Big Blue Huddle

Well, I got my Mohs surgery overwith and the pain is not too bad. I have a big bulging bandage on my face, but at least my eyes didn't turn black like the last time. The surgeon didn't biopsy around my eyelid and sent a referral to a place in Syracuse that specializes in cancer treatment and reconstruction of the eyelid and surrounding areas...yay! 

Leaving for Wisconsin tomorrow to help my son move, even though I have strict orders from my doctor to not lift anything heavy for 10 days. He says his friends out there will take care of moving stuff, so that's good. I hate the trip, especially driving on 90 through Chicago, which can be a real nightmare if you hit it at the wrong time. I've done that several times in the last few years, and it's no fun. Should be back by Tuesday at the latest...knock on wood

I don't know much about the admirals, but my father was a navy man in WWII and the Korean War. My dad was a boatswain mate on the USS New Jersey (Big Mo's sister ship) and he had a 35mm camera and took a lot of pictures and sold them to other sailors who didn't have cameras. I once pointed at a picture and asked him what that picture was, and he said, "that's Bull Halsey, our admiral". He was genuinely star struck to meet Halsey. Unfortunately, I don't have the picture and my dad is no longer around so that I can ask him about Halsey. I know he admired Halsey and was over-the-top excited to meet him and take his picture

I suspect all the admirals were all excellent warriors. I only know who Halsey was, and that he was called "Bull", because of my father

He looks fine to me. I've been around guys who look thin, but are exceptionally strong. Some call it "string muscle" vs "mass muscle". Those thin guys tend to be not only strong, but also faster and more flexible. I'm no expert on muscle, so I did some research

From ChatGPT:

"The phenomenon where some men who look skinny are stronger than those who look muscular can be attributed to several factors, including muscle density, training style, genetics, and neuromuscular efficiency. Here's a detailed explanation:

1. Muscle Density

Lean Muscle Mass: Muscular appearance is often associated with larger muscle size, but this doesn't necessarily equate to strength. Strength is more closely related to the density and quality of muscle fibers.

Muscle Composition: Some people have a higher proportion of type II (fast-twitch) muscle fibers, which are more powerful and contribute to greater strength.

2. Training Style

Strength Training vs. Hypertrophy: Men who look muscular may focus on hypertrophy (increasing muscle size) through high-repetition, moderate-weight training. In contrast, those who appear skinny might engage in strength training with low repetitions and higher weights, leading to increased strength without significant muscle size gain.

Functional Strength: Athletes in sports that require functional strength (e.g., gymnastics, rock climbing) often develop exceptional strength without significant increases in muscle size.

3. Neuromuscular Efficiency

Motor Unit Recruitment: Stronger individuals often have better neuromuscular efficiency, meaning their nervous system is more effective at activating muscle fibers. This allows them to generate more force with the muscle mass they have.
   
Coordination and Technique: Skill and technique play significant roles in strength. Someone who is "skinny" might have developed excellent lifting techniques and motor patterns, allowing them to lift more efficiently.

4. Genetics

Genetic Predisposition: Genetics influence muscle fiber composition, tendon insertion points, limb length, and other factors that can affect strength. Some individuals are genetically predisposed to be stronger despite not having large muscles."

Regardless, I think Flott takes too much flack from fans for not looking like Charles Atlas. He was doing pretty well towards the end of last season. So much of football has to do with the muscle inside the skull - anticipation, understanding moves, ability to readjust quickly, etc. I tend to give coaches credit for understanding things that I don't, and I believe if the coaches didn't think Flott has potential, he'd be long gone

Glad to hear it went well 

I can't think of too many, but I expected to see: "How you doin?" Joey (Friends)

Here's some off the top of my head:

"Let's go to the tape" (Warner Wolf)
"And here's the rest of the story" (Paul Harvey)
"Juuust a bit outside." - Harry Doyle (Bob Ueker)
"That's my spot" (Sheldon Cooper, Big Bang Theory)
"Dy-NOOO-mite" (JJ Walker - Good Times)
"You're killing me Smalls" (Sandlot)
"Never ends for Raymond. I go to work, people shoot at me. Ray goes to work, people do the wave." ... Robert (Everybody Loves Raymond)
"What do you want me to do, die of old age?" (Robert Duvall, a 90 year old telling Michael Caine why he bought a plane that he had to put together himself..."Second Hand Lions"

Quote from: uconnjack8 on May 20, 2024, 08:46:41 AMDoes he possess those same intangibles as Pace?

I don't know. Two different positions. Last year Pace was called by "Fansided" as the second best LB in the draft behind Jack Campbell. I had pushed for the Giants to draft him and was going crazy when he was still sitting there in the 7th and immediately disgusted when I saw the Vikings snatched him up as an UDFA

As far as Chatman goes - not a clue But you can bet I'll be watching him closely to see if he has that "it" factor...hope so

Quote from: uconnjack8 on May 20, 2024, 08:08:56 AMWhy wasn't he drafted?

Same reason Ivan Pace Jr. wasn't drafted last year..."a couple inches too short"..."doesn't fit prototypical size for the NFL", etc. Pace turned out to be the best LB on the Vikings team last year even though he was a UDFA. Made the "All NFL Defensive Rookie Team"

Hopefully, this situation with Chatman is a similar situation concerning why he wasn't drafted. Maybe we catch lightning in a bottle

Look at his RAS Score Card...almost entirely green (elite) "strength, explosion, and speed", but overall score brought down big time by the red (very poor) because of his size and 3-cone. He's basically a low-to-the-ground wild badger in a trench




Notice Ivan Pace Jr.'s RAS score...you'd think he'd never make a team. Yet he just instinctively understands football and how to disrupt, sniff out the ball, and attack like an angry badger



Moral of the story: there's more to playing football than size and athleticism

The dream has ended 

Hats off to Indiana, who shot the ever-living lights out at the Garden today. They couldn't miss even if they took nothing but hook shots with their eyes closed 

Wait til next season 

Quote from: AZGiantFan on May 18, 2024, 02:34:40 PMIf you want smart, Mayim Bialik of The Big Bang Theory and Jeopardyshould do it for you.  She actually DOES have a doctorate in microbiology in real life.

Mayim is smart, no doubt, but one celebrity with a scary high IQ is Goldie Hawn...who'da thunk it 

Goldie was famous for her role playing a ditzy blonde...a role she hated, but it put food on the table. Her IQ is 148 and qualifies for the Mensa Society (must have IQ in top 2% of population).

Even smarter than Goldie, is another celebrity who played a ditzy blonde: Lisa Kudrow with an IQ of 154

Highest IQ measured of a person everyone knows: British comedian Rowan Atkinson (plays ditz "Mr. Bean" who has an IQ 178). That's higher than Einstein and Stephen Hawkings. Another genius is Dolph Lundren (played the boxer against Balboa in Rocky IV) who worked as a bouncer while earning degrees from Royal Institute of Technology (BS chemistry); University of Sydney (MS chemical Engineering); Washington State University (MS) and was working on his PhD at MIT when he quit school and chose acting for a career. His IQ is 165. Another guy who plays an idiot, but has a high IQ is Ken Jeong, who was a medical doctor before switching to comedy and acting. He has his degrees from Duke and the UNC School of Medicine, and practiced medicine for several years as a physician in Oakland, CA at a huge hospital (Kaiser Permanente)

Smart people hide among us...and some of them are getting rich by playing a ditz or playing a brute...or being a model or musician. Must be good money in getting celebrity status, lol

Quote from: Ed Vette on May 18, 2024, 11:46:09 AMIf you think this was a knee jerk reaction by Banks and Papa and not a case of following marching orders to have a successful introduction to the 100 year anniversary, then Ric I have an Oil Well to sell you in Asbury Park.

How much you asking for it? 

I blame the majority media for creating a "bash DJ" emotion among many fans. From the very get go of the draft when we took Daniel Jones, the talking heads (that's what they are because they are not coaches hired for their incredible insight, knowledge, and hands on development of QBs), went insane over the pick because (as all talking heads) they need appear profound in their knowledge so that fans actually buy their BS. Now, they (talking heads) are deeply invested in proving themselves right and will never let it go because they need the ego-boost that they are worthy of getting big bucks to tell fans what they should feel, rather than their own feelings about a player. The talking heads haven't let go of their hatred for Jones since the moment he was chosen. In so doing, they have converted a lot of fans into buying their BS

How many criticisms from talking heads talked negatively about Dak Prescott after his 14 fumbles and 10 interceptions in 2021 (in 12 games). Nary a complaint from talking heads about his ridiculous turnover rate (multiple times more than DJ) or about his salary. BTW, DJ had 7 fumbles in 21...literally half that of Prescott. Most likely, talking heads have the same shortsighted mindset that is, "all winning is done by the QB" and therefore, Prescott is worth his 4-year, $160 million contract, which includes no-trade and no-tag clauses  Could it be because Prescott plays behind a real NFL offensive line...or that their defense was excellent...or that their skill players were better than average?

Here's another interesting stat:

What QB had the most turnovers in their career?

NAME                    TO    % RATE
Brett Favre             363    7.1
Eli Manning            300    7.0
Drew Brees            285    7.6
Vinny Testaverde    278    6.9
Peyton Manning    268    7.7
Ben Roethlisberger  262    7.6
Tom Brady              260    7.4

BTW, the lowest TO rate is held by Kerry Collins

I guess what can be taken from that is that successful QBs tend to be gunslingers who take more chances than less successful QBs

Regardless...getting down on Carl Banks for being frustrated with the negative vibe, not only from fans, but from most media outlets, is a normal reaction. That same frustration is held by all the players on the team who have great faith in DJ, as do I

To sum it up:

I believe DJ is extremely talented (height, arm strength, highly mobile, accurate, etc), as do all the players on the team and the coaches. No one from the comfort of their couch, beer in hand, watching TV knows what DJ has been told to do, or even a hint of an idea how well or fast he processes information...even when they claim to be mind readers. And yeah, we are all well-aware that the team has sucked for a long time now. We don't need more stats to know that. Yet, not all of us believe a great QB can make a "less than mediocre team" to the Super Bowl, nor are we stuck in that "short-sighted" mindset that it's a "team game". All the regurgitated stats proving DJ sucks does not change anyone's opinion. The problem has been across the board and is not an overnight fix. Trying to convince the rest of us that we would be a winning team if we just drafted a different QB isn't changing minds

Oh well...so much for staying out of it...duhhh

I readily admit to being a fan who believes in DJ. But I avoid threads that have turned into DJ bashing and simply move on. If I point out that his teammates believe in him, or that the coaches have more insight than me, I get a few hundred word diatribe in response from those who feel the need to convince me to share their opinion. And those people will carry out their oft-repeated invective until fingers are numb from typing. So, as a believer in DJ, I almost always keep away from the discussions. The gentlemen's approach to "let's just agree to disagree" is used in most areas, but certainly not when it comes to DJ. The "haters" feel obligated to proselytize me to their belief. I am a staunch independent in everything when it comes to living my life. I do not join bandwagons to feel comfortable in my own skin. If people don't like me or don't share my opinion, oh well...qué será, será. In the immortal words of Popeye, "I yam what I yam"...a believer in Daniel Jones

So I avoid the subject for sanity's sake

A completely different scenario. Last night, Nestor Cortez was called for an "illegal pitch" because he varied from his trademark exaggerated motion meant to disrupt the hitter's timing, by pitching "quickly". His entire repertoire is based on keeping a batter off balance

Regardless, this brought out Boone from the dugout to get an explanation and to share a few profanities. The ump (Laz Diaz) has made a lot of controversial calls that fans from other teams complain about

This morning in the NY news, it's a discussion and most believe it is not illegal to "quick pitch", simply because a pitcher winds up like a normal pitcher when he has a reputation of a herky-jerky, in-windup-hitch, etc. Thoughts?

Quote from: Trench on May 17, 2024, 01:05:18 AMInteresting regarding Maye as it pertains to our own scouting dept which wanted to give up the ship for the guy. Obviously it's week one and time will tell. Interesting however

Actually, no one except Schoen knows what was offered or even how seriously he was...or if there was really an offer ever made in the first place. I've read dozens of reports, and they are all built on conjecture followed by wild-ass guesses. The actual "offer" is sheer speculation and nothing more. But now it's NFL Gospel, built upon pundits quoting other pundits quoting "insiders" (there were no leaks, LOL), that the Giants wanted Maye, and were willing to mortgage the farm to get him. Schoen might have been serious, might have been gauging the Patriots' real interest, or a complete ruse to throw other teams off their trail...who knows? No one except Schoen and the Patriots' Eliot Wolf. But I expect to hear for the next few years that the Giants wanted Maye...yet we'll never know unless Schoen retires and decides to share his strategy going into the 2024 draft

I also read (prior to the draft), that Maye's stock had been falling, perhaps even to the back end of round one. Then within a week of the draft, his stock went back up  I also read that he was Daniel Jones 2.0. I also read that his talent did not match his hype, etc., etc. But I guess it makes sense that fans (hoping for a new QB project) believe that Schoen wasn't interested in a top WR when he could have gotten a QB to set us back several years. Personally, I hope Maye succeeds (unless playing the Giants), and maybe he will. I'm just glad we're not the ones with our fingers crossed, hoping that Maye is so much better than DJ that we have visions of super bowls dancing in our heads

Lenn - here's a video of how the U.S. was really built. It's all about rivers, favorable soil, favorable weather, and natural resources. According to this documentary, pretty much any type of government or people from any cultural background, would've turned the U.S. into an unequaled worldwide powerhouse simply due to geography