Xs and Os

[Californiaman]

This is my favorite time of year. Football season. I love the game and am gratefull to be a part of it.

I'm the defensive coordinator for a ninth and 10th-grade boys football team here in California. For those of you over seas, that means it's up to my boys to stop the other team from getting into the end zone.

Friday evening is our first real game of the season. We've had two scrimmages and looked quite good. In our last scrimmage the boys from my first team (the starters) allowed two first downs. One of those first downs was from a penalty. We shut down our opponents. They were given 20 plays to move the ball down the field, and we basically shut them down.

Our offense scored six touchdowns that day, while my second team defense allowed just one touchdown.

We're playing another junior varsity team from the area. After all the practice we put in over the summer it'll be great to finally play a game.

Wish us well.

[4Hayden]

Alabama = ROLL TIDE ROLL

[Bender 4 Life]

Alabama = ROLL TIDE ROLL

 

what 4Hayden said !! Roll-Tide !!!!

 

and best wishes for a winning and injury-free game Cali-Man !

[deeman]

best of luck to your team. GO BEARS

[Californiaman]

I don't know how people can pick a team and say it's their team.

Don't get me wrong, but I just don't have a team.

I've had so many teams as "My Team" in my life.

I'm just a fan of the game.

[milod]

I tend to be with Cali when it comes to teams or "the game"...

 

I really enjoy watching the game, figuring strategies, etc. But I've gotta admit I did enjoy watching my nephews play high school and college ball - and the local kids I end up knowing relatively well by the time they're seniors.

 

Grandpa played when it was 3 downs and five yards and a forward pass meant the halfbacks tossing the quarterback for a yard or two.

 

I played in the late '50s and '60s when only wimps had facemasks and ... gee, there just weren't the head and neck injuries other than broken noses and teeth.

 

<grin>

 

Yeah, I'm old.

 

I "shoot" my first local game tomorrow night. It keeps me literally on the sidelines and it's great fun.

 

m

[Cougar]

I've had so many teams as "My Team" in my life.

I'm just a fan of the game.

 

Wait a minute. You root for UCLA over USC, don't you?

 

:)

[IanHenry]

Why do they call it Football, if most of the time you carry the ball?

 

Ian.

[Californiaman]

Well we won 41 to 20. I played every single player on my team yesterday. The score was actually not as close as it appears. We had them 34 to 7 at one time. Then I put in the second team.

 

Varsity won their game 47-7. It really was no contest.

 

Wait a minute. You root for UCLA over USC, don't you?

 

:)

 

To quote Jim Mora, "I don't give a rat's *** about USC."

Now when Pete Caroll was the head coach, that was different. I believe I'm just a fan of the game and love good coaches, players and plays.

It all comes down to the Xs and the Os.

[Kennis]

Why do they call it Football, if most of the time you carry the ball?

 

Ian.

 

Handegg

[Bender 4 Life]

I know we won 35-10 today but Bama has a SERIOUS problem w/their offensive line.....or lack thereof.

 

glad we're off next weekend because it's "back to basics/square 1" w/this young line....hoooo BOY did we look bad!!

VT played a great game & their defense tore us apart, in our backfield EVERY down almost.

 

Roll Tide anyhow.......

[saturn]

I don't know how people can pick a team and say it's their team.

Don't get me wrong, but I just don't have a team.

I've had so many teams as "My Team" in my life.

I'm just a fan of the game.

 

I know what you mean. I am from the Baltimore area, so naturally I root for Ravens and Orioles in pro sports. why root for a team that doesn't represent my city? Now over time I have liked certain other teams because I liked the players or coach or just their story that particular season. As time goes on and players change etc., I don't just continue to follow the team because of the logo on their uniform. Example is when I was a kid I loved the Chargers because of their great offense of Dan Fouts, Jefferson, Winslow, Muncie etc. I don't follow them now though.

 

Now there are some teams I will probably never root for just because I don't care for the city or their obnoxious fans.

[Izzy]

Why do they call it Football, if most of the time you carry the ball?

 

Ian.

 

You're thinking Futbol.

 

Speaking as a soccer fan, I can understand the MY team notion. It is strong if you're a native of the place you root for, or if you have strong feelings for the school. Heck, when my school UT beat A&M in their last match (last because they shan't play against one another again) I was very happy. That's MY school! The rivalry is strong with Longhorns vs Aggies, so it was meaningful and it was SO sad that we shan't talk $hit anymore for future games.

 

I feel bad for Americans in a way. World series? No one cares about the Yankees outside the USA or about football, and Americans do not care about soccer, but the world is very devoted to their soccer teams...to murderous degrees. My heart swelled with pride and I cried when Mexico got the gold medal for soccer against mighty Brazil. Mexico is MY soccer team, through the good and the bad. Those are our boys and they represent my home. Mexico may be third world but for a few hours we can stand shoulder to shoulder with any superpower.

 

As for football...this is Texas. Football is a cult. No joke.

[Edlo]

Alabama = ROLL TIDE ROLL

I'm with you roll tide, but in NFL I'm long time Giants and Green Bay fan

[Californiaman]

As for football...this is Texas. Football is a cult. No joke.

 

 

That's how it is on the central coast of California. We live for it around here. Youth football it pretty big and every high school has a couple of teams, usually freshman, junior varsity and varsity.

[Cougar]

Well we won 41 to 20. I played every single player on my team yesterday.

 

That's the way to do it. Good job, Cal-man.

[Cougar]

I feel bad for Americans in a way. World series? No one cares about the Yankees outside the USA or about football, and Americans do not care about soccer, but the world is very devoted to their soccer teams.

 

I don't care much for the Yankees myself. Now, the Dodgers, that's a different story.

 

I feel bad for the world, having only soccer as their big sport. And they often get so overly fervent about it, to the point of rioting and death! It's like they're on a different planet! I'll stick with American football, baseball, and... best of all.... ice hockey!

[zigzag]

The NCAA has definitely got some problems in college football. It should be enough that scholarship athletes earn a free education, but when you consider the revenue generated in big-time college sports, the star athletes are very much under-compensated. Additionally, it is common practice for schools to compensate star athletes outside of the scrutiny of the NCAA, who oversees college athletics. Compensation issues in college athletics, esp. football, will have to be addressed at some point. Additionally, cheating schools which do get caught by the NCAA are inconsistently punished, and investigations often take very long so that often athletes who are not guilty are the ones who are penalized. Star athletes are stroked by teachers, peers, and coaches from a very young age to the point where stars are spoiled and develop a sense of entitlement. Schools, even legitimate and highly respected academic institutions, often make it easier for student-athletes to get by. But also consider that it is very difficult and very time consuming, even for good students, to keep a full course load AND participate in their chosen sport. (For all this, it is refreshing to see a star athlete with his head screwed on straight.) With all of these issues, then include the issues of serious injuries, including the insidious repercussions from head injuries, and I think that we will see a huge change in the nature of college and pro football, and the nature of the athlete and amateur sports, in the near future.

 

All that said, the word "fan" is short for fanatic. I don't see nearly as many fans of a sport as I do fans of teams. Personally, I don't see the point of following a sport without being the fan of a team. But as I get older, I'm not sure the euphoria that comes from winning makes up for the stress brought on from losing. This may be the best reason of all for not becoming a fanatic.

 

Then there is the issue of how our culture values entertainment and the place of sports in that entertainment culture. Are our kids and our society well served by the "hero" image of the modern athlete- many of whom embrace the diva, bad boy (thug), demigod-like persona. Should a guy who can catch a ball and run fast be worth $100,000,000? Should a college coach make more money than a college professor?

[rct]

Then there is the issue of how our culture values entertainment and the place of sports in that entertainment culture. Are our kids and our society well served by the "hero" image of the modern athlete- many of whom embrace the diva, bad boy (thug), demigod-like persona. Should a guy who can catch a ball and run fast be worth $100,000,000? Should a college coach make more money than a college professor?

 

More to the point, should we teach and encourage our children to pursue something that happens to less than 2000 people in America each year, that is, the number of people playing professional football for a living? 1200 or so baseball players? 200 hockey players? It's a scam, a feel good pipe dream that refuses the reality that yer kid will be at Best Buy selling the television machines that people watch football games on, that's about as close as he is getting to that "career". The false importance of sports is a joke. We need teachers, good doctors, good nursing, and the salaries that go with such valuable assets to all of us, not just a buncha drunx watching dumba$$ football all weekend.

 

E!A!G!L!E!S! EAGLES!

 

Now you know why I hate sports.

 

rct

[milod]

Actually I'm a fan of some games, notably American football that so much resembles a version of chess, but I think pro sports do tend to be paid like movie stars in proportion to how teams see them as a cash asset more than their ability to run or whatever.

 

I'm also something of a fan of the concept of mandatory sports through school K-12 and probably through college as well - just not necessarily at the degree of pressure to win at all costs I've seen in some places. For example, in a high school conference I'm aware of, there's a private school that functionally hires outstanding boy and girl athletes - to the point where it embarrasses folks of their particular religious persuasion. That stinks, IMHO, in a conference where no kid sees sports as much more than a way to keep in shape and at best to get a small college scholarship.

 

I did sports all through high school, all three seasons, regardless that I'm from a gene pool of slow physical development. The experience itself was as much a valuable lesson as any course I took. I only managed one varsity letter, though - in fencing. Yeah, my last two years of high school weren't exactly on the northern plains I call home.

 

Those last two years did require sports participation. Even some kids who were sufficiently handicapped they couldn't play this or that sport could keep stats, etc., for the coach, and were part of the "team effort." We also had enough sports that most kids could feel they had at least one thing at which they could excel given their own genetics.

 

Unfortunately that's the experience of kids in smaller high schools and, from what I've seen, not at all the experience of kids in larger schools where there were relatively few sports and only those who could excel at that time and in that sport had the opportunity to train.

 

m

[cookieman15061]

I know what you mean. I am from the Baltimore area, so naturally I root for Ravens and Orioles in pro sports. why root for a team that doesn't represent my city? Now over time I have liked certain other teams because I liked the players or coach or just their story that particular season. As time goes on and players change etc., I don't just continue to follow the team because of the logo on their uniform. Example is when I was a kid I loved the Chargers because of their great offense of Dan Fouts, Jefferson, Winslow, Muncie etc. I don't follow them now though.

 

Now there are some teams I will probably never root for just because I don't care for the city or their obnoxious fans.

 

Hey now!!!

[saturn]

Notice I didn't mention any names.

 

Actually, even though Steelers and Ravens are big rivals, I like the city of Pittsburgh. I've had some very good friends from that area and just about everyone I've ever met from there has been really cool. I can't say I like it when Steelers fan come into our stadium waving those stupid towels around.

[Californiaman]

More to the point, should we teach and encourage our children to pursue something that happens to less than 2000 people in America each year, that is, the number of people playing professional football for a living? 1200 or so baseball players? 200 hockey players? It's a scam, a feel good pipe dream that refuses the reality that yer kid will be at Best Buy selling the television machines that people watch football games on, that's about as close as he is getting to that "career". The false importance of sports is a joke. We need teachers, good doctors, good nursing, and the salaries that go with such valuable assets to all of us, not just a buncha drunx watching dumba$$ football all weekend.

 

E!A!G!L!E!S! EAGLES!

 

Now you know why I hate sports.

 

rct

 

 

Football Scholarships

The number of football scholarships given by NCAA FBS (formerly Division 1-A) is 85 per team. Usually about 25 scholarships per recruiting season. There are 120 schools that participate in the NCAA FBS. I see where you're going with this. Many of those student athletes will not go on to play professional football. If it were my kid, it's about the education first. If you're good enough to make it to the next level, the pennical of football, then you better make solid financial plans. The average length of a NFL career for players who make the opening day roster is about six years, although studies have indicated it less than that at just 3.5 years. In fact that last stat comes from the NFL players association.

 

"The average length of an NFL career is about 3 and a half seasons. Although there are some exceptional players who have long careers that extend 10 or twelve seasons and beyond, most players only stay active for about three seasons. Players leave the game because of injury, self-induced retirement, or being cut by the team. This also means that while players may make more money than most people, they are only making it for an average of three and a half years. To make sure they are successful in the future, players must invest their money well and make plans for another career when they can no longer play football."

Average Career in the NFL

 

From the NFL players association:

"While many young people every year set their goals on becoming NFL players, it is extremely difficult to reach that level. Statistically of the 100,000 high school seniors who play football every year, only 215 will ever make an NFL roster. That is 0.2%! Even of the 9,000 players that make it to the college level only 310 are invited to the NFL scouting combine, the pool from which teams make their draft picks. As you can see, most people who want to become NFL players will not. Therefore it is very important to come up with alternative plans for the future."

 

So the odds are pretty well stacked against you if that's your dream.

What I like is the fact that most of the college football players (or college athletes in general) usually go on to work in a different field than what they did as a student athlete.

Hey... if they want to pay for my child's education, so be it. He'll get his degree and we'll see what happens. If not, mom and dad will help him out.

[rct]

Football Scholarships

The number of football scholarships given by NCAA FBS (formerly Division 1-A) is 85 per team. Usually about 25 scholarships per recruiting season. There are 120 schools that participate in the NCAA FBS. I see where you're going with this. Many of those student athletes will not go on to play professional football. If it were my kid, it's about the education first. If you're good enough to make it to the next level, the pennical of football, then you better make solid financial plans. The average length of a NFL career for players who make the opening day roster is about six years, although studies have indicated it less than that at just 3.5 years. In fact that last stat comes from the NFL players association.

 

"The average length of an NFL career is about 3 and a half seasons. Although there are some exceptional players who have long careers that extend 10 or twelve seasons and beyond, most players only stay active for about three seasons. Players leave the game because of injury, self-induced retirement, or being cut by the team. This also means that while players may make more money than most people, they are only making it for an average of three and a half years. To make sure they are successful in the future, players must invest their money well and make plans for another career when they can no longer play football."

Average Career in the NFL

 

From the NFL players association:

"While many young people every year set their goals on becoming NFL players, it is extremely difficult to reach that level. Statistically of the 100,000 high school seniors who play football every year, only 215 will ever make an NFL roster. That is 0.2%! Even of the 9,000 players that make it to the college level only 310 are invited to the NFL scouting combine, the pool from which teams make their draft picks. As you can see, most people who want to become NFL players will not. Therefore it is very important to come up with alternative plans for the future."

 

So the odds are pretty well stacked against you if that's your dream.

What I like is the fact that most of the college football players (or college athletes in general) usually go on to work in a different field than what they did as a student athlete.

Hey... if they want to pay for my child's education, so be it. He'll get his degree and we'll see what happens. If not, mom and dad will help him out.

 

I appreciate and applaud your deft and discreet avoidance of that spirit crushing humiliation that is The Eagles.

 

rct

[zigzag]

Aahh, the Eagles and the Lincoln Financial Field Jail. You're not a true Eagles fan if you haven't been locked up in the stadium jail!