:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/18449017/177611299.0.jpg)
I'm sorry, but I need to write about this. It's been driving me crazy.
In the middle of last season, the San Diego Chargers were coming off back-to-back heartbreaking losses to the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos. Those losses were attributed to the whole team, but they could've been avoided had Philip Rivers been able to avoid turning the ball over. The team, and Philip, had the entire bye week to think about it.
Heading into a game against the Cleveland Browns, where the weather was cold and rainy, Philip Rivers tried wearing gloves while playing. Suddenly, his passes had that extra bit of zip and accuracy that they seemed to be lacking earlier in the year. He kept wearing them after the Browns game, even when the weather was sunny. Most importantly....
Philip Rivers in 2012:
- Before gloves: 2 turnovers per game (6 games)
- With gloves: 1 turnover per game (10 games)
The proof was not in the pudding, the proof was a freaking pudding factory. It was so obvious that Norv Turner and Philip Rivers, two of the mos stubborn men I have ever seen, saw that things needed to change. The gloves needed to stay.
This wasn't the first time that gloves had helped a veteran QB regain the zip on his passes, and his mojo, either. Kurt Warner, who we've talked about a lot around these parts recently in comparison to Philip Rivers, threw on the gloves when he joined Ken Whisenhunt's Arizona Cardinals and saw his turnovers drop significantly. Good! Precedent is really good. We want more proof that Rivers could have a Warner-like career revival, not less.
April came around and things looked good. Rivers showed up ready with his gloves to Chargers mini camp. Training camp started, Philip still had love for gloves. The preseason games started and....
He understands that he doesn't throw the ball with his left hand, right? And he knows that the gloves weren't just there for moral support, correct? Then why is he no longer wearing the glove on his right hand?!?
I'm not the only Chargers fan/blogger noticing this either:
In order to test this theory my son and I went to the local sporting good store to try these gloves out. Once I found stickiest ones I could find I rushed down the adjacent aisle to find a football. I was amazed at the level of control these gloves provided me. As an example, I could take the ball by the end and hold onto it with 2 fingers without fumbling it to the ground. And even though the store manager didn’t appreciate it, I had to send my son long down the aisle to see just how well I could throw the ball with these gloves on. As you can imagine I threw a perfect strike and one of the tightest spirals that I’ve ever thrown. There’s no doubt that wearing these gloves gives quarterbacks better control of the oddly shaped ball.
Why isn't Philip wearing the glove anymore? Why? Why? Why? Why?
I don't care if Rivers says he's not comfortable wearing them. I'm not comfortable having a starting QB that turns the ball over twice as much without them. Wear them. Get used to them. Become Kurt Warner instead of [insert some QB that ruined his career by being too stubborn, like Jeff George]. Please.