I have been noncommittally in the market for a pair of sunglasses for several years now since I don't really wear the clunky Bottega Venettas my grandma rescued from the discount bin at the optometrist. (Nice leather case but not my style anyway). I don't have many occasions to wear sunglasses but who does- style trumps function in eyewear these days.
Ever since seeing my mom wearing slick black Ray-Bans in my baby photos, I've always wanted a pair. My dad emailed me about a $69 one-day sale on eBay for wayfarers but it just didn't feel right. No matter what presidents and celebs sport them, Ray-Bans are now too ubiquitous to be cool (the prevalence of cap and gown grads in wayfarers comes to mind). I also don't like the logo on the lens and frame which promotes the brand while "elevating" the user, but such is the nature of brands.
I thought about holding out for folding Persols because I misremembered that my mom had a pair of those too. Then I saw a piece on 60 Minutes about an Italian company named Luxottica that designs, manufactures, or outright owns just about every brand name/designer sunglass make like Ray Ban, Persol, Oakley, Prada, DG, Tiffany, and on. They also own Sunglass Hut, Target optical, Peale Vision, and vision-care company EyeMed so they control production, distribution, and even some prescription. This means they control the price. The 60 Minutes segment may be one-sided but it made some good points despite the fact that Lesley Stahl bugs me. She was very soft on Barney Frank but asked pointed questions of Luxottica CEO Andrea Guerra. Stahl's monopoly allegations aside, Guerra consistently oozed insincerity and that rubbed me the wrong way.
I'm not saying Luxottica doesn't make a quality product; I just don't think it worth what they charge and the CEO did not instill buyer confidence. Is Luxottica a monopoly or just a dominant business with a good product and model? I can't tell you but I'd rather skip the price-fixing and support an indie.
I asked google "sunglasses not owned by Luxottica" and came to this forum which started with a question from a guy also interested in Ray-Bans and Persols. There were many recommendations- Randolph Engineering, Maui Jim, American Optical, Mykita, Derome Berrener, Orgreen, Dita, 999.9, Facial Index, Salt, Reiz, Cutler and Gross. Many of them imitated the wayfarers and had the all-too trendy minimalist black helvetica or gothic on white site design.
I particularly liked Warby and Parker which was mentioned in the segment. It's presentation reminded me of Bonobos or Frank and Oak and it has a compassionate consumerism ethos similar to Toms.
Whatever I decide to buy, I guess it can wait...
5.10.12
A('s) Box Office Blunder
For someone who doesn't like baseball anymore (another story), even I LOVE this A’s team. It’s easy to be dissatisfied with an organization run by an owner set on cutting costs and relocating; but when great baseball sprouts from a group of rookie contracters and castoffs that earns the MLB’s smallest payroll- I notice.
Well, my best friend did. I thought it was another AAA team posing as major-leaguers while stuck in the Wolfe-Beane relocation purgatory. My friend convinced me this band of underdogs was special- something to prove with nothing to lose. He was so sure that he bought tickets to the final 31 home games- and so began the Anti-Movement Movement to keep the A’s in Oakland. This is the bizarre tale not of A’s success, but of that purchase.
With 81 home games, 31 games is over a third of a season and costs over $800 for a pair of bleacher seats- no small investment. One would imagine that such a large order would come with a discount.
My friend asked a ticket sales representative about a package. With the intonation and slow nod of a seedy salesman who wants to be your bro, the rep said, “Yeaaahhh, I can’t get you tickets for this season but what I can do is put you on our waiting list for 2013 season tickets, with a deposit." But that's next year, I want tickets for this year! "Yeaahhh, we’re kinda focusing on next year.”
What?! The A’s are playing their best baseball since 2006, the time is now! Wouldn’t a Playoff Push Package be a good way to promote the current success and boost sales? Instead of asking for contact info to follow up with lame calls (which my friend didn't answer), shouldn’t the rep ask (or at least pretend to ask) a supervisor if they can offer group pricing or some other discount or added value for someone making such a large purchase. How long would that take? That awareness could go a long way in showing the customer he matters.
Confused but undeterred, my friend went to the ticket window and ordered. The ticket ops lady said, “So are you like a real fan or a bandwagoner?” Really?!
Good tactic- belittle a customer and challenge his fandom just as he is about to drop $800. The problem is 1) he didn’t think it was sarcasm and 2) if it was, then it wasn’t funny 3) as much as I love sarcasm, it has no place in sales. How about a sincere “thank you for your support, is there anything else I can do for you”? If one must joke, why not say “welcome aboard the bandwagon” followed by a chuckle. Even that may be pushing it.
The sad part is that the A’s have enough trouble attracting fans without the employees scaring off the ones who do show. I can't judge the ticket sales office on this single experience, but I will say that there’s only one first impression and two staffers shit the bed. To all the A's sales reps- please sell some tickets with integrity and help keep the A's in Oakland.
Although the ticket sales office may have missed an opportunity to properly serve a loyal customer and promote one of the best second half finishes imaginable, the story of the regular season ends well. Vegas had the A’s winning 71 games but they caught lightning in a bottle with pitching (2nd in AL with 3.48 ERA, best since 1990), homeruns (led ML with 112 after All-Star break), 14 walk-off wins, and the Bernie.
I recommend the ticket sales office sell playoff tickets to the bandwagoners lining up for 2013 season tickets.
Well, my best friend did. I thought it was another AAA team posing as major-leaguers while stuck in the Wolfe-Beane relocation purgatory. My friend convinced me this band of underdogs was special- something to prove with nothing to lose. He was so sure that he bought tickets to the final 31 home games- and so began the Anti-Movement Movement to keep the A’s in Oakland. This is the bizarre tale not of A’s success, but of that purchase.
With 81 home games, 31 games is over a third of a season and costs over $800 for a pair of bleacher seats- no small investment. One would imagine that such a large order would come with a discount.
My friend asked a ticket sales representative about a package. With the intonation and slow nod of a seedy salesman who wants to be your bro, the rep said, “Yeaaahhh, I can’t get you tickets for this season but what I can do is put you on our waiting list for 2013 season tickets, with a deposit." But that's next year, I want tickets for this year! "Yeaahhh, we’re kinda focusing on next year.”
What?! The A’s are playing their best baseball since 2006, the time is now! Wouldn’t a Playoff Push Package be a good way to promote the current success and boost sales? Instead of asking for contact info to follow up with lame calls (which my friend didn't answer), shouldn’t the rep ask (or at least pretend to ask) a supervisor if they can offer group pricing or some other discount or added value for someone making such a large purchase. How long would that take? That awareness could go a long way in showing the customer he matters.
Confused but undeterred, my friend went to the ticket window and ordered. The ticket ops lady said, “So are you like a real fan or a bandwagoner?” Really?!
Good tactic- belittle a customer and challenge his fandom just as he is about to drop $800. The problem is 1) he didn’t think it was sarcasm and 2) if it was, then it wasn’t funny 3) as much as I love sarcasm, it has no place in sales. How about a sincere “thank you for your support, is there anything else I can do for you”? If one must joke, why not say “welcome aboard the bandwagon” followed by a chuckle. Even that may be pushing it.
The sad part is that the A’s have enough trouble attracting fans without the employees scaring off the ones who do show. I can't judge the ticket sales office on this single experience, but I will say that there’s only one first impression and two staffers shit the bed. To all the A's sales reps- please sell some tickets with integrity and help keep the A's in Oakland.
Although the ticket sales office may have missed an opportunity to properly serve a loyal customer and promote one of the best second half finishes imaginable, the story of the regular season ends well. Vegas had the A’s winning 71 games but they caught lightning in a bottle with pitching (2nd in AL with 3.48 ERA, best since 1990), homeruns (led ML with 112 after All-Star break), 14 walk-off wins, and the Bernie.
I recommend the ticket sales office sell playoff tickets to the bandwagoners lining up for 2013 season tickets.
8.8.12
Made In Europe, Shipped From China = FAKE
My cousin bought FAKE Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour from tennis.cn and Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power from lixingjun2010 on eBay. He said they had 100% positive feedback with 100+ sales. I investigated and found that a dummy bidder nishiki82 accounts for most of the sales and same-day positive feedback.
The string labels and barcodes are convincing and match the real stuff. However, the string broke after five minutes of play, raising suspicion of its authenticity. Other than playing, the best way to verify authenticity (in this particular case) is the packaging. Both had the same package that features a series of ridges (about 4 mm wide) connecting the label pallet in the center to the curved ring that holds the string. See images. The authentic reels do not have these ridges. These packages were also cut roughly around the edges.
Quality of counterfeit varies by case. Here are other sellers - wilsonluxilon, wilsonblx, sohusports, tennisone, 163sports
Overall, if something is made in Europe but shipped from China, PROBABLY FAKE!
26.4.12
2012 NFL Mock Draft
1. IND - Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
2. WAS - Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
3. MIN- Matt Kalil, OT, USC
4. CLE - Trent Richardson, RB, Alambama
5. TB - Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
6. STL - Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
7. JAC - Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois
8. MIA - Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
9. CAR - Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
10. BUF - Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
11. KC - Mark Barron, SS, Alabama
12. SEA - Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis
13. ARI - David DeCastro, G, Stanford
14. DAL - Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
15. PHI - Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
16. NYJ- Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
17. CIN - Dre Kirpatrick, CB, Alabama
18. SD - Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
19. CHI - Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse
20. TEN - Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech
21. CIN - Cordy Glenn, G/T, Georgia
22. CLE - Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A & M
23. DET - Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
24. PIT - Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama
25. DEN - Kendall Reyes, DT, Connecticut
26. HOU - Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
27. NE - Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama
28. GB - Shea McClellen, Boise St.
29. BAL - Kevin Zeitler, G, Wisconsin
30. SF - Nick Perry, DE, USC
31. NE - Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame
32. NYG- Doug Martin, RB, Boise State
16.3.12
Kony 2012: Scrutiny Good, 5150 Bad
It's ironic that just as the news media began touting (and scrutinizing) the undeniably polished and poignant Kony 2012 social media campaign, the campaign's figurehead, Jason Russell, incited a PR crisis with a nude public meltdown. Russell's campaign centers around bringing Joseph Kony, a villainous warlord, to justice by making him internationally infamous with a doc, poster kits, and celeb support. The "all pub is good pub" tactic comes to a screeching halt when a leader who should maintain his image and credibility ends up on TMZ pounding the pavement in the nude. Full story.
Also, the group's spending practices and motives were called into question for producing videos like this, which was removed from the Invisible Children site.
Despite harsh criticism and strong accusations of foul play, it was still an impressive demonstration of the power of social media.
How will Invisible Children handle it all?
10.7.11
The Art of War: Key Points
This famous treatise by Sun Tzu (translated by Samuel B. Griffith) on military policy and operations was written over 2,000 years ago but contains many relevant aphorisms:
The idea that a war is won before the first blows of a battle sums up the importance of planning and preparation, virtues which can translate to success in any venture. Assessing oneself and the enemy, then matching one’s strength against another’s weakness reminds me of tennis. Espionage, deception, misdirection, feigning incapacity, and fueling an enemy’s arrogance reminds me of Bill Bellichick.
Here are my seven key points of the Art of War:
1. “Know your enemy and know yourself, in a hundred battles, you will never be in peril.”
2. “All warfare is based on deception… When capable, feign incapacity. When active, feign inactivity. When near, make it appear that you are far away; when far away, that you are near. Offer the enemy bait to lure him; feign disorder and strike him. Anger his general and confuse him. Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance. When he is united, divide him.”
3. “He created cleavages between sovereign and minister, superiors and inferiors, commanders and subordinates. His spies and agents were active everywhere, gathering information, sowing dissension, and nurturing subversion. The enemy was isolated and demoralized; his will to resist broken. Thus without battle his army was conquered, his cities taken and his state overthrown.”
“An army without secret agents is exactly like a man without eyes or ears.”
(1) Doubled - It is essential to seek out enemy agents who have come to conduct espionage against you and to bribe them to serve you.”
(2) Inside - “enemy officials.”
(3) Native - “enemy’s country people.”
“The double agent knows those of his own countrymen who are covetous as well as those officials who have been remiss in office.”
(4) Living - “Men who are clever, talented, wise and able to gain access to those of the enemy who are intimate with the sovereign members of the nobility.”
(5) Expendable - “those of our own spies who are deliberately given fabricated information.”
4. For success, master the five factors:
(1) moral influence- “that which causes people to be in harmony with their leaders, so they will accompany them in life and unto death without fear of mortal peril.”
(2) weather- “the effects of Winter’s cold and summer’s heat.”
(3) terrain- “whether the ground is traversed with ease or difficulty, whether it is open or constricted.”
(4) command- “If wise (1), a commander is able to recognize changing ircumstances and to act expediently. If sincere (2), his men will have no doubt of the certainty of rewards and punishments. If humane (3), he loves mankind, sympathizes with others, and appreciates their industry and toil. If courageous (4), he gains victory by seizing opportunity without hesitation. If strict (5), his troops are disciplined because they are in awe of him and are afraid of punishment.”
(5) doctrine- “organization, control, assignment of appropriate ranks to officers, regulation of supply routes, and the provision of principal items used by the army.”
5. “For there has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited.” Long wars drain morale and funds. Brilliant strategy is never protracted.
6. “To win victory is easy; to preserve it’s fruits, difficult. And therefore it is said that when All-under-Heaven is at war, one who gains five victories suffers calamity, one who gains four is exhausted; one who gains three becomes Lord Protector; one who gains two, a King; one who gains one, the Emperor. Thus he who by countless victories has gained empire is unique, while those who have perished thereby are many.”
7. “Under certain conditions one yields a city, sacrifices a portion of his force, or gives up ground in order to gain a more valuable objective. Such yielding therefore masks a deeper purpose, and is but another aspect of the intellectual pliancy which distinguishes the expert in war.”
“Therefore, when I have won a victory I do not repeat my tactics but respond to circumstances in an infinite variety of ways. Now an army may be likened to water, for just as flowing water avoids the heights and hastens to the lowlands, so an army avoids strength and strikes weakness. And as water shapes its flow in accordance with the ground, so an army manages its victory in accordance with the situation of the enemy. And as water has no constant form, there are no constant conditions.”
The idea that a war is won before the first blows of a battle sums up the importance of planning and preparation, virtues which can translate to success in any venture. Assessing oneself and the enemy, then matching one’s strength against another’s weakness reminds me of tennis. Espionage, deception, misdirection, feigning incapacity, and fueling an enemy’s arrogance reminds me of Bill Bellichick.
Here are my seven key points of the Art of War:
1. “Know your enemy and know yourself, in a hundred battles, you will never be in peril.”
2. “All warfare is based on deception… When capable, feign incapacity. When active, feign inactivity. When near, make it appear that you are far away; when far away, that you are near. Offer the enemy bait to lure him; feign disorder and strike him. Anger his general and confuse him. Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance. When he is united, divide him.”
3. “He created cleavages between sovereign and minister, superiors and inferiors, commanders and subordinates. His spies and agents were active everywhere, gathering information, sowing dissension, and nurturing subversion. The enemy was isolated and demoralized; his will to resist broken. Thus without battle his army was conquered, his cities taken and his state overthrown.”
“An army without secret agents is exactly like a man without eyes or ears.”
(1) Doubled - It is essential to seek out enemy agents who have come to conduct espionage against you and to bribe them to serve you.”
(2) Inside - “enemy officials.”
(3) Native - “enemy’s country people.”
“The double agent knows those of his own countrymen who are covetous as well as those officials who have been remiss in office.”
(4) Living - “Men who are clever, talented, wise and able to gain access to those of the enemy who are intimate with the sovereign members of the nobility.”
(5) Expendable - “those of our own spies who are deliberately given fabricated information.”
4. For success, master the five factors:
(1) moral influence- “that which causes people to be in harmony with their leaders, so they will accompany them in life and unto death without fear of mortal peril.”
(2) weather- “the effects of Winter’s cold and summer’s heat.”
(3) terrain- “whether the ground is traversed with ease or difficulty, whether it is open or constricted.”
(4) command- “If wise (1), a commander is able to recognize changing ircumstances and to act expediently. If sincere (2), his men will have no doubt of the certainty of rewards and punishments. If humane (3), he loves mankind, sympathizes with others, and appreciates their industry and toil. If courageous (4), he gains victory by seizing opportunity without hesitation. If strict (5), his troops are disciplined because they are in awe of him and are afraid of punishment.”
(5) doctrine- “organization, control, assignment of appropriate ranks to officers, regulation of supply routes, and the provision of principal items used by the army.”
5. “For there has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited.” Long wars drain morale and funds. Brilliant strategy is never protracted.
6. “To win victory is easy; to preserve it’s fruits, difficult. And therefore it is said that when All-under-Heaven is at war, one who gains five victories suffers calamity, one who gains four is exhausted; one who gains three becomes Lord Protector; one who gains two, a King; one who gains one, the Emperor. Thus he who by countless victories has gained empire is unique, while those who have perished thereby are many.”
7. “Under certain conditions one yields a city, sacrifices a portion of his force, or gives up ground in order to gain a more valuable objective. Such yielding therefore masks a deeper purpose, and is but another aspect of the intellectual pliancy which distinguishes the expert in war.”
“Therefore, when I have won a victory I do not repeat my tactics but respond to circumstances in an infinite variety of ways. Now an army may be likened to water, for just as flowing water avoids the heights and hastens to the lowlands, so an army avoids strength and strikes weakness. And as water shapes its flow in accordance with the ground, so an army manages its victory in accordance with the situation of the enemy. And as water has no constant form, there are no constant conditions.”
25.3.11
Shane Donahue's NFL COMBINE REPORT
After discussing the ins and outs of the 2011 Combine with all the interested parties (scouts, GMs), I have created a list of my workout freaks -- welcome to the second annual Shane Donahue NFL Combine Report.
I say this every year so let me reiterate that the combine is not about identifying the best football players. These workouts put a prospect's football skills in perspective by determining how he measures up to the speed and strength at the highest level. While some of the most talented players often perform exceptionally in drills, the workout freaks who excel in the measurables of running and leaping are by no means the most talented football players. The drills measure explosiveness that translates to football skill but does not indicate such skill.
STEPHEN PAEA - DT - Oregon St. (6'1"/ 301)
I don’t care what else he did, Mr. Bench Press set the record with 49 reps of 225 pounds and made it look smooth and easy… mostly. I was not completely surprised by this performance as he put up 44 reps earlier on youtube.
VIRGIL GREEN - TE - Nevada (6’3”/ 249)
Moch is another Nevada guy who happens to be a great leaper but he made noise recording one of the fastest 40s ever for DL at 4.44 seconds. Only 15 participants of any position ran a faster 40. Even fewer people outjumped him. He had the second best overall vertical leap of 42-inches and tied for the ninth best broad jump of 10-feet-8-inches.
MARCELL DAREUS - DT - Alabama (6’3”/ 319)
Although Dareus is a potential top-10 pick, he is not a freak by numbers because he didn’t hit make the leader boards. Sometimes it’s about more than the measurables. Watch the video and you’ll see an impressive HWS (height-weight-speed) specimen. He’s nimble and he smacks the heck out of those bags.
VON MILLER LB - Texas A&M - (6’3”/ 246)
By the measurables, Kelce had the best performance of any OL but he wasn’t mentioned at all. Solder has great size and is a bonafide prospect so his workout received significant pub. Essentially, Kelce needed more size and clout to garner some respect. Hypothetically, he is built like an out of shape Miller or Green so his numbers are only impressive for that position (if Miller of Green somehow slipped as far as Andre Smith in the man boob incident).
Who’s the freakier QB - Cam Newton (Auburn) or Jake Locker (Washington)?
Newton wins this flip because on top of matching Locker drill for drill, he’s bigger.
Who’s the quickest guy in the draft - Buster Skrine ( DB, Tennessee-Chattanooga) or Jeffrey Maehl (WR Oregon)?
It’s unfortunate that it went unnoticed that each of these guys set a combine record and battled for the quickness crown. The edge goes to Skrine because he was very close to Maehl’s 3-cone record and he put up a significantly better 40 so I assume his 10-yard split was better.
I say this every year so let me reiterate that the combine is not about identifying the best football players. These workouts put a prospect's football skills in perspective by determining how he measures up to the speed and strength at the highest level. While some of the most talented players often perform exceptionally in drills, the workout freaks who excel in the measurables of running and leaping are by no means the most talented football players. The drills measure explosiveness that translates to football skill but does not indicate such skill.
I quote last year's report:
"Although many freaks will have little impact in the NFL Draft or at the next level, some freaks jump up draft boards and eventually cash in on their measurables because coaches and GMs fawn over their potential and gamble, lured by the promising ego trap that they can coach a freak into a star."
STEPHEN PAEA - DT - Oregon St. (6'1"/ 301)
I don’t care what else he did, Mr. Bench Press set the record with 49 reps of 225 pounds and made it look smooth and easy… mostly. I was not completely surprised by this performance as he put up 44 reps earlier on youtube.
VIRGIL GREEN - TE - Nevada (6’3”/ 249)
With the best vert in the draft at 42.5-inches and the third best broad jump at 10-feet-10-inches, Green is one of this class’ most explosive leapers. Among TEs, he ranked second in the 20-yard shuttle (11.63), third in the 40 (4.64), fourth in the 3-cone (6.90), and fifth in the bench press with 23 reps. By the measurables, he’s easily the most gifted at his position.
JULIO JONES - WR - Alabama (6’3”/ 200)
JULIO JONES - WR - Alabama (6’3”/ 200)
The consensus number two wideout inched closer to A.J. Green with a solid performance that’s spectacular when considering size and draft status. He basically levitated on the 11-foot-3-inch broad, the third best since 2003. Jones turned in Calvin Johnson-esque numbers with a 4.39 40 (seventh best overall) and a 38.5-inch vertical.
DONTAY MOCH - DL - Nevada (6’1”/ 248)
DONTAY MOCH - DL - Nevada (6’1”/ 248)
Moch is another Nevada guy who happens to be a great leaper but he made noise recording one of the fastest 40s ever for DL at 4.44 seconds. Only 15 participants of any position ran a faster 40. Even fewer people outjumped him. He had the second best overall vertical leap of 42-inches and tied for the ninth best broad jump of 10-feet-8-inches.
MARCELL DAREUS - DT - Alabama (6’3”/ 319)
Although Dareus is a potential top-10 pick, he is not a freak by numbers because he didn’t hit make the leader boards. Sometimes it’s about more than the measurables. Watch the video and you’ll see an impressive HWS (height-weight-speed) specimen. He’s nimble and he smacks the heck out of those bags.
VON MILLER LB - Texas A&M - (6’3”/ 246)
This year’s most-talked about pass-rushing linebacker, Miller backed up the chatter by dominating his position in nearly every category. His 11.15 60-yard shuttle set a position and was the 15th fastest overall. Among LBs, Miller ranked first in the broad jump (10’6”), first in the 3-cone (6.70), second in the 40 (4.53), third in the vert (37-inches), and third in the 20-yard shuttle (4.06). Ok, I know, that was the third guy about that size.
Freaks don’t come at every position every year so to decide between the guys who didn’t quite make the cut, here’s the toss-ups.
In the wake of Bruce Campbell and Trent Williams, who’s the freaker OL - Jason Kelce of Cincinnati or Nate Solder of Colorado?
(Parentheses denote rank among position)/ NR=new record
Freaks don’t come at every position every year so to decide between the guys who didn’t quite make the cut, here’s the toss-ups.
In the wake of Bruce Campbell and Trent Williams, who’s the freaker OL - Jason Kelce of Cincinnati or Nate Solder of Colorado?
| | HT | WT | 40-yd D | Vert | Broad | 3-Cone | 20-yd S |
| Jason Kelce | 6’3” | 280 | 4.93 (1) | 30.5" (t8) | 9’2” (t3) | 7.22 (1) | 4.14(NR) |
| Nate Solder | 6’8” | 319 | 5.05 (4) | 32" (t3) | 9’2” (t3) | 7.44 (t5) | 4.34 (2)
|
By the measurables, Kelce had the best performance of any OL but he wasn’t mentioned at all. Solder has great size and is a bonafide prospect so his workout received significant pub. Essentially, Kelce needed more size and clout to garner some respect. Hypothetically, he is built like an out of shape Miller or Green so his numbers are only impressive for that position (if Miller of Green somehow slipped as far as Andre Smith in the man boob incident).
Who’s the freakier QB - Cam Newton (Auburn) or Jake Locker (Washington)?
| | HT | WT | 40-yd D | Vert | Broad | 3-Cone | 20-yd S |
| Cam Newton | 6’5” | 248 | 4.59 (t3) | 35" (t3) | 10’6” (1) | 6.92 (10) | 4.18 (t8) |
| Jake Locker | 6’3” | 231 | 4.59 (t3) | 35" (t3) | 10’ (t4) | 6.77 (1) | 4.12 (t3) |
Newton wins this flip because on top of matching Locker drill for drill, he’s bigger.
Who’s the quickest guy in the draft - Buster Skrine ( DB, Tennessee-Chattanooga) or Jeffrey Maehl (WR Oregon)?
| | HT | WT | 3-Cone | 20-yd S | 60-yd S | 40-yd D |
| Buster Skrine | 5’10” | 186 | 6.44 (2) | 3.90 (t2) | 10.75 (NR) | 4.48 |
| Jeffrey Maehl | 6’1” | 190 | 6.42 (NR) | 3.94 (4) | 10.88 (3) | 4.62 |
It’s unfortunate that it went unnoticed that each of these guys set a combine record and battled for the quickness crown. The edge goes to Skrine because he was very close to Maehl’s 3-cone record and he put up a significantly better 40 so I assume his 10-yard split was better.
That wraps up this year's report. Stay tuned for my Mock Draft to see which freaks crack the first round.
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