Educate? That instincts are a myth? For you maybe.....
Language, sir. There is a school of thought claiming leadership is a trait one is born with, yet every year Military personnel are put through classroom and OJT with the intended purpose of developing leadership skills. It can be rather entertaining and fascinating watching young folks grow from clueless innocents into true leaders capable of handling missions under the most extreme conditions, with clueless innocents of their own in tow.
Ochmed and I have discussed instinctiveness in the past, if somewhat more civilly then above. As a grad-e-ate of serrrvuss trainin', I see both sides of the discussion here. I believe the "instinct" we see from someone like Tedy Bruschi is a highly developed skill, but that he was gifted with a mental quickness - perhaps better named a mental flexibility that allows him to take film study, repetition, and actual experience, and adapt his play to the situation. BB has mentioned something similar in the past.
Few people would argue that Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are supernaturally gifted athletes, certainly not when compared to a Vince Young or Jamarcus Russell. Would you care to wager who would have come out on top at a similar stage of their career in a head to head battle using exact clones for the other 21 players? Sun Tzu might be appropriate at a time like this, BB probably has the right quote handy, but Tommy and Peyty seem to have a mental flexibility that Vince and Jamarcus don't. That it had to be developed I have no doubt, do Vince and Jamarcus lack the capacity? I don't think it's fair to say that, but something, call it will, hunger, whatever, isn't there to push them into stretching and exercising what appear to be reasonably good minds.
I'm sure we can all point to people who have been gifted, and needed someone to hold their hand every minute to keep them from harming themselves and others. In the case of "instincts" vs "training," I do believe what we call instinct is more readily a highly developed skill set coupled with a mind that has been exercised over the years to adapt more quickly to change.
Rey Maualuga is one of my whipping boys in this draft because he's such a favorite at ILB. When Rey recognizes a play or situation, he's like a heat seeking missile, if more easily blocked. Where I question his play, and I'm talking play not draftnik write-ups, is his adaptability, there's a clear hesitancy about him when he plays. Sometimes a switch clicks and he's rocketing off to make a big hit or sticking a paw up into the passing lane to pull down an interception, but all too often he's mulling over what is happening. Some on here have gotten on me for falling in love with Connor Barwin's Combine. I'm glad they were paying attention, but they missed a turn or two along the way. Barwin was that kid in the Cincinnati games I was watching who kept adjusting on the fly to the ball, one moment he's being blocked by a big Left tackle, the next he's in the air knocking down the ball or forcing the QB to alter his throw as his passing lane is clogged. Ball awareness, it's like Connor is thirteen and taking pains not to repeat an unpleasant learning experience, and Rey is thirteen and has a puzzled look as to why landing astraddle the fence keeps taking his breath away.
