Contributors
From: Brian
Sent: Mon 11/04/13 12:37 PM
To: Amy
Coaching Regulations?
Amy,
Lots to get to this week, but let's start with the situations that have developed over the past couple of days in both Denver and Houston. Most importantly, we send our thoughts and prayers to both John Fox and Gary Kubiak for a speedy recovery, and a clean bill of health. As we all know by now, John Fox was taking advantage of his bye week, felt light-headed, and appears to be headed into surgery to replace his aortic valve. Meanwhile in Houston, Gary Kubiak collapsed on the field while heading into the locker room for halftime of the Texans' game against the Colts. While the cause of Kubiak's collapse is unknown as of this writing, Houston GM Rick Smith said after the game that Kubiak was "light-headed and dizzy", but that all of his vital signs are good. To those of us who watched the game, it certainly appeared as if it was more than just a bout of dizziness, as Kubiak certainly appeared to be in a great deal of pain. Some footage from prior to his collapse showed that he was holding his head while grimacing, and then went to the ground.
I'm not going to speculate on the specifics of Kubiak's situation since I'm not a doctor, but no matter the specifics, I think there's an interesting point that needs to be raised. Wade Phillips, who took over for Kubiak in the 2nd half, mentioned at half-time that staying up late-nights, and a lack of sleep "caught up to him". Hopefully Kubiak and Fox are going to be ok, and quickly able to return to their normal life-style. But the NFL has been adding rule after rule in regard to player safety over the past few years. Is it time that we start to consider the possibility of the NFL adding regulations for coaches, and their in-season work schedule? Dick Vermeil and Jon Gruden are two that had legendary work habits, staying up all-hours, sleeping in the office, etc. Maybe there's nothing that can be done, but should the NFL at least consider coaching regulations to try and help control stress-related incidents from occurring?
Off-The-Field
Over the past couple of days, we've also seen a couple of players hit the headlines. First, we have the sad tale of another athlete who's dealing with the struggles of addiction. Hopefully, this indefinite suspension will be the necessary final step in cleaning up Justin Blackmon for good. Too often, we see people continue to struggle with addition, no matter how many times they've reached "rock bottom". It's a shame that it took a suspension for Blackmon to get himself into rehab, but I'm sincerely hoping he's approaching his rehab in the right manner. Just admitting that you need help isn't enough, but it's certainly a much better first step than going in not believing that you actually have a problem. Hopefully, Blackmon leaves a changed man, and is able to properly restore his life, and his career.
Next, we have an interesting development out of Miami regarding a case of "bullying". Jonathan Martin left the team last week, and I think the initial thoughts of many upon hearing the story was that he was being too sensitive. The media has since run with the story, leading to the revelation of texts by Martin's teammate Richie Incognito, and his eventual suspension. Incognito, in a move that only someone as stupid as him could make, decided to respond to the revelation of these texts by threatening those that have been reporting on his situation. Incognito is suspended indefinitely, pending further investigation.
The real point that is brought up here involves the term "bullying". I know that some don't like the use of that word, and would prefer to use a word such as "hazing", but I'm going to continue to refer to it as "bullying". Mainly, I feel like "hazing" is a softer word that makes an act seem like it's acceptable. When we use the term "bullying", it's intentionally meant to be an uncomfortable term, usually with students, so that they can properly understand that their actions are wrong. As a teacher, I see the anti-bullying banners on full display in my schools, but we don't usually associate bullying with the real world. Inn sports, "bullying" seems to be a prevalent, and almost accepted way of life, often passed of as "hazing", or a common form of machismo in an overly masculine environment. And therefore, we have a tendency to accept it. But as I said, there's a difference between hazing a bullying. Hazing, in its own way, is meant to bring a team together. Sometimes, players go over-the-top with their hazing. It seems clear that what Incognito did went over-the-top, and effectively became incessant bullying. Which should not be a surprise if you've followed the career of this clown. Now, the Dolphins have officially declared him incognito from their team. Bullying may be deemed a childish "buzz" word, but that still doesn't excuse those who act in the way Incognito did. I'm sure many have, and many will continue to be able to get past the bullying, and many likely now consider it their rite of passage. But we live in a day and age where we are aware of many emotional-related issues, including depression, that we should no longer simply write off this type of behavior simply as "boys being boys".
Burying the Steelers
Moving back to actual game events, congratulations to your Patriots for not only securing a big win, but for also officially slamming the door shut on the Steelers' season. I know we're only halfway through, but NBC threw up a graphic last night regarding the difference between 2-6 and 3-5, and the impact each record has on making the playoffs. Only one 2-6 team in history--the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals--has ever started so poorly, only to rebound with a playoff berth. That Bengals team, coached by Paul Brown, actually started 1-6 before running the table behind a weak-armed QB named Virgil Carter. Bill Walsh was a member of that staff, and the limitations that Carter had as a QB is what inspired him to create the innovative offense that is now known as the West Coast Offense. Back to the Steelers, there's no amount of innovation that's going to save this team. The offense looks ok, despite the continued injury concerns on the OL, but always runs more smoothly when Ben is in the hurry-up, and is calling his own plays. The defense looks old and lost, and quite frankly, looks poorly coached. Whatever scheme LeBeau has used in the past with this team is clearly not working this year, but he and Tomlin have failed to adjust for the fact that their personnel just can't handle the same defensive responsibilities anymore. The only bright spot I can point to is Cameron Heyward, who flashed all game, and is becoming a star on the DL.
Chiefs Still Undefeated
The Chiefs are now 9-0, somehow, despite gaining only 4 yards per play on offense, and allowing 470 yards of total offense, including nearly 250 yards rushing, to the Jeff Tuel-led Buffalo Bills. The Chiefs were aided by a few explosive defensive plays that gave them 14 points, but appear to be playing on borrowed time right now. Next week, they have their bye week prior to traveling to Denver for a Sunday night affair on the 17th. Frankly, I'm expecting their bubble to burst that night, and it wouldn't surprise me a bit if the Chiefs begin a free-fall from there.
Eagles Rebound
After combining to score 3 offensive points in consecutive losses to the Cowboys and Giants, I think it's safe to assume that we were {all expecting the Eagles to put up 49 points yesterday, including an NFL record-tying 7 TD passes from Nick Foles}. With the injuries to Vick, and Foles now likely securing his 2nd player of the week award of the season, I think it's pretty safe to assume that, barring an injury, Foles is your new starter in Philadelphia. The talk shows last week were buzzing in Philly about the Eagles not having a future answer on their roster at QB, but despite some inconsistent play, I think it's safe to say that the still-very-young Foles has shown enough flashes of brilliance to make us believe that the Eagles may not need to look for a QB in the off-season.
I know I've only hit on a few of the storylines from this week's action. I'd like to hear your take on the bullying issue in Miami, whether or not the NFL should consider adding regulations to the working hours for coaches, and also anything else from week 9 that I have yet to touch on. The floor is yours.
From: Amy
Sent: Mon 11/04/13 5:37 PM
To: Brian
Coaching Regulations: Regarding Fox and Kubiak, I will disagree. The NFL does not need to make rules for coaches. Coaches are supposed to be mature, adult, leaders. They need to make good decisions, including decisions on diet and rest. If they choose not to, that is a choice they make. I know this might sound cold, and I hope both Coaches are fine, but I don't think the NFL needs to play Mom for Head Coaches.
Miami: Like you, I dislike the term bullying here. Hazing does not work for me, either. I would call it outright harrassment, and it likely violates a whole lot of labor laws, My husband is a teacher as well, and our youngest has been bullied, in the past, in a place we no longer live, so I have a very very dim view of such activity as you might expect. What Incognito did was well past hazing or bullying, and I hope he severely punished - and by the IRL authorities, not just the NFL.
That said, I am sure that there are more people involved than Richie 'the Thug' Incognito. After all, no one has refuted the report that the final straw was a 'prank' pulled by the whole offensive line. And, let is not let Miami off the hook - they were trying to send this off until they got formal complaints. They tried to bury it, and if both the NFL and NFLPA had not started investigations, they would have. If Philbin, and the GM, and the Owner do not pay substantial fines, then the NFL will have failed. Take a Million from Ross and he'll darn well make sure this does not happen again.
Steelers: Ben looked good (I hate saying that), and Bell is the real deal. The WRs were not bad either. The D needs work, it's old. I'm not at all worried that you guys won't reload and fast. However, I am still elated we were the ones who put the stake in. The Steelers are the Steelers, and putting 55 on them is something to revel in. I do want them back in the mix next year., The NFL is better when they matter. So, I'm not at all sad for them, but I want them back and relevant ASAP. You also have to note they did take advantage of our typical lousy 3rd quarter.
KC: It's not the NCAA. Style points don't matter. 9-0 is 9-0. All the people that say 'Oh, KC doesn't deserve it' forgets that Seattle should have 3 (at least) more losses than they do. The reality is that KC is 9-0, and they are the last undefeated team in the NFL. I think they split with Denver, and go 15-1, and keep the 1 seed. They're not flashy. no, but they just win. It seems to be we've seen teams that do that before, and they don't suddenly become bad. I'm not saying they'll go to the Superbowl, but I don't think they'll go 9-7. KC is for real, this year at least.
J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets! Can i say this? YAY Jets! Except for the Pats, this was my fave win of the weekend. I like that the AFC East made Rob cry twice. I like the Panthers gained a game on the Saints. I think the Saints are whiny crybabies and it makes me happy when they lose. Take punishment like men, ya know. The Pats did in 2k7. Take it, don't cry, so, I'm on the root against the Saints wagon
.Choking: Can we give the choke award to the Tampa Bay MRSA Bucs? At least for this week. They really gave that away. Unfortunately. I would have loved to see that upset. I suppose you could give it to the Texans, but they had the Kubiak situation, so we can give them a pass.
Back to you!
From: Brian
Sent: Mon 11/04/13 10:31 PM
To: Amy
I'm sure there are still a number of people who don't feel the NFL should play mom for the players either. But the fact of the matter is, the NFL has been erring on the side of caution, regulating hits, full-contact practices, two-a-days, etc. With health concerns now cropping up among their head coaches, even if it's an overreaction, it wouldn't surprise me if the NFL decides to take a proactive stance, and starts to limit the number of hours a coach is allowed to spend in his team's facility.
Make no mistake, KC deserves to be 9-0. I'm not questioning their record by any stretch. But to say that they'll finish 15-1 is a bit ridiculous. This is a defense that just allowed a Jeff Tuel-led offense to gain over 450 yards. Yes, they made plays to win that game, but there are some chinks in the armor that are starting to unveil themselves. Plus, Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers are not Jeff Tuel. With 4 games still to play against Denver and San Diego, as well as games vs. the Colts and @ Washington, I'll put their over/under at 12.5 wins. Push come to shove, I'm probably taking the under.
Toxic Avengers > Insane Unicorns : )
Week 10 Quick Hits
I bet the NFL Network was looking forward to RGIII vs. Adrian Peterson prior to the season. Now? Not so much. At least there is some great college football scheduled for Thursday night to occupy our time. Unfortunately, there won't be any college options on Monday night to divert us away from the Miami-Tampa Bay matchup.
Denver's trip to SD should be an interesting matchup. I'm also looking forward to seeing how Philly and Nick Foles follow up their masterful offensive performance from this past week, traveling to Lambeau to possibly face the Rodgers-less Packers. And speaking of the Rodgers injury, if he's out for any extended period of time, then this Bears-Lions game on Sunday will take on an even higher significance. Jay Cutler is already saying that he plans on playing this weekend. That's probably a pipe dream, but don't be surprised if Cutler returns sooner than expected.
However, to me, the game of the week will take place in San Francisco, where the Carolina Panthers come rolling into town, winners of 4 in a row. The 49ers, meanwhile, have won 5 straight, following their 1-2 start. The Panthers have been destroying their opponents of late, winning their last 4 by an average of 20 points per game. The 49ers will provide their firmest test by far. After Sunday, we'll know a lot more about the potential staying power of Carolina, and whether or not Cam Newton is officially turning himself into one of the top QBs in the league.
With the Patriots on a bye this week, what will your attention be focused on as we head toward week 10?
