A friend just asked what I thought of the Pro-Bowl football game. I had to admit I didn’t even know they had played it. I totally forgot about it. Supposedly the Pro-Bowl is the ALL-STAR game for professional football. The big differences are the timing, the location, and the lack of the top stars, (not due their lack of want to participate), because they have a commitment to the SUPER BOWL !!!! Granted Hawaii is appears to be a great setting for anything one would want to do. But realistically the average fan could not afford to travel to Hawaii, and if he could probably could not afford the tickets. From what I have been told Hawaii is a very expensive place to visit. So who attends, most likely the very wealthy people who like to take potential clients, or other people to impress. A mere vacation. From what I have seen in past Pro Bowl games, and heard about this one, is just what the players go for. A V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N. As one fan described it to me a very lack-luster performance. As if the players were merely going through a practice game. All other ALL-STAR games come in the middle of the season. Pro Football could do this. All Teams have a week off during the season. Let them all take the same week and put the Pro Bowl game there. INJURIES the bane of all football players. These big burley guys with all kinds of pads, helmets, etc. Lets face it Football isn’t what it used to be. I know it is not a fair comparison but here it is. The average amount of action in a Pro Football game is estimated to be between 8.5 and 11 minutes a game. That folks is offense and defense. Breaking that down (just for fun) roughly means the Offense plays 4.25 to 5.5 minutes a game. And the Defense likewise. We have seen the free substitution of player. How many minutes do each of these spend on the bench resting ? So how many action minutes does the average player see in a game. (?) I don’t know. I admit that. But let us take a look at a sport that is really downplayed but in my opinion far outweighs the efforts of any Footballer. But of course there is no big Sport Franchise for this sport. Which is why it probably is not a fair comparison. That SPORT is WRESTLING. Not the pro stuff that is all acting. But the real WRESTLING in High School and College. Each contestant goes out on the mat, one on one. SIX minutes (if the match goes the full length, more if it goes to overtime). Six minutes of all out battle. Not a chance to relax, relax for a fraction of a second could mean being beaten. Each match consists of 3 periods of 2 minutes, (that is about half the time either an Offensive or Defensive football player sees for a whole game,) They do have a short break between periods to pick a starting position for the next period. For those of you who are not up on WRESTLING. Just imagine an all out effort for 6 minutes. Using all your strength and ability for 6 minutes. That is Wrestling. Not to mention the weight battle. Every meet you must not weigh over your assigned weight class. Dieters you should be able to relate to this. But back to the PRO BOWL 1. Change the time of year. 2. Let the best as voted by the fan play 3 Play it at a more accessible venue. 4. Or as usual ignore the fans and do the good old boy way. I guarantee they will choose number 4 After all the fan is not a real concern to the NFL That Is How I See It. Views: 104
Month: January 2012
Passing of an Era
We learned this weekend of the passing of a FOOTBALL LEGEND. Coach Joe Paterno of PENN STATE. A man seeking to do the best job he could to lead young men in the sport that he so dearly loved. This he did for more than 4 decades. Winning on the field was important. But he left his players knowing the real winning came off the field. The real winning was in how they lived their lives and the contributions made to society. Somebody told me they thought he had over 400 players go on to the pro ranks. Plus such a long line of records I won’t bother to go into them here. Most college football fans know these; well. A man of his credentials could easily have found a job coaching a Professional team and earned a lot more money. But he loved to work with the young men preparing them for life. He loved Penn State. In fact I believe it was once reported he donated more than 4 million dollars to his employer,, Penn State. That is not just loyalty; that is LOVE. So let us salute Joe Paterno with the deepest respect for his lifetime of effort forming a lifetime of goodwill and fair play on the field of football and life. You will be missed. That Is How I see It. Views: 151
Do Our Legislators THINK
It has recently come to my attention, the evils lurking in the banning of incandescent light bulbs. It seems the new CFL bulbs, or whatever you call the CFLs. According to an elderly friend of mine , he and his cronies, while sitting at the local diner for morning coffee; (he calls it his coffee break. He had one at work, and now he needs one to get away from his wi…er, house for a while. Yeah! That’s the ticket. Away from the house). The topic of the proposed LIGHT BAN, came up. It was at this meeting of the minds, he learned many other people have claimed the new CFLs, have caused just about everything from regular headaches, stomachaces, tired eyes,(can’t read as long as they “ustacould”), migraines, a feeling of tiredness, (causing them to have to take an extra nap), angst, and an increased inability to cope with their wife. And it must be the reason they seem to be getting sick more often. Now taking in all of these “facts”. Because I know this to be a very stubb….studious group. How could our legislators possibly disregard their research. and ban incandescent bulbs. After checking these complaints, I have found various articles that support this groups thinking. So maybe there is something to their statements. HEY ! Legislators, LOOK into this. Please. That Is How I See It. Views: 172
Colts New Coach
Continuing to follow the drama of the Indianapolis Colts. We had a Super Bowl contending team a year ago. This year we saw that team drop to a dismal 2-14 team. Most everyone will agree the loss of Peyton Manning the Colts were no longer the MASSIVE offensive machine it was. Thus allowing the opponent to exploit the weaknesses of the defense. (Which was less a concern of teams prior to the meltdown). With the Colts not able to score: their opponents, could concentrate less on stopping the scoring, and more on SCORING themselves. Again, this goes back to the Polians’, and Irsay’s failure to foresee the impact of a Manning-less led offense. So as is the usual case the lower level people must bear the brunt of the failure. (Regardless of their involvement). Apparently Jim Irsay has given new General Manager, Ryan Grigson, CARTE BLANCHE as far as team personnel is concerned. HOWEVER: I could be wrong, and probably am, the new COACH has been an employee of the team for this last season. I do not think Mr. Grigson has any real say here. I feel Jim Irsay made the decision to replace JIM CALDWELL last year. The person I am thinking of may be able to lead a PRO team. BUT I personally have a problem with his ethics. Whether the COLTS fans will share my concern remains to be seen. (I doubt if they will. As we saw with the lockout, most “fans” don’t really care about such things only if their team wins). The CENTRAL changes in the coaching ranks I see are these two. COACH: Former OHIO STATE COACH JIM TRESSEL. OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Former Colts QB PEYTON MANNING. Regardless, the COLTS, will have to find a place for Manning. That Is How I See It. find find find Views: 174
Colts 1st Round Draft Pick Is…..
With the professional football season over, for the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS. We have seen the end of the POLIAN ERA. The man who guided the COLTS, to the selection of PEYTON MANNING. The man who the past decade the COLTS have built their machine. But this year with the injured MANNING sitting OUT the season we saw the total collapse of the Indianapolis FRANCHISE and it was thunderous. I still think the nucleus of the team is intact; however some of that nucleus is beginning to become long in the tooth. (OLD). So there has to be some changes made throughout the team. The big mistake Polian made during those earlier years, to my way of thinking, was the signing of EDGERIN JAMES. Not that he was a terrible choice, BUT the BEST running back for the colts would have been Wisconsin’s RON DAYNE. It was too bad for all of professional football, when Dayne went to a team which did not like to run the ball. And the Great Dayne, was left rusting on the shelf. But why did the Colts falter so badly. Bill Polian and Jim Irsay, (yes he has to take some of the blame too. After all he is “THE BOSS”), failed to recognize the fact Manning, as he ages, and continues to play every snap, hurt or otherwise; could possibly miss some games. Therefore there was no backup plan. And who would want to be Manning’s backup? You never get to play. Maybe if you are lucky you might get to take 5-10 snaps a year. Now the COLTS have a new leader. Will he be able to right the ship? Will Mr. Irsay give him the power to do his job? Time will tell. Now to the matter of the FIRST ROUND PICK. With so many holes to be plugged, one must first determine, WHICH HOLE, is most needed to plug. At first glance it would appear the QB spot is of prime importance. Next we need to know, are we going with MANNING, or are we going to be seeking someone to take over the reins. Then what is our time line for the switch. I believe MANNING is a great leader, a masterful student of the game and of imparting his knowledge to his fellow teammates. I would not want him to leave the team. NOR, do I think he wants to leave the COLTS. But he knows what he can and can not do. Who would you draft if you decide to go for a QB? First you must look for the best fit for the team you have. (You can’t replace a whole team in one year. Oh I suppose you could if you can buy out everyone’s contract. But that is a bit unrealistic. I feel we have three quality candidates. STANFORD’S ANDREW LUCK. BAYLOR’S ROBERT GRIFFIN III. And WISCONSIN’S RUSSELL WILSON. Luck, of course is the nations choice. But is he the right man for the team. It all depends. What is the NEW GUARD of the COLTS looking for. Luck has the pedigree, but can he fit in and lead the team next year if necessary. Will he be satisfied to sit behind Manning. I personally don’t think so. I don’t know the boy, all I know about him is what the press says. (and we all know how the press can hype a player). Stanford is no pro team. (maybe). But when you move to the pro ranks it is a new game. CAN HE HANDLE THE CHANGE. Griffin III, winner of the Heisman Trophy, has shown his leadership skills, by leading a NON-POWER team to new heights. Again you have the same questions as with Luck. Wilson. We know he already has a professional contract to play baseball. He came to a new team and did an outstanding job of leading them in his first and only year with the BADGERS. For what it is worth this is my pick. Want someone who can come in and take over immediately? You must opt for Russell Wilson. If he can/or wants to opt out of his baseball contract. For Wilson, he can play baseball for 4-5 years for little pay. OR become an instant millionaire thru his quarterbacking skills. Want someone who is willing to follow MANNING, and learn from the master, with gradually increasing playing time. Then Robert Griffin III is your man. I think the COLTS need someone who can come in and take immediate charge. So there you have it. My number one pick would be Russell Wilson (if available) because I think the Colts need someone who is ready to take charge first game of the season. Given the same conditions, as above, if Wilson is not available then I would take Andrew Luck. Wanting some one to backup Manning and learn, and get gradual increasing snap, then Robert Griffin III is your man. That Is The Way I See It. UPDATE !!!!! January 13, About 6 hours ago from the time I am writing this; RUSSELL WILSON of the WISCONSIN BADGERS has announced he will forgo his baseball career with the COLORADO ROCKIES, in favor of a career in the NFL. Views: 237
BCS…..Best
BCS…..Best Game. Supposedly the BCS Championship game should be the BEST college game of the year. But as usual it turned out to be a ho-zzzz-hummer. Very one sided. And as is the usual case it appeared one of the teams forgot to show up. (Or partied too hard). Wasn’t there just one touchdown scored? I did not watch all the BCS games. But I did watch several. Of all the ones I did watch I would have to state MY PICK would have to be The OREGON DUCKS and WISCONSIN BADGERS. This game has plenty of action. Defensive, Offensive. Much scoring. Great plays. Real sportsmanship. Lead Changes. Strategy. Long runs. Long passes. Much scoring. What more could you ask for in a game. There was only two real mistakes, which I though altered the game. Unfortunately for the BADGERS, THEY committed both in the last few minutes of the game. First, I can’t remember the man carrying the ball, however the ball carrier had gained the first down running down the sideline. The problem was; he failed to properly protect the ball. He had it hanging down as if it was a bucket with a handle, thus allowing the “Quack,Quack” Ducks to strip the ball loose. Result DUCK BALL. The next was a coaches call. To Spike the ball with 2 seconds to go? What was that all about? Granted the referee did clearly start the clock before the snap. BUT!!!! Two (2) seconds. Makes no sense to me. If you know what was to be gained by this spike call….Please let me know. I know there were several records set during the course of the game. MOST points in a quarter, MOST points in a half. LONGEST run for a TD. Probably MOST points scored in a game. All this from theGRANDDADDY of BOWL GAMES. Not to mention the parade. Did the Alabama Vs LSU game have it’s own parade. I must have missed it. So the good old BCS didn’t let us down. It was it’s usual lackluster showing. For my part I would rather watch teams like OREGON, and WISCONSIN, play anytime. That Is How I See It. Views: 335
New Year Celebration?
Reflecting on our ritualistic celebration of “NEW YEAR”. I paused to wonder why we celebrate something we have no idea if it will be a good year or a bad year. After all we welcomed in 2011. Was it worthy of the celebration we had. For most people I would guess not. For a few it may have been better than 2010. Now we have no idea what 2012 will bring. Yet we welcomed it in, with a big worldwide party. I suppose the reason is our eternal hope that things will get better. We always look forward to better things. Remember the saying…”The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence”. Maybe it is why we celebrate the birth of a new family member, be it by birth, adoption, or by the unification of two people; (a wedding). We have no idea what a baby will grow to be. I’m sure bin Laden’s, family never foresaw his being the leader of murdering cult. Apparently something went wrong in his wiring and why he took the path he took, we really don’t know. Did he really believe he was in the right, or was he just evil. Did Abe Lincoln’s family know he would grow up to be a great President of the United States. Most likely not. Yet the promise of the unknown, hope for a better tomorrow, for our family and friends is; always present. So, whatever your reason for the celebration, (believe it or not some just see the New Year Celebration as an excuse to get drunk). But I believe for most it is the expectation of things getting better. I personally believe it is like beauty…in the eyes of the beholder. Have a Happy and Safe and Prosperous New Year! That Is How I See It. Views: 498
