Gatling's View : It's go-go-go with FS Northside's hurry-up 'O'

— Here's what I know

◊I know War Eagle fans heading to Fort Smith for Friday's football game against Northside will marvel at how quickly the Grizzlies snap the football after every play. There is hurry-up and there is Northside's hurry-up.

The Grizzlies snap the football with 23 or 24 seconds showing on the 25-second play clock, run the play, then hustle to the line of scrimmage ready to go again.

Time after time after time.

Once this season, Darrell Henry's team was in such a hurry to go-go-go it was penalized for snapping the football before the referee signaled it ready for play.

Of course, it isn't the fans whomust worry about all of that hurry-up.

◊I know Reed Brown is completing 73 percent (40 of 55) of his passes this season with zero interceptions and 14 touchdowns.

War Eagles fans, I'm sure, will find no-respect overtones in this next statement. But even against air - and the War Eagles haven't competed against much more than that - those numbers are incredible.

◊I know you'll hear this week (or have already heard) that football teams will "wipe the slate clean" for this week's games. It's one way for some in the media to deal with a lack of originality when reporting the fact that conference play is beginning.

Yes, I get that conference games carry a bit more weight. Everyone knows that. But the three games that've already been played? They aren't scrimmages. They count.

The slate is not wiped clean. The "real" season does not start Friday. It's already started.

The big posters Bentonville High School was selling last winter to commemorate the Tigers state championship season may have listed a few wrong scores, but they did have the correct record.

It was 12-1. Not 9-1.

◊ I know history will record these two things about the Dallas Cowboys' first-ever home game Sunday in their $1.1 billion new home digs - former president George Bush did the ceremonial coin toss, then the Cowboys lost.

Decide for yourself if the Bush Curse now hovers over America's Team for all eternity.

◊I know sports writers in Indianapolis must love their jobs. They get to deal with Peyton Manning every week and that must be an absolute joy.

What a polished professional he is. That wonderful postgame interview on the field Monday night with an ESPN reporter?

Practically perfect in every way.

He's like Mary Poppins, this guy.

But unfortunately, in an environment where complete blowhards like Bill Belichick and Tom Brady and Phillip Rivers are immortalized, Manning is the exception.

◊I know unless the Broncos are playing, I may not watch anymore MNF. Jon Gruden yelling at me after a long day at work is not my idea of a good time. Between the Dolphins and Michael Vick, I'm already tiring of the term "wildcat formation" this season.

◊◊ ◊

Paul Gatling is the sports editor of The Benton County Daily Record. He can be reached by e-mail at paulg@nwanews.

com. The opinions expressed are those of the author.

Sports, Pages 5 on 09/24/2009

Upcoming Events