Usually, the only time I like seeing ESPN commentator Skip Bayless on TV is when credits are streaming down his face, indicating that his time is done and another show is up next.
He is a member of the new generation of seemingly cloned and insufferable talking heads who are infecting sports coverage with loud and outlandish comments, sensationalizing themselves for airtime. Just recently, he has advocated taking field goal kicking out of football and claimed that consensus All-American Adam Morrison will not be a good NBA player.
Last week, however, while I was busy bingeing on ESPN, Bayless said something intriguing. The talk of the day was Vince Young's pro day workout, and Bayless indicated how little value he placed in such displays of athletic aptitude. His comments got me thinking, and I decided that I completely agree.
At a pro day, representatives and/or scouts from NFL teams travel to various universities to oversee individual testing and workouts. The day consists of running and agility drills, weightlifting, and showcasing positional skills. The better known prospects with less to prove often pick and choose what aspects of the workout to perform.
During Young's pro day, he ran the 40-yard dash and passed for 45 minutes. On the whole, his quarterbacking showed a quick release, good accuracy, and excellent arm strength. The only negatives included waiting too long for receivers to make cuts, his lack of traditional form, and limiting himself to relatively easy throws.
To me, here is the dilemma. Young spent nearly an hour throwing, but did he really showcase the skills of a quarterback? Sure, he can throw the pigskin fast and straight, but how could he throw it with Dwight Freeney in his face? In this workout, he knew exactly what receiver to hit and where he would end up. How will he fare when his first or second option isn't open? Will waiting too long for receivers turn into drive-crippling interceptions? Can he manage a game and make good decisions?
The problem with these workouts is that they fail to show game-like conditions, and instead obsess about trite physical details. Is a lineman a better blocker because he can bench press a few extra repetitions?
This condition is not limited to the NFL. I can recall watching video of Yao Ming's individual pre-draft session in Chicago. He wowed NBA personnel with his size, strength, shooting touch, and passing ability. And here, at least he had a center (although not an NBA center) trying to guard him.
While Yao's success in the NBA may prove the functionality of these workouts, it is the workout of another giant, this one from Serbia, which disproves their significance. Pavel Podkolzin created buzz before the 2003 Draft with his workout, and one executive said he "is built better and moves more fluidly than Yao Ming, and has a terrific shooting stroke."
Yao Ming is an NBA All-Star. Pavel Podkolzin, after recovering from an illness and an injury, started his last game for the NBDL's Ft. Worth Flyers and had four points in 15 minutes.
Honestly, I think I could do all right in some of these workouts. My arm strength is obviously a slingshot compared to Young's cannon, but I can throw a football pretty straight. Put me with a coach for a day to help with my mechanics and footwork, and my draft stock will soar. I could play out of my ass for a half hour and make the cover of Sports Illustrated.
The same is true with an NBA workout. Minus the whole physically putrid aspect, I could put on an okay showing. I can hit some jump shots and my fundamentals and form are sound. So where's my contract? Who's going to show me the money?
As ridiculous as it seems, this is the prevailing scouting method for NFL and NBA "minds." Obviously, I would have no chance on an NBA court and would pass out on an NFL field, but for some in the sports business, observing a player alone in a gym, and not in a game, is enough.
Don't ask me to explain this scouting ideology, because I don't get it. These are the same thoughts that cause a team to pass on a player who has proven himself in one of the top conferences in college basketball (example: Ryan Gomes). And this is the same method that will get Andrea Bargnani of Italy drafted early in the lottery because he looks good on an Internet highlight video.
I don't get how dash speed and bench press will translate into team success. I don't get how arm angle contributes to wins and losses. I don't get why champions of team sports are determined by watching them play without a team.
Skip Bayless really is a wise man.
Ben Swasey is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached via e-mail at benjamin.swasey@tufts.edu
