insanely for Da Bears.
And, I kinda hope Da Bears win, just for the sake of the family. After all, they're Cubs fans, too. ;)
Kevin
I saw the 'Lippizanners' at Madison Square Garden in the mid 60's when Col. Podhajsky was still director. As you probably know, Kevin, some of the worlds best 'Dressage' is done in NH.
I was surprised with what those big horses could do.
I now predict that Caleb will be one of a few colts fans at the Railroad on Sunday. He will bring both lucky shirts just in case they are needed like last week.
I think the Colts will win.