I Hated Roger Goodell Before It Was Cool

Chris Schisler

After a turbulent year in the NFL, left and right there are people calling for the firing of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. My only question is what took so long for people to get here?

I hated the impact Goodell has had on the game long before chanting for his dismissal was a popular opinion. He may be good for the owners, and the NFL is a business but he is not good for the game.

Everything about Goodell is superficial. Every action he takes is about dollars and cents, not about football. He does not care about player safety he cares about legal liability. He does not care about the integrity of the game, he cares only that the money trucks keep coming in.

Some of the new rules for player safety are a welcomed change to the game. Most however take away from the game. The constant flow of yellow flags and player fines only boils up frustration pointed at Goodell. The phrase “Let them play football” should not be a regularly yelled response on NFL Sunday, but it is.

How fair is it to cripple a defender by the rules? By just playing fast and hitting hard (like he is supposed to)He can’t hit high so he is encouraged to hit low. Congratulations NFL, you’ve traded concussions for blown out knees and tendon tears. But Goodell’s first priority is player safety.

Goodell’s failure to punish domestic violence abusers roughly from the beginning has the nation stirred up. The initial Ray Rice suspension was 2 games. Then when a video was released (a video the NFL claims they didn’t see) Rice was cut and suspended indefinitely.

Goodell robotically stood by his weak precedent of two games. When public outcry overwhelmed him, he steepened the penalty (subsequently losing a fight with the NFLPA). Goodell did not care about justice. He cared about the precedent. The quick second punishment only showed how fickle he can be; whatever suits him in the moment is what he does.

Goodell does not care about the fans. He does not care about the players. He works for the owners and only cares about the owners. His employment actually shows the same problems with NFL ownership.

I disliked Roger Goodell before it was cool. He is a businessman. He is not a football man; football will never be the priority for Goodell. We need a football man in charge of the NFL.

Football Style Thanksgiving

Chris Schisler

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I would like to give thanks to our readers and those who provide us with joy on the football field. I cannot tell you how much it means to me, how much it means to John, to have such an amazing and loyal base of readers. This website has been everything I hoped it to be and more – a reason to wake up in the morning – something to take pride in and a place for great conversation. First and foremost, I give you my gratitude.

Before I get into football, thanks must go to my family and my country. I am grateful to be in such a caring family unit. My brother is the most loyal man I know. I appreciate him so very much. My parents are always there for me. My grandparents are full of love and are strengthened by a wealth of experiences. To everyone that plays a role in my life, thank you.

I am so thankful to be a member of the United States of America. In many countries I could not express ideas freely on the internet. In many countries I would have no political voice; in this country we have a voting booth. It is quite easy to forget the greatness of America amidst all the problems we share. The United States is home to football, the greatest sport that mankind could ever create. Football is my passion and it is engrained in the culture of these 50 beautiful states.

I am thankful for the Baltimore Ravens. I don’t think many Ravens fans realize how lucky we are. We have not had a losing season in Baltimore since 2007. I have been on the earth for just 24 years, and I have seen my team win two Super Bowls. The Ravens have played a physical brand of football that has become part of my personality. The Ravens are not just a football team but a way of life.

I want to give thanks to the game of football itself. From being a player in high school, to a fan to a blogger, I have loved the game every step of the way. For hours of entertainment, for goal line stands, great blocks and bone-crushing tackles, I need it all. From the passion of college and the power of the NFL, the euphoria of victory cannot be beat. Football, you have my thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody. Thanks for everything you do. You’re the reason I write!
#CommonSenseNation

Greatness Of NFL Not Showing in Prime Time

Anything can happen in the NFL this year. Heading into week 11 the possibilities are endless; with 7 of 8 division races too close to call. Even the mighty Denver Broncos (who have earned the number 1 seed in the AFC two years in a row) have the Chiefs and Chargers breathing down their neck. Arizona has the best record at 8-1 but could come back to earth without Carson Palmer. The competitive balance in the NFL could not be better.

This great competitive balance has not always translated to great prime time games this season. Thursday Night Football has seen 6 games be decided by 20 points or more. Sunday Night Football has 8 of these games. Here we have contradicting information. The NFL has a bunch of teams clumped together by record, which provides much drama as we head into the final stretch. However, in the prime time games, their has been little drama. In fact the nationally televised prime time showcases have been an embarrassment for the NFL.

The NFL has had many great games this year. Something that prime time viewers have not seen much. It should be noted that the concept of Thursday Night Football ruins the week of preparation and essentially asks for sloppy football. There is a built in excuse for Thursday Night Football but not for NBC’s crown jewel Sunday Night Football. I think when everybody gets to play in prime time, you’re going to get some stinkers.

The NFL is the league where anything can happen on any given week. The league that can see the Steelers win back to back games against the Colts and Ravens but then lose to the lowly Jets. It feels like every Sunday afternoon there is nothing but drama and heart pounding finishes. The races for playoff spots are so tight. It may not show in prime time but the NFL is the league where you never know what to expect. I would not have it any other way.

Top 10 Games of The Week

Chris Schisler

Top 5 College Football Games:

1.) No.2 Auburn @ No.3 Mississippi State
Saturday 3:30 TV: CBS
Preview: Auburn’s Nick Marshall aims to outscore Dak Prescott and the Bulldogs. This game features two of the most complete teams in all of College football. The Bulldogs are stingy on defense but expect a high scoring affair between two top 5 teams.

2.) No.9 TCU @ No.5 Baylor
Saturday 3:30 TV: ABC/ESPN2
Preview: If you love high scoring games featuring spread offenses, you will love this game. Senior QB, Bryce Petty, is on fire this season for Baylor. He comes into this game with 1,024 yards and 9 TD’s. TCU is coming off a thrilling upset over the fourth ranked Sooners. Can the Horned Frogs of TCU knock off another undefeated top 5 team?

3.) No.13 Georgia @ No.23 Missouri
Saturday at noon TV: CBS
Preview: This is a matchup of two one loss SEC teams, still determined to reach the conference championship. Georgia features a bevy of talent, headlined by Todd Gurley. Gurley is a potential Hiesman winner. Mizzou QB, Maty Mauk is having a great year with 14 touchdown passes.

4.) No.3 Ole Miss @ No.14 Texas A&M
Saturday 9:00 TV: ESPN
Preview: Ole Miss just shocked the world, beating the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide. Texas A&M was a victim of “upset week” losing to Mississippi State. Texas A&M will look to redeem themselves while Ole Miss is looking to prove that their big win was no fluke.

5.) No.12 Oregon @ No.13 UCLA
Saturday: 3:30 TV: Fox
Preview: These are both teams many picked to be in the four team playoff before getting upset. Oregon features more speed than anyone in the country and they flaunt in with a frenetic pace. UCLA has a defense with a knack at getting turnovers, as well as a future NFL quarterback in Brent Hundley. NFL scouts will be keying in on this match up of two potential top picks in Marcus Mariota and Brent Hundley.

Honorable mention: WVU @ Texas Tech, USC @Arizona

Top 5 NFL Games

1.) Cowboys @ Seahawks
Sunday 4:25
Preview: The Cowboys have impressed with their running game based offense this season. In fact, DeMarco Murray is on pace to go over 2,000 yards. It will be interesting to see if the Cowboys can run the ball facing the Seahawks vaunted defense and rowdy the 12th man.

2.) Packers @ Dolphins
Preview: The Dolphins and the Packers should make for quite the shoot out. The game could be decided by who rushes the passer most effectively. For the Pack, Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers are hard to slow down. Cameron Wake is a beast in his own right for theDolphins.

3.) Ravens @ Buccaneers
Preview: The Ravens look to get back on track against the 1-4 Buccaneers. The Ravens are clearly the better team but they have struggled on the road. Opponents average 159 yards per game against Tampa Bay; expect a heavy dose of run from the Ravens.

4.) Steelers @ Browns
Preview: The last game between these teams was in the season opener and it came down to the end. The Browns are better than they have been in a long time, and they want to show that to Pittsburgh more than anyone.

5.) Chicago @ Atlanta
Preview: Neither team is wildly impressive defensively and both teams have good offenses. This could be a blowout. The amount of receiving talent in this game is mind boggling.

Pace Yourself

Chris Schisler

The trend in college football and even a bit in the NFL is frantically paced offenses. This accelerated no huddle approach creates problems for the defense’s ability to make substitutions and line up correctly. The tempo tires out the defense. This is the way many coaches try to create an advantage for the offense. Let’s discuss the effect of temp on a football game.

In today’s football the huddle can really be done away with. It wastes valuable time at the line of scrimmage. By lining up without a huddle the offense controls the game. The defense cannot substitute players for starters. This wears the defense out but also allows the offense to create and take advantage of favorable match ups and situations. Secondly the offense forces the defense to line up and can often neutralize pre-snap movement or adjustments from the defense, with the threat of the snap. In today’s game offenses can communicate without a huddle, which leads to a more adjustable and efficient offense.

No huddle offense does not mean that you have to play at a super fast tempo. If you really want to tire out defensive linemen, get to the line (making them get in their stance) and take your time. Have a bunch of dummy calls for your quarterback (mixing in the real one at some point) and use the play clock. Confusion is equally as effective as frantic pace in getting defenders out of position.

In the Oklahoma State game last night, the offense tried to snap the ball before the chains were set and the officials were ready. This only wasted time and slowed the offense down. There is nothing wrong with this style of football; its often very effective. I however think there is no one-size-fits-all-tempo for college or pro football.

Your offense should move at a rhythm that is comfortable with. Tempo should be adjusted per situation. So often I think rushing at the line of scrimmage hurts the offense too. There is such little time for the offensive line to make its calls and adjustments and the same goes for the QB and WR’s. Too often this style is a watered down version of football. Its great to keep it simple-it lets them just play football and not think too much. But taking thinking out of the game completely is not beneficial. Its hard to avoid a bad play when you take no time to see it coming.

This style of offense also puts pressure on your defense and wears down your own offense. Quick drives put the defense on the field with little rest, 3 & outs put them on the field with none. There is too often not enough time for the defense to adjust or work out the kinks on the sideline. Too many teams forget the power of time of possession. Lengthy drives are a powerful way to dictate the game with your offense.

My big takeaway is that the huddle may be pointless but taking your time is not. Just by running a no huddle offense you create advantages for your offense, regardless of your tempo. At the end of the day its a coaching preference.

Talk Is Cheap, Football Is Awesome

Chris Schisler

Amidst the public outrage and demands from advertisers and social activists the NFL found its cure. On Sunday, stadiums were filled with passionate fans. Televisions across America were tuned into the NFL. Twitter was a buzz with football talk. This is why all the talk about boycotting is meaningless. The business is booming and its quite clear the NFL will ride through the storm. Talk is cheap and money is loud.

Every media outlet I can think of (except this one) has catered to the upset masses. It has been a battleground of moral supremacy; a pissing contest of sorts, to see who cares more about domestic violence.

Surely there were lost fans and a hit to the league’s bottom line, but it was a small hit. Many of those calling for Roger Goodell to be fired, watched football this weekend. America is having its cake and eating it too in regards to their “moral” high horse. Polls show strong support for the firing of Goodell. Ratings show that the people don’t want to do anything about it.

If you were silly enough to boycott an entire league for the fist of one man, you missed one heck of a football weekend. You missed the Ravens winning a dog fight in the revived dog pound. You missed a stunning shoot out between Nick Foles and Kirk Cousins. You missed a Super Bowl rematch that went into overtime. How could you miss the Cardinals going 3-0 playing their back up QB, for the second straight season?

The NFL had exactly what it needed, a perfect weekend of football. As long as people love the product the league will be just fine. If you want to see change in the NFL you have to hurt their bottom line. If you think this means we should boycott, I encourage you to do so. There is nothing I have less patience for than hypocrites.

Ravens @ Browns Preview

Chris Schisler

With a heavier schedule this week I have not gotten to do much film study. I fully intend to get back to that next week. Film studied or not, I am very familiar with the Browns. Without further ado, here is your Ravens game preview:

The Cleveland Browns are off to a 1-1 start. In week 1 they nearly completed a comeback against the Steelers. In week 2 the Browns stunned the Saints. The Browns are off to their most impressive start in recent history. Winning in Cleveland is no longer an easy game for anybody.

The Browns like to run the football a lot. Towson product, Terrence West, is becoming their star running back. The Browns have very little, in terms of weapons so West will run the ball plenty on Sunday. The Browns have a big and strong offensive line. The key for the Ravens defense will be stopping the run and making them one dimensional.

Brian Hoyer is not great by any stretch. His weapons without Gordon are subpar (without Cameron really subpar). The law of averages says that the offense will not continue to impress. The Ravens however cannot take this as a light test. Hoyer may not be Peyton Manning but he did beat Baltimore last season.

The Ravens need to attack the Browns receivers aggressively. The Ravens are hoping to have Ladarius Webb back on Sunday. If Webb plays, the Ravens starting corners are capable of shutting the Browns top 2 receivers down. Pees has been playing conservative with his coverage schemes but this is the perfect week for shutdown man to man and some heated up blitzes.

Offensively the Ravens must build on the efficiency of week 2. Expect a heavy commitment to the running game and quick releases from Joe Flacco. Flacco has been leaning on Steve Smith as his go-to-receiver. The Browns will likely try to shut him down with Joe Haden. Torrey Smith could take advantage of this.

At the end of the day this game will boil down to one thing: who wins at the line of scrimmage. If the Ravens can dominate upfront on both sides of the ball (as they did against Pittsburgh), they will win this football game.

Be Careful What You Wish For

Chris Schisler

Roger Goodell, the robotic commissioner of the NFL, has found himself in quite a jam. The man who fought so hard to be the judge, jury and executioner when it came to disciplining players is under scrutiny for his performance in all three roles. Many people believe his handling of the Ray Rice issue should cost him his job. Though these people may have a very logical point of view they are forgetting something rather important. In short, my message is to be careful what you wish for.

Roger Goodell is in power for a reason. He works for the owners and the owners love him. We love to build Goodell up as a strong dictator while he is just the owners whipping boy. His actions are always to protect the owner’s best interests. Sure he punishes the owners who step out if line (a la Dan Snyder) but he does it only because the other owners are okay with it. The NFL is a business and the brand has never been so strong.

Roger Goodell naturally became the owners dirty deeds doer. Its simply a matter of self preservation. This is most clear when examining the NFL lockout. This was the league’s power play against the Players Association. All of the drama, all of the kicking and screaming and all the fear the lockout generated boiled down to one thing, the owners’ bottom line.

The reason the lockout of 2011 raged for so long is that Goodell placed the owners against their product. There was no desire for a middle ground there was only a desire to get more than the other side. The commissioner could have been the mediator, instead he was the owners’ lead attorney. There would have been no need for outside mediation if Goodell would have done it himself. Roger Goodell risked the 2011 season so he could make sure the players got less than the owners. The players make the NFL what it is. Nobody pays to see Robert Kraft in his game day suit and tie. To Goodell the owners are what the league is about; because the employ him. The owners won their battle giving the players just enough to sign the CBA.

The owners are not going to do away with such a valued pawn. Roger Goodell will continue to rake in the millions. The league will regain its sponsorships and advertising. The country loves football and nobody hates Roger Goodell enough to change that. Let’s just walk down the hypothetical-bricked road and say the owners fire the commissioner. Nothing would change. The league would have a different leader but the job would remain the same. You would have another highly paid worker bee to be the league’s frontman. If you want to really make a difference go after the 32 NFL club owners. Good luck.

Is The NFL A Force For Bad?

Chris Schisler

In a world where the media never stops and its in everyone’s pocket, the National Football League has fallen behind in the court of public opinion. The Ray Rice debacle created a furious uproar. Adrian Peterson added fuel to the fire, being charged with child abuse. The Keith Olberman’s of the world want to depict the NFL’s shield as the tool thats defending and covering up social injustices. Many are left questioning whether the NFL is an enabling business with a weak moral compass or if its simply run by fools. Many believe the National Football League has become a force for bad.

Caught on video, Ray Rice has become an obsession of the nation. A story that began on the front of the sports page has found its way on the front page. Headline after headline have made Ray Rice the face of domestic violence. Rice though is just one perpetrator in the horror that is domestic violence. He is not the only NFL player with domestic violence crimes on their resume. He is the only one caught on tape and therefore the only one we obsess over.

Much like Rice is not really the face of domestic violence, Adrian Peterson is not really the face of child abuse. What Peterson did is mind numbing and conscience chillingly sad. What makes this even worse is it seems clear that he has made this a pattern of behavior. Any man who has a whooping room has his priorities screwed up to the highest degree. Its awful but its just one case of child abuse, one of many. Peterson belongs in jail like anybody who would scar a child physically and subsequently emotionally forever. Both situations with Peterson and Rice point to a larger problem. I don’t want to obsess over either situation but admit thinking about Peterson’s abusing of a 4 year old makes me horribly ill.

Its easy to slip into the angry notion that the NFL is full of carelessly lawbreaking young adults with too much money. I get it, this is a dark news cycle but here are the numbers that the NFL ignores. There are 53 men on every roster (not counting practice squad players). This equals 1,696 players employed by the NFL. A study done in 2012 shows that about 35 players get in trouble yearly (Stephen Bronars http://sbronars.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/does-the-nfl-have-a-crime-problem/). This number means that on an average year 98% of players do not get arrested.

The media tries to sensationalize these stories as if they were not horrifying enough. The Peterson thing gets under my skin to a point where Im out for blood a bit too. It is so easy to do. My message is that the actions of 2% of players, no matter the magnitude of their star power, should not reflect on the other 98% of players. The coaches, executives and other employees should not be judged on the actions of the wrongdoers. Boycotting the NFL is over reactionary and would punish the whole rather than the offending minority. Thats just bad math.

The NFL brings joy to millions. It sets the standards for the football world. It handled these issues horribly. But its heads up football program (which teaches youth football coaches and players safe playing techniques) is a great thing. The league gives a lot to charity. The games support local businesses on game day. Maybe most importantly it gives us a weekly escape from the monotony and frustrations of our lives. It gives me happiness. The NFL is not perfect, but it is not a force for bad. It does a lot more good than bad, if you ask me.

Ravens Bullet Points (Offense) Week 1

Chris Schisler

The Ravens face the Bengals on Sunday to kick off their season. Here are three things to keep in mind offensively:

1.) The Bengals will test the Ravens offensive line. Last year the unit was atrocious. This year it should be better but it is still unproven. The Ravens should prepare for a lot of blitzes until they prove they can handle it. I expect the Bengals to attack in two places. The first is at second year tackle, Ricky Wagner. It would not be shocking to see overload blitzes at Wagner. The second place is right up the middle. The Bengals had so much fun last year with Gino Gradkowski they are bound to try again. Jeremy Zuttah must be ready for some exotic looks coming his way. Kubiak needs to be ready with his blitz beating plays in the big moments of this game.

2.) Look for a heavy dose of the Ravens 2 tight end sets. The Ravens are facing a really tough secondary. Relying on Dennis Pitta, Owen Daniels and even the fullback we affectionately call Juice, will help Joe Flacco start off strong. This will allow the Ravens to steer towards the most favorable match ups and will also help the receivers get open.

3.) The Ravens need to tun the ball effectively. This is first and foremost in regards to importance. A strong rushing attack will allow the Ravens to stay balanced, stay on schedule and will open play-calling doors. So much of the Kubiak offense is built off the running game. If we can’t run the ball it takes huge parts of the offense away.