DEFEND THE SPREAD

***** I WATCHED A LOT OF HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL THIS PAST WEEK . FROM COAST TO COAST ,BORDER TO BORDER HIGH SCHOOLS ARE IN THE SPREAD OFFENSE .ABOUT 85% ARE SPREAD OFFENSES .

 WHY IS THIS ? COACHES HAVE A POWERFUL HERD MENTALITY . IF A TEAM HAS SUCCESS WITH A SCHEME OTHERS FLOCK TO FOLLOW .

 THE SPREAD IS A SIMPLE SCHEME . PUT YOUR BEST ATHLETE FIVE TO SEVEN YARDS DEEP TAKING THE SNAP WITH THE OPTION TO RUN OR THROW . THE OTHER FIVE ELIGIBLE PLAYERS CAN LINE UP IN MULTIPLE PLACES WITH ALL KINDS OF MOTIONS AND SHIFTS.

 ALL OF THIS MOVEMENT IS CONFUSING TO THE DEFENSE & MAKES IT HARD TO GET LINED UP IN THE RIGHT PLACE . IT CAUSES DOUBT AS TO WHO IS COVERING WHAT . A CONFUSED DEFENSE CANNOT BE AGGRESSIVE.

  SO TO BE A GOOD SPREAD TEAM , YOU NEED A DUAL THREAT QB & RECEIVERS WHO CAN BEAT ONE ON ONE COVERAGE . A DOMINATING   OFFENSIVE LINE IS A PLUS BUT NOT NECESSARY .

 IN THE EARLY DAYS THE SPREAD HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF SURPRISE & UNFAMILIARITY  . YOU DIDN'T SEE IT MUCH . MAYBE ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR . NOW YOU PLAY AGAINST THE SPREAD EVERY WEEK . THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE IS GONE & TEAMS ARE FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH THE SPREAD TO DUPLICATE THE OFFENSE IN PRACTICE .  

   HOW DO YOU DEFEND THE SPREAD ? FIRST DETERMINE IS THE QB A DUAL THREAT . MOST NFL TEAMS,THE QB IS NOT A DUAL THREAT .THE SPREAD IS LIMITED TO A THIRD DOWN OFFENSE  IN THE LEAGUE.

 NEXT , CAN YOU COVER THE WIDE - OUT ONE ON ONE ? THE ANSWER WILL DICTATE  THE COVERAGE USED . 

 THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF DEFENSE IN HIGH SCHOOL IS THE FIELD ITSELF . THE HIGHER LEVEL OF FOOTBALL YOU PLAY , THE CLOSER THE HASH MARKS .

 IN HIGH SCHOOL THERE IS A DEFINED WIDE SIDE AND SHORT SIDE .

 THE KEY TO DEFENSING THE SPREAD IS TO OVERLOAD YOUR DEFENSE TO THE WIDE SIDE OF THE FIELD . THIS FORCES THE OFFENSE TO WORK IN A RESTRICTED AREA .

 ALSO FIELD ALIGNMENT ELIMINATES THE CONFUSION CAUSED BY OFFENSIVE MOVEMENT . THERE IS NO QUESTION AS TO HOW TO LINE UP  & DEFENDERS ARE FREE TO BE VERY AGGRESSIVE .

 I THINK FIELD ALIGNMENT IS THE ANSWER TO DEFENDING THE SPREAD IN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL . YOU HAVE FORCED THE SPREAD INTO TWO TOUGH CHOICES ; ATTACK THE OVERLOAD OR ATTACK A RESTRICTED AREA .   ALSO THE DEFENSE IS MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE DUE TO THE LACK OF CONFUSION .

 THANKS FOR READING !!!!!!!!!

BUDDY & ME

***** RIGHT AT TEN YEARS AGO CHILI PEPPER CAME HOME WITH A PUPPY . HE WAS A BLACK & WHITE PA-PILLION WEIGHTING FOUR POUNDS . 

 CHILI PEPPER SAID SHE JUST LOVED HIM ,HE  HAD SO MUCH PERSONALITY . SHE SAID SHE HOPED WE COULD KEEP HIM .

 BUDDY DISPLAYED HIS REMARKABLE INTELLIGENCE BY KNOWING HE HAD TO GET IN GOOD WITH THE FAT GUY IN THE LEATHER CHAIR . BUD MANAGED THIS BY CRAWLING ON MY SHOULDER & GOING TO SLEEP . 

 THIS WAS THE START OF OUR TIME WITH BUDDY . BUDDY IS THE MOST STRONG WILLED DOG EVER . CHILI PEPPER HAS SOME CONTROL BUT BUDDY CALLS THE SHOTS WITH POP-POP.

 IF ONE OF US IS SITTING BUDDY WILL BE IN OUR LAP . WHEN WE GO TO BED BUDDY DOES TOO . RIGHT BETWEEN US AS TIGHT AS HE CAN SNUGGLE UP . YOU BETTER GO TO BED ON TIME ALSO .  

 I DON'T RECALL BUDDY SPENDING A NIGHT APART FROM BOTH OF US . HE. HAS BEEN WITH US ON MOST TRIPS WE HAVE MADE .

 SINCE I HAVE HAD HEALTH PROBLEMS ,BUD & I ARE TOGETHER 24/7 . BUDDY HAS BEEN A LOT OF LOVE & COMPANY FOR ME .

 BUDDY WILL BE 10 YEARS OLD IN A FEW WEEKS, HE IS UP TO TEN POUNDS NOW . HE IS STILL AS SOFT AS HE WAS AS A PUPPY .

 I CAN TELL BUDDY IS REALLY SLOWING DOWN AS TIME GOES BY. MANY DAYS I WONDER WHO WILL REACH THE FINISH LINE FIRST, ME OR BUDDY .

  I AM GLAD BUDDY CAME TO LIVE WITH US .BUDDY IS BOTH LOVED & LOVES .

***** HARASSMENT & BULLY BEHAVIOR IS REPORTED IN AREA FOOTBALL TEAMS . THIS HAS GONE ON FOREVER . I HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF TEAMS & GROUPS THAT HARASSED . 
 HARASSMENT IN MY DAY WAS NOT AS BAD AS THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING TODAY. BUT THEY WERE NOT HARMLESS . 

 HUMILIATION DOES NOT MAKE ONE FEEL LIKE ONE OF THE GROUP . TEAM SPIRIT IS NOT DEVELOPED BY BULLY BEHAVIOR . IT ONLY DIVIDES .

 THE BEST POLICY IS NO HARASSMENT OF ANY KIND . IF YOU CAN'T RESPECT YOUR TEAMMATES THEN YOU SHOULDN'T BE PART OF THE TEAM .

THANKS FOR READING !!!!!!!!!!!!! 

HERE & THERE

***** THE OLYMPICS HAVE COME & GONE . THERE WERE GREAT STORIES OF TRIUMPH & MANY STORIES OF HEARTBREAK.

 IT IS HARD TO CONCEIVE HOW MUCH THESE ATHLETES HAVE WORKED  OR THE COST THEY HAVE PAID . THEIR EVENT IS THEIR ENTIRE LIFE . IF YOU GAVE IT YOUR BEST SHOT YOU HAVE TO BE SATISFIED .

 JUST FRACTIONS OF SECONDS SEPARATE FIRST PLACE FROM LAST PLACE . IT IS AMAZING WHAT THE HUMAN BODY CAN ACHIEVE . DO YOU THINK ANYONE WILL EVER RUN FASTER THAN BOLT ?   

 HATS OFF TO ALL THE ATHLETES FOR THEIR WONDERFUL EFFORT . EVEN MY CRAZY FRIEND JOE DON LOONEY REALIZED IT IS THE EFFORT NOT THE RESULT WHICH MATTERS .

 A MOMENT FROM THE OPENING CEREMONY STICKS IN MY MIND . THE TEAMS FROM ISRAEL & IRAN MARCHED IN ONE IN FRONT OF THE OTHER. TO HAVE THOSE TWO THAT CLOSE & NOT HAVE A MAJOR THROWDOWN IS A MIRACLE.

***** ANOTHER MAJOR HAS PASSED & TIGER FADED AGAIN . I THOUGHT THE TIGER MAN MIGHT MAKE ME EAT MY WORDS . WOODS IS NOT THE SAME GOLFER HE WAS . THE FIELD HAS CAUGHT UP .

 THE LAST 16 MAJORS WON BY A DIFFERENT GOLFER . NO TWO IN A ROW FOR ANYONE . RORY MCKELLROY  SEEMS TO BE THE MAN TO BEAT THESE DAYS . RORY IS NOT THE MOST CONSISTENT PLAYER . HE IS CAPABLE OF GREAT ROUNDS & HORRIBLE ROUNDS .

***** FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE AGAIN . I LOVE IT FROM THE NFL  TO HIGH SCHOOL . I FOLLOW THE SEC INTENTLY IN THE COLLEGE GAME . I HAVE SEVERAL NFL TEAMS I LIKE .THERE ALL HIGH SCHOOLS SCATTERED NATION WIDE THAT I KEEP TABS ON .  I JUST LOVE FOOTBALL

 BUT I AM VERY CONCERNED  ABOUT HEAD INJURIES . I CAN SEE THIS BEING THE END OF FOOTBALL AS WE KNOW IT .

 PARENTS WILL BE AFRAID TO LET THE LITTLE ONES PLAY , & THE SPORT WILL DIE ON THE VINE . MAYBE I AM OVER-REACTING BUT I AM CONCERNED.

 BIG QUESTIONS THIS YEAR ARE ; HOW WILL PEYTON DO IN DENVER ? WILL THE SAINTS SURVIVE THE MESS THEY ARE IN ?

 WILL THE STATE OF ALABAMA WIN 4 NC'S IN A ROW ? SINCE LSU LOST A SUPERSTAR & ARKANSAS LOST A COACH , BAMA SEEMS TO HAVE THE BEST CHANCE .

 IS SOUTH PANOLA ON THE DOWNSLIDE ? WILL WHITEHAVEN GET THE MOST OUT OF THEIR TALENT ? WHO WILL OLIVE BRANCH BRING IN THIS YEAR ?

THANKS FOR READING !!!!!!!

RANDOM THINKING

**** ONE OF MY GRANDMOTHERS WAS FOND OF QUOTING THE BOOK OF TIMOTHY  - THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL KINDS OF EVIL   
  
THE LONGER I LIVE I FIND THIS TO BE TRUE . THAT IS THE TROUBLE WITH GOVERNMENT TODAY . THE POLITICIANS ARE IN IT FOR THE MONEY NOT THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE .

IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHICH PARTY IS IN POWER , BOTH ARE OUT TO FILL UP THEIR POCKETS. THE RICH GET RICHER .

 AND THE BIG MONEY GUYS ARE NOT SATISFIED. IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO TAKE ALL WE HAVE BUT WE HAVE TO GO INTO NATIONAL DEBT SO THE TOP DOGS CAN HAVE  EVEN MORE .

 THE  GAP BETWEEN THE HAVES & THE HAVE-NOTS GETS WIDER EVERY DAY . THE MIDDLE MAN HAS DISAPPEARED .

 ALL WARS ARE FOUGHT FOR MONEY . THEY FIND IDEALIST REASONS SO THE AVERAGE GUY WILL GIVE HIS LIFE . NOT MANY SIGN UP TO DIE FOR A FEW BARRELS OF OIL .

 BIG MONEY SENDS PEOPLE TO WAR BUT YOU DON'T SEE THE CHILDREN OF BIG MONEY THERE VERY OFTEN .

 THE DRUG PROBLEMS ARE ABOUT MONEY . PEOPLE STEAL AND KILL TO GET THE MONEY TO BUY THE STUFF .

A BIT LATER IN TIMOTHY IT SAYS MANY HAVE PIERCED THEMSELVES WITH MANY SORROWS CHASING AFTER MONEY . SO TRUE.

**** I HAVE WATCHED SOME OF THE OLYMPICS . SUBJECTIVE SCORING & NATIONALISM ARE ALWAYS PRESENT IN THE GAMES.

 IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THE GAMES YOU BETTER HAVE A POT FULL OF MONEY . THEY CHARGE FOR EACH EVENT . THE BEACH VOLLEYBALL FINAL IS 300 POUNDS . IT TAKES A DOLLAR & 57 CENTS TO EQUAL A POUND . SO TO WATCH THE FINAL ALONE WILL COST YOU ABOUT 471 DOLLARS . 

 I HATE TO THINK ABOUT A TRIP TO THE CONCESSION STAND. I LOVE MISTY & KRISTY BUT I'LL JUST WATCH ON TV .

THANKS FOR READING !!!!!!