Comments on: The Gambler and the Investor: Two Models of Fandom http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-gambler-and-the-investor-two-models-of-fandom/ Daily baseball statistical analysis and commentary Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:42:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Eric/OR http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-gambler-and-the-investor-two-models-of-fandom/#comment-93785 Eric/OR Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:19:56 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=8622#comment-93785 Carson: I agree with you on the FD book. I definitely enjoyed it, but I felt like, quite often, it tried to shoehorn empirical/logical arguments into what basically amounted to aesthetic preferences; Captain Jack is a good example. When you combine some of these claims with the, ah, bombastic (not really an insult) writing style, I did find it a tough pill to swallow in certain spots. Still a great read, though, and it's certainly a credit to Shoals et al that you can discuss the writing in such terms. Carson: I agree with you on the FD book. I definitely enjoyed it, but I felt like, quite often, it tried to shoehorn empirical/logical arguments into what basically amounted to aesthetic preferences; Captain Jack is a good example. When you combine some of these claims with the, ah, bombastic (not really an insult) writing style, I did find it a tough pill to swallow in certain spots.

Still a great read, though, and it’s certainly a credit to Shoals et al that you can discuss the writing in such terms.

]]> By: bobo http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-gambler-and-the-investor-two-models-of-fandom/#comment-93670 bobo Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:01:54 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=8622#comment-93670 to lame cook, no just really sleepy. thanks for slandering an entire group of people because you lack the ability to detect sarcasm to lame cook,

no just really sleepy. thanks for slandering an entire group of people because you lack the ability to detect sarcasm

]]> By: Carson Cistulli http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-gambler-and-the-investor-two-models-of-fandom/#comment-93644 Carson Cistulli Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:15:12 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=8622#comment-93644 Eric, Free Darko is a Tour de Force, and their prose styling -- which I'm prepared to describe as "frigging ebullient" -- is off the proverbial hizzy. One thing of which I'm sometimes a little bit skeptical in re FD is when they champion certain players -- like a Stephen Jackson, for example -- who, regardless of certain virtues, just aren't that good. To be fair, however, Shoals is on the record as saying that he supports quantitative analysis basketball, so long as it doesn't eclipse the fact that the game is supposed to be celebrated. I echo his sentiments real hard. Eric, Free Darko is a Tour de Force, and their prose styling — which I’m prepared to describe as “frigging ebullient” — is off the proverbial hizzy. One thing of which I’m sometimes a little bit skeptical in re FD is when they champion certain players — like a Stephen Jackson, for example — who, regardless of certain virtues, just aren’t that good. To be fair, however, Shoals is on the record as saying that he supports quantitative analysis basketball, so long as it doesn’t eclipse the fact that the game is supposed to be celebrated. I echo his sentiments real hard.

]]> By: Eric/OR http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-gambler-and-the-investor-two-models-of-fandom/#comment-93631 Eric/OR Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:55:31 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=8622#comment-93631 Carson, this is my favorite piece of the 3 you've written thus far; it seems the most personal and has some great flow. I think the trend towards "diversification of rooting interests" (or however one wishes to put it) that you highlighted is a meaningful one. Two factors in particular stand out for me as enabling this: 1) the increased geographic mobility of society generally and 2) the explosive growth of widely-available resources online. If anyone is familiar with Free Darko's Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac, the "manifesto"/forward tells a similar tale for analytically-minded hoops fans. A good piece and a good observation. Carson, this is my favorite piece of the 3 you’ve written thus far; it seems the most personal and has some great flow. I think the trend towards “diversification of rooting interests” (or however one wishes to put it) that you highlighted is a meaningful one. Two factors in particular stand out for me as enabling this: 1) the increased geographic mobility of society generally and 2) the explosive growth of widely-available resources online. If anyone is familiar with Free Darko’s Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac, the “manifesto”/forward tells a similar tale for analytically-minded hoops fans.

A good piece and a good observation.

]]> By: Teej http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-gambler-and-the-investor-two-models-of-fandom/#comment-93525 Teej Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:53:51 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=8622#comment-93525 The AP Stylebook doesn't say "amidst" isn't a word; it recommends that newspapers use "amid" instead. The stylebook should be the last place you look to find out if something is a word. Furthermore, the AP is not the arbiter of English usage. It's a <i>style</i> guide for those organizations that choose to follow it. And at least as it stands now (not sure if it's been edited), there are not four grammar errors in that first paragraph. The AP Stylebook doesn’t say “amidst” isn’t a word; it recommends that newspapers use “amid” instead. The stylebook should be the last place you look to find out if something is a word.

Furthermore, the AP is not the arbiter of English usage. It’s a style guide for those organizations that choose to follow it.

And at least as it stands now (not sure if it’s been edited), there are not four grammar errors in that first paragraph.

]]> By: ryan http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-gambler-and-the-investor-two-models-of-fandom/#comment-93423 ryan Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:49:03 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=8622#comment-93423 I agree with all the positive comments here. I hope this guy keeps writing for fangraphs. I agree with all the positive comments here. I hope this guy keeps writing for fangraphs.

]]> By: The Vaunted Christopher http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-gambler-and-the-investor-two-models-of-fandom/#comment-93406 The Vaunted Christopher Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:00:50 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=8622#comment-93406 we get it. you like the red sox. we get it. you like the red sox.

]]> By: Sean http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-gambler-and-the-investor-two-models-of-fandom/#comment-93404 Sean Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:50:25 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=8622#comment-93404 Zero errors in first paragraph. Zero errors in first paragraph.

]]> By: Shush http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-gambler-and-the-investor-two-models-of-fandom/#comment-93393 Shush Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:55:49 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=8622#comment-93393 At least four spotted here. The AP Stylebook does not consider "amidst" a word, too. At least four spotted here. The AP Stylebook does not consider “amidst” a word, too.

]]> By: Kris http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-gambler-and-the-investor-two-models-of-fandom/#comment-93384 Kris Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:19:46 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=8622#comment-93384 If you can't read a couple thousand words in five minutes, watcha ought to be doing is more book readin'. If you can’t read a couple thousand words in five minutes, watcha ought to be doing is more book readin’.

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