Blindsided: Why the Left Tackle Is Overrated and Other Contrarian Football Thoughts - Hardcover

by K. C. Joyner (Author)

ESPN.com Insider KC Joyner, "The Football Scientist," explores and explodes many of the myths of NFL football

Have free agency and salary caps put an end to football dynasties? Does it take an elite running back to win a Super Bowl? Which players belong in the Hall of Fame? What defense is the greatest of all time? Does playing creampuffs work for NFL teams? Do coaches have a ten-year shelf life?

In Blindsided, pro football's statistical iconoclast(TM) challenges conventional wisdom with fact-based and fi lm-based answers to these and many other key NFL questions. Whether you're a devout fantasy football player, a football fanatic, or a fan who wants the real, straight-from-the-fields-and-films scoop instead of the typical hype and hoopla, this book will inform and transform your thinking about the game.

Front Jacket

"When I found that the research proved that a significant portion of the big-name players weren't nearly as good as they were touted as being by many members of the media and NFL coaches, I knew that I was onto something."
--KC Joyner

When sportswriters and commentators toss around superlatives as easily as quarterbacks toss short passes, how do you distinguish the hype from the facts? How can you get beyond the publicity and propaganda to objectively assess actual on-field performance? How do you refute conventional football wisdom?

You run the numbers. But wait; time-out. As this book laments, you can't get access to game footage, which is one of the reasons so many myths and misconceptions about pro football persist. Fortunately, KC Joyner (a.k.a. ESPN's "Football Scientist") does have the films--and the numbers. Joyner is pro football's premier game-tape analyst, using game film to track, tabulate, and analyze nearly every measurable statistic in an NFL game. Now he shares it all with you in Blindsided, as he examines and debunks some of the game's biggest myths and legends. He analyzes stats for various positions, players, and teams as well as offering surprising insights into key football issues and concerns that range from the true value of the left tackle to who should or shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame.

He discusses coaching and coaches at length. He delves into their background demographics, classifies them into four strategic/philosophical alignments, and explores their impact on the past and future of the game. He also takes a revealing look at current NFL business policies, including the current DirectTV and NFL Network deals, the financial disincentive of salary capping, and why the NFL's blackout rules make no economic sense.

Equipping you with both hard facts and an insider's insight, Joyner's in-depth, statistics-based analyses will help you understand and appreciate NFL football as never before.

Back Jacket

"When I found that the research proved that a significant portion of the big-name players weren't nearly as good as they were touted as being by many members of the media and NFL coaches, I knew that I was onto something." --KC Joyner

When sportswriters and commentators toss around superlatives as easily as quarterbacks toss short passes, how do you distinguish the hype from the facts? How can you get beyond the publicity and propaganda to objectively assess actual on-field performance? How do you refute conventional football wisdom?

You run the numbers. But wait; time-out. As this book laments, you can't get access to game footage, which is one of the reasons so many myths and misconceptions about pro football persist. Fortunately, KC Joyner (a.k.a. ESPN's "Football Scientist") does have the films--and the numbers. Joyner is pro football's premier game-tape analyst, using game fi lm to track, tabulate, and analyze nearly every measurable statistic in an NFL game. Now he shares it all with you in Blindsided, as he examines and debunks some of the game's biggest myths and legends. He analyzes stats for various positions, players, and teams as well as offering surprising insights into key football issues and concerns that range from the true value of the left tackle to who should or shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame.

He discusses coaching and coaches at length. He delves into their background demographics, classifies them into four strategic/philosophical alignments, and explores their impact on the past and future of the game. He also takes a revealing look at current NFL business policies, including the current DirectTV and NFL Network deals, the financial disincentive of salary capping, and why the NFL's blackout rules make no economic sense.

Equipping you with both hard facts and an insider's insight, Joyner's in-depth, statistics-based analyses will help you understand and appreciate NFL football as never before.

Author Biography

KC Joyner is a regular contributor to ESPN.com's NFL Insider section, a football columnist for ESPN The Magazine, author of the annual Scientific Football, and Webmaster of the associated site TheFootballScientist.com. His works have been touted by many of the biggest names in football, ranging from Dr. Z to Steve Sabol, and featured in numerous national periodicals, including Slate.com and "Playboy."