Tackle with your head up, or you're not going to see what it is you're trying to hit, the great Grant Blaney once told this reporter about what he told his defense before a big playoff game.
Blaney was the head coach at Buffalo Grove High School, and they were going up against a pretty good Freeport team in the Class 5A quarterfinals in 1978. Freephot had a dynamic running back, Troy King, and Blaney, who said he doesn't mess with the defense that much, took the time to remind his coaches and defensive players to tackle this kid with their heads up.
Or he wouldn't be there when they swung and missed.
Sure enough, the grand master coach was right. Freeport went down the field and scored on its initial possession, King leading the way.
After that, Buffalo Grove tackled with its heads up, Freeport and King did little thereafter and Buffalo Grove went on to a win and earned an eventual appearance in the 5A title game.
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Today, I have to say, if you're a defensive player, you suck. You can't tackle. Every game I've watched this season, especially the college bowls with the most-elite teams, feature players who can't tackle.
They just can't. Missed tackle after missed tackle. Head down after head down. But don't believe me, watch the film. Defensive players consistently try to tackle with their heads down.
And miss. Or else they commit a personal foul - targeting - and get ejected.
Over and over and over. I scream at the TV, as if that's doing any good. Even during a game in which I have no rooting interest, I scream at the lack of inappropriate, inadequate technique.
Who's coaching these kids? These bad techniques will become playing-career long habits and result in a lot of missed tackles.
Which I'm already seeing. So, defensive coaches, and don't tell me you're teaching this because you're not, please instill in your players the technique of tackling with your head up. Or else missing and/or targeting and/or losing.
A lot.
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Add the Washington National Opera to the ever-increasing list of premium artists who have backed out of performing at the (not-the-Trump) Kennedy Center since Trump awkwardly pasted his name on it.
The musical "Hamilton" and the actor/writer Issa Rae are among the ever-growing list of artists who have bowed out of performing there.
Pretty soon, the only "artist" left who's going to want to perform there is going to be Kid Rock - talk about quality.
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Venezuela. Gaza. Yemen. Somalia. Nigeria.
But Trump promised not to get us involved in any more foreign wars.
It's actually a lot more than the above, but who's counting?
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has turned the food table upside down. Red meat is back.
Oh yeah, red meat. That's something I eat, maybe, once a month.
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Tony Dokoupil's debut as CBS news' evening anchor was awash in mistakes and full of the Bari Weiss version of kissing Trump's ass.
Otherwise, it went smoothly.
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Looking forward to seeing Mark Kelly kick Pete Hegseth's ass.
In court too.
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Good night, Mrs. Calabash. Here's to you, Glenn Hall. And here's to you Renee Good and to the Minnesota Timberwolves for having a moment of silence for you before your first game after you were murdered.
More Sunday night on my Radio Free Phoenix rock 'n' roll show.
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