LawFitz
Footballguy
It's what drives the elite among us. It's the fuel to the deep fire. Pete Carroll knows it. He's built a USC dynasty around it. Everyone competes. Every year. And the winners play. You come to USC to become a winner. It's why they continually get the top recruits. 3 of the top 10 this year. Can you imagine having 3 top ten picks in the NFL draft every year?
And on a parallel begins the Lane Kiffin journey in the NFL. SOM, or "Son of Monte" as described on the Pewter Report, is a born coach. He took heat when his Trojans lost the national title on a predictable Fatdale 4th down run, but fact was at that point, the F to the D was poppin 8 yards a crack on the eventual champs and their superstar QB. Also fact to that point was that Kiff had climbed the charts as a graduate assistant to actual assistant to coordinator to prospective future head coach. And for most of that time he learned under Schneaky Pete. He internalized Pete's approach:
- Sell the program
- Relate to the players
- Hire a good coaching staff
- Teach
- Push endurance, quickness and efficiency
- Use modern, state-of-the-art, NFL offensive and defensive schemes
- Trust your people
- Lead
The tide has turned in Oakland my friends. Believe me or not, I've been following each day of the offseason and from atop a perch I can feel the winds pushing forward with Kiff and the implementation of his system. Competition is everywhere. The team was overloaded at WR and dumped the WAY-overpaid cancer. They needed a QB and got two. They needed a RB and got Rhodes. They needed a FB and got Griffith. They needed a TE and got the best one in the draft. They needed OL and got several.
At the top of the pecking order, I've been doing added research and despite my pre-draft concerns about JaMarcus, I am encouraged by two new twists to the analysis...
1. Kiff picked him. You think the kid coach is dumb? He's 31 and sold Al. He's the son of a Superbowl champion coach and he wouldn't have picked this QB #1 overall without dissecting and analyzing and researching and studying way more intensely and effectively than you or I could ever hope to. $30 MM guaranteed against your cap. Nuff said. Kiff knew (JaMarcus = Kiff) and he still picked him.
Blah blah blah about Al Davis making the pick. Shell picked Huff last year and Kiffin (and Al) picked JRuss this year. Al is old and he trusts "his people" more than you people think. He may have veto power, but that doesn't mean his decisions are not guided by the opinions of those around him.
2. Upon further review of the tape, I see a very compact throwing motion... something Daunte and Byron and Kerry Collins do not have. Elway had it. Marino had it. Favre has it. Big arm and a quick motion are a lot different from a big arm and a windmill. Now it's time for Kiff & Co. to coach him up.
Lastly, I like Josh McCown and think he will thrive too, along with a number of other players under the Kiffin competition. I fully expect him to hold off JRuss and start this year. Unless of course Russell just can't be held off.
Kiff is doing this just right. At every position he identifies and acquires talent, then adds competition and pride. After what I've witnessed so far, I'm expecting a much nicer turnaround this year than most of the outsiders.
I'm drunk and I'm happy and I'M IN.
And on a parallel begins the Lane Kiffin journey in the NFL. SOM, or "Son of Monte" as described on the Pewter Report, is a born coach. He took heat when his Trojans lost the national title on a predictable Fatdale 4th down run, but fact was at that point, the F to the D was poppin 8 yards a crack on the eventual champs and their superstar QB. Also fact to that point was that Kiff had climbed the charts as a graduate assistant to actual assistant to coordinator to prospective future head coach. And for most of that time he learned under Schneaky Pete. He internalized Pete's approach:
- Sell the program
- Relate to the players
- Hire a good coaching staff
- Teach
- Push endurance, quickness and efficiency
- Use modern, state-of-the-art, NFL offensive and defensive schemes
- Trust your people
- Lead
The tide has turned in Oakland my friends. Believe me or not, I've been following each day of the offseason and from atop a perch I can feel the winds pushing forward with Kiff and the implementation of his system. Competition is everywhere. The team was overloaded at WR and dumped the WAY-overpaid cancer. They needed a QB and got two. They needed a RB and got Rhodes. They needed a FB and got Griffith. They needed a TE and got the best one in the draft. They needed OL and got several.
At the top of the pecking order, I've been doing added research and despite my pre-draft concerns about JaMarcus, I am encouraged by two new twists to the analysis...
1. Kiff picked him. You think the kid coach is dumb? He's 31 and sold Al. He's the son of a Superbowl champion coach and he wouldn't have picked this QB #1 overall without dissecting and analyzing and researching and studying way more intensely and effectively than you or I could ever hope to. $30 MM guaranteed against your cap. Nuff said. Kiff knew (JaMarcus = Kiff) and he still picked him.
Blah blah blah about Al Davis making the pick. Shell picked Huff last year and Kiffin (and Al) picked JRuss this year. Al is old and he trusts "his people" more than you people think. He may have veto power, but that doesn't mean his decisions are not guided by the opinions of those around him.
2. Upon further review of the tape, I see a very compact throwing motion... something Daunte and Byron and Kerry Collins do not have. Elway had it. Marino had it. Favre has it. Big arm and a quick motion are a lot different from a big arm and a windmill. Now it's time for Kiff & Co. to coach him up.
Lastly, I like Josh McCown and think he will thrive too, along with a number of other players under the Kiffin competition. I fully expect him to hold off JRuss and start this year. Unless of course Russell just can't be held off.
Kiff is doing this just right. At every position he identifies and acquires talent, then adds competition and pride. After what I've witnessed so far, I'm expecting a much nicer turnaround this year than most of the outsiders.
I'm drunk and I'm happy and I'M IN.
