Jovan Swann is better than you think!

[OutsiderFan]

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=27434833

I've been feeling Stanford's defense is going to be a lot better than most are assuming.  This video solidifies that belief.

[martyup]

I wonder what his player impact rating is with Gotham Pro-Action Electric Football?

[Hank 91]

Wow. It's interesting to see those numbers. I also feel better about the defensive line than most do. I like Swann and Michael Williams, as well as DWP, and I can't wait to see a full season from Thomas Booker.

[BostonCard]

Well, if this is to be believed, then you can add Schaffer to that list of D linemen...

http://cardinal.gostanford.com/nl/jsp/m....ev442Ao%3D

Senior defensive end Thomas Schaffer is enjoying his best health and best football since he came to Stanford, now competing for a starting spot. The native of Vienna, Austria in more ways than one looks like the second coming of Henry Anderson: a towering, stout presence on the defensive line who wears No. 91 and is seeing the light come on.

I'll believe it when I see it.

BC

[CornFed]

Marty, that is a much, much better and smoother version of electric football than I had as a kid say 60 years ago.  It looks almost viable.  The early versions had players instantly veering off to nowhere and the ball carrier moving in a circle.  The version in your image seems to actually have players that move where you point them.  I would be amazed if electric football is still being sold; or if it has been sold in the last 50 years.  

Just watched some video of current versions and I am disappointed in myself that I could have spent more than about one Xmas morning playing that BS game.  Sheesh!!  Even the far better modern versions are just flat boring.  I am very lucky not to have been born 50 years later.  I would have been soooooo addicted to Madden.   lol  lol  lol

[Phogge]

With Foto Electric Football you actually called plays from a 24 card playbook and defenses from a 12 card set. Cards were overlayed on an opaque field with a light bulb underneath. The old True Action game even had a passer with a spring loaded delivery of the small cloth football. I don’t think a pass was ever completed while we played.

[fullmetal]

I've been feeling Stanford's defense is going to be a lot better than most are assuming.

How did we not hear about this sort of analysis earlier?  Quite encouraging.

[Hurlburt88]

My brother gave me an electric football game for christmas 10 years ago.   My kids were amazed!

[CornFed]

With Foto Electric Football you actually called plays from a 24 card playbook and defenses from a 12 card set. Cards were overlayed on an opaque field with a light bulb underneath. The old True Action game even had a passer with a spring loaded delivery of the small cloth football. I don’t think a pass was ever completed while we played.

I had that one, too, and it was far more interesting than electric football.  But we had some WICKED fights about whether or not the lines had touched to indicate a tackle.

There was also an NFL endorsed game (I think it was called NFL Strategy) with many more cards for both offense and defense which, when overlaid, created windows showing various possible results for the play.  Then you pulled a bead back against a spring and where it stopped indicated which window was used to determine the outcome of the play.  That was the best game for a long time and actually held our interest even as we became more sophisticated in our early teens.

[winflop]

Wow. It's interesting to see those numbers. I also feel better about the defensive line than most do. I like Swann and Michael Williams, as well as DWP, and I can't wait to see a full season from Thomas Booker.

I've been less worried about DL than I am about ILB and SS/FS, but more concerned about NT than DE. The middle of the defense looks like a potential sieve at every level. Hard to imagine that teams could succeed by using Stanford's game plan against it, but that could be a harsh reality this year.

[Pants]

Whoa... did any of you have "Swann is top ranked defensive player in the nation" on your ESPN.com headline bingo card? I did not see that coming. There's a big leap from "Preseason All Pac-12 Honorable Mention" to "top ranked defensive player in the nation." Let's hope they're on to something.

[d4cohn]

Wow. It's interesting to see those numbers. I also feel better about the defensive line than most do. I like Swann and Michael Williams, as well as DWP, and I can't wait to see a full season from Thomas Booker.

I've been less worried about DL than I am about ILB and SS/FS, but more concerned about NT than DE. The middle of the defense looks like a potential sieve at every level. Hard to imagine that teams could succeed by using Stanford's game plan against it, but that could be a harsh reality this year.

I disagree on NT. He may not be a superstar this year, but I think DWP has Vita Vea level potential at some point in his Stanford career. He showed flashes of being incredibly disruptive last year. With another year of additional work, I expect him to step up yet another level.

I think the DL is poised for a dominant season. The other positions you raised (ILB and SS/FS) may have more question marks.

[SamuelMcF]

I'm not as worried about FS as some are. Antoine was passable last season as a redshirt soph in his first full year playing the position. Not his fault we had 2 free safeties starting, and the "strong" safety was...uh...not that strong. (Sorry Frank.)

For me the big concerns are SS and NB. Need Head or Williamson to step up at SS and be the big bad wolf roaming the middle of the field. Williamson was a true freshman playing NB last season, and though he did flash some, he was also picked on A LOT. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the true frosh got involved early, and am excited to see the trajectory of our secondary in general over the next couple years. It's overall REALLY young.

Everyone worried about DT needs to watch Mike Williams' film from last season. He's a winner. And DWP as a redshirt frosh showed some exciting things. Agreed on his high ceiling.

[qwerty49]

I'm not as worried about FS as some are. Antoine was passable last season as a redshirt soph in his first full year playing the position. Not his fault we had 2 free safeties starting, and the "strong" safety was...uh...not that strong. (Sorry Frank.)

For me the big concerns are SS and NB. Need Head or Williamson to step up at SS and be the big bad wolf roaming the middle of the field. Williamson was a true freshman playing NB last season, and though he did flash some, he was also picked on A LOT. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the true frosh got involved early, and am excited to see the trajectory of our secondary in general over the next couple years. It's overall REALLY young.

I think everything is relative.  Antoine seems to be the best of a relatively mediocre/unproven lot at this point.  Maybe FS is a better fit for him but he seemed to be caught wrong-footed way too many times during last season.  

How long have we been waiting for Stuart Head?  OF's post shows a pretty gaudy offer list for him.

That said, I trust Akina's evaluations implicitly.  If someone is disappointing, it just means there's no one better behind him.

[winflop]

I'm not as worried about FS as some are. Antoine was passable last season as a redshirt soph in his first full year playing the position

Sorry I thought Antoine was positively awful last year. The one thing a safety must do is stop a runner who breaks through the front 7. Antoine was horribly out of position and easily beaten in the open field too many times last year.

Your point about lacking a STRONG safety is well-taken, and sadly there really isn't anyone on the roster with the size to fill that role. So we will likely have two FS's again this season.

[SamuelMcF]

I'm not as worried about FS as some are. Antoine was passable last season as a redshirt soph in his first full year playing the position

Sorry I thought Antoine was positively awful last year. The one thing a safety must do is stop a runner who breaks through the front 7. Antoine was horribly out of position and easily beaten in the open field too many times last year.

I REALLY think you're thinking of Buncom, but maybe I'm wrong. Dude couldn't take angles at all.

Your point about lacking a STRONG safety is well-taken, and sadly there really isn't anyone on the roster with the size to fill that role. So we will likely have two FS's again this season.

The likely starters opposite Antoine, Stuart Head 6'4" 210 or Kendall Williamson 6'1" 201, seem plenty big enough to play strong safety to me. (Justin Reid was 6'1" 204 as a junior.)

[Brickcity]

I'm not as worried about FS as some are. Antoine was passable last season as a redshirt soph in his first full year playing the position

Sorry I thought Antoine was positively awful last year. The one thing a safety must do is stop a runner who breaks through the front 7. Antoine was horribly out of position and easily beaten in the open field too many times last year.

I REALLY think you're thinking of Buncom, but maybe I'm wrong. Dude couldn't take angles at all.

Your point about lacking a STRONG safety is well-taken, and sadly there really isn't anyone on the roster with the size to fill that role. So we will likely have two FS's again this season.

The likely starters opposite Antoine, Stuart Head 6'4" 210 or Kendall Williamson 6'1" 201, seem plenty big enough to play strong safety to me. (Justin Reid was 6'1" 204 as a junior.)

I'll bet dollars to doughnuts he's thinking of Buncom. Buncom seemed to get faked out every time he was isolated in the open field with a ball carrier.

[akiddoc]

I'm not as worried about FS as some are. Antoine was passable last season as a redshirt soph in his first full year playing the position

Sorry I thought Antoine was positively awful last year. The one thing a safety must do is stop a runner who breaks through the front 7. Antoine was horribly out of position and easily beaten in the open field too many times last year.

I REALLY think you're thinking of Buncom, but maybe I'm wrong. Dude couldn't take angles at all.

Your point about lacking a STRONG safety is well-taken, and sadly there really isn't anyone on the roster with the size to fill that role. So we will likely have two FS's again this season.

The likely starters opposite Antoine, Stuart Head 6'4" 210 or Kendall Williamson 6'1" 201, seem plenty big enough to play strong safety to me. (Justin Reid was 6'1" 204 as a junior.)

I'll bet dollars to doughnuts he's thinking of Buncom. Buncom seemed to get faked out every time he was isolated in the open field with a ball carrier.

Buncom was not healthy at any time during his Stanford career, and in fact retired from football after last year for medical reasons. It's amazing he played at all.

[Hulk01]

With Foto Electric Football you actually called plays from a 24 card playbook and defenses from a 12 card set. Cards were overlayed on an opaque field with a light bulb underneath. The old True Action game even had a passer with a spring loaded delivery of the small cloth football. I don’t think a pass was ever completed while we played.

I had Foto Electric, too.  It was much better. 
But by far the greatest sports game of the late 50's and 60's
was ice hockey, complete with players from all six teams:
The Black Hawks, Red Wings, Rangers, Maple Leafs, Canadiens, and Bruins,'

Loved that game.

[Phogge]

Cadeco also made All Star Baseball. Had a number of circular hitter cards (current 50’s stars and old timers) that were placed over a mobile arrow with outcomes (singles, doubles, ground outs, K’s etc.). Had a chart for errors, hit and run, steal but lacked pitching factors. Spent hours with my cousin. Could play a nine inning game in half an hour. Then there was dice baseball and the novel, “The Universal Baseball Association, J. Henry Waugh proprietor.”