Why Get Excited About 1,000 Yards?

The two most over-inflated accomplishments in professional sports:

1. A starting pitcher who gives up three runs in six innings (4.5 earned-run average) is said to have had a quality start.

2. A running back who gains 1,000 yards (62.5 yards a game) gets compared to Jim Brown and Walter Payton. When the season was only 12 games, 1,000 yards meant an average of 83.3 yards a game. To be comparable, a runner these days would have to gain 1,333 yards.

BURT PRELUTSKY

North Hills