Begin Rant:
So I think I was 16 or 17 (IE a longer time ago than I'd care to admit) when I realized watching my scarlett heroes of yore that I knew more than the people on TV covering the game. I say it not in a boastful way, but more in a "I'm so disappointed because the TV broadcasters whose word I used to trust implicitly don't have the first clue what they're watching and are making it up as they go.". I remember Joe Theismann saying gems like "Candlestick is really a better baseball stadium than football stadium".
Sigh.
Anyway, as I got a bit older I started listening to a lot more SportsTalk radio looking for peeps who might have a bit more of a clue. There I found Gary Radnich, a fountain of arrogant know nothingness.
On that note...
So I'm listing to 95.7 the game on the way in to work today. I actually enjoy 95.7 better than KNBR even though it's the Raiders and A's station...mainly because the hosts are USUALLY just better.
So I'm listening this morning to...
Brad (please stick to Tennis) Gilbert, Matt (please stick to Basketball) Steinmetz, and Henry (please just stop talking altogether you imbecilic bafoon) Wofford. MAN Henry Woffords voice and personality grate on me like a cheese grater. ANYWAY...
Their topic (brought up by Brad Gilbert) was Kaepernicks WRISTBAND and how him having to wear it shows how unready Kap is, how much he doesn't study, and how it's unacceptable that he could have so little grasp of the plays that he needed the wristband.
This branched out into how Kap was INCAPABLE of running a hurry up offense because of the wristband and because they always snap the ball with so little time on the clock...which of course goes back to Kap not knowing the plays and not being able to do what's asked of him.
I wanted to reach into the radio and strangle them. Think what you want of Kap (this isn't even really about him), but if you are going to go on the air and be critical of him, have the common decency to do even the smallest amount of research to have a clue what the hell you are talking about.
To address both of these issues...
1) CLOCK MANAGEMENT: The amount of time taken off the clock before every play has NOTHING to do with Colin Kaepernick. NOTHING. It is a function of the offensive SCHEME. The entire point is to run the clock, substitute with an insane number of players, for the D to declare late, and make playing QB EASIER by making almost everything decided BEFORE THE SNAP OF THE BALL. This is why this offense was considered QB friendly when Harbaugh was hired. No hot reads. Very few adjustments after the snap. One of the big criticisms of Kap is that he stays on that presnap read...but that's the design of the offense. This isn't so much a defense of Kap because we have yet to see what he could do in another offense, but this idea that he's just fumbling back there trying to find a play and get it in and takes too long is a fallacy. The added benefit of this scheme is that it chews up the clock and prevents your defense from having to spend a ton of time on the field...IE, they don't wear out.
Now sometimes when playing a fine line like they do you are going to make some mistakes...and that's when TOs and Delay of Game become a factor. Kap can run a no huddle offense...IF HE'S ASKED TO.
This isn't to say Kap has no issues. He does...and they need to be addressed. THESE JUST AREN'T THE PROBLEM.
2) WRISTBAND: Just the dumbest thing I've ever heard on the radio. Really disappointing. Why?
Lets just take a look at some Harbaugh QBs through the years and see if you can spot the thing they all have in common....
How about a few backups for good measure...
Did'ja spot the thing that those 95.7 the Game airhead hosts didn't catch? It like playing Where's Waldo.
Jim Harbaughs system routinely calls multiple plays in the huddle and then has the QB decide between them at the line. In order to expedite this process, they use a code system that the QB (ANY QB) can relate to the wristband to get the actual call. At Stanford, Luck wore one and SO DID THE CENTER because the sheet was too big for one sheet.
Kaps got issues. This ain't about that. If you are going to talk about him, it would be nice if you had even the slightest clue what was being ASKED of him and what issues are systemic and not squarely on the shoulders of the QB. This stuff isn't hard. Just requires research...something the folks on 95.7 are too damn lazy to do.
Bottom line Kids, don't expect to learn ANYTHING on SportsTalk radio. The average poster in this forum has 3x the football knowledge of any of those guys doing this for a living. Don't listen or at least KNOW they are talking out the a$$ from the start. It can make you dumber and spout stupid crap that makes no sense.
End Rant.
[ Edited by Marvin49 on Dec 3, 2014 at 2:24 PM ]
