Sub-optimal NFL team logistics

[singaporesoxfan]

The Patriots planes thread and the possibility that they are doing this to get an advantage over flying 300-lb men in cramped seats on a charter made me wonder, are there other sub-optimal things that NFL teams are still doing that hinder their players from having the best possible game day?

The one that comes to mind for me is the practice of making rookies sleep two to a room in away games. (This article about the Giants' away days says "Players in their first two to three years with the team share rooms", for example.) I guess some might argue that there's increased accountability and reduced possibility of youthful hijinks when two men share a room, but still these are grown men on a business trip, why are they risking the possibility that a player is kept up all night by his roommate's snoring?

 

[Reverend]

The Patriots planes thread and the possibility that they are doing this to get an advantage over flying 300-lb men in cramped seats on a charter made me wonder, are there other sub-optimal things that NFL teams are still doing that hinder their players from having the best possible game day?

The one that comes to mind for me is the practice of making rookies sleep two to a room in away games. (This article about the Giants' away days says "Players in their first two to three years with the team share rooms", for example.) I guess some might argue that there's increased accountability and reduced possibility of youthful hijinks when two men share a room, but still these are grown men on a business trip, why are they risking the possibility that a player is kept up all night by his roommate's snoring?

It's become very well known that MLB teams are only recently realizing that huge gains might be available at lost cost that doesn't count against the salary thresholds by, like, doing more coaching and shit at the minor league levels, plus all kinds of health and wellness stuff to boot--Cubs minor leaguers learn to meditate and shit now, I think.

As such, I find it completely believable that there tons of uninvestigated ways to improve the health of players in ways that can improve the team at relatively low cost--and, again, that doesn't count against the cap.

As for the rookies doubling up, I expect these guys are exhausted after a day of practice, but I have to assume some of them snore...

Didn't SoSH used to have a guy who was interested in player sleep patterns or something?

 

[cgori]

Not the NFL, but in the same vein, I found this article, about how MLS teams (here, LA Galaxy) still fly coach instead of chartering, to be astonishing, and instructive of the kind of issues that even "normal" charter flights might experience with men the size of NFL linemen:

There are physical costs as well. Last season, Gordon had to be helped off a plane with a back issue after a long flight in an uncomfortable seat. Defender Ashley Cole developed a similar injury on the Galaxy’s first trip this season. After the team boarded a commercial flight for a short trip to Denver, the plane was held on the tarmac for two hours and Cole’s back locked up.

A trainer tried stretching him out in the narrow aisle but Cole missed the game, which the Galaxy lost.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

I'm not sure the MLS is profitable enough to pay for charters. Not like NCAA football and basketball teams that *do* make enough money to do so.

I know the 4 Boston major teams (sorry, Revs) have all had nutritionists on board for close to a decade now, if not longer.

 

[theapportioner]

For an NFL roster, how many players on average are on years 1-3? 15-20, generously? The extra $200 x 10 people x 8 road games equals $16,000 over a regular season.

 

[singaporesoxfan]

For an NFL roster, how many players on average are on years 1-3? 15-20, generously? The extra $200 x 10 people x 8 road games equals $16,000 over a regular season.

Yeah, that's why I always thought this practice was weird in the modern NFL. It sounds more like "that's just the way it's always been done" and "getting your own room is a privilege that rookies have to earn" but is that really worth the risk that your rookie OL is sleep deprived and misses a key block?

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

The Celtics are going all in on sports science: https://hardwoodhoudini.com/2017/07/21/boston-celtics-place-premium-sports-science-personnel-changes/

 

[bakahump]

I always think of coaches. While I know you can only have so many "uniformed personnel on the bench" (in Baseball) you could have all kinds of coaches that work with guys during practice. Do teams do that?

And in football there is no limit to coaches right? Why wouldn't you have a bunch of extra coaches? Tackles coach. Guards Coach. Ends coach. I suppose you might be parsing things too much ("you need them to have a cohesive plan from a single coach"). But it seems like if they said "Baka your job is to watch SSF realtime and via film, every play, Determine his weaknesses, develop a plan to correct them, determine past history against his probably mathcups....etc etc". The most precious thing a coach has is time. If you Buy more coaches you buy more time.

Hell 5 junior coaches adds what 500k to to the bottom line?

Also this might be a little "witch doctor-y" but I remember some articles that purported that Lance Armstrong was good because his Femur was 8% longer then average and that his lungs held 18% more air then a normal person (I am sure the drugs had something to do with it to.) Why doesnt a football team have some doctor studying "Biological advantages" for football players. Longer arms for a tackle? Shorter arms for a guard? X biological measurement allows for faster cuts?

I am not saying spend alot but lets say you allocate another 500k to something like this. Thats a total of 1 million. Chump change for an NFL team.

 

[edmunddantes]

I always think of coaches. While I know you can only have so many "uniformed personnel on the bench" (in Baseball) you could have all kinds of coaches that work with guys during practice. Do teams do that?

And in football there is no limit to coaches right? Why wouldn't you have a bunch of extra coaches? Tackles coach. Guards Coach. Ends coach. I suppose you might be parsing things too much ("you need them to have a cohesive plan from a single coach"). But it seems like if they said "Baka your job is to watch SSF realtime and via film, every play, Determine his weaknesses, develop a plan to correct them, determine past history against his probably mathcups....etc etc". The most precious thing a coach has is time. If you Buy more coaches you buy more time.

Hell 5 junior coaches adds what 500k to to the bottom line?

Also this might be a little "witch doctor-y" but I remember some articles that purported that Lance Armstrong was good because his Femur was 8% longer then average and that his lungs held 18% more air then a normal person (I am sure the drugs had something to do with it to.) Why doesnt a football team have some doctor studying "Biological advantages" for football players. Longer arms for a tackle? Shorter arms for a guard? X biological measurement allows for faster cuts?

I am not saying spend alot but lets say you allocate another 500k to something like this. Thats a total of 1 million. Chump change for an NFL team.

There was a story about "extra coaches" recently with NFL staffs ballooning.

This is where the Patriots have actually bucked the trend towards larger and larger staffs.

https://musketfire.com/2017/05/16/new-england-patriots-bill-belichick-prefers-smaller-coaching-staff/

 

[bakahump]

It certainly works for them (him) and who the hell am I to contradict BB on NFL Staffs.

But it doesn't surprise me in the least that one of the biggest workaholic coaches ever (no days off, No days off, NO days off) feels that 8-10 coaches working 70-90 hours a week are better then 20 coaches working 50-60.

And hes probably right but it does seem counter intuitive.

I would have to think that for humans (as opposed to BB) having more rest (because the work load is spread across a broader group) would make you perform better in the decision making process a coach faces.

 

[steeplechase3k]

Not the NFL, but in the same vein, I found this article, about how MLS teams (here, LA Galaxy) still fly coach instead of chartering...

I don't know the exact rules, but there are limits on how often MLS teams are allowed to use charters. In 2014 the Timbers played at New England, then less than a week later had a CCL match in Guyana. It was noted in several articles the they were choosing that trip as a time to used one of their allowed charter flights.

 

[InstaFace]

Not the NFL, but in the same vein, I found this article, about how MLS teams (here, LA Galaxy) still fly coach instead of chartering, to be astonishing, and instructive of the kind of issues that even "normal" charter flights might experience with men the size of NFL linemen:

Yeah the size difference is what I kept thinking about in reading that (excellent) article. Soccer, more than any other major sport, caters to people of smaller stature (who can be quicker and more nimble). The NFL is at the opposite end of the spectrum along with the NBA. If MLS players are having these issues flying commercial, I can well imagine what problems are visited upon the monstrosities populating NFL teams. Their bodies are already under unnatural strain from the weight they carry and the abuse they take.

At least in the NFL, you have games once every week, and occasionally zero times. Soccer teams can often play twice a week, meaning fast turnaround times. So that's a mitigant worth noting, but still - for a team looking for any possible edge, something like this which isn't affected by the salary cap seems like a genius move.

 

[speedracer]

It certainly works for them (him) and who the hell am I to contradict BB on NFL Staffs.

But it doesn't surprise me in the least that one of the biggest workaholic coaches ever (no days off, No days off, NO days off) feels that 8-10 coaches working 70-90 hours a week are better then 20 coaches working 50-60.

And hes probably right but it does seem counter intuitive.

Belichick probably values the cohesion of a smaller group of coaches. With n coaches, there are O(n^2) possibilities for a toxic relationship, and so forth.

 

[Marciano490]

Belichick probably values the cohesion of a smaller group of coaches. With n coaches, there are O(n^2) possibilities for a toxic relationship, and so forth.

Not just that, but how many competent coaches are out there, especially those whose competence doesn't lead them to be promoted to positions the Pats already have filled (HC, OC, DC)? Maybe he'd rather have 10 great minds in charge of everything, than 10 great minds and 5 poor minds having some decisionmaking ability intermixed.

 

[Hoodie Sleeves]

Does anyone know any details about how the Patriots employees/staff look like with respect to other teams outside the actual coaching staff? I'm wondering if there's just a different organizational focus, and they're weighted heavier somewhere else - IE, do they have less coaches than anyone else, but more film assistants, or analytics guys? Do they have other people doing things that coaches are doing in most organizations?

 

[Marciano490]

Been awhile since I saw a game live. Are they still doing static stretching to warm up? Because I think that's pretty much been debunked as optimal over the last 10 years.