The Playoffs For A Real Sport Start Today...

[Gob]

3780

[BoSoxGal]

So you say . . .

I just scored this on spelling - I'm a phenomenal speller:

Your score: 3800

Average Scores
Teens: 2060
20-somethings: 2490
30-somethings: 2530
40-somethings: 2530
50-somethings: 2530
60-somethings: 2500
70 and above: 2180

[Lord Jim]

Meanwhile, back on topic...

This grinds my gears (And I'm not just saying this because the American League won this year's All Star Game and The Giants look like they're headed to The World Series; this is a ridiculous way to establish Home-field Advantage...)

The 2002 All-Star Game, held in Milwaukee, ended in controversy in the 11th inning when both teams ran out of substitute players available to pitch in relief. At that point, Commissioner Bud Selig (a Milwaukee native and former owner of the Brewers) declared that the game would end after 11 innings, and it ended in a 7–7 tie. The crowd booed and threw beer bottles onto the field, and the media were highly critical of this unsatisfactory conclusion.

To provide additional incentive for victory, Major League Baseball reached an agreement with the players union to award home-field advantage for the World Series to the champion of the league that won the All-Star Game, for 2003 and 2004.[5] Since then, the agreement had been extended twice, in 2005 and 2006, and has been made permanent.[15]

Previously, home-field advantage in the World Series alternated between the two leagues each year. The American League took advantage of the new rule in each of its first seven years: between 2003 and 2009, the American League won four

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Leag ... -Star_Game

No matter how you cut it, this is a bullshit way to determine which team should have the Home Field Advantage in The World Series...

To give a hypothetical example, let's say you are a player for the Cleveland Indians who by some miracle, finds himself on the All Star Roster for the American League...

Are you really going to care about whether or not the American League or National League will have the home field advantage in the World Series?

Of course not......and there's no reason you should...

"Playing in The World Series" is not something that's even on your radar screen as a remote possibility; (as well it shouldn't be; if it is, it's time for a random drug test...)...it's not a meaningful concept for you... Playing for the Indians, you've got as much chance of playing in The World Series as being tapped to command the first Manned Mars Mission... not gonna happen...

There is absolutely no rational relationship whatsoever between which team deserves to have Home field Advantage in The World Series, and which "All Star" team won one game in July....

The most fair and logical way to determine who will get Home Field Advantage in the World Series , (if they don't want to go back to just alternating between the leagues) is the same way Home Field Advantage is determined at every other level of the MLB playoffs; it goes to the team with best regular season record...

On those very rare occasions where two teams squaring off in The World Season might have identical regular season records, they can flip a coin for home field advantage...

[Jarlaxle]

The Giants could wrap up the NL Pennant today...

Looking at it from a Machiavellian stand point, if I could be sure that the Giants would prevail in the end, I'd prefer that the series be strung out a few more days so the Royals would have more downtime before The Series starts...

Recent history suggests that the teams who've had to wait for playoff competition fair more poorly then the ones that have to play practically every day before moving to the next level...

That's certainly been true in this year's round of playoffs, and I'm sure it played a role 2 years ago when the Tigers spanked the Yankees in four straight and then had sit around for a week waiting for The Series to start while the Giants were playing their hearts out every day in a seven game league championship round...

WS starts next Tuesday, regardless.

I hope the NLCS goes seven, and game 7 (which would be Sunday) is a 16-inning, 6-hour marathon, so the Royals get to play a drained, exhausted opponent with a depleted bullpen!

[Lord Jim]

I hope the NLCS goes seven, and game 7 (which would be Sunday) is a 16-inning, 6-hour marathon, so the Royals get to play a drained, exhausted opponent with a depleted bullpen!

Hmmm...

Not my ideal scenario...that really doesn't work for me...

I'd settle for a loss tonight, (at the moment we're trailing 3-2 in the top of the fifth) followed by a dramatic, invigorating series ender in game six on Saturday, giving the Giants one day off to rest the squad and one travel day...

While the Royals have been sitting on their butts for six days....

[Lord Jim]

Starting to hear the firecrackers go off...

[Guinevere]

Time for Ice hockey. Go Bruins!!

[Lord Jim]

Time for Ice hockey. Go Bruins!!

Hey, the Pats are 5-2, two games up in their division...












Unlike the Redskins who are setting new records for failure at 1-5...must be the evil doings of some Injun Medicine Man who put a curse on them because of their name...

[Guinevere]

I'm pissed at the NFL and boycotting them this year. So it's straight to hockey for me.

Although to be fair (and I will deny this if asked), I've always had a soft spot for the Royals, loved my visit to Kaufman Stadium a decade ago, and even own a KC hat. Plus one of my favorite sportswriters, Joe Posnanski is a KC guy. But it was a frustrating andpainful ALCS. I'm more used to sweeping than being swept, in the post-season (I'm looking at you, st louis). The fact that every game was so close (1-run until the 9th, and 3/4 were 1-run games) makes it that much worse. So close. Yet so so far for my Os.

[rubato]

"...

eta: For those who'd like to test their own vocabulary knowledge: http://www.merriam-webster.com/quiz/index.htm

eta: I took it again - different words - and got 3460. I'm much happier with that score.

Thanks,

3160 the first time and this the second. Got one wrong the first time.

Your score: 3500
Average Scores

Teens: 1860
20-somethings: 2270
30-somethings: 2480
40-somethings: 2650
50-somethings: 2780
60-somethings: 2900
70 and above: 2790


I'll have to try spelling later on but some things always get me; -ent, -int, -ant, endings and some others.

Yours,
rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

3,660. Could have done better perhaps but the website Is slow due to all the advertisements.

[No Greater Fool]

3780

young punk 4300

[MajGenl.Meade]

NGF! Cool!

[Sue U]

Final Score: 3840 Points!

Second time thru:

Your score: 3880
Average Scores

Teens: 1860
20-somethings: 2270
30-somethings: 2480
40-somethings: 2650
50-somethings: 2780
60-somethings: 2900
70 and above: 2790

Got 'em all, but I am a slow reader.

ETA:

Also, congrats to the Giants and Royals. I can't say have anything invested in either team, but hope for some good baseball.

[Lord Jim]

It should be a really good series (of course you never know until it's played)

It has all the elements for a hard fought close contest...

Two pretty evenly matched teams who have both demonstrated a lot of poise, skill and intensity to overcome repeated underdog status in the playoffs to earn their shot...These are clearly two hungry, fired-up teams...

Obviously I'm biased but I think the Giants will have a slight advantage based simply on the fact that they have a lot of players who have been here before...

The World Series, (much like the Superbowl) has a somewhat circus atmosphere surrounding it that can create a lot of distractions that can affect the players game focus.

These guys are used to playing during the regular 162 game season where they might run into half a dozen local print and TV journalists covering any given game. This is a whole different ball game (so to speak) The coverage is intense and global; (plus of course now social media) there will be hundreds of reporters and camera crews from all over the world covering this, all hungry for stories, dogging the players every move.

It's got to be at least some level of advantage to have been through this kind of circus before, in terms of being less distracted by it.

[Guinevere]

Vocabulary Quiz




Final Score: 3940 Points!

I got some of my favorite words, like effervescent, droll, tenacity, and of course, soiree!

[MajGenl.Meade]

Ha! 3960! Is this the world series then?

[Long Run]

Word series.

[Gob]

I should give it a second go, I'm happy to rest on my laurels though.

I've found Twitter very good for sharpening my sentence construction.

[Big RR]

3680. Not too bad.