Why I Left Sacred Heart And Other Musings Topic

It's been a while since I've written, largely due to real-life - some positive, some negative. But here's something new (and tomorrow or Friday, I should be able to release the Media Guides, hopefully).

Enjoy
5/4/2016 8:10 PM
Real good stuff. I've long thought that the engine isn't able to handle the level of detail that some suggest.
5/4/2016 9:43 PM
Fantastic. I too feel that cj was being short sighted when saying this offense can't win vs elite teams. My PSU and USC teams success would say otherwise.
5/4/2016 10:33 PM
Posted by awags on 5/4/2016 10:33:00 PM (view original):
Fantastic. I too feel that cj was being short sighted when saying this offense can't win vs elite teams. My PSU and USC teams success would say otherwise.
I don't think I ever said it can't win against elite teams. I said that I don't think it's ideal for use in the 1AA playoffs. The playoffs are a grind where you are constantly facing tough competition. It used to be that if you went 13-0 and won your CC, you were guaranteed a 1 seed and basically a bye to the quarterfinals. Now, going 13-0 and winning a CC doesn't even guarantee you a 1 seed. However, even if you do get the 1 seed, you could get a really tough first round matchup. The weakness to this offense is that when things go wrong, they can go really, really wrong. In fact, I'm fairly certain that vhoward would even agree with that assessment. So, if you're running an offense that is capable of collapsing due to a slow start, you're setting yourself up for at least one really bad game when you're playing against tough coaches for 5 straight days. I firmly believe that this offense can/does work...but I do think it is limited in Wilkinson. Of course, every offense has a weakness or limitations...I just believe this particular offense has a weakness when playing consecutive games against tough opponents.

For the record, vhoward is one of the greatest coaches in the game. He knows much more about GD than I do and it shows. On top of that, he's even mentored me and I use a great deal of his systems in my own playbook. So, I definitely find value in what he's doing. My point on Sunday is that sometimes we see a good idea and then get carried away. Is this engine geared mostly for passing? Yes. But I don't believe that there isn't any value to running the ball.

Before Sunday's show, I made several phone calls to coaches throughout Wilkinson and even other worlds. I asked all of them about this offense and based on what I've seen, in addition to the answers given, I arrived at the conclusion stated above.

My statements weren't meant to be an attack on vhoward (I hope it wasn't received this way). I just simply wanted to make the point that I still find value in running the ball.
5/4/2016 11:25 PM
Posted by vhoward415 on 5/4/2016 8:10:00 PM (view original):
It's been a while since I've written, largely due to real-life - some positive, some negative. But here's something new (and tomorrow or Friday, I should be able to release the Media Guides, hopefully).

Enjoy
is this satire?
5/4/2016 11:38 PM
Posted by cjsweat on 5/4/2016 11:25:00 PM (view original):
Posted by awags on 5/4/2016 10:33:00 PM (view original):
Fantastic. I too feel that cj was being short sighted when saying this offense can't win vs elite teams. My PSU and USC teams success would say otherwise.
I don't think I ever said it can't win against elite teams. I said that I don't think it's ideal for use in the 1AA playoffs. The playoffs are a grind where you are constantly facing tough competition. It used to be that if you went 13-0 and won your CC, you were guaranteed a 1 seed and basically a bye to the quarterfinals. Now, going 13-0 and winning a CC doesn't even guarantee you a 1 seed. However, even if you do get the 1 seed, you could get a really tough first round matchup. The weakness to this offense is that when things go wrong, they can go really, really wrong. In fact, I'm fairly certain that vhoward would even agree with that assessment. So, if you're running an offense that is capable of collapsing due to a slow start, you're setting yourself up for at least one really bad game when you're playing against tough coaches for 5 straight days. I firmly believe that this offense can/does work...but I do think it is limited in Wilkinson. Of course, every offense has a weakness or limitations...I just believe this particular offense has a weakness when playing consecutive games against tough opponents.

For the record, vhoward is one of the greatest coaches in the game. He knows much more about GD than I do and it shows. On top of that, he's even mentored me and I use a great deal of his systems in my own playbook. So, I definitely find value in what he's doing. My point on Sunday is that sometimes we see a good idea and then get carried away. Is this engine geared mostly for passing? Yes. But I don't believe that there isn't any value to running the ball.

Before Sunday's show, I made several phone calls to coaches throughout Wilkinson and even other worlds. I asked all of them about this offense and based on what I've seen, in addition to the answers given, I arrived at the conclusion stated above.

My statements weren't meant to be an attack on vhoward (I hope it wasn't received this way). I just simply wanted to make the point that I still find value in running the ball.
Three out of four of the final four teams in Wilk D1AA ran this type of offense. Look for more of that in the future as these teams become more established in Wilk. I'm am sure that no coaches are offended by your comments as we understand it's your opinion and you always have the best of intentions.
5/4/2016 11:49 PM
Just got a chance to read the post vhoward.

First of all, that piece is absolutely excellent. Sometimes, we all (myself included) don't realize just how great someone/some team is because they don't win a national championship. Remember all of the dumb complaints about Lebron before he won his first? For the most part, cliche guy who thought Lebron wasn't clutch, has gone away. But if you recall, there were a lot of dumb arguments made about a player that anyone with an eye knew was incredible. Point being, I don't think you necessarily need a championship to validate your success with Sacred Heart. Taking this team and building it the way you did, in that short of time, in this world, is incredible. I think you'll do a great job at Virginia Tech (or else I would still be at Liberty lol).

Secondly, I do apologize if my comments on the show were upsetting. They weren't meant to reflect on your ability to coach; you're a better coach than me...hands down. I just simply call things how I see them.

As for the 5/2 and Nickel combo...I agree that making any comparison from the NFL or even college games to this game is flawed. But, wouldn't you agree that the idea is at the very least, interesting? What if a coach designed the defensive line to just generate a great pass-rush and then spent a good portion of their budget on their secondary. Imagine facing a defense that's capable of getting pressure on your QB, has 2 top 100 LB's and 3 top 30 DB's. Even if your QB can avoid the sack, he's forced to throw at a player who is likely covered by someone really talented.

Regardless, I think it's a good discussion and I really like your analysis.
5/4/2016 11:56 PM
That offense works at all levels and in all worlds. We saw it head to head when Scared Heart went up against Holy Cross last season. Teams running it have made the title game what three times in the last five seasons? I don't think it's the offense, I think its the level of coach in Wilkinson. It's not the offense failing, not capable of winning in the playoffs, or whatever other explanation people are trying to make. Sometimes you just get beat... end of story. Its not that complicated.

I've learned to accept that lately. Talking to a coach a few months back I probably got the best advice I've gotten in a while, i'm finally listening to the advice given to me then. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile. You can't win every game. I'm still going to try, but it's not going to happen. Doesn't mean I hate losing any less, probably even more actually lol. But I take losses differently now then before. This world forces you to dig deep to survive. If you''re not careful you'll question everything you're doing.

I've gone through so much unwarranted drama in this world I can write a damn book on it! SMH so is life. You live and you learn. But one thing I know for certain is that, that offense is deadly. I watched it destroy teams I thought unbeatable. That's a testament to the offense is and how good the coaches running it with the highest success are. Slid64er, Gt_duece, and Awags have all mastered it at a very high level. You can't get mad at them for being great, all you can do is tip your hat and get better.
5/5/2016 12:22 AM
Thanks for the write up. Makes me feel better that I'm not alone in my diaa recruiting experience. Don't know how long I'll stay in Diaa. For now, I'm loving the competition and interaction. But I find myself scratching my head that I'm in battles for mediocre recruits -- and not really sure why either of us want the kid so bad to keep dropping Gs. Makes me feel I'm missing something.

I have confidence I'll eventually figure out recruiting at this level if I stay long enough. In the meantime, glad to know I'm not totally crazy.
5/5/2016 3:42 AM
Posted by cjsweat on 5/4/2016 11:56:00 PM (view original):
Just got a chance to read the post vhoward.

First of all, that piece is absolutely excellent. Sometimes, we all (myself included) don't realize just how great someone/some team is because they don't win a national championship. Remember all of the dumb complaints about Lebron before he won his first? For the most part, cliche guy who thought Lebron wasn't clutch, has gone away. But if you recall, there were a lot of dumb arguments made about a player that anyone with an eye knew was incredible. Point being, I don't think you necessarily need a championship to validate your success with Sacred Heart. Taking this team and building it the way you did, in that short of time, in this world, is incredible. I think you'll do a great job at Virginia Tech (or else I would still be at Liberty lol).

Secondly, I do apologize if my comments on the show were upsetting. They weren't meant to reflect on your ability to coach; you're a better coach than me...hands down. I just simply call things how I see them.

As for the 5/2 and Nickel combo...I agree that making any comparison from the NFL or even college games to this game is flawed. But, wouldn't you agree that the idea is at the very least, interesting? What if a coach designed the defensive line to just generate a great pass-rush and then spent a good portion of their budget on their secondary. Imagine facing a defense that's capable of getting pressure on your QB, has 2 top 100 LB's and 3 top 30 DB's. Even if your QB can avoid the sack, he's forced to throw at a player who is likely covered by someone really talented.

Regardless, I think it's a good discussion and I really like your analysis.
I use the 5-2 / nickel combo almost exclusively, and that's exactly how I set up my defense. I've won 2 NCs from Minnesota in the rugged Warner Big 10 with mcbeth's Penn State dynasty, so it can be done. I use a rotational system to keep my top defenders fresh, try to recruit one top DB every year and one top LB every other year, and keep 9-10 good DL on the roster at all times. The defense is more susceptible to a strong pro-set offense, but only if your safeties and LBs aren't top-notch.

I agree that it's probably the most difficult combination to utilize and requires a very stringent recruiting strategy - that said, I think it can be done.
5/5/2016 8:52 AM
I don't think GT was saying it can't be run successfully, just the thought process of simple application from reality to GD is a pretty foolish one. I just played a coach that runs the 5-2 really well and has since 1.0. I'm sure this coach has had to change how it operates as the engine has progressed. I also played one game with a coach at the Ville who ran the 5-2 well. One game I adjusted my offense and blew them away, the other I didn't to see what would happen as the game progressed. Well we won the game in question as well in a low scoring contest. I'd have to play these teams more to really see the effect on my offense, but the 5-2 against a heavy running back pass offense seems deadly. I should add the game I did adjust was a change to go heavy to my receivers. I don't run it so I'm not sure how certain offenses affect the 5-2. But it would be interesting to find out.
5/5/2016 11:00 AM
I originally intended to add some disclaimers, so to speak, to my article, to avoid any misunderstanding and to communicate that I had not taken offense to anything said in CJ's shows. Unfortunately, I kept getting interrupted as I was writing, then had to rush the completion of the article out faster than I wanted in order to publish before today's frantic Media Guides activity. My fault. So I'll issue a few of those qualifications and explanations here:

1. I took no offense at anything said in any of the CJ Sweat Shows, by him or by any of his guests. While I certainly do not agree with everything said - as stated in my article - I appreciate the diversity of thought and opinion. In fact, one of my two primary motivations for joining Wilkinson was the CJ Sweat Show, which is simply amazing for reasons I think we all appreciate. I was just playing off some of his material to add a counterpoint. So, CJ, no I didn't take offense.

1a. Though I don't agree that my offense is not ideal of the Wilkinson D-IAA playoffs. I just didn't get it done, but those failings were almost exclusively defensive. In fact, the only coach who ever held my offense even remotely in check was babcick, but even his Semifinal victory in S119 over Sacred Heart was a higher-scoring affair than our typical contests. No, I didn't score 60+ against most of the top teams/coaches, but 30+ is a good showing deep in these playoffs... certainly enough to win with even a modicum of defensive prowess, which I apparently am lacking these days.

2. Personally, I do not find any ideas in this game all that intriguing based on any aspect of real-life football. Maybe that's just me, but I've really compartmentalized the two types of football - real-life and GD - in my mind, in terms of the way plays develop and succeed/fail. The core concepts of football apply, but the nuances of why things work and don't are simply not correlated enough to warrant attention. I do appreciate experimentation with formations and settings - that is the very essence of coaching development and staying ahead of competition.

2a. I will qualify that statement with one final word on the subject: If someone's real-life understanding of football leads them to ideas and innovation within GD, then that's great. I firmly believe that even incorrect application of real-life football concepts can lead to implementation of successful GD outcomes, due to factors either beyond our understanding or the law of unintended consequences. Maybe you believe that QB pass progressions work a certain way due to your understanding of real-life football, so you set up an offense and it works! Consider, though, that maybe it works in a completely different way than you think, but still works out really well within the game. This happened to me in GD 1.0 and it turns out the developer incorrectly described GD pass progressions using real-life analogies that were largely intuitive. My implementation of that concept actually worked BETTER than I even expected due to the way the game engine actually simulated (which was later revealed to be different than the first developer explained).

3. I appreciate the Wilkinson community and the competition. It's kept my interest level relatively high at a time when I was running out of steam elsewhere. As previously stated, I value the diversity of opinions and methods here, even when I do not happen to agree with them. I will, at times, write pieces where I disagree with something CJ said or something I see on a Conf Message Board or other things; other times, I'll see something that resonates and I will write on agreement. I always endeavor to avoid taking offense to comments, because everyone has their own perspective from which they view GD and that perspective will often differ from my own. And ultimately, as in the case of my particular brand of offense, I'm confident enough in what I'm doing that I don't need to worry about whether or not others have their own doubts. Besides, they're probably raising questions and concerns that I have pondered many times over... and if not, then I can take the opportunity to step outside my own mind and maybe learn something along the way.
5/5/2016 1:52 PM (edited)
Posted by ebel331 on 5/4/2016 11:38:00 PM (view original):
Posted by vhoward415 on 5/4/2016 8:10:00 PM (view original):
It's been a while since I've written, largely due to real-life - some positive, some negative. But here's something new (and tomorrow or Friday, I should be able to release the Media Guides, hopefully).

Enjoy
is this satire?
Yes. It's the companion piece to Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal."
5/5/2016 3:54 PM
Posted by vhoward415 on 5/5/2016 3:54:00 PM (view original):
Posted by ebel331 on 5/4/2016 11:38:00 PM (view original):
Posted by vhoward415 on 5/4/2016 8:10:00 PM (view original):
It's been a while since I've written, largely due to real-life - some positive, some negative. But here's something new (and tomorrow or Friday, I should be able to release the Media Guides, hopefully).

Enjoy
is this satire?
Yes. It's the companion piece to Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal."
LOL
5/5/2016 7:59 PM
Why I Left Sacred Heart And Other Musings Topic

Search Criteria

Terms of Use Customer Support Privacy Statement

© 1999-2024 WhatIfSports.com, Inc. All rights reserved. WhatIfSports is a trademark of WhatIfSports.com, Inc. SimLeague, SimMatchup and iSimNow are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts, Inc. Used under license. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.