Sports

Three Greats went Ohhhh for Eight.

Posted on by boom booms room staff

Way back on October 3rd we told the story of how Patrick Mahomes very nearly became a New Orleans Saint.  Because of an astute and aggressive draft day trade he became a Kansas City Chief instead.  The link provided tells that interesting story in case you had not yet become a boomboomsroom.com reader.

Fast forward to today, January 18th.  My, how the story has advanced.  It’s likely when the MVP voting is done that Mahomes will win the award and edge out Drew Brees in doing so.  It’ll be a one/two finish for sure.  But, the even bigger story is that each of them will quarterback their teams this weekend in the AFC and NFC Championship Games.   The winners head to the Super Bowl in lovely Atlanta.  KC and NO are each three point favorites to do just that.

Should one or two slight upsets occur, Jared Goff and Tom Brady would lead either or both of the Rams and Patriots to the very lovely(ahem) and picturesque, beautiful Atlanta.  Therefore, regardless of the outcome of the games, a “franchise” quarterback will eventually lead his team to the podium to cherish the coveted Lombardi Trophy.  Brady and Brees are the old guard great qbs.  Goff and Mahomes are the up and coming ones.

Roger Goodell will (we hope and think) get booed loudly prior to the presentation.  But, we digress.

Super Bowl winners come in different shapes and sizes, but they usually have two things in common.  One, they have a real good or great coach.  And two, they have a real good or great quarterback.  There are outliers of course.  So, who might be those outliers?

We will begin to examine those very questions in our run up to the Super Bowl features starting today.  We will continue with them by the middle of next week. Today we examine the question “who is the best quarterback to participate in, but not ever win, a Super Bowl?”  Our take in reverse order is below.

3. Jim Kelly– The only qb to ever lose four Super Bowls, and four straight in 1990-1993 at that, was a first year eligible NFL Hall of             Fame inductee.  His K-Gun offense in Buffalo was electric.  He threw for over 35,000 yards and 287 touchdowns in his NFL                     career after spending two years in the USFL amassing formidable stats there as well.

2. Fran Tarkington– A three-time SB loser, Tarkington played for 18 NFL seasons in what was a different era.  Quarterbacks                       weren’t nearly as protected as today.  The HOF inductee lead almost all career statistical QB measurements when he retired. He             threw for over 47,000 yards and 342 touchdowns playing for the Vikings at the outset and conclusion of his career.  A five year                 NY Giants stint was sandwiched in between.

  1. Dan Marino– Marino soared with his Dolphins all the way to the big show in just his second year and first as a full-time starter.  It was a one way ticket as he never returned. His ticket to Canton was well-earned though.  In 17 distinguished NFL seasons he went to the playoffs ten times. He threw for over 61,000 yards, and tossed 420 touchdowns.   All of that and a bevy of game, season, and career records make him the clear choice for the “best ever to appear but never win.”   Not bad for being the fifth QB drafted in a QB heavy, famous 1983 class.

Kelly, Tarkington, and Marino are three of the best.  Collectively they played in 46 NFL seasons.  They won 379 games.  They played in eight Super Bowls. They won none.

 

 

 

The NFL’s Seeds are Sown.

Posted on by boom booms room staff

The NFL rules committee reviews in painstaking detail all proposed changes to its game and its league once each year.  The definition of what a catch is, a fumble is, and what roughing the quarterback is has changed far too often for well-intentioned but misguided reasons.  Booth reviews became a necessity when the complexity of the rules rose exponentially.

However, one competitive rule that has not changed in many years is how playoff teams are seeded and how the resultant path to the Super Bowl paved.  We think that it’s the best format of any major sport and second place isn’t close.   Why?  We briefly touch on that in a few thoughts below.

  1. In each conference if you make it as a wild card you travel in week one of the playoffs to the two lower seeded (of the four) division champions.  You’re in, but your road is three games long and all three are away from home.  Advantage division champions.
  2. The survivors of wild card weekend travel to the one and two seeded team’s stadiums.  The lowest seed travels to the one seed, the other to the two seed.  Advantage one seed and two seed division champions.
  3. The one and two seeds have the wild card weekend off.  After five months of physical grind this is a very welcome respite. Big advantage one seed and two seed division champions.
  4. The highest remaining seed after the second weekend hosts the lower seed.  If the seeds hold this is the last advantage earned by the number one seeded division champ.

So what happened this past weekend?  Points three and four above is what happened.  The AFC and NFC top two seeds hosted and held serve in all four games.  Their success in the regular season earned them this leg up and they made good use of it.

On average three of the four home teams in the just completed division championship weekend win.  However, this year it was all four.  Many “experts” talked about how competitive the four visiting teams (Indianapolis, Dallas, Los Angeles (Chargers), and Philadelphia) would make those games.  Indy was done by halftime.  Dallas tried, but never climbed back in from a 13 point halftime deficit.  The Chargers were manhandled.  Only Philly was within a touchdown late in the fourth.

Visitors have tired legs.   Home teams have a week off to rejuvenate tired legs.  Speed kills on the football playing field.

Therefore, in the NFL every regular season game matters.  Maybe the committee will figure out what constitutes a catch one day.  Hopefully it will keep them so busy trying to figure that out that they will leave the seeding system and rewards of it exactly as is.

This coming weekend the best four teams in the NFL will decide who the best two teams in the NFL are.

 

 

In the NFL Fashion is King(sbury).

Posted on by boom booms room staff

Psst!  Want to know a little secret about the fashion industry?  When it accomplishes its goal it makes you want to go out and buy something new.  You see the new on tv, magazines, websites, runways, etc.   Suddenly what was new in your closet is old.  You want the new.  You need the new.  You have to have it and have it now.  Suddenly all stores, all designers, all price points are chasing the latest.  Copycats they are.

Psst! Want to know a little secret about the NFL?  When one team has success doing something a certain way or hiring a certain type of coach others follow quickly.  The owners have to have it and have it now.  Copycats they are.

What’s the latest?  The latest is the Sean McVay model.  Sean McVay (born January 24, 1986) is the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams. Upon his hiring in 2017 at the age of 30, he became the youngest head coach in modern NFL history. But most of all he is thought of as a “quarterback whisperer.”  Young Jared Goff exploded onto the “franchise qb” scene last year under McVay’s tutelage.  Combine that with McVay’s youth,daring play calling, and “can do” personna and, suddenly, orange is the new black.

Heck just a few weeks ago, before the weather worsened, teams were engaging in games that were lighting up scoreboards.  Forty something to forty something final scores were in style.  Experts looked at these new designs on all of the fashion shows preening down the runways and pronounced it as the new NFL.

Enter the Arizona Cardinals.  After they parted ways with Bruce Arians (Arizona’s most successful coach since they moved to the desert) in 2017 after five seasons, in came a former DC and DB coach Steve Wilks.  But, after one bad season and no real development of their first round QB draft pick Josh Rosen, out goes the defensive mindset.

Enter Kliff Kingsbury as the new head coach of the Cardinals.  Young ole’ Kliff was terminated by the Texas Tech powers that be after his head coaching ascension there stalled in December at the end of season six.  He accepted the OC job at USC a week or so ago.  Then poof!  Hopefully his lease was minute to minute.

But like Jimmy cracked corn, the Cardinals don’t care about his head coaching past nor his lack of loyalty to USC.  After all he was the OC under Kevin Sumlin at A&M when Johnny “Football” Manziel hit the big screen.  Oh, and then he coached Pat Mahomes at Texas Tech.  Surely he is the next QB guru just like skinny jeans are the new bell bottoms.

Meanwhile, last weekend, both Sunday playoff games entered halftime with none of the four participants scoring a single touchdown.  That was a first.  Ever.  That came on the unfashionable heels of a December 9th Bears defensive shutdown of the high flying Rams 15-6.

The post season credo has been “you have to be able to stop the run and run the ball” to win in the post season.  But, copycat franchises have to have that new fashion fix.  Good luck.

Maybe black is actually the new orange?

 

 

I Have Yet Another Story and a Moral Thereof

Posted on by boom booms room staff

In August of 1971 the third round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints, Bivian Lee, began practicing with the team that had high hopes for a breakout year.  Also in August of 1971 the high hopes of civic leaders were realized as construction finally began on the largest indoor stadium in the world, the New Orleans Superdome.

Sports visionary David Dixon (who decades later founded the United States Football League) conceptualized the Superdome while attempting to convince the NFL to award a franchise to New Orleans. After hosting exhibition games at Tulane Stadium during typical New Orleans summer thunderstorms, Dixon was told by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle that NOLA would have no chance for an NFL expansion team without a domed stadium.

It was hoped the stadium would be ready in time for the 1972 NFL season, at the final cost of $46 million. Instead, construction did not start until August 1971, and was not finished until August 1975.   Factoring in inflation, construction delays, and the increase in transportation costs caused by the 1973 oil crisis, the final price tag of the stadium was nearly four times the estimated.  It was a bloated $165 million.

Meanwhile Bivian and the Saints stumbled along in years 1971,2,3 and 4.  The cumulative record of the team for those four seasons was 16-37-3.  Bivian was good, not great.  The Saints were bad, not good.  High hopes were not yet realized.

Yet hope springs eternal.  It was now August of 1975.  A new NFL season was four preseason games away.  And for the Saints it meant a new home, the Superdome, and a fresh start.

Preseason games are for practice and ironing out the kinks for the most part.  For the operation of the Superdome it was much the same warmup for its soon to be regular season grand opening.

On a steamy NOLA summer Saturday night 70,000 plus fans packed the dome to savor all if its grandeur for an otherwise meaningless preseason game.  Bivian Lee was entering his fifth year and was once again starting at cornerback for the franchise.  That the Saints lost was forgettable.  How they lost was forgettable too.  The stadium was the story.

Well, the why and how of the loss was forgettable until a reporter asked Bivian about getting beat for two touchdowns early in the contest.  He assured all that he would be better in the regular season.  The reporter asked if maybe Bivian had any trouble adjusting to all of the ceiling lights since it was the first game played under them.  He said yes, but again said not to worry.  When the reporter asked why the confidence, Bivian replied with confidence.  “Because this game was played at night.  And, the regular season games will be played in the day.”

The 1975 season ended as a major disappointment at 2 wins and 12 losses.   The 1975 season was also the end of Bivian Lee’s professional career.

Oh, are you wondering what the moral of the story is?  Apparently you don’t have to be too bright of a light to play under the bright lights of the world renown Superdome.

 

 

Lefty, Shorty, Nick, and Dabo. Legends All.

Posted on by boom booms room staff

Last evening Lefty and Shorty were all but ready to close the Gulf Station.   Rain was dropping from the heavens at an accelerating pace and cars were nowhere to be found. Lefty- Why do we stay open until midnight?  Shorty-So that you and I can discuss the National Championship Game.

Lefty sat to the left of Shorty.  Imagine that.  Shorty sat on the shorter of the two “halves” of the 55 gallon drum. Imagine that.  Each were cut down to size and retrofitted with a soft cushion top.

Lefty- Clemson really whupped up on Bama.  Is this the start of a new era?  Shorty- Overreaction.  Every week somebody or some team is the greatest ever.  Lefty- Yea, but isn’t this the beginning of the end for Saban and Bama?  Shorty- Overreaction.  Up until game time they were “the greatest ever.” Lefty-  Yea but they got whipped.  Shorty- They went 14-1.  They ran through everyone but Clemson.  Great year.

Lefty- Saban was out coached.  Shorty- Yes he was.  Lefty- Saban looked dumbfounded on the sideline.  Shorty- What does dumbfounded mean?  Lefty-  Look in the mirror much?  Shorty- Mirror?  Lefty- Never mind.  Wasn’t that fake field goal a bad call? Shorty- The only thing worse than the call was the execution.

Lefty- That Clemson quarterback is only a freshman.  He’ll only get better.  Shorty-  That’s what they said about Tua last year after the game.  This year he threw two picks, one for six.  It’s only one game.

Lefty- Saban is 68 and Swinney is only 49.  When Saban retires do you think Swinney will go to Bama?  He played there.  Shorty- No.  He’s created Bama to the east of Bama.  Lefty- Huh?  Shorty- He has created and cultivated a winning culture.  He has the recruiting rolling.  Clemson is investing.  His assistants are well paid.  He’ll get another well-earned raise.  Clemson today is all but Bama’s equal.  Lefty- It’s his alma mater.  Shorty- Why follow a legend somewhere else when you are a legend where you are?

Lefty- You mean, like us?  Shorty- Say what?  Lefty- No one pumps gas, changes oil, and fixes flats like we do.  Who would want to follow us?  Shorty- You’re a legend in your own mind. Goodnight.  Lefty- Just one more question.  What kind of name is Dabo?  Shorty- What kind of name is Lefty?  Lefty- What kind of name is Shorty?  Shorty- Be sure to lock up.

 

Ten Piece Nuggets-NFL

Posted on by boom booms room staff

Sweet and savory and served below, one at a time, are ten NFL nuggets for your digestion.  It was the wild card weekend and it provided some wild moments.

  1. Poof!  And just like that both of the third seeds and one fourth seed are done.  Dallas, a four seed, is the highest rated survivor from the wild Wild Card weekend.  They were also the only home team and division champion to hold serve.
  2. Three lower seeded and visiting teams won on the road.  Two of them dominated.  The Indianapolis Colts and the San Diego Lost in Angeles Chargers won convincingly.
  3. The four losing quarterbacks were Lamar Jackson, DeShaun  Watson, Mitch Trubisky, and Russell Wilson.  They are 22,23,24, and 30 years old respectively.  Their experience in order is rookie, 2nd year, 2nd year, and 7th year.   With age comes experience.  Does experience entering the post season matter?
  4. The four winning quarterbacks were Phillip Rivers, Andrew Luck, Nick Foles, and Dak Prescott.  They are 37,29,29, and 25 years old respectively.  Their experience in order is 17th year, 7th year, 7th year, and 3rd year.  With age comes experience.  Does experience entering the post season matter?
  5.  The Houston Texans won the AFC South Division Championship with an 11-5 record.  But, they did that in name only.  Indy was the better team coming down the stretch.  They started 1-5 yet finished 10-6, coming down the stretch with eight impressive wins and one loss.   After two possessions for each team Saturday it was 14-0 Colts after two “in your face” drives.  School was out and so were the Texans.
  6.  Seattle gave it their all, but Dallas had just a bit more in winning a close one.  If these two teams played ten times they might post five wins each.  The problem for Seattle is that the playoff format is one and done.  Each team’s defense is top five in the league in points allowed and turnovers created.  Dallas has a wee bit more talent on offense.  Seattle has a kicker who does not know how to attempt an onside kick apparently.
  7.  The LA Chargers lost at home to Baltimore three days before Christmas surrendering 22 points to a Raven offense that had a shiny new toy under the tree named Lamar.  It ran like it had fresh batteries.  But like most new toys at Christmas soon the newness wears off.  The Chargers found the off switch.  And suddenly not a creature was stirring, not even a Raven.
  8. Philadelphia looks like a team playing with house money.  They won on the last regular season weekend and coupled with a Vikings loss found themselves in the playoffs.  Then they went to Chicago and found a way to beat the Bears in an entertaining game that had a doink, doink field goal, no good, finish.  The Bears need a new placekicker for the placekicker’s own safety if nothing else.  He is perhaps the most hated Chicago sports figure since Steve Bartman got in the way of a foul fly ball.
  9. This coming weekend has the top two seeds from each conference hosting this past weekend’s winners.  The hosts are rested after having the week off.  Historically three of the top seeds win at home.  But, that’s history.  Philly, Indy, Dallas, and the LA Chargers make for formidable dogs.
  10. Speaking of dogs, the lines are NE(-4) v. LAC, KC(-5) v Indy, LAR(-7) v. Dallas, and NO(-8) v Philly.  Having the week off and having your opponent give it their all the week prior  is a big advantate.  It’s furthered by them having to then travel to face you.  It’s earned during the regular season and very appreciated right about now.  If history holds which of these four home teams lose?  BBR actually thinks two will.  Patriot and Chief fans beware.  Poof!

 

I Have Yet Another Story and a Moral Thereof

Posted on by boom booms room staff

In a baseball crazy family I might have been the craziest of all.  Boom Boom took a train in 1966 from New Orleans to Houston to attend the first ever major league baseball game (first ever anything) played indoors.  It was and is the Astrodome, labeled back then as the Eight Wonder of the World.  The Yankees were in town and Mickey Mantle hit the first home run ever hit indoors that evening.  But I digress.

It was an awesome memory that lead to an awesome moment 33 years later in 1999 when my son and I saw the Astros play the last major league game ever in that very same Astrodome.  It was in a losing effort that eliminated them from the playoffs.  However, on our way out of the stadium I shared with my son that his grandfather opened it and we closed it.  But I digress, further.

My baseball love reached a fever pitch during my high school years.  I watched a lot of it and played even more of it.  So, when we left on a two-week vacation in May of 1976 I was pumped for more than one reason.  The first was that was that mom, dad, and I were going to spend seven days in Hawaii.  The second reason was that the first seven days were in San Francisco and I had checked the San Francisco Giants schedule.  Yep, and there it was.  The Giants were playing in their home, Candlestick Park, the night of our arrival.  When rain turned to fog and rain the game v. the St Louis Cardinals was cancelled.  As we said back in the day, “I was bummed out.”

One day led to one week and the morning of our departure to Hawaii arrived.  I guess Hawaii would more than offset my baseball disappointment.  My parents were avid coffee drinkers and I was dispatched early in the AM to bring back two cups from the lobby.  As the elevator opened my eyes opened wider.  There he was.  Sparky Anderson, manager of the World Series Champion Cincinnati Reds managed a slight nod as I practically tripped on my chin walking in.

I said nothing, but stared in amazement.  As the door opened to the lobby I hit the jackpot.  Pete “Charley Hustle” Rose was sitting in a lobby chair.  My mind raced as I raced to get the coffee and tell Boom Boom what was going on.  “They must haven flown in last evening to play the Giants son.  Take a look at the schedule in the newspaper.”   Sure enough.  I wanted to head back down to try to star gaze and get an autograph or ten if I could.  “Let’s carry the bags down and head to breakfast, he said.  Maybe you’ll get lucky then son.”

Time was my enemy.  But soon enough we were down and into the beautiful atrium breakfast area.  My radar was up.  As the hostess steered us to the right side I saw a table of pure gold to the left.  Sparky Anderson, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, and a non recognizable fourth were sipping coffee.

Pen and hotel pad paper in hand I made the move.  Boom Boom always told me to ask for what I wanted.  “What’s the worst someone can tell you son?” he often asked me.

As I approached I needed a plan.  Where to start?  I decided on Johnny Bench, reigning MVP and multi-year All Star catcher.   Bench, seated, was reading the newspaper held straight out in front of him double wide with both of his massive hands clutching either side.  There I was.  Only a thin section of a newspaper separated me from his greatness.   “Mr. Bench, Mr. Bench, can I please have your autograph?”  Bench ever so slowly pulled the paper down.  We were face to face.

“No!”  And there it was.  With one word and one very unemotional word only he delivered his answer.  If I was stealing second base he had just thrown me out by 20 feet.  The paper ever so slowly rose back to its reading position.  I couldn’t even look at Rose nor Anderson.

Speechless and down trodden, I headed to our table.  “What did he say son?”  “No.”  “That’s all he said son?”  “Yes.”  “Look at the menu.  We need to order and get to the airport.”  Eggs sounded terrible.  Everything did.

What’s the moral of the story?  The worst thing someone can tell you is “no.”  Believe me, I know.

 

Ten Piece Nuggets-CFB

Posted on by boom booms room staff

If you have a good start on better health resolutions for the new year of 2019, good for you.  If not, it’s always a good day to get started.  Below are ten healthy nuggets CFB style to invigorate your resolve even further.  Digest them as you please.

  1. Despite all of the November angst when the college football playoff selection committee divulges its weekly rankings, the cream inevitably rises to the top.   Playing the “what if” team X loses and team y beats team z sells beer commercial time on sports shows.  It does little else.  Alabama and Clemson’s body of work to this point have separated them, yet again, as college football’s finest.
  2. This will be the fourth consecutive meeting between the two schools in the playoffs.  It will be the third time in the final as Bama took out Clemson last year in the semis.   The two teams have lost seven games combined in the last four years.  Three of those losses come when facing each other.  Throw those out and the two are a combined 107-4 versus all other teams.  That’s a 96% win percentage.  Everyone else has been playing for third place. How long might this continue?
  3. Third place doesn’t matter too much unless you are a fan of one of a handful of teams who might want consolation bragging rights for the next few months.  Notre Dame and Oklahoma entered the playoffs ranked third and fourth respectively.  BBR thinks that it’s more that the music stopped and they had a chair to sit on than it was that they had separated themselves that much from teams ranked 5-8.
  4. Criticize ND all you want if you feel like they really weren’t a top four team.  But don’t shoot the Irish for their schedule.  Schedules are made years in advance.  I doubt anyone thought three or four years ago that Stanford, USC, Virginia Tech, and Florida St. would be collectively as down as they were in 2018.  Add wins over Pittsburgh, Michigan, Northwestern, and Syracuse and you have had the makings of a solid strength of schedule.  Their season opening win over Michigan looked better and better as Michigan piled up wins.  It quelled ND naysayers and got them on to the doorstep of the final four before the Wolverines imploded.
  5. Criticize Oklahoma all you want if you feel like they really weren’t a top four team.  But don’t shoot the Sooners for their offensive firepower.  Criticize them for their defense or lack thereof.  Oklahoma gave up 40 points or more in six games this year.  Six.  Serious contenders for championships are minimally above average in all three phases of the game and really good at two or more of them.  Oklahoma’s D doesn’t pass that test even though their offense passes all over everyone.
  6. Of the teams bunched in the 3-8 spots all were good, none were great.  THE Ohio St. looked listless three times, but lost only once.  It was, however, a shellacking by an average Purdue squad that got worked by Auburn during bowl week.  The aforementioned Michigan was worked by THE in the Big 10 showdown.   As Peach Bowl participants they enjoyed the festivities leading up to the game v. Florida.  Apparently they pulled the rip cord and decided not to participate in the game itself.  Florida finished strong, but hiccupped early.  UCF has a fun team that has no beef in the trenches to compete in real big boy football.  Georgia was on the short list for a while, but Bama set them back and Texas beat them soundly.  Texas closed strong.  But 4 L’s are 4 L’s.
  7. The power five conferences were bunched together in their collective bowl performances with no clear standouts or failures.
    1. 4-3 Big 12
    2. 5-4 Big Ten
    3. 6-5 SEC
    4. 5-5 ACC
    5. 3-4 PAC 12
  8.  BBR thinks that Wisconsin, Washington, and Miami were pretty big 2018 disappointments relative to their talent, their competition, their schedule, and therefore their final body of work.  We were quite surprised by Kentucky, Washington St, Cincinnati, and Utah St.
  9. It’s just about 230 days till the 2019 season kicks off.   Watch out for Texas, Florida, and Texas A&M next year.  If Herman, Mullen, and Fischer were a law firm they would be tough in a courtroom.
  10. Before the 2019 season kicks off, the 2018 season has just that one game left this coming Monday night.  Is another Bama v Clemson matchup good or bad for college football?  BBR thinks it is neither.  It just is what it is.  Enjoy the amazing talent and depth of same on display.  The NFL scouts do.
  11. (one leftover)  We say again that the targeting rule, interpretation, in-game review, penalty, and player suspension resulting from it is in need of serious review itself.  The NCAA can move like an overweight sloth at times.  We hope that this is not one of those times.

Enjoy the FBS Championship.  The turf in NoCal this time of the year is bad terrible.  Abby wagged her tail and barked Clemson 33-31 just so you know.

 

The Rare, but Fair, Fair Catch Kick.

Posted on by boom booms room staff

File this one under the “did you know.”   It’s a good one for around the water cooler to kickoff(see what we did there?) the New Year.  You really didn’t want to work very hard this week anyway did you?  Heck., it’s already late Hump Day or Thirsty Thursday depending on when you read this.

Four juicy NFL playoff games are looming.  Could one end in a last second touchdown pass?  Possible.  Could one end with a last second field goal?  Probable.  Could one end in a last second fair catch kick?  Say what?

Per NFL.com after a fair catch, the receiving team has the option to put the ball in play by a snap or a fair catch kick (field goal attempt), with fair catch kick lines established ten yards apart. All general rules apply as for a field goal attempt from scrimmage. The clock starts when the ball is kicked. (No tee permitted.)

Obviously, the plan can’t unfold without the right conditions. You need pin your opponent deep and force a punt with time expiring or near to expiration.

This is the time that might be right to call for a fair catch followed by a free kick.  Think of it as a kickoff formation where the receiving team must remain minimally ten yards back from the spot of the kick. But, the big difference is that if the kick goes through the uprights it’s good for three points.

After you have successfully executed the fair catch, you have the opportunity to align for a free kick. The ball can be placed anywhere along the line of scrimmage, so the kicker has the opportunity to line his kick up wherever he wants it.  The ball is live after the kick and can be returned by the opposing team if it stays in the field of play.

In high school, the kicking team is allowed to use any legal tee, including the one for kick-offs. Also, in high school if the ball goes into the end zone it’s automatically considered a touchback.

It’s critical that the punting team players not interfere with the fair catch.  If the team fair catching is interfered with, they will march off 15 yards and the fair catch is still awarded, which means they may attempt a free kick even if there is no time left and fifteen yards closer.

Has a fair catch free kick happened before in an NFL game? Yes.  Research is a bit sketchy, but it looks like there have only been 21 free kicks attempted in NFL history, and only three since 1990. There hasn’t been a successful attempt since Ray Wersching made a 45-yarder entering halftime in a Bills-Chargers game in 1976.

Will it happen again?  Sure.  It’s only a matter of when, not if.  With the increasing length and accuracy of kickers today the field is stretched further, increasing the possibility.  With no oncoming rush allowed, isn’t a 70 yarder soon in the cards?

It’s an obscure rule for sure.  One wonders how many NFL coaches are even aware.  But it might come in very handy one day soon.  Oh, and you can drop kick a free kick too.  Never heard of a drop kick?  Drop back in soon and we will examine that obscure, but not lost opportunity, as well.

It’s rare, but it’s fair.  And, it’s free.  It’s the fair catch free kick.

 

Better to Beware Bettor.

Posted on by boom booms room staff

After Santa Claus has come and gone comes the final regular season weekend in the NFL.  Santa comes to town the 25th of every December.  You can bank on it.   The last week of the NFL regular season occurs right afterwards.  You can bank on it.  What you cannot bank on, however, is predicting the outcome of NFL games.

And, week 17 is toughest of all.  Why, you might ask? That can be answered with one easy question.  Who cares?  That is the question.  How can you tell which team cares enough in week 17 to actually give it their all.

Reasons for indifference about winning this Sunday abound.  If you are in the playoffs do you rest some or all of your starters?  If so, do you rest some or all for some or all of the game?  If you need to win to get into the playoffs, do your chances vaporize prior to your kickoff based on results from earlier games that day?  If you are out of the playoffs, do you play for pride(an overused battle cry)?  Or, do you mail it in?  Do you play for your favorite coaches job?  Do you play for your own job?  Does the franchise tank the game to improve their draft position?  Is it time to give that backup quarterback his chance?   Questions far outweigh answers.

All of those legit questions aside, let’s examine a few games and be dumb brave enough to take a stab at their outcomes.  If you bet real money and take advice from the guesses below, we suggest that you stop betting real money.  Or, at least tread very lightly in week 17.

Miami at Buffalo(-3.5)  – Here is the classic two teams playing for pride (read as “nothing”) game.  Miami fired their GM yesterday.  Does that mean their coach’s job is safe?   Oh, and why is Buffalo favored?  We guess it’s because they’re at their home stadium.  Home is also a place where they can get cozy by the fireplace to watch the playoffs.   For no good reason at all, take Miami plus the points.

Detroit at Green Bay(-8.0) – Detroit annually disappoints.  This team lived down to its expectations.  They’ve been mentally out for months and statistically eliminated for weeks.  Green Bay is in the unfamiliar position of playing out the string.  Are they playing to help Joe Philbin get the vacant HC job?  Doubtful.   Are they the better team?  No doubt.  When in doubt take more than a touchdown in any NFL game, anytime.  Except this week.  We’ll take GB to win the game and cover late somehow.

Jacksonville at Houston(-6.5) – Jacksonville imploded weeks ago.  However, they rose from the ashes last weekend.  Houston has a division championship on the line and playoff seeding(possibly) implications at stake.  Best of all Houston lost on the road in a close one last week.  This seems like one of the few games this week that is a good betting spot.  We’ll take Houston to win on the money line though it’s expensive at 3-1.  And we’ll take Houston to cover the 6.5 a well.

Carolina at New Orleans(-9.0) – New Orleans has already secured a bye week and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.  Carolina shut down weeks ago in the midst of a six game losing streak.  As a result, they shut down Cam Newton two weeks ago due to an ailing wing.  His backup is now hurt.  Enter third stringer Kyle Allen for his NFL debut.  Brees and most of his ailing offensive line might not play at all.  Enter Teddy Bridgewater for his Saints debut.  You get the picture?  Take Carolina plus nine in what will look like a final preseason game though we expect the Saints to win a fairly close one.  Call it 24-18 for grins.

Cincinnatti at Pittsburgh(-14.0) – This one is tricky.  Baltimore hosts the suddenly angry Cleveland Browns at the same time.  If Baltimore wins Pittsburgh is eliminated from the playoff chase.  Pittsburgh might be angry too after a hard fought, close loss to New Orleans last weekend.  Meanwhile we expect Cleveland to keep it close v. Baltimore with the Ravens winning on a late FG.  Pittsburgh never mails it in.  We expect them to score early and often and do a bit of scoreboard watching along the way.  It’s hard to spot 14 points in any NFL game.  We will.  Take Pittsburgh minus.

Good luck wagering in week 17.  You might be better off putting your money at risk in the stock market.  Sorry, too soon?