Sure. We all got sick of it. Schefty and Mort and Ed Werder and Sal Paolantonio were on Sports Center every day counting the sorrows of player and owner alike. It was a three-ring flea circus that nobody wanted to pay to see after day six. But looking back, after three weeks of regular season play, I love the lockout. It's my favorite lockout ever. Ever.
I like points. Blowouts, close games, whatever. Just let me see somebody crossing the goal line a whole mess of times. What I don't want is an 9-3 snoozer.
Defense may win championships, but it doesn't win my attention. Unless that defense scores 30 points per game. It's the reason I love college football so much: huge scorelines. Well, that and the fact that I'm from Nebraska. 63-34. 42-28. 56-55(OT). I love all those games. I have a feeling I'm not alone.
And this season, the NFL is producing bigger scores than ever.
Watching these first weeks of the season, I felt like I was seeing more scoring than in recent years. I checked the numbers to back me up.
I looked at three things:
1. Number of times 30-39 points was scored.
2. Number of times 40+ points was scored
3. Number of games in which both teams scored less than 20
It's not even close. Through three weeks in 2009 the stats were as follows:
1. Number of times 30-39 points was scored- 15
2. Number of times 40+ points was scored- 2
3. Number of games in which both teams scored less than 20- 9
In 2010 it was a little better.
1. Number of times 30-39 points was scored- 18
2. Number of times 40+ points was scored- 1
3. Number of games in which both teams scored less than 20- 13
As for the first three weeks of 2011, its pretty amazing. 24 scores of over 30 points and 4 of them are 40 pointers.
1. Number of times 30-39 points was scored- 20
2. Number of times 40+ points was scored- 4
3. Number of games in which both teams scored less than 20-7
Five more 30+ performances doesn't sound like much over a three-week span. It's less than two more per week. But let's take a peek at category #3, what I like to call "double offensive futility, or D.O.F."
In the first three weeks of 2011, only seven games have showcased the lowly offensive talent that produces two scores of less than 20. In 2010, a whopping 13 games fell into the D.O.F. category. Nearly double the amount of boring, double-barreled, stink-fests.
Check the ratio there. ("30-point performances" to "games with both teams under 20")
2011: 24 to 7
2010: 19 to 13
My perception is right on. Not that I'm bragging.
It's all related to that God-forsaken, beating-a-dead-horse, never-wanna-see-Mort-and-Schefty-again lockout.
Without all the OTA's and mini-camps and training camps, something happened. The vast speculation was that offenses would be waaaaay behind and play would be boring and dominated by defense.
Au contraire, mon frere. Or, as that lovable old lunatic, Lee Corso, so aptly says at every moment, appropriate or not, "Not so fast, my friend."
NFL defenses have clearly been hurt by the lockout more than their counterparts. Tackling is suspect. Conditioning is an issue. Points are easier to come by this season than an Al Davis joke.
It seems teams have been unable to spend as much time scheming for individual opponents and have, instead, spent time implementing the basics of their own defensive systems. And those base defenses are getting burned by offensive coordinators who are putting the ball in the hands of their best athletes and letting them go bonkers.
So, as much as I hated it, the lockout was actually a good thing. I now regret my wishes for Adam Schefter to stroke out and keel over, leaving only the bookshelf holding his mini Michigan helmet and wedding photo in the shot.
 | |
| Adam Schefter: Bringer of the Apocalypse |
Can't you just hear Sage Steele?
"Adam? I think we've lost Adam. Well, on to baseball where the Yankees...."
Maybe not.
As for the NBA, I'm pretty sure their lockout won't have a similar effect. I can guarantee it won't effect me. My general disdain for all things NBA continues whether Kobe plays in Spain, Italy, China, Antarctica, Neptune or Los Angeles.
Besides, there's no defense in the NBA anyway.
No comments:
Post a Comment