Could Kickoffs Become A Thing Of The Past?
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| Kickoffs Going Away? Photo Credit: RollTide.com |
Could kickoffs in college football soon be a thing of the past? Discussions concerning that very subject have begun.
Over the past several seasons the problems with concussions and other head injuries, as well as a way to eliminate them or at least cut down on them, have come to the forefront of discussions. Rules changes have already been instituted in an effort to curb the problem.
There is no argument that kickoff returns account for far more traumatic injuries and other other type play in college football. Many consider the kickoff and return a "violent play." Both the American Football Coaches Association's board of trustees and the NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee have at least had informal talks about the possibility of doing away with kickoffs.
University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban was asked about this very subject yesterday on CFB Live. Saban said, "Well, I think that anything involving player’s safety, you have to respect. I’m a traditionalist, so I would hate to see them change, or take out the kickoff or change rules that would significantly impact the game. But when it comes to player’s safety, I think that trumps all of the above. Maybe move the yard line where you get more kicks kicked out of the end zone (…) There is strategy involved in kickoffs and kickoff returns that is pretty significant to the game, but again, player’s safety trumps it all. There may be other ways to solve the problem so you can still kick an onside kick or do something that doesn’t change the strategy of the game as much."
Be assured. Talks will not only continue but get more in-depth in the future.
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Tide's Erin Routliffe Advances To Finals
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Falls To Di Lorenzo In National Bank Challenger
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| Erin Routliffe Photo Credit: RollTide.com |
Canadian native and University of Alabama tennis standout Erin Routliffe has been victorious in six matches and advanced to the finals of the National Bank Challenger, which was held at the Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club in Winnipeg, Canada.
In the qualifying draw, Routliffe won both of her matches soundly in just two sets in the qualifying draw, which was enough to advance her to the main draw. She went into the main draw where she was able to win four-straight matches. Routliffe led 6-2, 2-1 in her round of 32 match over Hungary's Naomi Totka before she was forced to retire. After that, Routliffe posted a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over sixth-seeded Ellie Halbauer, followed by a 6-4. 6-3 win against Michika Ozeki of Japan. Then in the semifinals, Routliffe downed Ronit Yurovsky 6-3, 6-2.
In the championship match, Routliff fell 6-4, 6-1 to Ohio State's Francesca Di Lorenzo, who finished last season ranked fourth nationally in singles play according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
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Saban Discusses Discipline
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| Alabama Head Football Coach Nick Saban Photo Credit: RollTide.com |
University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban sat down with Paul Finebaum and Booger McFarland yesterday afternoon on College Football Live in Bristol at ESPN headquarters.
McFarland asked Saban if he was concerned about leadership issues arising at UA considering the several recent arrests of players there. Saban responded, "I'm always concerned. One of the things I loved about last year’s team is that we had no issues, no incidences. Players bought in and did the right thing. Every individual was responsible for his actions, what he did and how he contributed to our team. I do think we have some pretty good leadership, but it’s going to have to evolve a little more and people are going to have to buy-in a little more.
"When you have success, some people get complacent and it creates a blatant disregard for doing what’s right. They get casual in their approach to things and aren’t committed to what needs to be. These are all issues you have to overcome."
Finebaum was up next and asked if Saban's philosophy on punishing players has evolved since speaking at a coaches association event back in 2010.
Saban answered, "It’s a case by case basis, but where I differ from public opinion is that discipline is not punishment. If you're going to punish someone, including your children, it would be to do something to them that would change their behavior. Well, we do discipline internally which doesn’t involve suspending guys from games — whether that’s police ride-arounds, (time spent at) juvenile centers to help young people .. to try and teach players to make better choices and decision in the future.
"All of the sudden, that’s not something that’s treating the player in a way that’s going to help them make better decisions in the future because it’s not punitive in taking something away from them."
No fireworks. No fisticuffs.
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Taylor Takes To Twitter
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| Alphonse Taylor Twitter Photo |
Alabama's Alphonse Taylor took to Twitter yesterday, making his first public comment since his DUI arrest on Sunday morning. According to Tuscaloosa Police Department spokeswoman Lt. Teena Richardson, not only was Taylor driving under the influence, but he also left the scene of an accident.
Saban commented, "We are very disappointed any time a player makes a choice that leads to this kind of behavior. We are still in the process of gathering all of the details on the situation, but from a football standpoint, Alphonse Taylor has been indefinitely suspended from the team."
In his tweet yesterday, Taylor said, "Isolated events does not define ones character.....God continue to watch over me."
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Saban Says All Infractions Aren't The Same
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Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban doesn't believe every infraction nor every arrest of a football player are the same, thus a 'one-size-fits-all' punishment has not and will not be a part of his game plan.
Saban and Alabama football have had three players arrested since May, and the head coach discussed how the DUI arrest of Alphonse Taylor differs from the arrests of Cam Robinson and Hootie Jones on drug and weapons charges when he appeared live on ESPN's SportsCenter.
Saban said, "I think when you have a DUI, what makes it significantly different is you've put other people in danger by the choices you have made and the decision you made. So that, to me, is a little more serious in terms of what we need to do. I would like to look at what we're doing with Alphonse Taylor, not as a punishment, but as a treatment of what we need to do help him be a better player, to be a better person, to make better choices and decisions in the future. And I think that will help him the most."
Of course the discussion of Robinson and Jones' case hasn't gone away, nor will it anytime soon. Saban was asked about negative reaction to his decision not to suspend Robinson and Jones from the season opener with USC. Prosecutors in Louisiana chose to drop the charges against the two players.
Concerning the case against Robinson and Jones, as well as his disciplinary action, Saban commented, "I think those circumstances are completely different and I think the statement that I made about when you chose to do this and you put other people at risk, that makes it in a different category and that's why this situation is being treated differently. But we treat every situation differently with the players based on their history, what they've done and the facts.
"I would hope that people think that, as coaches, we don't make these decisions based on winning games, which I think we sometimes get criticized for. We make these decisions based on what's best for the players and their future and what we can do to help them so they have a better chance to be successful in life."
Saban announced on Monday that he had suspended Taylor indefinitely following the arrest of the player on Sunday morning.
Commenting on what the suspension means for the team, Saban said, "Well I think we have better depth in the offensive line than we've had for several years now. So we have some capable players. They'll all get an opportunity to compete and we'll just have to see what happens."
With or without Taylor, the Crimson Tide opens its season on September 3rd at AT&T Stadium against the USC Trojans.
