September 18, 2014
THE DRU NETTLES SHOW
The Dru Nettles Show airs tonight, 6pm—7pm, on Cox 4 Television, Baton Rouge. Replays can be seen on Friday at 11am and Saturday at 1pm. The Dru Nettles Show is co-hosted by Denham Springs HS Athletic Director/Head Football Coach Dru Nettles and yours truly, Jon Fine.
This week’s guests include Jackets Wide Receivers/Special Teams Coach Mitch Covington, Senior players BJ Armstrong and Eli Cawthon and John Ware, Executive Director, Dixie Business Center. The sponsor of the week is Innovative Audio, represented by Drew Jones. There’ll be highlights of the Jackets win over Salmen HS. Plus, a segment will feature Coach Nettles being interviewed by Fine.
For more information on The Dru Nettles Show, please visit The Dru Nettles Show page on JonFineProductions.com.
SPORTSCENTRAL
Join Hosts Sid Edwards and Steve Johnson on SportsCentral, tonight, 5pm—6pm, on WUBR, 910AM (CBS Sports Radio) Baton Rouge… on the net at PelicanSportsTV.com… and the Tune In App: search WUBR… from Coach’s. Tonight’s guests include Assistant Football Coach David Dykes and Senior players Tyler Sansone and James Schopp
BATON ROUGE AREA BROADCASTING SCHEDULE:
Thursday, September 18: 5pm—6pm: SportsCentral… with Sid Edwards and Steve Johnson
WUBR, 910AM (CBS Sports Radio) Baton Rouge
PelicanSportsTV.com
App: search WUBR… from Coach’s
Thursday, September 12: 6pm—7pm: The Dru Nettles Show… with Dru Nettles and Jon Fine
Cox 4 Television
Baton Rouge… note new replay times: Friday, September 12 at 11am and Saturday, September 13 at 1 pm
Friday, September 19: 6pm: Denham Springs HS vs Catholic HS
Jon Fine, Brian Abels, Nathan Landry
Fox Sports Radio, 1210AM, Baton Rouge… and on the net at JonFineProductions.com
SportsRadio 1310 Radio, Lake Charles Programming of Interest (also heard on KEZMOnLine.com):
Friday, September 19: 6:45pm: Sulphur HS at Washington-Marion HS
Bruce Merchant, Clopha Boudreaux
Saturday, September 10: 9AM—10AM: All Things Football with Scott Holtzman
Monday, September 22: 8AM—10AM: The Locker Room with John Goodman and Jim Gazzolo
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 MENTIONED ON OUR BROADCAST(S).
THE WIZARDRY OF OS
Assistant Basketball Coach and Head Swimming Coach at Central High School
Saturday night LSU sent messages to their fans and the college football world.
To college football,
Do you remember 2011? It wasn't fun to play us then and it won't be fun this year either. We will be among one of the most dominating defenses in the country. On offense, we will run right at you just because we can. Our quarterback will make safe decisions that will make you earn everything. We are deep, we are strong, and we are fast. We could beat you 56-0, but we are just as happy with 31-0 or 9-6.
To LSU football fans,
We proved the last two quarters against Wisconsin and against Sam Houston we can be explosive on offense. We did it with 3 wide receivers and one running back. It is much harder for the opponent to stop our run game when we spread them out. This week we didn't feel like doing that. We used two backs and three tight ends half the time because we can. The tight ends will only block and we won't throw to them even when we have three in the game at one time as we did for most of the game against ULM. So deal with it.
Messages received. If you are like me and want to see LSU develop the passing game to the tight ends and receivers other than Dural, then tough. You and I have the mindset that LSU should develop those skills against lesser teams after securing victory (which LSU had done at halftime). We think this development should take place just in case we need it at some point. When you realize what I have now realized you will be able to stop scratching your head.
I have realized that LSU is not going to throw the the tight end and they are going to throw to Dural most of the time. They are going to try to do this 2011 style again. If they run into a team that defends them as Alabama could, then they will lose and gain under 100 yards of offense. If a team has success on offense against our defense, then our offense will have to keep up by running the ball. If we can't, then we lose. If you don't like it, then don't watch.
Is winning in the NFL as simple as looking at the turnover margin where the Saints are now -3?
Why do the Saints consistently play so poorly against teams like the Browns and the Rams? At least the Falcons somewhat beat us last week. At the end of the first quarter of this game I would have put the score at Saints 0 and Patrick Robinson -10. Then Drew Brees threw his third pick six to the Browns in the last two games against a team that will win 5 games this year.
The optimist will tell you the Saints are two field goals away from being 2-0 and both losses are on the road. If your ambition is to maybe squeak in the playoffs at 9-7 then go ahead and feel good.
But, I am sorry. The Saints have too talented of a roster, are too close to the salary cap, and have now lost to a team in the Browns they should beat 9 out of 10 times. Furthermore, in the NFL good teams win these games and the Saints have now lost two of them, so that makes you the opposite of a good team.
The weaknesses are glaring and have been talked about all week. On defense, no pass rush without blitzing, secondary busts, and no forced turnovers. On offense, no explosive plays, self inflicted wounds, receivers not making plays.
I just deleted a paragraph where I made suggestions to a man making 7 million dollars a year. Then I thought better of it. The offense is too good for him to not figure out a way to generate explosive plays. But, I will suggest that defenses are starting to take the approach that they dare Payton to run for 250 yards a game. He might want to think about taking that dare.
The defense I am not sure it will be okay. The secondary was suppose to be a strength and they are not close. I don't think Ryan has a feel yet for how to put his play makers in position to make plays. I think he thought he had better talent and could just line up and play. The defense can be good, but he will have to be creative because as I said last week, the Saints are very weak at corner. And for those who thought the Saints had the best safety combo in the league, either the talent evaluators are wrong or Ryan is not putting them in position to be successful.
I could easily pile on Roger Goodell and the NFL right now. If you read this column during the Saints issues with the NFL, you would know that I have had a problem with Roger Goodell's management for a while. Having acknowledged that, there comes a time when it is just best to move on and get a new start.
There is a time and place for everything. Bill Belichick will go down as one of the greatest coaches of all time, but he was fired by the Browns. It wasn't the right time. Pete Carroll is having great success with the Seahawks, but it didn't work out the first go round with the Jets.
Whether you make the right decision or wrong decision, the commissioner of the NFL needs to show he is in control (as Goodell pointed out in the bounty issues and Payton). The commissioner must also maintain the integrity of the league. My guess is the only people who believe Goodell has control and the NFL league office has integrity also have the last name of Goodell or are employed by the league.
Finally, as a parent I feel the need to address the Adrian Peterson situation. More broadly, the idea that a parent should simply pass on the same parenting techniques of their parents.
Some of the most dangerous words for choosing to do something is, "that is the way it has always been done." Our country and the human race as a whole have not reached this point by standing still. We should always strive to grow, evolve, and find better ways. I find it very lazy and disturbing that people parent by default (the memories of how their parents did things). Parents should read, study, and make educated choices about how they parent. If after that work, a parent makes the choice to use a parenting technique that their parents chose than so be it. But it should be a well thought out choice. Our children deserve that effort.
Letter Received from Paul in Slidell in response to last week’s HEY REF column:
Hey Jon, I see your team will be in our area for a Salman game. Have a good one. Pass along to Dennis if you would how much I like his articles that keep the public aware of rules. I especially like how he mentions that the same play could happen in all 3 rule books with a different result in each, especially as to penalty enforcement. The other 2 books, NCAA and NFL are going hog wild on automatic first downs while Federation is kinder to defenses by actually dropping one. (Defensive pass interference is no longer automatic first although the yardage will often provide a first.) The example I give to show differences is where a potential punter is lined up deep. Upon taking the snap he sees that he won't get the kick off so he scrambles deeper only to be tackled 20 yards behind the neutral zone but the defense grabs his face mask and pulls him down during the tackle. 3 rule books, 3 different results. In Federation, the offense actually loses yardage after the penalty since it is marked off from the spot of the sack, but at least they get the down back. If it was 4th and 10 before the play, it would be 4th and 15 after the play. NFL rules, which were copied from Federation in the 1920's but have diverged widely since then, starts with the same premise of marking from the end of the run, but has a special proviso that the offense can't lose yardage on such a play. Also, the NFL has automatic first downs for almost any defensive foul. Thus, although the play would be from the previous spot, it would now be an automatic first. NCAA would be toughest on defenses. They would step off the penalty from the previous spot and award an automatic first down. As for the muffed kick downfield that Dennis mentioned in his last article, that is actually one play where all 3 rule books are in accord. Downfield, kick team players can never advance their own kick. In one Monday night game in Howard Cosell's day, R muffed a punt directly into the air and a K player caught it on a dead run for what looked like an easy TD. Howard Cosell lambasted the officials a lot longer than he apologized later when they disallowed the TD and the advance. One rare difference in the rule book on K's right to advance a kick is in the rare instance where the kick goes beyond the neutral zone but then is either muffed or otherwise goes back behind the neutral zone. As with other "old" rules, NFL and Federation concur that as long as K recovers behind the neutral zone, wherever the kick has been, it may be advanced by K. In NCAA, once a kick touches beyond the neutral zone, it may no longer be advanced by K even if recovered behind the previous spot. Luckilly, those situations are rare but interesting. Thanks again to Dennis for pointing out these basic differences such that laymen can understand them. Chow.
HEY REF
This writer will never point fingers at another official or coach when trying to explain rulings made in LHSAA games. The main purpose of this column when we launched it some three and a half years ago was to explain the rules that govern Louisiana High School games as set forth by the Federation of High Schools, aka The Federation.
Last week I explained the correct ruling made on a punt by Baton Rouge officials and did get some interesting replies and a couple phone calls wanting to be sure I was correct after some “fans” read my explanation. I do enjoy the calls because it makes a difference on Friday nights. When the parents in the stands understand the rules it makes for a more enjoyable evening for all of us.
But we (refs) do make mistakes and there were a couple this past week that should be addressed before another game kicks off. Nothing gets me seeing red more than an official that blows a call yet won’t admit it. Case in point; a player CANNOT fumble until he secures possession. Here’s the play; a pass is thrown to a receiver ten yards down the field and as he turns to go up the field he drops the ball.
In your mind you’re probably saying that’s an easy one, Mr. Ref… Most everyone would say it’s an incomplete pass and there’s nothing more to the play. But what happened after the ball hit the ground was a nightmare of extreme proportions. After the ball hit the ground the defense picked up it up and ran for twenty yards before being tackled.
One official blew his whistle while another ran behind the player that recovered the ball and advanced. There was mass confusion on the field as one team was celebrating the recovery the other was saying it was still their ball because the whistle had blown. What a mess and how do we straighten this correctly?
First things first, no way will the defense get the ball because (A) the whistle blew and (B) we’ve either got a complete or incomplete pass. After the initial celebration subsided the officials got together to discuss what each had seen. The covering official ruled a complete pass with a fumble while the official on the opposite ruled an incomplete pass and hence his blowing of the whistle.
Well what happened next was a complete misapplication of the rules. The covering official refused to admit he was wrong which goes completely against everything we as officials should stand for. When you’re wrong, admit it, get the call correct and move on. To compound things the “white” hat allowed the ball to be awarded to the defense even though a whistle had been blown BEFORE the defense recovered the ball.
Whenever there is an inadvertent whistle, such as in this case, the team that possessed the ball before the whistle sounded has the option of taking the ball at the spot where the whistle was blown or return to the previous spot (line of scrimmage) and replay the down. So, in this case, my guys blew the call 100%.
One of the biggest hurdles officials face is admitting when they’re wrong. In twenty plus years of working high school games I can without hesitation say “I’ve blown some big ones”. It’s the worse feeling in the world to be wrong but you must do the right thing immediately, you can’t sleep on it and change your mind in the morning. Somehow, you’ve got to “forget” the play and continue on because no matter how much you dwell on the play the only thing that matters at that moment is the next play and the rest of the game.
So, how do we train an official so these types of mistakes are eliminated from further contests? To be real, there are no way mistakes by officials as well as players and coaches will be eliminated from future games. But we can work on reducing mistakes by officials. The best way that I know of is getting films into the hands of the local association so that an official can see himself and how the play evolved.
I’ve gone home after working a game on a Friday night knowing I’d got ‘em all correct but after looking at the game film, well… I didn’t. The coaches are the key to training the officials in his area. In that if they don’t get involved and pass along game films those officials making mistake after mistake will continue until he’s not allowed back to call any games.
Coaches with today’s technology getting those films to the people that need ‘em is so simple and you need to get someone in your employ to get those copies to your official’s association. Improvement can come from anywhere and it’s a must that coaches do work hand-in-hand with the officials because we need constant, continued improvement… …
Till next week…
JON IS PROUD TO WORK AS A MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE FOR SPORTSRADIO-1310-KEZM-LAKE CHARLES, IN ESTABLISHING THE “DOLLAR A HOLLER” MARKETING PROGRAM AND HELPING SELL BARBE HS BASEBALL AND SOUTH LAKE CHARLES PLAYOFF BROADCASTS
AND AS A MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE/ CONSULTANT FOR SPORTSCENTRAL ON WUBR,910AM (CBS SPORTS RADIO), BATON ROUGE.