Calico Jack

Principal at Russellville High School

Wouldn’t have made sense for him. By going to X he will be drawing full retirement benefits + what X will pay him. This is, if nothing more, a financial no brainer.

I can’t agree more with this ( and, some might find that hard to believe), especially no tackle football before 12. I’m not sure how much is really gained, thus not sure how much would be lost. The only defense I’ve heard of (and likely true) is that socccer would then become an even harder battle to fight.

Let's say Spader doesn't get the job despite going after it hard. Then what for the new coach? Do you keep him as the DC who is also your AD? Many suggest that if you are on the outside and running for a job against a very viable candidate on the inside who is going for it as well; that things don't always turn out for the best in that working relationship (so, part ways) and I'd have to agree more times than not that it's accurate. There are many more factors that are going into 1) who wants it and 2) who actually steps up to take it more so than most think by just looking on the surface.

It does; just without the prime time money.

Plenty of guys across the state that double up as both. Lovelace at Christian, David Barnes at Caldwell are just a couple off the top of my head. IMO, the only way it’s not Spader is if he doesn’t want it, and he very well may not. There is a wise saying that’s often proven to be true when it comes to high profile coaching jobs: “Don’t be the man to follow the man, be the man that followed the man who followed THE man.” There is a level of pressure that comes with job moreso now than ever before in its history. That’s something to factor in when thinking about who is interested from a standpoint of just fishing around or who is actually interested.

Exactly to my original point. The mainstream media will not touch these. It’s a crock of you know what in what’s let out and what isn’t. Dr. OZ broadcasts into all our living rooms on a daily basis. He played and is all for it. Nobody is doing interviews with him during SB week, though.

Well sure the concussion scare has been a cause, and that's why I get so sick of the media only blasting that side of thing. You aren't going to find anybody out there who is all for making the game safer than me (I think the targeting call is largely subjective, but I'm not really sure how to make that better than what we have). We can agree to disagree on the rest. The offseason grind of having to live in the weight room along with the fact that not everybody gets a chance to score, swing a bat, throw the ball, catch the ball along with the climate (plus the gear you have to wear in those conditions), the lack of games in comparison to the work & practice that goes into it has just as much if not more with deterring kids (who are able and could bring a ton of opportunities to themselves and families- not talking NFL; talking scholarship opportunities) with not playing. You don't have to believe or accept that nor does anybody else. In high school for the vast majority of programs the off season work (not open gym, not fall ball, not AAU) from a team aspect isn't even close. The July, August, September heat along with the gear & less games absolutely deters kids from playing.

I never ran Cross Country because there was nothing I could bring to the table in that sport plus it would have been miserable for me. I would like to consider myself as always being pretty fit, but running distance of any kind just wasn't my thing. If they had some weight class divisions then maybe so, but they don't. I didn't wrestle in high school due to playing basketball, but looking back at it I probably missed out on the single best thing I could have done to develop myself as a football player (and a life skill in being able to defend myself) in a lot of ways. There is no doubt whatsoever that it would have been tougher than basketball, and I know that had a lot to do with my decision at the time (self awareness is key; I can say that now and I regret to this day not stepping up to the plate and giving the mat a try). Not every sport is for every kid from an ability standpoint- nor close, but I will stand by my opinion all day long that I think a large part of the reason as to why many kids out there refrain from playing football is due to the physical demands that are outside of the contact (the lifting, the heat in the summer and flat out grunt work that goes into making you a better player as compared to other sports). There isn't anybody out there that can tell me that if other sports such as basketball and baseball that if they played less games & required off seasons like football or even played half as many games (practicing much more than you play) that you'd see some think twice about playing (probably more than just some). This is off topic, kind of, but I'd love to see soccer be in the spring like it is in every other state in the south b/c I think it definitely requires a certain level of toughness to overcome the elements . I also think you'd see quite a bit of sharing in participation between sports. (my previous soccer 'gripe' was with thinking it's a safer alternative than football in the grand scheme of things and when you split hairs it is, but not enough for me to say to hell with one sport for in favor for another one). @jlow went a step further in what he meant by saying "Our society has gotten soft." I haven't seen anybody in the end on here disagree with that. Back to the topic (along with in closing on my last post in this topic), and my original point: I'm sick of only hearing one side of the football coin.

No. That’s not what I was implying. They should absolutley hire either of those men. I was using those examples in regards to before getting the Bowling Green and Central that people probably didn’t think they were ready for those jobs before getting hired.

The other take from what @jlow Said is also true. Many kids out there who would be very good football players simply don’t because it’s just flat out tougher. Those that what to stone me for saying that. Fire away; you don’t have to agree with it. If you played football along with other sports through high school then you’d know. But the selflessness and overall flat out hard work-demands of football are just tougher. If basketball and baseball teams only played a guarantee 10 games a year, but you had to work your tail off 9 months out of the year (most of which involves not using a ball); you’d see a lot less participation. The same with baseball. Replace AAU, Travel ball, ‘Open Gym’ etc for those sports with squats, power cleans, deadlift, lunges, bench, sprints, hills, sled work and everything else that goes into an off season football training program and see how many kids would be like, “Yeah. This isn’t for me.” That’s also what he means by “Soft Society”. He’s right.

@jlow can correct me if I’m wrong here, but I believe he was probably eluding to a bigger problem. We live in a society that is worried about everything. From football to every single food we put in our bodies (come to think of it, parents/kids I know that don’t play football bc I’d worried health risks sure as rain don’t mind living in the fast food lines) and everything in between. It’s like the stats that were posted about concussions per 100,000 participants. Football being in the 70s soccer (boys anyway) being in the 30’s; I mean really? If that’s not splitting hairs percentage wise I don’t know what is. But you know what? Talk to many out there and think soccer is just this much safer alternative and in the grand scheme of things it’s really zero difference when you look at the big picture. My mom wasn’t exactly a fan of football at first; she wasn’t really for it nor against it, but over time she has grown to to like it. I never will forget her telling me once upon a time (and, I heard her tell a family this the other day at one of our kids functions): “There was always that worry of just hoping he’d come out safe; I think that’s natural for all parents- it’s just part of being a parent. But, no sport he ever played; specifically football ever terrified me as much as him driving a car and being a passenger with somebody else just took it over the top.” I’m all for information out there when it comes to making anything healthier and safer, but I honestly don’t know how some people get the courage up enough to leave their house. What absolutely infuriates me is that you NEVER hear about the millions upon millions upon millions that played football and came away just fine. They had great lives then and live those now. But you NEVER hear about those. Why? It doesn’t fit those driving the football scare agenda. That doesnt make the news. Kind of like cars and flying. The news doesn’t talk about all of the people on the road who don’t have a wreck, just those that crash. Same with flying. Thats what he means by soft society (at least how I took it), and I’d have to agree to a large extent.

They are, and I blame most of that on how they are being raised as a whole. I’ll say this though; more is required of kids these days than any generation before in terms of athletics. Stuff never stops.

Speaking of that. I have seen two confirmed concussions in basketball this year (more than I witnessed in football) and likely a 3rd the other night when I saw a girl crash into the bottom row of a bleacher and literally broke her face; being rushed to emergency orthodontal surgery knocking the bridges of her mouth loose. I’ve seen nastier injuries in basketball as much as I’ve seen in football.

The elements. It’s tougher than others with the exception of wrestling (that would take the cake). Not everybody gets to bat. Not everybody gets to score. The temperature is from the 90s to below freezing. It’s not always 70 degrees and sunny (basketball) always wearing shorts and a T-shirt. Off season programs are more demanding. You work and practice far more than you play compared to other sports and it’s not even remotely close. I played three sports and a couple years four all through high school and none of the rest compared.

No. It doesn’t. I agree. But it’s the next closest sport that’s available to most in comparison to football. And those numbers per 100,000 splitting hairs in the grand scheme of things boys soccer to football. I’m 100% for the game being safer. It needs to be. I just wish they’d show the other perspective instead of all negative (at least from the mainstream media outlets).

Absolutely.

Until these large media companies start telling the other side of the stories from the numerous of doctors and studies out there who encourage playing (advantages outweighing risks) then crap like this from them and others is just garbage. War on football garbage. Bruin66 said it all. It’s safer now than it’s ever been and it’s not even close. None of these media outlets talk about the concussion risks of sports like soccer, but they know that millions aren’t watching it every weekend in the fall either. The overall interest in soccer to the masses doesn’t compare.

Getting caught smoking dope, getting a PI and whatever "resisting arrest" actually was.....yeah, doesn't bother me. Glad they are giving they man a second chance. Glass houses.

All for second chances. We have this ideology for some reason that people in the public eye, our leaders of young people at that, aren’t allowed to be anything less than perfect and that’s complete crap. In this since he completely deserves a second chance, and he has paid the consequences. None of those charges bother me.

That’s what I thought. Had he been interested then he’s a no brainer to interview. These jobs just aren’t as appealing as they once were. It takes something(s) kind of special for guys to change jobs, and if that means they have to uproot their families then it better be an even more kind of special.

I have a hard time believing that if Atchley was in fact interested that they wouldn’t have interviewed him? I could be wrong, though.

Unofficially official would be my guess? The decision made today or over the weekend with the official announcement in the coming days. That’s standard protocol for most places due to people sometimes having 2nd thoughts and backing out a day or two later. This way when all parties agree then there is usually a day or two for all to be certain and then proceed with the official announcement.

I don’t think there is any chance that he would want to come back. He did a great job at CC, but has since retired from it all and has just been helping out. I haven’t heard a thing out of Alexandria.

That’s not just in 6A, but across the board in most all classes. I’d throw Scott County into that mix. It’s no longer the big 3, but the big 4 one could argue. 6A gets the most attention, but every class has these guys. There is more disparity across other classes than 6A or just as much. If you aren’t paired up in a region with those guys then you have to like your odds of getting to a region final and even semifinal. I guess to a point that might get old also, but it beats countless others year in year out knowing their fate is coming in the first or at best 2nd round. Forget July, but January. Most of the programs know their end of the year(s) fate give or take a week long, long in advance more years than not.