The Saints broke the rules with bounties on players and it was organized by the coaches. The Patriots broke the rules by spying on teams that was organized by coaches. The Saints got punished more severely by a factor of 10. Apparently, what the Saints did was 10 times worse.
Now, Mickey Loomis may have spied on other teams from 2002-2004.
My first thought was, “That stinks if it is true, but this one is definitely like the Patriots. On the good side, if it is true, nobody will be suspended and the penalties won’t be too severe.”
Then I found out how dumb I was.
Apparently, this crime may be worse than the bounty scandal (or at least that is what I am reading). Really? Maybe it is worse in regards to the law. But, it better not be according to the NFL.
The situation is bad enough considering the NFL’s zest for punishing anyone involved with the Saints, but refusal to deeply investigate other teams. Nevertheless, Goodell does have precedent in spying, and he better follow it. Though, I can’t imagine how the NFL or the law is going to be able to prove this allegation.
In other news, I wish I could watch more LSU baseball games because I can’t believe the season Raph Rhymes is having with the new bats. The SEC has never been stronger and he is batting .500!!
What’s almost more amazing is that he is not being pitched around with runners on base. My fear is what happens if opponents start pitching around him or he only (funny to say) hits .400 down the stretch.
When LSU took the series at Florida it was because the bottom of the lineup produced runs. Now Arby Fields is at the top of the lineup, and the bottom has lost production. Wherever Jacoby Jones is in the lineup, he must get hot down the stretch for LSU to accomplish great things in the post season.
To close, I want to advise LSU basketball fans not to give up on next year too soon. LSU might struggle, but it is way too early to decipher. Most of the comments I hear is that LSU cannot overcome the lack of size. While a big front line would be nice, it is possible to win with a smaller lineup if you are willing to do certain things.
Coach Johnson was not willing to do those things. He refused to play up tempo, press, spread the floor on offense, or double team on defense. His offense was a form of 3 out 2 in 80% of the time. Coach Jones will play to his talent. That means, the bigger question will be if LSU’s back court has the talent.
I was not impressed by LSU’s backcourt last year. I thought they were one dimensional, and average to poor shooters without the ability to break down the defense off the dribble. Part of that may have been the style of offense and pace of play. Coach Johnson’s offense seems to have always favored post players. Even Marcus Thornton received a lot of post touches.
Hopefully, with a new system and faster pace of play, the LSU backcourt will thrive. I think a faster tempo better fits Johnny O’Bryant’s skill set anyway. The biggest problem is that O’Bryant is the only SEC-caliber post player on the roster.
To be clear, I expect next year to be a challenge for the LSU basketball team.
But, let’s not write off and make conclusions before the team is even in place.
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