Posts by Roger Smith64

I was sitting around last night looking at some of the various "projections" and "expert picks" floating around the web, and I found myself feeling this weird sense of cynicism I didn't expect. It’s become almost impossible to just *watch* a game anymore without some guy in a suit or a complex algorithm telling you exactly how the outcome "should" look before the first pitch is even thrown.

Don't get me wrong, I get the appeal. We live in an era of data. We want to feel like we have an edge. We want to crunch the numbers, look at the matchups, and feel like we’ve "solved" the puzzle of the upcoming slate. There's a certain dopamine hit when you follow a statistical model and it actually hits, or when you ignore the consensus and end up being the smartest person in the room. But lately, I feel like the sheer volume of "predictive modeling" and "expert consensus" is actually stripping away the soul of being a fan.

I remember when being a fan was about the narrative. You watched a team because they were gritty, or because their pitcher had a chip on his shoulder, or because they were playing like they had nothing to lose. It was about the human element—the unpredictable, messy, emotional reality of athletes performing under pressure. Now, it feels like we're being coached to view every matchup as a math problem. If the model says Team A has a 65% chance of winning, we spend the whole game looking for the deviation from that percentage rather than just enjoying the play.

It feels like we're moving toward a world where "certainty" is the goal, but sports are fundamentally built on uncertainty. If we could actually predict everything with 100% accuracy using these sophisticated models, why would we even bother watching? The tension, the heartbreak, and the miracle comeback stories only exist because the "experts" and the "projections" are frequently, and gloriously, wrong.

I’ve noticed this creeping influence even in my own habits. I'll find myself checking a projection site just to see if my gut feeling aligns with the "math." If it doesn't, I start second-guessing my own intuition. It’s like we’re outsourcing our passion to software. We’re letting algorithms dictate our excitement levels. It creates this weird feedback loop where the "smart money" or the "model's edge" becomes more important than the actual game being played on the field.

Is it just me, or is the "quantification" of sports making the experience feel more clinical and less visceral? Are we losing the ability to appreciate the underdog because we've already decided, based on a dozen different data points, that the underdog has a 0.4% chance of winning? I worry that we're training ourselves to be spectators of data rather than spectators of sport.

I'm curious to hear what the rest of you think. Do you find these deep-dive projections and expert models helpful for adding layers to the game, or do you think they're just adding a layer of noise that ruins the spontaneity of being a fan? Does relying on the "math" make the wins feel less earned and the losses feel more frustrating?

testing

swiftbear86 said:One really needs to distinguish between two separate matters here...

When medications aren't covered by Medicare, you’re looking at paying the full retail price out of pocket.
Depending on the specific drug, some require a prescription while others don't.
The FDA and pharmacy benefit managers dictate those rules, and you can verify everything on their official websites...

Pentilin isn't on the Medicare coverage list, so you have to pay the full amount, and you'll definitely need a private prescription to get it.

You pay the total cost; there is absolutely no government "subsidy" involved...
In my case, they just handed it to me without even asking for a script...

melloworca6 said:😲

Yes, I recall hearing about some medication for Raynaud's—I can't quite recall the specific name—and I had considered trying to get my hands on it, but then I read that people with low blood pressure shouldn't take it because it can drop your pressure quite significantly... so I didn't dare experiment with it, especially since my own blood pressure is already dreadfully low.

And given my thyroid issues, I deal with tachycardia as well, so I really don't know how wise it would be to mess around with drugs like that. But then again, this Raynaud's syndrome is driving me absolutely insane; I feel compelled to do something, even if it kills me, because this is becoming utterly unbearable. Every winter, things just escalate... last winter it started up along with all the usual nonsense, including these stabbing headaches at the base of my skull whenever I'm out in the cold. They only subside once I've finally warmed up. 😢

In my estimation, I believe I was reacting to this sensitivity toward caffeine. Who knows, perhaps it might actually help YOU. There are certain medications—alpha or beta-blockers, I believe—that block those alpha and beta receptors in the nervous system which typically trigger the blood vessels to constrict when exposed to the cold. And there is also what Nicholas Myers mentioned. The only advice I can truly offer you is to attempt regular physical activity, maintain a high-quality diet, and strictly avoid stress. I haven't been cured, but it did provide a fair amount of relief...

Maria Fisher46 said:Returning to the topic at hand regarding the application of this medication for treating Raynaud's phenomenon... one might observe that during the late eighties and throughout the nineties, there were several papers and studies suggesting this drug as a viable option; some even went so far as to feature titles phrased as "Will this be that new revolutionary drug?"...

However, as time has marched on, more recent studies and research papers simply no longer place it at the center of clinical interest. In certain places, you might see sporadic mentions of its potential use for milder forms of the disorder, yet the preferred treatments remain calcium channel blockers—specifically nifedipine—though typically not as the primary first-line defense, but rather when non-pharmacological methods, such as avoiding cold temperatures, managing stress, and staying warm, fail to yield results...

As for the drug in question, Pentoxifylline, its current indication is specifically for intermittent claudication, which refers to those spasms occurring within the arteries of the extremities due to atherosclerotic changes...

Whether it will provide relief for you, I cannot say for certain, but I am certainly crossing my fingers that it works...

I appreciate the detailed response. But, as I previously mentioned, it hasn't worked for me. If you happen to have any experience in this field, perhaps you might offer some advice? Raynaud isn't actually my biggest concern; it's the circulation in the capillaries—specifically in the eyes... Is there any other medication that acts upon microcirculation?...

melloworca6 said:It doesn't matter, just let me know if it actually works for you. 🙂 And I’ll be crossing my fingers that it eases the symptoms. 🙂

For me, it would make a world of difference if my fingers didn't flood with blood and then turn ghostly white within the first half hour of stepping out into the cold... currently, it becomes a total disaster after just five minutes.

Regrettably, I had to discontinue my use of it... Yesterday, I went out for a run, and about two-thirds of the way through my usual route, my heart began behaving erratically—palpitations, arrhythmia... My blood pressure spiked to 147/99 and my pulse hit around 100. I've dealt with minor irregularities due to training before, but never anything quite like this. It was a terrifying experience; I truly thought I was finished...
The warnings state, among other things, that those sensitive to caffeine and individuals with low blood pressure should avoid it. I happen to have both. Furthermore, arrhythmia is listed as a side effect... 👎
The fact that I suffered such a reaction does not mean it will be the same for you... 🤷
I am returning to garlic, ginger, and chili peppers... 🙂

P.S. Before starting, I did consult with my physician for advice—she suggested I give it a try. So, it wasn't exactly a decision made entirely on my own, though she couldn't have predicted exactly how my body would react either...

melloworca6 said:So, $50 per month. Maybe it’s cheaper to pick up across the border in Mexico or Canada...

I suppose I might actually look into that, and perhaps even try to bypass the hassle of getting a standard prescription from my GP just to buy it in a neighboring country where medications tend to be half the price... though, of course, no pharmacy would hand it over without some kind of official doctor's order in hand.

As for Ginkgo, I’ve tried it myself and felt absolutely no difference whatsoever; it simply did nothing for me. Do let me know if you actually feel better using this instead... if it truly works, I might just have to ask my immunologist about it so I can try it too...

I'll let you know, though it might be a month or two before I can tell you...🙂

melloworca6 said:Who actually handles the prescription for this? And do you happen to have any idea what the total cost might look like?

I’ve been doing some reading on it myself, and from what I can gather, it is prescribed to address poor peripheral circulation... Honestly, even the side effects don't seem all that intimidating...

$15 - 20 tablets
The standard dosage is either one tablet twice a day, or in more severe cases, three times daily...

I was diagnosed with Raynaud's about 15 years ago. Roughly 12 years back, they also identified poor circulation in my peripheral capillaries within my eyes. When I approached my ophthalmologist to ask if there were any treatments available for this, she simply told me there wasn't... nothing but Ginkgo. But even that hasn't done a thing for me....
I recently found myself falling down a Google rabbit hole again and stumbled upon Pentoxifylline.
The medication has been on the market for about 10 years now. Yesterday, I stopped by a local pharmacy on my way home from work to inquire about it. They informed me that it doesn't actually require a prescription, so I went ahead and bought it, and I've started my regimen.
Supposedly, one should begin to see results after somewhere between 2 to 8 weeks.
This is actually the first time I have ever taken medication without a doctor's oversight; I am typically a very hesitant person when it comes to drugs, but I have simply reached a point of profound disappointment with certain physicians...

vividsailor7, what does it mean specifically when something isn't on the FDA's approved list?

Greetings.
I have been diagnosed with Raynaud's, which has caused poor circulation in my eyes, leading to a series of rather unpleasant complications... Out of my own volition, I have started taking Trental, which is actually Pentoxifylline. Does anyone here have any firsthand experience with this medication—does it actually provide relief, what are the side effects, and so on...

mistymarlin6 said:What was wrong with using a marker? You could probably just wash it off if you had to...

That is actually my Plan B... provided that the ink is non-toxic enough to be safe...

Matthew Anderson4 said:With Halloween season right around the corner, you can find those specialized tooth color kits at most major retailers or big-box stores in any major US city.

It is certainly worth a shot, thanks for the tip...👍

Does anyone happen to know of a way or any substance that could be used to dye teeth black... besides using a permanent marker?