West Ham Online

"Free agency started last night and was pretty crazy some huge money being spent. Osweiler getting £18m a year for the Texans, leaving the Broncos without a QB, Giants have spent a fortune on good but not great players, Oliver Vernon has more guaranteed money than JJ Watt. lots more deals but cant be bothered to list them all."

Looks like Dalvin Cook is going to the Ravens. Who wouldn't be tempted by a potential Superbowl appearence?

"Ahh, cheers Isaac! I feel like the 'these teams were really not good enough' Bowls are the best of us! If it weren't for Josh Allen, I'd have been screwed in the fantasy league. Comes to something when a Bills QB saves my team! Bring back EJ Manuel..."

"What are those strange non-playoff games at the end of the season for? Are they just to match-up teams that have been knocked out? Exactly that. Top 8 contest the championship, the rest of us play the ""Does Isaac want a lollipop?"" Bowl."

"Well done to Thunderbastard(s)! I forgot the fantasy season had finished. Just checked and The Spack Exchange finished 5th - which is far higher than the Jets would ever finish. (Unless its 5th in a 4-team group!). I'll take that. What are those strange non-playoff games at the end of the season for? Are they just to match-up teams that have been knocked out? Only, I managed to do alright in those meaningless games - which says everything!"

"Congrats to Thunderbastards on both the overall win and the scoring title - good to see the highest scorer win as it rarely happens (our 4th place finisher was outscored by our 11th placed finisher!) Fascinating piece by Peter Schraeger on Good Morning Football just now about the Bills ceiling / floor going into this weekend. Depending upon results they could be as high as AFC #2 seed, or finish outside of the playoffs entirely."

The Fantasy playoffs are a littel bit of a lottery as that is when the injuries really stack up. I won the first game because my opponent had lost about a third of his team but I was untimately done by drafting rubbish WRs bar one in the first place and he got knocked unconcious on his first target in the Fantasy play off semi. Well done Thunderbastards for a deserved win.

"Congratulations to 'Thunderbastards' on their Fantasy NFL Super Bowl win! Interesting that none of the top 3 at the end of the regular season got past the QF - probably because the teams were really closely matched as usual. Only 4 wins separated the top 10 in the final regular season table. Really hoping the Fins can recover from their absolute thumping by the Ravens, and go deep in the play-offs. A Vegas Super Bowl 2 days before my birthday would be extremely tempting!"

"Cheers SBB, what is it with our RBs? didn't Adrian Peterson have some legal issues as well?"

"Cough - not entirely sure why the Vikings released him, although they had to make a decision on another multi-year deal that would have taken him into ""that"" age for a running back when they've been doing it a while and get battered up. He'll bounce around sides now. That's the lot of most NFL running backs these days. His personal life might also have had something to do with it. He was twice accused of assaulting women. The first time, he was charged but cleared by a jury. Second time (2021) it was allegedly his girlfriend, but he denies the claim."

Two massive statement wins for the Ravens in the last two weeks. They have to be favourites. They are always there or thereabouts season in and out. So well run from top to bottom.

Wondered where he'd gone to? Why did we let him go?

"I hope he does well, because it will be more evidence that the continued catastrophe at the Jets is about mismanagement from owners down."

"Jets have released Dalvin Cook today and, under the NFL's crazy rules, it is being reported that he can play for a play-off team as a free agent. Which seems a bit nuts. He used to be a fine running back - and I'm sure somebody will pick him up. But he was generally shite for us when he took to the field in a misfiring offense this season - although that may have had more to do with the complex system implemented by the new OC. Nobody understood it, except ""four plays"" Rodgers! Wasn't worth the money at the Jets and couldn't displace the excellent Breece Hall. Good riddance and yet I hope he scores a superbowl touchdown!"

"Plenty of twists and turns left in this season. The 49ers look strong, but a couple of injuries here and there changes everything. Wouldn't rule out the Ravens, Chiefs and Philly. There's always an unfancied team that steps up and a fancied team that falls to bits in the play-offs. The latter is usually Dallas (sorry, norf!)."

cockney hammer 1:49 Mon Jan Happy New Year cockney

Rams only beat the Giants because the Giants missed the game winning Field goal. Rams don't scare anyone.

Can't see anyone stopping the Ravens this season

happy new year mr burns from the ramily great result today

Niners are the #1 seed. 1st week bye. Rest our starters next week against the Rams and prepare for a home game two weeks later. Fresh and healthy. Niners V Browns in the Super Bowl!

"Taylor was so good he could probably have played corner if he'd wanted to - he was quick enough! He was obscene. I'm just saying it's hard to compare players from different eras who played slightly different positions (in the pros). Butkus played, trained and dominated brilliantly in a run-heavy era where you played almost every down on shite pitches and often in chaotic bundles. Taylor played brilliantly in an era where there was more balance between the run and big-throwing QBs. And he destroyed most of them. Two absolute legends. People can talk all day about who was better - and, of course, they'll have their favourites. I'd take either of them tomorrow! Especially after yet another Jets loss last night..!"

Taylor played inside at college. Belichick said he could have played at any defensive position with the possible exception of corner.

"As some have already said, it's difficult to compare Butkus and Taylor directly. One played inside linebacker during a period when teams ran the ball a lot more, and largely down the middle of the pitch (because RBs capable of rushing outside were at a premium, linemen were less mobile and coaches liked the grind of running the ball down people's throat). So stepping up to the line to stop the run was absolutely critical. And Butkus was supreme at it. He often shut down opponents' run game on his own. And he tackled like a tank - he was brutal, down after down. LT, in contrast, was a lightening quick outside linebacker who's job was primarily to pass rush - or threaten to - and he was unbelievably good at it. Never seen anybody like him with that combination of size and speed, and we watched the Sack Exchange! LT was a freak. Both NFL legends, both off-the-charts good. Could even have played in the same team. Imagine that?! Hard to draw comparisons, but it's a little bit like trying to compare a centre half with a full-back. One position required brute force and the ability to sit (and dominate a zone) and read the game: the other required speed, size and ""attacking""ù explosiveness. We could do with either of them right now!"

"One of the worst trades of all time. Unless you're a Seahawk, we're all laughing"

Russell Wilson benched for the season to avoid an injury clause that would lead to an extra $37 of dead cap space in case of a trade.

"I'll say I was being flippant with ""òshits on' of course, but the consensus from those who know is that LT is the greatest defender who ever played the game. It's no shame for Butkus or Reggie white or anyone else to be amongst the closest runners up."