Originally Posted by
DBR96A
The opposite of Warren Sapp is Todd Haley. Allow me to explain...
One of the many ways that football is like the military is that experience doesn't necessarily give you expertise. Furthermore, it's also possible for them both to become enough of a hobby among outsiders that they develop a good understanding of the concepts and the strategy involved. It certainly requires a longer learning curve if you haven't played or served, but it's not impossible to do.
There are some history and war buffs out there who may never have served in the military, but still have a pretty good grasp of military strategy nonetheless, and could come up with a good strategy given a certain set of variables. On the other hand, while all soldiers do an excellent job of following orders and being efficient and resourceful, not all of them have a mind for strategy, and those who don't probably wouldn't grasp the bigger picture too well. (That doesn't make them any less heroic or more expendable; it just means that they're best suited as a cog in the machine, so to speak.)
In football it's the same way. Todd Haley never played football, but you obviously can't claim that he doesn't know what he's doing as a coach, or doesn't understand the concepts and strategy of the game. Conversely, Warren Sapp had a good career in the NFL, but does he have what it takes to be a defensive coordinator? Probably not. He was best as a cog in Monte Kiffin's machine. The problem is, he believes that his experience has given him expertise, and he grossly overrates it, which is why he's so dismissive of those who disagree with him.
When listening to Warren Sapp, it's best to remember that his experience has not given him expertise, and take his opinions for what they're worth.
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