CPP #237: The Finest Forehead In Football - Path To The Super Bowl 2021
By Simon Carroll
The Collapsing Pocket Podcast has been a staple part of many a UK NFL fan’s life since late 2016. Chewing the fat on all things football and many more subjects besides, it takes a distinctly lighthearted approach to the sport we love.
In episode 237, Rob, Si & Sam discuss a range of issues, including the limitations of a six minute soliloquy, why a gold jacket is more of a pale yellow, and what defines the term ‘dynamic’. Oh, and they also tell you who’s going to win Super Bowl 56…
CPP #233: The Finest Forehead In Football - Path To The Super Bowl 2021
Please note, despite the three of them being raised well and growing up with very attentive mothers, the Collapsing Pocket Podcast is hosted by three working class northerners and is very much ‘not safe for work’. This podcast contains as much explicit language as it does ludicrous opinon.
Preseason Preamble
Two weeks in the NFL is a long time. Since the last time we spoke, Josh Allen and Darius Leonard made BANK, some big names (from 2015 at least) have found new homes, and Jeff Gladney pays a heavy price for an alleged spot of domestic violence. Welcome to the NFL folks; by this point it’s surprising if we go through an offseason WITHOUT someone who can’t control their physicality off the field.
But all eyes were on the field this week as the teams returned to action, albeit as part of their preseason slate. With fans in the stands the atmosphere was as far removed from the usual practice scrimmages as you could get, but what did (and always will) remain were some far too premature hot takes regarding how good and bad guys look. Rookies, offensive lines, and even Jerry Jones’ dietary habits were scrutinised as part of the new ‘Eye In The Si’ segment…
Hall Of Fame Inductees
This weekend saw another crop of NFL legends enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Supertars of the modern era, including Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson, Alan Faneca and John Lynch had their impressive careers immortalised into the annals of football history. But there were two names that had a little more significance to our boys this year…
After looking into the history of minority head coaches in the NFL on last week’s ‘Inside The Pocket’ podcast, it was quite fitting to see Tom Flores don the gold jacket. Flores was the first Mexican quarterback to play in the NFL, and the first minority head coach to win a Super Bowl. He lifted two Lombardi’s as the HC of the Raiders and as a player, assistant and head coach played a huge role in the dominance of the Raiders under Al Davis in the 70’s and 80’s.
Flores was joined by Bill Nunn, the first African American scout in the NFL who broke ground scouting players solely from historicallly black colleges. In an era where black representation in the league was unacceptably small, Nunn is credited with bringing the NFL through one of the lowest moments in its history. Thirteen of the players Nunn scouted that were drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers went on to the Hall of Fame; as only the second scout to get a gold jacket (albeit posthumously), it is a fitting tribute to allow this legend to join them.
Path To The Super Bowl
About this time every year, our fearless trio plot the path ahead for all thirty two franchises, deterining who makes the playoffs, and even more importantly, who lifts the famous trophy as the confetti falls. As per usual, two of them take it seriously, whilst one of them has The Saints winning the NFC South and The Titans being the #1 seed in the AFC. There’s no prizes for guessing who that is, but we’ll let you guys listen in to find out the rest. Much the same as last year, it’s a chaotic ride. Enjoy!
