I just don’t see the point of spring football. I know a lot of you out there like it because, after all, it’s FOOTBALL and it can tide you over a bit until fall.
But, from a team standpoint, it makes little sense to me. I’ve seen too many guys destroy their careers by suffering horrible injuries in meaningless spring scrimmages. I’ve seen guys who are entrenched starters with nothing to gain go out there and suffer broken bones. For what?
Perhaps it is good for the younger guys who don’t have a chance to play, but it seems to me that this is what we used to have with Freshman Football. I’m not so sure spring isn’t more for the coaches than for the players. Otherwise, what would they do between Signing Day and summer camp? Besides Twittering, I mean.
I’m sure the rest of you have opinions on this. What do you think?
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Vince Gagliano
Until all the freshman arrive, it’ll always be a quick fix.
Old Ducker
Too much time passes between bowl games and summer camp. To stay on top of your game, especially in a team setting, you have to put the skills to the test in a realistic setting. Plus teams that have a lot of talent at the skill positions seldom have “entrenched” starters and there’s nothing wrong from a motivational standpoint with letting them know it by forcing them to demonstrate it.
AUman76
Spring practice is more important than ever due to the limited number of fall practices. With the cut back in days and actual field time for preperation, spring camps allow the coaches, especially incoming new coaching staffs an opportunity to see what they really have in the way of talent and desire to compete.
Spring injuries haven’t been that common involving teams I’ve followed at any level and I’m an old fart compared to most on here.
And maybe, just maybe the time spent on the field will keep some of these knuckleheads away from the trouble many seek and far too often find.
If nothing else it gives players a reason to saty in decent shape year round. Well… all but that 100 watt bulb named Andre Smith from bammer. lmao The kid can flat out play despite his lack of dedication to conditioning but he better get his ass or maybe I should say waist line and C-cup in shape or the NFL will be a short lived profession.
Vince Gagliano
I will give you one thing, AUman76.
All of Lane Kiffin’s histrionics almost (almost) made me forget that there were two other new head coaches in the SEC.
Roby
Old white people with money like to have a reason to drive their RVs into town in April. They want to see spring football. It’s a tradition and they like tradirions. Staying sharp is fine and good, but when it comes down to it, money makes the final decision.
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Cody
Hate spring football. Worse even than college…HIGH SCHOOL spring football is the dumbest thing in the world. I can remember being told to retain my starting spot in the fall I had to spend all my baseball non-game days at spring football.
The point is not my annoying idiotic coach in high school, but the idea that spring football is somehow important. How can it be? I understand that there’s a big gap between bowls and fall practice, but if rust is that big of a concern, make fall practice longer. I’m with HP; if even one guy of importance goes down in spring practice, you not only wasted your time but screwed yourself for no good reason. Would you rather him be a bit more rusty or spend the summer rehabbing?
Jon
spring football’s when you install your schemes and actually get to get out there and run through them. Your oldest players are going to only have been in the system for 4 years tops, you always have more to work on. More for the skill guys than anything.
AUman76
Vince, two other SEC schools have new coaches? lmao According to some, only the Vols and MSU hired coaches. Seems we only thought we did. Oh well….. I guess we’ll see who actually did so this fall.
I gotta admit Lame Kitty has made it interesting very quickly and has the Vols in the headlines. The problem he’s gonna have is keepin em there for the right reasons. Blowout losses ain’t the right reason. The kid will learn or burn…his bridges all to soon up on Ole Rocky Top!
AUman76
Cody, extending the fall workouts ain’t a gonna happen. The brass in the NCAA offices don’t want the big boys to hone their skills like in the good ol days. That’s why there are limited schollys, limited practices and no more athletic dorms. They leveled the playin field and thus parody ooops…. I mean parity has invaded college football. No way in hell a D1AA team beats Michigan before all the rules changes.
Kirk
What’s the point of Spring practice? You’re worried about injuries? If that’s your concern, what’s the point of any practice, regardless of when it occurs? In fact, from an injury perspective, you’re better off practicing in the spring than extending fall practices – IF players get injured, they have more time to heal up before the season. Sorry, but this is one of the more inane arguments I’ve ever heard. Asking “what’s the point of Spring practice” is no different from asking “what’s the point of practice” and if you have to ask that question, you don’t understand sports.
fred boone
Kirk,
See that’s where you have him all wrong. He understands Sports Information.
HP
Spring football is so relevant that often times players miss spring and it has no bearing on their season. Shall I list the names of marquee players missing spring this year?
Other times players play in spring and, as a result, are unable to play in the fall due to injuries in meaningless scrimmages.
Given a choice between missing the spring to play in fall or missing the fall to play in spring, I would take the former. And I am sure you would, too.
Kirk
This argument makes no sense. You’re simply advocating less practice. It doesn’t matter when the practice happens, there is always a risk of injury. Sure I’d rather a player miss spring than fall. By your logic, they shouldn’t be practicing at all. I know you don’t think you’re saying it, but the basis of your argument supports the idea that players should not practice. Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game, and to practice effectively, they are a part of practice as well (hopefully a lesser part, but a part nonetheless).
And how can you say missing spring had no bearing on a season? There’s no way to know. Maybe a great season would have been a once in a lifetime season. Maybe a 150 QB rating would have been 155. A small improvement, but an improvement nonetheless. Sorry, I still see zero logic in this argument, which is particularly surprising given logic seems to be your strength in many other articles.
Roby
I think the whole thing is that it is overhyped. 75,000 people show up for the essentially meaningless Orange and Blue game (or insert the colors of a lesser school) because there is excitement about the upcoming season.In America there are two seasons: Football season, and that season that you spend waiting for football season; especially in places like Gainesville, Norman, and -sigh- Columbus where football pays the bills and is the only thing that matters.
Spring practices can be helpful for some, but are probably not essential. It is really beneficial, however, for a big recruit who graduated high school December, and enrolled to the University in the Spring. He is more likely to make an immediate impact. As for injuries, Kirk is right, there is no controlling it whatsoever. I would rather have someone injured in April than in September.