Computer at the NFL Draft Robert Parker
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University of Mississippi eGrove Touche Ross Publications Deloitte Collection 1978 Computer at the NFL draft Robert Parker Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/dl_tr Part of the Accounting Commons, and the Taxation Commons Recommended Citation Tempo, Vol. 24, no. 1 (1978), p. 32-36 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Deloitte Collection at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Touche Ross Publications by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A compute at the NFL draft by ROBERT PARKER/Editor "Tampa Bay selects Ricky Bell, complex data the same way it is done running hack, University of Southern in business: on a computer. California." Thus, one "civilian" also sits at the From the 482 names that paper the long table. He is Jim Renouf, a right wall, a BLESTO scout lifts the stocky, deep-voiced computer speci- strip with Bell's name from the alist from Western Publishing Com- halfback column and transfers it pany, which sells computer services across the room to the Tampa Bay to BLESTO. In front of Renouf sits a heading on the opposite wall. The 29-pound computer terminal with a 1977 National Football League player keyboard and printout. The phone draft has begun, and by the following piece tucked into its back provides night 336 names—defensive players BLESTO a direct line during the in red, offensive in black—will be entire draft with a mineload of infor- transferred across the room to the 28 mation stored in a Univac 1110 NFL teams which selected them. computer in Racine, Wis. It is May 3,1977, at Veterans The scouts sit facing the wall of Stadium, Philadelphia. The Philadel- players' names, recording the order phia Eagles are hosting the nine NFL in which they are selected. (A fan teams which belong to BLESTO, one would face the wall with team of the league's two major scouting listings, to see who selected whom.) combines. At a long table in the "Allllright," says one, "the first seven center of the room sit BLESTO scouts picks are players BLESTO rated best who have seen the players perform, in their position." while adjoining rooms house assist- At the head of the long table sits ant coaches of the nine teams, each the director of BLESTO, Jack Butler. linked by phone to his NFL city. A former Pittsburgh defensive back To fans of non-playoff teams, the who had 52 interceptions during his build-up to the NFL draft is as 9-year career in the 1950s, Butler has suspenseful as are the final games of the square jaw and bright eyes of a the regular season. For a club's man who was strong against both the fortunes are directly linked to how it run and the pass. Both here and in uses its draft choices over a three- to hrs two-room headquarters in down- five-year period. town Pittsburgh, he is continually "We have a trade. The Seattle sought for advice, and his gentle Seahawks send their first-round pick voice does not conceal the tough- to Dallas.. .and the Cowboys take ness of his opinions. Tony Dorsett, halfback, University of Origins of BLESTO Pittsburgh." The room buzzes. Who got the BLESTO was organized in 1963 as the edge? How do you evaluate a player? Bears, Lions, Eagles, Steelers Talent How do you match his speed, size, Organization—it was later joined by intelligence, and desire to your own the Bills, Chiefs, Colts, Dolphins, and needs? And how do you compare his Vikings—but its scouting reports position and his level of competition were rather primitive when the with that of 1,000 other seniors to owners hired Butler in 1966 and decide which man's ability, which suggested he look into the com- man's positron is most impor- puter. tantto your team? "I didn't know what computers, Pro football personnel what programming were all about," people tackle such he says. "One consultant asked 33 A computer at the NFL draft exactly what was it 1 wanted. I didn't code number of his school and his BLESTO's service is the grading it know—exactly! And there were jersey number. gives to each player. language problems, such as when Butler sends one of eight area Ratings range from .4 to 3.1. Very they talked of core storage and down scouts to see a potential pro in the few players are rated from .4 to .9; time and COBOL. 1 decided to go to spring and fall. The better of these such an athlete could start his first night college." seniors are also observed by one of year for any team in the league. Most That first year's printout was three regional scouts and possibly high round draft picks rate from 1.0 equally primitive. Butler describes BLESTO's national scout. Copies of to 1.5, the lower the number the the four categories of speed: their written reports go to each earlier the pick; these are eventual excellent, good, average, and slow. BLESTO team, but the material is also starters. Above 1.8 means an athlete Good men could be spotted—Ron key-punched in Racine, Wis. and may have size, speed, and talent but Yary, still a Viking tackle, was the entered on a computer disk. not all three; these will be free top-rated of 977 athletes—but Twice each year, complete com- agents, with a potential to make the puter printouts on the seniors are club. sent to each BLESTO team (sup- The first round has ended after plemented by semi-annual meetings three hours. Watching closely is the in which the scouts talk directly to Steelers' Art Rooney, Sr., whose son. the coaches of BLESTO teams). Many Art, Jr. originated BLESTO. He is a lists are printed: short man, with white hair and a —Alphabetical by name. cigar stuck into the side of his mouth. —Alphabetical by school. He says little, but the affection he has —Overall athletic ability, all positions, for the draft process is clear, as is the nationwide. affection that these football men —Ranking by ability for each have for him. position, nationwide. "That was a tough first round, Mr. —Overall ability, all positions, in Rooney," says Jack Butler. "Some each scout's area. teams really took a gamble." —Ranking by ability, for each A scout always has questions. He position, in each scout's area. knows be is judging another human —Ranking by position, nationally, according to speed. —Ranking by position, nationally, according to size. —A name and address listing. Each athlete's combined statistical information is printed out in one line in these listings. In addition, "general comments" was the catch- —A history file, a two-page printout all heading for most information. on each player includes as well the Today, BLESTO records a man's written comment by each scout. speed in hundredths of a second and the conditions, the weather, the time Grading of Players of day, the track surface, and who In the first 30 minutes of the May did the timing. It also records height, draft, 11 players are chosen. At about weight, injuries, a dozen abilities this point in any draft, the blue chip based on position, and if ratings are players are gone, and each team based on coaches' comments or begins to use more of the 15 minutes personal observation of practice, it is allotted for the balancing act games, or film. Each player's record is between its needs and the best filed under a combination of the athletes remaining. Thus, the key to 34 scientific computer language, FOR- so that draft choices by round and by TRAN, explains Renouf. "It just team can be printed in subsequent wasn't geared to BLESTO's needs. years. Jack needed a random access system, so he could ask for the 10 fastest Team Criteria players, over six feet six inches, or The selection process has slowed to a whatever criteria he had, and receive crawl. Like certain recent Super a response quickly. He also needed Bowls, there is more excitement in COBOL, a computer language better the buildup than in the event itseif. suited for file manipulation; and it And the NFL draft also prompts more was clear that identifying players by a second-guessing, for the process is code number would increase the not actually over at the end of two computer's efficiency." days. Which team chose better Renouf worked 16 hours a day for players? Which team better filled its six months in 1970 to set up 20 basic needs? being. He also knows his rating may programs for BLESTO's needs. Not "First of all, you have to pick a differ from the computer's, which is only did he set up an "online, mass- programmed to interpret cold storage-oriented, random access statistics: the school's level of system," he also had to design a competition, the quality of its report form that would be simple for coaching, the player's size and speed not only the scouts to follow but also relative to his position, an injury the key-punch operators. record, his performance record. The highly sophisticated system is Thus, scout and machine comple- key-word driven. Thus, Renouf ment one another. enters the word "draft" when a "How can the computer evaluate player is chosen. He types the name the performance of a defensive end on the keyboard, and the computer who is projected as a pro lineback- files the player under the proper er?" asks Butler.