Monthly Archives: November 2012

Early Returns on the NFL’s New OT Rules

Posted on November 29, 2012 by mooneyar

By Andrew Mooney A couple weeks ago, I discussed the implications of one of the NFL’s recent rule changes, namely the movement of kickoffs from the 30-yard line to the 35. Though we don’t have quite as much evidence for it yet, … Continue reading →

Posted in NFL Football | 2 Comments

Debunking the Trap Game and Letdown Game Myths

Posted on November 22, 2012 by kevinmeers

Yesterday, Aaron Schatz issued a challenge to his readership to prove the existence of a “trap game” or a “letdown game”. Both terms are thrown around in the media for almost every sport all the time, but I have not … Continue reading →

Posted in NFL Football | 22 Comments

Please Do Not Throw Out the Record Books

Posted on November 19, 2012 by John Ezekowitz

It is the week of Thanksgiving, which means that we are in the midst of Rivalry Game season for college football. Of course, the most important game was played last Saturday, but I am given to understand that several other … Continue reading →

Posted in NCAA Football | 7 Comments

The 2012 World Series Effect: Is it better to enter a playoff series coming off a sweep or a seven-game win?

Posted on November 16, 2012 by harvardsportsanalysis

By Harry Chiel Every so often, a playoff series in the NHL, MLB, or NBA will be fought between a team that has just come off of a sweep and a team that has barely survived a competitive 7-game series. … Continue reading →

Posted in MLB Baseball, NBA Basketball, NHL Hockey | 2 Comments

Thursday Nights and Injuries in the NFL

Posted on November 14, 2012 by mooneyar

By Andrew Mooney Unveiled for the first time this year, the NFL’s season-long slate of Thursday night games has thus far produced mixed results, to put it kindly. The series is a not-so-subtle pimping of the NFL’s own premium cable … Continue reading →

Posted in NFL Football | 5 Comments

Testing Michel Owen: The Alleged Diving Culture Of “Players Coming From South America, Italy and Spain”

Posted on November 13, 2012 by David Roher

By Dan Brown A less technical version of this post appears on Deadspin. Earlier this month, Stoke City striker Michael Owen was quoted by the BBC as stating that diving in the Premier League is “worse than 10 years ago … Continue reading →

Posted in Soccer | 4 Comments

Nate Silver and Forecasting as an Imperfect Science

Posted on November 8, 2012 by harvardsportsanalysis

By Andrew Mooney For one small subcommunity of America last night, the man who benefited the most from the country’s decisions at the polls was not Barack Obama—it was Nate Silver, statistician and creator of the FiveThirtyEight blog. Based on … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 15 Comments