Today's Berb-o-Meter and Babel

Just a couple of quick notes before today's matches start.  Yesterday in First Impressions and Second Thoughts, we created the idea of the Berb-o-Meter to predict how our favorite Really Up and Really Down striker might do for fantasy managers in any given outing.  Nothing like a little immediate feedback as he and ManYoo travel to Blackpool today to make up a postponed match from earlier in the season.  What sayeth the Berb-o-Meter?


  • Start at Zero
  • Are ManYoo playing at home? No (no points added): Total still zero
  • Did he score in his last match? Yes (subtract 5 points since he doesn't tend to score in consecutive matches): Total now at -5
  • What is the position in the table of ManYoo's opposition? Blackpool are currently 12th so add 2 points: Total now at -3
So, that's what the Berb-o-Meter gives us, a total of -3 for today's match.  If we're right (and who can argue with science like this?), hopefully Berbs-owning fantasy managers will be content with the 36 points he put up over the weekend plus a few phantom points for today.

In Other News...
Ryan Babel has finally accepted one of the many transfer options out of Liverpool and will be headed to Hoffenheim.  A sad day for all of those Liverpool fans who kept thinking that he'd make an impact if only he were given more of a chance. I have to admit I was bullish on Liverpool's Babel acquisition at the time it happened and was bitter he didn't go to Arsenal.  That said, in the intervening years I find it hard to believe that if he were THAT good that multiple managers would have let him rot on the bench while their teams underperformed fan expectations. Even @ssholes like K2, Balotelli, Gallas, and Joey Barton are repeatedly given chances to play despite their, ahem, personality flaws and Babel has never been thrown in with that bunch as far as being a jerk.  Just a little immature maybe.

So, I guess we'll never know for sure if Babel could cut it in England.  In fairness to those who continued to hold out hope, he never did get an extended run of starts for the first team.  He turned down multiple options to transfer within the Prem last season with Birmingham being the destination I remember being the closest to coming to fruition.  It would have been interesting to see how he would have done if he'd played say 15 matches in a row.  Sort of the same dilemma that Wenger faces with Vela right now. 

In any event, with all that said, we'll waive goodbye to Mr. Babel and wish him well in Germany.  Maybe if he does well, the Premier League will come knocking again in a couple of years.  Stranger things have definitely happened.

Enjoy the matches.

9 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:04 PM

    science failed
    - Brian

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  2. G-man4:23 PM

    Hmm - maybe Berba-a-meter doesn't apply to individual games, but rather YFF game weeks? #GraspingAtStraws

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  3. well, i know I enjoyed my berba-59 points

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  4. Anonymous7:52 PM

    quote "(and who can argue with science like this?)"..me thinks you should stick with football which does not include science

    afif-here

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  5. maybe you should add another factor...

    "Do you think Berba will score this week? If 'yes', -10, if 'no' +10"

    since he always seems to do the complete opposite of what we think he will

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  6. Anonymous9:20 PM

    All your calculus relies on the assumption that Berba is consistently inconsistent, which appears to be off. He's just inconsistently inconsistent.

    GunnerArt

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  7. Anonymous9:33 PM

    Wow, that just confused the hell out of me. Nice one GunnerArt.

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  8. Anonymous6:21 AM

    Berba brace. Must re-work the algorithm......

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  9. Anonymous7:58 PM

    GunnerArt you are a genius.

    I for one still have faith in the Berb o meter

    ReplyDelete