Media and Numbers

I don't know what it is about numbers that gets the media in such a lather. The New York Jets recently said that they want to get new quarterback and savior Tim Tebow twenty snaps a game. The media has gone nuts with that number "20." They are even pulling out some math to determine the percentage of snaps that we can expect to see Tebow in a typical game. A proficient offense gets about 70-75 snaps in a game. The clowns that I listened to grabbed sixty snaps to make the math easier. I saw the same kind of media frenzy when then Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Tice came up with the "Randy Ratio." He wanted to get the ball in the hands of Randy Moss 40% of the time. Tossing out a number for Moss touches was a mistake and the Minnesota media never let Tice forget it. Moss is the most physically gifted receiver to ever play the game. At that stage of his career great things tended to happen when the ball came his way. It was understandable that he was going to be a huge part of the Vikings offense. Even though it seemed innocent enough at the time Tice shouldn't have tossed out a specific number. That was a mistake. He made it worse by giving that number a name. Still, the media has to understand that a number tossed out in March changes when the games start in the fall. The Minnesota media kept reminding Tice of the "Randy Ratio" in that fall. The New York media will certainly be counting Tebow's snaps this fall. Reminding Jets head coach Rex Ryan of that number. Game plans aren't made in March. Based on a particular matchup Tebow might get only ten snaps one week and 25 the next. The media really has to let these numbers go. Especially when they are tossed out about six months before things really count. Randy Moss was going to get the ball a bunch a decade ago. Tebow is going to get some snaps this fall. The media should just leave it at that.