The Zorb
In 2002, my son and I toured Slovenia by car. Rarely featured as a travel destination, Slovenia is a gem: fabulous scenery, interesting and friendly people, inexpensive (comparatively) accommodations…and it has Zorb.
What is Zorbing? Well, the website states: Imagine yourself suspended inside a clear inflatable plastic ball of about 3 meters [...]
Category Archives: Sports
Zorb in Slovenia
July 12, 2010 – 5:42 pm
LeBron’s Choice
July 7, 2010 – 3:44 pm
LeBron James, 25, is arguably professional basketball’s biggest star. A member of the Cleveland Cavaliers since jumping straight from high school in 2003, he has led the Cavs to playoff berths for six consecutive seasons. In addition to his basketball salary, he makes many millions each year from endorsements. In December 2007, James was ranked [...]
Betting the Final Four–2010
March 30, 2010 – 9:16 pm
If you bet on the Final Four (or on almost anything), the bookie’s odds always include a built-in percentage for the house. Last year I calculated the Las Vegas Final Four edge at 9.8%.
This year the edge is so big (20.8%) that something must be wrong!
“Muslim” March Madness
March 22, 2010 – 4:30 pm
Ali Farokhmanesh
Omar Samhan
What is the overlap between the set of all rabid NCAA Basketball Tournament fans and the set of all knee-jerk despisers of anything Islamic? I suspect the intersection is large.
If so, then the first two rounds of March Madness may promote more US-Islamic tolerance than all the State Department visits Hillary Clinton can [...]
How to Bet on the NCAA Final Four
March 30, 2009 – 11:19 am
You pays your money and you takes your chances, but the House always has an edge.
Did you ever wonder how big that edge is?
Among the simplest edges to compute is Las Vegas roulette. If your chips are on one of the numbers from 1 to 36, and you win, you get paid 35-1. That means [...]
Rule Book Racism: Can a Black Athlete Celebrate?
December 2, 2008 – 2:41 am
Clay mouths off after defeating Liston
In 1964, Cassius Clay, then only 22, brashly boasted that he would upset 7-1 favorite Sonny Liston for the world heavyweight championship. “I am the greatest!” he shouted. In retrospect, Clay clearly was the greatest. Why did his outbursts upset so many white sportscasters and fans?
One of TO’s many celebrations
In [...]
The Worst Performance by a Winning Pitcher
August 23, 2008 – 5:18 pm
SF Giants Pitcher Matt Cain
On August 20, San Francisco Giants starter Matt Cain, after an excellent seven and two-thirds innings against the Florida Marlins, left the game ahead 5-2. Giants reliever Tyler Walker got the last out in the eighth, and with the score unchanged, closer Brian Wilson came in in the top of the [...]
The Filly is Put Down
May 3, 2008 – 7:53 pm
© Time
While campaigning in Kentucky on Thursday, Hillary Clinton, identifying with Eight Belles, the only filly running in the 134th Kentucky Derby, said, “I want everybody to place a little money on the filly.”
Today, Eight Belles came in second to Big Brown, collapsed, broke both front ankles, and had to be euthanized on the track.
Coincidence? [...]
Baseball: Recapturing Youth
April 12, 2008 – 11:37 pm
As a kid, baseball was my sport. I was too short to be effective in basketball, no one played soccer in the 50’s, and although I was fast and could catch, my lack of bulk marginalized me in football. I played Little League, made the All-Star team, and loved the game. I played softball [...]
NCAA Final Four Math
March 30, 2008 – 7:06 pm
By missing their last shot, tenth-seeded Davidson lost to top-seeded Kansas 59-57…and for the first time in NCAA tournament history, all four #1 seeds made it to the Final Four.
What are the odds of that happening?
My assumptions are arbitrary—I admit that—but here’s the math.
