November 21, 2012
ATTENTION PILGRAMS
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all. We send out JonFineProductions.com Newsletter one day earlier than usual this week.
BROADCASTING SCHEDULE:
THURSDAY, Nov 22: 6PM—7PM: The Dru Nettles Show Television: Cox 4, Baton Rouge
Dru Nettles, Jon Fine
FRIDAY, Nov 23: 10:30AM—11:30AM: replay of Thursday night’s The Dru Nettles Show
MONDAY—FRIDAY: 5:30PM—6:30PM THE CENTRAL STORY JonFineProductions.com
WPFC, 1550AM, BR
App: Central Now App
Wednesday, Nov 21: Central Speaks Radio Hour (from Zoe’s Pizza Buffet) Dave Freneaux
Thursday, Nov 22: THE SID EDWARDS SHOW IS OFF FOR THANKSGIVING
Friday, Nov 23: KANDILAND IS OFF FOR THANKSGIVING
Monday, Nov 26: From Me And My House (from The Jambalaya Shoppe) Steve Johnson
Tuesday, Nov 27: The Central Business Report (from Café’ Delphi Greek & Lebanese Restaurant) Matt Price
Wednesday, Nov 28: Central Speaks Radio Hour (from Zoe’s Pizza Buffet) Dave Freneaux
SportsRadio—1310-KEZM-Lake Charles Programming of Interest
Thursday, Nov 22: 8AM—9AM: Sports On The Bayou Radio: KEZM, 1310AM, LC
KEZMOnLine.com
Richard Dow
WE THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR UTMOST TO PATRONIZE SPONSORS OF OUR PROGRAMMING. THIS HELPS US TREMENDOUSLY IN SUSTAINING OUR WEEKLY LINE-UP AND WILL ASSIST US IN ADDING MORE PROGRAMS IN THE FUTURE. KINDLY MAKE AN EFFORT TO LET SPONSORS KNOW YOU HEARD THEIR BUSINESS METNIONED ON OUR BROADCAST(S).
PRESS RELEASE
THE DRU NETTLES SHOW
There will be a The Dru Nettles Show on Thanksgiving!… with the replay on Friday morning.
This week’s The Dru Nettles Show features an interview with Coach Nettles conducted by Livingston Parish News Editor Mike Dowty.—Coach Nettles finally receives some intelligent questions on his program, unlike the usual inane queries that (ab)normally come from Jon Fine. Denham Springs HS Chaplain Bob Ingalls also appears on the program. Former LSU Baseball player Michael Betts comes on the show. Michael (Michael Betts Attorney at Law) is also the sponsor of the week. And, 2 special guests appear on the program: Claire Nettles and Faith Nettles—the daughters of Coach Nettles.
The Dru Nettles Show airs Thursday (6pm-7pm), with a replay on Friday morning (10:30am—11:30am), on Cox 4 Television, Baton Rouge. The program is co-hosted by Denham Springs High School Athletic Director/head football coach Dru Nettles and Jon Fine. It is a Jon Fine Production..
For more information on The Dru Nettles Show, please visit JonFineProductions.com or “Like” TheDruNettlesShow on Facebook.
The Dru Nettles Show has a special message for everyone: “Gobble. Gobble”. We hope everyone has a joyous Thanksgiving.
PRESS RELEASE
THE CENTRAL STORY
This Tuesday night’s The Central Business Report on THE CENTRAL STORY will feature guests including Joseph Romero (Romero’s Food Mart), Dr. David Prudhomme (Central Oaks Dental Care), Betsy Barnes (Fa-Kouri Construction), Dr. Stephanie Sanders (All About U Massage) and Matt Price (PriceCo Supply).
The Central Business Report, a Jon Fine Production, is hosted by Matt Price, and airs Tuesdays, 5:30pm—6:30pm, broadcasting live from Café Delphi Greek & Lebanese Restaurant, as part of THE CENTRAL STORY (Weekdays, 5:30pm—6:30pm, WPFC, 1550AM… Central Now APP
JonFineProductions.com).
This week’s program also includes The Leader Report, giving details of upcoming events in Central. Information for this program segment is furnished by Central Speaks Newspaper.
Other programs on THE CENTRAL STORY, broadcast weekdays at 5:30pm, include As For Me and My House on Mondays (with Steve Johnson at The Jambalaya Shoppe), Central Speaks Radio Hour on Wednesdays (with Dave Freneaux at Zoe’s Pizza Buffet), The Sid Edwards Show on Thursdays (with Sid Edwards and Steve Johnson at Zoe’s Pizza Buffet) and KandiLand (with Kandi Jones).
For more information on The Central Business Report and/or THE CENTRAL STORY, please visit JonFineProductions.com or you can “Like” TheCentralStory on Facebook.
THE WIZARDRY OF OS
Statistics should develop with the innovation of a sport. In baseball, a hitter’s batting average is widely considered an obsolete stat that does not take into account many factors of what makes a quality hitter.
In football, quarterback ratings have become the measuring stick instead of yards passing or touchdowns. Yet, defenses are still being measured by yards surrendered.
In the NFL, two of the most successful team last year, the Patriots and Packers, gave up a ton of yards. This year, the Saints continue to allow their opponents to move the ball, but you can tell by watching the games that the defense is playing significantly better than in the beginning of the year.
I don’t have the time or inclination to develop a defensive efficiency rating, but I can tell you the factors that make a good NFL or college defense these days.
• Turnovers. I am aware this isn’t breaking news, but defenses that force turnovers either set up field position for their offense or take points away from the other team.
• Red Zone Defense. As the Saints are showing, all you have to do is force field goals. 80% of the offenses in college and NFL football are capable for scoring 3-4 touchdowns in a game. If your defense can just keep the other team out of the end zone, then your offense can easily overcome the 12 points scored by 4 field goals.
• 3rd Down Defense. Even in this stat, there are other factors such as yards to go. Nevertheless, offenses can’t sustain long drives if they are not converting third down.
• Negative Plays Forced. In this stat, I would include forced penalties. If my defense forces you to hold or false start, then I have a much better chance of stopping you. Obviously, tackles for loss and sacks are huge in today’s game as well.
• Explosive Plays. I am sure some people would want to factor in explosive plays of 20 yards or more. I would disagree slightly, since it is way too easy to complete 20 yard passes these days. I would break this category into two categories. Rushes over 10 yards and passes over 30 yards. Further weight should be given to explosive plays for touchdowns. In basketball, we try to stress to our defense to force just one more pass because that increases the chances of a bad decision, bad pass, drop or a good defensive play by us. The same is true in football. Just make the offense run one more play (as shown by Malcolm Jenkins amazing hustle play against Tampa Bay).
Surely there are other minor factors that should be weighed, and yards have to be considered at some point. Though, I think yards are a minor statistic at this point. I think these five major categories are the most relevant in determining effective defenses.
HEY REF
First things first; in my 11/08 column I mistakenly wrote that in last year’s high school football playoffs #32 ranked Denham Springs pulled off the biggest upset of the decade when they ousted #1 ranked St. Paul. The honor of this victory goes to Head Coach Sid Edwards and the Central Wildcats. I hope the schools, coaches and players will forgive me for this misinformation! Never claimed to be perfect, never will but I’ll always be the first to admit I did make a mistake.
And that leads me to something that’s been eating at me from the first scrimmages to today as I peck away at my keyboard. As many of my readers know I started my referee career in 1979. Put in almost 20 years until a serious back injury caused me to hang ‘em up so to speak. I started off at the bottom as should be the case. I worked my butt off calling every BREC, Jr. High, JV and CSAL game offered and just about every game that I could. I was rewarded for all my hard work in 1997 when I was picked to officiate one of the final games in Louisiana’s Superdome.
“Back in the day” (I hate that phrase) the Baton Rouge Association was tops, hands down. We got that way do the leadership of Charles Dunnaway, our Assignment Secretary, Clyde Messenger our President and rules instructor and members that never took anything for granted. I’d been working games for almost five years when the change to five member crews was installed statewide.
During those first years I’d worked primarily Line Judge. Then in the middle of the year I was moved to a new position. I asked “WHY” and Mr. Dunnaway replied “I can put you in better games if you’ll go to this new position”. Well, I thought for a second and told him I would for that year only.
He was kinda taken back by my response and I told him “Let me become a better official then that will put pressure on you to put the better officials into better games”. That’s been my stance from day one. I kept up with some of my official friends and started wondering why so many had dropped out. In the last five years or so many of the coaches I knew told me horror stories from their pretty recent games.
Before an official got the chance to be on a varsity field he had at least four years of “seasoning” to get ready for their “shot”. That’s the way it should be, I despise this “buddy” system that’s going on right now. I was totally stunned, shocked, and refused to believe that officials with just two years’ experience were on 4A and 5A fields on Friday night.
But then I saw for myself that the unthinkable in my day was normal behavior in varsity stadiums. Watching from the press box, I was running the game clock, I saw things that just didn’t seem right. I made notes of certain plays and asked the crew after the games what had happened. Many of the officials were right on the call and worked very hard to get in position to make the correct ruling. The vast majority of crews and officials were doing great jobs.
It’s that very small 5% of officials that just don’t give a damn about the game or the kids that’s ruining it for everyone involved. But I’ve got to put the blame where it should be put. In no way, shape or form should inexperienced officials be on a varsity field no matter the level. That’s where we’re making the biggest mistake.
I know I’m gonna get a lot of heat for this column but I’ve always called ‘em like I see ‘em. I’m no way mistake proof. I’ve missed some calls this season as I’ve done in every season. Yet I’m not about to just let it slide off my back. NO WAY IN HELL AM I LIKE THAT. I go home and read my rule book, search for the answer and do whatever is needed to correct the mistakes.
The attitude of “I’m the referee and what I say goes” and/or “I can’t make a mistake” has to be rooted out. There’s no place in the game for any official to carry that type of attitude onto the football field. The ONLY way to get better is to work at getting better. Until that attitude is a common thread throughout the profession of officiating things will never improve. But Baton Rouge is blessed with some of the best officials ever to wear the stripes.
It’s time we promote better officials to call better games and to ditch this “BUDDY SYSTEM”. Coaches, it’s time for you to get involved with bettering the individuals calling your games. I’ve found it very disheartening that those coaches I’ve called, asking for a copy of their game film, so we can find our mistakes and try to correct them before the next game, and never receive a return call. Then on game night they wonder why we made the same mistake that we made in an earlier game.
COACHES, WE MUST WORK TOGETHER, FOR THE GAME AND THE KIDS!!!
Need I say anymore???? Till next week, have a very good Thanksgiving.
JON IS PROUD TO WORK AS A MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE FOR SPORTSRADIO-1310-KEZM-LAKE CHARLES, IN ESTABLSHING THE “DOLLAR A HOLLER” MARKETING PROGRAM AND HELPING SELL SULPHUR HS FOOTBALL BROADCASTS.
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