The Indianapolis Colts should do everything in their power to help franchise quaretrback Andrew Luck learn how to better protect himself in the open field. Sliding is not something Luck is known to do particularly well, but one minor league baseball manager is there to offer his services should the Colts reach out for some sliding lessons.
Dean Treanor, manager of the Indianapolis Indians (triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians) says in an ESPN interview he would be on board if he ever got the call from the Colts.
“I’ll gladly do it,” Treanor said. “I’m ready if the Colts ever call. In fact we’ve got a sliding clinic coming up in Indianapolis. And if it’s raining we’ll have the tarp out to slide on.”
The concept of a baseball manager or coach teaching football players how to slide is not at all a new one. New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi has helped teach proper sliding techniques to football players over the years. He is credited for teaching Mark Sanchez how to slide, and years ago, the Yankees skipper, a Northwestern graduate, recommended Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter learn how to slide.
It begs the question, why do so many quarterbacks struggle to slide, or why don’t more NFL franchises insist their quarterbacks take sliding lessons from the baseball pros? The problem seems to be some quarterbacks lack the instinct to slide. Sanchez admitted as such back in 2009.
“I’ve never really been a slider,” Sanchez said. “In baseball, I slid headfirst. In football, I’ve done the same thing or tried to get out of bounds or throw the ball away. It’s something that you need to learn at this level.”
Luck got roughed up a bit last season, so it stands to reason the focus will be on finding ways to make sure he is better protected and making decisions that could benefit his own safety when moving with the football. Colts owner Jim Irsay also realizes that.
“Andrew has the responsibility to make educated decisions to protect himself,” Irsay said. “He knows that, and as we go forward, we want to see him at times slide, throw it away, keep him out of harm’s way. We have to do a better job protecting him, too.”
If the Colts have a job to protect Luck, then they should probably give Treanor a call. He’s waiting.
[ESPN]
