The 60th edition of the Senior Bowl was held on Saturday. A few intrepid Birddogs made the trip to Mobile, Alabama to see Eric Kettani wrap up his college career in the only college all-star game sponsored by the NFL.
Author: Mike
TUESDAY POLL: YOUR FAULTY MEMORIES AND LOOKING TOWARDS SPRING
When I asked who everyone thought was the team’s best receiver over the last seven years, I figured Tyree Barnes would come out on top for a few reasons. One, he’s fresh in our memories. Two, he was really, really good. Physically he’s everything you want a wide receiver to be, and he could get up to catch a ball with the best of them. It was no surprise to see Jason Tomlinson and Reggie Campbell bringing in a few votes themselves. What absolutely stuns me, though, is seeing Eric Roberts so far behind. Really?? Roberts probably made more circus catches than anyone in Navy history. He leads the group with 1,213 career receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, and his 23.3 yards per reception for his career is the school record. I can live with Tyree getting the most votes, but Eric Roberts should have at least been second. How soon we forget.
Anyway, on to this week’s poll. This week we look to the spring. In nature, spring is the time of birth and emergence. The same can be said for college football, as new players step up to replace those who have moved on. This year’s spring practice looks like it’ll be the most interesting of the last few years, with several positions up for grabs without an obvious front-runner. Well, at least not from where we’re sitting, anyway. So the question is: which position battle are you looking forward to the most this spring?
OLD STUFF
I like old Navy sports footage. I’m always looking for it. Here’s a clip I found at a used book store that you might find interesting. This is some old newsreel footage of the beginning of Navy football practice in 1929.
Some cutting-edge training techniques there. I like the glimpse of the Yard from 80 years ago, too.
By the way, over on the message board we’re talking basketball, football superlatives, and moving the Hawaii game next year. Make sure you check it out!
WEDNESDAY OPEN THREAD– REALLY, REALLY OPEN
It’s a dark day on the internet. Introducing the Birddog Board:
http://thebirddog.proboards.com/
This might keep things mildly interesting around here for the next few months. Or it could be the beginning of the end of western civilization. Worth the risk, IMO!
THE BIRDDOG BOOK REPORT: INTO THE FIRE
There’s a rhythm to college football; an annual cycle that players go through over their four years. It begins with the opening of fall practice in August. The first game is a month later, and the season stretches into December. Then comes spring practice, which ends with the spring game in the middle of April. A few months off over the summer, then it’s back to practice in August. Of course, those few months off aren’t really months off at all. Players might not be practicing with the coaches on the field, but they’re still working. That’s when they’re carrying out their offseason conditioning program.
Players don’t get stronger and faster during the season. There’s no time. They’re too busy, you know, practicing. The offseason is when you see that physical development. As a fan, the offseason is a chance for me to catch up on a few things too. I look at it as a fan’s offseason conditioning program. There just isn’t any time to get smarter during the season! So after Blue & Gold is sung for the last time, I get down to business. One thing I like to do is watch old games. The other thing I like to do is read, and the first book on this year’s reading list is Into The Fire: A Season Of Navy Football, Fortitude, and Faith, by John Owen.
As the Navy football team’s chaplain in 2007, Owen offers insight into the Navy program from a unique position. In Into The Fire, the games themselves are less important than the lessons that can be learned from them. This goes not only for the players, but for Owen himself, who seeks to define what exactly the role of a team chaplain should be. It’s in this quest for clarity that we get to see bits and pieces of the personalities we follow each week. For example, here’s an excerpt (copied here with permission from the author) from a visit to Paul Johnson’s office:
After chatting for a minute or two (I was well aware that the team chaplain was not number one on his list of concerns at the moment), I asked him if he had any observations or suggestions for how I was doing my job, and particularly if the devotions that I had given at the pre-game meal at the hotel every week were, in his view, effective and on the mark. He thought for just an instant, and then dead-panned, “well, they’re different from the last chaplain.” And that, it was clear, was all he had to say about that.
Tell me you didn’t laugh.
The book is divided into chapters based on each week’s game. Chapters are broken into three parts. There’s a lead-in story at the beginning, and a quick game recap at the end. The bulk of each chapter is made up of Owen’s pre-game address to the team. If you aren’t particularly religious and are worried that you’ll be preached to, don’t be. Owen himself states that there is a time and place for everything, and as a team chaplain responsible for offering guidance to all midshipmen and not just the Christian ones, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to win any converts. Instead, Owen draws upon lessons learned from his Christian beliefs, but applicable to anyone. My favorite:
In spiritual terms, the core value that defines and addresses this characteristic of ours that allows us to see beyond our immediate circumstances to the larger purpose that lies behind our efforts, is hope. Of the three spiritual core values that I mentioned, faith, hope, and love, hope perhaps gets the least attention. And yet it is at least as important and valuable as the other two.
Hope is what tells us to never give up. It’s what compels us to keep fighting. It’s what pushes us forward, even when every bone in our body wants to sit down and quit.
Let me tell you what hope is not: hope is not wishful thinking. Hope is not sitting still and waiting for the situation to change. True hope is not passive; it is aggressive. It inspires action; it fuels the will. Hope drives us forward, even at the cost of pain and suffering. Even in the face of fierce resistance.
Reading this, I couldn’t help but think of the Notre Dame games from the last two years, or of the amazing comeback against Temple this year. Owen’s pre-game remarks are smart, cogent, and effectively delivered.
Into The Fire offers Navy fans context for the remarkable 2007 season, and gives us a glimpse of what makes this team tick. It’s a quick read, and one that you’ll enjoy. The link to the book on Amazon is here. If you buy the book, whether at Amazon or Barnes & Noble or wherever, be sure to leave a comment about what you think of it.
NIUMAT SIGNS CONTRACT EXTENSION
We don’t know the terms of the original contract, and we don’t know the terms of the extension, so it’s hard to really know what to make of it. But at the very least, we know it’s a good thing.
TUESDAY POLL: BEST RECEIVER
Now that vacations are over and it’s back to the blogging grind, it’s time to get back to the polls, too. In today’s poll, we pay homage to the forward pass. Even though Navy has earned its reputation as the nation’s finest running team, this strange and wondrous contraption has also been known to create a big play from time to time. Navy’s slotbacks and wide receivers spend most of their time blocking or running the ball, but they tend to get a lot of bang for their buck when the ball is passed their way.
So today’s question is: who made the most of those opportunities? Since 2002, who do you think is Navy’s best receiver? Or maybe I should say “catcher of passes” instead of “receiver” so people don’t think I’m only referring to WRs. Whatever, you get the point.
SENIOR BOWL?
Is anyone else planning on going? Tickets are pretty cheap. If we can get enough of us sitting together, it’d be nice to give Eric his own cheering section.
GUILT
I am a lazy person. Several different forces pull me in all kinds of directions, but laziness usually rules the day. Honestly, I don’t even like writing this blog. It’s a pain, although it’s worth it just to generate some discussion. Either way I’m definitely glad that the burden of meeting a weekly deadline is gone for a few months.
Don’t blame me; blame Newton. An object at rest tends to stay at rest, you know. That is until some external force acts upon the object; Newton’s first law applies to mediocre bloggers, too. I have sort of an internal scale. Doing nothing weighs the heaviest on the scale until enough crap piles up on the other side to make me feel guilty enough to say something about it. Now, with the EagleBank Bowl, Kaipo’s comments, Coach Jasper’s reaction, and Army’s new head coach, there’s just too much going on for me not to be writing. So no more excuses about Christmas (cook your turkey on the grill, it’s the best) or the awesome weather in Florida (top-down driving FTW!) or any other pursuits like “family” and “church” that keep me from posting here. Time to hop back into the saddle and get a-typin’.
We’ll start with the EagleBank Bowl, which we can break into two parts– the game itself, and all the bowl hoopla that surrounds it. First, the game. Unfortunately, being at the game, I did not record the game. I’ve watched the replay a couple of times on ESPN360, but there’s no video breakdown for you guys. (Sorry.) It also made it pretty much impossible for me to watch each play three or four times like I usually do, so this will admittedly be below the usual standard I set for myself for game recaps. But at a high level, it was clear that Wake Forest was determined to keep Eric Kettani from running wild on them the way he did in the first game. It was also clear that Coach Jasper expected this, which is presumably why he employed the heavy formation from the very beginning. With the problems the offense has had blocking on the perimeter this year, an extra lineman to block the likes of Aaron Curry is a wise strategy if you know you’re going to be running outside. It worked at times, but there were just too many missed blocks to move the ball consistently. That, and Wake’s defense is really, really good. Even considering all that, I felt that if the Mids would have scored at the end of the first half to go up 20-0, that probably would’ve broken Wake Forest’s back. Instead, they intercepted a hurried pass from Kaipo on the 2-yard line and started a 98-yard drive for a TD. A possible 20-0 halftime lead became 13-7, and the game’s momentum had turned.
Navy’s defense played well yet again, and helped give the Mids a 10-0 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to a Rashawn King fumble return for a touchdown. (It felt really good seeing Rashawn run in for the score after the senior missed his last Army game following the loss of his father). The Deacs had a much better game plan this time around, though. Their running game was geared for more carries between the tackles than in the first contest. In the first game, I don’t think they expected Navy’s linebackers to be so fast. They had more success in the second game running straight at the Mids rather than trying to get around them. Riley Skinner played a much better game, too. The Mids weren’t able to pressure him the way they did back in September, and given enough time, his receivers were able to get wide open downfield. That led to the dreaded 3rd & long conversions we all hate. But the defense played well. It was a good game between evenly matched teams. If Wake was hoping to prove that the first game was a fluke, they didn’t.
I was a little bummed about the game for a while, but not too much. I guess I view bowl games a little differently than some of you. I want Navy to win, of course, but I’m much more concerned about getting there. I get way more wrapped up in regular season games. Bowl games, as far as I’m concerned, are a celebration of what the team’s already accomplished. Winning the game on top of that is just gravy.
Which brings me to part two of this little ramble-a-thon, the EagleBank Bowl experience. I can understand those of you who didn’t go to the game because of family obligations or a tight budget (especially this year), but screw the rest of you guys. I didn’t want to see a rematch any more than you did, but there’s no way that would keep me from going to the game. My celebration of Navy isn’t dependent on who they’re playing. I’m going to see Navy, not Team X. As for playing in Washington… How can you not have a good time in Washington DC? In the few days I was there I ate at a ton of good bars and restaurants, got out to Annapolis, saw tons of friends, and had the single most frightening cab ride of my life. All kinds of stories for the grandkids (except for the cab ride, the details of which shall never be repeated). For the more family-inclined, there’s a glut of monuments and museums, plus the Wizards and the Caps both played home games that week. Was it cold? Yes. But it isn’t like you’re going to the beach in San Diego in December, either. Washington is a fun city, especially when an 11:00 kickoff leads to a tailgate that starts at 9:30, starting what became 15 straight hours of drinking. OH THE HUMANITY. Well, 15 hours for some. Closer to 14 for me, because I spent the last hour nursing one beer and trying not to fall asleep while watching the Ravens-Cowboys game. I was one tired dude.
The bowl luncheon— which I did attend, despite my moaning and groaning about the price (viva la hookup)– was so-so. The food was good. I don’t know about $300 kind of good, but I don’t think any of the other bowl luncheons I’ve attended served filet mignon. John Feinstein was an entertaining speaker. Outside of that, it was the usual stuff; bands playing, cheerleaders cheering, team highlight reels, and coaches’ interviews. Wake’s team stood and applauded Navy’s seniors, which was a class move. The only real downside to the whole thing was the laundry list of preliminary speakers who rambled worse than I do. It was nice to see Napoleon McCallum, but other than that it was politician after corporate sponsor after politician. Politicians have a way of cramming a 30 second speech into 15 minutes, and it just kept dragging on. The best part for me was sitting at the same table as Dr. Fair, the head trainer for the team. His stories from his time at Oklahoma State were phenomenal.
Then, of course, there was RFK. I’ve read a few comments on the old lady that were less than complimentary. The only complaint I had was with the concessions; I got in line for a hot dog at halftime, and had moved a little less than half the distance to the counter by the time the third quarter kicked off. That was crummy. Other than that, I’m not sure what you guys look for in a stadium. I tried to give you all the good gouge about sitting in the upper deck. My seat was pretty much the Playstation angle, in the upper deck between the goalposts. It was a great view, which is all I really want. The field looked good and held up well, and bringing in the old PA announcer was a nice touch. Yeah, RFK is old and could use a bit of freshening up, but sitting in my seat and watching the game, I didn’t really notice. And yes, I’m biased, and I know that not everyone remembers RFK as fondly as I do. But still, I didn’t see much to complain about.
Speaking of complaining, I’m sure we were all a little disappointed to read about Kaipo’s postgame comments. Kaipo pretty much threw the rest of the offense under the bus. It’s easy to understand his frustration; a senior playing in his last game, hoping that if he doesn’t win, he at least goes down with his best effort. Apparently that isn’t what he thought he got from some of his teammates. That’s kind of what happens when you’re asked questions in the heat of the moment. Stuff like this can catch us, as fans, off guard sometimes. Fans– especially Navy fans– have a tendency to assume that the football locker room is this perfect little world where all is well and everyone gets along like family, united in purpose under hoo-yah Navy leadership. People forget that the team is made up of actual people. In the real world of actual people, with the foibles and frustrations of life, stuff like this happens. What was it that Paul Johnson used to say about working hard? About how the more time end energy you have invested invest in preparation for a game, the harder it is to accept anything other than success? None of this excuses what Kaipo said, but I’m not going to put him in the permanent doghouse for it either. They were heated comments after a frustrating, emotional loss. Coach Jasper’s response was fair, appropriate, and necessary, seeing as how he still has to coach the team that Kaipo is leaving behind. Frankly, I probably shouldn’t even be bringing it up this late after the fact. No need to harp on a dead issue.
A more pertinent topic is that of position changes. The shuffling of personnel is a theme of every offseason, and Bill Wagner is already reporting two potential moves that the coaching staff is considering: Clint Sovie to outside linebacker, and Jordan Eddington to fullback. Sovie’s potential move is not unexpected. He’s as fast as they come at the linebacker position, and with the emergence of Ross Pospisil and Tony Haberer inside, it makes it an easier move for Buddy Green to put Sovie’s speed outside to make up for the loss of Corey Johnson. The thought of Sovie, Pospisil, Haberer, and Ram Vela on the field at the same time is enough to make you want the 2009 season to start next week.
Eddington’s possible move from linebacker to fullback is a little more out of the blue. Physically, it’s a no-brainer; at 6-0, 230, Eddington fits the mold of fullbacks past. Plus, he’s fast. Not fast for a linebacker– just plain fast. A part-time running back in high school, Eddington was also a finalist for the state 100 meters crown on the track team. How often do you see that in a linebacker? About as often as you see a LB catch a kick returner from behind, which is exactly what Eddington did against Army. The building blocks are definitely there. The question is how long the coaches have to do the building; Eddington is a rising senior. How much can he pick up in one spring? Even if it doesn’t work out, though, at least it provides some competition for the spring and will make things even more interesting than they were already shaping up to be.
And finally, Army didn’t take long to find a replacement for Stan Brock, reaching out to the west coast to grab Cal Poly head coach Rich Ellerson. Upon the announcement of Ellerson’s hiring, you probably instantly recognized him as the coach who recommended Joe DuPaix to longtime friend Ken Niumatalolo. DuPaix was very successful as Ellerson’s offensive coordinator; would he leave Navy to rejoin his old mentor? Thankfully, no. DuPaix announced through Scott Strasemeier that he’s staying put. That’s good news; the last thing we need is for Army to grab one of the Navy assistants responsible for recruiting Texas. One minor crisis averted.
I’ll talk about the hire more when I do my annual “state of service academy football” pieces later this month. Right now I just want to hand out a few LOLs. Not over hiring Ellerson– he’s a good coach. No, at the moment I must laugh at the rampant inferiority complex that seems to exist at West Point vis-a-vis Navy. I’m sure describing it as such will get some people’s blood boiling, but I really don’t know what else to call it. There is an obsession up there about making sure they point out, unsolicited, how everything they do is better than Navy. An easy example of this would be John Mumford’s comments before the season about Collin Mooney’s superiority to Navy’s fullbacks. And now, we have this:
“They do things out of this triple option that I’ve never seen before,” said Cantelupe, a 1996 West Point graduate and 1995 co-captain. “What he runs I think is superior to what Navy runs. Throughout college football, if you look at who is running the most advanced triple-option football, it’s Ellerson if you see the things that he is doing.”
Now, there’s a few LOLable things here. First, why? Why even bother to make the comparison? It’s as if nothing is validated until it’s stuck in Navy’s eye first. Ellerson is a good coach, but apparently not good enough for some people to let his record speak for itself. Second, Cal Poly’s offenses are good, but what has Cantelupe not seen before? The forward pass? Strange, for a former defensive back. And third, all this talk about Ellerson running the “most advanced triple option…” blah blah. Ellerson is a defensive guy. Don’t get me wrong, he’s no idiot on the offensive side of the ball; he knows a good offense when he sees it, and he brings in coordinators who can run it. But it isn’t Ellerson’s offense. Hell, the architect of his 2007 offense that led all of I-AA is now the slotbacks coach at Navy. So if anyone here is worried that there’s some magical mystery offense that’s going to confound Ricketts Hall’s finest minds– which, by the way, led the nation in rushing for a fourth consecutive year– you’re being a bit ridiculous. At this level there’s rarely such thing as superiority of scheme; only of coaching within the scheme, and then executing it. There’s more than one way to skin a cat. Cantelupe should probably wait for Army to stop Navy’s “inferior” scheme once before labeling it as such. Anyway, less chest-thumping, more LOLs. I just don’t understand.
So that should get me caught up for now. The season’s over, so maybe I’ll have some time to get caught up on some things I’ve been meaning to do around here. Season recaps & awards, some more offensive breakdowns, a book review, some Navy history, a look at Georgia Tech’s success and its effect on the future of service academy football, and hopefully another charity fundraiser, among other things… Not to mention basketball heading into Patriot League play, plus lacrosse season. The season might be over, but all is not lost at The Birddog. Even if you kind of wish it was.
The Birddog 