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Printer-Friendly ModeNight football games not in Cardinals' best interest
February 12, 2007 —
As I write this, there are 432 members in the Facebook group "SVSU needs football games at night." That's about four percent of the student body at SVSU. The group saw a quick increase in membership last month, but lately, things have been moving pretty slow.
Regardless, the idea is fascinating. It is always fun to think about Wickes Stadium lit up for a 7 p.m. kickoff, especially against a team such as Grand Valley State. It's neat to think of how much more enjoyable SVSU games would be under the lights, like the big-time programs.
If that sounds a bit cheesy, it's supposed to. First of all, as long as Randy Awrey is the football coach of the Cardinals, there will not be a game played during the evening. Simple as that. This, of course, makes this entire column and the Facebook group and any other discussion on the topic moot. But I'll continue anyway. Second, as long as Eric Gilbertson is president at SVSU, he will not supercede his football coach's decision.
Needless to say, then, there will not be any football games at night here in the near future. And there shouldn't be.
With this being first and foremost about football, it makes sense to discuss strategy first. Awrey brings up a good point when he says, "Wickes Stadium at noon is the Cardinals best advantage." Since Awrey arrived at SVSU, the Cardinals have used a pass-first offense that is best suited for daytime football.
Obviously, it is difficult to practice for and simulate night-time conditions without practicing at night. I have never heard of a team practicing at night just so it could have lights at its stadium, and I don't think it will be happening any time soon. But because the Cardinals use such a pass-heavy offense, practicing during the day and then playing at night can cause some problems. It's just a different atmosphere under the lights, one that is impossible to practice for. I don't imagine Awrey wants to change his offensive philosophy to accommodate four percent of the SVSU student body.
It is also important to examine the effect night games have on both the home team's players and the away team's. While I am not going to argue Awrey should be concerned with the opposition's players, I believe he has a pretty good understanding of this effect.
Case in point: take a walk around the Ryder Center on a Sunday afternoon after a football game - day, night, doesn't matter - and watch some of the players, who might not have even taken a big hit, grimace and limp as they make their way to the trainers' room. If the game was at noon the previous day at Wickes, they may be limping around at, say, one in the afternoon. But after a night game, especially if it was on the road, it would be closer to four or five. By the time they get their treatment and head home, it could be going on seven, and now they are supposed to make the transition to student - that is what they are here for - to study for a test the next day. As someone whose worst injury is a sprained ankle, I know damn well I wouldn't want to be studying while in pain.
Now, granted, these players are going to be hurt regardless of whether their game is in the day or night. I'm not arguing a night game would cause more injury. It does slow down the recovery process by several hours, though, especially if the game is on the road. For a game in Allendale, for instance, the Cardinals wouldn't be on the bus until 10 at the earliest, and by the time they eat, wouldn't be on the road back to Saginaw until midnight.
I have heard the argument several times that we students stay out until three in the morning - probably later, actually - on weekends all the time. And sometimes, we might even wake up with worse pain than most of the football players. But that's our choice; Awrey and the Cardinals have to go to Allendale at the time the Lakers decide to host the game.
The only say that Awrey has in the matter is to hold his games during the day and give his players every advantage he can. As Gilbertson says, "These are the things a coach is paid to think about."
Finally, there is the sentiment that because the students want night games, Awrey and Gilbertson and incoming Athletic Director Mike Watson should simply concede and give us students what we want. It is a classic "if you build it, they will come" argument.
But here's the thing: student attendance at football games is so awful in the first place that I cannot imagine why anyone would think more students - enough to make a difference, anyway - would come at night. I wrote a Vanguard Vision after the first game at the renovated Wickes Stadium blasting students for leaving at halftime of a 13-3 football game. I have not seen anything from the students since then to make me think their opinion should matter at all.
Regardless of the weather, Grand Valley students show up for their games. And since everybody at this school apparently wants to be so much like our rivals, maybe the student body should start showing that they care about their football team's games - every game, not just Grand Valley - instead of what other Big Ten game is being played.
In the end, this is probably just another request that doesn't have any legs. Actually, as long as Awrey is here, it definitely does not have any legs. But just once, I'd love to see the students here actually show they are committed to the school - instead of just complaining that the school isn't committed to them.