So What Sports Dot Com
WhatIfSports.com uses its "simulation technology" to predict the outcomes of both future sporting events and hypothetical cross-generational match-ups. Right now, the site is in the midst of simming the 2008 NFL season, and I know you're dying to hear how things are shaping up for the Eagles.
Not well.
The site predicts the Eagles will finish fourth in the NFC East with an 8-8 record. They list the most significant newcomer as Asante Samuel, the biggest strength as Brian Westbrook and the most exploitable weakness as "pass protection."
Meh, whatever, I just want to mention their biggest fantasy sleeper:
Chris Gocong, LB - We would love to say Lorenzo Booker, Brent Celek, DeSean Jackson or Kevin Kolb, but they may have to wait until next year. Gocong, the former Buch Buchanan Award winner (DI-AA/FCS defensive player of the year, like Jared Allen, Rashean Mathis, Dexter Coakley and Ed Hartwell) is in his second full season with the Eagles. In the simulated 2008 season, he leads the team with 93 tackles and also notches two sacks.
Truly MVP-caliber numbers.
So, how'd the rest of the division do? Well, the site has the Cowboys first, the Giants second and the Redskins third. Hmmm... that's not very creative. What about the rest of the league? Let's see, they've got the Patriots, Colts, Chargers and Browns all winning their division ... the Jaguars making the playoffs ... the Raiders, Ravens and Dolphins all being pretty terrible ... wait a second, that sounds exactly like last year. Surely they didn't just load in all of last year's statistical performances, tweak a few things here and there and burp out some season results?
Um, yeah, that actually seems to be exactly what they did. Give me the Football Outsiders KUBIAK projections any day of the week over this junk, please.
Speaking of banana peels...
Although they did pick the Celtics to win in six.
Excellent call out. you could post this article every day just exchange What If Sports for various Tv/magazine/major internet site's NFL "expert analysts". They all pick the same teams as last year too.
Oh and they do it for their Fantasy Rankings too. Just take how people finished last year and spit it back out. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess Frank Gore and Stephan Jackson aren't 2 and 3 picks this year.
Posted by: Jeff H | June 17, 2008 at 10:11 AM
Excellent call out. you could post this article every day just exchange What If Sports for various Tv/magazine/major internet site's NFL "expert analysts". They all pick the same teams as last year too.
Oh and they do it for their Fantasy Rankings too. Just take how people finished last year and spit it back out. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess Frank Gore and Stephan Jackson aren't 2 and 3 picks this year.
Posted by: Jeff H | June 17, 2008 at 10:27 AM
I was extremely bored at work the other day and played a seven game series between the 2004 Super Bowl Birds versus last year's Birds squad. The 2007 squad won 4 games to 2. Yeah right.
Posted by: Eagle Scout | June 17, 2008 at 01:48 PM
you're right, so what ... don't know shit about football yet. how about Dallas & the Giants' only losses being to each other? If that happens, I'll walk buck-ass naked down Market Street to City Hall on Super Bowl Sunday.
Posted by: tmac1207 | June 20, 2008 at 01:46 PM