When Springfield experiences an epidemic of childhood obesity (again), the town turns to Pop Warner football to encourage kids to exercise more. Like they previously did with minor hockey, the adults abuse their positions of responsibility and monopolize the activity. Homer and Flanders take turns coaching the team and offer two contrasting coaching philosophies. While the team wins the championship at the conclusion of the season, it can be attributed more to the talent of the players involved than their coaches. The team is initially coached by Ned Flanders – who is motivated by his community spirit and his desire …
Peyton Manning and Leadership
In addition to improved passing statistics and a more efficient offense, Peyton Manning has contributed to the Denver Broncos with his leadership, making for a harder working, more professional and more focused team.
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Winning Football Teams
Last Sunday, the Detroit Lions played on Sunday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints. The young team, comprised of talented young draft picks, committed eleven penalties, including three personal fouls and were shredded by the efficient Saints who exercised control in their precise offensive sets and discipline on the field. Tonight, the Pittsburgh Steelers are playing the Cleveland Browns. While the physical defense has struggled with league rules regarding hits to the head, the team has been remarkably consistent over the past twenty years, frequently making the playoffs and winning two Super Bowls. The Steelers have drafted late in …
The Importance of Being Reasonable
During the first half of last night’s contest on Football Night in America, Mark Sanchez called an unnecessary timeout as his team approached the goal line within the two-minute warning. The Jets scored but left enough time for Tom Brady and the Patriots to answer back with seconds remaining in the half. Interviewed at half-time, Rex Ryan called Sanchez’s actions “the stupidest play in football history.” Obviously hyperbole, Ryan’s remarks suit his intense personality. It seems to suit the New York defense perfectly and feeds their aggressive personalities. With a young quarterback, such comments may have the opposite effect.
Joe Paterno and Leadership Dilemmas
The recent crisis at Penn State University highlighted some legal and moral responsibilities that come with positions of leadership.
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Harvard Beats Yale 29-29
Harvard Beats Yale 29-29, named after the infamous headline on the Harvard Crimson paper, is a basic but thorough documentary. There is the original game footage, supplemented by commentary from players – including Tommy Lee Jones who played Guard for Harvard – and some simple photos and cartoons by a pre-Doonesbury Gary Trudeau who was enrolled at Yale. The beauty of the documentary is how the directory Kevin Rafferty used simple storytelling to transport the viewer to a game which was played over forty years ago. Firstly, Rafferty establishes the context of the game. Vietnam and civil rights were issues …
Skills We Should Teach More, Part II: The Mental Side of Passing
The ballhandler sees a teammate down court and throws a chest pass to his outside shoulder. The defender, having read the point guard’s eyes, closes the gap and times his jump to steal the ball. The opponent goes the other way and scores, finishing an and-1. A bad pass led to two points, a team foul, and a baseline inbounds. During N.F.L. Kickoff Weekend, commentators prattled endlessly about the need for quarterbacks to estimate the distance between the defender and the receiver. One speculated that newly unretired Brett Favre would incorrectly evaluate the strength of his aging throwing arm and …
Instant Replay and the Green Bay Packers
Instant Replay by Jerry Kramer and Run to Daylight by Vince Lombardi helped popularize the sport novel – a famous author partnering with an athlete or coach to bring fans into the locker room – whereas Vince by Michael O’Brien is a regular biography that benefited from popularity of those other works. Lombardi’s report of a week during the regular season is the most succinct and provides the best coaching advise and Kramer’s account presents the viewpoint of a thoughtful player throughout a championship season. On the other hand, O’Brien’s cursory biography does not introduce any new information or anecdotes …
Paradigm Shifts
Recently I read War as They Knew It: Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and America in a Time of Unrest and Coach: The Life of Paul “Bear” Bryant. The books chronicled three iconic college football coaches during a time when their profession and the world around them were evolving at breakneck speed. The first book is about the Hundred Yard War and how the coaches reacted to each other and unrest on their respective campuses; the second book focuses on Bear Bryant’s life, especially his time in Tuscaloosa. Thomas Kuhn, in his book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions talks about how …
Superbowl XLIII
Most people would say that Superbowl XLIII was an exciting game and largely well-played. Is that true? How do casual fans evaluate success? Kurt Warner likely performed better than Ben Roethlisberger (112.3 to 92.3 passer ratings) and Larry Fitzgerald likely outplayed Santonio Holmes. Yet the Steelers’ performances will linger in the memories of the masses because they succeeded under pressure and created defining moments. A more arbitrary P.E.R. might have shown that the Cardinals played more consistently. If Arizona assesses their season properly and plugs the right holes, they have many building blocks for future success. Why do teams play …
Extraordinary Events
What is the overall effect of an extraordinary event on a single team? The death of Alexei Cherepanov during a game triggered an eight-game slide for Avangard Omsk in the K. The Superbowl champion New York Giants lost four of their last five games after receiver Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg. Teams can collapse when a key player is suspended or experiences a breakdown on the court. Yet other teams rally together when they experience a critical injury. What is the difference between a positive and a negative outcome in the face of adversity? A lot of a …
People Who Play Sport
When asked about Bill Belichick’s coaching success, analyst Chris Schultz said that New England’s coach understood the difference between football players and people who play football. When asked about Sam Cassell’s potential as a coach, Sam Mitchell said that Los Angeles’ point guard must learn what to do when players don’t see what he sees. Major-General Isaac Brock was appreciated for the charisma he employed while commanding British forces in Upper Canada. Colonel Roger Sheaffe was equally disliked for his aloofness and occasionally cruel management style. The critical trait was to treating the 49th Regiment of Foot as a group …
Coach People, Not Players
Joe Gibbs retired for a second time Tuesday, six weeks after an ignorant timeout decision costing a November game in Buffalo brought critics out of the woodwork only to be silenced by Washington’s determined four-game winning streak to make the playoffs. Gibbs will be remembered for controlling the line of scrimmage with brutal line play, amassing yards and points with innovative offensive sets, and making the most of each player’s talents. The most recent stint with the Redskins proved that Gibbs could connect with a new generation of players, despite conventional wisdom purporting that such team building was irrelevant in …
West Viriginia Will Regret that Game for the Rest of their Lives
West Virginia’s football team lost a gift-wrapped part in the B.C.S. National Championship Game thanks to a loss to Pittsburgh. The No. 2 ranked team was so heavily favoured that the combined score of both teams didn’t equal the spread. The Fiesta Bowl is a big deal but is nothing compared to a championship. What could Mountaineers have done to win the game? Could an extra practiced have been held, an additional weight training session scheduled, or more coaches’ meetings extended? Andre Agassi lost the 1989 French Open final to Andrés Gómez and was haunted by the loss until his …
Education of a Coach
David Halberstam’s Education of a Coach explores the path that Bill Belichick took to reach his position as head coach of the New England Patriots, winners of three Superbowl titles. Influenced by his father, long-time Navy coach Steve Belichick, Bill began breaking down film at a young age — though he never played football professionally or at a major college, he continued to study the game diligently under coaches such as Ted Marchibroda, Ray Perkins, and Bill Parcells. An unsuccessful stint coaching the Cleveland Browns interrupted and delayed a meticulously planned rise to the top of his field. Coaching suggestions …
So What Do You Think You Know?
Two ideas that I have been recently mulling over: Spin: A three-point shot, released with backspin, is tipped by a defender who is closing out desperately, hands up. The ball, deflected from its intended path, heads towards the short corner. Is the clockwise vector – applied to the bottom of the ball – strong enough to overcome the shooter’s finger flick? Does the ball have any rotation? If so, is it material enough to influence the ball’s trajectory (beyond the linear forces pushing the ball towards and away from the basket)? If nothing else, the block should augment the ball’s …
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