TMQ just seems to get longer and longer.
ESPN Grade adds each Top 25 college program’s position in the Associated Press (media) and USA Today (coaches) polls with the program’s position in ranking of graduation rates. The numbers are combined to produce a blended victory-education ranking.
For example, Alabama, ranked number 1 in ESPN Grade, has an AP Poll Rank of 2, a coaches’ poll rank of 2, and a graduation rank of 12, giving it a total rank of 16. And that’s pretty much all you need to know about ESPN Grade (978 words down).
The methodology does raise some questions. One big one that leaps out at us: if graduation rates are so important, why aren’t they weighted more in the calculation? As it is now, graduation rate is only 1/3rd of the calculation, with poll ranks being the other 2/3rds. What if you averaged the poll ranks and added them to the graduation rate? That’s a 50/50 weighting, which would put Alabama at 14. UCLA would be at 10, and Ohio State at 12.5. Current number 5 Stanford would move up to 12.
We’re sure more questions will come up as ESPN Grade continues.
In the meantime, this is the AFC preview edition (no haiku).
“The Ravens are streaky.”
Mmmm. Streaky.
Should the Bills move? Signs point to “probably not”, or at least not to Toronto or Los Angeles: “Las Vegas would be a different kettle of fish, but the NFL is deeply ambivalent about Sin City.” Question nobody ever asks when Las Vegas comes up in relocation discussions: why would the casino owners want something that takes people out of the casino?
…should government reach into the pockets of taxpayers to buy the Bills a new facility?
Of course not. And TMQ initially leans that way. But…
… if there is one city where public investment in an NFL stadium might be justified, it’s Buffalo. Should Atlanta or Miami lose its NFL team, that would be a shame, but these cities would still have strong economies. Should Buffalo lose the Bills, this could be perceived as the “last one turns out the lights” moment, reducing the odds of a Buffalo urban recovery.
But. The stadium should be built downtown, not in the suburbs. And it should be built inexpensively, because Buffalo’s economy is depressed and it should be real easy to build a “world-class” NFL stadium for about $500 million. (Technically, it is not TMQ asserting this, but “an urban economist at Buffalo State”. We’d like a more complete breakdown of this estimate; in particular, we wonder if it takes into account the rising costs of raw materials, driven by Chinese economic expansion.)
For more information about the Buffalo Bills and their stadium issues, the Library of Congress recommends Neil deMause’s coverage at the excellent Field of Schemes blog.
We would really like to see TMQ’s AutoText configuration. Creep. Hooray Cleveland! (Seriously. We’re hoping this is the Browns’ year. Or at least they make a good showing.)
Denver’s awesome 2013 regular season led to a 43-8 crushing by Seattle in the Super Bowl. Will 2013 be another awesome regular season followed by a letdown?
Our Houston Texans.
Now the Texans enter 2014 with Ryan Fitzpatrick, who owns a 27-49-1 career record as a starting quarterback, backed by Case Keenum, who’s never won an NFL start, and rookie Tom Savage, who didn’t play anywhere in 2011 and 2012. What could go wrong?
Absolutely nothing. We’re sure the Texans are going to have a fine season, and may even go to the Superb Owl.
(Seriously, we’re thinking 8-8.)
It just wouldn’t be a TMQ column without Easterbrook complaining about a television show, would it? And what television show does he pick for his opener? Would you believe “24: Live Another Day”? (We are given to understand it should have been called “12”.)
Actually, we’re more sympathetic than usual to this particular TMQ topic. One of our very close friends actually lives in London, and our correspondence while the series was airing contained some discussion of just how unrealistic (but fun!) “24: Live Another Day” was. In particular, London traffic (and the lack thereof in Jack Bauer’s world) was a running topic. (We didn’t get around to discussing the mythical Chinese supercarrier strike groups, alas.)
Indianapolis is a middling team statistically (15th offense, 20th defense last season).
Jacksonville’s $63 million scoreboard. We don’t like public money being spent on the NFL either, but in fairness: the $43 million that was spent came out of a designated “entertainment tax” fund. Whether that was a good idea or not is another discussion, but it would have been nice to see Easterbrook acknowledge that fact.
All Jets passing stats were terrible in 2012.
TMQ’s main thought on Ferguson: why are police so quick to release names and information on arrested criminal suspects (even before they are tried), while insisting on protecting their own?
But it seems that they do. In some cases, directly in violation of the law. We don’t believe there will be real reform until some police chiefs and other public officials start serving prison sentences for violating those laws.
Twilight of the Running Back. We think this was predicted in a Wagner opera. (That would be Fred Wagner, Richard’s younger and less famous brother.)
It’s great to see an artist (OK, the term “artist” is used loosely here)…
Wow. That’s an odd and uncalled for slap at Weird Al Yankovic. Especially since TMQ says he likes the new album. (We’d watch the Superb Owl halftime show if Weird Al played. But can he afford it?)
The Dolphins can’t draft to save their souls (or their season).
The football gods are chortling again. By the way, Gregg, the contractor wasn’t Halliburton. Here, let us Bing that for you.
Tom Brady still performs at a high level, but it’s hard to believe that can continue much longer.
Brady is 37. Peyton Manning is 38. Note that TMQ didn’t speculate about how long Manning would be able to perform at a high level.
…the rules are administrative proceedings, which ensures years of delay and process costs during courtroom fights. Legislation would have been strongly preferable.
Legislation is somehow immune from courtroom fights? News to us.
Oakland invested first-, second-, third-, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-round draft selections, plus about $45 million, to obtain Schaub, tight end Mychal Rivera and two seventh-round choices in this year’s draft (defensive end Shelby Harris and safety Jonathan Dowling).
We look forward to Matt Schaub playing in San Antonio.
Pigs! In! Space!
Oh, sorry. That was actually “News From Space“: Habitable Planets for Man
Could we be seeing the end of the Pittsburgh dynasty? Signs point to “yes”. (Ben Roethlisberger is 32, by the way.)
Chortling is apparently contagious.
Does TMQ really think the Chargers spend their time chasing broads and waves until the skies of November turn gloomy?
And, finally, the Titans. Two words: chicken-(salad) kicking.
TMQ was wrong about the meaning of “ES”. Quel fromage!
And that’s a wrap for this week, folks. Next week, the NFC. In the meantime, as promised: