PITTSBURGH STANDARD
                     Raising the Standard for News and Views

2002

Best of the Pittsburgh Standard Sections of 2001-2002

ARCHIVES OF PITTSBURGH STANDARD

BEST OF STANDARD

News

Campaign finance reform becomes a crucial platform is

Former Survivor contestant visits Pitt

Athletes train their mind at AIA

Planned Parenthood supports UNFPA

Pitt cheerleaders and dance team rock the Fitzerald Fieldhouse

Bread for the world promotes hunger awareness

Impressions

Da playas gonna play

Men are from the "O" and women are from "Starbucks"

Mexican exchange student enters a party!

Alcohol visits many faces across lands

Complaints of loneliness can be solved

Inventions of Black America rock

It is a matter of principle and ethics

"Mi casa es su casa": My home is your home

Features

Pitt student assimilates into Delta Zeta

Chi Omega rocks in student's life!

Sports

Panthers rise to victory in Orlando

Panthers Tangerine Bowl victory spreads cheer through football players, cheerleaders, and fans!

Pitt finishes at the Fieldhouse with firepower

Knight and Howland receive Big East honors

Pitt's dance team shakes their way into the spotlight

Freshman cheerleader shares experience

Paralympics give hope

Next season for the Panthers looks promising

Prospective teams aiming for the title in 2003

Expressions

Moral law or religious banter: The debate over the 10 Commandments continues

Court approves peaceful minute

Zultan/Yunich enlighten freshman student!

Start the year 2002 with a new perspective!

Music teaches

Gospel revealed through semantics and word play

Expressions of praise give audience new hope!

Identity can be a complicated matter

My kiss of a lifetime hopes to be special

Jubilee Afrikana rocks the Hilton Hotel in Downtown

Only the right antidote can protect your life

God's love is alphabetically revealed in random languages

God and the Baby

SPECIAL FEATURE

Top 25 reasons behind the origin's of the candy cane

The top 21 responses to 'I have a dream today that....'
Top 14 responses to "A Loving Friend is...."

In celebration of Valentine's Day, the top 50-26 responses to 'Love is....'

In celebration of Valentine's Day, the top 25-1 responses to 'Love is....'

In remembrance of 'Good Friday', the top 25 student responses to 'Loving the world God...'

Entertainment

July 4th fireworks rock Point State Park with a bang

Food

Review of Kuntz Bakery

Business

Finding the sweetest pad in Pittsburgh

ARCHIVES:

April-May 2002

March 2002

February 2002

January 2002

December 2001

November 2001

October 2001

September 2001

SPORTS

Reddy's crazy NFL final rankings  after week 17

Ramesh C. Reddy
Editor in Chief

Reddy’s NFL Crazy Rankings are based on a point system. Each team that won their first NFL Game starts out with 10 pts for their win.

The following week, when a team plays their opponent and wins against a winning or losing team, they get the teams winning percentage points of the previous week. If a team keeps beating a winning team, their percentage of points will be higher than if they beat a losing team. 

If a team plays an opponent and loses, they do not get any points for that week. Each week the points are tabulated and based on the points, I pick the top 10 teams of the NFL for that week including where all the other teams stand.

If there is a tie in the point system, the net difference in their PF/PA is calculated and the team that has the highest net difference of points breaks the tie unless their record is better than the other teams with the same point system. If the tie continues, the team that won most games away from home would get the tie breaker. If it continues, it is based on their conference record, and then their division record.

 They are called Reddy’s Crazy Rankings, because I am ready to take an undefeated team out of the Top 10 if their wins came against losing teams. Hopefully, these rankings will show who really are in the hunt to be Superbowl Contenders and who really are in the hunt to be Superbowl Pretenders as December and January approaches.

© 2002 Pittsburgh Standard

Reddy's Reasonings After Week 17:

NFLWk17	NFL	Team	Record	Pts	Percent	NFLWk16
1	Oakland	Raiders	11,5	676	68%	4
2	New Orleans	Saints	9,7	632	56%	1
3	San Diego	Chargers	8,8	630	50%	2
4	Green Bay	Packers	12,4	629	75%	3
5	Miami	Dolphins	9,7	609	56%	5
6	Philadelphia	Eagles	12,4	602	75%	6
7	Denver	Broncos	9,7	569	56%	7
8	Tennessee	Titans	11,5	559	68%	8
9	Pittsburgh	Steelers	10,5,1	520	65%	10
10	New York	Jets	9,7	519	56%	15
11	N.E	Patriots	9,7	504	56%	14
12	Indianapolis	Colts	10,6	498	62%	13
13	Kansas C	Chiefs	8,8	490	50%	9
14	Atlanta	Falcons	9,6,1	463	59%	11
15	San Fran	49ers	10,6	460	62%	12
16	New York	Giants	10,6	387	62%	20
17	TB	Bucs	12,4	370	75%	16
18	St Louis	Rams	7,9	367	43%	19
19	Buffalo	Bills	8,8	344	50%	18
20	Cleveland	Browns	9,7	338	56%	24
21	Washington	Redskins	7,9	337	43%	21
22	Baltimore	Ravens	7,9	331	43%	17
23	Minnesota	Vikings	6,10	305	37%	23
24	Seattle	Seahawk	7,9	302	43%	27
25	Jacksonvile	Jaguars	6,10	280	37%	22
26	Houston	Texans	4,12	271	25%	25
27	Dallas	Cowboys	6,10	255	37%	26
28	Arizona	Cardinals	5,11	216	31%	28
29	Carolina	Panthers	7,9	196	43%	31
30	Chicago	Bears	4,12	183	25%	29
31	Detroit	Lions	4,12	177	25%	30
32	Cincinnati	Bengals	2,14	92	12%	32

Unfortunately, strength of schedule victory was not enough for 4 out of the top 10 teams in my rankings as they fell from the playoffs:

#2 New Orleans Saints (9-7) with 632 points.
What took the Saints over the 600 point mark was their record of 5-0 against top teams but what made them stumble from the playoffs was their 3 consecutive losses to last place teams.

#3 San Diego Chargers (8-8) with 630 points.
What took the Chargers over the 600 point mark was their record of 6-1 to start the season but injuries prevented them from making a run into the playoffs and finished the last 9 games with a 2-7 record.

#5 Miami Dolphins (9-7) with 609 points.
Miami went over the 600 mark with its big win over the Oakland Raiders but then stumbled to the Minnesota Vikings and the New England Patriots and got eliminated from the playoffs. A win would have helped them win their division but they could not hold off the defending Super Bowl Champions from making a comeback.

#7 Denver Broncos (9-7) with 569 points.
Denver Broncos had their division in sight until their devastating losses toward the end of the season to eliminate them from the playoffs even though they got wins against top teams earlier in the season.

It just shows that strength of schedule victories are not beneficial sometimes, for teams in the long run, if they are not complemented with a winning percentage. That will happen if teams lose to teams they are not supposed to lose. The classic example are the Saints.

Yet, a higher winning percentage with a lower strength of schedule victory points will show us which teams are likely to stumble in the first round of the playoffs.

Top 10 teams that made the playoffs are:

#1 Oakland Raiders (11-5) with 676 points.
#4 Green Bay Packers (12-4) with 629 points.
#6 Philadelphia Eagles (12-4) with 602 points.
#8 Tennessee Titans (11-5) with 559 points.
#9 Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5-1) with 520 points.
#10 New York Jets (9-7) with 519 points.

Teams out of the top 10 that have made the playoffs are

#12 Indianapolis Colts (10-6) with 498 points
#14 Atlanta Falcons (9-6-1) with 463 points
#15 San Francisco 49er's (10-6) with 460 points
#16 New York Giants (10-6) with 387 points
#17 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-4) with 370 points
#20 Cleveland Browns (9-7) with 338 points

Give us your feedback if you agree or disagree