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So in a bad enough mood already I approached the Claymores game in Frankfurt. I'd rather have been there, well perhaps. I knew we were facing a losing season, but hey this was a game in Frankfurt... we've NEVER lost there. Something to look forward to in the season from hell (or rather 1995 part II).
The first half we looked... poor. The offense was driving okay but.. well 10 points isn't much to be cheered up about. It's like the minute we hit the redzone the brakes aren't so much hit as slammed on and the restraining safety belts kick in. To make matters worse the chance of a touchdown blows up like an airbag. As someone said in the pub - why waste time with 3 plays before letting Parker kick ?
It's was said that after last week the team would have their eyes on the plane home. Well it seemed the defense's arms were already there. Probably in the hold as they seem detachable. Meanwhile the offense seemed to be flying with Air Ballard. Which we've been told is very effective with completions but the touchdowns are shaky if at all. There was a very good landing by Willy Tate - who had been missing presumed a starting tackle where he caught his second touchdown of the season - the second touchdown ever by a Tight End for the Claymores. However 'Jimbo' (Hands up who remembers the cartoon - see there is a reason for the airplane references ! it's not all made up on the spur of the moment. Well it is, but Doug's brain does seem to have a pattern - BV editors) Ballard has also been having trouble with making the right connections, often having his flight paths intercepted.
However this day Jimbo Ballard managed to avoid mid air collisions with the competition. Unfortunately neither did he manage to make any connections at all in the 2nd half. Plenty of times were players open downfield - but either Ballard didn't see them or more worryingly their numbers weren't called.
One of the worrying trends is that everyone seems to know what play we are calling on offense... well everyone is a generalisation, our players seem surprised most of the time. Twice in two weeks I've personally noticed that when lining up before a run, one of our wide receiver's coverman runs over into the middle of the field leaving the receiver about oh... 20 yards open field. Now we can see it in the stands, the defence can see it, the receiver can see it. So why can't the QB ? They know we are running , we know we are running. The best play in this case would be a flee-flicker for tons of yards. Yet that's not the problem. THEY KNOW. But somehow we don't seem to know that they know.
So with hopeless and predictable play calling - I'm sure we can find some 3 year old child who can play Madden on the playstation to take over. A quarterback who doesn't seem to want to win any more and when he does want to win it seems to be for the other team. A defence who don't so much miss tackles as much as wish they could hold on to the memory of one. Combine the lot with a touch of antelope drops, injures like you wouldn't believe and Fans who are disillusioned and you have a terrible season.
With the Claymores season over - anyone who tells you different is probably foffy (or Fester) in office mode - why not give the Fans something to cheer about ? Well we have a solution.... go on you might as well read "Plan 10 from Blunt View heads". In the meantime just remember the good times. The parties, the fun, the singing. There's always next year... just don't dwell on the fact for want of a couple of kicks and a change at QB we could have been back in Frankfurt a week on Sunday.
Doug Adamson