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A view from the other side of the punt.....
On football: Video board looms as 'Jerry's Folly' of 'Boys' field
By David Climer, The Tennessean
For $1.2 billion, shouldn't somebody — an engineer, a coach, maybe even an owner — have defined how high to hang those high-def video screens at the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium?
We've got a problem deep in the heart of Texas. Think of it as Jerry's Folly.
In his haste to include as many bells and whistles as possible in his new stadium/pleasure dome, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones failed to make sure the $40 million video board that stretches from one 20-yard line to the other was suspended high enough above the playing surface.
In what was one of the few moments worth remembering in the Tennessee Titans' preseason game against the Cowboys on Friday night, Titans backup punter A.J. Trapasso planted a kick solidly into the Jerrytron.
Jones' reaction was about what you would expect. Instead of admitting that somebody had made a mistake, he accused Trapasso of intentionally aiming for the board.
"How high is high if somebody just wants to sit there and kick straight up?" Jones said.
A better question: How arrogant is arrogant enough?
Titans coach Jeff Fisher saw this one coming. When he walked onto the field prior to the game, he spoke with punter Craig Hentrich.
"He said, 'There's going to be a problem here,' " Fisher recalled.
According to the Cowboys' website, the video board is suspended 90 feet over the field. That is only marginally higher than the ceiling at the Titans' indoor practice facility. And the Titans never work on live punting drills indoors since the ceiling is too low.
OK, it's really no harm, no foul — for now. Preseason games are needed to work out the glitches, whether it is the Titans' rushing offense or the height of the video board. By rule, the play was nullified when the ball hit the board. It was replayed.
This is a joke. Look, a do-over in an NFL game is considerably different from the chair official calling a let on a point at Wimbledon.
When a punt is struck, 10 players from the coverage team sprint downfield in a hell-bent effort to make the tackle. At the same time, 10 players from the receiving team do whatever is legal — and oftentimes a few things that are illegal — to keep the coverage team at bay.
The chance of injury on punt returns is higher than a normal play from scrimmage. Those who play on special teams know they are putting their careers at risk.
So what happens when somebody blows out a knee while covering a punt that strikes the video board? The officials rule it a non-play, but try telling that to the guy whose knee just unraveled. He's facing reconstructive surgery and 10 months of rehab. The play in question seems very real to him.
For Jones to turn a blind eye to the video board error is utter foolishness. That would be like Fisher saying he sees nothing wrong with the way the Titans offense has performed in the preseason and has no plans to make any changes.
But that's a different column for a different day.
The Tennessean is owned by Gannett, parent company of USA TODAY
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2009-08-23-climer-on-football_N.htm
On football: Video board looms as 'Jerry's Folly' of 'Boys' field
By David Climer, The Tennessean
For $1.2 billion, shouldn't somebody — an engineer, a coach, maybe even an owner — have defined how high to hang those high-def video screens at the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium?
We've got a problem deep in the heart of Texas. Think of it as Jerry's Folly.
In his haste to include as many bells and whistles as possible in his new stadium/pleasure dome, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones failed to make sure the $40 million video board that stretches from one 20-yard line to the other was suspended high enough above the playing surface.
In what was one of the few moments worth remembering in the Tennessee Titans' preseason game against the Cowboys on Friday night, Titans backup punter A.J. Trapasso planted a kick solidly into the Jerrytron.
Jones' reaction was about what you would expect. Instead of admitting that somebody had made a mistake, he accused Trapasso of intentionally aiming for the board.
"How high is high if somebody just wants to sit there and kick straight up?" Jones said.
A better question: How arrogant is arrogant enough?
Titans coach Jeff Fisher saw this one coming. When he walked onto the field prior to the game, he spoke with punter Craig Hentrich.
"He said, 'There's going to be a problem here,' " Fisher recalled.
According to the Cowboys' website, the video board is suspended 90 feet over the field. That is only marginally higher than the ceiling at the Titans' indoor practice facility. And the Titans never work on live punting drills indoors since the ceiling is too low.
OK, it's really no harm, no foul — for now. Preseason games are needed to work out the glitches, whether it is the Titans' rushing offense or the height of the video board. By rule, the play was nullified when the ball hit the board. It was replayed.
This is a joke. Look, a do-over in an NFL game is considerably different from the chair official calling a let on a point at Wimbledon.
When a punt is struck, 10 players from the coverage team sprint downfield in a hell-bent effort to make the tackle. At the same time, 10 players from the receiving team do whatever is legal — and oftentimes a few things that are illegal — to keep the coverage team at bay.
The chance of injury on punt returns is higher than a normal play from scrimmage. Those who play on special teams know they are putting their careers at risk.
So what happens when somebody blows out a knee while covering a punt that strikes the video board? The officials rule it a non-play, but try telling that to the guy whose knee just unraveled. He's facing reconstructive surgery and 10 months of rehab. The play in question seems very real to him.
For Jones to turn a blind eye to the video board error is utter foolishness. That would be like Fisher saying he sees nothing wrong with the way the Titans offense has performed in the preseason and has no plans to make any changes.
But that's a different column for a different day.
The Tennessean is owned by Gannett, parent company of USA TODAY
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2009-08-23-climer-on-football_N.htm
