. . . . . And the concerns of the players always come last.
I am sure the NCAA would like to disagree with me. However, actions speak louder than words. If you look at all the major violations the NCAA Committee on Infractions deals with you will see they all involve the same thing. That players are getting money the NCAA thinks they should not be getting. SMU had their football program suspended for a year because they were paying players. Alabama was given a stiff penalty because a booster payed a high school coach to pressure his star player into attending Alabama. USC was given an extremely stiff penalty because a sports marketers, who has nothing to do with the University, gave a house to the parents of one of their star players and the school did not know about it. North Carolina is looking at punishment because several of their players attended a big party thrown by a sports marketer and player agent.
When was the last time though a school got in trouble for fixing grades, or giving special academic preference to football players. Recently a school in Canada suspended their football program for a year when it was found several players were using performance enhancing drugs. When was the last time NCAA players, coaches or teams got in trouble for PEDs? Are we to expect that no NCAA football players ever use PEDs?
The greatest example which shows how little the NCAA regards players is the issue of over-signing. You see, football teams at the highest level of the NCAA can only have 85 players on the roster who are on scholarship. They also cannot sign more than 25 players to a football scholarship each year. Yet some schools regularly sign way more than they are allowed. The excuse given is that not all players signed qualify academically to get into the school. Still, most do. And what it means is that every year there are high school kids who are denied football scholarships which were promised to them.
There is a website devoted to exposing over signing: http://oversigning.com/testing/
The issue of over signing came to a head a few years back when the University of Mississippi football team signed a startling 37 players. 12 players over the yearly limit of 25. It was so bad that the Southeastern Conference (Which Mississippi plays in) set a signing limit at 28 each year. They named the rule after Houston Nutt, head coach of the Mississippi football team.
And what has the NCAA done about the over signing issue. Well, they do not see it as an issue. They have absolutely no problem with it. While there are tons of rules about players taking money, families taking money, players talking to agents, there are no rules against over signing.
To their credit, several schools refuse to over sign and have spoken out against over signing. Amongst those schools are national powers like Florida, Ohio State and Nebraska. This off season the SEC is looking to strengthen their over signing rule.
And the NCAA? Well, they are busy trying to make sure their players do not get any money for what they do.
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
NCAA Justice, a lot Like Totalitarian Third Wold Justice
This past Memorial Day the head football coach at Ohio State, Jim Tressel, resigned in disgrace because he was caught covering up the fact some of his star players traded sports memorabilia for tattoos. The act of trading sports memorabilia for tattoos is a serious offense in the NCAA.
Last year USC was handed the second toughest penalty every by the NCAA. Their crime? Six years earlier the parents of a star player were given a house. The school did not know about the house. The school was punished because the NCAA said they should have known about it. And how was the school punished you ask? They lost a total of 30 scholarships over the next three years. For those unfamiliar, each NCAA football program at the highest level (FCS or Division 1a) is allowed to give out 25 scholarships. So over the next three years they will only be able to give out 15. This is how the NCAA hands out punishment.
So let us get this strait. IN 2004, while playing for USC, the parents of Reggie Bush were given a house to live in by a sports marketer. So, as punishment, 30 kids in the years of 2011, 2012 and 2013 will not get a football scholarship. We will never know exactly who the 30 kids are lose out but they do exist. Sure, USC is a top notch program. The 30 kids who will not get to go to USC will catch on at other schools. Though, when they catch on at other schools it will bump another 30 kids. And it will keep going that way until we are left with 30 anonymous kids who go without football scholarships.
The whole USC issue reminds me of the case of Kay and Kerry Danes. The Danes' are an Australian couple sentenced in Laos for gem smuggling. They did not actually smuggled gems. They worked for another couple who were smuggling gems. That other couple fled Laos before being apprehended. So the Danes were convicted and sentenced because someone had to pay for such a serious crime. This is how the NCAA operates. There is nothing they can do to Reggie Bush, his parents or the sports marketer who gave them the house. So instead the NCAA will punish 30 anonymous kids by taking away an opportunity for them to get a football scholarship. Maybe NCAA investigators should travel to Laos to get some more tips on advancing the cause of injustice.
Last year USC was handed the second toughest penalty every by the NCAA. Their crime? Six years earlier the parents of a star player were given a house. The school did not know about the house. The school was punished because the NCAA said they should have known about it. And how was the school punished you ask? They lost a total of 30 scholarships over the next three years. For those unfamiliar, each NCAA football program at the highest level (FCS or Division 1a) is allowed to give out 25 scholarships. So over the next three years they will only be able to give out 15. This is how the NCAA hands out punishment.
So let us get this strait. IN 2004, while playing for USC, the parents of Reggie Bush were given a house to live in by a sports marketer. So, as punishment, 30 kids in the years of 2011, 2012 and 2013 will not get a football scholarship. We will never know exactly who the 30 kids are lose out but they do exist. Sure, USC is a top notch program. The 30 kids who will not get to go to USC will catch on at other schools. Though, when they catch on at other schools it will bump another 30 kids. And it will keep going that way until we are left with 30 anonymous kids who go without football scholarships.
The whole USC issue reminds me of the case of Kay and Kerry Danes. The Danes' are an Australian couple sentenced in Laos for gem smuggling. They did not actually smuggled gems. They worked for another couple who were smuggling gems. That other couple fled Laos before being apprehended. So the Danes were convicted and sentenced because someone had to pay for such a serious crime. This is how the NCAA operates. There is nothing they can do to Reggie Bush, his parents or the sports marketer who gave them the house. So instead the NCAA will punish 30 anonymous kids by taking away an opportunity for them to get a football scholarship. Maybe NCAA investigators should travel to Laos to get some more tips on advancing the cause of injustice.
Monday, 6 June 2011
Big 10 Paying Players? Well, not exactly. . . . . .
I got a message from a good friend the other day asking me what I thought of the Big 10 plan to pay players. I had not even heard of such a plan so I went to scour sports websites to see what is up. Well, turns out they do not plan to "pay" players per say. It is simply a plan by the Big 10 to add an extra $3,000 per year to each athletic scholarship to cover basic living expenses. Predictably the SEC came out and said they are considering the same thing. There is no way the SEC is going to play second fiddle to anyone.
If I am an NCAA football coach in the Big 10 (or SEC) I love this. It certainly will not eliminate players taking improper money. Nor will it eliminate those who like to give that money. What it will eliminate is the justification for that money. You hear from those who both take and give that money that players have a hard time making ends meet. Their "free" time is taken up by team commitments and are thus not able to get a job to help.
If I am an NCAA football coach in the Big 10 (or SEC) I love this. It certainly will not eliminate players taking improper money. Nor will it eliminate those who like to give that money. What it will eliminate is the justification for that money. You hear from those who both take and give that money that players have a hard time making ends meet. Their "free" time is taken up by team commitments and are thus not able to get a job to help.
Best NCAA Coaching Job
Recently Andy Staples wrote about the best coaching jobs in America. You can find that article here:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/andy_staples/06/03/best-college-football-jobs/index.html
My take on his rankings:
Having Texas and Ohio State one and two is obvious. Big money, big states, big schools, powerful alumni, chance to win every year. These schools have it all. Let me go into some I disagree with.
He has Auburn ranked number nine. His argument about paying 1.3 million to an offensive coordinator is a solid one. Still though, this is the number two school in a state that is probably not big enough consistently. If they had not paid so much, allegedly, for Cam Newton then they would probably have been 8-4 last year. Plus, the boosters who call the shots at this school scare me. Pat Dye is back in the shot calling mix too. I fear it will not be long before Auburn ends up back on probation.
Miami is not on this list. Which is shocking when you consider schools like Arizona and Arizona State made it. Miami, the city, is one of the most glamorous in the country. It is an amazing place to live. Especially now that it is not as murder-ridden as it was in the '80s and '90s. They have fallen off a bit recently. So has Nebraska though and they made number 15. You also have a very supportive group of former players who are among the best in the NFL. Couple that with the talent which is a stones throw from campus and you have what is still one of the best jobs in the country.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/andy_staples/06/03/best-college-football-jobs/index.html
My take on his rankings:
Having Texas and Ohio State one and two is obvious. Big money, big states, big schools, powerful alumni, chance to win every year. These schools have it all. Let me go into some I disagree with.
He has Auburn ranked number nine. His argument about paying 1.3 million to an offensive coordinator is a solid one. Still though, this is the number two school in a state that is probably not big enough consistently. If they had not paid so much, allegedly, for Cam Newton then they would probably have been 8-4 last year. Plus, the boosters who call the shots at this school scare me. Pat Dye is back in the shot calling mix too. I fear it will not be long before Auburn ends up back on probation.
Miami is not on this list. Which is shocking when you consider schools like Arizona and Arizona State made it. Miami, the city, is one of the most glamorous in the country. It is an amazing place to live. Especially now that it is not as murder-ridden as it was in the '80s and '90s. They have fallen off a bit recently. So has Nebraska though and they made number 15. You also have a very supportive group of former players who are among the best in the NFL. Couple that with the talent which is a stones throw from campus and you have what is still one of the best jobs in the country.
Sunday, 5 June 2011
Best Football Video Games
I am placing these games in the context of time. Otherwise the best games would be the most recent NFL and NCAA games from EA.
The Best:
Madden '99- For the first time ever EA included a decent AI. This meant no longer could you run the same play over and over again for a big gain. The D would adjust. For a true football fan this game is a dream come true.
Tecmo Super Bowl- The original "Tecmo Bowl" was amazing. This game though was down right addictive. It came out for the NES and was so good they basically copied it over (with updated rosters) to the SNES. With this game you could play a real season, look at stats, sub some positions, have players get better or worse and so much more. I think I must have played through an NFL season with every team at least once.
NES Play Action Football:
Though it moved slow and did not include all teams this was still a great game. Included both offensive and defensive plays. The "Super" version which came out for the SNES was sadly dated though.
John Madden Football -- This is the original. No year after the title. This is the industry changer. If you are old enough to have played this game when it came out then I am sure you were as blown away as I was.
The Best:
Though it moved slow and did not include all teams this was still a great game. Included both offensive and defensive plays. The "Super" version which came out for the SNES was sadly dated though.
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Who Benefits The Most From A Long NFL Lockout
Autumn is America is dominated by football. Between the NCAA and NFL football dominates the sports scene throughout the autumn. There are other sports going on but the best they can hope for is to be second fiddle to football. So which sports organization stands to gain the most should the NFL lockout extend well into the autumn.
The obvious answer would seem to be the NCAA. The schools and conferences (who do the actual scheduling) are smart enough to set start times to TBA. Which means it would be easy for a few schools to move some games to Sunday to capitalize on the lack of NFL games. Still though, NCAA football is already close to its saturation point. While they will benefit there are those who can benefit more.
The NHL will get some traction with the NFL lockout. Their regular season starts in October. Lack of NFL games will give them more attention from the national and various local sports media outlets. I think though the NHL has more to gain from the inevitable NBA lockout. The NHL is a 30 team league that plays 80 regular season games and lets 16 teams (over half) into the playoffs. Early season games are hard to get up for unless you are a hardcore obsessed hockey fan.
There are touring sports like PGA golf and NASCAR which can benefit. The big golf tournaments are pretty much done by autumn which will make it hard for them to get a lot more attention. NASCAR should do pretty good with an NFL lockout. The "Chase For the Cup" will be going on in NASCAR during the autumn. Still though, there is one organization which can benefit more.
For year the MLB (Major League Baseball) playoffs have been overshadowed by early regular season NFL. Unless you live in New York or a city with a team in the MLB playoffs there is very little interest. Even in many cities the NFL gets more attention than a local baseball team in the playoffs. Without the NFL to compete with the 2011 MLB playoffs could be the most watched in a generation.
The obvious answer would seem to be the NCAA. The schools and conferences (who do the actual scheduling) are smart enough to set start times to TBA. Which means it would be easy for a few schools to move some games to Sunday to capitalize on the lack of NFL games. Still though, NCAA football is already close to its saturation point. While they will benefit there are those who can benefit more.
The NHL will get some traction with the NFL lockout. Their regular season starts in October. Lack of NFL games will give them more attention from the national and various local sports media outlets. I think though the NHL has more to gain from the inevitable NBA lockout. The NHL is a 30 team league that plays 80 regular season games and lets 16 teams (over half) into the playoffs. Early season games are hard to get up for unless you are a hardcore obsessed hockey fan.
There are touring sports like PGA golf and NASCAR which can benefit. The big golf tournaments are pretty much done by autumn which will make it hard for them to get a lot more attention. NASCAR should do pretty good with an NFL lockout. The "Chase For the Cup" will be going on in NASCAR during the autumn. Still though, there is one organization which can benefit more.
For year the MLB (Major League Baseball) playoffs have been overshadowed by early regular season NFL. Unless you live in New York or a city with a team in the MLB playoffs there is very little interest. Even in many cities the NFL gets more attention than a local baseball team in the playoffs. Without the NFL to compete with the 2011 MLB playoffs could be the most watched in a generation.
Friday, 3 June 2011
Jake Locker And Other Rookie QBs
First off I have to tell you all that I am a huge Titan/Oilers fan. Have been since Warren Moon joined the team.
When Jake Locker was chosen by the Titans this year it came as a shock to many of the so-called experts covering the draft. After all, he was not supposed to go so high. They told us he is way too inaccurate to be a good NFL QB. The so-called experts also told us the Titans could have traded down to get him. After all, the mock drafts had Locker going in the late first round.
The so-called experts got it wrong. First off, the Titans could not have traded down to get him. The Vikings would have taken him with the 12th pick. Second, if Locker turns out to be good then he was worth the 8th pick. If Locker turns out not to be good then he would not be worth a late first round pick.
Now, when they tell you Locker is inaccurate they are not exactly right either. Jake Locker had a low completion percentage in college. Which is not the same as accuracy. Had the so-called experts bothered to watch Locker play, instead of just look at his stats, they would see the two main contributors to his low completion percentage were receivers who could not get open and poor protection. You could be the second coming of Dan Marino or Peyton Manning and you would not have a good completion percentage without protection and receivers who get open.
What Locker does have is the talent, skills, athletic ability and most importantly the leadership ability to be a franchise QB. I see Locker as another Steve McNair or Mark Brunelle. Someone who will never be the number one fantasy QB but a guy who will find ways to win you games, one way or another. That being said, .let us take a look at some other rookie QBs.
Cam Newton -- Almost everything about Cam Newton says "Vince Young" to me. Actually, I think he will be worse than Young. Newton has a better throwing motion than Young but that is really the only area he is better. Young was far more polished coming out college. He played in an offense that was closer to the NFL. An offense where he had to make multiple reads. Newton played in an offense where he was asked to make one read then run. Newton is coming off as a bit of a diva who wants to be a celebrity. At the very least he probably will not be another JaMarcus Russell.
Blaine Gabbert -- Played in a real easy offense that made him look good. Still though, I think he will be okay. At the very least he should be able to rise to the level of Alex Smith. He possibly could be another Philip Rivers with a lot of work. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to making NFL throws. For those of you who do not follow college ball, Gabbert played in an offense that almost always was run out of the shotgun and asked him to make short throws while playing in sets with multiple wide receivers.
Christian Ponder -- I really like Ponder. He is probably the safest of all the rookie QBs. He has experience, played in a pro-style offense, is very accurate, good character and is a good leader. For all these reasons he moved to the mid-first round when he was thought to be a second round talent. So why was he the fourth QB taken. Two answers: limited upside and injury history. While his has an accurate arm it is not a strong arm. His athletic ability is nothing special either. The injury history speaks for itself. He missed a lot of time in college. Expect Ponder to be another Chad Pennington. A solid QB who is accurate with below average arm strength and misses time.
We are moving into the mid-round QBs. To avoid repeating myself I encourage you all to read my post on first round QBs vs. mid round QBs.
Andy Dalton: Boy were some NFL writers in love with this guy. That big goofy smile, always says the right thing, good leader, decent accuracy. Trouble is he is another one of those spread QB wonders, has a weak arm and lead feet. Andy Dalton has the makings of a solid career backup.
Colin Kapernick: Oh wow, did someone really take him this high? Another RB/WR who played QB. Do yourself a favor kid and switch positions.
Ryan Mallett: If he was in a draft 15 to 20 years ago he would be the first guy taken. So tall, so strong, great arm, played in a pro-style offense in the ultra-competitive SEC. Still though, he reminds me a lot of that sharp looking sports car, with low mileage and a big engine you see at an unbelievably low price sitting on some small corner used car lot. Your heart wants it so bad but your head tells you it will probably be nothing but trouble. Mallett's character issues are what drove him to the third round. That and the fact he is about as slow and nimble as a house boat. He is a wigger (look it up if you do not know what a wigger is) which will not help him gain respect in an NFL locker room. Still, if he can get his head on strait, smarten up and apply himself then he could become another Drew Bledsoe or Kerry Collins.
When Jake Locker was chosen by the Titans this year it came as a shock to many of the so-called experts covering the draft. After all, he was not supposed to go so high. They told us he is way too inaccurate to be a good NFL QB. The so-called experts also told us the Titans could have traded down to get him. After all, the mock drafts had Locker going in the late first round.
The so-called experts got it wrong. First off, the Titans could not have traded down to get him. The Vikings would have taken him with the 12th pick. Second, if Locker turns out to be good then he was worth the 8th pick. If Locker turns out not to be good then he would not be worth a late first round pick.
Now, when they tell you Locker is inaccurate they are not exactly right either. Jake Locker had a low completion percentage in college. Which is not the same as accuracy. Had the so-called experts bothered to watch Locker play, instead of just look at his stats, they would see the two main contributors to his low completion percentage were receivers who could not get open and poor protection. You could be the second coming of Dan Marino or Peyton Manning and you would not have a good completion percentage without protection and receivers who get open.
What Locker does have is the talent, skills, athletic ability and most importantly the leadership ability to be a franchise QB. I see Locker as another Steve McNair or Mark Brunelle. Someone who will never be the number one fantasy QB but a guy who will find ways to win you games, one way or another. That being said, .let us take a look at some other rookie QBs.
Cam Newton -- Almost everything about Cam Newton says "Vince Young" to me. Actually, I think he will be worse than Young. Newton has a better throwing motion than Young but that is really the only area he is better. Young was far more polished coming out college. He played in an offense that was closer to the NFL. An offense where he had to make multiple reads. Newton played in an offense where he was asked to make one read then run. Newton is coming off as a bit of a diva who wants to be a celebrity. At the very least he probably will not be another JaMarcus Russell.
Blaine Gabbert -- Played in a real easy offense that made him look good. Still though, I think he will be okay. At the very least he should be able to rise to the level of Alex Smith. He possibly could be another Philip Rivers with a lot of work. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to making NFL throws. For those of you who do not follow college ball, Gabbert played in an offense that almost always was run out of the shotgun and asked him to make short throws while playing in sets with multiple wide receivers.
Christian Ponder -- I really like Ponder. He is probably the safest of all the rookie QBs. He has experience, played in a pro-style offense, is very accurate, good character and is a good leader. For all these reasons he moved to the mid-first round when he was thought to be a second round talent. So why was he the fourth QB taken. Two answers: limited upside and injury history. While his has an accurate arm it is not a strong arm. His athletic ability is nothing special either. The injury history speaks for itself. He missed a lot of time in college. Expect Ponder to be another Chad Pennington. A solid QB who is accurate with below average arm strength and misses time.
We are moving into the mid-round QBs. To avoid repeating myself I encourage you all to read my post on first round QBs vs. mid round QBs.
Andy Dalton: Boy were some NFL writers in love with this guy. That big goofy smile, always says the right thing, good leader, decent accuracy. Trouble is he is another one of those spread QB wonders, has a weak arm and lead feet. Andy Dalton has the makings of a solid career backup.
Colin Kapernick: Oh wow, did someone really take him this high? Another RB/WR who played QB. Do yourself a favor kid and switch positions.
Ryan Mallett: If he was in a draft 15 to 20 years ago he would be the first guy taken. So tall, so strong, great arm, played in a pro-style offense in the ultra-competitive SEC. Still though, he reminds me a lot of that sharp looking sports car, with low mileage and a big engine you see at an unbelievably low price sitting on some small corner used car lot. Your heart wants it so bad but your head tells you it will probably be nothing but trouble. Mallett's character issues are what drove him to the third round. That and the fact he is about as slow and nimble as a house boat. He is a wigger (look it up if you do not know what a wigger is) which will not help him gain respect in an NFL locker room. Still, if he can get his head on strait, smarten up and apply himself then he could become another Drew Bledsoe or Kerry Collins.
Football Movies -- The Good, The Bad and the Overdone
For a football fan it can be hard to watch some football movies. Though, some are amazing. So we watch all of them. Since, as football junkies we get as much football as we can. And we hope that they will each be good the same way we hope our favorite team wins every time they play.
I have decided to divide them into three categories--High school Football, College Football and Pro Football movies. For each category I have chosen the best, the worst, the most under appreciated and the most overdone.
High school Football Movies:
The Best: Friday Night Lights--As a big fan of the book this movie was based on I resisted watching the movie for a few years. The book was so good and the way it was written I did not expect someone to be able to make a good movie out of it. Shockingly, they did make a good movie that is true to the book. Both the book and the movie will make you fall in love with high school football in Texas and the town of Odessa, Texas.
The Worst: Backfield in Motion--This bad movie, named after a bad song, stars Roseanne and Tom Arnold (while they were married) with Roseanne playing a single mother who wants to play in her kid's father-son football game. I think you get the point.
The Under appreciated: All the Right Moves--Very early Tom Cruise movie. He plays a hard-headed high school cornerback trying to get a college scholarship. Cruise clashes with his hard-headed coach played by the man who was born to play a football coach, Craig T Nelson. Set against the backdrop of a small rust-belt town with a dying economy this is a very good movie with a compelling plot.
The Overdone: Varsity Blues--This movie looks like they were trying to make a 90s version of All the Right Moves with inspiration from the book Friday Night Lights. We know people in small Texas towns go a little overboard for high school football. Just like small towns in many other states. They did not need to go so over the top to make their point. The coach, played by Jon Voight, and the overly-idealistic plot were too much. Voight played the role well, it is the character which is beyond belief. Still though, I did enjoy the movie. Just had to take it with a grain of salt.
College Football Movies:
The Best: The Program--It may not be a popular choice. Though I would say it is by far the most realistic college football movie made. The events of the movie are entirely realistic and compelling--the Freshman who is wooed before he signs and treated like crap after; the over the top Heisman PR campaign; the illiterate LB who is still smart enough to read complicated plays; the coach begging to have a player expelled for cheating reinstated. All of events are realistic. Similar events happen all the time.
The Worst: Rudy--This is one of the more polarizing movies ever made. You either love it or hate it. If you are a big Notre Dame homer then you probably love it. If you are not and you are a football fan then you probably hate it.
The Underappreciated: Junction Boys -- A movie about Bear Bryant about his time, not at Alabama, but at Texas A&M. It is made for TV so the budget is low. Still, the movie comes out well. Tom Berringer does a great job playing the legendary coach.
The Overdone: Necessary Roughness--It may not be fair to place this move here as it was overdone for the sake of comedy. The movie was inspired by the "death penalty" given to the SMU football program. It was not the old QB or the female kicker (There have been female kickers play college football) which was over the top. It was the fact that a big state university in Texas (Which the fictional school in this movie was portrayed to be) could not manage to get more than 13 players for their team.
Pro Football Movies
The Best: North Dallas 40--Ah, pro football in the 70s. Sex, drugs and playing through brutal injury. This movie had it all. It also was the first to expose what life in the NFL is really like.
The Worst: The Replacements--Pretentious and just bad. I thought it would be a pro version of Necessary Roughness. It wasn't. Probably seemed like a good idea for a movie at the time. It was made in the late 90s, a decade which saw a lot of work stoppages in North American sports. Trouble is that the NFL was the one league not to have a work stoppage in the 90s.
The Under appreciated: Leatherheads--This movie offered us a nice look at what pro football was like during its earliest days. As a history buff I could not resist this movie.
The Overdone: Any Given Sunday--Much like Varsity Blues, this movie took a bunch of stereotypes and piled them into a movie. It tries to be a newer North Dallas 40 but just comes off overdone. Still though, amazing cast which helps make the movie worth a watch. . . . with that all important grain of salt.
I have decided to divide them into three categories--High school Football, College Football and Pro Football movies. For each category I have chosen the best, the worst, the most under appreciated and the most overdone.
High school Football Movies:
The Best: Friday Night Lights--As a big fan of the book this movie was based on I resisted watching the movie for a few years. The book was so good and the way it was written I did not expect someone to be able to make a good movie out of it. Shockingly, they did make a good movie that is true to the book. Both the book and the movie will make you fall in love with high school football in Texas and the town of Odessa, Texas.
The Worst: Backfield in Motion--This bad movie, named after a bad song, stars Roseanne and Tom Arnold (while they were married) with Roseanne playing a single mother who wants to play in her kid's father-son football game. I think you get the point.
The Under appreciated: All the Right Moves--Very early Tom Cruise movie. He plays a hard-headed high school cornerback trying to get a college scholarship. Cruise clashes with his hard-headed coach played by the man who was born to play a football coach, Craig T Nelson. Set against the backdrop of a small rust-belt town with a dying economy this is a very good movie with a compelling plot.
The Overdone: Varsity Blues--This movie looks like they were trying to make a 90s version of All the Right Moves with inspiration from the book Friday Night Lights. We know people in small Texas towns go a little overboard for high school football. Just like small towns in many other states. They did not need to go so over the top to make their point. The coach, played by Jon Voight, and the overly-idealistic plot were too much. Voight played the role well, it is the character which is beyond belief. Still though, I did enjoy the movie. Just had to take it with a grain of salt.
College Football Movies:
The Best: The Program--It may not be a popular choice. Though I would say it is by far the most realistic college football movie made. The events of the movie are entirely realistic and compelling--the Freshman who is wooed before he signs and treated like crap after; the over the top Heisman PR campaign; the illiterate LB who is still smart enough to read complicated plays; the coach begging to have a player expelled for cheating reinstated. All of events are realistic. Similar events happen all the time.
The Worst: Rudy--This is one of the more polarizing movies ever made. You either love it or hate it. If you are a big Notre Dame homer then you probably love it. If you are not and you are a football fan then you probably hate it.
The Underappreciated: Junction Boys -- A movie about Bear Bryant about his time, not at Alabama, but at Texas A&M. It is made for TV so the budget is low. Still, the movie comes out well. Tom Berringer does a great job playing the legendary coach.
The Overdone: Necessary Roughness--It may not be fair to place this move here as it was overdone for the sake of comedy. The movie was inspired by the "death penalty" given to the SMU football program. It was not the old QB or the female kicker (There have been female kickers play college football) which was over the top. It was the fact that a big state university in Texas (Which the fictional school in this movie was portrayed to be) could not manage to get more than 13 players for their team.
Pro Football Movies
The Best: North Dallas 40--Ah, pro football in the 70s. Sex, drugs and playing through brutal injury. This movie had it all. It also was the first to expose what life in the NFL is really like.
The Worst: The Replacements--Pretentious and just bad. I thought it would be a pro version of Necessary Roughness. It wasn't. Probably seemed like a good idea for a movie at the time. It was made in the late 90s, a decade which saw a lot of work stoppages in North American sports. Trouble is that the NFL was the one league not to have a work stoppage in the 90s.
The Under appreciated: Leatherheads--This movie offered us a nice look at what pro football was like during its earliest days. As a history buff I could not resist this movie.
The Overdone: Any Given Sunday--Much like Varsity Blues, this movie took a bunch of stereotypes and piled them into a movie. It tries to be a newer North Dallas 40 but just comes off overdone. Still though, amazing cast which helps make the movie worth a watch. . . . with that all important grain of salt.
First Round QBs vs. Middle Round QBs
If you follow the NFL draft as I do you no doubt saw a lot of coverage on a lot of QBs. There was a lot of excitement around the mid-round QBs. A lot of commentators like to advise against taking a first round QB. They tell us teams are better off taking a "safe" pick to fill a need in the first round and go for a developmental pick in the second or third round. After all, you do not want to end up with the next Ryan Leaf or JaMarcus Russell. Are you really better off though, waiting until the second or third round to get your franchise QB?
The Dolphin's thought they were. That is why they passed up Matt Ryan for the "safe" pick of Jake Long. In the second round that year the Dolphins selected Chad Henne to be their future franchise QB. Now Jake Long is an excellent left tackle who could have a hall of fame career. But Dolphin Fan, do you really think you are better off with Long and Henne over Matt Ryan?
The reality is that 19 of 32 teams have a starting QB who was taken in the first round of the draft (I am counting Drew Brees as a first round QB. He was taken with the first pick of the second round.)
How many mid-round starters are there? Well, six. Schaub is the only real star out of the group. Orton is a solid QB. McCoy and Clausen were rookies who ended up starting. Clausen, along with Garrard are set to be replaced by incoming rookies. Henne, well, he will probably be replaced. And none of of the these players has been to a Super Bowl. The remaining teams have starting QBs who were either late picks or undrafted.
In conclusion. QB is far too important a position to pass up on a first rounder. Where would the Colts be if they passed on Peyton Manning for a "Safer" pick?
The Dolphin's thought they were. That is why they passed up Matt Ryan for the "safe" pick of Jake Long. In the second round that year the Dolphins selected Chad Henne to be their future franchise QB. Now Jake Long is an excellent left tackle who could have a hall of fame career. But Dolphin Fan, do you really think you are better off with Long and Henne over Matt Ryan?
The reality is that 19 of 32 teams have a starting QB who was taken in the first round of the draft (I am counting Drew Brees as a first round QB. He was taken with the first pick of the second round.)
How many mid-round starters are there? Well, six. Schaub is the only real star out of the group. Orton is a solid QB. McCoy and Clausen were rookies who ended up starting. Clausen, along with Garrard are set to be replaced by incoming rookies. Henne, well, he will probably be replaced. And none of of the these players has been to a Super Bowl. The remaining teams have starting QBs who were either late picks or undrafted.
In conclusion. QB is far too important a position to pass up on a first rounder. Where would the Colts be if they passed on Peyton Manning for a "Safer" pick?
Thursday, 2 June 2011
NFL Lockout Coverage -- Shows How Pathetic We Can Be
I have seen it before. Watching the Canadian sports media cover the NHL lockout. Every day for the year-long lockout they covered negotiations. Looking for something to cling to. Something to give them hope. It got really pathetic. It reminded me of the vagrents who scavenge in the ash trays behind my work. Desperately looking for good sized butts they can get a few puffs off of. I fear we can be in for the same type of coverage of the NFL lockout.
The NFL lockout probably will not be as long. NFL owners are not as desperate as the NHL owners were. Still though, barring several 'NFLPA friendly' court decisions, this lockout will not end soon. We are looking at late Auguest at the very least. Both sides have dug their heels in. There will not be any incentive to move until the scheduled start of the regular season. Even still, starts can be delayed. With a long offseason it would not hurt the NFL much to delay the season a few months and keep their 16 game schedule.
So, as hard as it is, try and resist the urge. The urge to watch lockout coverage while hoping that some sort of progress is made. Instead, we should ask them to tell us when they are ready to start playing again and ignore them until that point.
The NFL lockout probably will not be as long. NFL owners are not as desperate as the NHL owners were. Still though, barring several 'NFLPA friendly' court decisions, this lockout will not end soon. We are looking at late Auguest at the very least. Both sides have dug their heels in. There will not be any incentive to move until the scheduled start of the regular season. Even still, starts can be delayed. With a long offseason it would not hurt the NFL much to delay the season a few months and keep their 16 game schedule.
So, as hard as it is, try and resist the urge. The urge to watch lockout coverage while hoping that some sort of progress is made. Instead, we should ask them to tell us when they are ready to start playing again and ignore them until that point.
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