Two things

1) I’d like your permission to (re)print your article on “Mad Men”
for our website

2) I was hoping we could use your ‘scribing’ talent for our website.

The Best Shows Youre Not Watching (dot) com [all one word]

‘The Clone Wars’ is one of our featured shows. We’re hoping to round up a few people who can occasionally contribute perspective (via an article/blog) on the shows – maybe a recent episode, future direction, plot shortcomings etc.

What’s in it for you?
Primarily a larger audience back channeled to your blog. We don’t pay but the site has a lot of promise and we’re pretty excited about getting it off the ground. Let me know what you think.

Thanks

“Have you ever been watching a football game and the stats will flash up and the leading receiver for team X has 7 catches for 94 yards, and someone will invariably say, “Holy shit, when did that happen?” I just described Hines Ward’s career.”

1. I agree that running backs are dependent just like receivers. What I should have made clearer is that receivers dependence is magnified by their isolation on the field.

2. Minimized is the wrong word. I should have said marginalized. A receiver doing his job, let’s say 5 catches for 55 yards and no touchdowns does not get the same level of respect as a running back who does his job. This leads to them feeling disrespected.

3. Your point about running backs having workmen like contributions that go unnoticed is a good point. The running back who typified this is Curtis Martin. Also, the idea that third down backs may go crazy has yet to be seen. The “position” hasn’t existed long enough for there to be a body of work. I’d be willing to bet they do.

4. I agree with you when you say “I would Probably want more touches too if every time I got a pass it was 18 yards and a first down.” The point of this article was not to make receivers look bad. I just think they are victims of how the game works. Football is the ultimate team game, and receivers often might say “I should get more touches” because they honestly believe it will be good for the team. But because the football mentality is so anti-individual this is seen as selfishness. This becomes a story on PTI and NFL Live drive the receiver further into the abyss.

5. I picked that picture of Randy Moss because it made me laugh. Sorry.

6. I wasn’t trying to say that all receivers are soft. I am saying that in the hierarchy of a team, receivers are perceived to be soft. Now, most teams will give credit where credit is due. If you make that catch and get pounded by the linebacker I’ll give you a congratulatory slap on the ass. Something I should have put in this article that I guess is implied is that receivers are constantly trying to prove themselves and because the way the game treats them they can’t.

7. I think your point about defensive players is a good one. You could say the same things about them that you could about receivers. Plus, some people are just obnoxious.

I’m going to hunt for that superman picture right now.

1. “Receiving Tight Ends” – Mind meet Gutter, Gutter meet Mind.

2. I guess WRs do depend on others to get them the ball, but football is a game that everyone out on the field depends on someone. Running backs in college depend on the quarterback’s read to get the ball, just like in Oregon’s Offense – case in point, Masoli having 24 carries on the read option against UCLA compared to JJ’s 11 and Blount’s 7. That is just the read option, what about speed or triple option? Once again the RB is dependent on someone else to get them the ball. Not just WRs.

3. You state “In terms of pure touches, a receiver’s contribution to a game can easily be minimized.” – I am not sure if you mean by the defense or by the fact that the offense could just not call plays or the QB wouldn’t throw to him.
-If you mean the defense, this is true in terms of pure touches, but it could be the exact same as a RB. What if they stack the box with 8 or 9. I guess you could still limit the touches of the WR, but that is only if the coaches are stupid and continue to run it. Also, isn’t this the goal of all pass defenses? Aren’t they constantly trying to limit the contribution of the Wr’s, i am sure any coach would love to see no completed passes from their secondary (that is of course if they are stopping the run too!). If it was “easy” to do this as suggested, then we wouldn’t have the Moss’s and TO’s of the world, because I guarantee a lot of defense would love to stop their touches if they could.
-That was assuming it was easy for the defense. As for the offense, i kind of talked about it before, but if you stubbornly call run plays constantly, then yeah, you can limit the touches, but you are also limiting your offense and will most likely lose. Now, if the QB just doesn’t throw to him, that too could happen, but why wouldn’t you throw to your best WR if you are going to pass? This is of course assuming he is open, which if he is as good as some of the guys you mentioned, he will be. Another way to limit their touches is to just bench the guy. That would work also.
-Lastly on this point, I don’t think the touches to contribution ratio is a valid theory as true contribution. I remember in one playoff game with the Vikings, randy Moss had 3 catches (they limited his touches), I believe one was a 5 yard gain, while one one was a 60 yard Deep Bomb for a TD and the other one was a WR Screen that went for 65 yards and a score. They won that game and I believe that his contribution was apparent, despite his lack of touches.

4. You say that Hines Ward could have 97 yards with some receptions and people will be surprised, but then you describe almost the exact same situation in the next paragraph about a receiver who overshadows a RB who had the exact same workmanlike game as Hines Ward did. I guarantee you that a RB with 100yds with a long of 8 yards will get people also saying “Holy Shit, when did that happen?”. It works both ways, It’s not just WR’s who have un-flashy contributions.

-I have seen Cowboy highlights where we see a Felix Jones 22 yard TD run or a 60 yd TD run and he finished with 6 carries for 62 yards. Just like a WR with limited touches making big plays, but that same game Jason Witten had 6 catches and 96 yards and a TD, he didn’t get any highlights, just a stat line. Is this the Running Back’s paradox as well? Does this mean Felix Jones, Darren Sproles and other big play third down backs are gonna go crazy as well?

5. I would Probably want more touches too if every time I got a pass it was 18 yards and a first down.

6. Can we please get a pic of Randy in a Vikings or Pat’s uniform! Raiders years,ehhhhh…..

7. Your last point about contact, are you saying that Wr’s are cocky and crazy and abrasive because their lack of contact in football marginalizes their contribution? That doesn’t make any sense to me. Tell that to the WR who catches the the Cross route for 11 yards on 3rd & 10 and gets absolutely lit up by the MLB, but still holds on to the ball. You think all the lineman and backs would still say “oh, that was just OKAY, he doesn’t do it everyday, I don’t care that it may lead us to a score and a win, he just catches balls all day.” Also, I do think most WR’s are soft, compared to a lot of the other players on the team. But just saying that they are looked down upon because they only catch is ridiculous, I do not think that WR’s look down on Lineman because they “only block” or RBs because they “only run”. A WR knows that the pass was able to be completed to him because the line blocked and that the defense had to respect the run because of the RBs ability. For me, the hardest thing in football was blocking, but i bet a lot of lineman would have trouble catching and running routes, as would some RBs. Hell they all would have trouble reading coverages and throwing the ball while feeling backside pressure (lol-backside pressure). I am just saying that catching the ball at full speed while running a precise route is not something everyone can do, and I am sure many teammates realize that.
Also, what other players are usually the ones saying crazy things and complaining and being cocky? Warren Sapp, Jerry Porter, Ray Lewis, Simeon Rice, Deion Sanders and even Michael Strahan. I think their positions are contact filled, and they are still crazy. It not just “marginalized contribution because of lack of contact” guys who go off the deep end to the media. And if that was a reason why players go crazy to the media, then why aren’t kickers out there complaining to the media all the time? Talk about no contact, but I think when they hit that game winning FG or a 50 yarder that their lack of contact doesn’t marginalize their contribution.

All in fun, I was just giving my opinionated counter argument. Good work Jake! i enjoy reading your blog and I still miss that picture of you as superman on the roof from your old blog! Bring it back, bring it back! Take it easy my friend.