Millions of words have been written that preview the upcoming National Football League (NFL) draft. Hundreds of media reps are extolling the virtues of various athletes and their value to various teams. Local saloons are filled with patrons who know who their favorite NFL team should pick. The movie Draft Day starring Kevin Costner gives you a view of the proceedings.

My problem is that the general public, the media and rabid fans share no responsibility if their picks fail to deliver. For the coaches and scouts their livelihood can be at stake. No one making a pick in the draft knows how it is going to turn out. And, the public frenzy around the draft makes their job just that much more difficult.

The easiest part of this process is identifying talents, such as, strength, speed, skills, etc. The real question is can they fully apply those skills in concert with their teammates and despite the efforts of their opponents to thwart their effectiveness? Sure, performance will vary but no big ups and downs.

This is not just once in awhile, but game after game over a 16 game schedule. And, of course, barring serious injury, for 10 seasons or more. Like I said, no one knows how it’s going to turn out.

I would love it if the suits on ESPN, Fox Sports, et. al could experience losing their job if they made a bad pick. It would be interesting to see what would happen to their expertness if they were going to have to put their butt on the line come “pickin’ time.”

The pros put their lives into their evaluations and they are often second-guessed and even miss. Predicting human behavior to go along with the skill and talent is the game. The athlete who can consistently achieve the application of his talent can have a long and prosperous career even though the experts said “no way.”

Learn a little something about the human behavior part by going to lulu.com to check out Coach Todd’s book, “The Art of Losing, Coaching and Thriving in a Made-for-TV World.”