NW's Pat Fitzgerald rants: "RPO is the purest form of communism"

Submitted by Communist Football on

Pat Fitzgerald, at his Tuesday press conference, blasted run-pass options as, well, Communist Football. "Yeah, it's communism. RPO is the purest form of communism," he said when asked about the concept. He continued:

I don't understand how offensive linemen can be downfield...it used to be when you and I played, when you tripped and fell down, it was an illegal man downfield. Now, if you're just an uncovered lineman, and you go 2.3 yards, it's not a penalty, but if you go 3, it is, and nobody can see it until after the ball is thrown.

So, again, it's the rules, you can complain all you want. If I want to get it fixed, I guess I can beg to get on the Rules Committee. But it's the most en vogue change, I think, in football, that if you're a purist of football, it's not the game. It's not.

I mean, people downfield blocking, and the ball being thrown, should be illegal. But, as a defensive head coach, with defense in my background, we will absolutely 100% take full advantage within the frameworks of the rules that are given to us. So, RPO forever."

Video below:

"RPO is the purest form of communism."

You can't watch football without hearing "RPO" these days, and @coachfitz51 has some strong thoughts on the Run-Pass Option: pic.twitter.com/isVYvkPCvr

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 11, 2018

So, Jim Harbaugh is officially a practitioner of Communist Football! Welcome to the revolution, Comrade!

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HarbaughFever

September 13th, 2018 at 2:09 PM ^

Question for those who know more about the rules in re: to what Fitzgerald is complaining about:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZZwFMHRJvo&t=9m7s

This play right here, should this have been an illegal man downfield call?  It looks like at least 1 of the Ole Miss players is blocking further than 3 yards downfield.  It seems like this would be a very hard call to identify and make in the moment.  If it is an illegal man downfield, is that a call that refs can make on review?

Thanks in advance!

Joined: 09/08/2013

MGoPoints: 303

Communist Football

September 11th, 2018 at 3:43 PM ^

The whole reason I took the username is because a Michigan linebackers coach under Lloyd Carr called read-option dual-threat QBs "communist football."

Although some Wolverines said they didn't care what kind of offense they played, others said they're happy to know some more traditional ones are up next on the schedule.

"Thank God. We're happy about that," linebackers coach Steve Szabo said. "I call that Communist football. I'm so tired of it. Good, red-blooded Americans snap the ball, hand it to the guy and have a normal run game or pass game."

Joined: 09/18/2010

MGoPoints: 18944

mGrowOld

September 11th, 2018 at 3:44 PM ^

I'm going to go way out on a limb here and guess that Pat was NOT a political science major at Northwestern.

I get his complain about downfield lineman.  His analogy about communism though makes no sense whatsoever. 

Joined: 10/04/2010

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