What I am about to say may be why a New Orleans talk show dude called me 'crazy.'
I have always been fascinated with talk about what rain does to a ball game played in it.
The classic explanation is that the heavier football team benefits from a sloppy field. I take it that this means that the bigger linemen are harder to move on such a field, and that backs slip and slide, thus slowing things down to suit the bigger team. Also, passing becomes more difficult, according to this assessment -- which I can see as valid.
But the problem with the 'heavier team' theory is that rarely today does a well-kept field actually get sloppy. Therefore the only really operative part of the 'heavier team in a rain' theory is that the passing becomes difficult with a slick ball. Bit you're not going to have a sloppy field at Bryant-Denny Stadiuim in 2010.
I distinctly remember a night in 1958 when it was my distinct experience that running long TD's was particularly facilitated by a little light rain on the nice grassy field. And, there is no forgetting Billy Cannon's 1959 89-yard run against Ole Miss in a light rain.
I have never seen or heard anybody agree with my own theory that if you have a low barometer, caused by a low-pressure system, which invariably accompanies rain, there is a certain invigoration about the atmosphere. So help me, it always has seemed to me that a punted football will go about ten yards farther in a rain -- if the ball is not soaking wet. How could that be? Because the air-pressure from the atmosphere is not as heavy. The same thing seems to me to be true about a baseball hit in a low pressure system. That is rarer, because baseball games are called because of rain.
In the first place, unless the forecast is for 100% rain chance, or thereabouts, you rarely can predict how much rain you might actually have in your game. You can't depend upon what precipitation will actually be there during that three hour period.
As for Cam Newton, my heart wishes that a rain might stop him, but I am not going to depend upon it. Nothing that I can see has stopped him so far. I think there is some validity to hoping that a slippery field might slow down Dyer and the other guy (with the hard to remember name). And a slippery ball might be harder to pass for both teams.
The only thing I can think of to shut down this Newton guy is for somebody to get up "where he lives," as Bryant used to say -- as long as it is a legal hit. I don't know if anybody has given the guy a solid lick all year. He has phenomenal juke-moves -- as well as speed -- for a guy his size, and people seem afraid to get in front of him -- it's the knees, man -- nobody wants to get their chin in front of his knees. Especially if he's got up a head of steam.
Cam Newton has lived a charmed life in major college football. More charmed than McElroy's before GMac's first (and second) loss. McElroy has been creamed for two seasons. All Newton has had, it seems to me, pretty much anyway, is a bunch of grabbing at him. People are afraid to hit this guy in open space, I would think. Weather is not what is determining this -- it is most likely healthy respect -- or outright fear.
I have always been fascinated with talk about what rain does to a ball game played in it.
The classic explanation is that the heavier football team benefits from a sloppy field. I take it that this means that the bigger linemen are harder to move on such a field, and that backs slip and slide, thus slowing things down to suit the bigger team. Also, passing becomes more difficult, according to this assessment -- which I can see as valid.
But the problem with the 'heavier team' theory is that rarely today does a well-kept field actually get sloppy. Therefore the only really operative part of the 'heavier team in a rain' theory is that the passing becomes difficult with a slick ball. Bit you're not going to have a sloppy field at Bryant-Denny Stadiuim in 2010.
I distinctly remember a night in 1958 when it was my distinct experience that running long TD's was particularly facilitated by a little light rain on the nice grassy field. And, there is no forgetting Billy Cannon's 1959 89-yard run against Ole Miss in a light rain.
I have never seen or heard anybody agree with my own theory that if you have a low barometer, caused by a low-pressure system, which invariably accompanies rain, there is a certain invigoration about the atmosphere. So help me, it always has seemed to me that a punted football will go about ten yards farther in a rain -- if the ball is not soaking wet. How could that be? Because the air-pressure from the atmosphere is not as heavy. The same thing seems to me to be true about a baseball hit in a low pressure system. That is rarer, because baseball games are called because of rain.
In the first place, unless the forecast is for 100% rain chance, or thereabouts, you rarely can predict how much rain you might actually have in your game. You can't depend upon what precipitation will actually be there during that three hour period.
As for Cam Newton, my heart wishes that a rain might stop him, but I am not going to depend upon it. Nothing that I can see has stopped him so far. I think there is some validity to hoping that a slippery field might slow down Dyer and the other guy (with the hard to remember name). And a slippery ball might be harder to pass for both teams.
The only thing I can think of to shut down this Newton guy is for somebody to get up "where he lives," as Bryant used to say -- as long as it is a legal hit. I don't know if anybody has given the guy a solid lick all year. He has phenomenal juke-moves -- as well as speed -- for a guy his size, and people seem afraid to get in front of him -- it's the knees, man -- nobody wants to get their chin in front of his knees. Especially if he's got up a head of steam.
Cam Newton has lived a charmed life in major college football. More charmed than McElroy's before GMac's first (and second) loss. McElroy has been creamed for two seasons. All Newton has had, it seems to me, pretty much anyway, is a bunch of grabbing at him. People are afraid to hit this guy in open space, I would think. Weather is not what is determining this -- it is most likely healthy respect -- or outright fear.
