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Kenny Watches All 256 NFL Games from 2011. Day One.

Woop!

I'm not sure where an idea comes from, but sometimes I hate myself when I get one that sounds really interesting.

I think in this case, I was trying to talk about a player or a team, but in my heart I knew that all I could go off of was a box score. A set of numbers on a page. Or maybe a highlight reel. These kinds of things help and advanced statistics help even more, but they only tell part of the story.

It's like watching a movie compared to reading a script. The script will give you an idea of what happens, but the movie completes the experience. Even if sometimes the script was much better than actually having to sit through that junk.

Well, I'm about to sit through a lot of junk.

I'm going to watch every single game from this past season. Every single one. NFL Game Rewind allows you to watch every game and watch them in "Condensed" mode, which takes about 30-40 minutes and makes this whole thing possible. Easy? No. But possible.

I found out about the ability to quickly watch games from Danny Kelly and he led me in the right direction. He also told me that he was going to be watching as many as he could, and when I delved deeper into his psyche (seriously, do NOT go in there) found out that we both wanted to watch every game. I'm taking it to the level of documenting it into a diary but he's going to be my partner in crime on this, and will be contributing as well.

Why am I doing this?

- Not every game is junk. There will be a lot of good games that I'll get to watch for the first or second time.

- Knowledge is power. The more you know. Wonder twin powers, activate! This knowledge will allow me to be a better writer, a more knowledgeable writer, give me a better idea of potential Seahawks free agent targets and signings, and a better view of Seattle's opponents. I want there to be fewer moments where I have to shoot from the hip. I want to be the best NFL writer that I can be and I'm willing to put in the work to do that.

- I'm a little bit crazy. To watch 256 NFL games that can be potentially 40 minutes to watch, it's almost like watching The Simpsons. All of The Simpsons, of which there are nearly 500 episodes, but those are only 22 minutes long. How am I going to do it? I don't exactly know the answer to that, but I'm going to figure it out.

- It's the offseason for Seattle, so while I can still cover the draft, the Seattle season in review, or whatever else happens, there's time to do this while my weekly series are on the shelf.

- I'm single. Which is sort of like a "chicken and the egg" argument, isn't it?

- I'm a completist. I hate seeing only 95% of something. I could watch only NFC West games or only NFC games, but then I'd wonder, "What if?" or "What did I miss?" I thought that The Killing was a terrible show about four episode in, but I still finished because I had gotten too deep into it. I don't walk out of movie theaters and I won't watch only a half of some game or turn it off when it's a blowout... we want the ball and we're going to score.

- I will actually finish. I will. Damn it, somehow I'm going to do this and I'm not going to take six months to do it either. This is going to take as little time as it possibly can.

I won't be posting these every day, though I will be watching games every day. I'll continue to run my diary of my experiences, but what happens next is going to develop completely organically. I've done a little bit of planning but not much, because you can't exactly plan for a project so large that you've never done before. Shit's gonna happen. I just hope it's something you enjoy following along with even though the Seahawks diary notes will only happen as often as any other team, but of course I'll go a little more into review when I watch Seattle.

(Simulcasted on FakeTeams, the fantasy site I write for)

I started last night and watched four games, so "Day One" is actually 1/12/2012. Day one of the end of my life.

Things got kicked off this year with a possible NFC Championship game preview on Thursday, September 7th, 2011....

Star-divide

Week One, Game One

Saints at Packers - Thursday Night Football

Jordin Sparks sings the first National Anthem of the year. Yay.

"Kicks off from the 35!" I remember when that was a big deal for awhile.

First play of the 2011 season: Rodgers hits Greg Jennings for 9 yards. First TD of the year is a back shoulder fade to Jennings.

First Saints play of the year is a hand-off to Mark Ingram, which sets up the league to ignore Drew Brees for the season while he breaks records. Second play of the year is a Marques Colston fumble.

Sproles gains 36 yards on a pass... at this point, nobody knew what Sproles was about to do this season.

Trying Mascarpone cheese for the first time with pretzel chips. Pretty good.

Watching in "Condensed" version is great but wish I could somehow have the time to watch more of what's happening just for hilarity's sake. Though, it cuts off Al Michaels at interesting times... "John Kasay. The other day he has four children-" cuts off. What Al Michaels?! HOW MANY CHILDREN DOES HE HAVE TODAY?

"The best part about watching Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers is their awareness to get rid of the football and not lose yardage, Tarvaris" is what I would say to Tarvaris Jackson.

The first punt of the year came at 8:55 in the 2nd Quarter. Offense is so much funner to watch.

Aaaaaaaand.... that's a Darren Sproles punt return TD. .

This is Randall Cobb on a kick return after a Saints FG to close the gap to eight points:

Screen_shot_2012-01-12_at_6

Yeah, he recovered from that near tackle for a touchdown that was a game-changer.

Saints down 15 score a TD with a little over a minute left. First onside kick of the year is no good. Brees gets the ball back with a little more than a minute left on his own 20 yard line and leads the Saints to the GB 9 with a few seconds left. What should have been the last play is PI on GB on a pass to Sproles, so Saints have it at the 1 with no time on the clock and down eight. The give is to Mark Ingram and HE'S STOPPED!

Wow, what a great game, I bet the other 255 will be just like this!!!

Saints were slightly overmatched by Green Bay, but not much. Biggest differences in the game: Colston fumble. Saints don't convert 4th and inches deep in Packers territory. Cobb kickoff return for TD.

GB 42, NO 34

Buffalo at Kansas City

Damn it all.

Dexter McCluster fumbles the opening kickoff and Buffalo recovers because I'm watching Kansas City and Buffalo.

From what I gather, mascarpone is like sour cream but better. I wonder how it would do as a sour cream substitute.

There is 7:05 left in the first and I think I've seen more incomplete passes than I saw in NO-GB already.

I've definitely seen more punts. Can't wait to see how the Bills end up blowing them out.

Matt Cassel just lost about 15 yards on a sack to force a 49-year FG that missed. Then on the next KC possession, Jamaal Charles fumbled. I'm sure fans were like "AHHHH, COME ON CHARLES! YOU BUM! I HOPE YOU TEAR YOUR ACL!" But of course they didn't mean it, they were just mad at the time. Which is like arguing with someone right before they die.

It's 20-0 and I honestly don't feel like either team is playing well.

Jamaal just scored. He was a really good running back.

I feel like when Ryan Fitzpatrick throws a pass, he probably does a Martina Hingis grunt.

Fred Jackson is fun to watch too. I'd love to see his highlights from Coe.*

Goodbye Jamaal Charles :(

Screen_shot_2012-01-12_at_7

Up 41-7 with 4:35 left, Brad Smith just attempted a 50-yard pass for Buffalo.

It was intercepted.

Kansas City's Offense is to Buffalo's Defense as Will Smith is to the suit in Men in Black.

Final - Buf 41, KC 7.

*I would not really love to watch Coe highlights.

Steelers at Ravens

I hate AFC North football so much.

Joe Flacco's first pass of the year was a TD pass to Anquan Boldin and I love irony. (Because Joe Flacco is not good.)

Ray Rice is destroying the Steelers defense.

I destroyed these pretzel chips.

I can't see what possibly looked bad about Rice coming out of Rutgers. "He's too small?" How many times does that excuse not apply to some of the top running backs in the league? (Rice, Maurice Jones-Drew, LeSean McCoy.)

Ed Dickson TD and I am really liking what I see out of Dickson.

They faked the extra point. Haha. In your face Steelers.

Screen_shot_2012-01-12_at_8

Screen_shot_2012-01-12_at_8

That's in your face.

And Roethlisberger threw another INT. In. Your. Face.

He just threw another one. To you, this is only a fraction of a second difference between the last interception and this one but for me, it was like one minute. Just to be fair.

Okay, now something new has happened. Ben Roethlisberger has thrown an interception.

The Steelers just fumbled twice. This is ridiculous. You can't make this stuff up!

You could easily make this stuff up. You can make anything up. Purple bananas flying to outer space while theme to Rugrats plays in the background.

Roethlisberger sacked to end the game and the Steelers comeback falls just short.

BAL 35, PIT 7

Took a break to watch 30 Rock. Something feels off. Is it me? Is it the show? I don't know, but John McEnroe unexpectedly saves the day.

Titans at Jaguars

In the future, they'll speak of this game as the "Luke McCown Win"

In the future of the McCown family.

Matt Hasselbeck sacked on the first play of the game. And we said he'd never survive another year in Seattle...

After one quarter, JAX leads 7-0. Each QB has attempted one pass over 10 yards. The difference between Jones-Drew and Chris Johnson looks immense.

Chris Johnson just lost about 8 yards on a pass.

Luke McCown Celebration:

2nd and 9

Screen_shot_2012-01-12_at_9

McCown scrambles through an open field and dives towards a first down. Go Crazy Luke!

Screen_shot_2012-01-12_at_9

McCown signals for a FIRST DOWN!

Unfortunately, he only got 8 yards and that brings up 3rd and 1 and unfortunately McCown lost his job a week later, but he'll always have that moment where he almost ran for a first down!

Kenny Britt (RIP) just scored on an 80-yard TD pass from Hasselbeck, in which Matt was getting sacked while he threw the ball and just sort of threw it up there. And I don't mean in the way that makes you go "Wow, what a save by Hasselbeck!" but in the way that a blind squirrel finds a nut. Big difference when you watch the games compared to a box score.

Blind animals is a super duper sad concept, and they probably starve a LOT!

Hasselbeck throws a really nice corner pass to Kenny Britt for a touchdown that goes under review. The ruling is upheld. However neither of the below people shown below survive the season:

Screen_shot_2012-01-12_at_9

Except for Mike Carey I guess. You know I didn't mean Mike Carey.

So TEN pulled it to 16-14 and Matt got the ball with a little less than two minutes left and on his own 3. He got them close to midfield but couldn't complete anything to the sidelines (no timeouts left) and time was down to :20 left so he had to go deep, and his first deep pass of the drive was intercepted.

The Titans fell one game short of the playoffs and lost to Luke McCown and the Jaguars in week one.

JAX 16, TEN 14

Wrapping up day one. Coming up next Bengals versus BrownsohGodwhyamIdoingthis?

Games Remaining: 252

-----

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In your text, you write that KC won 41-7, when Buffalo did.

Good luck on this endeavor. You’ll have a ton of fun watching the fun games and probably want to punch yourself in the face during the Browns-Seahawks game. At least for you, the experience will be over in 40 minutes as opposed to 3.5 hours…

Eternally looking forward to someone making a Seahawks song based off of Lil' Jon's "Shots" song named "Hawks!"

by Bobby Cink on Jan 13, 2012 12:13 PM PST reply actions  

This is all a real drag, I bet

Heresy grows from idleness.
Why get Matt Flynn?
"Also, for what it’s worth, if we get Flynn, New England and Detroit are on the schedule!" - SSreporters

by Corax --Nevermore-- on Jan 13, 2012 3:25 PM PST up reply actions  

Loving the commentating.

Keep it up, I will read this as fast as you can put it up.

by Neonjerseysplease on Jan 13, 2012 12:53 PM PST reply actions  

this is crazy

you are crazy.

good luck!

by Gabe on Jan 13, 2012 1:05 PM PST via Android app reply actions  

OMG!

Just thinking about a project of this magnitude (that you expect to complete it and that you expect to live a sort of normal life afterwards) caused me to sprain my cerebellum and to tear my pons. I shall require extensive rehab, and may not be ready to return to the couch until October, or even November, 2012. Rehab consists, primarily, of remaining in a fetal position with thumb in mouth while listening to the white-noise of talk-radio.

Ken A. if, after say the first 100 games, we observe that you are engaging in flame wars with yourself. Should we choose a side, and join in; should we just ignore you; or should we send in help? Please advise, ASAP.

Re Brandon Browner – in honor of the 1980s era Raider’s CB, Lester “The Stickum Molester” Hayes, he is now, to me, Brown-Stickum – I don’t care if he gets tons of penalties. No pass goes uncontested when BB-S is involved. Used to be that opposing receivers caught passes without much interference, and then they ran for a bunch of YAC. With BB – they probably don’t catch it; they get molested and/or mauled; and even with the penalty, the yards involved are, frequently (in my opinion), less than they used to get. And, now, they don’t even get credit for the yards and the catch – I love it.

by Pyr on Jan 13, 2012 1:30 PM PST reply actions  

You might want to vary a bit.

Say, like only watch the RG position for a game or three. Should help minimize the risks of permanent braindamage.

Also, HOLY CRAP Big Balls Kenny, good luck. We hardly knew ye..

Confuscius say- "Baseball wrong. Man with four balls cannot walk."

by Outside Contain on Jan 13, 2012 1:48 PM PST reply actions  

I seriously wish I could pull this off too.

I can’t imagine the significance to my desire to finally win my fantasy keeper league, and my want to begin gambling on football Vegas style, but it would certainly help tremendously.

"Now I'm tired of this s---. I'm sick and f------ tired of an 8-10 record. I'm f------ tired of losing to Purdue. I'm not here to f--- around this week. Now you may be, but I'm not." -- Bobby Knight, circa 1992

by Tyler Jorgensen on Jan 13, 2012 1:57 PM PST reply actions  

If I might make a suggestion - first follow a few teams through the season start to finish.

Then you can fill in the gaps with the other games later. I think you’d get a better feel of certain teams and players than just a general overview of everybody.

by Groundhog on Jan 13, 2012 1:58 PM PST reply actions  

Interesting point.

It almost reminds me of John Cusack in High Fidelity though, on how you organize your record collection. You might see some things, but miss others EITHER way.

"Now I'm tired of this s---. I'm sick and f------ tired of an 8-10 record. I'm f------ tired of losing to Purdue. I'm not here to f--- around this week. Now you may be, but I'm not." -- Bobby Knight, circa 1992

by Tyler Jorgensen on Jan 13, 2012 2:28 PM PST up reply actions  

Considered it. But at the same time, I could watch all of the Titans games first and then by the end of it, won't remember anything about the Titans.

Either way, things will change as I go through this. It will take on a new personality by the time I’m done, as will I. I might make a switch to something like that at some point if I feel it works better a different way.

follow @casetines

by Kenneth Arthur on Jan 13, 2012 3:26 PM PST up reply actions  

Well, my hat's off to you.

Wear a safety harness and a hardhat.

by Groundhog on Jan 13, 2012 5:00 PM PST up reply actions  

You want to know more than any other analyst?

Somehow get a hold of the All-22 tape. The only way to really evaluate a cornerback, or a receiver, or a quarterback. Anything else is just guesswork.

by ZZtown on Jan 13, 2012 2:43 PM PST reply actions  

Marscapone.

“From what I gather, mascarpone is like sour cream but better. I wonder how it would do as a sour cream substitute.”

It can be substituted for cream cheese, and it is better. For twice the price. Makes an excellent cheesecake.

70% of space is covered by dark matter, the rest by ET.

by hazbro24 on Jan 13, 2012 5:10 PM PST reply actions  

You're a brave man

I’m interested to see how your opinions, of the teams, change when this project is over.

by HawkSocks on Jan 13, 2012 5:27 PM PST reply actions  

You are absolutely, 100% insane. Well done sir

Josh Portis is not going to be a stud QB. You are all crazy.

by insidetheparker on Jan 13, 2012 11:31 PM PST reply actions  

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