STATE SUPREMACY

I think everyone's known this for awhile.

The more I look at it, the more it seems that the list of draft picks per-capita correlates pretty strongly with this list: list of states by percent African-American population.

Although to me the most fascinating stat is that Texas and Florida place in the top-5 of NFL draft picks per capita.

(06-23-2014 08:21 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  I think everyone's known this for awhile.

The more I look at it, the more it seems that the list of draft picks per-capita correlates pretty strongly with this list: list of states by percent African-American population.

Undoubtedly explains why NY state (the state with the highest total African-American population) is such a football talent factory (not).

(06-23-2014 08:38 AM)orangefan Wrote:  

(06-23-2014 08:21 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  I think everyone's known this for awhile.

The more I look at it, the more it seems that the list of draft picks per-capita correlates pretty strongly with this list: list of states by percent African-American population.

Undoubtedly explains why NY state (the state with the highest total African-American population) is such a football talent factory (not).

It is a basketball factory though. Different sports priorities in different states.

NC is a top NFL producing state yet has no dominant football program. If one of the NC teams made a couple years' run in BCS games, they could really take off. Wake just doesn't have the make up to capitalize off the Orange Bowl.

(06-23-2014 08:38 AM)orangefan Wrote:  

(06-23-2014 08:21 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  I think everyone's known this for awhile.

The more I look at it, the more it seems that the list of draft picks per-capita correlates pretty strongly with this list: list of states by percent African-American population.

Undoubtedly explains why NY state (the state with the highest total African-American population) is such a football talent factory (not).

Dude, do you know what correlation means? It doesn't have to perfectly line up to be correlated.

I just ran the numbers, and the two are 59.6% correlated. In other words, nearly 60% of the variability in # of draft picks per capita is due to the percent of African Americans in the population.

Of course, correlation doesn't always equal causation. But in this case it probably does because the NFL has a disproportionately high number of African Americans.

I'd rather see numbers on how many kids are playing high school football in each state.

If you look at the states where MLB players are from it discredits the idea that the Big 10 would do better in college baseball because B1G states don't produce many MLB players and the difference I would think has to do with the fact that players in the south play baseball 8 to 12 months a year and there are a lot of high school and American Legion teams in the south.

If kids aren't playing at the youth and high school level its hard to suddenly become a player in college.

(06-23-2014 10:46 AM)NBPirate Wrote:  NC is a top NFL producing state yet has no dominant football program. If one of the NC teams made a couple years' run in BCS games, they could really take off. Wake just doesn't have the make up to capitalize off the Orange Bowl.

Too many P5 and FBS programs over which to spread the talent. If NC had only 1 or 2 P5 programs, it/they could be national contenders.

(06-23-2014 07:04 PM)orangefan Wrote:  

(06-23-2014 10:46 AM)NBPirate Wrote:  NC is a top NFL producing state yet has no dominant football program. If one of the NC teams made a couple years' run in BCS games, they could really take off. Wake just doesn't have the make up to capitalize off the Orange Bowl.

Too many P5 and FBS programs over which to spread the talent. If NC had only 1 or 2 P5 programs, it/they could be national contenders.

It's more of a upper level administration issue than number of programs. Yes it's not easy keeping the top talent home but NC produces enough talent to build a base from & is close to enough to talent producing states like VA,GA,SC & Fl. The northern VA suburbs are closer to Chapel Hill than many areas in state & only a hour or so longer than the Charlotte area

(06-23-2014 08:38 AM)orangefan Wrote:  

(06-23-2014 08:21 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  I think everyone's known this for awhile.

The more I look at it, the more it seems that the list of draft picks per-capita correlates pretty strongly with this list: list of states by percent African-American population.

Undoubtedly explains why NY state (the state with the highest total African-American population) is such a football talent factory (not).

Probably because over a third of the state's population lives in and around the City of New York, where's there's barely any room for it. Not to mention it's a cold weather state. Who wants to be outside in November in Syracuse, Buffalo or NYC?

(06-23-2014 08:38 AM)orangefan Wrote:  

(06-23-2014 08:21 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  I think everyone's known this for awhile.

The more I look at it, the more it seems that the list of draft picks per-capita correlates pretty strongly with this list: list of states by percent African-American population.

Undoubtedly explains why NY state (the state with the highest total African-American population) is such a football talent factory (not).

Football is big in small towns basketball is the city game.
Easy explanation of why the South is dominant in football but not basketball.

African Americans tend to live almost exclusively in cities in the North. Small Southern towns where football is king are diversified. Northern small towns tend to be almost completely white and football plays a smaller role.

(06-24-2014 11:03 AM)MJG Wrote:  

(06-23-2014 08:38 AM)orangefan Wrote:  

(06-23-2014 08:21 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  I think everyone's known this for awhile.

The more I look at it, the more it seems that the list of draft picks per-capita correlates pretty strongly with this list: list of states by percent African-American population.

Undoubtedly explains why NY state (the state with the highest total African-American population) is such a football talent factory (not).

Football is big in small towns basketball is the city game.
Easy explanation of why the South is dominant in football but not basketball.

African Americans tend to live almost exclusively in cities in the North. Small Southern towns where football is king are diversified. Northern small towns tend to be almost completely white and football plays a smaller role.

I agree with everything you said, but at least in New England the sports culture has changed since the Krafts bought the Pats. The Pats have replaced the Sox as the clear number one in Boston. I feel like high school football has followed. Massachusetts isn't gonna all of a sudden become a Southern level talent producer, but we probably have 15 3 star recruits as opposed to 5 -10 a few years ago. BC has picked up a bunch under Addazio we'll see how they do.

(06-24-2014 11:46 AM)Minutemen429 Wrote:  

(06-24-2014 11:03 AM)MJG Wrote:  

(06-23-2014 08:38 AM)orangefan Wrote:  

(06-23-2014 08:21 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  I think everyone's known this for awhile.

The more I look at it, the more it seems that the list of draft picks per-capita correlates pretty strongly with this list: list of states by percent African-American population.

Undoubtedly explains why NY state (the state with the highest total African-American population) is such a football talent factory (not).

Football is big in small towns basketball is the city game.
Easy explanation of why the South is dominant in football but not basketball.

African Americans tend to live almost exclusively in cities in the North. Small Southern towns where football is king are diversified. Northern small towns tend to be almost completely white and football plays a smaller role.

I agree with everything you said, but at least in New England the sports culture has changed since the Krafts bought the Pats. The Pats have replaced the Sox as the clear number one in Boston. I feel like high school football has followed. Massachusetts isn't gonna all of a sudden become a Southern level talent producer, but we probably have 15 3 star recruits as opposed to 5 -10 a few years ago. BC has picked up a bunch under Addazio we'll see how they do.

Part of the slow rise of football (and decline of baseball) in New England is also due to the growing number of young people choosing to play lacrosse instead of baseball in the Spring.

(06-24-2014 08:17 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  

(06-23-2014 08:38 AM)orangefan Wrote:  

(06-23-2014 08:21 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  I think everyone's known this for awhile.

The more I look at it, the more it seems that the list of draft picks per-capita correlates pretty strongly with this list: list of states by percent African-American population.

Undoubtedly explains why NY state (the state with the highest total African-American population) is such a football talent factory (not).

Probably because over a third of the state's population lives in and around the City of New York, where's there's barely any room for it. Not to mention it's a cold weather state. Who wants to be outside in November in Syracuse, Buffalo or NYC?

Hey a lot of us do sports in the winter time. Granted they would be more winter type sports like hockey but we are definitely out there. This shows a different issue with northern schools which have a lot of different sports that are all more equal in the eyes of the players than down south. For instance at my school hockey was a very l;legitimate alternative to football.

(06-24-2014 11:49 AM)HuskyU Wrote:  

(06-24-2014 11:46 AM)Minutemen429 Wrote:  

(06-24-2014 11:03 AM)MJG Wrote:  

(06-23-2014 08:38 AM)orangefan Wrote:  

(06-23-2014 08:21 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  I think everyone's known this for awhile.

The more I look at it, the more it seems that the list of draft picks per-capita correlates pretty strongly with this list: list of states by percent African-American population.

Undoubtedly explains why NY state (the state with the highest total African-American population) is such a football talent factory (not).

Football is big in small towns basketball is the city game.
Easy explanation of why the South is dominant in football but not basketball.

African Americans tend to live almost exclusively in cities in the North. Small Southern towns where football is king are diversified. Northern small towns tend to be almost completely white and football plays a smaller role.

I agree with everything you said, but at least in New England the sports culture has changed since the Krafts bought the Pats. The Pats have replaced the Sox as the clear number one in Boston. I feel like high school football has followed. Massachusetts isn't gonna all of a sudden become a Southern level talent producer, but we probably have 15 3 star recruits as opposed to 5 -10 a few years ago. BC has picked up a bunch under Addazio we'll see how they do.

Part of the slow rise of football (and decline of baseball) in New England is also due to the growing number of young people choosing to play lacrosse instead of baseball in the Spring.

I dont know if what you say is true or not but it doeas make sense. Last year I heard about inner city high schools in Rochester that have lacrosse leagues. Very surprised to hear that. But here is the truly shocking thing that I witnessed about 3 weeks ago; I was driving along on a saturday morning and I saw a bunch of folks in a small stadium at a park. I saw these little tykes running around. At first, I thought they were pop warner fb players. Then I noticed these little guys running around with sticks with nets at the end. They were playing little league lacrosse. These kids were all african americans that I could see. Totally shocked me. Lacrosse is no longer just a middle class suburban kid sport. Its becoming main stream. Now that you have young african american and hispanic kids taking an interest, its about to explode.

(06-24-2014 08:17 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  

(06-23-2014 08:38 AM)orangefan Wrote:  

(06-23-2014 08:21 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  I think everyone's known this for awhile.

The more I look at it, the more it seems that the list of draft picks per-capita correlates pretty strongly with this list: list of states by percent African-American population.

Undoubtedly explains why NY state (the state with the highest total African-American population) is such a football talent factory (not).

Probably because over a third of the state's population lives in and around the City of New York, where's there's barely any room for it. Not to mention it's a cold weather state. Who wants to be outside in November in Syracuse, Buffalo or NYC?

WIMPY, WIMPY, WIMPY!

I could say the same for you if you lived where I live this time of year.

Four states account for 80% of American NHL draftees.

(06-25-2014 07:27 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  I could say the same for you if you lived where I live this time of year.

I live in NY, but I'm a native Floridian, so I have lived many years in two very different climates. I was just joking with you though. I can certainly understand why someone in the sunbelt would not like the weather in NY in the winter.

I know. I was just tossing it back.