Monthly Archives: December 2011
SportsNation Pick ‘Em: Now We’re Getting Somewhere Update
| December 31, 2011 | Posted by ReubenFB under Quick Map |
No new map for you today, but with twelve more bowls done we’ve passed the halfway point of the season (18 out of 35), and the state race is finally starting to pan out. Here are the leaders and anti-leaders, once again all data is available here. Leaders: Five states tied at 15 states pick correctly (83%) Virginia, Ohio, West Virginia,… more
Holiday Hiatus
| December 26, 2011 | Posted by ReubenFB under Housekeeping |
Thanks so much for everyone who’s been reading so far! I’m away for vacation so I probably won’t have a serious new posting for a week or so, but I’ll try to update the SportsNation Bowl Pick ‘Em before Saturday, the 31st, which is when that shit starts to get CRAZY. PHP Freelancer more
SportsNation Bowl Pick ‘Em: Christmas Eve Update
| December 24, 2011 | Posted by ReubenFB under Quick Map |
In a nice little reminder of what I hate about bowl season, Wednesday and Thursday night featured two ridiculous mismatches that ended predictably. Every state (+ DC and the World) picked the ranked overdog over the underdog, including an overwhelming majority of voters in Louisiana and Arizona. The Pick ‘Em map is unchanged save an adjustment on the scale. In… more
Vermont Don’t Give a Fuck
| December 23, 2011 | Posted by ReubenFB under Pointless |
What do you get when you combine a small population with a history of secessionist tendencies? Some weird voting patterns: These are seven polls, all up on the SportsNation site now, where Vermont is basically giving a big “fuck you” to the entire country. In case the gif was moving too fast for you, here’s a list of the things… more
Bowl Season Bragging Rights: Which State Makes the Best Picks?
| December 21, 2011 | Posted by ReubenFB under Quick Map |
Most SportsNation polls are pretty subjective (some are downright inane), but they still throw a fair number of “who’s gonna win?” questions out there. This can help us tackle what an interesting problem, do some states make better predictions than others, and if so why? Here are two theories: Neutrality Theory (courtesy of Dan Ollen): Sports fans will irrationally pick in… more
The Devil You Know: Hockey and Football’s Concussion Problem
| December 19, 2011 | Posted by ReubenFB under Geo-Analysis |
On January 1st, 2011, Penguins star Sidney Crosby took a hit to the head during the NHL Winter Classic. Four days later, Crosby took another shot against the Lightning and was diagnosed with a “minor concussion.” He would miss the final 41 games of the season, and the first 20 of the next. This brings us to the gruesome poll above. Crosby… more
Do You Believe in Miracles? Tim Tebow, the Patriots, and Church Attendance
| December 16, 2011 | Posted by ReubenFB under Geo-Analysis |
This Sunday at 4:15pm, the Denver Broncos play host to the New England Patriots in a game with serious playoff implications for both teams. America will tune in to see if Pat’s back Benjarvus Green-Ellis can finally get things going against a stalwart Denver defense led by explosive outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil. Just kidding! This game is about three things:… more
