Now that we've re-instituted the weekly FPOTW awards cycle, Wednesdays tend to roll around a bit faster--which is a good thing in my estimation, as so many of you are contributing estimable and recognition-worthy writings.
In the past seven days (and perhaps even before that), there has been a noticeable and predictable shift in the nature of FanPostings. At the start of training camp, many focused on free agency and the veterans who were released; soon thereafter, the leading topic of conversation was Rob Ryan's defense and individual camp battles--which we had greater access to during the San Antonio portion of camp.
Now that the team has shifted its bulk to Dallas, and the daily reports are from the mainstream press (i.e., nowhere near as detailed and astute as those coming from the blogosphere), it has necessitated a similar shift in FP content.
In the past week, of course, several of you have written astutely on the Cowboys' tilt against San Diego--and I'll take note of some of those efforts below. Others, however, are turning to more global or broadly philosophical topics. This is what is know as a zeitgeist--loosely translated as "the spirit of the age"--a moment in which a variety of seemingly unrelated minds all begin to see things in the same way. As a result, I think I'll call this iteration of the FanPost of the Week the "Preseason Zeitgeist Edition."
Make the jump...
First up for our PZE: the honorable mentions. I have two; the first of these is a BTBer who twice received notice from me last week, first as a contributor in the last FPOTW Awards extravaganza, and then in a shout-out in a front-page article on the 53-man roster. I loved the way that demarcus94 had gone about framing the roster, by noting who was a lock to be included, who was certain to receive a visit from the Turk, and who was in the fat middle, fighting for a roster spot. At the time, I encouraged 94 to offer up another version after the Charger game. He did, and the results are equally fine. In particular, I found his assessments of which bubble players had hurt and helped themselves to be lucid and engaging. Interesting point: 94 seems dissatisfied with the state of Dallas' offensive guards. In the first post, he pleads for the addition of Chiefs castoff Brian Waters; in the latest edition, only one guard, Kyle Kosier, is a lock to make the team. Nice work, 94! I look forward to part III.
Our next honoree is last week's winner, Musiccitynorm. In the same vein as the posts that garnered him a "Rabbie" a mere seven days ago, MCN offers assessments of three players' work in the Chargers game. For each snap, Sean Lee, Phil Costa and Igor Olshansky receive brief but detailed evaluations. Norm's take? On Lee: "It is really impressive how quickly Lee understands what is going on and reacts to plays"; on Costa: "I have never seen an offensive lineman play so low to the ground. It is nearly impossible to get under him; on top of that, when engaged with the defensive man, he stands them up by getting inside their hands and into their bodies and working them up"; On Igor: "there was a series of plays and I thought wow, Olshansky is really bringing the game now, where did all this energy come from? It was Lissemore." Cue music: WAA WAAA WOOOAH. I hope I speak for the entire BTB community, Norm, when I say these posts are awesome; please keep 'em coming!
Which leads us to this week's recipient of the coveted Rabbie. When distributing these awards, I tend to reward new takes, statistical acumen, and anything that either teaches me something new about the game or makes me say "Hmmm..." because I hadn't considered that before. This week's winner falls into the latter category. BoyfromOz offers us a brief historical journey through the annals of Lombardi-winning coaches. In 45 Super Bowls there have apparently been only 28 winning coaches. What blew my mind is how many of these win in their first four years on the job. The message is twofold: first, if you're good enough to get a ring, it will quickly show. Second? I'll let Oz tell it:
Entering his 13th season, Almost Andy is going to have to defeat history as only one Coach (Cowher) has won a SB after more than 12 seasons with a team (Landry getting his in his 12th season). Inside word is that the Eagles are making an uncharacteristic big push this year because Andy has only 2 more years to get that SB win or his time at the Eagles is over.
That's the kind of stuff I like to hear, Oz! To the rest of you: there are lots of other interesting observations herein. I encourage you to hit the link and take a peek; its good stuff.
Congratulations to all the winners. As a first-time winner, Oz should be a shining beacon to you all, one that sends out a clear message: keep posting! Recognition shall be yours!