Lesser primates

From Wiki Gonzalez

In one of the many steroid threads that plagued BTF during the 2004-2005 offseason, Backlasher made the following comment (excerpted from the longer post 157 in this thread (http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/newsstand/newsblog_discussion/26371/P100/)):

"I don't begin to reach whether the speed improves performance more than the 'roids. I just don't care, because I want them both gone. If you saberists make it one of your issues, you will find that I'll probably sit around, read what you have to say and keep my mouth shut for awhile. Because while your joke was amusing, it is not my style to jump into those conversations where I do not have specific knowledge of the subject matter. Its the pack of lesser primates with their self-deluded sense of intelligence that fashion themselves as having the ultimate opinion on all issues. Yet, its odd that because I don't offer ill formed opinions that I'm mocked for having pet issues."

While it may have seemed a throw-off line, Backlasher refined it later in one of the many Moneyball/sabermetrics threads (post 155 here (http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/newsstand/newsblog_discussion/26486/P100/)):

"But here is the bottom line. If the conversation is with kevin, JC, Sam M. Emeigh, etc. its worthwhile and flowing. But if you point out that Youkilis kicks the ball more than David Beckham, or that Choi has a slow swing and a big hole, then your going to get a bunch of lesser primates polluting the thread with "anecdotal" this or that. If you talk affirmatively about the values of experience, you'll have people make stupid jokes. Sooner or later, after you point out that your numbers don't tell the whole picture, you'll have Danny Fanboy rebut this by posting numbers."

The term has become a regular part of the BTF lexicon, as most Loungers believe that they fall squarely in the group of lesser primates (and are in many cases proud of that fact).