The quarterback is responsible for scoring points. He has decision-making latitude and delegates responsibility to other players. His skills are a superset of theirs.
The punter is the only player on the team who kicks the ball [1]. He’s only on the field for a few minutes in any game. The job he does is important and failures are disastrous, but It’s hard to tell the difference between a below-average punter and an excellent one.
[1] I know. But if it made sense it wouldn’t work as a stand-in for industrial warfare:
The quarterback is responsible for scoring points. He has decision-making latitude and delegates responsibility to other players. His skills are a superset of theirs.
The punter is the only player on the team who kicks the ball [1]. He’s only on the field for a few minutes in any game. The job he does is important and failures are disastrous, but It’s hard to tell the difference between a below-average punter and an excellent one.
[1] I know. But if it made sense it wouldn’t work as a stand-in for industrial warfare:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om_yq4L3M_I [language NSFW]
Placekickers kick the ball too, and they usually aren’t punters.