standings - last count

[Ken Kokubo <kk@harvard.edu>]

OK, So I have this relatively big project to do (and of course there's a deadline), but guess what, I'm waiting for a @#%$ing software vendor to supply a license before I can continue (you know, it was supposed to come friday, monday afternoon at the latest, via email to boot, not like this number is being manufactured!). So I am sitting around twidling my thumbs.

Greg O sent me an email that got my curiosity going, so I decided to throw together the remaining schedules to see what might happen.

Forget about games behind, forget about percentages, it's all about losses! Theirs hopefully.

New Jersey	38-36
Washington	38-37
Orlando		37-38
Boston		34-41
Detroit		34-42

Here are the remaining schedules of the teams above.

	BOS	NJ	ORL	WSH	DET
	---	---	---	---	---
m 4/6		char	phi		
t 4/7				@chi
w 4/8	nj	@bos	det		@orl
t 4/9				det	@wsh
f 4/10	orl		@bos
s 4/11		@mil	@chi
s 4/12	ind	@tor		atl	@char
m 4/13
t 4/14	@clev	tor		@ny
w 4/15	mil	@char	@mia	clev	chi
t 4/16
f 4/17	clev	@orl	nj	@mia	mil
s 4/18	@wash			bos
s 4/19		det	@char		@nj

IF (!) we win all our remaining games, NJ losses 5 or more, Wash losses 4 or more, Orlando losses 3 or more, we are in! (We are tied in head to head matches with NJ and Orlando so wins would break a 41-41 tie record for the 8th spot, and we are already ahead of Washington in head to head matches).

If we lose one game, then add one game to each teams losses above (NJ - 6 or more, Wash - 5 or more, orlando 4 or more) and we would still make it in, (UNLESS the one loss is against NJ or Orlando AND they are tied with us for 8th, they would then win via head to head tie breaker) OR (Detroit wins ALL their remaining games, then we would be tied with them for 8th and they would win the tie breaker, head to head matchups are equal, but they would have a better conference record by 1 game)

If we lose 2 games...well what are the chances NJ will go 1-7, AND Washington 1-6, AND Orlando 2-5. But hey.

So, all in all, we're left with slim and none. But it's mathematically possible. There are no make or break games for us we need them all.

So tally those losses.

Ken Kokubo
UIS/Harvard University
617.496.8151