FIWK the NFL: Week 8

I got nothing. I can't figure out anything. And I'm not even bringing the funny very well. I really wanted to ignore all the stats and go with my gut. But it only took me two games before I realized I don't even have a gut feeling about any of these games. SO! World Series Game 7, huh? Pretty exciting. Can the Rangers become the Buffalo Bills of the World Series or will Matt Harrison (who?!?) lead the Rangers to their first Fall Classic title? All the numbers you could possibly use are below, but I'm not going to mention them in the matchup discussions. Winning %, Pythagorean %, Pt. Dif/G, Offensive Yards/Play, Defensive Yards/Play, Yards/Play differential, DVOA. Finally, one of my favorite Tweets of the week to show you just how hard this is; Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders told us they had the Colts and the Jaguars as good chances to win outright. The Jaguars upset the highly favored Ravens and ruined many a Survivor pool. The Colts lost 62-7.

The US is a Platform

Two weeks ago, Steve Yegge publicly posted a rant lambasting Google for approaching tech architecture from a product standpoint instead of a platform perspective. In other words, Yegge wants Google to produce a platform on which the public can build applications & products for the masses. Instead, Google releases finalized products that often miss the mark. The genesis for the rant stems from Google's lack of success with Google+ compared to it's chief rival Facebook, which has built one of the most widely adopted platforms in the world.

I had this in mind when reading a debate on American exceptionalism between Stephen Walt & Thomas Friedman.

Image via Foreign Policy.

What the F*WK? "Occupy [fill in the blank]"

To all the "Occupy" movements out there: what the hell do you want? Your 'movement' means nothing, has no goals nor organization, and cannot be compared to the Tea Party Movement given this lack of clarity. For me to take you seriously, organize yourselves (no, camping out in public spaces does not constitute organization) and find a goal!

 

Image via Occupy California.

FIWK the NFL: Week 7

I feel like I've lost my picking mojo. Or at least that this season is both really clumped together and very volatile. I can't really get anything going, but I'm not doing poorly. You could say that I was performing average or within one standard deviation of the mean. Which I consider a disappointment for myself. All the way below I have listed every stat I consider when picking games. That's not to say these are my only determining factors, just that if I don't use these stats, I'm probably relying on more subjective analysis. The stats are Pythagorean Win % (which is just another calculation based on point differential), Points For - Points Against = point Differential and divided by the number of Games played = Differential per Game. Then we also have Offensive Interception (thrown) rate, Defensive Interception (caught) rate and Football Outsiders DVOA. And with the Redskins, Raiders, Vikings, Broncos and possibly Rams going with new quarterbacks, I just don't know what to think.

Music Tuesdays - While You Wait for the Others by Grizzly Bear

FIWK the NFL: Week 6

These are just a few of the great activities the San Diego Chargers can enjoy during their bye week.

Last week, point differential went 6-6-1 after an impressive 12-4 the prior week. So maybe we take it into consideration, but not just follow it blindly. Also, now that some teams have had their bye and only played four games, we have to focus on point differential per game. I'll provide the list below. I used Football Ousiders DVOA, point differential per game, the spread and some of my own observations in my picks this week.

Music Tuesdays - Go To Sleep by Radiohead

Radiohead was in the news recently because of their rumored gig at Occupy Wall Street. That got me listening to them, and I got this song in my head of all things.

FIWK the NFL: Week 5

I have a friend and fellow Chargers fan coming in to town this weekend and we are going to watch the game at BJ's together. I am actually more excited to watch this game than the Chargers first four matchups because it is always more fun to watch a game with a friend. Last week, my point differential stat du jour went 12-4 so you bet your sweet ass I'm going with that again. PLUS I don't have to think nearly as much. So take the picks, grab a friend and some good beer, and here...we...go!

Music Tuesdays - Trouble Man by Electric Guest