Recently, The Writings conducted a survey about the NCAA men's basketball tournament Final Four. With the championship game now well in our past and the North Carolina Tar Heels cemented in history as champs, its time to examine the survey results.*
*If you're saying, "Actually, it would have made a lot more sense to examine these results right after championship game," you're a rather astute reader. However, you're also making me look kind of foolish. I hope there's no one around to listen to you.
Question 1 - Who will win the NCAA Tournament?
Results - One-third of the field correctly predicted that Tyler Hansbrough's natural "I'm very surprised" look would be prominently featured in the post-game "One Shining Moment" video package with UNC becoming National Champions. Unfortunately, half of respondents picked teams that did not even wind up in the championship game.
Conclusion - It seems my readers take after me. On the whole, they predict things with the precision of Robin of Locksley's arthritic grandmother.
Question 2 - Which team nickname would be the least creepy for a member of the opposite sex to call you?
Results - There was no clear winner, as Wildcat and Spartan split the vote evenly.
Conclusion - Note to self: It seems that calling a female "Huskie" is a bad idea. Who could have guessed that?
Question 3 - I would rather watch...
Results - The University of North Carolina wins another one, as alum Michael Jordan's Space Jam picked up 2/3 of the vote. MSU alum Magic Johnson's instructional video was the only choice that did not earn a single vote.
Conclusion - In the world of The Writings, playing basketball with a cartoon rabbit against aliens is cool. Learning fundamentals is not... That, or readers have seen Magic recently and realize that he doesn't look to be doing much running up and down the court himself.
Question 4 - My interest in the remaining games of the NCAA Tournament is best described as...
Results - There was no consensus. Answers encompassed the entire spectrum.
Conclusion - The readership is diverse when it comes to the world of sports. Some readers like nothing more than a good game, while others would rather watch highlights of a results show for "So You Think You Can Yodel While Tap Dancing and Shotgunning a Schlitz?"*
*Actually, I think that sounds like a pretty entertaining show. Can someone make that happen?
Question 5 - I know who Lastings Milledge and/or Justin Upton are/is.
Results - Alas, we have consensus, and it comes in the form of an overwhelming "no."
Conclusion - It seems normal people, (yes, dear reader, I consider you normal) are not concerned with knowing the starting lineups for the Washington Nationals or the Arizona Diamondbacks. While this is a bit startling, I will attempt to proceed.
Ques-... C'mon, you aren't even remotely interested in knowing that Milledge bats leadoff and plays centerfield for the Nationals? Or that Upton is a former No. 1 pick and starts for the Diamondbacks despite the fact that he's only 21? I think you're going to regret this when the two clubs meet in May.
...What do you mean you won't be watching?
Question 6 - I think this quiz was worthwhile, and I'd like to see more in the future. Yes or no?
Results - If we were in the midst of a game of Family Feud, you'd be feeling pretty good about picking "yes" as the top response.
Conclusion - People love providing their opinions... That, or readers like boosting my confidence after feeble attempts to try something new. Either way, I'll take it.
Question 7 - In seven words or less, describe a topic you'd like to like to see The Writings cover.
Results - I can't list them here. That would be like the writers of Lost coming out and saying what key plot twists are ahead in the series... Wait, no. That's not right, because the writers of Lost are actually talented. Nevertheless, I'm still going to refuse to release such sensitive information.
Conclusion - None, however I do have to speak on something else. As I type this, I have a nationally televised baseball game showing on my TV. A commentator in this very game is continually mispronouncing the name of one player. It's not even a difficult name to pronounce, yet he's butchering it as if he's attempting to speak Klingon or Elvish. Perhaps I am a bit idealistic, but I would think that one might double-check name pronunciations when he or she knows that they'll be mentioning said names on national television. Honestly, it's like posting something on the World Wide Web without proper editing.
... Oh, nevermind.
Question 8 - In one sentence, word, or incoherent fragment, type anything... seriously anything...
Results - Responses ranged from the very literal ("I am typing anything... seriously anything"), to quick-hitting ("beets" and "poop") to suggestions for the future ("multiple choice only").
Conclusion - The reader participation is valued, and I hope to have more of it in the future... That, and apparently one reader has a finger condition that makes it difficult to type, but not to click things with a mouse. We wish him a speedy recovery.
*If you're saying, "Actually, it would have made a lot more sense to examine these results right after championship game," you're a rather astute reader. However, you're also making me look kind of foolish. I hope there's no one around to listen to you.
Question 1 - Who will win the NCAA Tournament?
Results - One-third of the field correctly predicted that Tyler Hansbrough's natural "I'm very surprised" look would be prominently featured in the post-game "One Shining Moment" video package with UNC becoming National Champions. Unfortunately, half of respondents picked teams that did not even wind up in the championship game.
Conclusion - It seems my readers take after me. On the whole, they predict things with the precision of Robin of Locksley's arthritic grandmother.
Question 2 - Which team nickname would be the least creepy for a member of the opposite sex to call you?
Results - There was no clear winner, as Wildcat and Spartan split the vote evenly.
Conclusion - Note to self: It seems that calling a female "Huskie" is a bad idea. Who could have guessed that?
Question 3 - I would rather watch...
Results - The University of North Carolina wins another one, as alum Michael Jordan's Space Jam picked up 2/3 of the vote. MSU alum Magic Johnson's instructional video was the only choice that did not earn a single vote.
Conclusion - In the world of The Writings, playing basketball with a cartoon rabbit against aliens is cool. Learning fundamentals is not... That, or readers have seen Magic recently and realize that he doesn't look to be doing much running up and down the court himself.
Question 4 - My interest in the remaining games of the NCAA Tournament is best described as...
Results - There was no consensus. Answers encompassed the entire spectrum.
Conclusion - The readership is diverse when it comes to the world of sports. Some readers like nothing more than a good game, while others would rather watch highlights of a results show for "So You Think You Can Yodel While Tap Dancing and Shotgunning a Schlitz?"*
*Actually, I think that sounds like a pretty entertaining show. Can someone make that happen?
Question 5 - I know who Lastings Milledge and/or Justin Upton are/is.
Results - Alas, we have consensus, and it comes in the form of an overwhelming "no."
Conclusion - It seems normal people, (yes, dear reader, I consider you normal) are not concerned with knowing the starting lineups for the Washington Nationals or the Arizona Diamondbacks. While this is a bit startling, I will attempt to proceed.
Ques-... C'mon, you aren't even remotely interested in knowing that Milledge bats leadoff and plays centerfield for the Nationals? Or that Upton is a former No. 1 pick and starts for the Diamondbacks despite the fact that he's only 21? I think you're going to regret this when the two clubs meet in May.
...What do you mean you won't be watching?
Question 6 - I think this quiz was worthwhile, and I'd like to see more in the future. Yes or no?
Results - If we were in the midst of a game of Family Feud, you'd be feeling pretty good about picking "yes" as the top response.
Conclusion - People love providing their opinions... That, or readers like boosting my confidence after feeble attempts to try something new. Either way, I'll take it.
Question 7 - In seven words or less, describe a topic you'd like to like to see The Writings cover.
Results - I can't list them here. That would be like the writers of Lost coming out and saying what key plot twists are ahead in the series... Wait, no. That's not right, because the writers of Lost are actually talented. Nevertheless, I'm still going to refuse to release such sensitive information.
Conclusion - None, however I do have to speak on something else. As I type this, I have a nationally televised baseball game showing on my TV. A commentator in this very game is continually mispronouncing the name of one player. It's not even a difficult name to pronounce, yet he's butchering it as if he's attempting to speak Klingon or Elvish. Perhaps I am a bit idealistic, but I would think that one might double-check name pronunciations when he or she knows that they'll be mentioning said names on national television. Honestly, it's like posting something on the World Wide Web without proper editing.
... Oh, nevermind.
Question 8 - In one sentence, word, or incoherent fragment, type anything... seriously anything...
Results - Responses ranged from the very literal ("I am typing anything... seriously anything"), to quick-hitting ("beets" and "poop") to suggestions for the future ("multiple choice only").
Conclusion - The reader participation is valued, and I hope to have more of it in the future... That, and apparently one reader has a finger condition that makes it difficult to type, but not to click things with a mouse. We wish him a speedy recovery.
No comments:
Post a Comment