If you know me or if you follow this blog at all, you know I am a big Sun Devil fanboy, so what I am about to say may sound a bit different than the tune I am usually singing.
We all make mistakes, but Coach Graham has apparently made a blunder that I have a hard time believing. After all the talk about creating a football culture at ASU, bringing the team and fans together, involving the community as well as past and present players, the news I heard yesterday makes me wonder what in the heck is going on.
This Thursday, as the Devils take the field against NAU, there will be Sun Devil football players sitting in the stands or sitting outside of the stadium wondering why in the heck they have worked their asses off all year only to be told they are not able to be with their team.
From what I have been told, several non-scholarship members of the team ( walk-ons, scout team, redshirts ) have been told that they are not allowed to be on the sidelines with the rest of the team come game day.
Can someone PLEASE explain to me why it makes sense to tell these kids they can’t be with the team on game day? Why their blood, sweat and tears only matter when they are blocking, kicking, tackling and working as hard as they can during pre-season workouts, at two-a-days and at Camp T? Why the countless hours of practice, lifting weights, eating, sleeping, breathing, and bleeding maroon and gold are not enough to grant them a spot on the sidelines with THEIR team mates?
Come on, coach. What’s the deal? I’ve heard that it was mentioned there was a lack of sideline discipline last year, and this is a way to minimize that risk. Heck, you want to minimize problems? It probably makes more sense to keep the TEAM together than to tell a very small percentage of that team they don’t belong.
I seriously hope this is a mistake, but if my very credible sources are correct, someone, and I mean a LOT of someones, needs to tell this coaching staff that ALL of the Devils should be on the sidelines.
Coach Graham announced the 2012 ASU football captains this week as linebacker Brandon Magee, offensive lineman Andrew Sampson, safety Keelan Johnson and running back Cameron Marshall. I sure hope these players will stand up for their team mates and ask for them to be on the sidelines where they belong.
My understanding is that this policy of has nothing to do with missing practice or disciplinary actions. These players make the entire team better and they deserve to be on the field. I am sure they are not arguing to be in the game, but I’m also sure they deserve better than sitting next to some old dude like me.
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