Category Reads Listens Views

Reads Listens Views 8/2/2013

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It's already difficult enough for the NFL to pick a prized catch from the multitudes. Even so, it needs to keep getting better. See below. Photo from National Geographic.
It’s already difficult enough for the NFL to pick a prized catch from the multitudes. Even so, it needs to keep getting better. See below. Photo from National Geographic.

Views

[youtube=http://youtu.be/0Q5pW6I0sEk]

Nica’s Dream – great tune performed by an excellent guitarist.

Football Read & Commentary

Thompkins might be an example of how most NFL teams weren't thorough enough with character evaluation. Photo by expatsfootball.com
Thompkins might be an example of how most NFL teams weren’t thorough enough with character evaluation. Photo by expatsfootball.com

Kenbrell Thompkins Rescues Himself From Woes – I think most of you get it: I’m rooting for Thompkins because I liked what I saw from him on the field. Another reason is what I read in Michael McKnight’s Sports Illustrated piece on Thompkins well before the Patriots signed him.  The Boston Herald delves a little deeper into Thompkins’ story now that the UDFA wide out has impressed just about everyone who has attended a training camp practice. I’ve written about the public and private scrutiny of character  and the gulf that young players often have to traverse to transition from college star to productive professional.

I’m linking to Thompkins’ camp reports so much this preseason, because I think it’s important to celebrate people who turn their lives around and make good.  Regardless of whether he becomes a productive player, Thompkins is proof positive that people can grow past the mistakes of their youth. If it is true that NFL teams didn’t sign him due to his seven arrests in high school then it’s also an indication that there’s significant flaws in the evaluation process – especially when it comes to assessing character.

Read the two stories above and you’ll understand that this young man hasn’t been arrested in eight years. He’s been on a zero-tolerance program with Cincinnati’s Butch Jones. He worked his tail off in Torrance, California to learn the receiver position. He graduated with a degree in criminal justice.

If a team didn’t draft him due to seven arrests before adulthood then I have to believe that they aren’t examining players with enough depth or perspective. They didn’t consider when he was arrested and his law-abiding behavior since. If they interviewed any of the coaches, teammates, or family members of Thompkins, they either didn’t trust what they heard or took a way too cautious approach. I believe they were covering their asses.

It’s easy to jump through hoops and say you’re thorough, but if you’re not truly analyzing the information, what is all that time, money, and effort worth? That’s the blow-back of a public relations-conscious society: We spend more time focused on covering ourselves to avoid looking bad than actually spending the time to make a good decision. Saying you’re being thorough so you’re not scrutinized and being thorough so you can face it with confidence are two different things.

At the same time, Thompkins’ 78 catches, 1077 yards, and 4 touchdowns in 2 years isn’t fantastic college production so there could have been a good argument made that teams expected to be able to wait until the end of the draft to sign the receiver. However, the fact that Butch Jones had use his connections to sell the Patriots on Thompkins is a telling sign that the NFL saw “seven arrests” and didn’t bother to look hard enough.

There’s lots of talk from former scouts that NFL teams spend as much or more money on private investigators and delving into character than studying on-field performance. If that’s true, Thompkins is a developing into a compelling case why the quality of the legwork may need further review.

Remember great players are exceptions to the role. They are unconventional. If you’re only willing to consider some template version of what’s good to cover your hind parts then you’ll never spot the exceptional.

Views

Speaking of exceptional. This "MJD-like dude" (according to Rex Ryan) is impressing with his speed and pass protection in Jets training camp.
Speaking of exceptional. This “MJD-like dude” (according to Rex Ryan) is impressing with his speed and pass protection in Jets training camp. Keep up the good work and Manish Mehta will remember your first name.

Views

[youtube=http://youtu.be/_Amwq43-lrM]

Now this is how you do “Happy Birthday”

Non-Football Reads

Views – Bob Burnquist (Thanks to Sigmund Bloom)

[youtube=http://youtu.be/tSnfO15cAHE]

This is a well-executed creative life. Inspiring stuff to see a man build this environment to continue growing in his field. I understand the desire.

Views – Chain of Fools

[youtube=http://youtu.be/h8rnHXV7A8Q]

Kind of looks like “Boogie Woogie Man” Jimmy Valiant, don’t you think?

A 261-page online publication that provides 1029 pages of play-by-play notes from my evaluation database and 10 percent of your purchase is donated to fight sexual abuse.
A 261-page online publication that provides 1029 pages of play-by-play notes from my evaluation database and 10 percent of your purchase is donated to fight sexual abuse.

Thank You

Generally, I post this in the beginning. If you’re new to the Rookie Scouting Portfolio blog then you may wonder why I’m posting non-football content today. Every Friday I like to change things up a bit to share what I found compelling during the week. Some of the stories are difficult reads and the music may not be your taste, but that’s just the luck of the draw. What I hope you’ll find worthwhile is this blog when I’m writing about football.

Based on the response thus far, you deserve a lot of thanks for helping me grow this outlet since its inception in 2011. That goes double for those of you who have taken the plunge and purchase the Rookie Scouting Portfolio publication. Now in its eighth year, the RSP is the most comprehensive – and perhaps meticulous – study of rookie skill players available.

For $19.95 you get both a pre-draft publication that includes rankings, game report cards, and play-by-play analysis for each player and a post-draft publication that updates rankings into a tiered cheat sheet and provides draft value data, and analysis on each player’s fit with his new team.  If you’re a fantasy football owner this publication will supply you with the information and perspective you’ll need to pull the trigger (or refrain) in re-draft and dynasty leagues.

I don’t have a mass audience like the big boys, but you should know that my readers are repeat customers who often have a “slap their forehead moment” once they make the decision to purchase the RSP because it’s worth more than they pay for it. The first-time buyers tell me so.

This is a career for me every year I try to make it better than the last in terms of quality of content, transparency of analysis, and improvement of my evaluation process.  Because I spend so much time creating this information, I don’t get to make the time I’d like to give back to the community in the way I was once accustomed in my youth. So it dawned on me in 2012 to donate 10 percent of every sale to a cause I believe in: Darkness to Light. This organization trains individuals and community organizations to recognize and prevent sexual abuse in communities. As football fans, I think we know first hand how even smart, accomplished people can do a poor job of handling the issue of sexual abuse.

Get the RSP and make this a win (you) – win (me) – win (giving back to the community) scenario and download the 2013 RSP now. Past issues (2006-2012) are available for $9.95.

Reads Listens Views 7/26/2013

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Listens I – Johnny Adams 

[youtube=http://youtu.be/YAi0ZYI8EKs]

Thanks

You’d think it’s routine for me thank you for making the RSP blog a regular pit stop on your journey through the week. It is, but it doesn’t feel like it.  I have great readers who not only send me links to music, they send me CDs. They not only send me links to articles they find interesting, they send me books. And they not only send me well wishes, but cards for the holidays.

That’s crazy cool. Even for a reasonably private guy like me, who can do the extrovert thing, but naturally craves moments of alone time and silence throughout the day. Think about it, does an extrovert really spend this much time in a room by himself studying football like it’s research?  I suppose there are some, but they’re slightly more common than a two-headed shark.

Your visits, your follows, and your purchases of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio provide the emotional and fiscal encouragement to continue this journey and I am grateful for your patronage. So is my 12-year-old cat, who is currently holding my mouse hostage until I finish writing this post and get some sleep.

Luckily, I get around a keyboard well enough to tell you to do yourself a favor and support the Rookie Scouting Portfolio. Sign up for my mailing list to get updates on posts and purchase the publication. The 2013 RSP is $19.95 and includes over 1200 pages of pre-draft analysis that’s great for long-term use as a fantasy owner or draftnik and a post-draft publication that most of my readers believe is worth the price on its own for its tiered rankings, average draft position data from early season dynasty drafts, and value scores derived from this analysis. Get a sample report here.

Best of all, you’re supporting more than the Rookie Scouting Portfolio. I donate 10 percent of every sale to Darkness to Light, an organization whose mission is to address and prevent sexual abuse in communities across the country through training programs to the people who matter most – adults in local communities who interact with children like teachers, police officers, little league coaches, and clergy. Download the RSP here.

Football Reads

  • Why Don’t Woodpeckers Get Concussions – Ryan Riddle and Jene Bramel (and to a lesser extend me) had a Twitter discussion about concussions. It lead to the topic of why some animals (Rams and Woodpeckers) don’t suffer brain injuries. This article connects it back to football.
  • Breaking Down Sam Bradford’s Approach To A Game-Winning Drive – Allen Dumonjic’s The Tape Never Lies pieces are always worth a read. He was first on my list of writers I wanted to guest write for this blog, but he’s got bigger and better things ahead for him.
  • 2013 PPR Auction Values – Good advice from Sigmund Bloom on how to develop a good auction strategy. Simple, easy, intuitive, and totally Bloom.

Listens II – Freddie King: “I’m Goin’ Down”

[youtube=http://youtu.be/V_ONyukSLqA]

Non-Football Reads

Views – These Images Might Tempt You To Eat Bugs

These images are from David George Gordon’s The Eat-A-Bug Cookbook and re-posted from the NPR Blog The Salt. My comments on what I’d eat below as well as Paulette’s. Note I’m a moderately adventurous eater and Mrs. P ain’t.

Sheesh! kebabs can be made with Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers (pictured here), katydids or other large-bodied arthropods.

Me: I’d try the grasshopper-kebabs, I can already imagine the balance of the sweet, sumptuousness of the grilled peppers complementing the crunch of the bug. Even the bug has a beautiful presentation with that hue of pinkness.

Paulette: Hmm…maybe if I closed my eyes, but if you put this in front of me I’d say two things: 1) You must be joking. And 2) Where’s my steak?

Fried green tomato hornworms

Me: Beautiful presentation . . .

Paulette: What? I don’t eat food that is as bright green as nuclear waste. I also dislike dishes heavy on tomatoes –

Me: And worms?

Paulette: Especially those. Although in an abstract way, it’s a beautiful picture, but as you know I don’t eat glowing green food. You? You could eat avocado all day.

Me: You eat that guacamole at the place near your office.

Paulette: That’s because they make a show of preparing it and I see everything they put in it.

Gordon recommends dusting the deep-fried tarantula spider with smoked paprika.

Paulette: [Retracts instinctively from the screen in horror (she has severe arachnophobia) and after her breathing slows down] Why did you even show me this?!

Me: It’s the first time I’ve seen this, too. Looks a little like calamari.

Paulette: Hell no . . . a girl has got to eat, but I’d starve to death first.

Me: If you didn’t suffocate from hyperventilation first.

Paulette: That too!

Me: I wonder what they do with the fur?

Paulette: That’s not funny . . .

Listens III – The Black Crowes and The Tedeschi Trucks Band

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNJRx1cMYpM&w=420&h=315]

Reads Listens Views 7/19/2013

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Geno Smith reminds me of Tony Romo. I see it, but I also see the other players on that spectrum of style. See below. Photo by Football Schedule.
Check out Scott Kacsmar’s article on Tony Romo. See below. Photo by Football Schedule.

Thank You

I’m fortunate to be at the intersection of two great football communities: fantasy football and draft evaluation. On the whole, the writers I interact with are knowledgeable, hard working, and humble. So it’s an honor when I see these members of my audience also participating in contests like the Jadeveon Clowney event this month.

If you haven’t purchased the 2013 RSP, remember that it also includes the post-draft. If you are new to the blog, here’s a little more about the RSP and some sample material. Remember, 10 percent of each purchase is donated to Darkness to Light to providing training to communities to prevent and address the epidemic of sexual abuse.

Views – Chad and Terrell Would Fit In Well

[youtube=http://youtu.be/0bomkgXeDkE]

Football Reads

Views – Why We Should Build Wooden Skyscrapers (Awesome)

[ted id=1785]

Non-Football Reads

Listens – The Hippest Version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star You’ll Hear

[youtube=http://youtu.be/j2DEfTzb9zc]

These four have made a lot of great recording artists sound good in their time. You’d probably only know them if you were a student at the University of Miami. Glad I had that chance. The final movement is a lot of fun. You’re little kid will dig it.

Listens – The Saxophonist Who Kept Coltrane’s Interest Until Trane Died 

http://youtu.be/Ag1uKsbpKqA

The saxophonist is John Gilmore, who is best known for playing with Sun Ra. If you don’t know who Sun Ra is, you’ll either love or hate his music. This setting is a much more straight ahead gig with Art Blakey. Many people didn’t know Gilmore gigged with the Messengers. If you listen to Trane then you can hear the Gilmore influence in the solo.

Listens – On The Couch w/Bloom, Cosell, and Yours Truly

In This Episode: Sigmund Bloom, Matt Waldman, and Greg Cosell (NFL Films) discuss the NFL. Topics Include – the decline of the importance of the running back in the NFL, the limited sample size of read option quarterbacks, how Tom Brady will adjust to the loss of Aaron Hernandez, whats next for Sam Bradford, Jay Cutler, and Andy Dalton, differing opinions on LeVeon Bell, plus more!

Reads Listens Views 7/12/2013

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Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield they may not be (yet), but Liskiewitz's choice of the Seahawks corner tandem is a smart nod. Photo by Football Schedule.
Brandon Browner is my type of player. Photo by Football Schedule.

Thank You 

I got the idea for the Rookie Scouting Portfolio in 2003. I still have a journal filled with notes I took in longhand while watching Steven Jackson and Brandon Browner at Oregon State. I liked Browner for his physicality. The fact that he’s considered a relatively new contributor in the NFL is an amazing story that speaks a lot to his perseverance to take the hard road to get there.

I get it. A project like the RSP requires perseverance. Those who truly study film of draft prospects learn this in short order. You have to give up a lot to do what you love.

A lot of people don’t understand it. I’m living the dream to them. However, they’re dreaming if they think it’s like they imagine.

The cost of a living the dream is a high price tag of commitment to make something a career before it even has a glimmer of true hope to supply what people expect as the benefits. It’s long on work and short on free time, sleep, and it challenges your capacity for repetitive work.

It can take a physical and emotional toll. I’m not alone. This goes for guys like Josh Norris and Dane Brugler and West Bunting and Chad Reuter before them. I could go into detail, but it’s going to sound more and more like a woe as me tale and that’s not the intent.

I love what I do. I chose to do it. I’m paying the freight.

While I thank you for reading the blog and buying the Rookie Scouting Portfolio, the person who deserves the greatest thanks is my wife. She entered my life just after I had waded waste-deep into this commitment. She heard me tell her when we started dating that I’m about a quarter of the way into a career marathon that would mean a lifestyle where doing something as simple as spending free time together might require an organized appointment.

That’s a negative on the romance scale and she didn’t flinch.

She was willing to commit to me and this insane project. She’s flexible about when and how we spend time together. She has provided as many good ideas about what I do with the RSP as anyone. And she’s a beautiful soul who is direct, smart, funny, and one of the toughest people I know.

Thank you, Alicia – a big reason why more and more people are finally figuring out that the Rookie Scouting Portfolio is one of the best small investments of fantasy football/draftnik season is because you’ve persevered so I can continue to do the same.

Download the RSP not because of me getting sentimental, but because I believe in the next statement as much as anything in my life: You’ll immediately see that you got more than your money’s worth for the price you pay. In fact many of you will feel like you’re cheating me – about 2 in every 10 readers email me this sentiment.

Enough of that – time to share things that caught my eye on the Internet in recent weeks.

Listens

I want you to listen to the first 50 seconds of this video and see if you can remember how the melody sounds.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atZ8s75iU6E&w=560&h=315]

Now listen to the way these two greats take the same song and make it a new one. The song below is the same basic harmony as the one above, but these guys turn a Cole Porter standard “What Is This Thing Called Love” into a more passionate, earthier, down n’ dirty “Hot House” . . .

[youtube=http://youtu.be/EKiyq1VoAZs ]

To this day, this is still the definition of bad assery at its finest and why great Hip-Hop has its roots in Bebop. I’m sure if I had only five songs to listen to for the rest of my life, this version of “Hot House” would make the list.

Views

About 15 years ago I volunteered as a hospice worker for an Anglican Priest who lived in a trailer about 25 miles from Athens. He was a Korean War veteran. The blast of an exploding shell while on an air craft carrier temporarily blinded him and bought him a ticket back to the states.

While at a military hospital in Texas a few women from the nearby Indian reservation would volunteer to help the injured veterans. One of the volunteers began reading this man’s letters daily. They fell in love and he proposed before he ever had the bandages lifted from his eyes.

They were married over 40 years. They moved to Georgia, bought a big house,  had two kids, and adopted 27 others during their lifetime. He managed a local hardware store and later an became the Anglican Priest he was when I met him. He had a large congregation and many people in the community came to him for advice.

His wife died after a long battle with cancer and when he was diagnosed a number of years later, he opted not to seek treatment. He had seven years of decent health before I met him. I cleaned for him, set up mouse traps for this small trailer he had moved to after the state government built a highway through his house, and made runs to pick up Kentucky Fried Chicken – his favorite.  Most of all I listened to him tell stories about his life.

What was most memorable about my time with this man was that he had 29 kids, a community he gave so much to, and he thanked me – a 28-year-old at the time – for allowing him to tell me things he would never feel comfortable telling any of them. The reason was he was always the listener and adviser.

That was his role and he felt that no one around him knew how to give him the support all human beings need. I suspect he didn’t know how to receive support – much less ask it from those who saw him as a provider for most of his adult life.  While this saddened me on some level, I was grateful that I could be there for another human being in this way.

So when I see the picture of this man in a hospital in his final days and the staff allowed him to spend time with his dog, it reminds me that bonds are not always predictable and it’s nice to see an organization recognize it – especially a place prone to bureaucratic entanglements like a hospital.

Views

[youtube=http://youtu.be/xPAat-T1uhE]

If you don’t have a daughter, this will make you think long and hard about how you see women. It’s also telling of how much hard work goes into being a truly great actor – emotional work and openness that the average person wouldn’t dare tread. Hat Tip to Jared Plotts in the 216 (if it is still 216).

Football Reads

Non-Football Reads

  • Welcome to Hell: Philadelphia Has a Serious Case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – If there is one article you read today, this month, or this year, Steve Volk’s piece that reveals how our cities have youth dealing with issues similar to our veterans and Rwandans is the one to read. It will take you about 20 minutes, but I implore you to do so.
  • King of the Hill Animation Help – I’m not a big fan of animated sitcoms. They have their moments, but I don’t get into them like my wife.  However thanks to her, I am a converted die-hard fan of King of the Hill. This is a good PowerPoint for wannabe animators who worked on the show. Entertaining if you’re a King of the Hill buff – and I’ve seen on Twitter than many of you are.
  • BBC broadcast of Sylvia Path reading her poem “Tulips”  – One of the most powerful voices in modern poetry reads one of her pieces. This is an edgy piece because of the juxtaposing imagery of passion and sterility. There’s a tone with her reading where I feel like I’m witnessing an animal that  is tense and warning you it’s about to strike if you don’t retreat. H/T to Doug Farrar – yes, that Doug Farrar – for tweeting this the other day.
  • The Sound of Color – Colorblind artist Neil Harbisson is an intrepid “eyeborg” wearer. That’s a device that converts color into audible frequencies, meaning that Harbisson gets to hear a symphony of color, instead of seeing a world only in grayscale.
  • The Man Who Predicted Google Glass Forecasts The Near Feature – Physicist and award-winning sci-fi writer David Brinn shares some compelling thoughts.
  • Banana Peels Into Plastic? – You betcha. H/T to Gary Davenport – a writer I need to feature more here for his fantasy football work.
  • Goodwill’s Salaries Called Into Question – I love Goodwill’s concept. The execution might need some work.

Views

From the sublime to hilarious toilet humor . . .

[youtube=http://youtu.be/NySWcNT8Oe4]

H/T to my old friend Joe Mendez, who is one of the more well-read guys I know but also one of the least pretentious. Miss hanging with you.

Fantasy Football Magazine of the Future

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iPad Screenshot 1

Last week, I compared joining the staff of Footballguys to being the new kid in a neighborhood pickup game. If that’s the case, then veteran staff writer Jason Wood is that kid in the group who is friendly, but isn’t taking everything he sees at face value. All your new-found friends may have bought into the what you showed them on the sand lot in the first game, but Wood’s going to need a few games before he gives his take.

Although he doesn’t have to be the leader, he’s more than capable. He’s the valuable teammate who will give it to you straight if you ask, but he’ll do what’s best for the group. It also means he’s not prone to empty praise and he’s a good barometer for gauging whether people, ideas, and projects are going to cut it.

So when he wrote this email to our staff this morning about the Footballguys Magazine Draft Kit App, I decided it was worth sharing with more than just our internal staff email.

Guys,

Most of you know I’m not generally prone to hyperbole, so please understand that when I say I am FLOORED by the magazine, I mean it. It’s astoundingly impressive. In looking through it this morning, it gave me the same sense of wonderment and excitement I got the first time I cracked open the FF Index magazine back in the day and KNEW that I had an edge over most of my league. It’s the same sense of elation I got the first time I discovered the Mr. Football site or stumbled into our old old old school message boards and struck up intense debates with folks…KNOWING that this was going to make me a better fantasy owner.
Such an impressive effort. It will be an absolute shame if this isn’t THE talk of this fantasy football season.
Awesome efforts on the tech front, and also well done to all my fellow writers who pulled together such fantastic content.
Woodrow
I have to agree with him. Here’s a taste of what to expect from this magazine with content that will stay updated throughout the preseason. In fact, look at the screen shot at the top of the post and you’ll see content that’s from around the web. Yes, we aggregate what’s worth reading outside the confines of Footballguys.com.

iPad Screenshot 2

You like rankings? How about ADP? What about VBD? It’s all conveniently formatted above with great color-coded team abbreviations and a way to add specific players of note to a personal watch list on the app. How awesome is that?

iPad Screenshot 3

Do you want to track your drafts? You can do this in the magazine. Nothing like an all-in-one information source and draft day tool kit.

iPad Screenshot 4

Filter rankings according to your preferred Footballguys staff. View depth charts, top 300 lists and explore our player database.

iPad Screenshot 5

Just like the Rookie Scouting Portfolio, what you get from the Footballguys Magazine Draft Kit far exceeds its value (just $4.99). If you aren’t a Footballguys subscriber and want taste of what the site has to offer you as a fantasy owner,  this is a great way to start.

I love magazines and holding printed material in my hands, but if you want content that doesn’t die as the pages fade or dog-eared, this is the way to go. You can download it here.

Reads Listens Views 6/28/2013

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Views

Now here’s a wrestling take down.

Takedown-Vimeo_hd_settings

A fake, a leap, and a suplex. That’s a display of beauty.

Thanks

Glasco Martin. Trey Watts, Damien Williams, Brandon Oliver. Lache Seastrunk. Antonio Andrews. I’m knee-deep in 2014 running back prospects lately. The RSP Writers Project is slow going right now, but still chugging along. And Cian Fahey has done some nice work with three pieces for our Mirror Images series.

I just wrapped up a series called Prove It that will be at Footballguys in the coming weeks. I’ll also be increasing the frequency of my posts at the RSP as we roll through the month of July.

Maybe I’m not supposed to say it, but physical, mental, and emotional fatigue hit me last month. Happens to everyone at some point. Fortunately, it feels like I’m emerging on the other side of it and expect to be ready for another big year of football. I appreciate the dozens of notes of thanks I’ve received from 2013 Rookie Scouting Portfolio subscribers this month.

If you haven’t purchased the RSP before, you’re getting something that is worth more than the hype I give it. I hate hype although I have to do more of it because I do believe in the work and apparently so do my subscribers. Download the 2013 RSP and see for yourself. You get pre-draft and post-draft rankings, analysis, play-by-play notes, and tiers along with hundreds of pages of play by play notes all organized in a manner that’s easy to find the information you’re seeking.

Best of all the RSP donates 10 percent of each purchase to Darkness to Light, an organization whose mission is to prevent sexual abuse in communities across the United States through training of individuals, companies, and civic organizations. Buy the 2013 RSP here.

Listens

[youtube=http://youtu.be/YfAOtYPMoRc]

First heard Surreal and DJ Balance watching a Greg Little highlight. Yep, this is how I get my pop culture nowadays – and I’m often years behind the times. Better late than never.

Football Reads

Views II

[youtube=http://youtu.be/4awVqRr1eCo]

It’s funny because it looks like the kids are really scared this dude is a zombie, but I’d bet most of these kids are really scared that some violent and mentally ill dude has escaped from a psychiatric ward – an more realistic thought and equally dangerous as a zombie.

The stupidity is where this guy is conducting this prank. White, black, or brown, one of the unwritten rules of cruel irony in the United States when it comes real estate is that some of the worst neighborhoods in any town are along a street with the name Martin Luther King.

If you grew up on MLK, you probably saw enough to learn that you don’t take shit off anyone. So it comes as no surprise to me that this guy winds up with a gun in his face and getting chase out of a park fearing for his life. If there were a film crew within the kids’ sight, I think we’d see a different

These kids aren’t wildlife or reacting “savagely” to the man’s behavior. In fact, I don’t think this actual “wild animal” below is any more savage than these kids for not wanting this woman to invade its space. Sometimes what we think is civilized behavior is completely unnatural.

File under ‘stupid humans’.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/8wGbCNDw-m0]

Non-Football Reads

Views III

When society becomes too superficial.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/s2eDj39q0Fo]

H/T to Sigmund Bloom

Views IV NSFW

[youtube=http://youtu.be/mKQs-jDI7j8]

Whether he’s really onto something or you enjoy the mere fact that he raises questions, I miss George Carlin. Thanks for reminding me, Bryan.

Reads Listens Views 6/14/13

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If you read the David Eggers book, then you know this picture. Photo by Screen Punk.
If you read the David Eggers book, then you know this picture. Photo by Screen Punk.

Another Friday, another Reads Listens Views. This week has its routine mix of football and non-football content. The real world content (as usual) is often so quietly disturbing that I know 99 percent of you won’t even read it. That’s okay, I share it for the handful that do because fortunately for me I don’t have to always blow sunshine up people’s hind parts.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/28DfvvfZLi0]

Some people hate covers. I’m not one of them. Sometimes you learn more about the quality of a song when someone other than the artist that introduced it to the public performs it. I couldn’t think of a better artist to cover a Sting tune than Stevie Wonder. Whether or not ballads with a bossa nova feel is your thing, I think you can appreciate the craftsmanship of the lyrics and music. On another note, if Sting is just a few years younger than my dad and looks like that, I’m getting back to doing yoga every day. Here’s Sting talking about his yoga experience just a few years after he started it.

I was planning to anyhow, but this was just another source of inspiration.

Of course musicians who make improvisation a high art form have no problem with playing covers . Here’s one of my recent favorites of one of some of the greatest modern performers at their individual instruments playing the Thelonius Monk Blues Straight, No Chaser.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/0uYDBVoUjPo]

Thank You

Normally, this is my weekly ritual to thank my readers for visiting the Rookie Scouting Portfolio blog and/or buying the Rookie Scouting Portfolio publication. Today, I want to thank a subset of my readers that do a lot of positive things for me – the blogging, web, and Twitter community. You have been a source of inspiration, camaraderie, and assistance since I started this blog two years ago.

Writers like Robert Miller, Doug Farrar, Chris Brown, the Dynasty League Football crew, Ryan Lownes, Josh Norris, Sigmund Bloom, Cecil Lammey, and a host of others have routinely sent people here. I don’t participate often in Twitter’s ‘Follow Friday’ ritual, but thanks to all of you who mention me in your lists. I’ll defer to Cian Fahey’s excellent list of people to follow on Twitter that even includes humorous and informative example tweets with each person he recommends (and by the way, Fahey caught me on a good day).

If you’re new to the Rookie Scouting Portfolio look around. There’s a lot of work that I believe you’ll find worth the read. Here are a few suggestions:

If you’re one of the many who have bought the 2013 RSP and it was your first time, I appreciate all the great feedback about your experience reading it. If you haven’t downloaded the RSP yet, you can click these links to learn about it and the post-draft add-on. If you’re not aware, the RSP donates 10 percent of each purchase to Darkness to Light, a non-profit whose mission is to train individuals and communities on sexual abuse prevention and how to address the tragedy when it happens. I have many reasons for believing in this cause, but the Penn State scandal is a perfect illustration that a significant part of the problem are everyday people like us who make mistakes with how to handle it when it happens.

This week is going to be heavy on the ‘listens’ and ‘views’ part of this Friday ritual.

Football

  • I rarely get to post something that Joe Bryant writes, because he’s usually too busy running a business called Footballguys.com. However, I enjoyed his post about Bill Belichick’s handling of the post-Tebow press conference. And I agree, it isn’t that hard.
  • If you follow Bryant or Chris Brown then you probably saw this tackling drill, but I want to talk about it a little more. It doesn’t require me to tell you that it’s safe, teaches good form with the hips, knees head, and arms. If someone can invent or modify a ball that can change direction, it could be even better.
  • Beyond hats, I’m not big fan of consumer football apparel. I have a couple of jerseys and I never wear them. However, this is a good marketing concept by the NFLPA. Hopefully, they’ll put their money where their mouth is when it’s time to back up the good vibe.

Non-Football

  • This Guy Reinvented the Wheel – I don’t know many skateboarders, but this concept has wide-ranging applications beyond the hobby. Fascinating use a cube shape to create a better wheel.
  • This site Invisible People is a great project where a movie director interviews the homeless in the Seattle area. Here is a very short video profile of Mark, a man probably close to my age who suffered a nervous breakdown after his wife and daughter died and when he was released from a psychiatric hospital he had lost everything. The director always asks the people he profiles to share three wishes. Most of them can barely think of more than one and often the wish is rarely about themselves.
  • If you’ve made it this far then you realize that my non-football links are rather depressing. This is why I love having a blog. I can’t share this stuff elsewhere without someone telling me to spout more sunshine. They can blow that sunshine where the sun don’t shine because this is real shit that we ignore all too often. This story on our prison system is a necessary read. For a less graphic, but even scarier true account of what happens when an innocent man winds up in prison – and it’s chilling as hell – read Dave Eggers’ book Zeitoun.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/8OEjYquyjcg]

Blackfish looks like a quality whistle-blower story about a common sense issue that the movie ‘King Kong’ addressed nearly 100 years ago. I loved going to Seaworld when I was growing up and seeing Shamu was a thrill. It was also a bad idea.

Inspirational

[youtube=http://youtu.be/qX9FSZJu448]

Read Listens Views 6/7/2013

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I've built a Hot Tub Time Machine for Palmer, but Bruce Arians might have done me better. Photo by Keith Allison.
I’ve built a Hot Tub Time Machine for Palmer, but Bruce Arians might have done me better. Check out my thoughts on the Cardinals offense in 2013 at Footballguys Photo by Keith Allison.

Views

[youtube=http://youtu.be/VQm5gNo-5Vo]

A Message From Chet Gresham: Fake Football Writing Contest

Hello all you fake football writers and aspiring writers! Welcome to our 2013 writing contest. We’ll have prizes, guest judges, and a whole lot of fake football ideas being thrown around in a nice and orderly fashion. First off, let me thank our sponsors DraftDay and FantasyPros. Both great sites that I use more than the average obsessed fake footballer. Second off, you may ask, what’s in this for me!?  Details here.

Thanks

I’f you’re new to the blog, I make it a habit to post a mix of content on Friday and thank my readers for hanging around.

I don’t know when he broached this idea but Ryan Riddle conducted an informal survey of his Twitter followers, asking them to name “the best football sites out there.” Riddle didn’t specify what type of content – fantasy, stats, scouting, news, or strategy – he just wanted what first came to mind. Each person gave their top three sites in order.

Riddle released a list of 71 sites this week and the list is a strong group. I didn’t know about the survey so I didn’t vote. However I was glad there were folks who voted for sites like Coach Huey and Blitzology – two lesser known sites to the general public, but excellent resources for a lot of writers contributing content to sites higher on the list.

I expected to see  Football Outsiders and Footballguys place high on the list and readers didn’t disappoint – rating them 3rd and 7th among all sites, respectively. I was delighted to see that this site you’re reading placed 24th overall – tied with ESPN, X and O Lab, Draft Calc, and Cat Scratch Reader – and even earned a first-place vote.

I didn’t expect to see the RSP blog on the list, so it was a pleasant surprise to be in the top-third of a list as esteemed as this one. Thank you all for following my blog, sharing what you like, and buying the Rookie Scouting Portfolio publication.

If you haven’t bought the RSP before, I can say with pride that you’ll get as much out of it as I put into it – and I put everything I can into it. My readers will tell you they love it. If you’re on the fence, I am confident that you’ll realize this is one of those cases where there’s little hype to what I’m saying here. Plus, I donate 10 percent of each sale to Darkness to Light, a non-profit whose mission is to prevent and combat sexual abuse through community training and awareness.

Download the RSP now and know that with your purchase, you also get access to the 2013 Post-Draft publication that comes with it. At the very least, follow this blog click on the link on the left to follow and you’ll receive email updates when I post new articles that give you a taste of the analysis and detail put into the RSP publication. Then consider supporting the site (and do yourself a favor at the same time) by downloading the publication.

Football Reads

If the name Cian Fahey sounds familiar to you but can’t place it, setting in for some nice reads from the football writer who has been a part of two RSP Writers Projects and has most helpful providing updated spreadsheets tot the writers so we didn’t have too many duplicate draft picks. What I admire about Fahey as a football writer is that he isn’t afraid to take a stance that might earn him criticism, but it’s not something he does for the sake of attracting eyeballs to his work. You can follow Cian on Twitter at @Cianaf. 

Moreover, I recommend checking out his blog Pre-Snap Reads. Here are a few pieces I enjoyed reading this week:

Bonus Football Read

  • George, Visger, The Damage Zone – Patrick Hruby’s profile on Visger is a heartbreaking read, but he mainlines the truth about pro football players and the complex relationship they have with the sport. 

Non-Football Reads

  • Animal Behaviorist: We’ll Soon Have Devices That Let Us Talk to Our Pets – My wife once told me when were dating that my (now deceased) cat Mookie was a sweet guy and very smart, but warned me that if he ever started talking she was leaving and not coming back. I think this also goes for my cat Zookie, who she once told to “get a job” after shooing him off the new couch and two days later when I saw him sitting next to her, she explained that he “got a job” (he brought her a bird) so she had no choice but to indulge him. Still, if a device becomes readily available I doubt it will ever be allowed in our house. Plus, I’m pretty sure Zookie curses and speaks in slang neither of us would understand.
  • When The Beautiful Game Turns Ugly – A must-read by Wright Thompson. It’s not a comforting story, but it’s a great one because as much as the world has changed the elements that generate hate remain in place and easy to exploit.
  • Michael Jordan Has Not Left the Building – When you read a piece about an icon like Jordan and almost feel sorry for him because of his difficulty turning off the competitive switch as well as gaining insight to what makes him far more human now than what we were allowed to see in the `80s and `90s,  you know Thompson did a fine job.
  • Six Key Foods to Help Regulate Sleep – Former GM Ted Sundquist has a football site. I’m sure there’s other fine material to mine, but this piece about food and regulating sleep patterns by guest writer Christine Jones caught my eye first.

Views

I didn’t hear about this controversy regarding the Cheerios commercial this week (I was too busy reading about hatred and stupidity in Italy) to notice that we had our own example of parts of our country not quite ready to look at the world as a collection of human beings as individuals.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/kYofm5d5Xdw]

Great commercial and good for you, General Mills for standing behind it.

Listen-View

[youtube=http://youtu.be/KNa3gZfQfH0]

If you’re not used to the constant pause-rewind of football tape this could leave you jittery, but the chance to listen to Alex Gibbs talk about zone blocking is good stuff. H/T Chris Brown.

Coming Soon

  • More 2014 prospect articles
  • More 2013 camp watch pieces
  • A study on quarterbacks with dynasty leagues in mind at Footballguys

RSO Team: Football Outsiders’ Rivers McCown

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It's a bad idea to evaluate a smile the way you critique his release. Photo by PDA.Photo
Any team with Cam Newton as the quarterback is primed for big weeks. Rivers McCown of Football Outsiders gives you the rest of the scoop on his RSO squad from last month’s auction. Photo by PDA.Photo

Rivers McCown makes my Futures column look better. He makes all the Football Outsiders look better – at least in print. McCown participated in our recent Reality Sports Online writer draft. This is an auction league that includes multi-year contracts. Go here to learn more about the league.  You can join a league for $9.99 as an individual or form a league with your friends. Go to www.realitysportsonline.com and use the promotion code RSP20%OFF, you’ll earn a 20 percent discount. 

Pre-Draft Strategy

I actually didn’t have time to come in with much of a strategy. I rather liked how it turned out, and I had a few big ideas going through my head when creating the team (get settled at RB early and target older receivers with the belief that they’ll be cheaper), but I can’t attest that I had some grand, unified theory come true. In retrospect, I would have aimed for one very good, young receiver with my four-year deal rather than David Wilson, but I’m not dissatisfied.

For a time, D.J. Harper was considered the best back at Boise State - and Doug Martin was on the team . Photo by Football Schedule.
McCown thought his deal on Martin was such a steal that the league was going to roll back the auction, but he made off in the night with a top RB at a great contract. Photo by Football Schedule.

How the Auction Unfolded

Quarterback Yrs $ Running Back Yrs $
Cam Newton (CAR)
 3 49.0
Doug Martin (TB)
 3 67.5
Josh Freeman (TB) R
 1 3.5
David Wilson (NYG)
 4 56.5
Chase Daniel (KC) R**
 1 0.5
Stepfan Taylor (ARI) R
 3 R
Theo Riddick (DET) R
 3 R
Willis McGahee (DEN) R
 1 2.5
Montario Hardesty (CLE) R
 1 1.5
Daniel Thomas (MIA) R
 1 1.0
Michael Smith (TB) R
 1 0.5
Jeremy Stewart (OAK) R**
 1 0.5
Wide Receiver Yrs $ Tight End Yrs $
Andre Johnson (HOU)
 2 32.5
Jermichael Finley (GB)
 2 6.0
Reggie Wayne (IND)
 1 15.0
Tyler Eifert (CIN) R
 3 R
Lance Moore (NO)
 1 4.5
Fred Davis (WAS) R
 1 1.5
Mohamed Sanu (CIN) R
 1 2.5
Rueben Randle (NYG) R
 1 2.5
Malcom Floyd (SD)
 1 2.5
Jarius Wright (MIN) R
 1 1.5
T.J. Graham (BUF) R**
 1 0.5
Nate Burleson (DET) R
 1 0.5
Justin Hunter (TEN) R
 3 R
Ryan Swope (ARI) R
 3 R
Kicker Yrs $ Defense Yrs $
Rob Bironas (TEN) R
 1 0.5
Chicago
 1 0.5
Ryan Succop (KC)
 1 0.5
Pittsburgh
 1 0.5

**These players were acquired via free agency after the draft. 

I think I got Doug Martin for a song because nobody was awake yet – I was surprised that didn’t get rewound when it happened. That enabled me to get a little more aggressive with the other guys I had targeted. I think the two biggest mistakes I made was not getting a third “established” back (because who knows what will happen with McGahee, Ball, Hillman, etc.) and losing a bidding war with Mike Clay for Antonio Brown when he was the last truly elite receiver (in my mind) on the board. I recovered and garnered a lot of possible WR3 guys, but none of them have Brown’s upside and I could have spent less on the margins to bring him in without losing much.

The quarterback shuffle was the most interesting part of the league for me. I think there were some good bargains with the older quarterbacks, but I was dead-set on a young guy. I knew that a Matt Waldman league was not a place where Russell Wilson would go cheap. Colin Kaepernick got thrown out early and was surprisingly expensive. Luck got thrown out early and was ridiculously expensive. So I hitched my wagon to Cam Newton and went a little over my initial range. If Carolina continues to involve him in the run game, he’s the one quarterback with the body I’d bet on to survive it, so I was less hesitant to spend on him than I would have been with some of the other young quarterbacks.

Best/Worst Deals

While I disagree with McCown about the value of Finley relative to Davis, the recent non-playoff productivity isn't that far away. Photo by Elvis Kennedy.
While I disagree with McCown about the value of Finley relative to Davis, the recent non-playoff productivity isn’t that far away. Photo by Elvis Kennedy.

Martin is my best deal, clearly. I also though Finley was a decent bargain at his price given how guys like Vernon Davis and Tony Gonzalez went for at least $8 million. My least favorite bid was for Fred Davis, who I was just trying to bump up – $1.5 million isn’t a killer, and there’s upside, but it’s injury-dependent. I’m happy he’s my third tight end.

Good Deals By Other Writers

McCown thought Sigmund Bloom's acquisition of LeSean McCoy was one of the best deals of the Reality Sports Auction. Photo by Matthew Straubmuller.
McCown thought Sigmund Bloom’s acquisition of LeSean McCoy was one of the best deals of the Reality Sports Auction. Photo by Matthew Straubmuller.

I am a big fan of Sigmund Bloom’s LeSean McCoy deal – I think it fit the basic scale of my Martin deal, but was just a little more expensive. I thought Jim Day struck gold with Eric Decker for three years, $25 million. Antonio Gates for $1 million is a deal that made my jaw drop.

Honestly, outside of the Gronkowski deal, I thought Bloom had a few other killer deals, too. Jordy Nelson was a sneaky steal at $32.5 million for 3 years, but put me in the camp that wouldn’t have paid more than the league minimum for Sam Bradford.

And as good as A.J. Green is, I think he’s going to have a hard time living up to the $92.5 million, 3-year deal that Lance Zierlein signed him to while running his auction at a Little League game.

Favorite Team (Other Than Yours)

I think Bloom and Bob Harris put together the most complete teams. They have the strongest receiving corps. Harris needs a second running back to step up and Bloom needs Roethlisberger to stay healthy all season. If either one of those things break right they have tough teams with a lot of depth.

Assessment of the Reality Sports Online Platform

The functionality was fine. I wish I understood a little more about how the top bid algorithm was decided, but that’s just my inner nerd.

Your Team’s Short-Term/Long-Term Outlook

Short-term, I think this team has a great chance as long as the running backs stay healthy. Long-term, it really depends on how the receiving situation shakes out. Can Mohamed Sanu make me feel good about that two-year deal? Is the lack of depth on the market going to make it hard for me to replace Reggie Wayne? Am I going to have a chance at Marqise Lee? Haha. That’s the area where the turnover is going to be hard to predict right now, but I’d rather have holes to fill there than at the other spots.

Reads Listens Views 5/24/13

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I took a short hiatus from Reads Listens Views this month. It has nothing to do with the draft being done – I have a magazine assignment about the design of a 306,000 square-foot building at my day gig and a magazine to wrap up by June 15. If you’re new to the RSP blog, Reads Listens Views is a Friday feature that is my way of referring readers to other football writers, fantasy links, and things I found interesting away from the sport.

Listens

[youtube=http://youtu.be/JxpNyyoW9Vc]

I imagine it’s fun to brag when you played football with a future NFL star in high school or college. It’s just as fun to say you performed in college with a guy with talent of the magnitude to guest star on Herbie Hancock’s album and have Stevie Wonder be a guest on his. If you’re curious, I was in a horn section performing the Earth Wind and Fire tune September and Raul was doing a mean Phillip Bailey. Catch him if you can . . .

[youtube=http://youtu.be/j-AehUIQUrw]

Thank You

I’ll gradually begin increasing the volume of content as summer gets rolling. In the meantime, I’d like to thank those of you for purchasing the 2013 RSP publication. You support this blog, the publication, and you’re helping a great cause all in one.

If you haven’t bought the RSP before, I can say with pride that you’ll get as much out of it as I put into it – and I put everything I can into it. My readers will tell you they love it. If you’re on the fence, I am confident that you’ll realize this is one of those cases where there’s little hype to what I’m saying here. Plus, I donate 10 percent of each sale to Darkness to Light, a non-profit whose mission is to prevent and combat sexual abuse through community training and awareness.

Download the RSP now and know that with your purchase, you also get access to the 2013 Post-Draft publication that comes with it. At the very least, follow this blog click on the link on the left to follow and you’ll receive email updates when I post new articles that give you a taste of the analysis and detail put into the RSP publication. Then consider supporting the site (and do yourself a favor at the same time) by downloading the publication.

Views

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1TMZASCR-I?rel=0&w=420&h=315]

The Little Metronome That Wouldn’t

Football Reads

If you’re not reading Chase Stuart, you should check out something of his at least once a week. He’ll tell you he learned under Pro-Football-Reference.com writer/originator Doug Drinen – and Drinen taught Stuart well. Football Perspective is Stuart’s site and one of my favorite sites that does statistical analysis.  He shows his work, the material is intellectually honest, and he approaches his studies with curiosity and a balanced scope and understanding that the sports analytics movement is just a chapter in the story and not the entire book.

Stuart knows about the game beyond the numbers and he’s a willing historian of eras that he may not have been witness to, but approaches with a reverence that makes his site one of the most enjoyable football blogs around. Here are three pieces that I think are well worth reading and learning whether you are a student of the game or a fantasy fanatic.

Non-Football Reads