Response, the last

twoclubs · Sun, 18 Feb 2001 14:34:16 -0800

Just one minor thought concerning your "ratings
points" - in a region with one strong team and a large
number of mediocre teams, such a region will have a
disproportionately large rating despite a statistically weak field.

<<So what is the point of all of this? Basically, it
says that win-loss record alone cannot solely work as
a criterion, as Mr. Hillemann has pointed
 out,
account for the rankings, because it is too insensitive
to the structure of tournaments, and because it does
not allow for easy comparison
 between
regions.>>

Agreed. 

<<But, combining them with
per-tossup statistics does allow teams that lost one close
match to move ahead in the rankings--reflecting the
notion that teams should not be punished for a small
"statistical fluke.">>

Also agreed - in the case
of UPenn, we statistically may have been the
inferior team, but I still think when we beat UPenn, we
have shown we are the better team. However, a
difference between 9-4 and 6-7 (in the case of Princeton B)
is more than a statistical fluke. Unlike in
baseball, there IS such a thing in quizbowl as "performing
in the clutch". Better teams will win close games,
and will need to if they expect to win tournaments.
(and I assume NAQT wants the best teams in their
field, not the highest scoring - they are NOT the same).
In other words, in the case of a 3-game difference,
close games cannot be chalked up ONLY to statistical
anomalies - the win or loss still must be considered in
issuing bids. I am not sure how NAQT's mystery formula
was conjoined, but obviously the weight of W-L is
less than that of the posted examples by AEI and
myself. 

One thing I find amazing, as Josh does -
even as time passes, the same complaints and same
messages are posted even as the people are cycled through.
Why don't the parties involved make a concerted
effort to prevent such problems from occurring? Of
course, a public forum without a MD player (ex or
current) being asinine is like the earth with 3 suns - it
could happen, but not in my time. :)

Anyway,
I've wasted enough time posting on this crap this
weekend - good luck to all in the field in St.
Louis.

-Shaun