Couple things before the Super Play of the Day...
The Harvard Sports Analysis Collective (HSAC), a numbers-based 'quantitative analysis of sports strategy and management' blog written by a bunch of bratty Harvard dudes, this week broke down the respective reading levels of some of the more popular American sports writers.
Using an algorithmic formula known as the Flesch-Kincaid readability test, they took samples from Charles Pierce (Boston Globe), Jason Whitlock (Fox Sports), Will Leitch (Deadspin), Darren Rovell (CNBC), Michael Wilbon (ESPN), Bill Simmons (Grantland), Tucker Wyatt (SI for Kids) and Rick Reilly (ESPN) and roughly determined 'the lowest grade level at which a writer can be considered accessible.'
The test is wildly subjective -- some may argue unfair -- rewarding writers who adopt a structure of multi-syllabled words and longer sentences, while punishing those who do not. We will concede that big words and long sentences does not a writer make. Indeed, Ernest Hemingway, who employed a short staccato style, would probably score fairly low on the test. Still, it's fun to see where some of these guys ended up. We've reproduced HSAC's results here:
- Pierce - 10
- Whitlock - 9
- Leitch - 8.9
- Rovell 8.6
- Wilbon - 8.2
- Simmons - 8.1
- Wyatt - 7.2
- Reilly 5.2
A couple takeaways. First, we are surprised Bill Simmons did not score higher. Simmons is on record as saying his literary idol is David Halberstam, the prolific author of The Best and the Brightest, Summer of '49 and The Breaks of the Game. Halberstam, the antithesis of Hemingway, had an unmistakable cadence, sometimes ripping off sentences that were more than 100 words in length. He was brilliant and had a style all his own, but he literally may have scored in the 20s on this test.
Secondly, Rick Reilly finishing last, two full grade levels behind a 13-year old kid reporter whose audience is fifth and sixth grade boys, is as unsurprising as it is amusing. For young people, this might be hard to believe, but Reilly at one point actually had talent. When he worked for Sports Illustrated, he wasn't a must read by any stretch. At the same time, he wasn't the vapid pool of nonsense that he has become since he joined ESPN either. We're not sure if that speaks more ill of him or his employer. Honestly, we don't care -- they both suck.
For those wondering, the last five additions of The Playhouse rated 11.4, probably far too high, suggesting we could afford to be more economical in our choice of words. It is, however, a demonstration of the intelligence of our readers, five people for whom we will sacrifice nothing...
The Chicago Cubs are solid, losing their 11th consecutive game to the Pirates Saturday, 3-2. Ever since the Cubs and their fans scapegoated Steve Bartman for the team's colossal tank job in the 2003 National League Championship Series, The Playhouse has considered them a virulent and poisonous presence on the American sporting landscape, and this is upsetting only because the losing streak has yet to reach 25...
As of last night, bettors have picked a side in Game 1 of Western Conference Finals, with 65 percent of the money coming in on OKC (+5.5), according to Sportsbook.com. It's a surprising trend. For one, San Antonio is 15-2-1 ATS over their last 18 games. Also, favorites are on a 13-1 run in the NBA playoffs, winning their last six. Good luck getting in front of those trends...
Super Play of the Day
Trends are for losers, OKC +5.5.
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