On NFL Karma, Ballroom Dance, and Long Grass

These are a few of the issues that brought this blog to life, though it was a long time coming.

NFL Karma:

Early in the NFL season, I was corresponding via e-mail with my friend Jake (who happens to be an Oakland Raiders fan) and the subject of the New England Patriots came up, I think because they had beaten the Raiders the previous Sunday. I stated that one reason I dislike the Patriots is because Rodney Harrison often comes in late with cheap shots and rarely gets penalized. Even worse, he is praised by analysts left and right for being in on every play and being an enforcer. On Monday, September 19th (one day after the Patriots lost to the Carolina Panthers, 27-17), an e-mail from Jake contained the following passage:

And I saw something this weekend that TOTALLY reminded me of you. (No, not a skinny little flagpole!) Rodney Harrison got a personal foul for ripping a guy's helmet off, pretty much after the play had been determined. You're right.! ...he is such a little bitch. He can't get to the play in time, so how about just getting a little cheap shot in.....

While I cringe at almost every major leg injury I see in NFL games, I could not help having mixed emotions concerning Harrison's season-ending knee injury. Perhaps it saved a number of other players from being injured later in the season. It would be interesting to compare Harrison's percentage of inconsequential late hits (not necessarily late enough to draw a penalty, but late enough that they do not affect the play) to other safeties in the league, although I do not have the access to game film to do so.

Ballroom Dance:

Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart was a very good college QB in his time at USC. Unfortunately, I find it hard to classify him as a scholar-athlete considering his load for his final semester at USC consisted of one course, especially since that course was ballroom dancing! During my time as a college athlete and engineering student, I averaged about 20 credits per semester, with a high of 23.5. I would have had a lot more time to practice, train, and study film if I only had to contend with one class per semester, instead of 5-7! Would Matt Leinart have been as good as he was if he'd been tackling papers and exams all semester while he was preparing for the likes of Oregon and Notre Dame? The NCAA comes down on everything else, including not letting Jeremy Bloom play football at the University of Colorado while he gets endorsements to fund his skiing endeavors, why not this? Bloom skiing seems like it would take away from his effectiveness on the football field, so let him be at a disadvantage (but make sure all the money he gets goes to skiing). Leinart is effectively no longer a college student, he's just playing college football and taking a dance class (I wonder why he did not just take it at the local Y ... oh yeah, then he would not have received credit for his ballroom dancing). I did not attend USC, but I am fairly certain that there are enough course offerings that Leinart could have found a full load worth of interesting classes. He could have worked towards a minor or started on a graduate degree, or just taken a medley of classes for fun, but he should have been in class like almost every college athlete is supposed to be!

Long Grass:

Perhaps sports journalists have selective amnesia. How else can you explain the uproar over the long grass for the USC v. ND game? When the NE Patriots left the field uncovered during inclement weather in preparation for playing the Indianapolis Colts, analysts praised them for optimizing their home field advantage. Even more egregious was the plowing of snow to create a clean surface for an Adam Vinatieri FG a few years ago. Even if the long grass slowed down the speedy USC skill players, did it not have a similar effect on the ND players they were matched up against? Either there should be rules about the condition of playing surfaces or it should be up to the home team. However, the Patriots should not be given a pass while journalists rail against every other team who uses similar antics.