As promised, here’s your Pocket Guide to AFC Teams:
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Author: Beka
https://plus.google.com/110010310740122931625/about
History Lesson : Deacon Jones
It was recently announced that the player with the most sacks each season will receive the newly minted Deacon Jones award. The award receives it’s name from Hall of Fame defensive end Deacon Jones, which is an apt honor to bestow on the man who coined the term the award recognizes – the quarterback sack. As per this article in Bloomberg, “He described it this way: ‘You take all the offensive linemen and put them in a burlap bag, and then you take a baseball bat and beat on the bag. You’re sacking them. You’re bagging them. And that’s what you’re doing with a quarterback.'”
He was never one to mince words.
It’s both a blessing and a curse that he pioneered the defensive end position and the art of the sack. He revolutionized defensive play, but record-keeping for those statistics – namely, sacks – weren’t even recorded until the 80’s, long after his career ended. If the numbers counted, he would still hold the record for the highest single-season sack record with 26 and be third on the all-time list of career sacks (behind Reggie White and Bruce Smith).
Perhaps more than sacks, Jones is known for being the man behind the head slap – which is precisely what it sounds like. While illegal now, it certainly served him well then.
(Also, if you have yet to see the A Football Life on the Fearsome Foursome, of which Deacon Jones was part, you need to see it! It’s impossible not to love those guys.)
Definitions : The Blind Side
Chances are you’ve seen the movie The Blind Side. But do you know the term for which it was named?
The blind side refers to the side the quarterback is facing away from when he drops back and sets up to pass. For right-handed quarterbacks, this is the left side. For left-handed quarterbacks, it’s the right. Here’s Ravens tackle Michael Oher, whose life the movie documents, protecting Joe Flacco’s blind side (which is right-handed Joe’s left side) (putting it like that makes him sound like a cowboy in a western, doesn’t it?):
The quarterback’s blind side is protected by the left tackle (presuming he is a right-handed QB). While all offensive linemen have a specific role to play, the left tackle position has long been put at a premium due to his role in protecting the quarterback when he drops back to pass. Getting hit on the blind side is a disaster for a quarterback. He never sees the hit coming, so he doesn’t have time to prepare his body for the hit or protect the ball from getting jarred loose. Hit on the blind side = prime opportunity for a turnover. Protecting the blind side is critical for the health of the quarterback and effective ball security.
News and Notes : 6.21.13
Happy first day of summer, everyone! In celebration, we’re going to take a break from the more intense news of the week and have some fun:
Wouldn’t you want these guys to show up at your door?
And who doesn’t love a good prank?
In keeping with the snake theme, here’s this:
This one falls under the category of “C’mon, man.” You’re at the Super Bowl. Know your NFL Players!
This one is as endearing for it’s look back at Ravens legends past as it is for good natured fun:
Scooter Magruder has a ton of hilarious sports-related videos, including “Things Fans Say” videos for a bunch of NFL teams. Don’t be too surprised at which team I decided to feature:
And you’ve gotta love this:
Wasn’t that fun? Now go have a great weekend! Enjoy the first official summer days!
History Lesson : Vince Lombardi
Ever wonder how the Lombardi Trophy, awarded to the winning Super Bowl team, got it’s name?
It’s thanks to this man, Vincent Thomas Lombardi, whose story is told here by legendary Packers guard, Jerry Kramer:
Would you believe that Coach Lombardi’s original career path was as a priest? Yep, it’s true. After two years of study he decided to switch paths and finish prep school before attending Fordham University. He played football there (as a fullback), but decided to pursue another carrer path – this time, law school – after graduation. Luckily, that didn’t last long. He soon opted for a job as an assistant coach for a local high school and continued to move onwards and upwards, always leaving a trail of success behind him.
His first job in the NFL was coaching as an offensive assistant for the New York Giants (at which time another iconic coach, Tom Landry, was the defensive assistant). In 1959, he became the head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
(And the Packers fans rejoiced.)
Coach Lombardi led the Packers to three consecutive championships – five total – including the first two Super Bowls. He was recently named the Greatest Coach in NFL History by ESPN, a fact that has never been widely disputed.
Perhaps greater than his winning record (96-34-6) was his work ethic and the charisma that acted as a delivery agent of that ethic. I love these thoughts from former Packers quarterback Bart Starr:
For the folks who weren’t in the meeting rooms and on the practice field, I would tell you the story of how Coach Lombardi approached us when he first came to Green Bay. I had already been there for three seasons, and we had not had much success.
Well, in our first session, he was so strong and dynamic and powerful; when we took our first break after 30 minutes or so, I ran down the hall and into one of the offices and called my wife back here in Alabama. I said, “Honey, we’re going to start winning.” I mean, it was that obvious.
His charisma, his manner was very, very impressive. One of the first things he said was, “We’re going to RELENTLESSLY pursue perfection — even though we know full well that we won’t catch it, because nothing is perfect.” Put the “relentlessly” in capital letters because that’s how he said it.
(That last part reminds me of a recent press conference with current Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. We get the good ones in Green Bay.)
Ready for a video that will start your day right? Here’s a pep talk from Coach with audio clips from his famous speech, What It Takes to Be Number One:
(Want a portable version? Check out the book + CD, available here!)
Pocket Guide to NFC Teams
Because the regular season is coming soon (!!!), we’ll start doing divisional breakdowns again in the next few weeks. But in the meantime, here’s a pocket guide to all of the NFC Teams that might come in handy this season.
(Don’t feel left out, AFC fans. Next week is your time to shine!)
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