The Chicago Tribune recently reported that Northwestern’s facilities initiative is receiving some resistance from the NU Board of Trustees. I think it is important to note here that it really doesn’t seem like the Board is opposed to an NU facilities upgrade. However, it seems the issue is the location of some of these new facilities. Most notably it is the issue of where to put a new football practice facility. According to all reports (and it was mentioned again yesterday by Teddy G. in the Trib) Pat Fitzgerald was pretty much set to take the Michigan job until Northwestern promised him better resources which could make his teams at Northwestern competitive with traditional powers like, say, Michigan. I have to assume this was done because it was clear NU wasn’t going to match Michigan’s salary offer. Now, maybe Coach Fitz may just have used Michigan to leverage NU into boosting his salary and promising these resource upgrades (i.e. a new practice facility by the lake to help recruiting) but, that’s just smart and it does help his team. Now, though, it seems like NU isn’t totally meeting what they promised Fitz. This to me is wrong and it hurts other sports such as men’s and women’s basketball as well.
I know a 2-5 season has some people ticked off at Fitzgerald and upset at the state of NU athletics in general. Maybe, this is even true of some of the Board of Trustee members, I don’t know. But, isn’t a deal a deal? I suppose not if it isn’t in writing, but I’d bet Jim Phillips is sitting somewhere in a white shirt and purple tie right now upset at the way things are going in this area. After all, he had to be the primary individual in convincing Coach Fitz that if he stayed that decision would prove worthwhile. Now, he’s being made to look like a lair or maybe more precisely an exaggerator. Odds are NU gets some sort of new football facility in the near future, but if it isn’t on lake where it can “WOW” potential recruits is it really what Phillips promised Fitzgerald? I’d say no. Even worse for NU’s other sports, it might mean that some of the things which were planned to happen around the current football facility such as a new basketball area or a new basketball practice facility might get crossed out of the plan if the football facility has to occupy the same ground as the current setup.
The bottom line is I understand the lakefill land is extremely valuable property and some might not want to put a facility on it which is really only going to be used by 100 of NU’s 8,000 students and only about 50 employees at most when you factor in trainers, equipment staff, etc. But I’m still bothered by the fact that the Board of Trustees is preventing Jim Phillips from following through on the promise he made to his football coach and via extension the other coaches at Northwestern. If I’m Pat Fitzgerald I’m ticked off at this point and if I’d didn’t get the new facility I was promised in the place it was promised I wouldn’t be so willing to give Northwestern a hometown discount next time a major football power came kocking at my door. Now, you might say who is going to visit Pat with his team at 2-5, but let’s remember Gary Barnett got another job after a 3-9 season. The perception outside of Northwestern is generally that winning six or more games at Northwestern consistently makes you the reincarnation of Vince Lombardi. I don’t know if I agree, but when the ‘Cats rally to a 4-1 finish and win a bowl game this season some university president is going to think so. Therefore, I’d ask the Board of Trustees to step up and help Jim Phillips keep his promise or get ready for a potential embarrassment as the face of the NU program exits stage left because while NU talked a good game they didn’t truly commit to his program as promised.
Showing posts with label Fitz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fitz. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Monday, October 11, 2010
Murphy’s Law and NU Athletics
It’s almost time for basketball practice to start and most fans are pretty excited. In the wake of the football team’s loss to Purdue, though, my thoughts on the coming season are suddenly focused more on avoiding disappointment than I thought they would have been. I like to think I’m a realist and I know NU will have a tough road to the NCAA Tournament this year, but I also think they have a good shot. However, thinking back over my NU fandom, despite the fact that I’ve seen four basketball postseason teams and six bowl games in football, I still feel as though NU sports live by one law…Murphy’s.
Despite the success needed to reach those postseason dates, NU has only won once in them and has failed to succeed in a number of key regular season games that might have improved their postseason fate. I don’t want to rehash bad memories, but I’ll highlight football at Iowa in 2000 and basketball at Ohio State in 2009 as games which likely kept NU from the Rose Bowl and the NCAA Tournament respectively. The basketball team is 0-2 when ranked and the football is 1-9 when ranked since 2000. Neither of those two stats is good. A friend suggested NU impose a poll ban on itself. I don’t think it’s such a bad idea.
The question that I’m left asking myself is what causes Northwestern’s highest profile teams (football and men’s basketball) to find ways to fail whenever attention seems to get paid to them. Part of me even wonders if it is the fault of us as fans who start to believe the little hype which exists and if that somehow translates to the players and makes them overconfident. I don’t think that’s it, but some level of overconfidence might play a role. After all, these are kids who range in age from 18-23. When people start to tell them how good they are, they might start to believe it a little too easily. If I’m Bill Carmody or Pat Fitzgerald I’m starting to guard against that very closely given the past few years.
Some people will simply say NU’s problem with success is they aren’t that good to start with. That they have a way of being lucky, but luck catches up to less talented teams. I have trouble with that. At some point if you’re successful it ceases to be luck. Winning close games is a skill in itself. A skill that comes from having a team with talented players and good coaches.
This is a good Northwestern basketball team. John Shurna deserves to be mentioned as a top candidate for Big Ten Player of the Year and Juice Thompson might be the best point guard in the league (don’t laugh, it might be true). However, NU will face a Big Ten with a ton of other good players and the ‘Cats aren’t so stocked with talent they can take games off or even moments of games off. They have to focus the entire time.
In the end, I think that’s what makes lesser talented teams who win all the time able to do so. Focus. They play every play with a sense of urgency because they know they can’t afford to let up. You want people to believe they are good, but at some point realizing that they player across from you is just as good as you counts for a lot as well. It might even make you better because you’re then working harder to beat him than he is to beat you.
That’s how Northwestern needs to play in both football and men’s basketball. When they’re successful that IS how they play. The effort Bill Carmody’s teams showed last year at home against Illinois and Purdue was amazing. NU never let up on intensity (thanks in part I think to great crowds). On the other hand, in that 2009 Ohio State game I mentioned above and last year’s game at Wisconsin (key games for postseason bids) NU came out with a notable lack of intensity. Almost as if they were just happy to be there. They then got way down and woke up and made a furious comeback with great intensity. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. At least those were against good teams, though. The same result played out against weaker competition in Iowa and Penn State last season. On those nights NU was a team that looked unfocused and undisciplined for most of the game and wasn’t trying to play harder than the other guys for 40 minutes. They looked more like a team that thought they would win, but didn’t want to work too hard to make it happen. I think the football equivalent played out against Purdue Saturday night.
The real crime of NU’s Murphy’s Law athletic department isn’t indivudal losses or disappointed fans, though. The real crime is the players on the court/field are good enough to get to the NCAA Tournament or the Rose Bowl. They just need to play like it all the time and not let anything else get in the way.
Despite the success needed to reach those postseason dates, NU has only won once in them and has failed to succeed in a number of key regular season games that might have improved their postseason fate. I don’t want to rehash bad memories, but I’ll highlight football at Iowa in 2000 and basketball at Ohio State in 2009 as games which likely kept NU from the Rose Bowl and the NCAA Tournament respectively. The basketball team is 0-2 when ranked and the football is 1-9 when ranked since 2000. Neither of those two stats is good. A friend suggested NU impose a poll ban on itself. I don’t think it’s such a bad idea.
The question that I’m left asking myself is what causes Northwestern’s highest profile teams (football and men’s basketball) to find ways to fail whenever attention seems to get paid to them. Part of me even wonders if it is the fault of us as fans who start to believe the little hype which exists and if that somehow translates to the players and makes them overconfident. I don’t think that’s it, but some level of overconfidence might play a role. After all, these are kids who range in age from 18-23. When people start to tell them how good they are, they might start to believe it a little too easily. If I’m Bill Carmody or Pat Fitzgerald I’m starting to guard against that very closely given the past few years.
Some people will simply say NU’s problem with success is they aren’t that good to start with. That they have a way of being lucky, but luck catches up to less talented teams. I have trouble with that. At some point if you’re successful it ceases to be luck. Winning close games is a skill in itself. A skill that comes from having a team with talented players and good coaches.
This is a good Northwestern basketball team. John Shurna deserves to be mentioned as a top candidate for Big Ten Player of the Year and Juice Thompson might be the best point guard in the league (don’t laugh, it might be true). However, NU will face a Big Ten with a ton of other good players and the ‘Cats aren’t so stocked with talent they can take games off or even moments of games off. They have to focus the entire time.
In the end, I think that’s what makes lesser talented teams who win all the time able to do so. Focus. They play every play with a sense of urgency because they know they can’t afford to let up. You want people to believe they are good, but at some point realizing that they player across from you is just as good as you counts for a lot as well. It might even make you better because you’re then working harder to beat him than he is to beat you.
That’s how Northwestern needs to play in both football and men’s basketball. When they’re successful that IS how they play. The effort Bill Carmody’s teams showed last year at home against Illinois and Purdue was amazing. NU never let up on intensity (thanks in part I think to great crowds). On the other hand, in that 2009 Ohio State game I mentioned above and last year’s game at Wisconsin (key games for postseason bids) NU came out with a notable lack of intensity. Almost as if they were just happy to be there. They then got way down and woke up and made a furious comeback with great intensity. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. At least those were against good teams, though. The same result played out against weaker competition in Iowa and Penn State last season. On those nights NU was a team that looked unfocused and undisciplined for most of the game and wasn’t trying to play harder than the other guys for 40 minutes. They looked more like a team that thought they would win, but didn’t want to work too hard to make it happen. I think the football equivalent played out against Purdue Saturday night.
The real crime of NU’s Murphy’s Law athletic department isn’t indivudal losses or disappointed fans, though. The real crime is the players on the court/field are good enough to get to the NCAA Tournament or the Rose Bowl. They just need to play like it all the time and not let anything else get in the way.
Friday, August 13, 2010
NU Confirms New Football Unis and Fitz TV Show
NU could once again wear black pants with purple tops in home games.Big news from NU today was the confirmation of new football uniforms for Northwestern which bring back the Northwestern striping along with the return of black pants which didn’t go so well last time they were worn by NU, but actually were NU’s standard road attire in the 2000 season and that means they were in fashion for the 47-44 OT win in Madison and the “Victory Right” game against Minnesota. Therefore, I think the black pants have taken something of a bad rap due to their most recent appearances. I also think bringing some black back into the uniform isn’t a bad idea. Much of the NU products available feature black as does much of the NU coaches’ gear, so I’m not surprised to see it added to the football uniform.
Now the bigger news from the perspective of basketball is the news Pat Fitzgerald will have a half hour TV program on each week. Back in NU’s Big Ten Title winning seasons of 1995, 1996, and 2000 Gary Barnett and Randy Walker had television programs as did hoops coaches Ricky Byrdsong and Kevin O’Neill. I have no idea if a Fitz show means a Bill Carmody show, but Fitz having a show at least makes it somewhat more likely Carmody could have one in the future if not this season. Honestly, I think Bill Carmody would probably be the prefect coach for a TV show because I have a feeling his show would be very different from other coaches’ TV shows. Most of these coach shows are highlights and positive vibes and basically total spin. Basically totally boring to watch, but as a fan you still watch anyway. I have a feeling Bill Carmody taking his “tell it like it is” approach on to TV would offer a different kind of show. A more interesting show. Carmody has never been one to spin a loss or sugarcoat bad play and I really respect him for that. The man is brutally honest even when it sometimes gets fans upset with him. Look at the firestorm on the message boards whenever he admits he’s not sure about something. The truth is every coach isn’t sure about things at times, but no one else is honest enough to say so.
Carmody’s also very funny with a very quick wit and would no doubt be entertaining to watch. In fact, I think Carmody’s wit would appeal strongly to the type of player NU wants to recruit. With NU recruiting smart kids, they should be the types that can see that most coaches’ shows are just infomercials for a team. Basically, a political ad with basketball highlights. I think a Bill Carmody’s honesty and frankness would standout to the type of recruits NU wants as an appealing characteristic for a potential head coach. Now, will NU give Carmody a show? I have no idea. But the other Big Ten basketball coaches have them and with NU putting together a production team for a show for Fitz, I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t use that same team to produce a show for Carmody.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Black Pants Curse? (I hope not, they look sharp)
Will the Wildcats have new football uniform which looks something like this?
If you’re a member of Northwestern fandom you’ve likely visited Hail to Purple, Spread Far the Fame, or the Wildcat Report message boards recently enough to know insiders say Northwestern has new football uniforms in the works. Those of you who read this blog regularly know I devoted a ton of space over the past summer to NU uniforms of all sports because, to be honest, I’m a fan of uniform history and, specifically, NU’s classic black uniform top. Now, the new rumored jersey does not feature a black top, but supposedly, at least as an option, has black pants. Therefore the basic outline of the jersey would look like the picture above, but the top would be more traditional. It would have block numbers and the Northwestern Stripes would return for the first time since 1996. That’s a good omen, I think.
What might be less of a good omen, what scares the superstitious fan in me, is the decision to potentially go to black pants. Now, I do think the purple jersey black pants look is actually pretty sharp. TCU uses it and I’m a fan of their play and their look. However, Northwestern’s recent history with black pants isn’t good. The black pants went out of the regular rotation at the end of the 2002 season. The same year NU’s black jerseys went out of the regular rotation. After the disaster that was 2002 it made sense for Randy Walker and the ‘Cats to want to try something different. What Coach Walk and the ‘Cats settled on was a purple jersey with purple pants combo for home games and a white jersey with white pants combo for road games. NU has worn the white jersey white pants combo on the road for every road game since the start of 2003 except for one game in 2004 at Minnesota. In that game the Wildcats wore black pants. The result involved Minnesota putting a whooping on the ‘Cats 43-17. The greatest indignity was Gopher Head Coach Glen Mason calling a halfback pass for a TD late in the 4th quarter. It makes me want throw rocks at my TV every time I see him smiling smugly on the Big Ten Network. The Wildcats haven’t worn black pants on the road since.
After the 2006 season NU ditched the all purple look to go with purple jerseys and white pants at home. I do like this look, but I don’t mind the visual of a purple jersey with black pants either. What I mind, however, is the results to the two times NU has tried this. In 2006 Northwestern hosted Ohio State. With NU out of bowl contention it was the Wildcats bowl game. Early in the week at a get together with fans at the Blue Stone Coach Fitz hinted the team would have a “new look”, Fitz didn’t say what the look would be, but it sounded like NU would wear new uniforms. In fact, NU wore old uniform pants. The Wildcats wore the 2000-2002 black pants with their regular purple tops. The uniforms looked good, but the players in them did not. Ohio State pounded NU 54-10.
The greatest disaster of the black pants era is perhaps the blackest day of all in the history of NU football, and that’s saying something. In 2007 the Wildcats hosted Duke at night in Evanston. Going for a different look for the season’s only night contest the Wildcats walked out of the tunnel with the same combo as the pervious year’s Ohio State game. Duke had lost 22 straight games at the time, but they didn’t lose that night. When CJ Bacher’s last pass fell in complete on 4th and goal, the Wildcats fell to 0-3 since 2002 in black pants.
Now, does this recent history of failure in black pants mean anything? No. NU actually beat Wisconsin and Minnesota in two outstanding games while wearing black pants in 2000. Also, while those black pants were the same design as what NU wore in the games mentioned above, next year’s well be different, perhaps with a purple stripe. Regardless of uniforms, I’m sure NU will be successful next year as I like where Coach Fitz has the program. If he asked my thoughts on the uniforms, I’d say if the players like the purple top with black pants idea, then I can get behind it. Personally, though, if NU is going back to black, I’d say lets go back to the black tops we wore when winning 3 Big Ten Titles in just 6 years.*
* For the record one rumor has NU getting black tops for a special occasion game. Perhaps a game at Wrigley Field in 2011 vs Michigan.
What might be less of a good omen, what scares the superstitious fan in me, is the decision to potentially go to black pants. Now, I do think the purple jersey black pants look is actually pretty sharp. TCU uses it and I’m a fan of their play and their look. However, Northwestern’s recent history with black pants isn’t good. The black pants went out of the regular rotation at the end of the 2002 season. The same year NU’s black jerseys went out of the regular rotation. After the disaster that was 2002 it made sense for Randy Walker and the ‘Cats to want to try something different. What Coach Walk and the ‘Cats settled on was a purple jersey with purple pants combo for home games and a white jersey with white pants combo for road games. NU has worn the white jersey white pants combo on the road for every road game since the start of 2003 except for one game in 2004 at Minnesota. In that game the Wildcats wore black pants. The result involved Minnesota putting a whooping on the ‘Cats 43-17. The greatest indignity was Gopher Head Coach Glen Mason calling a halfback pass for a TD late in the 4th quarter. It makes me want throw rocks at my TV every time I see him smiling smugly on the Big Ten Network. The Wildcats haven’t worn black pants on the road since.
After the 2006 season NU ditched the all purple look to go with purple jerseys and white pants at home. I do like this look, but I don’t mind the visual of a purple jersey with black pants either. What I mind, however, is the results to the two times NU has tried this. In 2006 Northwestern hosted Ohio State. With NU out of bowl contention it was the Wildcats bowl game. Early in the week at a get together with fans at the Blue Stone Coach Fitz hinted the team would have a “new look”, Fitz didn’t say what the look would be, but it sounded like NU would wear new uniforms. In fact, NU wore old uniform pants. The Wildcats wore the 2000-2002 black pants with their regular purple tops. The uniforms looked good, but the players in them did not. Ohio State pounded NU 54-10.
The greatest disaster of the black pants era is perhaps the blackest day of all in the history of NU football, and that’s saying something. In 2007 the Wildcats hosted Duke at night in Evanston. Going for a different look for the season’s only night contest the Wildcats walked out of the tunnel with the same combo as the pervious year’s Ohio State game. Duke had lost 22 straight games at the time, but they didn’t lose that night. When CJ Bacher’s last pass fell in complete on 4th and goal, the Wildcats fell to 0-3 since 2002 in black pants.
Now, does this recent history of failure in black pants mean anything? No. NU actually beat Wisconsin and Minnesota in two outstanding games while wearing black pants in 2000. Also, while those black pants were the same design as what NU wore in the games mentioned above, next year’s well be different, perhaps with a purple stripe. Regardless of uniforms, I’m sure NU will be successful next year as I like where Coach Fitz has the program. If he asked my thoughts on the uniforms, I’d say if the players like the purple top with black pants idea, then I can get behind it. Personally, though, if NU is going back to black, I’d say lets go back to the black tops we wore when winning 3 Big Ten Titles in just 6 years.*
* For the record one rumor has NU getting black tops for a special occasion game. Perhaps a game at Wrigley Field in 2011 vs Michigan.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Details on Football Season Ticket Holder Event Before Sunday’s Game
A lot of people don't seem to know about NU’s football season ticket holder event on Sunday so just going to post the e-mail sent to season ticket holders and do my part. Also, I want say something positive as I think the event is a good idea to lure football fans to Welsh-Ryan. Still, it seems like it should have been better promoted beyond just e-mails. I do like how Coach Fitz adds his name to the invite.
The Text of the e-mail reads:
Dean Wildcat Fans,
Thank you for your incredible support as a 2009 Wildcat Football Season Ticket Holder. We hope you can join us for the Fan Appreciation Party before the Wildcat Men's Basketball game on Sunday, December 13 from 2:30 pm - 4 pm in the N Club on the second floor of Welsh-Ryan Arena. Please let Tracie Hitz know if you plan to attend by sending an e-mail to t-hitz@northwestern.edu by Friday, December 11.
If you would like to stay for the Men's Basketball game that day at 4 p.m., you can either redeem in advance the complimentary basketball ticket coupon you received as part of the full football season ticket package, or you can purchase tickets for only $20 on the day of the game. Plus, it's Kids Come Free Day, so one paid ticket gets two kids in the 8th grade and under in FREE. There is no charge to attend the Fan Appreciation Party.
Go 'Cats!
Tracie Hitz and Coach Fitz
The Text of the e-mail reads:
Dean Wildcat Fans,
Thank you for your incredible support as a 2009 Wildcat Football Season Ticket Holder. We hope you can join us for the Fan Appreciation Party before the Wildcat Men's Basketball game on Sunday, December 13 from 2:30 pm - 4 pm in the N Club on the second floor of Welsh-Ryan Arena. Please let Tracie Hitz know if you plan to attend by sending an e-mail to t-hitz@northwestern.edu by Friday, December 11.
If you would like to stay for the Men's Basketball game that day at 4 p.m., you can either redeem in advance the complimentary basketball ticket coupon you received as part of the full football season ticket package, or you can purchase tickets for only $20 on the day of the game. Plus, it's Kids Come Free Day, so one paid ticket gets two kids in the 8th grade and under in FREE. There is no charge to attend the Fan Appreciation Party.
Go 'Cats!
Tracie Hitz and Coach Fitz
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Stupid Football, Injuries, and Some Decent Play by Michigan State Results in a Wildcat Loss
I was wrong. I predicated a Northwestern win and I predicted the ‘Cats offense would play well. To modify a quote from former NU coach Dennis Green, Northwestern is not the team I thought they were. The offensive line is terrible, the running backs aren’t that quick (though the offensive line makes them look way worse), the defense is a shell of its former self (mostly due to injuries), and the offensive playing lacks any imagination what so ever. Optimistic as I am, if NU doesn’t beat Indiana next week I don’t see them even getting to visit Detroit this winter.
The worst thing Northwestern does is just play stupid. They make dumb turnovers and get ridiculous penalties. At least Mike Kafka avoided interceptions today, but there were still several times when he could have made plays with his feet and instead tried to force a pass. He just got lucky they weren’t picked. I also am starting to think that while Kafka is very accurate in the short passing game he isn’t as comfortable over 15 yards as he missed several receivers for what might have been big gains. Now, overall I still think Kafka has played well and he certainly isn’t helped by the poor line play, but I’d still like to see more of Dan Persa, especially if NU doesn’t win next week. Kafka first year starter problems might be avoidable for Persa if he sees more time this year.
NU also cost itself big time with two fumbles. Jeravin Matthews dropping a kickoff and Drake Dunsmore fumbling away an NU drive which had momentum. The Dunsmore call was questionable as he looked as if his forward progress was stopped, but Matthews has no excuse. I could catch a short kickoff without a problem. Also, Matthews for some reason doesn’t look like he runs full speed on returns. I don’t get that. I also think NU was really lucky Hunter Bates got his fumble back, but I put the punt return problems on the fact nobody in that group apparently knows how to block.
At least the Wildcat defense played okay. They were put in a couple tough situations due to turnovers and injuries have sure hurt. MSU got their first TD because two reserve DBs didn’t make a makeable play. I’d like to think Phillips and Smith would have. Also, Corey Wotton is a shell of his former self. At this point I think he’s better not playing at all. All that can happen now is he can get hurt worse and completely ruin his NFL future. Finally, great as Sherrick McManis has been to date, he got toasted regularly today on play action. It reminded me of Iowa a few years back. Ugh.
On the positive side NU started basketball practice last night and I should probably write about that since that’s what this site is supposed to be about. Unfortunately, I’m too focused on NU’s massively under achieving football team right now. NU needs to beat Indiana next week to even consider a trip to the Motor City Bowl. I guess I hope Illinois wins tonight and IU is really down in the dumps, but who knows. It’s not as if NU will get any home crowd advantage, so maybe the psychological aspects aren’t even worth thinking about.
Congrats to Purdue for the win over OSU. I knew the Boilers were too good not to get some wins, but I didn’t really expect OSU to be their first victim. What that wins does show is the Big Ten is pretty even, but I’m not sure that helps NU’s bowl hopes unless the ‘Cats can actually scratch out 7 wins and not just 6.
It that possible? Sure, Purdue just beat OSU, but something needs to change on offense. Could Mick McCall be any less imaginative? One nice looking option to Matthews was as creative as McCall got today. McCall needs to use the zone read more and take some more chances downfield. If Kafka can’t throw those passes than Persa needs to get another chance. Once MSU started getting tight on the NU receivers and taking away the dinks the NU pass offense really suffered. Also, with the way teams pursue NU, a reverse more than once every three weeks might be nice. Finally, this isn’t a McCall issue, but his a Fitz team ever faked a punt. I think they’ve faked a FG, but I can’t remember a Fitz team faking a punt. Can anyone?
The worst thing Northwestern does is just play stupid. They make dumb turnovers and get ridiculous penalties. At least Mike Kafka avoided interceptions today, but there were still several times when he could have made plays with his feet and instead tried to force a pass. He just got lucky they weren’t picked. I also am starting to think that while Kafka is very accurate in the short passing game he isn’t as comfortable over 15 yards as he missed several receivers for what might have been big gains. Now, overall I still think Kafka has played well and he certainly isn’t helped by the poor line play, but I’d still like to see more of Dan Persa, especially if NU doesn’t win next week. Kafka first year starter problems might be avoidable for Persa if he sees more time this year.
NU also cost itself big time with two fumbles. Jeravin Matthews dropping a kickoff and Drake Dunsmore fumbling away an NU drive which had momentum. The Dunsmore call was questionable as he looked as if his forward progress was stopped, but Matthews has no excuse. I could catch a short kickoff without a problem. Also, Matthews for some reason doesn’t look like he runs full speed on returns. I don’t get that. I also think NU was really lucky Hunter Bates got his fumble back, but I put the punt return problems on the fact nobody in that group apparently knows how to block.
At least the Wildcat defense played okay. They were put in a couple tough situations due to turnovers and injuries have sure hurt. MSU got their first TD because two reserve DBs didn’t make a makeable play. I’d like to think Phillips and Smith would have. Also, Corey Wotton is a shell of his former self. At this point I think he’s better not playing at all. All that can happen now is he can get hurt worse and completely ruin his NFL future. Finally, great as Sherrick McManis has been to date, he got toasted regularly today on play action. It reminded me of Iowa a few years back. Ugh.
On the positive side NU started basketball practice last night and I should probably write about that since that’s what this site is supposed to be about. Unfortunately, I’m too focused on NU’s massively under achieving football team right now. NU needs to beat Indiana next week to even consider a trip to the Motor City Bowl. I guess I hope Illinois wins tonight and IU is really down in the dumps, but who knows. It’s not as if NU will get any home crowd advantage, so maybe the psychological aspects aren’t even worth thinking about.
Congrats to Purdue for the win over OSU. I knew the Boilers were too good not to get some wins, but I didn’t really expect OSU to be their first victim. What that wins does show is the Big Ten is pretty even, but I’m not sure that helps NU’s bowl hopes unless the ‘Cats can actually scratch out 7 wins and not just 6.
It that possible? Sure, Purdue just beat OSU, but something needs to change on offense. Could Mick McCall be any less imaginative? One nice looking option to Matthews was as creative as McCall got today. McCall needs to use the zone read more and take some more chances downfield. If Kafka can’t throw those passes than Persa needs to get another chance. Once MSU started getting tight on the NU receivers and taking away the dinks the NU pass offense really suffered. Also, with the way teams pursue NU, a reverse more than once every three weeks might be nice. Finally, this isn’t a McCall issue, but his a Fitz team ever faked a punt. I think they’ve faked a FG, but I can’t remember a Fitz team faking a punt. Can anyone?
Saturday, October 3, 2009
End of Q3 from Purdue: Can Fitz read digital clocks?
Pat Fitzgerald must have an analog clock in his office because he just took the strangest penalty I've ever seen. Let's see if NU can pick up their coach with a good 4th quater and get the team's first Big Ten win of the season.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
What Personal Changes Would Help Northwestern
I posted the following article at bleacherreport.com as well, but I think it’s worth a read for those who don’t frequent that site so I’m posting it here also.
Overall Northwestern has a talented football team and for the most part I think NU’s coaches have the right guys in place, but that doesn’t stop this interested observer from offering a few thoughts on where NU could improve itself.
First and foremost Arby Fields needs to play running back. I have all the respect in the world for Jacob Schmidt who has accomplished something 99.9% of the population probably couldn’t do in going from walk-on to starting tailback in the Big Ten. He’s also probably faster than 95% of the world’s population, however, the 5% he isn’t faster than play defense in division 1 football and right now Schmidt’s sub 4 yard a carry average is really hurting NU’s offensive balance. Playing Arby Fields might not be a total fix, but he is the back who will give NU the best chance to win.
The second personal change involves the kickoff return team. NU needs to find some guys who can block for this unit. Putting a bunch of receivers as up men isn’t working right now. Now, most teams would use fullbacks in that spot, but NU only has one real fullback, Mark Woodsum, and he is on the return team. Somehow, NU needs to find other guys who can block so their returners don’t get seriously hurt. Maybe linebackers who played fullback in high school could help get some blocking in front of Matthews or Brewer.
Third, NU needs to put starting defenders on the kick coverage team. I know this might not be the most popular suggestion, but many teams do this because the guys who start on defense are the fastest players who can also tackle. Although it looks like NU’s defense can’t tackle, they really can, and if they can cover kicks faster they’ll only help themselves by forcing opponents to travel a longer distance to the endzone.
Finally, Desmond Taylor needs to move back to tackle. The truth is Taylor was never the best tackle in the world, but he did a much better job at avoiding drive killing penalties and missed blocks than Kurt Mattes and Neal Deiters this year. Both Mattes and Deiters have struggled at the right tackle spot. I’m still hopeful Mattes can get back to form, but right now it looks like Taylor should start. If Taylor moves back to tackle either Keegan Grant or Patrick Ward will need to step up their play at guard, but with the way Minnesota’s defensive ends killed NU I think getting a stronger guy protecting the outside of the pocket is critical.
Overall Northwestern has a talented football team and for the most part I think NU’s coaches have the right guys in place, but that doesn’t stop this interested observer from offering a few thoughts on where NU could improve itself.
First and foremost Arby Fields needs to play running back. I have all the respect in the world for Jacob Schmidt who has accomplished something 99.9% of the population probably couldn’t do in going from walk-on to starting tailback in the Big Ten. He’s also probably faster than 95% of the world’s population, however, the 5% he isn’t faster than play defense in division 1 football and right now Schmidt’s sub 4 yard a carry average is really hurting NU’s offensive balance. Playing Arby Fields might not be a total fix, but he is the back who will give NU the best chance to win.
The second personal change involves the kickoff return team. NU needs to find some guys who can block for this unit. Putting a bunch of receivers as up men isn’t working right now. Now, most teams would use fullbacks in that spot, but NU only has one real fullback, Mark Woodsum, and he is on the return team. Somehow, NU needs to find other guys who can block so their returners don’t get seriously hurt. Maybe linebackers who played fullback in high school could help get some blocking in front of Matthews or Brewer.
Third, NU needs to put starting defenders on the kick coverage team. I know this might not be the most popular suggestion, but many teams do this because the guys who start on defense are the fastest players who can also tackle. Although it looks like NU’s defense can’t tackle, they really can, and if they can cover kicks faster they’ll only help themselves by forcing opponents to travel a longer distance to the endzone.
Finally, Desmond Taylor needs to move back to tackle. The truth is Taylor was never the best tackle in the world, but he did a much better job at avoiding drive killing penalties and missed blocks than Kurt Mattes and Neal Deiters this year. Both Mattes and Deiters have struggled at the right tackle spot. I’m still hopeful Mattes can get back to form, but right now it looks like Taylor should start. If Taylor moves back to tackle either Keegan Grant or Patrick Ward will need to step up their play at guard, but with the way Minnesota’s defensive ends killed NU I think getting a stronger guy protecting the outside of the pocket is critical.
Monday, August 17, 2009
So, It is Football Season...
As it is football season I want to offer some brief thoughts about the Big Ten this upcoming year. First off, I think this is a very important season for Northwestern. It is a chance to post a second consecutive winning season and get to a bowl game for the second year in a row. Considering that hasn’t happened in more than a decade, I think that is pretty significant. I also think Northwestern should be able to do that with relative ease. I know that doesn’t sound typical for a Northwestern fan, but when you play Towson, Eastern Michigan, Syracuse and Miami Ohio in non-conference games you should finish the non-Big Ten season 4-0. The only one of those games which worries me is Syracuse. Going to New York could be much tougher than hosting the Orange at home. However, I think it’s a lot to ask for Coach Doug Marrone to turn that program around in his first season. Especially if his quarterback turns out to be a guy who was shooting jump shots at Duke less than six months ago. NU’s other non-conference opponents also have new coaches and personnel in key spots and the ‘Cats should be 3-0 before the Big Ten and 4-0 in non-Big Ten regular season games.
Despite the usual rips in the national media, the Big Ten might be a little tougher this year than last. NU misses Michigan which, funny as it sounds, is a major disadvantage in the Big Ten race. The Maize and Blue might be a little better in year two under Rich Rod, but they aren’t going go from three wins to nine or ten. NU also misses Ohio State which is obviously a plus. NU hasn’t played well against the Buckeyes since upsetting them in 2004. Therefore, it is probably just as well that NU avoids them in this critical year. Obviously the best team in the Big Ten is Penn State. They have Darryl Clark back at QB and Evan Royster back at running back. At least NU gets them at home. Other teams people are considering for the top of the Big Ten include Iowa and Michigan State. Personally, I think Iowa and Michigan State have talent similar to Northwestern. Why MSU gets lots of preseason pup when they also have to replace their starting QB and RB is beyond me. Heck, NU actually has a QB and RB stepping in who have started games. MSU doesn’t even know who their QB is right now. Iowa’s positive hype comes from the QB position as Ricky Stanzi earned the job and is expected to do big things. To do so, though, he’ll need running back Jewel Hampton to have a year similar to departed back Shon Green. If Northwestern is going to beat MSU and Iowa, which are both road games, it’ll be because NU has a better defense than those squads. Iowa losses two all-world defensive tackles while NU returns with one of the top D-Lines in the Big Ten. Michigan State is a team who has good defensive players, but other than perhaps linebacker, I think NU is stronger on that side of the ball. NU’s secondary has been rightly ranked at the top of the league by most publications.
As far as the rest of the Big Ten, I think Indiana and Purdue need some work. Indiana is probably better because they have a decent defense, but they’ll need a big year from QB Ben Chappell if they want to finish higher than ninth. Two other teams which NU needs to be ready for are Illinois and Minnesota. Both have a ton of offensive weapons, but both underachieved last year. Minnesota turned a 7-1 start into a 7-6 finish and Illinois went from 9 wins and the Rose Bowl to 5 wins and no bowl. What’ll happen to those teams this year? I think Illinois will turn things around somewhat. I expect to at least see the Illini in a bowl. Minnesota I think is probably about as good as they were last year. Whether they make a bowl (or what type of bowl) will depend on their games against the teams in the middle to upper-middle tier of the Big Ten. Northwestern is one of those teams and I know Minnesota wants revenge for the past two years.
The only Big Ten team I haven’t at least mentioned briefly is Wisconsin. With do respect to the Badgers, I’m a little disappointed to see them at the end of our schedule instead of Illinois. NU football doesn’t have any trophy games except Illinois and I liked that it was played the last week of the season for the past decade. That said, Wisconsin and NU have played some great games with each side winning their share of nail bitters in the years since Gary Barnett took over NU in 1992 (remember that ’92 game, Badger fans). So what can we expect for the NU-Wisconsin game this year. Well, like NU Wisconsin is a team which is somewhat in transition. Again, though, NU seems more stable. Wisconsin has a wide open QB situation and their defense didn’t exactly dominate in last year’s 7-6 season. Still they do have RB John Clay and he’s got to be good enough for 3 or 4 wins alone. How many more can the Badger get? Well, I wouldn’t be surprised to see both them and the Wildcats with around 7 total victories and battling each other for an upper-level bowl when the teams meet in Evanston this November.
Despite the usual rips in the national media, the Big Ten might be a little tougher this year than last. NU misses Michigan which, funny as it sounds, is a major disadvantage in the Big Ten race. The Maize and Blue might be a little better in year two under Rich Rod, but they aren’t going go from three wins to nine or ten. NU also misses Ohio State which is obviously a plus. NU hasn’t played well against the Buckeyes since upsetting them in 2004. Therefore, it is probably just as well that NU avoids them in this critical year. Obviously the best team in the Big Ten is Penn State. They have Darryl Clark back at QB and Evan Royster back at running back. At least NU gets them at home. Other teams people are considering for the top of the Big Ten include Iowa and Michigan State. Personally, I think Iowa and Michigan State have talent similar to Northwestern. Why MSU gets lots of preseason pup when they also have to replace their starting QB and RB is beyond me. Heck, NU actually has a QB and RB stepping in who have started games. MSU doesn’t even know who their QB is right now. Iowa’s positive hype comes from the QB position as Ricky Stanzi earned the job and is expected to do big things. To do so, though, he’ll need running back Jewel Hampton to have a year similar to departed back Shon Green. If Northwestern is going to beat MSU and Iowa, which are both road games, it’ll be because NU has a better defense than those squads. Iowa losses two all-world defensive tackles while NU returns with one of the top D-Lines in the Big Ten. Michigan State is a team who has good defensive players, but other than perhaps linebacker, I think NU is stronger on that side of the ball. NU’s secondary has been rightly ranked at the top of the league by most publications.
As far as the rest of the Big Ten, I think Indiana and Purdue need some work. Indiana is probably better because they have a decent defense, but they’ll need a big year from QB Ben Chappell if they want to finish higher than ninth. Two other teams which NU needs to be ready for are Illinois and Minnesota. Both have a ton of offensive weapons, but both underachieved last year. Minnesota turned a 7-1 start into a 7-6 finish and Illinois went from 9 wins and the Rose Bowl to 5 wins and no bowl. What’ll happen to those teams this year? I think Illinois will turn things around somewhat. I expect to at least see the Illini in a bowl. Minnesota I think is probably about as good as they were last year. Whether they make a bowl (or what type of bowl) will depend on their games against the teams in the middle to upper-middle tier of the Big Ten. Northwestern is one of those teams and I know Minnesota wants revenge for the past two years.
The only Big Ten team I haven’t at least mentioned briefly is Wisconsin. With do respect to the Badgers, I’m a little disappointed to see them at the end of our schedule instead of Illinois. NU football doesn’t have any trophy games except Illinois and I liked that it was played the last week of the season for the past decade. That said, Wisconsin and NU have played some great games with each side winning their share of nail bitters in the years since Gary Barnett took over NU in 1992 (remember that ’92 game, Badger fans). So what can we expect for the NU-Wisconsin game this year. Well, like NU Wisconsin is a team which is somewhat in transition. Again, though, NU seems more stable. Wisconsin has a wide open QB situation and their defense didn’t exactly dominate in last year’s 7-6 season. Still they do have RB John Clay and he’s got to be good enough for 3 or 4 wins alone. How many more can the Badger get? Well, I wouldn’t be surprised to see both them and the Wildcats with around 7 total victories and battling each other for an upper-level bowl when the teams meet in Evanston this November.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Wildcats Have Something to Prove in Both Football and Basketball (And They Will Prove It)
For very different reasons both Northwestern’s football team and men’s basketball team have a lot to prove in their upcoming seasons. Both had what I would call successful seasons last year, but many doubters remain. The sense I get inside the Northwestern community is that Wildcat Nation stands in direct opposition to those who doubt the gridiron ‘Cats. We expect Coach Fitz’s crew to ride a strong defense and Mike Kafka’s legs to a minimum of 8 wins. At the same time, though, Wildcat Nation is much more divided in its expectations for Coach Carmody’s basketball Wildcats. The optimistic Wildcat hoops fans are still cautious in their optimism, but they fully expect last season’s win total of 17 to increase into the 20s and perhaps place the ‘Cats in the NCAA tournament. The less optimistic feel that Bill Carmody simply doesn’t have what it takes to get Northwestern into the NCAA tournament and will likely be looking for work when his contract runs out.
While it might be frustrating to some to hear negative comments about the team we support, I think it is important to remember that those comments bother us far more than the players or coaches. The players and coaches either don’t bother to read the negatives written in magazines, newspapers, and internet sites or they use them as motivation. One of the most powerful forms of motivation is the desire to prove that you can accomplish a feat which others think you have no chance to accomplish.
I believe both Northwestern teams will use this form of motivation and excel in the coming seasons. I’ve already heard the NU receiving core has responded to the fact nearly every preseason publication has ranked them at the bottom of the Big Ten by introducing themselves during media day by saying, “I’m nobody.” What they really mean is they’re nobody yet, but Andrew Brewer, Sidney Stewart, and Jeremy Ebert have confidence that by November everybody will know their names.
Really, with the fact NU loses so many skill positions players I can almost understand why some prognosticators aren’t picking NU as high as I think maybe they should. What is upsetting is those prognosticators who predict Northwestern to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten just because it is Northwestern. The past is the past, people need to look at the now. Fitz hasn’t yet won a Big Ten Title as a coach (just wait and maybe not too long), but he’s got the program in great shape. I seriously doubt we’ll ever see any total disaster years at NU with him running the show.
Basketball wise, I again ask people to evaluate in the now, not the past. Yes, NU basketball has a horrible history. Way worse than NU football (expect for that 1931 National Title which I’m still hoping NU’s AD will take note of), but last year was a very successful season for NU. Yes, it at times had the feel of a rollercoaster with some amazing highs and remarkable lows, but it was still a winning season. NU’s players (and coaches) both had some of the best performances I’ve seen from those associated with Wildcat hoops. Off that winning season NU brings back its best player in Kevin Coble and a great team leader in Juice Thompson. The Wildcats also bring in their second consecutive high-level recurring class. There is no reason not to believe such a team will improve over the previous season. If the recruits and the sophomores really step it up to help Coble and Juice they might even improve a lot. If NU’s basketball players do hear the doubters out there, I hope they take a lesson for NU’s football squad and embrace the doubt with the quiet confidence that comes with knowing you will be successful no matter what others say.
Simply put, right now Northwestern has the chance to prove the doubters wrong and put together very successful seasons in football and men’s basketball that prove to be jumping off points for sustained success. And I say to those fans who can’t get over NU’s past struggles, get out of the past. The Wildcats of today can beat anybody. Welcome to the future.
While it might be frustrating to some to hear negative comments about the team we support, I think it is important to remember that those comments bother us far more than the players or coaches. The players and coaches either don’t bother to read the negatives written in magazines, newspapers, and internet sites or they use them as motivation. One of the most powerful forms of motivation is the desire to prove that you can accomplish a feat which others think you have no chance to accomplish.
I believe both Northwestern teams will use this form of motivation and excel in the coming seasons. I’ve already heard the NU receiving core has responded to the fact nearly every preseason publication has ranked them at the bottom of the Big Ten by introducing themselves during media day by saying, “I’m nobody.” What they really mean is they’re nobody yet, but Andrew Brewer, Sidney Stewart, and Jeremy Ebert have confidence that by November everybody will know their names.
Really, with the fact NU loses so many skill positions players I can almost understand why some prognosticators aren’t picking NU as high as I think maybe they should. What is upsetting is those prognosticators who predict Northwestern to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten just because it is Northwestern. The past is the past, people need to look at the now. Fitz hasn’t yet won a Big Ten Title as a coach (just wait and maybe not too long), but he’s got the program in great shape. I seriously doubt we’ll ever see any total disaster years at NU with him running the show.
Basketball wise, I again ask people to evaluate in the now, not the past. Yes, NU basketball has a horrible history. Way worse than NU football (expect for that 1931 National Title which I’m still hoping NU’s AD will take note of), but last year was a very successful season for NU. Yes, it at times had the feel of a rollercoaster with some amazing highs and remarkable lows, but it was still a winning season. NU’s players (and coaches) both had some of the best performances I’ve seen from those associated with Wildcat hoops. Off that winning season NU brings back its best player in Kevin Coble and a great team leader in Juice Thompson. The Wildcats also bring in their second consecutive high-level recurring class. There is no reason not to believe such a team will improve over the previous season. If the recruits and the sophomores really step it up to help Coble and Juice they might even improve a lot. If NU’s basketball players do hear the doubters out there, I hope they take a lesson for NU’s football squad and embrace the doubt with the quiet confidence that comes with knowing you will be successful no matter what others say.
Simply put, right now Northwestern has the chance to prove the doubters wrong and put together very successful seasons in football and men’s basketball that prove to be jumping off points for sustained success. And I say to those fans who can’t get over NU’s past struggles, get out of the past. The Wildcats of today can beat anybody. Welcome to the future.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Changing the Perception of NU Hoops
Football season is very much on the horizon with only 26 days till kickoff and basketball season is actually less than 100 days away. What potentially makes these upcoming seasons very special is both NU football and Men’s and Women’s Basketball have the potential to have big years. One fact which has been somewhat under publicized is that last year both NU’s football and Men’s Basketball team made the postseason in the same year for the first time. Though this fact might make some think of NU’s poor athletic history, I see this as a signal that NU’s major sports are moving forward. I bring this up because several articles about NU sports have been published recently. Skip Myslenski wrote an article for NUsports.com about the changing perception of NU football and an article (linked below) appeared on rivals.com about NU basketball. Obviously, NU’s football program probably has gone a longer way towards changing the perception of Northwestern sports. Certainly there is work yet to be done, and I think certain fans will never change their beliefs. Still, Northwestern’s 24-24 football record since 2003 is solidly in the middle of the Big Ten. Basketball wise, though, NU hasn’t been as successful, but NU did make strong progress from 2002-06 and last year. What Northwestern hasn’t done in hoops, though, is consistently make the postseason. Although I’m as disappointed as anyone at NU’s consistent Bowl losses, NU has made bowl games in 2003, 2005, and 2008. The ‘Cats also should have made bowls in 2004 and 2007. Those might not be Florida numbers, but they aren’t half bad compared to where NU has been in past and where half the Big Ten has been since 2003. If NU makes a bowl this year and wins I think it’ll really change on fans see Northwestern football.
The question, though, is what needs to happen for the perception of NU basketball to change. The easy answer is to make the NCAA Tournament, and that would help, but I think even more needs to happen. Many football fans still think NU had “one good year” that’s why the Wildcats need a bowl win. Therefore, I don’t think just making the NCAA Tournament once would be enough to change how people see NU hoops. A run to the NCAAs would be a great moment for NU sports. Depending how it happens, it might even be bigger than the Rose Bowl, but it wouldn’t swing people’s view of NU basketball as dramatically as we might hope.
The first thing that needs to happen for people to change how they see NU hoops is for the team to consistently make a tournament. It doesn’t have to always be the NCAAs, but finishing consistently above .500 and beating teams in the Big Ten will force other fans to take notice as the Wildcats beat their teams. NU having winning records over more than half of the Big Ten since 1995 is part of what has slowly changed football’s perception.
Another key fact that will help make the perception of NU basketball change is for NU to produce notable star players. I think guys like Fitz, Zak Kustok, Damian Anderson, and Jason Wright really helped non-NU fans take notice of NU football. When a guy wins big awards or puts up historic numbers fans can’t help but want to watch him play. When they see that guy is surrounded by some pretty talented teammates, they gain even more respect for the program that player is part of. I think NU basketball is moving in this direction with Kevin Coble. I also think there is great potential for even more of that with a potentially amazing recruiting class coming to NU in 2011.
A third key way for the perception of NU basketball to change is for NU hoops to be on ESPN or CBS more than once or twice a season. I love the Big Ten Network, but getting on ESPN and ABC was one of the biggest moments of change for NU football. The 1995 Penn State game wasn’t just critical because NU beat Penn State, it was critical because Keith Jackson and ABC sports showed up to broadcast it. ESPN/ABC is still the network which true sports fans watch and has the experts which the most fans respect. If you’re on ESPN and ESPN’s talking heads talk about you, you get the respect of most fans. I am optimistic that after last year’s season NU will appear on ESPN and CBS more this year.
There are probably fifty more things which I could list here, but I want to conclude with one more which I see as critical. That is for Northwestern itself to promote the team. Though many fans started to give NU football the respect it deserved under Gary Barnett and Randy Walker, it seems even more opposing fans are starting to admire NU thanks to Pat Fitzgerald’s ubiquitous presence in the media. I know some people will say media appearances aren’t Bill Carmody’s thing, but I disagree. Carmody actually is a pretty good interview. He’s funny, personable, and more honest than any other coach. He is also, despite what some say, a very good coach who is well respected by the basketball community. Given the chance Carmody could win over just as many fans as Fitz, but I don’t see him making as nearly as many appearances on radio and TV. If he doesn’t want to do so, well, then that’s tough. Somebody has to make him. Not only will it help promote the program, but it might also eliminate another of NU’s negative perceptions—empty seats.
The question, though, is what needs to happen for the perception of NU basketball to change. The easy answer is to make the NCAA Tournament, and that would help, but I think even more needs to happen. Many football fans still think NU had “one good year” that’s why the Wildcats need a bowl win. Therefore, I don’t think just making the NCAA Tournament once would be enough to change how people see NU hoops. A run to the NCAAs would be a great moment for NU sports. Depending how it happens, it might even be bigger than the Rose Bowl, but it wouldn’t swing people’s view of NU basketball as dramatically as we might hope.
The first thing that needs to happen for people to change how they see NU hoops is for the team to consistently make a tournament. It doesn’t have to always be the NCAAs, but finishing consistently above .500 and beating teams in the Big Ten will force other fans to take notice as the Wildcats beat their teams. NU having winning records over more than half of the Big Ten since 1995 is part of what has slowly changed football’s perception.
Another key fact that will help make the perception of NU basketball change is for NU to produce notable star players. I think guys like Fitz, Zak Kustok, Damian Anderson, and Jason Wright really helped non-NU fans take notice of NU football. When a guy wins big awards or puts up historic numbers fans can’t help but want to watch him play. When they see that guy is surrounded by some pretty talented teammates, they gain even more respect for the program that player is part of. I think NU basketball is moving in this direction with Kevin Coble. I also think there is great potential for even more of that with a potentially amazing recruiting class coming to NU in 2011.
A third key way for the perception of NU basketball to change is for NU hoops to be on ESPN or CBS more than once or twice a season. I love the Big Ten Network, but getting on ESPN and ABC was one of the biggest moments of change for NU football. The 1995 Penn State game wasn’t just critical because NU beat Penn State, it was critical because Keith Jackson and ABC sports showed up to broadcast it. ESPN/ABC is still the network which true sports fans watch and has the experts which the most fans respect. If you’re on ESPN and ESPN’s talking heads talk about you, you get the respect of most fans. I am optimistic that after last year’s season NU will appear on ESPN and CBS more this year.
There are probably fifty more things which I could list here, but I want to conclude with one more which I see as critical. That is for Northwestern itself to promote the team. Though many fans started to give NU football the respect it deserved under Gary Barnett and Randy Walker, it seems even more opposing fans are starting to admire NU thanks to Pat Fitzgerald’s ubiquitous presence in the media. I know some people will say media appearances aren’t Bill Carmody’s thing, but I disagree. Carmody actually is a pretty good interview. He’s funny, personable, and more honest than any other coach. He is also, despite what some say, a very good coach who is well respected by the basketball community. Given the chance Carmody could win over just as many fans as Fitz, but I don’t see him making as nearly as many appearances on radio and TV. If he doesn’t want to do so, well, then that’s tough. Somebody has to make him. Not only will it help promote the program, but it might also eliminate another of NU’s negative perceptions—empty seats.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Some Thoughts on NU Playing Football at Wrigley Field
The idea of Northwestern playing a football game at Wrigley Field has been a topic since athletic director Jim Phillips floated the idea last fall. Today the Chicago Tribune mentioned that issues regarding player safety and financing need to be resolved before the game becomes a reality. Illinois football coach Ron Zook stated this morning that he was supportive of the idea. My response to that is of course Zook likes the idea, if the game is an NU home game Zook gets the best of both worlds. He gets to play in Chicago where Illinois has a ton of fans, but he doesn’t lose a home game himself. To be honest, I am strongly supportive of NU playing one game at Wrigley Field, but I am strongly opposed to making the Illini the opponent. The reason for my opposition to playing Illinois is more or less the fact that I do think the move would work strongly in their favor. Illinois has more fans in Chicago than any other Big Ten team. Yes, they don’t always show up for games at Ryan Field, but without a doubt a legion of Illini fans would show up for the contest at Wrigley. That would turn the contest into an Illinois home game despite the fact that it was Northwestern who gave up a game in their own home stadium to play a novelty game. Also, I want to point out that right now NU’s 2010 schedule actually only features five home games. Yes, NU only has 11 scheduled games so odds are that the 12th game will be played at home, but playing Illinois means that NU would basically play only 5 home games in 2010. That would put NU at a huge competitive disadvantage compared to the rest of the Big Ten and all BCS conference football teams.
As far as I can tell, the goal Jim Phillips has for a Wrigley Field game is to get some fans to take notice of the Northwestern program and then travel to Ryan Field for a game. That could happen. If folks who haven’t ever been to an NU game do travel to Ryan Field I think they would be pleased with the experience. However, if the opponent for the game at Wrigley is Illinois then the effort to achieve this goal is meaningless. Illinois vs Northwestern will sell out at Wrigley, that’s a guarantee you can’t make with another opponent. The problem is that all 40,000 fans will be either NU fans that come to home games at Ryan Field anyway or Illini fans who aren’t going to magically become NU fans just because of a game played at Wrigley. If Northwestern plays a non-conference opponent, such as Rice in 2011, the fact is attendance will likely be lower. I do not, however, think it will be dramatically lower. Some Chicago sports fans will attend the game for the curiosity of seeing football at Wrigley Field. These are the types of fans that I believe Northwestern needs to lure to Evanston. NU can use such a game to market their program to these people by giving them season ticket information. I really believe there are enough sports fans in Chicago to increase the regular attendance at Ryan Field. People just need to realize how great an entertainment value Northwestern football has compared with many of Chicago’s pro sports. If people realize this I believe attendance can increase. However, Illinois fans aren’t going to lineup to buy Wildcat season tickets no matter where a game is played. If we’re going to play at Wrigley, let’s play a team that allows casual Chicago sports fans to attend the game and fall in love with the play of Coach Fitz’s Wildcats.
As far as I can tell, the goal Jim Phillips has for a Wrigley Field game is to get some fans to take notice of the Northwestern program and then travel to Ryan Field for a game. That could happen. If folks who haven’t ever been to an NU game do travel to Ryan Field I think they would be pleased with the experience. However, if the opponent for the game at Wrigley is Illinois then the effort to achieve this goal is meaningless. Illinois vs Northwestern will sell out at Wrigley, that’s a guarantee you can’t make with another opponent. The problem is that all 40,000 fans will be either NU fans that come to home games at Ryan Field anyway or Illini fans who aren’t going to magically become NU fans just because of a game played at Wrigley. If Northwestern plays a non-conference opponent, such as Rice in 2011, the fact is attendance will likely be lower. I do not, however, think it will be dramatically lower. Some Chicago sports fans will attend the game for the curiosity of seeing football at Wrigley Field. These are the types of fans that I believe Northwestern needs to lure to Evanston. NU can use such a game to market their program to these people by giving them season ticket information. I really believe there are enough sports fans in Chicago to increase the regular attendance at Ryan Field. People just need to realize how great an entertainment value Northwestern football has compared with many of Chicago’s pro sports. If people realize this I believe attendance can increase. However, Illinois fans aren’t going to lineup to buy Wildcat season tickets no matter where a game is played. If we’re going to play at Wrigley, let’s play a team that allows casual Chicago sports fans to attend the game and fall in love with the play of Coach Fitz’s Wildcats.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Pat Fitzgerald, College Football Hall of Famer
I want to take today to congratulate NU football coach Pat Fitzgerald of his induction to the College Football Hall of Fame. This is a great honor for Fitzgerald and for Northwestern. Fitzgerald’s induction is also a great chance for people to remember one of the greatest seasons in the history of college football. It is amazing to me that more football historians do not spend more time talking about Northwestern’s 1995 season when discussing college football history. What Gary Barnett did in turning around Northwestern’s program that season was amazing and Fitz was without a doubt the leader of that squad. The honor of induction into the College Football Hall of Fame is well deserved for Fitz and I hope for some of those who attended the ceremony from other schools that it served to educate them about just how good Fitz was and how remarkable the accomplishments of him, his teammates, and coaches truly were. Perhaps even more impressive, I think Coach Fitz is well on his way to accomplishing even more great feats for Northwestern, this time as a coach. Someday, he might even find himself deserving another ceremony as a Hall of Fame inductee for his efforts as NU’s head coach.
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