Basketball, football alike

Driving back from University of Detroit Mercy coaching clinic (hosted by Coaches Ray McCallum, Jay Smith and staff - thanks again!), the Arkansas vs. Alabama football game was on ESPN radio. Listening to the game, it became crystal clear how much football is like basketball. Some parallels:

• countless hours of scripting and game planning go into the preparation of each game
• especially in an away game in adverse conditions, teams try to maintain calm and give themselves an opportunity to succeed
• on the court or field, body language needs to display confidence and poise
• on the sidelines, show no panic, act like you have been in a difficult game before
• leaders need to prove their worth and "walk their talk" while support players need to find a way to contribute and make plays
• the game will be decided by defense disrupting opposition, creating energy, making stops
• as they have practiced, offense will be required to execute with efficiency