SubscribeFootball frolics
Hard to believe that football season is set to open in a little more than two weeks. Every year I promise I’m going to bone up on the college game, (just as I do for most sports that don’t begin with the letters “b-a-s-e-b-a-l-l”). There’s just so much stuff out there and, not to complain, but blogging is not my only responsibility at the paper. In fact, sometimes, I even wonder what the heck I’m doing, “wasting” my time with sports when there are so many serious problems to deal with. But then I go take a nap for awhile and I feel better.
So here are a few tidbits for you pigskin purveyors.
Gabe Carimi was a highly-touted draft pick by the Chicago Bears last year. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury early on and missed most of the 2011 season. Just as in spring training, hopes spring anew, but it seems all might not be well for the former Wisconsin standout. With the NFL in the midst of a long-running argument about responsibility for keeping its players relatively safe and healthy, you’re bound to get questions about the competence of medical staffs that seem to have divided loyalties.
Carimi’s teammate, punter Adam Podlesh, serves as the Bears’ players representative. As such he offered his opinion about the replacement referees, who, as a group, seem vastly underqualified to step in as the regular officials are locked out in a contract dispute. Podlesh and his wife are expecting their first child soon. He hopes it comes during the Bear’s bye-week.
Speaking of injuries, Taylor Mays suffered a blow to the head during a pre-season game last week. But he says, and doctors confirm, that he did not suffer a concussion and he’s raring to return to action. His Cincinnati Bengals beat the Atlanta Falcons last night, 24-19. Mays started at strong safety and made one solo tackle and assisted on two others. The game was supposed to be over by 11, the time I usually watch The Big Bang Theory on Fox (“Bazinga!”), but those last few minutes seemed to take forever and pushed everything back.
Another Jewish coaching angle to keep an eye on this year in football, Ron, Tony Levine, new coach of the Houston Cougars. He won his first game as interim head coach in a Bowl game vs. Penn State of all teams last season, and then was awarded the job on a permanent basis. They had a very good team last season, and lost some key pieces from what I have read, but they are still supposed to be one of the better teams in their conference. It would be nice to see him put together a strong start to his career.