OT: A football puzzle

[mcpherzen]

In honor of the NFL season starting this past weekend, may I present a quiz. Yes, it's way off-topic, but it does call on your analytical problem-solving skills, which puts it slightly back on-topic. Here it goes:

You go to a football game and you are late arriving. The game has already started, but assume you have absolutely no idea of knowing how long it has been going (i.e. the scoreboard clock is broken and it doesn't say which quarter the game is in either). You get a beer and a hot dog and take your seat. You look up at the scoreboard. What is the strangest score you could see? Yes, I know "strangest" is vaguely defined, but that's kind of the point (like poker, this question is also a game of incomplete information). For example, if the scoreboard said 7-0, that wouldn't be very strange at a football game. If it said 22-18, that would be considerably more strange. What score would be about the most strange?

No cheating...think about your answer before scrolling down to look at other responses. BTW, this is a great prop to win $$ from friends.

--Zen

[Hendricks433]

1000 - 13? Cause its not even possible. Probally something where a team would need a couple safteys to get the points they have.

[durron597]

My answer in white:

<font color="white">Well, the strangest score would be a team with 1 point, so I guess it would be 1-1. But that is impossible.

In the realm of possibility, 4-4 would be the next most strange score, because that would require each team to have scored two safeties each, which also pretty much never happens in football. Since 1 safety is a pretty rare occurrance, 4 safetys with no other score is even more bizarre.</font>

[johnnybeef]

1-1

[fnord_too]

4-4 (2 safties for each team is the only way to get this score).

[Jman28]

[ QUOTE ]

No cheating...think about your answer before scrolling down to look at other responses. BTW, this is a great prop to win $$ from friends.


[/ QUOTE ]

This makes it seem like there is a correct answer, which is intimidating.

I will submit an answer of 55 trillion to 87 billion, two million, sevenhundren twenty eight. That would be weird. As would .7 to .9.

If I was supposed to guess more 'possible' numbers, I'd say 4 to 4.

4-4

[curtains]

Uhhh.. 1-1?

[skipperbob]

Ask Irieguy what side he took...Take the other one [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[KramerTM]

pi to e would freak the [censored] out of me.