Category Archives: Basketball

MONEYBALL AND “LINSANITY”.

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Philip

MONEYBALL AND “LINSANITY”. “Linsanity” refers to the furor created by the sensational play of Jeremy Lin as the new point guard for the New York Knicks. Lin has been remarkably good, but what is unusual is that he was almost … Continue reading →

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BASKETBALL ALL STARS—DOES DEFENSE MATTER?

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Philip

BASKETBALL ALL STARS—DOES DEFENSE MATTER? I posted here five years ago asking how important defense is in basketball; one would think that it is equally as important as offense. Kevin Clark has an article in the Wall Street Journal (December … Continue reading →

Posted in Basketball, Sports | 1 Comment

TWINS COMPETING WITH EACH OTHER.

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Philip

TWINS COMPETING WITH EACH OTHER. I posted here on twins in sports and speculated that twins seem to have done better in basketball because it is a sport that you can practice one on one. Dick Weisfelder sent me this … Continue reading →

Posted in Basketball, Football, Sports, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

DEFENSE MAKES FOR “UGLY GAMES.”

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Philip

DEFENSE MAKES FOR “UGLY GAMES.” Another prediction that could have been made, based on the fact that the Butler-UConn game would feature lower shooting percentages and very good defense, was that a lot of critics would hate the game. Think … Continue reading →

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THE BEST FINAL FOUR PREDICTION.

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Philip

THE BEST FINAL FOUR PREDICTION. It wasn’t a prediction, but the Wall Street Journal had an article before the NCAA national championship game that said a lot about how the game later turned out. The article pointed out that after … Continue reading →

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THE PERSISTENCE OF THE HOME TEAM ADVANTAGE.

Posted on March 5, 2011 by Philip

THE PERSISTENCE OF THE HOME TEAM ADVANTAGE. I have long thought that television and instant replays would have improved refereeing because fans and sportswriters and league officials are able to review the calls. In fact, I have wondered how extreme … Continue reading →

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FREE THROW DEFENSE.

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Philip

FREE THROW DEFENSE. Every so often when a team is having a bad day at the free throw line, there is a joking comment about the other team’s free throw defense. This would seem to be a random occurrence. I … Continue reading →

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THE NBA AND PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING.

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Philip

THE NBA AND PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING. I have long been aware that the NBA uses some of the promotional devices of professional wrestling. Nevertheless, I was surprised when I watched the broadcasts of the Christmas basketball games from the New York … Continue reading →

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ODD PLAYING FIELDS SHAPING ATHLETES.

Posted on November 28, 2010 by Philip

ODD PLAYING FIELDS SHAPING ATHLETES. A couple examples of professional athletes being permanently affected by the playing conditions of their youth: Greg Gross was said to have hit primarily to the opposite field because as a boy he played on … Continue reading →

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“INEQUITY AVERSION”—DOES GUILT AFFECT FREE THROW SHOOTING?

Posted on August 3, 2010 by Philip

“INEQUITY AVERSION”—DOES GUILT AFFECT FREE THROW SHOOTING? Nick sent me this link which led to this article about “inequity aversion.” The article discusses an empirical study which confirms “the hypothesis frequently put forth by Rasheed Wallace…that a player will often … Continue reading →

Posted in Basketball, Science, Sports | 2 Comments