@MarkKnudson41
Strike One: The Colorado Rockies need some “sandpaper.”
No, not the kind that my former teammate Mike Scott was often accused of using to scuff the baseball he was about to throw (not going there, sorry.) In this terminology, “sandpaper” is an all-encompassing term for…grit. Roughness. Hard skinned. Abrasive.
The Colorado Rockies are really none of the above.
We’ve seen this on display in recent games against teams that have that edge – like the San Diego Padres, for example. The downtrodden franchise has finally emerged from a 13 year slumber to become a play-off contender, largely because they have that rough edge that keeps them coming at you regardless of the situation. To come from behind as often as they have this young season – including scoring seven runs in their last at bat after two were out, trailing by four runs before winning in a walk off – the Padres have shown they have…“sandpaper.”
The Rockies? Not so much. They’ve had several harrowing hang on by their fingernails wins, but late inning rallies have been few and far between.
Talent level has everything to do with who wins and who doesn’t in Major League Baseball, and the Rockies don’t have as much talent as the Los Angeles Dodgers, for instance. But with the talent level being so close between so many post season contenders, it matters who has the grit to fight through adversity and perform when it counts the most. That can be the difference in one or two games it he standings…which is the difference between playing in October and not.
So, what can the Rockies do? The only guy on the roster that fits the bill is Ian Desmond, and he’s not playing this season. The rest of the roster is made up for very professional, nose to the grindstone, hard working types. Guys that would be unlikely to swing at a 3-0 pitch with the bases loaded late in a lopsided game. They don’t have any sandpaper in the Coors Field clubhouse.
When this season is over and the most crucial off season in club history begins, it will be fascinating to see if GM Jeff Bridich recognizes “sandpaper guy” as an area of need and addresses it for 2021.
Strike Two: The outcry against the postponement of the college football season from Pac 12 and Mountain West country certainly hasn’t come close to what we’re hearing out of places like Lincoln, Nebraska and Columbus, Ohio. East of here, you’d think they were depriving poor students of food and water with the way they’re describing what life will be like this fall with college football in Big ten country.
There are some fans of Big Ten teams (like me) that know that the conference made the right decision in not playing this fall. School has been back in session for about two weeks and already COVID-19 breakouts are everywhere from South Bend to Lubbock, Iowa City to Chapel Hill, and Syracuse to Tuscaloosa. More than 1,000 students have tested positive for Coronavirus at the U of Alabama already. “We’re #1…Roll Tide!” Yet the football fanatics still want to play, pretending to care about the welfare of the players when all they really care about is there own gratification.
As much as some of us fuss about the lack of passion for college football in these parts, it’s refreshing to see that the majority of fans in the Rocky Mountain region have taken a sensible approach to temporarily not having college football to watch. We know it will return, perhaps sooner than later. We’ll all be okay until it does.
There’s talk now about the Big Ten bringing teams to cities with domed stadiums and trying the “bubble” thing as early as Thanksgiving. Could the Pac 12 and or the Mountain West do something similar? Should they?
Bubbles appear to be working. And if student-athletes can do on-line classes, which many are already, then the concept would appear to be workable. There’s a brand new domed stadium in Los Angeles. There’s a brand new domed stadium in Las Vegas. There’s a domed stadium in Phoenix, too. Both the Pac 12 and MW have “bubble” options.
Would they? Should they?
The Colorado Buffaloes have undoubtedly been working out in some fashion. They could certainly amp things up and be game ready three months from now. Colorado State is a little different story. The program has been “suspended” pending the outcome of an internal review of pandemic and racial policies and behaviors. It might take the Rams a bit longer to get things back rolling (assuming there are no changes in admin and/or coaching personnel) but still, three months is a long time.
So yes, they likely could do it. But would they? It seems as if the Pac 12 in particular is comfortable waiting and perhaps not playing football until September 2021. Both the Pac 12 and the MW are aiming more for basketball season, and the pot of gold that awaits in March. Maybe. Hopefully.
The chances of either or both leagues doing hoops in a bubble is far greater than seeing football this year.
Strike Three: It’s been sort of refreshing to not be getting bashed over the head with Denver Broncos Training Camp “updates” all day every day this past month. While we all miss pre-season games more than we thought we would, the “back up cornerback had a spectacular interception of the third string quarterback during seven-on-seven drills…film at 10” stuff is soooo incredibly tired. It’s practice man, practice.
The news that does come out of Dove Valley has painted a picture of the young Bronco offense – second year quarterback, rookie receivers and center, patchwork O-line – struggling against a defense that’s expected to formidable. We have high hopes for the Broncos offense, but we expect the defense to be dominant.
Under the circumstances, is that fair?
Nothing about 2020 has been normal, so making predictions and setting expectations seems at the very least, unwise. In truth, we have no idea what to expect when Denver takes the field against the Tennessee Titans in a nearly empty Mile High Stadium on September 13th. No preseason games to go on. Limited practice time for players to learn the new playbook from new Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur, and new faces at key positions all over the field. But most importantly, only a small handful of full-contact practices for the defense to get prepared to tackle.
Several seasons ago, when the concussion protocol movement was at its peak, hitting in practice was severely curtailed. That meant that practicing the incredibly important skill of tackling was curtailed. And it’s shown on the field. At all levels. The skill of good, clean tackling has been eroded. And that was before (necessary) COVID protocols were put in place.
Now we’re going to be watching defenders trying to make tackles – which they’ve barely had any practice doing – on world class ball carriers…and we will expect them not to miss. Sure, Von Miller and Co know how to tackle. But like any other skill, if you don’t use it, you can lose it. Quick.
Don’t be shocked if NFL games – especially early on – look a lot like games that are being played on snow covered fields. The conditions might make the pace of play slower on both sides, but the offensive players know where they’re going, while the defenders are just reacting. Under those conditions, the offense always has the upper hand.
With defenders having not practiced actual tackling skills much at all, the offenses could very well have the upper hand across the board.