Here’s an amusing (and somewhat sad) clip from the weekend’s Ohio State-Northern Illinois game. Analyst Ed Cunningham was talking about the statistical data that proves coaches should go for 4th and short situations much more than they actually do. Play by play man Mike Patrick was not impressed and showed utter disdain for these things called “statistics” invading a perfectly fine football telecast. He then went on to ridicule all those statisticians and mathematicians who presumably still live in their mother’s basements even after finding gainful employment.
First and foremost, don’t knock wearing socks with sandals until you’ve tried it.
Second, this isn’t even a rant aimed at sabermetricians or some kind of goofy acronym. Cunningham’s reference to football coaches making more informed decisions was kind of innocuous wasn’t it? Can you imagine Patrick’s reaction if he would have called it FOPL or something like that?
Third, this isn’t Mike Patrick’s first bizarre rant from out in left field. At least this one didn’t involve Britney Spears.
[Video via The Big Lead]
