September 7, 2023
GOD BLESS UKRAINE AND THE USA!!!!
INTERVIEWEES
Sport n Center Jackets Warm-up will include an interview with Johnny Lombardi of DSTV. Denham Springs HS Athletic Hall of Famer/School Board President Cecil Harris will come on the Smalls Sliders Half-Time Report.
OOPS
Due to technical difficulties outside of our control, we were unable to start last week’s Denham Springs vs Mandeville broadcast until 4 minutes before kickoff. We apologize for this.
TODAY’S COLUMN:
Scott discusses LSU Football. See WIZARDRY OF OS below.
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THE WIZARDRY OF OS
When will we learn Tiger fans? The reality is we are living off the memory of one amazing season opener against Oregon over a decade ago. The other season opening games against quality teams have seen LSU play poorly and somehow beat a lesser team (TCU, North Carolina) or play poorly and lose.
We have been down this road too many times. Four years in a row now. For the fourth year in a row we are completely overreacting, too. We assume that the way a player or position group looked in week one is how they will look the entire season. We conclude that the program is heading in the wrong direction.
In our defense, 2020 and 2021 started poorly and continued poorly. But 2022 and many other teams have shown that growth can happen. I know everyone saw Keon Coleman catch passes over LSU defensive backs and has declared DBU is dead. As if nobody ever caught a TD pass on Corey Webster, Patrick Peterson, or the other great LSU DBs. The reality is other teams did make plays against LSU. Arkansas with Darren McFadden and others scored at will on a great, national championship defense. In 2019, LSU could not stop Sam Ehlinger of all people. In 2007, LSU could not stop whoever was throwing the ball for Arizona State. We thought those DBs were terrible.
But, our sample size is small, and so we judge everything on one performance. To be clear, I don’t think LSU currently has defensive backs that are going to star in the NFL. But, can they play coverages better? Can LSU’s defensive coaches put them in better positions? Can younger players who did not play against Florida State get a chance and show out? Of course these things can happen. Harold Perkins did not play on defense against FSU in the opener last year. A year ago, we had no idea how good he could be when put in the positions he was put in last year.
Last week, Brian Kelly said in a press conference that coaches do not ever know how their teams will perform and respond to adversity until it hits. That is the truth. Unfortunately, this staff found out early and it did not go well. But, that does not mean it is over. What it does mean is that in this era of roster turnover playing a difficult opponent in week one is probably not the best idea.
So where is the good news? Call me an optimist, but I see hope.
Did Jayden Daniels make a Joe Burrow jump? No. But is the Jayden Daniels from last year and from game one good enough for LSU to be a playoff team if the other parts perform? Absolutely. If you don’t agree then look at it this way. If Daniels had Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham, and Jeremy Hill or any of the great trios of skill players of the past, don’t you think his job would be easier? Right now Daniels is the best playmaker on the offense and that is a problem. The other supposed playmakers need to step up or some young playmakers need a chance.
I thought this offense would be great because the offensive line would make life easier for everyone. I thought they would give Daniels an extra half second. I thought the holes would be a little larger and open a little longer for the running backs. None of that happened against FSU, it could happen against almost everyone on the schedule with a little more time for this group to develop and possibly the insertion of Lance Heard.
Based on all the off season talk, I was expecting to see some two tight end formations and different personnel groupings. Similar to the game last year, the coaching staff clearly did not want to trust anyone outside of veteran players in that environment. I cannot blame them, but this rationale is another argument for starting the year with Mercer, UMass, the other lower tier teams most of the SEC opened with last Saturday.
On defense, some of our worst fears were confirmed. I know some people are hanging their hats on the four stops in a row the defense got in the first half. But, those were seriously aided by drops and mistakes by FSU. Still, I think there is some reason for hope on defense.
I hope the return of Maason Smith helps the interior of the defense. I hope Harold Perkins rushes the passer from inside and outside. I hope LSU tries some man under coverage with safety help. I hope some younger defensive backs get a shot and perform well. I hope Bradyn Swinson is as good as he looked Sunday night rushing the passer. I hope on third down LSU can find a pass coverage and/or better technique to clog up the middle of the field and force long throws short of the line to gain, then use their athleticism to tackle in space short of a first down.
With all that being said, mostly, I hope Florida State is better than everyone thought and as good as they looked in the second half. I hope they route Clemson in a couple of weeks. I hope they go undefeated.
As for LSU, I hope the LSU coaches make strategic adjustments and give some young players a chance. I think they will. It is not a stretch to think that Chris Hilton, Aaron Anderson, one of the young tight ends, and a few other guys are ready to push veterans.
Of course, maybe none of this happens and LSU goes 7-5 this year. That is certainly possible after what we saw Sunday night. Tiger fans have been burned by the secret playbook that we kept hoping would allow Russell Shephard to throw the ball or get the ball in space. But, that was a different head coach entirely.
All I am saying is that we don’t know and we might as well just sit back and see what happens.
PRESS RELEASE
DENHAM SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL IS BACK ON THE AIR!
The 2023 school year marks the 28th 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 2023, the broadcast slate will include the Jamboree, all 10 regular season Denham games, and every playoff game. Broadcasts can be heard on Family Radio-91.9 FM Baton Rouge. All broadcasts can also be heard on the Internet at JonFineProductions.com (click Listen Live on the Denham Springs Football PBP page). Sport-n-Center Jackets Warm-Up gets the broadcasts underway at 6:00 pm. The first broadcast is Friday, August 25 when the Jackets entertain Walker HS in the Denham Springs Jamboree.
Josh Ward returns as the play-by-play announcer of the Jackets. Ward will be joined by Mitch Covington as the color commentator. Producer Jon Fine will contribute to the pre-game, half-time and post-game programming.
“Sport N Center Jackets Warm-Up” will feature an interview with Jackets Football Coach Brett Beard conducted by Josh Ward. Jon Fine will speak with a prominent Denham Springs community and/or sports figure. Ward and Covington will also offer a preview of that night’s game and other pertinent information.
The “Smalls Sliders Half-Time Report” will include Fine interviewing another Denham Springs personality. In addition, Ward and Covington will provide a recap of the first half and a look ahead at the second half of action.
During the “Ralph Sellers Chevrolet Post-Game Show”, there will be an extensive game recap, final stats and a look ahead.
When Denham Springs picks up a first down, they’ll achieve a Big Mike’s Sports Bar & Grill First Down. When the Jackets score, the scoring drive will be recapped on the Brandy Robertson State Farm Insurance Scoring Drive. When the Jackets have secured a victory, Ward will indicate such and it will be brought to you by Bank Plus. Hydration Breaks are brought to you by The Water Tree of Denham Springs.
Sport-N-Center owner Stacy Phipps (Baseball) and Big Mike O’Neal (Football) were athletes at Denham Springs HS. Ralph Sellers Chevrolet Parts Manager Jim McChristian, a former Jackets color commentator, says he was an athlete at Denham Springs HS, but we have had a difficult time verifying this claim!
Fine expressed that he is especially appreciative of the loyal commercial and name mention sponsors the broadcasts have had on Jon Fine Sports Productions’ Denham Springs HS play-by-play broadcasts throughout the years. Many have been with the broadcasts on a year-in, year-out basis. Fine expressed hope that listeners will have the opportunity to patronize these businesses and let them know they heard about them on DSHS Football radio broadcasts.
Jackets play-by-play announcer Josh Ward, a Denham Springs HS graduate, was a Yellow Jackets assistant basketball coach. He is an executive at Guaranty Broadcasting. Much to the regret of several ladies in the Greater Baton Rouge area and points unknown, he is single.
Mitch Covington, a 3-sport star at Denham Springs HS, would later serve as a Jackets assistant football coach. He is presently the head football coach at Denham Springs Junior High School. He is a graduate of McNeese State, where he played baseball. He is married and has 2 children.
Jon Fine co-hosted and produced daily 2-hour drive-time radio sports-talk programs in the Greater Baton Rouge area for close to 20 years. His programs (first SportsTalk, which changed its name to SportsGumbo), aired, at times, in New Orleans, Lake Charles, Monroe and Alexandria, in addition to the Baton Rouge market. His company, Jon Fine Productions, has produced numerous Denham Springs HS and area HS sports programming on television, radio and internet. Fine presently has an EBay store—ArrestedDevelopmentMediaGuides. He is a native of Valley Stream, New York and a graduate of Penn, where he majored in Marketing. Much to the delight of several ladies in the Greater Baton Rouge area and points unknown, he is single.
For more information on Denham Springs HS Sports programming and Jon Fine Productions, please visit JonFineProductions.com.
DENHAM SPRINGS HS FOOTBALL RADIO BROADCASTS ARE A JON FINE PRODUCTION ON FAMILY RADIO, 91.9 FM, BATON ROUGE and JonFineProductions.com.
JON IS THE OWNER OF AN EBAY STORE. ArrestedDevelopmentMediaGuides, SELLS SPORTS PUBLICATIONS. YOU CAN LINK TO IT BY VISITING JonFineProductions.com