BTSC Steelers Daily Six Pack- Hartwig Broke A Toe Edition
by drinkyourmilkshake on Jul 13, 2009 12:00 PM EDT
79 comments
IX-Starting center Justin Hartwig has broken one of his toes according to Dale Lolley after dropping an object on it recently. Although the injury shouldn't affect his ability to play during the regular season, he may miss some of the early parts of Steelers' training camp. I guess this will set up a little more competition between backups Darnell Stapleton and A.Q. Shipley. My biggest concern is with the Steelers line trying to build more continuity, having the starting center miss significant practice time could slow down the progress.
X-Peter King is using some guest NFL writers to fill in for his Monday Morning Quarterback column while he is taking a vacation during the heart of the offseason. This weeks guest writer is Washington Redskins Tight End, Chris Cooley, and his version is much more interesting that those written in previous weeks by Trent Green, and Matt Birk. In fact, Cooley knows it and takes some humorous shots at those two. Cooley advocates for the NFL to use technology to avoid controversial calls like Santonio Holmes controversial touchdown against the Ravens. How does the BTSC Nation feel about "smart football" as he calls it?
XIII-If you sign up for text message alerts on your mobile phone through the Pittsburgh Steelers you will be entered in a contest to win an autographed Hines Ward jersey. To sign up for the alerts send a text message saying "HINES" to 94253 (WHALE). For additional details and complete contest rules be sure to check out the Steelers' Official Website.
XIV-Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning careers' will inevitably be compared forever by pundits, bloggers, and fans due to both of them being drafted in the 1st round of the 2004 NFL draft, if Phillip Rivers wins a title his name will surely be brought into the conversation. ESPN's AFC North blogger, James Walker debates that there is absolutely no comparison between Manning and Big Ben considering Ben has better statistics in touchdowns, interceptions, wins, and quarterback rating, all while having a weaker offensive line and a less productive running game. Matt Mosley of EPSN's NFC East blog puts together a decent counter-argument exposing some of the holes in Walkers' piece.
XL-Troy Polamalu will be trying to avoid the Madden curse after gracing the cover of Madden 2010 alongside Larry Fitzgerald. James Walker of the AFC North ESPN blog goes over the rankings of each team in the AFC North in the upcoming release of Madden 2010. In terms of the rankings EA Sports has assigned to the four teams, Pittsburgh is clearly the class of the division according to Walker. In fact the Steelers have five defensive players with an overall ranking of 91 or above and Troy Polamalu has an astonishing overall ranking of 99.
XLIII-The Penguins got some love here during their season and the Pirates should be no different. A lot of Pittsburgh area sports fans lose track of the Pirates losing, including me. Mondesi's House is here to provide a recap of the first half of the Pirates season, and what to expect during the second half. The All-Star game is on Tuesday, and the most interesting part of the baseball season, the Home Run Derby, is tonight on ESPN at 8PM. Here are some odds on each participant for the event.
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If you want to give the Pirates some love (sort of)
and you have DirecTV…..the MLB ticket is free the first week back from the All-Star break. Check in and watch the Pirates.
"The team that scores the most points wins."
John Madden
(Master of the obvious)
by PixburghArn on Jul 13, 2009 12:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
will do….good tip….love the free previews from Direct TV
The first weekend of the NFL, Sunday Ticket is free for everyone as well.
I'll drink your Milkshake, I'll drink it up!
by drinkyourmilkshake on Jul 13, 2009 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I buy the NFL ticket
Because I’m in Bungle-land.
"The team that scores the most points wins."
John Madden
(Master of the obvious)
by PixburghArn on Jul 13, 2009 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I do too
I was just letting everyone else know.
I'll drink your Milkshake, I'll drink it up!
by drinkyourmilkshake on Jul 13, 2009 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
All for smart football
Particularly related to the evauation of the first down. why not have some 10 yard long device on a rail on one sideline. Put a sight on one end to locate the thing after a first down and a laser on the other end to mark the location of the first down. After the ref spots the ball, shoot the laser onto the field to see if the first is made or not.
It’s absolutely ridiculous that this is just determined by how those guys walk onto the field with the sticks.
not so sure about putting sensors into the ball however. If the ball emitted radio waves then some kind of radio telemetry might be possible. Other methods probably aren’t accurate enough
by Steely McSmash on Jul 13, 2009 12:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I don’t think that is what he had in mind for the first down ‘lasers’. I believe he was saying the determining of the spot of the ball should be done by these “smart” systems. So the determination of how exactly far the ball went is better than “well it looked like he got this far.”
I am pretty sure that those guys that run out their with the sticks is actually done pretty accurately. The ref in the middle has a little marker that is set at some specific yard marker and the location of the sticks is based on that. I believe.
by Johnny_S on Jul 13, 2009 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good news for Stapleton, Shipley, Legursky; not so good for Hartwig
The injury should allow Stapleton, Shipley & Legursky to get a few more reps at center while Urbik shoud get more reps at RG. Hartwig, who is hoping to get a contract extension done before the end of training camp, is getting off on the wrong foot for an extension.
Anyone think he can quickly recover and toe the line so that this OL can finally get a leg up on the competition?
by datruth4life on Jul 13, 2009 12:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
“Toe the Line”….intentional pun?
I'll drink your Milkshake, I'll drink it up!
by drinkyourmilkshake on Jul 13, 2009 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I thought “wrong foot for an extension.” was pretty good too.
The only managing Ben does is that he manages to win games. - chewiesteeler
by steelguy99 on Jul 13, 2009 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Smart Football?
Uh…as to shooting the laser straight up from both goal posts, where do you put the receiving unit? Very smart.
Holmes controversial catch? Its not controversial to me! The rules for a rushing touchdown state “Break the plane of the goal”. The rules for catching a touchdown do not make mention of breaking the plane of the goal, they only mention both feet down in the endzone, inbounds, and possesion of the ball. Not so smart.
I think we can go too far with this having to know with absolute certainty. Human error is part of the game. Look at the strike zone in baseball, totally dependant on the umpire calling the game. Of course, I am not for gross incompetence like the Hockuli (SP?) call in the S.D. game, but not knowing the absolute definate answer is not going to kill me.
by WyoFan on Jul 13, 2009 1:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Its quite simple
We dont need the laser beam to announce the TD. Just to help us find it. Imagine if you will Ben Roethlisbergers Rushing TD in SBXL. The camera would show the shot just as normal. But there would be a red line going straight up the edge of the posts. This line would be bright and we could easily see where the ball touches the line when reviewing.
by Mechem on Jul 13, 2009 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I thought the big argument with that TD was whether his knee was down before he was in? Maybe I am mixing up my memory.
by Johnny_S on Jul 13, 2009 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Legursky at center
Most pieces I come across that discuss the center position mention Hartwig, Stapleton, and Shipley but say nothing about Legursky. I wondered whether anyone here has an insight into his development/level of talent or lack thereof.
by workingon7 on Jul 13, 2009 1:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
wexell said he looked crappy
not impressive physically. for more you’ll have to pay through and search his site. but yea, i’ve been basically excluding him from consideration.
by syrsteelerfan on Jul 13, 2009 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Madden Ratings
My guilty pleasure is playing about an hour of Madden Football once every week or two.
Looking at these ratings makes me want to beat EA sports.
Mendenhall is no 83 in speed. He had good burst last year and should be aroung 88-91. Timmons is no 79 in speed, the guy can outrun most DBs, must be one of our fastest LBs. Anthony Madison at below 60 tackling is garbage, that CB can tackle extremely well. William Gay at a 63 overall is pathetic.
Then again these were the same guys who rated Alonzo Jackson in the mid 70’s for over two years.
Plenty of other little complaints about it, but after reading that article I guess that I have less to complain about than a Bengals, Ravens, or Browns fan. Hope they give you the option to adjust for their douchebaggery this year as well.
Yeah, I’m 30 years old and still play video games……..
hangs head in shame
looks at picture of smoking hot fiance on desk
stops caring what people think
"Damnit mom! You almost ran over Greg Lloyd!"
at an autograph signing back in 95. He walked out in front of our minivan, and my mom almost hit him. He apologized.
by PA ARMY OFFICER on Jul 13, 2009 1:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Clutch
Jeff Reed 76 ovr kicker….wow we never get any love, oh well. lets win another superbowl anyway!!
by Steelde#1 on Jul 13, 2009 2:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Kicker ratings are weird
Its strange but the only two things that matter when they factor the total number for a kicker is the “Kick power” and Kick accuracy options.
And it seems to kinda formulate it arbitrarily for different people. You can make a kicker with the same stats as Vinateiri and yet V’s number will still be higher.
Weird system.
by Mechem on Jul 13, 2009 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’d love to see Madden program something in where Timmons collapses after running 60 yards…
The only managing Ben does is that he manages to win games. - chewiesteeler
by steelguy99 on Jul 13, 2009 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
sweed
went from a 93 speed to 81. apparently not being able to catch also makes you slow.
by sparco on Jul 13, 2009 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That must be to compensate for their lack of a concentration variable.
Ideally sweed would stay at 93 and have a low open-field concentration variable. The more open he is the less likely he catches the ball. Lazy programmers at EA, okay, not really. Just sleep deprived.
The only managing Ben does is that he manages to win games. - chewiesteeler
by steelguy99 on Jul 13, 2009 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well they said this year they were dropping all of the stats to make the elite players more elite. Do you think Sweed is in the 7% of the fastest people in the NFL? Probably not.
by Johnny_S on Jul 13, 2009 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
but ill bet you hes faster than hines.
by sparco on Jul 13, 2009 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That is true...
And I’ll bet you Holmes is a better PR than Hines.
by Johnny_S on Jul 13, 2009 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Top 7%? I agree it’s unlikely, but he’s fast enough to get wide open in the NFL, and even against #3 CBs…that is pretty fast.
The only managing Ben does is that he manages to win games. - chewiesteeler
by steelguy99 on Jul 13, 2009 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
EA also said...
That the perceived lack of one stat is really just an attempt to lower overall ratings. All the categories we all think are low are actually a lot easier to gain points in then ever before. Sweed’s speed is low, but when his awareness goes up, so will his speed, route running, etc.. Actually it should make everything more realistic. Just because it says 83 speed, doesn’t mean he won’t beat a corner with 90 speed deep occaisonally.
Younger players start off ranked lower across the board. There should also be a “potential” ranking which should show us all which players will gain higher rankings quicker (in the game).
At least that is how I understood the article on ESPN.com. Oh yeah, super nerd style baby! It should all wash in the long run. Key word should.
by NYSteelersFan4 on Jul 13, 2009 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
True...but he does forget to catch the ball
haha
by Johnny_S on Jul 13, 2009 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Funny isn't it?
How they are so incredibly off on certain players ratings.
And how in the heck did EA already decide that our 5th round draft pick CB Joe Burnett is going to be better than our 3rd round draft pick Keenan Lewis? And Mike Wallace should be by far the fastest player on the roster. His speed stats should be in the high 90’s across the board.
Silly videogames. Get me all hot and bothered sometimes. Haha
by iBleedBlack&Gold on Jul 13, 2009 4:38 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
I think they need a “game-speed” and “off-game-speed”. Having just a “speed” characteristic is misleading. Realistically you need a “off-the-jam speed”, an “open-field-speed”, a “turning-speed”, and several more. The off-the-jam-speed is impossible to calculate for rookies and also the most important. Wallace would have the fastest open-field-speed on the team, but he has to put himself in the position to use it.
The only managing Ben does is that he manages to win games. - chewiesteeler
by steelguy99 on Jul 13, 2009 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
In Madden's defense
They killed the ratings of a ton of players, to make a rating of 80 or higher more significant than in the past. So while these ratings look low compared to the games in the past, they could be pretty good compared to ratings this year.
Or we got screwed again. Who knows.
by ryebr3ad on Jul 15, 2009 3:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
On the topic of "smart football"
I’m all in favor of adding a chip to the ball or putting something in a shoe tip or whatever. But the bottom line is that we can never use that to be the end all be all line of reasoning.
They still need the refs and they still need to have somebody there because the more technology you add, the more likely it can be taken away by a malfunction.
Also, I’d really love for a rule change to give a coach a bonus “penalty challenge” for when there are some downright bullshit calls. Or a blatantly missed one like a facemask or a DPI.
by Mechem on Jul 13, 2009 2:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I’m guessing that genius in NE would figure out some interesting “malfunctions”.
The only managing Ben does is that he manages to win games. - chewiesteeler
by steelguy99 on Jul 13, 2009 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
On a serious note thats a good point
I read an article talking about computer controlled limbs that people get, and how they are actually easily hackable because nobody has thought to hack them (they do now after the damn article lol). But imagine the same with the ball system. Probably some 14 year old kid with the proper knowledge could cause a ball to say “i made it in” possibly swaying somebody’s vote on the play.
by Mechem on Jul 13, 2009 2:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
nothing needed in the ball
see this article about the tennis replay system. It just has a bunch of high-speed cameras and, presumably, digital knowledge of the exact proportions of the field. I would think that the same technology could be used in football, at least in cases where at lest a part of the ball is visible from one or two angles.
Also, when they did this with hockey, they just inserted it into the middle of the puck. You don’t need sensors on each side of the ball as long as the sensor knows exactly where it is in the ball and the exact proportions of the ball.
I for one would love tennis style replays in football!
by RedBlackandGold on Jul 13, 2009 2:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
the thing i like most about the tennis repays are how quick they are
football challenges are far too long and probably would be quicker if they followed the nhl’s stance of having a replay official reviewing the play by himself in a booth instead of the official on the field having to watch replays in a small portable box-like contraption while fans scream at him from 15 yards away.
by t1mmy10 on Jul 13, 2009 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Problem is in football the dynamics of the ball change. With the beating the balls go through the sensors would have to be pretty tough and well positioned. imagine if a RB takes a helmet to the ball and then has a controversial end of run placement, did the hit on the ball alter the ball? what if it knocked the chip loose, or just crushed it.
It’s doable, but I fear teh closest calls would still be up in the air because the size and shape of the ball is not a constant. Of course this is nitpicking, but isn’t the whole point of this technology nitpicking?
by Phantaskippy on Jul 13, 2009 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
good point, didn’t think about how much abuse a ball goes through.
I'll drink your Milkshake, I'll drink it up!
by drinkyourmilkshake on Jul 13, 2009 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t really know for sure, but as an electrical engineer, it seems probable that someone could build a chip that could handle it. When you drop your IPod and it stops working, 95+% of the time it’s the mechanical parts that break (the hard drive reader). If you don’t have mechanical parts, it’s soldered on components and wires that can go bad. Depending on what you want it to do (we’re not talking about a Wii remote here), you could probably design a passive (no power supply) device on a single chip (like a smart card chip or smaller) that would be able to do some GPS-like position/time relaying while withstanding any realistic force you could put on the ball. It wouldn’t be especially cheap to design and fabricate, but I’d bet that it’s already been done for other applications.
charity standing orders
by BadMaafala on Jul 13, 2009 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think you’d need to have a lot of outside structure to get an accurate positioning system. Without a frame of reference the device will likely be useless. The most full-proof method would probably be some sort of physical installation like a line underneath the endzone, at every yard marker, or ideally but less realistically under the entire surface. Ideally you could recreate GPA on a smaller and therefore more accurate field to be able to measure the minutia on the field as that would probably be less invasive, but getting those measurements perfect would probably be trickier than a physical means.
In any event, I don’t think that the issue is so much the electrical components breaking. The issue is more about the football…if you have a component in the center of the football, you only know where the chip is and the general size of a perfect football. If the nose is crushed in a centimeter, the chip would be unaware of that unless you have chips distributed throughout the entirety of the football. That would also be possible, but then you have to start to worry about changing the football more and more, and you’ll always have players that claim they get injured less when playing with an old unchipped football :P
The only managing Ben does is that he manages to win games. - chewiesteeler
by steelguy99 on Jul 13, 2009 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
as much as this chip in the ball sounds like a good idea, we're missing the big picture
i think the issue is far less where the ball makes it to and more when ppl’s knees touch the ground. why invest millions of dollars into developing some system, when half the time it won’t matter because the issue will be if/when the players knee touched the ground…or some other part of his body…or if his “forward progress was stopped.”
these other sports that have these systems or experimented with them it only mattered the location of the ball (tennis/baseball) and doesnt matter about knees & stuff like that. not to mention this would probably only work for the endzone. it’d be very difficult to keep enough sensors on a field 100 ydx 53.3 yds and be able to accurately tell where a thing is down to an inch or two. not to mention these sensors would need to be the type that doesnt need a clear view of the ball
by t1mmy10 on Jul 13, 2009 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
oh and chicagosteeler makes a great point too. it woulda been moot in the holmes catch against the ravens because just because you know furthest the ball traveled doesnt mean you’d know where the ball is when the receiver “gained possession”
by t1mmy10 on Jul 13, 2009 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed
Now what I think they should do is install dedicated high speed cameras along every sideline so you always have that angle from both sides. It’s really kind of sad when a review is inconclusive just because all of the camera angles are more dramatic than informative.
by yrro on Jul 13, 2009 8:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You could integrate it with the game clock and make a plot of the path of the ball through space and time. You could make a ruling on when the knee was down, etc, then see if he ball was in the end zone at that instant.
Probably what you’d do is have 4 or 6 GPSish transmitters all over the stadium so you could calculate the position from that. They could be sending the game clock time as part of their transmissions.
I’m not positive that this is how they’d do it. There might be a cheaper way. I’m actually not certain that the GPS concept would work in such a small area, either. Really all I’m saying is I’m sure it’s possible to link up the position and direction of the ball with the game clock using a very small, durable chip, and that that would be useful in some cases. It would actually be interesting, too, if they published some of the statistics they found, such as QB throwing speeds, RB speeds, etc.
charity standing orders
by BadMaafala on Jul 14, 2009 8:28 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
no doubt they’d be able to do something like that with some transmitter in the ball, but you’d have be able to sync up the ball location to the hundreds of seconds and have the officials on the sideline be able to generally accurately tell when knees are hitting the ground at pretty exact times. i think it’d just be a lot easier to set up cameras every 10 yards to give the officials more views. that was the biggest issue with the holmes catch. the camera wasnt exactly on the goaline, so it made it hard to tell.
by t1mmy10 on Jul 14, 2009 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Even if it wouldn’t help in the Holmes catch, I believe there actually are other plays in the game of football that this would help with. It’s not a 100% solution, but nothing is.
Every time someone says something can’t be done with technology, a patent emerges 2 months later.
The only managing Ben does is that he manages to win games. - chewiesteeler
by steelguy99 on Jul 15, 2009 9:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i agree someday the technology will get there
and maybe it is there today and this system would be great to have. but a far more simple & cheaper solution would just be to put up more cameras to give refs more angles. that wouldve ended all dispute with the holmes catch & probably also solve most things that this complex system could solve.
and everytime they make an upgrade in the technology in the sport, its usually because the technology developed on its own to that point, then they approached the sport. its not normally because the owners/league invested millions to get the technology there.
by t1mmy10 on Jul 15, 2009 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Could we get any more nerdy?
Oh ya we could, see above talking about imaginary stats in a video game.
I'll drink your Milkshake, I'll drink it up!
by drinkyourmilkshake on Jul 13, 2009 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hey...
Madden rankings are big shtuff to us who care. Thanks for the plug (or lack there of) of my Madden rankings fanshot, by the way. (I’m kidding)
by NYSteelersFan4 on Jul 13, 2009 5:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
tennis balls
Well, tennis balls change shape a lot more when they’ve just been smacked from going 100+ mph in one direction to 100+ mph in the other direction. In fact if you watch the tennis replays the ball has a definite oblong shape that the high-speed cameras catch and take into account. And, although I’ve seen kickers try to “round” the ball, it would at least be a consistent advantage/disadvantage. But yeah, anything to make the replays quicker. Taking refs out of the process is just an added feature (not a bug as I’m sure their union would argue).
by RedBlackandGold on Jul 13, 2009 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
the tennis ball replay dont function based upon a sensor in the ball. it functions based upon light & needs a clear view of the ball. that’s the reason why in last years federer vs nadal wimbledon final when it was getting dark out they didnt have enough light for the last few games for the replay system to be in effect.
because these sensors will probably almost never have a completely clear sight of the ball, they’d need a different system for football
by t1mmy10 on Jul 13, 2009 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Catching up on steelers “news”…
http://news.steelers.com/article/105495/
Nice story about spaeth, but personally I love the picture at the bottom where almost everyone is wearing a jersey, and none of them are his.
The only managing Ben does is that he manages to win games. - chewiesteeler
by steelguy99 on Jul 13, 2009 3:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Who the heck would get a Spaeth jersey? Waste of 50-80$.
by Johnny_S on Jul 13, 2009 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That’s why it’s funny…must be a little awkward.
I really don’t have a problem with Spaeth. He can’t block very well at all, he can’t get YAC. Spaeth is what he is…he could be a perfectly fine #2 or #3 TE if he was used according to his strengths (which he does have). Instead, Arians consistently puts him into to seal the edge which he cannot do.
The only managing Ben does is that he manages to win games. - chewiesteeler
by steelguy99 on Jul 13, 2009 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't hate him either
I just would feel dumb if I wore his jersey to a game. It’d be having a Dixon jersey.
by Johnny_S on Jul 13, 2009 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’ve seen some pretty classic jerseys.
Favorite is definitely Coclough.
The only managing Ben does is that he manages to win games. - chewiesteeler
by steelguy99 on Jul 13, 2009 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
ill always like coclough cause he was the ish in madden. like a 95 after 3 seasons.
by sparco on Jul 13, 2009 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Finished reading the Maple Street Press 2009 Steelers edition this weekend
Blitz and co., you guys did a GREAT job on the publication. I ordered it on a Tuesday and it was delivered to me that Saturday. If that publication can’t satisfy a person’s fix for in-depth Steelers news, then they need to just drop everything and get a new life.
A lot of great info. Love Wex’s feature on Mendenhall. I also loved the break out statistics comparison on offense, defense and special teams the past 3 years. Sad to say, but they really reflect how the team’s rushing game has fallen off the past few years.
Just a little bit improvement in protecting Ben, running the ball and short-yardage and goal-line situations, and this O will be tough.
By the way, I also rewatched the playoff game between the Steelers and the Chargers and that one game showed why Carey Davis should be sent packing if this team is serious about improving its running game. I think the only thing he is above average at is blitz pick-up and special teams. And since he’s not the 3rd down back, you can remove blitz pick-up from his resumee. Let’s hope the Tank and rookie H-back A.J. Johnson impresses and can take that spot.
by datruth4life on Jul 13, 2009 3:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I’m with you about Davis, but I didn’t know what they saw in him last year, either. I’d like to think they’ll replace him, but there’s about 10 things I’d “like to think” they’ll do with the offense that they aren’t going to do. If they didn’t replace Arians after this season, I don’t know what it would take. I want to hear someone say, “Well, we won the Super Bowl with Carey Davis at FB, so he must be doing something right…” or “To all those people who said Carey Davis wasn’t a good FB: who’s laughing now?”
charity standing orders
by BadMaafala on Jul 13, 2009 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That last sentence is a first ballot HOFer.
The only managing Ben does is that he manages to win games. - chewiesteeler
by steelguy99 on Jul 13, 2009 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Carey Davis?
Are we talking about the same Carey Davis here? The guy who someone said would be the young break out player in the AFC North according to a player survey? How can we cut him? Oh yeah, I did it. One more list we can have in depth discussion on. My favorite.
by NYSteelersFan4 on Jul 13, 2009 5:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Carey Davis is a Hall of Famer ...
at being stopped short of a first-down or the goal-line. Dude came up short in a lot of instances this past year. Kind of shocked Arians kept going to him throughout the season and the playoffs. That’s what you call blind faith, the kind that can get you fired if you don’t win a Super Bowl.
by datruth4life on Jul 13, 2009 5:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Derrick Mason just announced his retirement.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/07/13/ravens-wide-receiver-derrick-mason-retires/
I'll drink your Milkshake, I'll drink it up!
by drinkyourmilkshake on Jul 13, 2009 5:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
wow!
This makes things much tougher for uni-brow & co! Mason was still the biggest threat receiver for the Ravens. That makes me happy.
by Chicago Steeler on Jul 13, 2009 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
LOL!
Don’t get too excited, the Ravens still have Marcus Smith and Demetrius Williams! It’s going to be lots of fun watching unibrow’s gorgeous deep balls intercepted due to the Raven’s now crushing lack of a short passing game. Bwahahahaha!
Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever.
Napoleon Bonaparte
by LV Steelers Fan on Jul 13, 2009 10:16 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
You just beat me to that
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4325120
Makes you wonder if the Wizard of Oz will be more inclined to pull the trigger on A. Boldin or Marshall from the Broncos. Very interesting.
by datruth4life on Jul 13, 2009 5:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Madden rankings
Sigh… I’ve been obsessed with Madden 10. I don’t know why (probably just cause I miss football more than a healthy person should). I normally buy Madden every 2-3 years so I’m due for this one. I’ve researched quite a bit about it before it comes out. I’m hoping they deliver on all the fixes they’re promising because they’ve been fairly disappointing over the last few years.
As to the “smart ball”, I think we’re still a ways away from it. As has been mentioned it’s still necessary to know so many things that just having GPS (assuming we could get it to work) could solve. For instance, the Holmes TD catch. We still have to have the entirely subjective moment of “possession” to discern. And for first downs and such you have to know when the knee touches the ground. And unless we create sensors on their knee pads we’re no where near automating that.
I agree with whomever above brought up having a replay official instead of the guy on the field. I don’t need the extra time or distraction of the guy going under the hood. Someone in a booth with high tech easy to use technology is all I need.
by Chicago Steeler on Jul 13, 2009 5:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
anyone seen sports lab with drew brees?
they put a chip in a ball and could tell how fast it was moving, at what angle and how many RPM. Now if that isn’t a sweet stat that should be given on every sunday I don’t know what is. Although it probably wouldn’t help Ben get into canton if they knew how un-straight his balls fly
Got a problem with Harrison, why not take it up with him? Oh you know why!
by SoCalSteelerFan on Jul 13, 2009 6:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
If they put a chip into LBs and calculated with what velocity Ben was being hit, that might do the trick.
The only managing Ben does is that he manages to win games. - chewiesteeler
by steelguy99 on Jul 15, 2009 9:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
<3 James Walker
Matt Mosley has no argument what so ever to try and convince anyone that Romo or Manning is better
Big Bens 4th quarter comebacks put to rest the claims that his defense wins for him. Hasnt he had most 4th quarter comebacks in the league since 2004? Even if he is not behind that often…that stat just shows his % of winning it in the 4th quater must be huge
Bleeding Black and Gold.....forever
by Steeler_ on Jul 13, 2009 6:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Lasers on goal posts?
Can a football “clang” off a laser? Think not, wouldn’t work.
There is no spoon
by chewiesteeler on Jul 13, 2009 8:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
haha, good point, didn’t think of that either
I'll drink your Milkshake, I'll drink it up!
by drinkyourmilkshake on Jul 14, 2009 9:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
the football doesnt clang off of the imaginary continuation of the goal posts when it goes above them & that system works because its what we use now. you’d just apply the concept that the majority of the ball would have to be within the laser
by t1mmy10 on Jul 14, 2009 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I stopped reading
when he mentions GPS as a possibility for “Smart” football. There’s not much that’s smart about a system that’s reliable, at the very best, to a yard.
Remember the South Park underpants gnomes?
Step 1: Steal underpants
Step 2: ?
Step 3: Profit!
That’s what Cooley’s idea amounts to. He just sort of glosses over the enormous technical problems involved with this and just treats it as something of a no-brainer.
by Desroko on Jul 14, 2009 9:53 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Uhhh what shitty GPS are you looking at?
GPS systems are now accurate to within a couple CMs, but they cost around 50k and upwards of several hundred thousdand. Hell you can buy one for around $15,000 that is subfoot.
by Johnny_S on Jul 14, 2009 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sorry
Military GPS systems are only accurate to a few feet in ideal conditions, and the NFL isn’t getting those. http://www.rockwellcollins.com/ecat/gs/DAGR.html?smenu=104
You’re probably reading manufacturer advertising claims and accepting them as fact. When they say that such accuracy is possible, they really mean that, if you stay completely still for, oh, a minute (which happens all the time on a football field, right?), if there is no atmospheric interference (so if weather disappears, we’re in luck) no solar interference (man has always yearned to destroy the sun, and now we have a reason to do so), and no man-made interference (so no electronics within the arena, please), then you can get hyper-accurate results. In the real world, this isn’t going to happen.
And after we edo all that, you have to make it small enough, light enough, and durable enough to fit on a football, not affect its ballistics, and withstand the pounding that it would take after only a few plays.
Carnegie Mellon researchers have been working on this. The best ball they’ve come up with is too heavy, and is again only accurate to within feet. http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/01/students-using/
by Desroko on Jul 15, 2009 9:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He’s not talking about using real GPS. He’s talking about using GPS concepts. Utilizing satellites would never work (or at least not for a long time), but you should be able to get something very accurate by installing triangulation equipment at each stadium.
Note that above I thought that physical installation would likely actually be accurate as opposed to “more accurate”, but the limitations in installing physical measurements would probably make it unlikely to happen.
The only managing Ben does is that he manages to win games. - chewiesteeler
by steelguy99 on Jul 15, 2009 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No I just thought he was saying all GPS suck, which isn't true
I worked as a surveyor in the past and the GPS we used was accurate to within a few millimeters. Granted it was bulky and it took about 3-5 seconds to get a lock.
I agree that ones that are going to be that small won’t work. At least not until micro-technology catches up. I do not think the idea in the future is completely improbable though.
by Johnny_S on Jul 15, 2009 10:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, those.
Yeah, I’ve seen those used, they’re very impressive. Just not practical for this application.
Sorry to give you the wrong impression.
by Desroko on Jul 16, 2009 7:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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