'Deceptively Fast': Ranting On A Term Used Strangely

by Jess Root on Aug 22, 2011 8:01 AM MDT

I am not one to rant a whole lot. It is not my thing in general. I will rant about being patient, about Antrel Rolle, about the wave in baseball and now about a term I hate hearing on TV broadcasts. The thing is that in the past two games for the Arizona Cardinals, the TV team used it several times.

The term "deceptive speed" or saying a player is "deceptively fast" is what has me fired up.

The past two weeks, the Cardinals TV guys used the terms to describe two Cardinals players in particular -- rookies DeMarco Sampson and Robert Housler.

I get that these guys are rookies and really well known, but it was the Cardinals TV team. And it is simply incorrect to use the term to describe these guys.

When someone says "deceptively fast," it should mean that the guy isn't particularly speedy but somehow outruns people or creates good separation. Sampson and Housler should not be in that category.

These guys are plain fast. That is where the issue is. Sampson logged a pair of 4.41 40-yard dash times at the NFL combine. Housler ran a 4.46. While those are not Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie fast, they certainly are clearly fast times.

When I think deceptive speed, I think of a guy like Jerry Rice. He was not a burner by any means, but he somehow was always able to outrun people and get behind defenses. Sampson is a big guy and Housler is a tight end. I guess the intent of the term is to say that they are "surprisingly fast," either because of size or position.

Not all deep threats are skinny fast guys. All you have to do is look at a player's scouting report.

When guys are fast, they should be acknowledged as such. Don't make them deceptive if they have true speed.

And that concludes this rant....you may carry on with whatever it was that once occupied you.

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100%

On board with you. Fast don’t lie. Good example with jerry rice, I think he ran like a 4.7
40 or something like that.

by emm7777 on Aug 22, 2011 10:11 AM MDT reply actions

LOL as soon as I saw you say "deceptively fast" I was thinking "oh man, he means the broadcasters talking about Sampson"

They said it over and over again.

I was starting to wonder if he was like Flash or something…..he looks slow and then just a blur and he’s 20 yards down field….considering the way they were describing it you would think he just teleported after snailing his way for 5 yards or so.

In Every Climb and Place....

by PhoenicianPakFan on Aug 22, 2011 10:26 AM MDT reply actions

I mentioned that in the CotW poll too

How is running a 4.41 “deceptively fast”?

Arizona Cardinals/Phoenix Suns/ Arizona Diamondbacks/Phoenix Coyotes/ Arizona Rattlers/Chicago Bears fan

[I have always lived in Arizona, dad is from Chicago].

by JoeCB1991 on Aug 22, 2011 11:55 AM MDT reply actions

I think the term has a place. Generally it is used to refer to long striders who are smooth in their running style, they do not look like they are moving quickly, but they just eat up yards with each stride. Often times Randy Moss going downfield looked like he was putting no effort in, but he would be opening up a huge gap on the DB trying to cover him.

Both Sampson and Housler are tall and long striders, spo they cover more ground quicker than you feel they are. Hence Deceptively fast.

When I think deceptive speed, I think of a guy like Jerry Rice. He was not a burner by any means, but he somehow was always able to outrun people and get behind defenses.

I think that is a different type of deceptive speed. Rice created seperation via route running which made you feel he was “fast” when he wasn’t.

The Housler and Sampson deceptive speed refers to the fact they don’t seem to be exerting a whole lot of effort, they don’t seem to be moving “Fast” but they really are becasue of their stride length as alluded to before.

by khodder on Aug 22, 2011 3:25 PM MDT reply actions

Very well put.

You can’t see someone’s 40 time while they are running. It’s about perception. Someone with a shorter stride chugging along may look as though they are moving faster merely because they are doing more work to achieve the same output.

by hadrarius on Aug 22, 2011 4:34 PM MDT up reply actions

You guys need to get other hobbies if you have time for this stuff

But i feel a need to join in – So you’re saying deceptive speed means he is actually moving faster than he looks like he is moving. The deception is in the perception of the veiwer based upon what he thinks he is seeing looking at the runner i.e. he does not look fast when he runs, but his time or the way he runs past people indictes he is actually fast.
So would you say deceptive speed is a subset of saying he is faster than he looks. Faster than he looks includes what speed you think he will run by looking at him standing still or running. Deceptive speed would only include how fast he looks while running.

I get that – I still would not use the phrase personally, but I get it.

by Drullin'OverDaCards on Aug 22, 2011 4:57 PM MDT up reply actions

Swagger. That's the word that makes me want to rant.

Swagger:

verb;
1) to walk or strut with a defiant or insolent air.
2) to boast or brag noisily
3) to bring, drive, or force by blustering

noun;
1) ostentatious display of arrogance and conceit

But hey, let’s all brag about how full of swagger we are. Basically all these guys going on and on about their swagger are just saying look at me I’m a great big flipping jack ass.

by hadrarius on Aug 22, 2011 4:42 PM MDT reply actions 1 recs

Arizona Cardinals/Phoenix Suns/ Arizona Diamondbacks/Phoenix Coyotes/ Arizona Rattlers/Chicago Bears fan

[I have always lived in Arizona, dad is from Chicago].

by JoeCB1991 on Aug 22, 2011 5:28 PM MDT up reply actions

The new definition of Swagger

Person
1: Former quarterback and primary form of frustration for Arizona Cardinals fans (2010-2011).

Section 103, Row 19

by CardsFan08 on Aug 22, 2011 8:02 PM MDT up reply actions

I played rugby for ASU

and at least in my college sport view, when we said a guy was deceptively fast (we never really said it like that) it meant a guy we thought we could outrun or easily tackle suddenly got this out of nowhere speed that you didnt expect. This usually was tagged on the bigger guys.

Not sure i the sports announcers mean it in that way, but thats what “deceptively fast” means as far as I know on the sports field.
Actually we would normally laugh at our speedy teamate and say “ha, their slowest guy caught you!” that was our way of saying deceptively fast.

by DORRITO on Aug 22, 2011 6:18 PM MDT reply actions