I only had to read a few scouting reports to identify special ability in Mackenzie, combining evaluation of playing traits and an understanding of likelihood. Very rare. He's the only "unknown" scout I've ever tipped, here or elsewhere.
You're not going to nail everything. The bottom line dictates. I don't have to apologize when I cash a ticket, if the result stemmed from a slightly different variable than I projected. I've seen laughable summaries here from bitter types who asserted that Mackenzie spotlighted one or two issues that didn't cause Dion Jordan's failure to date. Meanwhile, doubting the #3 pick in the draft is out on a limb. That's deserved payoff if you connect. So unlike the Dolphins, who have no clue toward logical weighting, often paying ahead of time on low percentage moves and then wondering how in heck it didn't pan out.
I visited Mackenzie's home town of Cincinnati last week. Canes debacle at Nippert. You've got to love a college team that switches to a spread offense when the quarterback is a pure dropback type with no threat of running the ball, or even adequately executing the fake. I particularly loved it when Miami was in the shotgun on 3rd and inches, all but begging the Bearcats to rotate forward and attack, brutalizing the play for a loss. They did. Earlier in the game Kaaya routinely fell forward for a first down on a similar down and distance. It didn't feel like defeat. It felt like we didn't try. The Canes gave away the Orange Bowl. We gave away our classic uniforms. Now we've brainstormed to give away our power pro set heritage. One cupcake wimp offense among a sea of them, translating to softness throughout the team. Sickening. At least I can now watch Michigan again.
I'll handicap other aspects of my trip to Nippert:
* Every college program apparently has an award winning dance team. I heard that over the PA system when I watched Louisville host Samford, Cincinnati playing Miami, and then Kentucky barely surviving Eastern Kentucky in overtime two days later.
* Cincinnati fans are classy, if somewhat shy, very late arriving, and slow to come around. Nobody would talk to me in the first half. Apparently my Canes gear kept them at bay. Once they came around at halftime we had some great chats, including everyone wondering why Miami fans are so determined to get rid of Al Golden. They all saw the banner. No mocking after the result, even if it severely favored their side. I didn't see or hear one Canes fan take any abuse
* Parking near that stadium is a joke. One guy told me, "We don't have public parking." I kept driving until finding something called Christ Hospital, way down on Auburn. Maybe a mile and a quarter away, like the Kentucky Derby. I didn't care. It was free. I didn't see any threatening signs. On my long drive back to Louisville after the debacle at least I didn't have to curse a $20 parking ripoff
* I can understand why White Castle was routed in Miami decades ago when it briefly tried to go head to head with Royal Castle. No chance. No birch beer and lower quality of food, building and presentation. There was a White Castle not far away from Cincinnati's Union Terminal, a very impressive structure that I visited during the afternoon. I ended up with 4 sliders and 2 beggars: "Hey Canes fan, can you spare a dollar?" He got nothing but I was more impressed with him than the guy when I pulled up to the place. He used the same phrasing but only aspired to a quarter.