ping pong balls (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Laurence Horn]

At 12:35 PM -0500 4/27/07, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC wrote:
>Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
>
>I haven't had a chance to research and identify cites, but I'm hearing
>"ping pong balls" as a synonym for "lottery picks" (in the context of
>the upcoming NFL draft, NBA draft, etc.) lately.  Ex:  "Cincinnati is
>trading their first round pick for extra ping pong balls in later
>rounds."

Actually, that only makes sense for the NBA draft.  Nobody else uses
that kind of weighted randomized procedure, so it's quite misleading
(if not erroneous) for it to be used for the NFL, where draft
position is based strictly on previous year's record, and strength of
schedule (or ultimately coin-flips, ceteris paribus) to resolve ties.

LH

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