Farewell for now, and thanks for reading
| October 1, 2012 | Posted by ReubenFB under Housekeeping |
I started this blog almost a year ago now, and it’s been a blast writing the things that you all have been kind enough to read. I’m excited to report that I’ve been given to opportunity to produce some very similar content for Deadspin.com, which I am very pumped about. I’ll be starting in two weeks. Wish me luck, thank… more
Very Superstitious: Who Believes in the Madden Curse?
| September 6, 2012 | Geo-Analysis |
Curses are essential to sports. How else can you explain the improbable comebacks, inexplicable cold streaks, and impossible stretch runs that appear season after season without resorting to boring statistics? The Wikipedia page dedicated to this topic counts 30 major curses in total, covering every major sport as well as hurling, snooker, and curling. And ever since 2004, when the… more
Baseball: A Journey Through Midwestern Time & Space
| August 16, 2012 | Quick Map |
As a youngish fan, I find it difficult to wrap my head around the fact that 19th-century Americans actually played baseball. The stars of that era are largely forgotten – unless they’re associated with major MLB awards, million-dollar memorabilia auctions, or novelty twitter accounts – because it’s hard to connect with people who took the field around the same time we went to war… more
Hometown Heroes, Hometown Zeroes
| June 28, 2012 | Quick Map |
The soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets, desperate to retain Deron Williams, recently surprised him on his 28th with a massive birthday truck. It must have helped, as the free agent recently stated that he had narrowed down his choices to the Nets and his hometown team, the Mavericks. Likely high first-rounder Thomas Robinson announced he would be happy to play for his… more
Skating on Thin Ice: Global Sports Warming
| May 24, 2012 | Geo-Analysis |
On Tuesday, the LA Kings continued their playoff tear by dispatching the Phoenix Coyotes 4-3 in overtime, advancing to the Stanley Cup and winning our hearts through top-grade social-media snarkiness. Los Angeles – with an average daily high of 75° F – and Phoenix – average of 87° – are not exactly considered the breadbasket of North American hockey. As… more
This is a Thing that Actually Happened
| April 5, 2012 | Posted by ReubenFB under Map of the Week |
Turner, MT and sportsnationdivided.com get 15 more minutes of fame on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. If you’re interested in watching this whole story unfold, check out: Craig Robinson’s original map on Flip Flop Fly Ball. My subsequent cheap shot at the outstanding, extremely well reported-upon town of Turner, Montana, with angry comments. My resulting apology, with… more
Our Dumb Geo-Bracket Did Better Than Your Bracket
| April 3, 2012 | Posted by ReubenFB under Pointless |
Right before the start of NCAA Tournament a few weeks ago we examined the geographic placement of teams in the bracket, identifying squads the selection committee had granted a quasi-home court advantage (Kentucky, Duke, Kansas) and the squads who’d be traveling thousands of miles to play their games (Cal, Davidson, Gonzaga). Since we’d already done they legwork, we went ahead and put… more
Called Up but Moving Down: Elevation and Minor League Ballparks
| March 26, 2012 | Posted by ReubenFB under Geo-Analysis |
Baseball is an interesting sport to follow geographically, as every ballpark comes with its own unique environment characteristics. Perhaps the most famous example of this is the “Coors Field Effect,” where the thin air of the Rockies’ 5,200 foot-high home field makes the place a hitter’s paradise. A comprehensive study on this effect found that from 1995-1998 the average fly-ball in… more
Making Our Geo-Brackets
| March 15, 2012 | Posted by ReubenFB under Pointless |
On Tuesday we looked at which teams had the best and worst geographic draws in the NCAA tournament, a factor that could make the crucial difference in close games. But what if it was the only factor? Just for the hell of it, here’s a bracket we made based on one simple rule: the team closer to the site of… more
Home Away From Home: Geography and the 2012 Bracket
| March 13, 2012 | Posted by ReubenFB under Geo-Analysis |
College basketball – perhaps more than most popular sports – is strongly influenced by home court advantage, with a recent analysis finding that from 2007-2012 holding home court was worth an additional 4.74 points per game. The selection committee takes this advantage into account when assigning teams to the eight Rounds 2-3 locations as well as the four Regional (Rounds 4-5) locations, rewarding… more
