Mathematics After The Fall

When we think about competition, we usually think about winning. On Facebook, the statuses I read usually celebrate a child’s success. It would be unusual to see the defeats.
I don’t blame parents for neglecting the negative; it’s what we normally do. Banners are for champions. The Lucite trophy sitting next to my stuffed animals proclaims me the 2004 .hack world champion, not 37th place. For the vast majority of teams, and the vast majority of players, the competition ends in a loss. And for all of us, waking up, well, that ends too.
Occasionally, though, a small part of life doesn’t turn out that way. For instance, I routinely ask married couples about their engagement, and ceremony, and honeymoon. Not defeats. There are champions, too. Last year, about this time, I hoped for a championship that didn’t happen. In the aftermath, I wrote a thank you note to the Butler Bulldogs. Three inches away on the backboard from a fantastic victory, Gordon Hayward was. In terms of wrist position, 0.13 inches. As Kyle Whelliston wrote, “An eighth of an inch, and they’d have won for all of us, and we’d have all had our parade. On a computer screen, which has a graphic resolution of 72 dots per inch, 0.13 inches translates to eight pixels. . . . That’s how far we all were from our parade: the width of a tear.” You should go read his work, because he talks about the emotion better than me. I have developed the calmness of a statistician, that events exist and I have little power to change them. Also, I had little personal interest in Butler, just as a foil, while for him, it’s more or less his soul. Different feel.

I have a little more interest today, another opportunity to see how the road ends. My current employer, Bellarmine University, has advanced its men’s basketball team to the Division II final today at 1 PM. Division II is still a pay division, which I still really, really dislike. (More on that once I’m no longer under contract.) At the same time, these events are our best opportunity to see how the story ends. So I took it. It’s 11:40 AM, I’m in the Hartford Airport US Airways Club, and I need to go pick up a rental car and drive to the arena. In less than four hours, for either the Knights of Bellarmine or the Seasiders of BYU Hawaii, it will end in a loss. We shall see what transpires.

It’s been a long time since I’ve written about sports, and there’s a reason for that. More later. For now, let’s Tivo blog the event. The title is a reference to this ban, by the way.

• This version of The Game is version 127. Coincidentally, that’s the version that the opening sponsor, Windows, would need to be good. Ba da bum.
• eHarmony starting lineup? Is this really the right audience?
• 6:45 remaining, 1st quarter: Fourth and 1 at the Harvard 5? Of course you go for it. Stupid fake punts aside, Yale’s coach has likely read fourth down studies. Besides, Ivy Leagure field goals are never as easy as double integrals.
• 6:00: Yale runs right through the open gap in Harvard’s goal line defense. They ran to the 3 on 3 side, not the 6 on 4. Harvard should spread its two extra players (opposite quarterback and ballcarrier) better.
• 4:42: Harvard outsmarts Yale! Redundant, I know. Double back pass, then a nice bomb gets Harvard close.
• 3:00: Harvard has 4th down at the 1 yard line after a decent scramble. It’s an option, and a nice cutback gets the score. Extra point ties it.
• Versus begins to atone to its audience for the Windows 7 sponsorship, running an interview on the holder of the Little Red Flag. It’s been around since 1884.
• 2:21: As the commentator says, Harvard’s onside kick attempt was “not good”. It’s windy; the ball then blows around before it can be snapped. I remember playing ultimate frisbee in that wind, better known as heave and scores. The intramural games were always like 9-8 or 11-10.
• The Harvard Hockey ad is pretty miserable. It’s like, from the 80s. Not the good 80s, either.
• 12:30 2nd quarter: Yale tries a long field goal, which fails. I’m not happy about the Harvard hold on the drive, though. The Crimson should be good enough to not need to cheat.
• 5:40: Yale goes again on 4th and 1, but it’s a plain dive into the strong, covered side. It fails. Given the importance of fourth down plays, I would think people would study them more carefully. Then again, so many coaches can’t even manage the clock as well as a Madden PS3 player, so I can’t expect much.
• 3:00: Yale #5 makes a really good read and tackle to stop the Harvard drive. Honorable sportsmanship recognizes both teams.
• After a touchdown drive to give Yale a 14-7 lead, the Yale coach gives a solid interview. The halftime show includes the Illinois-Northwestern problem at Wrigley Field. Having one end zone against a brick wall is, well, Ivy League. Northwestern is almost there. Of course, the ex-player in the studio is an idiot; since the moves will occur only on change of possession, it won’t affect tempo.
• Hey! Chris Berman does the voiceover for the Ivy League ad! It’s not on Youtube, though.
• 14:48 3rd quarter: Though outplayed in the first half, Harvard ties the score with a kickoff return touchdown and convert.
• 10:00: The commentators comment on Harvard Stadium, which is very pretty. So is Yale Bowl, actually. It’s just the rest of New Haven that’s the problem. There are only 4 National Historic Landmark football stadiums; the other two are the Rose Bowl and the LA Coliseum.
• 5:35: After a sack by Harvard #48, on the next play he rushes the punt and knocks the blocker back, gaining a punt block. Harvard takes over in field goal territory.
• 3:01: Harvard does better, as nice running leads to a touchdown. The convert gives Harvard a 7 point lead. The day becomes brighter.
• 11:18 4th quarter: Seriously, Yale. Harvard rushed 3 people. You had 5 linemen plus a back. For some reason, the middle 3 men block one guy, leaving the tackles alone on edge rushers. The left tackle has to make a cut block, and the back on that side doesn’t help. Hello, sack.
• 10:30: I’ve run around Harvard stadium, and the wind was weird. Now the wind tunnel effect is even worse with the end zone building. Still, an 18 yard punt is never good. The Harvard player knows enough to pick it up for 8 more yards.
• 9:54: Oh no. Yale #10 spears. Both he and Harvard #22 are concussed. After about 3 minutes, the Harvard player gets up. The doctors have to immobilize the Yale player, which takes about 12 minutes. At the end, the Harvard player comes out to say a word to the Yale man, and exchanges cordial words with another Yale defender. That’s exactly the type of fair play that Harvard and Yale women and men should exhibit.
• 9:40: And a late blow to the quarterback’s head is the opposite of that.
• 7:38: Scramble, pass, touchdown Harvard! That’s a horrible dance in the stands by the Harvard fans, but they’re unlikely to become dancers anyway. It’s 28-14.
• 5:51: Yale goes for it on fourth down and fails. The Harvard person wearing the same number as my jersey, #16, comes out at quarterback. But he has a more Harvard name than I, Collier Winters. That sounds like money more than my man of earth name. Unfortunately, he doesn’t hold on to the ball, handing it off to someone who fumbles.
• 4:38: A horrible overthrow by Yale is an interception, but Harvard roughs the passer. I reluctantly agree; that was late and to the head. As punishment, their Kobe steak dinner will be reduced to Black Angus steak. It’s tragic.
• 3:17: After a stop, Harvard calls a defensive timeout before fourth and goal at the 1. What’s Yale’s call? A simple off tackle run. Yale #41 runs through a tackle attempt and scores. It’s 28-21.
• 3:09: Not a short kick, because Harvard’s lost its first two running backs. The third down reverse doesn’t work, but someone finally gets a decent punt, 47 yards. Has the wind shifted? Yale has 83 yards to go and 121 seconds.
• 1:00: Harvard, so close! “Cornerbacks are wide receivers who can’t catch.”
• 0:41: After a debatable interference call on Yale, the penalty leads to a long fourth down. Yale fails. Harvard wins. Angels get their wings.

There’s the game. Good – well, good for me – triumphed. Larger issues are for other days, after the fall is over. As I upload this, Black Friday is beginning, and it’s snowing. Winter is coming.

South Africa is a country with a great deal of promise, and a great deal of trouble. It was a fairly open secret that I am seriously considering working in the country. Now, that secret is public. If my UChicago PhD had been successful, The University of Cape Town was my first choice for a job application. Before talking more about why I would consider that country, I’m going to blog an event from South Africa, city of Rustenburg – the Association football game between England and the US.

• Pregame: I’m glad ABC is carrying the anthems, one of the nice parts of international competition. For my international viewers, it’s typical for Americans not to sing the anthem, unlike many other nations.
• 3:30: Gerrard scores easily for England. Reviewing the tape, I’m not sure who was asleep there. I think it was US #13 Clark, because #3 Bocanegra had been covering the corner. The English commentator is very restrained, but I’m sure all of London and Manchester are relieved.
• 13:00: The short corner is vastly underused in my mind. Given what non-Americans say about association football, that possession is very important, why do teams execute low probability attacks in corner kicks from a good position? Since the defense must stay 10 yards away, one could get 5 – 7 yards closer and improve the angle. US #6 Cherundolo is amazed he’s that open.
• 19:00: After good service from Donovan on one end, England #7 Lennon gets open but for some reason doesn’t take a decent shot. Shooting is another underutilized tactic. The goal is huge! I believe it’s because players don’t practice it enough; casual street games generally utilize small goals and emphasis is placed on footwork. It’s the opposite of basketball, where casual contests are often all shooting.
• 26:00: England #16 Milner is playing terribly; another late tackle results in a yellow card. Should he be substituted?
• 29:00: US Goalkeeper Howard gets accidentally struck on a fair challenge. US #3 Bocanegra was too far inside, again. During the injury break, Milner is substituted. Drats.
• 37:30: Late in the half, England has tried to slow the pace, kicking the ball around midfield. I’m not surprised by this. Donovan gets a hold of the ball and has a decent shot.
• 39:30: Wow. Just, wow. “The man in the green jersey, the man with Green on the name of his shirt, has given away one of the softest goals you’ll ever see at this level of football.” From 27 yards, US 1 England 1. I play better goalie than that. To illustrate America’s biggest advantage, Howard then makes an excellent save on the post-goal counterattack. All of England sinks back into its rain-induced moroseness.
• Halftime: the score is about right, though not in the way most people expected. The game is very, I must say, American – lots of long balls and higher risk play. Possession is roughly equal, as are corner kicks. England has had more good chances, due to superior offensive play – and Bocanegra’s random play. England already took out its weakest defender, who Cherundolo was beating easily.
• 50:00: That offsides looks correct to me. While England #10 Rooney, the eventual ball taker, was not offside, the other player caused the defender to have to play him, not the ball.
• 51:00: England #21 Heskey breaks free. That’s a mediocre shot in the center, but Howard still has to work for the save, keeping the US alive. If the goalies today were switched, it’d be 3-0 England.
• 57:00: That was a horrible deep throw in for the US, with only one real option. The best possible outcome was a corner kick; instead the ball goes back to midfield.
• 59:00: England #18 Carragher gets a yellow card for taking out legs and stopping an attack. It was dangerous, reckless, and smart. He was beaten.
• 60:00: England #4 Gerrard makes a high, spikes-up tackle. I’m not sure that was dangerous enough for a yellow card, but it was dangerous play. This is a good location for a free kick. Bocanegra’s about 45 degrees off on the header.
• 63:00: US #13 Clark appears to miss another marking assignment. Please substitute him, Coach Bradley.
• 64:00: US #17 Altidore just runs by Carragher, who’s old and slow. Mr. Green makes a solid save, just barely; it hits the post.
• 70:00: Compared to the other games I’ve watched, South Africa-Mexico and France-Uruguay, there’s a lot more space in defense on both sides here. It’s a lot faster. England is leaving only 3 defenders back. Unfortunately, US #10 Donovan has had to come back on defense.
• 75:00: Another wonderful save for Howard. The US could use a defensive substitution at this point for fresh legs. Maybe for Clark, or Spector? No, they went for a fresh attacker. That makes sense for counterattacks, but a defender would also help. England’s last sub is Crouch, a fresh attacker.
• 81:30: England tries to play the ball across the back and fails. I’m not sure why, since it’s dominated this half.
• 85:00: A sub for Altidore? Not Clark? Oh. Moving Dempsey forward puts fresh legs in midfield.
• 90:00: Good US offense gets a late corner. Donovan takes his time, but nothing happens, like most corners.
• 94:00: Smartly, the US tries a very late substitution to kill time. It wasn’t needed, though, as the game ends. To misquote Dickens and quote the announcer, “It was a Tale of Two Goalkeepers.”

As for a longer stay in South Africa, I’d first go because of the weather and climate. Have a look at Cape Town’s sunshine chart. The lowest month, June, still has about 6 hours per day. Cape Town is between San Francisco and Los Angeles in sun hours, more than acceptable. Most of the rest of the country is just as good, or better.
For comparison, try
Chicago’s chart with bad winter months under 6 hours of sun per day. To be really scared, try London. No wonder the Brits are perpetually morose, or that they built an empire of sunny places.

Beyond that, South Africa has opportunity. It’s not just temporary economic opportunity, from the big tournament down there. I mean the chance to do big things, transformative things, particularly in education. The South African educational system is broken, like the US one. The Springbok system is much worse overall. The difference, and the appeal, is that the system down there can be fixed. People care, whereas here athletics departments have far too much power. (South Africa also enjoys sport, but it’s not so heavily intertwined with education.) Also, South Africa has centralized standards, which means a good idea can be propagated. In parts of this country, we have elections for standards, experience or thought not necessary. Even where we don’t, we have too much local control to get one set of ideas. Maybe I’ll go more into this later; in summary, the current American system cannot fix its problems without a major overhaul. Neither can South Africa, but my subjective evaluation is that it’s more possible to do down there.

Now that it’s a few days later, let’s see how the US fares against Slovenia. It’s nice that I don’t have class on Friday mornings.

• 0:10: In Ultimate Frisbee, that ball would be called a hospital pass. US #8 Dempsey gets above the Slovenian player, and puts an elbow into the Slovenian player. The referee calls a foul, but no card. Looking at the replay, there doesn’t appear to be malice; the arm was next to the body. Maybe it’s a yellow, but without extension I don’t see an ejection.
• 8:00: The US makes a throw-in error, leading to a decent chance for Slovenia. Or, as some might call them, the Charlie Browns.
• 11:30: The US spends 30 seconds kicking it around the back in midfield, then for some reason decides to send it to the opposite far line with nobody there. It looks like France.
• 12:30: Great GOAL for Slovenia #10 Birsa. Though the shot was great, it again came from horrible American defense. The Slovenian player was completely open at the top of the penalty half circle. The US should be better at defensive organization. North Korea looked better.
• 15:00: Decent service by US #10 Donovan to the penalty area; a US player had a chance at a header for a goal but couldn’t get there.
• 22:30: Has anyone explained why goal kicks are always so long and random? It is like punting. Has anyone tracked the proportion of goal kicks that are recovered? At best, it seems to go back to the defenders at midfield. Why don’t teams kick the ball to their defenders and walk it up? Teams don’t play tight defense often.
• 26:15: The camera manages to find the archetypal American: very portly, hairy, shirtless, and holding a relatively cheap beer. I cringe.
• 30:30: US #5 Onyewu doesn’t really pull down someone, but it’s dangerous and a bad referee could have called a foul. This game is not as good for the defender as the last.
• 35:40: Slovenia #5 Cesar picks up a yellow card on a marginal drawn foul. US #16 Torres makes a good shot, and the keeper does well to block it.
• 38:30: US #20 Findley doesn’t take a shot when he has the chance, getting a corner. On the corner kick, it’s a strange yellow card for handball. The US immediately gets another good chance and another corner, but no shots. I wonder if this is conditioning? Donovan should have made a slide tackle, instead of staying up. All he needed was to deflect the ball to the goal.
• 41:00: Slovenia #9 Ljubijankic gets another goal, with a great finish. He was not offside – Onyewu was too far back. Goal difference matters now. 2-1 is much better than 2-0.
• 47:15: Donovan has been watching hockey. A Slovenian defender misses a sliding clearance, setting him free. He has a very tight angle. He roofs it! The goalie expected a low shot to the far post. The US has some momentum.
• 51:00: Slovenia gets a good free kick, and does well, getting a corner off a goalie punch. Slovenia has already started to slow down. Slovenia tries a short corner, but the US has it defended. I’m pleased.
• 59:00: It’s wrestling in the penalty box. Both people fouled, and Slovenia got the call.
• 68:00: On a US counterattack, Slovenia #4 Suler clubs a US player from behind. I agree with the commentator, that yellow is correct. Red cards are awarded only for clear chances, and the ball was rolling away here. Suler was smart by hitting the US player just before the penalty box. The free kick leads to chaos, and a shot, with a good goalie save.
• 71:00: Slovenia is starting to play Euro defense, picking up yellows. They’ve played pretty until this point, but it might change. The Americans will have the conditioning advantage. At 74:30, there’s another, though I’m not sure about that one.
• 79:30: This game has opened up as players tire, on both ends. I’m about eight minutes behind on TiVo, resisting the temptation to jump forward. The US substitutes attack for defense.
• 81:10: It’s a dogpile! US #4 Bradley! Gorgeous soccer! 2-2! The father even jumps up. I wonder why the US coaches have giant parkas. It’s not that cold in South Africa. The Slovenian coats are nicer.
• 84:30: US #17 Altidore is beating defenders, getting a foul near the corner of the penalty box. It’s into the back of the net, but the goal is disallowed. I’m not sure who fouled. The US commentator thinks it’s horrible. I can’t see inside, so I really don’t know. On the replay, I see 3 US players getting held. Seriously, two of them are encircled at the waist! “I see Michael Bradley being fouled, and that’s a penalty kick.”
• 87:30: Nice header by Slovenia, which is saved.
• 92:30: Even though two players go down, that’s not a foul. Dempsey stepped on the ball, which led to a pile.
• 94:00: That’s the match, which ended with a double final whistle. Slovenia 2, US 2. Slovenia was better in the first half, the US much better in the second. It was not a good game for the referee.

At noon, Slovenia has 4 (with +1 goal differential), US 2 (0), England 1 (0), and Algeria 0 (-1). In the afternoon game, the US should root for Algeria. An Algerian win means the US controls its destiny; a victory advances them. An Algerian draw does as well. The best possible outcome is a 0-0 draw, since then the US would likely advance if the remaining two games draw as well. If England wins, it’s not a given. A US victory by two goals would then be sufficient, but not necessarily by one.

I’ve now hit 2000 words, and I haven’t even done the review of rugby. That will have to wait for another post, I guess. There are plenty more games on.

I went to the NCAA basketball championship in Indianapolis last night. My trip home from Chicago to Louisville literally passes within sight of the stadium, so it was an easy diversion. After Butler won Saturday night, Stubhub provided a seat. I have pictures and commentary from the game, and TiVo to review what actually occurred versus what I thought I saw from the nosebleed seats. I’m a little hurt from the 61-59 defeat, so it will take me a few days.

As I drove home, though, I wasn’t that dismayed, because there’s a lot of joy in my heart. I almost saw a fairytale. Earlier, one of the radio tunes approaching Indianapolis was from Omar Samhan’s crush Taylor Swift, Today was a Fairytale. Could Monday night become one?

The student-athletes of Butler played hard and played well. Butler’s motto is The Butler Way: The Butler Way demands commitment, denies selfishness, accepts reality, yet seeks improvement everyday while putting the team above self.

You could do much, much worse. They represented young men valiently, from going to class on Friday, to church on Sunday, to dealing with poor officiating on Monday. With 5 minutes left, their best player got shoved into the basket support on a breakaway, a play so dangerous that doing that in a pickup game would typically lead to a fight. As the officials gathered, those of us in the stands knew. “It’s D–e. That’s not going to be a flagrant foul.” Of course. Despite many things, Butler held close. Close enough for belief.

When I used online dating, I started my profile with “A friend once said that in my world, fairy tales still exist.” Why not? We read those stories to children because they have the values we want them to learn. Yes, we fail in them. Yes, I fail in them. That doesn’t make them wrong principles.

Watching Butler fight tonight, the crowd believed, even the worried D–e supporters. We tried to help, cheering Butler and being noisy when the opponent had the ball. Things looked bleak after the knockdown thuggery, but Butler recovered. Then, after a scrappy rebound with 33 seconds to go, Butler had a chance. During the timeouts with 13 seconds left, the crowd believed in fairy tales. And as the last shot went into the air, even from halfcourt, for a few seconds there was a rare, special hope.

Coach Stevens spoke very well in the ESPN interview outside the locker room. (For contrast, listen to the Michigan State coach’s comments from Saturday night.) The players were hurt, not disappointed. Several of them later answered questions. The effort, the journey, still meant a great deal. On the way out, the fans understood that as well. I saw sadness, but no sense of failure. It was always an uphill battle, monetary and otherwise, for anyone outside the BCS Circle. While 50,000 people inside the stadium, millions of people watching on TV, and I wanted the fairy tale, I can still be satisfied with what I received. As Coach Stevens said, “This one, obviously, got a lot of people dreaming.” Eventually, it will happen. Until then, thank you, Butler Bulldogs, for pleasant dreams.

I’m in my second home, a Hyatt, with a 14th floor view of Interstate 88. Tonight it’s the Hyatt Lisle out in the Chicago suburbs. Right now, God is dead, though according to my favorite news channel Russia Today, the Holy Fire has traveled from Jerusalem to the Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Tonight, in the way that the grand Orthodox Cathedral represents part of Russia, there’s a basketball game that represents part of America. One of the teams, Butler University, normally plays at Indiana’s Basketball Cathedral. They are student-athletes, with all the contradictions that entails. The star Butler player went to Game Theory class yesterday. On one side, we have the home team even though they are 259 miles away, the athletes of Michigan State. Nobody talked about their classes.

I don’t have a TiVo, so these comments will be with less review, particularly on fouls. If you’re reviewing this later, the NCAA rulebook is available so you can see what I reference.

16:28: The first call is against Butler, when the Michigan State player pushes into him and falls down. I didn’t have the TV on when the referees appeared. I hope the music wasn’t No Chance in Hell.

12:41: The players at Sports Bubble Stadium have to sit below the floor, which means they can’t study the play as well. To understand this, you need to remember the NCAA motto. Who cares about proper benches when there’s money to be made?

10:15: Butler is not Cornell; they have five non-white players in the game right now. The whole Hoosiers thing is overdone.

9:45: Michigan State makes a three point shot, and the TV has the sound of cheers. Either CBS put microphones in the Michigan State section, or that’s not good news for Butler. Given that I can also hear cheerleader calls, I’ll go with the microphones.

8:47: With less than 5 seconds on the shot clock, the MSU player wildly drives into the Butler defender and gets a call. Right now, Michigan State understands officiating better than Butler.

4:50: Butler is rushing three point shots a little bit, here at 22-20. Their feet are not fully set. There haven’t been any points in 3 or 4 minutes. Michigan State ends the drought with a very nice interior pass for a layup.

3:32: An uncalled foot shuffle travel by Michigan State, countered by a push away from the ball. The Butler push was a foul. I point out all these traveling calls because the officials seem to consistently miss them.
Hitting the one-and-one free throws, fouls 7, 8, and 9 each half, is very important. There are lots of zeroes on them. Michigan State gets two here.

2:48: Great back door cut by Michigan State. Butler’s coach is justifiably annoyed. He calls a timeout. Thanks to an explicit exception for media timeouts, what should be 30 seconds becomes 150. There are plenty of commercials. Who cares about game flow when there’s money to be made?

2:00: Has the foot shuffle travel disappeared from the rulebook? There were two more on this Michigan State possession. No, it’s still there in Rule 4, Section 70. There’s another one later, all by the same player.

2.5 seconds: Butler uses a timeout at 28-28 for a last shot attempt. One of the Butler players, now #20, has done it before. He doesn’t catch it, though.

Halftime: The score is tied at 28. Each team has had 31 possessions, by my count, so the points-per-possession is 0.90. That’s not very good, though it’s a lot better than minutes 21-35 of Kentucky-Cornell. There’s been some good defense: Michigan State has 3 clean blocks, and Butler has made several clean steals. But there’s also been mediocre shooting. That’s part of the Sports Bubble, I suspect. Placing a court in a gridiron stadium makes terrible shooting backgrounds.

Michigan State is getting baskets from their three best players, with 8, 7, and 7 points. Butler is being carried by its two stars who played for the USA Under-19 Team last summer. Remember that the talent level is close to even here. No other Bulldog has a field goal.

Now is a good time to talk about how this represents America. The fundamental American contradiction involves Horatio Alger and General Electric. (By the way, I want a basketball with the Presidental Seal, though I doubt I will adopt the President’s shirt and tie workout wear.) The Horatio Alger Myth is that by leading a valient life, a protagonist gains wealth and honor. It’s rags to riches. Interestingly, Alger’s characters rarely became superbly wealthy, generally just acquiring the earlier version of Levittown, the suburban dream.

The Alger myth is part of America, that through hard work and luck, anyone can advance. This is Cornell, or Butler. It’s to our nature that we routinely help this type of person, we cheer for them, we like this type of victory.

At the same time, America is also home to the Carnegie Steels, General Electrics, and Microsofts, who use size, connections, and power to crush opposition. Many of us support them, as well. That’s what’s strange.

18:20: Butler takes a one-point lead on an opportunistic second chance layup. Michigan State makes a good play to regain the lead.

17:16: Shocking me, the officials manage to not believe that a jersey just wound up in an opponent’s hand.

16:41: The temporary rims at a Sports Bubble installation have a hard metallic bounce. It doesn’t help the shooters, as the Michigan State player misses two free throws.

15:24: Wow, Butler runs a Globetrotter weave. In a world of isolation sets, that’s very unusual. Michigan State doesn’t have that play.

14:19: Butler has figured out that the hard drive gets foul calls, even the reckless drive. It’s worth 1 made free throw. Michigan State gets an #omgdunx. Then Butler gets a tough layup, misses it, gets tackled on the rebound with no call. Momentum might have changed, but Michigan State misses the transition jumper.

12:38: Brilliant Butler defensive switching leads to a turnover and a frustration foul. The commentator is correct, that having lost one ballhandler to injury has hurt the Spartans against a good defensive team. Butler is already in the one-and-one. They only score one, though.

12:15: A Butler steal, a dunk, and momentum almost changed. But the Michigan State player made a good post move to recover, though the ESPN play by play incorrectly called it a layup.

11:32: Worry for Butler, as Butler’s #2 player has muscle spasms and is out. Also, the rebounding is starting to get more brutal.

10:09: The key one-and-one by Butler’s big man is missed. So the one-and-one is a disadvantage. This is relatively common in college. The NBA rule of going from nothing to two shots is better.

9:24: The Michigan State player makes a sliding block, the correct call. The final one-and-one gets two free throws. Now, it’s two shots for Butler the rest of the way, so they have the advantage again. Michigan State still has to go through the three one-and-ones, and they are 0 from 4 this half from the foul line. Did you know that in 1953, fouls until the final 3 minutes resulted in a single free throw? Under that rule, I’d foul on every possession.

7:46: Michigan State has found a good matchup in the low post, but the last two possessions have led to a missed off hand layup, and a missed baby hook. A secret I’ve discovered in recent pickup play is not to be overly concerned with post up play. Spinning layups and contested 6 foot hook shots are middle-of-the-road shots. An open 3 point field goal is much better for the opponent. I once found a shot chart that showed this.

Here it is. Note the blue line, shooting percentage. It’s basically flat from 5 feet through 24. Actually, the shooting percentage is maximized around the three point line. That doesn’t mean a three pointer is easier than a 10 foot shot, of course. It’s not. It means that players are much more likely to take closer contested shots. From NBA figures, a contested shot subtracts about 20 points from success percentage – 60% to 40%, for instance.

6:04: The Butler player makes a great move and draws a foul. The Michigan State player wasn’t angry at the call, rather the lack of help defense.

5:00: An absolute thug rebound goes to Michigan State, and Butler misses a left hand half hook. Despite great defense, they’re only up four.

4:25: Butler rushes two put-backs, which would have been a big help. They haven’t had a field goal in 8 minutes.

2:23: Butler makes a steal and an attack. It’s only worth free throws, though, and only one is made. It would have been better to pull up for a eight foot block jumper.

1:34: Finally, Butler makes a field goal, on a missed open 3, great clean rebound and save by a guard, then a pass for a layup.

1:18: Fouls 7 and 8 for Michigan State have been shooting fouls, ruining the advantage of the one-and-one. They’ve been worth two points and a clean offensive rebound. off a metallic long bounce.

56.3 seconds: Foul 9 is a key one-and-one. Michigan State gets the first. The coach puts in their best rebounders, but Butler’s coach does not. It’s made, though. Butler 50-49.

23.0: An eight footer rattles out for Butler. Thanks, temporary supports. Michigan State has the ball with a chance to win. Butler made a mistake here by not shooting quickly, so they could see another possession. We’ll see if it hurts them. Will Michigan State run the clock down? Likely not, as they want multiple options, and they can crash the rebounds with impunity. It’s exciting.

6.5: There’s no foul on the Michigan State attempt, though lots of unofficial commentators believe so in the ESPN chat. The Michigan State player leaned forward to try to make contact. The play starts with about 10.5 seconds in the game, inside the highlight. It starts around 1:08 in. As Rule 4, Section 74, Article 1, part d states, “The defender shall not be penalized for leaving the playing court vertically or having his or her hands and arms extended within the vertical plane.” If anything, it’s closer to an offensive foul for Charging. As Rule 4, Section 10 states, “Charging is illegal personal contact by pushing or moving into an opponent’s torso.” And Rule 10, Section 1, Article 7 reminds us “contact caused by the momentum of the player who has tried for goal is charging.” I’m impressed that the referees made the correct call there.

6.1: A Butler guard gets the rebound and two key free throws. Make! Make! Leaders, like freshmen class presidents, do that.

5.8: The Michigan State coach is yelling, and has to be restrained by HIS PLAYER. He claims the clock started early. It didn’t. That should be a technical foul.

2.0: Butler plays smart! They attempted to foul and almost made a strip. They then got the semi-intentional two shot foul. The first is made to go to 52-50. Now the second is a natural miss, but Butler’s star grabs the rebound, even though a Michigan State player commits a blatant violation of Rule 9, Section 1, Article 2 g by coming inside the three-point line before the ball strikes the backboard. Bulldogs WIN! Horatio Alger cheers!

That was a very quick game; it took less than 90 real time minutes. It wasn’t an offensive clinic. By my physical count, there were 29 possessions in the second half, a total of 60 for the game. (The formula is slightly off.) Michigan State had 0.83 points per possession, and Butler won with 0.87. The overall college average is about 1.01. What happened? I also see 8 missed Michigan State free throws. Butler missed 7, though, so that’s close. Rebounds are close, too. Michigan State had 6 offensive of 26 (23%), while Butler had 10 of 38 (26%). The major factor was turnovers. Butler had 8. Michigan State had 16, 12 of which were Butler steals.

Anyway, since I’m headed through Indianapolis Monday evening, back to work, I dropped a little cash for a nosebleed seat. There’s more to come, and it may not end in a loss.

I’m TiVo blogging an event where two teams are playing for a million dollars. On one side, we have students from Cornell. The Ivy League doesn’t have athletic scholarships, and it has academic restrictions. Also, to minimize the number of missed class days, league travel games are played on Fridays and Saturdays. On the other side, we have athletes from Kentucky. Their team played about half their league games on Saturdays, but also scheduled Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday games for TV. Who cares about academics when there’s money to be made?

Cornell also provides a wider variety of opportunities. You might be surprised to know that Cornell Big Red sponsors 12 NCAA sports for men and 15 for women, while Kentucky Athletics has only 10 for men and 11 for women. There’s a difference in attitude, participation vs cash. Of course, Cornell is pretty much doomed.

In keeping with how the NCAA views its low-paid money spinners – excuse me, “student athletes” (giggle) – I’m not going to use names here. After all, it’s the coaches, generally old white men, that get the benefits. For instance, Kentucky’s coach earns almost $4,000,000 a year. That’s about 100 times what one of his players makes. There’s lots of money to be made. Onto the action.

19:19 1st half: Somehow there’s no foul called, because magically Cornell #20′s jersey fell away from his body into the hand of Kentucky #1. Kentucky #11 then tries to run over a Cornell player, but gets called for a charge.

17:23: The referees miss a travel on Cornell, for which they compensate by not calling the foul on the shot.

12:30: Looking at the court, all five players for Kentucky are black, and all five players for Cornell are white. It’s not 1966 anymore. In that respect, some good things have happened in America.

11:08: Kentucky survived the opening, and the crowd is now quiet. That’s not good for Cornell.

11:04: Cornell outsmarts Kentucky for an inbounds pass dunk. The weird thing here is that an Ivy League team dunked.

8:35: Cornell #1, the 7 footer, is the key person in this game. Without him, Kentucky can use its superior height and size to get lots of inside shots. With him out of the game, Cornell switches to a 1-3-1. Instead of beating it with a double low block post up, Kentucky #24 drives wildly, travelling while doing so (at the start), and a circus shot goes in. The commentator mentions that the Cornell player fell for the shot fake. Well, it will work if the player actually jumps.

7:40: After a timeout, Cornell runs a Princeton offense set. Kentucky immediately commits a foul.

6:51: I really need to check the NCAA rule on travelling, because I think Kentucky #15 shuffled his feet again before scoring a basket. This one is closer than the last two, so it might be OK. Is travelling a point of emphasis on page 20 of the rulebook? No, that’s for women. And it wasn’t a travel, because the dribble started. As the commentator states, the violation was a arm hook foul, Rule 10, Section 1, Art. 4.

5:10: Cornell commits a moving screen, which is properly called. Given the size on the floor, Cornell should move to the Princeton offense, which gave them their only decent look in the last 8 minues. Their only baskets have been on inbounds plays.

3:00: Unlike the play 8 seconds earlier, the strip that leads to a dunk is clean, and Kentucky #11 does not travel. Cornell really needs to spread the court more.

1:45: When I used to play pickup ball, there often was a point where one team would be entirely in the halfcourt, and the other team was just running fast breaks. The defending team had control. Kentucky is that defending team right now. Cornell just doesn’t seem to know how to get spacing.

1:04: If Kentucky could shoot, this game would be completely over. Of course, they can just push the smaller Cornell players around. Basketball has become a lot more physical than when I played, particularly on rebounds. Back when I was young, my parents and I chose basketball because it was supposed to be less of a contact sport. I played in an era where one could not shove into someone else to establish position. I don’t blame the Kentucky players for doing this; they didn’t change the interpretation of Rule 4, Section 55. But it’s interesting what players are not supposed to do on rebounds, according to the rulebook:

Art. 2. To attain or maintain legal rebounding position, a player shall not:
a. Displace, charge or push an opponent.
b. Extend either or both shoulders, hips, knees or extend either or both arms or elbows fully or partially in a position other than vertical so that the freedom of movement of an opponent is hindered when contact with any of these body parts occurs.
c. Bend his/her body in an abnormal position to hold or displace an opponent.
d. Violate the principle of verticality.
Art. 3. Every player shall be entitled to a spot on the playing court, provided that such player gets there first without illegally contacting an opponent.

17:30 2nd half: Cornell finally figures out how to score a basket.

17:10: Amazingly, a travelling foul is called on Kentucky. Maybe a comeback is on the way.

15:41: Right before the break, Cornell #20 missed an open 3 point shot that would have got the crowd going. That was the chance.

14:36: Cornell gets a foul call on a second layup attempt. The first was a foul too (by #54, not #15), but Verticality is another one of those things that doesn’t exist anymore.

14:20: Why is Kentucky #54 taking a three point shot when Cornell’s one big guy is out of the game?

13:20: Kentucky #15 is beginning to get a little frustrated, as Cornell #12 has realized that unlike rebounding fouls, the referees will call blocking fouls. But Cornell misses another open 3. At least Kentucky stupidly tries one as well. Kentucky is 2 of 12 from long distance, and Cornell is 2 of 13. Cornell needed to be 6 or 7 out of 13.

12:41: The proper foul call is not on Cornell #5 here, as the Kentucky player did not jump vertically. The crowd correctly boos.
On the replay, Kentucky #54 makes a strong block. It’s made a lot easier since Kentucky #33 stripped the Cornell player’s hand off the ball first, by making contact below the wrist. It’s a tough call for the official, as I get to run it back in slow motion, while the official is on the other side of the play. From the other side, it would look like hand-to-ball or hand-to-hand contact. Officiating basketball is a difficult task, and it’s safer to not make marginal calls.

10:30: Cornell is 3 of 19 this half. If Kentucky was at all good on offense, this would be laughable.

10:13: Kentucky gets called for a hold. OMG, the millionaire coach with zero non-vacated Final Four appearances is shocked. Can Cornell take advantage with free throws? Yes. Hope remains. In the substitution shot, the official sports drink – Vitamin Water – is clearly visible. Of course, 6 of the flavors contain small amounts of banned substances, but the NCAA clarified that normal amounts were OK, to protect the relationship. Who cares about hypocrisy when there’s money to be made?

9:46: Kentucky #54 makes a great hustle play. By making notes like this, I want to clarify that in no way do I dislike the Kentucky players. By the rules that are enforced, they’re playing well. My issues are with the coaches and rule makers and officials.

9:38: Even the commentators note this uncalled Kentucky travel. Karmically, the shot is missed, and Cornell is desperate. They make a screened elbow jump shot, and the crowd is now attempting to keep Cornell in the game.

8:55: Grabbing a jump shot airball, Kentucky #15 leans backwards at about a 15 degree angle and jumps into Cornell #1. Of course, this is a foul on Cornell. Somehow. I need to figure out how to add a screenshot that shows the angles. The Kentucky coach moves outside the coaching box to applaud. On the free throw miss, having played lots of basketball, I know that it’s very easy to tip the ball if you can get above and push the opponent. There used to be an “over the back” call, 25 years ago when I started playing. You couldn’t consistently do that. Now, there’s not. The game has changed.

6:23: How is Cornell still alive in this game? Kentucky is 2 of 10 on free throws, or something. Oh yes, and Kentucky #24 just made an idiotic foul, and gets sent to the bench. But Cornell misses the second free throw. Are the rims extra small at the Carrier Dome? Neither team can shoot.

5:42: Cornell #12 pulls a Kentucky and forces contact. It works, as the open 3 makes it a 6 point game. Honestly, neither team should advance from this game. I’ve played in better shooting games than this.

5:15: Kentucky #15 shoves Cornell #12 on a rebound, and at the same time Cornell #20 pushes Kentucky #1. The foul is on Cornell, of course.

4:35: Here’s the game in a nutshell. Great Cornell ballfake, uncalled jersey grab, good Kentucky help defense, missed jumper, Kentucky #54 shoves for the rebound, Cornell foul.

3:20: I’m tired of this. Kentucky #54 does the forearm in the back to Cornell #1 on a missed free throw. It’s hideous. Of course he gets position! Heck, I can get position if I’m allowed to do that! It’s not “Height, Strength, and Will” as the commentators say. It’s not legal. It’s as if Rule 10, Section 1, Article 1 does not exist. Under this rule enforcement, Cornell cannot win.

2:46: Kentucky #11 travels on the jump shot attempt, as the ball is not released before the foot touches the ground. It wasn’t “just about come down”; it was down. The player coming in is legal, though. Only one touch in bounds is needed, and the second foot was good.

2:15: Given how poorly Kentucky is shooting, Cornell should be fouling immediately at this point. There are plenty of nerds on the bench. And why are there kid ballboys? They’re about 11 years old, and it’s 11:30 at night. I guess it would cost too much money for the NCAA to employ grownups. They need to keep money for the leaders. Their last leader made over $1,000,000 in one year. Who cares about academics when there’s money to be made?

1:56: With a timeout at 51-41 Kentucky, we switch to the other game in overtime. Interestingly, the foul call on a strip attempt really isn’t one. From Rule 10, Section 1, Article 2, “A player shall not contact an opponent with his or her hand unless such contact is only with the opponent’s hand while it is on the ball and is incidental to an attempt to play the ball.” The player hit the hand while trying to strip the ball. But it looked like illegal contact, and the referees often go on appearance.

In the other game, there was another play that shows basketball today. Lining up for a free throw, there was a lane violation on Kansas State #23, as his back foot was clearly beyond his block. And Xavier #55 committed a violation by having a foot on the block line. Then, both players make contact before the shot. Given the amount of contact there, the foul on #23 is very marginal. He had better position, and both players pushed. I guess the officials called the effect.

1:35: Kentucky #11 did not foul contesting that 3 point shot. Cornell has started to foul aggressively, which is a good idea. But it’s likely too late.

0:00: And it is. 62-45 is a reasonable final given the game. Honestly, Kentucky played miserable offense, but Cornell was worse. Cornell went 5 of 21 from 3, and missed 5 free throws. If you want to beat a superior athletic team, that won’t work.

Finally, listening to the postgame press conference, the phrase Questions for the Student Athletes? led me to start laughing. I know: when was the last time you went to class? If tuition is a student’s “payment”, doesn’t doing well mean that they miss more class, getting paid LESS?
The tournament could use an Ivy League schedule. Or it could schedule the first round on Saturday and Sunday, letting first round losers miss fewer class days. But that would take away from the TV contract. As the transcript suggests, it’s not like classes matter or anything. Or, for that matter, letting the players sleep at a healthy hour, since the mandatory press conference was held around 12:30 AM. Remember the motto, the lesson here: Who cares about academics when there’s money to be made?

College football, or should I really say minor league football, has a lot of problems. Fortunately, I went to a university that does not award athletic scholarships. That school, Fair Harvard, is facing its rival today. Like last year, I’m not attending; instead I’m blogging while watching Versus. This will include commentary on The Game, as well as college football. Here we go.

• It’s good to see that Harvard and Yale understand the singularity of the word Captain, unlike the NFL. The Yale Bowl looks surprisingly clean today; they must have chased out the vermin and washed off the graffiti. Seriously, Yale Bowl is really nice. The field is dug out, so you enters through a tunnel, and break out into the middle rows. I think it’s prettier than traditional Harvard stadium. That said, I am not restrained from teasing.
• The front of Yale’s helmets say Yale. For some reason, the front of Harvard’s helmets say Crimson. I wonder if this was true back in the day. Of course, back then there weren’t helmets. And there were many, many more deaths. In 1905, 18 young men died playing the game. Nowadays, if ONE person dies it becomes a major event, with lawsuits and everything. Having double digit deaths would be inconceivable.
• 7:18 remaining, 1st quarter: Harvard’s quarterback is stripped of the football, and Yale recovers. Having scored a field goal the first time, Yale has the ball in Harvard territory again. (Some comments will actually refer to the game.)
• The color commentator is from Princeton. I like him. Here’s a quote – “If there was a betting line on this game in Wall Street between the Harvard and Yale guys …” Actually, Harvard was favored by 6 1/2 points. But it doesn’t look good, as Yale goes ahead 10 to 0. To make things even worse, Harvard drops the kickoff and must start around its 5.

Let’s examine other college football news for a bit. Apparently, Kansas football coach Mark Mangino motivates his players with quotes like this: “He wanted to be a lawyer,” Brown said in a telephone interview from his home in St. Louis. “He messed up, and Mangino said to his face, in front of everybody, ‘You want to be a lawyer? You’re going to be an alcoholic just like your dad.’ ” Great, eh? Mr. Mangino makes $2,300,000 a year to be a bastard like that.

• Harvard mounts a drive, and decides to go for it on 4th and 11 from Yale’s 24. In the NFL, this is not the optimal option, but Harvard’s kicker is nowhere near as good. The pass fails. On offense, Yale tries a double pass, but it’s an Ivy League moment. The first lateral is dropped, leading to a very humorous second pass. There will be several more messes like this.
• The Yale kicker crushes a punt. From where he kicks it, the ball travels over 80 yards. Did the scientists concoct something?
• Harvard runs a shotgun spread offense this year. The quarterback is at full shotgun depth, 6 to 6 1/2 yards behind the center. The best known spread shotgun, Florida with Tim Tebow, sets the quarterback at 5 yards. This may not seem like much, but it changes the focus. In both offenses, the running back is about 5 1/2 yards behind the line. In Harvard’s offense, the running back is in FRONT of the quarterback. This is better for passing. In Florida’s offense, the running back is BEHIND the quarterback, better for running. Given the rushing play calls today, the Florida formation would be better.
• 6:41 2nd quarter: Harvard advances to the 12 yard line. On fourth down, the Crimson attempt a fake field goal. It almost works. The receiver is open, but a charging lineman tips the pass. Sigh. The man – Yale #32 – has a giant wrapped cast on his hand. I didn’t think that was legal. It’s extra blocking power, though he hit the pass with his other arm. I guess it’s OK, though it seems like typical Yale nefariousness.
• 5:10 2nd quarter: Yale runs a sneaky no-huddle quarterback sneak, gaining 9 yards. From this point forward, I see no need to continue adjectives like “sneaky” and “nefarious” for Yale. It goes without saying. On the next play, Yale tries a fake snap. That is more than sly; it’s a penalty.
• 3:15 2nd quarter: On the same drive, Yale goes for it on 4th and 1. Good for them! The statistician in me is happy, though the Bulldogs convert, which makes me more sad. Later, with 1:03 left, Yale attempts another 4th and 1. Hey – they put a Y on the football! It’s a fullback dive, which is a play I respect in that situation. A quarterback can’t get a good start, but a fullback gets a two step running lead. Of course, the fullback fumbles the ball. It’s the Ivy League.
• Yale ends the half with a failed 63 yard field goal attempt. The camera angles on Versus are really weird, again; they use a field level camera for an attempt in the air. The game doesn’t get a sideline reporter, so Yale’s coach, Tom Williams, grabs a headset for the halftime interview. He’s cool. I’m not supposed to like him! He’s having fun, and asks if the announcers are. Asked about the fourth downs, he replies that “We’re trying to win the football game.”

At halftime, “imagine the net worth in the Yale Bowl today.” It’s the only tailgate I’ve seen where people wear bow ties. Since it’s time for a break, let’s look at much less competent coaches.

Example 1: Notre Dame hosts USC on October 17. Notre Dame is down by 7, but driving with under a minute to go in the 4th quarter. It’s fourth down and 10 on the 29. The Notre Dame receiver breaks open, the quarterback throws well, and there’s a completion. There’s also a penalty, because the USC safety dove in and injured the receiver on the ground. Trainers rush onto the field, and the game is stopped.

Notre Dame’s head coach is Charlie Weis. Notre Dame pays him at least $600,000 a year, plus speaking fees and endorsements. If the online compilations are true, Mr. Weis gets total compensation of roughly $4,200,000 per year. The total cost of attendance of all 83 Notre Dame football scholarships is $4,257,900.

Mr. Weis should know that according to the official football rules, FREE in PDF form, the clock will start on the referee’s signal. It’s Rule 3-3-2-e on page 70. Given the length of the injury break, Notre Dame should be ready to snap the ball quickly. Instead, after the clock started, the offense huddled, taking about 15 seconds to get to the line. A few plays later, time expired after 3rd down, with Notre Dame 4 yards away. Really, the clock easily could have expired after 2nd down, but Notre Dame threw a quick pass and got a break. By poor coaching, Notre Dame lost a down and before that had to run a fast developing play that didn’t even throw to the end zone. Maybe the players don’t convert, but the coaches didn’t even give them a chance.

Example 2: USC at Ohio State, September 12. Mr. Jim Tressel coaches the Ohio State University. Mr. Tressel gets around $3,000,000 annually to make optimal decisions. Plus he keeps a job at Ohio State if he wants, even if he steps down. He has tenure!
After this game, ESPN showed video where he actually got questioned about some choices, like kicking a field goal at the 2 yard line instead of trying for a score. “I think your percent chance of making fourth-and-2 probably doesn’t weigh as well as getting your three points,” he said. What does that say about his offense? Also, he’s wrong probabilistically. Quite wrong.

In addition to bad statistics, I want to point out a key play, with 1:14 remaining and USC driving. On earlier short yardage plays, USC has used a quarterback sneak. The way to make that more difficult is to place people on the line. For third and 1 on the Ohio State 5, how many players does Mr. Tressel put near the ball? Five? Six? No. Two. The ESPN link has the play, about 2:40 into the highlight. Unsurprisingly, USC gets the key yard. These types of errors are faults of the coach. I wish I could make tenure with a performance this lousy, as this much smarter commentator deconstructs.

The Harvard coach, Tim Murphy, is not as amusing in his interview. He’s right, though; Harvard needs to convert near the end zone. Let’s get back to the second half.

• Harvard receives the kick and begins to drive. Against Harvard’s spread, Yale’s using primarily a 3-3-5, with three linemen and three linebackers a few yards back. This is good for running, since Harvard has five linemen and a tight end that can block. Unsurprisingly, most of the plays are successful runs.
• 9:25 3rd quarter: On 3rd down and 2 on the 8, the quarterback audibles to a handoff. He had a better option, though; he could have thrown a pop pass to the second receiver, who was uncovered. At least the run converted.
• 7:40 3rd quarter: Yale adds more linemen closer to the goal line, leading to 3rd and goal from the 1. For some reason, Harvard goes under center and tries a running option. Nothing happens. Coach Murphy then calls time out to think of a play, but it’s a stupid one. Instead of the spread option, Harvard runs an tight I formation with the quarterback under center. An off tackle run fails.
  Why was this stupid? Because it allows Yale to win the numbers game. Even the Princeton man is smart enough critique this call. In this formation, the quarterback is not going to block, nor the ballcarrier. That leaves 8 Harvard blockers (+1 receiver) against 10 Yale defenders (+1 cover back). Harvard ran to the strong side, which is 5 against 6. The other side is 3 against 4. All the Yale people had to do is stand put, and let the extra player make the tackle. They succeeded. As an alternative, look at the Florida spread. With three receivers out, and the quarterback as a serious threat to run, the potential 7 (+ ballcarrier) against 8. One of the two sides will not have an extra defender. Going that way with successful blocks means a touchdown. That’s preferred.
• 5:08 3rd quarter: So far, the Yale staff is winning the coaching battle, and thus the scoreboard battle. They’re not completely winning, though. A strange punt formation leads to a delay of game and a 5 yard penalty.
• 15:00 4th quarter: Yale goes again on 4th down and 1. The referee examines the spot carefully and gives them the first down. After an injury timeout later in the drive, Yale makes a curious decision. As I mentioned above, the clock restarts after the injury, with a 25 second play clock. Ahead by 10, Yale wants to clock to expire, yet they snap the ball after only seven seconds. On the next play, after another injury break, Yale snaps after about 6 seconds. They failed to run off about 30 seconds here. While it likely won’t matter, it’s still a mistake. Oh yes, Yale missed the short field goal, too.
• They showed footage of Quidditch! Bellarmine needs a Quidditch team! Unfortunately, Slytherin won.
• Yale #10 makes a spectacular hit on a failed jet sweep, as the lead back failed to block him. Unfortunately, he verbally taunts the Harvard player on the ground (watch his head movements). Then, he decides to taunt Harvard receiver #85. Sadly, the officials do not call a penalty. This isn’t Kansas! To the Yale coach’s credit, I do not see Yale #10 on the field for the next play.
• 7:50 4th quarter: Harvard calls a draw on a desperate 4th and 4. Fortunately, Harvard #22 makes a video game spin-a-rama to get the first down. Two plays later, it’s an Ivy League moment. The snap rolls on the ground to the quarterback, who calmly picks it up and fires a long touchdown pass. Yale 10, Harvard 7. Wow! The camera finds two cute Harvard coeds! Wow! I like the sweatshirt: No one ever says, I want to go to Yale when I grow up.
• 2:40 4th quarter: Into a slight breeze, Yale tries a fake punt. This is not unusual, except that they had 22 yards to go. It’s a really cool play, a direct snap end around. Almost everyone was fooled. Fortunately, despite a slip, Harvard #27 recovers, and Yale winds up 6 yards short. The problem with this play is that at 22 yards, the returner will be able to race up to defend. Therefore, you need to assign someone to block him. Yale did, the kicker. That means, though, that there’s a free man, 9 (+ballcarrier) against 10. Somebody has to get fooled. Harvard was not trying for a block, so the linebacker was able to get there. Overall, this was like a 16 yard punt. That’s not very good.
• 1:34 4th quarter: Despite poor footwork on the throw, the Harvard quarterback makes the completion to Harvard’s wideout, who beat the cornerback on a post route. It’s 13-10. Harvard fumbles the point after attempt, in an Ivy League moment, but one Yale man was offsides. With another chance, Harvard converts for the 4 point lead.
• At least Yale didn’t waste those 30 seconds earlier, with about 90 seconds and three timeouts and 80 yards to go. Yale begins their drive. After two completions, the quarterback is hit on a throw! It’s an interception! And Harvard #45 is smart enough to fall down and prevent a fumble!
• Harvard does something smart by running two spread runs that take extra time, but not three. A first down was always unlikely. With 38 seconds left, Harvard must punt. Yale brings all 11 people to the line, which is a mistake. I’ll explain why in a bit. The line holds, and the kick is away. Harvard lets the ball die, and the officials stop the clock. The Princeton man commentator commends Harvard for not picking up the ball. He’s right about that, but there’s a better option. Harvard can bat the ball around as much as they want. It’s a violation, not a penalty, Rule 6-2-3-2-a on page 89 says that Yale just gets the ball at the best possible spot. Harvard ran off 3 seconds by not picking the ball up, but they could have had more by batting the ball across the field. If a Yale player didn’t come to pick it up, Harvard conceivably could have run out the clock.
  The problem with football is that people don’t think about these situations. Yes, Yale gets the ball at the 8, with 25 seconds left. Win Probability is High. But Harvard could have made Win Probability even higher! I wonder if those multi-million dollar coaches, like Mr. Mangino, Weis, and Tressel, have thought about that.
• After a sack and a spike, a crazy two-lateral play ends in a Harvard recovery, Crimson storms the field. Though I’m sure Mr. Williams will be pilloried for his 4th and 22 choice, and I agree that it was a suboptimal call, the commentators are correct – it’s not just one bad choice.

Thus ends another football blog. Though it was dicey, Fair Harvard has triumphed. Since my testosterone levels should be elevated now, I think it’s time for the gym.