Women Who Play Football: Some Photos; Need your opinion

Where have I been? Last post was two weeks ago! I've been watching the NFL. And working on a new interest, creating websites. And playing nurse to wife Beverly who had cataract surgery and needs eye-drops daily. And looking after Bev's mom who is in a personal care home that moved and she moved with them.

Whew! At least I've been doing something.

I have a couple blog posts lined up. I'd like your opinion on one. Is it okay to post photos of players in distress? I have a photo of a Houston player down on the ground, holding an injured knee, grimacing in pain. I want to do a post about football injuries and use this photo as a case in point. Is that okay? Or is it an invasion of a person's privacy to post a photo of her in distress. I haven't used the photo before because it feels wrong. What do you think?

Odd shot. What's going on? Why aren't the Houston
players blocking? Why isn't Lakesha Hoke (#82)
contesting for the ball? I don't know.

Today's post is just a collection of some fun photos from 2013 games. I browsed my (huge) gallery and selected ones that struck my fancy. Hope you like them, too.

The first just struck me funny. Stopping action can create some funny "still" shots. Looking at this one I wondered what is happening? I don't know. But I hope Lakesha, #82, makes the tackle.

The next two I like because they violate one of my football axioms. Never tackle with just your arms. Looking at the first of the two, I would predict the runner is going to escape. An Outlaw is reaching out but no way is she going to stop a large runner by just grasping with extended arms.

Reaching from behind, the runnier will escape, right?

The second photo proves me wrong. The runner is down, an arm tackle.

It takes a lot of arm strength to pull a large running back to ground.

Well, the true despised arm tackle is done from the front where the runner is coming at the tackler and the tackler sticks out an arm rather than placing her whole body in the runner's path. Viewing the NFL and NCAA on television - I'm fascinated by how often the very best players sometimes fail in fundamentals. How often missed tackles are due to failure to wrap up the runner, failure to get low.

One of the things I love about sports is the intensity. Both mental and physical. I'm awed watching players focus on the objective and commit completely. The following photos capture some of that from Outlaw's games. First is Bridgette Brown taking a bead on the ball carrier just coming into view at the right of the photo.

Bridgette Brown about to discard blocker, #77, and take out
the running back just entering the photo at the right.
Love the focus, Brigette's eyes.

Bridgette is one of my favorite Outlaws. She is a devastating tackler, intensely focused on the field. If I were the runner, seeing Bridgette on my right, I'd turn left.

Next is another shot of the intensity of the game. Imagine a warm Austin evening, maybe sixty plays, you're part of the line protecting your running back, play after play throwing all of your strength into a huge opposing player, controlling her, keeping her away from the football. These "scrums" take enormous energy, far more than you can see from the stands or in a still photo.

Every play, look at the physical exertion, the
strength against strength.

Next another shot of the intensity of sport. All players in the photo are working but none more than Shadana, the ball carrier. She has been tripped up, is flying through the air, will land about three yards ahead of where she is now. This is the end of a long run through a crowded field, fighting for every inch of ground. I love Shadana's intensity. I have lots of photos of her all working just like this.

Shadana with the ball, running top speed, tripped up but still diving for one more yard.
She comes down around the three yard line. I love her intensity.

Another favorite of mine is #5 Ruby Reyna. She strikes me as a good poker player. She is small, I think the smallest Outlaw, but she is always alway involved in the play. I've seen her on defense taking on bigger running backs. I've seen her on offense, she normally plays quarterback, blocking defensive linewomen twice her size. Her facial expression is always the same, calm, focused. But I've seen her intensity in the way she plays the game.