...in the States with family. LOTS of college bowl games on TV. Some people think it's too much, but I LOVE it. Much better than playoffs (more on this later).
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Happy New Year!
Next week: American Football Coaches Convention (Anaheim, CA).
Monday, December 31, 2007
Thursday, December 6, 2007
December
Another first weekend in December with beautiful weather (why does the season for most teams end before the best football weather?).
Two exciting semi-final games: on Saturday, Fujitsu was in control most of the way versus On-Sky 31-21. On Sunday, a come from behind victory for Nichidai over Hosei that didn't end until a fourth down pass fell incomplete in the end zone inside the last minute, 38-34.
More later
Two exciting semi-final games: on Saturday, Fujitsu was in control most of the way versus On-Sky 31-21. On Sunday, a come from behind victory for Nichidai over Hosei that didn't end until a fourth down pass fell incomplete in the end zone inside the last minute, 38-34.
More later
Monday, November 5, 2007
"It doesn't mean anything"
Very true words were spoken by all-pro QB Tom Brady on Sunday, after his New England Patriots beat the NFL (World) Champion Indianapolis Colts in a big clash of the unbeatens:
"We're 9-0 and it really doesn't matter," Brady said. "None of this matters. What matters is January - 9-0, hey, I'm as happy as anybody. But it doesn't mean anything. "
This points out a great truth- in most sports today- especially professional sports, the long regular season seems like little more than a warm-up for the playoff season. I find it nearly impossible to get excited about pro sports like basketball or hockey, which have already been underway for a month now, and will continue with playoffs until long after I and most people have ceased caring, sometime close to the beginning of next summer. Any regular season win or a loss now hardly matters in the long run.
By comparison, football games, especially those played at so-called 'lower levels' really mean something- they irrevecobaly impact standings, championship chances, and bragging rights. Teams- even great rivals- play each other but once a year. The regular season really means something to everyone involved.
"We're 9-0 and it really doesn't matter," Brady said. "None of this matters. What matters is January - 9-0, hey, I'm as happy as anybody. But it doesn't mean anything. "
This points out a great truth- in most sports today- especially professional sports, the long regular season seems like little more than a warm-up for the playoff season. I find it nearly impossible to get excited about pro sports like basketball or hockey, which have already been underway for a month now, and will continue with playoffs until long after I and most people have ceased caring, sometime close to the beginning of next summer. Any regular season win or a loss now hardly matters in the long run.
By comparison, football games, especially those played at so-called 'lower levels' really mean something- they irrevecobaly impact standings, championship chances, and bragging rights. Teams- even great rivals- play each other but once a year. The regular season really means something to everyone involved.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Let's Not be too Hasty
Another somewhat bizarre ending to a game I attended this weekend. On a truly gorgeous autumn afternoon, in an X-2 League Central Division battle at Kawasaki Stadium, the Unisys Bulls led Bullseyes Tokyo 21-13 in the final minute of the game. The Bulleyes had already used all of their timeouts earlier to stop the clock. So when the Unisys came up short on 3rd down, I was quite surprised to see the Bulls call their second timeout, stopping the clock with exactly 25 seconds remaining- before the officials had even given the ready-for-play signal and thus started the play clock (which gives the offense 25 seconds to snap the ball). So that meant that rather than simply letting time expire, they would be forced to punt, thus giving the Bullseyes at least a chance to get the ball back and try to score. Then the Bulls called another timeout- their last- instead of keeping it for any emergencies on defense.
The Bulls finally punted the ball a short distance, downing it immediately, rather than letting it roll, so only a few seconds ticked off the clock. As it turned out, the Bullseyes' QB (for lack of a better word, as the Bullseyes have no actual QBs on their roster this year) was sacked on first down. They were unable to get another play off, so the game ended 21-13.
The Bulls had scored on their opening drive of the game in part due to several missed tackles, but the Bullseyes defense held them scoreless the rest of the afternoon. The Bullseyes offense- and running a version of the Nevada-style shotgun- perhaps better described as single wing offense, with a back in the trigger position- were able to move the ball on the ground despite the 4-4 front the Bulls threw at them, managing to score a touchdown in each half. But breakdowns in the kicking game- misplaying an onside kick, protections, bad snaps, and blocked kicks- ultimately resulted in two second half returns for touchdowns for Unisys to get the win.
Both teams are now 3-1 on the season, with their final game coming in mid-November.
The Bulls finally punted the ball a short distance, downing it immediately, rather than letting it roll, so only a few seconds ticked off the clock. As it turned out, the Bullseyes' QB (for lack of a better word, as the Bullseyes have no actual QBs on their roster this year) was sacked on first down. They were unable to get another play off, so the game ended 21-13.
The Bulls had scored on their opening drive of the game in part due to several missed tackles, but the Bullseyes defense held them scoreless the rest of the afternoon. The Bullseyes offense- and running a version of the Nevada-style shotgun- perhaps better described as single wing offense, with a back in the trigger position- were able to move the ball on the ground despite the 4-4 front the Bulls threw at them, managing to score a touchdown in each half. But breakdowns in the kicking game- misplaying an onside kick, protections, bad snaps, and blocked kicks- ultimately resulted in two second half returns for touchdowns for Unisys to get the win.
Both teams are now 3-1 on the season, with their final game coming in mid-November.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
sometimes, "fans" suck
I was looking at on an open thread running commentary on mblog during the Minnesota-Michigan (Little Brown Jug game). The majority of the posters are very down on the coaching staff- with some going as far as to hope that Michigan loses to ensure that Lloyd Carr and the rest of the Wolverine coaching staff will be sacked at the end of this season.
Though I am occasionally inclined to agree with them from time to time on certain specific play calls or use of timeout here or there, for example; but for the most part, I believe they are fallen under the delusion which besets most North American males at this time of year- that belief that they are smarter and could coach at least as well, if not better, than the coach of their team. It happens in all sports, but I would imagine that football fans- with all that pent up aggression and its decidedly cerebral aspects- are the worst. They seem to think that you can still draw up plays in the dirt and put 'em in like that; on the other hand, the seem to think that the coaches have 168 hours a week of meeting and practice with the players to cover and install everything under the sun. Of course these guys usually fail to grasp or take into account all the aspects involved in coaching, but that's what you get when your exposure to big time football is talk radio, ESPN and X-Box. With these guys, even the most obvious mistake by players- a fumble here, a penalty there- will somehow be blamed on the coaching staff. Of course, people will only see what they really want to see.
One irksome guy in particular claimed that he had had lunch with Scott Loeffler (Michigan's rather young QB coach) when they were freshman. "I was thoroughly unimpressed with this guy. Zero personality and low IQ. He's the guy developing our QB's these days right? Carr's offensive disciples suck." As a freshman? Gimme a break. And I would tend to think that the zero personality Loeffler displayed probably had more to with his lunch companion, than Loeffler himself. I say this because I recall meeting Loeffler at the AFCA convention in Atlanta in 2000(?). We were in a room talking QB fundamentals and reads after a presentation with just four of us- Scott, myself, a Flordia State GA, and...Norm Chow. They were all nice, friendly, and very bright. In fact I recall noticing that Chow seemed quite impressed by Loeffler.
So this guy's word doesn't count for much. But when it comes to sports, especially football, I guess everybody's a know-it-all
Though I am occasionally inclined to agree with them from time to time on certain specific play calls or use of timeout here or there, for example; but for the most part, I believe they are fallen under the delusion which besets most North American males at this time of year- that belief that they are smarter and could coach at least as well, if not better, than the coach of their team. It happens in all sports, but I would imagine that football fans- with all that pent up aggression and its decidedly cerebral aspects- are the worst. They seem to think that you can still draw up plays in the dirt and put 'em in like that; on the other hand, the seem to think that the coaches have 168 hours a week of meeting and practice with the players to cover and install everything under the sun. Of course these guys usually fail to grasp or take into account all the aspects involved in coaching, but that's what you get when your exposure to big time football is talk radio, ESPN and X-Box. With these guys, even the most obvious mistake by players- a fumble here, a penalty there- will somehow be blamed on the coaching staff. Of course, people will only see what they really want to see.
One irksome guy in particular claimed that he had had lunch with Scott Loeffler (Michigan's rather young QB coach) when they were freshman. "I was thoroughly unimpressed with this guy. Zero personality and low IQ. He's the guy developing our QB's these days right? Carr's offensive disciples suck." As a freshman? Gimme a break. And I would tend to think that the zero personality Loeffler displayed probably had more to with his lunch companion, than Loeffler himself. I say this because I recall meeting Loeffler at the AFCA convention in Atlanta in 2000(?). We were in a room talking QB fundamentals and reads after a presentation with just four of us- Scott, myself, a Flordia State GA, and...Norm Chow. They were all nice, friendly, and very bright. In fact I recall noticing that Chow seemed quite impressed by Loeffler.
So this guy's word doesn't count for much. But when it comes to sports, especially football, I guess everybody's a know-it-all
Friday, October 19, 2007
Mercy , mercy?
One thing that seems to improve later in the season in Japan is the quality of the games. The schedules seem to be seeded with top of the division teams playing at the end of the season, so the games are matched a little more evenly.
As usual, the early season this year has featured quite a few blowouts-one by a 105-0 score. (And remember, regulation games in Japan are only 48 minutes). But honestly, these sort of one-sided games do little good for the game of football in Japan. Soundly defeating an opponent is one thing; humiliating the opponent is quite another. They are not very exciting to watch, and they discourage the losers from going on. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Ultimately, football for everyone suffers.
Of course, mismatches in talent and squad size are largely to blame; but so are the league rules, which use point differentials as a tie-breaker in division standings and determining playoff positions. This sometimes results in strange situations where a team way ahead near the end of a game will be going into hurry-up mode and calling timeouts trying to score again, at a point when their opponent has been thoroughly exhausted and demoralized. This is bad sport, and bad sportsmanship. In Western countries, those who do so are seen as poor sportsmen, but somehow this concept has not yet made its way to Japan.
[In fact the Swedish coach mentioned this after his team's World Cup loss, when late in the game and with a huge lead, Japan faked the extra point kick and ran in a two point conversion].
I believe a Mercy Rule of some sort should be imposed- stopping a game when the differential reached, say, 40 or 50 points.
There are slightly more radical measures that could be tried- I recall the Hula Bowl All-Star game used to allow the team that is trailing by more than (10?) points the option to receive or kick-off after any score. But as this is not in line with current NCAA rules, I have little hope to see such a rule adopted.
Eliminating the point differential factor from standings and tie-breakers would certainly help. What is needed to accomplish that is some way of rating the quality of the opponent one has lost to and defeated, by won/lost records; records against common opponents; and if necessary, perhaps considering defeated opponent's total points scored or allowed.
For my part, I will focus on drawing attention to close games, and not glorifying blowouts.
Of course the best way is to raise the level of talent and numbers for the have-nots in football in Japan to help make them more competitive. Hopefully the X-League, the KCFA and the other organizations and teams involved with american football in Japan will see the light sooner, rather than later.
As usual, the early season this year has featured quite a few blowouts-one by a 105-0 score. (And remember, regulation games in Japan are only 48 minutes). But honestly, these sort of one-sided games do little good for the game of football in Japan. Soundly defeating an opponent is one thing; humiliating the opponent is quite another. They are not very exciting to watch, and they discourage the losers from going on. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Ultimately, football for everyone suffers.
Of course, mismatches in talent and squad size are largely to blame; but so are the league rules, which use point differentials as a tie-breaker in division standings and determining playoff positions. This sometimes results in strange situations where a team way ahead near the end of a game will be going into hurry-up mode and calling timeouts trying to score again, at a point when their opponent has been thoroughly exhausted and demoralized. This is bad sport, and bad sportsmanship. In Western countries, those who do so are seen as poor sportsmen, but somehow this concept has not yet made its way to Japan.
[In fact the Swedish coach mentioned this after his team's World Cup loss, when late in the game and with a huge lead, Japan faked the extra point kick and ran in a two point conversion].
I believe a Mercy Rule of some sort should be imposed- stopping a game when the differential reached, say, 40 or 50 points.
There are slightly more radical measures that could be tried- I recall the Hula Bowl All-Star game used to allow the team that is trailing by more than (10?) points the option to receive or kick-off after any score. But as this is not in line with current NCAA rules, I have little hope to see such a rule adopted.
Eliminating the point differential factor from standings and tie-breakers would certainly help. What is needed to accomplish that is some way of rating the quality of the opponent one has lost to and defeated, by won/lost records; records against common opponents; and if necessary, perhaps considering defeated opponent's total points scored or allowed.
For my part, I will focus on drawing attention to close games, and not glorifying blowouts.
Of course the best way is to raise the level of talent and numbers for the have-nots in football in Japan to help make them more competitive. Hopefully the X-League, the KCFA and the other organizations and teams involved with american football in Japan will see the light sooner, rather than later.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
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