The Preseason Mags

[Cincydawg]

Humans seem to love rankings of things, the top ten beaches, restaurants, teams, QBs, traffic, wines, etc.

My thought is always that perfection is the enemy of good enough.  I dislike rankings of most things.  If I like a thing, it's good enough, I don't want to make some super effort to try Item 1 on someone's ranking.  I see lists of Top 100 BBQ places in the US.  How in the world can anyone really compile such a list anyway.  Burfle and marketing.

The Top 100 wine list was the bane of my existence when I worked in the biz, along with Parker's ratings and Gold Medals from some fair or other.  Marketing and burfle I say.

Mostly burfle.

And of course someone gets all upset that their team is ranked 28th in the AP poll in Week Two.  SO WHAT??????!!!!!

[FearlessF]

agreed

a simple list of one or more persons opinion

means nothing

I could rank football teams or bottles of wine by their colors

[ELA]

ESPN does nothing but rankings anymore.  I recall reading something with a former producer there, and they said people stick around for rankings more than anything else.  I swear they rank NFL QBs like every 6 days.

[Cincydawg]

Rankings lead to eyeballs at some point which leads to money.  So, we're stuck with them, like this one dude who posts extensive preseason rankings around here as well.

[ELA]

Rankings lead to eyeballs at some point which leads to money.  So, we're stuck with them, like this one dude who posts extensive preseason rankings around here as well.

Touche

[847badgerfan]

Rankings lead to eyeballs at some point which leads to money.  So, we're stuck with them, like this one dude who posts extensive preseason rankings around here as well.

I'm not sure what that dude gets paid here, but it's not enough.

[FearlessF]

I'm sure ESPN thinks they are underpaid as well

[ALA2262]

Steele's is most thorough but my go-to was/is always Lindy's. They were the most available and had great regional marketing wherever I was. I still buy Lindy's to keep the tradition alive (probably bought Lindy's every year since 1999). And I buy extras for my brothers, both of whom are deployed and will be receiving them in care packages.

[ELA]

I'm sure ESPN thinks they are underpaid as well

As bad as they are, considering FOX paid Skip Bayless like $5 million to leave, it's hard to argue with them

[OrangeAfroMan]

Speaking of Steele's and brothers. My brother studies Steele's all Summer and then packs it up and takes it to Vegas for the first 2-3 weeks of the season. He contends the odds makers don't have a clue until the third or fourth week. He has never returned with less than +$10K. On his first 3 week stay in 2010 he returned with +$40K. Almost half of which he won in the third week on a $250 seven game parlay ticket which pays 75 to 1.

I only bet on games where the line seems way off to me - usually 3-4 in any given week.  If you can have enough for a parlay, it's worth it.  

[FearlessF]

but, you haven't quit your day job?

[OrangeAfroMan]

I guess that should've said "I've only bet..." - not an ongoing thing, but here and there in the past.  Confident risk is still risk, lol.

[Cincydawg]

Well, I'm happy enough with ELA's rankings.  Good to go.

[ELA]

ESPN does nothing but rankings anymore.  I recall reading something with a former producer there, and they said people stick around for rankings more than anything else.  I swear they rank NFL QBs like every 6 days.

Top headline on ESPN's main page today?  Ranking all 32 NFL QB depth charts