The Fave 5: Rules Are For Fools

Posted by on in ,

1037TheGame_ALANMICHAEL_658x370_into-the-fire

5. Pre-Play Conversations

Cam Newton and Clay Matthews had an exchange on the field as their teams were lining up for a pivotal play near the Green Bay goal line. Thankfully the microphones caught their back and forth because it was one of the sickest burns I have ever seen in sports. As Clay Matthews called out the play he expects is coming to his teammates. Cam Newton responded as only Cam Newton would, admiring how cute it is that Clay seems to know the play that is coming. Newton proceeded to throw a slant to Christian McCaffrey for a touchdown.

4. Can’t Guard Mike

The Saints were letting the Jets linger in a must win game that they could not afford to fool around in. Unfortunately the kind of mistakes they had to avoid did occur and they were in need of someone to step up and shut the door on any notion that the Jets could sneak out of the Dome with a win. Enter Michael Thomas. Catching four passes for 50 yards and a touchdown in a critical 4th quarter drive, Thomas helped the Saints pull away for good. Without Ted Ginn playing and with Brandon Coleman coughing the ball up twice, Thomas showed why he is the go to aerial option and a leader on the NFL’s most balanced offense.

3. The L.A. Bludgeon Brothers

In Pro Wrestling, what the Rams did to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15 would be called a “squash match.” This is when a superior wrestler takes on a usually scrawny and weaker opponent so that they can “squash” them for an easy win making them look strong and formidable. The Rams had the NFL equivalent of a squash match on Sunday in Seattle, but the only difference is that Seattle was not supposed to be this weak opponent anyone could demolish with ease. It appears there is a new bully on the block in the NFC West and they are the L.A. Rams.

2. Trend Setting

With his $1.8 million dollar deal, Dave Aranda is College Football’s highest paid assistant. LSU’s defensive coordinator is one of, if not the most important piece of Coach O’s super-staff. LSU knows Aranda’s worth, so they paid him. Apparently LSU being woke to the fact that their defensive coordinator needs to be properly compensated has trickled over to other programs. Oregon feared defensive mastermind Jim Leavitt would bail on the program and coach the Florida State defense with recently departed Willie Taggart. Oregon decided to “stay woke” like LSU and pay thei important staff members. Leavitt will remain in Eugene getting $1.7 million next season.

1. Human Error

Everyone is super mad about the Steelers getting jobbed out of what was clearly a game winning touchdown by Jesse James against the Patriots. Everyone is super mad about referee Gene Steratore using an index card to determine a first down, screwing the Raiders in their game against the Cowboys. Both situations resulted in heartbreak that could have been avoided if the NFL would decide who it wants to officiate it’s games; man or machine. As the drums sound louder and louder for changes to how these games are called, I want to proclaim right now that I officially side with human error on this one. I have seen what technology sprinkled into these games can do and it is mostly grotesque and cruel. By going back to letting humans make the judgment call, the NFL and all other leagues for that matter can always chalk up bad calls to human error; something we can all understand and relate to. What we do not relate to are minute details within rulebooks, camera angles, and RFID technology. Using an index card to figure out if it is a first down is as human as it gets and if it is between more of that or more waiting for a guy to figure out what he is seeing on an HDTV, give me the index card every time.