gsu_paintballer
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I'd poke her.
HD says people won't get used to defending the TO
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gth816f
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Yeah, it does matter. Everyone bitches about how so many mass media outlets are so biased against us(AJC loves U[sic]GA, ESPN/CBS love the SEC), and when someone comes along and gives us nothing but good press and picks us as the best team in the ACC, people rip her to shreds for being an idiot.
First of all, her writing really isn't that bad. Yes it's a blog, and no, the standards are not up to that of print articles, and there are at times stupid mistakes or mental lapses. Trust me, I don't like it either, but you have to learn to live with it or just don't read it(which I guess you don't.) Even great articles wouldn't look great if they didn't run through editors and fact checkers, which I'm guessing ESPN's numerous blogs are not.
Second of all, when someone is "on my side," then yes, I try to defend them and not constantly insult and/or disparage them. If someone on Tech's team gets arrested, you can bet your ass I'm going to err on the side of forgiving them and talking about second chances whereas when a U[sic]GA player gets arrested, I will take no mercy in making fun of and denouncing him. And when someone is saying good things about us and trying to promote us, then I'd err on the side of saying good things about her rather than bad things.
HD may not be the best writer, but she's fair and does a good job shining a positive light on the ACC, including Tech. When there is something negative, she says it, but fairly. I didn't always have that view. But now, after a season of reading her stuff, I think she does a fine job.
I'd rather have her writing about us and the ACC than 90% of the other options out there. So yeah, I think she does a fine job. If you expect actual reporting, you have unreasonable expectations at this point. There are no real sports reporters under 65. They like to make predictions etc. HD is a rare case because she'll actually investigate every now and then, not enough, but more than the guys at the AJC (excepting a true retired reporter, Furman Bisher).
Plus, given the formal writing samples I've seen from many, many, Tech alums as well as alums from other schools, a lot of people have no standing to criticize her.
Generally, when someone says something nice about you, you say thanks and move on, even if you don't think it was well-said.
I'd rather have her writing about us and the ACC than 90% of the other options out there. So yeah, I think she does a fine job. If you expect actual reporting, you have unreasonable expectations at this point. There are no real sports reporters under 65. They like to make predictions etc. HD is a rare case because she'll actually investigate every now and then, not enough, but more than the guys at the AJC (excepting a true retired reporter, Furman Bisher).
Plus, given the formal writing samples I've seen from many, many, Tech alums as well as alums from other schools, a lot of people have no standing to criticize her.
Generally, when someone says something nice about you, you say thanks and move on, even if you don't think it was well-said.
yellowandnaked
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I was a student at Southern during the Johnson era...Furman and App State continually saw the TO every year. Both played GSU during the playoffs of the National Championship seasons under CPJ making that the second time during the season each played GSU. I'm sure you know what happened in those games. It didn't matter how many times that you see the TO, if executed properly it is extremely difficult to stop. And just a FYI, look for the passing game to open up tremendously this year. I expect Josh to avg around 150 yds through the air per game. Add that to the running game, and we're gonna be sick. Lots of long pass plays i.e. Duke...
Allen Koholic
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If we put some sticky tape on Bebe's hands last year, Josh would have averaged close to that.
Enuratique
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Sweet zombie Jesus I hope you're right. Having watched copious amounts of GSU highlight tapes on YouTube while CPJ was the head coach, I can't wait to see us get to that point... Watching the QB drop back and basically lob the ball up 40+ yards to a basically wide open receiver for a TD makes me really want to see this offense open up.
BuzzMD
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Isn't the best counter argument to "seeing the TO for the second time will not surprise us" the fact that Army lost 6 or 7 straight to this TO. If any team would have "discipline," it would be Army, right? And you would continually practice to play your rival, right? So if Army, despite being disciplined and playing against its archrival every year, cannot figure it out, why should other teams be able to do it so easily? Or am I missing something here?
Allen Koholic
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Pfft, it's a high school offense and it's already been figured out. We'd better fire Johnson now, and pick up someone like Nix while they're still available.
I cannot wait to pants VT this season and listen to all the whining from that cow college.
BuzzLaw
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GTLiebs
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:+1: many times over.
BuzzMD
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In all seriousness, what is wrong with my argument regarding the TO and his record versus Army? I have never heard anyone like HD or anyone else use that line of reasoning, so I am thinking there must be a flaw to my reasoning. But I cannot see it.
So seriously, isn't the biggest counter to the idea "that if you see it enough or practice against it enough you will be able to beat it" --isn't the biggest counter to that argument that Army could not beat their biggest rival 6 or 7 years straight? And Army is a disciplined team.
GTLiebs
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Two things come to mind first, though I myself don't believe either. One, you could say Navy had better athletes than Army, which I very much doubt. Two, you could say Army's coach was crappy and the other ACC coaches are much better. This might be true, but that isn't something that would hurt the TO in particular.
GTBandit22
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No, the biggest argument is one that has been thrown around the Tech boards for a while:
If defeating our offense has to do with familiarity, then why can't the "pro" set be defeated? We see it almost every week, so we know how it works. What about UF's spread? Remember how the SEC was too fast for it before Meyer's first year?
Here is the argument progression pattern that emerges for every new offense:
1.)Defenses are too fast, will never work
next:
2.)So it worked in year one because we haven't seen it before. DC's will get the hang of it in year 2
then after year 2:
3.) They will never recruit top talent to run that offense. Kids want to play pro-style.
beyond:
4.) That is a bull**** offense.
It happened with Meyer at UF. It happened with Dick Rod at WVU. It will happen again with PJ.
Whenever someone calls our offense the triple option, I automatically disqualify their opinion on it. From Trev Alberts calling the midline option a QB keeper and the counter option was "Nesbitt following the numbers advantage", I think Tech fans know more about this offense than 90% of the commentators out there.
Allen Koholic
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There's nothing wrong with that argument, and I agree with it, joking aside. The reason you don't see commentators picking up on it is simple. The ESPN media isn't in place to provide meaning, intelligent analysis, it's in place to tell a story that they want told. The triple option offense works in FCS, because the defensive speed is not fast enough. The triple option works against mid-majors like Army, because the defense isn't fast enough. It's basically the same argument against the option in the NFL. The gibbering heads on ESPN want people to believe that the BCS schools are the big boys and that they are too smart and too fast for a high school offense. Saying that we win based on sheer novelty is a way of ackowledging a vicotry without acknowledging the truth. Look how long it took for the shotgun spread to be known as something more then a gimmick.
I think the problem is that most sports writers simply do not want to invest the time learning about football, or any sport for that matter, in a meaningful sense, as facts will just get in the way of their great stories. I think chimpanzees know more about this offense than 90% of the commentators out there. Not all of them though, as there's a bunch of primates in Athens that haven't figured it out yet.
yellowandnaked
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The 2nd year for a new coach in a program is usually when the most progress is made and shown on the field. I honestly believe we will take a Saban/Alabama 2nd year leap. Didn't Alabama lose to MTSU in Saban's first year?