There is a lot more overlap between "smart kids" and sports than a lot of tech folks want to admit, too. In the (small) town in which I grew up, the honors students were the smart kids were the popular kids were mostly playing sports.
There were a lot of self-anointed "computer nerds" and others who were bookish and not popular, but not necessarily smart. (Most never left that town, while the football-playing honors kids are almost all at least bachelor's graduates and never go back.)
You don't really need social skills if you're in good physical form - even the original article admits that:
> Unless they also happen to be good-looking, natural athletes, or siblings of popular kids, they'll tend to become nerds.
Being good at sports or good looking is just viscerally impressive, and makes you more popular. Being book-smart has no such effect, unless you're particularly witty.
> Few smart kids can spare the attention that popularity requires.
Just like all those quarterbacks who were too busy with football practice to waste any time honing their social skills. Oh wait...