- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 440,671
- Reaction score
- 44
The game of golf got a major boost in recent days with the Masters. It has received another bump from what has quickly become a pre-draft tradition unlike any other for the Commanders.
Yes, they took a group of 20-plus prospects to Top Golf again.
The fact that the Commanders went from annually irrelevant to the brink of the Super Bowl makes it hard to criticize anything they do. And the folks who cover the team on a regular basis dare not do it. When Commanders fans are the primary consumers of their content, it makes no sense for those who write about the Commanders to do anything other than claim that everything the Commanders are doing is a reflection of a burgeoning dynasty.
But it's still fair to wonder whether it makes sense. What's the purpose of it? How does it help the Commanders identify the right, and wrong, guys for the franchise?
At best, it's a sociological experiment. Throw them into a semi-competitive environment and study them. How do their interact with each other? Who's the natural alpha? Who withdraws from the group? Who's most likely to make fun of those who swing so badly that they'd have more fun throwing the balls from the platform? Who seems to be so good at golf that it's proper to wonder whether they'll spend more time practicing their swing than they will studying film?
Think of it this way. If the Commanders have discovered scouting plutonium by taking a group of prospects on a field trip, why do no other teams do it? It's a copycat league. If the Commanders have stumbled into the ultimate strategy for finalizing a draft board, why wouldn't each of the other 31 teams do it?
Why wouldn't at least one of them do it?
The players don't seem to care, because it's way more fun than the same-old visit. They aren't being asked the same-old questions. They don't have to stand in front of the same-old white board and draw up the same-old plays?
But the Commanders aren't doing it because they believe the players deserve a few hours of fun after weeks of submitting to an elaborate job interview. It's strategic. It's calculated. They're looking for something to help them make good decisions when it's time to decide which of the prospects will be drafted into the effort.
Last year, Jayden Daniels's agent seemed to realize there was something off about it. The Commanders wanted Jayden Daniels. But instead of focusing the day on spending time with him, they brought in multiple other quarterbacks from the incoming class and took them all to Top Golf and pulled out a notebook.
They did it again this year. They seem to be proud of it. It's their thing. And it's still something that other teams have yet to do.
Maybe the other 31 teams are wrong. Or maybe they're all right. In the end, it won't have any impact on winning or losing. It just seems strange.
Saying that doesn't make us "haters." We'd raise the same question if any other team was the one team in the league to do it.
For future prospects who'll visit the Commanders, be advised. Don't let your guard down. They're watching everything you do. They're listening to everything you say. And they'll be making draft decisions based on whatever they see and hear.
Continue reading...
Yes, they took a group of 20-plus prospects to Top Golf again.
The fact that the Commanders went from annually irrelevant to the brink of the Super Bowl makes it hard to criticize anything they do. And the folks who cover the team on a regular basis dare not do it. When Commanders fans are the primary consumers of their content, it makes no sense for those who write about the Commanders to do anything other than claim that everything the Commanders are doing is a reflection of a burgeoning dynasty.
But it's still fair to wonder whether it makes sense. What's the purpose of it? How does it help the Commanders identify the right, and wrong, guys for the franchise?
At best, it's a sociological experiment. Throw them into a semi-competitive environment and study them. How do their interact with each other? Who's the natural alpha? Who withdraws from the group? Who's most likely to make fun of those who swing so badly that they'd have more fun throwing the balls from the platform? Who seems to be so good at golf that it's proper to wonder whether they'll spend more time practicing their swing than they will studying film?
Think of it this way. If the Commanders have discovered scouting plutonium by taking a group of prospects on a field trip, why do no other teams do it? It's a copycat league. If the Commanders have stumbled into the ultimate strategy for finalizing a draft board, why wouldn't each of the other 31 teams do it?
Why wouldn't at least one of them do it?
The players don't seem to care, because it's way more fun than the same-old visit. They aren't being asked the same-old questions. They don't have to stand in front of the same-old white board and draw up the same-old plays?
But the Commanders aren't doing it because they believe the players deserve a few hours of fun after weeks of submitting to an elaborate job interview. It's strategic. It's calculated. They're looking for something to help them make good decisions when it's time to decide which of the prospects will be drafted into the effort.
Last year, Jayden Daniels's agent seemed to realize there was something off about it. The Commanders wanted Jayden Daniels. But instead of focusing the day on spending time with him, they brought in multiple other quarterbacks from the incoming class and took them all to Top Golf and pulled out a notebook.
They did it again this year. They seem to be proud of it. It's their thing. And it's still something that other teams have yet to do.
Maybe the other 31 teams are wrong. Or maybe they're all right. In the end, it won't have any impact on winning or losing. It just seems strange.
Saying that doesn't make us "haters." We'd raise the same question if any other team was the one team in the league to do it.
For future prospects who'll visit the Commanders, be advised. Don't let your guard down. They're watching everything you do. They're listening to everything you say. And they'll be making draft decisions based on whatever they see and hear.
Continue reading...
