Practice vs. game players
When I was a freshman in high school, I sat in my history class as a new student and had to write a brief commentary about what I thought the founding fathers were thinking as they readied for independence. I guess I was feeling particularly Scrabble-like that morning, because I apparently used some fairly complex words. We had to read them aloud, and upon completing my oral commentary, a guy who would become one of my best friends, Chuck, simply said “Braaaain.” I can still go back to Arkansas and be called Brain, although my GPA has fought to disprove the meaning behind it.
As Richard Bartel completed 21 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns, all I could think of was what it was like to be Chuck. After the game, I simply said “The Gamer.”
Coach Bennett doesn’t believe in “gamers” and says that people generally practice how they play. While I’d like to believe him, this is a new era in sports. It’s not one my grandfather would like, and it’s not one that makes coaching any easier.
There is now a difference between practice players and game players. It is evident in professional and college sports.
The last three Super Bowls have been won by back-up quarterbacks – Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, and Trent Dilfer. If they had played better than the starters in practice, then they would have been starters earlier, but each only got their opportunities when the starters got injured. Warner, Brady, and Dilfer are all “gamers.” Two weeks ago, Florida State’s Bobby Bowden even decided that they had to see what back-up freshman quarterback Adrian McPherson could do in a game. The oddity was ESPN viewers having to watch All-American quarterback Chris Rix, relegated to a spectator, agonize as the freshman threw six incomplete passes. Rix returned on the next series and the Seminoles beat Clemson. Why would a high-profile program like Florida State decide to toy with convention, even if for a moment?
Because players don’t value practice as they once did. Let’s put it in perspective, it’s practice, PRACTICE. Not even a real game. You wanna talk about what I did in practice. Sorry, a little Allen Iverson came out there. But the truth is that Iverson articulated what many of today’s athletes feel.
If you play well in the Super Bowl, you get a good contract. If you step it up in the playoffs, you’ll get a bonus. What does the guy get who sacrifices it all in practice? A pat on the ass and a pay cut when pro salaries are handed out.
As this trend seeps into college sports, college coaches across the country must have clips of “The Waterboy” playing in their heads – the one when other colleges decide to experiment with equipment managers and we see a little guy’s head get taken off by a beast-like linebacker.
Even our very own SMU has seen this phenomena. Last season Keylon Kincade was behind freshman ShanDerrick Charles on the depth chart. This year, he’s the WAC’s leading rusher. While neither running back has a clear advantage over the other, Charles’ injury has allowed Kincade to show what he can do in a game. It makes you wonder how he was in practice last season. Or was Charles the “gamer” since he didn’t even see the field until the fourth game last season. We can’t say for sure which is true.
While we can’t be sure what “gamers” exist on the Hilltop, if they exist here at all, we can be certain that there is a new breed of athlete – one that is fueled by real competition and thunderous crowds. There are athletes out there who use adrenaline to their benefit as opposed to letting it hinder the logical thought processes and strategies devised in practice. This athlete is finding its way into playing situations across the nation.
For now, I’m going to nickname Richard Bartel “The Gamer.” He was stellar in the Mustangs’ first win and will hopefully lead us to more. Because of him, Frank and I can pick SMU in the Pony Predictions and have it look like an intuitive and educated decision as opposed to a show of loyalty. Richard “The Gamer” Bartel. I like it, but if he practices this week like he played on Saturday, “The Gamer” will shine in practice and he may need a new nickname. Nah, I like this one.
