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From: ekblaw@uiucdcs.CS.UIUC.EDU
Newsgroups: net.sport.football
Subject: Re: Doctor Dart's Computer Picks - Week
Message-ID: <13000037@uiucdcs>
Date: Mon, 21-Oct-85 13:39:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.13000037
Posted: Mon Oct 21 13:39:00 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 23-Oct-85 06:23:50 EDT
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Nf-From: uiucdcs.CS.UIUC.EDU!ekblaw    Oct 21 10:39:00 1985


I feel that poor Mr. Dart needs a new computer program, as he lost quite
a few games:

	Bengals		Cowboys 	Colts(I picked correctly here)
	Browns		Saints		Redskins (ditto!)
	49ers		Jets (I got this one, too!)
	most of the spreads.

Now I realize that there were two or three upsets yesterday, but I think
Dart is missing a major point in the NFL - players.  His computer picks
determines the game winners based on team performance, but there are other
factors at work in a football game.  Rivalries, home-field advantage (important
in places like Seattle and Pittsburgh, where the crowds are notoriously loud),
hyping up to face known tough opponents, and the drive to break a losing 
streak.  In fact, using Dart's method, it would be nearly impossible for
Atlanta, Buffalo, and Tampa Bay to win a game.  Atlanta and Buffalo proved
they could do it (and I never had any doubt about Buffalo), and Tampa Bay
will win one in a couple of weeks.  Tampa has a good offense, they just keep
getting outscored because of a sluggish defense.  Look for them to tighten the
defense and pull out three, maybe four or five, victories this year.

Robert A. Ekblaw