Spring practice today, 11 am CT

[lou v]

Unfortunately, I am suffering from some sort of stomach virus today and won't be out at Lakeside Field. However, we will have our Philip Straus out there to cover the practice and conduct interviews afterward.

The practice is televised on BTN, starting at 11 am CT, so I'll be watching at home with everyone else.

 

[The_Waterboy]

IMHO, Unfortunately...

if the Pat Fitz regime continues its fundamental aversion to a true "spring game," per se, this Saturday, this substitute "practice session" will reveal little if nothing at all regarding what gridiron field play capabilities Wildcat Nation might expect from our football team come this fall. A significant percentage of the team's personnel will not participate (due to injuries or recovery from off-season medical procedures or even veteran players who have been given plain kitchen passes to avoid potential injury). If past Fitz-led "spring practices" are any indicator, most every interested fan who would observe this practice will not walk away with much regarding strengths and weaknesses of the current team. Fitz' spring season is nothing less than dummied-down practice sessions geared specifically to evaluate individual player potential - and not a showcase of what various offensive and defensive position personnel can actually do in game-time situations. It's the virtual antithesis of the event Michigan put out for their fans for their spring game showcase last weekend in which 50K fans came in droves to witness the football product that their new HC (J. Hair-ball) will field this fall. Essentially this NU "event" will prove to be yet another missed opportunity to drum-up interest in the Purple football product, and consequently isn't worth the time and effort for fans to watch.

Jim Phillips... are you listening? Time to intervene and get Fitz to adjust his perspective on what a true spring football "showcase game" could provide and its potential to elicit interest and excitement among NU football fans.

 

[corbi296]

Re: IMHO, Unfortunately...

I saw enough out there to confirm that Thorson is clearly ahead of the pack in the Qb race. He made a couple of really accurate, timely and decisive throws downfield. I also saw some nice glimpses from Auston Anderson.

 

[Gladeskat]

Re: IMHO, Unfortunately...

Originally posted by The_Waterboy:
if the Pat Fitz regime continues its fundamental aversion to a true "spring game," per se, this Saturday, this substitute "practice session" will reveal little if nothing at all regarding what gridiron field play capabilities Wildcat Nation might expect from our football team come this fall. A significant percentage of the team's personnel will not participate (due to injuries or recovery from off-season medical procedures or even veteran players who have been given plain kitchen passes to avoid potential injury). If past Fitz-led "spring practices" are any indicator, most every interested fan who would observe this practice will not walk away with much regarding strengths and weaknesses of the current team. Fitz' spring season is nothing less than dummied-down practice sessions geared specifically to evaluate individual player potential - and not a showcase of what various offensive and defensive position personnel can actually do in game-time situations. It's the virtual antithesis of the event Michigan put out for their fans for their spring game showcase last weekend in which 50K fans came in droves to witness the football product that their new HC (J. Hair-ball) will field this fall. Essentially this NU "event" will prove to be yet another missed opportunity to drum-up interest in the Purple football product, and consequently isn't worth the time and effort for fans to watch.

Jim Phillips... are you listening? Time to intervene and get Fitz to adjust his perspective on what a true spring football "showcase game" could provide and its potential to elicit interest and excitement among NU football fans.

I disagree. I think you can tell a lot from watching dizzy bat races.

 

[TerraCat]

Re: IMHO, Unfortunately...

I completely agree! What is the aversion to putting a product out there that will win fans and coverage? Just run last years plays...if you are so concerned about other teams. I just don't get it.

 

[lunker35]

Re: IMHO, Unfortunately...

Totally agree. PF gets paid millions of dollars to coach 12 games a year that we as fans get to see. Would it kill him to put a product out on the field in the spring that could drum up any fan interest? I stopped going a few years back, because what he does is flat out boring.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[willycat]

Re: IMHO, Unfortunately...


You definitely said it all Waterboy. First there was no mention of this or last weeks practice in the Chicago papers, so if you weren't a NU "insider" or just happened to walk by the field you wouldn't have known anything was planned. NU needs to get back to the old format of a Purple/White Spring game. Heck a spring game under Barnett was televised by a Chicago TV station back in I think 1996 and drew over 20,000. As you said a marketing opportunity was missed and kind of surprised that Phillips doesn't recognize this and do something about it. Illinois not only holds a spring game in Champaign but also another in a Chicago suburb and just watching the beginning of the Nebraska game and the enthusiasm and large crowd made the NU affair seem very minor league. I know, I know it's Nebraska but if you don't promote an event, you get near zero support. To bad.

 

[The_Waterboy]

Re: IMHO, Unfortunately...

But did you see any of those individual field plays in a true "game situation" or, instead, was it executed in a sterile "orchestrated" play situation? I want to see high execution within an actual game-time environment - with something on the line: like a momentum-grabbing scoring opportunity or gaining a critical 1st down to sustain a offensive drive.

 

[Well cataloged]

Sorry that you're on the growing list of spring ailers. Get well soon.

 

[Eurocat]

Re: IMHO, Unfortunately...

Meanwhile a team that probably does NOT have a shortage of season ticket holders - Ohio State - held student fan appreciation day as part of spring practice. Fans who are current students could pose with trophies, trot onto the field with the players, loosen up with them, get yelled at by the conditioning guy, footrace the players, catch punts and participate in a few contests. Link to photos from the Ozone is below.

It should be noted that a "serious" full practice also took place, it wasn't just goofing around and thus a wasted session.

I have no idea why we don't do this. Wouldn't this really bring the team and the rest of the student body together? What harm would it do? If anything it would create more fans and future season ticket holders.




Pics

 

[willycat]

Re: IMHO, Unfortunately...


Euro, your right but I'm just assuming that it's a 'coaches decision". Remember back when NU used to have a baseball game, tennis match or another sporting event scheduled for the same day as the Spring Game. it made for a entertaining afternoon, instead of the snooze fest whitnessed yesterday. I understand they still do something like that in Champaign and probably other places.

 

[corbi296]

Re: IMHO, Unfortunately...

I don't disagree but with the injury situation we have that is just not possible. I think it takes away from the preparation of the team, just like it has the last two seasons, but hopefully we can overcome it this year. In the absence of a full contact scrimmage, what we saw will have to do. It still does not take away from the fact that Thorson executed his reps better than the other two QBs in my opinion.

 

[mikewebb68]

Looks like these things were all over the map given the BIG coverage. For example, Nebraska's looked like an ordinary football game, yet Maryland played theirs in a completely empty stadium....

 

[CatQ]

Re: IMHO, Unfortunately...

Originally posted by corbi296:
I saw enough out there to confirm that Thorson is clearly ahead of the pack in the Qb race. He made a couple of really accurate, timely and decisive throws downfield.

Saw and heard the same, so wouldn't be surprised if the new #18 is QB1 come fall.