Apparently a group of geeks at the Los Alamos National Laboratory have made a spreadsheet that argues that soccer is the world’s most exciting sport — more exciting than all those silly American sports — based on “upset frequency.” That is, they looked at hundreds of thousands of games and it turns out that soccer has the most games where the result was not what the bookies expected. (I guess the soccer crowds aren’t so wise.) I can at least use this study to take some solace in my increasingly dismal performances in the Predictorship. Sigh.

(No comment yet from the the Jim Romes of the world in re: how this study doesn’t take into account long periods of knocking the ball about the midfield/ “It’s all here–fast-kicking, low scoring, and ties? You bet!”/ “You’ll see all your favorite soccer stars. Like Ariaga! Ariaga II! Bariaga! Aruglia! And Pizzoza!”)

Also, shouldn’t the folks at Los Alamos be making nuclear weapons or at least leaking nuclear secrets? I’m just sayin.

Link:
Surprises make soccer the best sport [New Scientist]