I have gotten over the loss. I actually surprise myself because I have told myself for years that there are more important things than football and it's just a game. That mental resolve was severely tested over the weekend, but it remains steadfast and firm. Sunday was worse than Saturday for me, but life goes on. Now, I am not wishing to re-hash or re-open old wounds, but I do want to explain my thoughts on what happened Friday night in Reno now that a few days worth of digesting everything has taken place.
Coaching-
Coach Pete is nothing short of a God for Bronco fans. I am not sure that there is really anything different that he could have done to prepare his players mentally, but they weren't ready for what Nevada was throwing at them in the second half. It appeared that the team fell into the same trap that we as fans did; We are better than the Wolfpack and all we need to do is show up and we will win. Obviously, that was not the case.
Strength and Conditioning-
Boise State's defense was gassed in the second half. Part of that may have had to do with the fact that the starters hadn't played an entire game since Oregon State came to town. It also was because Nevada had possession of the ball for most of the 3rd and 4th quarters. Vai Taua wore them down and the Wolfpack capitalized on it.
Play Calling-
The Broncos' offensive coordinator panicked. Nevada brought heat on just about every play in the second half (mainly from man-yetti Dontay Moch) and Boise State never adjusted. For me, the worst part was that they got away from the power running game with which they had so much success in the first half. Doug Martin up the middle was earning the Broncos 5 or 6 yards per carry. The second half saw lots of passing for Kellen Moore and those ridiculous sweep plays where the running back had the ball 7 yards deep in the backfield. Obviously it was ineffective. They panicked and ditched the power running game. It's too bad because Martin was having a career night for yards and touchdowns, and because it would have eaten the clock and let the defense rest a little bit.
Dropped Passes-
It was painful to watch. Titus Young and Mitch Burroughs started the second half with drops. Momentum killers. "If it touches your hands you have to catch it son!"
Luck-
Or should I say, lack of it. Boise State forced one turnover from Nevada; a gorgeous George Iloke interception on Nevada's first drive. After that, there were at least two Wolfpack fumbles that somehow flew right into teammates' hands. What if the Broncos somehow were able to get at least one of those? Boise State just couldn't catch a break in the luck department. Maybe someone broke a mirror before the game...
Injuries/Suspensions-
Byron Hout and Michael "Canadian Bacon" Atkinson were sorely missed Friday night. Hout is an outstanding run-stopper. Also, the presence of Atkinson to spell some of the winded defensive lineman would have helped immensely. Tyler Shoemaker was injured and did not play and we really could have used him.
Referees-
I feel like I keep mentioning them, but they were really bad. As I have said many times, I am not blaming the officials for the loss. This post is about what went wrong for Boise State, and referees were part of it-They couldn't catch a break from them either. Karl Benson has since come out and said that the calls that were made were correct, including the field goal at the end of regulation. To that I say, I guess. If there wasn't any problem with them then why is there a need to come out and defend them? Also, look at this post on obnug.com. It has to do with the Brotzman's first field goal attempt and how there is no way that it missed. Take it for what it's worth...
What are your thoughts? Did I miss anything or is there something that I got wrong here? Please let me know. I am open for discussion on anything. Let's continue to get ready for the Utah State game on Saturday. Bowl season is coming!
Showing posts with label Karl Benson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Karl Benson. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Helmet to Helmet Injustice; From Winston Venable to Javes Lewis
As mentioned and promised yesterday, I have a bone to pick with anybody and everybody who is a fan of the two state universities in Oregon. That's right, the Ducks and the Beavers. We all know by now that Boise State's Winston Venable was suspended half a game for a helmet to helmet hit on Oregon State's James Rodgers. The WAC commissioner Karl Marx Benson said this about it; "One of the conclusions that both (experts) made on it, it was not the ball carrier. He was in a somewhat defenseless position." I will not go into how asinine this claim is because I have already done that (check it out here) and there is no use beating a dead horse with a stick. However, after viewing message boards, blogs, and articles about the hit, it is obvious that there has been nothing but hate, backlash, disdain, and idiocy coming from Oregon and Oregon State fans. They all claim that Boise State is a dirty program and that Coach Pete allows/wants his players to take cheap shots at other teams, especially if the other players are Ducks or Beavers. As ridiculous as that sounds, that's all I've read so far.
I have already said multiple times that there is no way that Winston Venable's hit was a cheap shot, nor was he purposely trying to injure Rodgers. In fact, he was very much making a play on the quarterback and Rodgers was trying to block both Venable and Jamar Taylor at the same time. The result was unfortunate, but that is football. Now, he sure shouldn't be leading with his head like that, which is a bad habit of his. In no way was it intentional or can it be defined as "targeting." In fact, that exact play happens constantly throughout every single football game that is played, both NFL and collegiate. Like I said, it's part of the game. But that doesn't stop fans of other teams from claiming Venable is a dirty player. Here is the hit in question. Take a look at it yourself.
A BYU blog called "Vanquish the Foe" suggested that Venable purposely changed his course of direction in order to go after Rodgers. Trust me, I have already lit into the tools who wrote that garbage.
The reason I bring this up again is this: Saturday night in Eugene, Oregon, the Stanford Cardinal came up to challenge the Oregon Ducks in an ABC prime time game(just like BSU vs. OSU was last week). In the third quarter, Stanford QB Andrew Luck completed a short pass to star wide receiver Chris Owusu. Owusu proceeded up field, as the first down marker was only 3 or 4 yards away. While he was being tackled by an Oregon player, Javes Lewis came in, full speed, helmet down, and contacted Owusu right in the side/top of his helmet. The receiver was out and laid on the ground for a good three minutes without moving before he was able to get up and go to the sideline. Check it out here, fast forward to just before minute mark 1:07 and again at 1:34 (for a closer look).
Look at this play and hit in question and see the similarities with the Winston Venable play. There are things in common. Both athletes were trying to make a play on the ball carrier, there were other people involved trying to make plays as well, Venable and Lewis both led with their heads, and there were injuries sustained by those who were hit. Very similar indeed, but with different reactions from the media and fans.
What is a defenseless player and what is targeting one? According to the 2009-10 NCAA Football Rule Book, this is the definition of leading with your helmet and targeting a defenseless player:
"No player shall initiate contact and target an opponent with
the crown (top) of his helmet. When in question, it is a foul."
and
"No player shall initiate contact and target a defenseless opponent
above the shoulders. When in question, it is a foul."
After viewing and pondering on both videos and hits, let me ask a question; Which one is a defenseless player? Is it the one attempting to block an oncoming defender, or is it the one who is already being tackled and close to being on the ground? The question is indeed rhetorical. Owusu is clearly a defenseless player. If he is already being tackled and going to the ground, why does Lewis have to run in and get one last shot in? In my opinion and it what seems to be obvious, Owusu was being targeted by Javes Lewis, who initiated contact with the crown of his helmet. The result was an injured player, just like James Rodgers (again, who was setting a block, and was not defenseless) was after the Venable hit.
Where is the outrage? Where are all the claims that Oregon is a dirty team filled with players who take cheap shots? Where are all the Oregon State and Oregon fans (why don't we throw BYU in as well) calling out their own teams? Why aren't the blogs and message boards blowing up with angry fans demanding justice in the form of a suspension for Lewis? I don't have an answer. I am baffled. It seems that the more the Broncos win, the more hate comes their way. My point is that the type of play for which Winston Venable got suspended occurs in every game. It happened in the Oregon/Stanford game, and Owusu was by far more defenseless than James Rodgers was. What is different is the way it is viewed, according to the perception or success of the team in question. It sure isn't fair, but then again top college football is played and judged in an unfair system. I hate complainers, but something needs to change. The BCS might take years to reform or fall, but we can at least be fair and consistent in the officiating and treatment of teams. Then again, as crazed as football fans get, neither change looks promising or imminent. Like your momma said, life isn't fair.
I have already said multiple times that there is no way that Winston Venable's hit was a cheap shot, nor was he purposely trying to injure Rodgers. In fact, he was very much making a play on the quarterback and Rodgers was trying to block both Venable and Jamar Taylor at the same time. The result was unfortunate, but that is football. Now, he sure shouldn't be leading with his head like that, which is a bad habit of his. In no way was it intentional or can it be defined as "targeting." In fact, that exact play happens constantly throughout every single football game that is played, both NFL and collegiate. Like I said, it's part of the game. But that doesn't stop fans of other teams from claiming Venable is a dirty player. Here is the hit in question. Take a look at it yourself.
A BYU blog called "Vanquish the Foe" suggested that Venable purposely changed his course of direction in order to go after Rodgers. Trust me, I have already lit into the tools who wrote that garbage.
The reason I bring this up again is this: Saturday night in Eugene, Oregon, the Stanford Cardinal came up to challenge the Oregon Ducks in an ABC prime time game(just like BSU vs. OSU was last week). In the third quarter, Stanford QB Andrew Luck completed a short pass to star wide receiver Chris Owusu. Owusu proceeded up field, as the first down marker was only 3 or 4 yards away. While he was being tackled by an Oregon player, Javes Lewis came in, full speed, helmet down, and contacted Owusu right in the side/top of his helmet. The receiver was out and laid on the ground for a good three minutes without moving before he was able to get up and go to the sideline. Check it out here, fast forward to just before minute mark 1:07 and again at 1:34 (for a closer look).
Look at this play and hit in question and see the similarities with the Winston Venable play. There are things in common. Both athletes were trying to make a play on the ball carrier, there were other people involved trying to make plays as well, Venable and Lewis both led with their heads, and there were injuries sustained by those who were hit. Very similar indeed, but with different reactions from the media and fans.
What is a defenseless player and what is targeting one? According to the 2009-10 NCAA Football Rule Book, this is the definition of leading with your helmet and targeting a defenseless player:
"No player shall initiate contact and target an opponent with
the crown (top) of his helmet. When in question, it is a foul."
and
"No player shall initiate contact and target a defenseless opponent
above the shoulders. When in question, it is a foul."
After viewing and pondering on both videos and hits, let me ask a question; Which one is a defenseless player? Is it the one attempting to block an oncoming defender, or is it the one who is already being tackled and close to being on the ground? The question is indeed rhetorical. Owusu is clearly a defenseless player. If he is already being tackled and going to the ground, why does Lewis have to run in and get one last shot in? In my opinion and it what seems to be obvious, Owusu was being targeted by Javes Lewis, who initiated contact with the crown of his helmet. The result was an injured player, just like James Rodgers (again, who was setting a block, and was not defenseless) was after the Venable hit.
Where is the outrage? Where are all the claims that Oregon is a dirty team filled with players who take cheap shots? Where are all the Oregon State and Oregon fans (why don't we throw BYU in as well) calling out their own teams? Why aren't the blogs and message boards blowing up with angry fans demanding justice in the form of a suspension for Lewis? I don't have an answer. I am baffled. It seems that the more the Broncos win, the more hate comes their way. My point is that the type of play for which Winston Venable got suspended occurs in every game. It happened in the Oregon/Stanford game, and Owusu was by far more defenseless than James Rodgers was. What is different is the way it is viewed, according to the perception or success of the team in question. It sure isn't fair, but then again top college football is played and judged in an unfair system. I hate complainers, but something needs to change. The BCS might take years to reform or fall, but we can at least be fair and consistent in the officiating and treatment of teams. Then again, as crazed as football fans get, neither change looks promising or imminent. Like your momma said, life isn't fair.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
1 Really Hard Hit = 2 Quarters on the Bench, Happy Trails to DJ Harper
As I mentioned yesterday, Winston Venable's hit on Oregon State wide receiver James Rodgers was under review to determine whether or not he will be suspended. Well Karl Marx Benson, the WAC commissioner, in a moment of pure egotistical retribution against Boise State, dropped the hammer today and suspended Venable for the New Mexico State game on Saturday. Boise State appealed it and the suspension was reduced to the first 2 quarters. Read the story here on idahostatesman.com. What are your thoughts?
My first thought is this: what a load of crap! I won't get into it like I did yesterday other than to mention that this is pure payback for the Broncos leaving his conference. Watch out Nevada and Fresno State, you guys are next! Like I said, he has now set a precedent where players from every team should be getting suspended every game for similar hits. In no way was James Rodgers a defenseless player. He was setting a block and was at a weird angle and height when Venable came full speed trying to get to the quarterback. This is absolutely ridiculous. I cannot express in PG-suitable words how idiotic this decision was from Benson. Another point; what does a half a game suspension do. It is as pointless as it is laughable. Way to get the job done Benson. Chadd Cripe of the Idaho Statesman wrote the blog link above about the suspension. He mentions, "Benson, after consulting with two NCAA rules and officiating experts, decided to suspend Venable for a game." All I can say is that if these "experts" were anything like the actual officials that reffed the game on Saturday, I can see how they came up with the suspension. What a bunch of moronic crocks! We cannot leave for the Mountain West soon enough.
We will miss this guy...for 2 quarters.
As my "Weekly PTW" curse continues, we found out yesterday that running back DJ Harper has torn his ACL again. I say again because it is the same one he had surgery on to repair last year. Again, this was three games in, just as it was last season. Harper will appeal to the NCAA to grant him a sixth year of eligibility. The sixth year is very elusive, but he may have a good case here. I wish Harper the best of luck and really hope that he is able to get the extra year. Poor guy. Bronco Nation loves you DJ! Don't ever forget it! We will be seeing a lot more carries for Doug Martin, a lot more of Jeremy Avery, and more of Matt Kaiserman. It's a good thing the Broncos are deep at running back. Good luck Harper!
We will miss this guy for the whole season. We won't be seeing this on Saturday.
Be sure to check in tomorrow and get my Weekend Picks!
My first thought is this: what a load of crap! I won't get into it like I did yesterday other than to mention that this is pure payback for the Broncos leaving his conference. Watch out Nevada and Fresno State, you guys are next! Like I said, he has now set a precedent where players from every team should be getting suspended every game for similar hits. In no way was James Rodgers a defenseless player. He was setting a block and was at a weird angle and height when Venable came full speed trying to get to the quarterback. This is absolutely ridiculous. I cannot express in PG-suitable words how idiotic this decision was from Benson. Another point; what does a half a game suspension do. It is as pointless as it is laughable. Way to get the job done Benson. Chadd Cripe of the Idaho Statesman wrote the blog link above about the suspension. He mentions, "Benson, after consulting with two NCAA rules and officiating experts, decided to suspend Venable for a game." All I can say is that if these "experts" were anything like the actual officials that reffed the game on Saturday, I can see how they came up with the suspension. What a bunch of moronic crocks! We cannot leave for the Mountain West soon enough.
We will miss this guy...for 2 quarters.
As my "Weekly PTW" curse continues, we found out yesterday that running back DJ Harper has torn his ACL again. I say again because it is the same one he had surgery on to repair last year. Again, this was three games in, just as it was last season. Harper will appeal to the NCAA to grant him a sixth year of eligibility. The sixth year is very elusive, but he may have a good case here. I wish Harper the best of luck and really hope that he is able to get the extra year. Poor guy. Bronco Nation loves you DJ! Don't ever forget it! We will be seeing a lot more carries for Doug Martin, a lot more of Jeremy Avery, and more of Matt Kaiserman. It's a good thing the Broncos are deep at running back. Good luck Harper!
We will miss this guy for the whole season. We won't be seeing this on Saturday.
Be sure to check in tomorrow and get my Weekend Picks!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The WAC Takes it to Court
So I figured that I better chime in on what is going on in the Western Athletic Conference before it either becomes a non-story or blows up into a huge national headliner. Let me try and set the table first, in a nutshell; Back in July, the BYU Cougars hinted that they were looking to leave the Mountain West Conference, become independent in football, and join the WAC in all other sports (they did leave the MWC, but joined the West Coast Conference in most other sports). WAC commissioner Karl Benson really liked that idea, but only if the rest of his conference stayed in place (Boise State was already leaving long before all this went down). So he put in place a fee wherein any team wanting to leave would have to pay the conference 5 million dollars, but it only applies to the first team that bolts. Also, they have to let him know by July 1st in order to leave after the subsequent season. The moment BYU got serious about leaving, MWC commissioner Craig Thompson was on the phone inviting WAC schools Fresno State and Nevada to join BSU as WAC defectors. They agreed, but on July 18th, well beyond the deadline date to leave after the coming school year. This is exactly what Karl Benson was trying to prevent from happening when he instituted the fee; a mass exodus from his conference. Too bad for him. But now the controversy is whether both schools have to pay the 5 million dollars, or only one, can they share it, and when can they leave the WAC officially?
Here is the story from Yahoo! News about what the WAC and commissioner Karl Benson are doing to keep Nevada and Fresno State in the conference until after the 2011 season. The story says that the lawsuit doesn't mention the 5 million dollars owed, but it does say that the WAC is entitled to "compensation as the court sees fit." Whatever that means. Benson also says that the money is a separate issue, which I'm pretty sure it is not. I don't see how it can be a separate issue. Maybe that's why I'm not a lawyer and never dreamed of being one. As one would expect, the Wolfpack and the Bulldogs are not very happy about the legal proceedings and both feel it could have been discussed and settled outside of court. The word "unfortunate" is used by their university presidents to describe the situation. That's how you know it's serious. So someone is lying. Either they weren't returning Benson's phone calls, or Benson jumped the gun a little bit and is making it a bigger deal than it should be.
Here is my take on it; When the remaining WAC schools agreed on the exiting fee (after Boise State had said they were leaving but before Nevada and Fresno), the agreement said that only the first school would have to pay up, not multiple schools if there happened to be more than one. So which of the two schools announced their intentions first? That is the 5 million dollar question. The WAC is trying to get the fee from both schools, which is redonculous. If they left simultaneously, then they should split it, right? The Mountain West has offered to help them pay the fee, but we first need to know what the fee is going to be and who has to pay it. What a mess. I think that they should just split the fee, get it over with, and Karl Benson needs to not be so butt hurt about his conference going down the toilet (pun intended). You and the WAC will survive. You have before when the creation of the Mountain West literally reduced your conference into almost nothing. Get over it and look to the future, you have a lot of work to do, and probably quite a few sleepless nights. As ridiculous as it may sound, that is only half of the story and apparently not the issue in the lawsuit.
The Bulldogs and the Wolfpack want to leave for the Mountain West after this current season, meaning they would compete in MWC play next year at this time. But the WAC says July 1st was the deadline to announce intentions and both universities missed it, so they must stay until after the 2011 season. Benson says something about it that makes a lot of sense; "The damages the WAC could incur if Fresno State and Nevada left early are very, very significant, That's what has driven this: to protect the assets of the WAC as a corporate entity." What he is saying is that if he loses Boise State, Fresno State, and Nevada all at the same time, he is left with San Jose State, New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech, Idaho, Hawai'i, and Utah State. That is bad enough to put Benson on suicide watch. That's not an athletic conference, that is a list of the cellar dwellers of a conference that isn't that great to begin with! At the same time, I expect Louisiana Tech to join the MAC or Conference USA sometime soon so as to play games closer to home. Also, Hawai'i will go independent within the next couple of years.
Think about it, who is there to replace these defecting schools? UC Davis? Portland State? Sacramento State? Montana? The WAC is in a world of hurt. Also, financially, the WAC would not survive without its three cash cow schools. So Nevada and Fresno State should stay put until 2012, they at least owe that to the conference that has been so good to them since joining. The future of the WAC is in doubt and Benson is trying to hold on to what he can for as long as he can. What else is there to do? You would do the same thing.
Here is the story from Yahoo! News about what the WAC and commissioner Karl Benson are doing to keep Nevada and Fresno State in the conference until after the 2011 season. The story says that the lawsuit doesn't mention the 5 million dollars owed, but it does say that the WAC is entitled to "compensation as the court sees fit." Whatever that means. Benson also says that the money is a separate issue, which I'm pretty sure it is not. I don't see how it can be a separate issue. Maybe that's why I'm not a lawyer and never dreamed of being one. As one would expect, the Wolfpack and the Bulldogs are not very happy about the legal proceedings and both feel it could have been discussed and settled outside of court. The word "unfortunate" is used by their university presidents to describe the situation. That's how you know it's serious. So someone is lying. Either they weren't returning Benson's phone calls, or Benson jumped the gun a little bit and is making it a bigger deal than it should be.
Here is my take on it; When the remaining WAC schools agreed on the exiting fee (after Boise State had said they were leaving but before Nevada and Fresno), the agreement said that only the first school would have to pay up, not multiple schools if there happened to be more than one. So which of the two schools announced their intentions first? That is the 5 million dollar question. The WAC is trying to get the fee from both schools, which is redonculous. If they left simultaneously, then they should split it, right? The Mountain West has offered to help them pay the fee, but we first need to know what the fee is going to be and who has to pay it. What a mess. I think that they should just split the fee, get it over with, and Karl Benson needs to not be so butt hurt about his conference going down the toilet (pun intended). You and the WAC will survive. You have before when the creation of the Mountain West literally reduced your conference into almost nothing. Get over it and look to the future, you have a lot of work to do, and probably quite a few sleepless nights. As ridiculous as it may sound, that is only half of the story and apparently not the issue in the lawsuit.
The Bulldogs and the Wolfpack want to leave for the Mountain West after this current season, meaning they would compete in MWC play next year at this time. But the WAC says July 1st was the deadline to announce intentions and both universities missed it, so they must stay until after the 2011 season. Benson says something about it that makes a lot of sense; "The damages the WAC could incur if Fresno State and Nevada left early are very, very significant, That's what has driven this: to protect the assets of the WAC as a corporate entity." What he is saying is that if he loses Boise State, Fresno State, and Nevada all at the same time, he is left with San Jose State, New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech, Idaho, Hawai'i, and Utah State. That is bad enough to put Benson on suicide watch. That's not an athletic conference, that is a list of the cellar dwellers of a conference that isn't that great to begin with! At the same time, I expect Louisiana Tech to join the MAC or Conference USA sometime soon so as to play games closer to home. Also, Hawai'i will go independent within the next couple of years.
Think about it, who is there to replace these defecting schools? UC Davis? Portland State? Sacramento State? Montana? The WAC is in a world of hurt. Also, financially, the WAC would not survive without its three cash cow schools. So Nevada and Fresno State should stay put until 2012, they at least owe that to the conference that has been so good to them since joining. The future of the WAC is in doubt and Benson is trying to hold on to what he can for as long as he can. What else is there to do? You would do the same thing.
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