This is NOT going to be a blog about one play. Yes, the Packers took it in the shorts last night - and yes, that SHOULD be the straw that breaks the llama's back (the camel is on a work stoppage.) But the truth is that bad calls happen even when there are good referees on the field. This was not the first game ever to be decided by a ridiculous human error nor will it be the last. In fact, the chances are that a month from now we'll barely be hearing anything about Monday night's game. Unless, of course, the Seahawks and Packers both end up 9-7 and tied for the final playoff spot. When Seattle goes to the postseason based on a head-to-head win we'll be seeing that play more than the Zapruder film.
This blog, however, will be cruising at an altitude of 35,000 feet - looking at the bigger picture... and let me tell you, this ain't the Mona Lisa. The first few weeks of the season the players have put up with the replacement referees. Some have even enjoyed the new freedom they've felt knowing that they can launch themselves at opposing players with very little chance of drawing a flag. Talk about a Patriot missile. However, with as much as the NFL blows hot air about their newfound dedication to player safety, it's not hard to imagine a time when the player's association just won't put up with it anymore.
You see, the typical NFL player knows the risks. He knows that injury may be right around the corner, but he got where he is by putting it all on the line for that one elusive thing that can't be taken away from him: wins. He's willing to take a chance with his body to secure the W. But if even THAT can be taken away... well, Houston Texans, we have a problem.
So far the players union has played this pretty close to its vest. But you just KNOW that at the next collective bargaining session the NFL is going to hear about this. "Oh, you're working hard for player safety are you? What about in 2012 when you pulled a bunch of guys out of the Lingerie Bowl to referee the best athletes in the world?" And that's not even the worst-case scenario. One real injury and out comes the lawsuit for negligence. It may not be possible to kill the mighty NFL, but you sure could wound it a bit.
Roger Goodell is taking the sports world's highest-equity product and putting it at risk. I know he's trying to take a hard line and show that he's in charge, but he's betting the credibility of the sport on the idea that nobody will really care about the officials. When Drew Brees (the nicest guy on the planet) starts to issue pissy tweets, you are losing that wager.
Honestly, I'm surprised. I didn't think it would be this obvious. I thought this would be like asking high school teachers to lecture at a university. Sure, they may not be fully qualified, but they'll study up and it won't be that bad. Apparently this was more like asking my dentist to perform a heart transplant.
Goodell needs to bring the true healers back in before he finds himself facing a malpractice suit.
It may cost him some of that higher ground he thinks he's claiming, but a real leader is one who knows when it's time to compromise.
It's time.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Friday, September 7, 2012
What's Next? The 13th Man?
A funny thing happened in Aggieland this summer: Texas A&M got better.
Not the current team. No. I have a feeling they'll be waiting a long time in College Station for "better" on that front, but the Aggies' list of PAST accomplishments has blossomed in their time away from the Big 12.
Those of us who have been close to the Ags for a while now are quite familiar with their lone national championship. It came in 1939 and TAMU is quite proud of it... as they should be. The Aggies were ranked #1 by more polls and outlets than any other team that year. A reminder of that glory adorns the wall outside the stadium in big, bold letters along with their conference titles. Here's a look:
But this is where things get interesting.
Tomorrow the Aggies will play their first game in the SEC and they'll do so as 3-time national champions. This year's "wall of fame" looks a little different, doesn't it?
Looks like history has suddenly been quite kind to our friends in maroon.
How can this be? Well, in the early years there wasn't a central publication to declare a national championship. In 1919 Harvard, Illinois, Notre Dame and A&M were all ranked #1 at the end of the year depending on where you looked, but Harvard and Illinois had the most love and conventional wisdom shares the title between those two schools. Notre Dame, for all of their history and love for winning, does NOT claim a title for 1919. The Aggies do. Now.
In 1927 the Aggies didn't receive a national title nod from ANY publication, but they're claiming it anyway. You see, the Sagarin ratings have them on top. Never mind that Jeff Sagarin wasn't even BORN yet. He went back and did his statistical research on that year and determined that Texas A&M was the best team. This is like Tom Cruise declaring himself an Oscar winner because Roger Ebert went back and watched and thought Cruise was really good in Jerry Maguire.
But the Aggies are having a little bit of a problem with street cred right now in their new conference, so what the hell? Put it on the wall.
It doesn't end there. The Aggies fired up the old flux capacitor and won two more Big 12 titles over the summer, as well! Whoop!
Take 1997 for example. The Ags won the Big 12's south division and went to the Big 12 Championship Game against Nebraska and it was a blowout! Oh wait. The Aggies were the ones blown out. They lost 54-15 in the conference title game, but they're etching 1997 into the wall anyway. I guess for the division part? Hard to say.
In 2010 it's even worse. A&M ended the season in a 3-way tie for the south division. They finished 3rd in that 3-way tiebreaker and didn't even GO to the conference title game. Who cares? Throw it up there!
I hoped that if anything would come out of this move to the SEC it would be that finally the Aggies would be able to shake the giant inferiority complex that they had within their state. Apparently, it's gotten even worse.
Texas A&M is literally re-writing history just so they'll look (at least a LITTLE bit more) like they belong in college football's premiere conference.
This would be funny if it weren't so sad... and it would be nice fodder for ribbing our neighbors here in our great state if it weren't so embarrassing for our great state.
Come on, Aggies. You talk so much about tradition and honor. Manufacturing tradition is hardly honorable. Quit worrying so much about history and concentrate on MAKING history.
That's what TRUE champions do.
Not the current team. No. I have a feeling they'll be waiting a long time in College Station for "better" on that front, but the Aggies' list of PAST accomplishments has blossomed in their time away from the Big 12.
Those of us who have been close to the Ags for a while now are quite familiar with their lone national championship. It came in 1939 and TAMU is quite proud of it... as they should be. The Aggies were ranked #1 by more polls and outlets than any other team that year. A reminder of that glory adorns the wall outside the stadium in big, bold letters along with their conference titles. Here's a look:
Tomorrow the Aggies will play their first game in the SEC and they'll do so as 3-time national champions. This year's "wall of fame" looks a little different, doesn't it?
How can this be? Well, in the early years there wasn't a central publication to declare a national championship. In 1919 Harvard, Illinois, Notre Dame and A&M were all ranked #1 at the end of the year depending on where you looked, but Harvard and Illinois had the most love and conventional wisdom shares the title between those two schools. Notre Dame, for all of their history and love for winning, does NOT claim a title for 1919. The Aggies do. Now.
In 1927 the Aggies didn't receive a national title nod from ANY publication, but they're claiming it anyway. You see, the Sagarin ratings have them on top. Never mind that Jeff Sagarin wasn't even BORN yet. He went back and did his statistical research on that year and determined that Texas A&M was the best team. This is like Tom Cruise declaring himself an Oscar winner because Roger Ebert went back and watched and thought Cruise was really good in Jerry Maguire.
But the Aggies are having a little bit of a problem with street cred right now in their new conference, so what the hell? Put it on the wall.
It doesn't end there. The Aggies fired up the old flux capacitor and won two more Big 12 titles over the summer, as well! Whoop!
Take 1997 for example. The Ags won the Big 12's south division and went to the Big 12 Championship Game against Nebraska and it was a blowout! Oh wait. The Aggies were the ones blown out. They lost 54-15 in the conference title game, but they're etching 1997 into the wall anyway. I guess for the division part? Hard to say.
In 2010 it's even worse. A&M ended the season in a 3-way tie for the south division. They finished 3rd in that 3-way tiebreaker and didn't even GO to the conference title game. Who cares? Throw it up there!
I hoped that if anything would come out of this move to the SEC it would be that finally the Aggies would be able to shake the giant inferiority complex that they had within their state. Apparently, it's gotten even worse.
Texas A&M is literally re-writing history just so they'll look (at least a LITTLE bit more) like they belong in college football's premiere conference.
This would be funny if it weren't so sad... and it would be nice fodder for ribbing our neighbors here in our great state if it weren't so embarrassing for our great state.
Come on, Aggies. You talk so much about tradition and honor. Manufacturing tradition is hardly honorable. Quit worrying so much about history and concentrate on MAKING history.
That's what TRUE champions do.
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