tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35971090.post6977765824637063690..comments2023-12-21T10:20:43.344-05:00Comments on The Hoover Street Rag: Deserve VictoryGeoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09461267960136260783noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35971090.post-25193208618410922252012-01-06T16:01:20.395-05:002012-01-06T16:01:20.395-05:00I'm glad to see that someone else took on Wein...I'm glad to see that someone else took on Weinreb.<br /><br />The basic argument about "deserving" (and who did not) isn't really what bothered me the most about Weinreb's column. I'm definitely sympathetic to the fan bases of a few other teams who had at least as strong or even a stronger case to be in the Sugar Bowl. I myself was quite surprised that U-M got the invite. But the fact that there were reasonable choices besides Michigan and VT is neither particularly original nor insightful. On that score, Weinreb didn't say anything that every other sports writer could (and generally did) say.<br /><br />The "emptiest 11-win season" statement was so silly as to be self-refuting; no, not all 11-win seasons are equivalent, but one can't deny that it was a serious improvement over the previous three seasons. I strongly suspect that had Weinreb's beloved Penn State Nittany Lions achieved the 11-win season, he'd be singing a much different tune.<br /><br />It was Weinreb's parting shot in the final paragraph that irked me the most. Since, again, he didn't say anything interesting throughout the column, I suppose he felt he had to turn up the nastiness to 11. The real sin here, according to Weinreb, seems to be that Michigan has the audacity to 1) have a football program and 2) put that team on the field in games for which it is scheduled to play and in bowl games to which it is invited. Now that Urban Meyer has come to Columbus, Michigan is doomed to fail against him despite the fact that he hasn't yet coached a single down of Ohio State football. Weinreb also seems to have forgotten that Michigan has defeated an Urban Meyer coached team before (2008 Capital One Bowl, as I'm sure we all remember). <br /><br />As an aside, I'm struck by the eagerness of folks like Weinreb to throw dirt on the grave of Michigan. No, the program isn't yet at the level of the very best in the nation. Yes, there will be letdowns in the coming seasons. But how soon do people forget. Alabama, an outstanding football team, had a losing record as recently as 2006 (6-7, including its bowl game), and that's not even taking into account the fact that its wins from that season were vacated due to NCAA infractions. Alabama was finished, right?<br /><br />In the end, Weinreb's column was just a silly attack on Michigan using the pretext of a sloppy bowl game.Linnaeushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02257807789941705353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35971090.post-28710409646148988792012-01-05T19:52:11.712-05:002012-01-05T19:52:11.712-05:00This is a great write up Craig. I think we are fo...This is a great write up Craig. I think we are fortunate to have your perspective.el duderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08322826328074473291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35971090.post-15622958311431997902012-01-05T18:43:48.099-05:002012-01-05T18:43:48.099-05:00Craig, I'm just hoping that "Come on Cana...Craig, I'm just hoping that "Come on Canada" poster doesn't get converted into a Rick Santorum poster.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03104578852711638389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35971090.post-15748456394370143882012-01-05T12:30:19.445-05:002012-01-05T12:30:19.445-05:00David, I am not sure we deal with it, if we judge ...David, I am not sure we deal with it, if we judge by voter participation rates.Craig Barkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17397826983297392993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35971090.post-47506348970574039592012-01-05T10:22:48.237-05:002012-01-05T10:22:48.237-05:00Michael Weinreb is an innumerate idiot who has no ...Michael Weinreb is an innumerate idiot who has no business receiving money for writing anything.<br /><br />Basic stats time. Let's assume that each Big Ten team had a 50% chance of winning their bowl game. Then the probability that the Big Ten goes 4-6 or worse in its bowl games is 38%. Since the standard threshold for statistical significance is 5%, this means that a 4-6 record tells you nothing repeatable about whether the Big Ten was better of worse than the rest of FBS. Only ignoramus sportswriters with column inches to kill would say otherwise.<br /><br />If the Big Ten had gone 2-8 or worse in its bowls, then you could conclude (with 95% certainty) that, hey, they weren't as good as their opponents.<br /><br />Furthermore, he is a cherry-picking idiot who uses Michigan's lucky win over VT because it supports his argument, but ignores Florida's lucky win over Ohio State because it opposes his arguments.<br /><br />Since it's January of a year divisible by four, get used to 10 months of this innumerate crap masquerading as informed commentary. I don't understand how you Americans deal with it.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03104578852711638389noreply@blogger.com