Football Trivia (General)/Expert Profile


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Expertise

I can answer statistical questions about professional football. I am especially strong on the subject of the Baltimore Colts from 1947 through 1983, Washington Redskins, and the Baltimore Ravens. My services are best used when an older, obscure question is posed. The newer NFL records are easily accessible through www.NFL.com I do not appraise memorabilia. I am not an expert on Canadian Football, though I will take a shot at any questions you might I have a good understanding and recall of the folklore about Baltimore football. Some of this information may be subjective in nature. I will give the best answer possible if this is the case.

Experience in the area

I am an NFL Statistician with the Washington Redskins. I grew up during the days of the Baltimore Colts in the 1960's. (Please refer to the movie "Diner" for more information about the Baltimore Colts fans)

Organizations

Washington Redskins Statistician, 2005-present Baltimore Ravens, 1996-2003

Publications

The records were used by author Jon Morgan in his book, "Glory For Sale". The records have been part of the Baltimore Ravens Media Guides since their inaugural season in 1996. I was interviewed for the cover story of The Press Box, a local, monthly sports tabloid newspaper. http://www.pressboxonline.com/story.cfm?id=5594

Education/Credentials

I researched and was able to piece together the statistical history of the AAFC Baltimore Colts 1947-49, and the 1950 NFL Colts. This information was used by The Baltimore Ravens for their 1996 Media Guide. The records were entitled "Baltimore Football Records". It was considered "unofficial" since the AAFC league records were not incorporated with the NFL records when the leagues merged. The reason that this information was created was due to the fact that the NFL had prohibited the 1996 Baltimore Ravens from bringing the records, colors, and team name from the Cleveland Browns. The Baltimore football records were presented in order to create a frame of reference. The Ravens have kept these records since 1996, adding and amending as the Ravens football team challenge these records.

Awards and Honors

I was awarded two game balls from the Ravens and was recognized for my work as the top game day employee.

Past/Present Clients

Baltimore Ravens, Wise Guides, Washington Redskins

What do you like about this subject?

I am a sports fan. I am intrigued with statistics and can spend a great deal of time pouring over statistical data.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

Being the nerd who knows the most is a feather in your cap when you work for the networks.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

The most prevalent action in the NFL is "the tackle" which is not defined in the NFL rulebook. There is a very brief description of tackling, (the use of the hands or arms of a defensive player to hold a runner or throw him to the ground)

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

NFL Football Records and statistics were never held in the same regard as baseball statistics. Precise record keeping before the 1960's is hit and miss. They football teams did not record the numbers worn by the players until the 1960's.

Average Ratings

Recent Reviews from Users

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    K = Knowledgeability    C = Clarity of Response    T = Timeliness    P = Politeness
UserDateKCTPComments
Gerry Mantel11/10/0910101010Jim: Very Good! The second link you .....
bud10/16/0910101010Great!
Dan10/16/0910101010I was very pleased with the response .....
van09/17/0910101010 
Jim09/12/0910101010Jim, Thank you very much. I was .....

Recent Answers from Jim Considine

2009-11-09 Touchbacks:

Dear JDA, Hmmmmm??? This is a fuzzy one. It reminds me of when we played touch football in the streets at ten-years old. This may be a rule in Australian Football (but I kind of doubt it) I checked

2009-11-08 Baltimore Colts in the AAFC - History:

Dear Gerry, I was answering your question last night while watching Sunday Night Football. My eyes grew heavy and the next thing I know, I wiped out all of my information answering your question

2009-11-01 Football penalties:

Hi John, I am not aware of any resource that has this information. The NFL does not keep a record of the "most penalties assessed on a single play". There are probably some stories about multiple penalties

2009-10-27 Nfl fair catch rule:

Hi Joe, The "fair catch rule" predates the NFL. As far as I can tell, when football was created from rugby, this is one of the rules that came with the game. The rule was given structure in 1894 by

2009-10-13 Football:

Hi Bud, Here are some books on football that look like they may help you advance your knowledge of the game. 1) Football for the Utterly Confused (Paperback) by Tom Flores (Author), Bob O'Connor (Author)

 

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