Wet Your Pants Tour 2010: Part II

The day started out like so many other typical hot and humid Summer days in Northern Georgia.  As usual for this time of the year, the early morning fog and haze was slowly relinquishing itself to the blazing mid-July sun as it rose above the crests of the southernmost Appalachian Mountains.

The wild and scenic Chattooga River, where 40 or so adventure seekers had lost their lives over the past 40 years, growled menacingly in the valley below. 

The raft drifted slowly forward at first and then began to pick up steam as the water and the rapids foretold the tension and danger that lay ahead.

Sitting on the left side and in the back of the raft, clearly disappointed and angry after his failed first attempt at total blog control, Old Skool went back to the drawing board and was now intending to implement "Plan B" of his nefarious plot to take over Canespace.

In his lustful greed to control the Internet's most popular Hurricane sports blog, he would stop at nothing to bring the sudden and painful demise of some of the blog's principal operators.

His joyful and easy-going demeanor had changed over the first hour on the river.  He had changed into a focused and determined agent of destruction.  There was never a doubt that this was going to get ugly.

In the brief history of running the Chattooga, 28 of the forty deaths have occurred at three sites on the river: Bull Sluice (11), Woodall Shoals (10) and Five Falls (7).  On this trip we would be running two of those deadly rapids.  This is precisely where Old Skool intended to make his next, and final, moves.

Here Skool goes to work, the anger clearly etched on his face, as he dives in behind OcalaCane but to no avail, at Woodall Shoals:

 
 
In his first attempt Skool had tried to flip the raft and push SolarCane completely out and into the turbulent waters below.  Failing in his first shot at real death on the river, he was now desperate for a final and fatal conclusion to his mad yet well thought out scheme.

Entering Five Falls, Skool grows more determined than ever knowing that this is his last chance at success.  He goes all in and completely tries to first eject and then choke Ocalacane into submission:

 

 

Foiled once again, Old Skool drifted slowly back in the raft and back into anonymity on the blog to resume his rightful position.  While the criminal investigation is still pending, no charges have yet been filed.
 

Comments

[SOUP]

"DAMN, THEY'RE BACK".

As long as Petri brings the DL up to its potential and FORCES Figs and Franklin to ball to their potential, we'll be ready for anyone. N-E-ONE!

Posted by: Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer | July 29, 2010 at 12:08 AM

AFTER THREE YEARS OF BEING COMPLETELY WRONG, YOU MAY FINALLY FOR ONCE BE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!

GO CANES!

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

Running the ball for a running back is instinctual. There are somethings that just can't be taught like vision and cutting back. What a good running backs coach will do is accentuate what the RB does best, play up to his strengths. Edge was a very different back than Portis. James Jackson was a different back than Najeh. Sol didn't try to make them a cookie cutter RB (like the RB and OL coach in Denver tries to do.) But the one thing those guys did and did well was blitz pickup, catching the ball out of the backfield and blocking, running with patience and not tip toeing or dancing in the backfield. Setting up blockers on the line or down field is coached, especially if the back has a lot of speed. (A good coach will slow the back down so he can set the blocks up), and protecting the football. That is taught by the RB coach, or focused on by the rb coach if the back wants playing time. When each of those guys went to the pro's they were NFL ready because of all of the other things they can do besides running the football. They were three down backs because of being coached by coach Sol. Running is instinctual, but to be an effective all around back, they have to be coached to do all of the other things other than run the ball.

Posted by: canesluvr | July 28, 2010 at 09:32 PM

>>>>>>

There it is.

Solar, I'm not so sure the line is so clearly drawn between where the teaching starts and where the natural talent blooms. If McGahee doesn't spend the off-season pulling trucks and buses because Portis challenged him every day in practice, I don't know he becomes what he became.

The teaching is significant. The question is how to evaluate the quality of the teacher.

Posted by: Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer | July 29, 2010 at 12:20 AM

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

AFTER THREE YEARS OF BEING COMPLETELY WRONG, YOU MAY FINALLY FOR ONCE BE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!

GO CANES!

Posted by: SOUP | July 29, 2010 at 12:16 AM

>>>>

Yeah, Hurtt was the weak link I never thought was the weakest, most damaging link. Oh well. Live and learn. Hearing players say, "He's a technique freak. If you're off by an inch he will kill you," is music to my ears. haha

[canesluvr]

Although I think they were going to be drafted right where they were regardless of how sound they were fundamentally.
Posted by: solarcane | July 28, 2010 at 10:16 PM

I'm not sure Indy drafts Edge where they draft him if he was not a more technically sound back than Ricky Williams. Remember, Edge was drafted one spot ahead of Ricky, when everyone thought Ricky would be the first RB to be drafted that year. I'm not sure James Jackson is drafted at all, if not in the later rounds if not for Sol. To me, there's no difference between Charlie Jones and James Jackson. They're the same back. JJ was a little more confident, and didn't mind telling you how confident he was.

There are elements of the greats that can't be taught and shouldn't be tinkered with. My favorite back of all time is Barry Sanders. The things he did on the football field was ungodly. The best thing his coaches done for him was leave him a lone. He led the league in lost yardage or negative-yard carries throughout his career. I would've hated to see Barry Sanders run in a Mike Shannahan's Denver Broncos offense. Barry was the farthest thing from a one-cut and go back.

But, among the blocking, catching and blitz pickups, how often did you see Edge, Portis, Mcgahee fumble? That's a coach that focus on detail of the position.

This argument goes back to "the Truth" days on the 'space. I'll admit is a chicken or the egg argument.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

SOUP will have to do the final definitive poll on how much is the player and how much is on the coach in development and maximization of potential.

75%/25% is of course the correct answer or thereabouts.

[SFCane]

I believe Charlie Jones was a 5 star recruit coming in. Usually those 5 star guys correlate pretty well as to playing in the NFL. Where did it go wrong with Charlie? He was beat out by a true freshman in Baby J.

Did Charlie fail because:
1) bad coaching
2) Lack of personal commit to development
3) injuries
4) Was over-rated from the start

OGV what percentage breakdown would you give these factors in CJ's case?

[autumn]

Ungar...do me a favor, please try to do less humor and more sports. Thanks!

Posted by: SOUP | July 28, 2010 at 11:16 PM

soup, please dont muzzle ungar . . . he brings a lot to this blog.
"more sports" can be over-rated, even on a sports blog.

[autumn]

Autumn...how's that Canespace T-shirt working for U?

Posted by: SOUP | July 28, 2010 at 11:18 PM

it's working. my son & i wore 'em downtown together a couple times and that orange blinded half the natives here.

[autumn]

lot of you guys talking about "locking your porches" on the last blog
. . . i thought a porch is the open part of the house, right up a few steps, with rocking chairs & kids toys giving you a nice welcome feeling before unlocking your front door.
has something changed since 9/11?
or is this a new pantomime fad, like playing air guitar?

[autumn]

did any of you play running back? how important was the coaching?

canesluvr - good posts.

[francis w]

I see why old Skool failed. Somewhere along the river you guys picked up a guardian Angel. I CAN SEE HER IN THE LAST 3 PHOTOS, OR AM I THE ONLY ONE ABLE TO SEE HER? Strange thing happen in North Ga.
Fran

[Paddles Up ! ?]

good thing that man was steering astern ...

[autumn]

fran makes a good point; how'd she fly in?
"noc" is written on the boats side . . . maybe this is part of a "noc, noc. who's there" joke.

and who's taking the photos? is one of you having out-of-body experiences?

and since this is a sports-blog, is smash-rafting now a sport?

[SOUP]

Hearing players say, "He's a technique freak. If you're off by an inch he will kill you," is music to my ears. haha

Posted by: Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer | July 29, 2010 at 12:23 AM

Guess that just proves that coaching DOES matter.

[Sebastian]

Coaching means much more to RBs then some give them credit for

There is the blitz pickup, reckonizing what D is out there, being able to run proper pass routes both as the primary and decoy.

The running part is the easiest for these kids

Its becoming that next level star that takes coaching

[SOUP]

I CAN SEE HER IN THE LAST 3 PHOTOS, OR AM I THE ONLY ONE ABLE TO SEE HER? Strange thing happen in North Ga.
Fran

Posted by: francis w | July 29, 2010 at 05:36 AM

Our Guardian Angle was another professional guide who jumped in the front of our raft for the final rapid where if something goes wrong U can die.

Dying is bad or at least that's what they told us...

[SOUP]

my son & i wore 'em downtown together a couple times and that orange blinded half the natives here.

Posted by: autumn | July 29, 2010 at 02:31 AM

NICE WORK!

[SOUP]

75%/25% is of course the correct answer or thereabouts.

Posted by: orange 'n green in the vein | July 29, 2010 at 01:22 AM

Good idea to take a vote on this. I will post the poll tonight.

[SOUP]

and since this is a sports-blog, is smash-rafting now a sport?

Posted by: autumn | July 29, 2010 at 06:47 AM

Any physical activity that you can die doing is definitely a sport. Everything else is just a game.

If U don't believe me come with us when we go on 10/3 and again next July.

[SOUP]

soup, please dont muzzle ungar . . . he brings a lot to this blog.
"more sports" can be over-rated, even on a sports blog.

Posted by: autumn | July 29, 2010 at 02:29 AM

Not "muzzling" anybody. Just "coaching".

Ungar is by far the funniest guy here and he brings the humor hard. His humor is good, very good in fact, and certainly welcome on the blog, but should not be the objective of EVERY post.

That is all.

[Sebastian]

Jimmy Graham has signed a 4 year deal with the Saints

Terms were undisclosed

Congratulations Mr. Jimmy Graham

[SOUP]

Autumn...NOC = Nantahala Outdoor Center.

At certain rapids (where U can die) the raft guide will call "SET" where all paddlers are instructed to stop paddling and sit down into the center of the raft.

This is done to avoid falling out of the raft and hitting your head on a rock, effectively scrambling your brains and drowning you as the rushing water holds you under in a hydraulic (circulating pool of water at the bottom of a large rapid).

[solarcane]

Capt O
I agree with you that some guys potential needs a fire lit under it to bring it to a boil.

You can be a damn good back and be lazy, Tyrone Moss comes to mind.

You can be the ultimate team player and need a pat on the back and recognition for your effort from your coaches, Quad Hill would be an example.

or you can just blow up the field when you get on it. Berry,Portis,Ottis Anderson, Edge

I'd go 75% player 25% coaching when it comes to running the ball.

Other positions would swing the percentage more toward the coaches.

I don't know how Bosher did it, but he went from being almost average to fantastic through his career.
If it was his coaches that was the biggest turn around I've seen lately.

[solarcane]

soup,
Great writing in that article.

Being one of the targets of the river assassin only added more excitement and sense of urgency to the trip.

[PhillyCane]

Do we beat fla a+m by more this year? Does Randy let em run up the score? Last year we won 48-16.. thoughts?

[solarcane]

go here
http://www.themiamihurricane.com/2002/11/19/quad-hill-a-quiet-weapon-for-miami-offense/

click on the First Impression link on the right it will take you to the virtual Miami Hurricane Summer 2010 magazine.

[solarcane]

Philly,
I doubt Randy will beat local kids by more than 30 points on purpose.

If it was Charleston Southern or Toledo I think he lets our guys win by 40 or 45.

[Ungar]

PhillyCane, as much as a 40 point beatdown has value, we DO need to get our reserves more time, and with OSU as the next game, will will likely stay vanilla to not give the buckeyes much to view in the scouting tapes.

Plus, as solar points out, we want to win, but not make enemies of locals whose little brothers might be recruited by the Canes.

We also have that media stigma to battle. Florida runs up the score, no big deal, but if Miami does it, they pull out the audiotape of Musberger and Parsegian whining about Miami running up the score. We will have that unfair label on us until Brent is in his grave.

[Ungar]

Hmm, my first post seems to have been swallowed. Let's try it from memory.

autumn, thanks for the support.

No worries though. I have no problem bringing more sports.

I did politely disagree with solar on the coaching aspect, which helped start the current discussion. And I posted that comment from the SI Canes fan that sounded like Six. And we discussed Gaby Sanchez's chances at ROY.

I do find that when folks get a bit, umm, riled, that a little humor to lighten the mood helps to remind them that we are all on the same side.

It's Soup's blog though, I can live with bringing more sports. I will shoot for a 50/50 ratio.

[Ungar]

Solar, Jimmy Graham would be another example. The guy went from a basketball player dropping clutch passes in the VT game to being our top NFL pick for the year, higher than vaunted TEs like Aaron Hernandez.

That had to be from coaching, IMO.

[CGNC]

Those pics are awesome. What is the seating chart in the raft so I know who is sitting where

[CGNC]

Soup, Ocala and Solar - U got mail

[SOUP]

I do find that when folks get a bit, umm, riled, that a little humor to lighten the mood helps to remind them that we are all on the same side.

It's Soup's blog though, I can live with bringing more sports. I will shoot for a 50/50 ratio.

Posted by: Ungar | July 29, 2010 at 09:25 AM

U are a good man Mr. Ungar (Bldg.). Thanks for understanding! Blog on...

[SOUP]

CGNC...Ocala Front Left, Skool Back Left, 86 Front Right, Solar Back Right.

[DZ8]

Nice story and pics!

First thing I noticed was the chick in front as well and it gave new meaning to the, "CENSORED Your CENSORED Tour".

Better luck next time Old Skool!

[DZ8]

I was dissapointed to hear Shannon say we’ll need two freshmen linebackers to step up this year.

I can only think that CMac and Spence are the only “sure things”. For depth purposes you’d like a couple more and my guesses would be Futch, Cookie and KRob. If he needs the frosh does that mean that 2nd tier isn’t stepping up. Shayon Green had a whole year to get acclimated, Holton just not clicking at LB? Or is this just a motivational ploy?

[francis w]

Dying is bad or at least that's what they told us...

Posted by: SOUP | July 29, 2010 at 08:32 AM

especially if U put yourself in that position voluntarilly.
going to Brevard NC for WIFE'S 52
( 1958 Notre Dame Academy Miami)highschool "get together" in first week of October.
Would not go if it interferred with Canes games (the dates DO NOT)
Fran

[Ungar]

That was the inflatable autopilot. You can see the two white circles in the first part before she was inflated. She does look better than this earlier model.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr8WXP9PItk

[Ungar]

I was dissapointed to hear Shannon say we’ll need two freshmen linebackers to step up this year.

Posted by: DZ8 | July 29, 2010 at 10:12 AM

On the plus side, he is aware of it already. Think back to when we would only realize this halfway through the season.

Arthur Brown's failure and leaving had repurcussions that only a freshman stepping up can cure.

[DZ8]

Or is it motivation for the current crew? I just can't believe the guys we got can't hold off a true frosh. We shall see.

[bg1906]

On vacation in Tennessee guys, but I’ll chime in right quick. I like the move. Coach is sticking to his word of having his best 5 out there regardless of position. This also lessens the number of players with no true game experience (instead of having a brand new center and brand new RT, not you just have a brand new center). Not bad moves at all ESPECIALLY if Figs excels at RT and as Truth said he can’t be as bad as Pipho. Figs actually is a good OL. Very physical. I love what he brings and with he and Orlando outside we have some Tackles with legitimatly mean guys on the football field. I like that. BWash and Gunn inside is cool too because they’ve played. Horn will now be the X-Factor, but if Linder is doing as well as they say, I’d not be surprised to see him REALLY push Horn by mid-season. What REALLY is exciting is the prospectus for next year…

LT – Seantrel Henderson (gets first crack after Big O leaves)
LG – Brandon Washington
C – Brandon Linder (I think he takes the spot from Horn)
RG – Harland Gunn
RT – Jermaine Johnson/Ben Jones (these one or both of these guys will still play a lot this year gaining experience)

DZ8,

I think he’s saying he’ll need 2 Freshman to step up for depth purposes. I don’t think its an indication of not having faith in Buchanan and Futch. I think its more an indication on less confidence Green and Holton.

I think we’ll have 3 contributors at LB primarily on special teams, but I think

Nelson, Williams, and Cornelius will play at times but mostly special teams and maybe mop up duty. I also think the OL announcement was the easy one. After fall camp starts, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear McCarthy is moving too. We’ll have to see how that all shakes out, but against FAMU I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kylan Robinson start (think Khalil Jones), but by tOSU I think the REAL LB be in place and I’d expect that to be…

Spence
McCarthy
Futch/Buchanan

[autumn]

Autumn...NOC = Nantahala Outdoor Center.

At certain rapids (where U can die) the raft guide will call "SET" where all paddlers are instructed to stop paddling and sit down into the center of the raft.

This is done to avoid falling out of the raft and hitting your head on a rock, effectively scrambling your brains and drowning you

Posted by: SOUP | July 29, 2010 at 08:44 AM

sounds like it has a lot to do with the song: "noc, noc nocking on heaven's door"

by the way soup - good comments to go along with a very fine, fun article

[autumn]

ungar - the 50-50 equation is a good idea; your sports blogging is about as good as your humor . . . plus its always good to keep the boss smiling

[360Cane]

I would have to agree. The MLB was AB's to lose this offseason, but he left...

You have to have the most experienced play MLB. That's the QB on defense. The Saints don't win the Super Bowl without Vilma. He controlled Manning all night long against those audibles! We need someone that is going to be VERY vocal and knows where the entire D lines up on any given offensive formation/shifts.

McCarthy is the obvious choice for MLB.

Then again...

I'm not out there at practice!

GO CANES!!!

[Ungar]

ungar - the 50-50 equation is a good idea; your sports blogging is about as good as your humor . . . plus its always good to keep the boss smiling

Posted by: autumn | July 29, 2010 at 11:12 AM

Well, now that he gave me the evaluation, it's time to hit him up for a raise!

(sports comment: I Like Football)

[CanesCanesCanes]

Ok, so stupid couple of questions here.

First, you guys are on the raft, who took the pics and how did you get the timing down? Maybe this have been covered but I do't remember. Great pics, scenery, and just looks like b*lls to the wall fun.

Secondly, I can't make out who's who, but how did you counterbalance the obvious additional head weight from the front left occupant?

[CanesCanesCanes]

"Maybe this has been covered but I don't ... "

[Ungar]

I believe the NOC people took those shots, and that they had to pay to see them.

[Ungar]

And since we are asking dumb questions, how about this one:

When the Dolphins were shorthanded on the line, they moved an LB to DE. Can't the Canes move a DE (where we have extra depth) to LB?

I know folks here were a bit down on Sam Sheilds, but it DID remove a glaring weakness. I know our RBs can't become linebackers, but maybe a DE can step in for playing time.

[Ungar]

Or is it motivation for the current crew? I just can't believe the guys we got can't hold off a true frosh. We shall see.

Posted by: DZ8 | July 29, 2010 at 10:54 AM

Based on how nobody was able to win the MLB spot at Spring Practice, I don't see any fake motivation here. I think it is a real concern.

But, compared to the number of concerns we USED TO have, 1 out of 23 positions is not that bad of a spot to be in.