How to break into football analytics

**bt12483** · 03-04-2016, 07:21 AM

Just a list i created that reflects my experience with "analysts" at PFF, etc.

Steps to become a football analytics expert:
1) create Twitter account
2) have no real world football qualifications
3) have preconceived bias
4) collect data and/or watch 3-5 games
5) make up your own "stat"
6) make sure the new "stat" confirms your preconceived bias
7) create colored spreadsheets
8) optional - be European

By following these simple steps, you too can become a football analytics expert!

**bt12483** · 03-04-2016, 07:29 AM

Oh and as you go along, never change your initial opinion of a player, regardless of what happens in the real world

**GOTA** · 03-04-2016, 08:17 AM

Great stuff! That seems to be how to become an expert at anything these days. Greg Cosell can spend years analyzing film but some guy with a Twitter account will be treated exactly the same because he's vocal about his opinions.

**bt12483** · 03-04-2016, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by GOTA

Great stuff! That seems to be how to become an expert at anything these days. Greg Cosell can spend years analyzing film but some guy with a Twitter account will be treated exactly the same because he's vocal about his opinions.

This cian fahey prick is my current enemy #1.

He just "published" a QB evaluation guide.

Now this guy at the end of 2014 professed and proclaimed Ryan Tannehill to be the best upcoming franchise QB, and said that all he needed was more support to essentially become an elite QB.

Lo and behold the dolphins in 2015 did just that: gave Tannehill a shit ton of support....and he subsequently did shit with it.

Did this Fahey prick cop to being wrong? Absolutely not.

He just keeps going about, "evaluating" quarterbacks based on his own subjective bias.

And what exactly qualifies him as a QB guru? Anyone know?

He spouts off about "interceptable passes," but I submit the following.

More often than not, the QBs he "likes" will get the benefit of the doubt and receive a higher "grade", and the QBs he doesn't like, he will be quick to the trigger to detract.

Because when I look for NFL QB evaluation...I look to a mid 20s/early 30s Irishman with an internet connection as the quintessential authority on such matters.

**wickedsolo** · 03-04-2016, 10:18 AM

Lol.

I agree Bt. Saber metrics and advanced analytics are good discussion points and interesting, but they're not gospel - no matter how many people treat them as such.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**Ravenswintitle** · 03-04-2016, 10:37 AM

#9 join the Browns front office

**BigPlayReceiver** · 03-04-2016, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

Lol.

I agree Bt. Saber metrics and advanced analytics are good discussion points and interesting, but they're not gospel - no matter how many people treat them as such.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yup. Good supplemental data and info, but when it drives analysis and judgment, I can't buy-in.

Most of PFF's stats are actually very good IMO, and their review process seems thorough; but WRT to their grades...well, until they "show their work" and convince me that they know what each player's responsibility is on every play, on both sides of the ball...again, I can't buy-in...too many unknowns.

e.g.,

If RB#3 (with his high elusiveness score and high missed tackles score) makes a FS#104 miss then should RB#3 get full credit for that missed tackle? I mean, he's supposed to make awful FS's miss.

Likewise, should FS#104 get credited (blamed, really) for the missed tackle when it was almost guaranteed to happen...particularly, if you clearly see on film that he had to fight through the 6th best blocking TE just to get into position--an unbalanced position--just to have a chance to make an attempt to tackle RB#3.

And this ^^^ is just one reviewer's point of view.

PFF claims that it double and triple checks its work among multiple reviewers. Are they each seeing the same thing? Of course, not. It's very much an inexact science.

**bt12483** · 03-04-2016, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by BigPlayReceiver

Yup. Good supplemental data and info, but when it drives analysis and judgment, I can't buy-in.

Most of PFF's stats are actually very good IMO, and their review process seems thorough; but WRT to their grades...well, until they "show their work" and convince me that they know what each player's responsibility is on every play, on both sides of the ball...again, I can't buy-in...too many unknowns.

e.g.,

If RB#3 (with his high elusiveness score and high missed tackles score) makes a FS#104 miss then should RB#3 get full credit for that missed tackle? I mean, he's supposed to make awful FS's miss.

Likewise, should FS#104 get credited (blamed, really) for the missed tackle when it was almost guaranteed to happen...particularly, if you clearly see on film that he had to fight through the 6th best blocking TE just to get into position--an unbalanced position--just to have a chance to make an attempt to tackle RB#3.

And this ^^^ is just one reviewer's point of view.

PFF claims that it double and triple checks its work among multiple reviewers. Are they each seeing the same thing? Of course, not. It's very much an inexact science.

I find it impossible for them to grade games as quickly as they do now.

How can they possibly digest a game that quickly?

**winnipegraven** · 03-04-2016, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by bt12483

This cian fahey prick is my current enemy #1.

He just "published" a QB evaluation guide.

Now this guy at the end of 2014 professed and proclaimed Ryan Tannehill to be the best upcoming franchise QB, and said that all he needed was more support to essentially become an elite QB.

Lo and behold the dolphins in 2015 did just that: gave Tannehill a shit ton of support....and he subsequently did shit with it.

When was the last time Miami had an offensive line worth a shit? Can give the guy all the playmakers in the world, if he can't stay off his back they become moot.

**Lee Van Cleef** · 03-04-2016, 11:10 AM

Ironically, OP's post conforms to his "go in with a pre-conceived bias" line.

**bt12483** · 03-04-2016, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by Lee Van Cleef

Ironically, OP's post conforms to his "go in with a pre-conceived bias" line.

But I'm not selling supposed objective analysis

**Justlovemybirds** · 03-04-2016, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by bt12483

This cian fahey prick is my current enemy #1.

He just "published" a QB evaluation guide.

Now this guy at the end of 2014 professed and proclaimed Ryan Tannehill to be the best upcoming franchise QB, and said that all he needed was more support to essentially become an elite QB.

Lo and behold the dolphins in 2015 did just that: gave Tannehill a shit ton of support....and he subsequently did shit with it.

Did this Fahey prick cop to being wrong? Absolutely not.

He just keeps going about, "evaluating" quarterbacks based on his own subjective bias.

And what exactly qualifies him as a QB guru? Anyone know?

He spouts off about "interceptable passes," but I submit the following.

More often than not, the QBs he "likes" will get the benefit of the doubt and receive a higher "grade", and the QBs he doesn't like, he will be quick to the trigger to detract.

Because when I look for NFL QB evaluation...I look to a mid 20s/early 30s Irishman with an internet connection as the quintessential authority on such matters.

I don't know what Joe did to that dude but Fahey damn near despises him.

His "interceptable pass" rate? I actually asked him how he comes up with it....no response. Dinging a QB for interceptions he didn't throw based on whatever guesswork criteria you came up with while having even less context than the PFF guys (at least they're contracted out by some teams and have access to more info) is beyond petty.

I'm convinced it's Heath Evans' alternate account.