Archive for August 11th, 2011

WATERCOOLER CHAT: NO MORE HAZING, SMITH TO EAGLES, A&M WANTS SEC

FOOTBALL

In the NFL and NCAA, a few teams are putting an end to the hazing rituals of rookies.  Typically rookies are expected to either do menial tasks or are exposed to torturous and embarrassing moments.  Last year, Tim Tebow was held down as they shaved his head, while other guys were taped to goal posts, or put in an ice bath.  Some squads think this builds camaraderie, but some of the best coaches (i.e. Bill Bellichick of the Patriots or Nick Saban of Alabama) think this is bad and poisonous for the team.  Last year, Cowboys rookie Dez Bryant was criticized for not carrying veteran Roy Williams shoulder pads.  He just said, “I’m not doing this.  I’m here to play football”.  Now, Roy Williams has joined the Bears, and has tried to exact the same treatment on rookie Jimmy Young from TCU.  But  this time, Young has obliged to Williams request, and Williams said he respected him for it.  Clearly, Williams missed the point that the best coaches,  teams and players are not FOR hazing.

Elsewhere in the NFL, the New York Giants / Philadelphia Eagles rivalry continues to strengthen as a player has just switched sides.  Now, Giants receiver and free agent Steve Smith will be joining the Eagles.  The Eagles simply continue to add player after player, and having Smith in their receiving corps, which needed to be strengthened will only help them on their road to the Super Bowl. They have DeSean Jackson as their go-to guy, but he’s more of a deep threat.  Smith is more of a possession receiver that can help them move the ball 10 yards at a time.  Good move by the Eagles.

And finally, in college football, the governor of Texas has said that Texas A&M might be considering the SEC conference, which many would agree is the best conference in college football.  This is most likely the result of the sudden weakening of the Big 12, as both Nebraska and Colorado bolted for other conferences this season.  A&M is a program on the rise, and joining the ranks of the SEC would only give them even more potential states to recruit from.  Plus, Texas A&M is seen as a dark horse to potentially win the Big 12 conference this year.  It will be interesting to see how this pans out

 

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