John McClain, the Houston Chronicle’s National Football League writer, apparently believes that the NFL is a bit like Garrison Keillor’s fictional Minnesota town Lake Wobegon, where “all of the children are above-average.” In today’s Chronicle here and here, McClain rates 23 out of the 32 NFL teams as having better than average selections at this past weekend’s NFL Draft.
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In the case of the NFL draft, all picks could theoretically be considered “above average” depending on what is meant by it. For instance if each team filled the specific slot that they most need filled, then they all made “good picks” and “above average” if the average pick historically isn’t as good. For instance, if it so turned out that this year in particular the order of the draft worked out such that each had an available candidate where they were most needed and this is moreso the case than in the past, every team could have had an “above average” pick.
On the other hand, since football is a zero sum game (only one champion), then the “good picks” would negate each other and so an “above average” pick could then actually push a team downward while still being a pick worthy of that title, particularly if the remaining 9 teams had picks that were SO bad that the average depreciating pick actually makes them look a little better in comparison.
Either that or the Chronicle hires lazy writers. Just can’t imagine which…