It's been a month since my first wedding anniversary to my wife Jane and - less importantly - the last Super Bowl. The Patriots won (again), and Pats fans fought each other during the parade (again).
A month on, and the NFL Combine from Indianapolis is over. Everybody was wowed by Ole Miss WR's DJ Metcalf terrific 40 time, drooling over how much Alabama freak Quinnen Williams can lift, how high Virginia DB Juan Thornhill jumped, and how far Missouri WR Emmanuel Hall did a broad jump.
Some did really well (Thornhill) and some sucked (Texas WR Lil' Jordan Humphrey).
But here's a question? Should it really matter?
We still don't understand why NFL staffs hit up Indianpolis to watch future NFLers dress up in an Under Armour-sponsored spandex uniform to perform feats that you'd normally see on an athletics field. More absurdly, the staffs get to interview a player in person, and those questions can range from good ole NFL stuff to some absurd and frankly insulting stuff about their mothers and their private life that should have the questioneer fired on the spot (at least that would happen in any other work place).
The NFL loves it because it's a chance to talk about the future, as well as have a comedy part of Rich Eiesen running the 40, and also break up the monotony of people re-watching 'America's Game' or Draft previews on the NFL Network.
But we still don't understand its use - although the teams do, because it's a great chance for the team to see each other and drink a lot, and get wasted on expenses.
Here's why: If a player's good enough that you want to draft him, you'd probably be able to watch some tape. After all, a player- we hope - probably won't be in just spandex out there. So why aren't they doing their feats of agility in full pads?
Also, there's also this weird thing called film. If they watched the film, they'd know that Alabama's Quinnen Williams is simply watch film of the stunningly-gifted nose tackle. Or they would have to see if Emmanuel Hall could fly, because all they would need was to type in his name, and this video would come up.
Alternatively, they could look at stats. It's not hard to work out whether one player was a difference-maker or wasn't - particularly at the highest level. Of course, if a great secondary player underperformed year by year, look at who was with him in the secondary, and you can work out that QBs threw away from that player (see Minkah Fitzpatrick).
Yeah, we get that it's important to see 'a player in person', but surely that's what a team's scouting network is for (other hire other people to do it!), but why do it in withou the uniform?
The thing is is that the teams have the players by the spandex balls. Like anyone looking for their first job (STOP WITH THE JOKES ABOUT SEC PLAYERS GETTING WELL PAID TO PLAY IN COLLEGE NOW, PLEASE!), their aim is to make as much money as possible - preferably as early as possible. If their Combine's good, they've got more chance to fatten the wallet. The opposite can happen if your efforts suck like Humphrey's did. They also know that if they refuse to show up to the Combine or simply refuse to do some drills during it, the media will start to get snipey, because they've got nothing to talk about apart from this.
And for some players who go to smaller schools who don't have Pro Days (where players practice in front of NFL coaches in the comfort of their own schools), not showing up to the Combine can mean not getting paid at all. Although there are some excellent examples of players - including Super Bowl 2019 hero Julian Edelman - not being invited for the Combine (and John Elway refusing to go because it wasn't a big deal back then), turning an invite down for most players at small colleges is as stupid as yours truly turning an invite down to the Vanity Fair Party in Los Angeles.
If I'm a player and I'm so-so about showing up because I don't want to be pushed and prodded, or asked questions about whether I had two testicles (this happened to Texas' Chris Boyd this year), the biggest thing you could say in turning down the invite is this: "I don't want to end up like Clemson's Dexter Lawrence, Ohio State's Kendall Sheffield in 2018, and Billy Price in 2017". All three players were injured in Indy. After all, why should they risk a windfall to battle in a crappy version of Gladiators?
But how many NFL teams would actually believe this? Probably none. But for the bigger-time players, it could well be worth a try.
A month on, and the NFL Combine from Indianapolis is over. Everybody was wowed by Ole Miss WR's DJ Metcalf terrific 40 time, drooling over how much Alabama freak Quinnen Williams can lift, how high Virginia DB Juan Thornhill jumped, and how far Missouri WR Emmanuel Hall did a broad jump.
Some did really well (Thornhill) and some sucked (Texas WR Lil' Jordan Humphrey).
But here's a question? Should it really matter?
We still don't understand why NFL staffs hit up Indianpolis to watch future NFLers dress up in an Under Armour-sponsored spandex uniform to perform feats that you'd normally see on an athletics field. More absurdly, the staffs get to interview a player in person, and those questions can range from good ole NFL stuff to some absurd and frankly insulting stuff about their mothers and their private life that should have the questioneer fired on the spot (at least that would happen in any other work place).
The NFL loves it because it's a chance to talk about the future, as well as have a comedy part of Rich Eiesen running the 40, and also break up the monotony of people re-watching 'America's Game' or Draft previews on the NFL Network.
But we still don't understand its use - although the teams do, because it's a great chance for the team to see each other and drink a lot, and get wasted on expenses.
AREN'T YOU WATCHING TAPE?
Here's why: If a player's good enough that you want to draft him, you'd probably be able to watch some tape. After all, a player- we hope - probably won't be in just spandex out there. So why aren't they doing their feats of agility in full pads?
Also, there's also this weird thing called film. If they watched the film, they'd know that Alabama's Quinnen Williams is simply watch film of the stunningly-gifted nose tackle. Or they would have to see if Emmanuel Hall could fly, because all they would need was to type in his name, and this video would come up.
Alternatively, they could look at stats. It's not hard to work out whether one player was a difference-maker or wasn't - particularly at the highest level. Of course, if a great secondary player underperformed year by year, look at who was with him in the secondary, and you can work out that QBs threw away from that player (see Minkah Fitzpatrick).
Yeah, we get that it's important to see 'a player in person', but surely that's what a team's scouting network is for (other hire other people to do it!), but why do it in withou the uniform?
PLAYERS BY THE (GREEN) SHORT AND CURLIES
The thing is is that the teams have the players by the spandex balls. Like anyone looking for their first job (STOP WITH THE JOKES ABOUT SEC PLAYERS GETTING WELL PAID TO PLAY IN COLLEGE NOW, PLEASE!), their aim is to make as much money as possible - preferably as early as possible. If their Combine's good, they've got more chance to fatten the wallet. The opposite can happen if your efforts suck like Humphrey's did. They also know that if they refuse to show up to the Combine or simply refuse to do some drills during it, the media will start to get snipey, because they've got nothing to talk about apart from this.
And for some players who go to smaller schools who don't have Pro Days (where players practice in front of NFL coaches in the comfort of their own schools), not showing up to the Combine can mean not getting paid at all. Although there are some excellent examples of players - including Super Bowl 2019 hero Julian Edelman - not being invited for the Combine (and John Elway refusing to go because it wasn't a big deal back then), turning an invite down for most players at small colleges is as stupid as yours truly turning an invite down to the Vanity Fair Party in Los Angeles.
If I'm a player and I'm so-so about showing up because I don't want to be pushed and prodded, or asked questions about whether I had two testicles (this happened to Texas' Chris Boyd this year), the biggest thing you could say in turning down the invite is this: "I don't want to end up like Clemson's Dexter Lawrence, Ohio State's Kendall Sheffield in 2018, and Billy Price in 2017". All three players were injured in Indy. After all, why should they risk a windfall to battle in a crappy version of Gladiators?
But how many NFL teams would actually believe this? Probably none. But for the bigger-time players, it could well be worth a try.
