Saturday, August 2, 2008

Meeting on the Mound: Vicious on the Line

Rox: shit son
Sox: what up?
Rox: Manny AND Griffey Jr
Sox: Yeah
Rox: That's Mad World material
Sox: Where you been mutha?
Rox: Same place when I missed that ROD SMITH retired
Sox: Alaska?
Rox:
Exactly
Rox: Out of the loop
Rox: On boats and shit
Rox: Missing out on heartbreaking sports news
Rox: The Barrel Man retired too
Rox: Tom Nalen is the only man left with the Broncos who I grew up with
Rox: Its a very sobering idea, in a terrible way
Sox: Yeah
Sox: but that's the thing about being a fan
Sox: it's what I'm facing with Manny
Sox: THEY come and go, WE'RE the ones who stay
Rox: so true
Sox: Yeah, basically all the Red Sox, and a lot of the Patriots I knew and loved are gone
Sox: Ted Johnson, Roman Phifer, Bledsoe, Troy Brown, McGuinest, Tebucky Jones, Antowain Smith, David Givens, Deion Branch, Daniel Graham...
Sox: although you inherited him
Rox: Elam
Rox: Elway
Rox: Romo
Rox: Walker
Sox: Dude, you may be the last guy in the world who likes Romo
Rox: all three Walkers actually, Broncs and Rockies combined
Rox: My heart still skips a beat when an announcer mentions Tony Romo
Sox: LOL
Rox: I'm left waiting to hear the big hit that never ever comes
Rox: and never will
Rox: Fucking Oakland
Rox: Stealing the heart of my defense
Rox: and you can't blame us for Graham, he was a CU Buff
Rox: It was like sending him home after a 4 year summer camp
Sox: Well, his time was up anyway
Sox: we weren't gonna give him that kinda money to block
Sox: he's a decent reciever
Rox: We'll get better mileage outta him
Sox: well, god knows you need the blocking for Diabetes boy
Rox: Yeah, we don't want to get the blood sugar knocked out of him
Rox: Maybe they'll let Nalen tape sugar packets to the back of his jersey
Sox: Wow, that was pretty bad. Isn't Nalen down anyway?
Sox: I'm pretty sure Casey Schweigert is playing now
Rox: Latest news is that an MRI showed no damage to his knee
Rox: He should be back soon, hopefully
Sox: God forbid you play without a 250 lb center who cashes his paychecks at the cost of D-Linemens Kneecaps
Rox: It's good to have a pair of balls like that dangling over your QBs hands
Rox: Makes ya feel safer
Sox: ...
Sox: or get in the way of the snap
Rox: I was hoping that would come across as more of a metaphor
Sox: Dude, I have little respect for Nalen
Sox: He tried to fuck over Igor Olshansky on a SPIKE play
Sox: a SPIKE play
Rox: So he's a tad bit agressive
Rox: Better to be behind him than in front of him
Rox: I mean, do you think the same of Lawrence Taylor or Tomo because they went out there trying to fuck people up?
Sox: I don't like Romo at all
Sox: And LT never tried to HURT people
Sox: he played as hard as he could
Sox: there's a difference
Sox: I take that back
Sox: LT never tried to INJURE people
Rox: Alright, the comparison was a bit of a stretch
Sox: He cried on the field after what happened to Theisman
Sox: Look, the Broncs are thugs
Sox: you have to own up to an organization that straight up loves cutblocking
Sox: You can tolerate it, but I wouldn't condone it
Sox: They league is one star player going down away from cracking down
Sox: mark my words
Rox: I wouldn't go as far as to say thugs, but I can respect an ends with a means
Sox: I mean, who am I to pretend that anyone else is any better, but we're ex-lineman
Sox: You know cut blocking hurts. One minute you're firing into a gap, next thing you know you're looking up at the sky
Rox: I say if you're on the line you should be able to give it and take it
Sox: Fair enough
Sox: it's not as hard to deal with as D-Linemen would like you to believe
Sox: it's just that they're spoiled with being able to go straight ahead most of the time
Rox: Hoorah for hand restrictions
Sox: aggressive line-play fell out of style for a while in the 80's and 90's with how big everyone got
Sox: with the hand restrictions, everyone just started dropping back
Sox: Then, the Broncs did alright with Zone-blocking, and now aggressive lineplay is making a comeback
Rox: the Texans are using it
Sox: I mean, since when did we ever block pro-style in high school
Sox: maybe when we had to seal on the backside of a play, but it was always go and hit someone
Rox: Yeah, until they started that weird shotgun rule
Sox: what was that again, no cutting in the shotgun?
Sox: That was bullshit
Sox: I know why, it's because the D would just fire off full speed
Rox: Yeah, the NHIAA said it was there all along but just started to enforce it
Sox: I remember I was on the field in a JV game when they broke that too us
Sox: the whole line was penalized
Sox: flags were flying everywhere
Sox: I got up from under my guy and pulled Cottle from under his, and the refs got in our face
Sox if the D wants to pin their ears back because they're thinking pass, well that's their fault
Rox: Exactly
Rox: If anything I'd like to see line-play become more of a fight
Rox: I hate this 'line your biggest guys up' and watch them push B.S.
Rox even if tight ends and D-ends are more active
Rox: Maybe a modified and improved shoulder blocking rennaisance
Sox: It was a lot more vicious until the mid 90's when people started to get HUGE, and a lot more rules were brought in
Sox: But you know how the league is, some team will have an attacking O-Line, then suddenly everyone has to have one
Sox: it's happening inthe League now with zone blocking
Sox: the Patriots have always had a mixed bag
Sox: a few big guys, a few smaller guys
Sox: But now they're working in some Zone blocking
Sox: Our center, RG, and LT are all very mobile
Rox: What the NFL needs is more guys like Steve Neal
Sox: Yeah, I love Neal, he's fast, strong, mobile
Sox: I mean, he doesn't have overwhelming strength, but he can always move the guy
Sox: or at least maneuver him out of the way
Sox: I mean, we do have the best LG in the game ,though
Sox: fucking Mankins
Sox: even his name makes me want to rip my shirt off and eat a raw steak
Sox: Logan Mankins
Sox: he even has a Mountainman's beard
Rox: I do love the beard
Sox: He's big, 6'4" 310, and he's SCARY
Sox: dude is ferocious
Sox: he starts in on the opponents from snap one
Sox: and he drives them into the ground every play
Sox: late in games, you'll see guys take themselves out, or audible to stunts to get away from him
Sox: he is monstrously strong
Sox: For my money, best guard in the game
Sox: or at least RIGHT up there with Hutchinson and Faneca
Rox: See, and thats what I'm saying
Rox: We need more of that, the intensity, on the line
Rox: I mean, football players learn that the line is fighting in the pit
Rox: And that's what it should be, two lines attempting domination of the other
Sox: It's getting better, what with the rise of the 4-3
Sox: There's a lot more visceral combat, believe me
Sox: you're underrating it all because you've been away from it for so long
Sox: it's been 6 months since football was last on Television
Sox: You know what, I have to watch the first action of the year on Sunday
Sox: The Hall Of Fame Game
Sox: Skins vs. Colts
Sox: Manning won't be play
Rox: Shit, I'll be on my way to Minneapolis
Sox: blew a sac
Rox: ...
Sox: in his knees
Sox: I know, I know
Sox: Bursa sac
Rox: I'm telling you, I've never been so excited about early August
Sox: I'm like this every year
Sox: I miss it, so much
Sox: But this is it
Sox: I mean, this is football blue balls
Sox: we're so close, we've had a taste,
Sox: but we're so far
Rox: Just think, another couple days and thou shalt be delivered
Sox: But at least I don't have to wait 2 years for relief like you did
Sox: HEY OH
Rox: You're killin' me son
Sox: It's your fault
Sox: Now you're back to nights with Righty and the Left Handed Stranger
Rox: Better to have a stranger than know it's just me

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