? Regards Announcers and Barkley.....

[bwifan]

I now have heard the last 2 weeks the TV announcers say that Barkley has just about everything you want in a running back except breakaway speed. The ability to take it to the house from anywhere on the field. He has quickn/elusive/moves/break arm tackles/etc... My question is Barkley is a kid who ran 10.74 100 meters and went to PA state championships for track, yet he only ran 1 year in high school. I have run track all my life and still run and my kids run. 10.74 for 100 is a very solid time. My question is where did this "the 1 thing he doesn't quite have is breakaway speed" come from? Just knucklehead announcers lazy not doing their homework? I believe even Millen said and his kid coached Barkley and should know what kind of speed he holds.... Or maybe I am wrong and 10.74 is not that fast in the 100 meters anymore....

 

[bjf1984]

I now have heard the last 2 weeks the TV announcers say that Barkley has just about everything you want in a running back except breakaway speed. The ability to take it to the house from anywhere on the field. He has quickn/elusive/moves/break arm tackles/etc... My question is Barkley is a kid who ran 10.74 100 meters and went to PA state championships for track, yet he only ran 1 year in high school. I have run track all my life and still run and my kids run. 10.74 for 100 is a very solid time. My question is where did this "the 1 thing he doesn't quite have is breakaway speed" come from? Just knucklehead announcers lazy not doing their homework? I believe even Millen said and his kid coached Barkley and should know what kind of speed he holds.... Or maybe I am wrong and 10.74 is not that fast in the 100 meters anymore....

You are wrong!

Wrong to place any weight whatsoever in anything that 90% of the talking heads (especially Millen) have to say

 

[bwifan]

Oh I am not giving it any creedence at all.... I am just trying to figure out where his supposed lack of breakaway speed accusation started/came from.... He has excellent breakaway speed and is a danger to take it to the house every carry in my book.

 

[bjf1984]

Oh I am not giving it any creedence at all.... I am just trying to figure out where his supposed lack of breakaway speed accusation started/came from.... He has excellent breakaway speed and is a danger to take it to the house every carry in my book.

You are right!

 

[Player2BNamedL8r]

They might be basing it on the fact that he got chased down on one of his long runs. Doesn't really matter though...he's 18 years old and I have a hunch that we haven't seen him "peak" just yet.

 

[bwifan]

They might be basing it on the fact that he got chased down on one of his long runs. Doesn't really matter though...he's 18 years old and I have a hunch that we haven't seen him "peak" just yet.

Yeah that exactly was my thought... But if its the run I am thinking of versus Rutgers the DB from RU had an excellent angle on him. Yes if you have world class speed like willie gault etc you can out run the angle but there are only a few people with that kind of speed.

 

[tboyer]

What is good speed? What is great speed? I'll take a shot. Carter was great speed. Johnson was great speed. Brandon Polk has great speed.

Silas Redd had good speed. Royster had good speed. Belton when not banged up had good speed. Good speed is still very good. Great speed might be a 4.4, good speed might be a 4.5.

I think what Millen was suggesting is that despite not having great speed, Barkley has the potential to be a great back. And that is because of his lower body strength (which is awesome), his vision, his technique (which is very, very good), his ability to read defenses.

 

[Player2BNamedL8r]

Yeah that exactly was my thought... But if its the run I am thinking of versus Rutgers the DB from RU had an excellent angle on him. Yes if you have world class speed like willie gault etc you can out run the angle but there are only a few people with that kind of speed.

Yes, that was the run...and agree that a good angle by even a typical D-1 DB is hard to beat...especially when you're coming out of the backfield. But again, I get the sense that the entire "book" on #26 hasn't yet been completely written yet.

 

[Rip_E_2_Joe_PA]

You must first tune into a broadcast where the talking heads are not empty and they use their eyes before they use their mouths.

 

[TTman]

Not only does a safety coming from the middle of the field "have an angle", but he is also running significantly downhill. It's hard to see the crown in the field from on high, but it does make a difference....
Barkley is the best we have seen in a decade. Relax and enjoy the show!

 

[bison13]

most DB's are faster than anyone else on the field, so getting caught by a DB is not a big deal.

 

[thecoolestfish]

I now have heard the last 2 weeks the TV announcers say that Barkley has just about everything you want in a running back except breakaway speed. The ability to take it to the house from anywhere on the field. He has quickn/elusive/moves/break arm tackles/etc... My question is Barkley is a kid who ran 10.74 100 meters and went to PA state championships for track, yet he only ran 1 year in high school. I have run track all my life and still run and my kids run. 10.74 for 100 is a very solid time. My question is where did this "the 1 thing he doesn't quite have is breakaway speed" come from? Just knucklehead announcers lazy not doing their homework? I believe even Millen said and his kid coached Barkley and should know what kind of speed he holds.... Or maybe I am wrong and 10.74 is not that fast in the 100 meters anymore....

Announcers like to say that about any RB except the very fastest (ie top 5%). It allows them to balance their gushing with something 'negative.' Barkley is very fast - probably 80 percentile of RBs, and will probably get a tad faster. Barring injury, I expect him to have more than one 80+ yard runs to the house before the end of the season.

 

[21Guns]

Good Lord, I am also tired of this "not great speed" garbage. Did anyone actually WATCH the "supposed" play where he was "caught from behind"?

1. He WAS NOT caught FROM BEHIND...that DB had the angle on him, and had a head start, and had SaQuon pinned toward the sideline at the hash mark, and with all that, Barkley NEARLY outran the angle any damn way, as the DB BARELY got a hand on his ankle, and Barkley came within a whisker of staying on his feet anyway and going in to the end zone. As it was, the run went all the way down to the 15 yard line, and the DB had to take an extreme angle just to even lay a hand on him.

 

[21Guns]

To clue you in to how vital "great speed" is on long runs.....

Bill Belton took one to the End Zone from 92 yards away last year.

 

[BobPSU92]

Oh I am not giving it any creedence at all.... I am just trying to figure out where his supposed lack of breakaway speed accusation started/came from.... He has excellent breakaway speed and is a danger to take it to the house every carry in my book.

I'll give some Creedence, and I think it ties in with Barkley.

 

[garw]

Mullen is a tool. He was no Bruce Clark

 

[PSU1991]

This kid hasn't even really been through a PSU strength and conditioning program yet. Future is bright.