Thursday, December 10, 2009

“Revisiting 49ers' offensive philosophy - ESPN.com” plus 4 more

“Revisiting 49ers' offensive philosophy - ESPN.com” plus 4 more

Revisiting 49ers' offensive philosophy - ESPN.com

Posted: 10 Dec 2009 08:44 AM PST

The 49ers have done nothing to dispel Steve Young's strong words about their offensive approach.

"It's great, it's great," Young told KNBR last week, "but Frank Gore needs to be traded. You can't run the spread with Frank Gore being effective. He's not the guy that is going to catch the ball [like] Marshall Faulk and slash and burn [like] Joseph Addai and different guys who have thrived in the spread."

The 49ers' spread offense is not a literal spread offense, just as Young was not literally calling for the 49ers to trade one of their best offensive players (tight end Vernon Davis might now be the best). But the 49ers have become largely a shotgun passing team instead of a power running team. Tight ends are serving as receivers. Gore has been left out.

The 49ers say they want balance. The Seahawks loaded up against the run Sunday, 49ers coach Mike Singletary explained, and that was why San Francisco threw nearly 75 percent of the time on first and second down. This sounds logical. It might take a while for opponents to decide against keying on Gore. The Seahawks, having watched Gore rush for 207 yards against them in Week 2, had reason to fear the run more than the pass.

The 49ers were most successful Sunday throwing from run-oriented personnel. The more wide receivers San Francisco put on the field, the less effective Alex Smith became. The 49ers' personnel choice, not the effectiveness of their ground game, dictated to what degree the Seahawks had to respect the run (download full personnel breakdown here).

49ers and the pass


The chart shows how many yards per attempt Alex Smith averaged against Seattle, contingent on how many wide receivers the 49ers had on the field.


Smith attempted four passes from run-oriented personnel featuring two backs, one wide receiver and two tight ends. The 49ers averaged 18.8 yards per attempt and scored their only touchdowns on these plays. One of these plays produced Davis' 33-yard scoring reception on fourth-and-1. Another produced Josh Morgan's 22-yard scoring reception on first-and-10.

These explosive pass plays probably worked in part because the personnel groups forced a Gore-fearing defense to account for the run. The 49ers could have more difficulty passing if opponents realize the run poses little threat. This might partially explain recent struggles on third down, when teams are more certain the pass is coming.

More broadly, the 49ers have provided little evidence suggesting Smith and Gore can flourish in the same offense, or that the 49ers can win consistently as primarily a running or passing team. Smith is improving and that is important. How this all might fit together remains undetermined.

fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger

Marc Gasol Dishes on AI in Memphis - Sporting News

Posted: 10 Dec 2009 02:49 PM PST

At this point in time, we all know two definitive things about foreign players speaking in foreign tongues to foreign news outlets. One, the news outlets are often horribly biased and have their own agendas.

Totally unlike America, right? Except these are explicitly sports-related, and go beyond mere homer bias. And two, players are likely to open up more to these reporters, perhaps because they think the Internet doesn't exist or no one in this country speaks any language other than English.

Sorry, had to get that off of my chest. The following comments from Marc Gasol aren't exactly scandalous, but they certainly are more than a little perplexing. From Marca.com, with a translation courtesy of HoopsHype.

The Allen Iverson thing really destabilized us. All that attention hurt us. Honestly, he's a great player and will be in the Hall of Fame, but he never told us - his teammates - about his problems. It had more to do with the coach and our philosophy as a team. I learn about the whole thing through the media.
Okay, let's sort this one out. Memphis had a plan and AI unexpectedly walked into the middle of it. Check. I can see how that hurt them. But attention was bad? Welcome to the big leagues, buster. You should want more attention, and take it as a chance to prove that your team, or at least its players, are worth knowing by name. Then perfunctory positive words about Iverson, followed by an oblique reference to "his problems." Would those simply be a reluctance to come off the bench? Or something else?

Here's the part that smacks of mis-translation, or Gasol just speaking too freely: "it had more to do with the coach and our philosophy as a team." The latter part is solid. AI didn't fit into the gameplan. But the coach? That pretty clearly hammers home the point that Hollins never wanted Iverson around.

We certainly got that sense, from their not talking to Hollins's refusal to take Iverson's gripes seriously. But framed this way, the situation comes off as a team that had Iverson foisted upon them and a coach that resented it from the beginning. Would it have made any difference if Iverson had shared "his problems"? From what Gasol says, the answer appears to be no.

If the Iverson-in-Memphis experiment was doomed from the beginning, you wonder why it ever happened. Couldn't at least some party involved have done their due diligence? Certainly doesn't make the Grizzlies look like the most functional organization on the planet.

fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger

Cutting bosses isn't always the answer - Des Moines Register

Posted: 10 Dec 2009 01:01 PM PST

If you ask people how to make budget cuts in the public or private sector, many will propose eliminating management. It's a popular idea to sacrifice those who supervise and keep the people who "really do the work."

But state government should not automatically apply that philosophy in difficult budget times. Reductions in staff should be made with an eye to creating the most efficient, effective government to best serve the people.

That may mean cutting managers. Or it may mean trimming clerical staff or other workers. It depends on the agency and each employee's responsibilities.

Yet Iowa's largest public employee union has suggested such a sweeping philosophy by proposing state officials reduce the number of managers - 365 of its nearly 2,000 supervisory positions. Leaders of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees say that would allow resources to be focused on frontline workers and save $27 million annually. (Iowa faces a possible $1 billion budget gap next fiscal year.)

When the Register asked AFSCME to identify specific areas or departments with too many bosses, spokesman Charlie Wishman said the organization was reluctant to "throw anyone under the bus at this point," but that reductions in supervisors should apply to "all of state government."

The union, and anyone else promoting such an approach, should provide details about where to make cuts. If there are areas where government is top-heavy and inefficient, Iowa should address that - budget gap or no budget gap.

It is unclear if people classified as managers for the state are less critical than other workers.

For example, in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, some field staff are classified as managers because they supervise other workers. And it is supervisors at the Iowa Department of Human Services who make the final determinations on child abuse findings. At the state auditor's office, supervisors are among those who conduct audits throughout Iowa.

State Auditor David Vaudt said decreasing supervision of employees could cause problems. "It's so important to look at each department or agency and figure out how it best operates," he said.

That should be the approach everywhere. It is in some cases. This week, the Iowa Department of Human Services announced plans for reorganization at the state's largest agency. This includes consolidating eight regional offices into five and cutting a few supervisory positions.

"We cannot afford to lose more frontline positions," said director Charlie Krogmeier, referring to social workers and others who work directly with the public.

Government's priority should be providing essential services in the most cost-effective way.

Figuring out how to do that requires examining each area of government case-by-case.

Don't simply operate from an assumption that there are too many bosses.

fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger

US penny-pinching philosophy - Nation

Posted: 10 Dec 2009 12:01 AM PST

President Barack Obama has finally proclaimed how his administration would handle Afghanistan. His deliberations were Greek to the neocons who had got used to the 'gut feeling' approach, as assessed by Ron Suskind in his book titled The way of the world, of their boss since 2001. No wonder while the president delivered his decision at West Point, all and sundry speculated strangely.
The thrust of his policy was defined by his quote: "For unlike the great powers of old, we have not sought world domination. Our Union was founded in resistance to oppression. We do not seek to occupy other nations. We will not claim another nation's resources or target other peoples because their faith or ethnicity is different from ours." Dick Cheney a la Halliburton again thought the president was 'dithering'. The latter's confirmed critic, Charles Krauthammer called it "an uncertain trumpet" in Washington Post while as per Jim Webb's column it is "an unsound strategy."
A debate is on in the US and the world over about the aftermath of the course of action in the war zone which must carry international ramifications. Rasmussen, the NATO secretary general, sees it as a "new momentum for Afghanistan" like Broder or Gerson. By reflecting confidence in the new strategy, he underlines that "transition" is not a code word for "exit strategy". He predicts that "next year we will start to see light at the end of the tunnel."
Furthermore, Obama's speech was, as usual, so nicely worded and delivered that even the cadet-audience would have, generally, been enthralled. It appears to be Kantian dialectics duly adapted by Obama to convey his appreciation of the situation. No wonder some of his naïve countrymen call him a professor which indicates a 'weakness' in decision-making to them in comparison to the tough talk like the "wanted OBL dead or alive."
The president appears to be very conscious of his responsibility vis-à-vis his country. Certainly, he had done his homework honestly before he made his landmark speech. Essentially the US troops are to be reinforced by another 30,000 quickly to target Al-Qaeda. In addition, the Afghan state would be made to own up governance in its jurisdiction. This would provide extensive security to its people as the national armed forces as well as the police take over greater commitment. Regular reviews in Washington will haunt the commanders as they implement Obama's policy on the ground. As the objective conditions improve, the focus should shift to the "civilian strategy". If the plan is executed efficiently by all the elements involved, a transition may emerge which could kick off the phased return of foreign troops after 18 months. Moreover, the language used is inspired by legal lingo.

fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger

Ferrara in Holden wins FDNY contract - Baton Rouge Advocate

Posted: 10 Dec 2009 02:56 PM PST

Ferrara Fire Apparatus Inc., located on Interstate 12 in Holden, has won a three-year contract to supply 10 aerial-apparatus fire trucks to the Fire Department of New York.

The city selected Ferrara from competitive bids early this year, and initial purchase orders have been issued, said the company, which didn't disclose a dollar value for the deal.

"This is obviously a significant contract for our company, not only because it's New York City, but because it demonstrates the commitment to our core philosophy of building heavy-duty, highly customized fire (vehicles)," company President Chris Ferrara said.

The low-profile units have rear-mount aerials, a narrow width, a tight turning radius and low overall height — features that allow them to navigate New York's congested streets and to fit easily in the fire department's historic stations.
 

fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger
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