16-0 What an accomplishment if you are able to achieve it. Only two teams in the past have reached that mark. The 72 Dolphins and the 07 Patriots. Of course only the 72 Dolphins were able to run the table and complete the Perfect Season. If you listen to sports talk radio or view ESPN or another sports TV outlet you will hear the talking heads voicing their opinions on how both squads should play the next three weeks. Both teams have their playoff tickets stamped. The Colts already have home field throught. The Saints need one more win to clinch home field throughout. So the question is should these teams strive for a perfect season or should they make sure all the starters stay healthy and avoid injury before the playoffs?
Enough said. How can you justify sitting your players when history is at stake? I realize you would like to avoid injury but hell's fire in flinstone Manning could pull a hammy knockin one out with his honey on Saturday before the game. I completely understand if someone is knicked up or battling through something so you want to give them rest but for a player who is healthy it makes no sense to me to sit them for the better part of 3 weeks in prep for the playoff push. Jim Caldwell stated earlier in the year that he would use the same approach as his mentor Tony Dungy. Under Dungy the Colts had their playoff spot clinched with weeks remaining in the season on multiple occasions. Dungy would sit his starters for the better part of two weeks and on some occasions the better part of three weeks. Each of the instances the Colts had a short playoff run. Often losing the first contest in my opinion because of rust due to the layoff. In fact the lone Colts Super Bowl was won as a Wild Card when their playoff spot wasn't determined until the 16th Week of the season.
The talking heads of the sports world will claim that a perfect season means nothing if you are not able to win it all. They speak as if you run the table during the season than you are destined to lose in the postseason. If this is the case than I agree a regular season blemish to your record is much better than 1 lose in the postseason. However unless it is written somewhere in the Constitution or in Greek Mythology I don't think a perfect season makes a playoff lose mandatory. So with that in mind start your best lineup, keep your pedal to the floor and "Play To Win The Game." Please spare us all from the 72 Dolphins running their yapper every year about their achievement. Listening to Bob Griese once a week is more than enough.
The playoff picture in the NFC has become pretty clear. The Saints look to have home field throughout. The Vikings need 1 more win to clinch the division and the 2 spot at worse. The Cardinals have won the West barring a collapse. And the Packers own the Wild Card unless they would happen to collapse. That leaves the Eagles, Giants and Cowboys fighting for two spots. In the AFC it is a bit more muddled. The Colts have home field throughout. The Chargers, Patriots, Bengals and Broncos all figure to have their spots sewed up barring a complete meltdown. So the one spot up for grabs has several contenders. The Ravens, Jets,Dolphins, and Jaguars. All have 6 losses while the Steelers, Titans and Texans are still alive at 7 losses. The Dolphins control their own destiny as they have the head to head advantage over the Jaguars and they face the Ravens in a couple of weeks and have already beaten the Jets twice. With the pursuit of perfection and the playoff madness the final three weeks of the NFL season could be the most exciting closeout to the season in quite sometime.
The College Football Coaching Carousel has begun. Brian Kelley was hired as the Head Football Coach at the University Of College Football. As a Domer Homer I have voiced my concerns with Kelley in the past. Over the last week I have heard several interviews with Kelley and in everyone he has impressed me with his enthuisiasim and demeanor. My problems with the Kelley hire had nothing to do with him as a coach. He has been a winner everywhere he has been. He has turned Cincinnati into a two time winner of the Big East and a Top 10 team for two consecutive seasons. The Bottom line is that if Kelley is truley a great coach as many have annoited him than he will tweak his coaching style to suit his players. The cubbard isn't bare in South Bend but make no mistake next year will be a rebuilding year. Crist will be a first time starter and although they return plenty of skill positions including Floyd and Rudolph the offensive line will be a new unit and the defense is well the defense. When Weis was hired I had high hopes which became disappointments let's hope my disappointment with the Kelley announcement will become the excitement for the return to national promminence of the football field.
In other coaching moves. Charlie Strong takes over at Louisville. The Ville decides to go with a defensive coach for the first time since the Schnellenberger Era in the early 90's. Stong really doesn't fit the Rah Rah type I would prefer as a coach but his success at Florida is undeniable and working with Meyer certainly wouldn't be considered a detrement to his development. Turner Gill takes over at Kansas. When Mangino was let go the first name to come up was Harbaugh which I found laughable. In the end the Jayhawks decided to go with Gill. Gill lead Buffalo to it's first Bowl game in 30 years or so last year. Look past Gill's carrer mark which is well below .500 and you will see a guy who worked under Tom Osburne as a player and coach for over 10 years. Gill should have a good network in place for recruiting in the surrounding area from his time in Nebraska and after all you are a Basketball School. Gill should be able to build a program that consistently wins 6 to 7 games and goes to a bowl every year and that will be more than enough to keep the Jayhawks fans happy. Butch Jones takes over at Cincinnati. Once again the Bearcats look to the Chippewas for a leader. Jones takes over for Kelley once again this time at the current Beast of the East. Jones has featured a spread attack similar to Florida's as Central's Dan LeFevour has been compared to a poor mans Tebow(although statistically better). Given Callaros's mobility Jones's offensive style could be a great fit so this is a job where immediate success should be expected.
4 comments:
The '07 Pats are the only team in history to go 16-0, as the '72 Dolphins only went 14-0 in the regular season.
yes however the 72 dolphins played the AFC Championship and the Super Bowl to go 16-0.
Burt are you sure you want to put that out there? that the 07 Pats "Played the Superbowl to go 16-0"...you sure???And it's not the 07 pats fault there are more teams in the league than they had in 1972..can punish someone for progress and growth...unless you are a narrow minded facists.
Dudes,
Several sources claim the 72 Dolphins went 17-0 including the playoffs.
If we are nitpicking, and this is rare, but Coleman stated it correctly by saying only two teams had ever reached this mark. Granted, he could have been more specific but regardless there is nothing incorrect about what he said.
16-0 What an accomplishment if you are able to achieve it. Only two teams in the past have reached that mark. The 72 Dolphins and the 07 Patriots.
Write down the date.
Jesse
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