Read Sports Geek’s argument that performance at the collegiate level is the measure by which college athletes should be rated and evaluated, and Loyal Homer’s argument that the players potential to perform in the NFL is a better standard by which to gauge and evaluate them.
I am going to just cut to the chase. I am giving this debate to Sports Geek.
The key point that Sports Geek makes, which ultimately earned the victory, was the breakdown of the differences between college and professional football. Different strategies apply, and different qualities can be valued in each game. I agree completely with Sports Geek in that regard.
Imagine if Michael Jordan were measured by that standard. He could not make the transition into baseball, but his basketball career is still regarded as legendary. If the standard were to measure people solely based on where they were going, and not what they had accomplished, then Michael Jordan surely would have been considered a substandard player.
Loyal Homer’s argument includes the analogy of interviewing for a job straight out of college, stating that employers hire you for potential. I disagree with that statement, though, because the potential of that prospective employee is still ascertained based upon the grades received in college. Those grades are assigned based on in-class performance, not on future projections.
My grade in Business Statistics was given based on the work I did while in class. A combination of my homework and my test scores were put together to determine my success in that class. I was not graded on how likely I would be to successfully apply that information in the business world. I would have likely failed most of my classes if that were the case!
Loyal Homer’s point is well-taken and not without merit. For many athletes, the ultimate goal is to reach the NFL, and the media is absolutely right to evaluate which of those athletes are most likely to succeed there. There is nothing wrong with evaluating and rating players on their likelihood for success at the next level. High school athletes are scouted to evaluate their chances of success in college, just as college players are evaluated by professional scouts.
That type of predictive analysis should be kept separate from an evaluation of the athlete’s performance in college, though. “Success” is determined on the field.
