tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125402567351329247.post7181571947301934845..comments2024-03-11T16:39:12.344-05:00Comments on Once A Knight ...: Score, score, score ... and I can't keep upNico Van Thynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072351355184106484noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125402567351329247.post-84916653106583758892012-11-02T18:08:21.220-05:002012-11-02T18:08:21.220-05:00As a child, I was told Charley McClendon's phi...As a child, I was told Charley McClendon's philosophy was: "they can't beat you if they don't score." Don't know if he really said that, but I bought into it and still prefer a low-scoring defensive battle. However, like you, I did graduate from Woodlawn and I certainly enjoyed watching the great Knight teams (and their QBs) of that 60s/70s era. The occasional offensive shootout can be fun to watch, but I'm becoming increasingly concerned that high schools are simply not producing the type of players that can play defense at a high level. We have entered an era in which only a handful of teams at the college level can actually play great defense. For example, look at the Big 12! It's horrifying how little defense gets played in that league. With the entire state of Texas to recruit, Mack Brown can't produce a credible defense. I've actually begun to speculate that when Saban retires it will mark the end of college football worth watching. Once teams don't have to beat Bama to win the SEC it will all become 7-on-7 football... Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125402567351329247.post-4452802128243157302012-11-02T14:40:06.823-05:002012-11-02T14:40:06.823-05:00From Dr. Leonard D. Ponder: I just read your blog ...From Dr. Leonard D. Ponder: I just read your blog on high-scoring football games. Like all your blogs it was interesting and well done. You shouldn't worry too much about the popularity of the spread, hurry-up offenses. It is just the natural evolution of football. The pendulum swings like pendulums do (there is a song in there someplace). Offenses get ahead of defenses for a while and then defenses catch up and we are back to low-scoring games. Even now good defenses slow down hurry-up defenses and beat them if the teams are near equal or if the hurry-up team is overmatched. For me, the hurry-up offense has saved football for a short time. I had become very bored with three yards and a cloud of dust football and I hate the length of time it takes for professional football teams to get a play off. Like you, I do not like 3 1/2 to 4 hour games, but at least the hurry-up offenses are maintaining action on the field. The official review of every close play contributes more to longer games than any other single part of football. It is now incumbent upon defensive coaches to find a solution, and they will. The current solution of faking injuries won't cut it. I also will drop football from my social agenda if the NCAA decides to change rules to force offenses back into three yards and a cloud of dust. The coach at Alabama is dead wrong to suggest (or perhaps he hinted) that solution.Nico Van Thynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07072351355184106484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125402567351329247.post-521001449271045662012-11-02T14:37:42.025-05:002012-11-02T14:37:42.025-05:00From Marty Mule': Nico, not a misstatement in ...From Marty Mule': Nico, not a misstatement in the piece. Good stuff. I always thought ties served a real purpose: to a lesser team against a strong team it was like a victory. To a strong team against a lesser opponent, it was like a loss (and the consequences were often just that, like wins and losses in the W-L column. A main problem is that the longer a tied games goes, the more it favors the stronger team, and when its talent takes over (usually for a win), it detracts from the effort of the lesser team (completely if it loses). I'm not sure I thought I'd ever run across another scribe who thinks like me. <br /><br />Nico Van Thynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07072351355184106484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125402567351329247.post-52212037212540208822012-11-02T14:36:17.439-05:002012-11-02T14:36:17.439-05:00From Ken Sins: I also appreciate balance. I'm ...From Ken Sins: I also appreciate balance. I'm a Football Giants fan. Eli can light it up, but I still consider them a defensive team (pressure the passer, force hurries and holding penalties, etc, which they've done to Tom Brady in each of the last three meetings). But I respectfully disagree with your dislike of the Ducks, a team I follow now that I live up here. They recruit kids who can fly, but are too small to be NFL stars. They get out on the edge with the option and force you to try and tackle them. Most defenses can't keep up with the no-huddle, and that makes them fun to watch. It creates a place at the highest level of college football for a kid who is fast, but too small to play on Sunday. Just my opinion. BTW, I also root for ND, which as you point out is a defense-first team. It takes all kinds...Nico Van Thynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07072351355184106484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125402567351329247.post-5848519137323155632012-11-02T14:34:58.687-05:002012-11-02T14:34:58.687-05:00From O.K. "Buddy" Davis: I get tired of ...From O.K. "Buddy" Davis: I get tired of the high-scoring games, too, Nico. Well, covering 'em, anyway.<br />Nico Van Thynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07072351355184106484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125402567351329247.post-3736246713720336572012-11-02T14:33:24.448-05:002012-11-02T14:33:24.448-05:00From Jim Robinson: I totally agree with your artic...From Jim Robinson: I totally agree with your article. If I wanted to go to a track meet, I would go to one. Give me a good old 14-13 duel anyday, without a bunch of turnovers. Now that is a good game!Nico Van Thynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07072351355184106484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5125402567351329247.post-75738965424336723592012-11-02T10:53:15.385-05:002012-11-02T10:53:15.385-05:00Remember Nico a tie is like kissing your sister!
...Remember Nico a tie is like kissing your sister!<br /><br />I look for LSU to play it's best game yet Saturday night and my tide boys ( I grew up in B'ham watching Bear beat everybody!) could stumble and fall.<br />But in the end I will take Nick over Les in a tight fourth-quarter situation!<br />pedropedronoreply@blogger.com