The color palette, the data points, yes, yes, yes.
When I see motion work like this I wonder why it doesn’t air on television? Or is the british accent an indicator that we just aren’t ready for it here in the United States? Probably not, which saddens me … we get Charlie Sheen driving a car in his house – what does that say about us?
Back to blogging. I’ve been itching to do it for a while. I’m going to talk a lot about different motion design pieces and thought it would be appropriate to reiterate something I’ve mentioned before about making videos like this – the most important part of any element in a motion design piece is its point of origin. As much as this video is a commentary on everything else “where things come from” does a fantastic job of hiding where all of its elements are originating and seamlessly transitions from one sequence to the next without needing to turn a corner (a phrase I use to describe a “cut” or “edit” in motion design).
Notice the carrot making its transition? This video is riddled with gems like this.
Voting for Andrew Luck on your Heisman ballot at all is simply a product of ESPN’s virtual monopoly on sports news.
I’ll be the first to tell you, Andrew Luck is a great player and will play well in the NFL. However, the Heisman trophy has never had anything to do with your potential until ESPN decided to make it the case. Let’s take a look at how he stacks up against Robert Griffin III of Baylor. This list doesn’t even include the fact that Baylor played the 13th toughest schedule, 5 spots above Luck’s Stanford (18th).
Let’s start with the most egregious misconception… That even though the Heisman isn’t supposed to be a career achievement award, it plays a factor in the race and since it does it means Andrew Luck is sitting pretty.
Passing Stats alone?
RG3
9590 yds. 731/1090 67% 8.8 YPA 73 TD 17 INT 159.95 QB Rating
(not including limited 2009 season [knee] – stats that only would have helped RG3)
Luck
9083 yds. 686/1033 66% 8.8 YPA 80 TD 21 INT 161.76 QB Rating
Oh wait… there’s that rushing yard/TD factor too….
Luck
960 yds. 7 TD
RG3
2125 yds. 30 TD
Ha.
RG3: 192.3 (NCAA RECORD)
Luck: 167.5
For those bad at math, that’s a 24.8 difference.
RG3: 3998
Luck: 3170
RG3: 72.4%
Luck: 70.0%
RG3: 36
Luck: 35
RG3: 6 (disgusting)
Luck: 9
RG3: 10.8
Luck: 8.5
RG3: 644
Luck: 153
RG3: 9
Luck: 2
You know that argument that if Luck’s offense wasn’t so “balanced” that he would have similar numbers?
Number of pass attempts for RG3? 369
Luck? 373……..
Also, who plays the “if” game when voting for Heisman?
Also, also…. Robert Griffin by himself is a balanced offense.
But which guy is more important to his team?
I’m sorry, but the argument that since Robert Griffin got hurt in the second half of the Texas Tech game and that Baylor still dominated with a backup QB is absurd. Texas Tech’s defense would make your high school’s offense look prolific.
Baylor hadn’t stepped up and beat anybody of note in more than 20 years until Robert Griffin got on campus. Robert Griffin accounts for 67.7% of Baylor’s 2nd ranked offense. Andrew Luck accounts for 57.6% of Stanford’s 13th ranked offense. I’d like to be able to argue that Baylor’s 114th ranked defense only wins because of Griffin… just like I’m sure Stanford’s 25th ranked defense can only win because of Luck….
The Baylor Bears from Waco, Texas are must see TV because Robert Griffin is must see TV.
I heard one of Lucks coaches argue that Andrew Luck is great at audibles. Cool.
I heard Luck is the best at checking down to his 3rd or 4th option. Great.
Luck looks like a quarterback. RG3 looks like something we’ve never seen.
So to wrap this up, every time I see another Heisman voter tweet that Luck is his top candidate I just laugh. RG3? Heck yes. Montee Ball? Yes. Honey Badger? Yeah. Matt Barkley? Okay. Trent Richardson? ehh… maybe. But Andrew Luck? If he wins, it will make about as much sense as the BCS.
One of my good friends, Lydia Bullock, commented on a photo she took of me on facebook where I am sitting in the driver seat of a bumper car at a park in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.
She said, “I hope when people think of Iraq they think of bumper cars.”
I’ve never told her how profound I think that statement is, but it’s one of those quotes that pops into your head and makes you still.
Yesterday, President Obama declared that we (the United States of America) will be withdrawing by year’s end from Iraq. We’ll leave them with a fledgling government, millions of dollars of damage and oddly enough, millions of dollars of repair. Troops will be moved out of the country that I fell in love with this summer and many of them, as well as most Americans at home will remember Iraq as a series of pictures. Pictures of sand. An image of a man in Arabic clothing that to them equates to a terrorist. They will remember a still image from Shock and Awe – I know I do – I was at my grandparents house watching on a giant television as Baghdad went up in flames.
So I know that when people think of Iraq those images will form what they think of exactly. They will think of war, they will think of Saddam, they will think of Arabs, and maybe even a few will think of Kurds. They will think of oil, they will think of failed intelligence reports. They will think of chaos. They will think of desert – both physically and metaphorically.
And yet, when I think of Iraq. I think of my friends there. I think of the springs and green parks that give life to the country. I think of bumper cars.
I write this knowing that I can’t make everyone in the world think like this. I can’t expect that – people haven’t seen what I truly feel blessed to have been able to witness. But I can share with the few of you who will read this that behind every AP photo, behind every YouTube clip, there are real people who live life for the same reasons you do: to do good, to live in community, to be in the presence of something bigger than themselves, and to make a living doing what they love.
I write this because I hope that when the headline reads, “USA No Longer Has Iraqi Presence” that you think of bumper cars.
I refuse to apologize for not blogging. I’m in New York City.
That being said, here we go again… I miss blogging every day so I’m going to do it when I find awesome things.
Like this song from the one man band Bernhoft:
Discovered this thanks to Spotify and via my brother Caleb. He’s disgustingly talented (Bernhoft, not Caleb… although he is as well).
So Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays you’re going to get the random assortment of links, pictures and videos I find interesting. Wednesdays you’re going to get good music. And Fridays will be a short film each week so you have all weekend to watch it if you so desire.
And I’m not posting on Saturdays or Sundays for now because… (see first line)
- Ted
“…In a way this is our calling. To be redeemed and set afoot into the forrest of the world.” – Victor Hugo
So two things before I begin:
1) I have been reading Les Misérables.
2) I flew into New York City on Monday.
On one of my (several – thanks Irene!) flights to get here I read the above quote. I don’t know if I’ve ever been hit quite so hard by a piece of writing that isn’t scripture.
Of course, it’s obvious that Hugo has read a fair amount of scripture, so that probably was what empowered the blow I received. In fact, at this point in the story, I’m almost willing to call it a journal in narrative form over Hugo’s understanding of the Gospel.
All this to say, my year has been a forrest.
Iraq. Turkey. New Orleans. Oklahoma. Texas. New York City.
Never in my life have I done this much traveling.
I am doing my best to fully appreciate my circumstances, but I feel as if my appreciation pales in comparison to the truth of God’s graciousness in my circumstances. (Yeah, I know – this bit sounds like a previous post)
Now, from here I could walk you through a lot to get to a point, or I can just get to the point – so I will.
If I’ve learned anything about traveling from this last year it’s this: Love where you’re at, love the people and culture you’re a part of, and evidences of the Gospel will become alive in your life and the lives of the people around you. Even when you are not traveling, in fact especially when you are not traveling, as those are the people in whom you have most fully invested yourself for life.
But as for me now? I’m…
Loving New York City because this is where I am,
Ted
