Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Practice notes: Can I get a chair?

Welcome to post-practice down in the bowels of Gampel, where it's supply your own table and chairs today. Don't know if they were stolen or out for cleaning, but I was forced to sit Indian style on the floor to work for a moment until Ed from the Waterbury Republican and Chuck from the Day came downstairs. We lugged a couple of tables (estimated weight: 250 pounds each) and chairs from a back room. Everything's peachy now.

Busy day at practice. Here's the rundown.

  • Zach Frazer replaced Tyler Lorenzen as starting quarterback, at least for today. Zach ran the "1s" during a scrimmage and goal-line drills, with Tyler running the second string. Edsall joked about Tyler's bad practice on Friday, but it's four days later and he didn't seem too pleased. "It's practice, and you want to see what people can do," Randy Edsall said. "The one thing is if people aren't producing out here on the field, and executing things they're being taught in the meetings, or if situations come up and things aren't happening fast enough...then it's anyone's position. ... No position is etched in granite. ... It could be a one day thing, it could be a two-day thing, who knows how long it could be. It's in terms of what we see on the field and what people are doing."

  • Frazer looked pretty good out there.

  • At right tackle, Mike Hicks and Dan Ryan were also switched, with Hicks now on the first team and Ryan back with the second. Much like Lorenzen and Frazer, Ryan wasn't getting the job done. "You have to earn your position every day," Edsall said.

  • Brad Kanuch went down with a hamstring injury, and sat out most of practice with his thigh wrapped. The extent is unknown, but not great news for the receiving core. Edsall doesn't want to concern himself with those not practicing. "No disrespect to any of our players, but I'm not worried about the guys on the sideline. We have to get ready for Aug. 28. Someone gets hurt, it's someone else's obligation to step in and take over and do a job and maybe that person doesn't get his job back. That's the attitude I want from these guys."

  • Zach Hurd felt Edsall's wrath after a false start on 3rd-and-1 during the scrimmage, then turning to walk away before Edsall was finished yelling at him. "Focus!" Edsall screamed. "What are you thinking about? You want to walk toward the sidelines toward the reporters? You thinking about giving them an interview?" Glad we could help make a point, Randy.

  • Of course, a mere seconds after that incident Hurd's replacement, Alex LaMagdelaine, made a false start. "Get me another right guard!" Edsall yelled as LaMagdelaine trudged off to join Hurd for a punishment lap.

  • If I didn't know better, I'd swear Edsall has a special stash of one-liners to yell at his players for when the media is present. Brandon Dillon, all 300-plus pounds of him and fresh off a punishment lap for going offsides, was called in to defensive tackle for a series. "Let's go Dillon," Edsall said. "Get in there and shed some more of those pounds. Nutri-System is waiting." I envision Randy giggling to himself in his office before open practices as he thinks up new lines. Hey, I'm not complaining. It's always 'A' material.

  • Even the players got some laughs out of me today. Darius Butler let a sure interception slip through his fingers, and caught ribbing from Robert Vaughn. "Damn, 'But'," Vaughn told Butler. "I thought you were supposed to have hands. How you going to get on him (the WR) for not catching the ball when you can't catch the ball?" And you have to like this...on the very next play, Butler made a great interception on a jump ball in the end zone, stealing one from the clutches of D.J. Hernandez. "He took the ball right out of my hands!" Hernandez said.

  • Zach Frazer knows how to sell a joke, too. Aaron Bryant blocked a kick, which was returned all the way for a touchdown by Terry Baltimore. Bryant, heading downfield after the blocked kick, leveled Frazer with a clean block. Asked about it afterward, Frazer said with a straight face, "AB? He'll be alright. I wanted to run someone over, but didn't want to show him up."

  • Ellis Gaulden, coming off yet another surgery, said he's about 80 percent back to game shape but expects to be 100 percent by the opener. He knows the opportunity is there for playing time, and he plans to take full advantage. "I've been hurt so much, I'm ready for a breakout season," Gaulden said. "I'm eager to show people what I can do, that I'm not Mr. Glass, or whatever. The thing is, everyone of my teammates knows what I can do, I know what I can do. Everyone knows what I can do except the public. I want that to change."

  • Edsall isn't ready to comment on the freshmen yet. It's too soon. This was the first day in pads. As for the wide receivers, I didn't see any of the true frosh on the field with the first two teams much. Lots of D.J., Molina, Easley, Gaulden, Poles and Kashif. Don't read too much into that, however. At least not yet.

  • Two-a-days begin tomorrow. Gaulden, Tywon Martin and Greg Robinson will be participating in only one of the two due to injuries.

  • Is Seth Rogen the most overrated "comedy" actor in Hollywood? He's getting there. His act gets a little more stale in each film. Thought he was great in "The 40-Year Old Virgin", but it's worse each time out. "Knocked Up" was OK, but the rewatchability on that one is low (read: chick flick). He absolutely ruined "Super Bad"... just fast-forward any time he's on the screen in that movie. He was awful hosting Saturday Night Live, and the trailers for "Pineapple Express" make it seem as if it's in the running for worst comedy since "Dude, Where's My Car?" You're a cool, slacker slob. We get it. You like hitting the bong. Ha Ha. You have clever, new ways to use vulgar language. Hilarious. Now end it.

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great job Chip-I love the actual football info you pass on, as well as the "personality" of the team/kids with your specific examples of things that happen at practice!

August 05, 2008 9:49 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Chip, you couldn't be more right about Seth Rogen. He started out as mildly amusing in 40yr virgin and never been too funny since. He must have something on Judd to keep scoring these rolls.

Maybe he's the spawn of Spielberg and thus, has daddy pulling strings for roles.

August 05, 2008 10:32 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good to see Frazer getting some reps. Even if it's just to wake up Lorenzen, the passing game is going to determine how good this season is.

As always, awesome job with notes. "Get me another right guard!" is a classic quote.

August 06, 2008 10:30 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Pineapple Express was absolutely hilarious. Rogen wasn't the funniest character--or even close to being so--but he wrote the script to both P.E. and Superbad and doesn't deserve to be bashed by Chip.

August 12, 2008 7:41 PM 
Blogger Chip Malafronte said...

Good news, Trevor. I'm glad to hear a positive review on Pineapple Express. I'm waiting for it to hit DVD, myself. But I will see it.

For the record, I don't doubt Rogen's talent as a writer. I just don't find him funny as a comic actor.

August 12, 2008 8:19 PM 

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