# The team has won X of the last Y games... **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 2, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-team-has-won-x-of-the-last-y-games/580433 "2011-05-02T01:52:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-team-has-won-x-of-the-last-y-games/580433/1 "2011-05-02T01:52:20Z")
When sports reports talk about how a team is doing, they often say something like, “This team has won/lost X of their last Y games …” How do they pick those numbers? Every time I hear this stuff the numbers seem completely arbitrary. For example, after the Seattle Mariners won the first game of the series against Boston, I heard, “The Mariners have now won 8 of their last 12!” And then when they won again the next day I heard, “The Mariners have won 9 of their last 14!” Basically, I’ve never been able to figure out how they decide how many games to count back to pull the number of wins/losses out of. It’s never seemed to be related to anything like a streak. It’s more like they pick a number that they can make sound the most impressive (in the case of wins) or most dire (in the case of losses). Is there a rule of thumb, or is it indeed arbitrary? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-team-has-won-x-of-the-last-y-games/580433/2 "2011-05-02T02:01:39Z")
It’s arbitrary, depending on the point the reporter wants to make. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-team-has-won-x-of-the-last-y-games/580433/3 "2011-05-02T02:12:58Z")
Whenever a baseball hitter has say, a 3-4 day, and the announcer says,“Coming into today, he was 5 for his last 33.” I cynically think,“OK, he’s 8 for 37.” ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-team-has-won-x-of-the-last-y-games/580433/4 "2011-05-03T02:44:33Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > It’s arbitrary, depending on the point the reporter wants to make. This. A team that has gone exactly .500 over their past ten games can be described by your local sportswriter, depending on his/her particular mood, as “sinking fast, dropping three of their last four,” or “getting hot, winning four of their last seven.” ---
**Author:** ![Makeitstop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@Makeitstop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Makeitstop)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-team-has-won-x-of-the-last-y-games/580433/5 "2011-05-03T16:22:42Z")
I’ve written these kinds of lines in sports stories many times, and it really just depends on what the most impressive number you can give is. The more games involved, the better. But the rule of thumb I always used is they have to have won at least 75% of the games stated, otherwise it doesn’t sound very good. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-team-has-won-x-of-the-last-y-games/580433/6 "2011-05-03T18:47:03Z")
Recently, I saw one of the stupidest sports-related stats ever, courtesy of Canada’s TSN: “The Nashville Predators have never won a playoff series that is tied 2-2.” Thing was, at the time the Predators had never won a playoff series **period**. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-team-has-won-x-of-the-last-y-games/580433/7 "2011-05-03T19:15:13Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Recently, I saw one of the stupidest sports-related stats ever, courtesy of Canada’s TSN: “The Nashville Predators have never won a playoff series that is tied 2-2.” > > Thing was, at the time the Predators had never won a playoff series **period**. Yeah, or you’ll hear something like \*“When the series has been tied 2-2, the Canucks have won game 5, 9 out of 12 times in playoff history.” Trying to make a point on some kind of statistical advantage. Ya. Going back 40 years with absolutely no common denominator between any of the teams. \*completely arbitrary stats to illustrate the point. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_of\_Lucan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@Michael\_of\_Lucan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_of_Lucan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-team-has-won-x-of-the-last-y-games/580433/8 "2011-05-03T19:30:31Z")
To confirm what others have said, may I remind you of a story. Each year, there is a challenge game between the PR Department and Engineering. This year, the Engineers has won again. The staff newspaper is written by the PR Department, and the report says- “Once again, the PR Department has achieved second place. Unfortunately, the Engineering Department has only managed to win one game this year. . .” ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-team-has-won-x-of-the-last-y-games/580433/9 "2011-05-03T20:14:52Z")
A few years ago in the press notes for the hated Florida State basketball team, it said something like, “FSU is 5-0 this season when it outscores its opponents.” ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-team-has-won-x-of-the-last-y-games/580433/10 "2011-05-03T20:40:11Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > A few years ago in the press notes for the hated Florida State basketball team, it said something like, “FSU is 5-0 this season when it outscores its opponents.” I’m curious. What was their record when they didn’t outscore their opponents? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-team-has-won-x-of-the-last-y-games/580433/11 "2011-05-03T21:07:25Z")
Well cool, thanks for the answers. So it really _is_ as arbitrary as I suspected.