Sports Shouting Amplifies "Generational" Players, Illustrates How Propaganda Works
This year four-to-six quarterbacks have been labeled "generational" by at least one "draft expert". How have past first round generational quarterbacks been promoted by the experts?
The 2024 NFL Draft Season is here and according to many of the experts, it's looking like the first three picks in this year's NFL Draft will be quarterbacks. There’s even chatter of a trade up to No. 4 making it four QBs in four selections - which would be a first in NFL history.
There’s even some who believe there will be five QBs in the first five picks. Not one NFL general manager or coach believes this, but in a world of media professionals being paid to produce new compelling content, some “experts” do.
This ESG University Exercise is latest lesson in understanding how media propaganda works. Especially in the world of social media.
Sports Shouting is nothing short of speculation. Speculation with a sports fanatic passion. And the beauty of speculation is you can not be wrong because it’s the future.
That is worth repeating. Speculation can never be wrong, it’s the future and no one knows the future, so it’s always debateable.
Consider this, sports reporters document the past and recite present events. Reporters report. Sports speculators pontificate, predict and have fun. Sports talk shows talk… and speculate… and have fun!
Once the fun is had, who wants to be the buzzkill or end the fun? So the speculation often is enabled and enhanced. And emotionally invested too.
In today’s world where many content producers will repeat their narrative with a slightly different angle to fill time, or produce daily content, it’s easy for them to get emotionally invested into their own speculation.
In the NFL Draft experts and pundantry, ask yourself how many “experts” have had an actually conversation with an NFL executive or player being evaluated. Or is this “expert” just surfing social media accounts of sports brands looking for other people’s opinions to pass off as their own?
This example of how easy someone in sports can get invested into their own delusion can transition to other areas of life, politics and work.
It’s interesting to hear the spin and justification from a “expert” explain why the Chicago Bears organization made the wrong decision with their selection. Then there is the exaggerated language to accompany their spin to help motivate and shame you into their point of view.
When you look back at their results or check their work, it’s easy to see how propaganda works and how it’s amplified in sports shouting. Or state-sponsored media.
2000 NFL Draft
18 - Chad Pennington - New York Jets.
The 2000 NFL Draft can be best summarized by one selection: pick No. 199. While there are certainly names like Lavar Arrington, Chris Samuels, Plaxico Burress, Brian Urlacher, and Jamal Lewis who deserve their own praise, no player from the 2000 class can hold a candle to the career of QB Tom Brady, the greatest draft-day value of all time.
How many “experts” came close to predicting that Tom Brady would be a Super Bowl caliber quarterback? Fair question considering Brady is considered the Greatest Of All Time.
Five different evaluators to longtime NFL analyst Rick Gosselin.
Scout: Awful. Not even on my board. Weak. He’ll make somebody a good husband or a good medical salesman.
Scout II: Has a quick, [former Michigan QB Brian] Griese-type release.
Quarterback coach: Backup. Could be a #2 in this league for a long time. Has the size but not enough arm.
Offensive coordinator: More instinctive than [Michigan State QB Bill] Burke. Makes better decisions, makes more plays.
General manager: Like him. Just wish he was a better athlete.
As New England’s primary starter for 18 seasons, Brady led the Patriots to 17 division titles (including 11 consecutive from 2009 to 2019), 13 AFC Championship Games (including eight consecutive from 2011 to 2018), nine Super Bowl appearances, and six Super Bowl titles, all NFL records for a player and franchise.
He joined the Buccaneers in early 2020 and won Super Bowl LV, extending his individual records to 10 Super Bowl appearances and seven victories.
2001 NFL Draft
1 - Michael Vick - Atlanta Falcons
2002 NFL Draft
1 - David Carr - Houston Texans
3 - Joey Harrington - Detroit Lions
32 - Patrick Ramsey - Washington Redskins
2003 NFL Draft
1 - Carson Palmer - Cincinnati Bengals
7 - Byron Leftwich - Jacksonville Jaguars
19 - Kyle Boller - Baltimore Ravens
22 - Rex Grossman - Chicago Bears
2004 NFL Draft
1 - Eli Manning - New York Giants traded with San Diego Chargers
4 - Phillip Rivers - San Diego Chargers traded with New York Giants
11 - Ben Roethlisberger - Pittsburgh Steelers
22 - JP Losman - Buffalo Bills
The 2004 NFL Draft began with the San Diego Chargers selecting Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning with the first overall selection. Due to his refusal to play for the Chargers, Manning was later traded to the New York Giants for their 4th overall pick Philip Rivers of NC State.
The 2004 draft set several records, including the most wide receivers selected in the first round, with seven. Another record set by the draft was the most trades in the first round, with twenty-eight trades.
The University of Miami set an NFL record for the most first rounders drafted with six, which would be tied by Alabama in 2021. Ohio State set an NFL draft record having 14 total players selected through all rounds in the 2004 draft as well.
2005 NFL Draft
1 - Alex Smith - San Francisco 49ers
24 - Aaron Rogers - Green Bay Packers
25 - Jason Campbell - Washington Redskins
2006 Draft
3 - Vince Young - Tennessee Titans
10 - Matt Leinhart - Arizona Cardinals
11 - Jay Cutler - Denver Broncos
2007 NFL Draft
1 - JaMarcus Russell - Oakland Raiders
22 - Brady Quinn - Cleveland Browns
After Russell, the former LSU QB, was picked No. 1 overall by the Oakland Raiders, Mel Kiper Jr. said this about the new franchise quarterback. “Three years from now you could be looking at a guy that’s certainly one of the elite top five quarterbacks in this league… [the] skill set he has is certainly John Elway-like.”
Three years later, Russell had accumulated a 7-18 starting record and was eating his way out of the league with his ballooning weight — not exactly a career that mirrors one of the greatest QBs in NFL history.
2008 NFL Draft
3 - Matt Ryan - Atlanta Falcons
18 - Joe Flacco - Baltimore Ravens
2009 NFL Draft
1 - Matthew Stafford - Detroit Lions
5 - Mark Sanchez - New York Jets
17 - Josh Freeman - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2010 NFL Draft
1 - Sam Bradford - Los Angeles Rams
25 - Tim Tebow - Denver Broncos
What stood out in Sports Shouting with this draft was second round pick (48th overall) Jimmy Clausen by the Carolina Panthers. While most people viewed Clausen as a second round pick, Mel Kiper Jr. had him as the fourth best player in the entire draft.
People were quick to point out that Kiper’s rankings might be biased because of his friendship with Clausen’s agent, Gary Wichard — something Kiper scoffed at.
Kiper was so confident in his analysis of Clausen that he had this infamous exchange with ESPN foil Todd McShay:
Kiper: “If Jimmy Clausen is not a successful quarterback in the NFL, I’m done. That’s it. I’m out.”
McShay: “What is your time frame, Mel? When do we make that assessment?”
Kiper: “I want eight years.”
2011 NFL Draft
1 - Cam Newton - Carolina Panthers
8 - Jake Locker - Tennessee Titans
10 - Blaine Gabbert - Jacksonville Jaguars
12 - Christian Ponder - Minnesota Vikings
2012 NFL Draft
1 - Andrew Luck - Indianapolis Colts
2 - Robert Griffin III - Washington Redskins
8 - Ryan Tannehill - Miami Dolphins
22 - Brandon Wheeden - Cleveland Browns
2013 NFL Draft
16 - EJ Manuel - Buffalo Bills
"He's got bust written all over him, especially as a first-rounder. I see bust written all over him” Merril Hoge’s pre-draft comments about Johnny Manziel
2014 NFL Draft
3 - Blake Bortels - Jacksonville Jaguars
22 - Johnny Manziel - Cleveland Browns
32 - Teddy Bridgewater - Minnesota Vikings
2015 NFL Draft
1 - Jameis Winston - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2 - Marcus Mariota - Tennessee Titans
2016 NFL Draft
1- Jared Goff - Los Angeles Rams
2 - Carson Wentz - Philadelphia Eagles
26 - Paxton Lynch - Denver Broncos
2017 NFL Draft
2 - Mitchell Trubisky - Chicago Bears
10 - Patrick Mahomes - Kansas City Chiefs
12 - Deshaun Watson - Houston Texans
2018 NFL Draft
1 - Baker Mayfield - Cleveland Browns
3 - Sam Darnold - New York Jets
7 - Josh Allen - Buffalo Bills
10 - Josh Rosen - Arizona Cardinals
32 - Lamar Jackson - Baltimore Ravens
2019 NFL Draft
1 - Kyler Murray - Arizona Cardinals
6 - Daniel Jones - New York Giants
15 - Dwayne Haskins - Washington Redskins
2020 NFL Draft
1 - Joe Burrow - Cincinnati Bengals
5 - Tua Tagovailoa - Miami Dolphins
6 - Justin Herbert - Los Angeles Chargers
26 - Jordan Love - Green Bay Packers
2021 NFL Draft
1 - Trevor Lawrence - Jacksonville Jaguars
2 - Zach Wilson - New York Jets
3 - Trey Lance - San Francisco 49ers
11 - Justin Fields - Chicago Bears
15 - Mac Jones - New England Patriots
Zach Wilson become the fourth first-round quarterback to be traded from the 2021 NFL Draft on Monday. The Jets, less than three years after taking Wilson No. 3 overall, ended up with the return of only a sixth-round pick.
Earlier this offseason, the Patriots sent 2021's No. 15 overall pick, Mac Jones, to the Jaguars for a sixth-rounder. The Bears settled for a conditional sixth-rounder from the Steelers to move on from 2021 No. 11 overall pick, Justin Fields. Last August, the 49ers gave up on 2021 No. 3 overall pick, Trey Lance, flipping him to the Cowboys for only a fourth-round pick.
Only Trevor Lawrence, taken at the top by Jacksonville, has had a “successful” NFL career getting a lucrative long-term second contract. The rest now are now being considered huge QB busts.
2022 NFL Draft
20 - Kenny Pickett - Pittsburgh Steelers
2023 NFL Draft
1 - Bryce Young - Carolina Panthers
2 - CJ Stroud - Houston Texans
4 - Anthony Richardson - Indianapolis Colts
While the hype is infectious and fun, the NFL Draft is a great reminder how quickly FUN can term into passion. Or Fanaticism, which is where the word Fan comes from. Or Fanatic.
The reality is that if you play one snap in the NFL, you are better than most football players in the world, however, the above statement kinda reinforces the fact that most draft picks don’t work out.
Whether they’re busts, didn’t live up to their draft position, had injury or off-field issues, didn’t do much to move the dial, or never played much, most draft picks turn out to be some level of disappointment, or don’t make much of a difference in the team’s success.
In regards to QBs, the homerun rate isn't spectacular in the first-round, but let us not forget that the 49ers happened to stumble into a Pro Bowler with the last pick in the draft.
In conclusion, today’s ESG University Exercise recommends watching the NFL Draft with a bit of suspension of reality while adding a quote from Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber…. “So you’re telling me there’s a chance.”
Hope makes the NFL (and propaganda) much more enjoyable.
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