We got a knowledge packed mail bag for you this week. So much knowledge in fact, we had to break it down into 2 posts because of character limits. We talk UNC, breakfast foods, past UM QBs, math, and rock skipping. Enjoy!
@ChicagoCane1992 (CanesInsight): Would you rather see Donaldson rotate with Clark or Scaife going forward? Scaife played fine Saturday but has struggled all year and it looks like they were rotating Clark and Donaldson. Also, how do you think the d will do this weekend against a very solid UNC offense?
I know Clark has missed some time but I think he’s looked better than Scaife this year who’s had some pretty bad whiffs and was much better on the outside at RT. While the entire team was impressive last Saturday, it was against a really, really bad Duke team so that has to be taken into account. My biggest concern with Donaldson was his conditioning after being out for so long but he’s the best guard we have on the team and it’s unfortunate he’s been injured. I’d like Donaldson to play as much as possible with Clark and Scaife rotating on the other side. When Donaldson needs a breather, Clark can slide back to the left.
After seeing them hold VT to 24 points and then posting a shutout against Duke despite being down a bunch of players, I’m beginning to feel optimistic about the defense. UNC is going to score points, but my measure of success is to hold bad offensive teams to under 20 and good offensive teams to under 30. If we hold UNC to under 30 points, we have a great chance to win this game. I’m most interested in what game plan Baker/Manny utilize. Do they go back to the bend but don’t break or do they stay aggressive with tight man coverage and challenge every throw like they did against Duke? I’m hoping for staying aggressive.
@ben (CanesInsight): Breakfast rank em: eggs Benedict, biscuits and gravy, bagel with lox, corned beef hash?
@GojiraCane (CanesInsight): How much do you think that the offseason, new coaching staff, addition of new players (specifically King and Roche), and this year's on the field performance have contributed to a change in culture? One of the key drivers of success twenty years ago was the players motivating each other - whether it was in the locker room, at practice, or just the overall competitiveness of trying to keep one's position. Is it coming back? And can it be sustained?
King and Lashlee were instrumental in changing this team’s culture. King brought instant credibility at the most crucial position. Do you think King is out partying or getting high before games? Of course not, he’s putting in the extra work and prep which is contagious amongst the team. Lashlee brought an offense that clearly the team bought into and while he is intense, he doesn’t lose the team by acting crazy. These 2 guys brought a winning mindset and when you’re winning, the others tend to fall in line and do what they are supposed to.
Our roster is improving so there will naturally be more competition on the practice field. However, it is up to the coaches to drive that competition and reward those that have performed. We’ve seen it this year with McCloud getting less and less snaps prior to Covid issues, Blades got benched for Couch, Ford lost his starting spot to JHH, and now Donaldson is back looking at one of the guard spots. If you are a 2nd or 3rd string guy on this team, you know that if you work hard and prove yourself, you’ll get on the field more. This 2021 recruiting class is coming in to take jobs which will further drive the competition and the culture.
Sustaining a successful culture is the hard part. We haven’t had back to back “successful” seasons in a long time. It seems we always have to press reset and bad seasons tend to bring out the culture killers who are only about themselves. Next year will be the measuring stick as there will be adversity with not only the ACC schedule but games against Bama, Mich State, and App St. We have a 10-2 type year next year and the culture will be firmly established and can start policing itself.
@SpikeUM (CanesInsight): Cialis or Viagra? (asking for a friend of course!)
Not knowing anything about this topic, Cialis can be preferred for it’s longer lasting effects, if you know what I mean.
@TimeB0mb (CanesInsight): 1. Should Blake James be held accountable for voting to allow Notre Dame into the acc as a one year rental knowing it was highly likely that ND could take Miami's spot in the acc championship game?
As much as I hate ND, I can’t fault the ACC for letting them in for this year with uncertainty around Covid and trying to make as much money as possible (which benefits Miami as well). What I can blame them for is bending over backwards to accommodate them at every turn. Part of the deal should have been that they have to play us, what a missed opportunity for a historical rivalry game.
2. How bad would the ACC look if ND actually wins the acc championship then leaves the conference holding the title? Could this do long term damage to the ACCs reputation and effectively destroy any chance of an ACC team getting the benefit of the doubt when it comes to playoff spots and bowl selection?
It would be a punchline for fans to make fun of us for but I don’t think it would cause any real damage to our reputation. ND is a good team this year and everyone knows it. Even if (when) they lay an egg in the playoff, that’s nothing new for them so it’ll be the status quo. However, I don’t see ND beating Clemson again especially with Lawrence and some of their defensive guys back. Clemson will be out for blood.
3. Dan Mullen to Texas, how delicious would the Gator Tears taste?
The tears would flow like the ancient rivers of Babylon. If you consider yourself an upper echelon team and you lose your HC to another school, that tells you something. Exhibit A: Jimbo to Texas A&M. As sweet as it would be, I don’t see Texas going that route. I also don't think Mullen would want to leave the SEC.
@SinisterCane (CanesInsight): Will Donaldson start against UNC?
I’m not sure if Lashlee and Justice are quite ready to make that move. His play against Duke was promising but we still aren’t sure if he’s fully back. If I was making the decision (and there’s a reason why I’m not), Donaldson should get his chance to start and show what he can do over the course of a full game. He may need an extra breather but if he can open up holes like he did against Duke, our run game could take off.
@canes732 (CanesInsight): What jerseys are we wearing? Miami nights?
That’s the plan, with some new black helmets, too. How this game isn’t a night game though is mind boggling. What appears to be a high scoring shootout against 2 ranked teams should be a primetime game in 2020.
@JOE'CANE (CanesInsight): What is your score prediction for the UNC game? What is your signing day Headline? Will Miami land any surprise whales or big fish on signing day? Which players should come back next year?
Score prediction is 36-33 Canes. UNC is going to get theirs on offense but our defense should be able to get just enough stops. The DL has to show up big time to help slow down Howell and company. There is going to be a lot of pressure on Lashlee and King to get off to a quick start and score consistently as well. This is a good test for Manny.
Our signing day headline “Miami Lands Blue Chip QB”. While we are in it for some really big time talents (Maason Smith/Terrence Lewis), I don’t foresee us landing any of them. The only big fish is Jake Garcia but I’m not sure anyone would consider him a surprise at this point.
In my opinion every player should come back with the exception of Phillips and Jordan. Phillips is a first rounder and has all the momentum in terms of his draft stock. Jordan isn’t a round 1 guy but has a very good chance to be picked in rounds 2-3 and with his injury history, he should cash in while he can. While there is talk of Bolden leaving, he’s one guy that could go from a round 3-4 pick to a 1st round pick with another year of development. We will have some guys go for personal reasons I’m sure, but it’s in everyone’s best interest with the exception of JP and Jordan to come back.
@SinisterCane (CanesInsight): Just curious on how many spots do we have for the 2021 class since we’re nowhere near the 85 player limit?
There’s 2 numbers to consider in recruiting: 25 and 85. You can only sign 25 guys a year, also referred to as Initial Counters (ICs). Even though we aren’t anywhere near the 85 total scholarship limit, we are hamstrung by the 25 IC rule at the moment. This could (and should) change once the NCAA gets off it’s *** and does something productive. This is one reason why recruiting has been at a standstill for the last few months, we only have 4 spots left (20 commits and 1 IC counted forward for Jarrid Williams).
@Skay11 (CanesInsight): With how Keontra Smith played last week, how do you see the rotation playing out going forward for 2020 with GB3 and Smith? It seems like striker is going to be a strength going forward, what do you expect will happen in 2021 if Smith shows he can’t be kept on the bench during the remainder of 2020? Chase Smith also adds an additional wrinkle into this in 2022.
Gilbert Frierson has established himself as one of the better players on this defense. He’s been consistent and is a source of energy and intensity for this squad. Keontra has also played well and has shown himself to be a player. Gil will get the majority of the snaps but Baker and Manny should be scheming to get these 2 on the field as much as possible together depending on the offense we are facing. Keontra can line up as the Will LB with Flagg/Jennings as the Mike, and Gil at striker. This has been our suggestion dating back to midseason when McCloud was struggling and should continue into 2021. Keontra will be on the field, he’s too talented not to be. It’s a good problem to have.
Chase Smith is one of our favorite prospects in this class. He’s going to be a big time player for us on the 2nd level, most likely striker. You always hear about “stacking chips” in recruiting...well, this is what it looks like.
@Canedog (CanesInsight): What dew ewe consider too bee the single greatest individual athletic achievement in a game, event, ore athletic challenge. Eye considered Alex Honnold’s free solo of El Capitan, Tiger Woods first Masters when, the first for minute mile, the first person to swim the English Channel, etc. Four me, it’s Bob Beamon’s record shattering long jump at the Mexico City Olympic s inn 1964. What say ewe?
There’s a lot of all time great performances out there so this is a tough one. It may be a little biased because I actually watched this one but Michael Phelps at the 2008 Olympics is my pick. Dude won 8 gold medals (5 individual) and set 7 world records along the way. That’s incredible to think about. People dream about winning 1 gold medal and he won 8 in one shot. That’s something that will not be replicated for a long, long time. People can swim channels and run really fast miles, but to clean up on the gold medals like that is special.
@GojiraCane (CanesInsight): Blast From The Past Question: Chris Walsh was a celebrated recruit back in the early 90s, but never took the field because of "a hitch in throwing motion". How was this missed in evaluations, and why couldn't it be corrected?
The really strange thing about what happened to him is that he developed it while he was on campus. By all accounts he had a normal delivery up until he showed up for spring practice in 1993 after his redshirt year. What he was doing was turning the ball basically sideways at the back of his windup, which was slowing everything down. Even when he got rid of the turn, he was still hitching, and it cost him his career. You’d think that something major must have happened to start it, but the scary thing is that it might have just surfaced one day.
Why he couldn’t fix it is probably the same exact reason Chuck Knoblauch forgot how to throw to first base and Hayden Hurst gave up baseball: the yips are real, and evil. When this thing pops up, it becomes a constant mental battle. The sudden breaking of one’s mechanics, honed over a literal lifespan of throwing practice, can cause a lot of pressure to athletes in high profile situations. Who knows how much Chris felt the pressure of being a national high school player of the year AND Steve’s little brother on the campus where he won a national title, but I have no doubt it contributed to what happened to him.
@GojiraCane (CanesInsight): Former WCW and WWE Champion Sid Eudy (Sid Vicious, Sid Justice) was often lambasted as "Softball Sid" for seeking to take portions of summers off to play his favorite recreational sport. In an industry that gave no vacations, has no offseason and ran its performers 300 days out of a given year on the road, was Sid justified in taking the occasional summer off as a means of preserving his long-term health?
Through the “modern history” of pro wrestling (what I consider to be since the emergence of the WWF heading into the 80s as a replacement for the territory era), the strain placed on the wrestlers has been a constant source of discontent among both the talent and fans. Countless wrestlers have complained about the schedule of the WWF/E through the years due to the grueling nature of the travel involved to make each town. Allowing its talent to have some time to spend with families and stay off the road for a couple months once a year would no doubt have kept a lot more talent happy during some lean years, and perhaps could have helped create another boom.
There’s also the other effect that giving wrestlers time off has: developing a desire from the fans to see that wrestler again. Someone like Sycho Sid, who wasn’t ever going to wow people with his in-ring work, should have been allowed more time off to keep him fresh as a top of the card talent. So not only does it give him the mental time to get ready for another tour with the company, it also probably extends his time with the companies he worked for (instead of the scatterplot career he had).
@k9cane (CanesInsight): If you had one game to win, who is your quarterback (among guys who played at the U)? I think Jim Kelly is our best QB ever, but I might go with Steve Walsh.
One game to win, I honestly would go with what you went with as your ultimate decision. Steve Walsh lost just one game as a starter, and it’s widely seen as the second biggest screwjob that Canes fans have had to deal with in the program's history. I’d also argue that he is quite possibly in the top 3 in terms of pure physical talent at the position, only behind Kelly and Testaverde. There’s a lot that might make me adjust things depending on circumstance, but I’d also go outside the box a bit and choose 4.
@JD08 (CanesInsight): When I was in college, I had a professor who told me that the people who make money in the future are going to be the ones who turn data into information. He foresaw the rise of business intelligence and data science by 20 years. At the time, the pat answer was that computers were the future, much the same way we hear that STEM is the future now. Given the rapidly changing environment around automation and productivity, where do you see the big opportunities for teenagers to focus that will sustain them through their careers?
I think your professor not only saw the future, but also saw the present and the past. I don’t think that there’s ever been a time where we haven’t put a premium on those people who turned data into information. Just to use sports as an example, we are obviously, for better or for worse for the fans, in the analytic era where everything is turned into numbers, but it’s really how people read those numbers that is important. 20 years ago, guys would sit in high school bleachers with radar guns, then they would take those numbers, the amount of pitches they threw, their body type, their dad’s height, the years they’ve been playing, their speed of their release, etc. and turn them into a draftabile grade. To me, that’s still data to info.
In that sense, I see no reason why computers wouldn’t continue to be a mainstay for young people as they pursue higher education; I just can’t say for sure what computers will look like in 20 years. I just know that the evolution will require them to know what’s happening now so that they know how to make what’s next.
Also, just on the idea of data to info, I do think and will always think that students should always work in psychology and communication classes into whatever they are studying. The ability to understand others and effectively take complicated info and make it relatable will ALWAYS be valuable skills.
@ChicagoCane1992 (CanesInsight): Would you rather see Donaldson rotate with Clark or Scaife going forward? Scaife played fine Saturday but has struggled all year and it looks like they were rotating Clark and Donaldson. Also, how do you think the d will do this weekend against a very solid UNC offense?
I know Clark has missed some time but I think he’s looked better than Scaife this year who’s had some pretty bad whiffs and was much better on the outside at RT. While the entire team was impressive last Saturday, it was against a really, really bad Duke team so that has to be taken into account. My biggest concern with Donaldson was his conditioning after being out for so long but he’s the best guard we have on the team and it’s unfortunate he’s been injured. I’d like Donaldson to play as much as possible with Clark and Scaife rotating on the other side. When Donaldson needs a breather, Clark can slide back to the left.
After seeing them hold VT to 24 points and then posting a shutout against Duke despite being down a bunch of players, I’m beginning to feel optimistic about the defense. UNC is going to score points, but my measure of success is to hold bad offensive teams to under 20 and good offensive teams to under 30. If we hold UNC to under 30 points, we have a great chance to win this game. I’m most interested in what game plan Baker/Manny utilize. Do they go back to the bend but don’t break or do they stay aggressive with tight man coverage and challenge every throw like they did against Duke? I’m hoping for staying aggressive.
@ben (CanesInsight): Breakfast rank em: eggs Benedict, biscuits and gravy, bagel with lox, corned beef hash?
- Biscuits and gravy
- Corned beef hash
- Eggs benedict
- Bagel with lox
@GojiraCane (CanesInsight): How much do you think that the offseason, new coaching staff, addition of new players (specifically King and Roche), and this year's on the field performance have contributed to a change in culture? One of the key drivers of success twenty years ago was the players motivating each other - whether it was in the locker room, at practice, or just the overall competitiveness of trying to keep one's position. Is it coming back? And can it be sustained?
King and Lashlee were instrumental in changing this team’s culture. King brought instant credibility at the most crucial position. Do you think King is out partying or getting high before games? Of course not, he’s putting in the extra work and prep which is contagious amongst the team. Lashlee brought an offense that clearly the team bought into and while he is intense, he doesn’t lose the team by acting crazy. These 2 guys brought a winning mindset and when you’re winning, the others tend to fall in line and do what they are supposed to.
Our roster is improving so there will naturally be more competition on the practice field. However, it is up to the coaches to drive that competition and reward those that have performed. We’ve seen it this year with McCloud getting less and less snaps prior to Covid issues, Blades got benched for Couch, Ford lost his starting spot to JHH, and now Donaldson is back looking at one of the guard spots. If you are a 2nd or 3rd string guy on this team, you know that if you work hard and prove yourself, you’ll get on the field more. This 2021 recruiting class is coming in to take jobs which will further drive the competition and the culture.
Sustaining a successful culture is the hard part. We haven’t had back to back “successful” seasons in a long time. It seems we always have to press reset and bad seasons tend to bring out the culture killers who are only about themselves. Next year will be the measuring stick as there will be adversity with not only the ACC schedule but games against Bama, Mich State, and App St. We have a 10-2 type year next year and the culture will be firmly established and can start policing itself.
@SpikeUM (CanesInsight): Cialis or Viagra? (asking for a friend of course!)
Not knowing anything about this topic, Cialis can be preferred for it’s longer lasting effects, if you know what I mean.
@TimeB0mb (CanesInsight): 1. Should Blake James be held accountable for voting to allow Notre Dame into the acc as a one year rental knowing it was highly likely that ND could take Miami's spot in the acc championship game?
As much as I hate ND, I can’t fault the ACC for letting them in for this year with uncertainty around Covid and trying to make as much money as possible (which benefits Miami as well). What I can blame them for is bending over backwards to accommodate them at every turn. Part of the deal should have been that they have to play us, what a missed opportunity for a historical rivalry game.
2. How bad would the ACC look if ND actually wins the acc championship then leaves the conference holding the title? Could this do long term damage to the ACCs reputation and effectively destroy any chance of an ACC team getting the benefit of the doubt when it comes to playoff spots and bowl selection?
It would be a punchline for fans to make fun of us for but I don’t think it would cause any real damage to our reputation. ND is a good team this year and everyone knows it. Even if (when) they lay an egg in the playoff, that’s nothing new for them so it’ll be the status quo. However, I don’t see ND beating Clemson again especially with Lawrence and some of their defensive guys back. Clemson will be out for blood.
3. Dan Mullen to Texas, how delicious would the Gator Tears taste?
The tears would flow like the ancient rivers of Babylon. If you consider yourself an upper echelon team and you lose your HC to another school, that tells you something. Exhibit A: Jimbo to Texas A&M. As sweet as it would be, I don’t see Texas going that route. I also don't think Mullen would want to leave the SEC.
@SinisterCane (CanesInsight): Will Donaldson start against UNC?
I’m not sure if Lashlee and Justice are quite ready to make that move. His play against Duke was promising but we still aren’t sure if he’s fully back. If I was making the decision (and there’s a reason why I’m not), Donaldson should get his chance to start and show what he can do over the course of a full game. He may need an extra breather but if he can open up holes like he did against Duke, our run game could take off.
@canes732 (CanesInsight): What jerseys are we wearing? Miami nights?
That’s the plan, with some new black helmets, too. How this game isn’t a night game though is mind boggling. What appears to be a high scoring shootout against 2 ranked teams should be a primetime game in 2020.
@JOE'CANE (CanesInsight): What is your score prediction for the UNC game? What is your signing day Headline? Will Miami land any surprise whales or big fish on signing day? Which players should come back next year?
Score prediction is 36-33 Canes. UNC is going to get theirs on offense but our defense should be able to get just enough stops. The DL has to show up big time to help slow down Howell and company. There is going to be a lot of pressure on Lashlee and King to get off to a quick start and score consistently as well. This is a good test for Manny.
Our signing day headline “Miami Lands Blue Chip QB”. While we are in it for some really big time talents (Maason Smith/Terrence Lewis), I don’t foresee us landing any of them. The only big fish is Jake Garcia but I’m not sure anyone would consider him a surprise at this point.
In my opinion every player should come back with the exception of Phillips and Jordan. Phillips is a first rounder and has all the momentum in terms of his draft stock. Jordan isn’t a round 1 guy but has a very good chance to be picked in rounds 2-3 and with his injury history, he should cash in while he can. While there is talk of Bolden leaving, he’s one guy that could go from a round 3-4 pick to a 1st round pick with another year of development. We will have some guys go for personal reasons I’m sure, but it’s in everyone’s best interest with the exception of JP and Jordan to come back.
@SinisterCane (CanesInsight): Just curious on how many spots do we have for the 2021 class since we’re nowhere near the 85 player limit?
There’s 2 numbers to consider in recruiting: 25 and 85. You can only sign 25 guys a year, also referred to as Initial Counters (ICs). Even though we aren’t anywhere near the 85 total scholarship limit, we are hamstrung by the 25 IC rule at the moment. This could (and should) change once the NCAA gets off it’s *** and does something productive. This is one reason why recruiting has been at a standstill for the last few months, we only have 4 spots left (20 commits and 1 IC counted forward for Jarrid Williams).
@Skay11 (CanesInsight): With how Keontra Smith played last week, how do you see the rotation playing out going forward for 2020 with GB3 and Smith? It seems like striker is going to be a strength going forward, what do you expect will happen in 2021 if Smith shows he can’t be kept on the bench during the remainder of 2020? Chase Smith also adds an additional wrinkle into this in 2022.
Gilbert Frierson has established himself as one of the better players on this defense. He’s been consistent and is a source of energy and intensity for this squad. Keontra has also played well and has shown himself to be a player. Gil will get the majority of the snaps but Baker and Manny should be scheming to get these 2 on the field as much as possible together depending on the offense we are facing. Keontra can line up as the Will LB with Flagg/Jennings as the Mike, and Gil at striker. This has been our suggestion dating back to midseason when McCloud was struggling and should continue into 2021. Keontra will be on the field, he’s too talented not to be. It’s a good problem to have.
Chase Smith is one of our favorite prospects in this class. He’s going to be a big time player for us on the 2nd level, most likely striker. You always hear about “stacking chips” in recruiting...well, this is what it looks like.
@Canedog (CanesInsight): What dew ewe consider too bee the single greatest individual athletic achievement in a game, event, ore athletic challenge. Eye considered Alex Honnold’s free solo of El Capitan, Tiger Woods first Masters when, the first for minute mile, the first person to swim the English Channel, etc. Four me, it’s Bob Beamon’s record shattering long jump at the Mexico City Olympic s inn 1964. What say ewe?
There’s a lot of all time great performances out there so this is a tough one. It may be a little biased because I actually watched this one but Michael Phelps at the 2008 Olympics is my pick. Dude won 8 gold medals (5 individual) and set 7 world records along the way. That’s incredible to think about. People dream about winning 1 gold medal and he won 8 in one shot. That’s something that will not be replicated for a long, long time. People can swim channels and run really fast miles, but to clean up on the gold medals like that is special.
@GojiraCane (CanesInsight): Blast From The Past Question: Chris Walsh was a celebrated recruit back in the early 90s, but never took the field because of "a hitch in throwing motion". How was this missed in evaluations, and why couldn't it be corrected?
The really strange thing about what happened to him is that he developed it while he was on campus. By all accounts he had a normal delivery up until he showed up for spring practice in 1993 after his redshirt year. What he was doing was turning the ball basically sideways at the back of his windup, which was slowing everything down. Even when he got rid of the turn, he was still hitching, and it cost him his career. You’d think that something major must have happened to start it, but the scary thing is that it might have just surfaced one day.
Why he couldn’t fix it is probably the same exact reason Chuck Knoblauch forgot how to throw to first base and Hayden Hurst gave up baseball: the yips are real, and evil. When this thing pops up, it becomes a constant mental battle. The sudden breaking of one’s mechanics, honed over a literal lifespan of throwing practice, can cause a lot of pressure to athletes in high profile situations. Who knows how much Chris felt the pressure of being a national high school player of the year AND Steve’s little brother on the campus where he won a national title, but I have no doubt it contributed to what happened to him.
@GojiraCane (CanesInsight): Former WCW and WWE Champion Sid Eudy (Sid Vicious, Sid Justice) was often lambasted as "Softball Sid" for seeking to take portions of summers off to play his favorite recreational sport. In an industry that gave no vacations, has no offseason and ran its performers 300 days out of a given year on the road, was Sid justified in taking the occasional summer off as a means of preserving his long-term health?
Through the “modern history” of pro wrestling (what I consider to be since the emergence of the WWF heading into the 80s as a replacement for the territory era), the strain placed on the wrestlers has been a constant source of discontent among both the talent and fans. Countless wrestlers have complained about the schedule of the WWF/E through the years due to the grueling nature of the travel involved to make each town. Allowing its talent to have some time to spend with families and stay off the road for a couple months once a year would no doubt have kept a lot more talent happy during some lean years, and perhaps could have helped create another boom.
There’s also the other effect that giving wrestlers time off has: developing a desire from the fans to see that wrestler again. Someone like Sycho Sid, who wasn’t ever going to wow people with his in-ring work, should have been allowed more time off to keep him fresh as a top of the card talent. So not only does it give him the mental time to get ready for another tour with the company, it also probably extends his time with the companies he worked for (instead of the scatterplot career he had).
@k9cane (CanesInsight): If you had one game to win, who is your quarterback (among guys who played at the U)? I think Jim Kelly is our best QB ever, but I might go with Steve Walsh.
One game to win, I honestly would go with what you went with as your ultimate decision. Steve Walsh lost just one game as a starter, and it’s widely seen as the second biggest screwjob that Canes fans have had to deal with in the program's history. I’d also argue that he is quite possibly in the top 3 in terms of pure physical talent at the position, only behind Kelly and Testaverde. There’s a lot that might make me adjust things depending on circumstance, but I’d also go outside the box a bit and choose 4.
@JD08 (CanesInsight): When I was in college, I had a professor who told me that the people who make money in the future are going to be the ones who turn data into information. He foresaw the rise of business intelligence and data science by 20 years. At the time, the pat answer was that computers were the future, much the same way we hear that STEM is the future now. Given the rapidly changing environment around automation and productivity, where do you see the big opportunities for teenagers to focus that will sustain them through their careers?
I think your professor not only saw the future, but also saw the present and the past. I don’t think that there’s ever been a time where we haven’t put a premium on those people who turned data into information. Just to use sports as an example, we are obviously, for better or for worse for the fans, in the analytic era where everything is turned into numbers, but it’s really how people read those numbers that is important. 20 years ago, guys would sit in high school bleachers with radar guns, then they would take those numbers, the amount of pitches they threw, their body type, their dad’s height, the years they’ve been playing, their speed of their release, etc. and turn them into a draftabile grade. To me, that’s still data to info.
In that sense, I see no reason why computers wouldn’t continue to be a mainstay for young people as they pursue higher education; I just can’t say for sure what computers will look like in 20 years. I just know that the evolution will require them to know what’s happening now so that they know how to make what’s next.
Also, just on the idea of data to info, I do think and will always think that students should always work in psychology and communication classes into whatever they are studying. The ability to understand others and effectively take complicated info and make it relatable will ALWAYS be valuable skills.
