Bobref

Our crew had 5 straight games in the playoffs that year decided inside of the last minute of the game. Then, when we got to the BIG game ... I spent most of the afternoon watching the back of Desmond Tardy’s jersey receding rapidly in the distance.

I remember his dad well. Saw him demolish Hobart in the Brickie Bowl one night many years ago. What kind of grades does he have?

I’m not saying they shouldn’t try. After all, that’s what trials are for. But even this limited study did not involve severely ill patients. Just saying don’t get your hopes up yet, because it’s unproven. And there is no logical justification for employing widespread use of a treatment that has not been proved to patients who are not severely ill.

Here is the most important language in the story: “it was posted at medRxiv, an online server for medical articles, before undergoing peer review by other researchers.”(emphasis supplied) One of the key principles of scientific research is that results aren’t valid unless they can be reproduced in other trials. Until then, any conclusions are premature.

To be honest, this issue is better handled by @JustRules, since he is much more familiar with the umpire position than I. Umpires are often involved in this call.

Who would have ever thought that the wishbone and the full house would be described as “exciting “ and “a refresher?”

I always enjoy seeing my two primary pursuits - litigation and sports - collide. This interesting article appeared in the recent issue of The Business Suit, the publication of the Commercial Litigation Section of the Defense Research Institute. Did you bet on fantasy baseball in 2017? Do you bet on any professional sports? You’ll definitely want to read this. If You Ain’t Cheating, You Ain’t Trying The Intersection of Fantasy Sports and Pitch Sign Stealing By Gregory Farkas Daily fantasy sports generated over $355 mil- lion in revenue in 2019. Given the size of the industry, it is not surprising that it has gener- ated litigation. Recently, such litigation has spilled over to professional sports franchises and leagues, as DraftKings fantasy baseball participants sued the Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, and Major League Baseball over baseball’s sign-stealing scandal. In January, Major League Baseball fined the Astros $5 million, took away its first-round draft picks through 2021, and suspended the team’s general manager and field manager for using cameras to steal their opponents’ pitch signs during the 2017 season. Infamously, the stolen pitch signs were then sent to batters by banging on a trash can. The Red Sox were also caught using smart watches to send signals to their dugout in 2017 and are awaiting discipline from Major League Baseball. In Olson v, Major League Baseball, No. 1:20-cv-00632 (S.D.N.Y.) the plaintiffs, a group of DraftKings daily fantasy baseball participants, are pursuing a putative class action against the Astros, Red Sox, and Major League Baseball alleging claims for unfair and deceptive practices under state consumer protection statutes, unjust enrichment, and negligence. The suit contends that the pitch sign stealing undermined the plaintiffs’ daily fantasy wagers. It stresses the close relationship between Major League Baseball and DraftKings. Major League Baseball was the first professional sports league to partner with DraftKings in 2013, including ballpark and online promotions. Major League Baseball also acquired an equity interest in DraftKings that it later sold. The plaintiffs claim that the financial relationship between Major League Baseball and DraftKings created a duty to DraftKings participants to ensure that all games were played fairly. Major League Baseball, the Astros, and the Red Sox have predictably challenged both the existence of such a duty and the plaintiffs’ ability to prove that the cheating caused them financial damages. But the defendants also are relying on another argument that might seem to be foul to sports fans. The defendants contend that everyone is aware that professional athletes cheat, and therefore the plaintiffs could not have been deceived into participating in DraftKings. In making this argument, the defendants noted that clubs were publicly disciplined for electronic sign-stealing violations during the 2017 regular season. The defendants also rely on precedent from another infamous cheating incident, the New England Patriots Spygate scandal, where a disgruntled New York Jets season ticket holder (and one can question whether there is any other kind) sued the Patriots, their coach, and the NFL. The Third Circuit affirmed dismissal of the claims, finding that sports fans understand that “players often commit intentional rule infractions in order to obtain an advantage over the course of the game.” Mayer v. Belichick, 605 F.3d 223, 236 (3d Cir. 2010). The plaintiffs in Olson face an uphill climb to prove that they were directly damaged by the sign-stealing scandal and that Major League Baseball and the teams involved owed them any legal duty. However, with the popularity of daily fantasy sports and a 2018 United States Supreme Court decision paving the way for states to legalize sports gambling, the likelihood of on the field cheating leading to off the field litigation is likely to increase. The Business Suit | Volume 24, Issue 110 Commercial Litigation Committee http://dri.org/docs/default-source/webdocs/newsletters/2019/the-businesssuit_volume_24_issue_1.pdf?sfvrsn=2

I saw that one live and it was unbelievable! Love the officials’ garb. Note that the R is wearing an adjustable band cap in a state championship game. And the line judge was tragically late to the goal line on the TD.

As I thought more about it, I believe the play was actually wiped out by offsetting penalties ... one of which was Zachery grabbing the receiver’s facemask with his free hand as he was coming down with the ball in his other.

The two are not mutually exclusive. 😉

We’re in the High School Forum ... but I still have my VHS copy of that game.

Because, in theory, some amount of additional debt could end up being the lesser of two evils, given the extraordinary circumstances. I’d have to see the thinking behind the stimulus to have an informed opinion. That’s why shortcut thinking like “more debt = bad” is just intellectually lazy.

I’m gonna need a little more in-depth than that. That sounds more like opinion than analysis.

Is there an economic case to be made for the stimulus? Or is it just an obvious attempt to “buy” votes in advance of November?

Great story. It appears we are in agreement that big plays come from big players.

These days, positive threads can be helpful. Describe the best play you ever saw at a high school game. It could have been an athletically superior play, a big play at a critical time, or just something that came unexpectedly out of the blue. Here’s mine: It was the 2006 semistate, South Newton @ Sheridan, in the midst of Nick Zachery’s great run for the Blackhawks. Sheridan won the game comfortably, but South Newton’s terrific QB made it interesting for awhile. I believe he ended up the MVP of the North-South game the following summer. Zachery made a play during the game that I still have not seen equaled on a high school field. He was playing safety and a pass down the sideline was well overthrown. He went up over the receiver, with about a 40” vertical, caught the ball with one hand, and got a toe down inbounds before sprawling out on the track. One of the most remarkable plays I’ve ever seen at any level. I used to have a photo of it. I’ll see if I can find it.

Just so happens this was one of my very favorite games, too. Both teams 11-0, ranked #1 & #2. They brought our crew all the way down from the Region for this sectional final, which was unheard of. Just a brutal, physical game. Danville made a furious 4th quarter comeback using, of all things, a passing attack. They were basically a 100% option attack at the time. Scored with just a few seconds left and, to their credit, went for the win and didn’t get it. Unbelievable atmosphere and the type of effort from both teams that you don’t see but a few times in a career. One of my top 5, for sure.

Reform the tournament by requiring teams to qualify by placing in the top 50% of their class under a Sagarin-like system that takes into account both W-L and strength of schedule. Obviously, many other changes would flow from this, but I’m trying to keep it to just one.

It’s actually 53-1/3 ft. from hash to hash. That 4” could make a difference. 😂

For @Impartial_Observer: