Could fans draft better than GMs?

[gk]

I know this seems ridiculous and part of the populist outrage that is just soooo trendy these days, but I'm starting to wonder. At least in the case of the Browns.

First of all, I'll credit Mangini-Kokinis(?) for selecting C Alex Mack and Massaquoi. They appear to be two solid picks. And I'll even credit them for trading down again and again so as to build depth. I thought that was the smart, if unsexy, thing to do.

But in all the draft boards, Browns fans were going crazy for two players: MLB Ray Malaluga and RT Phil Loadholt. Those were the two names that they over and over again threw out. And as Mangini-Kokinis kept trading down, it looked like those were two of the players they tagged. Or at least Malaluga.

Instead, with three 2nd round picks, the Browns took Massaquoi (looks like a nice #2 WR), but also took Brian Robiskie and LB David Veikune, both of whom were INACTIVE LAST WEEK ON A 1-WIN TEAM.

Meanwhile, Loadholt and Malaluga are both anchors for the offense and defense for playoff teams. In fact, they would probably get my votes for Offensive and Defensive ROY.

As it turns out, the Browns are expecially week at RT and MLB. I know this is simply one case, but does this happen often: that the extremely devoted fans are smarter (or at least more common sensical) than the GM? I'm mostly talking about the stupid/failed GMs.

I would argue that Detroit suffered a similar situation: where the collective fan base would have done a better job drafting than Matt Millen. Raiders too. Have we gotten to the point where a smart fan is smarter or as smart as a dumb GM?

[fatmenace]

Yes.

Fans are no longer shut out from game film. The reason scouts and GMs were so revered was because they access to game film and other things fans didn't. For decades, if you couldn't see a player in person, you had to read about it. Not anymore. On a Horns recruiting board I go to, fans will post YouTube clips of high school players who Texas is interested in. High School!

I watch games with people who will call the play before it happens, and call many of them right. Many. And yet the defensive coach seems completely bewildered. We assume that if a person has ascended to GM or scout or whatever, then they must be so much smarter than anyone. Please. You think if Bush didn't have his last name he would have been anything more than a Target manager? Of course not. Many times being a GM or scout is simply being part of the right crowd.

Simmons tells a story in his book about running into Chris Wallace at a bar and trying to get an explanation as to why Wallace made a certain trade. Wallace seemed perplexed to have heard an alternate, better situation. Now Maybe Simmons exaggerated it, but haven't we seen enough stupid GMs that the story seems completely believable?

When Millen was drafting WRs, you really think if the fans had taken a consensus vote on a different player, that that player wouldn't have been better? Of course he would have.

So yes, gone are the days when fans are in the dark about who is good and who isn't. We have access to everything the GMs do.

[fatmenace]

Exhibit A: Oden and Durant

GMs and writers by and large were saying Oden over Durant. The whole nonsense of taking a big guy with potential over anyone else. But fans (and some writers, to be fair) were screaming for Durant. It's not revisionist history. Anyone who saw them play knew who was better and who would be better.

Once again Oden is out for the year. Even when healthy he wasn't dominant.

But whatever.