Tuesday, May 7, 2013
College Football Hall of Fame Announcement
I am off to the NFF announcement of the next class of players and coaches elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. I am looking forward to hearing from a couple of the new enshrines--as they always bring some in for the announcement--and to see the list. Every year a great group of players get in and it is amazing to think that some of these guys had to wait. But unlike any other sport college football has an enormous number of great retired players and they cannot all get in. And remember that some chapters of the National Football Foundation are bigger and more powerful than others and get the vote out. I will update you all later today.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Big Ten Gets It Right
The Legends and Leaders idea was a failure from the start. Only the biggest fans could sort out the standings without looking at them and the desire to have Michigan and Ohio State play in the regular season and then meet in every other conference title game was misguided. Not only is that type of thinking usually fail--see the ACC with Miami versus Florida State-but you do not preserve the beauty and importance of the regular season rivalry. Once again the SEC got that right by making games like LSU-Alabama and Florida-Georgia meaningful as rivalries and for their impact on the conference divisional races.
But I give the Big Ten credit for righting a wrong. The new divisions are designated geographically and will make it easier for newcomers Rutgers and Maryland to develop rivalries with each other and probably Penn State. Meanwhile the notion that the East is difficult because of the presence of Michigan, Ohio state and Penn State and the West is easier is absurd. First of all, many of the same experts lamenting this predicted that Penn State would be dreadful for ten years. So since they were wrong on that one they now feel that Wisconsin has it easy despite the fact that they did not win anything last year and that Nebraska and Iowa and Northwestern etc will all be pretty good in the near future. We have seen in other conferences that the fortunes of divisions change. The SEC West is a beast now while the East was considered the tougher division 7-10 years ago. The old Big 12 power base shifted from Kansas State and Nebraska in the late 90s to Texas and OU in the 2000s.
The key for the conference is to reestablish itself as the preeminent one on the field. It can deliver plenty of television sets but can it deliver national championship contenders?
But I give the Big Ten credit for righting a wrong. The new divisions are designated geographically and will make it easier for newcomers Rutgers and Maryland to develop rivalries with each other and probably Penn State. Meanwhile the notion that the East is difficult because of the presence of Michigan, Ohio state and Penn State and the West is easier is absurd. First of all, many of the same experts lamenting this predicted that Penn State would be dreadful for ten years. So since they were wrong on that one they now feel that Wisconsin has it easy despite the fact that they did not win anything last year and that Nebraska and Iowa and Northwestern etc will all be pretty good in the near future. We have seen in other conferences that the fortunes of divisions change. The SEC West is a beast now while the East was considered the tougher division 7-10 years ago. The old Big 12 power base shifted from Kansas State and Nebraska in the late 90s to Texas and OU in the 2000s.
The key for the conference is to reestablish itself as the preeminent one on the field. It can deliver plenty of television sets but can it deliver national championship contenders?
Friday, April 26, 2013
Lessons From the Draft Part Three
This post is focused on a bit of common sense. I know common sense rarely comes into play on draft week, but here goes. Are you sitting down? Okay. Here goes. There is no magic list that correctly ranks the hundreds of draft eligible players. So when the guy the experts had going 10 drops to your team at 30, but they pass and take some guy you never heard of, it does not mean that they are wrong. They liked that guy at 30 better than the guy expected to go 10. Or he fits the system better. Or the other guy has a screw loose. Is injury prone. Or just does not fill a certain need.
Take the Giants, since I know them best. The fans are upset because they took a guy that hadn't heard being mentioned in the first round in the Cuse lineman Justin Pugh. On the board at the time were a couple of players that had dropped--dropped from the position placed on them by experts. But because that really does not mean anything, being that the experts do not have access to the teams' boards, you cannot compare say Shariff Floyd to Pugh. So you may have Floyd ranked higher than Pugh based on what some experts say, you probably have not seen either player live and certainly have not tested them and scouted them the way the teams do. So shut up already since you are totally ignorant.
Now don't get me wrong. Some picks are so dumb that they are worth negative attention. But to rip an offensive lineman that you have not seen when the Giants are desperate for offensive linemen is just stupid. And your wanting him in the second round is wonderful except for one thing. He would not have been there. My guess is that if the Bears did not take him instead of Long at 20, the Cowboys would have since he is exactly what they need. And not one lineman expected to go from the Giants pick in the second round on down would have been a big help next year. This was the last chance to help the 2013 O-Line. And as for the 2014 line, Pugh can pick any spot he wants to the right of left tackle. And as for his short arms they are similar in length to Joe Thomas so it is not impossible that he sticks at RT.
That is enough venting for now.
Take the Giants, since I know them best. The fans are upset because they took a guy that hadn't heard being mentioned in the first round in the Cuse lineman Justin Pugh. On the board at the time were a couple of players that had dropped--dropped from the position placed on them by experts. But because that really does not mean anything, being that the experts do not have access to the teams' boards, you cannot compare say Shariff Floyd to Pugh. So you may have Floyd ranked higher than Pugh based on what some experts say, you probably have not seen either player live and certainly have not tested them and scouted them the way the teams do. So shut up already since you are totally ignorant.
Now don't get me wrong. Some picks are so dumb that they are worth negative attention. But to rip an offensive lineman that you have not seen when the Giants are desperate for offensive linemen is just stupid. And your wanting him in the second round is wonderful except for one thing. He would not have been there. My guess is that if the Bears did not take him instead of Long at 20, the Cowboys would have since he is exactly what they need. And not one lineman expected to go from the Giants pick in the second round on down would have been a big help next year. This was the last chance to help the 2013 O-Line. And as for the 2014 line, Pugh can pick any spot he wants to the right of left tackle. And as for his short arms they are similar in length to Joe Thomas so it is not impossible that he sticks at RT.
That is enough venting for now.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Lessons From The Draft Part 2
When I was a kid there was a lot less college football on television but a lot more coverage in the press. There was also more in-depth discussion of the sport with college football as a whole being a topic followed by the major programs and coaches and then the top players. Don't get me wrong, the blocking schemes at Syracuse were never a topic of discussion, but fans knew who the top players were in the country.
Now? College football's television ratings are through the roof. We fans can watch our fair share of games on TV even if we go to games on Saturday afternoon. We think we have a good grasp of the sport and the players who lead the best teams.
But then the draft rolls around in the spring, like Christmas the anticipation and coverage begins earlier and earlier every year. But coverage of the draft uncovers a problem. Why are the draft experts talking about a player that we barely know as if he is the second coming? If ESPN and other media outlets did their jobs from May until March, why is it that we are now being introduced to key players from major college programs?
Part of the problem of course is that they are over-hyping these guys prior to the draft. And some guys project to be better pros than college players. Take Shariff Floyd of Florida who may go as high as number three tonight. A huge recruit out of Philadelphia Floyd has had a solid but underwhelming career in Gainesville. He did make All American teams this past year but he is being drafted on his size and speed combination and not his production (31 tackles in 2012 including 8.5 for a loss).
But the player who really sticks out for me is Oregon defender Dion Jordan who is being compared to Jason Taylor and Aldon Smith. How does a guy who has been recognized as an All Pac 12 performer and praised by scouts for his physical skills and play on the field go virtually unknown while playing for a school that is usually ranked in the top ten? That would not have been possible in any other time in American sport.
Who is to blame? The American sports public cannot be taken off the hook. They demand coverage of celebrity and a guy who was excellent at dropping back into coverage was never going to become one of those. ESPN is a major factor here, which is ironic as it then over reacts to anyone who is a draft prospect. So Dion Jordan gets ignored until this spring then gets covered as future star and then goes to the pros while Collin Klein gets press while KSU is undefeated but then gets ignored now as he is not expected to be drafted too high if at all and then hopefully goes to the pros. Sadly guys who are very good college players but not pro prospects tend to get ignored all the time unless they are, like Klein, the QB for a top team.
ESPN is to blame because they have adopted a policy that it is better to talk non-stop about one player, say Johnny Manziel or Manti Te'o, than to mention anyone else. I guess this began with Michael Jordan and some meeting in Bristol, Connecticut at which a producer was dressed down for a piece on Mitch Richmond that was done before the network had reached its 100-per-week segments quota on MJ. While that is a really bad way to cover the NBA and its dozens of stars it is an impossible way to cover college football and its hundreds of major players. ESPN is also to blame because they break sports coverage down to quick hits. Once they establish a story line it is easier to just run with that than delve deeper. Oregon is know for a speedy offense. So why bother mentioning Jordan?
And major newspapers fall into the same stupid trap based on laziness. They will over-cover the stars and provide coverage of their area of interest but do not even bother with the nation as a whole. If you polled 100 college football fans from throughout the country, how many members of the 2012 AP All America first team could they name? Sure Manziel and Te'o would be easy. So too Marqise Lee and some of the many Alabama players that earned the recognition. But Terrance Williams, Will Sutton or Phillip Thomas? How about a first team AA RB who topped 1,900 yards? Of the 100 fans polled how many know Ka'Deem Carey of Arizona? But how many of those polled could rattle off the names of the first team AA RBs from earlier generations? When did rushing for that many yards in a major conference not earn you some press?
So do not be surprised when your favorite pro team drafts guys you never heard of even if they are from big-time programs. It is not that they are not good players. They were just not as good a story as Johnny Football.
Now? College football's television ratings are through the roof. We fans can watch our fair share of games on TV even if we go to games on Saturday afternoon. We think we have a good grasp of the sport and the players who lead the best teams.
But then the draft rolls around in the spring, like Christmas the anticipation and coverage begins earlier and earlier every year. But coverage of the draft uncovers a problem. Why are the draft experts talking about a player that we barely know as if he is the second coming? If ESPN and other media outlets did their jobs from May until March, why is it that we are now being introduced to key players from major college programs?
Part of the problem of course is that they are over-hyping these guys prior to the draft. And some guys project to be better pros than college players. Take Shariff Floyd of Florida who may go as high as number three tonight. A huge recruit out of Philadelphia Floyd has had a solid but underwhelming career in Gainesville. He did make All American teams this past year but he is being drafted on his size and speed combination and not his production (31 tackles in 2012 including 8.5 for a loss).
But the player who really sticks out for me is Oregon defender Dion Jordan who is being compared to Jason Taylor and Aldon Smith. How does a guy who has been recognized as an All Pac 12 performer and praised by scouts for his physical skills and play on the field go virtually unknown while playing for a school that is usually ranked in the top ten? That would not have been possible in any other time in American sport.
Who is to blame? The American sports public cannot be taken off the hook. They demand coverage of celebrity and a guy who was excellent at dropping back into coverage was never going to become one of those. ESPN is a major factor here, which is ironic as it then over reacts to anyone who is a draft prospect. So Dion Jordan gets ignored until this spring then gets covered as future star and then goes to the pros while Collin Klein gets press while KSU is undefeated but then gets ignored now as he is not expected to be drafted too high if at all and then hopefully goes to the pros. Sadly guys who are very good college players but not pro prospects tend to get ignored all the time unless they are, like Klein, the QB for a top team.
ESPN is to blame because they have adopted a policy that it is better to talk non-stop about one player, say Johnny Manziel or Manti Te'o, than to mention anyone else. I guess this began with Michael Jordan and some meeting in Bristol, Connecticut at which a producer was dressed down for a piece on Mitch Richmond that was done before the network had reached its 100-per-week segments quota on MJ. While that is a really bad way to cover the NBA and its dozens of stars it is an impossible way to cover college football and its hundreds of major players. ESPN is also to blame because they break sports coverage down to quick hits. Once they establish a story line it is easier to just run with that than delve deeper. Oregon is know for a speedy offense. So why bother mentioning Jordan?
And major newspapers fall into the same stupid trap based on laziness. They will over-cover the stars and provide coverage of their area of interest but do not even bother with the nation as a whole. If you polled 100 college football fans from throughout the country, how many members of the 2012 AP All America first team could they name? Sure Manziel and Te'o would be easy. So too Marqise Lee and some of the many Alabama players that earned the recognition. But Terrance Williams, Will Sutton or Phillip Thomas? How about a first team AA RB who topped 1,900 yards? Of the 100 fans polled how many know Ka'Deem Carey of Arizona? But how many of those polled could rattle off the names of the first team AA RBs from earlier generations? When did rushing for that many yards in a major conference not earn you some press?
So do not be surprised when your favorite pro team drafts guys you never heard of even if they are from big-time programs. It is not that they are not good players. They were just not as good a story as Johnny Football.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Lessons From Draft Part 1
You are a college football fan, right? And you watch a fair share of the sport. And being a football fan you pay attention to the NFL draft. But with all of the hype poured into that event you find yourself confused. Who are half of these guys and why are we so interested in them?
There are many reasons as to why some very productive college players get drafted lower than expected and some not drafted at all and why some not too productive guys go very high. The answer generally shoved down our throat concerns speed--that the NFL demands it and some very talented college stars do not have enough of it to be anything more than a sub. Of course it is more complicated than that as smarts, football and otherwise, height, scheme played, coaching and myriad other factors help determine a players lot.
And the experts get the placing of players incredibly wrong so often it is difficult to understand why they are experts. But the inability to rank players by experts and general mangers alike then allows some drafted-too-high players to lose their edge while inspiring some low-drafted players. And that makes the experts look even worse. It is a vicious cycle.
As for productivity, I am a big believer in the reality that good players make plays. I want my favorite football team to focus on talented football players that fit their system. I am really not interested in "projects" and I want guys who are team-first players. I would take a chance on an injured guy before a guy falling for off-the-field issues.
More to follow.
There are many reasons as to why some very productive college players get drafted lower than expected and some not drafted at all and why some not too productive guys go very high. The answer generally shoved down our throat concerns speed--that the NFL demands it and some very talented college stars do not have enough of it to be anything more than a sub. Of course it is more complicated than that as smarts, football and otherwise, height, scheme played, coaching and myriad other factors help determine a players lot.
And the experts get the placing of players incredibly wrong so often it is difficult to understand why they are experts. But the inability to rank players by experts and general mangers alike then allows some drafted-too-high players to lose their edge while inspiring some low-drafted players. And that makes the experts look even worse. It is a vicious cycle.
As for productivity, I am a big believer in the reality that good players make plays. I want my favorite football team to focus on talented football players that fit their system. I am really not interested in "projects" and I want guys who are team-first players. I would take a chance on an injured guy before a guy falling for off-the-field issues.
More to follow.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Trouble With Auburn
What does it take to get put on probation these days? Well if you are a member of the seemingly protected SEC you get a number of passes. The Auburn program is again in the news this week for all the wrong reasons and at some point you would think that with all of the accusations--it is beyond smoke at this point--investigators would be able to present a case.
What bothers me beyond the actual cheating going on is the lack of interest by media and fans. If someone else excuses cheating of any kind with the ridiculous argument that "everyone does it" I'll shoot myself (screw that, I'll take them out). And the double standard that was made too apparent this week is also troubling. What Mike Rice did to members of his Rutgers basketball squad was appalling and he did lose his job. But what the Tigers are accused of doing, from a blatant disrespect toward academics, to buying players and hushing up failed drug tests is much worse than anything Rice did to his Rutgers players. Yet the outrage toward Rice is much worse than that toward ex-Auburn coach Gene Chizik, who was fired for his inability to win post Cam Newton. And I have not heard anyone calling for Will Muschamp's job at Florida despite his role in the scandal.
It is time to clean up the mess.
What bothers me beyond the actual cheating going on is the lack of interest by media and fans. If someone else excuses cheating of any kind with the ridiculous argument that "everyone does it" I'll shoot myself (screw that, I'll take them out). And the double standard that was made too apparent this week is also troubling. What Mike Rice did to members of his Rutgers basketball squad was appalling and he did lose his job. But what the Tigers are accused of doing, from a blatant disrespect toward academics, to buying players and hushing up failed drug tests is much worse than anything Rice did to his Rutgers players. Yet the outrage toward Rice is much worse than that toward ex-Auburn coach Gene Chizik, who was fired for his inability to win post Cam Newton. And I have not heard anyone calling for Will Muschamp's job at Florida despite his role in the scandal.
It is time to clean up the mess.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
National Signing Day
While I do keep an eye on recruiting I am not enough of an expert on the subject to be able to voice an opinion worth anyone's time. Then again, who could truly be an expert when we are discussing thousands of kids throughout the country. How often have you seen the kid play live and was he playing legitimate competition when you did see him? Living in New York City I do not get to see too much high school football and leave the prospecting to others. The reality of recruiting is that every team must get as much talent as it can but said talent has to be coachable and the staff must be able to coach the kids up. Opportunity and desire are paramount. Take the position of quarterback at Ohio State. Troy Smith was an afterthought the year he was recruited--the Buckeyes had an extra scholarship and wanted to appease his father, a big-time high school coach in Cleveland--while Terrelle Pryor was a blue chipper a few years later. Who accomplished more in Columbus?
Hopefully your favorite team brought in some hard-working and gifted kids who are willing to fit into a team. Do not get caught up in the number of four and five stars brought in but take a look at the roster and see if holes were filled. Then hope that they all can stay on the straight and narrow. Good luck.
Hopefully your favorite team brought in some hard-working and gifted kids who are willing to fit into a team. Do not get caught up in the number of four and five stars brought in but take a look at the roster and see if holes were filled. Then hope that they all can stay on the straight and narrow. Good luck.
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