betED.com - The View from the Couch - by Gavin McDougald!
-- The preseason season
Scanning the sports sections has become a lot more interesting of late because they
are packed with stories covering each NFL training camp, giving us gory detail after
gory detail on what's going on in each city. If you haven't heard, here's what's been
said in a nutshell: Terrell Owens is hurt. Bill Parcells isn't happy. And last week
Miami coach Nick Saban was too busy to eat with the President. (Looking around the
world right now, dontcha think it is President Bush who should be too busy to eat
with Coach Saban? Just wonderin').
Oh - and there's this: Despite we pointy ball enthusiasts all being clearly ready for
some football, the wags are telling us we are whacko for giving a hoot before the gun
goes off for real in September.
Column after column is recommending we should all move along because there is nothing
to see here. Why, you might wonder. Is it because the jaded ink-stained wretches have
been to too many preseasons and seen training camps too many times to care any more?
Nope. They are as jazzed about the upcoming NFL season as we are. What's got their
ill-matching ties all in knots is the leagues' annual August cash grab.
This year's schedule has a total of 65 preseason games. The Philadelphia Eagles, who
opened up with a loss in the Hall of Fame Game on Sunday have a total of five to
play. They only play 16 games in the regular season, yet they need nearly a third
that many to get ready? If baseball were like that, they would have to start their
already too-long preseason in January to allow for a 50-game schedule.
How long does it take really? Well, let's look at what took place on Sunday.
Philadelphia's quarterback Donovan McNabb hit all three of his passes for 29 yards on
a 61-yard touchdown drive - and that was that. He was out after one series. Well, I
guess he's ready - but now what is he supposed to do for the next four games?
Not much as far as Eagles coach Andy Reid is concerned. NFL coaches want their best
players to learn the playbook and hit and get hit - but just a bit. Besides that,
they are praying month of August to end without a big name getting hurt.
Did you enjoy seeing Eagles running back Bruce Perry being carted off on a stretcher
with his head strapped down on Sunday night? (He escaped without a neck injury but
has a concussion).
I'm sure Coach Reid was thrilled. The simple fact is the only truly momentous event
that can occur in an exhibition game is something bad.
It's not as if the players need this month to get into shape or anything. These days,
with the year round mini-camps and the "voluntary" workouts few players
manage to fall out of shape.
Wonder what this month is for then?
It's for the league to generate some not-so-hard-earned cash off ticket sales. That's
it. And unlike in baseball, where cactus and grapefruit league tickets are cut rate,
NFL preseason duckets are the full pop.
Now we know why the NFL does it. The question is, how can new commish, Roger Goodell,
fix it?
Starters do need a camp, but let's get it down to a more logical length. Take the
Packers (please!) for example. As of this morning, they have 53 first- or second-year
players out of the 89 currently taking part in training camp.
You think the 30 odd starters are getting a lot of playing time right now? You think
Brett Favre is using these 5 weeks of intensive workouts against 300lb linemen to get
ready?
Wouldn't he, and all other "sure things," be better served with a two-week
camp where they can meet their new teammates who managed to survive a three week meat
grinder to make the roster. Then everyone can learn and re-learn the playbook
together and team build instead of team destruct.
That first three weeks would be actually be interesting if that was the case. Make it
a survivor series.
Have the first three exhibition games a showcase for the wannabes. Seeing players
playing for their jobs surely would have to be more interesting than watching some
sure starter mincing around in the backfield at 2/3rds speed trying desperately not
to get whacked.
No longer would coaches, out of guilt, be forced to disguise exhibition games for
what they actually are. They are tryouts.
In fact, let's lose the name "exhibition" altogether. This is the reality
show era after all. We don't want to see an "exhibition." We want to see real
stuff.
Call them "Final Cut Games" instead.
That's how to make the meaningless meaningful. And don't have any illusions. Right
now these "exhibitions" as games are meaningless. The only winless team last
preseason was Indianapolis (0-5). The New York Jets, Cleveland and Arizona were 3-1.
So - how do we fans, despite all the advice to the contrary, make these games
meaningful? Well, here are just a couple of early preseason trends that do allow for
some interesting betting. Two preseasons ago, the home teams went 21-10-1 against the
spread the first two weeks. Last year the home team went 10-5 SU/ATS in the first
week. If a team loses big in the first week, chances are they will win big in the
second.
The bottom line is this: We are ready for some football. Whatever kind of football.
It's only meaningful if you chose to make it so. That's true for both the NFL and
us.
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
-- The preseason season
Scanning the sports sections has become a lot more interesting of late because they
are packed with stories covering each NFL training camp, giving us gory detail after
gory detail on what's going on in each city. If you haven't heard, here's what's been
said in a nutshell: Terrell Owens is hurt. Bill Parcells isn't happy. And last week
Miami coach Nick Saban was too busy to eat with the President. (Looking around the
world right now, dontcha think it is President Bush who should be too busy to eat
with Coach Saban? Just wonderin').
Oh - and there's this: Despite we pointy ball enthusiasts all being clearly ready for
some football, the wags are telling us we are whacko for giving a hoot before the gun
goes off for real in September.
Column after column is recommending we should all move along because there is nothing
to see here. Why, you might wonder. Is it because the jaded ink-stained wretches have
been to too many preseasons and seen training camps too many times to care any more?
Nope. They are as jazzed about the upcoming NFL season as we are. What's got their
ill-matching ties all in knots is the leagues' annual August cash grab.
This year's schedule has a total of 65 preseason games. The Philadelphia Eagles, who
opened up with a loss in the Hall of Fame Game on Sunday have a total of five to
play. They only play 16 games in the regular season, yet they need nearly a third
that many to get ready? If baseball were like that, they would have to start their
already too-long preseason in January to allow for a 50-game schedule.
How long does it take really? Well, let's look at what took place on Sunday.
Philadelphia's quarterback Donovan McNabb hit all three of his passes for 29 yards on
a 61-yard touchdown drive - and that was that. He was out after one series. Well, I
guess he's ready - but now what is he supposed to do for the next four games?
Not much as far as Eagles coach Andy Reid is concerned. NFL coaches want their best
players to learn the playbook and hit and get hit - but just a bit. Besides that,
they are praying month of August to end without a big name getting hurt.
Did you enjoy seeing Eagles running back Bruce Perry being carted off on a stretcher
with his head strapped down on Sunday night? (He escaped without a neck injury but
has a concussion).
I'm sure Coach Reid was thrilled. The simple fact is the only truly momentous event
that can occur in an exhibition game is something bad.
It's not as if the players need this month to get into shape or anything. These days,
with the year round mini-camps and the "voluntary" workouts few players
manage to fall out of shape.
Wonder what this month is for then?
It's for the league to generate some not-so-hard-earned cash off ticket sales. That's
it. And unlike in baseball, where cactus and grapefruit league tickets are cut rate,
NFL preseason duckets are the full pop.
Now we know why the NFL does it. The question is, how can new commish, Roger Goodell,
fix it?
Starters do need a camp, but let's get it down to a more logical length. Take the
Packers (please!) for example. As of this morning, they have 53 first- or second-year
players out of the 89 currently taking part in training camp.
You think the 30 odd starters are getting a lot of playing time right now? You think
Brett Favre is using these 5 weeks of intensive workouts against 300lb linemen to get
ready?
Wouldn't he, and all other "sure things," be better served with a two-week
camp where they can meet their new teammates who managed to survive a three week meat
grinder to make the roster. Then everyone can learn and re-learn the playbook
together and team build instead of team destruct.
That first three weeks would be actually be interesting if that was the case. Make it
a survivor series.
Have the first three exhibition games a showcase for the wannabes. Seeing players
playing for their jobs surely would have to be more interesting than watching some
sure starter mincing around in the backfield at 2/3rds speed trying desperately not
to get whacked.
No longer would coaches, out of guilt, be forced to disguise exhibition games for
what they actually are. They are tryouts.
In fact, let's lose the name "exhibition" altogether. This is the reality
show era after all. We don't want to see an "exhibition." We want to see real
stuff.
Call them "Final Cut Games" instead.
That's how to make the meaningless meaningful. And don't have any illusions. Right
now these "exhibitions" as games are meaningless. The only winless team last
preseason was Indianapolis (0-5). The New York Jets, Cleveland and Arizona were 3-1.
So - how do we fans, despite all the advice to the contrary, make these games
meaningful? Well, here are just a couple of early preseason trends that do allow for
some interesting betting. Two preseasons ago, the home teams went 21-10-1 against the
spread the first two weeks. Last year the home team went 10-5 SU/ATS in the first
week. If a team loses big in the first week, chances are they will win big in the
second.
The bottom line is this: We are ready for some football. Whatever kind of football.
It's only meaningful if you chose to make it so. That's true for both the NFL and
us.
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
