Say goodbye to the huddle — speed is key
The huddle, the pre-snap team meeting that has been as integral a part of college football as the hashmark and the good-looking quarterback, has succumbed at age 112 because of a sudden onset of obsolescence.
Founded by legendary coach Amos Alonzo Stagg in 1896 as a method to fight crowd noise, the huddle suffered the same fate as the leather helmet and the wishbone offense. The game passed it by.
AUBURN, Ala. — The above obituary isn’t quite true. Yet.
Life is moving at warp speed. Stress levels are increasing. Decisions must be made quickly. You see it everywhere you turn: fast food is faster and news is constantly new. Take a look at basic communication: Letter writing gave way to e-mail, which evolved to become texting, which mutated into the social-networking site Twitter — whatever can be said needs no more than 140 characters.
There’s no time to ponder, to ruminate. Reflection is for mirrors. The evolution of daily life demands that the most critical fast-twitch muscle is the brain.
espn.com
8/8/08