- 06:45 PM
- 05/02/24
| Member since: | January 17, 2005 |
|---|---|
| Last visit: | January 18, 2005 |
mossross has posted 0 links and 2 comments to SportsFilter and 0 links and 0 comments to the Locker Room.
I enjoyed Dr. Z's analysis. But I think he let Phil Simms off too easy. The man never met a cliche he didn't love to use. Watching the Steelers-Giants game in Week 14, I was about ready to slit my wrists if I had to hear him call it a "classic trap game" for the Steelers one more time. The next original thing he says will also be the first. And while I am on this rant, I'll mention something else that ticks me off about just about all of these hacks -- they ALWAYS compliment coaches for taking the safer, more conservative route. ("It's really the right decision to punt here" or "always best to just put points on the board" or "if they miss the field goal, they'll be giving the [other team] great field position.") It's as if they think we, the fans, are a bunch of driveling morons who don't understand the game and always want our teams to do something risky and stupid. Not to mention, sometimes they're wrong. Perfect example the other night -- Chad Pennington takes a knee (losing 2 yards) right bfore his team tries (and misses) a field goal to win it at the end of regulation. Are there any circumstances in which it's a "good move" to take a knee and LOSE two yards before trying a game-winning field goal in a notoriously-bad stadium for placekickers?!? No, of coruse not. But that didn't stop Dan Dierdorff from telling us that the Jets just wanted to make sure the Steelers would have no time on the clock after the field goal. In other words, even though it's an incredibly stupid move, he's so conditioned to remind us that the conservative clock-management move is the *best* move that he ends up explaining to us why he thinks Herm Edwards made a smart move with the "Pennington takes a knee call."
posted by mossross at 05:31 PM on January 17, 2005
TV Commentator Awards from Dr. Z
DrJohn, You may be right. My Dierdorf example may have been a poor one, and I do recall Enberg making that comment. But I'm glad you agree that, by and large, commentators seem to praise the "play it safe" call 99% of the time. The only exception, typically, is after a gimmick works (i.e. Bettis's TD pass against the Jets earlier this season).