How Do We Understand Sports Events?

From XKCD:

Seriously. Go read the game summaries on ESPN after a baseball series or especially after March Madness games. Somehow the consruction of a cause-effect narrative out of somewhat random events is much more obvious in print than when you just hear it.

It works for end-of-the-day stock market narratives, especially noticeable on the radio. "Profit-taking caused..." "...on investor anxiety..." etc.

If basketball is your thing, an interesting article about the bias in how the Lebron James story plays out in the media. Here's another one having fun with all the Cleveland fans boo-hooing last summer when he left.