Your “Hey There’s Football Today…Wait Sorry, Nope” Sunday Open Thread

Of all of the major professional sports, the NFL’s All Star game, the Pro Bowl, has become the biggest joke of all IMHO.  And yes, I’m including the NBA in that.  Jeebus.

But they are still playing it apparently, and some of us will probably watch it.  And I’m using the royal “us” there.  I won’t be watching it.

But here’s some information about it anyway.

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AFC vs NFC – 3:00pmEST – TV: ABC/ESPN

Coaches: Mike Tomlin (AFC) and Sean Payton (NFC)

Team Rosters

Rules which differ from real NFL games (and some are very significant, btw), to try to prevent injuries:

• No motion or shifting by the offense
• Offense must have a tight end in all formations
• Offense may have 1 or 2 receivers on the same side
• Intentional grounding is legal
• Defense must run a 4–3 at all times, though the Cover 2 and press coverage is allowed
• No blitz
• No blindside or below the waist blocks
• Can not rush punts, PATs or FG attempts
• Two timeouts per period. If team has one unused timeout left over at end of the odd period they can carry over to next period; however they can not carry over from one half to next, nor from 4th period into first overtime.
• Coin toss determines who receives first; loser receives to start 3rd period
• Kickoffs are eliminated (including free kicks)
• Teams will start on their own 25-yard line after any score or at the start of each half/odd overtime
• 38-second play clock to run plays
• Clock will not stop on sacks outside last 2 minutes of regulation/4th overtime
• Clock stops in last 2 minutes of each period when team with ball can not gain any yardage. Exception applies to team in the lead in 4th period, who can let their QB kneel down and use up the leftover time to win it.
• 44-player roster per team
• Clock starts after incompletions on referee’s signal outside last 2 minutes of 2nd period/2 OT or last 5 minutes of 4th/4 OT

If you want to read more about it, you can here, here and here.  But like I said.  It’s a joke and it’s not football.

Which is why I’ll be watching Hockey and College Basketball today.

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NHL

NHL All Star Game – 3:30pmEST – TV: NBC

Probably the most fun All Star format going, IMHO.  3 on 3 hockey, and it’s three, three, three games in one.  Each game consists only two periods lasting only 10 minutes each.

• Game 1 – 3:30pm – Central Division vs Pacific Division
• Game 2 – 4:30pm – Metropolitan Division vs Atlantic Division
• Game 3 – 5:30pm – Winner Gm1 vs Winner Gm2

NBA

On TV:

• Phoenix @ Houston – 3:30pmEST – TV: NBATV
• Philly @ OKC – 6:00pmEST – TV: ESPN

Full Schedule

NCAAB

Top 25 on TV:

• (1)Villanova @ Marquette – 1:00pmEST – TV: FOX
• (6)Michigan State @ Maryland – 1:00pmEST – TV: CBS
• (3)Purdue @ Indiana – 3:30pmEST – TV: FOX
• Tulsa @ (17)Wichita State – 6:00pmEST – TV: CNSSN
• (18)Clemson @ Georgia Tech – 6:00pmEST – TV: ESPNU

Full Schedule

Oh, and speaking of college basketball, this happened yesterday…

Suck it you cheating bastards.  And in two weeks, we’re gonna kick your ass again.

As an aside, as UVa was downing Duke in Durham, some of you might recall that I predicted the storyline would be when was the last time Duke and U*NC both lost at home on the same day?

Yep, yep and yep.  And there’s more than that, trust me.  And it was all over the local broadcast sports reports last night too.  Those poor bastards were practically crying.

But I can’t take credit for being smrt on this one.  Sports journalism is lazy and predictable, unfortunately.

OK, I’m done with my shameless NC State plug now.  Go watch something.

And remember to talk about it in the comments.  Unless you watch the Pro Bowl.  Because then I’ll have to make fun of you.

(just kidding…probably)

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