We don’t normally think of the college game leading the charge in terms of the evolution of football but there is increasing evidence that the NFL is adopting some of their measures. It’s a bit like the tail wagging the dog, yet it is proof positive that all good ideas don’t necessarily germinate at the professional level.
Nevertheless,
there are inherent differences between the two games, some of which will never
be bridged. Wooing high school kids, and their parents or guardians is a
different animal altogether than the sterile task of drafting a college kid
onto a professional team. Alabama coach, Nick
Saban, has etched
his storied legacy in the college ranks but toiled at the NFL level for eight
years. Below he explains why he prefers coaching at the collegiate level.
Extremely popular among sports fans, fantasy sports take the intense and exciting rush of sports matches and allows the fans to take part in the behind-the-scenes of making a team from scratch. This is a game, as mentioned before, where any player creates an imaginary team with real-life athletes of that sport. All of this works using the stats of real games that are after converted into points, however, the point system is not always the same. Some players or teams of players prefer to have a manager who coordinates the league and makes the attributions. Fantasy sports is a typical game between friends, nonetheless, its popularity grew to the point of becoming a business with a great matter of influence. There are even tools that can give you the advantage over your competitors, like a NFL lineup optimizer. Like everything, behind this simple game, there’s a story of how everything started and how much it grew. Let’s get into it.
The Beginning
There’s some debate
between enthusiasts about how it began – football fans say one thing,
basketball ones might say a different one, however, its first appearances were
after world war II, when it started with a simple selection of players and
contests according to their stats. Wilfred Winkenbach decided to write down
some of the first rules, in 1962. One year later the first idea of a fantasy
league gained life, this league was known as the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators
League. Wilfred was the one who brought the first baseball and gold fantasy
league. Known by some as the “father of fantasy leagues”, this was the
beginning of something with huge proportions. It was in 1969 that the first
public fantasy league was born, meaning a vast step for this game.
Rotisserie
System
Years later, a new and
essential improvement was brought to life, the Rotisserie system. This system
was created for the baseball league and it basically gives the players the
choice of choosing one of the major team’s players at a time, and winning
points according to their performance. It was after this that fantasy leagues
had an outburst. This is just one system created, but the one which probably
had the biggest impact on the growth of the game.
The Sports Then and Now Athlete of the Month was one of the
great linemen of his era and is considered a trailblazer for using weight
training and conditioning to develop his skills.
After a standout career at the University of Maryland, Stan
Jones spent nine seasons as an offensive lineman for the Chicago Bears, making
seven Pro Bowl appearances and earning first team All-Pro three times.
In 1962, assistant coach George Allen suggested Jones move
to defense to help solidify that unit for the Bears. He played both ways in 1962
and then in 1963 moved permanently to the defense.
Great drama has always marked the Dallas Cowboys over the
decades. In this, the franchise’s 61st season, the Cowboys have always
stood out for better or for worse. The franchise has always made major
headlines whether it be during the season or in the offseason. In the early
1970’s, legendary head coach Tom Landry went back and forth between Roger
Staubach and Craig Morton as his starting quarterback – going as far as
alternating them on each play during one game – before naming Staubach the
starter. The volatile tendencies of linebacker Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson
surfaced later in the decade over drugs, alcohol, his flamboyant play, and high
visibility lifestyle. Dallas also played in five Super Bowls and won two in the
1970’s when the team became known as “America’s Team” and took on the persona
of the team people love or love to hate which still exists today. The 1980’s
saw good teams unable to get over the hump with three straight losses in NFC
Championship games. There was also another quarterback controversy, this one
between Danny White and Gary Hogeboom between 1983 and 1984. Pressure had
mounted on White after losses in three straight NFC Championship games. While
Landry appointed Hogeboom as the starter during part of the 1984 season, neither
he nor White could lead Dallas to the playoffs that season. The decade ended
with new ownership as Arkansas oilman Jerry Jones bought the franchise and
hired Jimmy Johnson – his old college teammate at Arkansas – as head coach. That
proved fruitful as the Cowboys became the first franchise in NFL history to win
three Super Bowls in a four-year span during the 1990’s when they were the team
of the decade.
Yet change also came about for the franchise in the 1990’s with the shocking and well-documented breakup of Jones and Johnson due to egotistical control issues. During the 2000’s, Dallas made only four playoff trips and won just one playoff game. While the Cowboys rebuilt in the early 2010’s, they were stuck largely in mediocrity with four 8-8 finishes in head coach Jason Garrett’s nine full seasons on the job sparking a yearly discussion about his job security. In more recent years, Dallas came under the microscope with legal issues off the field as star running back Ezekiel Elliott eventually served a six-game suspension during the 2017 season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy based on allegations of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend dating back to 2016. Drama has always seemed to follow the Cowboys whether it has been good or bad.
The NFL lost a pioneering innovator this week with the
passing of Hall of Fame defensive back Larry Wilson at the age of 82.
Though only 6-foot-0, 180 pounds, Wilson developed into one
of the most feared defenders of his era as the first safety to regularly rush
the quarterback in a play that became known as the safety blitz.
A two-way starter at the University of Utah, Wilson was
selected by the Chicago Cardinals in the seventh round of the 1960 draft (which
was conducted in November 1959). The team moved to St. Louis prior to the 1960
season and Wilson soon became a defensive pioneer.
It is the start of another new era in Big D for the Dallas
Cowboys in 2020 and the biggest change is at the head coaching spot. Former
Green Bay Packers’ head coach Mike McCarthy replaces Jason Garrett who is now the
New York Giants’ offensive coordinator. McCarthy, the ninth head coach in Cowboys’
history, brings a wealth of NFL coaching experience including a 13-year term as
the Packer’s head coach from 2006-18. McCarthy lead Green Bay to victory in
Super Bowl XLV following the 2010 season at AT&T Stadium, Dallas’ home
facility in Arlington, TX.
McCarthy, who was released by the Packers following a 4-7-1
record 12 games into the 2018 season, inherits a team that is in win now mode
under the management of team owner, president, and general manager Jerry Jones.
Now in his 32nd year with the Cowboys, Jones has grown the franchise
into a multi-billion dollar enterprise on his shrewd and aggressive business
style. That showed this offseason in making a head-coaching change.
Louie Dampier’s name might not resonate as widely as other basketball legends, but the Sports Then & Now Vintage Athlete of the Month’s impact on the game, particularly during the American Basketball Association (ABA) era, is undeniable. Known for his pinpoint shooting, exceptional ball handling, and relentless work ethic, Dampier enjoyed a stellar basketball career that saw him thrive in both the ABA and NBA. As one of the most consistent and prolific guards of his time, Dampier left a lasting legacy, and his role in the ABA’s history solidified his place in the annals of basketball greatness.