Ahh, the mystical void year makes contract magic. Sign Leo for the signing bonus he wants, spread it out across the cap for five years, and keep on winning.
I heard Neal Khosla is 33 years old. But I have no verification of that. It’s pretty young, and he’s likely to lean into analytics given his AI background. MM is clear he’s fond of analytics, but he tempers that with his own take on things in the moment. I think this is wise. There are so many fluctuating things going on during a season, game, quarter or series in a game. So many variables that analytics just can’t input accurately. Some players out a the field are exhausted. Playing at less than 100%. The team is playing in sync with each other. Last year the Seahawks did a fantastic job on defense in 3rd and short and 4th and short. Situations where analytics told the opponent to go for it. They came up empty, perhaps giving up 3 points or Turing the ball over in very favorable field position for the Seahawks offense. The Vikings just fired a GM who was very heavily into analytics. I sure hope Neal is willing to use analytics as a tool in decision making vs the decision maker.
You brought up some great names for breakout players this year. There are so many. This team has very deep talent. Holani is unlikely, but I don’t put it past him. Arroyo could see Fleury unlock his potential. Horton may be 100%, stay that way all year, and shock us. Beau Stephens could see his wide zone skills as a perfect fit for the Fleury system. Zabel had an awesome rookie year, but what if he takes it to a pro bowl level? Hall, yes, but what about someone like Ivey? Igbinoghene has had such potential for so long. JS has tried to get him a couple of other times. Can MM and Karl Scott do for Iggy what they did for Jobe? This team has the potential to be a historic team. I don’t think Fleury gets the OC job unless MM is blown away by his vision for the offense. I hope the Rams sell out more of the future and sign Donald. I still say we have the division and the #1 seed clinched in week 16 on Christmas Day. I hope you all enjoy your X-mas present from the Seahawks!
I'm thinking Aaron Donald is in it for the competition he see's here, pure and simple. You know our Boyz are just praying he signs up again. Up against the Best ever was...
Nah, Donald would be in it for the fame, fortune, and to steal a little of Myles Garrett's thunder. If he comes back and the Rams lose, Garrett wasn't the answer. If AD comes back and the Rams win it all, there's no guarantee that Garrett could do it without him. Only one player can hold the title of "Best Rams D-lineman ever."
If I was a betting man, I’d bet against the Ram and for the Seahawks. I think that’s a parley. I always thought a parley was two opposite sides getting together to try and work out differences.
About the turf. Yes, real grass is better. I'd prefer it myself. But I just don't see it happening. I know I remember, and am fairly certain others do as well, what happens to the grass fields in Europe when the NFL comes to town. Grass that works for futbol doesn't work for football. The game is just so different. Instead of having fairly light individuals running all over the field (is there any high end futbol player that weighs over 200 lbs? Even Erling Haaland, at 6'5", weighs under 200), football has behemoth players concentrated in the center of the field. The grass just gets torn up, and footing gets marginal very quickly. They are digging in to get traction in order to hold up against another behemoth player. It takes a different kind of grass, with a stronger root system, for football. Even the real grass down in the toaster of Glendale isn't all that great, because the root system is too shallow on the rollout tray. You'll have to constantly be repairing or replacing, especially in a wet climate. And that's where the elephant in the room shows up. Money. Real grass just costs more over the same timeframe as artificial turf. Billionaires don't get to be billionaires by not paying attention to cost projections.
Artificial turf also allows you to host a lot more non-football activities at much less cost. If you asked most football (non-american) club owners if they want turf or grass, they'll say turf. And if you ask a lot of players, each year you get more saying turf. Flooding, freezing, wear & tear, pretty much all go away with turf instead of grass. There's an adapting period of course to switch, but soon enough the player is used to turf and can perform at just as high a level.
Norway for example, use almost exclusively turf below the very top level. The cost saving on the field helps, as does the fact their youngsters can play year round. The Norwegian FA has explicitly point to this installation of more turf pitches as the #1 factor in their rise to World Cup quater-finalists despite their small size.
Honestly, it's the fact FIFA didn't cave on the the turf/grass thing that's shocking, given how much else they caved on to make the USA happy. I would not be surprise if football follows footballs example and does move to turf even within the next decade.
Yeah, real grass works for a couple of weeks when, as you said, lightweights are walking and jogging around the entire width and length of the field. Football is a game played between the hash marks, by beasts trying to move one-another backwards. They used to (and may still) paint the dirt in Soldier Field and Lambeau by mid-November because they couldn't keep the grass alive (or sod nailed down). No one ever thought that a good game plan for soccer was three yards and a cloud of dust. Turf works year-round, rain or shine.
In the 60s and 70s, I only played on grass. I played in mud bowls, I played on snow covered fields. That was football. The key word, “was.” We played in thunderstorms and somehow survived. They have civilized football. I’d be okay with switching back to grass. There was a skill to playing on it. One of my favorite old school running backs was Leroy Kelly. He had a running style that gave him excellent balance to make cuts in the mud. He ran flat foot while widening out his steps. He’d cut back just fine. Everyone else would try and change direction and land on their ass. We will never see that again.
Ahh, the mystical void year makes contract magic. Sign Leo for the signing bonus he wants, spread it out across the cap for five years, and keep on winning.
I heard Neal Khosla is 33 years old. But I have no verification of that. It’s pretty young, and he’s likely to lean into analytics given his AI background. MM is clear he’s fond of analytics, but he tempers that with his own take on things in the moment. I think this is wise. There are so many fluctuating things going on during a season, game, quarter or series in a game. So many variables that analytics just can’t input accurately. Some players out a the field are exhausted. Playing at less than 100%. The team is playing in sync with each other. Last year the Seahawks did a fantastic job on defense in 3rd and short and 4th and short. Situations where analytics told the opponent to go for it. They came up empty, perhaps giving up 3 points or Turing the ball over in very favorable field position for the Seahawks offense. The Vikings just fired a GM who was very heavily into analytics. I sure hope Neal is willing to use analytics as a tool in decision making vs the decision maker.
You brought up some great names for breakout players this year. There are so many. This team has very deep talent. Holani is unlikely, but I don’t put it past him. Arroyo could see Fleury unlock his potential. Horton may be 100%, stay that way all year, and shock us. Beau Stephens could see his wide zone skills as a perfect fit for the Fleury system. Zabel had an awesome rookie year, but what if he takes it to a pro bowl level? Hall, yes, but what about someone like Ivey? Igbinoghene has had such potential for so long. JS has tried to get him a couple of other times. Can MM and Karl Scott do for Iggy what they did for Jobe? This team has the potential to be a historic team. I don’t think Fleury gets the OC job unless MM is blown away by his vision for the offense. I hope the Rams sell out more of the future and sign Donald. I still say we have the division and the #1 seed clinched in week 16 on Christmas Day. I hope you all enjoy your X-mas present from the Seahawks!
I'm thinking Aaron Donald is in it for the competition he see's here, pure and simple. You know our Boyz are just praying he signs up again. Up against the Best ever was...
Nah, Donald would be in it for the fame, fortune, and to steal a little of Myles Garrett's thunder. If he comes back and the Rams lose, Garrett wasn't the answer. If AD comes back and the Rams win it all, there's no guarantee that Garrett could do it without him. Only one player can hold the title of "Best Rams D-lineman ever."
If I was a betting man, I’d bet against the Ram and for the Seahawks. I think that’s a parley. I always thought a parley was two opposite sides getting together to try and work out differences.
Parley: peace negotiations
Parlay: multiple bets combination
Yeah, I was only familiar with the Parley with an “e.”
About the turf. Yes, real grass is better. I'd prefer it myself. But I just don't see it happening. I know I remember, and am fairly certain others do as well, what happens to the grass fields in Europe when the NFL comes to town. Grass that works for futbol doesn't work for football. The game is just so different. Instead of having fairly light individuals running all over the field (is there any high end futbol player that weighs over 200 lbs? Even Erling Haaland, at 6'5", weighs under 200), football has behemoth players concentrated in the center of the field. The grass just gets torn up, and footing gets marginal very quickly. They are digging in to get traction in order to hold up against another behemoth player. It takes a different kind of grass, with a stronger root system, for football. Even the real grass down in the toaster of Glendale isn't all that great, because the root system is too shallow on the rollout tray. You'll have to constantly be repairing or replacing, especially in a wet climate. And that's where the elephant in the room shows up. Money. Real grass just costs more over the same timeframe as artificial turf. Billionaires don't get to be billionaires by not paying attention to cost projections.
Artificial turf also allows you to host a lot more non-football activities at much less cost. If you asked most football (non-american) club owners if they want turf or grass, they'll say turf. And if you ask a lot of players, each year you get more saying turf. Flooding, freezing, wear & tear, pretty much all go away with turf instead of grass. There's an adapting period of course to switch, but soon enough the player is used to turf and can perform at just as high a level.
Norway for example, use almost exclusively turf below the very top level. The cost saving on the field helps, as does the fact their youngsters can play year round. The Norwegian FA has explicitly point to this installation of more turf pitches as the #1 factor in their rise to World Cup quater-finalists despite their small size.
Honestly, it's the fact FIFA didn't cave on the the turf/grass thing that's shocking, given how much else they caved on to make the USA happy. I would not be surprise if football follows footballs example and does move to turf even within the next decade.
Yeah, real grass works for a couple of weeks when, as you said, lightweights are walking and jogging around the entire width and length of the field. Football is a game played between the hash marks, by beasts trying to move one-another backwards. They used to (and may still) paint the dirt in Soldier Field and Lambeau by mid-November because they couldn't keep the grass alive (or sod nailed down). No one ever thought that a good game plan for soccer was three yards and a cloud of dust. Turf works year-round, rain or shine.
In the 60s and 70s, I only played on grass. I played in mud bowls, I played on snow covered fields. That was football. The key word, “was.” We played in thunderstorms and somehow survived. They have civilized football. I’d be okay with switching back to grass. There was a skill to playing on it. One of my favorite old school running backs was Leroy Kelly. He had a running style that gave him excellent balance to make cuts in the mud. He ran flat foot while widening out his steps. He’d cut back just fine. Everyone else would try and change direction and land on their ass. We will never see that again.
Get your fast game in early before everything goes to mud and slows down. Change the cleats. Slog out a Win.
The field was a lot softer when you hit the ground.