CLEMSON — I love statistics, but not analytics.
They are two different things. At least to me they are.
However, they both can be used the same way. For countless years, numbers, statistics and analytics have been used to either support an argument or debunk one.
It depends on how you use the numbers or how you want to use the numbers to tell the story.
This is what makes numbers so great, which is why I love stats, especially sports statistics.
As most of you know, if you have read my stories and columns enough, you know that I am history buff. I love all kinds of history. I have been this way since I was a little kid.
My oldest brother worked for WFBC radio back in the day, and during the football and basketball seasons, he would bring me the station’s extra media guide and/or game notes, which Clemson distributed to the media.
When he later became a station manager at other radio stations, he would always do the same. It was always Clemson’s game notes and media guides because he knew how big of a fan I was of Clemson athletics, and how much I love the history of Clemson Football.
I would absorb those game notes and media guides, which were produced by Bob Bradley and Tim Bourret at the time. I studied through those things more than I did my schoolbooks.
The one thing I loved about those media guides or brochures, as they called them back in the day, were the numbers, but particularly how Clemson used those numbers, especially when bragging about the program.
It is funny because I thought about those old brochures this morning when I noticed Clemson doing that today on the football program’s social media platforms.
In case you missed it, Clemson promoted the consistency of its program the last six seasons, since 2020.
The stat?
Clemson has won 57 games since 2020, which is tied for the seventh most in college football during this span.
By the way, that stat is accurate. However, it is a little mis-leading too.
Yes, the Tigers have won 57 games since 2020. But it does not tell you how many losses they suffered during that same period. In case you are wondering, it’s 22.
That is right, Clemson is 57-22 (.721) since 2020 in football. Those numbers are pretty good, but that is not the entire story.
From 2014-’19, Clemson was 79-7 (.918). So, 57-22 is not that impressive anymore, is it?
It is just another example of how numbers can be used to make something look better than it really is.
