The Six Degrees of...John Robinson

[LesBaker]

I agree on Namath, but let me say this about Swann:
What he lacked in numbers he made up for in substance. His catches counted. He was clutch. He was tough, and went across the middle fearlessly. The whole business about him being a wussy was crap. The dude went over the middle and took big hits. He never complained.

Swann played at a time when guys did not put up big receiving numbers. It was more about the run. Compare his numbers to guys from the seventies. The dude was amazing. It's not about the stat sheet.

*Edit: Actually, this argument is the exact one people use to say Kurt Warner does not belong in the Super Bowl. He transcends numbers. "You had to be there" right? He was just great.

View: https://youtu.be/4GRs5nrzqlY

Nah, Swann was pretty average overall. A few good years, and a couple of decent playoff games but overall he wasn't even the #1 on his team and without Stallworth drawing the attention he didn't do all that well.

By this standard B grade players are making it into a place that should be for A-Plus players.

How does Warner not belong in the SB? He didn't transcend numbers, he SET them. He earned his way into all three SB's.

 

[fearsomefour]

I already knew some connections, but others came to light as I did research. Like, how interesting that Goff attended the same high school as Dan Fouts.

I left a couple obscure connections out, so as not to be TOO confusing. Like this one:

Jesse Freitas Sr. also played Quarterback in the NFL. I just now discovered he played at Santa Clara as well. In 1946-47 he quarterbacked the 49ers.

He then went on to Head Coach at Serra, during the fifties he coached...John Robinson, and then later in the sixties and seventies Swann and his two sons Jim and Jesse Jr. Jesse Sr. Was a legend at the school.

Freitas also taught at the high school for 50 years! He was my Geometry teacher, and once smacked me on top of the head with a Geometry book for popping my gum. (Yeah. I deserved it)

So his teaching or coaching tenure had him teach a span of students, including:

• John Robinson
• Jim Fregosi
• Lynn Swann
• Barry Bonds
• Greg Jefferies
• Tom Brady

Among others. Pretty wide spanning list!

* @Roman Snow was not the only skull he cracked.

....and a friend of mine, Dan Serafini. First round MLB pick.

 

[Roman Snow]

Nah, Swann was pretty average overall. A few good years, and a couple of decent playoff games but overall he wasn't even the #1 on his team and without Stallworth drawing the attention he didn't do all that well.

By this standard B grade players are making it into a place that should be for A-Plus players.

How does Warner not belong in the SB? He didn't transcend numbers, he SET them. He earned his way into all three SB's.

I agree Warner belongs in the Hall of Fame,Les. But his overall career numbers are low, because of his late start, his down years and injured years. You and I don't think this tarnishes his greatness. But some argue it does. I wish we stuck with Kurt. He would have taken us to more Super Bowls.

I admit I might be biased on Swann. We can disagree on him. But he was not B grade. He was A+ as a receiver.

 

[Roman Snow]

....and a friend of mine, Dan Serafini. First round MLB pick.

Yes! He was nine years after me, and a Senior when little Tommy Brady was a freshman. Your buddy Dan should have beat the freshman Brady mercilessly! :snicker:

 

[fearsomefour]

Yes! He was nine years after me, and a Senior when little Tommy Brady was a freshman. Your buddy Dan should have beat the freshman Brady mercilessly! :snicker:

Brady was indeed a Freshman when Dan was a Senior.
However, Brady would catch his bullpens....why? He was the only one not afraid to (as Dan was throwing up to 93 mph). Gotta give Brady a little credit for that.

 

[Roman Snow]

Brady was indeed a Freshman when Dan was a Senior.
However, Brady would catch his bullpens....why? He was the only one not afraid to (as Dan was throwing up to 93 mph). Gotta give Brady a little credit for that.

Interesting note about Dan!

Brady was recruited for baseball as well. Our baseball field was on a postage stamp sized bit of land, locked in a block of houses. We had a 20ft. left field chain fence 290ft and 295ft down the right field line. Not exactly a pitchers park for Sarafini! But Bonds, Jefferies and Brady sure had a field day!

I too, was a catcher, a year behind Bonds. (Now THAT was a talented group!) and though I started as a JV, I got cut in the final cut trying out for the Varsity backup catcher spot as a junior. There went my dreams of the pros.

 

[fearsomefour]

Interesting note about Dan!

Brady was recruited for baseball as well. Our baseball field was on a postage stamp sized bit of land, locked in a block of houses. We had a 20ft. left field chain fence 290ft and 295ft down the right field line. Not exactly a pitchers park for Sarafini! But Bonds, Jefferies and Brady sure had a field day!

I too, was a catcher, a year behind Bonds. (Now THAT was a talented group!) and though I started as a JV, I got cut in the final cut trying out for the Varsity backup catcher spot as a junior. There went my dreams of the pros.

Yeah, that is an insane talent group.
Like Alex Smith and Reggie Bush being in the same backfield at Helix High School.
The high school right down the road from me was asking kids who had never played baseball but played other sports to come out for baseball so they would have enough guys to field a team.
Gotta pick your spots man....
Seriously though, it sounds like an amazing school.

 

[Roman Snow]

Yeah, that is an insane talent group.
Like Alex Smith and Reggie Bush being in the same backfield at Helix High School.
The high school right down the road from me was asking kids who had never played baseball but played other sports to come out for baseball so they would have enough guys to field a team.
Gotta pick your spots man....
Seriously though, it sounds like an amazing school.

Yeah. For some reason we put up a bunch of pros there.

Wow. How sad about the state of baseball. I love baseball. My first love. The game has fallen off so far. I remember going up to the park and meeting up with guys, playing all day long. Who does that now?

Or I would go hit fly balls with my kid brother. We would try to hit balls to the fence, and "save home runs." Anybody ever do that?

 

[fearsomefour]

Yeah. For some reason we put up a bunch of pros there.

Wow. How sad about the state of baseball. I love baseball. My first love. The game has fallen off so far. I remember going up to the park and meeting up with guys, playing all day long. Who does that now?

Or I would go hit fly balls with my kid brother. We would try to hit balls to the fence, and "save home runs." Anybody ever do that?

Oh yeah, most days for half the day in summer.
Baseball is fine.
You don't see pick up games much, but, there is a ton of youth baseball all over. Mostly organized pay or travel teams, which is sort of unfortunate.
This particular high school is the "bad" school here in town....not much participation in most things except football.
The worst thing with baseball really has to be the coaching/training. I am biased in that I think because I work with some guys in this regard, but, it is an amazingly undertrained and badly coached sport, generally speaking.
The pick up games are missed for sure....

 

[Ram65]

Yeah...I think his inference was, he "earned" his way to heaven because of what he endured with Georgia. Not really
scripturally sound, but typical of the Catholic "penance" mentality I grew up with.

That story with Madden was pretty hilarious, huh? I wonder how much of that was hyperbolic.

He had Swann's, and Tom Brady's parents stand up at one point. I knew Swann's parents pretty well. What he said was true. They are the ones that gave the tickets to my mom for Lynn's "private" MVP party. His brother was our dentist, and his mom worked the front desk as receptionist. His dad was the janitor at my elementary school. Great people. I'm glad Lynn was able to make their lives better.

Lots to comment about on the speech. You hit the highlights. I was going to say we all deserve to go to heaven after enduring the Georgia era. I actually went to edit my post. I thought since she won a Super Bowl as the owner I would be more gracious. Hope more posters listen to Robinson's speech to get the details.

*Nice that Swann had good parents. That's all I'll say about him.......

 

[Roman Snow]

Oh yeah, most days for half the day in summer.
Baseball is fine.
You don't see pick up games much, but, there is a ton of youth baseball all over. Mostly organized pay or travel teams, which is sort of unfortunate.
This particular high school is the "bad" school here in town....not much participation in most things except football.
The worst thing with baseball really has to be the coaching/training. I am biased in that I think because I work with some guys in this regard, but, it is an amazingly undertrained and badly coached sport, generally speaking.
The pick up games are missed for sure....

You're right. Baseball is big in this area, too, as far as little league, high school, etc.

Hey, @fearsomefour want to have a catch?

 

[LesBaker]

I agree Warner belongs in the Hall of Fame,Les. But his overall career numbers are low, because of his late start, his down years and injured years. You and I don't think this tarnishes his greatness. But some argue it does. I wish we stuck with Kurt. He would have taken us to more Super Bowls.

I admit I might be biased on Swann. We can disagree on him. But he was not B grade. He was A+ as a receiver.

You said SB not PB, so I was under that impression because of the typo.

Swann..........