Huskies vs Slick Rick (Tickets)

So on Nov 15th Slick rick comes back to town. I have two tickets to the game for RJ and I that I got in a school auction. What was weird is the Huskies sent me 3 extra tickets, the catch is they are all single seats. nothing together. Is anyone interested in a Solo Husky seat for the return of Ricky?

Under the Radar...Ed Donatell

*********ITS OFFICIAL************

Buried under all the Super Bowl Hype was the offer made to Ed Donatell to stop the bleeding for the Purple and Gold Defense.

Donatell is an interesting choice and a solid DC. I didnt realize that he was a Don James disciple...branching from the Dawgfather back in 81-82. You might have remembered him as the Packers defensive coordinator who was fired because his team gave up a 4th and 26 play to Philly in the Playoffs.

This is a coach who for many years has the reputation as being an aggressive, blitzing coach. He has a Super bowl Ring with Denver, and his last coaching job was with Atlanta, (With Jim Mora) where he moved their defensive ranking from 32nd....to 15th, then was fired alongside Mora.

This potential hire doesn't hold alot of glitz or flash...but its solid. This is a coach that has something to prove, and a team that needs a fresh outlook.

He's Baaaaaaaaaack (Like it or not Husky Fans)

Gooses Take: Whats wrong in Montlake

Much like everyones beloved Soccer, the concept of the game of Football is not that difficult.

The issues that the huskies have are very obvious. How to fix it is the issue. On any Football play, you have 5 linemen and a QB, leaving 5 skill positions eligible to touch/carry the ball. Your 11 guys have to stop 5 players and a QB

This team averaged 27 points per game and lost 7 games in which they scored more than 23 points. Losing 48-41 or 55-34 shows a huge issue in the defense.

Lets start by breaking down the defense. Defense is built on three basic principals

1) Talent

2) Scheme

3) Technique

Talent itself breaks down to three basic skills, Speed, Agility, Strength. Its what determines the character of your defense. Will it be an Edge defense? Or power up the middle. Can you play with small corners or do you need big safeties. This part is not taught. Its where recruiting comes in.

Scheme is the X's and O's of the defense. Regardless of what you run your job is to put your defensive players in the right area/position to make a play.

Technique is what you do when you on every play. Its pass rushing, coverage skills, tacking, angle of pursuit. Its what I believe makes bad defenses good, and good defenses Great.

Where I think the Huskies fall short is as follows

20% of their issues are Talent 45% Technique and 35% Scheme

Things that have gone wrong this season in Talent will be made up with some good recruiting classes/

Scheme is an issue. Here is why. Its not the 4-3 defense that is the issue. The issues is breakdowns in understanding the scheme. If you dont understand where you should be then breakdowns happen. If you call the wrong defense and guys run free, thats a breakdown. Both of these fall under the fault of coaching.

I noticed throughout the season Technique is the biggest issue. Tacking, angles, hip placement, were issues each week. The problem with College and pro sports, when things go wrong, so much time is spent on scheme that technique is ignored.

Technique and Scheme are coaching issues, and thats where I believe the focus of the off season should be. Do you fire Ken Baer? I feel part of the big coaching fraternity and I typically dont like to see any coach get fired. I thing there is a area of need here. Maybe better position coaches? What I do know is that you have a great technique and scheme coach over in kirkland.

I wonder if he would take the defensive coordinator job under Tyrone?

I hate to see Ty leave, but its part of the game. This is a man who if given the right circumstance will build a dynasty program. His issue is it takes time, and the schools he's been at (ND and WA) have no patience)

Gooses take, Defense needs a change. Where that change will come from? We'll know in the next few weeks

Aloha

UW: For those of you that don't know, "aloha" means hello and goodbye. And I'm fairly certain Husky Head Ball Coach Tyrone Willingham will be saying goodbye to the Husky program after the Dawgs came up short to the Rainbows on the Island of Oahu late Saturday night. Yes, Udub finished the season with more wins than the last 2 years combined, but when that total comes to 4, it's still not enough.

Thinking Tyrone will get canned is the truth. Don't hate on me for thinking it. No, it's not a good thing for Tyrone, for more than a few reasons. First, he got fired after only three years at Notre Dame, only to get the same treatment in Montlake. In addition, it's never a good thing when a great guy, recruiter and top-shelf motivator like Willingham gets pointed the door. But quality character doesn't equal wins in this instance. And the program needs some new energy and new coordinators, and I'm afraid Tyrone is loyal to a fault and won't fire his staff.


But the most important reason the time is now is down the road in the form of the Seahawks assistant head coach and defensive backs coach Jim Mora Jr. It's his dream job, he's proven successful in the NFL, and he'd be coming back as an alumnus. Not unlike the background of Lorenzo Romar. Make it happen, UW.

IN OTHER NEWS: Nice work by the Seahawks closing out a feisty Philly Eagles team on Sunday. Also, kudos to Liverpool for moving into 3rd in the table and six points out of Seatown's first place Arsenal squad. SAF's keeping Ronaldo and Vidic out of the match last week really hurt them in the standings. Especially considering the Champions League match didn't matter after already qualifying. Usually SAF makes the right moves, but that was sketchy. Your thoughts?

I'll leave you with this amazing video of Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog". Not sure why it's on ESPN's video page, but anything this quality for free, the Lodge will gladly accept.

Revolving Doors

Jimbo appropriately placed Bellevue High legend JR Hasty in the pic of the day today, setting up a week of hirings and firings around the globe. I'm not sure Hasty earned his playing time with his frequent academic ineligibility and questionable dropping in and out of the program. That doesn't exactly exude confidence in a player. Good luck in I-AA, JR.

Rewind earlier to the week and we see the US Women's National Soccer Team coach getting the boot, less than a month after his now infamous goalie switch of Jimbo's GK fave Hope Solo (pictured on the left). So I failed to watch even one match of the Women's 2007 World Cup. The fact this fabulous story came out of it was good enough for me. The media jumping all over the goalie for speaking her mind and calling out a huge mistake by her coach was reminiscent of Cameragate and the Pats. The media's holier-than-thou attitude "policing" others with moral rules is the definition of hypocrisy, if you ask me. That, and I just found Jimbo's desktop wallpaper for his work computer with this pic of Solo. Oh, and Hope is from Seattle also, Jimbo. Check her MySpace page.

Now we come to yesterday, when the SG's forgotten team, Tottenham Hotspur, sacking Martin Jol from his post as team manager. Now, normally I wouldn't praise any firing of a fellow Dutchman. But this move was long overdue. Spurs haven't been competitive enough with the talent they have assembled at White Hart Lane. Jol's insistence on rotating his players in and out is archaic and I'd be frustrated if I were playing for Tottenham also.

Ending with some positive hirings... since most of you probably didn't notice, but in America's pastime, the Seattle Mariners locked up Mel Stottlemyre as pitching coach, and soon to be named third-base coach Larry Bowa also returning to the Emerald City. I like the moves... the more former managers you have around the better. Especially firey managers like Bowa, who add a much needed spark to a clubhouse that has been asleep for the past 5 years under the softspoken Melvin and Hargrove. It's good to have you back, Larry.

Welcoming Jimbo back to Seattle (A little bit of your favorite Seattle team)

I couldnt find the Rondo call.
But the play does speak for itself...just hear it in your head....
"Hailing Mary, and she answers the call......"