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| Königsberg, Prussia |
Have no idea what the hell I'm talking about? Tapslap it HERE. Cliff's Notes: Seven Bridges of Königsberg is an impossible puzzle.
Just like our current quarterback situation.
On one hand you have Mike Rocco. Totally effective, and generally indicative of the kind of quarterback good UVA teams have at the helm. He's like Mike Groh or Matt Schaub. A winner. A game manager. Easy to root for. At times, a difference-maker. But not a transcendent talent. To me, Rock represents the historic ceiling of Virginia Football. Good enough, but never quite good enough.
On the other hand, you have Phillip Sims. Nobody knows how good he really is, but everyone's imagination runs buckshit wild with how good he might become. Sims is possibly, potentially, maybe maybe maybe that transcendent talent that we haven't had at QB since Shawn Moore. Hell, Sims might be even better than Shawn Moore once it's all said and done (though that'd be an extremely tall order.) To me, Sims represents the new ceiling for Virginia Football. Which is to say, no ceiling.
Rocco might be Don Majkowski or Matt Blundin.
Sims might be for Virginia what Joey Harrington was for Oregon, what Kellen Moore was for Boise, what RG3 was for Baylor.
So what's the right choice? Don't rock the boat and stick with the guy who might be another in a relatively long line of very good UVA quarterbacks who led the program to put-us-on-the-map seasons of 8, 9, 10 wins? Or roll the dice with the golden arm who could push the program further, faster, but at risk of throwing caution to the wind and seeing the experiment blow up in our faces while alienating the incumbent and potentially reinforcing negative stereotypes, lending credence to claims of 757 bias?
I don't know the answer.
But I do know this: If Mike London rolls with Rocco, we as fans owe it to both the coach and quarterback to support the decision and the player unequivocally. That'll never happen, but that's what SHOULD happen.
Let Coach London traverse the Seven Bridges. We should just sit back and enjoy the ride.
The 757 bias is infuriating. There is a talent bias in this state for the 757. The last thing that should factor into this decision is seemingly playing favorites. If Phillip Sims is better, you play him, it's that simple. If Shane Beamer wants to play up this perceived bias in recruiting that's fine. Any kid with two eyes can see talent beating out talent, which is how London should and will let this get settled. And if they don't believe Coach London, they can ask all our street agents how honest the Hokies are.
ReplyDeleteThe point is, if Sims is better, start him. Don't hold this program back to not hurt feelings. That's like staying together for the kids, it just makes things worse.
Yeah, but what's "better?" Better talent? Better grasp of the offense? Better leader? Better able to move the football and score points? You see what I'm getting at.
ReplyDeleteIt's not so cut and dried. The frustrating thing is that the decision might essentially boil down to mortgaging the present for the future vs. mortgaging the future for the present. Where is Mike London at right now? Where's the support for UVA football? Can we afford a dip to 6-6 or - gasp! - 5-7 while the RAW (that's right, I said raw) Phillip Sims learns how to play D-1A football?
That's why it's the Seven Bridges. It's an impossible puzzle. Most coaches will ultimately choose to play it safe and conservative, and Rocco is the safe, conservative decision. Hell, Nick Saban (the best coach in college football) went with the safe option in McCarron.
I'm glad I don't have to make the decision - but watching them both throw live, it's obvious who throws it better.
ReplyDeleteDoes throwing it better = who should start? Not exactly.
But if Sims can manage the game fine...