Numbers Game?

Talk about a winter chill-down with the weather. So, what else is there to do on a winter weekend in the Hill, but to catch up on my media...

I still have my ties in San Francisco, and I caught this interesting article on the wacky ship of fools that make up the San Francisco 49ers. Check out this very good article by Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle about the new front office philosophy instituted by 28 year-old, Paraag Marathe.

I knew that it was only a matter of time before the statisticians and MBAs would infiltrating other sports with their statistical methods and deviations. Yet, before I throw my punch of judgement against the use of stats in football, I do remember that I was hesitant to adopt "Moneyball" philosophies before I read Michael Lewis's book.

My feeling now is that stats can only go so far in judging talent in sports other than baseball. Baseball is the perfect statistical game, but I'm just not buying it in other sports due to the amount of lack of situations that can be measured by stats.

For example, is there really a direct measure if a offensive lineman misses his block on Jevon Kearse? If the OLineman does...does it really tell you about a guard's lack of blocking ability? Or does it really say that Kearse has great speed? Or does it say that the fullback missed the pick-up when the ball was snapped? Or does it say that Kearse really was put in place to pick up the tight-end by his defensive coordinator?...Do you see what I'm gettin' at?

I have to write Dr. Z...

If I had to choose my football leadership, I probably would go with the advice and knowledge of Bill Walsh and John McVay than a Stanford MBA, who has never been in a locker room...Just my hunch...

I also liked this article on the wacky cases of iPod droning by Kayleen Schaffer of the New York Times....Check out "Entangled by Ear Buds, and Other Musical Mishaps". Good read on how people are missing their train stops.

Sad to see Johnny Carson go...Pound for pound, can you say he is the greatest comedian of all-time? Why...When you look at the nightly pressure that he had go through, it's tough to imagine that anyone can come up with punch-lines and interviews every night for 30 years...I would love to see that golf swing one more time...

I went to Charlotte on Friday night, checked out 'Blue'...Not a bad place...Nice jazz troupe and the cocktail girl has that thang...You are foin' girl...Nice spot to chills.

Frigid,
IronDog