OilerBuck
Sweet Crude
Please look at the list above. These are the postseason top five defensive lineman for every BCS conference (as ranked by CFN).
In dealing with the aforementioned names, for how many can you:
1. Name what team they play for?
2. Recall watching them play at all?
3. Recall watching that specific player for an entire play (start to finish)?
4. Say that you have seen at least five plays, in which that player made an impact?
5. Make an objective opinion that any one single player is conclusively better than another?
...yeah, I didn't come up with much either.
Our opinions on matters such as these are submersed in bias. I'm not suggesting we only have bias towards Buckeye players, however. Consider the following sources of bias (in order of relevance).
1. Favoritism - If you are a fan of, like or dislike a player, you are more likely to have a strong opinion (good or bad) on that player.
2. Firsthand knowledge of a player - If you have seen a player firsthand and can recall his ability or impact on a game, you will be more likely to have a strong opinion (good or bad) on that player.
3. Name recognition - If you have seen a highlight involving a player or have heard that player talked about in the media, you will be more likely to have a strong opinion (good or bad) on that player.
4. Team/Unit Success - If a player's team or unit is greatly successful or unsuccessful, you will be more likely to have a strong opinion (good or bad) on that player.
5. Statistics - If a certain player has relevant statistics that stand out to you, you will be more likely to have a strong opinion (good or bad) on that player.
Many of you have noticed that I've been on a huge kick on the subject of bias since the BuckeyePlanet Awards. The reason behind this, is that I was made aware of my own bias and have since come to the conclusion that, while you cannot totally wipe yourself clean of bias, understanding your tendencies in these areas will make you a more knowledgeable fan.
Think about how you voted for your BP awards (I did the exact same things, so don't consider this a bashing session).
Did you immediately knock a player out of your top six, based on not knowing their name? In our defensive lineman discussion, this is a bad move because often these guys are overlooked in post-game discussions or highlights unless they have a TD or huge hit.
Did you immediately knock a player out of your top six because his stats weren't as impressive as another guy? You all realize that the best D Line players usually face double teams and special schemes to neutralize their effect. This typically frees the less imposing player to make plays and rack up stats.
Were you ever trying to decide between a group of players for that final sixth spot, and decide give it to a Buckeye, Longhorn, Wolverine or Trojan, because you had watched them or because their team/unit had success?
This thread idea was birthed from numerous recent threads regarding All-American teams and individual awards. I hear so much sentiment that it is a "crime" that a certain player doesn't make it, or that it is obvious that someone was mistakenly left off. These comments, without applied reasoning, make everyone look like a fool. We should definitely have our own opinions, but need to consider biased tendencies when making comparisons. I'm as guilty as anyone.
Could we argue that Kudla deserves a third-team All-American look? Yeah. Can we say with any degree of certainty that he should absolutely been on the list...only if you can tell me why those ahead of him should be left off, or why he deserves it more than the other 29 players on the list above.
...Use this logic when making outraged comments, starting e-mail drives, or boycotting.
(Now stepping down from my soapbox)
