Cleveland Browns tackle Joe Thomas has no love for the NFL scouting combine.
Thomas sent a series of tweets Monday criticizing the combine for being a “cattle auction” and detailing some of his own experiences when he was involved back in 2007.
Sorry 2 the suckers that have to go to the cattle auction this week! Don't forget to lie to teams and say how much "fun" it is! #combine
— Joe Thomas (@joethomas73) February 27, 2017
Don't worry; the staff, coaches, and mgmt don't want to be there anymore than you do, so you're not alone. Great for fans though.
— Joe Thomas (@joethomas73) February 27, 2017
One fan asked Thomas about the strangest question he was asked during the interview portion of the event. It actually provided some interesting insights into how players navigate that minefield.
My top 2 I remember was: 1)why don't you want to look a gift horse in the mouth?
2) if I had to be a cat or a dog, which would I be? https://t.co/dnFenZbPzh— Joe Thomas (@joethomas73) February 27, 2017
The cat/dog ? is the oldest one in the book, and you're prepared beforehand to answer "dog", cause apparently the NFL doesn't like "cats". https://t.co/MGKi9r5yMp
— Joe Thomas (@joethomas73) February 27, 2017
The gift horse ? just confused me and I think I went silent, probably why I dropped down to #3. JaMarcus must have nailed that one. https://t.co/MGKi9r5yMp
— Joe Thomas (@joethomas73) February 27, 2017
We’ve heard stories about players who are coached through what to say to teams at the combine, and Thomas knew the answer teams wanted to hear to at least one question. We’ve also heard criticism from family members that the on-field exercises players are put through aren’t representative of what they will be asked to do once in the league. The NFL, as it is very good at doing, has turned the combine into a big, televised event that draws interest and keeps the league in the news. It sounds, though, like a lot of people who go through it aren’t fans at all.
