Cotton Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Posted: July 22, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentThe traditional 2nd anniversary gift is cotton-oriented.
Two years ago tomorrow, I experienced this: https://daallen.wordpress.com/2013/08/15/update-2/
Many are familiar with this old story, so find below some new information from my most recent lipid panel, which is fascinating reading. Interestingly, the post preceding the post linked above was the Cotton Anniversary of The DA Blog.
Finally, I have been resting the blog but shall return in short order for the upcoming college and professional football seasons with rules discussions.
Lipid panels and football–the classic combination.
Component Results
| Component | Standard Range | Your Value |
|---|---|---|
| Cholesterol, Total | 120 – 200 mg/dl | 99 |
| Triglycerides | <=149 mg/dl | 96 |
| HDL | 40 – 60 mg/dl | 53 |
| VLDL Calculated | <=30 mg/dl | 19 |
| LDL Cholesterol Calc | <=99 mg/dl | 27 |
| Cholesterol/Hdl Ratio | <=5.0 ratio | 1.9 |
| LDL/HDL Ratio | <=3.6 ratio | .5 |
| Risk of Developing Coronary Heart Disease Female Guidelines Male Guidelines Up to 1.5 Up to 1.0 Low Risk 1.6 to 3.2 1.1 to 3.6 Average Risk 3.3 to 5.0 3.7 to 6.3 Above Average Risk 5.1 to 6.1 6.4 to 8.0 High Risk |
||
| Non-HDL Cholesterol | 46 | |
| The reference range is the patient’s target low density lipoprotein plus 30. | ||
Football: Inflated Urethane Bladder In A Leather Case
Posted: May 6, 2015 Filed under: Sports | Tags: cheating, deflation, fines, football, inflation, new england patriots 4 CommentsUPDATE:
“More probable than not [New England cheated]”:
ORIGINAL POST (JANUARY 2015):
That’s how the NFL Rules describe a football. The bladder contains air, which the rules state must be between prescribed pounds-per-square-inch limits. Those are the rules.
The NFL reportedly found that the New England Patriots did not play with properly-inflated footballs during their blowout 45-7 win over Indianapolis last weekend (aka “Deflategate”). In the second quarter, Indianapolis linebacker D’Qwell Jackson intercepted a Tom Brady pass–and apparently thought the ball felt funny.
He gave the ball to an Indy equipment guy, who told Indy Coach Pagano, who told Indy’s General Manager, who told an NFL official, who told the on-field officials, who then inspected New England’s footballs at halftime. End of story–until the NFL penalizes New England somehow (probably a monetary fine and perhaps the loss of a draft choice if the League considers the alleged cheating egregious).
To some, the alleged cheating’s effect on the game’s outcome is a non-starter . New England blew out the Colts, so what could a couple of pounds of air pressure mean in a one-sided game?
To others, the story is all about the air pressure. They say that football is a game of momentum that can break the other team’s will to win. If you do that, you steamroll the opponent. If New England cheated (which apparently they did), and that cheating resulted in the proverbial snowball rolling downhill, a couple of pounds of air pressure meant virtually everything.
The officials rectified the problem at halftime, when the score was 17-7 in favor of New England, who then scored 21 unanswered points in the 3rd quarter with the properly-inflated balls.
In my mind, that makes the issue a non-starter as to the ultimate outcome of the game. But rules are rules, and a penalty appears warranted at some point.
I can’t wait to see what New England tries next …
Nebraska Football Coach Mike Riley, Part II
Posted: February 26, 2015 Filed under: Sports | Tags: mike riley, nebraska football, predictions Leave a commentI previously predicted positive results for Nebraska football coach Mike Riley.
The following video briefly outlines his coaching philosophy.
Call it trendy if you will.
I call it smart.
NFL Football: Airborne Receiver Pushed Out Of Bounds–Complete Or Incomplete Pass?
Posted: February 1, 2015 Filed under: Sports Leave a commentQuestion: What is the proper call if an airborne player catches a pass and is pushed out of bounds by another player without both feet touching inbounds?
Answer: If a player simply pushes an airborne player out of bounds, the pass is incomplete. However, if a player holds up and carries an airborne player out of bounds, the pass is complete.
Generally, a player must touch both feet inbounds to complete a pass. See Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3(b) (Page 2/12). A player can push an airborne player out of bounds, and the pass is incomplete.
However, Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 6 (Page 2/12) states:
If a player, who is in possession of the ball, is held up and carried out of bounds by an opponent before both feet or any part of his body other than his hands touches the ground inbounds, it is a completed or intercepted pass.
A.R. 8.22 and A.R. 8.23 give specific examples at Page 34/105 as follows:
A.R. 8.22INCOMPLETE PASS—NO FORCE OUTSecond-and-10 on B45. A1 throws a pass to A2 near the sideline. A2 goes high to catch the pass, secures possession while in the air, but is then pushed by B1 causing one of A2’s feet to come down on the sideline. B1 does not play the ball but instead pushes A2 with both hands on his waist. Had he not been pushed, A2 would have come down inbounds with both feet at the B30.Ruling:Third-and-10 on B45. Incomplete pass.A.R. 8.23COMPLETE PASS—CARRY OUTSecond-and-10 on B45. A1 throws a pass to A2 near the sideline. A2 goes high to catch the pass, secures possession while in the air, and would have come down with both feet inbounds at the B30; however, B1 wraps him up while he is still in the air and carries A2 toward the sideline where he finally comes down out of bounds a) at the B28, or b) at the B32.Rulings:a) First-and-10 on B28.b) First-and-10 on B30. Carry out and forward progress.
Football: Dez Bryant And Completed Forward Pass
Posted: January 11, 2015 Filed under: Sports | Tags: booth, football, official, pass, review 4 CommentsSeveral weeks ago, I analyzed completed forward passes in both college and professional football. You can read that post here.
Earlier today, the Green Bay-Dallas game involved this issue late in a close game.
The issue involved a 4th down pass to Dallas’s Dez Bryant. Here is the video:
The official initially called the play a completed forward pass, which would have given Dallas a first down on the Green Bay 1 with a chance to take the lead. Following an official review, the call was overturned, giving Green Bay the ball. Green Bay then ran out the clock.
So how do the rules apply here? NFL Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3 states , in part:
A forward pass is complete … if a player … maintains control of the ball long enough … to enable him to perform any act common to the game (i.e., maintaining control long enough to pitch it, pass it, advance with it, or avoid or ward off an opponent, etc.).
Bryant appears to possess the ball long enough to enable him to perform any act common to the game. In fact, the example above lists advancing with the ball as one act, which Bryant arguably did by reaching the ball forward.
However, Article 3 also contains “Item 1”, which states:
If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball throughout the process of contacting the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.
Green Bay Fan would argue that Item 1 applies here; that is, Bryant did not maintain control of the ball throughout the process of contacting the ground. Green Bay Fan likely has a strong argument here in favor of an incomplete pass. However ….
The standard for overturning a call on the field is stated in NFL Rule 15, Section 9, Article 3, which explains that the Referee only can reverse a call on the field with indisputable visual evidence. Did indisputable evidence exist? Did the ball without a doubt hit the ground (and not part of Bryant’s arm)? Based on the visual evidence I saw, No and No. The standard is indisputable visual evidence.
But I did not see the Referee’s visual evidence (and I’m a Dallas fan). Good luck the rest of the way, Green Bay.
Football: Backward Pass (aka Lateral)
Posted: January 10, 2015 Filed under: Sports | Tags: football, pass Leave a commentA reader (DC) recently suggested that The DA Blog address the topic of laterals, more accurately called “backward passes”. Specifically, DC inquired about the Oakland Raiders stunning win over Kansas City, during which an Oakland defender batted down a pass, which officials ruled a backward pass, causing Kansas City not only to lose that down but also nine yards.
This result indicates that some passes are not incomplete and the play dead when the ball touches the ground with no loss of yardage (as in a garden-variety incomplete forward pass); a backward pass creates a “live ball” situation wherein the play actually continues.
The most famous example of disputed backward passes occurred in 1982 during “The Play”, where Stanford’s John Elway engineered what appeared to be the game-winning drive to put Stanford ahead of Cal in the closing seconds of the game–right before this happened:
A couple of those backward passes were arguably illegal forward passes. Can you spot them and, more importantly, what do the rules say about backward passes?
The rules distinguish between forward passes and backward passes, both of which are legal. I shall cite the basic rules but allow you to apply them to specific situations–as they are quite varied and often controversial. Frankly, the rules regarding backward passes are quite simple yet leave to the officials’ judgment what constitutes “forward” and “backward” passes.
NCAA Football 2013 And 2014 Rules And Interpretations Rule 7, Section 2, Article 1 (Page 77/216) states:
A ball carrier may hand or pass the ball backward at any time, except to throw the ball intentionally out of bounds to conserve time.
Section 2 discusses the nuances of backward passes, but the general rule is left fairly simply: A team may hand or pass the ball backward (generally) at any time innumerable times.
Section 3 (Page 78/216 and following) discusses the forward pass. Generally, a team may pass the ball forward once during a play. Article 1 of this Section states:
Team A may make one forward pass during each scrimmage down before team possession changes, provided the pass is thrown from a point in or behind the neutral zone.
Section 3 discusses the nuances of the forward pass in exhausting detail.
National Football League Rule 8 also treats forward and backward passes and in only twelve pages. Again, the basic rules are quite simple, although specific issues occur throughout those pages.
These rule links should assist you to break down issues related to forward and backward passes.
Here’s another play where the announcers are pretty excited:
Football: Faking Or Feigning An Injury
Posted: December 19, 2014 Filed under: Sports Leave a commentBefore I discuss what penalties exist for faking an injury to gain an advantage (e.g. slowing down an up-tempo offense, stopping the clock when one’s team is out of timeouts), I want to note something I find interesting.
College and professional football have limited directives regarding this practice, which soccer (a.k.a. football) calls diving, flopping, simulation, or Schwalbe (German for “swallow”). Soccer actually appears more advanced in its rules in this regard, as it directly penalizes these acts with on-field punishment (i.e. a yellow or red card).
College football has no such rule. It merely explains that such behavior is unethical and should be discouraged. (See Page 13-14/216.)
Professional football similarly has no clear rule in this regard. NFL Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1(i) states:
Using acts or words by the defensive team that are designed to disconcert an offensive team at the snap. An official must blow his whistle immediately to stop play.
This rule does not directly address feigning injury, though. In 2013, NFL Bigwigs sent all teams a little reminder memorandum regarding this practice, which reportedly noted that all personnel should discourage the practice or suffer potential “fines of coaches, players, and clubs, suspensions or forfeiture of draft choices.”
Drafting a rule prohibiting feigning injury would lead to officials needing to decide on the spot if a player is in fact injured. Should an official conduct a medical examination during a game?
Shawn Eichorst, Mike Riley, and Bob Devaney
Posted: December 19, 2014 Filed under: Sports 3 CommentsI’ll be brief with this prediction. I have no “inside” information. I am out on a limb here.
I predict that Nebraska Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst’s hiring of new Nebraska Football Coach Mike Riley will affect Nebraska football substantially similarly to the hiring of Bob Devaney in 1962.
You read it here early.
College Basketball: Inbounds Pass/Throw In and Five Second Count
Posted: December 11, 2014 Filed under: Sports Leave a commentHere’s a fairly simple rule but one that can occur at a critical point of a basketball game: The five-second violation during a throw-in.
The NCAA Men’s Basketball 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 Rules discuss this violation at Pages 75-76/140.
After a break in the action (e.g. a made basket, a turnover, a timeout), a team inbounding the ball has five seconds from the time the official places the ball is at the disposal of the player entitled to the throw-in to start up the game again. “Disposal” means the official has either handed the ball to the inbounding player or has otherwise made the ball ready for play. (Occasionally, a team takes too long to re-enter the court or prepare to inbound the ball, and you will see an official place the ball on the floor–at which point the official has placed the ball at that team’s disposal.)
If the inbounding team exceeds the official’s five-second count, the other team is awarded the ball. Fans sometimes scream “FIVE SECONDS” without a full understanding of the rule, perhaps thinking that the inbounding team must actually possess the ball inbounds before five seconds expires.
So what has to happen before five seconds elapses?
Rule 7, Section 6, Article 5 (Page 75/140) states:
The thrower-in shall release the ball no more than five seconds after the
throw-in count begins. The pass shall go directly into the playing court, except as
provided in Rule 7-4.6.b.
That is your simple yet important rule: The thrower merely needs to release the ball before the five seconds expires.
(The exception for Rule 7-4.6.b about the pass going directly into the playing court refers to a seldom-made pass after a successful basket or goaltending violation, where the inbounding team may pass the ball between players who are out of bounds at the end line under the basket. The ball ultimately must be passed into the playing court before five seconds expires.)
Football: Helping The Ball Carrier
Posted: December 7, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentSHORT ANSWER: You can push the ball carrier; you cannot pull him.
NCAA Football 2013 and 2014 Rules and Interpretations Rule 9, Section 3, Article 2-b (Page FR-96 or 98/216 on my reader) states:
The ball carrier shall not grasp a teammate; and no other player of his team
shall grasp, pull, or lift him to assist him in forward progress.
Rule 9-3-2-b then references A.R. (Approved Rule) 9-3-2-I (Page 64 of the A.R.’s or 199/216 on my reader), which provides a precise example and discussion of this rule. This A.R. states:
In trying to gain yardage, ball carrier A44 is slowed by defensive
players attempting to make the tackle. Back A22 (a) puts his hands
on the buttocks of A44 and pushes him forward; (b) pushes the pile of
teammates who begin to surround A44; (c) grabs the arm of A44 and
tries to pull him forward for more yardage.RULING
(a) and (b) Legal.
It is not a foul to push the ball carrier or the pile.(c) Foul for assisting the runner. 5-yard penalty with three-and-one enforcement. (Rule 9-3-
2-b)
In comparison, NFL Rule 12, Section 1, Article 4-a (Page 2/11) prohibits offensive players from “pull[ing] a runner in any direction at any time”. The rule’s silence regarding pushing a runner is telling; it is legal. In fact, A.R. 12-2 at the bottom of page two provides a specific example of a ball carrier being pushed into the end zone by a teammate. The ruling? Touchdown.
(NFL Rules do prohibit pushing a teammate to obstruct an opponent or to recover a loose ball but do not prohibit pushing to advance a runner.)
In summary, college and professional rules allow teammates to assist ball carriers. Sometimes knowing what is not prohibited is as important as knowing what is.
The DA Blog 