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Border Wars - Printable Version

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Border Wars - CTcard - 04-25-2014

I thought this was kind of fun, and hopefully no more off topic than most other spring/summer threads.

The NY Times has mapped America's borders between fan bases of differing baseball teams - using Facebook as the data input.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/23/upshot/24-upshot-baseball.html?rref=upshot

Here in CT this is indeed a big topic. The state is generally split between considering itself a part of New England and considering itself a giant suburb of New York City. That mostly coincides with, and is reflected in, rooting interst in the Yankees vs Red Sox - with the odd stickler in the southwest choosing the Mets. And you see surprising things happen - like fights between Red Sox oriented parents and Yankee oriented parents at Little League games, where unlike most Little League parent fights this is between parents of kids on the same team.

I suspect more here will be interested in the Giants vs As, and Dodgers/Giants border further south, both of which have their own map and discussion in the article.

My only complaint is there seems to be no thought as to whether Facebook is a good data source for the project. In fact, I was sort of annoyed by the comment that "John Branch's attempt at drawing the line in 2006, ... is quite impressive and accurate given his shoe-leather means."  The phrase "shoe-leather means" seems to denigrate actual reporting and gathering of information. By accurate they mean 'almost the same as the Facebook analysis'.  However, actually living on the Red Sox-Yankees border it seems to me that the 2006 effort was distinctly more accurate. For example, Facebook puts my own zip code in the Yankee camp, but from what I see around town there seems to be no question that it's Red Sox territory - unless it's just that those Yankee fans are too shy and retiring to notice.

What I find funny... - Redrum - 04-25-2014

Is the complete absence of graphic  Mets data for the same area of interest that you describe, as well as the NY metro area itself.  Now that is what the textbooks call "a marketing problem/opportunity".  Wow. 13%

As for your Connecticut problem, the answer is clear.  A pincers movement to cut off and isolate the Hartford Salient.  No beer, no internet, no Yankees fan paraphernalia allowed in or out.  Drop Red Sox hats from planes.  Destroy their will to resist.  Only let them out when they can name the Red Sox starting lineup.

Re: Border Wars - terry - 04-25-2014

(04-25-2014, 06:36 AM)CTcard link Wrote:My only complaint is there seems to be no thought as whether Facebook is a good data source for the project.

I agree. An analysis based on Facebook "likes" clearly is not a valid statistical analysis. People who join Facebook, then choose to "like" a team, are self-selected, not randomly chosen. Then there's a mystery algorithm that was used to "smooth the data and fill in the gaps." Is there some reason to believe that this method provides a good reflection of the overall population? The authors don't tell us.

Bringing this topic back around to Stanford, it's interesting to note the preferences in Stanford's zip code (94305):

62%  Giants
8%    A's
7%    Red Sox

Those numbers are typical of much of the Peninsula and the South Bay. The A's barely register on the radar, even after 45+ years in Oakland, 16 division titles, 6 World Series appearances, and an active campaign to move the A's to San Jose. Even in the East Bay, most areas prefer the Giants by a wide margin. The A's really look like a poor step-child under this methodology.

Re: Border Wars - Class_of_75 - 04-25-2014

When I lived in Danbury, CT, we used to joke that we Fairfield County residents thought that the state capital was Albany, not Hartford.

Re: Border Wars - CTcard - 04-25-2014

(04-25-2014, 08:49 AM)terry link Wrote:Bringing this topic back around to Stanford, it's interesting to note the preferences in Stanford's zip code (94305):

62%  Giants
8%    A's
7%    Red Sox

Those numbers are typical of much of the Peninsula and the South Bay. The A's barely register on the radar, even after 45+ years in Oakland, 16 division titles, 6 World Series appearances, and an active campaign to move the A's to San Jose. Even in the East Bay, most areas prefer the Giants by a wide margin. The A's really look like a poor step-child under this methodology.

I find it hilarious that around the peninsula, the Red Sox are in just about a tie with the As, and stand as the most popular out-of-town team. Are there really that many MIT/Harvard grads in Silicon Valley?

The Yankees seem to take that spot in the East Bay. That only confirms that there is some moral infection that arises from being too close to Cal.

Re: Border Wars - stupac2 - 04-25-2014

(04-25-2014, 08:57 AM)CTcard link Wrote:I find it hilarious that around the peninsula, the Red Sox are in just about a tie with the As, and stand as the most popular out-of-town team. Are there really that many MIT/Harvard grads in Silicon Valley?

The Yankees seem to take that spot in the East Bay. That only confirms that there is some moral infection that arises from being too close to Low APR U.

Those of us who grew up in New England understand the necessity of getting the ***** out of New England. The Bay Area is a great landing spot.

Re: Border Wars - yvonne - 04-25-2014

Well, that explains the electoral college vote Massachusetts lost after the last census.

Re: Border Wars - Mick - 04-25-2014

(04-25-2014, 08:57 AM)CTcard link Wrote:I find it hilarious that around the peninsula, the Red Sox are in just about a tie with the As, and stand as the most popular out-of-town team. Are there really that many MIT/Harvard grads in Silicon Valley?


Probably not solely MIT/Harvard grads in SV.  But there are 7.5 million residents in the 9 county SF Bay Area, and the Boston area is reminiscent of the SFBA in a number of ways.  If you throw in New England-born residents along with residents who are grads of American International College, Amherst College, Andover Newton Theological School, Anna Maria College, Assumption College, Babson College, Bard College at Simon's Rock, Bay Path College, Bay State College, Becker College, Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, Bentley University, Berklee College of Music, Berkshire Community College, Blessed John XXIII National Seminary, Boston Architectural College, Boston Baptist College, Boston College, Boston Conservatory, Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, Boston University, Brandeis University, Bridgewater State University, Bristol Community College, Bunker Hill Community College, Cambridge College, Cape Cod Community College, Clark University, College of the Holy Cross, Conway School of Landscape Design, Curry College, Dean College, Eastern Nazarene College, Elms College, College of Our Lady of the Elms, Emerson College, Emmanuel College, Endicott College, Episcopal Divinity School, Fisher College, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, Gordon College, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Greenfield Community College, Hampshire College, Harvard University, Hebrew College, Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
Holyoke Community College, Hult International Business School, Labouré College, Lasell College, Lesley University, Longy School of Music, Marian Court College. Massachusetts Bay Community College, Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Massachusetts School of Law, Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, Massasoit Community College, Merrimack College, Middlesex Community College, Montserrat College of Art, Mount Holyoke College, Mount Ida College, Mount Wachusett Community College, New England College of Optometry, New England Conservatory, New England Institute of Art, New England School of Law, Newbury College, Nichols College, North Shore Community College, Northeastern University, Northern Essex Community College, Northpoint Bible College, Pine Manor College, Quincy College, Quinsigamond Community College, Regis College, Roxbury Community College, Saint John's Seminary, Salem State University, Salter College, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Simmons College, Smith College, Springfield College, Springfield Technical Community College, Stonehill College, Suffolk University, Tufts University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Massachusetts Boston, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, University of Massachusetts Lowell, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Urban College of Boston, Wellesley College, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Western New England University, Westfield State University, Wheaton College,
Wheelock College, Williams College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Worcester State University...then you probably have a few Red Sox fans in the SF Bay Area.


Re: Border Wars - Bruce Wang - 04-25-2014

Speaking of Border Wars, Ohio and Michigan once "fought" a border war - whether any shots actually got fired is disputed.  I'm not talking about Woody and Bo's Ten Year War.  This border dispute was about Toledo.  The federal government intervened to stop it from escalating and gave the Skunkbears the Upper Peninsula to placate them.  So the saying is  "Ohio and Michigan fought a war.  Wisconsin lost."

Re: Border Wars - Stymie - 04-26-2014

(04-25-2014, 08:51 AM)Class_of_75 link Wrote:When I lived in Danbury, CT, we used to joke that we Fairfield County residents thought that the state capital was Albany, not Hartford.

I grew up in Fairfield County when you could buy booze in NY at age 18, and we thought that our State Capital was Portchester.