CPJ Radio Show

[TechnicalPossum]

Link to tonight's show

Thanks.

 

[John]

Here's the transcript.

When we played a game, gosh I can't remember I was so peeved about it because I kinda thought it was happening. Middle Tennessee State we played here, they had our defensive signals. And I knew they had our defensive signals but I was the only one who wanted to believe it. And after the game the guy told me because we weren't playing them anymore he said "Coach, we had your signals". I knew they had them because nobody is that smart. So there's all kinds of stuff like that. He was good enough to tell us because if he had them, everybody had them. It's no secret because coaches know each other so if somebody gets one thing on you don't think for one second... if Pitt had something on us, somebody from Virginia is talking to Pitt this week. Now, it's a little different in the league because they may want somebody else to win. Once you got a tendency or something like that, it gets around.

When Brandon asked if it happens less and less now and if he'd have a pretty good idea:

Probably you don't know it if it's happening. You won't know until it's over. Well, you have a pretty good idea if you can't get off the field.

 

[TechnicalPossum]

Also, as CPJ mentioned, 109 passes against with no holding calls is absurd.

 

[yjack]

Last year during the FSU-Auburn championship game Auburn was (allegedly) stealing FSU's offensive signals. Kansas State has accused Auburn of that this year, too.

FSU-Auburn

KState-Auburn

Evidently stealing signals isn't too rare. In baseball, try stealing signals and you are likely to see a baseball up close and personal. In football, I guess you get to see a lead on the scoreboard.

 

[00Burdell]

There is no such thing as "stealing" signals.

If the other guy can figure out what your codes are then you suck at codes.

Having your signals stolen is like a crime where the victim is a victim of his own stupidity - stupid for having signals easy enough for MTSU to steal and stupider still for not figuring out that the other guy has your signals figured out when half the drunks in the stands already know.

 

[Eric]

There is no such thing as "stealing" signals.

If the other guy can figure out what your codes are then you suck at codes.

Having your signals stolen is like a crime where the victim is a victim of his own stupidity - stupid for having signals easy enough for MTSU to steal and stupider still for not figuring out that the other guy has your signals figured out when half the drunks in the stands already know.

Agree.

If you can steal the signals then you should...not your fault the other team is giving them to you.

It would be like us punting on 4th and 1

 

[Animal02]

Groh IS so out of touch .

FTFY

 

[daBuzz]

Evidently stealing signals isn't too rare. In baseball, try stealing signals and you are likely to see a baseball up close and personal. In football, I guess you get to see a lead on the scoreboard.

One disagreement....baseball teams steal signals all the time. Most common is with a runner on 2nd base and the runner is able to pick up the catcher's signs. Our guys use a system of hand placement to signal the pitch in to the batter (commonly something like open hands = fastball, closed fist = offspeed). Also, we have our guys memorize and write down the coach's signal order on play after play. Not too difficult then to pick up the commonalities and know when they're running/bunting/hitting & running.

And for the record, we've never thrown at anyone for stealing signs. If we suspect the other team has our signs, we simply swap to another set of signs. Not to say the guys won't throw at you for other stuff...but not for stealing signs.

 

[GPD]

Think that was the most informative Coaches call in show I've heard (from any of 'em)
Really appreciate it when Coach is willing to open up a little and give of some thoughts and flavor outside of normal "coach speak".
Enjoyed the discussion about breaking down film and catching tendencies etc... for those of you that have played ball at this level it is probably
kind of boring, but for the rest of us it's gold... any shade you choose.

 

[swampsting]

PJ has said a few times his players at Navy could unravel the mysteries of the other team's signals in the first half. And as he said, you know, they kinda know how to do that thing there.

 

[Techster]

Think that was the most informative Coaches call in show I've heard (from any of 'em)
Really appreciate it when Coach is willing to open up a little and give of some thoughts and flavor outside of normal "coach speak".
Enjoyed the discussion about breaking down film and catching tendencies etc... for those of you that have played ball at this level it is probably
kind of boring, but for the rest of us it's gold... any shade you choose.

Some of that reminded me of the movie Any Given Sunday. "Look at his knuckles...are they white?!"

 

[FatPat]

Techster- love your analogy but it was the movie "invincible" with Walburg
Sorry- I am not a, or should be a grammar nazi - just love my football movies

 

[GTech63]

PJ has said a few times his players at Navy could unravel the mysteries of the other team's signals in the first half. And as he said, you know, they kinda know how to do that thing there.

and said that is why he sends in plays. I wish he would cover his lips so he can not be read by a lip reader.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

You have to remember one thing. Most teams have to keep signals simple enough for the few seconds reaction time and for not so bright players. Look at the last play of the Ol Miss/LSU game. That play was definitely not the play the coach signaled in. Look at his face after the play. Priceless!

 

[gtg936g]

Groh probably didn't change his signals from when he was at UVA. Given the power of the internet, I am surprised folks do not post and break down the calls from week to week of rival teams. If the DC has to change the signals from week to week, it may give defensive players fits trying to remember what the new signals are each week.

That being said, if anyone goes to the UGA - FL game, please video the calls from the UGAg defense so we can decipher them prior to the Auburn game.

 

[Animal02]

One disagreement....baseball teams steal signals all the time. Most common is with a runner on 2nd base and the runner is able to pick up the catcher's signs. Our guys use a system of hand placement to signal the pitch in to the batter (commonly something like open hands = fastball, closed fist = offspeed). Also, we have our guys memorize and write down the coach's signal order on play after play. Not too difficult then to pick up the commonalities and know when they're running/bunting/hitting & running.

And for the record, we've never thrown at anyone for stealing signs. If we suspect the other team has our signs, we simply swap to another set of signs. Not to say the guys won't throw at you for other stuff...but not for stealing signs.

We used signals in HS for defense......there would be a 6-8 given, with one being valid that followed a "key" signal........one opposing team late in the season did figure it out the "key" and caused havoc for us until we figured it out.......

 

[Ash]

I can't find it in the search but I mentioned the signals being stolen a few times on here. It was the reason why they stayed in that double WR stack formation

We never did figure out what to do with it, and they just kept running it. I have never seen a secondary more confused than I did that day. Any time I see a team line up with WR stacks I shudder.

 

[daBuzz]

We used signals in HS for defense......there would be a 6-8 given, with one being valid that followed a "key" signal........one opposing team late in the season did figure it out the "key" and caused havoc for us until we figured it out.......

Yeah, teams are now going to this annoying arm-band strategy. They print out this grid of 100 different offensive & defensive signals and each player wears it on an armband. The coach can call pitches and/or signals by calling out a number that corresponds to the column/row. It's fairly unbreakable because they may have 8 or 10 different steal signs on that sheet and therefore never have to repeat them. The problem is that it can really slow down a game while kids try to find the appropriate cell on their arm's wristband.

Funny story about that. We were playing a game versus a really good team this fall. Big 6'6" lefty who's committed to UGA on the mound for the other team and their coach is calling in pitches to the catcher by verbally giving the number. Well, one of our pitchers was keeping the pitching chart that game for us had decided to write down the #'s and then write down what the resulting pitch was. So, one time the coach calls out a # that he's used before and just as the pitcher comes set in the stretch, our guy calls out "131 is a fastball. Sit dead red!" loudly to our hitter. Their pitcher was one of those lefties who lifts his leg and decides at the top of the lift whether he's going to throw over to first or go to the plate with the pitch. Well, apparently he was planning on going to the plate. Because he lifted his leg, processes what's being said just before he does that and then just puts his leg back down without throwing over or going to the plate. BALK! Runner goes to second. We literally laughed out loud. Their coach wasn't too happy about it but it was more because his "unbreakable system" is only as good as the coach's memory and not re-using a number a 2nd time.

 

[Vespid]

Let's just hope we don't have that ref crew we had for the Duke game this week for the UVA game

Amen to that. Probably one of the keys to the game.

 

[AE 87]

I mentioned it last year and earlier this year that I feared Roof's signals were getting ripped. Last year, it seemed we could play a game of lights out D and then a game of D where it seemed the light never came on. Maybe Syracuse just didn't get the memo.

This year, it seemed that we can't get off the field against anybody. I wonder if GS thought they'd try to play us straight up in the first half, and then went to ripping our signals to not get embarrassed.

It will be interesting to see if things change dramatically this week or if we'll wait till the bye-week before U[sic]Ga. Or, maybe it's just like the coach has been saying, and we're just not beating blocks etc.

(Hint: I WANT to believe that our signals are getting ripped because I DON"T WANT to believe that we are really as bad as it seems, in terms of scheme and talent).