Upstate NY Banter and General Discussion..

[Syrmax]

On 2/10/2022 at 10:59 PM, wolfie09 said:

Aaron Rodgers wins his 4th MVP..

Other Awards

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/33238292/2022-nfl-honors-won-league-biggest-awards

Rogers so hard to warm up to, and his postseason history is not great. But...great regular season numbers.  I'd take him on the NYG over the current options...

[BuffaloWeather]

Poorly officiated game, but still think the better team won. 

[matt8204]

1 hour ago, BuffaloWeather said:

Poorly officiated game, but still think the better team won. 

Agreed.  Bengals got away with one on their TD right after halftime, so they can't complain too much...but the calls at the end were a bit sketchy.  It turned into a flag fest after the refs let them play for the most part.  I think Cincinnati made a mistake going for it on 4th down on their opening possession.  Why give the Rams momentum and good field position there?  Thought it put them behind the eight ball early.  The Bengals need to improve their offensive line in the offseason also.  They're going to ruin Burrow if he keeps getting sacked that much.

[Syrmax]

58 minutes ago, matt8204 said:

Agreed.  Bengals got away with one on their TD right after halftime, so they can't complain too much...but the calls at the end were a bit sketchy.  It turned into a flag fest after the refs let them play for the most part.  I think Cincinnati made a mistake going for it on 4th down on their opening possession.  Why give the Rams momentum and good field position there?  Thought it put them behind the eight ball early.  The Bengals need to improve their offensive line in the offseason also.  They're going to ruin Burrow if he keeps getting sacked that much.

The final drive flag fest really changed my perspective on the overall game which I thought was a good one.  Prevailing consensus on TWTR (the experts LOL) was that the initial PI call on the Bengals during the final drive was a makeup call for the missed offensive facemask on Cincy's TD at start of 2nd half. And then it's like they couldn't help themselves.   I'd like to think the refs are better than that but looked fishy to me given that almost no ticky tack penalties were called all game till that point.  Did the better team win? Probably but the Rams were just a shade better, not convincing...

[matt8204]

39 minutes ago, Syrmax said:

The final drive flag fest really changed my perspective on the overall game which I thought was a good one.  Prevailing consensus on TWTR (the experts LOL) was that the initial PI call on the Bengals during the final drive was a makeup call for the missed offensive facemask on Cincy's TD at start of 2nd half. And then it's like they couldn't help themselves.   I'd like to think the refs are better than that but looked fishy to me given that almost no ticky tack penalties were called all game till that point.  Did the better team win? Probably but the Rams were just a shade better, not convincing...

True.  The difference between these teams is so narrow.  Look at how tight most of the playoff games were.  A couple of plays or calls can swing the outcome.  Except for the Wild Card game against the Cardinals, the Rams were living on the edge the entire postseason.  They nearly blew it against the Bucs and were down by ten in the 4th quarter against the 49ers.  

[BuffaloWeather]

The 2nd call was blatant defensive PI, the first one was 100% holding if called by the rule but they weren't calling it all game. The Higgins TD was 100% offensive PI so it was a wash. Losing OBJ early really hurt the Rams, if he played the entire game I think they run away with it. Rams had 7 sacks and Miller/Donald were in the backfield the entire 2nd half. 

The real superbowl was Chiefs Vs Bills. They would have beaten either team. Chiefs had a bad week 2 weeks ago in losing to Bengals. The top 2 favored teams going into next year are Chiefs and Bills using Vegas odds. 

[matt8204]

On 2/13/2022 at 9:11 AM, Syrmax said:

Rogers so hard to warm up to, and his postseason history is not great. But...great regular season numbers.  I'd take him on the NYG over the current options...

I loved him earlier in his career but his diva-like tendencies have turned me off to him.  Doesn't take away from his incredible talent but he's definitely harder to root for now.  I'd take him on the Giants but the roster has so many holes right now, his impact might be limited.  By the time they're ready to win, he might be just about finished anyway.  

[matt8204]

2 hours ago, BuffaloWeather said:

The 2nd call was blatant defensive PI, the first one was 100% holding if called by the rule but they weren't calling it all game. The Higgins TD was 100% offensive PI so it was a wash. Losing OBJ early really hurt the Rams, if he played the entire game I think they run away with it. Rams had 7 sacks and Miller/Donald were in the backfield the entire 2nd half. 

The real superbowl was Chiefs Vs Bills. They would have beaten either team. Chiefs had a bad week 2 weeks ago in losing to Bengals. The top 2 favored teams going into next year are Chiefs and Bills using Vegas odds. 

Hard to disagree.  It's the inconsistency with the calls more than anything that drives me crazy.  Chiefs are going to kick themselves over losing that game to Cincinnati.  The way they started, I thought they were going to score 40 or 50 and win going away. That said, Buffalo let them off the hook the week before, so maybe that evened out.  I definitely want to see KC/Buffalo Round 3 in next year's postseason.  A lot can happen between now and then but if they both stay relatively healthy, why not?  

I wonder what this means for OBJ's future.  He's already had a couple of significant lower body injuries.  If a receiver loses that speed and ability to make cuts, it could greatly reduce their effectiveness.  Sounds like the Rams are going to have some cap problems and free agency/retirement defections soon also.  They really had to get it done yesterday because they might not have many more chances with the current roster.  The NFC could be wide-open next year.

[Syrmax]

23 minutes ago, matt8204 said:

Hard to disagree.  It's the inconsistency with the calls more than anything that drives me crazy.  Chiefs are going to kick themselves over losing that game to Cincinnati.  The way they started, I thought they were going to score 40 or 50 and win going away. That said, Buffalo let them off the hook the week before, so maybe that evened out.  I definitely want to see KC/Buffalo Round 3 in next year's postseason.  A lot can happen between now and then but if they both stay relatively healthy, why not?  

I wonder what this means for OBJ's future.  He's already had a couple of significant lower body injuries.  If a receiver loses that speed and ability to make cuts, it could greatly reduce their effectiveness.  Sounds like the Rams are going to have some cap problems and free agency/retirement defections soon also.  They really had to get it done yesterday because they might not have many more chances with the current roster.  The NFC could be wide-open next year.

Espn insider had a really insightful article on the game, the adjustments made, what worked and did not, and does touch on the officiating aspect at the end.  It's paywalled, and I apparently can't copy the link to here. I have access thru my espn+ sub to watch soccer. 

Upshot on Refs is that they have a demonstrated tendency to "let them play" in playoffs and teams take advantage of that with more aggressive individual tactics but...there is also a pattern for the refs to start throwing flags late because it becomes too much by late in these bigger games.  If teams were smart enough, they could tone down taking liberties late in games to avoid exceeding the referees limits.  Easy to say, hard to consciously do I'm sure.

 

 

[BuffaloWeather]

 

[matt8204]

10 hours ago, BuffaloWeather said:

 

Hopefully the idea that the Bills let one get away this year fuels them in 2022.  Unfinished business.  

[BuffaloWeather]

[matt8204]

4 hours ago, BuffaloWeather said:

That's great, lmao!  In all seriousness, it won't be that easy to make it back.  The AFC looks to be stacked in terms of quarterback play for the next decade or so, barring injuries.  It's going to be fun to watch these guys face each other in big games.  

[BuffaloWeather]

Great game between usa/canada in womens hockey. Usa had so many chances but couldn't finish, missing two open nets. The Usa goalie let in one really soft goal which was the difference maker in the game with a 3-2 loss. There are probably 5-6 players on those teams that could play at the NHL level. Certainly better than Cody Eakin is. 

[BuffaloWeather]

@Buckeyes_Suck You're going to Barbados? What are the testing requirements for them? I saw Norway removed all testing requirements and will likely see many more being added soon. Excited to get back to international travel this year. I know Puerto Rico doesn't require testing too. 

[BuffaloWeather]

On 2/15/2022 at 4:00 PM, matt8204 said:

That's great, lmao!  In all seriousness, it won't be that easy to make it back.  The AFC looks to be stacked in terms of quarterback play for the next decade or so, barring injuries.  It's going to be fun to watch these guys face each other in big games.  

Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, Herbert are the new Brady, Ben, Rivers, Manning in the AFC but obviously a tier below those guys. 

[matt8204]

32 minutes ago, BuffaloWeather said:

Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, Herbert are the new Brady, Ben, Rivers, Manning in the AFC but obviously a tier below those guys. 

Absolutely.  It will be interesting to see which one separates himself in terms of championships won.  Can't sleep on Lamar either...and as long as Belichick is in New England, he could coach up Mac Jones to be a standout.

[Buckeyes_Suck]

4 hours ago, BuffaloWeather said:

@Buckeyes_Suck You're going to Barbados? What are the testing requirements for them? I saw Norway removed all testing requirements and will likely see many more being added soon. Excited to get back to international travel this year. I know Puerto Rico doesn't require testing too. 

Same as most, PCR within 3 days or rapid within 1 day. If your vax'd no quarantine, i think if your unvax'd you quarantine when you get there until a second test comes back negative.

Currently they require masks in all public places, but at least we can rent a car and things are open. When we went to St Lucia this time last year we literraly had to be shuttled to and from the house and couldn't leave the property.

Were planning our next Europe trip now for early July and will probably go somewhere that has relaxed requirements. The big think I'd like to see happen is canada calm down, because flying out of toronto is so much easier. For Barabados we have to fly to NYC tomorrow and then Barbados Sat.

[Buckeyes_Suck]

3 hours ago, BuffaloWeather said:

Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, Herbert are the new Brady, Ben, Rivers, Manning in the AFC but obviously a tier below those guys. 

With the way the league has changed if Allen or Mahomes want it I think they could crush all of Brady's stats. However I think it would be tough to make or win as many championships without Belichicks (mis)interpretation of the rule book.

[SnowLover22]

Just got a direct exposure. About to see how well the booster actually works. 100% exposed. Based on what I know I have a 2-3 window to see if symptoms  develop. 

[Syrmax]

19 hours ago, Buckeyes_Suck said:

Same as most, PCR within 3 days or rapid within 1 day. If your vax'd no quarantine, i think if your unvax'd you quarantine when you get there until a second test comes back negative.

Currently they require masks in all public places, but at least we can rent a car and things are open. When we went to St Lucia this time last year we literraly had to be shuttled to and from the house and couldn't leave the property.

Were planning our next Europe trip now for early July and will probably go somewhere that has relaxed requirements. The big think I'd like to see happen is canada calm down, because flying out of toronto is so much easier. For Barabados we have to fly to NYC tomorrow and then Barbados Sat.

I've been eyeballing another trip to Europe this year, kind of hard to assess what restrictions will be like in a few months but trending in the right direction. Biggest hassle is the testing requirements.  I can deal with masks if need be.

[matt8204]

2 hours ago, SnowLover22 said:

Just got a direct exposure. About to see how well the booster actually works. 100% exposed. Based on what I know I have a 2-3 window to see if symptoms  develop. 

Fingers crossed that you don't come down with it.

Getting my booster tomorrow morning.  Figured I'll have most of Saturday, then Sunday and Monday to recover if I experience side effects.  Take advantage of the holiday weekend since I didn't have anything else planned.

[BuffaloWeather]

2 hours ago, SnowLover22 said:

Just got a direct exposure. About to see how well the booster actually works. 100% exposed. Based on what I know I have a 2-3 window to see if symptoms  develop. 

I had a direct exposure in December for 2-3 hours closed office and close contact and never got any symptoms.

[BuffaloWeather]

2 hours ago, Syrmax said:

I've been eyeballing another trip to Europe this year, kind of hard to assess what restrictions will be like in a few months but trending in the right direction. Biggest hassle is the testing requirements.  I can deal with masks if need be.

Yeah I’m only traveling to places without testing requirements. Had friends get stuck in Switzerland and Canada so far that I’ve known. Norway just removed them and that’s top 3 on my list. I’m sure more will be added soon. Cases are plummeting 

[BuffaloWeather]

22 hours ago, Buckeyes_Suck said:

With the way the league has changed if Allen or Mahomes want it I think they could crush all of Brady's stats. However I think it would be tough to make or win as many championships without Belichicks (mis)interpretation of the rule book.

The extra game will help a lot 

[Ottawa Blizzard]

Looks like the police up in Ottawa have managed to clear the trucker protest, after 3 weeks. 

[Ottawa Blizzard]

On 2/17/2022 at 2:05 PM, Buckeyes_Suck said:

Same as most, PCR within 3 days or rapid within 1 day. If your vax'd no quarantine, i think if your unvax'd you quarantine when you get there until a second test comes back negative.

Currently they require masks in all public places, but at least we can rent a car and things are open. When we went to St Lucia this time last year we literraly had to be shuttled to and from the house and couldn't leave the property.

Were planning our next Europe trip now for early July and will probably go somewhere that has relaxed requirements. The big think I'd like to see happen is canada calm down, because flying out of toronto is so much easier. For Barabados we have to fly to NYC tomorrow and then Barbados Sat.

As of February 28th, I believe, only a negative rapid test, as opposed to PCR, is required for vaccinated people to enter Canada.

[Buckeyes_Suck]

12 hours ago, Ottawa Blizzard said:

As of February 28th, I believe, only a negative rapid test, as opposed to PCR, is required for vaccinated people to enter Canada.

Awesome, we miss our day trips to Canada. The US side of the falls is crap. 

[cny rider]

38 minutes ago, Buckeyes_Suck said:

Awesome, we miss our day trips to Canada. The US side of the falls is crap. 

We do too.

We will be out in Buffalo in early March and we were trying to figure out how to visit Niagara Falls Ontario for the day.

It just doesn't seem feasible at all even when they make changes to border policy on March 1.  Maybe the changes will be better than I'm expecting.

 

 

[SouthBuffaloSteve]

1 hour ago, Blue Moon said:

From what I've heard Canada in general is much cleaner than the USA

Fact.  That was the premises behind the 1995 US invasion of Canada.  Following a hockey brawl over some bad beer, Niagara County Sheriff Bud Boomer lead a crack special forces unit across the River for a night time trash dumping raid on the Niagara Regional Park.  Bad recon by Deputy Roy Boy ultimately lead to the Royal Mounties discovering the Americans.  A small skirmish broke out forcing Boomer and team to retreat.  However in their hurry Deputy Honey was left behind and captured by Canadian forces.  Boomer rallied hundreds of Western New Yorkers to take up arms against the Canadians and lead a second invasion a few days later to rescue Deputy Honey.  The Feds in Washington felt upset they were not involved in planning this raid and thus started a tense 3 day nuclear standoff with the Canadians.  Boomer’s team ended up being victorious and not only rescued Deputy Honey but also destroyed the Canadians first strike nuclear capabilities in the CN Tower.  Due to the poor handling of this incident by literally everyone it was virtually erased from the history books.  If your under 25 you probably have never even heard the story of the Great Canadian Bacon War.