New Pool In The ARC

October 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Hannah Abu-Asaba

qnh117@mocs.utc.edu

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (UTC/The Loop) -UTC gets to experience a new pool in the Aquatic Recreation Center for the first time this year.

The Universities campus website said that the ARC service satisfies the outdoor and indoor activities that are now available to all current students.

Click here to listen to Miles Ledford talk about the pool in the ARC

“I do think UTC has spent money wisely building the new pool that gives us another way to exercise in a state of the art pool facility,” Ashley Freeman, Chattanooga, Tenn., senior, said.

Freeman said that she enjoys what the campus has to offer students in between classes.

“Aquatic center of the ARC has a lazy river with a kayak plunge, thirty person bubble bench, a five lap line swim area, a two story high slide that is a hundred feet long, a water basketball court, and a water volley ball court, and its open Monday through Friday eleven to one lap swim only, and free swim from one till closing time.” Kaila Gunter, Chattanooga, Tenn., arc control, said.

With all the features the pool provides students have a new opportunity to have fun wile exercising.

Print Friendly
Share
Filed Under: Campus, Men, Sports and Leisure, Women

Fencing Club offers unique experience at UTC

October 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Sarah Lord

sarah-lord@utc.edu

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (UTC/The Loop) - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga hosts and teaches traditional style fencing matches at the ARC.

This small club meets every Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm inside the Aerobics Room on the first floor.

Any UTC student is welcome to join and equipment is provided for use. Students should bring tennis shoes and pants with them if they wish to fence.

President of the Fencing Club, Matthew Curvin, encouraged any student interested in joining to come and try it out. “Anybody is welcome to join fencing club even though it is outside of UTC,” Curvin said.

Click here to listen to Matthew Curvin talk about Fencing Club

Abby Norcross said that the fencing club helps her to relieve daily stresses of college life. “I still go to fencing because it’s a very good stress relief after school and it’s a good way to make friends,” Norcross said.

The charge to join the club is 20 dollars but first time students are invited to try fencing free of charge.

 

Print Friendly
Share
Filed Under: Sports and Leisure

University offers several activities for students to “catch” a break

October 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Taylor Sims

nht863@mocs.utc.edu

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., (UTC/The Loop) - Campus recreation allows students, as well as faculty and staff, the opportunity for fun competition, meeting new people, and staying in shape.

The university’s Club Sports program currently offers 21 different sports and activities. Just a few of these include baseball, fencing, ladies lacrosse, and paintball.

The Club Sports website states that its goal is to “produce ‘student-lead, student-run’ organizations that enhance participants teamwork and leadership abilities while also maintaining a safe, fun, and friendly environment for all.”

A few of the Intramural Sports at UTC include horseshoes, Frisbee golf, and racquetball. These activities are open to any student, faculty, or staff member as long as they have a valid Mocs card.

Senior Stephen Mitchell participates in an intramural co-ed basketball team every year.

“I had fun with intramurals because I got to play my favorite sports after high school,” said Mitchell. “I got to hangout with my friends and meet new people as well as stay in shape, be healthy, be active, and relax my mind instead of studying all night long.”

Junior Gaby Dixon is one of the co-captains the ladies lacrosse club team. She said that while she enjoys playing the sport, organization and funding are difficult.

“It’s hard to get everyone in the same place at the same time,” said Dixon. “Plus it’s hard for us to get good practice schedules because there are so many club teams.”

Club and intramural sports provide students with much needed breaks from the everyday stresses of class and study time.

The new ARC, including the brand new aquatic center, along with other facilities such as intramural fields, Maclellan gym, and the racquet center are used for the several sports and activities offered.

Students who wish to get involved in club or intramural sports can stop by the Club Sports/Intramurals offices or visit the university website.

Click here to hear about intramural and club sports at UTC

 

Print Friendly
Share
Filed Under: Intramural Sports, Men, Sports and Leisure, Women

Braves’ Slide Continues With 4-2 Loss to Phillies

September 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

by Idris Garcia

mdq512@mocs.utc.edu

ATLANTA (UTC/The Loop) — The televisions in the Atlanta clubhouse had all been switched off. The Braves didn’t even bother hanging around to watch the team that’s chasing them in the wild-card race.

All they cared about was another wrenching loss in their September swoon.

Atlanta squandered an early two-run lead against Cliff Lee as the playoff-bound Philadelphia Phillies rallied for their 100th win of the season, 4-2 over the Braves on Monday night. But the wild-card lead remained at one game when the St. Louis Cardinals lost at last-place Houston 5-4 on a squeeze bunt in the 10th inning.

“Everybody is upset that we lost the game, but we’ve still got another game tomorrow,” Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said, trying to stay upbeat even with his team facing an epic collapse.

The Braves, still clinging to a once-comfortable lead in the wild-card race thanks to the Astros, lost their third straight and seventh in the last 10. Their September record dropped to 9-16, nearly wiping out a margin that had been 8½ games just three weeks ago. There are two games left in the regular season.

The St. Louis-Houston contest was tied when most of the Braves cleared out of the clubhouse, not even checking a score on their phones.

“This is a tough loss for me,” said rookie first baseman Freddie Freeman, who came up three times with a runner at second and failed to come through. “The last thing I want to do is watch another ballgame.”

Ditto for the senior member of the team, 39-year-old Chipper Jones.

Barely able to run on an ailing right knee, Jones homered in the first to get the Braves started quickly, but hit into an inning-ending double play in the eighth with the potential tying runs aboard.

He wasn’t paying attention to the Cardinals.

“I don’t really care about that,” Jones said. “I’ll find out what they did later on tonight or tomorrow. Right now, I’m just trying to flush this one and start focusing on Roy Oswalt,” who’ll start Tuesday for the Phillies.

Lee (17-8) pitched six strong innings, Jimmy Rollins homered and Raul Ibanez drove in two runs, leading the NL East champions past their division rivals to start the final series of the regular season.

They reached 100 wins for the third time in franchise history.

“A hundred looks better than 98,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “If I had my way, we’d win more than that. That’s — what would you say? — a benchmark.”

The Phillies sure didn’t go easy on the Braves, even though their trip to the playoffs was in the bag weeks ago.

“We went out there and played like we always do,” Manuel said. “I look at our guys, I think we’re ready to win right now.”

The Braves tried to rally at the end, but they couldn’t string together any hits — a familiar theme for a team that has scored only three runs in the last three games. Brad Lidge gave up a walk and a single in the eighth, but Jones grounded one sharply to second baseman Chase Utley, who started the double play that sent many in the announced crowd of 42,597 heading for the exits.

In the ninth, Dan Uggla lined one to left off Ryan Madson that got under the glove of a diving Ibanez. Uggla pulled up at second with a double and that’s where he stayed. Freeman and Brian McCann struck out swinging before pinch-hitter Jason Heyward grounded out to first to end it. Madson earned his 32nd save.

The Braves tried to lighten the mood before the game. Backup catcher David Ross entertained his teammates with his impression of the crusty manager in the movie “Major League.”

Early on, it seemed to work. Atlanta jumped ahead against Lee, making his final tuneup before the playoffs. Jones drove his 18th homer into the left-field seats, then Matt Diaz and Alex Gonzalez had consecutive doubles in the second.

“Everybody was swinging free and easy. We were ready to play,” Jones said. “After the first two innings, I would’ve given us a 99.9 percent chance to win the game.”

The Braves had not led a game in three days, but they didn’t fare any better playing out front.

“I attribute it more to good pitching than a lack of hitting,” Jones said. “I’ll take that showing. We battled for 27 outs and all nine innings.”

In the fourth, Philadelphia broke through against 21-year-old rookie Randall Delgado, making just his seventh big league start. Hunter Pence got it started with a one-out single. Ryan Howard lined another hit to right-center and Shane Victorino walked to loaded the bases. Delgado made a bid to escape the jam, retiring Ibanez on a foul popup, but Placido Polanco followed with a sharp single up the middle to bring home Pence.

The slow-running Howard had to stop at third, and Carlos Ruiz flied out to center with the Braves still leading 2-1. It didn’t last long. Rollins tied it in the fifth, lining his 15th homer over the fence in right field.

Delgado was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom half, having surrendered five hits. The Phillies pulled ahead against the Atlanta bullpen.

With one out in the sixth, Victorino yanked one down the right-field line off Cristhian Martinez (1-3) and sped all the way to third for a triple, just beating the relay throw. Eric O’Flaherty took over for Martinez, and the Braves pulled in the infield looking to cut off the go-ahead run. But Ibanez grounded one sharply past diving first baseman Freeman, and Victorino trotted home to make it 3-2.

Ibanez added another run-scoring hit in the eighth off Jonny Venters.

Lee looked shaky in the beginning, giving up four extra-base hits to the first eight Atlanta hitters. But he settled down after that, retiring the next 12 in a row.

Jones ended Lee’s dominance with one out in the sixth, lining one to the gap in left-center that hopped over the wall for a ground-rule double. But, showing the desperation of a struggling team, Uggla struck out on three pitches — the last one hopping in front of the plate — and Freeman hit a soft liner to shortstop Rollins.

After saying Lee would probably throw about 70 pitches in his final regular-season start, Manuel allowed the left-hander to stay in for 92. He gave up five hits and struck out six.

NOTES: The Braves activated LHP George Sherrill from the 15-day DL. He had been out since Aug. 27 with elbow inflammation. … Atlanta confirmed RHP Peter Moylan will need surgery on his rotator cuff and labrum. But Moylan tweeted that it is more of a cleanup than a complete repair, cutting his rehab time to six months. … Struggling Derek Lowe (9-16) will start for the Braves against Oswalt (8-10). Lowe is 1-3 with a 4.13 ERA in four starts against the Phillies this season. Oswalt is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA vs. the Braves this season, but only 1-3 with a 5.15 ERA in 10 career starts.

 

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.

 

Print Friendly
Share
Filed Under: Sports and Leisure

Tennessee’s Summitt has early onset dementia

August 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Knoxville, TENN (AP/The Loop)

DOUG FEINBERG,AP Basketball Writer

 

 

Pat Summitt made it clear. She won’t accept a “pity party.”

The winningest coach in women’s basketball just wants to focus on getting Tennessee back on top.

Summitt surprised the sports world with her announcement Tuesday that she had been diagnosed with early onset dementia — the Alzheimer’s type. The Hall of Fame coach appeared stoic during a minute-long video posted on the school’s website.

“I plan to continue to be your coach,” the 59-year-old said in the video. “Obviously, I realize I may have some limitations with this condition since there will be some good days and some bad days.”

There is no cure for the disease and even Summitt’s icy glare that has struck fear in many an opponent, official or Lady Vols player, won’t be able to stop its advances.

Still she said she won’t have her time at Tennessee turn into a “pity party.”

Summitt isn’t sure how much longer she will coach only saying that she would do it “as long as the good Lord is willing”.

Before Tuesday’s news, Summitt was trying to figure out a way to end a three-year drought of missing the Final Four — one of the longest in her 37-year tenure at the school. She does have one of the top recruiting classes coming in this year as freshmen.

She met with her team Tuesday to discuss her diagnosis. Junior guard Taber Spani said the meeting was businesslike, with Summitt telling the Lady Vols nothing would get in the way for their quest of a ninth national title this season.

“It’s shocking, just because you don’t expect that to happen to someone you look up to,” Spani said. “I admire her, and just seeing her just gave me more confidence in her as a coach. We’re going to rally.”

Summitt will rely more on her assistants — Holly Warlick, Dean Lockwood and Mickie DeMoss — but they aren’t sure exactly how things may change.

“We’re here to help Pat as far as coaching and will help this program continue its tradition. And I’m here for Pat as a friend,” Warlick said. “I know she’s going to be here coaching, but she is quick to say this is Tennessee basketball. We’re going to carry on the tradition no matter what.”

Warlick said Summitt also wanted to crush any speculation about her health after the announcement.

“We got on the phone immediately and called kids and commitments and had nothing but a huge amount of support,” Warlick said. “I think it’s one thing to see it on the (TV news) ticker. It’s another thing to hear from Pat Summitt that we’re here, we’re going to be here and nothing is going to change about Tennessee basketball.”

Summitt’s family and closest confidants have known about her condition since she first learned of it, but the Hall of Fame coach first revealed the news publicly to the Washington Post and Knoxville News Sentinel.

She also told her former players early Tuesday morning.

“As a player, we know coach is the type who’s not going to give up. She’s going to fight, she’s going to do everything she can,” said Michelle Snow, who played for Tennessee from 1998-2002. “She’s probably going to be the best patient they ever had. She’s a fighter and she’s been through a lot. She knows how to fight and she’s going to continue to do that.”

As the stunning news swept across the women’s basketball world Tuesday, the reaction was simple: she’ll meet the disease head on.

Indiana Fever coach Lin Dunn first met Summitt 40 years ago at Tennessee-Martin. The two used to play softball in the summer together and were sorority sisters. She was floored this morning when she got the phone call with the news.

“My first reaction was tremendous respect, how she was publicly acknowledging this disease. I know how tough minded she is, tremendous perseverance,” Dunn said by phone. “She will bring national attention to this disease and she can spearhead a move to try and fight it.”

That sentiment was echoed by former Lady Vols star Candace Parker.

“I don’t think she is going to let it affect her,” the Los Angeles Sparks star said. “I think she is going to continue on coaching as long as she can. She came out with (the news) and now we’re going to move forward.”

Summitt’s biggest rival, Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma was shocked and saddened by the news.

“You don’t necessarily associate dementia with people our age, so this announcement really put things in perspective,” he said.

Summitt has won eight national titles at Tennessee and is 29 victories short of 1,100 — that would give her 200 more than former Texas coach Jody Conradt, who is No. 2 on the list.

“It always seemed she had no vulnerability,” Conradt said. “She’s the solid rock everyone looked up to. … I’m very happy she’s not going to walk off the court at this point. When you have made it your life, there needs to be transition.”

Summitt has been bothered for a while by rheumatoid arthritis. Tennessee athletics director Joan Cronan said that the coach initially chalked up her memory problems to side effects from medicine she was taking to treat it.

The coach first consulted local doctors, who recommended she undergo a more extensive evaluation. In May, she traveled to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., where doctors performed a spinal tap and other tests that eventually produced the diagnosis.

Summitt’s first reaction was anger, but that soon gave way to determination.

“She’s ready to fight this and move on,” Cronan said. “She had to come to grips with how she wanted to face it.”

Talking about it was a big step and her son Tyler was instrumental in making that happen.

“Tyler has been so courageous in this,” Summitt’s longtime associate head coach Holly Warlick said. “He encouraged her to come forward.”

Tyler has been supporting his mother throughout this process; he went to the Mayo Clinic with her in May. And though he has been a great sounding board, the 20-year-old said his mom’s revelation is a life lesson for everyone.

“It seems like she teaches me something new everyday, and she is currently giving me one of the best life lessons of all: to have the courage to be open, honest, and face the truth,” he said. “This will be a new chapter for my mom and I, and we will continue to work as a team like we always have done.”

___

AP Sports Writers Beth Rucker and Jim Vertuno contributed to this story.

___

Follow Doug Feinberg at http://twitter.com/dougfeinberg.

 

Print Friendly
Share
Filed Under: Featured, News and Opinion, Sports and Leisure, Women

Motorcycle deaths decline as rider numbers increase

April 21, 2011 By 1 Comment

by Lauren Carter

Lauren-Carter@mocs.utc.edu

WASHINGTON (AP) — Motorcycle deaths dropped 2 percent in the first nine months of last year, but the report by state transportation officials may signal just a blip, not a lasting improvement in safety.

There were 80 fewer motorcycle deaths from January through September of 2010 than in the same time frame the previous year, said the report, scheduled for release Tuesday by the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Image: Getty

But fatalities had started to climb back up during the last three of those nine months. And that has safety advocates worried.

“The drop is all in the front half of the year,” said report author Jim Hedlund, a safety consultant. “It looks very much as if we’ve hit bottom and may be starting back up again.”

Fatalities were down 25 percent during the first three months of last year, and still down 1 percent in next three months after that. Then they went up 3 percent in the third quarter of the year, the report said.

Annual motorcycle fatalities have more than doubled since the late 1990s, peaking in 2008 at 5,312 deaths. But they plunged 16 percent in 2009 as the economy tanked. What caused the drop is a matter of debate.

Jonathan Adkins, a spokesman for the safety group that issued the report, said recreational motorcycle riding appears to have declined while the recession was at its worst, and that may explain why the number of deaths went down.

(Video from THINK! on motorcycle safety)

Now that the economy is showing signs of recovery, Adkins said he’s concerned a rebound in recreational riding will lead to more deaths.

But Jeff Hennie, vice president of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, disagrees. He said the economy — especially the recent rise in gas prices — appears to have increased, not decreased, motorcycle use.

“If I have a choice between driving a pickup or my motorcycle, I’m taking the motorcycle that gets 50 mph,” Hennie said. “It’s not sport, it’s transportation.”

A related data trend is also worrisome. The number of motorcyclists wearing federally-approved, impact-absorbing helmets dropped 13 percent in the first nine months of 2010. At the same time, motorcyclists wearing so called “novelty” helmets — which are lightweight and offer little protection — rose 9 percent.

A helmet that meets federal standards reduces the wearer’s chances of being killed in an accident by about 40 percent, Hedlund said. The only reason for wearing a novelty helmet is to avoid getting ticketed for not wearing a helmet, he added.

Twenty states require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets, but only 13 states specify that the helmets must meet federal standards, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The board has urged states to require all riders to wear helmets that meet federal standards.

Lobbying by motorcyclist groups has led some states to repeal mandatory helmet laws.

Meanwhile, BMW Motorrad USA said it will offer anti-lock brakes as standard equipment on all its 2012 model year motorcycles, the first manufacturer to take that step. Improper braking has been identified as a factor in many motorcycle crashes. BMW said its sales account for less than 3 percent of the U.S. market.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press

Print Friendly
Share
Filed Under: Sports and Leisure, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

UTC Takes Over Engel During Transfer

April 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

by Ben Campbell

george-b-campbell@utc.edu

CHATTANOOGA, TN- Tuesday’s City Council meeting presented a good opportunity for UTC and Dr. Richard Brown, Vice Chancellor of Finance and Operations, to address the takeover of the  historic Engel Stadium during the transfer period.

The University of Tennessee acquired the permission to use stadium from the Chattanooga Parks and Recreation back in 2004. The specific question at this meeting was if UTC would be able to begin renovations and other upkeeps during the waiting period for the transfer to complete.Click here to hear Dr. Brown lay out UTC’s plans.

“There have been numerous bureaucratic issues to deal with over the last couple of years but just last week we sent the actual deeds to Knoxville to be processed through the State Building Commission and it is my thought it will take 60-90 days to work through that process,” said Dr. Brown.

Since 2000 Engel had been used by local baseball teams and also played role in hosting the TSSAA playoffs up until their relocation to Murfreesboro, TN. “I used to play at Engel Stadium when I went Notre Dame and I found myself wondering if there would ever be a renovation of the stadium. It just had so much history and promise for future baseball in the community,” said Chattanooga Junior Josh McCutcheon.

After UTC received permission to use the stadium  in 2004 there has been numerous developments. The university has put in 2 million dollars into the renovations and construction of the lacrosse and soccer fields in the areas surrounding the stadium.

Dr. Brown and UTC’s intentions are to keep the stadium intact because of its iconic history and importance to Chattanooga as a community. “The stadium will be used for inner-city baseball and other baseball services through the community,” said Brown. Also developments for new track and field facilities will begin in the coming months.

Engel Stadium has been a member of the Chattanooga baseball community since it’s opening in 1930, with legends like Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron running its bases. As Dr. Brown stated in the Tuesday’s meeting, the university wants to restore Engel Stadium to its “old glory”.

The city council motioned to adopt this request, and grant UTC full access to Engel Stadium during the transfer period of the property. This topic was not supposed to be addressed till the coming week but Dr. Brown and UTC were ready to get the ball rolling.

Print Friendly
Share
Filed Under: Campus, Featured, Sports and Leisure Tagged With: , ,

Stadium That Once Housed Babe Ruth Gets 1st Step to UTC Renovation

April 12, 2011 By 1 Comment

By: Jennifer Pukenas

Jennifer-Pukenas@utc.edu

CHATTANOOGA, TENN. (UTC/TheLoop)- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga continues to move forward with owning and renovating Engel Stadium.

Dr. Richard Brown, Vice Chancellor for Finance, Operations and Information Technology for UTC, attended the Chattanooga City Council meeting April 5th and spoke on Engel Stadium’s future.

Brown said the University has had numerous, bureaucratic issues with Engel that they have dealt with over the past few years, but they are now well on their way. Brown sent the deeds this week to be processed by the State Building Commission in Knoxville. These deeds, which Brown believes will take 60-90 days to be processed, will give the University management control of the facility and they can move forward with reducing liabilities.

The University has already invested two million dollars in the facility, which will go towards saving the old stadium, as well as constructing a soccer field and track and field facility.

Historic Engel Stadium

“We think that this is really an icon in the city of Chattanooga,” Brown said. “We are hoping to restore it to its old glory.” Dr. Richard Brown on Engel Stadium

The baseball field will be used for inner-city baseball as well as other baseball uses in the community.

Russell Thurmond, a former player on the UTC baseball team is excited about the renovation.

“I liked playing there a lot,” Thurmond said. “It was really interesting playing on an old field that still looks like it did when Babe Ruth played there.”

The Babe visited Engel Stadium in 1931 with the New York Yankees in an exhibition game against the Chattanooga Lookouts. Ruth is well known at Engel Stadium for striking out against a female pitcher, Jackie Mitchell, who played for the Lookouts.

After Brown spoke of the University’s intentions for the facility, the Council took a vote. The vote was unanimous and was approved by the City Council.

 

Print Friendly
Share
Filed Under: Featured, Local, Sports and Leisure Tagged With: , ,

Tennis Players from Around the World Come to UTC

April 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Jake Chapman

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (UTC/The Loop) – A positive environment and enthusiastic coach drew three tennis players from all over the world to UTC.

Trent Cobb, a Melbourne, Australia, freshman, said the relaxing and multicultural environment of Chattanooga was one of the key reasons he chose to play at UTC.

“It’s great to be in a not-as-fast pace city like home,” Cobb said.  “Melbourne is fast-paced all the time, but Chattanooga is more easy going and peaceful.”

Cobb said Chattanooga smaller population may be one reason.

“The population size here in Chattanooga is smaller and more spread out than Melbourne and I enjoy that,” Cobb said.

Cobb has played tennis since he was six years old.  He is a computer engineering major.

It was friends from back home that attracted Rick van de Bovenkamp, Oud-Beyerland, The Netherlands, senior, to UTC.  He said he started emailing coaches and visiting schools after his friends convinced him to come to America and play.

Like Cobb, Bovenkamp enjoys the relaxing area that is Chattanooga because he grew up in a fast-paced city.

“I enjoy the city life very much, but Chattanooga is more than just a decent sized city,” Bovenkamp said.  “It has more to offer than the city life like the outdoor activities here are really enjoyable.”

Bovenkamp has played tennis since he was 10 years old.  His major is Economics and plans on staying in the United States after he graduates.

Bovenkamp may have been drawn by friends from back home, but Roberto Vieria, a Bedfordview, South Africa, sophomore, said that his coach from the tennis academy he played at back home, Earl Langer, roomed with UTC head coach Carlos Garcia during his college years.  Granger also worked for UTC early on in his coaching career before he went to South Africa.

“My coach told me that coach Garcia was a trustworthy man and he loved his players,” Vieria said.

Vieria has played tennis since he was four years old.  He is a mechanical engineering and wants to go back to South Africa to help out his country.

Garcia’s love for his players not only drew Vieria to UTC, but Cobb and Bovenkamp as well.

“A coach that actually cares about his players is a big deal to us,” Vieria said.  “Coach’s enthusiasm and energy when he first met me drew me to UTC and the rest of the team will agree with me.”

Print Friendly
Share
Filed Under: Featured, Men, Sports and Leisure, Women

Cold Welcoming for New Coaches

March 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Bryson Simpson

Bryson-Simpson@mocs.utc.edu

ORLEANS (AP) — Welcome to the NFL head coaching fraternity, gentlemen. By the way, you can’t talk to your players, install new schemes or go after free agents right now.

That’s not exactly what the rookie coaches bargained for. With the lockout, it’s what they’ve got.

It’s a most damaging dynamic to teams starting anew such as the 49ers, Browns, Panthers and Broncos who went completely outside their organization to hire a new head man. At least Denver grabbed a grizzled veteran in John Fox, who won a conference title during his nine seasons in charge in Carolina. Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco, Pat Shurmur in Cleveland and Ron Rivera in Carolina are newbies.

The new coaches in Tennessee (Mike Munchak), Oakland (Hue Jackson), Minnesota (Leslie Frazier) and Dallas (Jason Garrett) either were with those organizations last year or, in Frazier’s and Garrett’s cases, actually took over as interim coaches in 2010. So their handicap isn’t quite as severe.

Still, the lockout is a hindrance as all eight of them try to rebuild struggling teams.

“It’s given us a little disadvantage,” Rivera said. “You want to have the team around and your veteran guys so you get a sense or a feel for what they do. There will always be a learning curve and now it’s steeper.”

More like a slippery slope. Rivera couldn’t put in place his offensive and defensive systems. He can’t identify who the key players will be on his roster because of all the turnover required in Carolina. He can’t chase free agents to fill some of the massive holes on both lines.

Teams aren’t exactly dead in the water because all 32 of them are preparing for the draft, which was protected under the collective bargaining agreement that expired on March 11. But it’s hardly business as usual.

“We have to be fluid, be ready as time goes on,” Rivera said. “The bottom line that we talk about is we have to be ready to play and adjust to whatever the situation winds up being.”

The longer the work stoppage, though, the more difficult it will be for the new guys. Except in Dallas and Cleveland, the quarterback scenario is in flux. It’s possible the starter whenever the season begins — if there is a 2011 season — isn’t even on the roster in San Francisco, Minnesota, Tennessee or Carolina.

New coordinators in most of those cities have little familiarity with their players. No matter how quick a study they might be, an assistant coach’s film work doesn’t replace hands-on teaching.

“The coaches are getting plenty of time to get ready for that,” Munchak said with a chuckle. “You have to be smart about it. Let your staff do what it does best, let your coordinators do what they are comfortable with, nothing drastic. You don’t want to be switching from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4.”

Oops. That’s almost what Fox is doing as he moves from Carolina to Denver; the Broncos are switching to the 4-3.

But Fox also knows his way around the league, going 73-71 with the Panthers and losing the 2004 Super Bowl to New England.

“Retread,” he said with a loud laugh.

“I had a chance to meet our players early on. I’ve watched plenty of tape. I think system-wise offensively we’re not much different since our offensive coordinator from a year ago will be back again. Defensively we’ve got some (coaches) back, but there’s no doubt we’ve got an adjustment as we go 4-3.

“But again, these things are not rocket science.”

They can be complex, though, when someone is coming from the college ranks and has been out of the NFL since 2003. Harbaugh, who spent 14 years as a pro quarterback for five teams, comes from coaching bloodlines. His father Jack has spent more than four decades on the sideline, and brother John has led the Ravens to the playoffs in all three seasons in charge in Baltimore.

For the new 49ers coach, who chose San Francisco over Miami — or remaining at Stanford or going back to his alma mater, Michigan — the biggest challenge is to stay positive.

“It doesn’t do any good to get frustrated and I wish I could be with the players right now,” said Harbaugh, who is finishing up his playbook and preparing for the draft. “The thing I was most looking forward to coaching in the National Football League was being back with those guys. The pros.

“It’ll happen. But they’ll be back. We’ll be back with them.”

When that occurs, the Niners in many ways will be starting from scratch. The other three teams in the division — Seattle, St. Louis and Arizona — are far deeper into their systems, their staffs far more familiar with the players.

“Everybody seems to agree that it’s a disadvantage for first-year coaches,” Harbaugh said. “It probably is. But we’ll find a way to overcome it.

“I just love being in uncharted waters. There is something about it. There’s more of a challenge to it. Maybe it’s because I grew up in 12 different towns before I graduated from high school, I don’t know. Something about it, I just feel more comfortable when it’s the uncharted waters.”

 

Copyright 2011

 

 

Print Friendly
Share
Filed Under: Entertainment and Culture, Men, Sports and Leisure, TV, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »