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Mathematics is one of the reasons that some of us ended up in journalism school (yes, it might come as a shock, but your humble correspondent actually did go to an accredited j-school that miraculously kept that accreditation after my graduation).
Brittany of the Chicago Luvabulls. You were expecting a basketball player?
So dealing with numbers might be something of a challenge. But that’s what we’re going to do today. Well, unless you skip instinctively to videos with attractive females that might be toward the bottom of this page.
Anyway, where were we? Oh, yes. Numbers.
Well, it starts something like this. The Chicago Bulls lost to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday (Jan. 9) at the United Center. The Bulls at one point had a 15-point lead. In their previous meeting in Chicago, the Bulls blew a 27-point lead in losing. So the statistical analyst in me comes to one obvious conclusion: The Bulls are much improved. That’s a 12-point difference. Meaning the next meeting should produce a game in which the Bulls lead by three points before losing. And the game after that, the Bulls will win.
OK, so maybe this is an example of why some of us aren’t statistical analysts.
Try these numbers on for size:
* The Bulls are 3-5 when opponents score 100 or more points this season.
* The Bucks blocked 15 shots for a season high and a Bulls opponent season high. The 15 blocks are the most by a Bulls opponent since April 6, 2005, against the Magic in Orlando, Fla.
* Bucks guard Brandon Jennings had a season-high 35 points.
* Bucks reserve Mike Dunleavy made 4-of-5 three-point field-goal attempts in scoring 16 points.
* The Bulls allowed a season-high 10 three-pointers.
On the bright side, there is Luvabulls video (as well as postgame interviews). If things go according to plan, there will be more Luvabulls videos for Friday’s edition:
Elswhere in the world of numbers, consider this one: 0.
That zero represents the number of ballplayers voted into the baseball Hall of Fame for its 2013 class. Meaning it’s the first time since 1996 that baseball writers did not elect anyone. Players need to receive 75 percent of the ballots to gain entrance to Cooperstown. Craig Biggio came the closest with 68.2 percent (388 votes).
Jeannie Santiago has nothing to do with the Hall of Fame voting. Hope that’s not a problem.
Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa — all with Hall of Fame numbers (accompanied by suspicion of using performance-enhancing drugs) — failed in their first attempt on the ballot, as did Mike Piazza. Dale Murphy on the ballot for his 15th and final year received 18.6 percent. Pitcher Jack Morris fared the best (67.7 percent) among players previously on the ballot.
The 2014 ballot will include Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez and Frank Thomas. All would seem to have reasonable chances. Especially because none has been linked to steroid use.
As long as players from the steroid era are going to have a difficult time winning election, here’s hoping the folks who allowed that era to exist encounter similar difficulty gaining entrance.
Speaking of the devil, here’s commissioner Bud Selig, who was in charge when baseball went through its curious increase in power:
“Next year, I think you’ll have a rather large class and this year, for whatever reasons, you had a couple of guys come really close. This is not to be voted to make sure that somebody gets in every year. It’s to be voted on to make sure that they’re deserving. I respect the writers as well as the Hall itself. This idea that this somehow diminishes the Hall of baseball is just ridiculous, in my opinion.”
Traci Denee seems a reasonable choice for a photo to use.
Well, it sure doesn’t help the businesses in Cooperstown, N.Y., and surrounding area.
The 2013 vote:
Player (votes): Pct
Craig Biggio (388): 68.2
Jack Morris (385): 67.7
Jeff Bagwell (339): 59.6
Mike Piazza (329): 57.8
Tim Raines (297): 52.2
Lee Smith (272): 47.8
Curt Schilling (221): 38.8
Roger Clemens (214): 37.6
Barry Bonds (206): 36.2
Edgar Martinez (204): 35.9
Alan Trammell (191): 33.6
Larry Walker (123): 21.6
Fred McGriff (118): 20.7
Dale Murphy (106): 18.6
Mark McGwire (96): 16.9
Don Mattingly (75): 13.2
Sammy Sosa (71): 12.5
Rafael Palmeiro (50): 8.8
Also receiving votes: Bernie Williams, 19; Kenny Lofton, 18; Sandy Alomar Jr., 16; Julio Franco, 6; David Wells, 5; Steve Finley, 4; Shawn Green, 2; Aaron Sele, 1.
Maybe the Republicans should focus on voter supression for Hall of Fame Writers. OK, how about merely on the person who voted for Aaron Sele.
Katherine Webb is an aspiring model looking for a good relationship.
Speaking of figures (OK, of a different variety), Katherine Webb remains in the news. Surprise. She is the Miss Alabama USA who was shown on national television during the BCS championship game between Alabama and Notre Dame. She is the girlfriend of Crimson Tide quarterback AJ McCarron.ESPN broadcaster Brent Musburger noted her presence in the stands. ESPN apologized for Musburger’s raving about her attractiveness — something that Webb said did not require an apology.
In the latest installment of this saga, Webb released a statement to TMZ.com about the site’s story that she had canceled interviews at McCarron’s request because Webb’s new-found fame was eclipsing that of McCarron and his national champion teammates.
“My decision to cancel the interviews was not made at A.J.’s request,” the statement said.
Webb, who zoomed past 100,000 Twitter followers after Monday’s TV appearance, has — as of 3 a.m. Thursday — more than 251,000 followers.
As for Webb’s relationship with McCarron, which began in December:
“I want it to be about me and him,” Webb said. “He’s a guy I can see myself having a real future with.”
Kelly Kulick in the ESPN the Magazine the Body Issue (not how she will appear on “Sports & Torts”).
If it’s Thursday (which the calendar says it is — provided that you are reading this on Jan. 10, 2013, or a subsequent Thursday), then it is time once again for your weekly dose of “Sports & Torts” at noon Chicago time on talkzone.com.
Having taken the last two weeks ago, co-hosts David Spada and Elliott Harris return with their best show of the year (only a nit-picker would point out that it’s also their first show of the year). The highly acclaimed interview program (well, it is in the Spada and Harris households — as well as reportedly elsewhere) has two guests this week:
Bowler Kelly Kulick, who rolled the target score for the women competing in the Chicago Sun-Times “Beat the Champs” contest, is the first female to win a PBA tournament against male opponents. She did so in 2010. She also has been featured in ESPN the Magazine’s Body Issue. Kelly was in Chicago last month to bowl the target score
* Sonny Jurgensen is a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins.
For those unable to catch the show when it airs, it will become available on podcast later in the day.
And if all this verbiage seems as nothing more than an excuse to run a photo of Kelly, the editorial staff at elliottharis.com would like to assure you that is not the case. There’s always shameless self-promotion that is part of the equation.
Yes, we still have room for some non-gratuitous videos:
Advertising opportunities are available on ElliottHarris.com (which had 999,989 hits in December). For information and rates, contact sales@elliottharris.com.