Posted on 01/29/2015 12:13:14 PM PST by Colofornian
There's a team in Super Bowl XLIX that, for years, has created a major competitive advantage by blatantly disregarding NFL rules.
I'm talking about the Seattle Seahawks, of course.
Focused on 24 PSIs of missing hot air and hype in New England, we've all missed an actual rules revolution going on in Seattle that, with one more win on Sunday in Arizona, could fundamentally change the NFL -- forever.
Over the past three years the Seahawks have done something no one in the white-socks-and-black-shoes, stuck-in-the-1950s NFL ever dreamed possible, or legal. Since 2012 Seattle has been at the top of the NFL in wins (tied with 36), Super Bowl appearances and ... penalties.
The best team in the league has been penalized so many times (416) in the last three seasons that I'm pretty sure the fluorescent yellow trim on the Seahawks uniforms is actually just residue from all the penalty flags. Still, Seattle's success isn't in spite of all the penalties. It's inspired by it. Without anyone really noticing, Seattle has created a blossoming dynasty in the most competitive league in the world by completely, and brilliantly, turning the stigma of penalty flags upside down; embracing infractions rather than avoiding them at all costs.
[SNIP]
Through 18 games, the Seahawks not only have been called for a league-high 144 penalties (according to NFLpenalties.com) their opponents have only been flagged just 80 times. Yes, you read that correctly. The Seahawks have been called for almost twice as many penalties as their opponents.
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.go.com ...
ALL: see my links last post as to how the Seahawks were #1 in 2013 in DPIs, Defensive holding, & #2 in unnecessary roughness & offensive holding...YET Seattle-beholden Steve has persistently on this thread attempted to engage in "reductionism" of what kind of dirty play Seattle has engaged in:
His lame attempts:
#56: "Virtually ALL of the 34-penalty difference was comprised of procedural penalties, not dirty play...The notion that the Seahawks rode to the Super Bowl because of penalties that weren't called is ludicrous; they got to the Super Bowl DESPITE the penalties that WERE called."
#47: " Your stats are BS. here are the Seahawks 2014 stats for the following "dirty" penalties"
#43: "Nearly half - 65 of 144 penalties - were for procedural things like offside, delay of game, neutral zone infractions, false starts, etc. They were typically well-above the league average in those sorts of things. For the kinds of fouls that people might call "cheating" - holding, roughing the passer, pass interference, etc. - they were typically in the middle of the pack."
#39: " I think Seattle led the league or is among the league leaders in false starts, which involves an offensive player flinching or coming out of his stance before the snap. Those are indeed timing or mental concentration issues, as are the other types of penalties I mentioned, and they can be overcome if a team has enough talent."
Yes, "Steve" tried to only focus on 2014 with these comments above...BUT the ESPN article isolated a pattern of three years and THRICE referenced that 3-year pattern in it...
We realize now -- upon reviewing the specific links for the 2013-2014 season -- apparently why Steve had to Consistently bleed ignorance as if the article was addressing ONLY 2014 in isolation of this new rules bypass revolution fostered by the Seahawks.
Steve reminds me of the FR posters who militate vs. the 3-in-1 Tri-une God by ONLY wanting to focus on a single personality of the Divine Being.
From the article:
Ya wanna know a few consequences of what this "true rules (bypass) revolution" has been?
#1...
The NFL, via its refs, had to from the get-go of the 2014 preseason overhaul its entire enforcement of all of that defensive contact...why?
Well, you can "thank" primarily the Seahawks' 2013-2014 "dirty play" for that!
Teams realized that "dirty play" could help earn a SuperBowl ring! (Can you spell e-m-u-l-a-t-e?)
The 2014-2015 penalties were indeed "through the roof" early in the preseason...and even up early in the season...as teams were implementing their "Seattle strategy" defenses -- but THEN had to temper it as the season went along upon the realization that the NFL refs were reining them in.
#2
Now...If we were to apply "the Seattle strategy" to the NBA and/or college ranks...
I would...
* ...recruit & have available 5 or so very mobile 6-7 to 6-11 300lb+ bruisers who could play defense quite well and rebound very well...
*..along with the best two close-contact big defensive guards I could find...(to match "head-hunter" Kam Chancellor in football, tho I heard the Seahawks' coaching staff finally tamed his "head-hunting" helmet targeting tackling under control this season)
* ...I would shuttle these high-contact bruisers in and out as much as possible so that they were in much more on defense...--with only 1 or 2 of them in at a given time...but at least one most of the time...
Of course, each "bruiser" would eventually "contact" the other team to death so much so as to attempt to deflate ANY sense of rhythm...
The "end result" would be to increase game fouls by between 1.5 and 2 for any given game...
...and for a few key games...I'd even risk fouling out up to 7 of these "bruisers"...
...all while at key "momentum" points of the game...I would bring all these bruisers off the court and have my "high-flying offense" kick in to contrast a hackers' go-to-the-foul-line defense with a "two-minute" fast-break offense so that the focus wouldn't defensive overkill.
The result?
Other teams would get frustrated by the higher level of contact & retaliate...hence some of the better opposing players would either foul out or get more bench time with higher # of fouls...
After all...even with perhaps doubling the # of fouls, I'd realize as a coach, "Hey, the refs may double their whistles, but if we hack-attack them 3 or 4 times above normal, they are NOT going to triple or quadriple their whistles. Nobody wants to watch that in the NBA!" (except the fans benefitting from it).
Thanks, Seattle Seahawks!
Can't wait for ALL college teams & pro teams -- football and basketball -- to implement your strategy!!!
Hey!
Bring and throw Cheetos at them. Especially when they enter and leave the field.
Cheetos for cheaters
Back when the University of Miami was a dominant team, they made a lot of penalties. Management got angry about it and demanded that coaches reduce the penalties. They did, and they no longer dominate, or win very much.
(I remember one time they had a nearly 50 yard extra point attempt (it was good), because of penalties. Those were the days.)
I haven’t watch a motor race since Dale died. I’ve never been able to shake the way that hit me.
“...but a slight bump caused by the defender being off-balance as he lunged to block the kick.”
And if the GB kicker hadn’t shanked the ball (smart move on his part), Chancellor would have touched the ball first and then bumped into the kicker - no penalty.
Hmm. Could a kicker shank the ball to someone to catch and make a touchdown/ first down? I would guess so - except the kick would happen too fast for anyone to get into position to catch it.
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/ChanKa99/penalties/
Wow. Look at all of those penalties to that nasty Kam Chancellor.
Since 2010 (rookie year) he has had 6 uneccesary roughness (two in his rookie year), a personal foul, and a couple of facemasks. (Plus the assorted holdings, pass interferences, etc.)
Total of 20 penalties over 5 years. (I find that hard to believe it is that low, 4 pentalies a year!!??) - and it includes the latest running into the kicker).
Like I said...coaches got ahold of Him after last yr...most of those penalties were probably lst 4 yrs...so almost 5 per yr ...not including playoff games..in an era—compared to this season...where the refs were fairly lax on enforcement...what everyone needs to realize is that had 2014 enforcement standards been enforced in 2013...sure all teams penalties would rise...but the seahawks would have especially skyrocketed...don’t believe me? Count how many flags on both seahawks and broncos in opening preseason game...and broncos were high too in 2013...
The other thing is I addressed all seahawk dbs for 2013 penalties especially and chancellor specifically lst 4 seasons for more non form tackling...so if he was averaging those even 2 to 3 per season...that’s still enough to gi e a player a rep among sportswriters
Many years ago I was at a F1 race where a driver died. He was an unknown in one of the supporting races. No matter the death cast a pall on the event. The main F1 race went ahead but there was no joy in the rest of the weekend. This was in the early 1970s. At that time death was a fairly regular thing in racing. One F1 champion Jochen Rindt won the world championship in 1970 posthumously because he died during the season but had enough to win the whole thing anyway. He was a close friend to Jackie Stewart and his death spurred Stewart to advocate better safety standards. Thankfully things seem much better today but you can never eliminate the risk completely.
Well, I actually clicked on your link this time.
His first two UR penalties were 2011 -- not his rookie 2010 season...So he had 6 in 3 seasons...
That doesn't necessarily sound like a lot...until you realize he had more roughness penalties in a 27-month calendar period than the average NFL TEAM had in 2014 (5.34)!
“...than the average NFL TEAM had in 2014 (5.34)!”
That is also really hard to believe. Seems really low. (Perhaps it is because I only watch the Seahawks on Sundays!)
The one thing I hate to see for any player, regardless of team is any kind of injury.
It seems small until you start working the math. On average a team get around 60 offensive plays a game. So that’s about 120 total plays per game, with each team getting 5 or 6 penalties, or 10 to 12 combined penalties, around 10% of all plays having penalties. And remember that’s ACCEPTED penalties. Once you hit that 10% number and remember a lot of penalties get declined it works out.
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