July 27, 2017
JACKETS RADIO
DENHAM SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL IS BACK ON THE AIR!
The 2017 school year marks the 22nd season that Jon Fine (Sports) Productions will have the privilege of producing and calling play-by-play for Denham Springs HS Football radio broadcasts. In 2017, the broadcast slate will include all 10 regular season Denham games, and every playoff game. Broadcasts will air on Family Radio-91.9 FM-Baton Rouge, starting at 6:00 pm Friday nights. All broadcasts can also be heard on the Internet at JonFineProductions.com (click Listen Live on the Denham Springs Football PBP page). The first broadcast is Friday, September 1, as the Jackets play host to Hammond High School. We’ll have more information in ensuing weeks in this newsletter.
HIATUS
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THE WIZARDRY OF OS
Assistant Basketball Coach and Head Swimming Coach at Central High
Last week we looked at how overstating the significance of a coach’s resume can cause people to incorrectly forecast the coming season.
This week I want to look at the misguided thought of focusing on having to “replace” players.
I will start off by stating that experienced players are usually more successful, especially in college football where the difference in 18 year olds and 22 year olds can be drastic physically. Like last week, I don’t want to give the impression that experience and returning players don’t matter. All of that is important, but only to a point.
I am going to avoid using Alabama as an example, but for the record, Alabama has many great examples. Instead, let’s stay at home with LSU and see why you have to consider more than simply if a starter is returning.
LSU has to replace their starting running back who was one of the best players in college football, but nobody is worried because this year’s starter is extremely talented as well. Of course, Guice has proven himself as well.
The Tigers will be replacing both their defensive ends. Both solid, but not great players. One of the “new” starters, Christian LaCoutre is a 5th year senior who is a team leader and the only reason he is “new” is he was injured last year.
At wide receiver, LSU loses both starters. Neither was very productive, though that is not completely their fault. Still, they were talented and experienced. This year, most of the receivers are very talented, but don’t have a lot of experience. But does that really matter at LSU and in this system?
Now, let’s look at it from another angle. LSU’s starting quarterback will most likely be Etling, which makes him a returning starter. Do you hear anyone saying, “LSU’s is going to win 10 games because the quarterback is a returning starter?” Certainly not.
Conclusion? More significant than whether you have a returning starter is to look at who is starting. Furthermore, the significance is who is starting this year, not who was starting last year.
The fact is that you can’t really replace anyone. Each player is unique in their skill sets. The great coaches identify those skills and use them most effectively. LSU will be in a world of hurt if they try to get John Battle to play like Jamal Adams. The obvious example is how Alabama didn’t ask Jalen Hurts to be Jake Coker. The same thought process is necessary at other positions as well.
In addition, some teams are better off when players leave because they might have been talented, but not willing to play a role. Whereas, other players play a role well, but are not very talented.
One more quick thought on the matter. The best programs have a vision for each position on the field and the offense or defense as a whole and recruit talented players that fit. The transition from player to player is much smoother. This is the reason LSU has been so good at running back and defensive back, but not quaterback.
Are these conclusions good or bad for LSU in 2017? That is the tricky part, even for the coaches. By the time LSU kicks off against BYU, the coaches will have an idea of who can do what. In some cases they will be right, and in other cases they will be wrong. In practice, the new safety might make the right call, line up correctly, read the play, and make the tackle. In the game, he might not, and that is the difference.
USC learned they were playing the wrong quarterback after the first few games last year. Sometimes players aren’t ready to contribute the way they need to until late September. The quicker coaches can accurately evaluate their team, the quicker they can put them into positions to be successful, and those are the teams that have successful seasons.
How do you know which teams will fit that mold? As an outsider, you don’t because you can’t see if the light has come on for Drake Davis, John Battle, or Garrett Brumfield. All three players are “new” starters who will play a huge factor in LSU’s success.
I think it makes a huge difference that LSU has fewer questions in the front seven on offensive line. Dominating at the line of scrimmage can hide a lot of problems early in the year when coaches and players are figuring things out. We have all of August to talk about that though.
HEY REF
As promised today’s column is the final part in my three part series that I published a mere two years ago. I can’t see things being very much if at all different in the status of high school football officials here in south Louisiana. So, I’ll send to the presses this final piece and let the chips fall where they may. I’m still holding off answering the questions and comments that I’ve received in the past two weeks.
But I will say this, so far I’ve been stopped on the street (Gas station and 2 restaurants) and the coaches I’ve met and the two I know have said they’d like to offer a few of their recommendations and what they feel should be done to get officials more in tune with the actual playing of the game. MMMM, I won’t let on to what they’ve said but I can see their side of this issue and I’m looking forward to getting some more help and ideas not only from them but from my fellow officials.
With that out of the way here it is in all of its glory, part three.
This is the third part of a special three part series delving into the LHSAA’s high school football officials.
I’d like to thank all those that have taken the time to read the previous two columns. Next week I plan to answer all of the questions I’ve received so far and those I’ll be assured of getting this week. But before I answer any questions I felt that I’ve got to pass along my reasons and the situations that lead up to my abrupt and sudden walking away from what I love to do. For starters it felt many veteran officials seemed threatened that they’d lose their spot in the pecking order of game assignments.
In my first game action of the year during our pregame meeting I asked if we were going to use the “new” way of covering kickoffs. In a five man crew it calls for three of the five officials to be on the goal line. I offered that we take one official off the goal line and move him up to cover the receiver’s restraining line which is usually the 50 yard line. Too many times problems happen there and having just one man there causes way too many problems. I was told “no, we’ll go with the new mechanics” so along with two other members of the crew I lined up on the goal line.
And of course early in the first half the kicker squibbed a kick (this was not an intended on-side kick). The official covering the play called out “Blue, Blue’s ball” indicating blue had recovered the ball. Just one problem and it was a big problem he was pointing, indicating “white” had recovered. Confusion reigned as by the time I made it from the goal line to the 50 the recovering coach was screaming his player recovered, which was correct.
I asked the official who had possession and he said blue which made me ask why he pointed toward white’s goal line. He quickly changed the direction he was pointing in and you can guess what the other coach had to say of the confusion. So while the referee went to both coaches to explain I made the comment to the umpire “that’s why I like having two guys up on the receiver’s restraining line”. His answer was totally out of order as he yelled at me “That was your call. You’ve got to hustle and cover that kick”. WTF are you talking about?
Of course all he was doing was covering for his buddy as I was the new member that just transferred into his association. I let it slide because we all knew his buddy had screwed up. Later in the game team “A” calls time out on a third down to consider the play they’ll run. While running that third down a flag was thrown for offensive holding. After the play another flag was thrown on the offense for a 15 yard un/sport/like dead ball foul.
I marked the dead ball spot while the referee and umpire decided how to enforce both penalties. They began walking off 35 yards and I caught the error almost as fast as they turned to walk off the 35 yards. I dropped my bean bag there, look to the sidelines and get the actual yard line of the dead ball before I go after my two crewmates. At least that’s what I thought we were “CREWMATES”? I finally catch up to them where they placed the ball as the white hat signaled this is where it’ll be snapped from when we run the next down. As I’m trying to explain their mistake to them I’m told to basically don’t bother them because they know what they’re doing. I tried telling them that since the offense didn’t make their first down the offended team can decline the penalty have the dead ball (15 yards) enforced and it’ll be 4th down. I think to myself O. K. guys if you know what you’re doing why is the coach going nuts? The offended coach wants a conference which the referee grants.
After what seemed like an hour the ref comes out onto the field and asks me “Where was the dead ball spot”? Seems the chains were told to move to the new spot. Not only were they wrong but the yardage they walked off was wrong since 10 and 15 are 25 not 35. The ref now acknowledges I was right and is hoping I know where the dead ball spot is. But I say nothing UNTIL he asks me “Do you have any idea where the dead ball spot is”? I say “Well actually I do know where it is because I left my bean bag there while I went on a hike trying to slow you two know-it-alls down”. We go to my bean bag and I once again explain to them the holding foul will be declined and we’ll just walk off the 15 yard dead ball foul. So Mr. Ref calls me over to him and wants me to spot the ball so he can walk off the 15 yarder. He tells me it was my responsibility to know where the spot should be since I was the one that ruled on the previous play. I didn’t expect anything from them except a “Thanks”. But I didn’t get it. Nope, they just went about doing what they do and that is act like they know what they’re supposed to be doing. What came next sent me into such a rage I haven’t put on the stripes since that game. As we finish the game and are back at the meeting place I just want to get out of there because I’ve never been that mad or frustrated in my life. As the umpire tries to explain how that situation should’ve been handled and instead of owning their combined mistake I’m told again I was the one that caused them to screw-up.
When I decided to return to officiating football games it was not to call as many playoff games that I could. Nor did I care to work a game in the Super Dome. I assure everyone that was the farthest thing from my mind when I decided to return to the field after being “retired” for more than ten years. One of the earliest things I remember being told was “don’t talk to so and so because you’ll never get to the Dome or call any playoff games”. I didn’t come back to work any playoff games because I’ve called too many to count. I had no desire in getting the nod to work a state final game in the Super Dome because I’ve been there and done that.
My one and only reason for returning was to try and get my local association back on track at being the premier association in the entire state. A position that I’d helped build through years of hard work and dedication to the little things! Test scores are always a place to start but to me a guy that can apply common sense on the field always trumps book sense. But again there has to be a starting point so getting guys up to speed on rules knowledge comes first.
I was shocked to find that the three associations I worked games in the past four years just told their members to “learn on your own” which of course everyone knows is 180 degrees opposite with the way I think and this must be changed. The LHSAA changed the testing procedure this year and it was a tremendous failure. We were given a “study” guide from the LHSOA that did nothing to prepare us for the test. In fact the only thing the Louisiana High School Official’s Association (LHSOA) was successful in was to piss off the principals by threatening to strike if we weren’t given a $5.00 per game increase.
My “Old School” training had a mindset that to get better games and better pay was to become a better official. I’ve written that in stone as it should be the only way an official can move up. But I found that those that shared adult beverages with those in power to assign games were once again poising the relationship between fellow officials and coaches. As a retired union member when contract negotiations came around we had just one bargaining chip that being of course our hands. We were selling labor and only labor. The question we needed to answer was if our labor warranted more money this time around! That’s all officials can offer the coaches, players and principals, our labor.
Officiating sports in today’s hectic world offers few rewards and isn’t something I recommend for the faint at heart. You’ll be abused, used, cheated and disrespected by just about everyone. There are very few rewards to be had. You’re expected to be perfect every second of every game. There is very little respect coming your way and sideline abuse is rampant. It saddens me to no end to see and experience the decline in a craft I once cherished.
There are many things I’m not able to print so I’ll close with that. The decline in officials and officiating has many reasons but the one I find so offensive is the constant back stabbing of officials by other officials. The “crew” concept went by the way of the dinosaurs. So I’ll ask this final question “If you don’t respect yourself and those you’re supposed to respect how can you expect respect from others”?
Till next week…
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