Alright, so you wanna know if basketball games actually start on time? I decided to track it myself ’cause it always feels like they’re late.
Getting Started: Game Selection
- First, I picked a bunch of NBA games. I didn’t want to just do one or two, needed a decent sample size, ya know? I went back and grabbed like, 20 games from the last couple of weeks.
- Made a list in a simple notes app. Just the teams playing and the scheduled start time.
The Tracking Process: Minute-by-Minute
- Finding the Real Start Time: I didn’t wanna just guess. I used the NBA’s official website and ESPN. They usually update with the actual tip-off time pretty quick.
- Recording the Data: Created a basic table in Google Sheets. Column for the scheduled time, column for the actual time, and a column to calculate the difference. Super simple stuff.
- Being Patient: This was the annoying part. Gotta sit there and wait for the game to actually start. Some games I had to refresh the page a bunch.
Crunching the Numbers: The Cold, Hard Truth
- Calculating Delays: Google Sheets did the heavy lifting. Subtracted the scheduled time from the actual time. Got a bunch of numbers like “+2 minutes,” “-1 minute,” “+5 minutes.”
- Finding the Average: Used the AVERAGE function in Google Sheets to find the average delay across all 20 games. This is the key number, right?
The Results: Did They Start On Time?
Turns out, almost none of the games started exactly on time. There was always a little bit of wiggle room.
Here’s what I found out:
- The average delay was around 3 minutes. So yeah, they’re usually late, but not by much.
- Some games started early! A few games tipped off a minute or two before the scheduled time. Crazy, right?
- The biggest delay I saw was 7 minutes. That was probably due to some TV stuff or a pre-game ceremony running long.
My Takeaways: Why It Matters (Or Doesn’t)
Look, 3 minutes ain’t the end of the world. But if you’re betting on the game or something, it’s good to know. Also, it just feels longer when you’re waiting around, ya know?
So, next time you’re settling in to watch a game, don’t expect it to start right when they say it will. Give it a few minutes. Grab another beer. You’ll be good.
Final Thoughts: Worth the Effort?
Honestly? Kinda fun. Plus, now I have data to back up my complaining about late starts. That’s always a win in my book. Maybe I’ll track different sports next time… baseball, anyone?
