Broncos Monday Ramblings (BMR)- August 11 edition: Because the Broncos played their first pre-season game on Thursday, I was able to do my post-game thoughts the next day and be able to do something “a little different” with my standard Monday column. So, today I want to deal with Fantasy Football (FF), and the effect it has had and will have upon NFL Football specifically as well as the whole state of American Football in general. In the past few years, I’ve often been asked (most recently at a Saturday dinner party) if I play Fantasy Football. The answer to the question is no, and although I don’t say it at the time, I’m not a FF fan. Now please understand that I don’t condemn anyone for being part of the FF scene. Certainly, if you enjoy it and it enhances your interest, dive right in and knock yourself out. The NFL recognizes its appeal and is presently in the process of making their stadiums more accessible to personal media so that fans in the stadiums can have the same access to all the real time statistics FFers have in the comfort and convenience of their own homes. While I have no problem with that, I do believe that the FF phenomenon has had the effect of contributing to a change in the basic game of football, and not necessarily for the better. Why? I think that FF over-emphasizes the offensive part of the game, marginalizes the physical part of the game, and ignores defensive skills and defensive team play. Often Fantasy Football leagues are entwined with monetary rewards and it skews the game into a situation when fans get to being much more concerned about the statistical achievements and records. I can sense that there are some raised eyebrows out there, and maybe I am exaggerating to make a point, but I do honestly think that FF is a conduit for a financial environment that influences and changes the game. To put it bluntly, it reduces the game to a contest where the only thing that matters is statistical triumphs which supersedes winning or losing. As many of those of you who read this blog know, my background in 40+ years of football as a player and coach is defensively slanted. And, over the time of my playing career and coaching career, I must say that the vast majority of the rule changes implemented at the time have nearly always made the offensive task easier and the defensive task harder. As a defensive coach I used to take a little cynical pride in the fact that rulesmakers often paid us a backhanded compliment by making the offense’s job easier and easier. Over the years, I’ve thought that the way they legalized holding for offensive players (not just linemen) and the systematic manner in which they have limited what defensive backs can do to defend against the pass have been the most significant changes. These rule changes make it so much easier to throw the football that when you consider all that has to go right on a running play it’s amazing that an offensive co-ordinator would EVER call a rushing play. In the process, it has almost totally eliminated the position of fullback AND reduced the position of running back to a position not as important as a slot receiver or a nickel back. The NFL has also demonized physical defensive players. When you look back to the “Golden Age” (the 1960s and 1970s) it’s fun to reminisce about legendary defenders like Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke, Ronnie Lott, Mean Joe Greene, and Deacon Jones; as well as great Denver players like Rich “Tombstone” Jackson and Steve Atwater. These guys were defenders whose calling card was delivering physical, tough, and mean, but legal collision. In today’s game, ALL of these guys would either be run out of the league by Roger Goodell’s “dangerous hits” policies, or relegated to a minor role of being just a guy who is in there only on first downs. Can you imagine Dick Butkus playing just 25% of the snaps, or less?? He would be a mere role player in today’s game- that is until he got fined and kicked out of the league completely for dishing out just routine “Butkus hits.” (I think that it is extremely hypocritical of the NFL to continue to run nostalgic “Back in the Glory Days’ highlight films featuring these “giants of the game” players, yet today they’d punish them mercilessly a la James Harrison.) So, I can hear you saying “Well, what does all that have to do with Fantasy Football?” Fair question, and my answer is “How many FF points do you get for a devastating tackle/hit like the one Steve Atwater laid on Christian Akoye?” Anyone who saw that game knows that that tackle affected that football game a lot more that a 2yd touchdown pass in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach. Yet FF doesn’t even keep track of those kinds of hits (at least to my knowledge). Yes, I know that FF does chart sacks and rewards FF players for that, but oftentimes there are coverage sacks and even sacks because the QB make a slow or bad read. So even those elements don’t really understand the game. And listen, I know that Fantasy Football isn’t totally responsible for all of these changes, but the heavy emphasis solely upon offensive production HAS reduced general appreciation for defensive play all across the country. Roger Goodell and the NFL establishment have noticed that and the rule changes reflect this feeling. Sadly, it’s almost true that the NBA allows more contact/collision than the NFL. When I was coaching, we used to spend a lot of time in the summers running a drill called 7 on 7. (It is a passing contest between 7 offensive players QBs and eligible receivers and 7 defenders who defend against pass patterns.) We would hold 7 on 7 contests with other schools and eventually they became almost a second whole football season. The thing that developed that I didn’t like was that it seemed that when we were pretty good at 7 on 7, we weren’t nearly as good as an actual football team (and vice-versa). One of my fellow coaches made an astute remark when he said: Well, you know John, when it comes right down to it, 7 on 7 isn’t football; it’s ABOUT football.” That is what I think about Fantasy Football. Except that it’s even less about football than 7 on 7. And, ultimately, it’s had a negative effect upon the game as a whole. So, I ante up this column as “food for thought.” And conversation. :-)
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 15:06:55 +0000
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