Friday, September 7, 2007
FOOTBALL COACHES SHOULD BE FIRED
Case #1: With 14:46 left in the 4th quarter of the Louisville-Middle Tennessee State game last night, MTSU, after having scored a touchdown to make the score 51-41, went for a two-point conversion and completed it to pull within eight points.
Case #2: With just under 13 minutes left in the 4th quarter of the Colts-Saints game last night, and the Saints facing a 4th-and-1 situation while trailing by 17 points, went for the first down and got it with a strong rush up the middle.
Except that neither of those events actually happened.
Middle Tennessee State coach Rick Stockstill decided to go for just the extra point, turning a two-possession game into...a two-possession game. Memo to Mr. Stockstill: If you score a touchdown to bring your team's deficit to ten points, go for the two-pointer to make it an eight-point game. That way, when you get the ball back, you have a chance to tie the game on that possession. I know there was a full quarter of play left, but take a chance! There have been over 90 points scored in the game! You just might be able to make up the missed one-point later on!
Case #1 Result: Karma, baby. The Blue Raiders scored zero more points the rest of the game.
Saints coach Sean Payton, showing 1) no faith in his offense and 2) no desire to win the game whatsoever, decided to punt the ball back to the Colts. Because the one thing to want to do when you only have to go one yard for a first down in an attempt to come back from a 17-point deficit...is give the ball back to your opponent. Memo to Mr. Payton: Actually, there's nothing I can say here. If you don't get it now, you won't get it later.
Case #2 Result: Karma, baby. The Saints scored zero more points the rest of the game.
Please tell me this is the first and only installment of Football Coaches Should Be Fired that E.K. Nation will have to write. Football coaches can not be this dumb, can they?
Case #2: With just under 13 minutes left in the 4th quarter of the Colts-Saints game last night, and the Saints facing a 4th-and-1 situation while trailing by 17 points, went for the first down and got it with a strong rush up the middle.
Except that neither of those events actually happened.
Middle Tennessee State coach Rick Stockstill decided to go for just the extra point, turning a two-possession game into...a two-possession game. Memo to Mr. Stockstill: If you score a touchdown to bring your team's deficit to ten points, go for the two-pointer to make it an eight-point game. That way, when you get the ball back, you have a chance to tie the game on that possession. I know there was a full quarter of play left, but take a chance! There have been over 90 points scored in the game! You just might be able to make up the missed one-point later on!
Case #1 Result: Karma, baby. The Blue Raiders scored zero more points the rest of the game.
Saints coach Sean Payton, showing 1) no faith in his offense and 2) no desire to win the game whatsoever, decided to punt the ball back to the Colts. Because the one thing to want to do when you only have to go one yard for a first down in an attempt to come back from a 17-point deficit...is give the ball back to your opponent. Memo to Mr. Payton: Actually, there's nothing I can say here. If you don't get it now, you won't get it later.
Case #2 Result: Karma, baby. The Saints scored zero more points the rest of the game.
Please tell me this is the first and only installment of Football Coaches Should Be Fired that E.K. Nation will have to write. Football coaches can not be this dumb, can they?
