Football the way it ought to be

Commentary

Football is a grand old sport, but it shouldn't stray too far from its roots as a workingman's game.

At this University, head coach Jerry Kill kept the game relatively true to its upbringing.

Kill plays the game the way it was meant to be played, running the ball down the opponent's throat. The West Coast offense has taken root in many places, but luckily Coach Kill doesn't subscribe to this abomination of the game.

Running the ball should be the primary offense. No matter how many points the West Coast game can put on the board, defense should be a team's focus and its strength.

Football is a rough-and-tumble, smash-mouth game that is best personified by a great running back like Tom Koutsos.

Though there are many good wide receivers, their play usually doesn't capture the true spirit of this brutal game. The game is best represented in players who like to use their bodies as weapons and receivers usually aren't this type of player. Big, lumbering tight ends are usually the only receivers who embody the sprit of the game.

The best offensive representatives of the game are the hard-nosed linemen who do their jobs like many of society's greatest - consistently and without accolades.

Football is greatest on a cool, crisp autumn afternoon. When I hear the band playing the school fight song as I approach the stadium it puts me in the perfect state of mind to watch opposing teams run the ball at each other without relent.

Because it's played in the fall, football is also meant to be played outside. The idea to build a domed stadium here was an incredibly stupid one. Luckily, the current stadium plans call for an outside one. To build a domed stadium would rip out the heart and soul of football at SIU.

The game should be played outside because that's what makes it great. There are no rain delays and that plays right into football's blue-collar roots. A construction worker doesn't get to take the day off because he's not satisfied with the weather.

Without outdoor football, some of football's greatest chapters would have never happened. Lambeau Field would never have been called the Frozen Tundra. The Bears and Eagles would have never had to deal with the blinding fog in their famous playoff game. True fans would never be separated from fair-weather fans by snow or rain.

Fans at the games should be local rowdies, not suit-wearing businessmen like you see at Madison Square Garden.

Rain, fog or bitter cold just add another level of difficulty to game and make it much more intriguing.

Football should always be played on grass. Players can't get dirty on the artificial surface, and we all know the common workingman isn't afraid to get dirty.

The smell of grass is another nuance that is a part of the football experience. SIU's new stadium should be built with a grass playing surface.

What makes college football so great is that it's a weeklong celebration where old friends meet up and remember their college days. Even though the Salukis aren't having a stellar season, Homecoming will still bring back alumni from distant corners who'll join in celebration of their university.

Football is about rivalries, like SIU's with Southeast Missouri State or Western Illinois. Watching two teams that have exchanged unpleasantries with each other for years is one of the best ways to spend a Saturday.

The best stadiums in football are not the ones with the newest gizmos and the most diverse concessions. The best ones are named after a person who exemplified his school, not after a big corporation. These stadiums serve standard stadium fare with no frills. After all, football is and should continue to be a blue collar working man's game and there's no place for celery or shrimp.

Ethan is a senior in journalism. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Egyptian.