My Football Universe Email Thread: Bottom to Top (Literally & Figuratively)

From: STallent
To: Seamus

Oh yeah! I forgot you have to actually go to class at ND.

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From: Seamus
To: STallent

Yup. Combine that with the academic standards, and you’ve got a serious handicap.

Without the national exposure from playing on national TV every week, I don’t think they’re even relevant anymore. They’ve got to hold onto that forever.

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From: STallent
To: Seamus

Yup, football is the best thing in the world, by far. I think Weiss had really big recruiting years the last 2 so ND might be back. It must be tough: I know ND has all the history but if I'm one of the best football players in the country I'm not going to Indiana. Florida, Southern Cal; that's were I'd want to go get laid for 3 years

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From: Seamus
To: STallent

I’d like to think ND’s ducks are all in a row this year. Weis being a [chubby FUPA’d] New Jersey guy and alum with an interesting life story (never played a down after high school), I want his regime to work really badly, I just don’t know at this point. They showed flashes last year, but come on: their season culminated in a bowl game route of Hawaii. HAWAII. Sometimes I feel like I’m gioing to spend the entirety of my adult life waiting for ND to return to prominence.

Goddamn I love football. Moose hates it so much, because it’s only part of the year where I DEMAND the television for significant blocks of time consistently throughout the week.

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From: STallent
To: Seamus

Oh and Norte Dame will win a bunch of games against that schedule and get smoked in a BCS bowl.

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From: Seamus
To: STallent

Eli just signed a huge contract? He must be fantastic!!!!!! Just kidding, I agree with your assessment. That's what keeps me up at night.... Only this isn't really any different from the last two years.

My optimism: Taking that 6’6” kid from Cal Poly looks like a great move. He’s supposed to be a really sharp kid too… which I think increases the likelihood he can be a valuable red zone target as a rookie. Look for Hixon will continue to develop. I don’t know about Manningham and this kid from UNC. UNC supposedly hasn’t had a great camp and Manningham hasn’t shown me anything since he lit up ND when he was at Michigan.

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From: STallent
To: Seamus

I like the Giants, I just don't know who Eli throws to now. I see teams putting 8 guys in the box to stuff the run and daring Eli to throw downfield to beat them.

Maroney (big year for him, put up or shut up time), Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris, and actually Kevin Faulk catching huge 3rd down passes.

But now the Giants lose the great Earth, Wind, and Fire moniker. Jacobs always seems to get hurt for a few weeks so it will be all Bradshaw for at least a time.

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From: Seamus
To: STallent

3 headed monster??? Maroney's a chump and Fred Taylor's got cataracts. I thought Maroney was going to be something special because he was NASTY at Minnesota. Who's the third?

Speaking of running games, I like that Ward left and Bradshaw's still around. I wonder if that was their plan all along, because I always lamented the fact that Bradshaw didn't get as many touches as Ward last year. But maybe that's why they got rid of Ward, knowing Bradshaw's body has less wear and tear.

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From: STallent
To: Seamus

I'm keeping this email for January review. The Pats have a 3 headed monster at running back now and Brady will be a top 5 MVP candidate.
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From: Seamus
To: STallent

You had me at “Log it”….. but you lost me at PHI beating NYG in the playoffs…. And then became laughable with NE winning the Superbowl.

Naturally, this has much to do with my own personal biases, and something to do with your's as well. You suffer from the same fatal flaw I do: If it’s remotely possible for me to pick/think/believe my team’s going to go on a championship run, I’m going to align my mouth and money with that possibility.

I like your regular season predictions though. I’m keeping this for review at the end of January.

Devil’s advocate: The Pats are pretty old and can’t run the football. Yeah, they added Fred Taylor who will probably be better than anybody else they’ve got, but he’s 120 years old and no longer a game changer. Plus, look for Brady to have a pedestrian season like Carson Palmer’s first one back after surgery.

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From: STallent
To: Seamus
Subject: Log it

Ok, I just went through the entire NFL schedule and the following is how it will turn out:

AFC EAST
NE 14-2
Buffalo 7-9
Miami 5-11
NY Jets 5-11

AFC NORTH
Pitt 14-2
Balt 10-6
Cinci 5-11
Clev 3-12

AFC SOUTH
Tenn 13-3
Indy 10-6
Hou 8-8
Jax 7-9

AFC WEST
SD 13-3
Oak 5-11
KC 4-12
Den 3-13

NFC EAST
NYG 11-5
Philly 10-6
Dallas 10-6
Wash 9-7

NFC NORTH
GB 12-4
Minn 9-7
Chi 9-7
Det 2-14

NFC SOUTH
Atl 11-5
NO 11-5
Car 10-6
TB 1-15

NFC WEST
Ariz 10-6
Sea 9-7
SF 5-12
St.Louis 1-15

AFC Wild Card Round
Indy beats SD
Tenn beats Balt

NFC Wild Card Round
Philly beats NYG
NO beat Ariz

AFC Divisional Round
NE beat Indy
Tenn beat Pitt

NFC Divisional Round
GB beats Philly
NO beats Atl

AFC Championship
NE beats Tenn
GB beats NO

Superbowl
NE beats GB