General Sports Talk

Quote: DRich

#1 Kansas goes down. Have we had two #1's lose before on opening weekend?

This is not Pete Carril's Princeton team we are watching.
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Arkansas has two guys projected to be lottery picks, a lot of talent there, big underachiever in the regular season.


Princeton, I know people like to root for underdogs, but it’s kinda funny to be classifying Princeton kids as underdogs.

Quote: mcallister3200

Princeton, I know people like to root for underdogs, but it’s kinda funny to be classifying Princeton kids as underdogs.

Yes, it needs to be qualified that they are underdogs in basketball but #1 seeds in life.

1 seed Houston vs. Auburn had some statistical oddities.

Auburn lost the second half 50-23 despite shooting 26 free throws, scored less points than free throws. Got beat handily but had a chance to pull it out with halfway competent free throw shooting. Shooting 20+ free throws while losing a half by 20+ is likely a historical occurence?

And then as of six minutes remaining 11 OF 18 missed field goals by Auburn had been blocked shots, had more shots blocked than simply missed.

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the Farleigh Dickinson story continues -

they lost 15 games this season -

they lost the Northeast Conf. Tourney but got in to the Madness anyway because of an obscure rule that made Merrimack, the team that beat them ineligible

here are some of the teams they lost to in the regular season:

Hartford, Richmond, Queens, Sacred Heart, Stonehill and they got crushed by the basketball power Longwood__________________(-:\

today they're 14.5 point dogs to Florida Atlantic

people tell covers.com who they're betting on and 73% have picked those Farleigh dudes_____


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MLB new rules

the most impactful is the new pitch clock

pitchers will have 15 seconds with the bases empty and 20 seconds with a runner on to begin their motion or they will be assessed a ball

batters not back in the box within 8 seconds get called for a strike


https://www.mlb.com/glossary/rules/pitch-timer


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I think the bigger bases will be huge, with stolen bases up at least 50% from the last few years.

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if a team wants to beat that pitch clock rule to give their pitcher more time all they have to do is have the catcher take more time before he throws the ball back

there's no clock on the catcher throwing the ball back

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Quote: billryan

I think the bigger bases will be huge, with stolen bases up at least 50% from the last few years.

I would be shocked if the bigger bases had that much of an effect.

Quote: DRich

Quote: billryan

I think the bigger bases will be huge, with stolen bases up at least 50% from the last few years.

I would be shocked if the bigger bases had that much of an effect.
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Perhaps, but when you couple that with the fact that the pitcher is now limited to a maximum of 2 pickoff throws per batter (the 3rd will result in a balk if it doesn't produce an out), I think we will see a noticeable increase in stolen bases.

MLB used to have well over 3000 total steals per season. In 2021, it had the fewest steals since 1981 for a full season at around 2200. I'll be very surprised if there aren't 3,000 steals this year, maybe 3500.