FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[BoBo]

But, football players being football players, not all of them are smart enough to figure that out.

[BoBo]

OxyBob, don't cut yourself short...you are one to blab...but you also have a good sense of humor +K to you.

[Just Bill]

I don't believe any NFL coach with an ounce of integrity or a conscience makes a decision like naming a QB based on what the gamblers want to spend their money on.

Of course not.  That wasn't the point.  Why does the NFL require detailed injury reports and public disclosure of almost everything?  Fair play?  Sure, but the gambling industry (and Fantasy Football) has a big influence on why teams are required to shell out so much info.

[BoBo]

One last comment about this since I'm a stubborn, old, fart. It's about the NFL, but I believe it is also the reason for colleges and surely high schools, probably, in Texas have to do the same. It's about integrity, Bill, fair play I agree with you on that.  Gambling had more of an influence on the creation of the injury reports than football has had on gambling.  However, fantasy football is merely a residual effect of injury reports. If serving the public interest is a purpose of injury reporting and fantasy football is a public interest, than so be it. Fantasy football is a recent phenomenon.  Injury reporting goes back to the 40's. Bottom line, coaches/teams pay no attention to fantasy football when making personnel decisions.

In a Boston Globe November 2006 article it talks about how injury reporting is perhaps a ridiculous affair, but nevertheless serves a purpose - a couple quotes from that article:
 
"The principal purpose of the injury report is to ensure there are no hidden injuries, or clubs hiding that players might not be available, and then that player ends up not being able to play and nobody knew about it," said Greg Aiello, the NFL's vice president of public relations."

Injury reports date back to the 1940s when NFL commissioner Bert Bell was dealing with the aftermath of the 1946 championship game between the New York Giants and Chicago Bears. As chronicled in Michael MacCambridge's book "America's Game," there were concerns at the time that two New York players, Merle Hapes and Frank Filchock, had been approached by gamblers and that the game could be part of a fix. Bell ended up suspending both players and reached the conclusion that pro football couldn't survive if it weren't based on absolute honesty. Starting in the 1947 season, Bell required all teams to publish a list of all injured players, saying such open information was crucial.

Aiello said the injury reports have been tweaked over time, but their main objective has been to serve the public interest and eliminate inside information that could be exploited, such as a player being paid for information regarding an injury to a teammate.

"The principal purpose of it is very important and is the premise on which Bert Bell first instituted them -- protecting the integrity of our league," Aiello said.

The entire article is here:
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2006/11/08/nfl_insists_they_tell_us_where_it_hurts/

[BoBo]

Former LC basketball star Joe Werner, trying to break into professional football, was one of 11 Packer prospects cut today.  I guess the news is not unexpected considering he hadn't played organized football for some time. Will probably have some fine stories to tell the grandchildren some day. 

http://www.jsonline.com/watch/?watch=1&date=8/24/2007&id=28308

[BoBo]

As reported earlier, LC and RF have a joint practice then scrimmage today in La Crosse.


http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2007/08/25/sports/00uwl.txt

[BoBo]

Derek Stanley and the Rams lose another one in NFL preseason action, this one to Oakland 20-10.  Derek's line: 0 receptions (no passes attempted to him), 1 KO return for 18 yards.  His chief competition for the final WR spot, M. Hagens caught 2 passes including a 6 yard TD in the 4th quarter for the Rams only TD in anotherwise lackluster offensive performance.


http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=270824013

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/rams/story/2675E321A2B525C286257342001A80B5?OpenDocument

In related news, the Redskins have signed a 8-year veteran fullback to their roster.  The announcement concludes that it's likely that coaches wanted a fullback with more experience to back up starting fullback Mike Sellers. It says Pete Schmitt has shown flashes this preseason, but he is an undrafted rookie free agent.  See the complete story here:

http://www.redskins.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=28347

Continued good luck to both of them in their quest to make the regular season rosters.

[footballfan413]

UWW has an inter-squad scrimmage today. (Couldn't find a team to go against this year.)  It usually signals the end of camp, atleast the two-a-days, and the coaches use it to give the first unit some reps but more so to make a final evaluation regarding who makes the 100 man roster.  Early, "announcements," would be unfair to anyone fighting for a starting spot until this is over with, IMHO.  Besides competition only make everyone better including DJ.  Why would a coach circumvent that process by going on record any sooner than he had to. 

[bulk19]

Rams cut 10 today, including three wide receivers competing with Derek Stanley for a spot = Rasheed Marshall, who joined the team after camp started, and Nate Morton and Markee White, who were both undrafted...

One more player transaction must be made before Tuesday's deadline of 75...

[BoBo]

Early, "announcements," would be unfair to anyone fighting for a starting spot until this is over with, IMHO.  Besides competition only make everyone better including DJ.  Why would a coach circumvent that process by going on record any sooner than he had to. 

413, I don't know about the "unfair" part, but there are pros and cons to every issue including this.  First, I ageee there is merit in leaving it open to keep competitors motivated and the race tight.  That's a good thing.  The bad is that risking a division on the team behind one guy or another if an early announcement is made.

However, secondly, naming the starters early, particularly at QB, establishes a so-called pecking order for leadership.  Thirdly, depth chart competitors know where the bar is, what and whom they need to beat. It's important to note, that by announcing at an early date, the competition isn't over, it's just that everyone understands where they stand...for now...at the time of the announcement.  For me, making an announcement following spring drills would be the best scenario. As you well know, it assists in the informal summer workout schedule, call lists, and who should assume key roles on the field when the players gathered on the field to throw and catch without the supervision of coaches around per NCAA rules.  In this case, obviously, that would have meant naming Ryczkowski starter as the returning #2, since Jones wasn't even at WW then and Donovan, the returning #3 was playing baseball and not participating in spring drills.  In my view, that's what should have been done. Mind you, I'm not saying the coaches were wrong...it's just what I'd have done if I were the coach (which is a stretch). The competition, I believe, during pre-season camp, would still have been at a fever pitch with players jockeying for depth chart position making everyone better. Plus, overall, I think the fans like it better, too. Any thoughts...?

[Just Bill]

It sounds like to me that we just want our D-III teams to pretend to be like NFL teams.  I don't need them to have delusions of granduer.  Just publish the two-deep on Monday or Tuesday and I think all issues of fair play have been settled.

If you're worried about establishing a pecking order and "setting the bar" for those competing for jobs, then those are all internal matters.   The coach can handle that any why he chooses.  He's certainly under no obligation to share it publicly, especially with a bunch of nobodys on a message board like us.

[BoBo]

It sounds like to me that we just want our D-III teams to pretend to be like NFL teams.  I don't need them to have delusions of granduer.  Just publish the two-deep on Monday or Tuesday and I think all issues of fair play have been settled.

If you're worried about establishing a pecking order and "setting the bar" for those competing for jobs, then those are all internal matters.   The coach can handle that any why he chooses.  He's certainly under no obligation to share it publicly, especially with a bunch of nobodys on a message board like us.

No...but a coin has two sides. Maybe you need to read my post again a little more carefully.  Nowhere did I say the coach was obligated to do anything (in fact I said I didn't think their process is wrong).  I said if I were coach, I would have a depth chart coming out of spring drills...period. That's my opinion, you don't like it, just say so.  Please don't change what I said to fit your opinion.  To me, telling anybody, whether they were a peewee, high school or DIII football player, an office worker, self-employed, retired, whatever, not to have "delusions of grandeur (BTW this is the correct spelling)" means to tell them to be a loser. Is that what you mean? Do you want that from your children?  Or your subordinates? I doubt you hear that at the Mount Unions or St. Johns of the world...I'm sure they want their guys to be magnificent every play, every down whether it is practice or in a game, in the classroon, or in life outside of sports.  Oh, and while I'm at it, please be careful calling people on this message board "a bunch of nobodys."  I am somebody and I think big because I want to make a difference in the lives I touch.

[bulk19]

Brief highlights of the UWL-UWRF scrimmage indicated junior Griffin Moe took the first series of snaps at QB for the Eagles. He had a TD pass. Sophomore QB Gus Almonroeder also took snaps, as the two have been battling it out this week for the starting job. He had a sneak for a TD...

Not sure what the final stats were, though, since it was TV clip...

The local newspaper reported today Coach Larry Terry would probably settle on the starter after today's scrimmage, but not necessarily name him, as a final decision will be made next week...

[BoBo]

bulk19, who do you think the #1 will be?

[Pat Coleman]

I said if I were coach, I would have a depth chart coming out of spring drills...period.

And I am sure Coach Leipold does. But he doesn't have to publish it, not after only ever seeing his team for 16 non-contact practices.