San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
NFL combine a good way for teams to make poor decisions
Sez Me …
Hard to say Tampa Bay’s Bruce Arians is a great football coach, but Bruce is so cool he needs a Zamboni to run over him twice a day.
Here he is on the NFL combine:
“You might run a 4.3, but your tape says you’re a 4.6. You might run a 4.6, but your tape says you’re a 4.3. The tape don’t lie. The Combine lies. You can fall in love at the Combine and get your ass broke.”
And with a broken derriere, you need a doughnut pillow to take a seat in the cellar.
The combine, The League’s annual meatfest, is going on this weekend in Indianapolis (maybe for the last time), and I won’t ever say it’s useless — although, as Bruce says, it is a lie, especially ludicrous 40 times.
But I’ve been over that more than 40 times.
It’s good for the middle-of-the-roaders, the fringe, guys on the bubble. But, if I were a player with a great chance to be drafted high, I’d stay 500 miles from working out at Indy. I’d do the medical, mental and the interviews.
Watch the tape. Can I play football, or not? You don’t run around cones or throw the football at air on Sundays. Intangibles can’t be weighed, measured or clocked.
The combine can write bad fiction. Google-up Mike Mamula. Seriously. Do.
I asked A.J. Smith, G.M. of The NFL Team That Used To Be Here, for his thoughts on the combine:
“The Indy combine was very important to me — in the past. Any time you are around players, you have an opportunity to gain valuable information. I say in the past, because I’m not sure, with all the new developments, it will continue to be beneficial to scouting operations. It appears to be heading toward a prime time Nfl/media dog-and-pony show.
“I believe several teams think the present format is a waste of time and feel staying behind in the office will be more productive (time management).
“The most important aspect of the combine, for me, was always medical.
“Speed kills … 40 speed is a measuring stick, but personnel people still have to determine what is his play speed. Some players don’t play fast no matter how fast the time says. Some players play fast and can cause you to take a step back. Have to be careful with this with defensive backs and wide receivers.
“Wonderlic? Years ago, you had to be very careful. Lots of agents had standard copies of the test and prepped their clients. In recent years, it’s much more reliable. Test operation has been cleaned up.
“Interviews are good. One, to see how “football smart” a player is. Two, just to get a feel for the player, as a person.”
Word is the combine is moving to the Rams’ new digs to be sprinkled with Hollywood dust. Once again, this is director Roger Goodell spinning gold from the mundane to his studio moguls’ delight.
At best, the combine is a B movie. At its worst, a forgery. …
Joe Burrow’s hand size is 9 inches. It’s been this combine’s biggest deal. Jared Goff has the same hand size. Took the Rams to a Super Bowl. They’re trying to find any way to get Burrow to slide . ...
Steve Smith says we’ve never seen a receiver with 4.3 speed wearing a gold jacket. True. We’ve never seen a receiver with 4.3 speed. Not even Bob Hayes .…
Among the top-10 40 runners in combine history, only Chris Johnson (a comet) came close to being a star. …
What’s the over/under on the date when rumors/lies start to spread on Tua’s health? Soon. …
The Judases/l.a. Lodgers have hired a director of analytics. Now Anthony Lynn will know precisely when to use The Shift. …
Great to see San Diego’s bright Daniel Jeremiah doing well. …
A Seton Hall sports poll finds 75 percent of those polled believe the XFL is as interesting — or more so — than the NFL. Polling idiots has become unavoidable. Give them truth serum. …
The Raiders don’t need to make a splash in Vegas. It’s already there. …
The NFL’S laughable tampering rules seem to apply only to thieves trying to open locks. …
Jon Gruden says he loves Derek Carr, that he’s “anxious to build a team around him.” Here I thought April was Liar’s Month? …
Stink O’ The Week Sezment: “It’s not the money.” A diaperful. Mostly all that matters. …
Really? State auditor says the Lottery is not maximizing its funding for education. Dedicated teachers who pay for supplies could have told you years ago. …
Tony Romo re-ups with CBS for $17 million per. Now he has no incentive to get better. …
Will ESPN move on to Peyton? As smart as he is, I still think Manning fears he can’t match Romo . ...
Don’t complain. There are sports broadcasters who make the event bigger than it is. Howard Cosell was No. 1. …
Evansville beat No. 1 Kentucky in November. Went 0-18 in conference . ...
Memo to UNLVERS: If you need a Mountain West championship banner to be hung before a game vs. the No. 4 team in the country to fire you up, plan on a career of dealing blackjack. …
Saw Justin Thomas drive a ball 330 yards with a 3-wood. This is golf? …
Golf Channel is packing up and leaving Orlando for Stamford, Conn., where employees won’t have to wait in line and pay $100 for a day pass to get in their office. …
No athlete plays to the moment better than Kawhi Leonard . ...
When Madison Bumgarner says, “This isn’t my first rodeo,” he’s not lying. …
Help me here. If you hate meat, why eat plant-based food that tastes like it? …
Guess Michael was in the deep end of the Jordan gene pool. He has two brothers, one 5-5, the other 5-4. …
I tried giving up getting ticked-off for Lent. But, after receiving Ashes, that lasted until I got into my car. …
I was asked to sum up my life in three words. “I batted 10th.”