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Posted 13 years agoIn a recent assessment I was filling out, I was instructed to, in as many words as I needed, describe myself using my own words. Well, I wanted to promote myself in such a way that this company will hire me in the near future. So, this is what I came up with. I think it's pretty interesting and worth sharing. Any thoughts?
In a working environment, I am a goal oriented person. I possess a strong attention to detail and strive for perfection in everything I do, even if it means sacrificing time in the process. I believe that anything worth doing is worth doing right.
I am a leader. When given a role, I take charge of it and everyone around me, even people who are on even footing with me. I believe putting people into roles in which they will be the most productive in achieving a goal. While many managers and supervisors believe that all personnel under them should be good at all possible tasks, I believe that people should be specialized at one task because ten specialized people in the right roles working together will be more productive than ten well-rounded people in those same roles.
Outside of the working environment, I am a social butterfly of sorts. I enjoy meeting new people and enjoy being around familiar friends and family. I enjoy getting to know people and learning about them. I prefer intelligent conversation among my friends, family, and peers, even when it turns to contraversial topics like politics and religion, so long as the conversation stays civil and respectful.
I strongly believe that everybody has biases whether they want to admit it or not. It's a part of being human. Everyday, humans make tons of decisions, many important ones, using information that is tainted with personal biases. I believe the best way to remove biases from our decision making is to base them primarily off of mathematical and statistical data, allowing for personal expertise and observation when numbers don't tell the entire story.
In a working environment, I am a goal oriented person. I possess a strong attention to detail and strive for perfection in everything I do, even if it means sacrificing time in the process. I believe that anything worth doing is worth doing right.
I am a leader. When given a role, I take charge of it and everyone around me, even people who are on even footing with me. I believe putting people into roles in which they will be the most productive in achieving a goal. While many managers and supervisors believe that all personnel under them should be good at all possible tasks, I believe that people should be specialized at one task because ten specialized people in the right roles working together will be more productive than ten well-rounded people in those same roles.
Outside of the working environment, I am a social butterfly of sorts. I enjoy meeting new people and enjoy being around familiar friends and family. I enjoy getting to know people and learning about them. I prefer intelligent conversation among my friends, family, and peers, even when it turns to contraversial topics like politics and religion, so long as the conversation stays civil and respectful.
I strongly believe that everybody has biases whether they want to admit it or not. It's a part of being human. Everyday, humans make tons of decisions, many important ones, using information that is tainted with personal biases. I believe the best way to remove biases from our decision making is to base them primarily off of mathematical and statistical data, allowing for personal expertise and observation when numbers don't tell the entire story.
Life-changing Career Decision...
Posted 13 years agoThis Tuesday, I drive down to Cincinnati for a job interview. For those of you who follow my twitter account, you know this summer has been very challenging with umpiring baseball on an almost daily basis, constant job hunting, and studying for SOA Exam FM/2, which is coming up in two weeks.
Apparently, a month and a half ago, I applied for a product analyst position with an insurance company down in Cincinnati. I'll be honest, I completely forgot about them after a few weeks. Then earlier this week, they call and ask if I was still interested in the position. I said, "Sure." They set up a phone interview, which was conducted yesterday.
The interview, as a whole, went well. But toward the end, the interviewer asked me if being an actuary was my ultimate goal because they didn't want to hire someone then have them leave for an actuarial position in a short period of time. She explained that for this job, they want to hire someone who will grow into the position and eventually move up to product specialist, then senior product specialist. This led me to explain why I picked actuarial science as my major in the first place, which was my aptitude in mathematics, the fun I find in forecasting and prognosticating, and unhealthy obsession with statisitics and probability theory.
Anyway, we scheduled an in-person interview for Tuesday. That means, I'll be driving down to Cincinnati for the day, though I have a football rules meeting that night as well. However, the more I think about it, the more future implications this job would have.
For one, I would have to move to Cincinnati. Now granted, I was looking for work in Omaha, Nebraska last month. So if I can be willing to move out there, Cincy should be no problem, right? Though, I have family just south of Dayton and I know a couple of good people in the Cincinnati area itself. Plus, two hours from my friends in Columbus isn't bad. Still would make for good weekend trips :)
More importantly, it would detour me from my actuarial career path for several years, if not permanently. Granted, it would mean no more exams for a long, long time. But one of the appeals of the actuarial field is the growth potential and I'm concerned this job may not have that. That being said, I'm sure I will continue to take SOA Exam MFE/3 later this year or early 2013. But if this job has the growth potential that one would find in the actuarial field, I don't see the problem.
The interview isn't until Tuesday, so I have until then to make my decision. Until then, I can just ponder this potentially life-altering opportunity.
Apparently, a month and a half ago, I applied for a product analyst position with an insurance company down in Cincinnati. I'll be honest, I completely forgot about them after a few weeks. Then earlier this week, they call and ask if I was still interested in the position. I said, "Sure." They set up a phone interview, which was conducted yesterday.
The interview, as a whole, went well. But toward the end, the interviewer asked me if being an actuary was my ultimate goal because they didn't want to hire someone then have them leave for an actuarial position in a short period of time. She explained that for this job, they want to hire someone who will grow into the position and eventually move up to product specialist, then senior product specialist. This led me to explain why I picked actuarial science as my major in the first place, which was my aptitude in mathematics, the fun I find in forecasting and prognosticating, and unhealthy obsession with statisitics and probability theory.
Anyway, we scheduled an in-person interview for Tuesday. That means, I'll be driving down to Cincinnati for the day, though I have a football rules meeting that night as well. However, the more I think about it, the more future implications this job would have.
For one, I would have to move to Cincinnati. Now granted, I was looking for work in Omaha, Nebraska last month. So if I can be willing to move out there, Cincy should be no problem, right? Though, I have family just south of Dayton and I know a couple of good people in the Cincinnati area itself. Plus, two hours from my friends in Columbus isn't bad. Still would make for good weekend trips :)
More importantly, it would detour me from my actuarial career path for several years, if not permanently. Granted, it would mean no more exams for a long, long time. But one of the appeals of the actuarial field is the growth potential and I'm concerned this job may not have that. That being said, I'm sure I will continue to take SOA Exam MFE/3 later this year or early 2013. But if this job has the growth potential that one would find in the actuarial field, I don't see the problem.
The interview isn't until Tuesday, so I have until then to make my decision. Until then, I can just ponder this potentially life-altering opportunity.
GoH: How it should be.
Posted 13 years agoWith the way some cons are picking guests of honor nowadays, you would think we had run out of contributors in the furry fandom. We all know this is not the case. Every week, some new artist is overloaded with commissions on FA because his/her artwork has an appeal that takes the fandom by storm. Every year, there is a new fursuit buider who has quit their mundane job to make a living, making fursuits for people in this fandom. Instead, these people are constantly passed up by 40-year-old buzzkills and psuedo staff members at those cons.
I just wish some cons would get back to find guests of honor that make me what to attend their con.
There are tons of artists who people who flock to see at a con if it was their only chance to see them at a con. Artists who take commissions. Artists who draw comics. And artists who live halfway across the country and would not attend the con otherwise.
There are fursuit builders and performers who deserve to be GoHs at conventions. Every big name fursuit builder from the old guild has been a GoH, I believe. But how about the new wave of builders we've seen emerge over the past three years? On top of that, look at the new age of fursuit performers. Back in the day, fursuiting and mascotting were one-in-the-same. Nowadays, you have an increase of fursuters who suck wind at performing (i.e., any fursuiter who ruins the magic), but you also have more fursuiters who have taken performing to a whole nother level with acrobatics, dancing, and lively entertainment, along with traditional mascotting.
But it's not just limited to artists and fursuiters. You can make the case for singers, musicians, and comedians. People whose talents may not be directed at the furry fandom, but who are still a strong part of it. How about con chairs from other conventions? These people make the ultimate sacrifice, work 72 hours straight behind the scenes at cons, just to make sure the thousands of attendees are having the best time possible.
You would think the some cons would be able to find someone other than Buzz Killington and people who aren't even a part of the furry fandom to be their GoHs. You know something? Nobody wants to see Buzz Killington at a furry con! We know you haven't tried to run a decent con in 8 years. But at least make it look like you're trying.
Thank you!
I just wish some cons would get back to find guests of honor that make me what to attend their con.
There are tons of artists who people who flock to see at a con if it was their only chance to see them at a con. Artists who take commissions. Artists who draw comics. And artists who live halfway across the country and would not attend the con otherwise.
There are fursuit builders and performers who deserve to be GoHs at conventions. Every big name fursuit builder from the old guild has been a GoH, I believe. But how about the new wave of builders we've seen emerge over the past three years? On top of that, look at the new age of fursuit performers. Back in the day, fursuiting and mascotting were one-in-the-same. Nowadays, you have an increase of fursuters who suck wind at performing (i.e., any fursuiter who ruins the magic), but you also have more fursuiters who have taken performing to a whole nother level with acrobatics, dancing, and lively entertainment, along with traditional mascotting.
But it's not just limited to artists and fursuiters. You can make the case for singers, musicians, and comedians. People whose talents may not be directed at the furry fandom, but who are still a strong part of it. How about con chairs from other conventions? These people make the ultimate sacrifice, work 72 hours straight behind the scenes at cons, just to make sure the thousands of attendees are having the best time possible.
You would think the some cons would be able to find someone other than Buzz Killington and people who aren't even a part of the furry fandom to be their GoHs. You know something? Nobody wants to see Buzz Killington at a furry con! We know you haven't tried to run a decent con in 8 years. But at least make it look like you're trying.
Thank you!
Dantee
Posted 13 years agoI know we haven't been very public about it, so I just want to get this out in the open now. 
dantee and I broke up about two months ago.
It was, more or less, a mutual parting. No hard feelings between us at all. We just kinda agreed that our friendship was better off as just that, a friendship and not a relationship.
There are no regrets on my part. We met at FCN 2011 in the most interesting of fashions. Hit it off very well. Were together for 10 months. It was a wonderful 10 months, getting to know him and get closer to him. But at the end of the day, I believe it was best if we just remained friends. And for the past two months, we have still been the very best of friends.
For Dantee, I wish nothing but the best for him and his future. He will make somebody very happy someday. He's socialable, intelligent, and fun to be around.
Still love you, babe. Thank you for being an important part of my life for the past year-plus. :)
dantee and I broke up about two months ago.It was, more or less, a mutual parting. No hard feelings between us at all. We just kinda agreed that our friendship was better off as just that, a friendship and not a relationship.
There are no regrets on my part. We met at FCN 2011 in the most interesting of fashions. Hit it off very well. Were together for 10 months. It was a wonderful 10 months, getting to know him and get closer to him. But at the end of the day, I believe it was best if we just remained friends. And for the past two months, we have still been the very best of friends.
For Dantee, I wish nothing but the best for him and his future. He will make somebody very happy someday. He's socialable, intelligent, and fun to be around.
Still love you, babe. Thank you for being an important part of my life for the past year-plus. :)
FCN Fursuit Dance Competition Recap
Posted 13 years agoThe biggest fear for conventions that decide run a fursuit dance competition is the amount of talent that will show up for it. The best of the best will always try out at the biggest dance competitions like FWA and AC, but what about the small cons and the start-ups? Well, it can be safely stated that FCN had plenty of talent for its 1st ever fursuit dance competition this year.
Taking 1st place was
mozee, the 2nd time he has won a fursuit dance competition, the 1st time being at AC 2011. Here is his championship-winning performance from FCN: http://youtu.be/ZmpZj_eHRdE
Runner-up went to
tyzin who wowed the crowd with b-boying style which improves with each and every dance comp he enters. http://youtu.be/YIMQSYpfYWo
3rd place was awarded to
camohusky who did a fantasic job of playing to the crowd while movin' to "Hollaback Girl." http://youtu.be/DaYp4x_Qkr0
Earning the award for Best Newcomer was
twitchdawoof, a fan favorite who gave the state of Vermont two of the four awards at the FCN comp. http://youtu.be/CcjykBMItWw
There are so many thank yous to give out. Thank you to our awesome judges, dantee, 
reccasenli, 
likeshine, and 
skyryd3r for taking on the toughest job at any dance competition. Thank you to Nbowa, Oddy, and Malo for volunteering their time to work behind the scenes, making sure FCN's 1st dance competition ran as smoothly as those that have been around for several years. Thank you to Shadee and SkyFox for the top quality videos they posted on YouTube. And a million thanks and congrats to all of the dancers who made the 1st ever FCN Fursuit Dance Competition a historic one.
TaunTaun (exhibition)/Sadie Wolf & JD Puppy/Float/Kiba: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQYxgDz6yGk
Kotto: http://youtu.be/pCpuNSMHiHk
Skye: http://youtu.be/zTaEt6z_wpQ
Subway: http://youtu.be/xm32TNd2IdQ
Apollo Panther: http://youtu.be/Gnys9w7h094
Frisky: http://youtu.be/BzEVFdCNLfg
SyberFox: http://youtu.be/3xHmHJICZvw
Step (exhibition): http://youtu.be/zsD1C4Kph4U
Guys and gals, you rocked FCN. If you are going to AC, MegaPlex, MFF, FC, FWA, rock them just as hard. And come back in 2013, because we will find a way to make this dance comp pale in comparison! :D
Taking 1st place was
mozee, the 2nd time he has won a fursuit dance competition, the 1st time being at AC 2011. Here is his championship-winning performance from FCN: http://youtu.be/ZmpZj_eHRdERunner-up went to
tyzin who wowed the crowd with b-boying style which improves with each and every dance comp he enters. http://youtu.be/YIMQSYpfYWo3rd place was awarded to
camohusky who did a fantasic job of playing to the crowd while movin' to "Hollaback Girl." http://youtu.be/DaYp4x_Qkr0Earning the award for Best Newcomer was
twitchdawoof, a fan favorite who gave the state of Vermont two of the four awards at the FCN comp. http://youtu.be/CcjykBMItWwThere are so many thank yous to give out. Thank you to our awesome judges,
dantee, 
reccasenli, 
likeshine, and 
skyryd3r for taking on the toughest job at any dance competition. Thank you to Nbowa, Oddy, and Malo for volunteering their time to work behind the scenes, making sure FCN's 1st dance competition ran as smoothly as those that have been around for several years. Thank you to Shadee and SkyFox for the top quality videos they posted on YouTube. And a million thanks and congrats to all of the dancers who made the 1st ever FCN Fursuit Dance Competition a historic one.TaunTaun (exhibition)/Sadie Wolf & JD Puppy/Float/Kiba: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQYxgDz6yGk
Kotto: http://youtu.be/pCpuNSMHiHk
Skye: http://youtu.be/zTaEt6z_wpQ
Subway: http://youtu.be/xm32TNd2IdQ
Apollo Panther: http://youtu.be/Gnys9w7h094
Frisky: http://youtu.be/BzEVFdCNLfg
SyberFox: http://youtu.be/3xHmHJICZvw
Step (exhibition): http://youtu.be/zsD1C4Kph4U
Guys and gals, you rocked FCN. If you are going to AC, MegaPlex, MFF, FC, FWA, rock them just as hard. And come back in 2013, because we will find a way to make this dance comp pale in comparison! :D
Colonel Huscoon?
Posted 13 years agoSo 
lupozewolf wants to start this icon army. I've called colonel. If you're quick enough, you can be a lieutenant.
Required link here.
lupozewolf wants to start this icon army. I've called colonel. If you're quick enough, you can be a lieutenant.Required link here.
FCN Recap!
Posted 13 years agoOMG, where to begin...
Thank you to the dancers, the judges, the volunteers, and everyone who made the first ever FCN Dance Competition a huge success. So entertaining and so many memories made because of Mozee's ankles, B-A-N-A-N-A-S, and
reimeerkat and this whole CBAT thing which I still haven't caught onto. I just hope that everyone had as much fun dancing, judging, and watching as I had hosting the event. Congrats to the winners: mozee finished in 1st, tyzin in 2nd, camohusky in 3rd, and twitchdawoof taking the award for best newcomer.
Then, there were two sets of fursuit games on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Many thanks to Xzadfor, Albaz, Leon, and Dantee for enforcing the games for me and to all of the ~50 fursuiters who attended the games. Personally, I don't think they were as successful as 2011 and the new non-physical have a few kinks to work out. That being said, they were still a hit and, in my opinion, some of the best that furry cons have to offer.
Also, meeting several new friends and getting to be a part of Camo's video project was a highlight of my con. Just don't bring up Trix + Vodka, that was just... a really, really bad idea. Everything else though, that was a great idea! :D
Just, so many fond memories. I'm too tired to remember everyone. But thank you, thank you, thank you for making FCN 2012 the BEST convention I have attended EVER.
Love to you all!
Thank you to the dancers, the judges, the volunteers, and everyone who made the first ever FCN Dance Competition a huge success. So entertaining and so many memories made because of Mozee's ankles, B-A-N-A-N-A-S, and
reimeerkat and this whole CBAT thing which I still haven't caught onto. I just hope that everyone had as much fun dancing, judging, and watching as I had hosting the event. Congrats to the winners: mozee finished in 1st, tyzin in 2nd, camohusky in 3rd, and twitchdawoof taking the award for best newcomer.Then, there were two sets of fursuit games on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Many thanks to Xzadfor, Albaz, Leon, and Dantee for enforcing the games for me and to all of the ~50 fursuiters who attended the games. Personally, I don't think they were as successful as 2011 and the new non-physical have a few kinks to work out. That being said, they were still a hit and, in my opinion, some of the best that furry cons have to offer.
Also, meeting several new friends and getting to be a part of Camo's video project was a highlight of my con. Just don't bring up Trix + Vodka, that was just... a really, really bad idea. Everything else though, that was a great idea! :D
Just, so many fond memories. I'm too tired to remember everyone. But thank you, thank you, thank you for making FCN 2012 the BEST convention I have attended EVER.
Love to you all!
FCN!
Posted 13 years agoTo everyone who is not going, I'm sorry, but you will make it next year!
To everyone who doesn't own a fursuit, I hope the events I am running at this con are entertaining and enjoyable for you.
To everyone who does own a fursuit, I am going to WEAR YOU OUT!
Saturday afternoon, there is FCN's World Famous Fursuit Games. A fun, relaxed, skills-based competition for fursuiters of all shapes and sizes.
Saturday night, there is the FCN Dance Competition Finals. But, if you want to shake your tail in front of all those in attendance, you gotta make it through the Prelims on Friday night. Rules are posted here
Sunday afternoon, there is FCN's Xtreme Fursuit Challenge. This ain't your grade school Duck, Duck, Goose* like you will see at other cons. This is sweat-your-fur-out fursuit games. Bring the rest of your energy, because you will have done left by the time these games are finished!
See ya there, fuzzies!
* I am sure that if fursuiters played Duck, Duck, Goose during the fursuit games, they would find a way to make it as dangerous as musical chairs, if not moreso.
To everyone who doesn't own a fursuit, I hope the events I am running at this con are entertaining and enjoyable for you.
To everyone who does own a fursuit, I am going to WEAR YOU OUT!
Saturday afternoon, there is FCN's World Famous Fursuit Games. A fun, relaxed, skills-based competition for fursuiters of all shapes and sizes.
Saturday night, there is the FCN Dance Competition Finals. But, if you want to shake your tail in front of all those in attendance, you gotta make it through the Prelims on Friday night. Rules are posted here
Sunday afternoon, there is FCN's Xtreme Fursuit Challenge. This ain't your grade school Duck, Duck, Goose* like you will see at other cons. This is sweat-your-fur-out fursuit games. Bring the rest of your energy, because you will have done left by the time these games are finished!
See ya there, fuzzies!
* I am sure that if fursuiters played Duck, Duck, Goose during the fursuit games, they would find a way to make it as dangerous as musical chairs, if not moreso.
iPod -> Flash Drive
Posted 13 years agoA potential dancer has asked me a question I don't know the answer to. I was wondering if any of my friends would be knowledgable about the subject.
He has music on an iPod and needs to get a song transfered over to a flash drive for the FCN Dance Competition. How would he go about doing this?
You can reply directly here if you prefer.
Thank you to my friends who are more savvy than I :)
He has music on an iPod and needs to get a song transfered over to a flash drive for the FCN Dance Competition. How would he go about doing this?
You can reply directly here if you prefer.
Thank you to my friends who are more savvy than I :)
FCN Fursuit Dance Competition Reminder
Posted 13 years agoTwo weeks until FCN!
This is just a reminder to get yourself ready, get yourself in shape, and gets those feet movin'! You have only a short time until the prelims for the FCN Fursuit Dance Competition, then a short time plus one day until the FCN Fursuit Dance Competition Finals. A few things to touch on:
First, have your music ready. Remember, 2-minute time limit. Highest quality format: > 192Kbit MP3/OGG, FLAC, WAV file on a CD or flash drive, no iPods please. Also, if you have your music ready and want to avoid the possibility of losing your flash drive at the con, you can e-mail the file to me. huscoon (at) gmail (dot) com. This will save a lot of headaches. :)
Second, the prelims are for the dance performers and their handlers only, no exceptions. Photography will be strictly forbidden. However, we will allow for video taping of individual performances for the private use of the dancer(s) involved.
Finally, have fun. That is why we are all here. The dance talent within the fandom is at an all-time high and they love putting on a show for everyone else. But even if your dance talent isn't quite up to par with the best of the best, you can still have a wonderful time in these competitions, be an entertaining part of the Finals, and make some great friends along the way. I encourage every fursuiter of every skill level to tryout if you enjoy dancing. There will be no regrets :)
Good luck,
Huscoon
Complete rundown of the rules: goo.gl/NwLX1 (Link fixed)
This is just a reminder to get yourself ready, get yourself in shape, and gets those feet movin'! You have only a short time until the prelims for the FCN Fursuit Dance Competition, then a short time plus one day until the FCN Fursuit Dance Competition Finals. A few things to touch on:
First, have your music ready. Remember, 2-minute time limit. Highest quality format: > 192Kbit MP3/OGG, FLAC, WAV file on a CD or flash drive, no iPods please. Also, if you have your music ready and want to avoid the possibility of losing your flash drive at the con, you can e-mail the file to me. huscoon (at) gmail (dot) com. This will save a lot of headaches. :)
Second, the prelims are for the dance performers and their handlers only, no exceptions. Photography will be strictly forbidden. However, we will allow for video taping of individual performances for the private use of the dancer(s) involved.
Finally, have fun. That is why we are all here. The dance talent within the fandom is at an all-time high and they love putting on a show for everyone else. But even if your dance talent isn't quite up to par with the best of the best, you can still have a wonderful time in these competitions, be an entertaining part of the Finals, and make some great friends along the way. I encourage every fursuiter of every skill level to tryout if you enjoy dancing. There will be no regrets :)
Good luck,
Huscoon
Complete rundown of the rules: goo.gl/NwLX1 (Link fixed)
Last Minute Bracketology
Posted 13 years agoI should be studying for finals which begin tomorrow. I should be more worried about my grade in actuarial mathematics and not worried about what our basketball team's seed will be. I should be in the library and not on my couch, eyes glued to CBS. But enough about what I should be doing, here is what I have done.
Final Four Matchups
Midwest vs. West
East vs. South
Top 4 Seeds
1. Kentucky
2. Syracuse
3. North Carolina
4. Michigan State
Midwest Region (St. Louis)
Louisville
(1)Kentucky vs. (16)Mississippi Valley St/Western Kentucky
(8)Iowa State vs. (9)Connecticut
Portland
(5)Indiana vs. (12)Southern Miss
(4)Georgetown vs. (13)New Mexico State
Columbus
(6)St. Mary's vs. (11)Xavier
(3)Michigan vs. (14)Colorado
Omaha
(7)San Diego State vs. (10)Virginia
(2)Missouri vs. (15)Lamar
West Region (Phoenix)
Columbus
(1)Michigan State vs. (16)Long Island
(8)St. Louis vs. (9)Long Beach State
Nashville
(5)Memphis vs. (12)Colorado State/BYU
(4)Louisville vs. (13)Belmont
Nashville
(6)New Mexico vs. (11)Harvard
(3)Florida State vs. (14)Davidson
Omaha
(7)Gonzaga vs. (10)Alabama
(2)Kansas vs. (15)Montana
East Region (Boston)
Pittsburgh
(1)Syracuse vs. (16)Norfolk State/Vermont
(8)UNLV vs. (9)VCU
Albuquerque
(5)Creighton vs. (12)Miami/South Florida
(4)Wisconsin vs. (13)Ohio
Albuquerque
(6)Florida vs. (11)California
(3)Baylor vs. (14)Lehigh
Greensboro
(7)Cincinnati vs. (10)Purdue
(2)Duke vs. (15)Loyola Maryland
South Region (Atlanta)
Greensboro
(1)North Carolina vs. (16)UNC-Asheville
(8)Notre Dame vs. (9)Kansas State
Portland
(5)Vanderbilt vs. (12)West Virginia
(4)Wichita State vs. (13)South Dakota State
Louisville
(6)Murray State vs. (11) N.C. State
(3)Marquette vs. (14)St. Bonaventure
Pittsburgh
(2)Ohio State vs. (15)Detroit
(7)Temple vs. (10)Texas
NIT Bound
Drexel
Seton Hall
Iona
Washington
Arizona
Mississippi
Oregon
Northwestern
St. Joseph's
Marshall
Minnesota
Middle Tennessee
Akron
Final Four Matchups
Midwest vs. West
East vs. South
Top 4 Seeds
1. Kentucky
2. Syracuse
3. North Carolina
4. Michigan State
Midwest Region (St. Louis)
Louisville
(1)Kentucky vs. (16)Mississippi Valley St/Western Kentucky
(8)Iowa State vs. (9)Connecticut
Portland
(5)Indiana vs. (12)Southern Miss
(4)Georgetown vs. (13)New Mexico State
Columbus
(6)St. Mary's vs. (11)Xavier
(3)Michigan vs. (14)Colorado
Omaha
(7)San Diego State vs. (10)Virginia
(2)Missouri vs. (15)Lamar
West Region (Phoenix)
Columbus
(1)Michigan State vs. (16)Long Island
(8)St. Louis vs. (9)Long Beach State
Nashville
(5)Memphis vs. (12)Colorado State/BYU
(4)Louisville vs. (13)Belmont
Nashville
(6)New Mexico vs. (11)Harvard
(3)Florida State vs. (14)Davidson
Omaha
(7)Gonzaga vs. (10)Alabama
(2)Kansas vs. (15)Montana
East Region (Boston)
Pittsburgh
(1)Syracuse vs. (16)Norfolk State/Vermont
(8)UNLV vs. (9)VCU
Albuquerque
(5)Creighton vs. (12)Miami/South Florida
(4)Wisconsin vs. (13)Ohio
Albuquerque
(6)Florida vs. (11)California
(3)Baylor vs. (14)Lehigh
Greensboro
(7)Cincinnati vs. (10)Purdue
(2)Duke vs. (15)Loyola Maryland
South Region (Atlanta)
Greensboro
(1)North Carolina vs. (16)UNC-Asheville
(8)Notre Dame vs. (9)Kansas State
Portland
(5)Vanderbilt vs. (12)West Virginia
(4)Wichita State vs. (13)South Dakota State
Louisville
(6)Murray State vs. (11) N.C. State
(3)Marquette vs. (14)St. Bonaventure
Pittsburgh
(2)Ohio State vs. (15)Detroit
(7)Temple vs. (10)Texas
NIT Bound
Drexel
Seton Hall
Iona
Washington
Arizona
Mississippi
Oregon
Northwestern
St. Joseph's
Marshall
Minnesota
Middle Tennessee
Akron
FWA! 10-question meme
Posted 13 years agoY'know, there's something annoying about looking at convention memes that are strictly geared toward artists and not fursuiters. So, let's try this one out for size. And I may have lied about the 10 question part... >.>
1. Which con are you attending next? FWA
2a. When are you arriving? Thursday evening
2b. When are you leaving? Sometime Monday, I think
3. Who are you rooming with? Dantee, 
Nbowa, 
Tzup
4. On site or off site? On site
5. Are you an artist? No
5a. Will you be accepting commissions, trades? N/A
5b. Con badges? Lineart? Ref Sheets? Full Colored Pieces? Other? N/A
5c. Will I be able to find you in the artists alley or dealers den? N/A
5d. Do you accept candy from strangers? Sometimes
5e. Link to examples of your work? N/A
5f. Pricing? $1,000 for a stick figure on a napkin
6. Are you a fursuiter? Yes
6a. Which fursuits are you bringing? Just the huscoon
6b. Can I get a picture with you? Sure!
6c. Can I hug you? Sure, but not after eating buffalo wings or BBQ ribs.
6d. Will it blend? Huh?! Let's not find out?
7. Are you a panelist at this convention? Yes
7a. Which panels are you running? Helping run Fursuit Games I
7b. When is it? Dunno yet.
7c. Why should I attend? All the fun of regular fursuit games, less risk of losing an ear
8. Which panels do you plan on attending? Both sets of fursuit games, Fursuit parade, Fursuit dance competition, maaaaybe the poker tournament
9. Have you been to this con before? Yes, last in 2010
9a. If so, any advice on things to do at the con? Don't hack into the touchscreens in the lobby!
9b. Any advice on restuarants in the area? Chick-Fil-A on Sunday *sagenod*
10. Why are you going? Spring break. Good friends will be there. FWA is the best convention south of Columbus.
1. Which con are you attending next? FWA
2a. When are you arriving? Thursday evening
2b. When are you leaving? Sometime Monday, I think
3. Who are you rooming with?
Dantee, 
Nbowa, 
Tzup4. On site or off site? On site
5. Are you an artist? No
5a. Will you be accepting commissions, trades? N/A
5b. Con badges? Lineart? Ref Sheets? Full Colored Pieces? Other? N/A
5c. Will I be able to find you in the artists alley or dealers den? N/A
5d. Do you accept candy from strangers? Sometimes
5e. Link to examples of your work? N/A
5f. Pricing? $1,000 for a stick figure on a napkin
6. Are you a fursuiter? Yes
6a. Which fursuits are you bringing? Just the huscoon
6b. Can I get a picture with you? Sure!
6c. Can I hug you? Sure, but not after eating buffalo wings or BBQ ribs.
6d. Will it blend? Huh?! Let's not find out?
7. Are you a panelist at this convention? Yes
7a. Which panels are you running? Helping run Fursuit Games I
7b. When is it? Dunno yet.
7c. Why should I attend? All the fun of regular fursuit games, less risk of losing an ear
8. Which panels do you plan on attending? Both sets of fursuit games, Fursuit parade, Fursuit dance competition, maaaaybe the poker tournament
9. Have you been to this con before? Yes, last in 2010
9a. If so, any advice on things to do at the con? Don't hack into the touchscreens in the lobby!
9b. Any advice on restuarants in the area? Chick-Fil-A on Sunday *sagenod*
10. Why are you going? Spring break. Good friends will be there. FWA is the best convention south of Columbus.
Big Ten Basketball Tournament Scenarios
Posted 13 years agoSeventeen down, one more to go. It's hard to believe the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament is less than a week away. Everyone in the conference plays this weekend, then the seeds will be set and it's off to Indy where the top teams will look to improve their NCAA seedings, the bubble teams will look to make one more positive impression on the selection committee, and the basement dwellers will try to pull of the greatest Cinderella story that this tournament has ever seen.
Here is a run down of the current seedings:
1. Michigan State (13-4)
2. Michigan (12-5, 1-1 vs. MSU)
3. Ohio State (12-5, 0-1 vs. MSU)
4. Wisconsin (11-6)
5. Indiana (10-7, head-to-head w/ PUR)
6. Purdue (10-7)
7. Iowa (8-9)
8. Northwestern (7-10)
9. Illinois (6-11)
10. Minnesota (5-12)
11. Nebraska (4-13, 1-1 vs. IND & PUR)
12. Penn State (4-13, 1-3 vs. IND & PUR)
If you are curious about how the tiebreakers work, you can just click here or trust me the rest of the way. There are numerous two-way ties that are still possible as well as a couple of potential three-way ties. Let's rundown the possibilities and what it means for various Big Ten schools.
1. Michigan State will be the #1 seed even with a loss to Ohio State on Sunday. Even though that would mean splits with both Ohio State and Michigan, their two wins over Wisconsin will ensure they get the #1 seed in Indianapolis no matter what.
2. Because of their 1-0 record vs. Wisconsin, Michigan holds the tiebreaker over Ohio State at the moment. However, if Purdue beats Indiana and Wisconsin falls to Illinois, the Buckeyes get the tiebreaker. Both the Boilers and Badgers will haved finished tied at 11-7. OSU and UM would be 2-1 vs. 11-7 teams. The tiebreaker will go all the way down to Iowa and give the Buckeyes the tiebreaker because of Michigan's embarrassing 75-59 loss back on January 14 in Iowa City.
3. Ohio State cannot fall below Wisconsin nor a #3 seed because the Badgers' 59-41 loss to Michigan all the way back on January 8 in Ann Arbor. The Buckeyes split their season series with the Wolverines. In turn, Michigan holds the tiebreaker over Wisconsin because of their lone meeting this season.
4. Wisconsin is locked in at the #4 seed. While they can't leapfrog Ohio State, they cannot be passed by either of the schools in Indiana because of their 1-0 records against both schools. On January 12, Wisconsin beat Purdue on the road, 67-62. Then two weeks later, they beat Indiana in Madison, 57-50.
5. If Ohio State and Michigan both lose and Wisconsin wins, there will be a three-way tie for 2nd in the Big Ten. In this scenario, Michigan (2-1) gets the #2 seed, despite a would-be loss to Penn State, Ohio State (2-2) gets the #3 seed, and Wisconsin (1-2), as mentioned before, gets the #4 seed.
6. Indiana and Purdue cannot tie each other in the standings because they play this weekend in Bloomington. The Hoosiers have an 81% chance of winning according to Ken Massey.
7. The winner of the Northwestern-Iowa game will get the #7 seed right behind the loser of the Purdue-Indiana game. Northwestern would hold the tiebreaker based on a season sweep of the Hawkeyes.
8. Despite splits with both Northwestern and Minnesota, Illinois holds the tiebreaker over both with their 1-0 record vs. Michigan State. This guarantees the Illini will play in the 8-9 game on Thursday in Indianapolis and would face Sparty again if they advance to the quarterfinals.
9. If Nebraska spoils Minnesota's senior day, they would hold the tiebreaker over the Gophers. While both teams hold wins over Indiana, Minnesota also holds a loss to the Hoosiers.
10. If Penn State adds to this mess by upsetting Michigan alongside a Huskers win in Minneapolis, then we have a three-way tie at the bottom of the Big Ten. In this case, head-to-head records prevail. Minnesota (2-1) would get the #10 seed, Nebraska (2-2) would get the #11 seed, and Penn State (1-2) would get the #12 seed.
11. Finally, if Nebraska and Penn State both lose as expected, there will be a two-way tie at the bottom of the Big Ten. In this case, the tiebreaker will be decided by the Purdue-Indiana game. If the favored Hoosiers win, Nebraska gets the #11 seed. If the Boilers pull off the upset, then Penn State gets the #11 seed.
Finally, if all the favorites win (this is the Big Ten, are you kidding me?), this is how the bracket will shake out:
Thu, Mar 1:
9-Illinois (6-12) vs. 8-Northwestern (7-11), 11:30AM, BTN
12-Penn State (4-14) vs. 5-Indiana (11-7), 1:55PM, BTN
10-Minnesota (6-12) vs. 7-Iowa (9-9), 5:30PM, ESPN2
11-Nebraska (4-14) vs. 6-Purdue (10-8), 7:55PM, ESPN2
Fri, Mar 2:
NW/ILL vs. 1-Michigan State (14-4), 12:00PM, ESPN
IND/PSU vs. 4-Wisconsin (12-6), 2:25PM, ESPN
IOWA/MINN vs. 2-Michigan (13-5), 6:00PM, BTN
PUR/NEB vs. 3-Ohio State (12-6), 8:25PM, BTN
Sat, Mar 3:
MSU/NW/ILL vs. WIS/IND/PSU, 1:40PM, CBS
MICH/IOWA/MINN vs. OSU/PUR/NEB, 4:05PM, CBS
Sun, Mar 4:
Big Ten Tournament Championship, 3:30PM, CBS
Here is a run down of the current seedings:
1. Michigan State (13-4)
2. Michigan (12-5, 1-1 vs. MSU)
3. Ohio State (12-5, 0-1 vs. MSU)
4. Wisconsin (11-6)
5. Indiana (10-7, head-to-head w/ PUR)
6. Purdue (10-7)
7. Iowa (8-9)
8. Northwestern (7-10)
9. Illinois (6-11)
10. Minnesota (5-12)
11. Nebraska (4-13, 1-1 vs. IND & PUR)
12. Penn State (4-13, 1-3 vs. IND & PUR)
If you are curious about how the tiebreakers work, you can just click here or trust me the rest of the way. There are numerous two-way ties that are still possible as well as a couple of potential three-way ties. Let's rundown the possibilities and what it means for various Big Ten schools.
1. Michigan State will be the #1 seed even with a loss to Ohio State on Sunday. Even though that would mean splits with both Ohio State and Michigan, their two wins over Wisconsin will ensure they get the #1 seed in Indianapolis no matter what.
2. Because of their 1-0 record vs. Wisconsin, Michigan holds the tiebreaker over Ohio State at the moment. However, if Purdue beats Indiana and Wisconsin falls to Illinois, the Buckeyes get the tiebreaker. Both the Boilers and Badgers will haved finished tied at 11-7. OSU and UM would be 2-1 vs. 11-7 teams. The tiebreaker will go all the way down to Iowa and give the Buckeyes the tiebreaker because of Michigan's embarrassing 75-59 loss back on January 14 in Iowa City.
3. Ohio State cannot fall below Wisconsin nor a #3 seed because the Badgers' 59-41 loss to Michigan all the way back on January 8 in Ann Arbor. The Buckeyes split their season series with the Wolverines. In turn, Michigan holds the tiebreaker over Wisconsin because of their lone meeting this season.
4. Wisconsin is locked in at the #4 seed. While they can't leapfrog Ohio State, they cannot be passed by either of the schools in Indiana because of their 1-0 records against both schools. On January 12, Wisconsin beat Purdue on the road, 67-62. Then two weeks later, they beat Indiana in Madison, 57-50.
5. If Ohio State and Michigan both lose and Wisconsin wins, there will be a three-way tie for 2nd in the Big Ten. In this scenario, Michigan (2-1) gets the #2 seed, despite a would-be loss to Penn State, Ohio State (2-2) gets the #3 seed, and Wisconsin (1-2), as mentioned before, gets the #4 seed.
6. Indiana and Purdue cannot tie each other in the standings because they play this weekend in Bloomington. The Hoosiers have an 81% chance of winning according to Ken Massey.
7. The winner of the Northwestern-Iowa game will get the #7 seed right behind the loser of the Purdue-Indiana game. Northwestern would hold the tiebreaker based on a season sweep of the Hawkeyes.
8. Despite splits with both Northwestern and Minnesota, Illinois holds the tiebreaker over both with their 1-0 record vs. Michigan State. This guarantees the Illini will play in the 8-9 game on Thursday in Indianapolis and would face Sparty again if they advance to the quarterfinals.
9. If Nebraska spoils Minnesota's senior day, they would hold the tiebreaker over the Gophers. While both teams hold wins over Indiana, Minnesota also holds a loss to the Hoosiers.
10. If Penn State adds to this mess by upsetting Michigan alongside a Huskers win in Minneapolis, then we have a three-way tie at the bottom of the Big Ten. In this case, head-to-head records prevail. Minnesota (2-1) would get the #10 seed, Nebraska (2-2) would get the #11 seed, and Penn State (1-2) would get the #12 seed.
11. Finally, if Nebraska and Penn State both lose as expected, there will be a two-way tie at the bottom of the Big Ten. In this case, the tiebreaker will be decided by the Purdue-Indiana game. If the favored Hoosiers win, Nebraska gets the #11 seed. If the Boilers pull off the upset, then Penn State gets the #11 seed.
Finally, if all the favorites win (this is the Big Ten, are you kidding me?), this is how the bracket will shake out:
Thu, Mar 1:
9-Illinois (6-12) vs. 8-Northwestern (7-11), 11:30AM, BTN
12-Penn State (4-14) vs. 5-Indiana (11-7), 1:55PM, BTN
10-Minnesota (6-12) vs. 7-Iowa (9-9), 5:30PM, ESPN2
11-Nebraska (4-14) vs. 6-Purdue (10-8), 7:55PM, ESPN2
Fri, Mar 2:
NW/ILL vs. 1-Michigan State (14-4), 12:00PM, ESPN
IND/PSU vs. 4-Wisconsin (12-6), 2:25PM, ESPN
IOWA/MINN vs. 2-Michigan (13-5), 6:00PM, BTN
PUR/NEB vs. 3-Ohio State (12-6), 8:25PM, BTN
Sat, Mar 3:
MSU/NW/ILL vs. WIS/IND/PSU, 1:40PM, CBS
MICH/IOWA/MINN vs. OSU/PUR/NEB, 4:05PM, CBS
Sun, Mar 4:
Big Ten Tournament Championship, 3:30PM, CBS
Taking A Number Two
Posted 13 years agoRussell Westbrook's 40-point performance and Serge Ibaka's triple-double were side notes in the Thunder's 10th straight home win over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night, 124-118. (After tonight's win over the Hornets, that home winning streak is at 11 games.) In what is the midseason front-runner for NBA game of the year, Kevin Durant put up a career high 51 points against a Nuggets team with more questions than answers on defense. If there were any doubters left from Durant's pre-draft concerns, they were silenced once and for all.
Going into the 2007 NBA Draft, Kevin Durant made headlines when he was unable to bench 225 pounds during a pre-draft workout. According to most experts, the 2007 Draft was Greg Oden and everybody else. But honestly, what does anybody know going into a draft? In the past five years, KD has proven all of his doubters wrong and turned the former Seattle Supersonics into the top small market team in the NBA. Not bad for the #2 overall pick.
In recent history, the #2 overall pick has been infamous in the NBA. Ohio State's own Evan Turner, taken #2 by the 76ers in 2010, is still struggling to find his place in the rotation of the surging team. K-State's Michael Beasley, taken #2 by Miami in 2008, was famously traded to lowly Minnesota when LeBron James and Chris Bosh came on as free agents. Though, there is still plenty of time for Beasley to avoid bust status. Darko Milicic is one of the biggest busts in recent memory. The Serbian was drafted by Detroit between LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. While both have gone on to have Hall of Fame careers, Darko has fallen into obscurity, shuffled between five different teams in his career. In 2000, the Vancouver Grizzlies selected Stromile Swift from LSU with the 2nd overall pick. In his sophomore season, Swift started only 26 games and that would turn out to be his career high as he was moved around to 5 total franchises during his NBA career.
That being said, many players have been taken with the #2 pick and have gone on to not become star players, All-NBA selections, and future Hall of Famer. It's widely believed that Kevin Durant, when it's all said and done, will be on the list. So with apologies to Bailey Howell, Wes Unseld, Rik Barry, and Terry Cummings, let's look at the Top 5 #2 picks whose careers are looked by on with pride and praise.
#5 - Jason Kidd: After two years at Cal-Berkeley, Kidd declared for the 1994 NBA Draft. Many don't remember that he was drafted by his current team, the Dallas Mavericks, with the 2nd overall pick. Kidd, along with Grant Hill, won the NBA Rookie of the Year, becoming the only bright spot on a lowly Mavs team. In 1996, Kidd was traded to the Suns and became a regular in the NBA playoffs. Kidd started for playoff teams for 11 straight seasons while being named to the All-NBA First Team five teams. In 2011, Kidd proved third time is a charm, winning his first NBA Championship on his 3rd trip to the NBA Finals.
#4 - Bob Pettit: The Milwaukee Hawks took a risk when they made Bob Pettit the 2nd overall pick in the 1954 NBA Draft. There were questions as to how well the two-time All-American's game would transition to the NBA. It didn't take long for Pettit to make an impact in the NBA, winning the Rookie of the Year in 1955, then won the league's scoring title and named league MVP as a sophomore in 1955-56. The next season, Pettit led all players in playoffs scoring, averaging 29.8 points per game. Finally, in 1958, the Hawks and Pettit won their first ever NBA Championship. Pettit would go on to win another MVP in 1959, be named to the All-NBA First Team 10 straight seasons, and never miss an NBA All-Star Game.
#3 - Gary Payton: The Thunder franchise has only had the 2nd overall pick twice is franchise history. In both cases, they used the pick well. Payton didn't develop as quickly as Kidd and Pettit, but his longetivity puts him above both in this list. Payton is #8 in career assists, one of a handful of point guards with over 20,000 points scored, and the Sonics' career leader in minutes, points, 3-pointers, assists, and steals. But what Payton is best known for is his rivalry with Michael Jordan as two of the best defenders in NBA history, meeting in the 1996 NBA Finals which went to the Bulls in 6 games. Though 10 years later, Payton would finally win his NBA Championship with the Miami Heat.
#2 - Jerry West: There is absolutely no doubt about these final two players. Simply put, you know you had a great career when your silhouette is used to make the league's logo. The Lakers took West with the 2nd overall pick in 1960. He would take part in the All-Star Game in his rookie season in 1961. That was the 1st of 14 All-Star appearances during his 14 years in the league. But West's success with the Lakers spans beyond his playing years. He went from coach, to scout, to GM, all within the Lakers organization, leading up to their dynasty throughout the 80s, winning 5 NBA Championships in that decade. West has since won the NBA Executive of the Year award twice, once with the Lakers and once with the Grizzlies.
#1 - Bill Russell: Everyone else on this list has won an NBA Championship. So how does Bill Russell set himself apart from numbers two through five? Win 11 NBA Championships. Two years after the Hawks took Bob Pettit with the 2nd overall, they used their 2nd overall pick in 1956 to take Bill Russell. However, Celtics head coach Red Auerbach worked with the Hawks to make a trade for the San Francisco Dons star. This trade would define the Celtics for decades to come. 12 All-Star appearances, 5 MVPs, and 11 NBA Championships later, Bill Russell is the greatest #2 in the history of the NBA.
Going into the 2007 NBA Draft, Kevin Durant made headlines when he was unable to bench 225 pounds during a pre-draft workout. According to most experts, the 2007 Draft was Greg Oden and everybody else. But honestly, what does anybody know going into a draft? In the past five years, KD has proven all of his doubters wrong and turned the former Seattle Supersonics into the top small market team in the NBA. Not bad for the #2 overall pick.
In recent history, the #2 overall pick has been infamous in the NBA. Ohio State's own Evan Turner, taken #2 by the 76ers in 2010, is still struggling to find his place in the rotation of the surging team. K-State's Michael Beasley, taken #2 by Miami in 2008, was famously traded to lowly Minnesota when LeBron James and Chris Bosh came on as free agents. Though, there is still plenty of time for Beasley to avoid bust status. Darko Milicic is one of the biggest busts in recent memory. The Serbian was drafted by Detroit between LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. While both have gone on to have Hall of Fame careers, Darko has fallen into obscurity, shuffled between five different teams in his career. In 2000, the Vancouver Grizzlies selected Stromile Swift from LSU with the 2nd overall pick. In his sophomore season, Swift started only 26 games and that would turn out to be his career high as he was moved around to 5 total franchises during his NBA career.
That being said, many players have been taken with the #2 pick and have gone on to not become star players, All-NBA selections, and future Hall of Famer. It's widely believed that Kevin Durant, when it's all said and done, will be on the list. So with apologies to Bailey Howell, Wes Unseld, Rik Barry, and Terry Cummings, let's look at the Top 5 #2 picks whose careers are looked by on with pride and praise.
#5 - Jason Kidd: After two years at Cal-Berkeley, Kidd declared for the 1994 NBA Draft. Many don't remember that he was drafted by his current team, the Dallas Mavericks, with the 2nd overall pick. Kidd, along with Grant Hill, won the NBA Rookie of the Year, becoming the only bright spot on a lowly Mavs team. In 1996, Kidd was traded to the Suns and became a regular in the NBA playoffs. Kidd started for playoff teams for 11 straight seasons while being named to the All-NBA First Team five teams. In 2011, Kidd proved third time is a charm, winning his first NBA Championship on his 3rd trip to the NBA Finals.
#4 - Bob Pettit: The Milwaukee Hawks took a risk when they made Bob Pettit the 2nd overall pick in the 1954 NBA Draft. There were questions as to how well the two-time All-American's game would transition to the NBA. It didn't take long for Pettit to make an impact in the NBA, winning the Rookie of the Year in 1955, then won the league's scoring title and named league MVP as a sophomore in 1955-56. The next season, Pettit led all players in playoffs scoring, averaging 29.8 points per game. Finally, in 1958, the Hawks and Pettit won their first ever NBA Championship. Pettit would go on to win another MVP in 1959, be named to the All-NBA First Team 10 straight seasons, and never miss an NBA All-Star Game.
#3 - Gary Payton: The Thunder franchise has only had the 2nd overall pick twice is franchise history. In both cases, they used the pick well. Payton didn't develop as quickly as Kidd and Pettit, but his longetivity puts him above both in this list. Payton is #8 in career assists, one of a handful of point guards with over 20,000 points scored, and the Sonics' career leader in minutes, points, 3-pointers, assists, and steals. But what Payton is best known for is his rivalry with Michael Jordan as two of the best defenders in NBA history, meeting in the 1996 NBA Finals which went to the Bulls in 6 games. Though 10 years later, Payton would finally win his NBA Championship with the Miami Heat.
#2 - Jerry West: There is absolutely no doubt about these final two players. Simply put, you know you had a great career when your silhouette is used to make the league's logo. The Lakers took West with the 2nd overall pick in 1960. He would take part in the All-Star Game in his rookie season in 1961. That was the 1st of 14 All-Star appearances during his 14 years in the league. But West's success with the Lakers spans beyond his playing years. He went from coach, to scout, to GM, all within the Lakers organization, leading up to their dynasty throughout the 80s, winning 5 NBA Championships in that decade. West has since won the NBA Executive of the Year award twice, once with the Lakers and once with the Grizzlies.
#1 - Bill Russell: Everyone else on this list has won an NBA Championship. So how does Bill Russell set himself apart from numbers two through five? Win 11 NBA Championships. Two years after the Hawks took Bob Pettit with the 2nd overall, they used their 2nd overall pick in 1956 to take Bill Russell. However, Celtics head coach Red Auerbach worked with the Hawks to make a trade for the San Francisco Dons star. This trade would define the Celtics for decades to come. 12 All-Star appearances, 5 MVPs, and 11 NBA Championships later, Bill Russell is the greatest #2 in the history of the NBA.
Super Bowl Predictor Game!
Posted 13 years agoSuper Bowl PredictorSimple. Before the start of the Super Bow, answer all 25 questions below. Then come game time, follow along with the game. If you make a correct prediction, you earn the number of points in parenthesis. If you don’t, you get zero for that question. Whoever has the most points at the end of the night is the winner.
If you have questions about the wording of any of the questions below, just reply and I will edit this journal entry to clearify.
1. What is the result of the coin toss?
a. Heads (10)
b. Tails (10)
2. What will be the result of the 1st offensive play?
a. 1st down pass (35)
b. 1st down run (70)
c. Pass, no 1st down (15)
d. Run, no 1st down (15)
e. Penalty, no play (75)
f. QB sack (80)
g. Touchdown (100)
h. Turnover (100)
3. The first 1st down of the game will result from…?
a. Pass (8)
b. Run (20)
c. Penalty (60)
4. How are the 1st points of the game scored?
a. Touchdown (7)
b. Field Goal (20)
c. Safety (100)
5. Who scores the 1st touchdown of the game?
a. Rob Gronkowski (30)
b. BenJarvus Green-Ellis (50)
c. Amhad Bradshaw (60)
d. Wes Welker (60)
e. Victor Cruz (65)
f. Brandon Jacobs (80)
g. Aaron Hernandez (80)
h. Hakeem Nicks (85)
i. Tom Brady (100)
j. Eli Manning (100)
k. Patriot not listed (25)
l. Giant not listed (55)
m. No TD scored (100)
6. Will the 1st field goal attempt be good?
a. Yes (6)
b. No (25)
7. How long will the 1st successful field goal be?
a. 1 – 24 yards (20)
b. 25 – 29 yards (20)
c. 30 – 39 yards (20)
d. 40 – 49 yards (25)
e. 50+ yards (100)
f. No FG made (60)
8. What will be the 1st commercial after kickoff be for?
a. Beer (25)
b. Snack food (25)
c. Car company (25)
d. Soft drink (25)
e. Movie (40)
f. Other (50)
9. Who will call the first timeout?
a. Patriots (10)
b. Giants (10)
10. Who will turn the ball over first?
a. Eli Manning (10)
b. Tom Brady (15)
c. Ahmad Bradshaw (30)
d. BenJarvus Green-Ellis (30)
e. Other (30)
11. What will be the result of the 1st challenge?
a. Play stands (10)
b. Play overturned (10)
c. No challenges (100)
12. Which will have more yardage?
a. Ahmad Bradshaw’s 1st carry in the 2nd quarter (12)
b. BenJarvus Green-Ellis’ 1st carry in the 2nd quarter (12)
c. Equal (35)
13. Will Madonna wear an NFL jersey or shirt at any point during the halftime show?
a. Yes (20)
b. No (7)
14. How many points will be scored in the 3rd quarter?
a. 0 – 7 (15)
b. 8 – 14 (18)
c. 15 – 21 (25)
d. 22 – 28 (40)
e. 29+ (75)
15. How many total penalty yards will be enforced in the 4th quarter?
a. Under 27.5 (10)
b. Over 27.5 (10)
16. Which number will be higher?
a. Tom Brady’s completions (7)
b. Paul Pierce’s points vs. Toronto (20)
c. Equal (100)
17. Which number will be higher?
a. Mario Manningham receptions (9)
b. NY Rangers goals, excluding SO, vs. Philadelphia (12)
c. Equal (30)
18. Who will pass for more yards?
a. Tom Brady (10)
b. Eli Manning (10)
19. Who will have more 1st downs?
a. Patriots (8)
b. Giants (12)
20. Will there be a successful 4th down conversion?
a. Yes (10)
b. No (10)
21. Will Chad Ochocinco make a reception?
a. Yes (8)
b. No (12)
22. Who will have the most receiving yards?
a. Victor Cruz (20)
b. Wes Welker (20)
c. Hakeem Nicks (30)
d. Rob Gronkowski (30)
e. Aaron Hernandez (75)
f. Deion Branch (75)
g. Patriot not listed (100)
h. Giant not listed (100)
23. Which kicker will score more points?
a. Stephen Gostkowki (8)
b. Lawrence Tynes (20)
c. Equal (50)
24. Who will be the Super Bowl MVP?
a. Tom Brady (6)
b. Eli Manning (9)
c. Rob Gronkowski (25)
d. Victor Cruz (30)
e. Hakeem Nicks (80)
f. Wes Welker (80)
g. Other not listed (100)
25. Who will win Super Bowl XLVI?
a. Patriots (20)
b. Giants (20)
SBXLVIP
Posted 13 years agoAdd a little fun to your weekend. Super Bowl XLVI Predictor! Answer each question. Get pts for correct answers. Brag.
Or, just post your answers as a reply here.
I will post the answers after the Super Bowl :)
goo.gl/3HmNk
Or, just post your answers as a reply here.
I will post the answers after the Super Bowl :)
goo.gl/3HmNk
FCN Dance Competition!
Posted 13 years agoHey dancin' fuzzies!
Now that FC has passed, it is time to start thinking about your next dance competition, or in some cases, your first dance competition. I'm happy to inform you that for the first time ever, FCN will be hosting its own fursuit dance competition. Now, how will this be different than the other dance competitions out there?
First, do you have a dancing partner or four that you would love to share the stage with? Perfect! We invite several different kinds of acts, not just solo dance routines. You can compete individually, as a couple, or in a crew of up to 5 people if you wish.
Also, "crowd reaction" will be included in your final score. Simply put, the louder your audience cheers for you, the better your final score will be! How cool is that?
If you are interested, a link has been included explaining the fine details of this competition. If you have any questions, contact Huscoon via e-mail at huscoon(at)gmail(dot)com or through AIM, Yahoo, FA, or LJ under the username "huscoon."
Thank you and good luck!
goo.gl/nWLX1
Now that FC has passed, it is time to start thinking about your next dance competition, or in some cases, your first dance competition. I'm happy to inform you that for the first time ever, FCN will be hosting its own fursuit dance competition. Now, how will this be different than the other dance competitions out there?
First, do you have a dancing partner or four that you would love to share the stage with? Perfect! We invite several different kinds of acts, not just solo dance routines. You can compete individually, as a couple, or in a crew of up to 5 people if you wish.
Also, "crowd reaction" will be included in your final score. Simply put, the louder your audience cheers for you, the better your final score will be! How cool is that?
If you are interested, a link has been included explaining the fine details of this competition. If you have any questions, contact Huscoon via e-mail at huscoon(at)gmail(dot)com or through AIM, Yahoo, FA, or LJ under the username "huscoon."
Thank you and good luck!
goo.gl/nWLX1
I'm sorry!
Posted 14 years agohuscoon: Gimme your password, I'll do it
*******: I don't give it out...
huscoon: Good man
*******: Sowwy
huscoon: Stop apologizing XD
*******: Sorry
huscoon: RAWR! What did I just say?!
*******: I don't give it out...
huscoon: Good man
*******: Sowwy
huscoon: Stop apologizing XD
*******: Sorry
huscoon: RAWR! What did I just say?!
No AC 4 u
Posted 14 years agoAnyone else NOT going to AC this weekend? o.o
Are OT goals more really frequent than regulation goals?
Posted 14 years agoFair warning. There will be a ton of mathy nerd talk ahead. So, for those without a strong background in mathematics, statistics, and probability, it may be best to skip this entry.
Now, as a sports fan, I know that despite new rules that have come into place since the lockout, goals in the NHL are still a rare commodity. During the first season after the lockout, goals skyrocketed to a still-meager 6.2/game. Since there, teams have become more defensive minded, reducing the number of goals scored throughout the course of a season. In the past two seasons, goals have hovered between the pre-lockout era of 5.1/game and the 2005-06 season average.
One of the major changes was the new overtime rules during the regular season. If the two teams were tied after the first 60 minutes of play, they would play in a 5-minute overtime in which each team would have 4 skaters on the ice as opposed to the 5 skaters per team used in regulation. If the teams were still tied, a shootout would take place between the two teams.
Being down a skater changes a lot about a hockey game including the speed of the game itself and the chemistry of the players on the ice. But, does this result in a difference in goals scored? Since most teams sacrifice a forward during overtime, some would say a team is less likely to score in overtime. However, with more open ice and a faster pace, some would say a team is more likely to score in overtime. But is either of these really true? Let's find out.
First off, we need to find not only the average number of goals scored in regulation but the frequency of them. Hopefully, the two are closely related.
Over the last two seasons, 13,632 goals have been scored in 2,460 regular season games in the NHL. But, if we use 5.5 goals/game, we are misrepresenting the number of goals scored in regulation since those 13,632 goals include overtime and the "plus-one" goals added to the final after a shootout.
Now, all overtime award one goal and always one goal to the total for a game. So, all we have to do is find the number of games that went into overtime, and subtract that from the total number of goals. With 698 overtime games in the past two seasons, the math is easy: 13,632 - 698 = 13,034 regulation goals. This changes the average number of regulation goals to 5.3 goals/game.
As stated earlier in this entry, goals in the NHL are rare. There is a probability designed for situations in which occurrences are rare, but must be at least 0 and can be any non-negative integer. This distribution is called a Poisson distribution, or the Poisson law of small numbers. But first, we have to test this distribution to see if the number of goals scored in the 60 minutes of regulation fits this distribution.
Now, I don't have the time to go thru all 1,230 games this past season. However, we can look at games that went into overtime tied at 0-0. According to Poisson distribution, the probability of any given game going into overtime tied at 0-0 is e^(-5.3), better read as 0.5% or 1/200. Using this information, we can expect 6.14 games will be scoreless after 60 minutes each season. Let's test this.
Our null hypothesis is that 0.5% of games will be scoreless after 60 minutes. Our alternative hypothesis is that our null hypothesis is incorrect. To reject the null hypothesis, we will use an alpha of 5%, which translates into a 95% confidence interval.
During the 2010-11 season, 1,230 regular season games were played. 8 of them went into overtime tied 0-0.
New Jersey at Buffalo (Oct 13, 2010)
Calgary at Nashville (Oct 19, 2010)
Pittsburgh at St. Louis (Oct 23, 2010)
Buffalo at Ottawa (Dec 4, 2010)
Tampa Bay at Washington (Jan 4, 2011)
Los Angeles at Minnesota (Feb 1, 2011)
Ottawa at Toronto (Feb 19, 2011)
New Jersey at Pittsburgh (Mar 25, 2011)
Using normal approximation, let's test to see if our difference is enough to reject the idea.
z = (8 - 6.14) / sqrt[(1230)(.005)(.995)] = 1.86/2.46 = 0.76. This result converts into a p-value of 44.72% which is much greater than our 5% alpha. With this information, we accept the idea that regulation goals per NHL game follow a Poisson distribution.
Note: A Goodness of Fit test would be a better measure of whether regulation goals per NHL game follow a Poisson distribution. However, that would require gathering the number of regulation goals scored in all 1,230 games which I frankly do not have time for.
Using this knowledge that the number of regulation goals scored follows a Poisson distribution, we can assume that the first regulation goal scored in a game will follow an exponential distribution. In this case, it assumes that on average, fans will have to wait until there is 8:41 left in the 1st period to see the first goal of the game. Exponential distribution is also "memoryless", so if a goal is not scored in the first period, exponential distribution assumes that on average, the first goal will be scored with 8:41 left in the 2nd period.
To see if there won't be goal scored in the first 60 minutes of a game, we just do some simple integration using an exponential distribution with a mean of 11.32 (60/5.3) from a range of t=60 to t=infinity. This is measuring the probability that the first goal of a game is scored after 60 minutes. The result is e^(-5.3), better read as 0.5% or 1/200. Does this look familiar? It should, it's the same result we got using Poisson distribution.
Since an exponential distribution is "memoryless", we can use it to measure the probability of scoring a goal in the first 5 minutes of a game or in the first 5 minutes of overtime. But, does the frequency of scoring change in overtime with the fatigue factor and the fact that both teams are minus one skater?
Our null hypothesis is that no, it doesn't change. Our 1st alternative hypothesis is that the fatigue and reduced number of skaters lead to more goals. Our 2nd alternative hypothesis is that the fatigue and reduced number of skated lead to fewer goals. Our alpha is set to 5%, which translates to a 95% confidence interval.
Using our average of 5.3 goals per 60 minutes of regulation, we find the probability of the first goal being scored in the first 5 minutes of overtime. The final result is 1 - e^(-5/11.32), better read as 35.7%. So, our null hypothesis states that 35.7% of games that go into overtime will also go into a shootout.
This past season, the NHL started keeping track of wins obtained in regulation as opposed to overtime and shootouts. This information was used as one of the tiebreakers for seeding the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But we can use it to see how many games result in overtime and how many result in a shootout. Using data from the 2010-11 season, we see that 297 games went into overtime while 149 of those games went into a shootout.
According to the null hypothesis, the expected number of those 297 overtime games going into a shootout is 191. The fact that in reality, only 149 went into a shootout sets off warning lights. But is the difference significant enough? Let figure out the z-score.
z = (191 - 149) / sqrt[(297)(.357)(.643)] = 42/8.25 = 5.09. This result converts into a p-value of 0.000018% which is much, much, MUCH less than our 5% alpha. With this information, we reject the idea fatigue and 4-on-4 skaters results in the same number of goals, accepting our first alternative hypothesis that MORE goals are scored because of the overtime format.
Now, for some fun, if regulation was played with 4 skaters on each side, how would that change the number of goals scored per game? Granted, we only have information for the first 5 minutes of 4-on-4 hockey, so how accurate this will be may be debated. But, let's find out anyway.
Our information was taken assuming that half of the time, a goal will be scored in the first 5 minutes of 4-on-4 hockey. We have all but one of our parameters needed to find how many goals would be scored in 60 minutes of 4-on-4 hockey. Plugging these numbers into an exponential distribution with an unknown mean, have -e^(5x) + 1 = 149/297 in which x^-1 is the new mean. Simple algebra from this point on results in the answer we were looking for. If the NHL switched to 4-on-4 hockey in regulation, the average number of regulation goals per game would greatly increase from the current 5.3/game to a new 8.4/game.
Whether or not a change like this would be good or bad for the NHL is a whole new debate entirely.
Now, as a sports fan, I know that despite new rules that have come into place since the lockout, goals in the NHL are still a rare commodity. During the first season after the lockout, goals skyrocketed to a still-meager 6.2/game. Since there, teams have become more defensive minded, reducing the number of goals scored throughout the course of a season. In the past two seasons, goals have hovered between the pre-lockout era of 5.1/game and the 2005-06 season average.
One of the major changes was the new overtime rules during the regular season. If the two teams were tied after the first 60 minutes of play, they would play in a 5-minute overtime in which each team would have 4 skaters on the ice as opposed to the 5 skaters per team used in regulation. If the teams were still tied, a shootout would take place between the two teams.
Being down a skater changes a lot about a hockey game including the speed of the game itself and the chemistry of the players on the ice. But, does this result in a difference in goals scored? Since most teams sacrifice a forward during overtime, some would say a team is less likely to score in overtime. However, with more open ice and a faster pace, some would say a team is more likely to score in overtime. But is either of these really true? Let's find out.
First off, we need to find not only the average number of goals scored in regulation but the frequency of them. Hopefully, the two are closely related.
Over the last two seasons, 13,632 goals have been scored in 2,460 regular season games in the NHL. But, if we use 5.5 goals/game, we are misrepresenting the number of goals scored in regulation since those 13,632 goals include overtime and the "plus-one" goals added to the final after a shootout.
Now, all overtime award one goal and always one goal to the total for a game. So, all we have to do is find the number of games that went into overtime, and subtract that from the total number of goals. With 698 overtime games in the past two seasons, the math is easy: 13,632 - 698 = 13,034 regulation goals. This changes the average number of regulation goals to 5.3 goals/game.
As stated earlier in this entry, goals in the NHL are rare. There is a probability designed for situations in which occurrences are rare, but must be at least 0 and can be any non-negative integer. This distribution is called a Poisson distribution, or the Poisson law of small numbers. But first, we have to test this distribution to see if the number of goals scored in the 60 minutes of regulation fits this distribution.
Now, I don't have the time to go thru all 1,230 games this past season. However, we can look at games that went into overtime tied at 0-0. According to Poisson distribution, the probability of any given game going into overtime tied at 0-0 is e^(-5.3), better read as 0.5% or 1/200. Using this information, we can expect 6.14 games will be scoreless after 60 minutes each season. Let's test this.
Our null hypothesis is that 0.5% of games will be scoreless after 60 minutes. Our alternative hypothesis is that our null hypothesis is incorrect. To reject the null hypothesis, we will use an alpha of 5%, which translates into a 95% confidence interval.
During the 2010-11 season, 1,230 regular season games were played. 8 of them went into overtime tied 0-0.
New Jersey at Buffalo (Oct 13, 2010)
Calgary at Nashville (Oct 19, 2010)
Pittsburgh at St. Louis (Oct 23, 2010)
Buffalo at Ottawa (Dec 4, 2010)
Tampa Bay at Washington (Jan 4, 2011)
Los Angeles at Minnesota (Feb 1, 2011)
Ottawa at Toronto (Feb 19, 2011)
New Jersey at Pittsburgh (Mar 25, 2011)
Using normal approximation, let's test to see if our difference is enough to reject the idea.
z = (8 - 6.14) / sqrt[(1230)(.005)(.995)] = 1.86/2.46 = 0.76. This result converts into a p-value of 44.72% which is much greater than our 5% alpha. With this information, we accept the idea that regulation goals per NHL game follow a Poisson distribution.
Note: A Goodness of Fit test would be a better measure of whether regulation goals per NHL game follow a Poisson distribution. However, that would require gathering the number of regulation goals scored in all 1,230 games which I frankly do not have time for.
Using this knowledge that the number of regulation goals scored follows a Poisson distribution, we can assume that the first regulation goal scored in a game will follow an exponential distribution. In this case, it assumes that on average, fans will have to wait until there is 8:41 left in the 1st period to see the first goal of the game. Exponential distribution is also "memoryless", so if a goal is not scored in the first period, exponential distribution assumes that on average, the first goal will be scored with 8:41 left in the 2nd period.
To see if there won't be goal scored in the first 60 minutes of a game, we just do some simple integration using an exponential distribution with a mean of 11.32 (60/5.3) from a range of t=60 to t=infinity. This is measuring the probability that the first goal of a game is scored after 60 minutes. The result is e^(-5.3), better read as 0.5% or 1/200. Does this look familiar? It should, it's the same result we got using Poisson distribution.
Since an exponential distribution is "memoryless", we can use it to measure the probability of scoring a goal in the first 5 minutes of a game or in the first 5 minutes of overtime. But, does the frequency of scoring change in overtime with the fatigue factor and the fact that both teams are minus one skater?
Our null hypothesis is that no, it doesn't change. Our 1st alternative hypothesis is that the fatigue and reduced number of skaters lead to more goals. Our 2nd alternative hypothesis is that the fatigue and reduced number of skated lead to fewer goals. Our alpha is set to 5%, which translates to a 95% confidence interval.
Using our average of 5.3 goals per 60 minutes of regulation, we find the probability of the first goal being scored in the first 5 minutes of overtime. The final result is 1 - e^(-5/11.32), better read as 35.7%. So, our null hypothesis states that 35.7% of games that go into overtime will also go into a shootout.
This past season, the NHL started keeping track of wins obtained in regulation as opposed to overtime and shootouts. This information was used as one of the tiebreakers for seeding the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But we can use it to see how many games result in overtime and how many result in a shootout. Using data from the 2010-11 season, we see that 297 games went into overtime while 149 of those games went into a shootout.
According to the null hypothesis, the expected number of those 297 overtime games going into a shootout is 191. The fact that in reality, only 149 went into a shootout sets off warning lights. But is the difference significant enough? Let figure out the z-score.
z = (191 - 149) / sqrt[(297)(.357)(.643)] = 42/8.25 = 5.09. This result converts into a p-value of 0.000018% which is much, much, MUCH less than our 5% alpha. With this information, we reject the idea fatigue and 4-on-4 skaters results in the same number of goals, accepting our first alternative hypothesis that MORE goals are scored because of the overtime format.
Now, for some fun, if regulation was played with 4 skaters on each side, how would that change the number of goals scored per game? Granted, we only have information for the first 5 minutes of 4-on-4 hockey, so how accurate this will be may be debated. But, let's find out anyway.
Our information was taken assuming that half of the time, a goal will be scored in the first 5 minutes of 4-on-4 hockey. We have all but one of our parameters needed to find how many goals would be scored in 60 minutes of 4-on-4 hockey. Plugging these numbers into an exponential distribution with an unknown mean, have -e^(5x) + 1 = 149/297 in which x^-1 is the new mean. Simple algebra from this point on results in the answer we were looking for. If the NHL switched to 4-on-4 hockey in regulation, the average number of regulation goals per game would greatly increase from the current 5.3/game to a new 8.4/game.
Whether or not a change like this would be good or bad for the NHL is a whole new debate entirely.
Summer Project
Posted 14 years agoOn June 7th at 7:18pm, my summer will officially begin. Between then and September 21, I won't have any homework or any classes to deal with for over 3 months. It's going to be amazing!
As of right now, I'm hoping to get this actuarial internship in Pepper Pike, just east of Cleveland. If that happens, all bets are off.
Another goal of this summer, with or without that internship, is studying for and passing Exam FM, which I will take in mid-August if all goes according to plan. By going according to plan, I mean that I will pass Exam P next Tuesday. This stupid exam has been running my life for the past 4 weeks when school and work haven't been. So, I better pass it or that will be hundreds of hours of studying wasted and $200 down the drain. Ah, the joys of actuarial science.
Now, if I don't get this internship, I have a backup plan that involves a lot of baseball umpiring and possibly a side job as well. But, those have been common for the past several summers are of no interest to you, the reader. The question I pose is: What else should I do with my time this summer?
In general, I'm usually bored during the summer. I get to see my friends more, I get to go outside more, but without school and Big Ten Network stuff to occupy two-thirds of my life, I have a hard time finding ways to keep my body and mind occupied. So, I was thinking about using the past 3 years of calculus, statistics, linear algebra (maybe not so much this one), and probability theory do some sports-related research.
So, I ask, what kind of project should I take on? I have a couple of ideas.
Team Rating Algorithm - Simplest idea. Come up with a way to rate teams based on their performance up to a specific point in the season, usually being that day. It would revolve around the thought process of which team's accomplishments would be the most difficult for an average team to accomplishment? This formula would be strongly based on probability theory.
Golfer Rating - Another simple idea, this one would involve less probability theory and more statistics. Taking a player's average score can help determine how well he plays the sport. However, course difficulty and comparisons against his fellow golfers may be more important.
Golfer Odds - This takes the Golfer Rating idea one step further. But looking at the consistency of a golfer's play, the effects of specific courses and how golfers age, it's possible to come up with better probability to win golf tournaments, then compare those odds with the Vegas lines to see which are better predictors.
Fantasy Football Rankings - I don't know if any of these could be profitable, but this idea has the most potential to be. Analyze the performance of veteran players and the draft status of younger players along with the effects of age, experience, and changes in coaching style to determine who to pick in fantasy football drafts this August (assuming there is even a season). Add in one more factor for auction drafts to know how much specific players are really worth.
Fantasy Baseball Rankings - Fantasy baseball isn't a lucrative as fantasy football, but it's a lot more involved for those who own teams. With baseball, you need to win more stat categories than your opponents, but which stats are the most predictable and which stats are the most important? How does a player's performance change over his time in the majors? And how much of a correlation is there because your basic baseball stats to advance sabermetrics? And again, add in a factor for auction drafts. Yes, I'm very fascinated by auction drafts.
Baseball Player Rankings - Very different from rating a batter or pitcher as a fantasy player is the idea of rating how they help their real life team. Granted, this idea has been done to death, but it's still an interesting idea. If you don't believe me, read Moneyball.
There are several more ways to apply mathematics, statistics, and probability theory to sports. The inexact science of scouting and recruiting is great example. Sadly, I don't have access to the data to do make a useful algorithm for various sports. I could also look at player rankings for football, basketball, or hockey. Look for correlations between college basketball success and NBA success, or by the same token, college football success and NFL success. There are so many different directions one can go with this. But alas, I'm only one man.
As of right now, I'm hoping to get this actuarial internship in Pepper Pike, just east of Cleveland. If that happens, all bets are off.
Another goal of this summer, with or without that internship, is studying for and passing Exam FM, which I will take in mid-August if all goes according to plan. By going according to plan, I mean that I will pass Exam P next Tuesday. This stupid exam has been running my life for the past 4 weeks when school and work haven't been. So, I better pass it or that will be hundreds of hours of studying wasted and $200 down the drain. Ah, the joys of actuarial science.
Now, if I don't get this internship, I have a backup plan that involves a lot of baseball umpiring and possibly a side job as well. But, those have been common for the past several summers are of no interest to you, the reader. The question I pose is: What else should I do with my time this summer?
In general, I'm usually bored during the summer. I get to see my friends more, I get to go outside more, but without school and Big Ten Network stuff to occupy two-thirds of my life, I have a hard time finding ways to keep my body and mind occupied. So, I was thinking about using the past 3 years of calculus, statistics, linear algebra (maybe not so much this one), and probability theory do some sports-related research.
So, I ask, what kind of project should I take on? I have a couple of ideas.
Team Rating Algorithm - Simplest idea. Come up with a way to rate teams based on their performance up to a specific point in the season, usually being that day. It would revolve around the thought process of which team's accomplishments would be the most difficult for an average team to accomplishment? This formula would be strongly based on probability theory.
Golfer Rating - Another simple idea, this one would involve less probability theory and more statistics. Taking a player's average score can help determine how well he plays the sport. However, course difficulty and comparisons against his fellow golfers may be more important.
Golfer Odds - This takes the Golfer Rating idea one step further. But looking at the consistency of a golfer's play, the effects of specific courses and how golfers age, it's possible to come up with better probability to win golf tournaments, then compare those odds with the Vegas lines to see which are better predictors.
Fantasy Football Rankings - I don't know if any of these could be profitable, but this idea has the most potential to be. Analyze the performance of veteran players and the draft status of younger players along with the effects of age, experience, and changes in coaching style to determine who to pick in fantasy football drafts this August (assuming there is even a season). Add in one more factor for auction drafts to know how much specific players are really worth.
Fantasy Baseball Rankings - Fantasy baseball isn't a lucrative as fantasy football, but it's a lot more involved for those who own teams. With baseball, you need to win more stat categories than your opponents, but which stats are the most predictable and which stats are the most important? How does a player's performance change over his time in the majors? And how much of a correlation is there because your basic baseball stats to advance sabermetrics? And again, add in a factor for auction drafts. Yes, I'm very fascinated by auction drafts.
Baseball Player Rankings - Very different from rating a batter or pitcher as a fantasy player is the idea of rating how they help their real life team. Granted, this idea has been done to death, but it's still an interesting idea. If you don't believe me, read Moneyball.
There are several more ways to apply mathematics, statistics, and probability theory to sports. The inexact science of scouting and recruiting is great example. Sadly, I don't have access to the data to do make a useful algorithm for various sports. I could also look at player rankings for football, basketball, or hockey. Look for correlations between college basketball success and NBA success, or by the same token, college football success and NFL success. There are so many different directions one can go with this. But alas, I'm only one man.
More Boring Career Stuff
Posted 14 years agoAfter 2 years, I've come to the conclusion that it's useless to fight the trends within the furry fandom. Some people just do not read LiveJournal anymore. It seems like the majority of furs have limited themselves to FA and Twitter. Well, I guess limited isn't the right word. But, I can be guaranteed to reach more people by cross-posting everything from LJ to FA. So, furries, you win. Anything I post on LJ will eventually show up on FA from now on.
For better or for worse, mwahahaha!
57 weeks to go.
As graduation gets closer and closer, the real world does the same. It's very exciting and very scary at the same time. With college, I pretty much know what to expect for the next 57 weeks. I have spring finals next month, then summer, then football and autumn classes, Christmas with family, winter classes, spring classes, the usual. But, after June 10, it's a whole new world with new adventures and new challenges.
This past fall, I applied for internship after internship after fucking internship. I was greatly disappointed to only get an interview with one firm, and of course, not get selected for the position. I'm glad I kept in contact with the person who I interviewed with. In short, she said that I needed to pass an exam or two to have a better chance and that it was the glaring omission from my resume.
Since then, I've kept a 3.3 GPA in a very difficult major during the most difficult year of classes. This all while officiating basketball, umpiring baseball, and working for the OSU athletic department and Big Ten Network as a tv director, producer, cameraman, highlight reel editor, and announcer.
However, that all means nothing without passing those damn exams. So, last month, I finally scheduled my first exam, Exam 1/P. I will take it on May 31st, a less over 3 weeks from now. On my first practice exam, I got a 19/30, which is barely passing, stupid exponential distributions. During the next few weekends, I plan to take more practice exams in hopes of increasing my probability of passing, pun intended.
On top of that, I just applied for another internship for this coming summer, this one in the Cleveland area. Granted, I don't have any exams passed, but there is some hope. The deadline to apply for this opening is May 31st, the same day I take Exam 1/P. We will learn that day if we pass or fail the exam. So, if I pass, I can re-apply and say that I have sat and PASSED Exam 1/P. That would be a huge boost to my resume.
In the case that I don't get the internship, I plan to have a full slate of baseball games to umpire throughout June and July this summer. So, I won't be jobless at least.
If all goes as planned, I will pass Exam 1/P later this month. Then, I will begin studying for Exam 2/FM, which I can take as early as mid-August. I want to believe with a 3.3 GPA, 2 exams passed, work experience in the actuarial field, and a truck load of extra cirricular activities away from the classroom, that employers will be fighting each other off to hire me next fall. But, we shall see what reality has in store for me.
For better or for worse, mwahahaha!
57 weeks to go.
As graduation gets closer and closer, the real world does the same. It's very exciting and very scary at the same time. With college, I pretty much know what to expect for the next 57 weeks. I have spring finals next month, then summer, then football and autumn classes, Christmas with family, winter classes, spring classes, the usual. But, after June 10, it's a whole new world with new adventures and new challenges.
This past fall, I applied for internship after internship after fucking internship. I was greatly disappointed to only get an interview with one firm, and of course, not get selected for the position. I'm glad I kept in contact with the person who I interviewed with. In short, she said that I needed to pass an exam or two to have a better chance and that it was the glaring omission from my resume.
Since then, I've kept a 3.3 GPA in a very difficult major during the most difficult year of classes. This all while officiating basketball, umpiring baseball, and working for the OSU athletic department and Big Ten Network as a tv director, producer, cameraman, highlight reel editor, and announcer.
However, that all means nothing without passing those damn exams. So, last month, I finally scheduled my first exam, Exam 1/P. I will take it on May 31st, a less over 3 weeks from now. On my first practice exam, I got a 19/30, which is barely passing, stupid exponential distributions. During the next few weekends, I plan to take more practice exams in hopes of increasing my probability of passing, pun intended.
On top of that, I just applied for another internship for this coming summer, this one in the Cleveland area. Granted, I don't have any exams passed, but there is some hope. The deadline to apply for this opening is May 31st, the same day I take Exam 1/P. We will learn that day if we pass or fail the exam. So, if I pass, I can re-apply and say that I have sat and PASSED Exam 1/P. That would be a huge boost to my resume.
In the case that I don't get the internship, I plan to have a full slate of baseball games to umpire throughout June and July this summer. So, I won't be jobless at least.
If all goes as planned, I will pass Exam 1/P later this month. Then, I will begin studying for Exam 2/FM, which I can take as early as mid-August. I want to believe with a 3.3 GPA, 2 exams passed, work experience in the actuarial field, and a truck load of extra cirricular activities away from the classroom, that employers will be fighting each other off to hire me next fall. But, we shall see what reality has in store for me.
Silly rabbit, FA is for art!
Posted 17 years agoFor those of you who watch me, but never see any journal entries on here, there is a good excuse.
I post all of my journal entries on Livejournal or Myspace. I don't give out my Myspace account to just anyone, but I will do that for LJ. My username on Livejournal is 'exile17' if you are interested.
Thank you.
I post all of my journal entries on Livejournal or Myspace. I don't give out my Myspace account to just anyone, but I will do that for LJ. My username on Livejournal is 'exile17' if you are interested.
Thank you.
Columbus Movie Meet
Posted 17 years agoBefore I begin, I want to make it clear that I am not trying to compete with Swift Fox's get-together for the same movie on the same day in Pittsburgh. In fact, if you are closer to Pittsburgh or just prefer hanging out with Western PA Furs more, I encourage you to attend his gathering over ours. :)
Who: Those who is able to read this, their friends, and anyone who is willing to tolerate our crowd.
What: A meet to go see "Kung Fu Panda", which opens this weekend, but some of us have weddings, parties, and trips to the Far East to deal with this weekend.
Where: Movie Tavern. 3773 Ridge Mill Drive. Hilliard, OH 43026. Off I-270, 12 miles NW of downtown Columbus and OSU campus.
When: Saturday, June 14. One of their last showings most lately. So, assume between 8 - 10:30 pm. This will be officially announced when they release their showtimes for that date.
Why: This weekend is busy for everybody. Dinner and movie at the same place rules. Pandas rule (not as much as Red Pandas though). And plenty of time for drunkeninessity afterwards.
How: Well, it helps to have money and a mode of transportation. If you lack one, ask a friend to help. If that fails, well, stay home, we'll have a good time without you ;)
Who: Those who is able to read this, their friends, and anyone who is willing to tolerate our crowd.
What: A meet to go see "Kung Fu Panda", which opens this weekend, but some of us have weddings, parties, and trips to the Far East to deal with this weekend.
Where: Movie Tavern. 3773 Ridge Mill Drive. Hilliard, OH 43026. Off I-270, 12 miles NW of downtown Columbus and OSU campus.
When: Saturday, June 14. One of their last showings most lately. So, assume between 8 - 10:30 pm. This will be officially announced when they release their showtimes for that date.
Why: This weekend is busy for everybody. Dinner and movie at the same place rules. Pandas rule (not as much as Red Pandas though). And plenty of time for drunkeninessity afterwards.
How: Well, it helps to have money and a mode of transportation. If you lack one, ask a friend to help. If that fails, well, stay home, we'll have a good time without you ;)
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