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Observations from Two Feet Away (Mar 24th) - Creating a Roster [ edit | delete ]
By Adam Knoll | March 25, 2010 at 12:43 AM EDT | No Comments (0 new)
Making the final roster was all at once fun, exciting, refreshing, informative, and a lot humbling. Last season, I was ‘the guy’ who told guys they were cut. Yet the team wasn’t mine, the final decision wasn’t mine and the blame fell on the team, or its owner, not me. This season, even though we took a voting aspect to it, and we kept the votes confidential, I will say the final vote was mine, and I made it that way on purpose. If the vote was tied when it came to me, I held the player’s season (maybe career) in my hands, and that’s a lot to say for a guy who has a first year team underneath him.
Now, I’ll be up front about this; no vote was tied when it came to me this year. I guess that obligation will fall to another season; however, I always cast a vote, even if the debate was over before it got to me. It’s my position to be the judge when it falls to me. I will say that in a few of the votes in which the player made the team before the vote got to me, I voted against that player. Some guys who made the squad have not given the same amount to the team that others have, and I want to be clear about this: I don’t play favorites, nor shrink away when the core beliefs of the team are involved. Everyone on this team will be equal, or the rule breaker will be dealt with.
Everyone who made the roster was tested in the same areas: talent, usefulness to the squad, ability to play in a system (or in a team mentality) and ability to be dedicated in everything we do. Those who have not proven the last part of those points have little margin for error going forward.
All in all, most of the votes we took, we chose to keep the player. In reality, we only voted two players out, we reported 6 were cut, yet the others cut themselves by not showing up. It was a testament to the group we had that when one person voted, it didn’t influence another’s thought process. We had legitimate debates about at least 5 guys. It was a very good discussion, and many things that needed to be said found their way into the conversation.
I was pleased, as weird as this may sound, that a few of the players got by with only a two vote margin. This shows that the people we had in that room took their position seriously, and we weren’t concerned with ‘filling the roster’. We wanted as good a roster as we could devise, forget the final number of players. I am proud of how it went down, and am pleased to say that it feels as if we are headed in the right direction.
Some teams will have as close to 40 members as possible, and good for them. Have fun getting everyone on the field. Another mistake I’ve personally been a part of is having too many guys, and watching people deteriorate due to lack of playing time. With 27 players, will everyone see time? Maybe not. Will everyone see a great number of plays? Maybe not. Yet there is a greater chance to get everyone involved, and that’s all guys ask for in the end. An actual chance to contribute.
Observations from Two Feet Away (Mar 10th) - Tryout Primer [ edit | delete ]
By Adam Knoll | March 10, 2010 at 02:50 PM EST | No Comments (0 new)
Tryout Primer:
With the Tryouts only 10 days away, a few things need to be gone over so everything is ready for that fated weekend:
- The first day will be vey skill based as well as combined. Every players Shuttle, Cone and 40 yard dash will be taken, as well as a verticle. Players will be divided based upon Primary Position, to even out the gorups and get a feel for a players best spot. Remember, if you are a player that wants to play multiple spots, pick the position you think you are the best at since you want to make as big of a splash as possible. We can go over a second position later. Expect the practice to go about 2-2.5 hours.
- The second day will be again skill orientated at first, then more of a team activity later. We will only be going through our most basic schemes to best judge talent, we will not throw too much at you at once. Again, it is encouraged that you do your best position first, even if we have multiple players trying for the spot. We encourage healthy competition and we may be looking at yor talents in places you wouldnt expect anyway.
- Ecspecially for the first day, bring cleats and regular running shoes, in case we run the drills on concrete. If the field is in any way wet or muddy, we will not be tearing up the grass by doing 50 40 yard dashes or cone drills. These skills can be done on asphalt. The second day, all of the skills should be done, so cleats will be the shoe of choice.
- If the day is rainy, foggy, snowy or any other weather related crud, we will run practice anyway. Football is played outdoors and we will practice in the weather. However, that being said, we will take utmost care of the field we are on and do everything possible not to damage it. Be aware of the conditions and plan accordingly. I personally would object to steel cleats either for practices or games, and would encourage rubber cleats to be used ecspecially at our practices.
Now, that being said: The Tryouts will be taped and watched by the Phoenix owners either the night of, or the day after the tryouts. Cuts will be made right then and announcements will be made about who made the cut. We will be looking to fill out our roster (40 players max) and everyone who makes the cut will be asked to fill out a contract and they will go directly to our in-active roster. Players can only become 'active' after they pay thier player fee in full. Fee's are due, in full, no later than May 1st. We of course encourage players to get it in sooner, but we understand that times are hard. If you are a player that makes the cut and is unable to pay by May 1st, you will be cut and replaced by a player who can. It's unfortunate, but every player must play by the same rules.
If you are on our final roster, you are expected to be at every practice, unless there is a pre-disclosed impediment that we can work around. Personal Emergencies are understood as well. A player who does not practice cannot perform in games up to the ability expected. Having talent is one thing, using it in a scheme is another. We have been very forward with the commitment a player must make to play here (2 practices a week, games on fridays). If you know you cannot make that commitment, then dont try to make the roster, because you will find yourself cut due to lack of practice time.
Many things have been said about how we only want a roster of about 30 players, this is still true. How we will go about this is in a very transparent way, as we use our roster the same way an NFL team uses thier roster. Our roster of 40 will essentually become a 'Game-day' roster of 27-30, with 'reserves' of 10-13. Reserves are equally able to play in games as the Game active players, yet this is our way of telling you before a game weather or not we think you will see time. Of course, we would like all 40 players to make it to the games becaue obviously, you cannot play unless you are there, and dressed. yet we will not lie to people about playing time. Some games, we will just not need everybody, and this is a way of being up-front about our intentions for that week. Game-day active rosters will change week to week, sometimes we will need an extra linemen, or corner, or reciever that we didnt need the previous week. Also, injuries will make the reserves evern more important, however, you must be at practice to even qualify to be a reserve.
Observations from Two Feet Away (Mar 4th) - Rounding out the Leaders [ edit | delete ]
By Adam Knoll | March 05, 2010 at 04:06 AM EST | No Comments (0 new)
The rest of the Offensive and Defensive Positional Leaders have been announced as of Thursday, rounding out a crew of ten players to lead the team into the pre-season and beyond. Groups were divided for a few different reasons, but paramount was the thought that multiple groups working apart could reach more members of the team, in their specific areas, much faster than doing it as a whole. Whether we are able to obtain a head coach or not, these Positional leaders should be able to get the entire crew ready in a very short amount of time.
2010 Positional Leaders:
Offensive Coordinator – Adam Knoll
Quarterbacks – Adam Knoll
Running Backs – Ronnie Orr, Nick Weiss
Full Backs – Aaron Knoll
Wider Receivers – Hector Carrasco, Kyle Ritter
Tight Ends – TJ Dotson
Offensive Linemen – Nic Purtee
Defensive Coordinator – Chris Bella, Richard Linkowski
Defensive Linemen – Nick Weiss
Linebackers – Chris Bella
Defensive Backs – Richard Linkowski
These Positions will be held throughout the Tryout days, and if everything goes well these men will be retained in their spots for the pre-season.
Observations from Two Feet Away (Mar 2) - Positional Leaders (So far) [ edit | delete ]
By Adam Knoll | March 02, 2010 at 03:33 AM EST | No Comments (0 new)
Some positional leaders have been named for the March Tryouts, which if they work out well, the title will transfer over to the season as well. These positional leaders will be a boon to us as we will be able to fragment our practices into a more individual driven style while still staying on the same page as a whole. The Leader (or Leaders at some spots) will have the onus of teaching skills and terms to their position players, and have been chosen either because of a) there ability and technique at said position, or b) a strong willingness to teach others.
Some spots have not been filled yet; however, I would like to fill out the rest of the offenses spots by Friday at the latest. Rookies have been considered for the positions; however our strong stable of GFL Veterans has made it tough to give spots to first time guys (as of now, only one Rookie has been given a leadership role). This is not an indictment of our rookies; I see leadership quality out of at least a handful of them. If after the tryout, or during the season, someone appears to not meet the requirements desired from any leader, changes and promotions can be made.
Here is the Offenses Position Leaders (Positions yet to be filled will list candidates):
Offensive Coordinator – Adam Knoll
Quarterbacks – Adam Knoll
Running Backs – Vacant (Ronnie Orr, Nick Weiss)
Full Back – Vacant (Aaron Knoll, Chris Bella) [May be assimilated into the Running Back group]
Wide Receivers – Hector Carrasco and Kyle Ritter
Tight Ends – TJ Dotson
Offensive Linemen – Vacant (Nic Purtee, Cecil Gordon)
Defensive Position Leaders (All final Decisions to be made by Chris Bella and Richard Linkowski)
Defensive Coordinator – Chris Bella, Richard Linkowski
Linebackers – Chris Bella
Defensive Backs – Richard Linkowski and Trion Brown
Defensive Linemen – Vacant
Some explanation:
Running Back – Ronnie Orr or Nick Weiss would be ideal at this spot due to experience at the position and ability to show off some tricks of the trade. However, it is unknown how interested either of them would be at leading an entire group. They both seemed decent during Fall practices, so I’m sure one (maybe both) would like a crack at the leadership spot.
Full Back – If Aaron Knoll gets called into active duty, then he said he’d be interested in coaching. The spot would go straight to him in that case. If not, one of three things could happen. He could still get the leadership spot if he wants it. If not, Chris Bella would be a prime choice as his only duty on Offense days would be at FB and he will already head up the Linebacker group, so he’d be comfortable there as well. If that doesn’t work, we could just add the FB’s in with the HB’s (they will have to work closely anyway) to just shorten it down.
Offensive Linemen – Nic Purtee has no playing role to fill on offense, yet he has coaching ability so he may be a wonderful fit here. Cecil Gordon is another choice as he has the inside track at starting Center as of right now. A possible coach would make a nice fit here as well.
Wide Receiver – Hector and Kyle are both very respected at WR, both knowing the routes (and how to run them) very well. Hector has an outside WR perspective and Ritter will be able to teach slot. Richard Linkowski was a choice here as well, but Trion Brown would not accept the DB leadership spot without Linkowski being his partner.
Observations from Two Feet Away (Mar 1st) - Back from the Dead [ edit | delete ]
By Adam Knoll | March 01, 2010 at 02:22 AM EST | No Comments (0 new)
I’ve come to a conclusion: I hate February. It’s a cold month, but warms up for a few days just to mess with you. It’s close to spring, yet still a month away, it’s the New Year, yet what’s really going on in the second month of the year? Hot chocolate, fireplaces and the talk of what we are going to do when the warmth comes, that’s what.
February is also particularly horrible when it comes to the GFL; so close to the pre-season that you can taste it, far enough away that it frustrates you.
So I took some time off from the day to day, put the blog on hold for a little while (you know you missed me) and left the constant build-up dissipate a bit, which I have found is an enormous plus, even as close as we are to getting started. Sometimes, you just have to take a step back, breathe and realize that there are other things going on. So I did, the owners did, we all did collectively. And then something startling happened – It all comes rushing back doesn’t it?
In less than three weeks time, the white boards, cones, cleats, gloves and hopes will rush back to the field. March is here, and with it, the beginning of our expansions season. As of now, our official roster holds 30 members, yet I would venture to say that from what I’ve heard that number is actually closer to 50, and by all accounts that’s 10 more than our roster can hold. So, that’s fun.
As we get closer and closer to the tryouts, there will be posts about how the days (yes, remember, there are two) will be run, and how the roster will fill out. There will be posts about the positional leaders (which I have spoken to many of already), posts about the pre-season practices, Intra-squad scrimmage and our one and only preseason game (Yes, we know who it will be). Oh yes, this blog will be back with a vengeance my friends. It will have changed though.
Gone will be our normal ‘pump’ pieces. I would hope by this time I won’t have to talk about expectations or how we need to approach this season. We have gone over that, and I would hope you get the point. What will stick will be my observations, hopefully a rookie perspective here and there from Ritter, Rookie Reports and other things like GFL Posts, Inside the Website features and of course Panther Blogs (the upcoming trip to the coaching expo in Madison should be fun).
Come season time, I’ll be writing full time for the GFL home site (GFLmw.com) as the writer of the Previews, Reviews, Power Rankings and Predictions (I think I only picked around 10 wrong last season, quite an awesome percentage). I will not be picking our teams games though; those will come from Eric Daniel, owner of the Cougars and a good working partner on all of this. He’s an ass, expect him to pick the other team most of the time.
Things you haven’t seen here yet are the previews and reviews to our own games, along with weekly rewards after each week’s game. Whew. Here we go.
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