Disappearing numbers

-- Random irritation for the day? Lack of combine results posted on NFL.com. You get some stats, while others appear to have just disappeared into the digital ether. What happened? -- Second random irritation? Out of 19 QBs, just three took part in the Bench press. It's a joke. If you're injured, fair enough. But guys like Tebow? And what about the others? Where's the competitive spirit shown by the O-linemen. Even a special teams guy had a crack. He only posted 10, but at least he did it. Personally I'd be heavily down grading all those Prima Donna passers. Far from saving their draft stock at its present value, I think the whole group who didn't participate just shot themselves in the foot. A$$holes. -- Moving on to the state of negotiations between the league and the NFLPA over getting a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in place, I decided to do a bit of history studies. And it doesn't look good for the players. The last two strikes were miserable failures and this one may just top the cake. For those that are interested, the league are threatening a lockout which is markedly different from a strike. If the players strike, then new guys can be brought in to replace them and those players desperate for cash can always cross the picket line. If the league brings on a lockout, that's a whole new ball game. That means no-one gets to comeback. Even if they want to, they cant. Is the union going to compensate those lower paid players? The whole thing just sucks. The players strategy appears to be to get the media and public on side. But I can't see many steelworkers, cops, gas station attendants, etc jumping on the players bandwagon and sympathising with them because those evil owners wont let them have an extra few million dollars for their pay checks. Honestly, I hope the league dumps all the players and just reboots it's rosters. That would be funny as hell.

On the Trading floor

As the draft looms ever closer and we get stuck into the combine, I want to briefly (he says) touch on the subject of trading up and down in the draft. Currently I'm reading "The Genius: How Bill Walsh Reinvented Football and Created an NFL Dynasty" by David Harris (highly recommend it for football fans). One of the things he hits on is how Walsh used to trade down, looking more often than not for multiple picks of solid starters as opposed to a few big names. At the time he was seen as being nuts to want to give away such valuable high picks. Then in the last decade we saw Bill Belichick do exactly the same thing with the Patriots, trading down to get more picks for solid players who could be worked into the line up. And now? Everyone's at it. By all accounts the Lions and Rams are struggling to offload their top picks. They don't want them and nor does anyone else. And thus I think their is a huge opportunity in this years draft. After the crazy contracts dished out for Stafford and co. last year, the mood is certainly against paying out the big dollars for the high draft picks. And herein lies the opportunity. The value of those top picks are reduced. The Rams and the Lions (who should really get together and start a superbly named pub) are in the perfect position to be robbed blind. Last year we saw the Jets make a bold move up in the draft to get Sanchez. For the rights to pick 5th overall, the Jets gave up their first round pick (17th overall), their second round pick (52nd overall) and three players; Brett Ratliff, Kenyon Coleman and Abram Elam. This kind of trade is also known by another name: "Daylight robbery". And this year the scene is set for some ripe pickings. As mentioned, both the Rams and the Lions have expressed an interest (with varying levels of desperation being reported) to ditch their picks. The Buccaneers at three are unlikely to go quietly, but the Redskins are definite suitors. They need a QB and they probably don't fancy paying Bradford, or anyone for that matter, 4th pick money. Their interest would be further peaked if the Rams took Bradford at number 1. Picking fifth is the Chiefs and GM Scott Pioli is from the Patriots stable. He understands the value of a good trade down. At 6 is the Seahawks and their head coach Pete Carroll who, other than looking disturbingly similar to Bill Walsh from the side, is likely keen to get extra picks in order to start rebuilding a team in dire need. The Browns might be a tougher nut to crack at 7 with Holmgren at the helm, but a former Walsh assistant himself, their is likely a little voice in the back of his head that is tempted to trade down. The Raiders pick at 8 and can either be bribed with a track star turned football player, or else be left to their own devices, which means picking the fastest player of whatever group they feel is most needed. At 9 it's the Bills, who basically need new talent at pretty much every position and would probably do a deal that somehow involved a QB and an O-lineman. Picking tenth is the Jaguars, who have needs at receiver and all across the D. Put together a tempting package along those lines and they're yours. So in summation, the top picks are up for grabs. Anyone with enough guts and the savvy to put together a tempting group of unwanteds can jump in their and snatch themselves some pretty nice prizes. I certainly would. -- Some random notes now, starting with WR prospect Dez Bryant. There are a lot of questions that hang over him coming into the Combine, mainly related to his connection to the Harbinger of Doom for young players, otherwise known as Deion Sanders. But my biggest concern is not off the field but on it. Watching the scarce film of him that I can find, I question his ability to make fast breaks on his routes and get separation. The reality is that at the NFL level he will be surrounded by some of the fastest defensive players he's ever seen and his seemingly casual breaks, where he often decelerates dramatically, will not cut it. Maybe I just happen to have seen the worse of him, but alarm bells are ringing for me. -- Bench press. Ugh. I hate this drill. First, I'd like to see the weight upped to around the 270-300 pound mark, really sort the men from the boys. Secondly, I don't get it. The theory is that you can tell how much time a kid has spent in the weight room using this drill. Not really. What you can tell is how much time the kid has spent in the last year pounding the bench press to artificially enhance his draft stock. And worse, it misleads people into thinking a good press tally will equate to good blocking, which is simply not true. Blocking skill is the cohesion of good footwork, good arm technique, leverage, posture, leg drive and determination. In other words, the bench press is a non-factor for me. Apologies then to Mitch Petrus who benched 45 reps, setting a new record (since 2000). -- Mike Iupati. Can't begin to give this guy enough praise. His college stats are pretty darn good, he has quick feet, great hands and never seems to give up. Whoever snaps him up has got themselves a hell of an O-lineman. Can't wait to see him in action. Remember the name (that's Iupati, I-U-P-A-T-I). And of course, don't forget that if you enjoy reading the blog, please tell all who will listen about this mad bloke who hates the Bench press, thinks teams should take more risks in the draft, hates the Panthers, thinks the Superbowl winning Saints are over rated and who managed to go a miserable 0-7 in his picks from the divisional round onwards this year. Have a nice day everyone.

Heads you win...

Just a quick update as the tie-breaking coin tosses have now been done for the first round of the draft. The venue chosen was the Westin Hotel in Indianapolis and what I really love about this is that they made special coins for the occassion with the teams respective logos on opposite sides, replacing heads and tails. The idea is that the coins are just thrown and neither side has to call in the air or any of that nonsense. Maybe it's just me but things like that add a touch of class, show that the NFL is, excuse the half pun, head and shoulders above the rest. I can just imagine the collectables market that would develop over time for picking up these coins if the NFL either sold or auctioned them off for charity. But anyway, allow me to put my business mind to side and focus on.... well, the business at hand. There were three coin flips, required because teams with similar records lacked any of the normal tie breakers, such as strength of schedule or divisional/conference record (those already being equal) and as a result of these coin flips, the following positions have been finalised. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars will take the 1oth pick in the draft, while the Broncos will pick 11th. Denver acquired this pick as part of the Jay Cutler trade deal. -- The Tennessee Titans take the 16th pick in the draft, with the San Francisco 49'ers picking 17th (just our luck, can't even win a coin toss). The 49'ers acquired this pick from Carolina. -- The Atlanta Falcons will take the 19th pick in the draft, with the Houston Texans picking at number 20. And one final thing for now, a bit of trivia for you. In a bizarre twist of fate (otherwise known as the 49ers average season), the 49ers pick in the second round just happens to be..... you guessed it....... the 49th pick in the draft.

Bold moves and average news

So nothing major to report today, just fancy going through some of the news that's been floating about on yonder internet plus anything else that catches my eye: -- Tim Tebow is reportedly going to miss the QB drills at the combine and instead he's working on his throwing motion. I admire the kid for wanting to put the work in that's asked of him. I think his ethic and his dedication is going to stand him in good stead in the NFL and you get the sense he's going to be a great leader, setting an example for others to follow. What concerns me is that in changing his throwing motion you're taking him out his natural rhythm. Yes you make his release faster, but is that going to adversly affect the timing of his throws? Maybe something to keep an eye on. -- LaDanian Tomlinson has been released by the Chargers. Many question whether LT still has the explosiveness in his legs to compete in the NFL. Though much has been said already about his leadership qualities and him being a standup guy, which is good for young players, everyone still believes he's going to be nothing more than a role player, just coming in for the odd down and change of pace. Personally I disagree. We saw this with Larry Johnson when he switched from the Chiefs to the Bengals. Suddenly he went from a terrible yards per carry to a much better showing and I think a lot of this was down to the Bengals more run friendly offense. The reality is that the Chargers don't run much and LT didn't get the carries. Couple that with their use of LT as mainly a short yardage and goal line type player and I think you have a good reason why LT's numbers came up short. I just think those damn statistics people are doing him no favours and whoever gets their hands on LT (come on San Fran') will get a valuable tandem player to go with their premier rusher. -- Enter Brian Westbrook, another RB who finds himself on the open market. Personally I don't get it. If you're Andy Reid, then you put LeSean McCoy in as #1 and you use Westbrook as your backup. That said it's Andy Reid and we all know Andy is a little rush adverse. So the market doesn't look all that tempting for Westbrook due to his concussions but honestly, I think someone is about to get a steal. Westbrook can run but even better, he can catch! Given the amount of time he's been off the field now he should be well recovered and if he keeps himself in top shape, look for him to make a surprising impact next year. -- Darren Sharper will NOT be tagged by the New Orleans Saints this off season. He seemed stunned by this decision while talking to the press, but at a guess I'd say the Saints went back and watched the film, realised that Tracey Porter and Jabari Greer did all his work for him and decided "na, not worth the exorbitant fee". Nice move by the Saints. But if they have a slump this season it'll all be blamed, incorrectly, on letting Sharper go. I can almost smell the bulls%$t bubbling already. -- For anyone that's interested, Mike Mayock, the NFL networks draft guru has done a series of videos explaining what all the main drills are at the combine and what coaches and scouts are looking for. It's a well put together series of clips and Mayock does a sound job with the explanations. If you're an experienced coach or football guy you may not find much value in it, but I always find that going back and reviewing things that look basic sometimes throws up ideas if nothing else. Worth a look I think. -- Speaking of the draft, both the Rams and the Lions are looking to dump their first round picks. No doubt there will be much debate but I think they don't really have anything to lose. If they pick high they get a great DT (either Suh or McCoy). If they can sell, they can get a player or two who gives them immediate help and they get extra picks to work with on rebuilding. Maybe they'd have been better off doing this last year, but hey. Supposedly the forerunner for the Rams pick is Tampa with talk of Josh Johnson going to St. Louis as well as the Bucs' first and third round picks. I think to get Suh or McCoy, that's a pretty good move and the Rams will get good service out of Johnson who's mainly impressed (me at least) in the brief flashes that we've seen of him. The Eagles could also been in with a shout, trading off Vick and some picks if they wanted. It's still possible that the Patriots might even make a move, if Belichick decides to take a gamble on an expensive rookie instead of Peppers. Me personally, I'd be going to my owner cap in hand requesting cash for a bold move; stealing both of the first two picks. Why the crazy trade? Suh and McCoy are both awesome tackles. What impresses me most when I watch them is their speed out of their stance, their great use of footwork and hands to get by O-linemen and their great instincts. Both of these guys love being around the ball and they work hard to make it happen. What you have is a chance to pick up two young guys who can make a difference on your D for years to come. So how do you go about it? First you have to be willing (and able) to ship a QB to the Rams and a defensive player, probably a tackle or a defensive back to the Lions. If I was Andy Reid of the Eagles I'd give Donovan McNabb to the Rams and Asante Samuel to the Lions. This may just be personal bias but I think McNabb is getting on a bit now and I think both Vick and Kolb give you more options offensively. I still think Vick can pass well and has a great motor when you need it and Kolb is the true starter in waiting. As for Samuel, yes he gives you picks, but at what cost? He gets beaten too easily by double moves, I question his effort at times and he is almost a non-factor in the running game. You're also going to have to give up your first round pick from this year and 2011. Whoever gets the 2011 pick will probably also want added compensation lower down in this years draft. For me, it's worth it. It's a brave move and if things don't work out, you look like an idiot, but I think this a calculated risk and I'd be more than willing to take. If I was the Panthers (hate 'em) I'd seriously consider this, as Peppers leaving puts a dent in your pass rush but also leaves some salary space open for the move. Trade a QB to the Rams (they have Delhomme and then 3 guys they'd hope to bring back from free agency) and find someone the Lions want (god knows who) and hey presto, new and improved pass rush plus run stopping capability. Well, least that's what I'd do. But then I can be a bit nuts at times.

Getting Drafty

So I promised to talk about drafting strategies this weekend and here it is. Please note that this isn't a guide to picking best players on the board etc, more a strategy of how to use the draft to help you build a franchise. Credit for the first 6 points you're about to see goes absolutely to Senior NFL.com analyst Pat Kirwan, from whom I basically I stole these points. 1. Stockpile draft talent; pick smart, with an eye on the future. 2. Make a big move only when necessary. 3. Try to avoid having to rely on the draft for immediate help. 4. Make a tough decision and cut losses when necessary. 5. Know when the team is too good to make use of all its draft picks and sell a few for future years. 6. Stay ahead of problems. I'm going to add two more to the list as well; number 7 I feel is very important and number 8 is something that Jamie Dukes has been hammering on about this past week on NFL Network: 7. Draft players that fit your system 8. First and Second round players must contribute. So let's get down to it and take them one at a time. Stockpile Draft Talent; pick smart, with an eye on the future This has basically been the Pittsburgh Steelers draft strategy since time immemorial. Picking players who will help your ball club in a few years time is basically the whole point of a draft. The idea is that you're picking up good players and then giving them one or two years to develop in your system. This has hit a snag of late though. That snag being that most coaches don't get 2 years to build a system. They get a season. If you fail, you're usually on the chopping block. No-one has any patience anymore, except maybe the Texans (for whom all that patience may just pay off big next season). Another good example is Belichick at New England, who will routinely deal away his higher picks in order to get multiple shots in lower rounds. He can now pick up several players who will probably not see a huge amount of playing time. They're projects, designed to come to fruition later down the line. Make a big move only when necessary A.k.a. that Jets taking a shot on Sanchez. They knew they needed help at the QB position and it wasn't going to come in free agency. So Rex Ryan and the organisation took a bold step and went high, snapping up their future franchise QB and I think this will pay off big time. He's not ready yet, still a lot of polishing to be done, but he has attributes such as leadership that are very desirable and it won't be long before he's a big threat through the air for the Jets. Coupled with their run game and an aggressive and talented defensive Head Coach, the future looks bright for the Green half of New York. Try to avoid having to rely on the draft for immediate help Too often I think teams believe the draft is going to bring them glory next season. A good example of this is the Philadelphia Eagles believing that the draft was going to bring them a Superbowl by finding new weapons for McNabb. Now it may do in a few years, probably with Kevin Kolb at the helm by then, but the expectation of instant success was unrealistic. I think Al Davis suffers from this problem down in Oakland as well, believing in that college mentality that pure athletes will walk on to your team and suddenly make it ten times better. Which is a shame for Raiders fans, because it doesn't happen. A much better strategy is to trade off those picks for players or restricted free agents. A perfect example is Brandon Marshall, who may indeed be well known for off field issues, but is said to be worth only a second or third round pick. I think Marshall is a great player and many of his arguments with the Broncos have been down to their mismanagement of him and his contract, as well as arguments with head coach Josh McDaniels. I think he'll fit in well somewhere like Baltimore, where he can start fresh with a young QB and a solid & sensible head coach. This would certainly be better for the Ravens than trying to dip into the draft for game changing talent at the wide receiver position. Make a tough decision and cut losses when necessary How odd to finish the last point talking about the Raiders only to begin this one with them as well. One name; JaMarcus Russel. If ever it was time to cut losses, this is it. As an enthusiast of Texas Hold'em poker I'm well aware of the dangers and pitfalls of sinking large sums into big pots. You just look at that big pile of cash, look back at your cards, realise your bluff has been called or the card you hoped for hasn't come up, and it just seems so tempting to cling on in there. But sometimes you just have to appreciate that you've lost this hand, that your hopes of winning are done, and now you have to bail out before you sink any more cash into a lost cause (government members and their aids should play more Texas Hold 'em!!). JaMarcus is just such a character. The Raiders badly need to cut their losses, ditch him, take the hit of paying his salary for him to warm the bench, and then move on and find themselves a true franchise QB. The Seahawks could do with a dose of this attitude as well and move on without Hasselbeck, whose injuries and poor play would indicate he's not going to take them very much further. Know when you're team is too good to make use of all its' draft picks and sell a few for future years Again we comeback to the Patriots under Belichick, who has diligently marshaled his picks during the ripe years as insurance against the lean ones. This is one of the reasons that the Patriots end up with so many second and third round picks (in the 2009 draft they picked 4 times in the second round, including 3 of the top 10 picks, then twice more in round three). A few good examples from this year that will be interesting to watch are the Packers and the Cowboys. These are two teams that really found their groove this year and when you look at their lineups, there are some holes, but not many. They really have solid players on both sides of the ball and it'll be interesting (to me at least) to see what they do with their draft choices, whether they tuck these away for another year or not. Stay ahead of problems Someone should really copy this one and post it to the Browns, Rams and Lions. Not that it matters now as it's too late. These are three teams that have left themselves in a position where they're looking at the draft and saying "what do we need?" and the overwhelming response from their personnel department should be "everything!" You simply can't let yourselves get into this state. Take the Vikings for example. Their getting old at the defensive tackle position and Antoine Winfield is struggling with injuries. Couple that with the fact that they're relying on Brett Favre to comeback for another shot at the big one and you have an emerging issue for this team. They need to draft wisely this year to stay ahead of expected problems that they will likely have in the 2011 season. Unless Peterson goes down injured this season, in which case it's panic button overload. Draft players that fit your system Jason Campbell of the Redskins is not your prototype West Coast Offense passer. That's why he wasn't such a great fit for the system they've been trying to run. Honestly, you'd rather have Jeff Garcia (who I still rate) come in and run that offense. It just seems that sometimes teams pick players without really looking at their system and saying "how will this guy fit in?". Now there are some exceptions. For a guy like Tebow I'd gladly switch to the shotgun more and just spend a year getting him some practice reps from under center before switching to full on under center the next year, but by and large you do yourself no favours by picking players that will find it hard to adjust to what you do. This I think has a lot to do with why the Eagles have been consistently very good since And Reid came along, because they've pick up players who often fit their system very well (as noted, he picked up Garcia as an insurance policy last year). It's just a shame that Reids' play calling is questionable along with a few other decision making processes, other wise the Eagles would be perennial Superbowlers. First and second round players must contribute It's a fact of life that NFL coaches hav, on average, a short life span. This is why it's important to use those first and second round picks, and the money that goes with them, on players who will help you now.This is probably the main reason that Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy will go so high in the draft, because they can come in and make a quick impact. Maybe not change your teams fortunes around single handedly, but definitely help make an impression. Third round and below is where you go looking for projects, players that you will either mould into future superstars or who will mould themselves into dropouts. But with all the money up for grabs at an early stage, first and second round picks must deliver something. I'm not talking about game breakers, but they should at least play. And if there's no one you feel can do it? Follow the advice given previously and cut your losses, trading down and/or into the future. Don't waste the valuable pick, make it work for you. So that just about wraps that up. I hope it's been informative in some degree and again credit for the first six has to go to Pat Kirwan and number 8 is really thanks to Jamie Dukes. Just looking forward to the NFL combine and I'll try and give you my thoughts as the days go by. Whatever you're up to this week, have fun.

"It's about Jimmy's and.... put that gun down Chris..... ahhhhh"

I hereby do solemnly swear that over the weekend I will do my post about drafting strategies. But for now a few random irritations: 1) "We run a spread offense because it puts more atheletes on the field, in space where they can make plays, and so we can force the defense to cover the entire field which opens up opportunities for our inside running game." -- Anyone who spends any amount of time on Coaching forums, particularly Coach Huey, will recognise this kind of statement. And it makes me choke everytime I read it. Is a an O-linemen not an athelete now? Aren't the receivers on an I-formation team still "in space where they can make plays?". And forcing the defense to cover the whole field to open up space for the running game, haven't I heard that somewhere before? Isn't that just Bill Walshs' philosophy for the WCO? What I hate most about statements like the one above is that they're just 'slogannising'. It sounds cool, it sounds sexy. Most people, even the coaches saying it, don't have a god damn clue what it means. It's just talk. Usually followed by this next statement. 2) "It's about Jimmy's and Joes, not X's and O's" -- which basically translates as, "I have no idea what the hell I'm doing". To me this is the ultimate excuse. When you lose, it's the "Jimmys & Joes" fault. Because you didn't have any right? Or the other teams were bigger, faster, stronger. But when you win, it's all "well, that's because my super-spread-no-huddle-shotgun-whistles-and-bells-offense put the Jimmy's and Joes in the right place" etc ad nauseum. Essentially what you're doing is taking all the blame off yourself and placing it on the kids, while being fully prepared to steal their thunder when they win a game. 3) "You can coach that, you get out of bed with it" -- listen up Sterling Sharpe, this is you all over my friend. The theory goes as such; that it is impossible to coach a player to be a good QB, to be able to read defenses, to make a guy run faster etc. This is horsesh%t. You can teach any guy to run faster. You can ask a player to diet and lose weight while working on his running technique and weight program, plyometrics etc. You can make any reasonably tall guy put on weight, hit the lifting room and then teach him how to block like an Offensive Tackle. It's merely a question of whether the player and the coach are prepared to do the necessary work. About the only thing you can't 'coach' is height. Well that's another rant done for the day. Respect to Jamie Dukes who bizzarely since my post about him interrupting people has actually stopped doing it. Let's be sure here that I consider that to be nothing more than coincidence as opposed to him actually reading this. Though you never know......

2nd class citizen

With the draft not far off (ish) I think now is a good time to talk Tebow. Oh yeah, Tim Tebow, the QB of the Florida Gators who is heading into the draft in quite a unique situation. I say this because he is simultaneously being touted as the greatest college football player of all time..... but apparently only worthy of a second round pick in most peoples books. All for two reasons: His throwing motion and his mobility. It is believed that in order to get the best out of Tebow he will need an offense that is built around him, specifically to take advantage of his skill set. At the same time it's also thought that his throwing action takes too long and will be vulnerable to strips. I don't get it. His motion is a little cumbersome and yeah, he might suffer a few more strips than the average QB, but the fact remains he's a great passer. And for that reason alone, I see no need to build an offense specifically around him. Let's not forget that Tebows lowest season completion percentage came in 2008 when he completed a paltry 64.4% of his passes (can you smell the sarcasm?) His career completion percentage through College was 67.1%. He threw for 9286 Yards. He threw 88 touchdowns.... that's right 88, compared to 15 interceptions. Oh and let's not forget he rushed for a career tally of 2947 yards and also clocked 57 touchdowns with his feet. That's just crazily good. And he's being called a second rounder why? I just don't get it, I don't get the NFL mentality to drafting sometimes. How is Tebow not a lock to go in the first 5? If you're the St.Louis Rams, how are you not drooling at the prospect of nabbing Tebow with the number 1 overall pick. And let's face it, that organisation needs some help in all areas, but especially on offense. They need someone to be a foil to Steven Jackson and I think Tebow is it. It just drives me nuts. It's like Darius Heyward-Bey. How in the hell did that guy get picked at Number 7 in the first round? Because he ran a quick 40 yard dash? Who the hell cares! The fact is both Jeremy Maclin and Michael Crabtree are better receivers and should have gone first. It just strikes me as typical NFL madness. In the world of the NFL, Heyward-Bey is better than Crabtree, and Tebow is a second rounder. Long live the NFL. And while I'm in rant mode, I have a message for NFL Network analyst Jamie Dukes. Jamie, you often have a good point to make and you very often see things that no other analyst on your network does. Your chemistry with Tom Waddle when you make your picks is fun to watch. But please Jamie, for the love of god, stop interrupting people!!! Maybe it's just me. Maybe it's just because I hate being interrupted mid-speech, but it drives me nuts when he cuts someone off (poor Steve Wyche being the most recent victim) when they're trying to make a point. He just hears something he doesn't like and can't quite hold in that desire to suddenly burst into action and talk over them. Rant Over. At some point in the next week or so, I'll be looking at what I think is a very sound drafting strategy, stolen from underneath the nose of NFL.com senior analyst Pat Kirwan. Till then, take care and have a nice day.

Getting offensive.... again.

So the other day I went into depth about the Saints and their version of the West Coast Offense. Today I want to talk about the Colts offense. And immediately we run into a hiccup. Most offenses will fit into one of a number of definiable catergories. The fact is most offensive co-ordinators in the NFL didn't create their own system, they learnt someone elses. You work as a wide receivers coach here, a quarterbacks coach there and hey presto, you get a job as an offensive co-ordinator and start running the offense you're most familiar with. The Colts however, are a law unto themselves. They do things differently than just about every other team in the NFL and they mix in aspects of more offensive systems than you can shake a stick at. From play to play they might be throwing short passes, screens, running inside or outside zone rushing plays, going play-action and just about every other type of play in between. So let's start with the absolute basics and look at formations. Or in the Colts case, lack of formations. They sometimes can be seen lining up in a pretty standard I-formation and sometimes they'll go right to the other end of the scale and line up in an empty set, but most common is the 1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR type look (though TE Dallas Clark might as well be listed as a WR). Sometimes you'll find Manning in the gun, 5 yards deep, where he can get a good look at the defense and also get some separation from the pass rush, but just as often he'll be under center, with a RB 7 yards deep behind him to facilitate better runs and better play action. One thing you don't see often from the Colts is motion. Now the lack of formations is pretty radical by NFL standards, but the lack of motion is practically unheard of. The concensus opinion in the NFL and even at the College level seems to be that motion is the best way to get mismatches etc. The Colts approach is different. The idea is that they line up in a formation, you line up to match it, then Manning reads your defense and picks a play based on the look you're giving him. This has one distinct advantage over many of the multiple formation, multiple motion teams; namely Manning always knows where his receivers are and where they're going. Because they don't move around much he can clearly see which defenders are matching up against his receivers and what technique they're using (shoulders square with the LOS and staring at the receiver usually means man coverage; shoulders and eyes facing QB = Zone). You can mess about and play games on defense, running people all over the place, providing you understand that Manning will occasionally snap the ball at the earliest opportunity in order to catch you out while you're shifting about. The sneaky beggar. The play selection process is also odd compared to the rest of the league. Usually teams give their QB a certain degree of leeway, but not a huge amount. Now to be honest, outsider knowledge of the Colts system is a bit sketchy, but it basically boils down to Manning having considerable room for adjustment, calling plays as he sees fit. He then communicates this to the other players with a series of codewords and hand signals, liberally interlaced with a number of false calls to stop the defense getting the jump on him. Often he'll call a play, line up, then change it to another play when he gets a better look at the D. Sometimes this can prove to be his own undoing though as defenses then check their coverage in order to counter his changes..... and the chessmatch goes on. As for the plays themselves, they come in all shapes and sizes. Runs (on the rare occassions when the holy Manning deems it worthy to hand the ball off to someone else) mainly come in the form of zone type plays, usually when the defense only leaves 6 men in the box to stop the run. So what do we mean when we say 'zone' runs? Essentially on a traditional run, the O-line and whoever else has been called in to block will block man to man. They each have a player who they must take on single handedly. In zone schemes, there's a little more latititude. Now the entire O-line, the TE, everyone really, is taking a lateral step as soon as the ball is snapped. The idea is to get the defensive front moving, and once moving, to find a way to create a lane up the middle of them. Linemen will usually have a responsibility to cover the man over them, and if that's a linebacker lined up off the LOS, then they often end up turning inward and helping their team mate next to them, before flowing off the block and into the second level. The RB has to be a bit more patient than normal, waiting for a hole to open, and then hitting it as soon as possible. It's often said that backs in a zone scheme get one cut then they must head upfield. One of the great things though about the Colts rushing attack is that despite being one of the worst in the league, it also seems to be the most feared. I say this because the threat of Peyton Manning is infinitely greater than the threat of Joseph Addai, and yet teams will crawl all over the Colts play action. Maybe it's the skills of Manning in the play fake, who knows. What I do know is that Manning loves turning around after a good fake and seeing safeties backpedalling in fear as they realise the mistake they've just made. If you watch closely, you can almost see a little bit of saliva dripping out of his mouth, like a Wolf waiting to pounce on a crippled sheep. And so we come to the bit people are most interested in when anyone mentions the Colts offense; The Pass. The Colts, as we know, are fond of their 3 receiver sets. Chuck in Dallas Clark and what you have is the ability to run 2 man combinations on each side of the field. What do I mean by 'combinations' you all say? Well honestly I thought that would be obvious but if you insist on asking, I shall explain. What the Colts are (usually) trying to do is set someone up. They have the two receivers on one side run their routes in such a way that usually one defender is forced into a choice. Whichever way he goes, Manning throws the opposite way. It's classic offensive passing football. And the Colts will throw the full gamut of ranges, from quick slants to deep posts, stretching the field vertically to create more room for the medium passing and zone running. And finally, we must talk screens. Not windscreens, but wide receiver screens. A favourite Manning-counter-blitz tactic is the screen. They do throw them to the backs (as the Saints did to score their first touchdown on Sunday), but more commonly they'll go wide. You throw to a receiver on the perimeter who works inside to and then with the ball, while the line rolls off the pass rush and gets down field to block. The trick is to get inside your blockers and let them blow a hole for you in the secondary. The Colts do this pretty well, though perhaps not to the same level as the Eagles (le screen-meisters). But through all this, let us not forget that Manning is the grease that makes it all go. Even in another system, one which tied him to the offensive co-ordinator, he would still succeed (I'd argue that in such a scheme he would be forced to run more and might actually do better). Manning anticipates the pass rush, anticipates the open windows downfield and then delivers with touch and accuracy in an almost unparalelled manner. He makes bad receivers look average and average receivers look good. If I had to choose the defining characteristic, it would be the anticipation. Most people watch a game and they see lots of players running about down field. Manning sees not where they are, but where they're going to end up in the next few seconds. More importantly, he sees the holes that are about to open and tucks the ball in perfectly, on time. And that, more than anything, makes the Colts offense what it is.

More fumbling for answers

Ugh, I just had to follow up my piece on the Saints with a quick beatdown of NFL network analyst Michael Lombardi. When asked about the fumbling woes of Adrian Peterson he proceeded to talk about how Peterson has large biceps and that these hinder his ability to tuck the ball away securely, and then further added that this is a problem shared by a lot of players who lift weights etc, ad nauseam. Michael, don't be an idiot. Go and watch some film of Adrian Peterson. Watch him running down the field, with just his wrist cocked to hold the ball. He doesn't even bother to tuck it. Naturally, when he gets into a tight spot he closes his arm in, but usually not even enough to bring the ball into contact with his chest. Poor fundamentals. That's why he fumbles so much. Grrrrr!!!

Getting offensive

Ok, so maybe it's a little late to start dissecting the offenses of the Superbowl participants, but hey, my blog, my rules. We'll start with the Saints. Basically the Saints run a West Coast Offense which in itself doesn't really help anybodies understanding. Firstly, there is an ongoing debate/crying match as to which system should be called the 'West Coast Offense'. This stems from the fact that the term was first applied to the system as used by guys like Sid Gillman, Don Coryell (who somehow missed the HOF this year along with Roger Craig. WTF) and Ernie Zampese. The term was then misapplied to Bill Walsh's system which drew the ire of the former 49ers coach, who is often quoted as saying something along the lines of "Call it what you like. Call it the Bill Walsh offense or the Ohio River offense. Just don't call it the West Coast Offense. That's something completely different." The point is a little mute now. Regardless of what each system should correctly be referred to as, the reality is that most people know the system currently used by guys like Mike Martz and Norv Turner as the 'Air Coryell' system, and the Bill Walsh type system as the 'West Coast Offense'. And so the names have stuck and we should all stop moaning about the etymology and correct application of the name and just get down to business. Which is where the next problem arises. As the more observant of you will have noticed, in my sidebar I go to great pains to complain about TV pundits use of the term 'West Coast Offense'. The single most common thing you here is '.... a three step drop, ball control offense'. This is just about the anti-christ of what the WCO (I can't be bothered to keep typing West Coast Offense) is about. Yes, the three step drop technically forms a portion of the ball control aspect, but really it's the five step drop that does the trick. The essence is simple. When he was the offensive co-ordinator for the Bengals, Walsh realised he and his offense would need to somehow achieve 25-30 first downs per game in order to stay competitive with the other teams in their division. The trouble was, he simply didn't trust the Bengals ground game. So the solution was 5 step drop, ball control passes. Out routes, In routes, Hook/Curl routes. The QB takes a 5 step drop and the receiver should go into his break at about 10 yards. The QB should be just about ready to throw as the receiver begins to turn and break. The idea is to complete short passes such as these in order to build a series of consecutive first downs. If the defense (specifically the Cornerbacks) start sitting off at a depth of ten yards, THEN you bring in the 3 step drops and start throwing Quick hooks, quick outs, and quick slants. The defense is giving you these throws by the nature of their passive alignment. The gradual aim is to flatten the defense, drawing safeties and corners down a little closer and forcing linebackers to spread out to try and take away the throwing lanes. This now (hopefully) opens up the rest of your offense. Deep throws now become possible over the top (a standard for WCO teams is to tell their receivers to convert a 10-yard out into a fade vs bump and run coverage). It also creates lanes on the inside for running the ball (sounds a lot like all the fancy new 'spread' offenses that have been prevalent in college football for the last 10 years. New? Their philosophy is over 30 years old!). Now you should be able to call inside run plays that consistently achieve moderate yardage (say 5-10 yards) and at the same time you're reducing the number of risky throws that have to be made. This last point is the single biggest failing of most modern WCO teams. When you go back and look at the 49ers total pass attempt and rush attempt numbers from the 1980's (and anyone can do this by looking at the team stats on NFL.com), you'll notice that the 49ers typically had 50 or so more rushing attempts than pass attempts during the whole of an average season. That's pretty darn balanced right there. Now look at modern teams like the Eagles under Andy Reid or the Seahawks under Holmgren. Their offense is heavily pass balanced (Reid is especially guilty of this). So what does all this have to do with the Saints? Well, they run the WCO to a tee and they (usually) get the run/pass balance about right. This one of the reasons that the Saints get so many big plays down the field despite being what many NFL commentators annoyingly call a 'dink and dunk' offense. The run game sucks people in then the Saints let loose and Brees hurls it over the top for someone to go catch. The amount of touchdowns you see the Saints score on play-action is wildly disproportionate to a) how many they score with their standard dropback game and b) how effective their rushing attack really is. But again, it's one of the many beauties of the WCO. You play 'dink and dunk' until the defense cracks and starts biting on the short stuff, then you exploit the gaps over the top. Everyone knows that's what they want, but everyone still bites. Like clockwork. But it goes deeper than that. There are three particular tenants of the WCO that the Saints are particularly adept at pulling off.

1. Multiple formations, shifts and motion.
2. Spreading the ball to multiple receivers
3. Taking what the defense gives you

The multiple formations, shifts and motions is a feature of the WCO picked up from Walsh's time with the Oakland Raiders in 1966. Al Davis had learned the system from Sid Gillman and this knowledge was passed onto Walsh. Subsequently, every WCO team has adopted this approach. This explains why the Saints will come on to the field and during the course of the game, line up in quite possibly every formation known to mankind. Sometimes they line up in one formation and have two or three players move to create another formation (a 'shift'). Sometimes they'll just send one guy in motion prior to the snap. Sometimes they'll even line up in a pretty standard formation, but now they've moved their personnel around, with a Running Back out wide and a Wide Receiver in the backfield.

And the point of all this? One word.

Mismatches.

Send a receiver in motion from one side of the formation to the other and one of two things will happen. If the defense is playing zone coverage (marking areas of the field as opposed to specific receivers) then you'll see them 'bump' each other over a little, moving more towards the two receiver side. This leaves one of your receivers running into an area covered by a linebacker on a pass play (mismatch) as well as leaving a Cornerback (who are notorious for their lack of, shall we say, 'commitment' to tackling) as the force defender on run plays to the other side (mismatch). If the defense is playing man, then you're dragging a cornerback to the opposite side of the field with your motion. Now there is one less defender on one side of the field to stop runs (mismatch) and it leaves just a safety and a linebacker to cover your Tight End and any RB coming out of the backfield (mismatch).

But all of this comes at a price. The average WCO playbook consumes some 300+ pages and typically reads like the user manual for a NASA Space Shuttle. All of this has to be learnt, memorised and then recalled during the game. Not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. Missed assignments are not a rare thing for a WCO team. The QB in particular is under duress to remember where everyone is supposed to be going, who's going to block who and who will be left unblocked for him to 'hot' read. Ultimately it takes a special kind of QB to be really successful in this system.

Luckily there is help at hand. Lot's of it. Namely multiple receivers. And the Saints have really been outstanding at this. Think about these names: Lance Moore, Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem. None of them is really a legitimate #1 receiver. They could all do well as the #1 for another team, but whether they'd be the next Terrell Owens is up for debate. And Owens himself has struggled for a number of WCO. The trouble is that Owens would like to be (and even now is certainly capable of being) the main target, with other people taking catches in order to draw coverage from him until he gets the one on one matchups again. The WCO however is much more concerned with just finding an open receiver, whomever that may be. There are even routes in the WCO specifically designed to draw coverage down the field in order to create running room for a back or tight end slipping in underneath.

And when you look at the numbers, this what you see from the Saints. Multiple receivers with moderate reception numbers. No one player truly stands out. They all get a piece of the action and as a result, it makes it much harder to shutdown the Saints pass game. You can't just double team Henderson and Colston, because you'll be leaving Moore or Meachem open somewhere else. The four receivers don't have to be exceptional, just have safe hands. It helps that the Saints have four very good receivers, plus Jeremy Shockey at Tight End. And what's more, they have Reggie Bush at running back.

Bush couldn't be a better fit for the Saints if he tried. He can run fast outside. He has shown he can run hard between the tackles. He is also a great pass receiving option. It's another tool in the Saints locker and a deadly one at that. Not bad if your Drew Brees to have a guy like Reggie for a checkdown. And this where the 'take what the defense gives you' part comes in. Often backs in a WCO will get plenty of receptions. This is fine. The QB reads the field and goes where has an open receiver. If that means dumping the ball off to Reggie Bush, then so be it. If he catches the ball 2 yards past the LOS then that's already 2 extra yards you've gained. And a guy like Reggie can tack another 10-20 onto that with ease (sometimes). Think about Roger Craig for example, the first player to clock 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in a single season. That will be Reggie Bush some day.

But the biggest piece in the puzzle is the connection between Head Coach Sean Payton and QB Drew Brees. Having the level of understanding that they do is critical. Brees understands the WCO just as much as his coach and buys into the philosophy. He'll sit back and take what he's given all day long, waiting for that chance to strike down the field. Patience is key and Brees accepts this. Combine that with Payton's game planning skills, his ability to sift through film of the defense he's going to be facing to find weaknesses to exploit and you have a deadly duo.

More than that, you have a Superbowl winning duo.

Tomorrow, if I have time, I'll go through the Colts offense. If not tomorrow, then at least some point between now and the start of the 2010 season.

Please also note that I still dislike the Saints hype.

And I still hate the Panthers.

What's the point?

Prior to the Superbowl, NFL Comissioner Roger Goodell happened to mention on radio about a plan to ban the 3 and 4 point stance from professional football. Within hours, the steam coming out of many "old school" coaches ears had formed a large cloud over Washington D.C. that was visible from space and proceeded to snow heavily on the area. The steam coming from my ears is currently travelling across the Atlantic along the gulfstream headed for the North American continent. It is expected to arrive on Wednesday. The idea, at least on paper, is to reduce the number of concussions in the game. Now call me cynical or stupid, but I can't quite get my head aorund this. Just when was the last recorded incident of an NFL player coming out of a 3 or 4 point stance and clashing heads with an opponent with such ferocity that one or both players were left concussed? As far as I'm aware, the number is 0. If anyone knows better, feel free to let me know. What this looks like, to me at least, is nothing short of a blatant attempt to remove running from the game of football in favour of 'sexy' passing. Money talks and the NFL wants the biggest slice it can get. It believes that passing and 'sexy' offense is the route to this money. That means 2 point stances all around. The impact is two fold: 1) It makes it significantly more difficult for Defensive players to get to the QB. Without the added push off from a 3 point stance and without being as low as before, it makes it much easier for the offensive linemen to stand defensive players up as they rush forward. 2) It makes it significantly more difficult for Offensive players to drive defenders off the ball on rushing plays. What you get is more of an ungainly shoving match that doesn't go very far. In other words. The NFL hates teams that get their uniforms dirty. Jesus.

Superbowl

Saints 31 @ Colts 17 -- Another pick bites the dust! Honestly, I didn't care a whole lot who won. All I was hoping for was an entertaining game and we didn't even really get that. Never mind. Surprisingly I thought the officiating in this game was pretty good, no real hiccups or bias. The call for the Saints onside kick to begin the half was a little suspicious (not sure you can really have possession of the ball when it's under your ass) but it was a 50/50 and I don't think it would have made a huge difference. The Colts were just having one of those days when things didn't click offensively. I was surprised to see them come out and run the ball as often and as effectively as they did in the first half (between the tackles no less), but they soon reversed that trend in the second half by largely abandoning the run. The trouble with the Colts is that some days they just don't all sing from the same hymn sheet, and while that's fine against a team like the 49ers (who they beat with just 18 points), against the Saints that's not enough. But I'm glad in a way that the game was decided the way it was with Tracey Porter getting a pick 6. It basically proves 2 things; 1) That even Hall Of Fame caliber players like Peyton Manning are not immune from making stupid mistakes and 2) that Tracey Porter is more influential in real terms than Darren Sharper. It was a great play. Porter knew the situation, understood the type of route that would likely be used and then made a great break on the ball when he saw the opportunity develop. Well played and well deserved. Damn it.

Superbowl Predictions

Oh dear, it's pick time again. I know, I promised not to make any more picks after my disaster during the divisional round But this is different. This is the big one, what it's all been about. It is of course.... the Superbowl!!!!! (cue some suitably dramatic and stirring music like they use on the NFL network or, failing that, their unique rendition of "Drunken Sailor" will do) Saints @ Colts -- It's been a long old journey this year. For the Colts, their have been three key elements. One is their defensive front 7, who've basically shut down almost anything in their path. Two is Peyton Manning and his ability to dissect defensive coverages and then tear them to pieces. Three has been some shall we say 'fortuitus' officiating. For the Saints their have been four keys to success. One is without doubt the quality of their Cornerback trio of Gay, Porter and Greer, who have somehow managed to achieve the impossible by turning Darren Sharper into a Defensive MVP candidate and making Greg Williams seem like a defensive mastermind while apparently receiving little credit for their work, other than from this author. Two is the play of receivers like Robert Meachem, who've fought and worked their guts out week in and week out to make Drew Brees look special, while again receiving little credit for their work (it's a QB driven league in case you hadn't noticed). Three is them officials again, who've given the Saints more than their fair share of dubious calls. And fourth has been the opposition coaches and players, who at regular intervals throughout the season have conspired to make poor decisions in order to make the Saints look better than they really are. So what we're left with is a Superbowl that the NFL couldn't have even dared to dream for; two teams that predominantly pass the ball and will likely get involved in a shootout. In theory it should be a good game. In all likelyhood, it's going to be a massacre. Becaus the Saints really aren't on a par with the Colts. The Colts may get the odd lift down the field thanks to a dodgy pass interference call (or two, or three) and 50% of their pass plays will probably be of the illegal 'pick' variety (oh wait, I forgot, they're not illegal because they're 'rub' plays, not 'pick' plays) but still, the fact is that the Colts are a fundamentally more sound team than the Saints. Especially on defense. While everyone may be frothing at the mouth at the prospect of Darren Sharper going up against Peyton Manning, it's all for the wrong reasons. Many people believe that Sharper is about to break the Manning spell. Personally I think it's going to be the reverse. See Sharper enjoyed two things this season; picking off passes by rubbish QBs (in general, not always) and knowing that his cornerbacks would do much of the work for him, leaving him free to pick up the Fumbles and tipped passes that they created. Manning will be a different prospect all together. Likely Sharper will spend a lot of the game getting very close to TE Dallas Clark, and the mismatch is going to be nothing short of criminal. Afterwards, I'd be interested to hear the TV talking heads excuses for why Sharper got burnt so badly and so often. In fact, I honestly think the Saints have just one chance, and that's the men in black and white stripes. If 'rub' plays suddenly become 'pick' plays and the Saints 'physical' (read: blatantly malicious and unsporting) defense get their way, it could be a whole different ball game. What happens if the Saints win the battle for pass intereference yards? Who knows. Ultimately, I don't want either team to win. It just has this feel of being very fabricated, as if the league had planned it this way. By I must pick a winner and so I'm going with Indy. Colts win. And on a slightly different note, glad to see Dick LeBeau finally get his place in the pro football Hall Of Fame. But two questions: What about Don Coryell? What about Roger Craig? Am I missing something?

The NFL and the CBA

I hate to sound like a corporate man, sticking up for the big bosses and spitting on the little man, but let's face it, the NFL is nothing like that. Players sign multi-million dollar deals. They are not just a bunch of nameless blue collar workers grafting hard to earn a few bucks for their family. They're big name stars who earn millions at work and supplement their incomes with equally lucrative endorsement deals. And it's about to come to a screeching halt I feel. Why? Because the players demands are ludicrous. Their major gripe is that they're being asked to take an 18% pay cut. This despite the fact that the league claims they only want a 8-9% pay cut for players. The NFLPA points to the finances of Green Bay, proudly stating that a small market team made $20 million in it's last fiscal year. The NFLPA claims that no-one has shown them that teams are seeing reduced profits, so why do players need to take a pay cut? Well maybe if they went back and looked at Green Bay's finances again, they'd realise that Green Bay has seen it's profits dip by 40% to end up at that $20 million figure. That's a significant loss. With the world still clambering to get back into the black after the major financial crisis of the last year or so, is it any wonder the league wants player salaries cut? Take guys like Albert Haynesworth, whose current contract is worth an estimated $100 million. How can you argue that guys making that kind of money can't afford pay cuts? And the whole 18% pay cut thing is a shame in itself. The NFLPA claims that on average players will lose somewhere in the region of $345,000. But that's simply not true. The reality is that the players portion of the revenue pie will increase dramatically in the near future. Even though on paper they'll be taking a percentage pay cut, in real terms, actual dollars made, the players cut will stay the same, if not increase. And then we have the risk of a strike in 2011. The NFLPA claims that the league made sure in it's last TV contract negotiations that it will still make the $5 billion for the year. The NFLPA is basically accusing the league of getting ready for a big payday. The truth is, the TV companies are not stupid. Do the players representatives really believe the TV guys are gonna let the NFL walk away with $5billion for nothing? Trust me, come the next time to negotiate, the TV companies will get that revenue back. They'll pay nowhere near as much money for the next deal, and in the process will effectively recoup the money wasted if there's a stoppage in 2011. Business people are not stupid. The players representatives are. -- In other news, Chad Ochocinco has reached out to Terrell Owens, asking him to come sign with the Bengals. Owens will be an unrestricted free agent this off season and so there is nothing to really stop the Bengals from making a move. I for one would love to see these guys on the field. How many teams can claim they have enough quality at cornerback to cover Owens AND Ochocinco? I can think of two, and one of them is the Bengals.... -- LaDanian Tomlinson has said he doesn't expect to return to the Chargers next season. The 30-year old running back had a so-so season this year with the Chargers, but I think he still has more left in the tank than people think. I'm excited to see where he lands, though I think he may have to accept a role as a backup.

Do defenses' win Championships?

In a word, yes. And in another word, no. The reality is, teams win championships. Offense, defense, special teams, all executing their assignments properly and making plays. That's what wins championships. As a fan of the San Francisco 49ers (more on that later) I am acutely aware of the value of a good defense. Because (I know grammar whores) for the best part of a decade the 49ers offense under the direction of Bill Walsh worked like a well oiled, well tuned machine. It scored points, like all good offenses do. But it was only in '81, '84, '88 and '89 that all the goodies came together and the 49ers brought home the big trophy. The missing link in the off years was largely defense. So the argument that defense wins championships seems valid. Except till you look at this year alone. Three teams spring to mind. The Redskins, the Bengals and the Jets. All three teams have put on a great defensive show, and all three teams have struggled mightily on offense. The closest team to lifting the big prize were the Jets, who ironically epitomized the "great defense, average offense" approach. But even they fell short. The simple fact is, no defense can survive too long without a good offense to help it. Your great defense only needs to have an off day at an inopportune moment and it's lights out, 'cos you're going home. Even those hearty and determined linebackers can't help but weep into their helmets when they see their offense go three and out again. Defense needs offense, just as much as offense needs defense. And this years Superbowl is really the crowning example of that. Two teams who've been great offensively in the last few seasons. Two teams who've had a checkered recent history on defense. Two teams who've finally found their groove this year, on both sides of the ball, and are now set to play for the ultimate prize in all of Football. But enough about them, let's talk 49ers again. Specifically October 31st, 2010. Because (sorry again grammar people) on this day the 49ers will be in London, at Wembley stadium. And I'm going to be right there with them. Well, I'll be sitting up in block 529, but that's kind of being there with them. It'll be my first ever live, in the flesh 49ers game and I can't wait. The cost was heavy, but I'm sure it will be worth it. Just please God (and more importantly, Jimmy Raye), give the ball to GORE!!!!!!!