Ramblings Post #212
This does not concern college football, something I usually only watch because it's the hosts alma mater (or favorite team) and the drinks are free. And just so you know, for the next two weeks "Alabama jokes" are on a moratorium. Now, my team did not make the playoffs. So for me, the NFL season is on hiatus. Combined with the fact that the proximity of the Superbowl to the Georgia Bar Exam means I might not watch it all and that any excitement the event might generate will have to boxed up for St. Paddy's Day. Priorities mate, priorities. I'm going to comment on teams that are NOT the Cowboys first. Do not be alarmed.
Arr - Gee - Three
I don't even like the Redskins, me being a Cowboy fan and all, but what the hell was Shanahan doing? RG3 thought he could play? The player always thinks they can play! Who in the hell cares! I was worried about a few of my friends who are Redskin fans who I think saw the future of the franchise limp off the field in the fourth quarter, but I think I'm more worried about a promising young player ...he's playing for the wrong team, but still... whose career may have been cut short for no good reason at all.
It's not like the Redskins are bereft a backup of some quality, I think Cousins could actually start for a team or two. Now I understand Griffin has torn ligaments, for the second time. I know he's young and invincible, we all were once, but he's about to find out that odds are he's more like Bo Jackson (hip) than Adrian Peterson (knee). They won the division his first season, brought excitement back to DC football, secured Shanahan at least another year, wasn't that enough?
Post his surgery, they're optimistic that he can rehab in six to eight months.
Optimistic. For a repair of a repair. Walking is more important than football. And even repaired, they're going to have "adjust" the offense to take this into account. Which makes the novelty of what Griffin can do less effective. Which makes what makes him good...less. That said, here's to hoping to RG3 has a long career. And here's to hoping the 'skin's trade him....Hey, man can dream!
The ground now counts as a player.
And what is this new follow through to the ground rule? If the player has the ball in hand, two feet on the ground, how is that not a catch? I can understand the control issue, but now it seems like one of the basic rules of football since the push-around matches of Pop-Warner that "the ground can't cause a fumble" has been changed. Which is a fundamental change in football.
More GamesThe NFL, which already has a sixteen game schedule, is considering adding even more games, pushing the total to eighteen. I'm not sure if they intend to eliminate a couple of pre-season games or slide a few more in in the middle, but I'm fairly certain they can't push the Superbowl back any further. Or shouldn't anyway.
And I realize it's all part of the push to give the client "more product" but have they looked at the game? Players get injured, and adding more games means the players are more likely to get injured. Which dilutes the product they're trying to sell. Maybe the coaches will have to strategize like baseball and keep key players on the bench (or not even suit up) for some games...but wait that will only water down the product. No, wait, maybe they could make it illegal to tackle? Think about it... high scoring and no injuries! No, wait, that too would water down the product.
But then, are the owners really worried about watering down the product?
Now onto the Cowboys. The Cowboys need to address primarily the offensive line and shore up the corners a little bit more. They've got two decent receivers, a good set of defenders if they can all stay healthy, and a quarterback that actually isn't half bad...despite the detractors who swear he's the worse thing throwing since
JaMarcus Russell. My brother thinks I am being a little too much of a fanboy...but the only reason they even got to where they were is Romo. On his good days.
Then they fired Rex. Why? He only had middle linebackers and defensive tackles disappear from the roster like the team played in the Bermuda Triangle which is not his fault. Considering what he had to work with injury-wise, the man did a fairly decent job. I liked that he didn't dial up a blitz option every other snap, which must have confounded a play caller or three. Rex just ran out of healthy players. Let's be honest, the only reason Jason Garrett still has a job after a season of single minded play calling is that's he's Jerry Jones handpicked guy. And Jerry's been stewing about making it work HIS way since everyone watching believed reality and gave the credit to Jimmy Johnson instead of the boss. Which would have been how it worked in corporate America, but not in football.
The 'Boys for the past few seasons have a made it a business to make the simple look difficult, and the difficult to look easy. And a large part of it is the coaching. And maybe if they hired an actual general manager, although Jerry has been playing at one so long he may now actually considered to be experienced at the task. Terrible, but experienced. Whatever happened to that petition to the White House to get Jerry separated from the team?
Sigh.
Go Cowboys. It's not like I'm gonna stop being a fan. Through thick and thin.
Barkeep. Ice Tea. I'm studying for the bar....and sitting at it. Oh, I made a pun.
