Arizona makes me nervous. Not the team. The place.

[CalgaryFan05]

Despite the stupid and misguided line - which I think is wrong - we're gonna kill them. We've already got one notch in our belts. We usually own them when they are at home. I think we'll own them by the same margins that I've been predicting the last 2 games - 10 points or greater and most likely 14 for a 2 TD win. Despite all their JJ magical wonderfulness.

BUT.

Going there always makes me nervous. It seems like we lose someone important every trip/every year. I don't have the stats on it - but that field seems to murder us.

Anyone else worried about that? I can remember Sherm going down, facepalming and thinking "that's the season". Obviously a different time.

I could be mis-remembering/overamplifying the concern - but it don't feel that way to me! I don't like that place. Bad Karma. And I would be absolutely HAPPY to be worrying about nothing.

And, oh yea... almost forgot something.... Geno for Prez!

 

[sutz]

Yeah, I hear you. House of horrors for us the past few years.

 

[FrodosFinger]

The house of horrors. Natural grass but the turf isn’t stable. Too many injuries there to list. However, we match up well with our scheme of 5 to 6 (dime) DB’s on the field specializing in containment on the edges. I like our chances

 

[KinesProf]

Perhaps I am forgetting some obvious injuries; but haven't the major ones that come to mind been on only 3 days rest?

 

[Hockey Guy]

Coincidently, since I've only ever been to 1 road game, I was at the Thursday night game in 2017 where Sherm tore his achilles, ending his Seahawks career, & Kam had his entire career ended by a neck injury. I knew both were really bad when they were down.

Also coincidently, I was also at the Colts game in Seattle earlier in 2017 where Cliff Avril had his career ended by a similar injury to Kam's. I still remember that play like it was yesterday & this, as well as another incident that happened later in 2017, serves to remind me that a life can change in an instant so don't take it for granted.

 

[RiverDog]

Yeah, the turf in Arizona isn't ideal. Grass doesn't do well in the scorching hot weather down there no matter how much water you put on it. I remember Stephen Hauschka complaining about it.

Oddly enough, the Cards are favored to win, by 2.5 points even though we beat them by 10 points earlier this year and have a better record than they do. I get the fact that the home team is usually the beneficiary of a 1 or 2 point handicap, but it's pretty common knowledge that the Cards have one of the worst HFA's in the league, especially when teams like the Hawks that travel well are the visitors.

This has a trap game feel to it as despite the odds, the expectation from our point of view is that this is a game we should win. With the trip to Germany coming up the following week, we might get caught looking ahead and not giving this opponent their due.

 

[JPatera76]

Yeah, the turf in Arizona isn't ideal. Grass doesn't do well in the scorching hot weather down there no matter how much water you put on it. I remember Stephen Hauschka complaining about it.

Oddly enough, the Cards are favored to win, by 2.5 points even though we beat them by 10 points earlier this year and have a better record than they do. I get the fact that the home team is usually the beneficiary of a 1 or 2 point handicap, but it's pretty common knowledge that the Cards have one of the worst HFA's in the league, especially when teams like the Hawks that travel well are the visitors.

This has a trap game feel to it as despite the odds, the expectation from our point of view is that this is a game we should win. With the trip to Germany coming up the following week, we might get caught looking ahead and not giving this opponent their due.

Think its because they have Hopkins back

 

[onanygivensunday]

My wife and I were there for the infamous 6-6 tie game. Terrible environment. Terrible home fans. Hate that arena.

 

[LeveeBreak]

My wife and I were there for the infamous 6-6 tie game. Terrible environment. Terrible home fans. Hate that arena.

Man...I have a completely opposite experience from there. I love the Glendale downtown. Any time I have gone, Hawk fans outnumbered red birds. The turf jinx is another subject though.

 

[Jerhawk]

My wife and I were there for the infamous 6-6 tie game. Terrible environment. Terrible home fans. Hate that arena.

What happened? Give us the deets

 

[253hawk]

It's an awful field. Kickers rate it among the worst surface, always lots of non-contact injuries, and it was an ice rink for the Auburn/Oregon NCCG.

 

[onanygivensunday]

What happened? Give us the deets

It all started when we wanted to park near the stadium and find a bar to have a bite and some beers. Forget about that plan. The stadium is in the middle of nowhere. They didn't open the doors until 30 minutes or so before k/o so we baked our brains in the parking lot waiting for that to happen.

There was a pocket of restaurants and bars but not within walking distance to the stadium... so if we wanted to go there, you have to park twice, and probably pay twice.

Once in the stadium, we were treated rudely, especially my wife who has limited mobility. The stadium announcer was obnoxious. The acoustics sucked. The game was a defensive battle. Both teams missed chip shot FGs that would have won the game and put us out of our misery. Walking out with a tie was like kissing your ugly sister.

 

[RiverDog]

Think its because they have Hopkins back

Yeah, maybe. But they had Hopkins back last week and they still came away a loser.

The betting lines are established by the behavior of the bettors. Bookies look at past trends and try to predict which team is going to draw more attention as their goal is to balance the payout. It's more of a popularity contest than it is a true assessment of the quality of the teams involved. The 2.5 spread is an indication that the Hawks still don't have a lot of respect, at least not with those who bet on the games.

I'm heading to Vegas this weekend, and if it's still a 2.5 spread, I'm going to lay down some money on the Hawks, not because I'm some blind homer, but because it's a good bet.

 

[LeveeBreak]

Yeah, maybe. But they had Hopkins back last week and they still came away a loser.

The betting lines are established by the behavior of the bettors. Bookies look at past trends and try to predict which team is going to draw more attention as their goal is to balance the payout. It's more of a popularity contest than it is a true assessment of the quality of the teams involved. The 2.5 spread is an indication that the Hawks still don't have a lot of respect, at least not with those who bet on the games.

I'm heading to Vegas this weekend, and if it's still a 2.5 spread, I'm going to lay down some money on the Hawks, not because I'm some blind homer, but because it's a good bet.

I wish I could get you $100 to put on the hawks. I am thinking they cover by 10+.

 

[CalgaryFan05]

Yeah, the turf in Arizona isn't ideal. Grass doesn't do well in the scorching hot weather down there no matter how much water you put on it. I remember Stephen Hauschka complaining about it.

Oddly enough, the Cards are favored to win, by 2.5 points even though we beat them by 10 points earlier this year and have a better record than they do. I get the fact that the home team is usually the beneficiary of a 1 or 2 point handicap, but it's pretty common knowledge that the Cards have one of the worst HFA's in the league, especially when teams like the Hawks that travel well are the visitors.

This has a trap game feel to it as despite the odds, the expectation from our point of view is that this is a game we should win. With the trip to Germany coming up the following week, we might get caught looking ahead and not giving this opponent their due.

Well I hope they're not looking past to Germany - THAT's a gongshow - I think we can handle Mr. Meltdown and some Brats.

If this was post SB49 - end of last season - I'd agree heavily that this has the feel of a trap game. I don't think that now. Everyone seems very engaged, process based, and bought in at this point - so that's a good thing.

I think it's a bit ironic that I'm 'worried' about turf - when the big news thing this past little while with pete was 'Turf at every stadium please". does it also have something to do with that messed AF 'tray' system that they have for wheeling it in and out of the stadium. I remember seeing that years ago and thinking "that's messed up" - it's like lawn tetris.

 

[CalgaryFan05]

Yeah, the turf in Arizona isn't ideal. Grass doesn't do well in the scorching hot weather down there no matter how much water you put on it. I remember Stephen Hauschka complaining about it.

Oddly enough, the Cards are favored to win, by 2.5 points even though we beat them by 10 points earlier this year and have a better record than they do. I get the fact that the home team is usually the beneficiary of a 1 or 2 point handicap, but it's pretty common knowledge that the Cards have one of the worst HFA's in the league, especially when teams like the Hawks that travel well are the visitors.

This has a trap game feel to it as despite the odds, the expectation from our point of view is that this is a game we should win. With the trip to Germany coming up the following week, we might get caught looking ahead and not giving this opponent their due.

And, the line is on crack. The betting line. Not the O or D line

There was one other winning record team that's a pointless underdog - think it was the cowboys this week but i just tried to google and couldn't find it again.

Someone's sleeping at the switch in Vegas!

 

[acer1240]

Coincidently, since I've only ever been to 1 road game, I was at the Thursday night game in 2017 where Sherm tore his achilles, ending his Seahawks career, & Kam had his entire career ended by a neck injury. I knew both were really bad when they were down.

Also coincidently, I was also at the Colts game in Seattle earlier in 2017 where Cliff Avril had his career ended by a similar injury to Kam's. I still remember that play like it was yesterday & this, as well as another incident that happened later in 2017, serves to remind me that a life can change in an instant so don't take it for granted.

Please stop going to games.

 

[CalgaryFan05]

Please stop going to games.

hahahahahahaha - exactly what I was thinking mid-read!

 

[FattyKnuckle]

Despite the stupid and misguided line - which I think is wrong - we're gonna kill them. We've already got one notch in our belts. We usually own them when they are at home. I think we'll own them by the same margins that I've been predicting the last 2 games - 10 points or greater and most likely 14 for a 2 TD win. Despite all their JJ magical wonderfulness.

BUT.

Going there always makes me nervous. It seems like we lose someone important every trip/every year. I don't have the stats on it - but that field seems to murder us.

Anyone else worried about that? I can remember Sherm going down, facepalming and thinking "that's the season". Obviously a different time.

I could be mis-remembering/overamplifying the concern - but it don't feel that way to me! I don't like that place. Bad Karma. And I would be absolutely HAPPY to be worrying about nothing.

And, oh yea... almost forgot something.... Geno for Prez!

ETIII and Kam also went down there and I think Avril did too. All of them, last game as a Seahawk in that stadium. Plus we had really weird games like the best-worst game ever, the 6-6 tie. I was at all of those games visiting my dad. I hate the whole Phoenix metroplex area with a passion so it was already a cursed place before any of those games. The only really good game I remember there was with most of the SB team still intact, a TNF game I believe. Probably 10-1 Seahawk fans to Cardinals fans in the nearby bars and we roasted them alive. Might've been the game that Fitz could've laid out Sherman hard but didn't because Fitz is classy af. Anything can happen there and I think id rather lose without any major injury than win with a big name going down.

 

[Smellyman]

It all started when we wanted to park near the stadium and find a bar to have a bite and some beers. Forget about that plan. The stadium is in the middle of nowhere. They didn't open the doors until 30 minutes or so before k/o so we baked our brains in the parking lot waiting for that to happen.

There was a pocket of restaurants and bars but not within walking distance to the stadium... so if we wanted to go there, you have to park twice, and probably pay twice.

Once in the stadium, we were treated rudely, especially my wife who has limited mobility. The stadium announcer was obnoxious. The acoustics sucked. The game was a defensive battle. Both teams missed chip shot FGs that would have won the game and put us out of our misery. Walking out with a tie was like kissing your ugly sister.

Sums up the entire hellscape that is Arizona metro areas.