Quick Bytes: The daily digest of everything you need to know about the Jacksonville Jaguars (and other things).

: Pete Prisco of CBS Sportsline has two articles of note.  His first, the "Breakout Players of 2008" feature is a typical "dead zone" article where potential and speculation reigns over fact.  Facts, of course, are few and far between right now, but whatever:

26. Troy Williamson, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: He was considered a flop in Minnesota after his selection in the first round of the 2005 draft. He had 79 catches in his first three seasons, just 24 in 2007. That's why the Vikings traded him to the Jaguars for a sixth-round pick. During the Jaguars' offseason work, Williamson was outstanding. He didn't drop a pass. If that carries over to camp, his speed will be a big addition to the Jacksonville passing game.

: Prisco also does another typical "dead zone" trick by listing his Top 50 Players by Position.  It's fundamentally impossible to rate players across teams and positions because each have a completely different value.  Technically, the top 32 of the 50 should be the Quarterbacks, since they have more value to a team than any other position, but that's not how this works.  Here are the highlights:

1. Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots: Can he do any more than he did last season? The scary thing for the rest of the league is, yes he can.

6. Mario Williams, DE, Houston Texans: Williams is making the Texans proud for passing on Reggie Bush and Vince Young to take this pass rusher. He might have been the league's best defensive player in the final eight weeks of 2007.

49. Fred Taylor, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars: Taylor finally got his due last season with his first Pro Bowl appearance. At 32, he remains one of the biggest home-run threats in the league. His 5.4 per-carry average was second best among the league's best rushers to Peterson (5.6).

: There's a new Jaguars blog on the FanSided Network.  The fine folks at "Black and Teal" are just starting out, and it's a pretty good read.  They already picked a fight with some Cowboys fans, which is a good way to earn some respect.  It's like they play by prison rules and beat up the biggest guy in the yard on the first day.  I look forward to keeping up with them as they get started!

: Charlie Bernstein of JagNation, Brendon Sonnone of Jaguars Journal and I did a podcast last night.  If you're interested in seeing me painfully cop out on a question about the 1999 Jaguars vs. the 2008 Jaguars and other good commentary, you can download it for your listening pleasure here.

Welcome to a very special edition of "Mythbusters".  Today's episode focuses on an NFL team that is surrounded by poorly researched talking points and rehashed arguments that hold little water.  Rather than repeat the same nonsense, Big Cat Country will attempt to settle these "myths" once and for all.  If you're looking for actual Mythbusters, feel free to look at these fun pictures.

Myth  "Jacksonville is a "College Town".

College Town: the two words that are required to be mentioned in the first three sentences of any national coverage of the Jacksonville Jaguars.  The city of Jacksonville, according to this myth, is unable to maintain a relationship with the Jaguars because their focus is on the college game of the University of Florida and Florida State University, with a little bit of University of Georgia and University of Miami tossed in for flavor.  Further explanations of this myth clam that people who are college football fans first and foremost cannot appreciate the Jaguars style of play because they are used to high scoring one-sided games.  Another twist on the myth implies that "college town" fans expect college type seasons of 10-1 or 11-0, rather than the realistic 10-6, 9-7 of a good NFL team.

Evidence to support this myth typically involves stadium attendance at the Florida/Georgia game, proximity to Gainesville and Tallahassee, and the occasional "local blackout" of Jaguars games.

Attacking the Evidence:

The Florida-Georgia game requires up to 80,000 seats in Jacksonville Municipal Stadium through the use of temporary seating.  JMS's "capacity" is 76,787, with the Jaguars covering 10,000 seats for about 67,000 seats for Jaguars games.  Because 80,000 people attend a once a year game from two entire states, the city of Jacksonville is seen as a college town that cannot support an NFL team.  Vic Ketchman of Jaguars.com makes a very good case:

Florida-Georgia drives the perception that Jacksonville is a college football town because seats are added. Hey, if Penn State and Ohio State played at Heinz Field they’d have to add seats. Does that make Pittsburgh a college football town? The same would be true if Florida and Georgia played in the Georgia Dome, or Texas and Oklahoma played in Texas Stadium, or Alabama and Tennessee played in Nashville. Pro football doesn’t have 100,000-seat stadiums. Pro football goes for high demand, not high supply.

Interestingly, citing the Florida-Georgia game is used as evidence of the "college town", but the fact that the ACC Championship game is suffering a critical depleation of sales and is moving from Jacksonville to Tampa or Charlotte gets little mention. Going from 72,749 in 2005, then 62,850 in 2006 and 53,212 in a "college town" (remember, FSU and UM are in the ACC), should indicate that there's more to the situation.

The Stadium:

This of course assumes that filling a stadium with 80,000 fans once is the same thing as filling a stadium with 67,000 fans eight times a year.  I say eight times, because I hardly expect full attendance at preseason games.  Of the "blackouts" last season, all of them had full stadiums on Sunday.  What happens is that the NFL decides to blackout a game based on a deadline a few days before the game.  Ticket sales, on the other hand, go right up and through game day.  The stadium is full, or damn close to it on Sundays.  We're talking about a shortfall of maybe a thousand tickets or less.

Jacksonville has a huge stadium for a market of its size.  With the seats uncovered, it is in the top five largest stadiums in the NFL.  Based on market size, the number determined by the league to represent the Jaguars "turf", has a population of 1,100,491.    The average MSA size is 4,485,695.  New York City, with over 21 million, is the largest MSA.    As a comparison, Indianapolis has a MSA of 1.6 million, and the RCA Dome seats 57,980/Lucas Oil Stadium 63,000.  A market with a half million more potential buyers has a stadium with significantly less seats.  The Jaguars at their absolute worst in ticket sales (2000) would have sold out the RCA dome in most games. 

The number that matters most is the Population per Seat figure.  There are 15.08 potential ticket buyers in the Jacksonville MSA per seat.  That's the highest figure in the league.  The league average is almost 70 per seat.  That means that four times as many fans, by percentage, are going to Jaguars games than the NFL average. 

That indicates the opposite of a "college town", when more people are buying tickets than the NFL average. JaxJagfl.com does a fantastic job breaking down these numbers, if you'd like more information.  For the Jaguars to be "right sized" for a 1 to 70 ratio of seats to population, the stadium would require less than 17,000 seats, something that's absurd.  The Jaguars sell more seats per population than any other team in the NFL, with the occasional exception of Buffalo.

Buffalo, by the way, has a million people in Rochester, and a million or two in Toronto. Jacksonville has an Ocean, Daytona, Gainesville, and I-10 as it's nearest neighbors and they're still selling seats.

Television:

The Florida-Georgia game was the second most watched sporting event in the Jacksonville MSA last year.  Meanwhile, the highest was Colts at Jaguars, and 15 of the top 20 sporting events were NFL games.  Again, I'll defer to Vic Ketchman , who has access to ratings numbers that I do not:

The Jaguars are so dominant in the ratings that their preseason game in Green Bay got substantially higher ratings than three of the five college games in the top 20. The Patriots at Cowboys game also got substantially higher ratings than three of the five college games in the top 20. The Bucs at Jaguars preseason game got a 14.4 to a 14.6 for Florida at Kentucky. When you look at those numbers, it’s impossible to call this a college town.

The Jacksonville Gators:

Yes, there is a very popular football team 90 minutes to the southwest of Jacksonville.  The Florida Gators are the most popular college team in Florida, and Jacksonville is home to many of their fans, alumni, and supporters.  Tim Tebow is from a High School just south of the city (Nease), Fred Taylor is from UF, and the Jaguars last two first round picks are from UF. 

Some speculate that there is an ulterior motive in selecting Reggie Nelson and Derrick Harvey, that they'll attract Gator fans to Jaguars games.  This is silly.  I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that any benefit of ticket sales is completely secondary to the player being selected by the Jaguars.  No team worth its salt would ever select a player based on ticket sales rather than team needs/best player available.  It's irresponsible to assume the Jaguars would operate otherwise. 

It is certainly an added benefit though.  I see nothing wrong with people following the Gators and the Jaguars, other than my Florida State bias, of course.  I follow college football very closely, and I'm perfectly capable of understanding both.  The nonsense about fans expecting college type seasons out of the Jaguars is the most condescending argument I've ever heard.  What they're really saying is that they think Jacksonville is too dumb/redneck/poor/etc to understand the difference between the college game and the "more sophisticated" NFL game.

Why does the myth stick?

It's simple really, there's just not enough time to explain all these factors.  People react to what they see.  When the Jaguars hosted the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football, it was shortly after the Stadium needed the temporary seating for another event.  So when the National Media comes to town, not only do they see 10,000 covered seats, but an extra 8,000 seats that are only used for the big college games and the Super Bowl.  They use their eyes and write a story under deadline based on perception.  Perception, in this case, does not equal reality.

Frankly, Jacksonville will fight with this perception until every game is sold out in advance and the words 'blackout" are never mentioned.  If we have to debate and explain things like MSA and seat per population we've already accepted the media's premise that Jacksonville isn't an NFL town.  The very act of defending the city adds to the perception that it's too small, and draws more bad attention.  It will only be when the Jaguars can avoid this subject entirely, that this myth will die.

Results:

I think it's conclusive that Jacksonville is NOT a mere "college town", and that the continued existence of this myth is a combination of lazy journalism and poorly constructed arguments.

I'm sure Jamie and Adam would agree that this myth is...

BUSTED

Next time on Mythbusters, a look at the Jacksonville Jaguars and the dreaded "relocation".

-Chris

On Monday, the Jaguars will begin their third session of Offseason Training Activities (OTA), with eight more practices until their Mini-camp on the weekend of June 6th.  These OTA sessions are critical in building a cohesive and strong football team because there is so little time in training camp to build relationships and put units on the same page. 

Remember, the 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars open their season in Tennessee, and then play the Colts and Texans in the first month of the regular season.  Without a strong start, the Jaguars could find themselves hopelessly behind in the critical AFC South division race before Christmas Decorations appear in the Avenues Mall.

Jaguars.com's Vic Ketchman, a writer any Jaguars fan is familiar with, is chafing at the interest in the teams OTA"s, which is terribly off-base.  While yes, these are just "underwear" practices, there is a feeling of importance that cannot be brushed aside, as Vic is wont to do:

If I may, I’ll ask that we not take OTA’s too seriously. We really need to keep this in perspective. We lost perspective on Jason Taylor. We lost perspective on Lito Sheppard. Please, let’s not suffer the same fate in OTA’s. They’re really not that big of a deal.

Don't blame the fans, Vic, it's not our fault.  Just as you implore us to "not blame the media" for reporting what they're told, you certainly cannot blame the fans for paying attention to events of even the smallest importance.  We're all invited to the 24 hour news cycle, the never-ending NFL season, and the renewal of hope that each offseason brings.  Of course we want to know how Mike Walker's looking during OTA's, just as we want to know if Drayton Florence is getting beat deep, or why Brian Smith is relegated to standing on the sidelines.  The NFL fan of 2008 understands far more the effects of contracts, the perils of labor strife in the league, and how champions are made during the "dead zone".  We are far more aware now than ever before, and we expect to know how the practices are going.  Even if it's too far to tell if a player can translate perfect practice into practical performance, it's not too much to ask to start knowing the story before it's written. 

The Jaguars are going to go deep into the playoffs this year.  They've constructed a team with the potential for greatness.  In February of 2009, we'll be looking back to these mere OTA practices as our first glance at what should be a fantastic season.  I see no harm in trying to measure that progress now. 

Enough of that meta-NFL nonsense, let's look at what we've learned:

• Wide Receiver Mike Walker did not practice on Tuesday (5.13), but did take the field on Thursday (5.15).  Mike "sky" Walker is one of the most interesting players to watch as we move closer to Training Camp.  He showed flashes of brilliance, but ultimately spent the year on Injured Reserve as he slowly worked his knee back toward 100%.
• Fred Taylor, as usual, did not attend the first OTA's.  Taylor spends his offseason in South Florida doing his special training regimen, the same one that has him averaging 5.2 yards per carry.  He plans on spending some of his time in Jacksonville, so his absence is noted but not noteworthy.
• Safety Jamaal Fudge missed the first OTA's, but for a wonderful reason.  Fudge is finishing his classes at Clemson University.  With all the talks of holdouts, labor unrest, and Spygate, stories like these tend to slip through the cracks.  Jamaal is doing the right thing as he's a good player, but thinking about life after the NFL is critical for players like him
• Injury Report: Marcades Lewis missed OTA's from a Knee Injury that I suspect might have something to do with being one of the few uninjured TE's in Jacksonville right now.  Mike Walker missed one, as mentioned before.  Tight Ends George Wrightster and Greg Estandia both missed time for injured Knee and Shoulder, respectively.  Both are nursing injuries from last season that should be addressed in time for training camp
• DE/LB Brian Smith is still sidelined from his college injury.  More to come on this later.

Notable Quotables:

David Garrard: On Jerry Porter:

“I think he’s going to be a great receiver here. He’s a receiver who can make spectacular plays,”

Offensive Coordinator Dirk Koetter: On Installing the Offense:

“We’re installing about 15 pass plays a day. We’re throwing a lot at them,”

Jack Del Rio on Contract Extensions for Rob Meier and Paul Spicer:

"We're happy to have Rob done," said Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio. "We have the possibility of getting something done with Paul at some point. We'll see where that goes."

"From our standpoint, we feel like we've made a fair legitimate proposal to these guys and one guy [Meier] is happy and one guy [Spicer] is out there waiting,".

Linebacker Clint Ingram: On Tackling Fundamentals:

"We want to be fundamentally sound. We want to be better tacklers, better at hustling, all that sense of the game,"

What to Watch For:

Not much, sadly.  The Rookies have their first OTA on Monday, though these are all closed to the public and therefore will only learn how they do based on secondary sources.

Which is not to say that Big Cat Country won't have a story or three in the process.  I have two interviews planned this week with the possiblity, albeit slim, of one that might knock your socks off.

Stay Tuned...

-Chris

Jacksonville Jaguars Running Backs Coach Kennedy Pola

Kennedy Pola

Running Backs; born November 22, 1963, Pago, Pago, American Samoa. Fullback Southern California 1982-85. No pro playing experience. College coach: UCLA 1992-93, San Diego State 1994-96, Colorado 1997-98, San Diego State 1999, Southern California 2000-2003. Pro coach: Cleveland Browns 2004, joined Jaguars in 2005.

Pola is in his third season with Jacksonville after spending his first NFL season with the Browns. In 2006, his second season, the Jaguars set a single season franchise record for rushing yards (2,541) and averaged just short of 160 yards.

Kennedy comes from good football stock. To start, his nephew is Troy Polamalu, a first round pick of our hated rival... Pittsburgh... If you're wondering, yes, Pola shortened his name from Polamalu after arriving in America to decrease pronunciation issues. Troy credits his uncle as having a large impact on his life.

Polamalu, the Steelers' three-time Pro Bowl safety, grew up in a football-playing family in which a half-dozen close relatives played in college or in the NFL. Among them is uncle Kennedy Pola, one of the most influential people in his life and, now, Jacksonville Jaguars running backs coach.

Troy is a hall of fame quality guy on and off the field.  It says a lot about Pola's character and football knowledge that Troy would credit him as most influential among his whole football playing family.

Pola knows football, plain and simple. He's coached numerous positions including Running Backs, Linebackers, and special teams. He was a RB.  This is a guy some people even have their eye on for a more prominent role. That's the NFL though; it's a game of replacement not only in terms of players, but also quality coaches.

Pola coached one of the greatest college RB's in history, Reggie Bush and accomplished an even greater feat in keeping the teettering on obese LenDale White motivated and competitive.

Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio has plenty of praise for Pola's work with the running backs. Fred Taylor is coming off three consecutive 100-yard games and Jacksonville's average of 143.8 yards rushing per game is second in the league.

"I trust Kennedy Pola to manage the process for us," Del Rio said. "He had a little experience with it dealing with Reggie Bush and LenDale White at Southern Cal. He came here ... and he has done a great job with that group and has created a competitive atmosphere and the guys really challenge each other - but they always keep the team first."

It's all about keeping a ‘team first’ mentality. Much credit must be given to the ever-so-eloquent Maurice Jones-Drew for the way he approached Fred Taylor, a proud individual and the starter when Jones-Drew arrived. That could have turned into a tumultuous situation were it not for solid coaching and Maurice's character. Kennedy should be given some credit for the lightning quick progression of Maurice into the Jaguars running game.

 Kennedy is also responsible for coaching our fullback(s). Let's examine Greg Jones. We all remember (vividly) that play which knocked out Jones' knee at a point where it was looking like he would be the Jags future at tailback. That changed his and Fred Taylor's fortune forever. Fred went on to have a resurgence in his career and Jones was forced to learn a new trade... lead blocking. Thankfully he had a good teacher in Pola who has presided over his progression to his current pro bowl form.

 Pola is getting recognition all over the league. Earlier this year the Jaguars denied the Titans the right to interview Pola for a position with their organization. My guess, they were hoping he could once again do what he did at USC and what they were failing at... motivating Lendale White.

 A sports writer who I'm a big fan of, Michael David Smith , even puts Pola on his short list for head coaching candidates in his series "Meet Your 2008 Head Coaching Candidates. "  Below is his assessment of Pola's positives.

 Pros: Everywhere he's been, the running backs have looked well-coached, and players who have worked with him are just about universal in their praise.

Pola is obviously seen around league circles as an effective teacher and excellent motivator. He has clearly peaked the interest of other teams around the league.

From the department of poor decisions:

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Paul Spicer elected to not attend today's offseason training activity (OTA) at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.  Fred Taylor, a regular no-show, was also absent, though he plans on attending a few between now and training camp.

Spicer's absence comes as a surprise, considering the amount invested at his position this year.  Spicer led the team in sacks last season, though at 32 years old, is rapidly approaching the end of his career.

It is probably contract related :

"I spoke to both of them this morning. I’ll let you ask (Spicer) how he wants to present it," Del Rio said when asked if Spicer’s absence is a result of contract discontent. "He expressed that he wouldn’t be here. I expressed that I’d like him to be here."

Paul last signed a contract with the Jaguars in 2006, a three year extension.  He's due to make 2.5 million dollars this season, and will be a free agent in 2009.  The Jaguars seem unlikely to give Paul Spicer the sort of extension that he would probably want at his age, though it's not suprising that he'd like to capitalize on his performance last season before he is rendered irrelevant by Quentin Groves and Derick Harvey.

There's always someone that's unhappy with their contract.  While Big Cat Country will always be unsympathetic to contract woes, it's not surprising to see Spicer do this, considering that the writing is on the wall for his future in Jacksonville.  He's a solid player that has a nasty habit of running his mouth and embarrassing the team, especially after we play the Indianapolis Colts. 

My advice to Paul is simple.  If you're not going to work out with the team, you better be working out somewhere, because all eyes are on your position, and nobody is safe. 

-Chris

Here's something fun to remember as you enjoy your friday

I remember being at this game.  I remember singing "goodbye" to Dan Marino.  I also remember the crushing disappointment of the next week as the Jaguars run the Super Bowl was thwarted by the Tennessee Titans.  I remember thinking back that this game was filled with hubris and that we paid for it over the next several seasons.

Anyhow, I'm a bit under the weather this week.  I'll be back later this afternoon with possibly another interview.

-Chris