I think this is an appropriate time to say, "Correlation does not imply causation."

There are a ton of factors that create noise and I would bet a lot of money that the r-square, if they even bothered to find one, is really quite low.

I didn't know that the overall divorce rate was dropping. That's interesting.

If it's divorces per 1,000 people, couldn't the arrival of Major League Baseball correspond to a higher percentage of MBDs*, thereby reducing the number of individuals eligible to be divorced?

* Mother's Basement Dwellers.

Going to baseball games is one way couples can have fun together and talk as friends.

I'd be single in a week if I made my girl go to a baseball game. Not that she'd leave me, but I'd kill her when she asked me for the 20th time how many innings there are and why all the players are so fat.

My wife enjoys speculating as to which players are on PEDs and which aren't.

My wife likes sites like Primer that allow me to get all of this baseball talk out of my system before dinner time.

not talking about relationship issues

Wait, you mean we men have had it right all along?

Wait, you mean we men have had it right all along?

Of course we have, but I double dog dare you to try to convince your significant other of this.

I didn't know that the overall divorce rate was dropping. That's interesting.

I would think, on the face of it, that divorce rate would continue to decline as societal pressures to marry become less. I have no stats to back that up, just a hypothesis.

I would think, on the face of it, that divorce rate would continue to decline as societal pressures to marry become less. I have no stats to back that up, just a hypothesis.

This would be my guess, too. I'm not married, but I've lived with my girl for 5 years and I don't feel pressured to go through the formalities. Our parents on the other hand...

in a related story, why does BBTF now have softcore porn banner ads? I don't know what Civony is, but I'm a little afraid to find out at work.

I would think, on the face of it, that divorce rate would continue to decline as societal pressures to marry become less.

I read a stray stat somewhere that said that the percentage of Americans living with people they aren't related to (either sexual partners they aren't married to or roommates) is growing rapidly.

It used to be that single people lived alone, but this is getting harder to do as the percentage of people's income they spend on housing has gone up.

in a related story, why does BBTF now have softcore porn banner ads? I don't know what Civony is, but I'm a little afraid to find out at work.

I don't think it's porn. I'm assuming it's just a visual hook to get you to play an RPG. I'm not against more soft core porn ads, BTW. Keep 'em coming!

Hmm, I may just have to turn off AdBlocker to see for myself what all the fuss is about.

Hmm, I may just have to turn off AdBlocker to see for myself what all the fuss is about.

Right now it's Mormons at the top, soft core porn on the side. Which to choose, which to choose...

Right now it's Mormons at the top, soft core porn on the side. Which to choose, which to choose...

That would be the best Big Love episode ever.

I'd be single in a week if I made my girl go to a baseball game. Not that she'd leave me, but I'd kill her when she asked me for the 20th time how many innings there are and why all the players are so fat.

Single, and apparently, in jail on murder charges...

I really suspect this is a function of the geographic center of population of MLB cities being in the northeast, which already has a lower incidence of divorce than the national averages (IIRC Massachusetts has the lowest rate of any state). The article does, however, show larger-than-average declines in Denver, so take it for what it's worth.

#1 is right: this could also be a variant of the "churches cause epilepsy" fallacy.

#1 is right: this could also be a variant of the "churches cause epilepsy" fallacy.

wait, you mean churches don't cause epilepsy?

I have it on good authority that the divorce rate has increased in Montreal since the Expos left. Loria might as well have been "the other man".

Best regards,

Mike Green

but I'd kill her when she asked me for the 20th time how many innings there are

Off topic slightly, but this reminds me of a story my brother told me. He lives in Anchorage (my sister in law is a prof at UAA) and he took my niece to a high school hockey game a year or two ago. It was her first hockey game, and she's not much of a tomboy*. It was a state playoff game, and ended up going into like seven overtimes. Just recently they went to a UAA game (her second game), and in the final couple of minutes, one of the teams tied it up and went into OT, which is five minutes in the regular season. My niece, having only seen one overtime game was not very happy as she cried to my brother "Now we're going to be here for another two hours!"

*They did, however go to their first baseball game last summer in Anaheim, and both of my nieces had a great time, so I'm told.

Huh. Could be. My 2nd wife (I was her 3rd husband*) is still in marriage No. 5 & lives in a MLB city -- St. Louis. She was in DC when her 4th divorce occurred, but I'm not sure the Expos had moved there yet.


*I was also my 1st wife's 2nd husband. I like mathematical trends & patterns & such, but I can't say I have any sort of desire to become a 3rd woman's 4th husband.

Incidentally, Statistics Canada suggests that divorce rates are declining for two reasons- fewer marriages and fewer marital breakdowns ending in divorce (as opposed to separation agreement). There is no need for a divorce unless there is an intent to re-marry, so these two aspects are related.

Speaking of hockey overtime, did anyone catch the NCAA hockey final? Fabulous game, though I was rooting heavily for Miami. The third period was amazing. For 18:30, a #4 seed completely, totally dominated the #1 team in the country; I don't think BU even came close to a scoring chance over that stretch. Then, all of a sudden, a 3-1 game was 3-3. Granted, it was only the most dramatic ending to a game in this one tournament because it was the final, while Minnesota Duluth scoring twice in the last 40 seconds including one with 0.8 seconds left was a first rounder.

This was the most insanely crazy tournament ever. Three #1 seeds lost in the first round. Bemdiji State made it to the final four. Two games were tied up by scoring two goals in the last minute. A third game was tied up with even less time left on the clock than Duluth had. Two more games were won on goals with less than 15 seconds left in regulation. And Vermont beat Air Force in overtime on possibly the craziest goal I've ever seen.

Speaking of hockey overtime, did anyone catch the NCAA hockey final? Fabulous game, though I was rooting heavily for Miami. The third period was amazing. For 18:30, a #4 seed completely, totally dominated the #1 team in the country; I don't think BU even came close to a scoring chance over that stretch. Then, all of a sudden, a 3-1 game was 3-3. Granted, it was only the most dramatic ending to a game in this one tournament because it was the final, while Minnesota Duluth scoring twice in the last 40 seconds including one with 0.8 seconds left was a first rounder.

This was the most insanely crazy tournament ever. Three #1 seeds lost in the first round. Bemdiji State made it to the final four. Two games were tied up by scoring two goals in the last minute. A third game was tied up with even less time left on the clock than Duluth had. Two more games were won on goals with less than 15 seconds left in regulation. And Vermont beat Air Force in overtime on possibly the craziest goal I've ever seen.

I've never actually watched NCAA hockey, but this description has got me jazzed for the NHL playoffs. T-minus 90 minutes!

edit: the Leafs aren't in it, so it won't be the most exciting playoffs for me, but Ottawa is out too, so at least a cloud of dread won't be hanging over me.

wait, you mean churches don't cause epilepsy?

Perhaps not, but it's hardly worth the risk.

I was also my 1st wife's 2nd husband. I like mathematical trends & patterns & such, but I can't say I have any sort of desire to become a 3rd woman's 4th husband.

What if it's a Fibonacci sequence (3rd wife's 5th husband)?

But how would he go straight from his 3rd wife to his 5th wife? And then to his 8th wife?

But how would he go straight from his 3rd wife to his 5th wife? And then to his 8th wife?

I think we need to revisit that time machine discussion from one of the Adenhart threads.

I'm my 8th wife's 13th husband. You see, it makes sense because she was born on February 29th.

I'm my 8th wife's 13th husband. You see, it makes sense because she was born on February 29th.

You need to add a half hour in Newfoundland.

*I was also my 1st wife's 2nd husband. I like mathematical trends & patterns & such, but I can't say I have any sort of desire to become a 3rd woman's 4th husband.

Don't marry the widow next door.

I'd be single in a week if I made my girl go to a baseball game. Not that she'd leave me, but I'd kill her when she asked me for the 20th time how many innings there are and why all the players are so fat.


But you wouldn't be divorced.

I'd be single in a week if I made my girl go to a baseball game. Not that she'd leave me, but I'd kill her when she asked me for the 20th time how many innings there are and why all the players are so fat.

Where do you live? Most teams only have at most two fat players on the field at any given time. Maybe more if you're the Nationals.

my gf likes to go to ballgames, but she is adamant about not wanting to stick around if there's extra innings. i keep telling her its free baseball, but she doesn't care.

Wasn't there an article here a few weeks ago showing that baseball is the major sport with the largest female following? Shooty's wife notwithstanding.

I think women will more likely go to a baseball game for a date than to a football game. However, the rabid women football fans I have met greatly outnumber the rabid women baseball fans.

Where do you live? Most teams only have at most two fat players on the field at any given time. Maybe more if you're the Nationals.

Doesn't matter. She thinks they're all fat and they run slow. I think it's because she generally only sees baseball when I have a game on the tube. She does like the high socks, though. She's immediately fond of the few players who show the socks. She'll watch World Cup soccer and a bit of the Olympics and I'm fine with that. I really have no desire for us to share sports fandom together. I feel ridiculous being a sports fan sometimes, to be honest.