If your team had Reggie Bush...

yankeesrule · 04-10-2006, 12:17 AM

Would you want to have him returning kicks/punts and risking a potential injury even though he could bust any of them for a huge play?

Gorilla Shakespeare · 04-10-2006, 12:21 AM

Since my team's starting RB is Shaun Alexander, this is pretty much the only way they'd be able to get production out of Bush.

Eckstein 4 Prez · 04-10-2006, 12:22 AM

My team is the Angels. So I guess he can return all the punts that Darin Erstad kicks.

Gorilla Shakespeare · 04-10-2006, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eckstein 4 Prez

My team is the Angels. So I guess he can return all the punts that Darin Erstad kicks.

Is that the one with the text-based sim?

Eckstein 4 Prez · 04-10-2006, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gorilla Shakespeare

Is that the one with the text-based sim?

No, it's the one with the tea.

messenjah · 04-10-2006, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gorilla Shakespeare

Since my team's starting RB is Shaun Alexander, this is pretty much the only way they'd be able to get production out of Bush.

Ditto

Skipaway · 04-10-2006, 12:38 AM

Oh, my team had Reggie Bush.

Slackker · 04-10-2006, 07:50 AM

Well, the Broncos have Tatum Bell who just happens to be one of my favorite players.. however, Bush will likely be much much better. I probably wouldn't let him be a returner, especially on punts. One lapse on the fair catch signal and bye bye Bush.

As for the Seahawks fans.. Shaun Alexander?

He's a very good runner, but also very one dimensional throughout his career. Yes, I know he caught more passes back when the Seahawks had crappy receiving options, but he's always had a very tough time breaking one in the passing game. Bush could at LEAST be a long yardage and change of pace back for the Seahawks, getting 15+ snaps a game.

Rizon · 04-10-2006, 08:24 AM

My team is the Heterosexual Males. So I'll take all the bush I can get.

Long_Long_Name · 04-10-2006, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yankeesrule

Would you want to have him returning kicks/punts and risking a potential injury even though he could bust any of them for a huge play?

I don't know much about american football, but if he can get a few more yards there than the average returner, what's different from him being used in an offensive situation?

abailey3313 · 04-10-2006, 01:08 PM

Since my team has Ronnie Brown, yes, Reggie Bush would be available for returns.

Eckstein 4 Prez · 04-10-2006, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Long_Long_Name

I don't know much about american football, but if he can get a few more yards there than the average returner, what's different from him being used in an offensive situation?

There's kind of an archaic taboo against using starting players on kicking/kick return teams. The reason that's usually given is that it's more likely for players to get injured on such plays. I don't know that this hypothesis has ever been tested - football is even more resistant than baseball to actual analysis of its strategies.

Gorilla Shakespeare · 04-10-2006, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eckstein 4 Prez

There's kind of an archaic taboo against using starting players on kicking/kick return teams. The reason that's usually given is that it's more likely for players to get injured on such plays. I don't know that this hypothesis has ever been tested - football is even more resistant than baseball to actual analysis of its strategies.

Meh. Joey Galloway returned punts for the Seahawks for a few years. I think that the prohibition against using your starting RB on special teams has more to do with keeping him from getting prematurely tired (RBs work *very* hard on offense) than getting him hurt. If you're going to start Reggie Bush at HB, a guy who didn't even have a track record of playing the whole game behind QB in college, you don't have him return punts.

marc · 04-10-2006, 01:40 PM

Yes, I would most definitely have him returning punts, anyone who says no has no concept of how important the return game is to winning football games.

I've been screaming for Westbrook to go back to returning punts for the Eagles ever since he was inexplicably pulled from that duty.

Long_Long_Name · 04-10-2006, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eckstein 4 Prez

I don't know that this hypothesis has ever been tested - football is even more resistant than baseball to actual analysis of its strategies.

Isn't every team sport more resistant to analysis than baseball?

Oh, and thanks for the explanation.

Eckstein 4 Prez · 04-10-2006, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Long_Long_Name

Isn't every team sport more resistant to analysis than baseball?

Yes, I suppose it is. In part I think this is because statistics are more obviously important in baseball, where there are a lot of discrete events occurring, while sports such as American football, soccer, hockey and basketball are more free-form. Thus, the conservative "old school" culture prevails much more in those sports. At least baseball has ultimately given sabermetrics a chance to succeed.

Skipaway · 04-10-2006, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gorilla Shakespeare

Meh. Joey Galloway returned punts for the Seahawks for a few years. I think that the prohibition against using your starting RB on special teams has more to do with keeping him from getting prematurely tired (RBs work *very* hard on offense) than getting him hurt. If you're going to start Reggie Bush at HB, a guy who didn't even have a track record of playing the whole game behind QB in college, you don't have him return punts.

That just means the coachs would have to consider how to distribute the touches Bush is going to get, not necessarily no punt returns.

jeheinz72 · 04-10-2006, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abailey3313

Since my team has Ronnie Brown, yes, Reggie Bush would be available for returns.

Ditto.

Long_Long_Name · 04-10-2006, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eckstein 4 Prez

Yes, I suppose it is. In part I think this is because statistics are more obviously important in baseball, where there are a lot of discrete events occurring, while sports such as American football, soccer, hockey and basketball are more free-form. Thus, the conservative "old school" culture prevails much more in those sports. At least baseball has ultimately given sabermetrics a chance to succeed.

I completely agree. The profusion of stats for decades of baseball is crucial to its analysis. I tried doing some studies in hockey, but until the 1990's, other than goals, assists and penalty minutes, there's not much to chew on.

marc · 04-10-2006, 02:12 PM

Returning a few punts per game isn't going to tire any of these guys and really how often do teams lose their kick returners to injury? Not all that often so the injury risk is a bit of a myth.

It wouldn't matter if my starting RB was Walter Payton or Nick Goings, Reggie Bush would be returning punts for my team and I would win more games than if he wasn't.

View Poll Results: Would you Reggie Bush returning punts if he was on your team?
Yes	26	65.00%
No	14	35.00%
Voters: 40. You may not vote on this poll

04-10-2006, 12:17 AM	#1
yankeesrule All Star Starter Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,367	If your team had Reggie Bush... Would you want to have him returning kicks/punts and risking a potential injury even though he could bust any of them for a huge play?

04-10-2006, 12:22 AM	#3
Eckstein 4 Prez Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: The OC Posts: 6,358	My team is the Angels. So I guess he can return all the punts that Darin Erstad kicks. __________________ Looking for an insomnia cure? Check out my dynasty thread, The Dawn of American Professional Base Ball, 1871.

04-10-2006, 12:38 AM	#7
Skipaway Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Where you live Posts: 11,017	Oh, my team had Reggie Bush. __________________ Jonathan Haidt: Moral reasoning is really just a servant masquerading as a high priest.

04-10-2006, 08:24 AM	#9
Rizon Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: SF Area, California Total Posts: 531,691 Posts: 2,370	My team is the Heterosexual Males. So I'll take all the bush I can get. __________________ JML MILKSHAKES

04-10-2006, 12:21 AM	#2
Gorilla Shakespeare Banned Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 405	Since my team's starting RB is Shaun Alexander, this is pretty much the only way they'd be able to get production out of Bush.

04-10-2006, 07:50 AM	#8
Slackker All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Connecticut Posts: 777	Well, the Broncos have Tatum Bell who just happens to be one of my favorite players.. however, Bush will likely be much much better. I probably wouldn't let him be a returner, especially on punts. One lapse on the fair catch signal and bye bye Bush. As for the Seahawks fans.. Shaun Alexander? He's a very good runner, but also very one dimensional throughout his career. Yes, I know he caught more passes back when the Seahawks had crappy receiving options, but he's always had a very tough time breaking one in the passing game. Bush could at LEAST be a long yardage and change of pace back for the Seahawks, getting 15+ snaps a game.

04-10-2006, 01:08 PM	#11
abailey3313 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 3,718	Since my team has Ronnie Brown, yes, Reggie Bush would be available for returns. __________________

04-10-2006, 01:40 PM	#14
marc Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,505	Yes, I would most definitely have him returning punts, anyone who says no has no concept of how important the return game is to winning football games. I've been screaming for Westbrook to go back to returning punts for the Eagles ever since he was inexplicably pulled from that duty.

04-10-2006, 02:12 PM	#20
marc Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,505	Returning a few punts per game isn't going to tire any of these guys and really how often do teams lose their kick returners to injury? Not all that often so the injury risk is a bit of a myth. It wouldn't matter if my starting RB was Walter Payton or Nick Goings, Reggie Bush would be returning punts for my team and I would win more games than if he wasn't.