Spring Practice Is A Snoozer
by Jay Coulter on Apr 5, 2010 2:00 AM CDT
in Football
Email
PrintRaise your hand if this year's Auburn spring practice has you excited about football season. I'll assume those of you with your hands still up get excited about football even during your annual rectal exam. God love you.
I guess we can chalk it up as a sign of the times, but closing spring practice to fans and media has taken all the excitement out of spring football. Want to close practice the week of the Georgia game? No problem. Iron Bowl week? Absolutely. But closing it in April? That's just plain silly.
The news out of Auburn the past few weeks has been all but none existent. Besides getting a daily dose of coach speech, fans have no clue what progress is being made on the field. For all we know, Barrett Trotter may be the comeback kid and Lee Ziemba may finally have learned not to hold.
You have to give credit to offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn. As brilliant as he is running an offense, he may be even smarter when it comes to taking questions from the media. He's been interviewed daily for two weeks about the quarterback situation and has yet to say anything. If I'm President Obama, I've got him on my short list to be the next White House press secretary. This guy has skills.
It's easy to point fingers and blame Gene Chizik for this iron curtain around the practice facility; but the truth is, it's happening all over. Schools are locking down all across the country. Why is this happening now? Can a rival really gain a competitive advantage over a program in March?
At least let the media in to watch.
Could there be anything worse than being an Auburn beat writer this time of year? Reading the coverage from Saturday's scrimmage is like piecing together a crime scene. One player says this about the quarterbacks; another says something different. Who do you believe? After a few minutes of reading, you realize how stupid this exercise is and you just give up.
I guess all our questions will be answered in two weeks at A-Day. By the way, it's being nationally televised by ESPNU.
Go figure.
17 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
You hit the bullseye Jay.
By the end of the day, I’ll end up reading abou 4 or 5 different articles about Auburn football and I’ll get about 3-d ‘snippets’ of information. What a drag its been. I actually had posted on here about it being slow, I had not yet realized that NOBODY could get any concrete info. A real bummer for sure.
Good news though, is that it sounds like our offense is starting to come together very well. And our defense is going to be a much improved squad as well.
War Eagle
Crap-o-la
That is what we get. Nothing. It is too bad, because I really want to get excited about this season.
If you are a War Damn Eagle, you can War Damn anything.
I don't expect we'll know much more after A-Day
A-Day has always been plain vanilla in terms of the plays being run. We’ll see a base offense and a base defense. We “may” have a projected starting lineup at the conclusion of spring practice, but even that will be subject to change this summer once they resume practice and the incoming freshman class has arrived.
Has anyone read the 'Soundoffs' section on AL.com?
2 or 3 people were stating that Clint Moseley was looking like the leader after Saturday’s scrimmage.
War Eagle
See...
Thats why i say that its better for us not to have a say in it. Thats just a couple of people, just think if it was 200 fans clammering that Clint deserves the job. Thats puts pressure on the coach if he chooses one of the other guys. If the starter begins to struggle then you’ve got an uproar over what the fans think. “We’ve seen it with our own eyes. We know who should be starting. You’ve got a man-crush. etc.” It just causes more problems than need be.
these scrimmages are really the indicators for the coaches...chance to see all the pieces
and how they interact under a different QB leader.
just my guess, but i’m thinking … i’ll be a bit disappointed at the end of spring practice.
just from the standpoint that we may be in a really good position to solidify a QB and start with 1 going into the fall,… but i think that there are enough potential pieces that the staff will want to look at in the fall that they will want to judge the gelatin first.
i am guessing we’ll go into the fall with the group down to 2 QBs.
i’m just thinking that the coaches are really going to want to see the dyer, reed, kitchens, and goodwin…others?… get on the field and take handoffs…catch some balls from the QBs… see how they might be able to fit in. (if at all) the real opportunity this year is to feel out what combination of talent is going to fit best,…and as good a start as spring has given GM…
i just don’t think he’s done yet. i don’t think he’s working on any timeline other than his own either. he’s looking at all the personnel, and how can i get this guy involved. i think the final receiving corp and QB determination go hand in hand…
wappa
If for no other reason.....
I think the coaches will refrain from naming the starter in the spring to keep the competition alive through the summer workouts and keep em hungary. Hunger equals drive and ambition……..and thats a good thing.
I would have gone to bammer if my grades hadn't been good enough to go to AU
sure. no doubt about that.
the sense i have is that this year is not just about chosing 1 guy from 2 in so many positions… it is more dynamic than that kind of simple rotation examination and pegging a starter. these coaches are looking at players for all kinds of different uses. i think that AU is looking to fit these pieces in wherever they can help the team…and GM is going to take a look at everybody.
wappa
UGH stupid laptop! anyway. I know the coaches are saying they don't have a depth chart in mind BUT
take a look at this little posting by Chris Low earlier today
http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/9997/newton-gets-what-he-wanted-all-along
War Eagle
Yeah I had read that.....
and that is certainly the popular opinion. But I honestly think that the Malzahn and Chizik are going to keep it open until the first week of the fall to not only give the others all the chance they need but to keep Newton from feeling like he can let his guard down. Competition at any position is a good thing especially the QB position. I think we are in a good position at QB as well as most if not all the skill positions. I also think that we only need an average SEC defense to have a chance to win the west provided our offense is as good or better this upcoming season. Which means an improvement on defense but not a huge one. I can’t wait to see the A-day game to see the defense and the QB’s.
I would have gone to bammer if my grades hadn't been good enough to go to AU
I hear ya but....
I’ve got to say that having a closed practice stops all the fan chatter about who “WE” think should be starting. Al.com has its weekly or twice-weekly “Sound-Offs” today and it has fans that just happen to get an invite to the last scrimmage claiming that Mosley was the best and should get the nod. Eventhough Gus gave Newton twice the reps of everyone else, apparently Clint made the most of his time. Imagine if there was a hundred or 2 hundred fans posting all sorts of crazy ideas. It can just make matters worse. Its Gus’s job as well as the other coaches job to evaluate who’s gonna be our starters. Fans typically just cause more problems than are really needed. Then you get fans calling the school, Yes those nut-jobs really exsist, giving their opinions. I would love to be able to watch but in the end its probably better that I’m forced to just live off the methadone treatments. I know that its better for the coaches not to have to deal with fan opinion.
+1K
We fans always think we know best. But we should want them to check on a great hand in early position…not show too much…have a chance to install some surprises or test some guys in different scenarios, different plays, whatever. And yes the A-day game will be vanilla. Especially since it’s televised. You really want to give opponents more film to watch and study?
The coaches have been hired to coach. I for one think I’ll let them do so. They have been pleasantly surprising so far.
" I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy." ---Unknown
Auburn fans are feeling neglected due to the broken record responses during media interviews. They are obviously doing this intentionally, so what is Chizik’s angle?
1. Even if media/public exposure was not a threat, why should Chizik take the risk? First point, Auburn’s offense will be significantly different next season. Malzahn did not have the personel to run the offense the way he wanted to. He adapted his playbook to the athletes on the roster, which he stated several times throughout the season. Expect Cameron Newton to start even though it has yet to be announced. He will start for several reasons. He brings new dimensions to the quarterback position- deception and speed, which is what Malzahn has always wanted at QB. Expect to see more play-actions, designed QB runs, and scrambles. Imagine Chris Todd as big as a d-end and with 4.5 speed, now see what I’m getting at? Not to mention, Auburn wouldn’t have invested thousands of dollars to recruit a JUCO, who was over 1,000 miles away in rural Texas, who has a troubled record, only to have him ride the bench. Either Aycock or Fannin, most likely Aycock, will take many snaps at the Wildcat as well(they both played QB in high school). Also, new recruits such as Trovon Reed give Malzahn more options for the Wildcat.
2. A-Day will be a historical event for Auburn with national exposure. Alabama’s A-Day will be televised for the second year in a row, but Auburn? Chizik and his staff couldn’t be more excited, and neither could the fans. Giving the media miniscule pieces of information will only build excitement and curiosity for the public. Like a son asking his father what he is getting for Christmas- not telling him only builds anticipation. I expect Chizik to put on a show for not only ESPNU, but for the recruits as well. Auburn fans will be both satisfied and eager for more after they leave Jordan Hare Stadium. Which means the next Christmas will be on September 4th.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Track Em Tigers
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
