2021 Barnabus Fuckdoggle Season Award Prediction Thread

[smuggler]

Drew Magary coined the nickname "Barney Fuckdoggle" in a 2015 article he posted on Deadspin after the Packers defeated the Chiefs at Lambeau. Inside linebacker Joe Thomas (now on the Texans) was the first recipient of the award, after he recorded a sack and played well in 38 snaps in his first significant playing time of his career.

The Packers have a knack for having unheralded players step up and play well when it matters most and it is fucking INFURIATING. I would like the loss of a star player to crush them. But NO… no, they always have some asshole behind him ready to go because they’re committed to internal player development because they’re so goddamn PERFECT. Bah! I want scrubs to be SCRUBS. I want to be able to laugh at a rival team for having to put Barney Fuckdoggle in at corner or whatever. It’s a real let-down when Barney turns into a hidden gem, and Collinsworth is like, “You know, Al. I think I really LIKE this Fuckdoggle guy!” That never happens with my team. With my team, the shitty players are shitty.

Since that time, we Rats have lovingly applied the Fuckdoggle award to unheralded players (mostly UDFAs) that have made significant contributions to the team. Whether they actually became good players is not really a requirement. Some guys, like LaDarius Gunter, actually performed admirably considering they were not good players.

The spirit of the award is overachieving or developing despite the odds. There is no hard and fast definition of what it takes to be a Fuckdoggle, but here are some examples of Fuckdoggery from the UDFA lists since 2015, when the term was coined.

2015



The aforementioned Gunter, who despite being quite slow for a cornerback, was able to start on the team for the entire 2016 season. Even though he got devoured by elite receivers, he did what he could and answered the bell for the Packers that year.

2016





Geronimo Allison and Kentrell Brice were significant UDFAs from this class. Allison notably had 300 yards receiving in 5 games in 2018 before an injury landed him on IR and derailed his career. The same season, the speedy Brice started 10 games and collected 50 tackles and a sack, despite never developing into what the Packers hoped.

2018





Raven Greene and Tyler Lancaster both became players that can at least participate in games. Greene had an interception, a forced fumble, 1.5 sacks, and 44 tackles last season in 10 games off the bench. Lancaster has played in 31 games and started 13 over the last two season, totaling 53 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and a pass batted down.

2020



Krys Barnes is a starting linebacker for the 2021 Packers. Easy choice.

[smuggler]

Seems the best candidates from this year's UDFA class are Capra, Gaines, and (perhaps most especially) Heflin. I look forward to the possibility of our UDFA contributors abusing other teams' drafted players. Warms my heart.

[Fritz]

Seems the best candidates from this year's UDFA class are Capra, Gaines, and (perhaps most especially) Heflin. I look forward to the possibility of our UDFA contributors abusing other teams' drafted players. Warms my heart.

I also think the Fuckdoggle Award contains an element of "it happened just this one time" to it. That is, a guy is a scrub and he plays like a scrub, except for that one game, or even that one play, in which he rose to the occasion. That's even more fuckdoggley than a guy who can answer the bell for a whole season.

Jeff Janis was an occasional fuckdoggle. I know people thought he was going to be the next big thing, but really, he was a seventh round pick. Yet once in a while he'd make a big catch. That's a fuckdoggle, for sure.

At least that's my take on the ol' fuckdoggle. I do appreciate your posting this and enjoyed the review.

I was hoping Reggie Begelton would end up on the practice squad, as he seems to me capable of fuckdogglery.

[run pMc]

Does it have to be a UDFA? If so, I agree on Heflin.. or Henry Black. If we can include Day 3 picks, watch out for Kylin Hill. RBs rarely stay healthy for 16+ games.

I suppose it's too late to call Lazard a Fuckdoggle, but he and Tonyan probably have earned diplomas from Fuckdoggle U. If they continue to have good careers maybe they'll get honorary degrees like Tramon and Shields when they retire.

[CaptainKickass]

Does it have to be a UDFA?

Not necessarily. I think good ol' BF (That's B.arney F.uckdoggle not Bert Fava) just has to have plausible anonymity. He has to sort of "come outta nowhere". Just imagine if TJ Rubley would have played really well that day we all learned his name.

In fact, I contend that this year's top Fuckdoggle candidate isn't even on the team yet. He's either on some other NFL practice squad, some other football organization like Canadian, an Arena league, or even better - out of football completely and doing something menial or degrading like telemarketing, jizz mopping, or spinning the "Big Sale!" sign outside of some furniture store

The Legend of TJ Rubley:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/177605-remembering-rubley-t-j-rubleys-blunder-with-the-1995-packers

How to spin signs:

[smuggler]

Absolutely doesn't have to be a UDFA, but seeing as we just came out of camp, and UDFAs are the meat and potatoes of what makes a Fuckdoggle, I just examined the UDFA lists to see the usual suspects since 2015.

In the true spirit of Barney Fuckdoggle, it's a game-by-game award, to allow for the exact situation Fritz described.

[RashanGary]

I think fuckdoggle status can be expressed as a multiplier of expectations and play level when cast into the lineup.

A player with high expectations like Lazard now can never win a fuckdoggle because the expectation multiplier is too low. Zero times any number is still zero.

Conversely, a player with no expectations, a guy who didn’t make the 53, like Dominik Daffney last year just needs a couple key catches and he’s far out performed expectations. 10 times any number mulitiplies out to a fuckdoggle score worthy of consideration

A guy with moderate expectations (made the team) can star out and still receive a fuckdoggle (see Jack Heflin and Kylin Hill.) Heflin and Hills expectations are low enough that a star game would multiply out to a worthy fuckdoggle score if it’s their first action.

Inverse Expectations * quality of play = fuckdoggle score

[RashanGary]

If Jack Heflin is cast into the lineup in week 7 and gets two sacks and holds his ground AND simultaneously, Kabian Ento is forced to start at nickel and doesn’t get torched and breaks up a pass…. We begin a discussion. Heflin far out performed his expectation but Ento had none and didn’t get killed. We would have a split vote in this situation with some feeling like Heflin had too high of expectations to be a contender while others feeling like his expectations were low enough that a stud showing qualifies him.

[smuggler]

Which is why I mentioned Gunter, specifically, because while he got roasted by the likes of Julio Jones, but actually held up pretty well in many games even though he was not a good player.

[Upnorth]

I think heflin or new punter.

[smuggler]

I would be happy to see the punter, Bojorquez, earn a Fuckdoggle!

[Tony Oday]

Hill will be the starting RB by week 5. AJ will be hurt for the majority of the year and come back for the playoffs.

[Fritz]

I would be happy to see the punter, Bojorquez, earn a Fuckdoggle!

I would argue that, because so little is spent in resources for punters (they usually come off the street or have been cut from someone else's squad, but the Packers gave up a sixth for the new guy), and because JK Scott was so poor there at the end, that Bojorquez can't really be a fuckdoggle. Now, if he gets hurt and some kid from Eastern Dental School comes in and starts booming them, then there's an honest-to-ggodness fuckdoggle.

But the beauty of the fuckdoggle is the mystery of what it is, exactly.

So Rashan, don't try to put no algorithm on it.

[RashanGary]

I would argue that, because so little is spent in resources for punters (they usually come off the street or have been cut from someone else's squad, but the Packers gave up a sixth for the new guy), and because JK Scott was so poor there at the end, that Bojorquez can't really be a fuckdoggle. Now, if he gets hurt and some kid from Eastern Dental School comes in and starts booming them, then there's an honest-to-ggodness fuckdoggle.

But the beauty of the fuckdoggle is the mystery of what it is, exactly.

So Rashan, don't try to put no algorithm on it.

I suspect the punter would qualify in the first game or two. If he comes out in week 1 and bombs punts that change the game, he would earn a fuckdoggle. If he’s solid in the first two games, he would no longer be eligible in week 3 because expectations would then be too high and he’s somewhat proven. But game one, he could bomb his way in by my estimation. But it’s grey area for sure.

[smuggler]

But the beauty of the fuckdoggle is the mystery of what it is, exactly.

Oh what a beautiful thing it is!