tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post912585026370824697..comments2023-10-31T06:31:41.395-04:00Comments on Bottom of the Barrel: TMQ: Gregg Easterbrook Talks About Player Safety AgainBengoodfellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-88814711923387139752011-09-02T08:41:54.005-04:002011-09-02T08:41:54.005-04:00Helping, thanks. I find it interesting too that he...Helping, thanks. I find it interesting too that he is so intelligent, but he tends to look at so many NFL-related things in simplistic terms and doesn't really construct his arguments well. I have a feeling he may just be baiting the world with TMQ. <br /><br />Martin, I say put the ball back on the 30. What I think this new kickoff rule will do is cause teams to take a deep kickoff and run the ball back and makes the kickoff more a matter of field position than it used to be. Teams are still going to run the ball out of the end zone and players are still going to get hurt. I am afraid it will just make the kickoff be like the extra point and just not be very exciting. I didn't know how I felt about the rule until I saw it in action. Not a fan.Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-15511989361644488432011-09-02T05:04:43.747-04:002011-09-02T05:04:43.747-04:00I don't mind the idea of touchbacks for safety...I don't mind the idea of touchbacks for safety at first thought, but then it seems absurd to even have kickoffs once you get to the end point. If one is truly concerned about safety, just start at the 20 after scores, otherwise it becomes "We are only concerned that you have someone who can do a deep kickoff, where as the teams with short yardage kickers...their special teams guys are fucked." Seriously, if kickoffs are such a problem, the new rule only addresses it if you have a good kicker, and even then only stops some of the injury chances. As long as there are kickoff returns, the potential for catastrophic injury is potential, and if you are paying more then lip service to safety, then eliminate it entirely or STFU and put the ball back on the 30.Martin F.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14565240074256943063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-77027366728642603372011-09-01T15:49:41.932-04:002011-09-01T15:49:41.932-04:00For someone who tries so damn hard to be a super-i...For someone who tries so damn hard to be a super-intellectual, Gregg really has a terrible grasp of logic and constructing arguments. <br /><br />I really enjoy your breakdowns of TOOYA (Talking Out Of Your Ass) columns like this one--thank you.Helping Outnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-37624186130384621632011-09-01T13:35:29.356-04:002011-09-01T13:35:29.356-04:00HH, I would love to know per unit of time where mo...HH, I would love to know per unit of time where more injuries occur. I would guess games as well. I just don't like how he throws these things out there with no further comparison. Your examples are correct and make sense. <br /><br />I had forgotten a/b that picture. I never link pictures but I should have used that one. <br /><br />Rich, I haven't been to HS practices, but I can't help but wonder how many coaches are doing this. I would bet it happens more at the HS level than anywhere else. College and pros don't seem like where coaches running players into the ground physically would happen as often. I could be wrong. I still would wonder what percentage of coaches act like this towards their players? <br /><br />A first and a fourth isn't a king's ransom at all. Especially for a competent quarterback. <br /><br />I think at most, a team would give a 5th round pick for 2 6th round picks. Even then, what are the odds a 5th round pick will pan out and the two 6th rounders won't? Quite honestly, this statement stunned the hell out of me because of the way he talks about undrafted free agents. Everything he has ever said indicates he would feel the opposite. Just another example of how Gregg wants to criticize anything and everything and will change his own opinion to do so. <br /><br />But Rich, you don't get it. Boss and Smith had good performances a while back. That means their future value is just as high. Also, I criticize Favre a lot, but he left on his own terms. He could have QB'd the Vikes this year if he wanted. <br /><br />I think we've discussed the seeding idea before and how it isn't any good. There would never be a level playing field in terms of which teams make the playoffs, but a seeded tournament seems like it would be even more unfair.Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-53409162227864760482011-08-31T16:18:10.790-04:002011-08-31T16:18:10.790-04:00There's often no penalty for the coach who ord...<b>There's often no penalty for the coach who orders a dangerous drill -- he knows he can abuse his players all he pleases, and will probably never be sanctioned in any way.</b><br /><br />1. If these types of drills happen, the media would find out and there would be a massive backlash, possibly resulting in the team firing the coach or major changes to the style of practice.<br /><br />2. If these drills are truly as dangerous and Gregg says then the coach risks injuring players on his team, which negatively impacts the team's ability to win games and he'd probably be fired.<br /><br />3. You don't think players on different teams talk to one another? I can't imagine many free agents would want to go play for one of these hypothetical coaches and so the overall talent on the team would suffer and the coach would probably be fired.<br /><br /><b>The latter drew a similar king's ransom (first- and fourth-round draft choices)</b><br /><br />That's not a king's ransom.<br /><br />And when did Matt Cassel become a standard by which these types of QBs are measured? He's got a great running game, a good defense and a shit division. <br /><br /><b>If the NFL wants touchbacks in order to reduce injuries -- and this is a fair choice -- let's get rid of the annoying snap-commercials-kickoff-commercials sequence.</b><br /><br />Yes, lets reduce injuries to minor players by changing one of the exciting parts of the game while the superstars still face the same level of injury! It's all those undrafted free agents that TMQ is excited to see uninjured.<br /><br /><b>There's a 60 percent chance of creating a turnover, versus a 40 percent chance of surrendering about 30 yards of field position.</b><br /><br />If you're pulling an onside kick, it's probably a close game, so giving up those 30 yards is a terrible, terrible idea.<br /><br /><b>rather than bank a couple by trading for 2012 picks. Typically it's hard for late-round draft choices to make the roster of a winning team, and the Packers just won the Super Bowl. </b><br /><br />Who exactly would trade for a sixth or seventh round pick? And thank you BGF for pointing out the hypocrisy in that statement with his creepy love for undrafted free agents.<br /><br /><b>The G-Persons seemed awfully blasé about letting Steve Smith and Kevin Boss depart in free agency.</b><br /><br />1. The Giants offered Steve Smith SEVEN MILLION a year for 5 years before last season and he said no. Then he broke his leg. Then Nicks became awesome and Manningham filled in well. So um... what were the Giants supposed to do?<br /><br />2. Kevin Boss just signed a deal for 4M a year. Kevin Boss is not a 4M a year player. Just like when Oakland gave Gibril Wilson a gazillion dollars, I suspect Oakland will be trying to get out of this contract soon.<br /><br /><b>The Vikings gave the heave-ho to two quarterbacks, Brett Favre retiring</b><br /><br />How is a guy retiring giving him the "heave-ho"? He left, they didn't kick him out.<br /><br /><b>Daniel Bell of Rome, Ga., reports a Halloween City store has been open in his town since early August. </b><br /><br />Because I'm sure they had to lease the place for at least three months and leasing it for August, September and October makes a helluva lot more sense than September, October, November.<br /><br /><b>TMQ has long maintained should be replaced with a seeded tournament.</b><br /><br />This only works if you have a completely balanced schedule. You can't seed a team from the NFC West the same way you do a team from the AFC South. The scheduling helps bring teams onto an even plane, but you still have 6 games against your own division, so you can't just seed based on record. <br /><br /><b>I think the reason is the football gods will continue to punish Belichick until such time as he may admit he was wrong to set up an illegal taping system. </b><br /><br />So the football gods get their information from SportsCenter? Because if they were truly the football gods, BB wouldn't have three rings. How horrible it must be to be him.richnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-86350019688050550692011-08-31T15:00:02.550-04:002011-08-31T15:00:02.550-04:00coaches whom I have interviewed think players are ...<strong>coaches whom I have interviewed think players are more likely to be injured at a practice than during a game.</strong><br /><br />Actually, this is ambiguous and probably only right in some senses and very wrong in others. It's like saying "most car accidents happen in good weather" and "most accidents happen around the home." What it doesn't take into account the relative time spent on these activities. You drive mostly in good weather, so most accidents happen there. You spend most of your time at home so of course most accidents happen there. And you practice much much more than you play games, so of course more injuries happen in practice. The real question is, what is the rate of injury PER UNIT OF TIME. If you make that adjustments, of course rainy/icy weather has more accidents per hour of driving than dry and clear weather, and I'd venture to guess that per 50 plays, players suffer more injuries in games than in practice. <br /><br /><strong>Indianapolis gets more from undrafted free agents than any other team except perhaps New England -- a reason the Patriots and Colts are Nos. 1 and 2 for most wins over the past decade. </strong><br /><br />Or, we could say, "New England and Indianapolis have great coaching staffs that are able to turn undrafted free agents into NFL contributors." But that doesn't fit the story. <br /><br /><strong> (Belichick has said he believed the videotaping was legal -- if so, then why wasn't it done openly?)</strong><br /><br />Umm... http://boston.3432.voxcdn.com/files/2010/12/NFL-Spygate-480x364.jpg<br /><br />A picture is worth a sarcastic comment.HHnoreply@blogger.com