Home-Field Advantage? Is It Real?

Asante Samuel says that the Eagles are playing fantasy football. Maybe World of Noise is the new GM of the Eagles because he used to play fantasy football with Eagles players all the time. He, too, got lucky one year and led them to a Super Bowl. ... T.O. gets unexpected offer to play Arena Football. He'll probably say no because there's less room in the end zone to celebrate. ... Jason Campbell says "I'm a starter." The rest of the world says, "Not anymore." ... Bill Cowher is rumored to be in conversations with the Dolphins for the coaching job. Success will only come if more of the CBS crew comes with him — like Dan Marino.

You ask and you shall receive.

But before I get to the stats, I stand firmly behind the home-field advantage.

It's just 2 points, 20 yards.

If you are on the road and you lose because of 20 yards, so be it. It's why we alternate home games each season, and its why you play home and away against your division rivals. It makes it mean something, even though it's just 2 points which can seem big in some weeks, but not all as you will see.

Also, before I get to the stats, I will never add the head coach spot. First of all, the fact that you will get points because a coach's team will win is beyond me. Plus, I cannot fathom a draft where I'm wondering if I should pick up a second or third RB or Bill Bellichick. That's NOT happening. Position players only.

OK, now, the stats.

In our five-plus seasons, we have had 428 matchups that involve home-field advantage (HFA). All five Super Bowls do not use HFA.

Of the 428 matchups, 404 of them are regular-season games. Not one of the 14 playoff games have had HFA affect the outcome. Home teams are 16-8 in playoff games, but I'm sure that has something to do with the fact that home teams are higher seeds and better teams.

Of the 404 regular-season matchups since 2006 up until and including last week (Week 7), there have been 21 games affected by HFA (5.2 percent of matchups). And 11 of those 21 contests involved a tie in some way. Three have forced ties in the JFL (two in 2008, and one last week). The other seven matchups should have been ties but HFA gave the home team the win instead.

So there is an interesting stat in itself. Instead of seven ties in 5.5 seasons, we've had just three.

The HFA used to be 3 points, from 2006 to 2008, during which 12 of 206 matchups were affected (5.8 percent of matchups).

In 2009, we moved it to 2 points to lessen the impact and we've had only 9 of 198 contests affected (4.5 percent of matchups).

And can you believe that T-Money has never been affected by HFA? He's the only one. The News Team has been affected the most, being involved in six of the 21 contests, but he's 3-3 because of it, so let's call him Even-Steven — although, two of those losses should have been ties.

Boyer has been the luckiest. He's 4-0 in his four contests when he should have been 0-2-2.

And Houserville was right about one thing. I'm really short-sticking the Slackers. He should have three more wins. What a Slacker. Gain 20 yards.

Here's the complete history (Week, Score, and what the matchup should have resulted in for home team in parentheses)

2006
Wk 2: Boyer 81, Amity Island Massacres 78 (tie)
Wk 3: News Team 83, Fear 82 (loss)
Wk 4: Noise 68, Toasters 66 (loss)
Wk 8: Noise 79, News Team 76 (tie)
Wk 9: Graybill 99, News Team 96 (tie)

2007
None were affected

2008
Wk 2: Boyer 97, Slackers 94 (tie)
Wk 6: Gray 84, Stanky Cheeze (tie)
Wk 8: Fear 100, Toasters 97 (tie)
Wk 8: Boyer 94, Noise 93 (loss)
Wk 9: Fear 88, Stanky 88 (loss)
Wk 10: News Team 84, Slackers 82 (loss)
Wk 13: Stank 92, Slackers 92 (loss)

2009 (start of 2-point HFA)
Wk 2: Thieves 110.4, Jammers 108.7 (loss)
Wk 4: Jammers 127.1, News Team 126.1 (loss)
Wk 7: Jammers 90.4, Fear 88.6 (loss)
Wk 12: News Team 109.1, Thieves 107.5 (loss)
Wk 13: Houserville 124.9, Thieves 122.9 (tie)

2010
Wk 8: Fear 105.2, Jawz 104 (loss)
Wk 9: Houserville 106, Toasters 105.6 (loss)

2011
Wk 6: Fear 106.3, Slackers 105.9 (loss)
Wk 7: Boyer 88.3, Thieves 88.3 (loss)

I think that covers everything. I hope that this shows you that even though we have a little spurt of two weeks where two matchups were affected, it's not that big of an issue and it's what makes our league what it is. HFA is important to the scheduling process.