An NFL team goes into a game expecting to win. For most teams, the season goals are as followed:
-Win the Division
- Get a first round bye
-Get the number 1 seed in the conference
For years teams have lived by this model. Conventional wisdom says that it makes sense. Winning your division guarantees a home playoff game. Getting a first round bye means you get a home playoff game and you only have to win two games to get to the Superbowl. Get the one seed in the conference and it means you play those two games at home.
I disagree with conventional wisdom...and apparently the league is starting to agree with me. In fact in the past 13 years there has only been one Superbowl matchup between number one seeds, Superbowl XLIV between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints. Six of the last seven Superbowl winners have played on wildcard weekend of the playoffs. Two six seeds (Packers in 2010 and Steelers in 2006) have won the Superbowl. The Giants were the number 5 seed when they upset the Patriots in 2007; in fact they won 11 straight games on the road that season. The Ravens had to play at Denver and at New England (top two seeds in the AFC this past season) in order to get to the Superbowl and win it.
What does this trend say about home field advantage? Has it become a myth? I don't think so. There are still stadiums around the league where home field advantage plays a huge factor in the game. The Seattle Seahawks did not lose at game at home last season and their stadium can get so loud that they have been accused of pumping crowd noise through speakers. Arrowhead stadium in Kansas City is always a difficult place for opponents to play, despite how bad the Chiefs have been. The Raiders have been bad for a decade, yet the "Black Hole" is still an intimidating place for opposing teams to visit.
A 17 game season can be broken into 4 sections. Each month is its own mini season. What the home field advantage trend has shown is that teams who enter the post season on a hot streak have a better chance of winning in the playoffs than the teams who rest down the stretch. The Falcons, the NFC's number one seed last year finished 2-2 in the month of December after starting the season 11-1. They barely beat the Seahawks in the divisional round 30-28 and lost the NFC championship game at home to the 49ers. Conversely, the Ravens lost 3 games in a row in late November/ early December, but found their way and ended up finishing the season on a 5-1 hot streak, winning the Superbowl.
Fans don't want to hear it, but cheering in the stands might not have the desired effect that it once had in this league. I still implore you to go to your favorite team's stadium and root your team on...it just doesn't mean they are going to get a check mark in the win column.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
NFL Counter Arguement: Referees should have better training
Every game in the NFL is precious. It is not like baseball where you play everyday. For 17 select Sundays you have a chance to win a game. The margin between winning a losing is so small. Any one loss can effect a teams playoff chances. Its a shame to see a game ruined by a bad call. To often we see a pass interference call, a roughing the passer call or a holding call that can change the entire outcome of a game.
Last week I made an argument that instant replay ruins the purity of the game and made a case for why it should be removed. This week I'm focusing my argument toward the referees. The "Zebras" are part of the game. Fans love to hate them when they make a bad call against their team. I still can't get over a call in the 2002 NFC Wildcard game between the 49ers and the Giants. On the last play of the game the Giants botched a game winning field goal attempt because of a bad snap. The punter, Matt Allen, on a last ditch effort to make a play, through the ball towards the endzone. The Giants were penalized for having an in-eligible man down field. However, the 49ers should have been penalized for pass interference on the play since an eligible Giants receiver was pulled down by the collar. The Giants should have gotten the ball at the 2 yard line and re-kicked the field goal. However, the refs messed up the call and penalized the Giants. The game ended and the 49ers won the playoff game. A year later Jim Fossel was fired as Giants head coach as the team never recovered from the playoff loss. Here is a link to the play
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK21LwJ195E
Mistakes like this happen in sports, but they shouldn't, especially since we now have better technology then we did even in 2002. This begs the question, are our referees better than they were in 2002?
My initial response is yes. But the official work in the NFL could be a lot stronger. It's still common that 1-3 games a year are effected by bad officiating. Last year the NFL officials went on strike. Even if you are not an NFL fan you probably heard about this. Officials complained about wages, benefits, and pensions, while the league complained about getting younger refs in better shape and establishing a training program for young officials. A strike ensued for the first 3 weeks of the season culminating in a horrible blown call in a Monday Night Football game involving the Seahawks and Packers. Both teams would make the playoffs so the blown call did not effect either teams playoff chances, but the Packers lost out the 2nd seed in the NFC playoff seeding because of the loss (lost tie breaker to San Fran who they ended up losing to in the divisional round).
The NFL prides itself on being a world class brand. It's puzzling that a league which is so focused on image was willing to let replacement officials make a fool of themselves in the first three games of the season. Now that the real refs are back it is time to make some changes. Most of my ideas are currently being implemented, but quite frankly this should have been done a while ago. Here is my list:
- Officials should be required to pass a fitness test in order to officiate a professional game. Most of these NFL players are world class athletes. The refs need to be able to keep up with them stamina wise for a 60 minute game.
- There needs to be better communication between the officiating team on the field and the one in the booth. I'll cut the team on the field some slack. Sometimes a play happens so fast it is hard to make a call correctly. But the team upstairs has the benefit of technology. If a play is called incorrect it should be rectified by the upstairs team either by buzzing down to the field team or telling the clock operator to stop play. A wrong call should never be allowed to stand in the NFL.
- There needs to be a training system for young officials. This requires involving the NCAA and high school leagues. A ref should only be allowed to call a professional game if they have a certain amount of experience at each level (5 years high school, 6 years college etc). Obviously the more experienced referees call the bigger games.
- Officials should get a weekly grade that everyone has access to (fans, teams, players, coaches). Teachers in this country are being evaluated constantly and there record is open for the public to view. Why not allow fans, the customers of the brand review the officials record? It makes the game more interactive and makes the officials want to do a better job calling a game.
- Finally, we should have more women officials in the game. This is not really a training argument, but more of a gender one. Women should be allowed the opportunity to be officials as long as they go through the same training system as the men.
Ultimately my argument is for a better NFL. This post along with the instant replay post are commentary on utilizing technology in the 21st century to make our game better. Just like the 6 million dollar man..."we can fix the game..we have the technology!"...so let's do it.
Last week I made an argument that instant replay ruins the purity of the game and made a case for why it should be removed. This week I'm focusing my argument toward the referees. The "Zebras" are part of the game. Fans love to hate them when they make a bad call against their team. I still can't get over a call in the 2002 NFC Wildcard game between the 49ers and the Giants. On the last play of the game the Giants botched a game winning field goal attempt because of a bad snap. The punter, Matt Allen, on a last ditch effort to make a play, through the ball towards the endzone. The Giants were penalized for having an in-eligible man down field. However, the 49ers should have been penalized for pass interference on the play since an eligible Giants receiver was pulled down by the collar. The Giants should have gotten the ball at the 2 yard line and re-kicked the field goal. However, the refs messed up the call and penalized the Giants. The game ended and the 49ers won the playoff game. A year later Jim Fossel was fired as Giants head coach as the team never recovered from the playoff loss. Here is a link to the play
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK21LwJ195E
Mistakes like this happen in sports, but they shouldn't, especially since we now have better technology then we did even in 2002. This begs the question, are our referees better than they were in 2002?
My initial response is yes. But the official work in the NFL could be a lot stronger. It's still common that 1-3 games a year are effected by bad officiating. Last year the NFL officials went on strike. Even if you are not an NFL fan you probably heard about this. Officials complained about wages, benefits, and pensions, while the league complained about getting younger refs in better shape and establishing a training program for young officials. A strike ensued for the first 3 weeks of the season culminating in a horrible blown call in a Monday Night Football game involving the Seahawks and Packers. Both teams would make the playoffs so the blown call did not effect either teams playoff chances, but the Packers lost out the 2nd seed in the NFC playoff seeding because of the loss (lost tie breaker to San Fran who they ended up losing to in the divisional round).
The NFL prides itself on being a world class brand. It's puzzling that a league which is so focused on image was willing to let replacement officials make a fool of themselves in the first three games of the season. Now that the real refs are back it is time to make some changes. Most of my ideas are currently being implemented, but quite frankly this should have been done a while ago. Here is my list:
- Officials should be required to pass a fitness test in order to officiate a professional game. Most of these NFL players are world class athletes. The refs need to be able to keep up with them stamina wise for a 60 minute game.
- There needs to be better communication between the officiating team on the field and the one in the booth. I'll cut the team on the field some slack. Sometimes a play happens so fast it is hard to make a call correctly. But the team upstairs has the benefit of technology. If a play is called incorrect it should be rectified by the upstairs team either by buzzing down to the field team or telling the clock operator to stop play. A wrong call should never be allowed to stand in the NFL.
- There needs to be a training system for young officials. This requires involving the NCAA and high school leagues. A ref should only be allowed to call a professional game if they have a certain amount of experience at each level (5 years high school, 6 years college etc). Obviously the more experienced referees call the bigger games.
- Officials should get a weekly grade that everyone has access to (fans, teams, players, coaches). Teachers in this country are being evaluated constantly and there record is open for the public to view. Why not allow fans, the customers of the brand review the officials record? It makes the game more interactive and makes the officials want to do a better job calling a game.
- Finally, we should have more women officials in the game. This is not really a training argument, but more of a gender one. Women should be allowed the opportunity to be officials as long as they go through the same training system as the men.
Ultimately my argument is for a better NFL. This post along with the instant replay post are commentary on utilizing technology in the 21st century to make our game better. Just like the 6 million dollar man..."we can fix the game..we have the technology!"...so let's do it.
[Paul James' blog post was written for "The Kick is Good", a blog written about the upcoming NFL 2013 season. Find more posts at http://thekickisgoodblog.blogspot.com #506iv #nflrefs and follow him on twitter @PJ_thekicksgood ]
Sunday, June 16, 2013
NFL Recipe: Making Chili for the Game!
There is nothing better than spending Sundays in the fall watching the game and enjoying some delicious snacks. Cooking has become a hobby of mine in recent years. I try to have a different type of meal every Sunday throughout the season to keep things fresh. But when in doubt, my go to dish is my turkey chili. Packed with protein and vegetables this is a relatively cheap meal (all ingredients come to less than $40 dollars) that can feed many. Here is the recipe. Give it a shot and let me know how it tastes!
Ingredients:
- 3 cans of beans. All 3 cans do not have to be the same. You can mix in black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans etc. I prefer red kidney beans.
- 1 Vidalia Onion
- 1-2 packages of chopped turkey meat. You can use chopped beef also but turkey meat is leaner and healthier. I do not notice a difference in taste between the two.
- 1 red or green pepper
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- 1 can of tomato sauce. This can be a pre-maid store brand sauce such as Ragu, Francisco Rinaldi, etc
- Olive Oil
- 1 jar of chopped garlic
- Chili Powder
-Crushed Red Pepper
- Tabasco Sauce
Directions:
1) Begin by selecting a pot that is large enough to support 1-2 packages of chopped meat. A large pasta pot or dutch oven will work nice.
2) Wash all your vegetables (onions, peppers). Using a cutting board chop up the onion and peppers. The cutting size for these vegetables is subjective. Personally, I like mincing both to small bite size pieces.
3) Place the pot on the stove top and begin to warm. Pour olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Take a tablespoon of chopped garlic and place it in the pot. The let the garlic and oil simmer.
4) Slide your chopped onion and pepper into the pot. Allow both to cook until soft.
5) While your vegetables are cooking, begin preparing the meat. If necessary defrost the meat until it thaws. Place the meat in a large bowl. Chose a spice to give the meat some flavor (I sprinkle in salt, pepper and adobo). Mix the spices into the meat by hand. Once vegetables have cooked, place the meat in the pot for browning. Periodically tend to the meat making sure it browns.
6) Once meat has browned add your three jars of beans. Be careful not to add too much bean juice from the bean jars (it will make your chili soupy). Stir beans into meat.
7) Pour in one jar of diced tomatoes. If you are making this dish for a big group and are using two packages of chopped meat then you may choose to add a second jar of diced tomatoes.
8) Open you jar of store brand tomato sauce. Slowly add the sauce to the mix. Do not use the entire jar of sauce as it will make your chili too soupy. A quarter of the jar sauce is usually a safe amount to add. Stir the sauce into the meat so that it spreads through the chili.
9) Add a teaspoon of chili powder to your sauce (if desired add more to make chili spicier). Sprinkle in a couple leaves of crushed red pepper. Pour half a teaspoon of Tabasco sauce. Mix all these elements together into the sauce and meat.
10) Once all ingredients are mixed lower the heat on the stove burner. Allow the chili to cook on low heat for about 2 hours. Once chili has had time to fully cook turn the burner off. Serve the Chili in large soup bowls with shredded cheese to your guests and enjoy the game!
**Note: Sometimes this recipe tastes better when the chili has had a chance to sit overnight in refrigerator after cooking. If possible, prepare the chili on Saturday and serve on Sundays****
Ingredients:
- 3 cans of beans. All 3 cans do not have to be the same. You can mix in black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans etc. I prefer red kidney beans.
- 1 Vidalia Onion
- 1-2 packages of chopped turkey meat. You can use chopped beef also but turkey meat is leaner and healthier. I do not notice a difference in taste between the two.
- 1 red or green pepper
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- 1 can of tomato sauce. This can be a pre-maid store brand sauce such as Ragu, Francisco Rinaldi, etc
- Olive Oil
- 1 jar of chopped garlic
- Chili Powder
-Crushed Red Pepper
- Tabasco Sauce
Directions:
1) Begin by selecting a pot that is large enough to support 1-2 packages of chopped meat. A large pasta pot or dutch oven will work nice.
2) Wash all your vegetables (onions, peppers). Using a cutting board chop up the onion and peppers. The cutting size for these vegetables is subjective. Personally, I like mincing both to small bite size pieces.
3) Place the pot on the stove top and begin to warm. Pour olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Take a tablespoon of chopped garlic and place it in the pot. The let the garlic and oil simmer.
4) Slide your chopped onion and pepper into the pot. Allow both to cook until soft.
5) While your vegetables are cooking, begin preparing the meat. If necessary defrost the meat until it thaws. Place the meat in a large bowl. Chose a spice to give the meat some flavor (I sprinkle in salt, pepper and adobo). Mix the spices into the meat by hand. Once vegetables have cooked, place the meat in the pot for browning. Periodically tend to the meat making sure it browns.
6) Once meat has browned add your three jars of beans. Be careful not to add too much bean juice from the bean jars (it will make your chili soupy). Stir beans into meat.
7) Pour in one jar of diced tomatoes. If you are making this dish for a big group and are using two packages of chopped meat then you may choose to add a second jar of diced tomatoes.
8) Open you jar of store brand tomato sauce. Slowly add the sauce to the mix. Do not use the entire jar of sauce as it will make your chili too soupy. A quarter of the jar sauce is usually a safe amount to add. Stir the sauce into the meat so that it spreads through the chili.
9) Add a teaspoon of chili powder to your sauce (if desired add more to make chili spicier). Sprinkle in a couple leaves of crushed red pepper. Pour half a teaspoon of Tabasco sauce. Mix all these elements together into the sauce and meat.
10) Once all ingredients are mixed lower the heat on the stove burner. Allow the chili to cook on low heat for about 2 hours. Once chili has had time to fully cook turn the burner off. Serve the Chili in large soup bowls with shredded cheese to your guests and enjoy the game!
**Note: Sometimes this recipe tastes better when the chili has had a chance to sit overnight in refrigerator after cooking. If possible, prepare the chili on Saturday and serve on Sundays****
[Paul James' blog post was written for "The Kick is Good", a blog written about the upcoming NFL 2013 season. Find more posts at http://thekickisgoodblog.blogspot.com #506iv #chilirecipe and follow him on twitter @PJ_thekicksgood ]
Monday, June 10, 2013
Death of the Linebacker: Is the position no longer that important??
Lawrence Taylor was a scary dude on the field. If you don't believe me just ask Joe Theisman . The 80's and early 90's were the decades where linebackers like "LT" flourished. The running game was much more important those days in the league and you needed to have good backers that could both stuff the run at the line of scrimmage and rush the passer.
The NFL has transitioned to a passing league over the past seven years. Premium's have been placed on drafting a franchise quarterback and being able to rush the passer with the defensive line. As teams move to more 3 and 4 wide receiver sets, there is a need for cornerbacks to cover on the field. Since 11 players are allowed on either side of the ball at a time it means that someone must come off the field when an extra DB enters the game. The position being effected is the linebacker position. Most linebackers weight between the 240-270 pound range. This is a great weight to play at if you're making your bread and butter at the line of scrimmage. Playing in space is a whole other story though. Big linebackers have a hard time covering athletic tight ends or small and quick slot receivers.
With the retirement of future hall of fame linebackers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher this offseason, one has to wonder if we will ever see a linebacker play as an important roll on their team as these two players did. These two were game changers at the position. Opposing offenses feared Ray Lewis, and Urlacher always had to be accounted for when playing the bears defense. I can think of only a handful of inside backers (Pat Willis of the 49ers is one) that teams must really account for when game planing. I'm not counting Aldon Smith and Clay Matthews in this argument, I view both players more as pass rushers than I do traditional linebackers. Traditional linebackers are not placed high on teams draft need lists. Because there is such a de-emphasis on the position most players are drafted in the later rounds and are relatively unknown.
The future of linebacker is a hybrid position. The New York Giants drafted a player in the 4th round during this years draft named Cooper Taylor. Taylor's position is listed as safety, but at 6-4 and 228 pounds he looks more like the new age linebacker, having the speed of a defensive back and the physicality of a linebacker. This league is shaping up to be suited for players that fit Taylor's profile. If he and the Giants are successful it will bring league wide change to the way teams play defense. This change could have an effect all the way down to pee-wee football. The intricacies of playing linebacker will change. Colleges will be searching for players that fit the safety mold rather than the linebacker mold.
The changes to the league mean there will be a rebirth to the safety position. It's already being seen as safeties are being drafted ahead of linebackers in the first and second rounds of the NFL Draft. Of course with every rebirth comes a death.
RIP to the traditional linebacker. I'll miss your bone crushing hits.
The NFL has transitioned to a passing league over the past seven years. Premium's have been placed on drafting a franchise quarterback and being able to rush the passer with the defensive line. As teams move to more 3 and 4 wide receiver sets, there is a need for cornerbacks to cover on the field. Since 11 players are allowed on either side of the ball at a time it means that someone must come off the field when an extra DB enters the game. The position being effected is the linebacker position. Most linebackers weight between the 240-270 pound range. This is a great weight to play at if you're making your bread and butter at the line of scrimmage. Playing in space is a whole other story though. Big linebackers have a hard time covering athletic tight ends or small and quick slot receivers.
With the retirement of future hall of fame linebackers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher this offseason, one has to wonder if we will ever see a linebacker play as an important roll on their team as these two players did. These two were game changers at the position. Opposing offenses feared Ray Lewis, and Urlacher always had to be accounted for when playing the bears defense. I can think of only a handful of inside backers (Pat Willis of the 49ers is one) that teams must really account for when game planing. I'm not counting Aldon Smith and Clay Matthews in this argument, I view both players more as pass rushers than I do traditional linebackers. Traditional linebackers are not placed high on teams draft need lists. Because there is such a de-emphasis on the position most players are drafted in the later rounds and are relatively unknown.
The future of linebacker is a hybrid position. The New York Giants drafted a player in the 4th round during this years draft named Cooper Taylor. Taylor's position is listed as safety, but at 6-4 and 228 pounds he looks more like the new age linebacker, having the speed of a defensive back and the physicality of a linebacker. This league is shaping up to be suited for players that fit Taylor's profile. If he and the Giants are successful it will bring league wide change to the way teams play defense. This change could have an effect all the way down to pee-wee football. The intricacies of playing linebacker will change. Colleges will be searching for players that fit the safety mold rather than the linebacker mold.
The changes to the league mean there will be a rebirth to the safety position. It's already being seen as safeties are being drafted ahead of linebackers in the first and second rounds of the NFL Draft. Of course with every rebirth comes a death.
RIP to the traditional linebacker. I'll miss your bone crushing hits.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
META Resume
I
gave this Meta Resume a try. This is a mix of my personal life and my
pseudonym as I am not sure what my final project is going to be on
ultimately in this masters program. 3 years from now this whole page
could be a lot different. Feedback is always welcome!
******************************************************************************************************
thekickisgoodblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/about-author.html
Paul
James is an American Journalist who writes weekly about the National
Football League.
check
out his posts at http://thekickisgoodblog.blogspot.com
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_James
Paul
James writes
his own blog about the NFL for pleasure and as a learning instrument.
James is enrolled in Quinnipiac University Online and is pursuing a
masters degree in interactive media....
thekickisgoodblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/about-author.html
Jun
2, 2013 – Stay
connected with the blog by following Paul James on twitter
"@PJ_thekickisgood"
for all the latest NFL News! Posted by Steve at 7:58 PM ...
Greater
New York City Area - Writer For Thekickisgoodblog
Paul
James' Overview.
Current. Writer at
The Kick is Good Blog. Past. Director/ Technical Director at MSG
Varsity Network; Studio Director at News ....
Images for Paul James
The Quinnpiac University School of Communications' master of science program ininteractive media focuses ... QU Online | Quinnipiac University Connecticut ...
Images for Paul James
Paul James Interview - YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwnk-ikSxww
Sep 19, 2009 - Uploaded by AKlerides
Paul James is a producer for the show The Kick is Good Show on 88.7fm WRHU.
He is a writer and has produced ...
More Videos for Paul James WRHU>>
Master of Science in Interactive Media | Quinnipiac University ...
www.quinnipiac.edu/...online/online.../online.../master-of-science-in-inte...
A case against instant replay
Instant Replay is an element that makes the NFL the most popular sport in America. The NFL has been incorporating instant replay into the game since 1986. However, replay really took hold in the league after the 1998 season when the coaches challenge option was created as a reaction to a phantom touchdown call in a Jets vs. Seahawks game.
I am in favor of using technology to your advantage. Obviously I am a fan of football. Therefore, I like instant replay and a proponent of its usage.
But I can make the case that instant replay ruins the purity of the game. Part of the reason why I am a fan of the NFL is because of it's purity. There is nothing better then watching an offense try to methodically march down the field in the fourth quarter with 2:53 left on the clock and one timeout down by four points against a hungry defense looking to put the game on ice. To this scenario I say game on!
As a fan I can't wait to see how this drama plays out. I'm sitting at the edge of my seat with anticipation of something big happening. My voice is getting louder when I yell at the TV because the pressure is greater. I eat and drink more, which is probably bad for my health but good for the moment.
Readers who don't follow the game probably think that 2:53 is not that much time. You're right, it's not in real time. But in NFL time 2:53 is an eternity. Part of the reason is due to the commercials. The other reason is due to instant replay. Every time there is a controversial call on the field play has to be stopped so that the officials can walk off the field, go to the replay booth, view the play, determine if there is conclusive evidence to overturn their call on the field, find out where the ball should be spotted, what the correct time on the clock should be, etc, etc. It gets worse after the 2:00 warning where all close plays are automatically reviewed upstairs.
During this time I could probably do a lap around my block and be back in time to hear the decision. Meanwhile only ten seconds have come off the clock. That ten seconds took five minutes in real time. My girlfriend is now mad because I told her there was only three minutes left in the game and that I would be going to her parents house for dinner. Now i'm going to be late because of instant replay.
In the past year the league has gotten worse with the instant replay rules. It used to be that coaches had two challenges they could make a game on plays pertaining to a turn over, field position, or touchdown. If you challenged and you were wrong you lost a timeout. If you use both challenges in the first half you are out of challenges for the game. If a coach challenged and won correctly on both he was rewarded with a third challenge...are you still following me?
Now the league has mandated that every turnover and touchdown be reviewed by the booth. This takes up time during the game and also takes away the fun of the challenge system. There is nothing left for coaches to challenge because it is being done for them. Where is the strategy in that? At least it was fun to debate whether a coach should challenge a fumble or touchdown call. It takes the fun away from the game.
This is a case where technology is a detriment to the sport. For years, baseball has refused to incorporate instant replay into their game because they think it will effect the purity of the sport. Questions about balls and strikes makes the game no fun (plus baseball games are already too long, now we're going to review every close pitch?). I don't want a game that is so reliant on technology; if I did I would just play video games.
The NFL should take a page out of MLB's book and rely less on the replay. They should let the game play out on the field rather than manipulate it up in the replay booth. Train referees to make better calls on the field so that we don't have to review every call!
With replay referees still make bad calls. Who could forget the monday night football disaster from last year between the packers and seahawks (granted it was replacement officials). They still got the call wrong and it took 20 minutes to make a decision.
Keep wasting fans time with replay and soon the NFL wont be the most popular sport in America.
[Paul James' blog post was written for "The Kick is Good", a blog written about the upcoming NFL 2013 season. Find more posts at http://thekickisgoodblog.blogspot.com #506iv #instantreplay and follow him on twitter @PJ_thekicksgood ]
I am in favor of using technology to your advantage. Obviously I am a fan of football. Therefore, I like instant replay and a proponent of its usage.
But I can make the case that instant replay ruins the purity of the game. Part of the reason why I am a fan of the NFL is because of it's purity. There is nothing better then watching an offense try to methodically march down the field in the fourth quarter with 2:53 left on the clock and one timeout down by four points against a hungry defense looking to put the game on ice. To this scenario I say game on!
As a fan I can't wait to see how this drama plays out. I'm sitting at the edge of my seat with anticipation of something big happening. My voice is getting louder when I yell at the TV because the pressure is greater. I eat and drink more, which is probably bad for my health but good for the moment.
Readers who don't follow the game probably think that 2:53 is not that much time. You're right, it's not in real time. But in NFL time 2:53 is an eternity. Part of the reason is due to the commercials. The other reason is due to instant replay. Every time there is a controversial call on the field play has to be stopped so that the officials can walk off the field, go to the replay booth, view the play, determine if there is conclusive evidence to overturn their call on the field, find out where the ball should be spotted, what the correct time on the clock should be, etc, etc. It gets worse after the 2:00 warning where all close plays are automatically reviewed upstairs.
During this time I could probably do a lap around my block and be back in time to hear the decision. Meanwhile only ten seconds have come off the clock. That ten seconds took five minutes in real time. My girlfriend is now mad because I told her there was only three minutes left in the game and that I would be going to her parents house for dinner. Now i'm going to be late because of instant replay.
In the past year the league has gotten worse with the instant replay rules. It used to be that coaches had two challenges they could make a game on plays pertaining to a turn over, field position, or touchdown. If you challenged and you were wrong you lost a timeout. If you use both challenges in the first half you are out of challenges for the game. If a coach challenged and won correctly on both he was rewarded with a third challenge...are you still following me?
Now the league has mandated that every turnover and touchdown be reviewed by the booth. This takes up time during the game and also takes away the fun of the challenge system. There is nothing left for coaches to challenge because it is being done for them. Where is the strategy in that? At least it was fun to debate whether a coach should challenge a fumble or touchdown call. It takes the fun away from the game.
This is a case where technology is a detriment to the sport. For years, baseball has refused to incorporate instant replay into their game because they think it will effect the purity of the sport. Questions about balls and strikes makes the game no fun (plus baseball games are already too long, now we're going to review every close pitch?). I don't want a game that is so reliant on technology; if I did I would just play video games.
The NFL should take a page out of MLB's book and rely less on the replay. They should let the game play out on the field rather than manipulate it up in the replay booth. Train referees to make better calls on the field so that we don't have to review every call!
With replay referees still make bad calls. Who could forget the monday night football disaster from last year between the packers and seahawks (granted it was replacement officials). They still got the call wrong and it took 20 minutes to make a decision.
Keep wasting fans time with replay and soon the NFL wont be the most popular sport in America.
[Paul James' blog post was written for "The Kick is Good", a blog written about the upcoming NFL 2013 season. Find more posts at http://thekickisgoodblog.blogspot.com #506iv #instantreplay and follow him on twitter @PJ_thekicksgood ]
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Building it the Right Way: The Cincinnati Bengals
Three years ago the Cincinnati Bengals were horrible. They were a team with a bunch of loud mouth players getting their but kicked on the field. I remember watching them play the Jets on Thanksgiving Night of 2010 and thinking "this team sucks!" Brad Smith scored two touchdowns via kickoff returns and an end around against them.
Off the field the team wasn't much better. They were a bad group of character guys who were always getting into trouble with the law. Chad Johnson change his name to Chad "Ochocinco". This became the point of his career when he also became "Ocho-Stinko." Their quarterback, Carson Palmer, was so fed up with the organization after the season he said he'd "rather retire then play another down for the Bengals". When a player in his prime would rather give up money and not play just to get away from an organization you know there are some real problems.
Fast forward three years and the Bengals are now in prime position to be a Superbowl contender in a very good AFC. How did their fortunes change? Staying the course with their coaching staff was a big plus. Mike Brown (Bengals owner) could have fired long time coach Marvin Lewis after a pitiful 4-12 season. Although he has not had the best record over his decade tenure with the team, Lewis is a man of principal and became more important to ownership then its fledgling stars of Palmer, Owens and "Ocho". His coaching staff made up of Jay Gruden (offensive coordinator) and Mike Zimmer (defensive coordinator) are probably in the top 5 of the league.
The silver-lining of having a bad season is that you get a high draft pick. Every once in a while a team gets lucky and a great player falls into their lap. Such is the case with the Bengals and wide receiver AJ Green in the 2011 draft. Green has developed into a top NFL receiver and does not provide the headaches or bulletin board fodder that other high profile players at his position do. Matching him up with their second round pick in the 2011 draft, quarterback Andy Dalton, was a good decision. Dalton is a solid NFL QB and lead the team to playoff appearances in back to back seasons.
Mix in 2010 tight end draft pick Jermaine Gresham (just as good as Jermichael Finley of the Packers just doesn't get enough recognition) with Mohammed Sanu, a 3rd round pick from Rutgers in 2012 and the Bengals have a very formidable offense for opposing defenses. Their defense isn't half bad either. They have a pair of stud lineman in Geno Atkins and Michael Johnson and their secondary is solid with veteran Leon Hall and youngster Dre Kirkpatrick.
After 3 years of rebuilding the team the right way with high character young guys through the draft the time is now for the Bengals to win a Super Bowl. It is at least their time to win the AFC North division. Baltimore and Pittsburgh seem to be rebuilding (or retooling) and the Browns are a long way away from contention.
Provided their star players stay healthy, Bengals fans may proudly say again "Who dey think gonna beat them Bengals!" at the end of this season...while hoisting a Lombardi trophy.
Off the field the team wasn't much better. They were a bad group of character guys who were always getting into trouble with the law. Chad Johnson change his name to Chad "Ochocinco". This became the point of his career when he also became "Ocho-Stinko." Their quarterback, Carson Palmer, was so fed up with the organization after the season he said he'd "rather retire then play another down for the Bengals". When a player in his prime would rather give up money and not play just to get away from an organization you know there are some real problems.
Fast forward three years and the Bengals are now in prime position to be a Superbowl contender in a very good AFC. How did their fortunes change? Staying the course with their coaching staff was a big plus. Mike Brown (Bengals owner) could have fired long time coach Marvin Lewis after a pitiful 4-12 season. Although he has not had the best record over his decade tenure with the team, Lewis is a man of principal and became more important to ownership then its fledgling stars of Palmer, Owens and "Ocho". His coaching staff made up of Jay Gruden (offensive coordinator) and Mike Zimmer (defensive coordinator) are probably in the top 5 of the league.
The silver-lining of having a bad season is that you get a high draft pick. Every once in a while a team gets lucky and a great player falls into their lap. Such is the case with the Bengals and wide receiver AJ Green in the 2011 draft. Green has developed into a top NFL receiver and does not provide the headaches or bulletin board fodder that other high profile players at his position do. Matching him up with their second round pick in the 2011 draft, quarterback Andy Dalton, was a good decision. Dalton is a solid NFL QB and lead the team to playoff appearances in back to back seasons.
Mix in 2010 tight end draft pick Jermaine Gresham (just as good as Jermichael Finley of the Packers just doesn't get enough recognition) with Mohammed Sanu, a 3rd round pick from Rutgers in 2012 and the Bengals have a very formidable offense for opposing defenses. Their defense isn't half bad either. They have a pair of stud lineman in Geno Atkins and Michael Johnson and their secondary is solid with veteran Leon Hall and youngster Dre Kirkpatrick.
After 3 years of rebuilding the team the right way with high character young guys through the draft the time is now for the Bengals to win a Super Bowl. It is at least their time to win the AFC North division. Baltimore and Pittsburgh seem to be rebuilding (or retooling) and the Browns are a long way away from contention.
Provided their star players stay healthy, Bengals fans may proudly say again "Who dey think gonna beat them Bengals!" at the end of this season...while hoisting a Lombardi trophy.
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