META: Legacy roster section for site newcomers?
This has been on my mind for a while now. Almost all front page content uses past players as metaphors. The latest example:
Seth: You're not using Hutchinson or Paye inside on standard downs unless you're in a Jibreel Black desperation situation.
I'm not calling out Seth; this is such an established practice here (I mean: YMRMFSPA) that it's senseless to criticize it, but I figure the lack of a player list that clarifies these comparisons makes the site less approachable to newcomers. If you joined in the last five years, you may not have heard of Jibreel Black. We can ask all contributors to change their ways starting now, or. . . fortunately, I think there's an easier method -- we just make a list of these examples, and (collectively?) maintain it.
To clarify, stats are easy to find, and Hello posts can be Googled. Not looking to replace those. What I'm looking for is essentially an addition unique to this site, either curated by MGoStaff or open to users, that provides notable players' MGoBlog legacies. Information needed to make sense of the metaphors, nothing redundant with player profiles that can be found elsewhere.
For example, I'm familiar with the "Jibreel Black desperation situation", so the above could be clarified if I made an entry like thus:
Jibreel Black (football): Good-but-not-spectacular defensive end pressed into nose tackle duty due to a shortage of defensive tackles. It went badly; he weighed 275 pounds at the time so it was not his fault. MGoBlog calls playing a (conventionally) DE-sized player at defensive tackle, because you don't have any of the latter, a "Jibreel Black situation".
It'd be simple enough for me to make a Board post or diary, but an individual effort would be a whopper of a project, and over time the inability to format comments would make it difficult to search. So, I think the ideal solution would be an addition to either the "About" or the "Useful Stuff" tab. I'm inclined to start with football, but if it goes well, it can expand to basketball and other sports that might use YMRMFSPA.
P.S. I suggest up/downvoting this topic based on what you think of the idea. That'll give MGoStaff a simple way to gauge interest in this content.
Is it possible for you guys to up and downvote? I haven't been able to for months lmao. I figured it was a site thing.
I love it! Added bonus is content (#content?) in quarantine. Main question is where we draw the line - Jibreel Black probably needs explanation, Charles Woodson probably not, what would you say about LaMarr Woodley?
I didn't think of a line drawn so much as any case where MGoBlog mentions a past player metaphorically, someone might go "huh?" and that justifies an entry. (YMRMFSPA might actually be out of the picture because now that I think of it, those usually include an explanation. But hopefully you get the idea.) I envision the entries themselves being extremely concise (like the above example) so there'd be a high tolerance for superfluous additions. To make it sustainable, I want a precedent firmly set that no one spends more than five minutes on a new entry. None of these should take more than ten seconds to read.
Charles Woodson arguably shouldn't need an explanation as a player, but to reiterate, the point of this legacy roster isn't some sort of in-house Hall of Fame. The need for an entry only comes down to how MGoBlog writers use the names. That in mind, I can't think of an example of MGoStaff mentioning Charles Woodson in any context other than "greatest Michigan cornerback ever", so yeah, he might not need an entry at all.
I have to confess that I'm not familiar with LaMarr Woodley beyond "very good at linebacker". If MGoBlog uses his name in a more specific context, then I'd appreciate it if someone clarified that usage for me. That is in fact what this roster would be for.
I like this idea, but can the board explain “YMRMFSPA” and other acronyms as well? Always confuses me as I consider myself somewhat new.
In reference to a recruit's write-up. "You may remember me from such players as..." Followed by comparing the recruit to a former Michigan player.
That is in fact in the glossary:
YMRMFSPA You may remember me from such players as. Used in recruiting profiles to say what kind of player a recruit may turn out to be if he works out.
If you're confused about other acronyms you might want to check it out.
Speaking of which, if we added legacy players to the glossary, it would quickly overwhelm the content, which is why I'd like to keep it separate.
Great idea. MGoGlossary
This sort of exists already:
https://mgoblog.com/content/mgoblog-glossary-terms-and-memes
However I like the idea of integrating this with the Mgoblog chrome extension and keeping it more up to date with terminology.
Yep, there's already a glossary but it has only a few references to former players, although they're in the flavor of what I'm looking for.
It also has a number of references that are very much not about former players.
It also doesn't seem like maintaining it is a priority, which is why I think user edits might be the way to go here.
I'd considered but eventually decided against lobbying to expand the glossary. I think the legacy roster can be enough of its own thing to coexist with the glossary.
And, after that could be the MGoGlossary for MgoBlog usernames.That would be entertaining.
I think this would be a worthwhile project, maybe best done as a google spreadsheet that multiple people could edit. You could have the player's name, UFR scores, and a brief synopsis like you mentioned all easily searched.
Multiple people, yes - but also multiple *trusted* people. A player like Josh Metellus who was famous for being unappreciated by the fan base could start a war if editing is public.
UFR scores would be a different project. The scope of this is limited to giving newcomers a resource if they don't get a player reference.
Users darn well shouldn't get in a flame war about Metellus over this because the point isn't to assess a player as good or bad, per se. This is more for things like "Order of St. Kovacs", "PepCat", "ButtZone" and such. MGoBlog is well past the point of having its own player-based jargon and the Glossary is woefully inadequate.
But to TU-UM-Owlverine's point, users can get in a flame war over anything so the downsides of opening up the content would need to be properly weighed.
As a frequent reader for maybe 3 years, I love this. I've been guessing at ButtZone forever, still no idea what it actually means
It's in reference to Jake Butt, who I cannot lie, was big. The idea was to throw a pass so high that a defender has no chance, only Jake Butt could jump up and catch it.
Just lower than a throw to tacopants.
For your reference, Jake Butt had a huge catch radius, so as long as the throw was accurate within like a 6 foot radius, the expectation was that he could get to it. The part of that zone high and away from the defender was unreachable to break up the pass, so the idea was to get the pass up into the ButtZone where only he could catch it. Even if it wasn't the most catchable pass, at least it would not get intercepted.
That is how I interpreted it, at least.
It wasn't just his catch radius; he also had extremely reliable hands. The idea wasn't to merely avoid an interception; it was to complete a pass that's literally impossible to defend, because his combination of height & hands meant throwing a catchable pass beyond the vertical reach of the defender was actually possible with college QB accuracy. It was considered a viable offensive strategy.
Today's closest comparison would be Nico Collins, and I'm sure MGoBlog mentioned #buttzone when discussing Nico.
I've thought of his penchant for drawing OPI as "Panic! At the Nico"
Edit: covered
Sounds like you folks get the idea.
I'm still trying to find Tacopants' career stats.
Heh, well, that's your problem. To reiterate this addition shouldn't have stats at all, not even UFR. But I like the idea of adding Tacopants to the roster, because he is indeed a referenced player. And because lulz.
He was always wide open given his height, but AFAIK he has 0 receptions on a lot of targets.
Could include links to mgoblue.com roster profiles for stats and such as well:
https://mgoblue.com/sports/football/roster/jibreel-black/1717
Are we going to have a James Rogers situation at cornerback this year with Eamonn Dennis? The converted WR playing 20+ yards off as to not let the receiver get behind him.
Huh? There's basically 0 chance Eamonn Dennis is a starter or even a contributor ontthe field at CB this year.
This is a great idea!
This is MICHIGAN fergodsakes...know your wolverine history...that's why we have wolverine devotee! I'm kidding. But sort of not. I like the concept. I guess my thought is if you never saw Jabrill play...I doubt a description helps much who knows.