Relative intelligence

[Mr. Scot]

My sister used to be a paramedic, and she was a good one. In my granted to not exactly be 100% objective opinion, she was the best that our local ambulance service had for the entire time she worked there.

She also could be a colossal know-it-all.

(I know what you're thinking; shut yer trap)

There was a time however when I was sick that she was absolutely certain her EMT level medical knowledge was enough to diagnose what was ailing me. I reminded her that while I appreciated her input, she was not a doctor and I preferred to go see someone who was.

As it turned out, she was wrong. And it's not that she was dumb or didn't know what she was talking about. She was very smart for a paramedic, just not "doctor" smart.

So what does that have to do with football?

Let's talk about our leadership.

Ron Rivera isn't a moron. He's actually a very intelligent man and he knows his football very well. Likewise, Marty Hurney isn't completely devoid of football knowledge. He's certainly capable of making good draft picks, free agent signings, etc.

The problem in both cases is not that either guy is dumb.

It's just that they're not as smart as the guys who are running and coaching our opponents.

Both Ron and Marty are probably "paramedic" smart, and that's certainly not bad. Unfortunately, offensive and defensive schemes over the last several years have gotten more complex. Likewise, given that fewer players hit free agency these days, it's become increasingly important the teams hit not just in the first round of the draft, but as many of them as possible.

Hurney and Rivera are both guys who tend to think more of individual moves than overarching plans. It's the Checkers vs. Chess metaphor, and sadly it's very accurate. In the old days you probably could have had a decent career thinking like that. Not so much anymore.

Defenders like to say they're smarter than we are as fans. And it's true, they are.

But that's not enough. 

And if we seriously want to be Championship contenders and not guys who are just kind of there, we're going to need to get people in leadership who are capable of matching up against opposing braintrusts far better than our current group does right now.

Otherwise, we're just treading water.

[BurnHurnBurn]

2 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Ron Rivera isn't a moron. He's actually a very intelligent man and he knows his football very well. Likewise, Marty Hurney isn't completely devoid of football knowledge. He's certainly capable of making good draft picks, free agent signings, etc.

Relatively speaking, they are retarded.

Extra-chromosome special.   Relatively speaking, of course.

[Car123]

Yeah, overarching plans like destroying a solid positional group and say we're planning for the future. At the same time, wasting prime years of CMC and company.

This thread is just another Gettleman love fest.

[Mr. Scot]

11 minutes ago, BurnHurnBurn said:

Relatively speaking, they are retarded.

Extra-chromosome special.   Relatively speaking, of course.

Nah. They're smart. Just not smart enough.

People like to say that Rivera will get another job 5 minutes after he's fired. Probably true, but not a reason to retain him.

Hurney? Nobody pursued him before for even so much as a scout or a consultant job. That probably doesn't change this time around if he's let go.

[Khyber53]

It's easy to estimate the intelligence of another person. It's really hard to get it right.

Our assessments of the capabilities of coaches and managers is done by a lot of feel, and in a vacuum. We aren't privy to the sideline conversations, the meeting rooms, locker rooms or even the player to player interaction that affects every game, practice and season. 

Sorry, Mr. Scott, but this reads with all of the high handedness of those folks who start things off by saying the know how Tepper made his money and how he really thinks.

The armchairs that make up our worlds and football capabilities are might darned comfy, though.

[Moo Daeng]

It is funny to hear members of the Huddle talk about intelligence.

[Mr. Scot]

2 minutes ago, Khyber53 said:

It's easy to estimate the intelligence of another person. It's really hard to get it right.

Our assessments of the capabilities of coaches and managers is done by a lot of feel, and in a vacuum. We aren't privy to the sideline conversations, the meeting rooms, locker rooms or even the player to player interaction that affects every game, practice and season. 

Sorry, Mr. Scott, but this reads with all of the high handedness of those folks who start things off by saying the know how Tepper made his money and how he really thinks.

The armchairs that make up our worlds and football capabilities are might darned comfy, though.

It's actually based in a very simple, and factual standard.

We don't beat good teams.

[Gladniator1]

I agree with your analysis.  I call it the "metagame".  The level of strategy above the X's and O's.  Rivera just doesn't get it.  Case in point?  We have one of the best TE's in the history of football with a knack for getting first downs.  We "forgot" that now that we have a new and shiny.  The metagame would be to utilize other options early to take advantage of teams concentrating on CMC.  Then, when they have to be more honest you unleash the new and shiny.  But not us.  They know we are going with CMC and we still do it.  You have to be completely unpredictable in this league now and spread the ball out.  Yes, it's great to have superstars, but if you can't do anything (or call anything) with the others, teams can focus on the superstar.  We did do that a bit today (Moore had a good game), but I still think the overarching metagame concept is beyond Rivera...

Also, if you are going to keep a TE on the team for blocking only you might as well take an O-lineman and call him a TE.  So we will have 6 offensive lineman with 1 of them (wink wink) being called a TE.  When your TE can't block and that's all he's there for, there is no point whatsoever for him to be on your team.

[Seltzer]

LOL @ these people calling Rivera retarded when he would have another job faster than anyone posting on this board.

There's nothing wrong with wanting him gone after this year, but some people seem so ignorant of the way professional organizations work that it's laughable.

31 teams are watching what he's done with an undrafted backup and thinking wow this guy has kept his team competitive in a brutal NFC.

I'm ok with moving on from Rivera, but certainly not b/c he's "retarded."  You show your own ignorance spouting something so divorced from reality.

[Khyber53]

Just now, Mr. Scot said:

It's actually based in a very simple, and factual standard.

We don't beat good teams.

Might want to look at that injury report. It's foolish to evaluate results without considering conditions.

[LinvilleGorge]

I don't know about their intelligence, I just don't think they're good enough at their jobs. I don't necessarily think a person has to be brilliant to be a good football coach. Dabo Swinney seems like a great guy and he's obviously a helluva football coach but I think he might have a room temperature IQ.

[Mr. Scot]

1 minute ago, Khyber53 said:

Might want to look at that injury report. It's foolish to evaluate results without considering conditions.

Other teams don't get injuries?

It's not just this season. This is been the way it is every season this braintrust has been together.

They're just a lousy combination.

[BurnHurnBurn]

5 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Nah. They're smart. Just not smart enough.

People like to say that Rivera will get another job 5 minutes after he's fired. Probably true, but not a reason to retain him.

Hurney? Nobody pursued him before for even so much as a scout or a consultant job. That probably doesn't change this time around if he's let go.

Rivera got passed over how many times?

Nope.  They aren't.  

[Mr. Scot]

2 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

I don't know about their intelligence, I just don't think they're good enough at their jobs. I don't necessarily think a person has to be brilliant to be a good football coach. Dabo Swinney seems like a great guy and he's obviously a helluva football coach but I think he might have a room temperature IQ.

To be clear, I'm talking more about football intelligence, or you could say football skill, than actual intelligence.