While the St. Louis Rams arent among the NFL’s best, the Seattle Seahawks played well on both offense and defense en route to a 28-0 opening game victory. Jim Mora made a successful debut as Seahawks coach and Matt Hasselbeck played his first regular season game since last Thanksgiving. Hasselbeck was 25 of 36 for 279 yards with three touchdown passes, though he also threw two interceptions.

The Seahawks easily covered the spread as -7 home favorites. The ATS victory improved the Seahawks to 18-15 against the number in the past three years. The Rams dropped to a dismal 11-22 ATS in the past three years with a 9-20 mark as an underdog.

Mora hadnt been at the helm of an NFL team since he was fired by the Atlanta Falcons in 2006. He is a native of the Jet City and once worked as a visiting locker room attendant for the Seahawks. The homecoming made the victory all the more enjoyable as he recounted afterwards:

“It was especially emotional for me, because there is some significance to it. I’d be lying if I told you there wasn’t. It was kind of a surreal experience.”

It was also the Seahawks first shutout in over two seasons, while the once high flying Rams were shut out for the first time since 1998. Linebacker Aaron Curry commented after the game that defensive tenacity and toughness are goals for the new look Seattle team:

“The whole offseason, they said our team was soft. We’ve got to change our image.”

While the Seahawks looked to be much improved over last year, the Rams looked to be the same pitiful team that stumbled to a 2-14 record in 2008. It was hardly the debut that rookie head coach Steve Spagnuolo had hoped far as St. Louis gained only 247 yards and 13 first downs. You know things are bad when players point to personal fouls as a positive, as Steven Jackson did in his postgame interviews:

“Would you rather us just get our tail kicked and walk back to the huddle? You saw some fight in this team.”

The Rams looked sloppy and undisciplined throughout, amassing 10 penalties for 85 yards and having their only touchdown of the game negated due to too many men on the field. Clearly, the problems with the St. Louis team run much deeper than coaching.

The schedule wont get any easier for St. Louis, as they hit the road again this week to face the Washington Redskins. Theyll open their home season the following week against Green Bay before playing another road contest on October 4th against the San Francisco 49ers. Seattle will also play away from home this Sunday, heading down the coast to meet the resurgent San Francisco 49ers. The Seahawks will host the Chicago Bears the following Sunday before a road game at Indianapolis on October 4th.

For Virginia Tech Hokie football fans, nothing beats a great tailgate weekend in Blacksburg. Tailgating for Virginia Tech Hokie football games has become first class in the last decade as Frank Beamer has built the program to the top of the ranks, and the fan following with it. The sales of Virginia Tech merchandise has exploded along with it, and Saturdays (and sometimes Thursdays or other days of the week) in Blacksburg are filled with people wearing a Virginia Tech football jersey, Virginia Tech t-shirt, or Virginia Tech Hokie sweatshirt. Virginia Tech football tickets are in high demand.

Proper tailgating for Hokie games takes proper tools and methods. First of all, you need your tailgating spot. Location is key. This all comes down to being or knowing a Hokie Club member with significant ranking that has a good parking spot. The Hokie Club utilizes a variety of parking lots on campus close (and some not so close) to Lane Stadium to assign tailgate spots, and you want to make sure you get a prime spot. Buy a Virginia Tech football parking pass from an online auction site like eBay if necessary.

Next, make sure you are dressed for the occasion. It all depends on the weather, but an authentic Virginia Tech jersey (either maroon or white) works great. If it’s a crisp fall day, get your favorite Virginia Tech sweatshirt. If it’s early in the season and warm, grab a Virginia Tech t-shirt, maybe a long sleeve t-shirt if you want to stay cool. A fleece, pullover, shell, or sleek Virginia Tech golf polo are also options. I always try to wear maroon – we are a maroon school. Orange, white, and other colors reduce the stadium effect.

Hokie tailgates are all about food and drinks, so this should be top priority. I like getting there early so that the grill can be set up and given enough time to smoke a variety of meat for hours, maybe ribs, Boston butt, or marinated whole chickens. But grilling in general should be the focus of your tailgate. Burgers, sausages, chicken, steaks, or fish can all make great tailgate fare. Hokie country is bar-b-que country, so choose a sauce that fits what you are grilling and will make your tailgate guest happy. Complement your meat with whatever sides and snacks you or anyone else can bring.

Food is a priority, but beverages are the lifeblood of your tailgate. Personally, I equate football tailgating with ‘brown water’, aka bourbon. There’s nothing like a good Kentucky bourbon or Tennessee whisky to get you ready for the game. However, this is a personal thing, and you need to have a variety of beverages, but alcoholic and non-alcoholic, to satisfy your guest (or have them BYOB).

Other important aspects of your tailgate: How are people going to find your spot? Get a tall Virginia Tech Flag , personalize it some and fly it high. Also, deck you Hokie tailgate out with Virginia Tech chairs, coolers, and blankets. Everyone should be drinking out of Hokie cups and mugs too.

While the Hokie matchup is obviously the most important game of the day, there will be lots of other great college football on. People at your tailgate are going to want to watch other games (or they’ll go somewhere else). Do what other great tailgaters do and get a portable satellite dish you hook up to a receiver and TVs you can quickly scramble to set up in the morning. A blow up Virginia Tech couch right in front is also a nice touch.

To me, the sign of a good tailgate is one that everyone wants to go back to after the game.

Author runs VirginiaTechFan.com, the Ultimate Virginia Tech Sports Blog and Fan Store.

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Football Jerseys – the Great Transformation The new football season begins with the mock draft for die hard fans and fantasy GM’s alike. The golden rule of the NFL Draft is that unless you already have a “Franchise” signal caller you do not pass on one, which should go without saying, if you have the chance to aquire a team leader you had better give thanks to the Football GOD”s for they may have saved a lot of jobs. Drafting a franchise quaterback has the ability to launch a team into playoff mode for five to ten years if the skill positions are filled adequately and the “O” line can stay in front of at least one defending player. How many times have you seen your teams’ QB sacked and all the O linemen are standing in front of the D linemen as they’re getting off the quarterback, all they would need is a red towel and we’d be in for a bull fight.

NFL Jerseys have undergone a complete change in its image, appearance and usage patterns. In the yesteryear sports jersey was just a part of the official sports equipment, nothing more nothing less. The jerseys meant for football players had long sleeves, were plain and their material was heavier than today’s NFL jersey. Their simplicity and plainness has been a reason for many comments. Reason for their plainness was that jersey was the team gear with no frills or designing. According to legendary football coach Darryl Royal, they were “working clothes”.

Custom NFL Jerseys- A new Era in Sports Equipment In the NFL apparel arena today here’s what you do, with the nfl schedule consisting of 16 games including plus the playoff schedule you need to acquire custom jerseys with your name but different player numbers that way when one of your favorite players clowns or decides to make it rain at a sweet sixteen party you can pull the old swich-a-roo and keep your head up.

The growing popularity of National Football League (NFL) and advent of customized jerseys in the football teams has transformed the team gear. Team gear including the jersey has become trendier. Jersey has transcended its “weekend clothes” impression. Custom jerseys for today’s NFL football players have shorter sleeves, vibrant colors and attractive patterns. The football teams now pay considerable attention towards design and appearance of their team gear. Supporting your team by wearing the team jersey says more and express your knowledge more that an NLF cheerleader, actually it makes you a free agent.

The wearing of replica jerseys for NFL football games to support their team has not been a new phenomenon for the football fans. However, now the jersey has taken a step ahead and you will find many people wearing NFL authentic jerseys even out of the football arenas. Wearing national football league team-jersey of their favorite football team or player has become a personal style statement of the younger generation. This transformation is the reason for increasing demand of sports equipment in general and jersey in particular.

Moreover, the extreme popularity of football as sport in America has further popularized the jersey. There are too many avenues for football fans; some of them are NFL Football, College Football, NCAA Football and very popular Monday Night Football. These events have added to the growing demand for football jerseys and team gear. Many people have a passion for collecting authentic jerseys (game worn) and replica jerseys of NFL stars.

A new disease is rearing its ugly head in the world of football … Dream Team Addiction. Here’s a quick 5 point checklist for you to find out if you need to seek medication, or god forbid you are past the point of no return!

5. You know every stat value in Dream Team and your mind is filled of these numbers bouncing around whenever your player gets a stat.

However, when you know your opponent’s team and you start seeing numbers when they rack them up as well, you are looking in trouble. Once you’re seeing plays as numbers it’s as good as over for you – goodbye football fan, hello Dream Team Geek. Like the binary nerds before you, you’re reduced to a series of 1s and 0s.

Super Coach users rejoice – you’ll never fall victim to the DT nightmares keeping you awake. That scoring system is harder to work out than the Duckworth/Lewis system – so leave your spanner set at home and get a good night’s rest.

4. Your mobile phone runs hot with all sorts of Dream Team score updates from the half time and full time scores.

(If you only get the full time updates there might be hope for you yet, but half time updates are a sure sign of the nut house).

3. You are delirious when two of your players play possession football in the backline and annoy all those around you by calling this latest fad ‘the greatest tactic since Pagan’s Paddock’.

Even if this is a close game late in the fourth quarter, you no longer boo but instead cheer ‘clock management’ and have your own footy to hold high above your head.

2. You have cursed, slammed your fist on the table, punched the wall, thrown the remote or smashed something for any of the following reasons:

- your DT player hand balls when they could kick – your DT player drops a soda of a mark in the clear – your DT player gives away a free – your gun back pocket attracts a tag (hello Heath Shaw) – your DT player gets a free, but advantage is given to another player (in front of goal this may warrant wall punching) – your low scoring back men is not getting involved in the short pass after a point – your player is not getting involved in clock management or “tempo” footy

But the major one is…

1. You forget about the team you support and start cheering for your Dream Team players to carve them up.

Sorry – but this is crossing the line. Not only are you a disgrace to your club, but there is no way coming back from here. Nothing is more un-Australian – it’s time to book yourself some time on the couch, and no I don’t mean with Mike Sheehan (although you might sit next to him in the waiting room…).

NFL football: The Great Assimilation The new football season begins with the mock draft for die hard fans and fantasy GM’s alike. The axiom of the NFL Draft is that unless you already have a “Franchise” signal caller you do not pass on one, which should go without saying, if you have the chance to aquire a team leader you had better give thanks to the Football GOD”s for they may have saved a lot of jobs. Drafting a franchise quaterback has the ability to launch a team into playoff mode for five to ten years if the skill positions are filled adequately.

NFL Football Jerseys have undergone a complete change in its image, appearance and usage patterns. In the yesteryear sports jersey was just a part of the official sports equipment, nothing more nothing less. The jerseys meant for NFL players had long sleeves, were plain and their material was heavier than today’s National football league jersey. Their simplicity and plainness has been a reason for many comments. Reason for their plainness was that jersey was the team gear with no frills or designing. According to legendary football coach Darryl Royal, they were “working clothes”.

Custom NFL Jerseys- A new Era in Sports Equipment In the NFL apparel arena today here’s what you do, with the nfl schedule consisting of 16 games including plus the playoff schedule you need to acquire custom jerseys with your name but different player numbers that way when one of your favorite players clowns or decides to leave the team chasing more cash or becoming a media pinup you can pull the old swich-a-roo and keep your head up.

The growing popularity of National Football League (NFL) and advent of customized jerseys in the football teams has transformed the team gear. Team gear including the jersey has become trendier. Jersey has transcended its “weekend clothes” impression. Custom jerseys for today’s NFL football players have shorter sleeves, vibrant colors and attractive patterns. The football teams now pay considerable attention towards design and appearance of their team gear. Supporting your team by wearing the team jersey says more and express your knowledge more that an NLF cheerleader, actually it makes you a free agent.

Wearing replica jerseys for NFL football games to support their team has not been a new phenomenon for the football fans. However, now the jersey has taken a step ahead and you will find many people wearing NFL authentic jerseys even out of the football arenas. Wearing national football league team-jersey of their favorite football team or player has become a personal style statement of the younger generation. This transformation is the reason for increasing demand of sports equipment in general and jersey in particular.

Moreover, the extreme popularity of football as sport in America has further popularized the jersey. There are too many avenues for football fans; some of them are NFL Football, College Football, NCAA Football and very popular Monday Night Football. These events have added to the growing demand for football jerseys and team gear. Many people have a passion for collecting authentic jerseys (game worn) and replica jerseys of NFL stars.