No, this isn't a thread about Ames' best barbecue. :wink:
I thought it was interesting to see some of the comments regarding the quarterback battle in light of the posting on cyclones.com regarding the scrimmage. Some people went to great lengths to wring every bit of detail out of a few words, while others seemed disgruntled that the deck seems stacked in Austen's favor. So, just for the heck of it, here's my two bits.
We can't really read inything out of a few words, especially with the battle at least a couple of weeks from being over. It really struck me that some people reacted strongly (both ways) to the comment about Austen throwing a "beautiful" long touchdown, when that's simply what he does.
Honestly.
The first time I saw Austen Arnaud's arm in action, it took my breath away. The guy just throws a beautiful ball, that's all there is to it. He has a strong NFL arm, quick release, and throws a perfect spiral. As Bill Murray would have said, "That's the fact, Jack".
But that's not all there is to it. For being a quarterback isn't just throwing a beautiful ball, it's making reads, doing checkdowns, hitting the receiver in stride, or on the correct side of his body as regards the defense. It's leadership, confidence, charisma, command of the offense, and a whole bunch more that I can't even begin to describe in a few sentences on a message board post.
Let alone claim to understand, never having played quarterback.
Still...Austen throws a gorgeous ball. That's all there is to it. And I suspect that when it arrives where it's going, it's also eminently catchable.
Anyone remember Doug Williams early in his NFL career?
On the other hand, Phillip Bates is exceptionally athletic. Indeed, in one play his freshman year, in most of our hearts he paid for every cent of his four (or five) year scholarship. He's earned his keep. But as a quarterback, he adds another dimension as a breakaway runner--and I don't think many of us will ever forget the impact of Seneca Wallace's wheels. He's also got quarterback skills, he's smart, he's driven to excel--and both he and Austen seem to have that leadership thing going.
The catch is that one or the other of them is going to have to demonstrate the greater (hopefully complete) mastery of the quarterback position--or the "beautiful ball" will be on the bench, watching the "explosive runner" pilot the offense. Or vice versa.
Else Jerome Tiller might find himself at the helm, sooner than we anticipate.
And truth be told, the two of them pushing one another is hardly a bad thing for the team. Competition good.
And sure, there are other battles--but for now, I'll stick with this one. It's too fun to watch.
I thought it was interesting to see some of the comments regarding the quarterback battle in light of the posting on cyclones.com regarding the scrimmage. Some people went to great lengths to wring every bit of detail out of a few words, while others seemed disgruntled that the deck seems stacked in Austen's favor. So, just for the heck of it, here's my two bits.
We can't really read inything out of a few words, especially with the battle at least a couple of weeks from being over. It really struck me that some people reacted strongly (both ways) to the comment about Austen throwing a "beautiful" long touchdown, when that's simply what he does.
Honestly.
The first time I saw Austen Arnaud's arm in action, it took my breath away. The guy just throws a beautiful ball, that's all there is to it. He has a strong NFL arm, quick release, and throws a perfect spiral. As Bill Murray would have said, "That's the fact, Jack".
But that's not all there is to it. For being a quarterback isn't just throwing a beautiful ball, it's making reads, doing checkdowns, hitting the receiver in stride, or on the correct side of his body as regards the defense. It's leadership, confidence, charisma, command of the offense, and a whole bunch more that I can't even begin to describe in a few sentences on a message board post.
Let alone claim to understand, never having played quarterback.
Still...Austen throws a gorgeous ball. That's all there is to it. And I suspect that when it arrives where it's going, it's also eminently catchable.
Anyone remember Doug Williams early in his NFL career?
On the other hand, Phillip Bates is exceptionally athletic. Indeed, in one play his freshman year, in most of our hearts he paid for every cent of his four (or five) year scholarship. He's earned his keep. But as a quarterback, he adds another dimension as a breakaway runner--and I don't think many of us will ever forget the impact of Seneca Wallace's wheels. He's also got quarterback skills, he's smart, he's driven to excel--and both he and Austen seem to have that leadership thing going.
The catch is that one or the other of them is going to have to demonstrate the greater (hopefully complete) mastery of the quarterback position--or the "beautiful ball" will be on the bench, watching the "explosive runner" pilot the offense. Or vice versa.
Else Jerome Tiller might find himself at the helm, sooner than we anticipate.
And truth be told, the two of them pushing one another is hardly a bad thing for the team. Competition good.
And sure, there are other battles--but for now, I'll stick with this one. It's too fun to watch.
