ok guys.......watch this video. When Gruden asks Cam to tell him what an Auburn play sounds like, he is dumbfounded...he just said he looks to the sideline...listen to Gruden call out a play and then Cam says...we just look to the sideline and see "#36....LOL....this guy has never called a play in the huddle.....unbelievable..the NFL is gonna be a STEEP learning curve for this guy.. something tells me he is gonna get fed up with things NOT coming easy for him... In all fairness, I wonder how many colleges do the same....I wonder if Oregon is similar with their fancy signs....it also depends on the aptitude of the QB... the Vince Youngs and Cam Newtons of the world look good in college being pampered.....the NFL????.... hmmmm


http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/cam-asked-whats-an-auburn-play-sound-like-29635

Quote:

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Newton very well may be able to learn the NFL terminology quickly. That said, Gruden proved in roughly one minute of interrogation (SportsByBrooks has the segment posted if you want to see and hear it) that Newton comes to the NFL with zero knowledge or experience regarding the way that offensive plays are constructed and called.

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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/04/18/jon-gruden-puts-cam-newton-on-the-spot/

interesting clip. things are going to be tough for this young man.

drunkoski;500068 said:

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doesn't sound like gruden thinks poorly of him:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/peter_king/04/17/mmqb/2.html

On Newton: "I've heard all the thunderstorms about his football character and his work ethic. When I was with him, he was great -- bright-eyed, eager, sharp, coachable, into it, alert, smart. I'd love to have a chance to get this guy. He can run over you and through you. Do you realize he ran for 1,500 yards last year. In the SEC. In the pros, the question will be, Can he handle the grind? I think he'll be wide open to that.''

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He'd be one of the few I think....I think Cam would be a great TE but not sure he has the mentality for QB...... he didn't even look Gruden in the eye half the time...as if he was overwhelmed....I just think this guy is a more athletic Vince Young... he has a sordid past and has relied on his athleticism to get to his "idol" status....not sure that will translate to the NFL at least as QB when he has to be more cerebral......

... and yet Auburn won a national championship. Several colleges seem to be running simplified systems succesfully.

The topic has been debated on BI for years. Someone like AR picked-up the Tedford offensive system up very quickly. AR has also been able to master the NFL game. Longshore and Boller understood the offense as well. As a senior Riley knew what he was doing.

Many others struggle to manage the QB responsibillities.

Cal ends up recruiting intelligent and accurate QBs, rather than pure athleticism. We place a lot of weight onto the position. The QBs need to digest the system and pass accurately. Hope JT is playing a lot of checkers with the QB candidates.

I think he will be another JaMarcus Russell

drunkoski;500075 said:

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marino's wonderlick score wasn't exactly off the charts either. i do agree he has some "i think i'm god" issues, but so do a lot of great players.

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Marino could actually throw the damned ball everywhere.

Newton was an amazing college athlete, but he's going to hit the wall severely at the next level.

drunkoski;500122 said:

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newton throws the ball MUCH better than vince young (as an example). he rips it.

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Yeah, Vince shouldn't have been starting, ever. Poor decisions by the Titans and Fisher.

He has the tools, but he's got a lot of work to do before being ready to see an NFL field.

I wouldn't leave my laptop unattended in the locker room while he's there, but the right coaching staff will figure out a way to use Newton's physical talents, which are way ahead of most QBs entering the NFL.

LessMilesMoreTedford;500129 said:

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Yeah, Vince shouldn't have been starting, ever. Poor decisions by the Titans and Fisher.

He has the tools, but he's got a lot of work to do before being ready to see an NFL field.

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not saying he is a great QB, or that i would want him on my team, but VY's record as a starter is 30-17. the guy knows how to win, even if he isn't the most physically talented QB or best leader, and there is a lot of value in that. and FWIW i always thought he deserved the heismann over bush that year. just saying.

drunkoski;500068 said:

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doesn't sound like gruden thinks poorly of him

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Yeah, since Gruden always loves everyone, I wouldn't read much into that.

Wow this thread just runs the gamut of poorly thought out draft memes.

-Newton doesn't know how to do something he was never taught to do, therefore he is an idiot.
-Newton made mistakes earlier in his college career, therefore he is an incorrigible criminal.
-Newton is black, and therefore equivalent to Jamarcus Russell.
-The ultimate Mel Kiper-ism, "move the athletic quarterback to tight end."

I really hope Newton has the will to succeed at the next level, because that would really **** with the haters.

AERose;500286 said:

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Wow this thread just runs the gamut of poorly thought out draft memes.

-Newton doesn't know how to do something he was never taught to do, therefore he is an idiot.
-Newton made mistakes earlier in his college career, therefore he is an incorrigible criminal.
-Newton is black, and therefore equivalent to Jamarcus Russell.
-The ultimate Mel Kiper-ism, "move the athletic quarterback to tight end."

I really hope Newton has the will to succeed at the next level, because that would really **** with the haters.

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No one called him an idiot
No one said he is an incorrigible criminal
No one played the race card...(except you)
I've said several times that he is a very good athlete and might excel more at another position.....so the last one is close...many an NFL exec or GM has the same opinion....

Cal_Fan2;500294 said:

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No one called him an idiot

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So then why even note that he doesn't call plays in the huddle (which anyone who follows college football knows since Auburn is a *gasp* no-huddle offense) if you're not implying anything about his aptitude? Is this somehow a novel idea to you? Sorry, I'm having a bit of a hard time believing that there was absolutely no subtext to your post.

Cal_Fan2;500294 said:

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No one called him an idiot
No one said he is an incorrigible criminal
No one played the race card...(except you)
I've said several times that he is a very good athlete and might excel more at another position.....so the last one is close...many an NFL exec or GM has the same opinion....

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I agree, posters are comparing him to Jamarcus Russell. the only things they have in common is their race, southern region, QB and SEC. They are nothing alike, but why let facts get in the way of a good stereotypical thread.

AERose;500298 said:

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So then why even note that he doesn't call plays in the huddle (which anyone who follows college football knows since Auburn is a *gasp* no-huddle offense) if you're not implying anything about his aptitude? Is this somehow a novel idea to you? Sorry, I'm having a bit of a hard time believing that there was absolutely no subtext to your post.

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Did you read my entire post...

Quote:

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ok guys.......watch this video. When Gruden asks Cam to tell him what an Auburn play sounds like, he is dumbfounded...he just said he looks to the sideline...listen to Gruden call out a play and then Cam says...we just look to the sideline and see "#36....LOL....this guy has never called a play in the huddle.....unbelievable..the NFL is gonna be a STEEP learning curve for this guy.. something tells me he is gonna get fed up with things NOT coming easy for him... In all fairness, I wonder how many colleges do the same....I wonder if Oregon is similar with their fancy signs....it also depends on the aptitude of the QB...

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He does look dumbfounded and said he thought Gruden was trying to trap him or something.... I find that amazing that he has only been taught a number system....and I said the NFL is gonna be a STEEP learning curve...I never said he couldn't do it...I said he never did it....I blame Auburn for that..... and then I wondered how many others did this like Oregon.... look, I think this kid has MAJOR character issues which has been written about but in this case, I just find it amazing a college QB doesn't know even the verbiage of calling plays.....it was not a condemnation of his IQ....though I think he does fake it a lot and use scripted type language...like a salesman....

Cal_Fan2;500303 said:

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I find that amazing that he has only been taught a number system.

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Seriously? Why would Malzahn bother teaching his quarterback a redundant playcalling system that he's not actually going to use? That's not his job.

AERose;500307 said:

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Seriously? Why would Malzahn bother teaching his quarterback a redundant playcalling system that he's not actually going to use? That's not his job.

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I don't know....tell me this...why did Gruden tell him he is behind the curve in that aspect...why did Gruden say he needs to go to France to learn French and learn it fast... Gruden knows WAY more about football the you or I....tell me, do you think Gruden is an idiot who should have known better than to ask Cam a stupid question about a redundant system, or do you think Gruden is a racist?. Either way, this was all over ESPN and other outlets.... many have commented on it ......I just brought it up in discussion because I would think a kid who wants to play in the NFL should be at least taught some rudimentary skills in that area...hey, I may be totally wrong...but Gruden brought it up for a reason, don't you think?

Cal_Fan2;500309 said:

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I would think a kid who wants to play in the NFL should be at least taught some rudimentary skills in that area.

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By whom? Because again: not the Auburn offensive staff's job. It's like when NFL coaches rail against guys like Mike Leach or Rich Rodriguez for running offenses outside the under center/drop back/West Coast paradigm. Gene Chizik and Gus Malzahn are in the business of winning football games, not running an NFL farm team.

So yeah, Newton is at a disadvantage, which is novel inasmuch as something that has been noted by nearly everyone with a take on the subject can be novel.

AERose;500313 said:

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By whom? Because again: not the Auburn offensive staff's job. It's like when NFL coaches rail against guys like Mike Leach or Rich Rodriguez for running offenses outside the under center/drop back/West Coast paradigm. Gene Chizik and Gus Malzahn are in the business of winning football games, not running an NFL farm team.

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ok...I'll go as far as to say you are right...it is not their mission....with that said, since ESPN owns those rights and Gruden was the interviewer, do you think Gruden is stupid and doesn't know Auburn's offensive play calling scheme or do you think he or ESPN were trying to show up the poor black kid...because someone let this video out and it makes Cam look foolish...regardless of what he should and shouldn't know... What is the purpose of releasing this video?.. Just to make a buck on the poor kid I guess...well, my intentions are more honorable than theirs is I guess... You should probably email ESPN or Gruden and let them know of your indignation with all this....it paints Cam in a poor light when he couldn't look Gruden in the eye or couldn't respond without hesitating quite a bit.... after all, forget about BI and me, this thing has gone viral on the internet and the comments aren't pretty....but of course, I'm sure many of those are from those racist folk in the south...or the boneheads from Bama..

Aaaaaand we're done. There's a certain level of meta that even I can't stand and we've crossed the threshold without stopping.

CF2 - Gruden was being a good journalist. Ask a question and, if you see weakness, inaccuracy or evasiveness, bore in. He was following his lead.

Gruden didn't do what he is being accused of. Newton did it to himself. In his arrogance, he went in unprepared. Or, in his ignorance of the subject, he was uninformed. I think it was a little of both.

ESPN exercised its journalistic responsibility in airing the piece. They didn't sandbag Newton or ambush him. They didn't raise non-FB issues to embarass him. Gruden took the same approach with his other QB interviews. Did you see how he rode the Missouri kid about exploding out from behind center? All Newton had to do was watch the other clips and he could see what was coming. He obviously didn't and that's on him. Revealing.

Incidentally, no one that I have seen has commented on Newton's release. He gets his hand under the ball and snaps it up, instead of coming over the top and snapping down. That's how midget league kids do it. Looks like he never changed. His ball will sail. Mark my words.

Rushinbear;500374 said:

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CF2 - Gruden was being a good journalist. Ask a question and, if you see weakness, inaccuracy or evasiveness, bore in. He was following his lead.

Gruden didn't do what he is being accused of. Newton did it to himself. In his arrogance, he went in unprepared. Or, in his ignorance of the subject, he was uninformed. I think it was a little of both.

ESPN exercised its journalistic responsibility in airing the piece. They didn't sandbag Newton or ambush him. They didn't raise non-FB issues to embarass him. Gruden took the same approach with his other QB interviews. Did you see how he rode the Missouri kid about exploding out from behind center? All Newton had to do was watch the other clips and he could see what was coming. He obviously didn't and that's on him. Revealing.

Incidentally, no one that I have seen has commented on Newton's release. He gets his hand under the ball and snaps it up, instead of coming over the top and snapping down. That's how midget league kids do it. Looks like he never changed. His ball will sail. Mark my words.

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Arrogance another code word, used against black athletes, black politicians, and black public figures.

AERose;500307 said:

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Seriously? Why would Malzahn bother teaching his quarterback a redundant playcalling system that he's not actually going to use? That's not his job.

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Interesting that Oregon and Auburn seem to use the sideline playcard to call plays and take that responsibility off the QB. Still, the QB should be able to explain the structure of a play to an interviewer. That was interesting, but not shocking.

I was surprised that the Auburn system has NO audible. I assumed that occasionally the QB would see a run blitz lining up at the point of attack and the QB would audible to some alternative. I fear that Cal's system may be unnecessarily complex. Newton appeared, on the other extreme, to say that Auburn has a system where the quarterback does not call any plays or audibles. It is just run the play and read the option designed in the play.

drunkoski;500387 said:

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anything negative that's not a racist code word?

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Of course it is, but I've seen this movie too many times.

CalBearsWinNC;500378 said:

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Arrogance another code word, used against black athletes, black politicians, and black public figures.

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I am very hopeful and giving you the benefit of the doubt that your comment was intended as sarcasm. I know sarcasm is sometimes hard to understand in print, but if you were serious about this comment, you are a big part of the problem.

Arrogance is arrogance. Trying to define it as having undertones is to twist the reality for some reason.

Rushinbear;500374 said:

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CF2 - Gruden was being a good journalist. Ask a question and, if you see weakness, inaccuracy or evasiveness, bore in. He was following his lead.

Gruden didn't do what he is being accused of. Newton did it to himself. In his arrogance, he went in unprepared. Or, in his ignorance of the subject, he was uninformed. I think it was a little of both.

ESPN exercised its journalistic responsibility in airing the piece. They didn't sandbag Newton or ambush him. They didn't raise non-FB issues to embarass him. Gruden took the same approach with his other QB interviews. Did you see how he rode the Missouri kid about exploding out from behind center? All Newton had to do was watch the other clips and he could see what was coming. He obviously didn't and that's on him. Revealing.

Incidentally, no one that I have seen has commented on Newton's release. He gets his hand under the ball and snaps it up, instead of coming over the top and snapping down. That's how midget league kids do it. Looks like he never changed. His ball will sail. Mark my words.

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You're preaching to the choir......everything you said I brought up in my initial post...it was the other guy who challenged me because I was bringing this stuff up....so I simply asked him if I'm wrong, then why did ESPN and Gruden show Cam in a poor light....I was simply countering what was presented to me.....read my other posts...I squarely put the onus on Cam to be able to answer the question appropriately or simply tell Gruden..."hey Coach, we didn't do that at Auburn" in a confident voice...

CalBearsWinNC;500378 said:

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Arrogance another code word, used against black athletes, black politicians, and black public figures.

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Same word was used to describe Matt Leinart, Ryan Leaf and a host of others... sometimes you don't need to look in the shadows.....and accusing someone of that is silly unless you know that person's history, motivations and character....none of which you do..

I like how he quotes Auburn's offensive motto: "Simplistic means fast."

Somehow I don't think that's the word the coaches used.

CBWC - ahahahahaha. Ahahahahaha. You don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about. Please stop; my abs hurt from the laughing.

CF2 - point taken.

football show right now. The previous show was Gruden-Mallet. This is a fascinating show. It is really awesome that Auburn apparently ran a simple, fast offensive system and was successful. I really don't know if Newton will be able to adjust to the complexity of the pro-game but big deal, that's his problem. The Auburn coaches, assuming they didn't cheat (a big assumption apparently), did a great job with their team. I love listening to Gruden grill these guys. And he doesn't just do this to Newton. He blasted Mallet just the same. Mallet obviously was more prepared (by an ex-nfl coach, Petrino) for the NFL than Newton. Big deal. Newton certainly has a bunch of talent and may be a better pro-QB than all of them. I recommend watching these Gruden-QB shows. They are awesome.

But boy, it sure does seem like Auburn kept their schemes simple. You can even tell that Gruden finds this amazing and he warns Newton about the complexity he is about to face. I find that fascinating given the apparently complex system we have here at Cal (and what we get exposed to as fans).

Gee, I wish our offense used this *simplistic* type of play calling.

Because the hash-marks for the college game is wider than the NFL, it's much easier for college offenses to run a game plan that allows their athletes to operate in space. A quick executing offense, simplified for speed, prevents defenses from adjusting and given the amount of turn-over in players, defenses are well behind the eight-ball. Offenses such as Auburn's and Oregon's contain specialized players solely geared for that offense. This fails to translate to the pro-game as there is no short/wide side of the field (compared to college) and the players are much more aware, the defenses are much more complex and players in general are physically superior at the next level.

As for Newton, he's a manufactured product. He's a physical marvel but, has not been asked to analyze, process and execute from the QB position under center. The Auburn offense is a read-option. As Gruden discovered, it's all based on how Newton sizes up the defense given what side of the hashes they're lined up on; single-read then go. His father is his master, one ESPN episode Three for the Show had Dad, going through their calender, game-planning everyday leading up to draft-day...meanwhile, Cam was focused on the TV. Granted that's but one incident however, given all that has come before regarding his overall attitude and disposition, it doesn't leave anybody with much confidence.

Tree Cutter;500808 said:

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Because the hash-marks for the college game is wider than the NFL, it's much easier for college offenses to run a game plan that allows their athletes to operate in space.

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I would more readily attribute the success of more simple offenses to time management. College football has vastly more limited practice time than either NFL or even high school football; the most successful offenses often are those that know how to milk every minute of practice time. Coaches from the Hal Mumme/Mike Leach coaching tree are successful nearly everywhere they go, why? Because their practice techniques are geared perfectly to the time constraints of the college game. (With the drawback of sacrificing multiplicity for a singleminded emphasis on the single back shotgun set.*) As Lombardi said, only perfect practice makes perfect.

*I'll make this explicit: I don't want to hear about how Spread Is The Answer, the reductionist school of thought that we should jump on the bandwagon of whatever offense is en vogue. End of the day there's more than one way to skin a cat no matter how big my crush on Mike Leach is.

Newton couldn't do chalk talk, either, in that show. At a loss for words. Maybe he's just shy in front of a camera.