Now that the American football season is about to end, I would like to write about three stories that impressed me.
Story #1.
Prior to the beginning of the 2004 professional football season, the New York Giants announced that their star running back was not carrying the ball correctly as he ran. This explained all the fumbles in the previous seasons. The Giants explained that the running back held the ball to close to the ground and too far from the body. During pre-season training they corrected this and the running back had his best season. With a bad team.
Try to imagine a running back in the NFL who does not know how to carry the ball while running down the field. A player who is paid good money to run with the ball did not know how to do that. I cannot imagine that.
Story #2.
The first string quarter back for the New York Jets told a New York Times reporter that his footwork was wrong and that he spent extra time after each practice working on his footwork. Do that again. A highly paid professional athlete spent extra time on his footwork. No ball was involved, just footwork. This involves the very basic work of a quarter back, which is to receive the ball from the center, drop back and throw.
But he has it wrong and needs more work. In fact, he needs extra practice. Where have all his coaches been? They never noticed? None of them? High school? College? The pro team before they hired him for a big salary?
Bad footwork indeed.
Story #3.
I spend the winter in Florida. In fact, I spend the winter in South Florida. That means that I received all the hype for the “game of the year.” The Orange Bowl! It was supposed to be the game of the year. The gigantic struggle of the #1 and #2 teams in the nation appearing together on the same field was played up as a fantastic game.
The hype was all before the game, as the game was a blow-out. Oklahoma did not belong on the same field as USC. It was a disgrace.
During the second half one announcer noted that two Oklahoma pass receivers ran down field and tried to pivot on the wrong foot. The other announcer tried to play down what was wrong.
This was supposed to be the biggest college game of the season and two players did not know how to pivot. Excuse me? Pivot?
Anybody who knows how to dance knows how to pivot. Anybody who knows how to march knows how to pivot. Most college football players know how to pivot. Most, but not all players know how to pivot. Pivot! Basic to body movement. Not just athletics.
Imagine paying good money to attend events related to the three stories that I have told. Good and hard money spent to see players who have not learned the basics of their sport. Have not learned the basics!
I try to see my Dutch friend every summer. He sends me to see various soccer teams train and play. I watch the first team, the second team and various youth teams. I look for technique followed by tactics. My friend and I typically meet in a sidewalk café and have some food and drink. Spa (Bottled water.) He gives me the same message every summer. “Technique before tactics.” It is that simple. I may have T-shirts made up with the message.
Then I may go to pre-season practice of the New York Jets and the Giants wearing my T-shirt. TECHNIQUE BEFORE TACTICS. I want my picture taken with the two coaches. Will they let a soccer writer that close to the coaches? Wearing that T-shirt?
I will tell you one thing. I would not spend a dime to see any of the above. Alan Maher