The Kids Are Playing Their Tail Off...

…and the coaches are screwing it up!!

  So many coaches this year, in both the professional and college ranks, are making awful decisions when it comes to field goals and two-point conversions. Decisions so poor they are usually reserved for Bill Cass when he gets bored at the poker table, not for coaches making a good living at it. I believe it is time these coaches pick up a copy of Madden ’09 and utilize the Madden I.Q. feature in an effort to “step their game up”.
  I just finished watching the Iowa-Michigan State tilt and the one-time sagacious Kirk Ferentz decided to go for it on fourth down far too early in the game, theoretically taking points off the board by not attempting the 38-yard field goal. Of course it’s not automatic, but a coach has to play the odds—just like assuming the dealer has a ten or face card down in Blackjack, a coach must assume a field goal try less than 45 yards is three points. Ferentz once again went for it late in fourth quarter when the same situation presented itself. It was not necessarily a bad decision at that point in the game, but had he not opted to kick it earlier this time he could have been kicking for the lead and possibly the win.
  And the answer is no, I didn’t lose my pick because if Iowa…they still covered for me.
  In the NFL there have been numerous examples this year; week three brought about its fair share of poor coaching decisions. The most annoying to me was Gary Kubiak doing his best to sabotage the Texans. Early in the SECOND QUARTER he went for the 2-point conversion trailing 14-12 and it failed. This set the tone for the game and set the scene for more bad decisions. After the Tennessee Titans went up 24-12 early in the third quarter Kubiak twice decided to go for it on fourth down in lieu of attempting very makeable kicks for Rob Bironas. Now, instead of being down 24-19 and one touchdown behind, they were in need of two scores. This urgency led to aggressive play-calling and risky play-making by Matt Schaub which then manifested itself as two interceptions.
  Basically what I am saying is: I am available for hire if your team needs a head coach. My expertise far exceeds that of your current coach.
  Especially on Monday mornings.