- 09:01 AM
- 11/21/09
| Name: | Jeff Zelek |
|---|---|
| Location: | Fairfax, VA |
| Gender: | male |
| Member since: | September 13, 2006 |
| Last visit: | November 18, 2009 |
bender has posted 1 link and 234 comments to SportsFilter and 0 links and 2 comments to the Locker Room.
Ice Bowl is one for the ages: The consensus about the Ice Bowl, aka the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic? It was cool.
posted by bender to hockey at 10:35 AM on January 02 - 42 comments
Not that it's particularly germane to this discussion, but the New Jersey Devils are actually named after a local creature of legend rather than holding the religious connection indicated above.
posted by bender at 10:51 AM on November 17
This game certainly lends support to conventional wisdom but how many late game drives for touchdowns are there on a weekly basis when the conventional strategy fails and we just don't notice because it's the norm?
I still disagree with the decision to go for it on 4th and 2 on the 28 yard line, but I do believe that coaches get way to much credit for making the perceived "safe" decision when it comes to kicking on 4th down. In a lot of situations involving 4th down around midfield or near the goal line, the reward for trying to pick up the first down mitigates the risk of turning the ball over. This wasn't one of them (at least in my opinion), but it has sparked this statistical analysis of this type of play, and I, for one, do like that. If the Patriots are in the same situation except that instead of the 28 yard line they are on their 48, could this decision be the right one. I think it could. Maybe this will help a few coaches to grow a pair and make some decisions to win games rather than to not lose.
If you're going to go for it on 4th-and-2, how about running a pattern that's deeper than 2-1/2 yards?
There was nothing wrong with the call. If the ball was caught cleanly, it's a first down and New England wins. Why should they have run a deeper play?
posted by bender at 01:45 PM on November 16
Another thing should probably be pointed out here: the Patriots' completely mis-managed their timeouts, which prevented them from being able to challenge the play. I'm not certain that the spot might not have been changed in their favor had it been reviewed. So that would be a rare double-bungle on Belichick's part.
I don't know the exact verbiage of the rule, but it seems to me that the play should have been called for review by the booth. Even though the play happened prior to the two minute warning, the clock was stopped for the two minute warning right after the play and before another play was run. If review of plays is at the discretion of the refs inside of two minutes, it seems obvious to me that this play should not have required a challenge from the Patriots.
All of that said, I believe the initial call was correct.
posted by bender at 11:06 AM on November 16
I don't think it will be any "un-learning" needed...in fact, all it would take is a single head-to-head crash without a facemask to learn you won't be doing that again. Dogs, young and old, only jump out of the back of a truck one time before they learn to never do that again.
While you may be right that players will only need to make one hit to learn, that first hard, unprotected-head hit could be a career-ender.
posted by bender at 01:53 PM on November 11
I think it would be hilarious if in the next election cycle there are attack adds against people for voting for or against this resolution, as appropriate for their locality.
posted by bender at 01:01 PM on November 09
You don't think his players already respect Meyer? Who won a nat'l championship last year? Who are #1 in the polls?
Of course they respect him from a football standpoint. If he doesn't have the balls to appropriately punish a player when the situation warrants, though, that will likely lead to more players breaking rules or losing discipline. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you don't want to develop a reputation of being soft when it comes to punishments. There may be some benefits for you, but it's going to cost you more in the end.
-On preview-what rcade said.
posted by bender at 09:16 AM on November 03
but what i found out was that on the previous play Ealey spit in his face, and all Spikes did was wipe off the spit and was trying to smear it on Ealey's face.
What is he, 6? I don't have any idea if anything you wrote there is true, but either way, 1/2 game is too short.
What do you gain, as a coach, by punishing Spikes more?
You gain respect from your players that if they do something wrong, they will be punished for it. You also save yourself from the reputation hit of being ripped from everyone from ESPN to local news to Sportsfilter. That hit's going to last a lot longer than the appropriate punishment would last.
posted by bender at 08:05 AM on November 03
I don't care that there was no football game last night or that the Giants-Eagles game was moved to accomodate the World Series. Those were the right things to do in this scenario. My objection has nothing to do with football. Rather, baseball is a Summer sport, and I think having the playoffs in late October and into November is dumb. If not reducing the number of games or adding doubleheaders, I would move the start of the season up so the cold games are at the beginning of the season rather than the end.
posted by bender at 10:59 AM on November 02
I agree that the one-game-a-week idea is ridiculous, but why not end in September? There's no reason to play the most important games of the year in 40-degree weather in New York.
posted by bender at 09:36 AM on November 02
I don't see how starting a QB who has thrown 5 times this year without a completion is going to save them. They really need to look at the coaching staff that has essentially taken a team that won 14 games last year to an 0-6 start. Of course from what I can tell they are in love with Fisher so therefore Kerry Collins gets thrown under the bus. Well I don't see how you can blame a QB or make a QB change and solve the teams problems when their defense gave up an NFL record 5 TD passes in one quarter and allowed 59 points in a game.
At this point, it's not about solving the team's problems or saving the season. I agree completely that the beginning of the season was brutal, but the damage is done. If the Titans pull a miracle turnaround and go 10-0 to finish the season, they still may not make the playoffs.
Kerry Collins was brought in because Vince Young was not ready to take over the team. I'm not even going to argue that Vince Young is ready to take over the team now, but if either of these guys is the future, it's Young. The Titans have to figure out if Vince Young is the man going forward or if they need to try again (either in the draft or free agency). The current scenario sucks for the team for the rest of the season, but it is ideal for the purpose of evaluating Young's progress. Either he comes in and gets it done, building momentum for next season, or he fizzles out and they part ways. Hell, in 2006, Vince Young came off the bench to lead the Titans (amazingly) to the playoffs and win Rookie of the Year. Who knows?
posted by bender at 03:13 PM on October 28
I was expecting to see him come out after halftime in the Jacksonville game. The season is over. The coaches might has well give him another look in real games and decide if he has a future.
posted by bender at 01:15 PM on October 28
Wilton alertly scooped up the ball and took off running and 33 yards later he had scored his first career touchdown and won the game, 33-28.
The kid who scored the touchdown is getting too much credit from the article and the announcers in the clip. He just caught the ball that fell back into his hands and stood there for 8 seconds until the people on the sideline realized the game wasn't over and told him to run to the endzone.
posted by bender at 02:50 PM on October 14
Bo, let it go. You've already made igottheblues's original point three times over. There's nothing wrong with you (or any other group of fans) believing you are the best fans, but there's no need to endlessly promote it or convince anyone else that it's true.
posted by bender at 04:00 PM on October 13
How are the Titans this bad?
They really miss Albert Haynesworth.
I think they miss Jim Schwartz way more than Haynesworth.
posted by bender at 12:46 PM on October 12
Real Salt Lake Poised to Become Biggest Loser
Eight playoff teams for a 15-team league is ridiculous. MLB has twice as many teams and still only eight playoff spots. The regular season has to mean something.