November 2, 2017
REGULAR SEASON FINALE
Coach Bill Conides’ Denham Springs HS Football team travels to play Scotlandville HS on Friday night. You can catch all of the action on Family Radio, 91.9 FM, on the net at JonFineProductions.com and on Tune In Radio App—seek WWRA. See more info below.
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TORS ON AIR FRIDAY
Sulphur HS in action tomorrow night.. See info below.
ON AIR TONIGHT
SportsCentral will air, tonight (Thursday), 5pm on Central First Facebook Page
See more information just below.
BATON ROUGE AREA BROADCASTING SCHEDULE:
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FRIDAY: Denham Springs HS at Scotlandville HS 6 pm Family Radio, 91.9 FM, Internet: JonFineProductions.com Tune In Radio App—seek WWRA Josh Ward Jon Fine
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SULPHUR HS FOOTBALL vs Comeaux HS
Bruce Merchant, Clopha Boudreaux
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HOUSTON ASTROS BASEBALL
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THE WIZARDRY OF OS
Assistant Basketball Coach and Head Swimming Coach at Central High
There is a lot to like about the 2017 Saints. They can run the ball, the defense is decent, and they are finding ways to win.
I have to be honest though, the random big plays surrendered and the inability to put games away is going catch up with the Saints soon. Especially when the Saints play better teams like the Bills, Rams, and Falcons.
I don’t have time to do the research, but I am betting the Saints run defense would be near the top of the league in yards per game if they could stop giving up random runs of 30 yards or more. Of course, those plays count, so the Saints are giving up over 4.5 yards per carry.
On offense, the last two weeks turnovers have been like Noah’s Ark. Two by two. Since starting the year without a turnover in the first four games, the Saints have had at least two in the last three. They have to be better in the second half of the year.
Against the Bears, Brees was very efficient. 23 completions in 28 attempts for 300 yards is great. The defense limited Trubisky to under 50% passing. The Saints ran the ball well. Yet, the Bears had a chance to tie the game at the end because of explosive plays and turnovers.
The Saints should beat Tampa Bay at home. But, I am concerned a key turnover combined with an explosive play late in the game will cost the Saints a win in a game they should win. Hopefully, the Saints correct these mistakes.
24 years ago, pigs flew in Tuscaloosa. I remember watching that game as David Palmer ran all over the field in the second half trying to provide enough offense for Bama to win.
It won’t be as big of an upset if LSU can beat Alabama, but it will be close. Here is how it is possible.
First, and most importantly, Alabama needs to not be as good as everyone thinks they are so far this year. The Tide’s win over Florida State is not nearly as impressive as we thought at the time. Bama has crushed some teams to a pulp like Vandy, but Texas A&M also was in the game. A weak schedule is why Bama is #2 in the playoff poll this week.
I think Alabama is a great team, but are they as good as last year? Offensively, they look to be the same team. Good, but not great. Defensively, they are great, but maybe they are just great and not immortal.
Second, LSU’s defense has to play three times better than they have played in any game this year. The front four has to make plays on their own without the help of blitzing, and hold their ground the whole game. The linebackers have to know their gaps and fill them quickly and physically. The defensive backs must be physical and tackle. LSU hasn’t seen a quarterback like this since Nick Fitzgerald and we know how that went.
Usually against Alabama, at some point, the Tide wears down the LSU defense and makes plays. But that is more the fault of LSU’s offense. For years, LSU has tried to replicate the 9-6 win. The hope has been the defense will hold the whole game, Bama will miss a bunch of field goals, and maybe the offense won’t make mistakes. LSU has shown that recipe only worked once and took a great play by Eric Reid and some luck.
This leads me to the third key, which is to let it all hang out on offense. The Tigers really don’t have anything to lose.
LSU needs to break every tendency Bama has known will hold true when playing LSU. The Tigers should throw on third and short while running on third and long. First down needs to be where LSU makes things happen in the passing game or the Tigers will not be able to protect Etling.
Speaking of Danny, he must throw the football on time, check it down or throw it away. Further, I don’t think LSU can win the game with one quarterback. LSU has got to give Bama something else to think about. A wildcat formation with Guice at quarterback or Justin McMillan is one of the few things LSU could do to at least make the Tide defense think for a moment.
To be clear, I don’t think a wildcat formation to run the ball will have any effect on Alabama. LSU needs to not only show a new wrinkle, but have a new wrinkle on the wrinkle.
As I said last week, Alabama is clearly better than LSU this year. Alabama was better than LSU 24 years ago. I am hoping LSU goes out there and let’s it all hang out, and if LSU gets beat down so be it. For the last 5 years, we have made it known that we will physically hang with Alabama. Win or lose, I want this to be the year that LSU does something to make Alabama think.
HEY REF
I was asked (AGAIN) this week why I believe the NCAA should pay its athletes. As I tried to explain my reasons and thoughts on this subject I was right that the inquiring person had a totally different opinion. I’ve written before “WHY” I feel that players should receive a salary many times in this space but just in case you’ve never read my reasons for giving athletes a salary I’ll offer up a “Best Of” to refresh your minds.
This column was originally printed on March 28, 2013 and my stance remains firm that athletes should be paid a salary. And a good one not some $5.00 a week sham but one that would afford said athletes real compensation for the thousands of hours they put in on the field in which they play. So without further delay here are the reasons why I feel athletes should receive a salary;
If ever I found an article in the sport’s section that should be questioned it was Wednesday’s March 27 (page 2c) edition with the headline that read “Poll: fans don’t favor paying athletes”. While I find this statement untrue I just had to stop everything I was doing to read for myself what information was disclosed in this so called Poll of sport’s fans.
The whole article was very short but what I found “funny” was nowhere in it did it give out the numbers of fans questioned, their ages, demographics, etc., etc., etc. And it never released any details on the so called anti pay for the student-athletes. Well, that term went the way of the dinosaurs, there ain’t no such thing around anymore. They should be referred to as to what they actually are and that is “university employees”.
If you’ve read this column on any regularity you’ll know this writer’s stance on paying “employees”. From now on I’ll never write student-athlete since they are extinct. Getting back to the poll results it shows that 67 percent, up 12 points (I guess they mean percent) actually believe that universities break NCAA rules.
The increase it is thought stems from two highly publicized cases; Harvard and Miami. In the Harvard case which sounds just too funny to be true they report the school issued academic sanctions against approximately 60 students for a cheating scandal on the final exam in a class on of all things: CONGRESS!
Now come on, this has to be made up. Maybe the students started studying the way our Congress works and decided stealing, lying and cheating is the way to get what you want. Not what you earn but what you want and isn’t that the way not only our lawmakers are perceived but how the vast majority get ahead?
Oh, sure, I can hear it now, how can I write something like that. Let me just put a couple names out there you might recognizes; Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Lance Armstrong. All three swore on the Bible they didn’t do drugs, didn’t lie, didn’t steal but all are liars. It was proven in a court of law in Mr. Armstrong’s case. Even though it wasn’t proven in the courtroom on the other two athletes I’ve mentioned it was in the court of common sense that convicted them.
But the article didn’t say anything about the Miami case and I find that odd since the Hurricanes are known for going way outside the lines of the law and the rules. I guess maybe they didn’t have room for “old” news? So, as I finished the short column not a single word on the so called vote on not paying employees.
I mean the whole reason for a headline is to get the reader to notice something they may want to read about. As in my case, I just wanted to see how many ignorant people there were that answered “no” to this question. In this day and time it really shouldn’t surprise me, I mean the working people of this country can’t stand to see another worker to get ahead. Big business was very successful in their “Divide and conquer” war against those that have to punch a clock to make a living.
The NCAA receives in excess of $8 BILLION, that’s right with a “B”, AMERICAN DOLLARS for their basketball tournament. That’s a three year old figure since we’re still waiting to get a final one for the last year and won’t have a final for 2013 for at least another 12 months.
In other words the NCAA gets an entire NFL budget on just one single sporting event. Don’t start about all the sports that never make a profit and are supported by basketball and football. The ONLY and I do mean ONLY reason those sports are still on the books is because so many students still play those sports and the families of these kids are the reason Deans keep footing the bills. Mom and Dad still have some clout or maybe I should say “You don’t bite the hand that feeds you” so it’s sort of a tradeoff.
But to not pay the employees that generate BILLIONS of these dollars is not right, never will be right and should be abolished ASAP if not sooner. Pay those that make it all possible! For any university that thinks it can generate these sums of dollars on their own without these young EMPLOYEES will also go the way of the dinosaurs!!
Till next week… …
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