Notes and Asides

Thank You

To Dad, for that cold winter staring down the NKPA across the Korean DMZ. To Uncle John, for facing Hell in the Pacific. To Ron, for two tours in 'Nam and 20 years at Fort Rucker. To Todd, Brook and and Bob, whose desert camos still bear the sand of Kuwait. To Devin and Rick for helping liberate 25 million Iraqis. And to all Jarheads, Swabbies, Grunts, and Flyboys, past and present, a sincere thank you for securing the blessing of liberty. Happy Veterans Day.

The Littlest Blogger

Cigars all around! Iowahawk has spawned its first blogchild, the adorable 210 pound boucing boy Allen of Jesus had a Tatoo. This lil' scrapper is already wielding punditry like a melted toothbush prison shiv. Bookmark him now and avoid the rush.

Do the Goomba Goom!

Get hip Daddy-o! It's the wild new dance craze that's sweeping Red Country. Tim Blair can teach you all the steps. Goomba Goom!

Fun With Football Math

Last year in this space I described a simple objective method for ranking Div. I-A NCAA college football teams, which I called the "blind ballot" method. I've updated it a bit, using the following simple scoring rules:

1. At the beginning of the season, each team gets a number of ballots equal to the number of Division I-A opponents on their schedule.

2. For every Division I-A victory, a team earns one additional ballot.

3. On each of their ballots, each team gives 1 point to opponents who beat them, and a half a point to themselves. Teams they beat get 0 points.

4. A team's total ranking points are computed by adding up its points across all ballots.

For example, the Iowa Hawkeyes (7-2) currently have 18 ballots -- 11 scheduled Div 1-A games, plus an additional 7 for victories earned. They would vote 18 points each to Arizona State and Michigan, the teams that beat them, and 9 points to themselves.  If you repeat this for all Division 1-A teams, total the points, and sort teams in descending order, you get the following current top 25:

Rank	Team	Points
1	Oklahoma	155
2	Southern California	150
3	Wisconsin	138
4	Michigan	137.5
5	Utah	135
6	Texas	131.5
7	Auburn	128.5
8	Boise State	125.5
9	Arizona State	121
10	Tennessee	118
11	California	115
t12	Florida State	114
t12	Georgia	114
14	Iowa	112
15	Virginia	109
16	West Virginia	106
17	Notre Dame	103.5
18	Virginia Tech	103
19	Texas A&M	102.5
20	Ohio State	96.5
t21	Louisiana State	95.5
t21	Oklahoma State	95.5
23	South Carolina	93.5
24	Miami (Florida)	93
25	Texas Tech	92.5

Voila! An uncomplicated, objective computer scoring method that closely matches up with the human-based AP and Coaches polls.

Comments

[the Humble Devildog]

What's that I see?! An Iowan ranking the Badgers ahead of the Fred Flinstones?! What has the world come to?!

[Anonymous Coward]

While we're waiting for Iowahawk's take on Arafat's death, here is a song parody on the subject:
-----------
The Yassir Arafat Funeral Dirge
(sung to the tune of "YMCA")

Young men!
If you're feeling alone, we need young men!
To keep our leader cool, there's a place where!
You'll never be alone
In the love nest of Ramallah...
Young men!
Come and join in the fun in Ramallah!
There's a party, get down and praise *****!
There are no girls around
where the faithful get a mouthful...

Why don't you go to the
AU-THO-RI-TY!
The Palestinian AU-THO-RI-TY!
They have everything
For our leader's boys
Just as long you are his toys!

Why don't you go to the
AU-THO-RI-TY!
The Palestinian AU-THO-RI-TY!
He's not looking too well!
But his party is swell!
Better pray he won't go to hell...

Young man!
I was once in your band
I thought I did! not belong in this land
I thought no one! could love someone like me
It was tough to be an Arab
That's when, someone walked up to me
and said young man! There's a place down the street
At the PA! You can join in the gang
And you'll never be unhappy...

Why don't you go to the
AU-THO-RI-TY!
The Palestinian AU-THO-RI-TY!
They have everything
For our leader's boys
Don't you know that you are his choice!

Why don't you go to the
AU-THO-RI-TY!
The Palestinian AU-THO-RI-TY!
Soon he'll be on his way!
To be lying in state!
But he'll always be good to you!
Why don't you go to the
AU-THO-RI-TY!
The Palestinian AU-THO-RI-TY...
--------------

[Rusty Shackleford]

Dude,
In your dreams Oklahoma is better than USC!!!!!

[Bigal]

Dave,
Thanks for the crumb toss from the dinner table of the Higher Bloggers. I haven't teared up like that since last I had a pube caught on my boxers and felt the 3 horsepower tension on my scrotum.

You're a man true to your word. There's that.

Many slutty thanks,
Al