Jump to content

  • Welcome!

    Register and log in easily with Twitter or Google accounts!

    Or simply create a new Huddle account. 

    Members receive fewer ads , access our dark theme, and the ability to join the discussion!

     

Set aside the athleticism talk for a second

Mr. Scot

By Mr. Scot,
in Carolina Panthers

Recommended Posts

Mr. Scot Grand Master

Mr. Scot

Posted
Posted

A long time ago, in a galaxy...right here, a friend of mine who was a big wrestling fan asked me what pro wrestler I'd least like to face in a real fight.

My answer: Roddy Piper.

He questioned my response. With monsters like Hulk Hogan, Sergeant Slaughter and such in play, why would I be worried about a relatively smaller guy like Piper?

The reason was because I'd heard Piper talk a lot about how he'd fight certain guys - a bigger guy, a faster guy, etc - and everything he said made sense.  Basically, Piper knew how to fight, and that would give me far more pause than a guy just having a physical advantage. You can nullify speed, you can blunt strength, you can counter athleticism, but how do you stop superior knowledge?

Which brings us to Brian Burns.

I've heard plenty of talk about his physical tools, but relatively little about his brains other than just that he's "a student of the game". Gotta say that to me, that's actually more encouraging than the physical stuff.  NFL opponents are always going to be the biggest, fastest guys on the planet. So all those things being equal, where does the difference come in?

Knowledge.

Having watched a few clips of Burns in action ("I watched his tape") I've seen him using that game knowledge effectively.  My favorite was seeing him brilliantly use a stop and go technique that caused the opposing tackle to hesitate and basically leave a wide open window for Burns to get to the QB, which he did, and beautifully.

Athleticism is great, but all the physical tools in the world don't necessarily mean anything if you don't know how to use them.

When you do, though... look out.

Mind you, I've mentioned that Burns is a question mark to me. I don't know how effective he'll be. Obviously I hope he's very effective, but that remains to be seen.

On the positive side though, his knowledge of the game is a very underrated tool, and one that deserves just as much or more attention than his freakish athleticism. If you question that, ask yourself what it is that makes Luke Kuechly superior to other, equally athletic linebackers and you'll start to see.

Here's hoping Burns uses both his brains and his brawn to the best advantage possible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mr. Scot Grand Master

Mr. Scot

Posted
  • Author
Posted
1 minute ago, DeAngelo Beason said:

I'm not thrilled with the pick, but in all honestly that's about 90% because of my Everette Brown PTSD.

I wasn't thrilled because of the reviews I read about him pre-draft.

This part of his profile is a big positive to me, though. I love the players that study the game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DeAngelo Beason Proficient

DeAngelo Beason

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

I wasn't thrilled because of the reviews I read about him pre-draft.

This part of his profile is a big positive to me, though. I love the players that study the game.

Smarts over athletic gifts any day (within reason).  Most players that rely solely on athleticism don't make it far in the NFL.  On the flipside, truly cerebral players are basically always successful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tbe Grand Master

Tbe

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, countryboi said:

fake is a poor word...scripted is a better word because those dudes get fuged up. it's a reason why most older wrestlers look used up. 

I thought it was the constant tanning?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mc52beast Grand Master

mc52beast

Posted
Posted

Came away pretty impressed after his presser. Said he knows how good he can be and will strive to reach that “ceiling”. Sounds like he’s very teachable and doesn’t think that just because he’s a first rounder that success is guaranteed. 

One wrestler I wouldn’t want to fight;

Andre the Giant... cuz you can’t teach size

Link to comment
Share on other sites
L-TownCat Grand Master

L-TownCat

Posted
Posted
53 minutes ago, Tbe said:

Pro wrestling is fake.

I always like this take b/c its not like TV is a bastion of reality.  

 

"Haha you watch fake stuff on TV!  Nerd!"

"Cmon guys lets go watch Avengers!"

"Like Comics are fake and stuff, that's gay.  I only watch real stuff like the totally non scripted NBA or NFL..."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • PMH4OWPW7JD2TDGWZKTOYL2T3E.jpg

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Icege
      Brooks RB, Placed on PUP, Out for 2025

      By Icege · Posted

      Considering you previously struggled to understand BTT despite it being explained in a video, write-up, and multiple replies, I get why this might be a little too complex for you. Happy to clarify again! Just let me know which part tripped you up this time. 😉
    • Khyber53
      a look at our 19 udfas

      By Khyber53 · Posted

      And, honestly, there's only so much you can attempt to do in the draft. And every draft pick is a roll of the dice. But that's where grabbing a ton of UDFAs, and targeting the best, makes a big difference. Sure, their individual chances of getting a hit here is less, but that shotgun pattern might just hit something.  Right now, we need bulk, partly to rebuild and partly to dilute the deep level of stank that has developed on this team in the last six years. If we're going to rebuild a culture built around culture, accountability and winning, then these UDFAs we bring in each season have to be the wash water that gets out that leftover dirt.  Canales seems to be a smart, culture-first, build up the good ones kind of guy. I like that and I hope he can keep it going here. But he was working against a locker room that had been taught to lose and taught to distrust or ignore coaches. He's got his work cut out for him, still. He does seem to have it moving in the right direction and that's something I was pretty amazed with by the end of last season.  
    • shaqattaq
      Strength of Schedule for 2025

      By shaqattaq · Posted

      The most telling sign, IMO, of a team on the upward swing is who we lost in the off-season. Who left that even saw the field? Woods, Clowney, Sanders, & Hekker. OK...no big deal. Clowney is the only 1 that I raised an eyebrow over and I get that it was a money decision. No need to pay him over $7M to take snaps from our draft picks when he was just OK last year.
×
×
  • Create New...