hey chad, can i ask one favor of you, don't quit entirely. Come around when you get free time and share a post or two. Nobody needs full time, just maybe a post a month or two. You know you can't quit us anyways. lol
Bittersweet to hear. I was so excited when you came back on the scene with NBA Big Board. I always appreciated your attitude when it came to draft evaluation. A lot of draft analysis seems very snooty and jocky. Like their opinion is an indisputable fact when it comes to evaluating prosects and it would get somewhat aggressive or offended if they were questioned. I get it, I get in sports arguments all the time, but you seemed above that. You always seems to have an open mindedness and kindness in this. You make it known that your rankings are based on what the insiders are telling you. You let the reader know your "crushes" and biases (betting on KU prospects has been a fools errand, jk Embiid give ya something!), but I never felt like that alters your work. I have followed NBA draft coverage since I was 11 in 96, when I was convinced that John Wallace was going to be the best player in that draft, and through all of years and competitors, you were always the best of them. I'm hopeful Rafael has taken a lot from you and will continue to provide great content, but you will be missed! All the best in your future endeavors!
Best of luck to you, Chad! Been a reader for 20 yrs now and am grateful for all the work and passion you poured into scouting.. the scouting is my favorite part of being an NBA fan and you've been at the core of that for a long time! I'd also like to thank you for recruiting Rafael and handing him the reins vs just shutting things down entirely. Hope we'll get to see you back on the pod / substack here and there!!
I hope you find the balance you need - and Rafael is a great heir to the throne.
My big question/worry as a subscriber is: where is the league intel going? I admire Rafael's work as a scout and introducing us to all these kids. But "what does our scout think" is a separate question from "how does the industry regard these kids". I hope some of the league-adjacent people like Hollinger etc don't leave the orbit of the pod.
Rafael is special - but I want for the "league view" to not get short shrift.
I've been appreciating your work since the Sportstalk Days., followed you to ESPN insider, and subscribed here because you've produced so much content I've appreciated over the years. I think you were seminal in changing how the draft was covered and for a draft junkie like me finally having someone writing the deep dive content I enjoy was great, great stuff. Good luck on what comes next! And, as a longtime Pistons fan, on behalf of Pistons Nation, I forgive Darkogate once and for all. :)
Good luck Chad...I got on and stayed on board because of you. Have been following you from your early days at ESPN....Hope your health is ok...Really wish you would have stuck around until the combine and the draft because of all the work you already put in....You and Mel Kiper(NFL draft) for me are the 2 Draft Gurus....period.
Chad, really appreciated your work and wish you all the best, will miss your insights and spirit. Also, I would have subscribed to a Rafael run service so the transition works out.
hey chad, can i ask one favor of you, don't quit entirely. Come around when you get free time and share a post or two. Nobody needs full time, just maybe a post a month or two. You know you can't quit us anyways. lol
Bittersweet to hear. I was so excited when you came back on the scene with NBA Big Board. I always appreciated your attitude when it came to draft evaluation. A lot of draft analysis seems very snooty and jocky. Like their opinion is an indisputable fact when it comes to evaluating prosects and it would get somewhat aggressive or offended if they were questioned. I get it, I get in sports arguments all the time, but you seemed above that. You always seems to have an open mindedness and kindness in this. You make it known that your rankings are based on what the insiders are telling you. You let the reader know your "crushes" and biases (betting on KU prospects has been a fools errand, jk Embiid give ya something!), but I never felt like that alters your work. I have followed NBA draft coverage since I was 11 in 96, when I was convinced that John Wallace was going to be the best player in that draft, and through all of years and competitors, you were always the best of them. I'm hopeful Rafael has taken a lot from you and will continue to provide great content, but you will be missed! All the best in your future endeavors!
Best of luck to you, Chad! Been a reader for 20 yrs now and am grateful for all the work and passion you poured into scouting.. the scouting is my favorite part of being an NBA fan and you've been at the core of that for a long time! I'd also like to thank you for recruiting Rafael and handing him the reins vs just shutting things down entirely. Hope we'll get to see you back on the pod / substack here and there!!
I hope you find the balance you need - and Rafael is a great heir to the throne.
My big question/worry as a subscriber is: where is the league intel going? I admire Rafael's work as a scout and introducing us to all these kids. But "what does our scout think" is a separate question from "how does the industry regard these kids". I hope some of the league-adjacent people like Hollinger etc don't leave the orbit of the pod.
Rafael is special - but I want for the "league view" to not get short shrift.
I've been appreciating your work since the Sportstalk Days., followed you to ESPN insider, and subscribed here because you've produced so much content I've appreciated over the years. I think you were seminal in changing how the draft was covered and for a draft junkie like me finally having someone writing the deep dive content I enjoy was great, great stuff. Good luck on what comes next! And, as a longtime Pistons fan, on behalf of Pistons Nation, I forgive Darkogate once and for all. :)
Good luck Chad...I got on and stayed on board because of you. Have been following you from your early days at ESPN....Hope your health is ok...Really wish you would have stuck around until the combine and the draft because of all the work you already put in....You and Mel Kiper(NFL draft) for me are the 2 Draft Gurus....period.
Best wishes, Chad. Good luck, Rafael.
Chad, really appreciated your work and wish you all the best, will miss your insights and spirit. Also, I would have subscribed to a Rafael run service so the transition works out.
Thank you Chad for all the great content over the years! You are truly the goat 🐐!
Mahalo 🏝🤙
- Derek Anderson
You'll be missed Chad!
Very unfortunate news. No Chad = no big board podcast.
Acts 16:31, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, 1 Peter 1:17-21, Revelation 22:18-19