Stats

[GuyClinch@xxxxxxx]

Well I know all hate KA threads..so consider this a thread on statistics..


> 
> Um, that's pretty ridiculous.  Though the stats may be similar, having 
> watched both seasons in question, I feel confident in saying they were 
> vastly different.  Just because numbers are the same, doesn't mean a 
> guy went about playing in the same way.
> 
> 

Oh its ridiculous that having the same stats for two different seasons would 
indicate that the SAME player has equivalent years? Gosh..yeah thats just 
total nonsense. It all comes down to what you see eh? Whatever.

Read that over.. Your actually claiming thats its "ridiculous" to think that 
the SAME player who had equivalent statistics in two different years had 
equivalent seasons.
Does that really make sense to you?! 

Heck why do they even bother with statistics? 

Well I will tell you why...because people see what they WANT to see and 
statistics make them put up or shut up.

You want to imagine that Kenny was good last year and poor in prior years 
well you can. But its not true. Same guy..same player same statistics. Its 
pretty basic. And damn I  watched Kenny both years too. Since you watched him 
your word is gospel or something? Why is your view more relevant then the 
numbers?

Anyway, this is precisely why they started keeping statistics...to save us 
from the evil of sports journalism, or in this case foolish posts.  Sports 
journalists do this all the time.. They hype up someone who is playing 
plainly mediocre ball. Perhaps you caught a glimpse of Kobe or MJ in the 
pre-season. 

For example common NYC wisdom would indicate that Derek Jeter is a great 
defense player. I live in NYC and I hear that all the time... Problem is.. he 
isn't. Or that Derek Jeter is a "clutch" player. Unfortunately there is no 
such thing...and again statistics bear that out.

Hey if you want to believe that all statistics are "meaningless" because they 
can be manipulated thats your business. But don't expect rational people to 
be involved in that enterprise.

A smart approach would be to point out WHY those statistcs are useless in 
this case.

Each time a  common sense statistical argument is made on this list people 
trot out the argument well "statistics are lies." That's weak. They are 
not..they paint a picture when used properly.

Pete