Grades. Is there anything more cruel? An entire semester of work, and a little symbol reflects your homework, your exams, your term papers, and maybe your participation. Naturally, I can understand why some people in the soccersphere have objected to the application of “grades” to soccer player performances. For example, Slate poked fun at how widely two different writers could rate the same player for the same game. Richard Whittall went one step further and questioned the philosophical underpinnings of the entire enterprise.

I myself have poked fun at player ratings and power rankings, but see them as useful tidbits for folks that haven’t followed a league too closely or who missed a game but want more than a recap. Yet I also think that Slate & Richard have a deeper problem with grades – the lack of accountability for the graders themselves. After all, even in universities, students get to fill out a professor evaluation form at the end of the semester. Thus, for the US-France game last Friday, I present grades for players’ grades. Enjoy. Continue reading “US vs. France – Indisputably Objective Player Ratings Ratings” »