Doesn’t it strike you as mildly compelling that every time you
watch a low-scoring game, some fan with a video-game
mentality automatically attributes it to “bad offense?”
I’m not against points going on the scoreboard, but gee whiz,
heaven help me if we actually gave the defense credit.
Call me in the minority, but I’m not one to think that just because
you have a 51-48 football game, a 15-12 baseball game, a
150-148 basketball game or a 10-8 soccer game that it’s
exciting. I like some defense with my sports. Last season, the
NFL featured a Monday Night Football game where the Los
Angeles Rams defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 54-51, marking
the first time in league history that a team scored 50 points in a
game and lost. No more than a couple of months later, the Rams
lost in the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots 13-3. That
contest marked the lowest scoring game in Super Bowl history.
I don’t mind watching some offense, like say a 31-28 football
game or a 108-104 NBA game, a 7-5 baseball game or maybe
a 4-2 soccer game. However, whether or not a game is high-
scoring will never make or break why it holds my interest. I’ll
take a 10-6 football game midway through the fourth quarter
even if both teams have combined for 20 penalties and eight
turnovers. Why? The game is hanging in the balance and I
don’t know who is going to win. What will not hold my interest?
Blowout wins where I do not have a rooting interest.
As a San Francisco 49ers fan, I stated glued to the TV in their
Super Bowl 24 55-10 win over the Denver Broncos and 49-26
win over the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl 29. As a
Nebraska Cornhusker fan, I stayed glued to the TV in their 62-24
thrashing over the Florida Gators in the Fiesta Bowl for the
National Championship in 1995. Why? Because those are my
teams. However, if you did not have a rooting interest, I can
understand why you tuned out -- I would have too.
Anyhow, what galls me is hearing fans or media members
automatically say “bad offense” was the reason for a low-scoring
game.
I say nonsense. Last time I checked, the defense has an
objective, too.
The distinction I keep revisiting is American Canyon High football,
which is located in Northern California in the Napa Valley. I
covered the Wolves as a freelance writer on consecutive weeks
in 2018. The first example was a 43-16 win over the Petaluma
Trojans. In that contest, American Canyon limited Petaluma to
138 yards of offense on 64 plays. One week later, the Wolves
whitewashed the Sonoma Dragons 47-0. In that game, Sonoma
gained just eight yards on 32 plays and one first down, via
American Canyon penalty.
I love seeing Napa Valley teams succeed but I’m going to be
brutally honest. The first example was good defense because the
Wolves offense was not much better than Petaluma that night,
generating 134 yards rushing on 27 carries. The defense scored
two touchdowns and the special teams scored another. The
second example against Sonoma, in my eyes, was closer to bad
offense than good defense. While there was an element of great
defense, the bad offense also needs to be acknowledged.
Seriously, eight yards on 32 plays and one first down that came
via penalty? You should get one first down on your own in
garbage time.
Off my soapbox for now.
I remember having a conversation with one fellow who shares
my belief and he said, “People like offense because they don’t
want to see a defensive struggle like a 10-7 football game.”
Interesting, as opposed to a 54-51 football game referred to as
an “offensive struggle.” Those games are known as “shootouts.”
So I’ve decided to tempt fate and explain the difference between
good defense and bad offense based on sport regardless of the
final score.
Well, for the sake of discussion, I’ll lump soccer and hockey into
the same category since they both involve goaltenders:
Football
Good defense:
a) If a ball-carrier fumbles the ball despite using “four-point ball
security” as a result of a hard hit by a defender.
b) If a receiver drops the ball as a result of a defender delivering
a hit as the ball arrives.
Bad offense:
a) If a ball-carrier fumbles the ball without using “four-point ball
security” regardless of whether or not it resulted in a hard hit
courtesy of a defender.
Basketball
Good defense:
a) If a player misses a jump shot as a result of the defender
disrupting the shot by getting a hand in his face.
b) If a player misses a lay-up as a result of a defender disrupting
the shot.
Bad offense:
a) If a player misses a jump shot badly with nary a defender
within six feet.
b) If a player misses a lay-up with nary a defender nearby.
Baseball/softball
Good pitching or defense:
If there is a weakly hit groundball or flyball, it could be because of
the spin the pitcher has on the ball and the defender making the
routine play.
Bad offense:
If a pitcher throws a hanging curveball and/or fastball with no
movement, then the batter pops up to the second baseman.
Soccer or hockey
Somewhat similar examples to basketball, in that good defense
is when the offensive player misses say a 15-yard shot as a
result of a) being marked up well by a defender or b) missing a
wide-open shot as a result of a goalkeeper’s save.
Whereas bad offense is a result of a player missing a shot with
nary a defender in the area and the goalkeeper does not even
have to attempt to make a save.
The argument that you hear from the video game fans is that
sports is entertainment, which is a short-sighted argument. Well,
to the fan, it’s entertainment.
To the coaches and players, the objective is to win the damn
game.
What a concept.
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