Last week, I went 12 right and 4 wrong for straight up winner picks. That was tied with the best ESPN analysts. My data model would have had 14 but me and my stupid instincts overrode two choices. Here are this week’s picks, with only one override, Peyton Manning and the Broncos over KC tonight.
nfl
NFL Picks, Week 1 – 2015 Season
For the first time, I will be sharing my weekly NFL game picks that I will be submitting in my office pool, putting my reputation as an analyst on the line.
I will be using an analytical system I developed based on spreads provided by Las Vegas, and how well they tend to do when they provide certain spreads. I added a few other factors to lean my pick one way or another where the odds makers are about even in their performance. I developed this system last year and got 178 games of 256 correct. That was 10.4 per week on average, a 69% correct rate that was as good as the odds makers, and better than all the ESPN analysts.
What’s with Frank Reich and Epic Comebacks?
After the San Diego Chargers’ semi-epic NFL comeback last night from 21 points down, several times, on the road against the San Francisco 49ers, Frank Reich once again became associated with a monumental comeback! It was only semi-epic because in Reich’s past, he had orchestrated 31 and 32 point comebacks, victimizing his latest success. 🙂
Sad and Happy Times Quote
Without the sad times,
the happy times would not be so enjoyable
Minh Tan (see haiquote version)
Why Has NFL Football Remain America’s #1 Sport?
On this biggest sports day of the year, the Super Bowl, I pondered why NFL football remains America’s #1 sport.
NFL football became America’s #1 sport through a variety of complex, interwoven and additive reasons as analyzed here in the Bleacher Report. The reasons why it has remained so, and only widened the gap, are a little different, in my opinion. The latest survey from Harris for ESPN shows some interesting demographic divides among the popular sports, though, but it’s not these demographics I’m looking at, rather the overall results. Finally, I have to be clear that #1 is for watching and interest, not participation. That belongs to soccer, probably for its ease to be able to play without huge costs for gear and facilities to play in.
Digital Citizen 