What an ending for the ALCS game.
Hard to beat those pinstripes. The Cubs got so close in the NLCS series and all will say their downfall started in the sixth game.
By the way, those of you who think the teams intentionally make the series go for the full seven, they have no reason to. They get paid for the series with no extra base salary if games five, six or seven are played.
To some, the curse of the goat came in the sixth game of the NLCS when a Cubs fan might have caused their left fielder to miss catching a foul into the seats.
This poor guy was just doing what anyone would – try to grab a souvenir. The ball was not interfered with outside the railing and who’s to say Alou would have made the catch even if no one had been around?
Blaming their losing on this one incident is like blaming a football loss on one call. What about that missed grounder by the shortstop a few pitches later? If he’d made the catch and turned the double play, the inning would have been over and the Marlins wouldn’t have scored all those runs to seal the win.
One thing we always strive for is when the game is over, no one knew we were even there. But in a close game and there’s a pivotal call for a penalty in no way caused the loss. All factors of the game have to be figured into the equation and one call does not a game make.
How about the other fouls, blown coverages that allowed a score or missed blocks? Maybe the defensive coordinator decided to blitz and the offense picked it up and found a wide-open receiver for a touchdown.
No official wants to call back the winning touchdown because of a clip or block in the back. But we have to be consistent.
We would never call a holding away from the play or illegal equipment late in a close game. Fouls such as encroachment or lining up "offsides" or sideline warnings should be taken care of early on in the game.
There are hundreds of foul – situation combinations that are "game dependent" regarding whether or not they are called and enforced.
And the ability to handle those correctly is only learned through experience.
Speaking of "offsides," there is no such foul found from youth to high school football. Offside comes into play in NCAA rules and that is only for the defense.
If a defensive player is in the neutral zone when the ball is snapped or makes contact with an opposing player while in there, he is guilty of offsides.
If there is no contact, the foul is not a "dead ball" foul and a flag is dropped but the play continues.
Then the penalty may be accepted or declined. If contact is made then it becomes a dead ball foul and the play is not allowed to start.
In high school and below, ANY violation of the neutral zone by either team is a foul for encroachment and all are dead ball fouls.
It has been this way for many years and I still hear announcers in high school games describe encroachment fouls as "offsides."
So, whenever you hear that in a high school or youth game just smile and tell anyone who will listen what you just learned here. You don’t have to say who taught you that either.
Well, time is getting close for the first BCS rankings. I love to hear these so-called "experts" on sports talk radio go off about the BCS and how terrible it is.
But then I’m one who likes to hear their expert predictions on how an upcoming game will turn out or at least the point spread so I can pull for the other team to goof all that up.
The BCS is not perfect by any means and the best way to solve it all would be to have a real playoff system in NCAA Division I football. But since we don’t have it and won’t likely have one anytime soon, at least the BCS keeps the rankings from being solely determined by sports writers.
And that’s a good thing……..See you next week.
