In case you can't read that full headline in the Wall Street Journal, it goes like this:
Dartmouth Is the Blueprint for NFL Success in 2020. Yes, Dartmouth. New rules for the pandemic scale back the full-contact practices. Dartmouth made its players healthier—and better—by doing just that.
From the story, which I couldn't access yesterday but for some reason can read from behind the paywall this morning (LINK):
“Why would you beat the crap out of our own team and players?” (Hall of Fame coach Steve) Spurrier says. “I used to tell people: When the army’s preparing for battle, they don’t use live bullets against each other. So why use live collisions when we get ready for opponents?”
(Dartmouth coach Buddy) Teevens took that logic to the next level. He had no idea if it would be effective. “If it didn’t work, I’m fired and unemployed right now,” he says. But he thought he could build an entire system around it. The coaches broke down film to study the most effective tackles. They later brought in robotic tackling dummies so players had mobile targets to practice against. They were still training for the violence inherent to football—just not against their own teammates.
Also quoted in the story are former Dartmouth linebackers Will McNamara and Bronson Green.
Editor's Note – Among the numerous emails sharing a link to the story were several that, in light of the post yesterday about all of the emails that landed in the BGA "in box" about the Russell Wilson story, asked if this one set a new record. Here's a little Journalism 101 for you: "New" record is redundant. But yes, in case you are wondering, this one broke the record by a country mile. ;-)
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Keeping in mind Division II and Division III calling off fall championships, UConn canceling its football season and a group of more than 1,000 Big Ten football players voicing safety concerns about playing this fall, Yahoo's Pete Thamel has a column under the headline, As problems mount, college football's outlook appears grim: 'You can feel the tidal wave coming.' (LINK)
From the Hamel piece:
It’s too early to declare the 2020 football season over. But the path to cancellation appears more obvious than the path to any type of functional and recognizable season. The beginning of the end is upon us, getting closer as the drumbeat of the news cycle grows louder and louder.
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Find an SI story about DII and DIII pulling the plug on the postseason HERE.
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Read about UConn calling off its football season HERE.
Green Alert Take: As the first FBS team to announce it won't play this fall Connecticut officials are wisely taking advantage of the opportunity to say they are doing the right thing. That said, the fact that the Huskies are now an independent and already had games at Illinois and Ole Miss, and home games against Indiana and Maine canceled and contests at Virginia and North Carolina in doubt made it a little easier to call off the season.
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The Big Ten players had their say in The Players Tribune. From the story (LINK):
While we appreciate the Big Ten’s recently announced plan for the upcoming season, we believe that the conference’s proposal falls short in certain areas. Given that the players are the primary stakeholders in the business of college sports, we believe any course of action moving forward needs to include player input. We are deeply disappointed with the lack of leadership demonstrated by the NCAA with respect to player safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe that the NCAA must — on its own and through collaboration with the conference — devise a comprehensive plan to ensure the safety and well-being of players leading up to and during the upcoming fall season.
The Big Ten Unity Proposal included sections on "Oversight and Transparency," "Prevention and Safety Protocols," "Testing, Contract Tracing and Related Procedures," Player Assurances," (including whistleblower protections), and "Hazard-Related Economic Support."
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Former Dartmouth defensive end TJ Simpson gets mentioned as one of eight grad transfers at Indiana State who hope to be playing football this fall. Former Columbia safety Hunter Lunsford is another at ISU. (LINK)
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Bulldawg Illustrated has a piece about former Dartmouth wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton, now a rising star on the Georgia staff. (LINK)
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EXTRA POINT
Something occurred to me as I drove the BGA Mobile World Headquarters to our nearby lake yesterday to write with fewer distractions than at home (read: no TV, phone, fridge, couch, Wonder Dog or assorted electronic toys, and limited email and internet). I wondered if I should make our desk-equipped, ’84 VW Westfalia pop top Vanagon camper the “official” home office for BGA and write off a nice new coat of paint and assorted mechanical repairs on my taxes.
Now with portable solar power for laptop computer and a fan on hot days, the VW is to me this summer what his local Hardees is to a friend who has written highly acclaimed mystery novels in the fast food franchise.
On the other hand, I don't think award-winning author Brad Parks writes off his booth at Hardees (LINK).
A stand-up paddleboarder enjoys the lake while work goes on in the BGA Mobile World Headquarters.
