Michael Lewis Studies the Plight of the Placekicker

Posted by Luke Gilman

November 29, 2007

Michael Lewis, best known for his books Moneyball and the Left Side, has carved out a niche in a sea of ESPN-addled braggadocio by bringing a novel and highly-analytical mind to bear on the world of sports.

His latest in-depth article chronicles the plight of the place kicker, the red-headed stepchild of the profession, this misplaced soccer player with a helmet is expected to kick game-winning field goals as a matter routine, yet shunned after the inevitable miss. In typical Moneyball fashion, Lewis makes his argument on the numbers and concludes that the oft-sought clutch kicker is more myth than reality.

NY Times: The Kick Is Up and It’s … A Career Killer

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