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LAW PUNDIT Thursday, December 31, 2009 12/31/2009 01:31:00 AM [Home] [Print]

The European Union has taken a few steps in the quicksand of copyright law in the digital age
 

The European Union has taken a few steps in the quicksand of copyright law in the digital age:
"For that reason, the year 2010 promises to be richer in legislative initiatives in the field of digital books."



LAW PUNDIT 12/30/2009 12:29:00 AM [Home] [Print]

Social Media in 2009 : Video
 

Check out this video:

Video: 2009 in social media



LAW PUNDIT Tuesday, December 29, 2009 12/29/2009 09:43:00 PM [Home] [Print]

AIG’s General Counsel Scores Millions In Severance Pay - Law Blog - WSJ
 

LAW PUNDIT 12/29/2009 07:15:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Ten Predictions for 2010 - Financial Adviser - WSJ
 

Ten Predictions for 2010 - Financial Adviser - WSJ


LAW PUNDIT 12/29/2009 05:39:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Facebook and Privacy : FTC complaint says Facebook's privacy changes are deceptive
 

Facebook faces an FTC complaint. As headlined by Jacqui Cheng at ars technica: FTC complaint says Facebook's privacy changes are deceptive. The suit involves EPIC - the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

Cheng writes:
"The basic premise of the complaint is that most users either don't understand the changes they are being prompted to make, or that the changes are so complex that even experienced users are confused by them."


LAW PUNDIT 12/29/2009 05:05:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Copyright Law : Google Books : Google is sued by Chinese author Mian Mian, China's Literary Wild Child : Sex Drugs Rock & Roll
 

Everybody is now getting into the act of suing search engines for including scanned excerpts of their books in search results. See, for example:

BBC News - Google is sued by Chinese author Mian Mian

My own book, Stars, Stones and Scholars is found at Google Books and I am very pleased about it, since it makes that book much more accessible to millions of potential readers. Indeed, links are offered to major online booksellers where the book can be purchased. Below is a scan of the front cover website page at Google Books of Stars Stones and Scholars by Andis Kaulins:


People who are interested in the book's amazing subject matter buy the book.


LAW PUNDIT 12/29/2009 03:03:00 PM [Home] [Print]

European Union EU approves Microsoft ballot screen for choice of browsers
 

The European Union (EU) has approved a Microsoft ballot screen for choosing web browsers.

As Peter Sayer writes at PCAdvisor.co.uk:
"The EU has accepted Microsoft's 'ballot screen' offer, which will allow Windows users to choose the web browser they want, ending the commission's antitrust investigation."


LAW PUNDIT 12/29/2009 02:46:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Paris court rules against Google in book copyright case | The Industry Standard
 

Paris court rules against Google in book copyright case | The Industry Standard:
"Google's book search project suffered a legal setback in Paris on Friday, as a court ordered it to pay €300,000 (US$432,000) in damages for breach of copyright, and to stop distributing digital copies of French books to French Internet users without the permission of their publishers.
The decision in the case continues a string of anachronistic laws and equally antiquated judicial decisions - especially in France - regarding the exercise of individual rights and freedom of information on the Internet.

That anyone has been damaged to the tune of €300,000 in the instant case is of course idiotic. Who has ever even heard of the decaying (-45% in 2008) French publisher La Martinière Groupe?

The best way to deal with publishers like this is simply to refuse to buy their books - who needs them?


LAW PUNDIT 12/29/2009 02:46:00 AM [Home] [Print]

Leading-Edge Law: Congress made patent situation worse | Richmond Times-Dispatch
 

Leading-Edge Law: Congress made patent situation worse | Richmond Times-Dispatch:
JOHN FARMER, TIMES-DISPATCH GUEST COLUMNIST, December 28, 2009"



LAW PUNDIT 12/29/2009 02:04:00 AM [Home] [Print]

BCS Championship Game : Alabama vs. Texas : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

January 7, 2010, Thursday

34. BCS Championship Game, Pasadena, CA, Alabama vs. Texas, 8:00 pm

Alabama was favored in the opening line by 4 points and that has dropped at the time of this posting to 3.5 points.

YPPSYS I ranks Alabama 2nd with a ranking of 2.0 and Texas 5th with a ranking 1.7, a difference of 0.3 x 9 = 2.7 points. Our assessment of margin of victory as adjusted by schedule difficulty (YPPSYS II) ranks the Texas Longhorns 1st in the nation with 24.6 points as opposed to Alabama's 20.6 (3rd in the nation), i.e. a difference of 4 points in favor of Texas.

Texas has the stronger defense and there is a greater likelihood that the Longhorns can get their offense to kick into gear in this game due to their quarterback, Colt McCoy, the nation's most accurate passer. The Crimson Tide does not have a defense quite as strong as that of Nebraska.

Our call: We call the game in favor of Texas, 27-24.


LAW PUNDIT 12/29/2009 02:02:00 AM [Home] [Print]

GMAC Bowl : Troy vs. Central Michigan : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

January 6, 2010, Wednesday

33. GMAC Bowl, Mobile, Alabama, Troy vs. Central Michigan, 7:00 pm

Central Michigan was favored in the opening line by 4.5 points and that has dropped at the time of this posting to 3 points. YPPSYS ranks the Chippewas 36th with a rating of -0.6 and Troy 45th with a rating of -1.1, a difference of 0.5 x 9 = 4.5 points. The schedule-adjusted margin of victory makes the difference larger than that.

Our call: We call it for Central Michigan 31-20.



LAW PUNDIT 12/29/2009 01:59:00 AM [Home] [Print]

Orange Bowl : Iowa vs. Georgia Tech : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

January 5, 2010, Tuesday

32. Orange Bowl, Miami FL, Iowa vs. Georgia Tech, 8:00 pm

Georgia Tech is favored by 3.5 points. YPPSYS I ranks Iowa 22nd with a rating of -0.1 and the Yellow Jackets 31st with a rating of -0.5, a difference of 0.4 x 9 = 3.6 points. YPPSYS II gives the Hawkeyes a schedule-adjusted margin of victory of 4.0 points as compared to 9.6 points for Georgia Tech, a difference of 5.6 points.

Georgia Tech allowed 6.1 yards per play this past season on defense, which puts it 100th in the nation. Iowa on the other hand ranked in the nation's top 10 in total defense, so that if the Hawkeyes can get their offense to jell, they can win this game. Since injured starting QB Ricky Stanzi is again apparently healthy enough to play, Iowa's chances of winning are very good.

Our call: We call it 31-28 for Iowa.


LAW PUNDIT 12/29/2009 01:57:00 AM [Home] [Print]

Fiesta Bowl : Boise State vs. TCU : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

January 4, 2010, Monday

31. Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, AZ, Boise State vs. TCU, 8:00 p.m.

To the disgrace of the BCS, this game is a battle between two unbeaten teams who should be playing BCS Big 6 conference teams. As it is, the game is now merely a rematch between last season's Poinsettia Bowl opponents, a game which TCU won 17-16.

TCU was favored in the opening line by 4 points and that has risen at the time of this posting to 7 points. YPPSYS I ranks the Horned Frogs 1st in the nation with a rating of 2.2 and Boise State 6th with a rating of 1.0, a difference of 1.2 x 9 = 10.8 points. YPPSYS II gives TCU a schedule-adjusted margin of victory of 22.0 points (second to MOV top-rated Texas at 24.6) as compared to Boise State at 19.3, a difference of 2.7 points.

Our call: We call the game for TCU 27-24.


LAW PUNDIT 12/29/2009 01:53:00 AM [Home] [Print]

Alamo Bowl : Michigan State vs. Texas Tech : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

January 2, 2010, Saturday

30. Alamo Bowl, San Antonio, Texas, Michigan State vs. Texas Tech, 9:00 pm

The "Battle at the Alamo" this year has started much earlier than normally. Can we call this the "Suspension Bowl"?

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio recently suspended numerous players, including 3 starters, for a brawl which has thus far resulted in 9 misdemeanor charges by authorities against Spartan football players and some player dismissals.

As if that were not enough, there are now strange doings in Lubbock, Texas, as well, as the university has suspended its head football coach, Mike Leach. As reported for the AP by Betsy Blaney at Rivals.com:
"Texas Tech coach Mike Leach was suspended Monday while the school investigates complaints from a player and his family about treatment after an injury.

The school said in a release that defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill will be the interim coach and lead the team in the Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2 against Michigan State."

Texas Tech was favored in the opening line by 8.5 points and that has dropped at the time of this posting to 7.5 points. YPPSYS ranks the Red Raiders 14th with a rating of 0.2 and Michigan State 44th with a rating of -0.9, a difference of 1.1 x 9 = 9.9 points.

Our call: We call the game for Texas Tech, 38-28.


LAW PUNDIT 12/29/2009 01:51:00 AM [Home] [Print]

Liberty Bowl : East Carolina vs. Arkansas : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

January 2, 2010, Saturday

29. Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN, East Carolina vs. Arkansas, 5:30 pm

Arkansas was favored in the opening line by 10 points and that has dropped at the time of this posting to 7 points. YPPSYS ranks the Razorbacks 25th with a rating of -0.2 and East Carolina 48th with a rating of -1.5, a difference of 1.3 x 9 = 11.7 points. The schedule-adjusted margin of victory for Arkansas is 10.3 as compared to 3.0 for the Pirates, an advantage of 7.3 points.

Our call: We call it 41-31 for Arkansas.


LAW PUNDIT 12/29/2009 01:46:00 AM [Home] [Print]

Cotton Bowl : Oklahoma State vs. Mississippi : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

January 2, 2010, Saturday

28. Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas, Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss, 2:00 pm

Mississippi was favored in the opening line by 2.5 points and that has risen at the time of this posting to 3 points. YPPSYS ranks the Cowboys 27th with a rating of -0.3 and Ole Miss 13th with a rating of 0.3, a difference of 0.6 x 9 = 5.4 points. The schedule-adjusted margin of victory for the Rebels is 7.2 points and for Oklahoma State 4.8 points, a difference of 2.4 points.
Our call: We call if 27-23 for Ole Miss.


LAW PUNDIT 12/29/2009 01:44:00 AM [Home] [Print]

PapaJohns.com Bowl : Connecticut vs. South Carolina : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

January 2, 2010, Saturday

27. PapaJohns.com Bowl, Birmingham, Alabama, Connecticut vs. South Carolina, 2:00 pm

South Carolina was favored in the opening line by 3 points and that has risen at the time of this posting to 3.5 points. YPPSYS ranks the Gamecocks 37th with a rating of -0.6 and Connecticut at 50th with a rating of -1.6 or a difference of 1.0 x 9 = 9 points. The schedule-adjusted margin of victory comparison leads to a lower figure.

Our call: We call it 24-17 for South Carolina.


LAW PUNDIT 12/29/2009 01:40:00 AM [Home] [Print]

International Bowl : South Florida vs. Northern Illinois : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

January 2, 2010, Saturday

26. International Bowl, Toronto, Canada, South Florida vs. Northern Illinois, 12:00 pm

South Florida was favored in the opening line by 4.5 points and that has risen at the time of this posting to 7 points. YPPSYS ranks the Bulls 43rd with a rating of -0.9 and the Huskies 68th with a rating of -1.9, a difference of 1.0 x 9 = 9 points.

The Huskies beat Purdue who beat Ohio State - sometimes football is a crazy game, so you sometimes just never know how a game is going to turn out, but a Northern Illinois win here seems unlikely.

Our call: We call it 30-21 for South Florida.


LAW PUNDIT Monday, December 28, 2009 12/28/2009 11:43:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Sugar Bowl : Florida vs. Cincinnati : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

January 1, 2010, Friday (New Year's Day)

25. Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, Florida vs. Cincinnati, 8:30 pm

Florida is favored by 10.5 points. YPPSYS I ranks Florida 3rd with a rating of 2.3 and Cincinnati 4th with a rating of 2.0, an advantage of 0.3 x 9 = 2.7 points. YPPSYS II by margin of victory (as adjusted for schedule difficulty) rates Florida at 20.5 and Cincinnati at 13.3, an advantage of 7.2 points. Our call: we split the difference and call it for the Gators 31-26.


LAW PUNDIT 12/28/2009 11:41:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Rose Bowl : Ohio State vs. Oregon : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

January 1, 2010, Friday (New Year's Day)

24. Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California, Ohio State vs. Oregon, 4:30 pm

The opening line favored Oregon by 2 points and that spread has risen to 3.5 points at the time of this posting. YPPSYS ranks Oregon 7th with a rating of 1.0 and Ohio State 12th with a rating of 0.4, a difference of 0.6 x 9 = 5.4 points. YPPSYS II puts the schedule-adjusted margin of victory of the Ducks at 14.1 points and of the Buckeyes at 13.2 points, a difference of 0.9 points. Our call: We split the difference and call it for Oregon 30-27.


LAW PUNDIT 12/28/2009 11:33:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Gator Bowl : Florida State vs. West Virginia : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

January 1, 2010, Friday (New Year's Day)

23. Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, FL, Florida State vs. West Virginia, 1:00 pm

Incredibly, the opening line favored Florida State by 1 point but that spread has changed to 3 points in favor of West Virginia. YPPSYS ranks the Seminoles 63rd with a rating of-1.9 and West Virginia 30th with a rating of -0.4, a difference of 1.5 x 9 = 13.5 points, whereas a schedule adjusted margin of victory calculation lowers that difference considerably.
Our call: We call it 31-24 for the Mountaineers.


LAW PUNDIT 12/28/2009 11:25:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Capital One Bowl : Penn State vs. LSU : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

January 1, 2010, Friday (New Year's Day)

22. Capital One Bowl, Orlando, FL, Penn State vs. LSU, 1:00 pm

The opening line favored Penn State by 3 points and that spread has dropped to 2.5 points at the time of this posting. YPPSYS ranks Penn State 9th with a rating of 0.8 and LSU 23rd with a rating of -0.2, a difference of 1.0 x 9 = 9 points. YPPSYS II calculates the schedule-adjusted margin of victory as 11.6 for Penn State and 8.6 for LSU, a margin of only 3 points. Our call: We split the difference and call it 23-17 for the Nittany Lions.


LAW PUNDIT 12/28/2009 11:17:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Outback Bowl : Northwestern vs. Auburn : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

January 1, 2010, Friday (New Year's Day)

21. Outback Bowl, Tampa, FL, Northwestern vs. Auburn, 11:00 am


The opening line favored Auburn by 4 points and that spread has risen to 7.5 points at the time of this posting. YPPSYS I ranks Auburn 18th with a rating of -0.1 and Northwestern 79th with a rating of -2.2, a difference of 2.1 x 9 = 18.9 points. When the schedule adjusted margin of victory is considered, that spread is lessened. Our call: We call it 38-24 for Auburn.


LAW PUNDIT 12/28/2009 10:39:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Chick-Fil-A Bowl : Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

December 31, 2009, Thursday (New Year's Eve)

20. Chick-Fil-A Bowl, Atlanta, Georgia, Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee, 7:30 pm

Tennessee has improved this year but the Virginia Tech offense and defense are both statistically a bit better this year than the comparable teams of the Volunteers.

The opening line favored Virginia Tech by 4 points and the spread over Tennessee at the time of this posting was 5.5 points.

YPPSYS ranks the Hokies 8th with a rating of 0.9 and the Vols 19th with a rating of -0.1, a difference of 1.0 x 9 = 9 points. The schedule-adjusted margin of victory puts Virginia Tech at 7th with 14.7 points and Tennessee 16th with 9.6 points, a 5.1 point advantage to the Hokies.

Our call: We split the difference and call it 24-17 for Virginia Tech.


LAW PUNDIT 12/28/2009 10:25:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Insight Bowl : Minnesota vs. Iowa State : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

December 31, 2009, Thursday (New Year's Eve)

19. Insight Bowl, Tempe, Arizona, Minnesota vs. Iowa State, 6:00 pm

YPPSYS ranks Minnesota 76th with a rating of - 2.2 and Iowa State 85th with a rating of -2.5, giving the Golden Gophers an advantage of 0.3 x 9 = 2.7 points over the Cyclones, and a schedule-adjusted margin of victory makes the game about even, so take your pick. Iowa State has the better offense - a bit below average - and Minnesota has the better defense - a bit better than average. Minnesota is favored by 1.5 points.
Our call: We call it 24-21 for Minnesota.


LAW PUNDIT 12/28/2009 09:54:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Texas Bowl : Navy vs Missouri : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

December 31, 2009, Thursday (New Year's Eve)

18. Texas Bowl, Houston, Texas, Navy vs. Missouri, 3:30 pm

YPPSYS ranks Missouri 32nd with a rating of -0.5 and Navy 61st with a rating of -1.8, a difference of 1.3 x 9 = 11.7 points. That separation is smaller however when the schedule-adjusted margin of victory is considered. Missouri is favored by 6 points.

We are not fans of Navy or Air Force football at all because they intentionally use potentially dangerous cut blocks (blocks below the waist - e.g. at the thighs, knees or ankles) to run their offensive system, blocks which are known to be avoidable sources of player injuries, and in fact have been made illegal on the line (no chop blocks permitted), so why should they be allowed elsewhere? Football is a game and there is no excuse for putting young men in danger of serious injury for a block that is absolutely not necessary for the game of football.

Our call: We call it for Missouri 34-24.


LAW PUNDIT 12/28/2009 06:06:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Sun Bowl : Oklahoma vs. Stanford : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

December 31, 2009, Thursday (New Year's Eve)

17. Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas, Oklahoma vs. Stanford, 2:00 pm

As a law school alumnus of Stanford, my allegiance in this game is of course with the Cardinal team, head coach Jim Harbaugh, Heisman 2nd-placed Toby Gerhart, and rising QB star Andrew Luck, whose recent surgery on his throwing hand makes his start in the Sun Bowl doubtful. It is conceivable that Tavita Pritchard may have to lead the team against the Sooners.

Stanford has all the makings of being a future Pac-10 football powerhouse, but the question must be asked whether they are far enough along to beat Oklahoma, a team loaded with talent, albeit greatly suffering this year from heartbreaking losses in close games as well as the injury-based loss of their Heisman-winning quarterback, Sam Bradford. In view of the Sooners 27-0 lacing of Oklahoma State in their last game, Oklahoma has apparently recovered enough to again be a formidable opponent to any team, holding the high-powered offense of the then 11th-ranked Cowboys to 6 first downs.

Our call: Oklahoma is favored over Stanford by 7 points. YPPSYS ranks Oklahoma 16th with a rating of 0.2 and Stanford 34th with a rating of -0.6, a difference of 0.8 x 9 = 7.2 points. The schedule-adjusted margin of victory puts Oklahoma 6th in the nation at 15.8 points as compared to Stanford's 8.2 points, 21st in the nation, a difference of 7.6 points. The YPPSYS stats thus fully support the oddsmakers' 7-point spread. The key stat may be the fact that Oklahoma ranks 5th in the nation in allowing only 2.7 yards per rushing attempt. If Stanford has to play without the adeptly passing Luck at QB, then Oklahoma will be able to concentrate on Gerhart's rushing.
We call it 31-21 for the Sooners, although we might have gone with Stanford if Luck were healthy.


LAW PUNDIT 12/28/2009 05:36:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Armed Forces Bowl : Houston vs. Air Force : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

December 31, 2009, Thursday (New Year's Eve)

16. Armed Forces Bowl, Fort Worth, TX, Houston vs. Air Force, 12:00 pm

The opening line favored Houston by 7 points, which has fallen to a spread of 4 points at the time of this posting, surely because of the strength of the Air Force defense, which ranks 1st in the nation in passing defense, in spite of BYU's Max Hall, who zipped the Falcons for 377 yards and 5 touchdowns in their last regular season game. Air Force finished 4th in the very strong Mountain West Conference, a conference which thus far is undefeated in its bowl games. Air Force lost only 20-17 to undefeated TCU.

In other words, it is possible that Houston and its high-flying quarterback Case Keenum will have a tough time moving the ball against Air Force, which has a much better defense than an East Carolina team that beat the Cougars 38-32 at season's end.

Our call: YPPSYS ranks Houston 41st with a rating of -0.8 and Air Force 58th with a rating of -1.7, a difference of 0.9 x 9 = 8.1 points, whereas a schedule-adjusted margin of victory comparison leans in the direction of an even game. Houston averages 6.9 yards per play on offense but an astronomical 6.0 yards per play on defense, whereas the Falcons average a meager 4.8 yards per play on offense but a very strong 4.7 yards per play on defense. The result of the poor Houston offense is that the Air Force offense will have breathing room to perform. The excellent Air Force defense could stymie the Courgar offense enough to permit Air Force to win. We call it 27-26 for the Falcons.


LAW PUNDIT 12/28/2009 04:57:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Holiday Bowl : Nebraska vs. Arizona : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

December 30, 2009, Wednesday

15. Holiday Bowl, San Diego, CA, Nebraska vs. Arizona, 8:00 pm

The opening line on the Holiday Bowl game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Arizona Wildcats saw this game as even, and the Arizona Wildcats are now surprisingly seen by the line as 1-point favorites, in spite of the Huskers narrow 13-12 loss in the Big 12 championship game to highly-ranked Texas, a game which Nebraska actually deserved to win.

Nebraska already beat a Stoops-coached team this year - the better of the two Stoops teams - and so a Nebraska loss in this game is unlikely.

Apparently the oddsmakers are impressed by the Wildcats last regular season game, in which they vanquished a relatively weak Southern Cal team, 21-17, gaining 239 yards passing on 22- of 40 completions. They will have difficulty gaining comparable yardage against the Nebraska defense, which has been running in a 4-1-6, 4-0-7 viz. 5-6 formation ever since midseason, i.e. with more-or-less 6 defensive backs and a (4-to-) 5-man rush, including the nation's best lineman, award-winning Ndamukong Suh, the AP college football player of the year:

Nebraska has a defense statistically similar to that of the Iowa Hawkeyes, who beat Arizona 27-17 early in the season, allowing only 8 first downs, and the Husker defense is even better than that of Iowa, compensating all season long for an anemic offense. The game will be played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on turfgrass (made in Arizona), and this might give the Wildcats a bit of an unfair home field advantage :-) so one has to be careful in prognostications.

NU had 5 first downs against Texas as the helpless offensive coordination staff of Nebraska amazed the nation with its inept playcalling. Seldom has there been such a great gap between the offensive and defensive units of a college football team - and this can only be a function of two competence levels in offensive and defensive coordination. One can only hope that there will be absolutely necessary changes made in the offensive coaching staff when the season ends. Wishful thinking can not make untalented coaches competent. Perhaps some people are better at recruiting than coaching? Certainly possible, and maybe their responsibilities should be tailored according to their talents. Just a suggestion, mind you.

Our call: YPPSYS I ranks the Cornhuskers 20th with a rating of -0.1 and Arizona 29th with a rating of-0.4, or a difference of 0.3 x 9 = 2.7 points. YPPSYS II by the schedule-adjusted margin of victory MOV rates the Huskers 13th at 10.6 points and Arizona 28th at 5.6 points, or a five-point advantage to the Cornhuskers. We call it for Nebraska 26-14 on the assumption that the sputtering nationally 102nd-ranked offense will have been tweaked in the interim and that freshman QB Cody Green will also play some as a run-and-pass QB - how about a pistol or wildcat formation?


LAW PUNDIT 12/28/2009 01:46:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Humanitarian Bowl : Idaho vs. Bowling Green : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

December 30, 2009, Wednesday

14. Humanitarian Bowl, Boise, Idaho, Idaho vs. Bowling Green, 4:30 pm

By common opponent comparison this football season, the Idaho Vandals lost to Boise State 63-25 while the Bowling Green Falcons lost to the Broncos 49-14, but comparative scores can be deceiving, as Boise State outgained Bowling Green 529 yards to 282 yards, whereas the Vandals actually put up MORE yards total offense than the Broncos, outgaining them 514 yards to 458 yards. Idaho lost the game because of 7 turnovers and otherwise might in fact be the much stronger team when compared to Bowling Green.

Our call: The opening line favored the Falcons by 1 point and was 2 points at the time of this posting. YPPSYS ranks Idaho 53rd with a rating of -1.6 and Bowling Green 94th with a rating of -2.8, a difference of 1.2 x 9 = 10.8 points. Both teams have leaky pass defenses and a lot of points should be scored. We thus call this game for Idaho 44-34.


LAW PUNDIT 12/28/2009 01:30:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Music City Bowl Game Result 2009 : Clemson over Kentucky 21-13
 

Clemson beat Kentucky 21-13 in the Music City Bowl. The Tigers' C.J. Spiller had 67 yards rushing and 1 TD on 15 attempts and 58 yards on three pass receptions. Clemson averaged 6.8 yards per play to 4.1 yards per play for Kentucky and should have thus won more handily than the they did. We predicted a Clemson win by 8 points. Our NCAA I FBS bowl record is now 6-4 in predicting the winner and 6-4 against the spread.


LAW PUNDIT Sunday, December 27, 2009 12/27/2009 01:32:00 PM [Home] [Print]

College Football Bowl Game Results : Marshall vs. Ohio, Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina, USC vs. Boston College
 

Marshall upset Ohio 21-17 as the Bobcats managed a mere 123 yards total offense against the Thundering Herd, as Ohio averaged a paltry 2.4 yards per play, which is beyond anything acceptable in college football. Give the coaching staff a failing grade in that one.

Pittsburgh beat North Carolina 19-17 in a fairly even game as Dion Lewis ran for 159 yards on 28 carries, but defense decided the game between two head coaches who are said to be the best of personal friends and play similar types of defense-oriented football.

USC beat Boston College 24-13 after leading only 14-13 at the half, holding the Eagles scoreless after halftime. Trojan QB Matt Barkley completed 27 of 37 passes for 350 yards, 12 to Damian Williams for 189 yards and 6 to Stanley Havili for 83 yards and 2 TDs. On the whole, however, Southern Cal was not anywhere near to being like USC teams of preceding seasons, as most of the real talent has gone to the NFL. Our NCAA I FBS bowl record is now 5-4 in predicting the winner and 5-4 against the spread.


LAW PUNDIT Saturday, December 26, 2009 12/26/2009 07:00:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Champs Sports Bowl : Miami of Florida vs. Wisconsin : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

December 29, 2009, Tuesday

13. Champs Sports Bowl, Orlando, FL, Miami of Florida vs. Wisconsin, 8:00 pm

The offenses and the defenses of Miami of Florida and Wisconsin are virtually even, except that the Hurricanes gain more yards through the air and Wisconsin more on the ground. Pass interceptions cost Miami the games against North Carolina and Clemson and a clearly better Virginia Tech team hounded sophomore quarterback Jacory Harris all day. For Wisconsin to win, they will have to stop the Miami passing game or they will lose.
Our call: Miami of Florida started out as a 6 point favorite but the line is down to 3 points at the time of this posting. YPPSYS ranks the Hurricanes 17th with a rating of 0.1 and the Badgers 40th with a rating -0.7, a difference of 0.8 x 9 = 7.2 points. The schedule-adjusted margin of victory gives Miami of Florida a rating of 7.5 and Wisconsin 6.1, a difference of only 1.4 points.
We split the difference and call this game for the Hurricanes 31-27.

See previous posts for important legal notices regarding these prognostications.


LAW PUNDIT 12/26/2009 04:26:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Eaglebank Bowl : Temple vs. UCLA : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

December 29, 2009, Tuesday

12. Eaglebank Bowl, Washington, D.C., Temple vs. UCLA, 4:30 pm

In spite of its 35-17 loss to the Ohio Bobcats in its last regular season game, the Temple Owls had a Cinderella season, forging a nine-game winning streak up to the final game and finishing 9-3. UCLA finished 6-6 and is an average team in nearly every category. YPPSYS ranks Temple 54th and UCLA 56th going into this bowl contest. Our call: The opening line favored the Bruins by 4 points and this has risen to 6 points at the time of this posting. The margin of victory comparison is almost evened out by the difference in schedule difficulty, so that either team can legitimately win this game. We call it for Temple, 27-26.

See previous posts for important legal notices regarding these prognostications.


LAW PUNDIT 12/26/2009 02:49:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Independence Bowl : Texas A&M vs. Georgia : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

December 28, 2009, Monday

11. Independence Bowl, Shreveport, Louisiana, Texas A&M vs. Georgia, 5:00 pm

YPPSYS ranks Georgia 24th with a rating of -0.2 and Texas A&M 69th with a rating of -2.0, a difference of 1.8 x 9 = 16 points. Both teams have equally strong offenses but the Bulldogs have a bit better than average defense while the Aggies have a a very weak defense, so that A&M did well this season only against teams with weak defenses, while other teams blew them off the field. By comparative scores, Oklahoma State beat Georgia 24-10 and beat Texas A&M 36-31. However, in the present match-up, we see little chance that Texas A&M can keep up with the scoring of the opposing team, since its own offense will likely be stymied by the Georgia defense.
Our call: The opening line favored Georgia by 4 points and at the time of this posting the spread had risen to 7 points. Each team had a scant margin of victory this season, though Georgia faced a tougher schedule. We call it 38-27 for Georgia.

NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 utilize YPPSYS ratings and rankings (yards per play advantage - offense and defense, won-loss record, schedule of difficulty according to Massey Ratings) and YPPSYS II for the top 40 teams (YPPSYS II = YPPSYS I supplemented by MOV, margin of victory plus the schedule difficulty recalculated based on YPPSYS ratings).

YPPSYS COLLEGE FOOTBALL RATINGS AND RANKINGS - NCAA DIVISION I-A (FBS) are based on net yards per play advantage (NAYPPA), strength of schedule, defense and adjustment for losses through December 5, 2009, after Week 14 of regular season games.

NAYPPA = net yards per play advantage (YPP OFF minus YPP DEF)
YPP OFF = net yards per play gained on offense
YPP DEF = net yards per play allowed on defense
Schedule = Schedule difficulty thus far in the season according to Massey Ratings
(SchP=Schedule Partial)
YPP Team Statistics are based on data found at
cfbstats.com
Odds are taken from Todd Beck's College Football Prediction Tracker
as of Wednesday, December 16, 2009 9:42:07 AM

The prognostications cover numerous bowl games and great match-ups. Few games can be said to be mis-matched and ultimate winners are in doubt in many.

We make no warranties as to the truth or accuracy of our information. As always, we do this in good fun only - do not rely on our predictions for anything - and we disclaim any and all liability for any reliance upon our prognostications. Football is sport. May the best team win.


LAW PUNDIT Friday, December 25, 2009 12/25/2009 09:15:00 PM [Home] [Print]

President Barack Obama : A Historic Moment : Senate Passes Health Care Overhaul on Party-Line Vote - NYTimes.com
 

Senate Passes Health Care Overhaul on Party-Line Vote - NYTimes.com

President Barack Obama sent out the following email:
"Andis --

Although it's Christmas Eve, I wanted to share some exciting news: The Senate just passed a historic health reform bill.

In all the back and forth, it's easy to lose sight of what this incredible breakthrough really means. But consider this: This Christmas, there are millions of Americans without health insurance who risk losing everything if they get sick.

There are mothers and fathers who wonder how they'll provide for their children because an illness has wiped out their savings. There are small business owners who worry that they'll have to lay off a long-time employee because the cost of insurance is rapidly rising.

If we finish the job, all this can change. We will have beaten back the special interests who have for so long perpetuated the status quo. We will have enacted the most important piece of social policy since the Social Security Act in the 1930s, and the most important health reform since Medicare in the 1960s.

In Decembers to come, millions more will have access to affordable coverage. Parents will have the security and stability of knowing their insurance can't be revoked at a moment's notice. And the skyrocketing costs plaguing our small businesses will be brought under control.

When you make calls, write letters, organize, this is the change you're making -- a better life for your family and for men and women in every state.

There is still more to do before I can sign reform into law -- a last round of negotiations and final votes in the Senate and the House -- and I'm counting on your help every step of the way. But for now, I hope that as you celebrate this holiday season, you remember that the work you are doing is making our union more perfect, one step at a time. For that, I am grateful to you.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays,

President Barack Obama

P.S. -- Organizing for America supporters are signing a note of appreciation to all the senators who have worked so hard to make this possible. I hope you'll join them:

http://my.barackobama.com/SenateLetter"


LAW PUNDIT 12/25/2009 04:34:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Music City Bowl : Clemson vs. Kentucky : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

December 27, 2009, Sunday

10. Music City Bowl, Nashville, TN, Clemson vs. Kentucky, 8:30 pm

YPPSYS I ranks Clemson 21st with a rating of -0.1 and Kentucky 64th with a rating of -1.9, a difference of 1.8 x 9 = 16.2 points. YPPSYS II by schedule-adjusted margin of victory rates Clemson at 8.2 and Kentucky at 0.8, or an advantage of 7.4 points to Clemson.

Our call: The opening line was 7.5 points and had dropped to 7 points at the time of this posting. Kentucky QB Mike Hartline, who has not played since October due to an injury, may play in the bowl game, thus giving Kentucky the passing game it has otherwise lacked this season ever since his injury, so he might be quite rusty, but this adds a substantial element of uncertainty to this game. By comparative scores, Kentucky lost to South Carolina 28-26 on the road while the Tigers lost to the Gamecocks on the road 34-17. We call it for Clemson 32-24.

NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 utilize YPPSYS ratings and rankings (yards per play advantage - offense and defense, won-loss record, schedule of difficulty according to Massey Ratings) and YPPSYS II for the top 40 teams (YPPSYS II = YPPSYS I supplemented by MOV, margin of victory plus the schedule difficulty recalculated based on YPPSYS ratings).

YPPSYS COLLEGE FOOTBALL RATINGS AND RANKINGS - NCAA DIVISION I-A (FBS) are based on net yards per play advantage (NAYPPA), strength of schedule, defense and adjustment for losses through December 5, 2009, after Week 14 of regular season games.

NAYPPA = net yards per play advantage (YPP OFF minus YPP DEF)
YPP OFF = net yards per play gained on offense
YPP DEF = net yards per play allowed on defense
Schedule = Schedule difficulty thus far in the season according to Massey Ratings
(SchP=Schedule Partial)
YPP Team Statistics are based on data found at
cfbstats.com
Odds are taken from Todd Beck's College Football Prediction Tracker
as of Wednesday, December 16, 2009 9:42:07 AM

The prognostications cover numerous bowl games and great match-ups. Few games can be said to be mis-matched and ultimate winners are in doubt in many.

We make no warranties as to the truth or accuracy of our information. As always, we do this in good fun only - do not rely on our predictions for anything - and we disclaim any and all liability for any reliance upon our prognostications. Football is sport. May the best team win.


LAW PUNDIT 12/25/2009 03:08:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Holiday Greetings !
 



M E R R Y


C H R I S T M A S

from

LawPundit



LAW PUNDIT 12/25/2009 09:05:00 AM [Home] [Print]

College Football Bowl & Championship Game Predictions & Results (updated as scores come in) - NCAA I ( FBS, FCS), II, & III & NAIA - 2009/2010 Season
 

NCAA Division I FBS (the old Division I-A)

The 2009/2010 NCAA Division I FBS bowl season started off with surprises and we would not be surprised if this continues throughout the remaining bowl games. The BCS looks bad.

Fresno State and Wyoming opened the bowl season in style in the New Mexico Bowl, as underdog Wyoming won in two overtimes 35-28. The surprise in the game was that the Cowboys put up more total offense than the Bulldogs and thus deserved to win. We predicted a Fresno State win but beat the line. Is it significant for future bowl games and rankings that the #5 in the Mountain West Conference beat the #3 in the Western Athletic Conference? Our NCAA I FBS bowl record is 0-1 in predicting the winner and 1-0 against the spread.

Rutgers beat UCF convincingly 45-24 in the St. Petersburg Bowl, as the Scarlet Knights outgained the Knights of Central Florida 380 yards to 255. The stronger Rutgers defense was the difference in the ball game. We had predicted a narrow UCF win. Our NCAA I FBS bowl record is 0-2 in predicting the winner and 1-1 against the spread.

Middle Tennesse State vanquished Southern Mississippi 42-32 on the strength of a great performance by the Blue Raiders passing and running quarterback Dwight Dasher, who passed for 162 yards and ran for 201 yards against the Golden Eagles of Southern Miss. As written by Mary Foster at Yahoo Rivals.com, The 201 yards eclipsed the old record of 200 yards set by Vince Young of Texas against USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl. We predicted a Blue Raider win. Our NCAA I FBS bowl record is now 1-2 in predicting the winner and 2-1 against the spread.

BYU confirmed the strength of the Mountain West Conference and threw more logs into the fire burning under BCS by beating Pac 10 Oregon State 44-20 in the Las Vegas Bowl. As if Utah's win over Alabama last bowl season was not worth pondering, the BCS match-ups this year are a scandal of the first rank, matching the unbeaten "outsider" teams TCU and Boise State with each other rather than having them each play, and, embarassingly for the BCS, perhaps beat BCS Big 6 teams. In our book, the current BCS arrangement violates the principle tenets of the U.S. anti-trust laws and should be disbanded as a tragic anachronism ushered in by clueless university presidents viz. chancellors and similarly deluded non-athletic academics. We predicted a Brigham Young victory. Our NCAA I FBS bowl record is now 2-2 in predicting the winner and 3-1 against the spread.

Utah won its ninth straight bowl by beating Cal 37-27 in the Poinsettia Bowl. There is a reason Utah keeps winning these games, including last year's blowout of Alabama, but that reason has not yet filtered into the anachronistic ranks of those who make the national football polls or run the BCS. Utah was the better team and also won almost every statistical category against the Bears. The Mountain West Conference is now 3-0 in bowl games, having knocked off two Pac 10 teams of a conference unjustifiably ranked way above it by BCS and other pollsters. That faulty conference ranking greatly affects the alleged schedule difficulty of each team and greatly skews the team rankings - as we have shown at YPPSYS II. Would Alabama beat TCU or Boise State? Maybe yes and maybe no, but we will never know, thanks to BCS. We predicted a Ute victory. Our NCAA I FBS bowl record is now 3-2 in predicting the winner and 4-1 against the spread.

SMU thoroughly thrashed Nevada 45-10 in the Hawaii Bowl as the string of upsets in college bowl games continued, and a Mustang team that lost 30-27 to lowly Washington State early in the season now came of age. Nevada lacked two of its 1000-yard rushers due to academic ineligibility and an injury (Vai Taua and Luke Lippincott) but it was Nevada's weak defense which proved to be the difference, as the Mustangs put up 534 yards offense against the Wolf Pack, 460 of those in the air against the nation's second worst pass defense. You can't be successful in modern college football without a decent pass defense. We did predict a Wolf Pack win (who didn't ?) and lost that one, but we did beat the spread. Our NCAA I FBS bowl record is now 3-3 in predicting the winner and 5-1 against the spread.

(keep checking at LawPundit as scores come in - we will update this post and put it at the top of the posting list whenever we make a change)

NAIA


We predicted a win by Sioux Falls - who plan to move to NCAA Division II in 2011 - but it was much closer than expected as the Cougars defended their NAIA Football Championship against the Lindenwood Lions 25-22 in the Russell Athletic 54th annual NAIA National Championship game. The win was the 29th in the row for Sioux Falls, who thereby supplanted NCAA Division III Mount Union as the current holder of the longest winning streak in college football. Mount Union's 29-game winning streak was snapped in this year's Division 3 championship game.

NCAA Division III

We predicted a win by Mount Union by 3 points, but they lost in the championship game, where the NCAA Division III football championship playoffs otherwise went pretty much as anticipated. The two teams that nearly everyone predicted to be in the finals (the 2009 Stagg Bowl) played each other again for the 5th year in succession in a series still led by Mount Union 3-2. This year, the Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks won 38-28 in a fairly even game statistically as the opposing Mount Union Purple Raiders played a poor first half, trailing 28-14 at halftime. Mount Union rebounded to tie the game 28-28 in the second half, but then committed three costly fumble turnovers in the 4th quarter, cutting off their own scoring opportunities and handing the game to the Warhawks. The loss marked the end of Mount Union's nation-leading 29-game win streak. Mount Union has to learn to hold on to the ball in inclement weather, as they lost similarly in 2007 due their inability to hold on to the football when the weather was bad.

NCAA Division II

We predicted a win by Northwest Missouri State by 5 points. After four straight years of being in the NCAA Division II football championship game - and losing - the Bearcats finally broke the jinx in their 5th attempt and beat the Grand Valley State Lakers 30-23 for the championship. Although Grand Valley held the football for 37:27 minutes as opposed to only 22:33 minutes for Northwest Missouri, the Bearcats gained 6.5 yards per play as opposed to the Lakers 4.9 yards per play, thus virtually balancing the teams' total offenses in a game that was fairly equal statistically.

NCAA Division I FCS (the old Division I-AA)

We predicted a Villanova win over Montana by 4 points, and the Wildcats beat the previously undefeated Grizzlies 23-21, who lost in the championship game for the second straight year and for the third time in the last six years. Maybe 2010 will be charm, in a year when the playoffs will be expanded to 20 teams and the championship game will be pushed into January. Take a look at some fine game photos by David Swanson at Philly.com Sports.


LAW PUNDIT Wednesday, December 23, 2009 12/23/2009 11:05:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Health Care Bill Could Face String of Legal Challenges according to FoxNews.com
 

FoxNews.com reports that the "Health Care Bill Could Face String of Legal Challenges"

FOXNews.com - Health Care Bill Could Face String of Legal Challenges

The U.S. Republican Party in their handling of national health care reform has shown itself to be about 64 years behind the times. The operative date for that timeline is the end of World War II, at which time much of Europe was in ruins at the same time that America was prospering as the venue of the victorious.

What has happened in the intervening period up to the present time is a tragic story showing the decline of the United States in many respects to the status of a 3rd world developing country, whereas Europe has emerged as the world leader on many fronts, especially in national health care.

Many people in Europe view the grand old GOP in the USA as just that - old and outdated, and totally out of tune with the reality of the times.


LAW PUNDIT 12/23/2009 10:36:00 PM [Home] [Print]

HEALTH LAW : National Health Bill Clears 3 Steps in Senate - Final Vote reportedly forthcoming on Thursday, Christmas Eve, to the Ire of the Scrooges
 

David M. Herszenhorn and Robert Pear report at the New York Times that Parties Stay United as Health Bill Clears Steps in Senate, writing that:
"The Senate voted 60 to 39 early Tuesday on three steps leading up to a final vote Thursday morning on sweeping health care legislation."
We can only hope that this health care legislation will be passed, as the current health care situation in the United States is a national scandal. As written at the Baltimore Sun:
"Today, there are at least 43.6 million Americans without health insurance of any kind. It is a number that has been growing for years as health care has grown increasingly unaffordable, not only for individuals but also for small businesses who employ them. These ... people often end up getting medical treatment in the most expensive and inefficient way possible, the hospital emergency room, and their families generally live just one health crisis away from financial ruin. We are a nation with the most expensive health care system but far from the most effective one. By most any common measure from longevity to infant mortality, the U.S. lags shockingly behind much of the rest of the industrialized world."


LAW PUNDIT Monday, December 21, 2009 12/21/2009 01:52:00 AM [Home] [Print]

As Going Gets Tough, Nokia Brings Out Legal Guns - NYTimes.com
 

As Going Gets Tough, Nokia Brings Out Legal Guns - NYTimes.com:

"The mobile industry, since its inception, has been a legal battleground."


LAW PUNDIT 12/21/2009 01:47:00 AM [Home] [Print]

Op-Ed Columnist Frank Rich - Tiger Woods, Person of the Year - NYTimes.com
 

Op-Ed Columnist Frank Rich - Tiger Woods, Person of the Year - NYTimes.com:

"As we say goodbye to the year of Tiger Woods, it is the country, sad to say, that is left mired in a sand trap with no obvious way out."


LAW PUNDIT Sunday, December 20, 2009 12/20/2009 11:01:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Emerald Bowl : Boston College vs. USC : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

We make no warranties as to the truth or accuracy of our information. As always, we do this in good fun only - do not rely on our predictions for anything - and we disclaim any and all liability for any reliance upon our prognostications. Football is sport. May the best team win.

December 26, 2009, Saturday

9. Emerald Bowl, San Francisco, CA, Boston College vs. USC, 8:00 pm

Being in this bowl is a great success story for the Eagles, who in the preseason were picked to finish last in the ACC Atlantic Division.

Being in this bowl, on the other hand, is mortifying for the Trojans, who entered the season ranked in the top five in the nation in everybody's polls but self-destructed on the field. USC played flat in losing to Arizona 21-17 to close out their season, otherwise they would be playing Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl. Maybe they were just subconsciously avoiding Ndamukong Suh.

Having east coast Boston College and west coast Southern Cal play each other is surely unusual, but it may be destiny, given the fact that the two schools had previously already scheduled a two-game series in the 2013 and 2014 seasons. This one will be the warm-up.

Our question is: how many fans from Los Angeles and Boston are going to come to see this game in San Francisco in December, and if not, does the Bay Area have enough diehard college football fans to fill the stadium - on the 2nd day of Christmas? Take a look at a chart at the Wizard of Odds for bowl ticket sales by participating colleges last season - it is an eye opener, as these rankings may be far more important - ultimately - than the football polls. For example, last year USC sold 33,179 tickets for the Rose Bowl, while Boston College sold a paltry 1,400 tickets to the Music City Bowl.

Our Call: The opening line favored the Trojans by 7 points and the current spread is 9 points. YPPSYS ranks USC 11th with a rating of +0.4 (only the top 17 teams have plus ratings this season) and Boston College ranks 39th with a rating of -0.7, a difference of 1.1 x 9 = 9.9 points. When their respective schedule-adjusted MOVs (margins of victory) are compared, USC is rated at 5.4 and BC is rated at 1.9, a 3.6 point difference. We call it 30-24 for USC.

NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 utilize YPPSYS ratings and rankings (yards per play advantage - offense and defense, won-loss record, schedule of difficulty according to Massey Ratings) and YPPSYS II for the top 40 teams (YPPSYS II = YPPSYS I supplemented by MOV, margin of victory plus the schedule difficulty recalculated based on YPPSYS ratings).

YPPSYS COLLEGE FOOTBALL RATINGS AND RANKINGS - NCAA DIVISION I-A (FBS) are based on net yards per play advantage (NAYPPA), strength of schedule, defense and adjustment for losses through December 5, 2009, after Week 14 of regular season games.

NAYPPA = net yards per play advantage (YPP OFF minus YPP DEF)
YPP OFF = net yards per play gained on offense
YPP DEF = net yards per play allowed on defense
Schedule = Schedule difficulty thus far in the season according to Massey Ratings
(SchP=Schedule Partial)
YPP Team Statistics are based on data found at
cfbstats.com
Odds are taken from Todd Beck's College Football Prediction Tracker
as of Wednesday, December 16, 2009 9:42:07 AM

The prognostications cover numerous bowl games and great match-ups. Few games can be said to be mis-matched and ultimate winners are in doubt in many.



LAW PUNDIT Friday, December 18, 2009 12/18/2009 08:45:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Meineke Car Care Bowl : North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

We make no warranties as to the truth or accuracy of our information. As always, we do this in good fun only - do not rely on our predictions for anything - and we disclaim any and all liability for any reliance upon our prognostications. Football is sport. May the best team win.

December 26, 2009, Saturday

8.
Meineke Car Care Bowl, Charlotte, NC, North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh, 4:30 pm


In the regular season finale, the Tar Heels lost (again) to N.C. State 28-27 in an error-ridden game, in spite of being the dominant team statistically - a result which may point to flawed field management by the coaching staff. North Carolina is otherwise a very strong team, having defeated the only two ranked teams the Tar Heels played, Virginia Tech and Miaim of Florida. But they had trouble with weaker teams, losing also to Virginia and Florida State. The loss to a stronger Georgia Tech was expected. North Carolina has an exceptionally good defense but a weak offense, which can offset good defensive efforts.

Pittsburgh has been highly regarded and barely lost the season finale to undefeated Cincinnati 45-44, but the Panthers also lost at West Virginia and early in the season were defeated at home by none other than North Carolina State 38-31. The Wolfpack put up 530 yards against the Panthers as opposed to only 335 yards against the Tar Heels. Pitt did not beat a ranked team this year, so their true strength remains a bit of a mystery.

Our call: The opening line was 2 points in favor of Pittsburgh and is currently 3 points. This game looks like a defensive struggle with Pitt winning in the end due to its superior offense. YPPSYS ranks the Panthers 10th with a rating of 0.5 and North Carolina 28th with a rating of -0.4, a difference of .9 x 0 = 8.1 points. The schedule-adjusted margin of victory in YPPSYS II rates Pitt at 9.6 and North Carolina at 3.8 for a difference of 5.8 points. We call it 24-17 for the Panthers.

NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 utilize YPPSYS ratings and rankings (yards per play advantage - offense and defense, won-loss record, schedule of difficulty according to Massey Ratings) and YPPSYS II for the top 40 teams (YPPSYS II = YPPSYS I supplemented by MOV, margin of victory plus the schedule difficulty recalculated based on YPPSYS ratings).

YPPSYS COLLEGE FOOTBALL RATINGS AND RANKINGS - NCAA DIVISION I-A (FBS) are based on net yards per play advantage (NAYPPA), strength of schedule, defense and adjustment for losses through December 5, 2009, after Week 14 of regular season games.

NAYPPA = net yards per play advantage (YPP OFF minus YPP DEF)
YPP OFF = net yards per play gained on offense
YPP DEF = net yards per play allowed on defense
Schedule = Schedule difficulty thus far in the season according to Massey Ratings
(SchP=Schedule Partial)
YPP Team Statistics are based on data found at
cfbstats.com
Odds are taken from Todd Beck's College Football Prediction Tracker
as of Wednesday, December 16, 2009 9:42:07 AM

The prognostications cover numerous bowl games and great match-ups. Few games can be said to be mis-matched and ultimate winners are in doubt in many.


LAW PUNDIT 12/18/2009 03:57:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl : Marshall vs. Ohio : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

We make no warranties as to the truth or accuracy of our information. As always, we do this in good fun only - do not rely on our predictions for anything - and we disclaim any and all liability for any reliance upon our prognostications. Football is sport. May the best team win.

December 26, 2009, Saturday

7. Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Detroit, Michigan, Marshall vs. Ohio, 1:00 pm

Marshall head coach Mark Snyder (22-37 over five years) resigned November 29 after Marshall's 52-21 blowout loss to UTEP. Marshall ended the season 6-6, with no signature wins. Snyder will be replaced next year by West Virginia assistant coach John "Doc" Holliday, who has received a 5-year contract. Rick Minter, the current defensive coordinator, is to coach the bowl game. This makes the bowl game outcome more unpredictable. Moreover, the previously injured 1,000-yard-tailback Darius Marshall will reportedly be ready to play, together with several formerly injured starters in the offensive line. Marshall has won 10 of the last 12 games between the two teams.

Ohio reached the Mid-American Conference title game, losing to Central Michigan 20-10 to finish out an excellent 9-4 regular season, in which they played e.g. SEC Tennessee nearly even in a 24-23 loss.
Both teams have comparably strong offenses but the Bobcats have the better defense, averaging one yard per play less.

Our call: The opening line was 4 points in favor of Ohio but that has dropped to 1.5 points at the time of this writing. YPPSYS ranks Ohio 47th with a rating of -1.4 and Marshall 90th with a rating of -2.7, which would make Ohio the favorite by 1.3 x 9 = 11.7 points. Ohio has a MOV of 4.1 and Marshall -3.1 for a difference of 7.2 points. However, YPPSYS II puts the Bobcat schedule at a rank of 84 (rating -2.5) compared to the Thundering Herd schedule rank of 79.5 (rating -1.9), for a difference of .6 x 9 = 5.4 points, which makes Ohio a thin 1.8 point favorite. We call it for the Bobcats 23-20.

NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 utilize YPPSYS ratings and rankings (yards per play advantage - offense and defense, won-loss record, schedule of difficulty according to Massey Ratings) and YPPSYS II for the top 40 teams (YPPSYS II = YPPSYS I supplemented by MOV, margin of victory plus the schedule difficulty recalculated based on YPPSYS ratings).

YPPSYS COLLEGE FOOTBALL RATINGS AND RANKINGS - NCAA DIVISION I-A (FBS) are based on net yards per play advantage (NAYPPA), strength of schedule, defense and adjustment for losses through December 5, 2009, after Week 14 of regular season games.

NAYPPA = net yards per play advantage (YPP OFF minus YPP DEF)
YPP OFF = net yards per play gained on offense
YPP DEF = net yards per play allowed on defense
Schedule = Schedule difficulty thus far in the season according to Massey Ratings
(SchP=Schedule Partial)
YPP Team Statistics are based on data found at
cfbstats.com
Odds are taken from Todd Beck's College Football Prediction Tracker
as of Wednesday, December 16, 2009 9:42:07 AM

The prognostications cover numerous bowl games and great match-ups. Few games can be said to be mis-matched and ultimate winners are in doubt in many.



LAW PUNDIT 12/18/2009 02:50:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Hawaii Bowl : SMU vs. Nevada : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

We make no warranties as to the truth or accuracy of our information. As always, we do this in good fun only - do not rely on our predictions for anything - and we disclaim any and all liability for any reliance upon our prognostications. Football is sport. May the best team win.

December 24, 2009, Thursday

6. Hawaii Bowl, Honolulu, SMU vs. Nevada, 8:00 pm

Nevada ranked first in the nation in the regular season in yards per play gained on offense (7.5 ypp) and 2nd in terms of total offense per game (521.6 yards). The weakness of the Wolf Pack is on defense, where they gave up 6.2 yards per play, more than any other team in the YPPSYS top 50 teams. How Nevada could have been shut out 35-0 by Notre Dame to open the season and how they could lose to a weak Colorado State 35-20 early in the season is anyone's guess, but the team improved later, running up big scores (albeit on weaker teams) and even losing to unbeaten Boise State only 44-33 in the season finale. However, a team with a defense as bad as this can be beaten on any given day by a team clicking on offense.

Is SMU such a team? This will be SMU's first bowl game in 25 years! Under the leadership of second-year head coach June Jones, formerly of Hawaii, for whom this bowl game in Honolulu is a personal homecoming, SMU has made great progress this year, finishing the regular season at 7-5 after going 1-11 last year. That is a turnaround which shows what a top coach can achieve.

Our call: Nevada was favored by 11 points in the opening line, which stands at 15.5 points currently. YPPSYS ranks SMU 62nd with a rating of -1.8 and the Wolf Pack 35th with a rating of -0.6, which gives Nevada a 1.2 x 9 = 10.8 point edge. The Wolf Pack had a margin of victory of 13.4 points to the Mustangs -1.2 for a net difference of 14.6 points. Adjusted for schedule difficulty by YPPSYS II this gives the Wolf Pack a rating of 8.0 points (compare that to the schedule adjusted MOV for Boise State of 19.3 points and you hit the 44-33 game result between them right on the head). SMU has a schedule adjusted MOV of -6.7 which gives a 14.7 point difference. We err on the side of June Jones for the line and call it 48-38 for Nevada.

NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 utilize YPPSYS ratings and rankings (yards per play advantage - offense and defense, won-loss record, schedule of difficulty according to Massey Ratings) and YPPSYS II for the top 40 teams (YPPSYS II = YPPSYS I supplemented by MOV, margin of victory plus the schedule difficulty recalculated based on YPPSYS ratings).

YPPSYS COLLEGE FOOTBALL RATINGS AND RANKINGS - NCAA DIVISION I-A (FBS) are based on net yards per play advantage (NAYPPA), strength of schedule, defense and adjustment for losses through December 5, 2009, after Week 14 of regular season games.

NAYPPA = net yards per play advantage (YPP OFF minus YPP DEF)
YPP OFF = net yards per play gained on offense
YPP DEF = net yards per play allowed on defense
Schedule = Schedule difficulty thus far in the season according to Massey Ratings
(SchP=Schedule Partial)
YPP Team Statistics are based on data found at
cfbstats.com
Odds are taken from Todd Beck's College Football Prediction Tracker
as of Wednesday, December 16, 2009 9:42:07 AM

The prognostications cover numerous bowl games and great match-ups. Few games can be said to be mis-matched and ultimate winners are in doubt in many.


LAW PUNDIT Thursday, December 17, 2009 12/17/2009 08:41:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Poinsettia Bowl : Utah vs. California : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

This college football bowl season we are publishing our game predictions to LawPundit game by game. These postings are traditionally among our most popular posts and utilize our unique YPPSYS system - based on yards per play advantage and schedule difficulty, this year combined with a schedule-adjusted margin of victory variable.

We make no warranties as to the truth or accuracy of our information. As always, we do this in good fun only - do not rely on our predictions for anything - and we disclaim any and all liability for any reliance upon our prognostications. Football is sport. May the best team win.


December 23, 2009, Wednesday

5. Poinsettia Bowl, San Diego, CA, Utah vs. California, 8:00 pm

Utah has the nation's longest intact bowl winning streak at 8 games and its current head coach, Kyle Whittingham is 4-0. During the season, the Utes played 3 teams currently ranked in the top 15 and lost to them all (TCU, Oregon and BYU). Utah lost to Oregon by only 7, 31-24, in a game fairly even on stats, and had better stats than BYU in its season-ending loss 26-23, in overtime. Utah was soundly beaten only by TCU, and the Horned Frogs are simply the better team this year.

Cal is 5-1 in bowl games under head coach Jeff Tedford, who has done a lot for Cal football but whose teams seldom play consistently well throughout one full season. Although Cal this year beat ranked Arizona and Stanford, Cal also lost to ranked Oregon and USC and to unranked Oregon State and Washington, ignominiously losing in their final regular season game 42-10 to a Huskies team it beat last year 48-7. The Cal loss was a tremendous finish for first year head coach Steve Sarkisian, as Washington went 5-7 this year as compared to 0-12 the past season, but it once again brought to light the Golden Bears inconsistent play under Tedford tutelage. Injured tailback Jahvid Best will not play in the bowl game - according to this report.

Our call: YPPSYS ranks Utah 26th with a rating of -0.2 and California 38th with a rating of -0.7, so that the .5 rating difference x 9 means 4.5 points on the scoreboard in favor of Utah. The schedule adjusted margin of victory gives Utah a rating of 5.3 and Cal a rating of 2.1, i.e. a field goal advantage to the Utes. The opening line had Cal as 2.5 point favorites and that is now up to 4 points. Even if we give Cal a bit of a home field advantage because this game is in California, we still call it 31-30 for Utah.

NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 utilize YPPSYS ratings and rankings (yards per play advantage - offense and defense, won-loss record, schedule of difficulty according to Massey Ratings) and YPPSYS II for the top 40 teams (YPPSYS II = YPPSYS I supplemented by MOV, margin of victory plus the schedule difficulty recalculated based on YPPSYS ratings).

YPPSYS COLLEGE FOOTBALL RATINGS AND RANKINGS - NCAA DIVISION I-A (FBS) are based on net yards per play advantage (NAYPPA), strength of schedule, defense and adjustment for losses through December 5, 2009, after Week 14 of regular season games.

NAYPPA = net yards per play advantage (YPP OFF minus YPP DEF)
YPP OFF = net yards per play gained on offense
YPP DEF = net yards per play allowed on defense
Schedule = Schedule difficulty thus far in the season according to Massey Ratings
(SchP=Schedule Partial)
YPP Team Statistics are based on data found at
cfbstats.com
Odds are taken from Todd Beck's College Football Prediction Tracker
as of Wednesday, December 16, 2009 9:42:07 AM

The prognostications cover numerous bowl games and great match-ups. Few games can be said to be mis-matched and ultimate winners are in doubt in many.



LAW PUNDIT 12/17/2009 06:35:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Las Vegas Bowl : BYU vs. Oregon State : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

We make no warranties as to the truth or accuracy of our information. As always, we do this in good fun only - do not rely on our predictions for anything - and we disclaim any and all liability for any reliance upon our prognostications. Football is sport. May the best team win.

December 22, 2009, Tuesday

4. Las Vegas Bowl, BYU vs. Oregon State, 8:00 pm

In spite of a season opening 14-13 upset win over the Oklahoma Sooners, the BYU early season 3rd game 54-28 blowout loss to Florida State did not help raise the status of the Mountain West Conference, although the game stats were nearly even, as each team punted only once and gained ca. 500 yards total offense, with the Cougars actually gaining more yards per play (8.9 ypp) than the Seminoles (6.6 ypp), but BYU turned the ball over 5 times. The 31-7 loss to TCU was in fact much more devastating in terms of domination. Doubt-provoking was also a late season 24-19 squeaker over then winless New Mexico.

Oregon State fields a very strong team who's worst loss of the season was to unbeaten Cincinnati 28-18 early in the season, with close losses to Arizona, USC and Oregon, as the Beavers came within a gnawed log of going to the Rose Bowl, losing the "Civil War for the Roses" to Oregon 37-33, rightfully so in our opinion, as the Ducks are surely the better representative, with a lone conference loss to Stanford and one out of conference loss to Boise State.

Our call: The betting line favors Oregon State by 2.5 points. YPPSYS ranks BYU 15th (rating .02) and Oregon State 33rd (rating -0.6) which gives Brigham Young University a 0.8 rating advantage and 0.8 x 9 = 7.2 points on the scoreboard. YPPSYS II gives BYU an 8.6 MOV schedule-adjusted rating as compared to 5.4 for the Beavers, or a one field goal advantage for the Cougars. Both YPPSYS calculations thus favor BYU. We call it 37-34 for BYU.

NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 utilize YPPSYS ratings and rankings (yards per play advantage - offense and defense, won-loss record, schedule of difficulty according to Massey Ratings) and YPPSYS II for the top 40 teams (YPPSYS II = YPPSYS I supplemented by MOV, margin of victory plus the schedule difficulty recalculated based on YPPSYS ratings).

YPPSYS COLLEGE FOOTBALL RATINGS AND RANKINGS - NCAA DIVISION I-A (FBS) are based on net yards per play advantage (NAYPPA), strength of schedule, defense and adjustment for losses through December 5, 2009, after Week 14 of regular season games.

NAYPPA = net yards per play advantage (YPP OFF minus YPP DEF)
YPP OFF = net yards per play gained on offense
YPP DEF = net yards per play allowed on defense
Schedule = Schedule difficulty thus far in the season according to Massey Ratings
(SchP=Schedule Partial)
YPP Team Statistics are based on data found at
cfbstats.com
Odds are taken from Todd Beck's College Football Prediction Tracker
as of Wednesday, December 16, 2009 9:42:07 AM

The prognostications cover numerous bowl games and great match-ups. Few games can be said to be mis-matched and ultimate winners are in doubt in many.



LAW PUNDIT 12/17/2009 06:11:00 PM [Home] [Print]

New Orleans Bowl : Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

This college football bowl season we are publishing our game predictions to LawPundit game by game. These postings are traditionally among our most popular posts and utilize our unique YPPSYS system - based on yards per play advantage and schedule difficulty, this year combined with a schedule-adjusted margin of victory variable.

We make no warranties as to the truth or accuracy of our information. As always, we do this in good fun only - do not rely on our predictions for anything - and we disclaim any and all liability for any reliance upon our prognostications. Football is sport. May the best team win.


December 20, 2009, Sunday

3. New Orleans Bowl, Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee, 8:30 pm

YPPSYS I ranks Middle Tennessee 42nd (rated -0.8) and Southern Miss 46th (rated -1.4), so that the ratings favor the Blue Raiders by .6 x 9 = 5.4 points. Middle Tennessee had a MOV of 8.2 as compared to the Golden Eagles 8.5, or a .3 advantage for Southern Miss, lessened by .1 through ease of schedule difficulty, so that YPPSYS II would give the Golden Eagles a razor thin .2 point advantage. The opening line favored Southern Miss by 6 points and now stands at 3.5 points.

Our call: The Golden Eagles bring a leaky pass defense into the game against a capable pass-and-run QB in Dwight Dasher, who may prove to be the difference in the football game. We call it for Middle Tennessee 27-26.

NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 utilize YPPSYS ratings and rankings (yards per play advantage - offense and defense, won-loss record, schedule of difficulty according to Massey Ratings) and YPPSYS II for the top 40 teams (YPPSYS II = YPPSYS I supplemented by MOV, margin of victory plus the schedule difficulty recalculated based on YPPSYS ratings).

YPPSYS COLLEGE FOOTBALL RATINGS AND RANKINGS - NCAA DIVISION I-A (FBS) are based on net yards per play advantage (NAYPPA), strength of schedule, defense and adjustment for losses through December 5, 2009, after Week 14 of regular season games.

NAYPPA = net yards per play advantage (YPP OFF minus YPP DEF)
YPP OFF = net yards per play gained on offense
YPP DEF = net yards per play allowed on defense
Schedule = Schedule difficulty thus far in the season according to Massey Ratings
(SchP=Schedule Partial)
YPP Team Statistics are based on data found at
cfbstats.com
Odds are taken from Todd Beck's College Football Prediction Tracker
as of Wednesday, December 16, 2009 9:42:07 AM

The prognostications cover numerous bowl games and great match-ups. Few games can be said to be mis-matched and ultimate winners are in doubt in many.



LAW PUNDIT 12/17/2009 05:41:00 PM [Home] [Print]

St. Petersburg Bowl, Rutgers vs. UCF : YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season
 

This college football bowl season we are publishing our game predictions to LawPundit game by game. These postings are traditionally among our most popular posts and utilize our unique YPPSYS system - based on yards per play advantage and schedule difficulty, this year combined with a schedule-adjusted margin of victory variable.

We make no warranties as to the truth or accuracy of our information. As always, we do this in good fun only - do not rely on our predictions for anything - and we disclaim any and all liability for any reliance upon our prognostications. Football is sport. May the best team win.


December 19, 2009, Saturday


2. St. Petersburg Bowl, Rutgers vs. UCF, St. Petersburg, FL, 8:00 pm

Scarlet Knights vs. Knights - a rare football joust between teams rated 49th and 52nd by YPPSYS, giving Rutgers a .1 x x 9 = .9 points advantage. The Scarlet Knights averaged a MOV of 10.1 to 5.6 for UCF for a MOV favoring Rutgers by 4.5, but the adjustment for YPPSYS schedule difficulty is -.6 rating points x 9 = 5.4 giving the advantage to UCF by .9 points, so that the YPPSYS II rating exactly offsets the YPPSYS I rating, which makes this game dead even on paper.

UCF has the stouter running defense and the weaker passing defense (112th nationally). The heralded offensive line at Rutgers has not lived up to expectations this year and Rutgers is not likely to run the ball well against UCF.

As for the passing game, the Scarlet Knights' freshman QB Tom Savage has a very low quarterback rating of 82.5 and is facing a strong pass rush. If Case Keenum and Houston could not beat UCF, then Rutgers will be hard pressed to do so.

Our call: Rutgers opened as a 4-point favorite and the line is now 3 points.
We call this game 21-20 for UCF, thinking that playing in Florida will give them nearly a home field advantage.

NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 utilize YPPSYS ratings and rankings (yards per play advantage - offense and defense, won-loss record, schedule of difficulty according to Massey Ratings) and YPPSYS II for the top 40 teams (YPPSYS II = YPPSYS I supplemented by MOV, margin of victory plus the schedule difficulty recalculated based on YPPSYS ratings).

YPPSYS COLLEGE FOOTBALL RATINGS AND RANKINGS - NCAA DIVISION I-A (FBS) are based on net yards per play advantage (NAYPPA), strength of schedule, defense and adjustment for losses through December 5, 2009, after Week 14 of regular season games.

NAYPPA = net yards per play advantage (YPP OFF minus YPP DEF)
YPP OFF = net yards per play gained on offense
YPP DEF = net yards per play allowed on defense
Schedule = Schedule difficulty thus far in the season according to Massey Ratings
(SchP=Schedule Partial)
YPP Team Statistics are based on data found at
cfbstats.com
Odds are taken from Todd Beck's College Football Prediction Tracker
as of Wednesday, December 16, 2009 9:42:07 AM

The prognostications cover numerous bowl games and great match-ups. Few games can be said to be mis-matched and ultimate winners are in doubt in many.



LAW PUNDIT 12/17/2009 05:12:00 PM [Home] [Print]

YPPSYS NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 Season : New Mexico Bowl : Fresno State vs. Wyoming
 

This college football bowl season we are publishing our game predictions to LawPundit game by game. These postings are traditionally among our most popular posts and utilize our unique YPPSYS system - based on yards per play advantage and schedule difficulty, this year combined with a schedule-adjusted margin of victory variable.

We make no warranties as to the truth or accuracy of our information. As always, we do this in good fun only - do not rely on our predictions for anything - and we disclaim any and all liability for any reliance upon our prognostications. Football is sport. May the best team win.


December 19, 2009, Saturday


1. New Mexico Bowl, Albuquerque, NM, Fresno State vs. Wyoming, 4:30 pm (read preview from The Sportmeisters at BleacherReport.com) and this article about Wyoming at Rivals.com.)

At YPPSYS, the Bulldogs (YPPSYS rating -1.9) rank 66th and the Cowboys (YPPSYS rating -3.1) rank 99th, which makes Fresno State the favorite by 10.8 points (-3.1 - -1.9 = 1.2 x 9 = 10.8 points. The opening line favored the Bulldogs by 13, but the current line is 11 points, virtually the same as our own stats.
Wyoming scored 10.4 points less than opponents due to a weak offense this season, a surprising result when one considers the credentials of first year head coach Dave Christensen, who did great things as offensive coordinator the previous season at Missouri. Pat Hill is a successful if also controversial head coach in Fresno who was expected to bring Fresno State into the top national rankings, but this has not happened.
Our call: Wyoming will struggle with the Fresno State running attack so it is a question of how much offense they can sustain themselves. We call it for Fresno State 44-34.

NCAA FBS College Football Bowl Game Predictions 2009 / 2010 utilize YPPSYS ratings and rankings (yards per play advantage - offense and defense, won-loss record, schedule of difficulty according to Massey Ratings) and YPPSYS II for the top 40 teams (YPPSYS II = YPPSYS I supplemented by MOV, margin of victory plus the schedule difficulty recalculated based on YPPSYS ratings).

YPPSYS COLLEGE FOOTBALL RATINGS AND RANKINGS - NCAA DIVISION I-A (FBS) are based on net yards per play advantage (NAYPPA), strength of schedule, defense and adjustment for losses through December 5, 2009, after Week 14 of regular season games.

NAYPPA = net yards per play advantage (YPP OFF minus YPP DEF)
YPP OFF = net yards per play gained on offense
YPP DEF = net yards per play allowed on defense
Schedule = Schedule difficulty thus far in the season according to Massey Ratings
(SchP=Schedule Partial)
YPP Team Statistics are based on data found at
cfbstats.com
Odds are taken from Todd Beck's College Football Prediction Tracker
as of Wednesday, December 16, 2009 9:42:07 AM

The prognostications cover numerous bowl games and great match-ups. Few games can be said to be mis-matched and ultimate winners are in doubt in many.



LAW PUNDIT Thursday, December 10, 2009 12/10/2009 11:29:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Christmas in the Spirit of Business : 'Twas the Night before Earnings
 

'Twas the Night before Earnings from Jim Buckley at Sharon Merrill Associates

- with apologies to Clement C. Moore -

should warm every Christmas heart in the upper echelons of business everywhere in the world.

Hat tip to TigerHawk.


LAW PUNDIT 12/10/2009 10:35:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Income Equality Best in Europe : USA Lags Behind : Robert Paterson's Weblog: EconomPic: Income - Destruction of the Middle Class
 

Income inequality is one of the major problems of the third world and also of the United States. The world leader in income equality is Europe - and it is no coincidence that Europe is also the most civilized area of the world.


For the figures, see Robert Paterson's Weblog: EconomPic: Income - Destruction of the Middle Class


LAW PUNDIT 12/10/2009 01:54:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Supreme Court Rejects Early Appeals of Attorney-Client Privilege Determinations
 

At law.com Marcia Coyle, National Law Journal, reports that the U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Early Appeals of Attorney-Client Privilege Determinations.


LAW PUNDIT Saturday, December 05, 2009 12/05/2009 01:54:00 AM [Home] [Print]

Law and Golf : Illinois pair charged in Titleist golf ball scam | SouthCoastToday.com
 

LAW PUNDIT Friday, December 04, 2009 12/04/2009 10:43:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Razorlight "Wire to Wire" Is a Blockbuster Song
 

Razorlight "Wire to Wire" Is a Blockbuster Song



LAW PUNDIT Thursday, December 03, 2009 12/03/2009 11:01:00 AM [Home] [Print]

Privacy Controls Changed at Facebook | An Open Letter from Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg
 

Facebook is changing its privacy controls in an update that will require all Facebook users to update their privacy settings. Mark Zuckerberg announced the changes at his Facebook blog:

Facebook | An Open Letter from Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg.



LAW PUNDIT Wednesday, December 02, 2009 12/02/2009 10:20:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Cornell Law Library - InSITE - Annotation on LawPundit
 

The Cornell Law Library - InSITE has the following annotation about the LawPundit blog:

"Contents: LawPundit is an English-language legal blog produced by Andis Kaulins, of the University of Trier, Germany. Kaulins’ posts are weekly, if not daily, but usually contain meaty commentary and voluminous links. The posts offer accommodations for reader feedback, although most posts don’t seem to be generating the kind of controversy and/or buzz that other legal blogs are known for. This is unfortunate, as the LawPundit does a lot of original research on topics of great interest to legal researchers, especially legal research educators and librarians. Perhaps legal researchers and librarians are not particularly quarrelsome, but everyone would benefit from visiting and participating with this refreshing if under-rated blog. Posts on sports, music and U.S. politics somewhat outnumber those on purely legal topics, but the blog remains a source of entertaining and worthwhile commentary on legal issues, and a source of links to other legal research resources online.

Author of Annotation: B. Kreisler/J. Cusker"

Thank you.

Take a look at the Cornell Law Library InSITE.


LAW PUNDIT Tuesday, December 01, 2009 12/01/2009 10:22:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Powering the Dubai Overshoot | Gregor.us
 

Powering the Dubai Overshoot | Gregor.us


LAW PUNDIT 12/01/2009 09:05:00 PM [Home] [Print]

LawPundit at New York Times Topics Organizations : Headlines Around the Web on December 1, 2009 : Punitive Damages and U.S. Supreme Court Standards
 

The New York Times picked up our previous LawPundit parody posting on the U.S. Supreme Court's standard on punitive damages and its application to a concrete case by the California Supreme Court - a link to that posting currently appears on the NYTimes U.S. Supreme Court page as follows (we have added the red arrow and circle):


We have appeared in these headlines before, but as experience shows, we can be quickly replaced as time marches on and new postings replace the old ones, so be nimble and quick.

Note that we previously posted at length at LawPundit about the abuse of punitive damages in the courts. See US Supreme Court Vacates Absurd Punitive Damages Award in Oregon Tobacco Case : What American Law Should Learn from European Law.


LAW PUNDIT 12/01/2009 04:53:00 PM [Home] [Print]

Don't Go to Work and Make Millions by Staying at Home : The Caliphonia Supreme Court Shows the Way : Panic Disorder and Punitive Damages
 

Just as a matter of law, I think that this is an airy parody....

In a whiffy opinion written by Justice Canard (sic), the Caliphonia (sic) Supreme Court has issued a decision in which punitive damages were awarded in the same amount as the already greatly inflated compensatory damages, relying on the standards set out in State Farm Mut. Auto Ins. Co. v. Campbell (2003) 538 U.S. 408. The court, in issuing its decision, was not disturbed by the fact, as the opinion writes, that "discrepancies suggest that the jury did not really understand the various categories of damages listed on the special verdict form." Or, as the legal sceptic of the American jury system might say, who cares what the jury understood.

See a synopsis of this case in An Appeal to Reason.

See also Robber (sic) v. McKesson: Cal. Supreme Court Reduces Punitive Damages to 1-to-1 Ratio.

In the instant caliphony case, compensatory damages of $1,905,000 and an equal amount in punitive damages were awarded in circumstances involving an employee who suffered from "panic disorder" and "body odor", allegedly through medication. That same employee, because of this malodorous medical disorder, and without required advance notice, would often simply not show up at work for extended periods of time on days where "panic" befell her, leading - perhaps unsurprisingly - to a strained relationship with her direct supervisor, who - the court found - demeaned the employee by reporting negatively to fellow workers time-and-again that the employee was "absent again". This was not reported happily. The court leaves this standard unexplained. Is it demeaning to report that someone is "absent" at all? and how many absences make the report "demeaning"? Can the absence no longer be reported, let us say after 3 absences? Does one have to smile and bear it after the 4th absence?

In any case, for the company involved, that was a million dollar mistake.

In this case the court also awarded punitive damages in a ratio of 1:1 to the compensatory damages, so that the total award was ca. $3,800,000 - not bad for a few days of skipping work.

Compensatory damages? Punitive damages? Leveled against people stinky about someone stinky not doing their job? Where is there a pure connection to odiferous real life??

Let us ask a simple question. How much does a normal employee earn in a LIFETIME??

Should judgment awards bear ANY relation to that figure in determining compensatory damages for events which occur in the workplace? How possibly can damage awards be higher than an employee's possible lifetime earnings? For what possible reason?

How many people at any given company have to work for how long to fund an award like this? Do exorbitant awards violate the due process of other employees if such awards have no sane bearing to economic realities?

Someone pays for such judicial awards, and that someone is made up of those who work, honestly, day to day, to produce the products that are needed to make the profits from which such absurdly inflated judgments must be paid.

The judges in cases like this must live in a deluded never-never financial land of milk and honey where money is seen to flow unceasingly out of bottomless company coffers at the bidding of a Robin Hood focused court order. Never mind the economics.

Coincidentally, I was talking to an acquaintance just yesterday about a similar case. He told me about a former neighbor of his - Jane Doe - who used to work at the same company where he still works, and where he will probably be employed for the rest of his professional life. He is a nice guy but has trouble understanding how the world works.

He was on a client call in the wealthiest neighborhood in town, and the client turned out to be his former neighbor, who now lives in an "adorable" French-style mansion with 7 bedrooms. It is rumored that Lion Forest occassionally drops by. She also had several new luxury cars parked in the long half-oval-shaped driveway on a magnificent lot overlooking the city in the valley below. She had just returned from a vacation trip around the world, basking at the close for several months in the Bahamas, and was radiant and suntanned to the hilt.

My acquaintance told me that he had initially assumed that she had married into wealthy circumstances, which turned out not to be true. Who marries for money?

He could recall the time that they were neighbors when he saw her occasionally on his off days in the middle of the work week, where she could be seen - only from his back yard - bikini sunbathing on her secluded veranda. Hmmm. These were the days when Lion Forest also appeared.

He had wondered how she got so much time off from work in the same company where he was employed himself, and he had even asked her about it once, receiving the reply that she suffered from a rare disorder and needed the sun for her "skin condition".

A few days ago he had learned from a friend in a chance conversation that Jane Doe's money did not come from a wealthy marriage but from a million-dollar compensatory and punitive damages court case in which she had sued the company for mobbing her at her place of work. Her supervisor had been repulsed by her stinky panic outbreaks in the workplace.

She would break out into hives and perspire profusely if she even thought about her job and then she would scratch herself in nervous fits of employment fear, especially when at work.

She hated working, everyone had known that. Fear of work was widespread, but still, people had made fun of her condition, and that could not be tolerated. She was SO sensitive.

Her cousin, a wealthy and experienced lawyer, had sued on her behalf for reprehensible harassment, only asking to be paid a percentage of the verdict in case they won. Otherwise, he had represented her for free. Such a doll. You have to know the law. She showed THEM.

The jury awarded her $1,000,000. The court on appeal doubled it to $2,000,000. And when the case came to her State's Supremes, the judges fell all over themselves to point out the great wealth of the employing company and how such "exploiters" had to be taught a mighty lesson for being mean and nasty to someone suffering from an unpleasantly odiferous psychological and medical ailment. JOB PANIC SYNDROME. That was the diagnosis. It was a terrible fate. They doubled the award to $4,000,000, with equal parts compensatory and punitive damages. Nobody at the company cared, it was not THEIR money either. Someone would pay.

One of the judges, Justice Wergreed, had even written: "Wealth alone cannot justify judicial plunder of company coffers, but we should seek to soak these rich exploiters as much as possible if they have offended one of their employees by insisting upon work."

Ever since then, Jane Doe had lived on easy street, and reportedly laughed in private at the "stupid jerks", although it was not clear who she was referring to.

I looked at my acquaintance in the sad realization that he would - thankfully for him - never realize the full impact of the catastrophe that had befallen him. Rightly seen, he and his entire department would - in fact - be working for the rest of their lives at Jane Doe's former company in order to create the profits needed to pay for the court's award of damages to Jane Doe. He was your average, honest, hard-working American drone, oblivious to reality, suffering the most reprehensible harassment of all - a life devoted - indirectly - to having to work to pay off a stupid and vastly inflated court judgment for an employee playing hooky.

By the way, my acquaintance had observed in online financial charts and news that the salary of the company executives had increased threefold since that court judgment, although the wages of the workers had flattened out - not enough money it seems to pay for wage increases. In fact, things are in recession. I am speaking here of course, of the company of my acquaintance, and not of McKesson.


LAW PUNDIT 12/01/2009 12:48:00 PM [Home] [Print]

News Research : Most Searched New York Times Words and Phrases - The New York Times : Last 24 Hours : Last 7 Days : Last 30 Days
 

The New York Times has a page which references the most popular search terms at the NYTimes in the last 24 hours, the last 7 days and the last 30 days - updated hourly at Most Searched New York Times Words and Phrases - The New York Times.

At the time of this posting, for the last 24 hours, the search for Tiger Woods leads the search for health care, which is otherwise the top search term the last 30 days, followed by Obama and China. The most popular term the last 7 days was of course Thanksgiving.




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