“So?”
“So the home-field advantage is real. It exists. It exists across all sports, during all time periods, in all geographies. Professor Moskowitz noted that it is remarkably consistent.”
Adam said, “So?” again.
“Now, you’ve probably heard many of the normal reasons given to explain this advantage. Travel fatigue—the away team has to go on a bus or a plane or what have you. Or maybe you’ve heard that it’s familiarity with the playing field. Or that some teams are used to cold weather or warm weather—”
“We live in neighboring towns,” Adam said.
“Right, exactly, which just strengthens my point.”
Boy, was Adam not in the mood. Where the heck was Thomas?
“So,” Cal continued, “what do you think Moskowitz found?”
“Excuse me?”
“What do you think explains home-field advantage, Adam?”
“I don’t know,” Adam said. “Crowd support maybe.”
Cal Gottesman clearly liked that answer. “Yes. And no.”
Adam tried not to sigh.
“Professor Moskowitz and others like him have run studies on home-field advantage. They aren’t saying things like travel fatigue aren’t a factor, but there is pretty much no data supporting those theories—just some anecdotal evidence. No, the fact is, only one reason for the home-field advantage is supported by hard, cold data.” He held up his index finger in case Adam didn’t know what one meant. Then, just in case he was being too subtle, he said, “Just one.”
“And that is?”
Cal lowered the finger into a fist. “Referee bias. That’s it. The home team gets more of the calls.”
“So you’re saying the refs are throwing the game?”
“No, no. See, that’s the key to the study. It isn’t as though the referees are purposely favoring the home team. The bias is completely unintentional. It’s not conscious. It’s all related to social conformity.” Cal’s scientist hat was strapped down tightly now. “In short, we all want to be liked. The refs, like all humans, are all social creatures and assimilate the emotions of the crowd. Every once in a while, a referee will subconsciously make a call that will make the crowd happier. Ever watch a basketball game? All coaches work the refs because they understand human nature better than anyone. Do you see?”
Adam nodded slowly. “I do.”
“So that’s it, Adam.” Cal spread his hands. “That’s the whole home-field advantage in a nutshell—the human desire to conform and be liked.”
“And so you yell at the referees—”
“At away games,” he interrupted. “I mean, we need to keep our advantage at home. But at away games, sure, scientifically speaking, you need it for balance. Staying quiet could actually hurt you.”
Adam looked away.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“No, I want to hear it. You’re an attorney, right? You work in an adversarial business.”
“I do.”
“And you do what you can to influence the judge or opposing counsel.”
“I do.”
“So?”
“Nothing. I got your point.”
“But you don’t agree with it.”
“I don’t really want to get into it.”
“But the data is pretty clear.”
“Right.”
“So what’s your issue?”
Adam hesitated and then figured, why not. “It’s just a game, Cal. Home-field advantage is part of it. It’s why we play half of the games home, half away. So it balances out. In my view—and hey, it’s only mine—you’re justifying bad behavior. Let it just play out, bad calls and all. It’s a better example to the boys than screaming at referees. And if we lose an extra game or two a year, which I doubt, it’s a small price to pay for decorum and dignity, don’t you think?”
Cal Gottesman started working up his counter when Thomas came out of the locker room. Adam held up a hand and said, “No big deal, Cal, just my take. Excuse me, okay?”
Adam hurried back to the car and watched his son cross the field. There is a definite walk when you feel good about a win. Thomas stood more upright, a bounce in his step. There was a hint of a smile on his face. Thomas didn’t want to let that joy out, Adam knew, until he was in the car. He waved to a few friends, ever the politician. Ryan was on the quiet side, but Thomas could be mayor of this town.
Thomas threw his lacrosse bag into the backseat. The stink from the much-sweated-in pads began their assault. Adam slid open the windows. That did some good, but after a game in the warm weather, it was never enough.