Meta - MGoBlog use by coaching staff

Submitted by macdaddy on
This may seem like a ridiculous question but I'm serious here. Does anyone know if the coaching staff ever utilizes MGB for information that might help them with game planning? The massive amount of mathematical data that's generated on this blog and the high level of game analysis by a lot of smart football guys seems like it would be useful to the staff. It's basically just crowdsourcing your data gathering. The staff can't possibly collect all the information that's here on their own, there's just not enough people or time. Maybe I'm totally wrong on this but it definitely seems like it would be worthwhile to assign a GA to peruse the site each week to see if there's anything worthwhile. Anybody know if this happens?

ChetChill

August 3rd, 2013 at 8:04 PM ^

I certainly hope so.  There are a lot of smart people on the board and with the stupid NCAA rukes, Michigan simply can't hire enough staff to properly go over everything on a week by week basis.  I know I've sent some scouting reports to the AD's office about some prospects (two of which were eventually offerred, one of which I'm SURE I was the first to show to the Michigan football department).  It certainly can't hurt to have MGoBloggers try to help out the team.  I wonder if we could set up a different section to work on specific projects for the coaches, interact with prospects, or work on developing the fanbase?

 

WestCBlue

August 4th, 2013 at 10:09 AM ^

If staffs used some of the detailed analysis on statistics, the OP is correct.

It's very advanced and no one else is using it.

The traditional stats don't go far enough and some of the work here is amazing.

If they chose one or two topics, I could see it being very useful.

WestCBlue

August 4th, 2013 at 1:01 PM ^

The detail on two or three diary pieces is really over the top.

I don't know if any staff in the country compiles stats to the level that some of the diarists do here.  And since most of the diarists invented the stats themselves, i would suspect that there isn't much crossover.

If the stats are being compiled and used by staffs all over the nation, why isn't it publised like regular stats?  

Besides, blogs have impacted pretty much the entire globe, why wouldn't they impact football?

A few examples:

-Some mainstream writers have said that the QB rating, given how the position has changed for mobile QBs, is not accurate for some of the top QBs.  

-Mike Gundy at Okie St, supposed tracks every step, every impact and every drill, during the entire season and during each practice to limit the amount of movement on the players.  He claims that this has reduced injuries.  Did he get the idea in a blog?  I don't know, but it's not a traditional approach.

Lastly, all I'm trying to communicate is how impressive some of the work is here.  The detail is off the charts.  Most of it is author invented.  About .01% of it might be used.

It's not that crazy....

Slow down cowboy, whoa...

Magnus

August 3rd, 2013 at 8:05 PM ^

There is at least one person whose job it is to monitor the recruiting sites. I would imagine that person recognizes the widespread readership and influence of MGoBlog and incorporates that into their work, but I don't know specifically.

Frankly, while I love this blog and everything, I imagine the coaches don't care much about the analysis that goes on here. They have their own data, and some of this stuff is just irrelevant overkill by Michigan football fanatics. Fun overkill, but overkill nonetheless. Brady Hoke doesn't use e-mail; I doubt he would base choices on what Brian, Seth, The Mathlete, etc. put together.

hart20

August 3rd, 2013 at 8:15 PM ^

Much, much more access to data and video than we do. They might peruse the site to read what's being said about them or the team but not to get help with coaching football.

uvadula

August 3rd, 2013 at 8:16 PM ^

I've always thought this so I'm glad to see some reasonable answers. On one hand, there is a lot of very illuminating content here. On the other, those guys are professionals and may feel no need to wade through the garbage that gets posted to get info they could probably surmise themselves.

davidhm

August 3rd, 2013 at 8:20 PM ^

...but I've wondered if other schools on the schedule troll the site looking for data. I think this site would provide more data for opponents to peruse, but probably not for the coaching staff.

goblue16

August 3rd, 2013 at 8:32 PM ^

It's like the people who say coaches use recruiting websites to find top talent. I highly doubt it

MAgoBLUE

August 3rd, 2013 at 8:33 PM ^

It would be naive to think my posts aren't at least being read by Mattison and Borges and then probably passed on to Hoke if it's something important.

M-Wolverine

August 3rd, 2013 at 9:37 PM ^

Borges at least follows what Heiko says, right? Mark my word he's going to run a play for him one day. Maybe name their one bubble screen a year "the Heiko."

Zone Left

August 3rd, 2013 at 9:44 PM ^

Well he wouldn't just tell you. Brandon won't let him. He's afraid you might sell the UFR service elsewhere.

I know for a fact that Funk outsources his in-season grading to this site and wishes you'd publish your review of the ESPN angle on Monday. He also doesn't get the donkey thing with Lewan. He's pretty confident Gholston is a troll.

LSAClassOf2000

August 3rd, 2013 at 9:09 PM ^

I know that Hoke has mentioned that he more or less eschews many forms of communication that might be fairly typical those of us who post here, but I also seem to recall that there was an interview with Borges some time ago where he was sort of asked about this in broader terms and he mentioned that the use of the Internet in the realm of Michigan coaching is fairly basic and confined to certain things. I could be wrong, but I sort of got the impression from this that, even if they know about MGoBlog, they rarely see it if ever. I would wager that the players visit it more often than the coaches, if I had to guess. 

CRex

August 3rd, 2013 at 9:18 PM ^

Personally I'm not sold on Hoke's statement he totally refrains from it.  Some areas of technology you clearly have to embrace because the recruits use them or they're just all pervavise.  I'd bet Hoke overstates how much he refrains.

That being said, I'd assume that nothing good comes of checking the blogs midseason.  All it serves to do is potentially introduce self doubt or anger at the stupid fans.  If you lose a game, you get feedback from your peers, not angry dudes on a board.  

(I also hope, no offense to the data guys, that the stuff we do looks like childsplay compared to what a full support staff at Michigan can put out.)

steve sharik

August 3rd, 2013 at 9:22 PM ^

...or some grad asst. monitor web sites to see if there's sentiment out there that their players read which might hurt said players' confidence, or they might find something to help motivate (doubtful), but to game plan?  Hell, no.

TESOE

August 3rd, 2013 at 10:42 PM ^

Going for it on 4th down was repeatedly discussed here and previous to that in the blogosphere prior to Rocky Long carrying the torch at SDSU.  Anything new is likely to be blogged before it is incorporated into D1 ball.  There's some analysis on punting/FGs vs field position done by the Mathlete that might have drawn some attention.  Dantonio IMO has been less conservative and Hoke himself has been surprisingly liberal in going for some 4th downs near mid-field.

That is about it I think.  Teams are using the internet for recruiting in ways no one thought possible.  HUDL, Social Networks, Twitter, Landro systems (and many other technologies - let's not forget how new email is to the stodgy inbred world of coaching) are and already have changed the game.   

This blog or any fan blog for that matter... eh... not so much.