MBA-Father Ryan

[KWoodroof]

Mercy that was painful. Untimely penalties. Bad decisions to go for it on 4th down (Ryan stopped 3...all very questionable play calls). Hero of the night was wr #19. Unbelievable game. Nice game from qb. Great great defensive performance. Gonna have to open it up next week. Very little running room up the middle; no explosiveness.

It sounded like Ryan played a great game and MBA was one fluky trick play away from basketball and wrestling (as another writer so incisively observed). And you're right about the penalties. That's a disturbing trend that's been out there for a couple of years now, especially the late hit. As the radio commentators always point out, the call is prior to the whistle, but away from the play. I'm not sure why MBA hasn't adjusted to the fact that the officials are calling those hard hits that are "off the ball" and involve two players who are prettyy much out of the play. You can argue that if the ball is in play, you should have your head on a swivel and protect yourslef at all times, which seems to me to be pretty sound advice. I'm a little less sanguine about the argument that football is becoming a softer game as these rules go into effect. As players have gotten bigger, and exponentially stronger and faster (with no accompanying improvements in joints and bones), there's a justification for changes in interpretation, if not the rules themselves. That debate misses the point altogether. It may be sad that an element of hitting is taken away. So are hurricanes and the ending of "old Yeller." But complaining is pointless. You have to adapt, and MBA hasn't, and it seems to cost them 15 yds each week, always at a bad time (although there's so seldom a good time for a 15 yd penalty).