With how concentrated the talent pool is in college football, I'd imagine that at the end of the day, those elite-level recruiting programs aren't differentiating themselves as much compared to Michigan/Washington etc., not totally due to some coaching/development but rather a statistical problem: ceiling effects.
The CFB season is very short compared to most sports/leagues, and for an elite program, they only play at most 3-4 meaningful games in a regular season. My hypothesis I guess is that we don't play enough games to allow the truly better teams to distinguish themselves on the field.
I guess that's one of the reasons why this game is great, even with the complete dearth of parity in the sport. At the end of the day, anything can happen in those few close, meaningful games.
Speaking as someone who is part of the sport, but solidly middle-of-the-pack, I'd say there are certainly some people who replace therapy and close/meaningful connections with training. At the same time, most people I meet in the sport who are successful (i.e., consistently meeting their goals) are also successful in other areas of life. The vast majority of people who do this aren't pros, so many have demanding careers that they need to balance with their training. I meet a ton of doctors, PhDs, and engineers at these events, for example. Many also have families.
It absolutely requires dedication and training to do something like this, and at least for me, running does take up a lot of my time. However, that's what I've built my community around. My friends are my running/skiing/climbing partners, as is my wife. Even while peaking during a training block (3-4 weeks), I'm rarely running more than 15 hours in a week, so that leaves a lot of time for other things.
Having moved to Colorado this past year, I can say that this and fall football saturdays are the things I've missed the most about Michigan. Enjoy every minute of it, Michiganders.
It has already been noted here, but I don't think everyone realizes just how talent-rich that state is when it comes to recruiting. I didn't feel like doing any real math, but a quick perusal of 247 indicates that Georgia's (the state) 20th-highest-rated recruit has an average rating of .925 and is the 180th player per 247's composite. Compare that to our state, where our 20th rated recruit barely cracks the top 1000 per the composite. Combine this insane talent discrepancy with the fact that they are the only major program in the state (except GT...I guess) and it's truly a wonder that they have ever been bad.
Or are everyone's nerves and tensions at the breaking point in anticipation of the off-season finally being over? Is that why no one can stop bitching and arguing?
There are like 4 different arguments happening in this thread at the same time (i.e., current state of Telluride, best type of pizza, semantics related to the size of a group, the validity of this type of thread in general). I gotta say, this off-season was particularly exhausting and I CANNOT WAIT FOR NEXT SATURDAY!
I don't know if this was intended, but the IQ range you stated is actually within the accepted range for what used to classify someone as a "moron" by historical psychological standards (i.e., an IQ between 51 and 70).
Nice to see historical consistency even in internet insults!
Some schools, and other sports, are doing similar things - re: data tracking - with encouraging results. For instance, FSU and Barcelona use gps and other monitoring systems (e.g., heart rate monitors) to track exertion. This allows them to monitor athletes during games and practice and "catch" them before they work too hard and injure themselves. Here's a fluffy but interesting article about it from ESPN a few years ago: http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/11121315/florida-state-…
I would argue FSU has a pretty decent track record during Jimbo Fisher's tenure of producing QB's who are drafted high (regardless of future NFL production). But I agree with your assessment of the teams already mentioned, none of them touch what Harbaugh can do for a pro-style QB.
For a good few years a few friends and I would go to Blue Tractor every Thursday night to watch his blues cover band play, I recommended it to everyone with ears. His voice was amazing and his guitar skills even better. They would play everything from Hendrix to Allman Bros and his solos were always original and spectacular. Then Mash got really popular, they stopped playing there...and now I feel old.
In perusing the 247 rating explanation on their site. It looks like the 247 composite averages the number of 5 star ratings across each recruiting service (we'll call that X) and then grants 5 star ratings to the top X number of players. They do this for the other star ratings as well.
In 247's system, they award 32 5 star ratings, which in their words is reflective of the number of NFL draft picks in a round. They anchor the 5 star concept to "we think this guy could be a first-round prospect".
Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, it's just my interpretation of their explanation.
"people who commit suicide have a very myopic, almost selfish view"
Maybe read up on the scientific literature related to suicide a little bit. It will help inform your opinion past the overly simplistic one you currently hold.
People commit suicide for countless different reasons. In many cases, the final act is the result of a culmination of risk factors (e.g., mental illness, social isolation, drug/alchol abuse, relationship problems) with a compulsive, last minute desicion sealing their fate.
And to your point about the selfish nature of the act, these people often genuinely feel as though their loved ones would be better off and happier without them. Suicide survivors often say that in the moment they truly felt like they were making the best decision possible for them and even their spouses and children.
This would be a violation of Harbaugh's wish for all remaining potential commits to push their announcements until NSD. Unless he's backed off of that idea. God, following recruiting is terrible.
This would actually be the worst time of year to visit Bolivia as it is currently in the height of the wet season and mosquitoes would eat you alive. The mountainous areas would be okay I suppose, but the rainforest would straight murder you.
With national signing day approaching, combined with Bolivia's current climate, it would be a very bad time to be banned from Mgoblog.
My post may have been unclear in that I don't believe these specific recruits (i.e., Nordin, Elliot) find it to be creepy or presumptuous, but rather other kids who hear about it. Then in the rest of my post, I talked about how it could be viewed favorably from a different perspective, in case you didn't bother reading it ;)
Well, at least Harbaugh is letting recruits know beforehand that he'll be sleeping there...
That being said, I can see this coming off as creepy/weird to a few kids, but I also kind of like the elegant role-reversal, re: the recruiting process. Just to opine for a bit, but recruiting visits from an outsider perspective seem like a way to assimilate kids into the program and almost force them to adopt a specific culture (e.g., wearing uniforms, running down the tunnel, etc.). Having Harbaugh go "on an overnight" to the recruit's home displays his commitment to learning about the kid himself and where he grew up.
The confusion here lies in the fact that directly translating doesn't really work in this case. The difference between "muy bien" and "muy bueno" is not as simple as "very well" (adverb) vs. "very good" (adjective). Instead, "muy bien" is used more to describe a state of being, like using "excellent!" or "awesome!" when quickly describing your current mood or disposition, whereas "muy bueno" is used to describe a particular thing in a positive manner.
But for all intensive purposes this argument is kind of meaningless, and sorry two but in...
My instant reaction was "dammit they're both going to state", then I thought about it and wonder if this their attempt to start a friendly rivalry of sorts. It would be pretty sweet to see the two of them clash one-on-one each year for their respective schools.
Not a doctor but am an EMT. Posturing like that suggests a severe head injury. I would not be surprised to find out that he spent time in a coma after that. So yes, this is VERY bad.
I feel like - even with the insane amount of attention the media give to him - we as the casual observer still don't quite appreciate how crucial he is to our defense, and that no one else on the team can play his position. He essentially plays as the lightest, fastest linebacker in the country, which is why he is always around the ball (the perfect place for him to be, in my opinion). His position dictates that he cover recievers or tight ends, fills for run support, blitzes, and patrols the flat for screens. Pretty much the only thing he doesn't do is line up across from the O-line.
Most defenses require at least three different players to do that, which is why teams can create mismatches. No one is a mismatch for Jabrill.
You would think the announcers would realize MSU isn't currently playing Michigan, but is in fact playing IU. By the way the commentary is going though...
I feel your pain. This morning at 12:30 AM I woke up out of a dead sleep thinking about that play and with a massive headache. I have never had that happen before, and I couldn't fall back asleep for over an hour. Not a good start to the week.
I understand the concept and agree that Michigan as a team are not the sole recievers of cosmic punishment and overall bad luck, but all of those instances you just mentioned are different...
Every example was something that WE executed. I would feel better about a last-second, perfectly thrown TD from Connor Cook (who played spectacularly, gotta admit) to win the game than losing because of a unforced botched punt. Michigan State did nothing to win the game on that play, we merely lost it.
Wait, so that's what his last sentence (paragraph?) meant? I inferred, due to his awful writing, that a MSU victory on Saturday was contingent on their winning of a touch football game on Friday.
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With how concentrated the talent pool is in college football, I'd imagine that at the end of the day, those elite-level recruiting programs aren't differentiating themselves as much compared to Michigan/Washington etc., not totally due to some coaching/development but rather a statistical problem: ceiling effects.
The CFB season is very short compared to most sports/leagues, and for an elite program, they only play at most 3-4 meaningful games in a regular season. My hypothesis I guess is that we don't play enough games to allow the truly better teams to distinguish themselves on the field.
I guess that's one of the reasons why this game is great, even with the complete dearth of parity in the sport. At the end of the day, anything can happen in those few close, meaningful games.
Speaking as someone who is part of the sport, but solidly middle-of-the-pack, I'd say there are certainly some people who replace therapy and close/meaningful connections with training. At the same time, most people I meet in the sport who are successful (i.e., consistently meeting their goals) are also successful in other areas of life. The vast majority of people who do this aren't pros, so many have demanding careers that they need to balance with their training. I meet a ton of doctors, PhDs, and engineers at these events, for example. Many also have families.
It absolutely requires dedication and training to do something like this, and at least for me, running does take up a lot of my time. However, that's what I've built my community around. My friends are my running/skiing/climbing partners, as is my wife. Even while peaking during a training block (3-4 weeks), I'm rarely running more than 15 hours in a week, so that leaves a lot of time for other things.
Having moved to Colorado this past year, I can say that this and fall football saturdays are the things I've missed the most about Michigan. Enjoy every minute of it, Michiganders.
Shit, I never realized that '12-'17 UM and PSU have identical records. That's really depressing.
It has already been noted here, but I don't think everyone realizes just how talent-rich that state is when it comes to recruiting. I didn't feel like doing any real math, but a quick perusal of 247 indicates that Georgia's (the state) 20th-highest-rated recruit has an average rating of .925 and is the 180th player per 247's composite. Compare that to our state, where our 20th rated recruit barely cracks the top 1000 per the composite. Combine this insane talent discrepancy with the fact that they are the only major program in the state (except GT...I guess) and it's truly a wonder that they have ever been bad.
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Or are everyone's nerves and tensions at the breaking point in anticipation of the off-season finally being over? Is that why no one can stop bitching and arguing?
There are like 4 different arguments happening in this thread at the same time (i.e., current state of Telluride, best type of pizza, semantics related to the size of a group, the validity of this type of thread in general). I gotta say, this off-season was particularly exhausting and I CANNOT WAIT FOR NEXT SATURDAY!
I don't know if this was intended, but the IQ range you stated is actually within the accepted range for what used to classify someone as a "moron" by historical psychological standards (i.e., an IQ between 51 and 70).
Nice to see historical consistency even in internet insults!
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If you want to look like an idiot in the gym while doing pullups.
Can confirm. Children in South America grow up with soccer balls practically attached to their feet.
For a good few years a few friends and I would go to Blue Tractor every Thursday night to watch his blues cover band play, I recommended it to everyone with ears. His voice was amazing and his guitar skills even better. They would play everything from Hendrix to Allman Bros and his solos were always original and spectacular. Then Mash got really popular, they stopped playing there...and now I feel old.
You can cleary see how dissapointed everyone is have to be practicing during their spring break.
THINK OF THE CHILDREN
In perusing the 247 rating explanation on their site. It looks like the 247 composite averages the number of 5 star ratings across each recruiting service (we'll call that X) and then grants 5 star ratings to the top X number of players. They do this for the other star ratings as well.
In 247's system, they award 32 5 star ratings, which in their words is reflective of the number of NFL draft picks in a round. They anchor the 5 star concept to "we think this guy could be a first-round prospect".
Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, it's just my interpretation of their explanation.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
"people who commit suicide have a very myopic, almost selfish view"
Maybe read up on the scientific literature related to suicide a little bit. It will help inform your opinion past the overly simplistic one you currently hold.
People commit suicide for countless different reasons. In many cases, the final act is the result of a culmination of risk factors (e.g., mental illness, social isolation, drug/alchol abuse, relationship problems) with a compulsive, last minute desicion sealing their fate.
And to your point about the selfish nature of the act, these people often genuinely feel as though their loved ones would be better off and happier without them. Suicide survivors often say that in the moment they truly felt like they were making the best decision possible for them and even their spouses and children.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
Yup, this is my first time on the blog today. Too much content and not enough time!
So that rules us out, correct?
This would be a violation of Harbaugh's wish for all remaining potential commits to push their announcements until NSD. Unless he's backed off of that idea. God, following recruiting is terrible.
This would actually be the worst time of year to visit Bolivia as it is currently in the height of the wet season and mosquitoes would eat you alive. The mountainous areas would be okay I suppose, but the rainforest would straight murder you.
With national signing day approaching, combined with Bolivia's current climate, it would be a very bad time to be banned from Mgoblog.
My post may have been unclear in that I don't believe these specific recruits (i.e., Nordin, Elliot) find it to be creepy or presumptuous, but rather other kids who hear about it. Then in the rest of my post, I talked about how it could be viewed favorably from a different perspective, in case you didn't bother reading it ;)
Well, at least Harbaugh is letting recruits know beforehand that he'll be sleeping there...
That being said, I can see this coming off as creepy/weird to a few kids, but I also kind of like the elegant role-reversal, re: the recruiting process. Just to opine for a bit, but recruiting visits from an outsider perspective seem like a way to assimilate kids into the program and almost force them to adopt a specific culture (e.g., wearing uniforms, running down the tunnel, etc.). Having Harbaugh go "on an overnight" to the recruit's home displays his commitment to learning about the kid himself and where he grew up.
I can see it paying off.
Drawer test on Maclin's knee did NOT look good. Way too much movement.
If fact, this is the reason many people choose to use synthetics over real marijuana, to avoid a positive test.
The confusion here lies in the fact that directly translating doesn't really work in this case. The difference between "muy bien" and "muy bueno" is not as simple as "very well" (adverb) vs. "very good" (adjective). Instead, "muy bien" is used more to describe a state of being, like using "excellent!" or "awesome!" when quickly describing your current mood or disposition, whereas "muy bueno" is used to describe a particular thing in a positive manner.
But for all intensive purposes this argument is kind of meaningless, and sorry two but in...
You called?
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PINEAPPLE?
But when I do, it's really awkward.
I feel like - even with the insane amount of attention the media give to him - we as the casual observer still don't quite appreciate how crucial he is to our defense, and that no one else on the team can play his position. He essentially plays as the lightest, fastest linebacker in the country, which is why he is always around the ball (the perfect place for him to be, in my opinion). His position dictates that he cover recievers or tight ends, fills for run support, blitzes, and patrols the flat for screens. Pretty much the only thing he doesn't do is line up across from the O-line.
Most defenses require at least three different players to do that, which is why teams can create mismatches. No one is a mismatch for Jabrill.
Ah yes, the good 'ol Rutgers pipeline. No wonder the Patriots have been so succesful...
#blessed
You would think the announcers would realize MSU isn't currently playing Michigan, but is in fact playing IU. By the way the commentary is going though...
At this point I'm having a hard time ignoring the overwhelming evidence.
I feel your pain. This morning at 12:30 AM I woke up out of a dead sleep thinking about that play and with a massive headache. I have never had that happen before, and I couldn't fall back asleep for over an hour. Not a good start to the week.
I understand the concept and agree that Michigan as a team are not the sole recievers of cosmic punishment and overall bad luck, but all of those instances you just mentioned are different...
Every example was something that WE executed. I would feel better about a last-second, perfectly thrown TD from Connor Cook (who played spectacularly, gotta admit) to win the game than losing because of a unforced botched punt. Michigan State did nothing to win the game on that play, we merely lost it.
I am sad. And hungover.
Wait, so that's what his last sentence (paragraph?) meant? I inferred, due to his awful writing, that a MSU victory on Saturday was contingent on their winning of a touch football game on Friday.
His writing is bad and he should feel bad.
NEVER THROW TO GRANT PERRY. EVER.
Or were you referring to him as a horse meant for breeding purposes?
So hard to tell these days...
/cries