Reducing turnovers....with a new ball

[Ziggy]

It has been announced recently that the team will take the field this year with the new Rifle football, based on the choice of QB Tommy Armstrong, who as the starting QB gets to choose the football the team uses. In contrast to the ball the team had previously used under TMart, the ball will be almost right out of the box brand new, with a much tackier surface, making easier to grip. I am beginning to wonder if some of our fumble issues are ball related and the introduction of the new rifle balls we will see RB's reduce fumbles, missed pitches and catches. Obviously, I think this also helps receivers catching short yardage passes and some of the difficult pass plays.

Thoughts?

On my ipad so attaching recent articles is beyond me until I get home.

 

[TonyStalloni]

Lets hope this solves a few of the fumble problems.

 

[Landlord]

when will this stop

 

[PaulCrewe]

Just so we can all put the worn pigskin Taylor preferred, as do many QBs elsewhere, to rest. The game balls were balls that were used all week in practice. The worn ball did not just show up on Saturday and surprise everyone else on the team.

 

[RedRedJarvisRedwine]

All this talk about balls has got me thirsty!

 

[True2tRA]

Just so we can all put the worn pigskin Taylor preferred, as do many QBs elsewhere, to rest. The game balls were balls that were used all week in practice. The worn ball did not just show up on Saturday and surprise everyone else on the team.

Oh.....so the fumbling issues were quite apparent in practice too.

Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[HuskerPowerVA]

Sounds reasonable to me the new football would provide better grip, wonder how it does in the cold rain.

 

[Ziggy]

Just so we can all put the worn pigskin Taylor preferred, as do many QBs elsewhere, to rest. The game balls were balls that were used all week in practice. The worn ball did not just show up on Saturday and surprise everyone else on the team.

Regardless of if they practice with all week or not, it adds to the difficulty of anyone who handles the ball. You can practice catching a greased pig all you want, but it's still a greased pig. The pictures I have seen of the ball that TMart preferred looked like a greased pig compared to a brand new ball that hasn't been warm down.

 

[lo country]

If it helps the guys mentally, hell yea. Getting something in your head is hard to get out ie "we fumble a lot". Get a new ball with the promise that it will improve their grip, easier to hold/catch, will reduce fumbles etc might help get them over the mental hurdle. A game or 3 with no fumbles/drops etc might be enough to convince the guys that the ball is the sauce and they are on their way to greatness. Now if we continue to fumble.............

 

[zoogs]

I just can't believe how the worn ball stuff even makes it out there. Especially if it was happening years before Taylor. Did we use them too last year with Armstrong? Or what?

If other schools around the country and over the years have used it, why in the world would they ever make repeated mentions to it on TV broadcasts like it's something unusual?

This whole thing is just weird.

 

[Ziggy]

I just can't believe how the worn ball stuff even makes it out there. Especially if it was happening years before Taylor. Did we use them too last year with Armstrong? Or what?
If other schools around the country and over the years have used it, why in the world would they ever make repeated mentions to it on TV broadcasts like it's something unusual?

This whole thing is just weird.

My understanding is that they allow the starting QB to pick the ball they use as a team before the spring game, or when one is decided upon. TMart liked a worn in ball, and after he went down with the injury, the team continued using that ball until this spring, when they switched to the rifle ball that Tommy prefers.

 

[PaulCrewe]

Just so we can all put the worn pigskin Taylor preferred, as do many QBs elsewhere, to rest. The game balls were balls that were used all week in practice. The worn ball did not just show up on Saturday and surprise everyone else on the team.

Regardless of if they practice with all week or not, it adds to the difficulty of anyone who handles the ball. You can practice catching a greased pig all you want, but it's still a greased pig. The pictures I have seen of the ball that TMart preferred looked like a greased pig compared to a brand new ball that hasn't been warm down.

New footballs are slick. Quarterbacks before Taylor preferred a worn ball as it was easier to grip and throw. Ganz, crouch, Lee, Zac Taylor all used a worn ball

 

[Apathy]

All this talk about balls has got me thirsty!

 

[Abdullah the Butcher]

Gone it seems are the worn footballs the Huskers used in recent years. Quarterback Taylor Martinez preferred footballs that had some mileage behind them. Sophomore Tommy Armstrong would rather they're newer out of the package.

Armstrong said this past spring he felt the footballs used last year were kind of bulky and not as easy to grip. Here's what he'll be working with this fall.

http://journalstar.com/sports/huskers/life-in-the-red/new-kicks-and-rifle-footballs/article_d665eb5c-cf12-11e3-9e8a-001a4bcf887a.html

 

[Landlord]

You guys are embarrassing yourselves and all of us.

I've literally never seen a more idiotic internet-created and fueled myth. At first I thought it was just a few yahoos, but then more and more people kept bringing it up. Despite my and others' efforts to combat your dumbo ideas, it somehow kept being brought up and even growing in popularity.

That just can not be allowed to keep happening. So here's the thing.

Taylor's worn footballs had nothing to do with our fumble problems.

I don't care if you have to send this in a chain email to your family telling them that if they don't forward it to five more people that their dog will get cancer - stop perpetuating this myth. Why?

First of all, you have it backwards. It's the new footballs that are slick and hard to grip. "Ha yea rite Landlord my football back home..." Yeah, your football back home is not made the same as actual official footballs at all. That is why quarterbacks have their footballs sanded and worn down - to grip them more effectively.

Second, Taylor is not atypical. He is merely the last in a long line of Nebraska quarterbacks to prefer worn down balls. I present Exhibit A, Zac Taylor's preference of football:

Look, Sam Keller had a few of his own as well:

Joe Ganz says hello:

Enter Zac Lee:

Hey let's throw in Cody Green as well:

So please. Stop talking about this.