Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys
@bradhumphreys.bsky.social
Economist. "He's an impediment to Civic Progress" - Patrick La Forge, Edmonton Oilers President
https://bradhumphreys.faculty.wvu.edu/home
https://bradhumphreys.faculty.wvu.edu/home
Reposted by Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys
just a reminder that *lots* of countries have universities, and (to my knowledge) none of them but the U.S. treat their universities as largely minor league sports franchises
LSU is paying its previous football coach over $50 million NOT to coach there while likely guaranteeing Kiffin something approaching double that, all while having an academic hiring freeze and budget cuts across the board. What is the purpose of a university (rhetorical)?
SOURCES: Lane Kiffin is expected to accept LSU's offer to become the Tigers next head coach. Kiffin is set to meet with his Ole Miss team this morning at 9 AM CT. As we reported yesterday morning, LSU has been very confident it was going to land Kiffin. www.nytimes.com/athletic/684...
November 30, 2025 at 5:24 PM
just a reminder that *lots* of countries have universities, and (to my knowledge) none of them but the U.S. treat their universities as largely minor league sports franchises
Reposted by Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys
Why does no one seem to understand that forward-looking "economic impact studies" aren't a real thing? There is no grad school class on this because no credible forecasting methods exist. No serious economists use these consultant projection models for anything.
November 30, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Why does no one seem to understand that forward-looking "economic impact studies" aren't a real thing? There is no grad school class on this because no credible forecasting methods exist. No serious economists use these consultant projection models for anything.
Reposted by Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys
When you're just making up the numbers, no one bothers to double-check the fake math.
They just … added $7 million a year out of thin air?
(Not that the original figures were plausible.)
(Not that the original figures were plausible.)
November 30, 2025 at 2:57 PM
When you're just making up the numbers, no one bothers to double-check the fake math.
Reposted by Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys
Reposted by Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys
✨New Article✨
How did city-level vaccine mandates affect vaccine uptake and COVID-19 transmission? Authors Vitor Melo, Elijah Nelson, and Dorothy Kemboi find no pattern of significant effects, suggesting local mandates may be less effective than national mandates.
How did city-level vaccine mandates affect vaccine uptake and COVID-19 transmission? Authors Vitor Melo, Elijah Nelson, and Dorothy Kemboi find no pattern of significant effects, suggesting local mandates may be less effective than national mandates.
November 30, 2025 at 11:27 AM
✨New Article✨
How did city-level vaccine mandates affect vaccine uptake and COVID-19 transmission? Authors Vitor Melo, Elijah Nelson, and Dorothy Kemboi find no pattern of significant effects, suggesting local mandates may be less effective than national mandates.
How did city-level vaccine mandates affect vaccine uptake and COVID-19 transmission? Authors Vitor Melo, Elijah Nelson, and Dorothy Kemboi find no pattern of significant effects, suggesting local mandates may be less effective than national mandates.
Hard. Pass.
November 29, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Hard. Pass.
First Brandy Alexanders of the holiday season.
November 28, 2025 at 10:38 PM
First Brandy Alexanders of the holiday season.
Reposted by Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys
The $25 million econ impact is nonsense concocted by project supporters, yet it's repeated in the "news" story as if it's a reasonable expectation. This is a major reason why such boondoggle projects continue to be approved. Journalists *have* to do better than this. @wxyzdetroit.bsky.social
November 28, 2025 at 2:44 PM
The $25 million econ impact is nonsense concocted by project supporters, yet it's repeated in the "news" story as if it's a reasonable expectation. This is a major reason why such boondoggle projects continue to be approved. Journalists *have* to do better than this. @wxyzdetroit.bsky.social
Reposted by Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys
The Detroit city council approved $88m in tax breaks for a Detroit City FC soccer stadium; WXYZ reported that the project "is expected to generate $25m in annual economic impact," no source given or needed, nobody would make up a number like that, right?
Friday roundup: This Is So Dumb edition
For U.S. Thanksgiving week, let's take a moment to give thanks for the continuing gift of having lots of stupid to laugh and point at. We are truly in the golden age of laughing and pointing, which is...
www.fieldofschemes.com
November 28, 2025 at 2:07 PM
The Detroit city council approved $88m in tax breaks for a Detroit City FC soccer stadium; WXYZ reported that the project "is expected to generate $25m in annual economic impact," no source given or needed, nobody would make up a number like that, right?
🤦♂️
"Runctitiononal features"? "Medical fymblal"? "1 Tol Line storee"? This gets worse the longer you look at it. But it's got to be good, because it was published in Nature Scientific Reports last week: www.nature.com/articles/s41... h/t @asa.tsbalans.se
November 27, 2025 at 8:33 PM
🤦♂️
Reposted by Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys
Based on what I am reading here, Denver Mayor Mike Johnson may be in the running for the dumbest mayor of a major US city.
Way to signal an absolute zero intent to negotiate a decent deal for Denver taxpayers.
www.cbsnews.com/colorado/new...
Way to signal an absolute zero intent to negotiate a decent deal for Denver taxpayers.
www.cbsnews.com/colorado/new...
Mayor Mike Johnston says he won't let Denver Summit FC's soccer stadium be built in another place: "Over my dead body"
Mayor Mike Johnston says he's going to do everything he can to keep the Denver Summit FC stadium in the city.
www.cbsnews.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Based on what I am reading here, Denver Mayor Mike Johnson may be in the running for the dumbest mayor of a major US city.
Way to signal an absolute zero intent to negotiate a decent deal for Denver taxpayers.
www.cbsnews.com/colorado/new...
Way to signal an absolute zero intent to negotiate a decent deal for Denver taxpayers.
www.cbsnews.com/colorado/new...
Reposted by Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys
Reposted by Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys
✨New Article ✨
What determines an individual's willingness to pay for top sports teams? In a new open-access article, Jaume Garcia, Fernando Lera-Lopez, Jose Manuel Sanchez-Santos, and Maria Jose Suarzez find that social trust and civic pride drive WTP.
What determines an individual's willingness to pay for top sports teams? In a new open-access article, Jaume Garcia, Fernando Lera-Lopez, Jose Manuel Sanchez-Santos, and Maria Jose Suarzez find that social trust and civic pride drive WTP.
November 21, 2025 at 8:25 PM
✨New Article ✨
What determines an individual's willingness to pay for top sports teams? In a new open-access article, Jaume Garcia, Fernando Lera-Lopez, Jose Manuel Sanchez-Santos, and Maria Jose Suarzez find that social trust and civic pride drive WTP.
What determines an individual's willingness to pay for top sports teams? In a new open-access article, Jaume Garcia, Fernando Lera-Lopez, Jose Manuel Sanchez-Santos, and Maria Jose Suarzez find that social trust and civic pride drive WTP.
Reposted by Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys
It's a bad sign when an elected leader pledges his life to ensure that the government will undertake an ill-fated boondoggle project.
Mayor Mike Johnston says he won't let Denver Summit FC's soccer stadium be built in another place: "Over my dead body"
Mayor Mike Johnston says he's going to do everything he can to keep the Denver Summit FC stadium in the city.
buff.ly
November 21, 2025 at 12:57 PM
It's a bad sign when an elected leader pledges his life to ensure that the government will undertake an ill-fated boondoggle project.
“a 40-year-old computer system running on COBOL.” WTAF 🤦♂️
NEW: Mississippians still have not received their full SNAP benefits more than a week after the government shutdown ended due to problems with a 40-year-old computer system running on COBOL.
And there is no guarantee they'll get them before Thanksgiving—or even by December.
And there is no guarantee they'll get them before Thanksgiving—or even by December.
Mississippians Still Waiting on Full SNAP Benefits
Mississippi SNAP recipients are still waiting for full payments more than a week after the government shutdown ended due to technical issues.
www.mississippifreepress.org
November 21, 2025 at 1:23 AM
“a 40-year-old computer system running on COBOL.” WTAF 🤦♂️
Reposted by Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
November 20, 2025 at 5:32 PM
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
Reposted by Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys
The biggest case of corporate welfare. This culture of taxpayer funded arenas in North America has got to stop. SA, Bexar County and the state are running a sham.
November 20, 2025 at 4:59 PM
The biggest case of corporate welfare. This culture of taxpayer funded arenas in North America has got to stop. SA, Bexar County and the state are running a sham.
🤦
Adding $500m in infrastructure bonds for the Spurs arena would bring the total to $1.3B, by far the largest arena subsidy in history, to replace a venue that is the 11th-newest in the NBA, in a city already dealing with staffing cuts to balance its budget.
Spurs arena subsidy could reach $1.3B, setting new NBA record for taxpayer money
One of the standard items in the stadium campaign playbook is "moving the goalposts" — setting a target for public funding, then once you get it, asking for more on top. It's a tactic that goes back w...
www.fieldofschemes.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:43 PM
🤦
People who send links to Zoom meetings with no calendar invitation should be beaten with sticks.
November 20, 2025 at 4:42 PM
People who send links to Zoom meetings with no calendar invitation should be beaten with sticks.
Reposted by Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys
Source: We made it up.
Cobb tourism generates $2.5 billion economic impact in 2024, report shows
Cobb Travel & Tourism released its annual economic impact report Tuesday, reaffirming the strength and momentum of Cobb County’s tourism and hospitality industry. According to new research from…
buff.ly
November 19, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Source: We made it up.
Interesting article. This seems crazy to me: 'Letters to the editor published in scientific journals are listed in databases that also list journal articles, and Dr. Rubin said that “they count as much as an article.”' (free article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/s...
The Editor Got a Letter From ‘Dr. B.S.’ So Did a Lot of Other Editors.
www.nytimes.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Interesting article. This seems crazy to me: 'Letters to the editor published in scientific journals are listed in databases that also list journal articles, and Dr. Rubin said that “they count as much as an article.”' (free article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/s...
What a stupid policy.
November 17, 2025 at 6:57 PM
What a stupid policy.
Reposted by Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys
Ungated link the paper: authors.elsevier.com/c/1m5S53IvSG...
November 14, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Ungated link the paper: authors.elsevier.com/c/1m5S53IvSG...
Now available in Labour Economics: "The effects of negative labor market conditions at entry: Evidence from the 2004–05 NHL lockout" by me and @chengyuanhua.bsky.social
November 13, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Now available in Labour Economics: "The effects of negative labor market conditions at entry: Evidence from the 2004–05 NHL lockout" by me and @chengyuanhua.bsky.social
This is worth a read.
I went deeper into the at-bats where Luis Ortiz is accused of throwing balls on purpose.
1) These pitches didn't just compromise games. They helped flip them. Twice.
2) It's the player props, man
3) This is NOT a case where legal sports betting improved the situation slate.com/technology/2...
1) These pitches didn't just compromise games. They helped flip them. Twice.
2) It's the player props, man
3) This is NOT a case where legal sports betting improved the situation slate.com/technology/2...
A Huge Scandal Is Rocking Baseball. Here’s What Needs to Change.
The indictments of two major league pitchers are just the clearest examples yet of the scourge of the prop bet.
slate.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:54 PM
This is worth a read.