Media and the 49ers

Personally, I hope everybody picks against us.

27-17 Ravens

49ers 38
Ravens 21

Ravens is the sexy pick so that's what the media is running with. But all the stats say the 49ers by a mile. 49ers have an SRS of 10.2 to the Raven's 2.9

I say 49ers by 10.

Never fails for the Niners... When the majority of the media picks against them they win.

It's just like the Stanford Superbowl, everybody was picking the Dolphins even though the 49ers had a better record (15 - 1), a better defense, more talent and where virtually playing at home for the Superbowl...

We all know the outcome.

Originally posted by ALLDONE:

For the record... Prickso is now also picking the Ravens.

Almost the entire CBS staff has sided with the Ravens:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/features/writers/expert/picks/straight-up/22

Not very good in their picks, are they?

Originally posted by vermonator:
Never fails for the Niners... When the majority of the media picks against them they win.

It's just like the Stanford Superbowl, everybody was picking the Dolphins even though the 49ers had a better record (15 - 1), a better defense, more talent and where virtually playing at home for the Superbowl...

We all know the outcome.

Unlike most of the regular season, it seems the media tends to pick the underdog in the SB more often the at any other time

Originally posted by SFL49ER:

Originally posted by ALLDONE:

For the record... Prickso is now also picking the Ravens.

Almost the entire CBS staff has sided with the Ravens:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/features/writers/expert/picks/straight-up/22

Not very good in their picks, are they?

The exact same people also made the same picks for the packers game.

Has this come out yet? would be good to have a separate thread w/ his pool reports in here for us to discuss

somebody said the ravens are the sexy pick loloahahah have to disagree there. Imho im not sure how they are the underdog. i have watched the niners all season and have watched them play dispicable for no dawm reason and then have seen them play amazing. when i look at the ravens i see a team that has had it comming now for years. i look at them and i see a more mature US. defense, run game, and the deep ball. Its going to come down to offense and who will break more tackles. with that said.. the media doesnt know s**t..obviously. the (ray)vens may have god but we have good

ps no dis to the sexy picker commenter but i just dont like that term and i dont feel it fits the ravens because we are more sexy in all aspects

Can somebody explain what Peter King is trying to say here? I've never heard of such a 'take-down' requirement in my life

... The reason officials called no hold as two Ravens mugged 49er special teamer Bruce Miller on the 108-yard kickoff return for touchdown by Jacoby Jones in the Super Bowl: Miller would have had to be taken to the ground for it to be a penalty. Dumb, dumb rule. Miller was surrounded and held by two Ravens just as Jones sprinted by. The Competition Committee has to change that rule in 2013/

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20130211/monday-morning-quarterback-peter-king-offseason-week-1/

OK - King is wrong:On p. 63 of the rule book, its says that holding will not be called 'if the action is part of a double-team block in close line play', with the exception being that a hold can be called if the player goes to the ground.

correct me if I'm wrong, but is a kickoff return 'close line play'? NO!

I don't see any take-down language in the rule book. Here's what I see:

"Use of Hands, Arms, and Body No player on offense may assist a runner except by blocking for him. There shall be no interlocking interference. A runner may ward off opponents with his hands and arms but no other player on offense may use hands or arms to obstruct an opponent by grasping with hands, pushing, or encircling any part of his body during a block. Hands (open or closed) can be thrust forward to initially contact an opponent on or outside the opponent's frame, but the blocker immediately must work to bring his hands on or inside the frame. Note: Pass blocking: Hand(s) thrust forward that slip outside the body of the defender will be legal if blocker immediately worked to bring them back inside. Hand(s) or arm(s) that encircle a defender—i.e., hook an opponent—are to be considered illegal and officials are to call a foul for holding. Blocker cannot use his hands or arms to push from behind, hang onto, or encircle an opponent in a manner that restricts his movement as the play develops. Hands cannot be thrust forward above the frame to contact an opponent on the neck, face or head."

If anyone can find this take-down requirement, I'd like to see it.

Originally posted by GNielsen:
I don't see any take-down language in the rule book. Here's what I see:

"Use of Hands, Arms, and Body No player on offense may assist a runner except by blocking for him. There shall be no interlocking interference. A runner may ward off opponents with his hands and arms but no other player on offense may use hands or arms to obstruct an opponent by grasping with hands, pushing, or encircling any part of his body during a block. Hands (open or closed) can be thrust forward to initially contact an opponent on or outside the opponent's frame, but the blocker immediately must work to bring his hands on or inside the frame. Note: Pass blocking: Hand(s) thrust forward that slip outside the body of the defender will be legal if blocker immediately worked to bring them back inside. Hand(s) or arm(s) that encircle a defender—i.e., hook an opponent—are to be considered illegal and officials are to call a foul for holding. Blocker cannot use his hands or arms to push from behind, hang onto, or encircle an opponent in a manner that restricts his movement as the play develops. Hands cannot be thrust forward above the frame to contact an opponent on the neck, face or head."

If anyone can find this take-down requirement, I'd like to see it.

Its not there - he misinterpreted 'close line play', which is defined as the immediate area between the tackles

What the NFL calls holding seems to evolve by the day. What I seem to see is an offensive lineman can grab and hold a player at first engagement, as long as he doesn't pull the defender down, or grab him again after he breaks free. So you can run up and hug a guy, but if he breaks loose you can't do it again. So it is like you can hold a guy once, but not twice. It is a freakin joke, and allows too much interpretation by the ref on what is holding and what is not. If you changed the holding rules back to 30 years ago they were well defined and very black and white. Too much gray area now, but if you enforced the old rules that were easier to call we wouldn't have a bunch of 38-35 games and 4,000 yard passers that most of the fans want.