While We’re Waiting… Changing the way the game is played

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.

An amazing stat from an article back in December– “Since January 2000, NFL players have been arrested at least 624 times on various charges, including 42 times this year, according to data compiled by USA TODAY Sports. Of those 624 arrests, 177 (28%) were arrested because they were suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Despite the league’s various attempts to stop the problem, it remains the single-biggest criminal issue in the NFL. Nothing else comes close. Nothing else has been more deadly.” [Schrotenboer/USA Today]

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“He’s changing the Big Ten. Prior to Meyer’s arrival in Columbus, a lot of programs in the Big Ten have gotten very comfortable. Everybody more or less got along, and nobody really stepped on each other’s toes. That changed when Meyer came to town, especially in terms of recruiting. He, like much of the rest of the country, has no qualms with recruiting a player committed to another team, and this greatly displeased other coaches in the conference, who had long relied on a so-called gentleman’s agreement that prevented intra-conference poaching.

It’s understandable. Meyer and his staff have turned up the difficulty, and I’d be upset too if my job suddenly became tougher. However, instead of complaining, I suggest that these coaches should do their damn jobs. The one coach who has the most reason to be upset with Meyer, Penn State’s Bill O’Brien, hasn’t complained once about Ohio State’s recruiting techniques. Instead, O’Brien is working incredibly hard to make the best of a difficult situation. That’s probably more productive than complaining. [Berkes/SB Nation College Football Blog]

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“The key is having the great front. It’s why the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2008. Strahan-Cofield-Robbins-Umenyiora. It’s why the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2012. Canty-JPP-Tuck-Joseph. It’s why in 2012, the three defenses leading in sacks (Denver 52, St. Louis 52, Cincy 51) ran 4-3 defenses. Same deal in 2011: Vikings, Eagles, Giants were top three; all run 4-3. And not for nothing, the team who allowed the least points and -to my eye- was the most dominating defense last year, Seattle, also runs a 4-3.

Armed with this data, we feel righteous challenging the wisdom of the Browns’ pending transition to the 3-4.” [Kanick]

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Think the Tribe has a image problem of being cheap? Try the Marlins– “I was certain every possible joke about baseball attendance in Florida had been exhausted over the past 20 years. Then I saw the tweet by Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post that included the photo above from the Miami Marlins Winter Warm Up event Saturday and realized we haven’t even scratched the surface.

The Marlins have used up all of the goodwill a new taxpayer-funded stadium gave them just a year ago. They’ve made many missteps, but the massive giveaway with the Blue Jays turned even hardcore Fish fans against them. And it has left them with a line for tickets that’s four people long.” [Townsend/Big League Stew]

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Not sure how accurate these projections are, but here is Shutdown Corner’s TPS Report on the Browns– “What went wrong: The Browns opened the season with a five-game losing streak, playing the final four of those games without cornerback Joe Haden, who was serving a four-game suspension for testing positive for Adderall without a prescription. Cleveland would win five of its next eight games, including a three-game winning streak entering December, before losing its final three contests to finish with double-digit losses for the 11th time in 14 seasons since rejoining the NFL in 1999.

The Browns had a very young team – eight first- or second-year players were starting by the end of the season – and not surprisingly were ranked in the bottom third in the NFL in both offense and defense last season. First-round quarterback Brandon Weeden ranked 34th in Football Outsiders’ passing DYAR (Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement) in 2012, throwing more interceptions (17) than touchdowns (14) and will have to earn the starting job again in 2013.” [McIntyre/Shutdown Corner]

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Finally, a killer Kyrie highlight video to start your Monday in case you missed it. [Youtube]