January 21, 2014

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle:

A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 32 comments

I know that in cricket there are fast bowlers and spinners, but is there an equivalent to a knuckleball?

posted by NoMich at 08:26 AM on January 21, 2014

Without seams on the ball, how would it work? DID YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

posted by yerfatma at 10:07 AM on January 21, 2014

If I have this right, a Knuckleball gets its unpredictability from the Pitcher trying to do literally nothing with the ball, so that aerodynamic forces take over and even the Pitcher doesn't know what the ball is going to do.

I don't think there's an analogous delivery from Cricket Spinners - even the "Arm ball" has a bit of backspin on it and can be deliberately made to move the other way off the ground.

If you switch to a much looser definition of Knuckleball - "the Pitcher has no idea where this is going" - then the only way you could have something similar is with a Spinner who decides on spin type, speed and the flight of the delivery and then lands exactly on the dry crack in the surface he's aiming for. The ball will pick up extra action from the cracked surface, but even then it's more likely to exaggerate the action the spinner put on the ball, rather than do something completely unpredictable.

posted by Mr Bismarck at 10:34 AM on January 21, 2014

Without seams on the ball, how would it work? DID YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

A cricket ball has seams. There's even a type of bowler called a "seam bowler."

Seam bowling is typically faster than a Spinner's deliveries and it is trying to incorporate randomness, like a Knuckleballer, but that randomness comes from the seam hitting the dirt.

posted by Mr Bismarck at 10:37 AM on January 21, 2014

Damnit, what sporting pelota am I thinking of then?

posted by yerfatma at 12:45 PM on January 21, 2014

World Champions + First Lady + Healthy Eating = AWESOME

posted by grum@work at 12:48 PM on January 21, 2014

Damnit, what sporting pelota am I thinking of then?

Hockey puck?

posted by tahoemoj at 01:03 PM on January 21, 2014

Damnit, what sporting pelota am I thinking of then?

Lacrosse?

posted by dfleming at 01:14 PM on January 21, 2014

Damnit, what sporting pelota am I thinking of then?

Shirling?

posted by NoMich at 01:27 PM on January 21, 2014

Goodell is musing about the potential for scrapping the extra point. Kickers around the league can finally see an end to the oppressive workloads of yore.

posted by dfleming at 01:27 PM on January 21, 2014

i get why Torts is suspended, but I have an issue with the Flames coach being fined. I get that he put his goon squad out there start trouble and I understand the "intent" but what are we saying here? You get a fine if you start your 4th line?

posted by Debo270 at 01:36 PM on January 21, 2014

Damnit, what sporting pelota am I thinking of then?

Bocce??

posted by Debo270 at 01:43 PM on January 21, 2014

Or maybe you get a fine if you start your 4th line and they drop the gloves when the puck is still falling to the ice?

posted by kokaku at 01:51 PM on January 21, 2014

But we have seen fights to start games before. The NHL allows fights but now is regulating when you can fight. I think they really opened a can of worms on this one.

posted by Debo270 at 02:12 PM on January 21, 2014

You get a fine if you start your 4th line?

How about a fine if you start 5 defensemen? My memory is a bit hazy on this, but my dad and I attended a game in January, 1969, in Boston vs Toronto in which Leafs' coach Punch Imlach put 5 defensemen on the ice to start the game. The intent was to start a brawl, put Boston's top players (Orr, Esposito, and company) into the box, or even better to the dressing room, and then use the advantage that might give Toronto to get an early lead. Basically, it is a 1-game trade of the likes of Mike Pelyk, Jim Dorey, Jim McKenney, and so on for Orr, Esposito, Hodge, and whomever else you can involve. Toronto had a couple of pretty good D-men at the time. Tim Horton, Pat Quinn, and Rick Ley could handle themselves well, but I wouldn't have wanted any two or three of them in exchange for Orr. I remember no action by the league, although Boston won the game, which I suppose was punishment enough.

posted by Howard_T at 02:18 PM on January 21, 2014

You get a fine if you start your 4th line?

He was fined because he put Westgarth out there and who immediately dropped the gloves against Bieska who wasn't asking to fight.

posted by dfleming at 02:31 PM on January 21, 2014

Anthony Calvillo retires

posted by tommybiden at 08:51 PM on January 21, 2014

How is this not an Onion article?

Bud Selig to award himself the "Bud Selig Award".

posted by grum@work at 10:41 PM on January 21, 2014

I know that in cricket there are fast bowlers and spinners, but is there an equivalent to a knuckleball?

This type of ball may be the closest. Invented in Australia, now popular in the sub continent.

"Depending on the degree the ball is gripped towards the leg side, the carrom ball could also travel straight."

posted by owlhouse at 11:13 PM on January 21, 2014

Say hello to the Norwegian Olympic Curling team.

posted by Mr Bismarck at 11:49 PM on January 21, 2014

posted by Mr Bismarck at 11:49 PM on January 21, 2014

Thanks owly.
The reason I asked is because an Indian bowler threw one that looked like it wasn't spinning at all. I mean, none, no spin. At. All. I didn't know if it was my shitty computer hooked up to a gigantic HDTV or if it really happened.

posted by NoMich at 08:36 AM on January 22, 2014

Mr. Bismark: You image does not work for me.

posted by grum@work at 08:42 AM on January 22, 2014

It's kind of a "this is your moment of zen" thing, where Peyton has a thousand yard stare in a shower of blue/orange/white confetti. If you're getting a still image, the only difference in the animated gif is the confetti moving.

posted by LionIndex at 09:04 AM on January 22, 2014

I think he meant the Norwegian Olympic Curling team image. I can't see that one, either.

posted by bender at 09:47 AM on January 22, 2014

SpoFi stealth factor - Mr. B., are the Norwegians operating under cover? They can't be seen with the standard government issue viewing equipment in our regional field office.

posted by beaverboard at 09:58 AM on January 22, 2014

I believe Mr. Bismarck is referencing the sartorial excellence that is the demonstrated here:

The curling team's pants have their own Facebook page.

posted by Bonkers at 11:15 AM on January 22, 2014

Ah, they are employing the old "dazzle camouflage".

I'm not sure there are many U-boats to worry about in a curling rink, but whatever works...

posted by grum@work at 11:24 AM on January 22, 2014

"Mr. Bismark: You image does not work for me."

You are not ready for those pants.

I would watch curling with UBoats.

posted by Mr Bismarck at 02:06 PM on January 22, 2014

Nice look, fellas, but the originator is hard to top.

posted by beaverboard at 02:18 PM on January 22, 2014

the sartorial excellence that is the demonstrated here

I had a necktie with that exact pattern. It won me 1st place at many an ugly tie contest. Perhaps the intent is that the uniforms will interfere with the opponent's concentration.

posted by Howard_T at 03:29 PM on January 22, 2014

Ah, they are employing the old "dazzle camouflage".

I'm not sure there are many U-boats to worry about in a curling rink, but whatever works...

Fun factoid about the dazzle pattern...it didn't work even in World War II (page 11 refers).

posted by Bonkers at 09:36 PM on January 22, 2014

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