Donovan Peoples-Jones

[D Bone]

1 hour ago, calfoxwc said:

 back in the day, my cousin ran motorcross, had some pretty back wrecks, a couple were caused by other riders. I didn't care for it - he ended up with a few months of recovery - so I stayed with enduroes - 2.5 hrs of riding down dry or whte water creek beds down mountains, through miles of woods...down rail road ties with no rails, through giant mudholes, through flooded dirt roads, etc etc.

  I know, because I was riding way too fast on a mountain ridge in Virginia, trying to catch up with my cousin, but someone had wrecked and tore down the red warning ribbon. So, splashing through mountain laurel blooms, no warning ribbon, I went off a mountain ridge and hit a tree about ten feet on the ground.

   Sprained by back pretty bad, the bike landed on me - not one tree had any sympathy for me, so pretending to be hurt wouldn't have worked anyways. I never could get the bike off me til a clean up crew of two riders came by up the mountain, saw the ribbon gone, and searched for me.  I actually had to ride about six miles to a dirt road, and I don't remember how far down the dirt road back to the start.

   And, I was in the Air Force, and had to drive back to Ohio to be at work the next morning. I made it.

and THAT was more fun than soccer.

    You get banged up enough without pretended to be hurt. And usually, you are miles from the nearest other human being, so pretending wouldn't do any good anyways. LOL

   Soccer is like no-ice hockey - I just don't appreciate it. It's boring and/or aggravating most of the time. Unless it's watching kids play - that is fun.

   Fishing and not catching anything because a cold front is coming in, and the wind keeps grabbing at your canoe...

that is really far more exciting than soccer. Just my opinion.

  Football is special. Controlled team play from snaps of the ball, a war of 11 on 11, or in the case of playing the squeelers, 11 on 11+1 squeeler fan referee. lol

Someone else gets it! So cool. I was oh so close to making it big time in supercross/motocross, but in the end, I just wasn't talented enough and I didn't work near hard enough to over come it. We're talking '84 here, so no coaches or internet to help show me the way and since I was the fastest in my area, no one to chase to push my undisciplined 17yr old self during the week. 

Man, I'm glad I know that you've ridden and raced, and it was great talking about a real sport on this thread! 

[The Gipper]

21 hours ago, hoorta said:

No doubt  baseball is on the way out Woody. All of  April is gone in the MLB season, and except for the few hardcore fans, I doubt anyone  has missed it.

That is just stupid.  The entire nation misses it.  NO ONE is missing soccer, at all. 

 

Nothing more meaningless than a regular season game.

Again...stupd.  What if your team loses out on a playoff game by one game? 

(I like Nero's math) They could easily knock off 62 or more games, except they couldn't pay those astronomical salaries.

That is true for all sports.  They didn't need  16-17 football games...until they realized that  16 means more money than the 14-12 games the season used to be.  And the NHL and NBA seasons?    They could do with only  50-60 games. Not  82. 

 Those IMHO will be the thing that eventually  kills off the sport.

 

That, and to an ever increasing number of sports fans, it's just too  damn boring.

Except....the key words were "ever increasing number of fans"...because fan attendance in baseball continues to go up and up.  And why has soccer not caught on much in this country?  Too boring

If Gip says something could happen  on every  pitch, well 90% of the time, nothing does.

Of course something happens on each pitch....a ball or a strike happens...which is part of the process of the game.  It would be like saying:  90% of football plays, nothing happens because the team only gained 1 or 2 yards on a play. It is all part of the progression of the game.  In soccer, it is 99.99% of the time that nothing happens...a there is actuall NO  potential of anything happening. 

Most  fans at a game are more  interested in when they're going to get  their next beer than in the actual game. You could go to the beach, drink, watch the waves come in "ooohhh THAT was a big one!!!" Not spend money on a ticket, and probably have as much fun.  :) 

And watching grass grow is the equivalent of watching a soccer game.  You know like when during the 3-4 times in each game a team actually attacks the goal....and it is like  "oh , wow ...a dandelion just popped up!!)

 

[The Gipper]

20 hours ago, MLD Woody said:

Just for the record, there's a difference between "there's nothing happening" and "you not understanding what's happening".

I know there is movement..  So what.  There is movement in watching guys run a marathon.  

 

There is nothing happening off the ball in baseball and everyone just stands around waiting. 

There's always something happening in soccer.

What?  a guy runs across the grass.  

 

Baseball had a good run. During the great depression it was probably super exciting. But let's get over the "national past time" junk and see it for what it is

What it is still probably the second most popular sport in this country....and maybe the world.  (remember...they love it in Asia and in Hispanic.  It is ONLY Europe that is not down with it.  

 

[MLD Woody]

Good ole Gip "I am right, my opinion is fact, and no evidence you can provide will prove differently because I have the best type of evidence, anecdotal."

[The Gipper]

11 hours ago, hoorta said:

1) And they don't even want to try.

2) Conveniently ignored. Little League, you could stand around in the outfield for a couple innings, and most of the time, take a nap. 

Ah beisbool is for those really old guys who can say- when I was a young whipper snapper my great-great grand daddy went out to stadiums that don't exist anymore to see Ty Cobb, Tris speaker, and them old time greats play baseball. They'll be able to watch every Indians game from their rooms in the nursing homes soon. And you would have to be around 80 to actually remember when the Tribe won it's last World Series. 

Can't blame Gipper because he likes to live in the past. I never saw Otto Graham play- and he didn't either- unless his Mom took him to a Browns game when he was 3 years old.   

 

Your answers are getting dumber and dumber on this subject Larry.  

Baseball is no more a game of the past than is  any other sport  (except maybe gladiator fighting...actual gladiator fighting).  

A.  There are massive superstar players playing in the game right now.  Many, many well known names.    As far as  soccer is concerned...I don't know of a single star name from the MLS league.   Well, I know one name:  that Rooney guy who is just a washed up Euro player, and who shoots his mouth off often  (but...I don't mind that, at least that gets us to know his name).  

B. The game has higher attendance now  (pre-virus)  than ever.    And tons and tons of those are little kids.  

C. Is it somewhat relaxed in the way you watch it?  Probably.  Which may in fact be part of the beauty of it...and part of the continued appeal of it. 

[The Gipper]

2 hours ago, MLD Woody said:

Amen

Yet, I know more about the past present and future than you do. 

Oh...except, no, I have not memorized the Fuck Michigan U roster.  

Why?  Well, because:  Fuck Michigan. 

[The Gipper]

3 hours ago, Zombo said:

This Is a very long thread for a 6th round pick.

I just wanna know if he returns kicks.

Z

Its because it is a Soccer thread now....ripe for closure or movement. 

And I had posted his kick return numbers earlier in this thread. 

[Nero]

8 minutes ago, The Gipper said:

Yet, I know more about the past present and future than you do. 

Oh...except, no, I have not memorized the Fuck Michigan U roster.  

Why?  Well, because:  Fuck Michigan. 

Gotta love the smart comebacks. I may introduce my 5 year old nephew to the forum. He'd fit perfectly. 

[The Gipper]

18 minutes ago, MLD Woody said:

Good ole Gip "I am right, my opinion is fact, and no evidence you can provide will prove differently because I have the best type of evidence, anecdotal."

You have not provided ANY evidence. .....YOURs is just YOUR opinion, anecdotal. 

You do understand that I know what evidence is, do you?   

Your evidence is:  a game exists called soccer that I like better.   This is merely an opinion based argument.

Maybe I should link you to the rules of evidence so that you can learn how to present some. 

https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/LegalResources/Rules/evidence/evidence.pdf

[Nero]

50 minutes ago, The Gipper said:

Again....just a display of lack of understanding of the game.  Baseball is played every day....162 games.  Football only plays 16 games (for now).  Soccer is only a once a week sport mostly.    It is just the nature of the sport. Your argument seems to be that the more  touches of the ball somehow dissipates each  touch.  

Or, you could look at it as baseball has 10 more times the opportunities for something exciting to happen.   

And maybe what you also don't understand is that  those game where on few of those "touches" result  nothing happen....may be among the most exciting plays in the game.  There may be nothing more intense and exciting than a good pitchers duel.  Again the duel word comes into play. Each at bat is a duel, pitcher vs. batter.  And pitcher vs. pitcher duels  can be as exciting as the Earps vs. Clanton. 

Woah, cowboy. I don't like it, but I understand the game. I've seen baseball videos on Youtube, but I would only assist a game if it was live in the US. No f***ing way I'm watching it at late night in Spain in the TV. 

We watch sports to be entertained. I already said that I prefer American Football, and one of the reasons is that it undeniably has packed more action than baseball does, that was my point. It wasn't an anti baseball rant. To each its own, as I said.

And I tried to simplify to the limit my math, considering a perfect pitchers' MBL, because at some point it is about scoring points and you only do that by hitting the ball** and to state my point I wanted the hipothesis with less plays. I know that a pitching battle is a thrill, mostly because there are hundreds of stats, the pitch count etc, but it didn't favor making a simple math example of why baseball is less "action packed" than many sports. And in my example I didn't put soccer because it has a running clock, so there's a very gray area about what is really a play and you cannot use pure math. 

**NOTE: Don't dare you go tangent to the subject and say that you can get a run not hitting the ball. I know you can, but it is not (or should not be) the main goal of the sport. 

[The Gipper]

20 minutes ago, Nero said:

Woah, cowboy. I don't like it, but I understand the game.

You may have a peripheral understanding of the game....But to say that nothing happens on 90% is just wrong.  (or maybe that was not you).  

I've seen baseball videos on Youtube, but I would only assist a game if it was live in the US. No f***ing way I'm watching it at late night in Spain in the TV. 

We watch sports to be entertained. I already said that I prefer American Football, and one of the reasons is that it undeniably has packed more action than baseball does, that was my point. It wasn't an anti baseball rant. To each its own, as I said.

And I tried to simplify to the limit my math, considering a perfect pitchers' MBL, because at some point it is about scoring points and you only do that by hitting the ball and to state my point I wanted the hipothesis with less plays.

Well...see, now that is where you are off some.  It is NOT just about scoring points necessarily.   Just like in Football....it is also about preventing the other team from scoring. And just like in football your defense wants to limit the number of "plays"  (in baseball terms...it is at bats).  A 13-10 football game can be a very exciting defensive matchup, just like a 2-1 game.   Sure.  58-48 football game and  14-13 baseball game can be exciting....but the POINT is to score more points than the other team, and limiting the other team from scoring helps that. 

I know that a pitching battle is a thrill, mostly because there are hundreds of stats, the pitch count etc, but it didn't favor making a simple math example of why baseball is less "action packed" than many sports.

Well....actually,  Math is what many people think makes baseball a much MORE  exciting sport.   There is probably no sport on earth that is more math oriented.  And they have come up with all kinds of new mathematical based stats for baseball which, to be honest, I don't understand much.  Baseball probably appeals more to "Nerds" than any other sport.   FYI, in this country.  it was common for teachers,  grade school level in particular, to use baseball stats as an exercise to make math problems more interesting.

And just look at all the stats that exist in baseball:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_statistics

And in my example I didn't put soccer because it has a running clock, so there's a very gray area about what is really a play and you cannot use pure math. 

Well....here also are a couple of the beautiful;interesting  things about baseball:    A.  It may be the only team sport that does not use a clock.  As Yogi said:  "Its over when its over"  (not when some clock runs out) (though sure, sports like golf and tennis don't have official clocks).  B.  It may be the only sport where the defense controls the ball.   (though maybe cricket is similar that way) 

I do understand that in all the "goal" clone games:   Soccer/hockey/water polo/European handball/ field hockey /lacrosse  that "plays" are less well defined, particularly than in football. 

 

[calfoxwc]

46 minutes ago, D Bone said:

Someone else gets it! So cool. I was oh so close to making it big time in supercross/motocross, but in the end, I just wasn't talented enough and I didn't work near hard enough to over come it. We're talking '84 here, so no coaches or internet to help show me the way and since I was the fastest in my area, no one to chase to push my undisciplined 17yr old self during the week. 

Man, I'm glad I know that you've ridden and raced, and it was great talking about a real sport on this thread! 

   I was no good at motorcross - I'd been around the track - it was my version of dangerous skydiving - except skydiving I never did because... well... the wreck if you have one is way too violent for me. I rode my suzuki 250... and my cousin's Penton handled so much better.

   Still, I had had enough of having a bad knee all my life - I didn't want to wreck the rest of me. I ran a hare scramble once - it was like a low budget slower motorcross, lol, I wrecked once, but finished strong...and a pretty gal gave me a picture of me up in the air on the biggest jump...later on at the next enduro. It was her hobby - her boyfriend ran motorcross too.

   I saw how dang high I was, and quit that too. I loved fast trail riding - I rose to the level of my competence and stayed non-back injured.

   My cousin won a bet once - a friend bet him he couldn't ride his street honda 750 around the motorcross track. He did. 50 bucks. lol

[Unsympathetic]

15 hours ago, Barry said:

This is what concerns me the most. 

If the quickness (as opposed to speed) and twitch isn't there it ain't going to grow on him.

My favorite quote from his NFL.com draft profile:

"Play speed is very gradual and non-threatening"

[Nero]

22 minutes ago, Unsympathetic said:

My favorite quote from his NFL.com draft profile:

"Play speed is very gradual and non-threatening"

Watching his highlights, to me he looks more like a long stride fast runner, than a sprinter. I mean, it looks like he has a nice top speed, but he doesn't reach it as fast as other players (and THAT is a threatening trait). 

[MLD Woody]

6 minutes ago, Nero said:

Watching his highlights, to me he looks more like a long stride fast runner, than a sprinter. I mean, it looks like he has a nice top speed, but he doesn't reach it as fast as other players (and THAT is a threatening trait). 

Which is interesting, given his broad and vert, you'd think he'd be pretty explosive. May be a route running technique thing. 

I don't think he could have a better WR room to be in though with Jarvis and Odell (maybe one with Fitz haha)

[Nero]

2 minutes ago, MLD Woody said:

Which is interesting, given his broad and vert, you'd think he'd be pretty explosive. May be a route running technique thing. 

I don't think he could have a better WR room to be in though with Jarvis and Odell (maybe one with Fitz haha)

It is interesting, but maybe those skills are not corelated. Back to soccer, Messi in his prime I would say had one of the fastest 0 to 100 sprint in soccer, and height doesn't help but I wouldn't say he has the best broad and vert ever. 

DPJ is now a Brown so let's hope he earns his spot and contributes. He definitely has a nice WR room to look up to and at the same time joining such a couple must instantly make you more humble on your skills lol. 

[MLD Woody]

15 minutes ago, Nero said:

It is interesting, but maybe those skills are not corelated. Back to soccer, Messi in his prime I would say had one of the fastest 0 to 100 sprint in soccer, and height doesn't help but I wouldn't say he has the best broad and vert ever. 

DPJ is now a Brown so let's hope he earns his spot and contributes. He definitely has a nice WR room to look up to and at the same time joining such a couple must instantly make you more humble on your skills lol. 

Small stride length can help build acceleration quickly. I deal with it playing soccer myself. At 6'4" it takes me longer to get going that someone that's 5'9", but once I have my strides going I can match (generally speaking)

[MLD Woody]

https://news.gallup.com/poll/224864/football-americans-favorite-sport-watch.aspx

The 9% of Americans who mention baseball as their favorite sport to watch is the lowest percentage for the sport since Gallup first asked the question in 1937

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-attendance-continues-to-drop-following-worst-season-since-2003-223509591.html

The Associated Press reported on Thursday that the average attendance for MLB games this season is 26,854 through Wednesday. That marks a 1.4 percent drop from last year’s tally of 27,242 at the same point of the season.

2018 was the first season since 2003 that average attendance for MLB games dropped below 30,000, according to AP.

 

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-sports-with-the-oldest-and-youngest-tv-audiences-2017-06-30

Major League Baseball’s television audience is among the oldest in professional sports, according to data recently released by Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal and Magna Global. The average age of a baseball viewer is 57, up from 52 in 2006. There won’t be a youth movement, either, as just 7% of baseball’s audience is below age 18.

 

All sports have aging viewers, as the country is aging, but MLB is the oldest major sport and outpacing the age growth rate. MLS on the other hand is among the youngest. 

[Nero]

24 minutes ago, MLD Woody said:

Small stride length can help build acceleration quickly. I deal with it playing soccer myself. At 6'4" it takes me longer to get going that someone that's 5'9", but once I have my strides going I can match (generally speaking)

6'4"? Fuck me. I'm glad that I have never said any real hurtful thing about TTUN and I have the Atlantic Ocean between us. Striker, defender? Don't tell me you play midfield. 

[calfoxwc]

9 minutes ago, Nero said:

6'4"? Fuck me. I'm glad that I have never said any real hurtful thing about TTUN and I have the Atlantic Ocean between us. Striker, defender? Don't tell me you play midfield. 

[hoorta]

28 minutes ago, MLD Woody said:

https://news.gallup.com/poll/224864/football-americans-favorite-sport-watch.aspx

The 9% of Americans who mention baseball as their favorite sport to watch is the lowest percentage for the sport since Gallup first asked the question in 1937

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-attendance-continues-to-drop-following-worst-season-since-2003-223509591.html

The Associated Press reported on Thursday that the average attendance for MLB games this season is 26,854 through Wednesday. That marks a 1.4 percent drop from last year’s tally of 27,242 at the same point of the season.

2018 was the first season since 2003 that average attendance for MLB games dropped below 30,000, according to AP.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-sports-with-the-oldest-and-youngest-tv-audiences-2017-06-30

Major League Baseball’s television audience is among the oldest in professional sports, according to data recently released by Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal and Magna Global. The average age of a baseball viewer is 57, up from 52 in 2006. There won’t be a youth movement, either, as just 7% of baseball’s audience is below age 18.

All sports have aging viewers, as the country is aging, but MLB is the oldest major sport and outpacing the age growth rate. MLS on the other hand is among the youngest. 

Don't confuse Gipper with facts Woody....   

All his stuff is opinionated rubbish.... The above is real world. Which he's not living in- at least when it comes to baseball...   

I'd be interested in seeing a poll what sport the under 18 crowd favors, when they're not playing video games.... 

[MLD Woody]

14 minutes ago, Nero said:

6'4"? Fuck me. I'm glad that I have never said any real hurtful thing about TTUN and I have the Atlantic Ocean between us. Striker, defender? Don't tell me you play midfield. 

Centerback and I've picked up goalie the last few years. When your wingspan covers the indoor goal, or you can dive out in front of someone and block 8', you're good lol. But most of my life before that is winning headers and bodying little guys.

I don't have the endurance for midfield. Asthma is a bitch. 

No striker. I enjoy shutting other people down more than I enjoy scoring, honestly. 

 

How about you?

 

Oh and I'm just soccer big. Not big big haha.

[Barry]

1 hour ago, Nero said:

Watching his highlights, to me he looks more like a long stride fast runner, than a sprinter. I mean, it looks like he has a nice top speed, but he doesn't reach it as fast as other players (and THAT is a threatening trait). 

Which is what was amazing about Josh Gordon. The guy had both long strides and was quick with them. If you look closely at his breaks he could break a defender's ankles by using his long strides, he didn't have to take shorter, quick steps to change direction. 

[The Gipper]

1 hour ago, MLD Woody said:

https://news.gallup.com/poll/224864/football-americans-favorite-sport-watch.aspx

The 9% of Americans who mention baseball as their favorite sport to watch is the lowest percentage for the sport since Gallup first asked the question in 1937

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-attendance-continues-to-drop-following-worst-season-since-2003-223509591.html

The Associated Press reported on Thursday that the average attendance for MLB games this season is 26,854 through Wednesday. That marks a 1.4 percent drop from last year’s tally of 27,242 at the same point of the season.

2018 was the first season since 2003 that average attendance for MLB games dropped below 30,000, according to AP.

 

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-sports-with-the-oldest-and-youngest-tv-audiences-2017-06-30

Major League Baseball’s television audience is among the oldest in professional sports, according to data recently released by Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal and Magna Global. The average age of a baseball viewer is 57, up from 52 in 2006. There won’t be a youth movement, either, as just 7% of baseball’s audience is below age 18.

 

All sports have aging viewers, as the country is aging, but MLB is the oldest major sport and outpacing the age growth rate. MLS on the other hand is among the youngest. 

Still 10 times the audience That soccer has

[MLD Woody]

9 minutes ago, The Gipper said:

Still 10 times the audience That soccer has

Not at all the point I was making. But by going to this I realize you're admitting you're wrong in the only way you know how. I'll take it. 

[Nero]

42 minutes ago, MLD Woody said:

Centerback and I've picked up goalie the last few years. When your wingspan covers the indoor goal, or you can dive out in front of someone and block 8', you're good lol. But most of my life before that is winning headers and bodying little guys.

I don't have the endurance for midfield. Asthma is a bitch. 

No striker. I enjoy shutting other people down more than I enjoy scoring, honestly. 

 

How about you?

 

Oh and I'm just soccer big. Not big big haha.

Goalie with 6' 4'' is great. I had asthma when I was a kid but never more after puberty. 

I'm really bad at soccer, so in normal soccer I would play defender (haven't played in ages), I enjoyed shutting people down. Now for some years I've only played futsal and I play as a striker simply because I'm not either phisically or technically good so there's where less harmful I can be for my team: in futsal you have to sprint constantly and is way different to soccer, with more technique and moving around. I fight, I try to not make mistakes, I cheer and that's about it. 

And yeah, I'd say you're soccer big. Not only in Spain we have less average height than in the US (I'm 5'9'' myself), but I don't see many people at 6'4'' or taller playing soccer unless they are centerback, goalie or a striker. I only recall Ibrahimovic being a very agile at 6'5'', but from that point onwards most of the people are "clunky" for soccer.

 

[MLD Woody]

20 minutes ago, Nero said:

Goalie with 6' 4'' is great. I had asthma when I was a kid but never more after puberty. 

I'm really bad at soccer, so in normal soccer I would play defender (haven't played in ages), I enjoyed shutting people down. Now for some years I've only played futsal and I play as a striker simply because I'm not either phisically or technically good so there's where less harmful I can be for my team: in futsal you have to sprint constantly and is way different to soccer, with more technique and moving around. I fight, I try to not make mistakes, I cheer and that's about it. 

And yeah, I'd say you're soccer big. Not only in Spain we have less average height than in the US (I'm 5'9'' myself), but I don't see many people at 6'4'' or taller playing soccer unless they are centerback, goalie or a striker. I only recall Ibrahimovic being a very agile at 6'5'', but from that point onwards most of the people are "clunky" for soccer.

 

My favorite player growing up was Oguchi Onyewu. Big ass centerback. Played on the US team. 

Also, I'm terrible at futsal. The less players on the field the worse I get as a field player (but better I get at goalie haha).

I'd also imagine the Spanish version of "really bad at soccer" is still above average in the States haha. 

[Dutch Oven]

What makes a "really bad soccer player"? 

Someone confused how to jog around a big field at a medium pace aimlessly and struggling to eat orange slices one of the mom's brought after the game? 

😁

[Tour2ma]

3 hours ago, MLD Woody said:

Small stride length can help build acceleration quickly.

 Short stride helps control, but it's really the rate of increase of "turnover rate" or cycles per second that defines acceleration... literally.

The one thing a short stride does do is keep a runner from fighting his own momentum whether accelerating or at top speed.

 

I never had a coach tell me this until Sam Mussabini did.

[The Gipper]

4 hours ago, hoorta said:

Don't confuse Gipper with facts Woody....   

All his stuff is opinionated rubbish....

EVRERYTHING you say about fucking soccer is opinionated Rubbish. 

The above is real world. Which he's not living in- at least when it comes to baseball...   

The average attendance for baseball game

4 hours ago, MLD Woody said:

Not at all the point I was making. But by going to this I realize you're admitting you're wrong in the only way you know how. I'll take it. 

4 hours ago, MLD Woody said:

Not at all the point I was making. But by going to this I realize you're admitting you're wrong in the only way you know how. I'll take it. 

Right...your point is no point at all.  

Average attendance at  34 soccer games like 21,000.   Average baseball attendence for a game where they play 162 games was  over 28,000.   Both sports actually had declines in attendance in 2019......except Soccer had a bigger percentage of decline.   (baseball problem with this decline was primarily attributable to  the Miami two Florida market.  TB and Miami.  It just is not working there for some reason, though you would think it would because of the big Hispanic population)