You can tell this line is dated by the use of chalk, which even as a teacher I never see anymore. Still, it conveys my thought better than anything I can think of. It is a line used by the coaches I work with to say that anything you can draw on the board, I can counter. And then there is a counter to the counter, and so on, and so on. And that is what I think every time I read all the wisdom of the Monday Morning QBs.
1. If the wildcat picks up the first down and we win the game, then Franklin is smart. After all, he called a play that was probably the most successful percentage-wise the entire game. He gave the ball to our best runner. We only needed a yard. Had he called a different play that didn't work, the experts would have pointed out all these things and say that he was a fool for not calling the play that was working all day, despite the fact that Northwestern knew it was coming.
2. So, at the end of the game, Franklin calls his timeouts. This gives Northwestern time to pick up a first down and eventually run the ball in for a TD. Why in the hell did that idiot call timeout? He helped them score!
These are just two examples of my point. It's easy to be the expert when you know the outcome. And you might have predicted what happened...but you couldn't be 100%. I'll give you a great example from last year's Super Bowl. I am in shock as I watched the final second drift off the clock. Why isn't New England calling a timeout? Seattle is obviously going to score, and if you let too much time run off the clock you won't have any chance to answer. Now, we all know what happened. Actually, my prediction was more sound. The odds were definitely in favor of a Seahawk score rather than a turnover. But that's not how it worked.
It's reasonable to question a coaching decision. But the level of criticism by some of you is ridiculous. I had a head coach once who said he would let a fan make a call in a game as long as they were willing to wear a neon green hat for the rest of the game. The play works, you're brilliant. But if the play fails, for any reason, then you have to wear the hat and acknowledge your stupidity.
1. If the wildcat picks up the first down and we win the game, then Franklin is smart. After all, he called a play that was probably the most successful percentage-wise the entire game. He gave the ball to our best runner. We only needed a yard. Had he called a different play that didn't work, the experts would have pointed out all these things and say that he was a fool for not calling the play that was working all day, despite the fact that Northwestern knew it was coming.
2. So, at the end of the game, Franklin calls his timeouts. This gives Northwestern time to pick up a first down and eventually run the ball in for a TD. Why in the hell did that idiot call timeout? He helped them score!
These are just two examples of my point. It's easy to be the expert when you know the outcome. And you might have predicted what happened...but you couldn't be 100%. I'll give you a great example from last year's Super Bowl. I am in shock as I watched the final second drift off the clock. Why isn't New England calling a timeout? Seattle is obviously going to score, and if you let too much time run off the clock you won't have any chance to answer. Now, we all know what happened. Actually, my prediction was more sound. The odds were definitely in favor of a Seahawk score rather than a turnover. But that's not how it worked.
It's reasonable to question a coaching decision. But the level of criticism by some of you is ridiculous. I had a head coach once who said he would let a fan make a call in a game as long as they were willing to wear a neon green hat for the rest of the game. The play works, you're brilliant. But if the play fails, for any reason, then you have to wear the hat and acknowledge your stupidity.
