Week 17 Computer Picks

Be easy on the computer. She knows not of teams that have nothing to play for.

The real line is in parenthesis. Be sure to click on the Stat Power Index button on your left for details on team rankings.

Eagles by 7.5 over Bengals (No Line for the reason cited above)

Patriots by 16 over Niners (+14)

Texans by 5 over Browns (+10 and a computer pick, as the line is more than three points different)

Titans by 4.5 over Lions (-3, Volek is starting so we're putting it back on the board and making it a computer pick)

Packers by 3.5 over Bears (-3 because the Packers are looking ahead to the playoffs, so that has to be off the board)

Ravens by 8.5 over Dolphins (+10)

Redskins by 2.5 over Vikings (-4 and thus another computer pick)

Panthers by 10 over Saints (+7.5)

Jets by 7 over the Rams (+3 and another computer pick)

Steelers by 0.5 over Bills (NL as the Steelers have clinched everything)

Seahawks by 6 over the Falcons (+5.5)

Bucs pick 'em at Arizona (-3)

Broncos by 1.5 over the Colts (+9, but the computer thinks the Broncos would win at Denver if the game mattered for both teams; have to take it off the board though)

Jaguars by 4.5 over Raiders (NL)

Chargers by 9 over Chiefs (-3 because the Chargers have nothing to play for so it's of our board)

Cowboys pick 'em at Giants (-3, but we need another game so we're designating it a computer pick)

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Press Box Notes

Was very fortunate to have a long lunch with Miller McCalmon, the Texans associate director of pro scouting. I then watched the 1 p.m. games with columnists Ira Berkow of the New York Times and Ian O'Conner of USA Today. Here are the highlights:

McCalmon was great. He was very interested in the Stat Power Index and supports its methodology. He votes for penalties remaining in the index (no surprise as the Texans are 8th best in penalties per game). He was very interested in the research that shows that interceptions correlate to winning three times more strongly than do fumbles and did not quarrel with that conclusions (noting correctly that net interceptions is a Texans strength). And he recognized the importance of points per passing attempt differerential, where the Texans are 31st, and sacks net, where they are 30th, saying that improving the team in these two areas will be the primary focus of the offseason (McCalmon is in charge of scouting free agents to be).

He noted that the Texans strength in YPA is attributed largely to Andre Johnson, who he couldn't stop raving about on and off the field. Remember, Johnson leads all NFL receivers in yards after catch. I asked why the Texans don't use Johnson more near the goal line, as David Carr has attempted passes just a third of the time in goal-to-go situations. He said it was because of their pass protection problems, which is understandable. Give Andre a big boost if you're confident that the Texans have shored up their O-line this offseason.

I posited as we were watching the Colts-Chargers that the Texans might have their own triplets in Carr, Johnson and Domanick Davis (even though I'm not convinced that Davis has what it takes to be a top feature back). McCalmon's silence on Davis was noteworthy. I took the cue and opined that Davis was pretty week in YPC. He said, "The line has had some problems, but...." and then trailed off. He said he couldn't believe how good Larry Johnson looked, even though he doesn't like upright guys. "I want RBs that are 5-10 and over 220 pounds," he said. "Like Lamont Jordan," I noted. "Now that's a guy we're going to be interested in," he said. (After all, why was a Texans scout at his level even at the Jets-Pats game unless there was a major FA target in site.) When I said the Jets were in a tough spot because Jordan is so good but Curtis Martin's presence makes him impossible to re-sign, Malcom just smiled. Jordan is going to be one of those guys that gets signed at 12:01 a.m. the first day of free agency.

With Berkow and O'Conner, it was hoops talk. (I'm a frustrated Knicks fan.) Safe to say, there was a of Knicks bashing. O'Conner has an interesting book coming up in February about Blazers' rookie Sebastian Telfair. The book will look at his senior year in high school as he prepaired to enter the NBA draft. Telfair is Stephon Marbury's cousin and there's bad blood between them over money (Telfair feels that Marbury didn't take care of him; but how far down into your extended family do you have to support when you make your NBA millions -- no wonder so many of these guys end up broke).

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Stat Index and Computer Picks

Due to some family and holiday issues, the Stat Power Index and computer picks won't be posted until Wednesday. Thanks for your patience and Happy New Year!

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Sucky Predictions

Here's my favorite e-mail of the week, from little Timmy Eubank in Yahoo Land:

"your nfl predictions suck. don't quit your day job, jerk off!"

And Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, too.

I don't know how clear I can be about the predictions. I said that the lines are too good to beat with any consistency. Our computer, I think, does find the games where the lines are off for reasons that are not reflected by the respective stats. But there are often good reasons for these adjustments, as they reflect the anticipated collective wisdom of the betting public. (By this I mean, that if you wanted to bet Buffalo last week, you had to pay a premium in terms of what the Bills were laying at Frisco.) And even if you can find that outlier based on the key stats, performance in any given week deviates too far from average for your odds to increase dramatically.

Now don't get me wrong. I wouldn't be doing the computer picks if I didn't think they could beat the spread more than 50 percent of the time. In fact, I think the computer could beat the spread with these games 60 percent of the time. And even with another 1-3 week (the second in a row), the computer is 18-12 on the year (or exactly 60 percent).

Next year, there will be a bigger sample because I'll have the stat index up all year and I'll guess that the stats have achieved enough critical mass to start the system after Week 6 (when all teams have played at least five games). That gives us 11 weeks of games to test.

As for the other games, those are just guesses. Sometimes we guess well, sometimes we don't. Last week, Tim was right. The guesses sucked: 5-9 with two games called right on the spread (so those don't count). This week will be rough again unless we're lucky because you really don't know who will play hard in most matchups. But in Weeks 14 and 15, we were well over .500.

I'm pretty confident about the playoffs (unless the lines are really good). I think those games are stripped of everything except the on-the-field matters that our index is very good at sorting through.

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Week 16 Computer Picks

The computer was mediocre last week and was just 1-3 on the outside-the-margin picks, making it now 17-9 on the year. Here's our line on all the games (actual line in parens):

Vikings by 4 of over Packers (+3)

Chiefs by 11.5 over Raiders (+7.5, more than three points difference so our first computer pick)

Broncos by 3 over Titans (+4)

Atlanta by 4 over Saints (-3, but this line is screwy because Altanta has clinched the No. 2 seed and Vick is out, so we're sidelining this game.)

Steelers by 9 over Ravens (+6)

Lions by 5.5 over Bears (+6)

Jaguars by 4 over Texans (+7)

Bengals by 6.5 over Giants (+6)

Colts by 3 over Chargers (+7, another computer pick)

Bills by 5 over Niners (+11, sigh, the computer just can't fathom laying this kind of number)

Jets by 4 over Patriots (-3, the computer best bet of the week)

Bucs by 4.5 over Panthers (+3, the Bucs are viewed as playoff worthy by the index)

Seahawks by 8.5 over Cardinals (+7)

Cowboys by 0.5 over Redskins (-2)

Dolphins by 5 over Browns (NL over QB issues, forget you saw this if McCown starts again)

Eagles by 7 over Rams (NL because the Eagles are going to be fielding the Junior Varsity)

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Thank You

I really appreciate all of you who have made this site a regular stop. Thanks for your kind e-mails, support and even your questions, which I'm always happy to try to answer. We've seen traffic to the site triple since Halloween. And we're going to continue to provide this level of free fantasy and NFL commentary throughout 2005. All we ask is that you support our advertisers when you see something of interest.

Specific content plans have yet to be finalized. But make sure you bookmark us and visit throughouth the spring and summer. If you want a peek at what you'll be getting, check out our Player Profiles link. These will all be updated for 2005 after the NFL draft and free agent signing period, which we'll sort through via this blog and our Breakfast Table as events happen. But, hey, we still have two weeks left and then the entire postseason. So there's no need to say goodbye, however briefly, yet.

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Press Box Notes

The one good thing about blowout wins like yesterday's Jets-Seahawks game is that you get more time to hang out in the lounge and watch the other contests with the various assembled media. I always try to keep my ears perked so that I can share the gossip. Here it is. Unfiltered:

Dick Vermiel hates Mike Shanahan. I didn't know that. This came up halfway through the fourth quarter, with the Chiefs nursing a 32-point lead. Vermeil was still taking big shots downfield with the passing game and even kicked a field goal with four minutes left to go up 45-10. I guess that's better than taking another shot into the end zone.

Reporters feel sorry for Mike Tice only making $300K a year to coach the Vikings. I didn't hear this until I ran into my father's old crew down at the Anthony Wayne (see the Week 15 Giants-Steelers Forecast). They obviously picked it up form the media, who are making a story of it with Tice quite possibly getting fired. How the hell are you going to spend more than $300K per year in Minnesota anyway? And that's a lot of money no matter where you live.

Coaches aren't happy though. It's a hard life. The college coaches being courted for NFL jobs see how happy their friends in the pro ranks are and the college jobs benefit from that comparison. The glory is in the NFL, but it's a year-round job where people are expected to work 15-to-18 hours per day. Was Vince Lombardi working these kinds of hours? Did Tom Landry sleep in his office on weekdays? I don't think so. At what point do all these hours result in diminishing returns? Maybe these guys are groggy on game day and that's why they make so many curious decisions that are directly in conflict with their stated goals of "playing the percentages." (Always go to footballcommentary.com for their unrivalled analysis of these decisions.)

So, Holmgren is 95 percent gone. Martz is very likely gone, too. And remember, one of them is going to win the NFC West, so you can tell esteem people hold for that accomplishment.

Holmgren to San Francisco will follow, according to those in the know, with the Niners set on USC's Matt Leinhart with the first pick. But I don't think head-to-head is a factor in draft-pick tiebreakers (I think it's strength of schedule), so the Dolphins will win that because of the AFC East and get that first pick if things hold the way they are. I wondered if Holmgren might opt for free agent to be Matt Hasselbeck in San Francisco, but that was shot down (though for no reason other than Leinhart). Maybe Holmgren figures the rookie QB buys him time.

Haslett is a goner in New Orleans. None of the jobs were viewed as desireable, but I'd take a crack at Seattle. There's some talent there and the owner is willing to spend. The most desireable job will probably be taken by Tennessee's Jeff Fisher, who is viewed as being very likely to depart the Titans for non-football related reasons. Basically, the owner doesn't show him enough respect. Plus, Fisher has a reputation for being outcoached in big games.

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Computer Blue

See, 16-6 wasn't sustainable. After a 1-3 week (losers with the Niners, Broncos and Titans), the computer sits at a still comfortable 17-9. We're goint to get the SPI cranking now so we can get these computer picks posted tomorrow. This week is very, very tight with the holidays and early games (Friday afternoon).

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Week 15 Computer Picks

Have I mentioned 16-6 in these outside the margin (more than three points different than Vegas) plays? For details about the Stat Power Index and to see how all the teams rank in each category, click on the Index button on the left.

On to Week 15 (real spread in parens):

Steelers by 10 over the Giants (+10)

Redskins by 1 over the Niners (+5 on Thursday, making it a computer pick)

Falcons by 3.5 over the Panthers (+4)

Bengals by 1 over the Bills (pick 'em)

Eagles by 10 over the Cowboys (+12.5)

Texans by 2 over the Bears (-1)

Vikings by 3 over the Lions (+3)

Chargers by 5 over the Browns (+10, but there are QB issues there that the computer ignores, so this doesn't seem like a value play to my eyes)

Jets by 5 over the Seahawks (+6)

Broncos by 3 over the Chiefs (-1.5; our first real computer pick)

Bucs by 10 over the Saints (+7.5)

Cardinals by 2.5 over the Rams (-3, now solidly a computer pick)

Packers by 3 over the Jaguars (+3.5)

Titans by 4 over the Raiders (-2.5 a computer pick, as the computer/SPI absolutely HATES the Raider)

Colts by 7 over the Ravens (+7.5)

Patriots by 7.5 over the Dolphins (+9.5)

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Why Vick Makes Me Sick

I said he was overvalued on draft day. Then I grabbed him in my home league as a defensive move (never make defensive moves), because I was worried that he'd absolutely go off when healthy for someone else. When I realized he was totally unreliable, I used him as a backup and spot play and went mostly with Brian Griese during the second half. But I used Vick against New Orleans, for example, to great effect. On Sunday, I had to go Vick at home vs. the Raiders, who have given up big yards to everyone, right? Griese had a tough Chargers defense on the road. My playoff opponent had a good team (for a 14-team league) and I needed some explosiveness instead of the surer points with Griese, whose upside seemed to be 260 yards and two TDs. Well, you know how that played out. Now all I have left is the one expert league I joined. I've advanced to the final four there and will keep you posted on my fate.

Now, let's go around the NFL:

The Jets have been done in twice this year by a halfback option play. Once when it flopped for them and once when it worked for their opponent. The defense is pretty solid for New York, but the offense just isn't explosive. There is no intermediate passing game, a problem that McCareins was brought in to solve. Pennington's arm strength is a lingering concern. But I don't want to overreact. The team is pretty solid. It's a worthy playoff squad. But they have little chance of winning more than one game (and they have a chance for one only if they play the San Diego).

The Colts defense bounced back from the terrible first quarter against Tennessee. You have to give them credit. But the offense looked ordinary. I didn't notice anything too crazy that Houston was doing. They blitzed from some odd angles, sent the corners a couple of times. Manning seemed to be on the run a lot more than usual. And the Colts never really made Houston pay for those chances they were taking. We'll see whether Baltimore goes to school on that this week.

The Chargers have been outplayed now for two weeks in a row at home and have won both games. The glass is half full with them now, so people will try to turn this into a positive (they're showing they know how to win), but getting outplayed is always a negative.

The Browns had 17 total yards on Sunday? Did I hear that right?

The Cowboys have no pass defense and Julius Jones can't fix that. I can't believe this is a Bill Parcells coached team. This is worse than a step back after last year's unexpected playoff charge. The Cowboys defense, which was the strength of last year's team, has totally collapsed. Heads must roll when that happens: coordinators, players.... Sharpen those scythes.

The Panthers have been the Rotoaction sentimental pick for the last wildcard spot for weeks. But now they are the chalk pick. I saw yesterday that they were 19 for 19 in converting goal-to-go situations into TDs before failing against the Rams. That's an amazing stat. Delhomme is a player and Smith is coming back next year. Nick Goings? Well, he was thumped pretty good until the fourth quarter when the Rams gave up. I still don't think he's a starting-caliber player. But he symbolizes this team's skill in making the most out of itself.

The computer and Index were right on with Washington. I didn't believe it. But that's why you need to set emotion aside. We're too easily swept away by what we've last seen. Another good example of this was Seattle, a quality team with a knack for losing that was playing its mirror image. But no one could get Dallas and Monday night out of their head. How could the Colts be contained we all thought? Manning is just very good outdoors, not superhuman -- that's how. The Raiders and Falcons were also good examples of putting too much stock into recent performance. It's not reasonable to discount the Raiders early season woes because that's part of who this current team is. (And please don't lay that effort off on losing Ronald Curry.) Kerry Collins history is part of who he is, too.

Finally, the Patriots, who the Stats Power Index will assuredly dis again. The Pats give up nearly 500 yards and 26 first downs, lose the move/time of possession battle, but win more easily than the final score indicates. Why? 2-0 advantage in interceptions. They commit seven less penalties than their opponent. They win the YPA battle. Everywhere else on the stat sheet, they lose. But as I said in last week's Breakfast Table, winning is a skill that the Patriots have mastered.

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Computer's El Fuego

That's right. On fire. (Or does that translate to "man on fire"? Whatever.) Computer "outside the margin" picks as documented in the Week 14 Rotoaction NFL Forecast (see link on left) were 4-0 last week and are now 16-6 on the season. Outside the margin is defined by the computer using the Stat Power Index (see link on left) to make a line that is more than three points different than the Vegas line. Last week, the computer said the best values on the boards were Redskins plus 10, Falcons minus 7.5, Seahawks plus 5.5, and Texans plus 11.

To be clear, we don't ever advocate betting on NFL football. I grew up next to the local bookie in Paterson, NJ and was told as a boy that the lines are too good to beat with any consistency (and that parlays and teasers were the biggest sucker bets in the world). And the lines ARE too good. But this year I wondered if there might be a consisistent, reliable methodology for identifying what lines each week are artificially inflated or deflated and by how much. Would that improve the likelihood of winning to at least 60 percent?

Now, we're a long, long way off from proving anything. But there has only been one losing week since we started using the system and no losing weeks since we refined the system by expanding the Stat Power Index beyond simple YPA differential.

I do not think a win percentage of 73 percent is sustainable. This percentage will decline. But I think there's a chance -- A CHANCE -- of sustaining a plus 60 pecent record with regularity.

Remember the two major drawbacks to this system. One is that there aren't many lines that the system identifies as being wrong (about two to four per week). Second, you can't bet with any confidence until well into the season because it takes at least five or six weeks of stats for the Stat Power Index to achieve any semblance of critical mass. But as Louie the bookie also told me as a boy, "Anyone who bets football during the first month of a season is a fool."

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Foul play? You decide:

I think my wife is poisoning me just like what happened to the Ukranian dude.

Here's a picture of me taken during the late summer of 2004:



Here's a picture of me taken yesterday:

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Week 14 Computer Picks

This is based on the Stat Power Index (see button on the left). I don't like how the Seahawks are still sitting relatively pretty. But they are so injured now and those injuries haven't made their way through the stats. Could they be better than we think right now? I doubt it.

And, no, I'm not cooking the books for the Jets. They are solid across the board. What can I say? They'll cover against Pittsburgh this week, as the Steelers are begging to get beat by refusing to throw, which is their strength. The running game of the Steelers is middling at best at 4.0 per carry.

Denver is a championship-caliber team except for interception net, which I think illustrates very nicely the importance of that stat.

Following are all the picks with actual lines in parens:


Jags by 7.5 over the Bears (+7.5)

Patriots by 9 over the Bengals (+11)

Bills by 5.5 over the Browns (NL because of all the Cleveland chaos that the computer doesn't factor in)

Packers by 8 over the Lions (+9.5)

Colts by 4 over the Texans (+10.5, as the computer can't compute Peyton)

Dallas by 7.5 over the Saints (+7)

Ravens by 9 over the Giants (+9.5)

Falcons by 11.5 over the Raiders (+7.5)

Vikings pick 'em against Seattle (+5.5)

Broncos by 13 over Dolphins (+11)

Steelers by 3 over the Jets (+5.5)

Cardinals by 5 over the Niners (+6)

Panthers by 6 over the Rams (NL and the computer line is w/Bulger)

Chargers by 5.5 over the Bucs (+5.5)

Eagles by 1 over the Redskins (+9.5, the Index/computer hates the Eagles inablity to keep the clock moving and proficiency in committing penalties)

Titans by 3 over the Chiefs (NL)

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Press Box Notebook

Well, the sportswriters are just licking their chops over Barry Bonds. That's all anyone could talk about. And you could see the gleam in their eyes, a gleam usually reserved for the free buffet. Here's what I got out of it.

1. Guys aren't hitting the ball farther, but are hitting it out with more frequency (or at least Bonds was and is). "But there's nothing about steriods that would allow someone to make solid contact more frequently, so who cares?" I say to no avail.

2. Pitchers don't throw the ball faster than pre-steriods because A) pitchers don't take steriods and (when I say that's a crock) B) steroids don't allow you to throw the ball faster because no one can figure out pitching anyway. Okay, so the magic pill allows you to hit a ball faster/farther but not throw if faster/farther. Got it.

3. It doesn't matter that Giambi broke down post-steriod testing and Bonds didn't because Giambi is a goof who doesn't know what he's doing and Bonds is a steriods genius who was so good at applying the drugs that they will stay in his body and allow him to feed off them for up to three years after they are taken. So, Bonds only has to perform at this peak into his mid-40s to proove that he's even semi-legit.

Now, on to football....

There's a tough question that no Jets reporter wants to ask. Hell, they don't even want to contemplate it themselves. When I posed it, they looked at me like blank-eyed androids given data that simply did not compute. The question is, "If you could only choose Curtis Martin or soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Lamont Jordan from 2005 on, who do you pick?"

"But Martin is coming back."

That's not what I asked. Plus he's not coming back if you cut him.

"But he's going to rush for 1,600 yards."

That's not the point. I'm asking whether the franchise has a better future with A) Martin or B) Jordan.

"But Jordan won't come back with Curtis coming back."

I could see this was getting nowhere. And these guys don't like it when coaches dodge questions. The toughest thing in sports is handling an aging Hall of Famer. Teams need to lose the sentimentality and make cold, calculating business decisions with the single-minded objective of creating the best chance for success not just in the immediate but forseeable future.

The Steelers deserved to lose last night. Cowher isn't throwing enough. Forget Roethlisberger's paltry attempts. Look at their first down plays. 15 runs and six passes. What did Roethlisberger do throwing on first down? How's 6-for-6 for 109 yards and a TD sound? Think the Black and Gold should throw a little more on first down? As my kids would say, "Duh." The Steelers are going to be very vulnerable to the playoff upset if they play close the vest like they did last night. Roethlisberger has a very good YPA and the Steelers are solid in points per passing attempt (we'll post those rankings tomorrow). They really need to open things up and bet big leads early, then beat the clock with the running game and batter QBs with the pass rush.

The Jets are rock solid right now. I would not be suprised at all if they pulled off the upset in Pittsburgh Sunday. That game is guaranteed to be close because neither team really wants to throw.

The Eagles really turned heads yesterday. Westbrook can be dynamic. But, for fantasy purposes, it's always tough to count on a RB who generates points via the passing game. Westbrook reminds me of Eric Metcalf. Donovan McNabb is some sort of god right now. My expert-league fantasy team thanks you, Soup Man.

Jake Plummer always shrinks when the spotlight is brightest. Four more picks in the big spot yesterday. And what's Shanahan doing with Tatum Bell? He just likes messing with the fantasy community, I'm convinced (after much pleading by Scott Pianowski).

What happened to the Ravens defense? Kyle Boller is so bad. But Carson Palmer.... That's why you bench the Jon Kitnas of the world. They'll never have days like that on the road against a top defense.

You knew Vick was in big trouble in Tampa. But don't get off him now with Oakland coming into the dome.

Edgerrin and Vanderjagt finally got into the action in Indy yesterday. Drew Bennett three catches, three TDs 124 yards INT THE FIRST QUARTER. Then, the shut out (but I think he had a TD called back by penalty). How are the Colts ever going to go on the road and win two playoff games with a defense like that? I mean, Billy Volek and Drew Bennett?

Larry Johnson is going to be a stud. Priest Holmes is a product of the Chiefs line and system.

If married couples communicated as long and as often as the crew officiating the Jets-Texans games, the divorce rate in America would be cut in half.

I saw that coming for the Vikings. I swear. Check the forecast for Week 13. Why didn't I go all the way with the Bears win? I didn't want to be overly dramatic. A little restraint never hurt anyone, people.

Tiki Barber owners are throwing darts at those Eli Manning posters on sale everywhere in the Tri-State Area.

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Steroids

The mainstream sports media finally got what it's wanted for so long. Proof that Barry Bonds used steriods. So, now he's a cheat. And all his records, his unrivaled achievements especially over the past five years or so, are no longer worth the paper they're printed on. What crap. I know sportswriters. Barry Bonds is not their type of people. They still prefer their black athletes humble and cooperative. If you don't think there's a violent undercurrent of racisim to this story, you're crazy.

I know what you're thinking: "They're taking down Jason Giambi and even the hallowed Mark McGwire and those guys are white." Yeah, but Giambi and McGwire are the chum they're using to land their targeted prey. And, make no mistake, they're hunting Bonds with greater ferocity than Robert Shaw hunted down the shark in "Jaws."

Personally, I don't care if Bonds took steriods. And I believe that not only is there no proof that steriod use in baseball enhances performance, I submit that there is proof any benefit derived is, at best, inconsequential. Ironically, the proof that I cite grows stronger as evidence mounts that steroid use in baseball was widespread.

I don't care about steriods because complaining about athletes using them to enhance performance lacks any credibility. Where are the complaints over athletes using better balls and bats and gloves and helmets and pads and shoes and playing surfaces and on and on and on? What about athletes using sophisticated weight training and nutrition to better develop their bodies? Is this that much different than using chemicals? If the body is such a temple, why don't people complain when pain killers are injected to mask injury or when ligaments are taken out of cadavers and used to replace the ones that athletes have torn? What's more artifically performance enhancing than that? Steroids are just an extension of this science. That is, assuming they actually work.

To me, steriods are like corked bats. The intent is arguably corrupt, but what's the advantage? With corked bats, physics proves that the mass you lose by removing the wood and replacing it with cork or rubber balls or Spam or whatever else you choose costs you any advantage gained by lightening the bat (the only advantage ever gained by any corked bat to date).

If steriods work and if their use has been so widespread, why hasn't anyone shattered the records for home-run distance or for the speed of a pitch. Shouldn't someone, somewhere have hit a ball out of Yankee Stadium or at least broken 500 feet, which, to my knowledge, no one has done since home runs began being measured? Shouldn't someone be throwing a baseball faster than anyone before: 103 or 104 miles per hour? Even if someone did, they'd only be gaining a three or four percent advantage because there have been guys throwing baseballs 100 MPH for decades. But no one does. In fact, balls don't travel any father or get thrown any faster than we've seen since we were kids. And that's with arguably better bats and better balls and better training techniques and the use of computers to scientifically break down every technical component of performance, etc., etc.

To quote George Carlin, the purists need to grow up. The body is not the athlete's sacred vessel. It's just another one of their tools.

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