Zach LINE

[jtstang]

That's cool. Glad to be wrong, that you're not one of the millions of Americans that share this cultural assumption that leads them to make such comparisons. What an amazing statistical coincidence.

Apparently neither are you. Another amazing statistical coincidence I suppose.

[ponyboy]

Oh there are plenty of people out there, jt, who don't share the cultural assumption. I am hardly original there.

Edit: Upon re-reading, I get what you're after. There is a subset of Americans who don't share the cultural assumption that race is bound up in who you will be stylistically as a player, that a white male, for instance, can resemble Michael Jordan in his style of play. Being a part of that group is not the "statistical anomaly" I am talking about. The real anomaly is not sharing the cultural assumption and yet still picking another one in a thousand white guy to compare Zach Line with.

[The PonyGrad]

That's cool. Glad to be wrong, that you're not one of the millions of Americans that share this cultural assumption that leads them to make such comparisons. What an amazing statistical coincidence.

Someone who would make this kind of stereotype is the one with the problem.

[Cadillac]

Riggins was slow, clunky, unathletic. Campbell was big, athletic, and seemed to relish contact.

That sound you hear is your credibility building terminal velocity during its plunge.

I suppose it could have something to do with the fact that most highlights are from the twilight of his career (1982-1985) but the guy was anything but "slow, clunky, un-athletic" You can't be those things and put up over 11,000 yards in the NFL, or break Gale Sayers' career rushing record at Kansas, OR go on to be the 6th overall pick in the draft.

I don't mean this in a demeaning way, but I wonder if it's confirmation bias that has caused you to build up this opinion of Riggins as a Running back, because... well, after all, he's white, so he must be slow, clunky and unathletic.

-CoS

[ponyboy]

Maybe.

Question: Who does Steve Nash's game most resemble?

[Harry0569]

Maybe.

Question: Who does Steve Nash's game most resemble?

Pistol Pete because he's scrappy and creative. High BBIQ...hilarious

[Cadillac]

Maybe.

Question: Who does Steve Nash's game most resemble?

I wish I watched more basketball. The only thing I know about Nash is that he has bad hair. I can't think of any Black NBA players with similar head-mops.

-CoS

[ponyboy]

Most people believe that black people and white people are just... different. Maybe so, maybe no. But that's the cultural assumption. It forms and informs our opinions so that it becomes almost invisible.

But are we really so different?

[Cadillac]

I don't know if we are or are not. But I do know that using the Line/Riggins or Beasely/Welker (which you previously launched this on) comparisons fail to establish your case.

The Welker / Beasely comparison is especially funny, because by almost every statistical measure possible they are almost twins, yet you seem to want to invalidate the comparison because they both happen to be white guys.

-CoS

[ponyboy]

Are there no black receivers who also share similar statistics? Of course there are. The only reason we choose to compare them is that they're both relatively rare as *white* receivers and therefore stick out because of their skin color. That's racial bias and it's real.

[Big Hoss]

Most people believe that black people and white people are just... different. Maybe so, maybe no. But that's the cultural assumption. It forms and informs our opinions so that it becomes almost invisible.

But are we really so different?

Here is the other thing to remember, not everyone has great firsthand knowledge of every back that has ever played in the NFL. If you asked me about Line and who he reminded me of, I might say Riggins as well because he runs through people just like Riggins did.

Running backs today are shiftier than Riggins was, for sure. Since I grew up as a Redskins fan in Virginia, and Riggins was my favorite player, that might also sway my comments. I didn't really watch Earl Campbell that much, largely because the one and only game that was on Sunday afternoons was the Redskins games where I lived.

So can we get back to the original intent of this thread which I believe was to confirm the following:

(a) Zach Line is a bad @ss running back
(b) That while he may not have as many "shifty" moves as some other successful backs in college football today, he still has speed and agility that allow him to break through/avoid tackles
(c) We are f'n lucky to have this caliber of player on our team

If we can agree on all those 3, I think we'll be just fine.

[Big Hoss]

And one other thing to note, Riggins was a [deleted] to tackle. So is Zach. Regardless of speed.

[ponyboy]

I'm with you brother.

[Cadillac]

Are there no black receivers who also share similar statistics? Of course there are. The only reason we choose to compare them is that they're both relatively rare as *white* receivers and therefore stick out because of their skin color. That's racial bias and it's real.

Can you name one?

You can connect these two because of their height and lack of blazing speed. Find me some slow small receivers to put in the pool and we're in it to win it. Yet even with the vast number of wideouts who play the game, I believe that you will be hard pressed to find one who's college career so closely resembles Beas. But I'm guessing you halted your analysis at melanin content which proves your own point I suppose, but probably not in the way you intended.

-CoS

[ponyboy]

I halted it because I've hijacked this thread enough. Let's argue this over a beer sometime.

We all agree Zach's a good running back.