What is momentum? By Crow

Momentum
noun, plural momenta
[moh-men-tuh] momentums.
1.
force or speed of movement; impetus, as of a physical object or course of events:
The car gained momentum going downhill. Her career lost momentum after two unsuccessful films.
2.
Also called linear momentum. Mechanics. a quantity expressing the motion of a body or system, equal to the product of the mass of a body and its velocity, and for a system equal to the vector sum of the products of mass and velocity of each particle in the system.
3.
Philosophy. moment (def 7).


-We talk about momentum all the time when it comes to sports. So-and-so has the momentum – they’re going to win now. Usually this is after 1 or 2 games. Most times, we discount the body of work by a team as a whole. Momentum doesn’t exist…As you look at definition 3 – it’s a philosophical term.

-So who has the momentum for the playoffs?

-The simple answer is no one.

-What team is the odds on favorite?

-Washington.

Does that mean Washington has momentum?

-No…they’ve been the favorite a few times.

-What about the Phillies who hit 95 wins this year?

-What about San Fran? Who wasn’t even expected to get to the playoffs last year, but made it to the NLCS and are in the playoffs again. Does their experience of taking Florida to 7 games in the NLCS last year translate?

-Probably not, this is a new year…and as I’ve said – there’s no such thing as momentum.

-Did Baltimore ride their momentum of not making the playoffs last year to winning the AL East?

-Baltimore had a great year, that doesn’t mean shit in the playoffs.

-Where did San Diego’s momentum come from? Did he pray to the momentum Gods and get some extra mojo?

-No, San Diego plays in a weak-ass division…that’s what happens when you play a bunch of scrubs.

-The basis of this argument is that we often assign arbitrary attributes to how a team performs over the course of the season. Momentum cannot be measured, unlike 1000+ baseball stats that can be. The thought of having “Momentum” is a philosophical “feel good” to help fans out when they either win or lose a game/series.

-What happened to Florida’s momentum after winning the World Series?

-Our team sucked, trades that we thought would make the team better didn’t…and maybe it just wasn’t our year.

-Who will win the World Series?

-The Nationals – they have a lot of unrealized potential, which can translate into momentum 