Sam Baker ready to play vs N.O.
by tapate50 on Dec 1, 2008 9:30 AM EST
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Does this scare anyone else? I haven't even heard he has been full speed in practice yet?
If he has... then I'm for it, if not color me as skeptical as it gets.
Maybe its our thin depth at OL that has the coaches worried, but Weiner has played like a wall on only 1.14 legs. I sure hope they don't rush him back and injure this Franchise LT for years to come. Back Injuries are nothing to mess with.
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I don't like Sam Baker
He has short arms.
by Tron5000 on Dec 1, 2008 12:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I don't like Sam Baker
He’s too good.
"The nice thing about supporting a bedraggled-cum-decent team? Watching all those analysts eat their words."
by tlozwarlock on Dec 1, 2008 12:17 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
My first post was a joke, by the way
I remember before the draft, all the “experts” on the AJC blogs and the like claiming we had to take Dorsey; we couldn’t draft Matty Ice because he’d get killed behind our suspect-at-best line. So they draft Ryan, then trade back up into the 1st round to get a franchise, 3-time All-American (I believe) LT to protect the new franchise, All-ACC QB. And what do all the “experts” have to say about that?
“He’s got short arms! He’ll be a bust! I can’t believe we traded up for this guy!”
Now if we can just get him to stay healthy…
by Tron5000 on Dec 1, 2008 12:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I was one of those idiots
Though I was reasonably happy with Baker.
by Dave the Falconer on Dec 1, 2008 12:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Fairness
In all fairness, even Dimitroff and Smith didn’t know what they got with Ryan. They’ve said throughout the year that they’ve had to accelerate their building plans given the success of the rookie, the line, and scheme.
Baker’s a big boost, but it’s certainly fair to question the unloading on all those stock draft picks on someone who was supposed to be there at the start of round (but given the run OL in the first, it became more likely he wouldn’t be there), and we’d be salivating all off-season at the thought of all those 2nd round picks to fill all the holes we have/thought we had (still sure would like a premier DT).
But going back, I don’t think anyone would’ve done anything different except in round 5, for crissakes. Maybe pick up a PR and cut Jennings earlier.
We’ve heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true.
by iRonin on Dec 1, 2008 12:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
<- Knew it.
"The nice thing about supporting a bedraggled-cum-decent team? Watching all those analysts eat their words."
by tlozwarlock on Dec 1, 2008 1:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Aw, Dave
Matt’s been my guy all along. When the Vick nonsense went down (he got indicted 1 day after I purchased 6 season tickets…what a dbag), I knew we needed a franchise QB, and it would not be any of the ones who were on the Falcons roster at the time. So I started looking at the college guys, anticipating a crappy 2007 season and high draft pick. Being a GT fan, I’ve always followed the ACC, so I knew a little bit about this Ryan kid up in Boston. I started watching BC’s games, and I was there when he thrashed GT for over 400 yards, all while wearing a GT jersey with his name written on a piece of tape on the back (his jersey had been stolen from the BC locker room).
That game was when I started really thinking, “This is the guy. This is who I want on my team.” So I started telling the guys in my section at the Dome that next year, we’d have a good QB, and it would be Matt Ryan from BC. But when I watched that comeback against VT, that cemented it for me. He had a rough 3 quarters, but in the 4th, he showed such poise, grit, determination, and a sheer refusal to lose. That was, in my mind, epic. He took hard shots and bounced up like I’ve never seen a QB do. He drove down the field and snatched victory from the grasp of the Hokies. And he hurled on the sideline after throwing the go-ahead TD pass. I would’ve taken him with the first pick in the draft, and I would’ve traded up to do it.
by Tron5000 on Dec 1, 2008 12:39 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Off-topic
I thought that was Sean Glennon who had his jersey stolen and wore the GT Tape Job Special?
by Cerbera on Dec 1, 2008 7:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
You're right
The Ryan game was a 435-yarder in which he absolutely shredded Jon Tenuta’s blitz-heavy defense. My brain combined the two memories, but I was there for both. Perhaps on one of those nights I snuck in four small bottles of Makers Mark instead of two.
by Tron5000 on Dec 1, 2008 7:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Hey, it was Chan Gailey.
You gotta be shnookered to sit through him calling plays for an entire game.
by Tron5000 on Dec 2, 2008 8:12 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Baker
With the way the line has been playing, they have no reason to rush him back. The coaches wouldn’t throw him back out there if he wasn’t ready. Its not like we have a gaping hole on the offensive line that we desperately need Baker to fill. If this is true, its because he is healthy. This is nothing but awesome news.
by SG Standard on Dec 1, 2008 12:55 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I want
Sam Baker to rest up, relax, rehab fully, and then play when he can (which will hopefully be playoffs/next August).
"The nice thing about supporting a bedraggled-cum-decent team? Watching all those analysts eat their words."
by tlozwarlock on Dec 1, 2008 1:05 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Holy crap
I didnt figure this was gonna get front page consideration for my little write up! wow.
" No, I think I'll sit in the balcony " - Abe Lincoln
by tapate50 on Dec 1, 2008 2:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Dear God, no.
If true, they’re gambling with his future for short term gain. Foolish and out of character for the new management I thought I trusted.
Hope the article’s wrong. Sports writers have been known to fudge on occasion!
by tom slick on Dec 1, 2008 6:17 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
If they're confident he's fully healthy
Then by all means, bring him back. If they think there’s any chance he could make it worse, I don’t want to see him any closer to the stadium than Maine.
by Dave the Falconer on Dec 1, 2008 6:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Any chance?
I know he’s a big, strong dude. But he’s 6 weeks post-op. The “normal” recovery time is 10 weeks. This week is rushing it … no matter how you look at it. I guess if Weiner is surviving, then by all means keep him out. But if we need him, I say use him sparingly.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
by FrankyWren on Dec 1, 2008 10:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Meh
Hard to question these guys you know?
If you’d asked me in the preseason if Matt Ryan should start, I’d have told you no way, that the “normal” prep time for a rookie is at least a season, and starting him is rushing it no matter how you look at it. Clearly, I’m an idiot, and not capable of managing a football team (except UGA’s Defense, but at this point, a trained monkey could probably get them to tackle at least as good as they are currently), and those guys had all the information, and all the cards and let Ryan take the snaps anyways.
Point being, these guys have excelled at knowing, and building. They know how important Sam Baker is to this team, and he won’t start unless he’s got a clean bill of health and is ready to rock and roll. I get the sense that Thomas Dimitroff isn’t building a team, he’s building a dynasty, and a little bit of player buy-in is all he’s looking for. I’ve found myself, more often than not, questioning personnel decisions by Smith and Dimitroff prior to the beginning of the season, but here we sit, and they’ve clearly shown that they aren’t gambling with our future, and I’ve gotta respect their decisions.
I really only get nervous with choices when they are “plainly wrong” and at this point give GREAT deference to their perspective on the matters of the Falcons.
We’ve heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true.
by iRonin on Dec 1, 2008 10:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Comparing apples w/ oranges ... Can
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
by FrankyWren on Dec 1, 2008 10:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Can't Compare Apples w/ Oranges
An athletes health and an athlete’s ability are two VERY different things. An athlete’s ability is a coin toss a lot of the time … no matter how much tape you’ve seen, how successful the kid was in college, etc. But injuries are injuries. We aren’t talking about the same thing we talked about with Ryan.
With Ryan, it was: Can this kid perform under these circumstances?
Conversely, with Baker … it’s: This kid is injured. The injury has a 10 week recovery time. Six weeks have gone by.
With Baker we are talking about a medical certainty … w/ Ryan, we were talking about something no experts can predict correctly 100 percent of the time. Heck, even 75 percent of the time. But I’ll bet you doctors are right 75 percent of the time. So when they tell you the recovery time is 10 weeks, they mean 10 weeks usually. He’s rushing it. With that in mind, they shouldn’t rush him. But if someone goes down, I’d say use him. We can ill afford to have Quinn O and Ben Wilkerson playing w/ the first unit in these last four games.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
by FrankyWren on Dec 1, 2008 10:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Granted, it's a stretch,
but the same preventative medicine is there: Thomas Dimitroff and Mike Smith.
If they tell me Sam Baker is ready to go, I believe Sam Baker is ready to go. After all they’ve done, decisionwise, it’s just difficult for me to start now. The analogical reasoning was not to draw synonymous relationships between Ryan’s development and Bakers health, but rather to show that those guys know what they’re doing, even when it seems absurd to the reasonable among us.
Until they do something plainly wrong, I’m not about to question them at this point. (I’m thinking like Petrino cutting Grady Jackson last season, we all knew that Petrino was ‘plainly wrong’ and he didn’t have ANY credit built up with ANYONE, but unless these guys do something like that or develop a pattern of losing and disappointment, they get my vote).
We’ve heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true.
by iRonin on Dec 1, 2008 10:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, I agree w/ you
But I am just saying … let’s stop kidding ourselves. Smitty knows they are rushing him too, but he knows he needs him. He knows he’s better off w/ a hurt Baker playing instead of Quinn and Wilkerson. That’s all.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
by FrankyWren on Dec 1, 2008 11:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Confirmation, kinda sorta
in this AJC article. It doesn’t explicitly state that he’s returning this week, though. The Falcons have kept such a tight lid on Baker’s status, that people may be overreacting to every little snippet that makes it into the media.
by tom slick on Dec 1, 2008 7:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Heyo!
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
by FrankyWren on Dec 1, 2008 10:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Let
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
by FrankyWren on Dec 1, 2008 10:21 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
us be honest
If he’s ready to go, he’ll go. Mikey Smith has shown he’s a prudent fellow. Besides, while our O-Line has been playing well, Weiner’s knees might explode into a cloud of dust at any second. Bottom line: If he plays now, there’s a risk he could aggravate something (as the “normal” recovery time for the operation they performed on him in 8-10 weeks). But if he doesn’t play now, there’s a good possibility our O-Lines weaknesses could become apparent in the coming weeks. My thinking is you play him sparingly, easing him back in.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
by FrankyWren on Dec 1, 2008 10:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
sorry for the poor grammar ... trying to get my thoughts out quickly
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
by FrankyWren on Dec 1, 2008 10:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Warrick Dunn
had the same surgery before the season and was up and playing full speed after 3-4 weeks. I think 10 wks is a little exaggerated.
Like I said, if hes been practicing at full speed OK, if not give him a week or two. Id sure like to see him back with TB!
" No, I think I'll sit in the balcony " - Abe Lincoln
by tapate50 on Dec 2, 2008 9:31 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Warrick is a little dude ... Sam is not
They heal differently. 10 weeks is what the docs say. You a med school teacher? ‘cause if you ain’t … I’m thinking you know less than a doctor.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
by FrankyWren on Dec 2, 2008 12:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Then again
Sam is young and Warrick is old. So I see your point. But still, if he comes up lame after playing for 5 minutes, I won’t be too quick to say “I told you so.”
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
by FrankyWren on Dec 2, 2008 12:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Im just stating
what warrick did. It can be done. WD has had a great season toting the workload for TB too…
Im not saying that i know more than a Doc. I just stated what had been done before. Might want to check that.
" No, I think I'll sit in the balcony " - Abe Lincoln
by tapate50 on Dec 2, 2008 1:13 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
If you read my second post
You’d have seen I somewhat agree w/ your argument. That it can be done. You want to check that.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
by FrankyWren on Dec 2, 2008 1:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
if I made decisions for the Falcons
then we would be 1-11 right now (‘cause it’s impossible to lose to the Lions)
by MentallyMIA on Dec 2, 2008 4:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Fwren
it can been done, not an arguement its a fact. Warrick did it. Nothing to argue.
Didn’t read the second post bc i didnt get to it. Not sure why you post 2x about everything and sometimes only one word and then make contradicting posts? Most of that stuff doesnt make sense.
" No, I think I'll sit in the balcony " - Abe Lincoln
by tapate50 on Dec 2, 2008 4:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Explanation
I certainly hope it works out. I am sorry if my posts were confusing. I didn’t mean to call your logic into question, just pointing out the risks involved.
As for the multiple posts, I’m not perfect. Sometimes things occur to me after I make a post. Sorry. As for the contradicting posts, I am only acknowledging all sides of the argument. Nothing wrong w/ that. Calm down. This is a happy place. Any little grammatical and logical flexibility is recommended.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
by FrankyWren on Dec 2, 2008 8:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
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