{"id":1443,"date":"2019-12-01T19:47:13","date_gmt":"2019-12-02T01:47:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/?p=1443"},"modified":"2019-12-01T19:47:13","modified_gmt":"2019-12-02T01:47:13","slug":"roys-ramble-12-1-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/roys-ramble-12-1-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Roy&#8217;s Ramble (12-1-19)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Roys-Ramble-11-24-19v7.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Roys-Ramble-11-24-19v7.png 800w, https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Roys-Ramble-11-24-19v7-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Roys-Ramble-11-24-19v7-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Roys-Ramble-11-24-19v7-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Thanksgiving<\/strong>\u2014I was very appreciative of being able to spend the day with my parents, my sister Sharon and Kayla Bradham and her children.\u00a0 It was great to host them all and be able to share a full evening together.\u00a0 It was also great to have some time with my kids over the weekend and hear about my daughter\u2019s first semester in college at Madison. We were also able to share in the celebration of the Badgers clinching a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game against Ohio State and we will be looking for a much better performance than the game in Columbus in October.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most importantly, I am thankful for all of the good things in my life.\u00a0 A place to live, plenty of food, plenty of clothes and many friends and family to share happy occasions with.\u00a0 I hope to continue to do a lot of work with the Sports Philanthropy Network to help many organizations make positive impact in their communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2019-11-28-17.49.25-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1445\" srcset=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2019-11-28-17.49.25-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2019-11-28-17.49.25-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2019-11-28-17.49.25-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2019-11-28-17.49.25-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"756\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/20191130_180103.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1449\" data-link=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/?attachment_id=1449\" class=\"wp-image-1449\"\/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dean Smith Letters<\/strong>\u2014These are some amazing\nletters that I found online.&nbsp; They were\nwritten from legendary North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith to a young\nbasketball player named Michael Jordan.&nbsp; You\ncan see the attention to detail Smith has and the eye for the game.&nbsp; What I also found interesting in these\nletters is the fact that you can see how they impacted Michael\u2019s game at the NBA\nlevel.&nbsp; It would be very interesting to\nsee other letters from Dean Smith or other coaches in terms of how they want to\nsee their players improving in the off-season (and then looking back on these\nletters after a player becomes a star).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2019-12-01-08.00.07.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1446\" data-link=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/?attachment_id=1446\" class=\"wp-image-1446\"\/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2019-12-01-08.00.14.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1447\" data-link=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/?attachment_id=1447\" class=\"wp-image-1447\"\/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Nick Saban<\/strong>\u2014Alabama losing 2 regular season games is almost unheard of.\u00a0 The loss yesterday really had to sting because Alabama mostly controlled the game.\u00a0\u00a0 The first pick-6 was relatively normal, but the second one was a horrendous throw and an enormous turning point in the game.\u00a0 Instead of an 8-point Alabama lead it turned into a 100 yard INT return for Auburn.\u00a0 But the lasting image of the game will Nick Saban\u2019s tirade at the extra time added at the end of the first half.\u00a0 By all rights, Saban is 100% correct.\u00a0 There is no way that the clock should have been stopped or that Auburn should have been given time to kick that FG (which was ultimately the difference in the game).\u00a0 The second dispute at the end of the game seems different to me. Auburn pulled off a good trick play and Alabama got caught with too many players on the field allowing Auburn to run out the clock. As in any close game, there are so many individual plays that can make the difference.\u00a0 Besides the two big disputes, you have a relatively short missed FG and a defense that was clearly not up to Alabama\u2019s recent standards. Still, it is hard to see how so many Tide fans are calling for Saban\u2019s head.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/fire-saban-bama-fans-be-careful-what-you-wish-for\/\">As I wrote recently, be careful what you wish for Alabama Fans<\/a>.\u00a0 You might not make the playoff this year, but I would not bet against Saban next season (and if I were one of his assistant coaches, I would not plan on much sleep).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Hedges<\/strong>\u2014There were some <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2019\/12\/01\/auburn-fan-engulfed-by-hedge-rushing-field-after-iron-bowl-win\/\">very funny images of people trying to get through the hedges at Auburn after the win<\/a>.\u00a0 It would seem that if you were a fan at Auburn you might have a better game plan of how to get on the field after a big win.\u00a0 Surprisingly, Alabama is 0-7 at Auburn when both teams are ranked.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jim Harbaugh Press Conference<\/strong>\u2014After becoming the first Michigan coach to be 0-5 against Ohio State, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/ncaaf\/bigten\/2019\/11\/30\/michigan-football-jim-harbaugh-ohio-state-loss\/4344306002\/?utm_source=feedblitz&amp;utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&amp;utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories\">Harbaugh was obviously quite testy at his press conference<\/a>.\u00a0 It might not have risen to the level of contentiousness as Mike Leach does at Washington State, Harbaugh was clearly irritated by questions of what Ohio State did better.\u00a0 It is going to be very interesting to see where Michigan is slotted for a bowl game and how the sentiment around Ann Arbor in the off-season will impact the Harbaugh era.\u00a0 Many Michigan alums were unhappy going in to the season and Michigan lost to the three best teams they played (Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State).\u00a0 They were not even close against Ohio State or Wisconsin and needed a huge comeback against Penn State to get within striking range, a comeback which appeared to be the turning point for Michigan to play well for the second half of the season.\u00a0 While Harbaugh has made Michigan more competitive than the last two coaches (Hoke, Rodriguez), he hasn\u2019t been able to get over the hump in the way that many expected.\u00a0 This will be an interesting story to watch in the off-season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>8-Team Playoff<\/strong>\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/why-an-8-team-playoff-will-save-college-football\/\">I recently wrote why I think the 8-team playoff will save college football<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0 The enormous pressure on coaches is just another reason.\u00a0 With only 4 teams making that playoff, there is virtually no margin for error for any team not named Alabama, Clemson or Ohio State.\u00a0 You look at Championship Weekend and there are very few teams that can really improve their spot and only a couple (Georgia, Utah, Oklahoma and maybe Baylor) that can likely play their way in.\u00a0 By contrast, an 8-team playoff would still have a lot of room for movement not only into the field but also into the matchups and into the home-field advantage.\u00a0 What would be better than seeing and SEC team travel to the Midwest for a game in a snowstorm?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Coaching changes<\/strong>\u2014One of the things that I hate\nmost about this time of year (and also Black Monday after the NFL season), is\nseeing all of the coaches who lose their jobs. These guys gave their hearts and\nsouls to the programs that they are working for.&nbsp; Clearly it is a business and they all\nunderstand that it is part of the profession, but too many of us fans fail to\nrecognize the impact these decisions have on all of the family members,\nespecially the children uprooted to new schools or faced with abusive attacks\non their parent in the media and on social media.&nbsp;&nbsp; It was refreshing to see the positive press\nrelease Northwestern put out after the decision to move on from Mick McCall as\noffensive coordinator after a truly dreadful offensive season, one which ironically\nended up with their best offensive performance of the year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Josh Shaw betting<\/strong>\u2014The NFL doesn\u2019t play games when it finds out that one of its players has been gambling on NFL games.\u00a0 Josh Shaw was a backup player on injured reserve <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nfl.com\/news\/story\/0ap3000001081850\/article\/cardinals-cb-josh-shaw-suspended-indefinitely-for-betting\">who laid some action at a Vegas casino<\/a>, supposedly due to his misinterpretation of the rules.  Though he did cooperate fully, he is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/sports\/2019\/11\/29\/cardinals-josh-shaw-suspended-through-betting-nfl-games\/\">suspended through 2020<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0 According to the NFL\u2019s own language it would appear to prohibit fantasy football but you frequently hear players referencing their fantasy teams.\u00a0 Maybe they are all just playing for fun. \ud83d\ude0a   Here are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nfl\/news\/who-is-josh-shaw-six-things-to-know-about-cardinals-player-suspended-from-nfl-for-betting\/\">six other things you might not know about Shaw<\/a>, including the fact that he fabricated a story while at USC about leaping off a balcony to save his drowning nephew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Medical Independence<\/strong>\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/espn\/otl\/story\/_\/id\/28116817\/documents-claims-bring-ncaa-medical-care-issues-question\">One disturbing story this past week was about the lack of medical independence on many college campuses<\/a>.\u00a0 According to NCAA regulations, the sport coaches are not supposed to be in charge of the hiring and firing of medical personnel for their programs.\u00a0 \u00a0Unfortunately, it has become apparent that there are still way too many coaches who control this aspect of their programs leading to enormous conflicts of interest and unreasonable pressure on the athletic trainers and other medical personnel.  The NCAA itself has provisions for dealing with this situation but it appears that they are rarely enforced or even investigated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arena Football Bankruptcy<\/strong>\u2014The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/story\/_\/id\/28178485\/arena-football-league-files-bankruptcy\">Arena Football League filed for bankruptcy this week<\/a>.\u00a0 The league has had many lives and there is no reason to believe that it is gone for good.\u00a0 There is always a huge appetite for football, but one important element of the league may be replaced by the XFL.\u00a0 The development aspect of arena football is limited because too many NFL positions really do not have equivalent positions in arena.\u00a0 The XFL will be a better developmental mode but the desire to see football is likely to create another desire to resurrect this league.\u00a0 Its biggest obstacle is likely to be the concussion crisis since players are going to be increasingly reluctant to sacrifice their brains and bodies for the meager financial rewards of arena football, especially if it is not a true developmental option for the NFL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>If you didn\u2019t have a chance to see some of the other things I have been involved with or written recently, take a look here<\/em><\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/sportsphilanthropynetwork.com\/sports-philanthropy-newsstand-november-29-2019\/\">Sports Philanthropy Newsstand, November 29, 2019<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/why-an-8-team-playoff-will-save-college-football\/\">Why an 8 Team Playoff Will Save College Football<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/plenty-of-blame-to-go-around-in-kaepernick-and-nfl-fiasco\/\">Plenty of Blame to Go Around in NFL\/Kaepernick Fiasco<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/fire-saban-bama-fans-be-careful-what-you-wish-for\/\">FIRE SABAN!! Be Careful What You Wish For \u2018Bama Fans<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/second-guessing-play-calls-is-like-second-guessing-rock-paper-scissors\/\">Why Second Guessing Playcalling is Like Second Guessing Rock, Paper, Scissors<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/roys-ramble-11-22-19\/\">Roy&#8217;s Ramble, November 22, 2019<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/roys-ramble-november-15-2019\/\">Roy\u2019s Ramble, November 15, 2019<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/roys-ramble-november-8-2019\/\">Roy\u2019s Ramble, November 8, 2019<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>HUMOR FOR THE WEEK<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"1013\" src=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2019-11-28-22.41.50.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1451\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"972\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2019-11-30-10.46.50.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1452\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>MOTIVATION FOR THE WEEK<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"828\" height=\"839\" src=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2019-11-30-08.32.18.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1453\" data-link=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/?attachment_id=1453\" class=\"wp-image-1453\"\/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"705\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2019-11-30-08.46.38.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1454\" data-link=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/?attachment_id=1454\" class=\"wp-image-1454\"\/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"705\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2019-12-01-15.41.38.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1455\" data-link=\"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/?attachment_id=1455\" class=\"wp-image-1455\"\/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An appreciative look back after Thanksgiving and look into the some controversy over the weekend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":1300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[419],"tags":[588,635,429,602,612,494,626,624,35,634,628,632,625,627,630,629,360,611,631,6,633,623,33],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1443"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1443"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1443\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roykessel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}