World Anti-Doping Agency: Russia Should be Banned from the 2016 Olympics

[alnorth]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/34765444

http://espn.go.com/olympics/trackand...field-athletes

After a long investigation, WADA just released a shocking report today accusing the Russian Federation of running a huge state-sponsored doping scheme, including helping their athletes avoid detection in drug testing. They named 10 Russian athletes and coaches who should be banned for life, and given how corrupt Russia apparently is and the little amount of time remaining to the next olympic games, they also recommend that the IOC ban Russia from competing in Rio. (Not sure if the recommendation is just Russia's track and field team, or all of their athletes)

The IOC is not obligated to agree to the recommendation, but there's pressure all over the world on the IOC to hammer Russia.

[New World Order]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

So worse teams can win series in the regular season (and you freely admit that), but they can't do it in the playoffs. I shouldn't have to explain how that doesn't any sense at all.

Yes, that's what I am saying. The game is completely different in the playoffs. Pitchers are in a tight rotation, select relievers are used as well as pinch hitters and subs at the right time for every game. There are no days off and if someone is banged up they don't sit to heal for an extra day like they would during the reg season.

The best from each team play at full force and the best team wins the series.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by New World Order

Yes, that's what I am saying. The game is completely different in the playoffs. Pitchers are in a tight rotation, select relievers are used as well as pinch hitters and subs at the right time for every game. There are no days off and if someone is banged up they don't sit to heal for an extra day.

So the playoffs are so different that the worse team could never win a series like they do in the 162 other games.

Yep, we're wading into ridiculous territory.

[New World Order]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

So the playoffs are so different that the worse team could never win a series like they do in the 162 other games.

Yep, we're wading into ridiculous territory.

The best from team A play the best from team b. That doesn't always happen in the regular season. Pitchers are frequently rotated to start against different teams, players that are banged up sit out etc..

That doesn't happen in the playoffs.

[beach tribe]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

So worse teams can win series in the regular season (and you freely admit that), but they can't do it in the playoffs. I shouldn't have to explain how that doesn't any sense at all.

Coming from a guy who thinks a 7 game series is more random than a one game PO. Even though there has never been a 3peat SB champ or a single team with more than 6 SB.....meanwhile baseball is just so random.

Yanks 9 titles since SB era.

[beach tribe]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

I wish I was still anywhere close to 20.


Again...100+ years of baseball.

Does the inside of your ass have a link?

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

Coming from a guy who thinks a 7 game series is more random than a one game PO.

Uh, no. There's an major amount of randomness inherent in both cases, but a 7 game series contains less than a one game playoff.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

Does the inside of your ass have a link?

Baseball Reference. It lists the games and standings over the past 100 years if you want to look through them and see how often the best teams win each year.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by New World Order

The best from team A play the best from team b. That doesn't always happen in the regular season. Pitchers are frequently rotated to start against different teams, players that are banged up sit out etc..

That doesn't happen in the playoffs.

As I said...wading into the ridiculous. You shouldn't need me to point that out here.

[beach tribe]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Baseball Reference. It lists the games and standings over the past 100 years if you want to look through them and see how often the best teams win each year.

I read a lot of it when we were chatting earlier. Home team wins in the POs .548% of the time. So you weren't too far off of that one.

[KC_Connection]

https://books.google.ca/books?id=ggw...20time&f=false

A 10 year old book, but it gets the point across:

At any rate, the probability of the best team winning the World Series has been reduced from 36% under the one-division plan (60% to make the Series and 60% of winning) to 27% under the two-division plan (75% playoffs and 60% times 60% overall) and to around 20% under the three-division and a wildcard plan (90% to make the postseason and 60% times 60% times 60% to win out). However, baseball is a business, and the objective is not to maximize the probability of the best team winning the World Series, but to maximize revenues, and they have done a pretty good job of that.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

I read a lot of it when we were chatting earlier. Home team wins in the POs .548% of the time. So you weren't too far off of that one.

Yes and that percentage wouldn't be any different in the regular season. Teams have been shown to have a slight edge at home in baseball.

[kysirsoze]

Originally Posted by New World Order

No, because they didn't win. The better team always wins the series. Every time.

C'Mon man. Really? Baseball has a lot of randomness to it. It doesn't take anything away from what the Royals did. Yes, I believe the playoffs eliminate SOME of the variation due to the "all hands on deck" attitude of both teams. I also believe that a team showing up for a playoff series is a good indicator of their quality. That said, there is a huge luck factor.

It's why the Royals won the series. Not that they got lucky, but because between this year and last, they have consistently put themselves in a position to have a strong chance of winning and things fell their way. That's how it works. The Yankees and Cardinals have so many titles because they are consistently competitive so they have more opportunities to have things fall their way.

I'm just hoping the Royals continue to stay at a high level of competitiveness for the next few years to see if we can get another banner or two.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by New World Order

Yes, that's what I am saying. The game is completely different in the playoffs. Pitchers are in a tight rotation, select relievers are used as well as pinch hitters and subs at the right time for every game. There are no days off and if someone is banged up they don't sit to heal for an extra day like they would during the reg season.

The best from each team play at full force and the best team wins the series.

wait, always? You can't really think the better team (and not whoever is better that night which I guess was not what you were saying, but just generally better) always wins a 5 or 7 game series.

We can argue whether its 90%, or 60%, or close to 50/50, but if you are at 100%, thats really kinda looney.

[New World Order]

100%

[alnorth]

I'm trying to think of situations where the better team or better athlete would "always" win. (defined here as rounding up to 100%)

I think I'd say that 2008-2009 Usain Bolt would always beat anyone in the world at 100 meters, since the odds of a disqualification are probably less than 0.5% (he'd win even with a bad start, so he doesn't need to risk going early).

Anything else? Golf would be dead last on my list. Baseball might be just ahead of golf.