Monday, November 16, 2015

Noah's Crazy Sports Thoughts

Based on my blogs about sports, you guys all know that I am an avid sports fan.  I eat up sports and watch them when I can.  In college, I was fortunate enough to live with guys that also loved sports.  As expected, we consumed as much sport as our brains allowed (which meant it was on TV a lot).  During the games, I would often annoy my roommates by claiming that I could do what a specific athlete was doing or that I could step into the ring with Manny Pacquiao (which I know obviously isn't true, but it used to get the biggest rise out of Benny).  When I wasn't doing that, I would spitball rule changes or abstract strategies that I thought would improve the sports.  My roommates would laugh at me (mostly because they thought the ideas were stupid), but I have been left undeterred, so the following are things that I believe would make various sports more exciting!

NFL

1. Points off the Kickoff:
I am admittedly most proud of this idea, because I think it does a few things: 1. Increases the value of a kicker (who, sadly the NFL are trying to push out of the league) 2. Makes for higher scores and potential momentum changes 3. Increases the excitement of a game.  I believe that if the kicker is able to kick the ball through the uprights, their team should be awarded three points.  The receiving team would still be able retain the ball, the score would just be three points different.  For example, a team is down 10 with less than a minute left in the game.  They score a touchdown and kick the extra point.  In a normal game, viewers would probably stop watching and consider it a junk time td, because mathematically the lesser scoring team does not have enough time if the onside kick is not recovered.  Instead, with my proposed rule, the kicker has an undefended chance to kick a field goal through the uprights to tie the game.  If the try is successful, the recieving team has just under a minute to drive and try to win the game.  WOULDN'T THAT BE AWESOME!? COME ON!?

2. Increased value of long field goals
As you may be able to tell, I am a big proponent of things that can earn a field goal kicker more relevance on a football team.  My proposal here is that any kick between 50-59 yards is rewarded 4 points and anything 60 or above is worth 5 points.  Imagine that your team is down by three and you have fourth and 8 from about 56 yards away from the uprights.  A 56 yard kick is far from a guarantee!  Wouldn't it be so rewarding for the kicker (and us fans) if those kicks are just a little bit more valuable?
  If you disagree with me, just take a few minutes to watch the field goal compilation above.  Those kicks are soo long!

3. GO FOR IT ON FOURTH DOWN
I am not, by any means an advocate of a team going for a fourth down conversion every time.  Sometimes it makes more sense to punt the ball away and rely on your defense.  But in an increasingly more offense-centric league I think that if a team has the ball beyond their own 40 and are under 4th and 5, they should go for it.  I'm not saying go for it by running your running back into the wall of defenders (a play that I have seen fail far too many times), but go for it with play action plays and qb bootlegs.  Any average NFL team is capable of picking up 4 yards, so why does it become different when it is fourth down.1
 (However this play isn't the type of going for it that I am talking about)(What a stupid play)

4. Stop trying the end around and jet sweep 
This is a new soapbox that I am standing on this year I do not like these plays at all.  If you are unfamiliar with the terminology, it's that play where the wide reciever runs all the way across the field, receives a handoff and loses four yards.  Granted, there have been successful jet sweeps (see video below), but the majority of the time it is a fancy looking play that goes nowhere, because blockers can't get where they need to be and wide receivers don't have the trained patience to find the holes that running backs do.
This play is successful, because Tavon Austin is insanely fast and does a great job improvising when his original running lane is plugged up by the opposing defender.

5. Coach's Challenge the Referee
As I was typing this on Friday, this specific rule did not cross my mind.  But as I was watching the games yesterday, I remembered how much I favor a coach's ability to be able to throw a challenge flag to try to overturn a bad call that a referee has made.  Football is a sport where things happen really quickly, and no matter if it is being called by the best official in the world, there are going to be plays that they get wrong, it's human error.  Rather than listening to local fans whine about a blown call and placing the blame on a win or loss on the refs, why don't we give the coaches a chance to let the referees rectify their mistakes?  As a Patriots fan, I watched in dismay as Malcolm Butler was flagged incorrectly for a pass interference on Odell Beckham Jr., allowing the Giants to maintain their drive and move into field goal range.  If Belichick is able to throw the flag, that play gets overturned, the Giants likely punt the ball away, and the ending of that game potentially looks a lot different.2     

6. Get a new commissioner
I understand human error, but routinely getting everything wrong shouldn't go unpunished.  The fact that NFL owners don't hold him accountable for dragging their league through the mud baffles me.  I could definitely say more about this, but there have been enough words spilled about this to force you all to read more.

7. Mandatory shake-ups for commentating teams
There are exactly two pairs of NFL commentators that I enjoy listening to right now.  Burkhardt and Lynch and Michaels and Collinsworth (I don't have ESPN, so I can't judge their team).  Even though Chris Collinsworth says senseless things on occasion, I think he brings a lot of football knowledge to the table.  Other than that, I would love for any network to at least try out some new folks.  I watched the replay of the Colts-Saints super bowl from several years ago and had to listen to Nantz and Simms salivate over Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, just like they do now.  The fact that these guys are basically tenured into their positions as commentators often leaves the commentary stale.  So give some new people a try... I'm sure we can find someone better than Simms...

NBA
Create a four and a five point line
This rule change is pretty simple, we have a three point line, which is already a pretty long shot, but if we added a four and five point line that were even deeper shots, players who were sharpshooters (Steph Curry, for example) would be able to spread the floor even more than they already do to open up space in the half court.  The lines may lead to the demise of guys like Josh and J.R. Smith who would heave a lot of bad shots just to get more points (and likely miss), but it would definitely be an added layer of excitement.  Down by 20, NO PROBLEM, we just have to hit four five pointers and we're back in this thing.  Let's at least try it during an all-star game, it would certainly make that more exciting.

5 on 4
I will be the first to admit that this thought is not my brainchild, but I like the idea.  It is pretty basic: Rather than playing 5 on 5 in the half court, leave one of your weaker defenders (and stronger offensive players) to sit and wait by the other team's basket as an outlet for an easy lay-up.  The idea behind this is simple: the best NBA players shoot at an average of about 60% from the floor.  That means they miss four of every ten shots that they take.  If you can get two rebounds and kickouts for easy layups, that means less work that you are putting in going end to end.  Theoretically, if a team wanted to rest players, they could have a rotation of "floating players" so that they can defend hard for 24 seconds, then get a breather when they are not on the defensive end.  There are obvious critical flaws (i.e. one person will always be open on the other team), but if your team is fast enough and long enough, they should at least be able to partially contest every shot.  It may also bait bad shooters into shooting more (if you choose to defend their four best shooters very tighly, it leaves the one bad shooter open, and he'll have no choice but to shoot the ball).  Just typing this has made me want this to happen even more than I already did. (The strategy was also devised by the Sacramento Kings, who aren't exactly the poster child for good basketball ideas).  

Number decline regular Season Overtime
I am taking this idea straight from the NHL, but I think it could really improve NBA regular season.  I think it would be so cool if for each overtime, the teams lose a player (i.e. overtime 1: 4-4, overtime 2: 3-3, and so on, until you get down to one-on-one).  This would do a few things.  It would drastically decrease the congestion of the half court sets, opening up a whole new arsenal of plays coaches could draw up.  It would speed up the game.  It would bring on an almost street ball improvisation type feel, where players have to rely more on instincts and those who think and move quickly get a leg up on the competition.  If there ever was a game that went into quintuple overtime, how cool would it be to see each team's best player play a little one-on-one (or would it be the best player?)  Obviously, I would only want this to happen in the regular season to help add some excitement to the incredibly stale midseason, when most of the teams are on cruise control and the fans can feel it.  This would just spice things up a little bit.
 

Professional Soccer
No More Short Corners
I have watched and played a lot of soccer in my lifetime, and I really dislike short corners.  You know, the play where the corner kick taker passes the ball to a nearby teammate to potentially get a better cross angle, but by that time, the defender is already on them, forcing them to rebuild the attack they had built to win the corner.  This is not to say there isn't a time or place for this strategy.  For example, a team is in extra time with a one goal lead and they are trying to kill off some clock.  This would be an excellent time to use the short corner and hold possession.  However, I have seen this play fail far more often than it has succeeded and it negates the opportunity to get the ball on goal.  I think that part of the beauty of the corner kick is the chaos that occurs once the ball has been played in from the corner.  If the ball is fed into the box, a number of things could happen: 1. It could be headed or volleyed into the net, 2.  There could be a poor clearance leading to a chance on goal, 3.  There is a shot on goal that is saved, that produces a rebound, that leads to a goal, etc...  On the other hand, the short corner allows a defense to move their line forward, shrinking the field, making the game more predictable.   Just look how many of these are attempts at playing the short corner:
Overall though, I think soccer is a pretty pure sport and doesn't need too much fiddling with.  I am glad that they use goal line technology to make sure that they get goals and non-goals correct though.  That would've really benefitted the United States vs. Germany in 2002.
(Even now, I'm gutted for USA)

Youth Soccer

Please don't ban headers for youngsters
When the news came out last week that US Soccer has recommended that you training programs ban headers for players under 10, I was truly disappointed.  I understand the risks of headers and the serious nature of concussions, but this is not the answer to future prevention.  I believe that the concussion risk is much more prevalent among players who have not been taught how to properly attack the ball.  In my twenty years of playing soccer, I have seen very few concussions, and even fewer that stemmed from a player heading the soccer ball.  This action is an integral part of the game and it can change the outcome of games.  I think that there needs to be an emphasis on how to head and where on the head a player should be striking the ball, but banning heading would drastically decrease the momentum that U.S. soccer has made in becoming much more competitive on the world scale.  I don't have all the facts, but I do think that education, not expulsion, is the answer to the header concussion dilemma.  

NHL
Goalie-less powerplays
I have seen this happen exactly once.  The Bruins were down by a goal with about two minutes left, and the Flyers took a penalty leaving Boston a man advantage.  Being down a goal, the Bruins took the risk, pulled the goalie and played a 6-4 powerplay.  They passed it around brilliantly, the Flyers never touched the puck, and the Bruins scored to tie it up.  This idea is a little bit radical, and extremely risky, but I believe that teams in the NHL should consider playing 6-4 and pulling their goalies no matter what point it is at in a game (unless they are defending a lead).  With six skaters on the ice, that leaves an ample number of players to keep the puck in the opposing zone and even if there is a turnover, it creates a difficult shot from distance for the team on the penalty kill.  Obviously 6 players are much more difficult to defend than 5 and gives the team on the power play an even bigger advantage.  This should especially be used when a team is down to three men on the ice, as it would be truly overwhelming for the other team.

MLB
I am actually not an MLB fan, so I'll leave these opinions to the professionals.  But it is definitely not America's past time anymore.

These are all my thoughts for now.  When more come I'll update!

Until next time! 

1. This would inevitably devalue the punter (and those who read this know I want to add value to the place-kicker position.  I think there would still be some value, but I think an NFL team is capable of picking up 10 yards in four plays.
2. Other than Malcolm Butler, who played so well last night, I thought the Patriots secondary looked terrible.  Routinely getting beat or giving up bad pass interference penalties to no name wide receivers.  It reminded me of watching the Pats secondary of years past, which is not good.  Also, they need Jamie Collins to get healthy fast, because Freeny is not going to cut it as a full-time starter for the long-term.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Amy: A boyfriend's perspective.

Ever since I finished with camp, my writing has been very sporadic.  This has happened for a few reasons: 1. I have been busy at Milton (I've done a ton of subbing), 2. I enrolled in a gym (hacking away at the free time that I did have), and 3. I have really struggled to find the motivation and think of fresh new content.  I think that if I could do writing as a profession, I would be able to keep my posts fresh, long, and entertaining, but these things really take a lot of time and thought! (also, I do it for my enjoyment, not money).  The post that I am writing now is long overdue, may get a little sappy, and comes at a time where there isn't an outside factor (birthday, holiday, anniversary, etc.) that is motivating the blog other than the fact that she deserves it for being wonderful everyday!  There are so many things to say about Amy (and I know I won't cover it all here), so I will just start at the beginning!
The high school senior version of Amy and Noah
For those of you that are wondering, no, I would not consider Amy and me high school sweethearts.  I feel like that title is usually designated to the starting quarterback and head cheerleader that we've seen in all of chick flicks... ever.  We did go to high school together (and as we would come to find out as time went on, had quite a few classes together) but we ran in very different circles early on.  If you had asked me to tell me a little about Amy Johnston I probably would have said something like this: "she is one of the really smart twins who came from China or Vassalboro or something...".  If you had asked Amy to tell you a little bit about Noah, she probably would have said something like this: "who is Noah?" JUST KIDDING! In actuality (if she was being completely honest) it would probably sound something like this: "Noah plays soccer, hangs out with the popular kids... I'm not sure if he's very nice..."  Unfortunately, that was the rap I had in high school.  It wasn't until people got to to know me that they realized that I am a very decent human being.  Anyways, as I was saying, she had her priorities and I had mine.  It wasn't until senior year, when we happened to have the same homeroom that I really got to know her and realize that she was actually super cool.  To make a long courtship story short: I joined the swim team, got to know her more, we started talking a lot, I took her on a date to a punk rock show (which is totally not her type of music), we went to prom together, I ended up at Camp Bishopswood where she finally realized that I was worthwhile, and then started officially dating shortly after our freshman years of college began.  It has been nearly 8 years since I joined the swim season, and to quote Wicked, "my life has changed for the better" (Yeah, I typed it.....)  Here are a few reasons why we have (and will continue to) worked so well!

1. She is the epitome of kindness.
There are so many things that I could have started with here, but there is nothing that shines brighter when I think about Amy than her kind, selfless attitude.  She will always look out for the well-being of others (both human and animal) before her own needs. Amy has an absolutely innate need to please others and make sure that they are happy. When we host people at our apartment or spend time with friends, there is rarely an occasion when she doesn't follow up the visit with some variation of: "I hope they had a good time!" (of course they had a good time, because they are our friends, and you are the most gracious entertainer of all time!!)  When I am having down day, she goes out of her way to make the efforts to cheer me up (even when it isn't working).  With her friends and grad schoolmates, she never forgets a birthday, and always brings at least a card to help them celebrate.  

Her kindness and gentle heart shine most brightly when she is around animals.  Her eyes light up and she pets them so that they feel loved and cared for (she is incapable of watching an animal movie without crying). Above is a picture of a random cat named Mochie (I think) that she contently patted for at least 15 minutes.

2. She and I have shared interests
Snow day walk!
It seems kind of obvious, but relationships will not work if there aren't shared interests involved.  We listen to similar music, have similar clothing tastes (no I don't wear girl clothes, just shop in the same stores), enjoy shopping, like making people happy, don't mind having a quiet night in, appreciate each other for the little things, enjoy having a solid routine, like being outdoors.....the list could go on and on.  Last night we were watching Master of None, Aziz Ansari's new show on netflix (which is really great, by the way) and one of the characters was talking about how great it is to not have to worry about going out and making plans, and being content to just have a quiet night at home watching the latest critically acclaimed show.  As he was talking about it, Amy and I looked at each other and just laughed, because it sounded exactly like our average night, and that is just the way we like it!

3. She has a great sense of humor
While I will never tell this to her face, she actually has a pretty good sense of humor.  She loves to smile and laugh (especially at her own jokes).  The mood around our apartment is almost always light and cheery thanks to us having such compatible sensibilities in the humor department.  Many of Amy's jokes are ridiculous, but she tops them off with boisterous laughter at herself, at which point I can't help but laugh along.  My oldest brother Joe told me to find a girl that smiles and laughs a lot, and I am so thankful that I have found one!

4. She is a great travel companion!!
Washington D.C.
Seattle
Orono, ME
New York City
Bar Harbor
Philadelphia
Chicago
 I think the pictures really sum up how great it is to be able to travel with Amy!

5. She is the type of girl I can bring home to the family
When I was in the "looking for a girlfriend" stage of my life, this made a huge impact on my  courtship of young women (trying to be respectful and not sound like a creep).  I could not have hit a bigger home run than Amy.  Amy is like when a batter steps up to the plate and smashes it 500 the feet over the fence and out of the ball park.  Even early on, I could tell that my parents were big fans (mostly because Amy reflects a lot of the positive qualities that my Mom has).  I was amazed that she stuck around after the first time she met my Dad.  As she entered the kitchen, my Dad grabbed Sam and started dancing around with the dog singing "Once in love with Amy, Always in love with Amy"... somehow, Amy managed to laugh politely, and I got her away from that scene as quickly as possible.  When she wasn't scared away by crazy Dad, I knew that I should keep this one around.  Naturally, she and my mom hit it off instantly, both being simple Maine girls, that was an easy connection.  When it came time to meet the brothers, they knew how happy she made me, so I think they would have liked her well enough for that, but her quiet, kind nature won them over as well.

6. She is a great cook!
Unfortunately, the ability to cook is not present in everybody.  But luckily, Amy is a fantastic cook!  She is able to make a variety of different meals and keeps Isaiah and me well fed!  Just the other day she was proud of herself for being able to accurately estimate measurements instead of measuring them out in a cup or teaspoon (a sign of an experienced cook).  On a weekly basis, we enjoy anything from shrimp scampi to chicken enchiladas!

7. She has a great family.
Ever since I have entered the picture in Amy's life, her family has been nothing but kind and welcoming, which makes everything so much easier.  It certainly helped that I was able to meet her Dad before anything started (he coached the Waterville swim team), and he got to know me as a hard worker and fast learner in the pool.  Amy's family and my family have very similar sets of values, creating good and easy relationship between our families.  Her parents have always been willing to provide support for me and Amy when we have needed it.  They have always been very helpful and generous (especially when my cars were going through problems)!  Amy's twin sister Catherine is great as well, and is always trying to get me to listen to the new music she discovered or asking me for fantasy football advice (although she should give me advice, because her teams are tearing it up).  Coming from an active family, I thought it would be hard to find a family as active, but the Johnstons are always on the go.  Whether it is heading up to camp to renovate their new cabin or running half marathons or working in the garden or chopping down trees or swimming or doing yoga (I think you get the idea) they are phenomenally busy and active people.  Their activity clearly rubs off on Amy who makes a very grand effort to do some sort of workout every single day.
Amy and her Dad Post-half marathon!
 There is so much more that I could say, but this is where I will leave it for now.  I am so happy that she entered into my life eight years ago, because she is absolutely wonderful!

Until next time!!