At least that's how it sounds if you read all the posts, lol. So who are the guys here who really know what they're talking about as far as players and knowledge of the game, in your opinion? Don't feel embarrassed leaving me off the list :)
Seriously though, I don't think there's anyone that stands out as an expert. Some stand out as clueless, but none that know more than everyone else. Clearly there are guys, like Sy, who watch more if the college game, but that's it.
Not a one of us are experts. The experts are the scouting departments, and they do not get them right all the time by a longshot, that is why it is so stupid to listen to the comments. We simply do not know. We all can say who the players are that played well in college, we do not know if they will be successful on the next level. There are a few players that it is obvious, and everyone knows they will be great on the next level, like Andrew Luck for example. But he was a player that everyone knew about.
"So who are the guys here who really know what they're talking about as far as players and knowledge of the game, in your opinion?"
There are guys here who are head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to football knowledge. I could list a few more but I'll leave that up to others.
to look at varied early round prospects and guess who can actually perform what in the pro league in detail.
That would be none of us, although some of the fans mentioned above come close.
As far as sorting through typical human bias, blindness and group think; looking at trends accordingly, thinking about strategy and systems abstractly, I have done an effing very good job on balance over the years.
This probably applies better to later rounds and or 'types' of players and concepts rather than to individual players, but the players stat numbers are a good place to start.
dorgan, Phil in LA(when they bother to post), Optimus, Big Blue Blogger, FMiC are a few of the must reads for me. There are others of course, but they are standouts, imv
I don't really view anyone here as an actual "expert"
Good on the one hand that DL is one unit that size/speed/athletics really do count for very much, as long as an attitude is present.
and
Bad on the other hand in that one can conversely see players who have self-maintained physically after -many- years of contact sports and have a % guess at 'can they continue that self maintenance' while newbies may be harder to gauge in this regard.
there are a ton of people who don't post but lurk. Let's say that number is 1,000 at any given time, you can put out anything and a percentage is going to agree with it. So it depends
Will Allen/Peterson, Joey in VA, some of the former coaches, etc. have some good ideas, knowledge.
But this is a fan site and I think it's pretty clear 99.9% of the posters make it clear they're communicating an opinion when it comes to almost everything on here.
I know I do, if someone takes something I type as me thinking it's fact then perhaps I need to work on my writing style or add IMO after everything, but i thought that was really implied.
go with Bill from UT.Plenty of good stuff and always adds his disclaimer at the end of the post that he is only a fan and doesn't know shit....like all fans.
Several old school guys were mentioned that I totally agree with 9\as far as the non facetiously ones mentioned, but retrojint dropped the mic several times last season.
Be an expert because no one here can watch all the games. For me I watch more Pac12 than anything. Last year I got in an argument about Centers. Schwenke from Cal and Frederickson who went to Wisconsin. I watched him play once against Stanford. I wasn't impressed and felt he was to stiff to be any good. I was put in my place when not only did Frederickson go in the first round but had a good year. We argued about centers and they both are good players and both starters. So unless u can sit down and watch multiple games of all the teams u won't have a complete picture. Saying that, I minus homerism down and go by who watches certain conferences.
football knowledge
He sees most what
others don't see
rabble rabble
rabble rabble
Seriously though, I don't think there's anyone that stands out as an expert. Some stand out as clueless, but none that know more than everyone else. Clearly there are guys, like Sy, who watch more if the college game, but that's it.
There are guys here who are head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to football knowledge. I could list a few more but I'll leave that up to others.
That would be none of us, although some of the fans mentioned above come close.
As far as sorting through typical human bias, blindness and group think; looking at trends accordingly, thinking about strategy and systems abstractly, I have done an effing very good job on balance over the years.
This probably applies better to later rounds and or 'types' of players and concepts rather than to individual players, but the players stat numbers are a good place to start.
Sy 56
Joey in VA
Eric from BBI
Dorgan (who doesn't post enough football stuff)
Sy'56 (draft especially)
Will Allen/Will Peterson (draft especially)
and I'm sure there are a couple others who are slipping my mind right now.
the following year that fan looked very good. last year - not so much.
As an example, let's use the DT Donald and some rather representaive type quotes on the board here by any given individual.
-"Donald at 12? He's too small to be a DT on this level and certainly not at 12."
-"I'm reading some critques and have watched some youtube highlights; boy is he quick. Perhaps he can be like a John Randall."
-"You know, the more I read and hear, the more I'm warming up to Donald at 12."
-"I wonder if we'd spend a draft pick to move up and get him."
Can you imagine if Reese operated that way and made his decisions that way? Going from too small to possibly trading up?
Possibly he is too busy, or too fatalistic.
Good on the one hand that DL is one unit that size/speed/athletics really do count for very much, as long as an attitude is present.
and
Bad on the other hand in that one can conversely see players who have self-maintained physically after -many- years of contact sports and have a % guess at 'can they continue that self maintenance' while newbies may be harder to gauge in this regard.
But this is a fan site and I think it's pretty clear 99.9% of the posters make it clear they're communicating an opinion when it comes to almost everything on here.
I know I do, if someone takes something I type as me thinking it's fact then perhaps I need to work on my writing style or add IMO after everything, but i thought that was really implied.
So...me
There is no room for guys like that...
However...
Sy when it comes to college prospects
Optimus when it comes to the cap
Anish when it comes to offense
Dorgan probably on overall play.
The rest.... meh.
Agree with whoever mentioned bossman, too.
And furthermore, a big reason why I like reading the so-called experts here is to see how often they are wrong.
SBlue46
UT Bossman
is SBlue46 No
idea why he
doesn't still go by
bossman but whatever he
still kicks ass