And now, something completely different

I'm no more of a jock than Hugh Hewitt is, but I find myself strangely entranced by the NFL's Scouting Combine. I've heard of it before, but didn't really know what it is. I find it fascinating how it all works, the drills and tests they do on NFL hopefuls. Some of them resemble the Budweiser Clydesdales and some run like bullets. Boy, are they ripped!

This is a window into the minds of scouts and coaches I've never had. I often have the feeling that most football fans played the game in high school before they became couch potatoes. I still can't watch and understand all the patterns and defenses, but I have a lot better idea of what sportscasters mean when they say someone runs a 4-4 forty. I'm starting to understand the vagueries of technique on the field, but my eyes are too bad to keep up with the play. Thank goodness for DVRs.

I've learned some of the secrets to effective blocking and beating blocks: "Bending at the waist. Bad. Keeping the knees bent and the butt low. Good."

It's fascinating how nuanced and minutely studied these things are when so much money is involved.