Letters to the Editor
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Super Duper Coastal Bias Calculator
I noticed that, of the six West Coast teams in the tourney, King has three of them playing one round past their seeds (UCLA, San Diego State, Pacific) and the other three (Washington, Gonzaga, Cal) playing to their seeds. Plugging this information into my Calculator, I find that King checks in with a +3, which is termed "extremely significant" West Coast bias.
On the other hand, my bracket (filled out in my home state of Georgia) clocks in at a -3, which the Calculator calls "just about right -- no bias indicated".
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Bias Calculator
I love the bias calculator. I teach at a Big East school and have had three starters as students, so I think my calculator clocks in at about +8 for my bracket. I even have Georgetown beating my hometown team the Gators, which probably makes me certifiable (at least in Gainesville). Suffice to say, I'm with King on school loyalty!
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Olson
Pretty solid picks, and a joy to read, but I can't believe King misspelled Lute Olson's name! Just for that, the Wildcats are going to blow Wisconsin out of the water.
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Florida lose to oklahoma???!
Florida losing to Oklahoma in th2 nd round?!?!??! Not this year, baby!!! GATORS ALL THE WAY!
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NC Wilmington over GW???
Sure GW's 26-2 season was on the backs of some mediocre teams, but who exactly did NC Wilmington beat on their way to a 25-7 season? Their only ranked opponent was #24 Wisconsin, a game that they lost. The press focus on Pops indicates they haven't been paying attention to GW. He may be a key part of the team, but before his injury he was having a rather mediocre season. He's not even a starter. If the game is close, GW loses due to awful free throw shooting, but my money is on a solid win for the colonials, and then giving Duke 20 minutes of nail biting.
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great article
Great analysis as always. (haha one of the articles about the Uconn/Duke game from 2004 King and I got into a good argument about over email at the time, this was before the letters to the editor feature).
As far as Uconn flipping the switch goes-- I grew up in Connecticut so you can guess where my loyalties lie. Its been a disturbing trend the last few years with the whole "turn it on" mentality. I think its been a result of the great recruiting; having that much talent does tend to create complacency. I will say, though, that I think its much easier for teams with dominant size (like Uconn) to turn it on and off then guard-oriented teams. (I dont think Villanova could do it, for example.) It'll be interesting to see whether the Huskies can respond and really play up to their talent level.
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Continuing reports
As the results come in for each round, will you give us a new set of picks based on who's actually playing? No dig intended, I'd just like to know who you think will win if there are different teams playing from who you'd originally picked.
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Bias calculator
sansho1: I noticed that, of the six West Coast teams in the tourney, King has three of them playing one round past their seeds (UCLA, San Diego State, Pacific) and the other three (Washington, Gonzaga, Cal) playing to their seeds. Plugging this information into my Calculator, I find that King checks in with a +3, which is termed "extremely significant" West Coast bias.
I like the concept, but I question your assumptions.
First of all, I admitted that I didn't think Cal would win, so my true bias figure is +2. But: How do you know the bias is mine? Maybe I see things as they really are, and the selection committee is guilty of East Coast bias.
About updated predictions, yeah, I always do that. Before the Sweet 16 and Final Four.
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asdf
King, I agree with your point about the seedings -- I was going for accusing you of bias while displaying my own opposing bias. A comment on the biased nature of accusations of bias, if you will. It's a recurring theme of yours that I particularly enjoy.
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U.S. World Baseball Classic
I hated watching the U.S. baseball team go down so easily with a wimper in the
World Baseball Classic. I'm curious to see though whether there will be the
same vitriol thrown at them as was thrown at the U.S basketball team that wound
up taking the bronze medal during the last Olympics. That team's loss was somehow
presented in the press as if it symbolized not only all that was wrong with the
modern NBA game (ie. Iverson, selfish, undisciplined players, etc.), but also all that is wrong in
sports itself. Surely the same vitriol will be thrown at America's baseball players. Or are
Roger Clemens and Derek Jeter held to a different standard than the cornrolled, tattoed Iverson?