I remember watching a documentary about the Minnesota Vikings and how Coach Bud Grant made the team practice the pre-game "ceremonies" in order to "get it right". One of those was how to stand during the National Anthem. He made each player tuck their helmet under the left arm/hand, and put their right hand on their heart.
No scratching your crotch, no spitting, no mopping around. You had to stand at attention and line up properly.
His logic was that if you couldn't be taught to do the basic things right then you'll never be able to learn how to the do the difficult things right, such as learn complex formations, be able to I.D. a formation pre-snap, how to audible to another play, etc...
A shame he never won a Super Bowl. However, not much you can do when you keep running into some of the best teams in league history (Steelers, Raiders, etc...)
I remember watching a documentary about the Minnesota Vikings and how Coach Bud Grant made the team practice the pre-game "ceremonies" in order to "get it right". One of those was how to stand during the National Anthem. He made each player tuck their helmet under the left arm/hand, and put their right hand on their heart.
No scratching your crotch, no spitting, no mopping around. You had to stand at attention and line up properly.
His logic was that if you couldn't be taught to do the basic things right then you'll never be able to learn how to the do the difficult things right, such as learn complex formations, be able to I.D. a formation pre-snap, how to audible to another play, etc...
Bud Grant = Alpha Male Roger Goodell = Beta Female
A shame he never won a Super Bowl. However, not much you can do when you keep running into some of the best teams in league history (Steelers, Raiders, etc...)