Letters to the Editor
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Packers and ...
King,
First, off I had the Packer's last week, but that's not saying much because I have had them almost every week. Insert some comment about a stopped clock here.
As I said a few weeks ago (and was smacked down for), the Packers are better than their record. Somebody at Fox even did the research for the statistics I mentioned weeks ago. Apparently the Packers are the first 1-7 team ever to have scored more points than they had scored on them. And by last week they had moved up to 21 in the footballoutsiders.com efficiency rating. Not great, but they're out of the bottom third of the league.
Against the Falcons the Packers played about the same as they had the past month or so, but for once they got a decent share of the breaks. My guess is that the Packers will end up in second place in the weak NFC North, but considering their remaining schedules there is still an outside chance that they could catch the Bears and win the division on tie breakers. Yes, I am an unrepentant fan.
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Illegal block in the back
The officials likely call the penalty by this name because some blocks in the back are legal, in particular those along the line of scrimmage (I believe it's within 3 yards either way).
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Coaching "onions" wither in proportion to location and "rep"
King, As much as I would like to give you credit for a new trend in coaching, you said it yourself it's not a trend but an abortion.
Wake me up when a coach whose job security isn't over 75% or whose team plays in a real sports market takes a shot. Can you imagine Tom Coughlin(sic)or Herm Edwards doing this with 2+ minutes left on the clock?
This whole issue begs the real question: Why does 60 minutes of great play have to end up in a "crap shoot" ,which as in this case, and the run back was determined by officials after a feel good moment for the hometown fans?
Some genius should figure out that at least the college has some semblance to ability, although not much. BY the way what is really wrong with a tie? This isn't hockey!
Eddie, (a fine young man)
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SNF is unlistenable
I came across that SNF drinking game when I was Googling to see if I am the only person writhing in torment when listening to the execrable Sunday Night Football team. They are so busy trying to impress each other they forget about the game. And Paul Maguire spends the whole game shouting and trying to show Theisman he's cool enough for him. I wear out the mute button when that game is on.
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Illegal Block In the Back
I agree, too long. Refs should just use the acronym, IBIB. "Number 45 on the receiving team, ibib, half the distance, first down."
Whatever happened to Clipping, anyway? The word may not "describe what happens" literally, but it's short, everybody knows what it means (or knew, once), and strangely apt on a metaphoric level if you use your imagination. Two players come together from an oblique angle suddenly, like the blades of a pair of scissors. "Clip!" Rather poetic, wouldn't you say?
By whatever name, it's an annoying, energy-sapping penalty that always seems to occur miles away from the ballcarrier. Unless it's below the knee or above the shoulders it should almost never be called.
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Catching up
Could you explain your quote in the Salon decade reprise article?
Sorry, and I hope you see this, but what quote would that be?
Two other factors make going for 2 an even better percentage
play than you identify. First, the kick can be missed. I would give
that about a 2% chance. Second even if you miss the 2-point
conversion you can still try an onside kick.
Agreed on the second. On the first, it�s way less than a 2 percent chance of missing the PAT. I looked up last year�s PAT stats recently. I forget the exact figure, but it was something like 7 misses out of more than 1,000 attempts. The odds of making a PAT are better than 99-1.
This whole issue begs the real question: Why does 60 minutes of
great play have to end up in a "crap shoot"
You�re a fine young man, Fast Eddie, for correctly using the phrase �begs the question,� which is rarely done.
Whatever happened to Clipping, anyway?
I know. And when did offside become �encroachment,� and why?
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The counter-factual brought to life...
If you are interested in how the news report and player quotes read when a coach goes for two -- and the win -- but fails, see this article on Dave Wannstedt's decision in 1997 versus Green Bay. I'm tempted to say that since Wannstedt makes this call, it's a poor coaching decision by definition.
http://tinyurl.com/9pxtq
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Illegal block in the Back
It's called clipping. I know, I was penalized for it three times in my high school career.
From Football.com: "An illegal block in which a player hits an opponent from behind, typically at leg level."
A few years ago, the NFL decided to make the officials explain their calls in more wordy language, resulting in the diappearance of the term "clipping."