Coachin' 'em Up -- Don't Horse 'em and Don't Force 'em

Game two in the NFL is upon us already, not to mention the Maryland deer bow season. As quickly as the everything seems to be moving, I think I’ll head to the garage and grab my snow shovel, by the time I get there and get outside; there’ll be something waiting for me. 

I haven’t checked the weather report, but I’ve got a hunch it’s going to be a fair weekend weather-wise. Therefore, I’ll have to figure out, what I will do tomorrow. As of now there are two options, take Badger (my Cesky Foucek dog) fishing on the Potomac (he doesn’t fish, but sure enjoys chasing the fish away for me) or take Badger out to a  local farm and let him hunt. Now he doesn’t know it, but I’d be surprised if we bumped into any upland or forest birds that would make the hair stand up on the back of his neck. 

I’d be so grateful if he pointed a covey of quail, locked up on a lone grouse or woodcock. Of course the season isn’t in and I couldn’t shoot anything, but he needs to get on with his hunting training after all that is what he was bred to do. Which, now that I think of it, makes me the coach. And unfortunately, this is not a kind happenstance for Badger, because he instinctively knows more about what we are trying to do than his coach.

But, as his coach, even though I may not be an expert, when it comes to training a bird dog, I shall always keep two things in mind. First, to make sure it’s what he wants to do, and, having been bred for hunting since the 13th century, I feel pretty confident; it’s what he wants to do. When he sees me put my boots on, he is almost uncontrollable, because he knows we’re heading into the timber. Second, I don’t ever want the sport to not be fun. If he’s had enough, it’s time to pack it up.

When we project our aspirations and dreams onto someone else, we rob that person of their life and their ability to choose for themselves the pursuits that interest them. And also, when we force anyone, who is learning something for the first time, to continue on task after they have lost interest or are exhausted, a negative experience will be what is gained.

There will be a lot of us doing some coaching this fall, so let’s all keep a couple things in mind, when our “rookies” struggle, let’s cut them some slack, and leave the fire and brimstone for the Baptist preachers. Yo, Badger “Tally Ho the fox”!

Post Game Diesel Fuel: Beware of the "Mad Men"

I think we’re all suckers for the pitchman; I know I can be, and last night was a fine example of what I’m referencing. Instead of looking at what the boys in Vegas were saying (Dallas -3), I had to use a long-tom on the out come, because we were talking about Dallas. Dallas, the team that has the new stadium, where the Super Bowl will be played. Dallas, the team that has all that talent. Dallas, the team that has those powder blue uniforms and the helmet with the star.

Yep, I bought into they’re a top 3 or 4 team in the NFL. They may become that, but right now, as a lot of races go, everybody is bunched in the pack. And, it should be pointed out Washington is right there with them, along with the Giants, and even the Eagles. 

Dallas has problems with their offensive line right now; can they patch it before they fall flat? Washington has problems with their offense period; where are the playmakers? The Giants have problems with consistency; will it be another year like last year for them? And, lastly the Eagles have numerous problems, the most salient being; what are they going to do about their quarterback.

So I’m going to do as Ulysses did in the Illiad, in dealing with the Sirens.  l’m either going to seal my ears with wax, or have my crew lash me to the mast, so that my ship of predictions won’t be driven into the the rocks. By the way, who makes the preferred wax and bindings? Hmm, I’m looking over this advertisement and it says............ 

Post Game Diesel Fuel: Washington vs. Baltimore

Two down and two to go, as we look at the B&G preseason. My thoughts thus far are; we are watching mediocrity. This is not necessarily a bad thing at this point in time, but after watching the Ravens game Friday night, for me it's an easy conclusion. (Mediocrity may be a generous term actually, see Jets on Friday night.)

Let's start with the Trade. By now everyone should realize, Donny Mac is literally a loose cannon as a passer. What we're seeing now is what we'll be seeing in December. He is by all accounts a step up from Jason, but I don't see him as a miracle worker, unless jersey sales and club seats count. 

He will need all the help he can get from the running game and pass protection. If those items get checked off, he could excel to his Peter Principled position. But, when I heard team super salesman and my former teammate Joe Theismann compare him to Joe Montana, well, either my critiques are correct and I'm crazy, or Joe has a new passion for Purple Drank.

I don't know, if Larry Johnson got a fair shake having to go against the Ravens in a "last chance saloon" audition, but he did not make the most of it. After reviewing most of the first half, he should sue his offensive line and Mike Sellers for non-support. Boy, did they stick it to him, and don't you know the two times they got something done Clinton had the ball. Portis is the back in the opener against Dallas, but he'll only be as good as his last game, so LJ may get some work before it's over. Oh yeah, warm up Willie. Rex and his merry band of miscreants have a little something for him this Friday up in the Big Apple (actually it's the Big Crab Apple, it's Joisey for crying out loud.

Gotta go to work, but there'll be more soon.

RJR

On Grimm and Not "Real Pretty Football"

Transcript from "The John Riggins Show," August 5th, 2010

Lou Holder:  There was a time when the whole league knew counter-trey was coming, and they couldn’t stop it (laugh), they couldn’t stop it.  Randy White, you can’t stop it.  We’re running it right at you.

Riggo: It was a play that, I don’t want to say struck fear in anybody’s heart, but it was a play  that they got tired of having to try and stop, because you had Jacoby and Grimm in your face, and Donny Warren, if that was the heavy side over there, and with these guys, already the pile started to move, and then when I got there and slammed it, it moved a little bit further, and the next thing you know, you get up from the scrum, and you’re about 3 or 4 more yards down the field.  Not real pretty football, but certainly dominating football.

It’s funny we’re saying this, because I was thinking about, when you think of the fear that different backs , and I don’t want to put myself in that category, but there’s a difference between a power back and a finesse back.  I remember Howie Long talking about Barry Sanders --- uh, I mean your worst nightmare, having Barry Sanders out there.  And that is a fear --- Barry can go the distance in any given moment.  But with the power backs, those are the guys, that really ... it isin’t necessarily fear, but it’s where they actually steal your manhood... that’s where it’s mano e mano, it’s down in the pitt, and that’s what crushes team spirit, and that’s what crushes the will to resist.  I remember George Dickson, the running back coach, that was here back in 78’,  George told me, “You know, eventually during the course of a game, one team breaks the other team’s will to resist.”  And that’s what those teams were back then, that were led by guys like Russ Grimm.  There was no finesse.  We weren’t a west coast offense.  I mean we could throw the ball down field, make no mistake about that, we could throw the ball down field against anybody, but it wasn’t necessarily what we did. Everything was predicated off of hitting somebody and continuing to hit somebody, until they finally started to give.  You know you just keep hammering away,  what do they say?  it’s like when you take a block, a big rock, and you start hammering it with a sledge hammer, it doesn’t break on the first blow, it may not break on the tenth blow, but sometimes, all the sudden, that 50th blow, it turns into rubble.  And that’s kind of the way that offense was. 

And as I say that, the defense was very similar in the same regard. The turn overs. Richie Petitbon had guys comin’ from all over, you never knew really what was going to happen out there.  There were guys that were playing at a very high level... had their motors runnin.’ 

We go back to those days, and everyone remembers that fondly.  Isin’t that human nature? Once you get a taste of something, and once you’ve been there,  this privilege becomes a right,  and all the sudden when you get it yanked away, all the sudden, it’s not so much fun anymore. 

We Lost The Boss

Ishmael: Ehhhh, you can't fool us; it's the easiest thing in the world for a man to look as if he's got a great secret in him.

Elijah: I have, lad, I have. At sea one day, you'll smell land where there'll be no land, and on that day Ahab will go to his grave, but he'll rise again within the hour. He will rise and beckon. Then all - all save one shall follow.
Moby Dick, by Herman Melville.

We might have known that as he became more obscure and irrelevant; George Steinbrenner, would somehow manage on the day of the All Star game to play his final 'look at me' card, and would cast his voluminous shadow on a game and a team that he has more or less transcended. I actually started to write about the All Star Game, but George somehow managed to stand in my way, something that he'd perfected as owner of the New York Yankees.

I don't have much to say about his passing, other than with all due respect to the deceased, Charley Finley was George Steinbrenner before George Steinbrenner. Charley, however, owned the K. C. Athletics and later the Oakland Athletics, not the New York Athletics. George Steinbrenner was iconic as an owner of a professional team, but he owes his brush with fame more to the city where his team performed than anything of his own doing. I'll do my best to give him the respect he deserves by saying, when we think of being in the right place at the right time, he created the time, but the place created him.