How did you get into watching the NFL and how did you choose the team you follow?



I got into it via my brother who has the original madden on the megadrive. My brother is a bears fan and I seen a Giants kit advertised in the catalogue next to the bears one. For the younger ones who post on here you used to be able to purchase the whole thing with a plastic helmet(cheap material) I never got one but always liked them from then on. The Scott Norwood superbowl being my first real memory.

Dont forget to get your Falcons/Ravens players in/out for Thursday night Football tonight chaps!

Who are people going for this week, There is only one game i am interested in this weekend and i cant even watch it!! (MNF ESPN)



just updated my fantasy team on NFLUK, not going to good for me this season! only picked up 47 points last week, just picked a couple of ravens and put Vick back in at QB (forgot to put him back in last week and realised when i was watching the game! D'oh!)

Playing you this week.

In that case make sure you forget about Thursday Night Football

Only got Ray Rice.

I have Gonzalez (if I decide to play him) and Bryant.



If I play Gonzalez he will get 2 catches for 12 yards, if I bench him he will get 7 catches and 2 Td`s like normal





I have them both in both leagues aswell though

Sounds like a cool guy.



Madden got me into the NFL as well. Amazing I'm still playing it 20 odd years later.

I got into it when my brother brought Madden home years ago (sounds like a few of us got into it through Madden), hes also a Pats fan though he rarely watches it anymore and relies on me to tell him whats going on, the two reasons I support the Pats is 1) because it was my brothers team and I liked the jersey(and nicked it to wear a lot

) and 2) because of the "England" connection. I remember thinking that American football was poop and didnt understand why they always wore pads(like a lot of people do nowadays), but after about 10 minutes of playing madden I was hooked and still am all these years later. Although Im a Pats fan I just really enjoy the sport as a whole and will watch just about anything to do with it.





Even Invincible

Forgot to say earlier, I got into american football, not through Madden, but through the NFL show on channel 4! i used to love that programme and picked my team from watching it, followed the eagles ever since. only got hold of an Eagles jersey for the first time ever this season, and now want all three of them (and the throwback)

Well I was out for a football tour (our football!!) in San Diego and went to a Padres game. I told the family I was staying with that I loved the game, but it wasn't really thrilling. They knew I liked rugby so they said what do you think to American Football? They got they're old VHS's out of the CHargers golden era with Air Coryell, Fouts & Alworth and I was hooked.

It's mad how you can watch any NFL game, but I'd be bored shatless watching Sunderland v West Ham.

Mega Drive, started playing it on there, an old EA college football game, then Madden.



Then I chose the Cowboys because of Homer Simpson's desire to one day own them. They were a team I had heard of (besides the mocked Denver Broncos). So I played as them.



Then about four or five years back, I started watching it more on Sky. Now I watch NCAA, in particular Ohio State.



And now I play "Boreball" (



) for Lancashire Wolverines.

As for me....one Sunday night I was very bored, my internet was down and sod all on TV....bar the NFL, so I thought what the hey and watched it, and found it surprisingly good, if annoying with all the ad breaks.



One of my extended family whos a seasoned Colt, even from the Baltimore days, found out and sort of convinced me.



The dislike of the Patriots just came along later

I'm old enough to remember the 1st season on channel 4 (I was eight).Remember my dad letting me stay up and watch the Redskins/Dolphins superbowl and was hooked.Didn't have a favourite team until I saw a 320lb fat man score a 1 yard rushing td for the Chicago .I can thank 'the fridge' for me supporting the Bears.

Was looking for the Rugby World Cup 95 game on the mega drive but couldn't find it. So I opted for the next best thing, Madden. Played it for a year or so then slowly started to get into watching it around the turn of the millennium. St Louis were on every week and were playing some superb stuff and as such became my team.

Got into it through Madden as well.

Madden '03 IIRC, chose the Raiders as my first franchise team on it, and stuck with them ever since.



Now playing BUAFL, the best uni league outside the US.

I have stuck Tony Gonzalez in both my fantasy teams, I know hes playing a great D and both my other TE`s are predicted better scores(by some way) but hes too good to drop and normally has a big game when hes on my bench.



So whoever has Aaron Hernandez and Marcedes Lewis in other leagues stick them in your line-up they are guaranteed big points this week







LaGarrette Blunt v the Panthers or Thomas Jones v Denver

Keller & Hernandez my TE's it isn't fair

both are good but I can't play both and have crap WR's to boot!

Also got into it through Madden on the Mega Drive. Don't really get much chance to watch it since I don't have Sky, had a passing interest in it. Then last year I had a go at fantasy football which got me watching the highlights on NFL.com (best sports website ever btw) and I fluked my way to first place before crashing out in the first round of the playoffs.

Before the Super Bowl last year, all of those without a team already drew a random team out of a hat (well a mini helmet) and I got the Texans.

I'd like to suggest [url=http://www.staffordshirestallions.comthis[/url as the best Sports website ever.





My quick midseason awards:



MVP: Rivers

OPOY: Manning

DPOY: Matthews

OROY: Bradford

DROY: Suh

Coach: Tomlin/Cable

Comeback: Mike Williams/Shawn Andrews

Through Channel 4 when they started showing it which shows how old I am.

Roddy White = massive legend, so very very glad I took him in the early rounds of the draft in the RFL Fans league.



I've got him in my other league but benched him as he was "doubtful" to start last night



I have got Brandon Lloyd, Hakeem Nicks and Dwayne Bowe as my starting WRs in that league though.



An excellent win for the Falcons last night. Does this go to prove they are the real deal for this season, especially if they can get home field advantage?

I didn't see the game, but that is a mighty impressive result for them. Matt Ryan is a class act, and to think when he was drafted a lot of people were doubting him. Fair play to Mike Mayock who stuck his colours to the mast early and was spot on.



I hope they do well for Smith. He has done an outstanding job there. Baltimore haven't wowed me yet this season. They've done the simple things well but have shown nothing that really shows them up as contenders.

They could struggle against our pass rush and limited T.O.P.