FOOTBALL’S MIXED FEELINGS

Holy cow is it Friday already? Yes it is, and it is currently 6:27 pm EST on Friday of course. Hi I am Rick and I just realized I never wrote a blog for this week so as per the norm I am doing this so last minute. I know, I know, I had all week to do this, and while this is true I will not lie, I forgot. Now, let’s get to the meat for the week.

I am sure most of you have heard by now they have kinda taken off the handcuffs so to speak for contact and non-contact sports. I for one am excited, and I am also worried. Wait, how can I be both? Simple, I am excited as a fan/broadcaster since it looks like there will be a high school football season. I am worried as a parent as I have twin boys about to be freshman playing said high school football. So I get the best of both worlds or the best of one worst of another…….I am not quite sure at this point, so let’s dive in!!

I can’t wait for high school football to begin mainly because I absolutely love my job of getting to call the games for YSN. Not to mention football is my sport, I breathe it, I sleep it, I love it. All aspects, from the coaching to the strategy, to the bone-crushing hits(which due to rule changes over the years all done with player safety in mind have been very limited.) There is just something about football on a Friday night that excites me, the air smells better, the waters taste better I just love it. Being in the booth has been a dream come true for me, so thanks in advance for allowing me to bring you the coverage every Friday. I also have to thank my sideline reporter CW for helping me out and bringing some entertainment value to the broadcasts (if you don’t know who he is, just ask me. I am sure I can introduce you.) The biggest reason I cannot wait for Fridays to get here is I get to call the games that my kids will play in! That in itself is simply amazing, and something I will cherish forever!

Now onto why I am dreading football season. Like I said before I have twin boys who will be a freshman this season. As a parent I am concerned about them playing. Now I bet I am not the only one who shares the concern for their child in any sport, I just get to write about it in my blog! I just fear them getting seriously injured or even worse not wanting to play after this year. Going from junior high to high school football is a HUGE jump and transition. Everything is faster, players are bigger, stronger, meaner, have more hair than I do! But my fear is tied into my love of the game. I fear something could happen to them which would cause them to not want to play anymore, which would be crushing to me because football is my thing. I can’t imagine going to the games in the future and having one or both of them in the stands instead of on the field. I know both my boys love football, and I hope they will continue to do so. Which brings me to this weeks hashtag, I think it is only fitting since I am torn to label it #footballyayfootballnay

In other news, I see the Dallas Cowboys have signed former Bengal QB Andy Dalton to be the backup for Dak Prescott this year. I think this is a huge move for this franchise for 2 reasons, number 1 it gives Dallas a very good option in the event Dak gets hurt during the season. Number 2 basically eliminates the possibility that Dak holds out in the event they can’t come to an agreement on a long term contract. Before the Dalton signing Dak had leverage there to hold out possibly and force Dallas to maybe overpay him because they did not have another option to be the starter. With Dalton in town now, Dallas does in fact have a valuable replacement if Dak wanted to play hardball. In my opinion Dallas really only has a few year windows at a Superbowl just based on that roster, upcoming contracts, and other outlining factors. If Dak was to hold out, to me that would mean he is not interested in championships he is only interested in money, which is fine, but if he were to gamble on himself and holdout and watch Dalton have a Nick Foles like affect and win a championship, I don’t think Dak could get the kinda money he is looking for from another team. What are your thoughts on this subject? Let me know on twitter @ysn_rick or Instagram @ysn_rick. I want feedback, is anyone even reading these things?

-YSN’s Rick Dailey