I've always been of the opinion that support should be earned, not expected. In the case of a university football team and its fans, there is a certain return that every fan expects out of their team every year, something to make it all worth it.
It has been no secret that the Chips have struggled recently, I myself have watched them reach the pinnacle of success just 3 years ago as a freshman and have seen the team plummet to two straight 3-9 seasons since. However, this latest offseason brought about a new sense of hope in the program and fan base. The team was blessed with a very favorable schedule, seven home games at Kelly/Shorts and the chance to upset Big Ten powerhouse Michigan State in front of thousands of loyal fans just dying to see things as they once were. Then the university ponied up money for brand new uniforms to further excite players and fans about what this season held in store.
Indeed, with all this excitement in the air, as well as returning many players from last years team,and with the State game looming so close, everyone viewed last nights' game against FCS school Southeast Missouri State as an easy tune up game for the Spartans.
This one got messy.
In front of a mass of excited students and alumni, the Chips came out very flat and quickly got behind early. Students stood open mouthed in disbelief as the Redhawks dominated early on the ground, running up a 24 point lead on the Chips with 7 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. The Chips had no real trouble moving the ball on the ground, with running backs Zurlon Tipton and Anthony Garland running wild through the Redhawks early. However, a fumble and a bad interception by three year starter Ryan Radcliffe killed two promising Central drives and gave the Redhawks momentum heading into half.
Fortunately for the Chippewa's, the offense seemed to gain new life after the Redhawks stretched the lead to 14, and with less than seven minutes to go they were able to put two quick touchdowns on the board, using the run game almost exclusively and with a little help from the CMU defense in forcing a three and out.
Watching attentively from the stands, my main concern coming out from half was that the team might squander the momentum and come out flat out of the locker room, but in the third quarter the Chips started to really tighten up the defense and shrink the field for Redhawks freshman quarterback Scott Lathrop. After dominating possession in the first half, the Redhawks only managed a field goal after the break, and CMU scored twice more, once a Tipton scoring run and the other a wide open touchdown pass from Radcliffe to seal the win in the season opener.
While certainly not the easy game that many expected it to be, there were some good things to take away from the game as well as some bad things. Lets break down each part of the team and their performance yesterday.
Offense: A-
While the offense wasn't able to get CMU a lead early, they had a field day with the Redhawks defense, especially on the ground, where the Chips racked up 324 yards with a 7.2 YPC average and several scores. Senior quarterback Ryan Radcliffe was admittedly shakier than I had hoped he would be, and the early interception had many fans thinking back to last season all over again. He made some good plays under pressure and avoiding sacks, yet also missed easy plays where he had plenty of time to get off a good throw.
Defense: B+
Arguably the Chippewa's biggest weakness on paper, the defense had some bright spots yesterday, but overall gave up too many points to a weak football program and also struggled to stop 3rd down conversions. Additionally, the Chips continue to struggle to get ample pressure on the opposing quarterback, as Lathrop had a pretty easy time in the pocket on the night. The tackling looks solid, and the defense is far form porous, but they might have a tough time with some of the bigger schools on the schedule.
Special Teams: B+
Didn't we have an issue with field goals once? Well, whatever that was, it seems to be gone, as David Harman knocked in a short field goal early and was perfect on his extra point attempts on the night. Going back to last season, Harman provides the Chippewas with a suitable kicker who can be relied upon in clutch situations. Our kick return team struggled to give the offense decent field position all night, as we would've been better off kneeling almost every return considering where we ended up. The blocking needs to improve in this unit.
Play Calling: B+
I'm not going to pretend I'm a coach. I'm not going to pretend I know more than Dan Enos. In my opinion he picked a safe, solid strategy last night, exploited the opponents weakness on the ground and it worked for us. Some would say we were to predictable, and that this might hurt us later in the season. While that is hard to say, I definitely feel like Radcliffe needs to take the reins and do something with this team for his final season, and Enos should have the confidence in his quarterback to air out the football and spread the defense.
Concessions: A+
Facing an increased amount of student attendance, the concessions crew seemed to really step up their game early and often, giving a promising image of what we should be able to expect this season.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
Safety and Discipline in the National Football League
How much longer is this league even going to be watchable?
Seriously though, with the way the league has tightened its grip on the game over the past few years I know I'm not alone in wondering that. We might be one or two seasons away from just dressing up all the players in those fat sumo suits and just playing that way. Better yet, lets take out the artificial turf and just have those guys play in giant ass ball pits.
Fans of this game have seen a dramatic increase in the amount of safety oriented rules and policies in the NFL as part of a push by the governing body to reduce injuries to players. These actions come on the heels of the puzzling early deaths of several former players through self inflicted wounds. These deaths, as well as an all around general increase in nasty injuries, has got the league in panic mode, and so the commissioner turned to the one true friend he could count on; more rules.
Now I'm not saying I'm a fan on terrible injuries, and I certainly don't support the suicides of former players. It is very unfortunate that they passed and further still that people must, in a way, argue against these new rules and, in a way, against these fallen players.
However, the integrity of the game DOES NOT need to suffer simply because of these recent deaths and injuries. Recent rule changes have directly changed how players hit, how they play the game, and even what they wear. And we are still not done, as leg and knee pads appear to be on the way as well. (Insert my earlier proposition about the sumo suits)
So how can the game be made safer? Players are getting stronger, bigger and faster every year and we keep pushing the limits of what is "typical" size in all levels of football. You can't keep them from getting faster, thats something that most players are born with. You could theoretically try and control the amount of lifting and other training that players do, but that is also pretty flimsy at best. No, I would say the best bet is looking to restrict player size in the NFL, dependent on position.
Think about it for a second. Do we really need linemen to be pushing 350, 400? If a lineman ends up being smaller, then would we NEED a 215 pound quarterback? How about a 200 pound "jackhammer" back? Guys did not weight this much in the NFL of the olden days, and they got along just fine. Also, they were some of the toughest sons a bitches you would've known. There were hard hits, little to no pads or protection and it was, by all accounts, entertaining. Slowly but surely the weights of players has grown across the board and it is what I would say is the first and foremost reason for increased injuries.
Football can be played perfectly fine by 200 pound linemen, 180 pound backs and with a scrawny little guy with a big arm under center. With more room on the field not occupied by big bodies, it would force players to rely on their general athleticism more than cutoff angles. The game would focus less on pure power and more on agility, quickness and decision making. I, for one, think it would be highly entertaining.
So lets shift our focus to the other half of this equation. If players continue to play aggressively and hit in ways the league frowns upon, they will get fined. Probably a good $5,000-$75,000, for a first time offense, and the sky is the limit after that. Wear the wrong color helmet strap, per league rules? $5,000. Wear different shoes than the NFL rules mandate (even if they match team colors impeccably) $10,000.
And last but not least, if you are accused of putting bounties on other players during games, how about you sit the whole season. Think these punishments are fair? Maybe, maybe not. But if you would see this list, know that it stretches out in other equally ridiculous places and have an issue with that, then let me buy you a beer, we're gonna be friends.
The NFL has made it clear that the current focus of the league is player safety, and as such, they are penalizing what they call "dangerous" plays, which in turn has greatly enraged some defensive players (I'm speaking about you, James Harrison) and has got them up in arms about how they are able to play in the current NFL. Frankly, I'm tempted to agree with them, given the current rules. The NFL has instituted what is sometimes referred to as a "hotfix" in the video game world and I'm gonna apply it here. It is a small, quick fix but not a long term solution. The league champions player safety yet the current safety rules protect only offensive players such as the quarterback, defenseless receivers and returners. Meanwhile, instead of determining how to make things even, they have instead focused on penalizing fashion, social media use and attendance at nightclubs.
Which brings me to my next point. Who here knows Dez Bryant? Are you raising your hand? You shouldn't be, because you probably look weird raising your hand at a computer for no reason. For anyone who doesn't know my man Dez, they should know that he is a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, one of the more wealthy, symbolic and, as of late, carnival like teams in the NFL.
Well, suffice it to say, Dez didn't have a wonderful childhood. This has in turn led him to engage in some questionable behaviors since joining the NFL, and that has got the Cowboys worried. So they did what any sports parent organization would do, and they grounded Dez Bryant. Well, they didn't use that term exactly, but they did release a list of rules that Dez must follow while he is a member of the organization. While on the proverbial "leash", Dez cannot drink alcohol, attend strip clubs and essentially walks around with at least one babysitting security guard at all times. I'm gonna be honest, that sounds like probation.
In addition to be hilariously funny to me, it also got me thinking about where the line is drawn on team discipline. Now, word is, Dez is intent on following the rules, but if he weren't, then what? He is getting paid well and the team has obviously invested heavily in him, but this raises a clear question of how much are NFL teams willing to take from their players before its so long sucka, have fun in the Canadian Sumo Football League.
Seriously though, with the way the league has tightened its grip on the game over the past few years I know I'm not alone in wondering that. We might be one or two seasons away from just dressing up all the players in those fat sumo suits and just playing that way. Better yet, lets take out the artificial turf and just have those guys play in giant ass ball pits.
Fans of this game have seen a dramatic increase in the amount of safety oriented rules and policies in the NFL as part of a push by the governing body to reduce injuries to players. These actions come on the heels of the puzzling early deaths of several former players through self inflicted wounds. These deaths, as well as an all around general increase in nasty injuries, has got the league in panic mode, and so the commissioner turned to the one true friend he could count on; more rules.
Now I'm not saying I'm a fan on terrible injuries, and I certainly don't support the suicides of former players. It is very unfortunate that they passed and further still that people must, in a way, argue against these new rules and, in a way, against these fallen players.
However, the integrity of the game DOES NOT need to suffer simply because of these recent deaths and injuries. Recent rule changes have directly changed how players hit, how they play the game, and even what they wear. And we are still not done, as leg and knee pads appear to be on the way as well. (Insert my earlier proposition about the sumo suits)
So how can the game be made safer? Players are getting stronger, bigger and faster every year and we keep pushing the limits of what is "typical" size in all levels of football. You can't keep them from getting faster, thats something that most players are born with. You could theoretically try and control the amount of lifting and other training that players do, but that is also pretty flimsy at best. No, I would say the best bet is looking to restrict player size in the NFL, dependent on position.
Think about it for a second. Do we really need linemen to be pushing 350, 400? If a lineman ends up being smaller, then would we NEED a 215 pound quarterback? How about a 200 pound "jackhammer" back? Guys did not weight this much in the NFL of the olden days, and they got along just fine. Also, they were some of the toughest sons a bitches you would've known. There were hard hits, little to no pads or protection and it was, by all accounts, entertaining. Slowly but surely the weights of players has grown across the board and it is what I would say is the first and foremost reason for increased injuries.
Football can be played perfectly fine by 200 pound linemen, 180 pound backs and with a scrawny little guy with a big arm under center. With more room on the field not occupied by big bodies, it would force players to rely on their general athleticism more than cutoff angles. The game would focus less on pure power and more on agility, quickness and decision making. I, for one, think it would be highly entertaining.
So lets shift our focus to the other half of this equation. If players continue to play aggressively and hit in ways the league frowns upon, they will get fined. Probably a good $5,000-$75,000, for a first time offense, and the sky is the limit after that. Wear the wrong color helmet strap, per league rules? $5,000. Wear different shoes than the NFL rules mandate (even if they match team colors impeccably) $10,000.
And last but not least, if you are accused of putting bounties on other players during games, how about you sit the whole season. Think these punishments are fair? Maybe, maybe not. But if you would see this list, know that it stretches out in other equally ridiculous places and have an issue with that, then let me buy you a beer, we're gonna be friends.
The NFL has made it clear that the current focus of the league is player safety, and as such, they are penalizing what they call "dangerous" plays, which in turn has greatly enraged some defensive players (I'm speaking about you, James Harrison) and has got them up in arms about how they are able to play in the current NFL. Frankly, I'm tempted to agree with them, given the current rules. The NFL has instituted what is sometimes referred to as a "hotfix" in the video game world and I'm gonna apply it here. It is a small, quick fix but not a long term solution. The league champions player safety yet the current safety rules protect only offensive players such as the quarterback, defenseless receivers and returners. Meanwhile, instead of determining how to make things even, they have instead focused on penalizing fashion, social media use and attendance at nightclubs.
Which brings me to my next point. Who here knows Dez Bryant? Are you raising your hand? You shouldn't be, because you probably look weird raising your hand at a computer for no reason. For anyone who doesn't know my man Dez, they should know that he is a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, one of the more wealthy, symbolic and, as of late, carnival like teams in the NFL.
Well, suffice it to say, Dez didn't have a wonderful childhood. This has in turn led him to engage in some questionable behaviors since joining the NFL, and that has got the Cowboys worried. So they did what any sports parent organization would do, and they grounded Dez Bryant. Well, they didn't use that term exactly, but they did release a list of rules that Dez must follow while he is a member of the organization. While on the proverbial "leash", Dez cannot drink alcohol, attend strip clubs and essentially walks around with at least one babysitting security guard at all times. I'm gonna be honest, that sounds like probation.
In addition to be hilariously funny to me, it also got me thinking about where the line is drawn on team discipline. Now, word is, Dez is intent on following the rules, but if he weren't, then what? He is getting paid well and the team has obviously invested heavily in him, but this raises a clear question of how much are NFL teams willing to take from their players before its so long sucka, have fun in the Canadian Sumo Football League.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)