Basketball(traveling)

[TravelinMan]

For those non-logician zebras:

The reason this is called "disjunctive syllogism" is that, first, it is a syllogism--a three-step argument--and second, it contains a disjunction, which means simply an "or" statement.

e.g. TravelinMan is either a logician or an outstanding basketball official
TravelinMan is not a logician
Ergo, TravelinMan is an outstanding basketball official

__________________________________________________ ________
"You cant argue with logic"

[Mark Dexter]

Originally posted by ChuckElias
I am, however, a logician. And one fundamental logical form is the disjunctive syllogism. If you only have two choices, and you know one of them can't be true, then logic dictates that the other must be true.

So, Chuck - how close are you to finishing up that thesis of yours?

[cmckenna]

Originally posted by ChuckElias
You're right -- the ball passing over a rectangular backboard is a violation; however, I don't think that's what Juulie had in mind. [/B]

Thanks for the clarification Chuck. It is still one of those things though that when I spend time thinking about it it doesn't make a whole lot of sense since the backboard hangs over in bounds territory....

Oh well. I guess thats why I don't write the rules...

Thanks again.

[Nevadaref]

Originally posted by ChuckElias

I'm just guessing, but I think she means "over the top of the basket". Up, over the rim without touching, and down on the other side.

You're right -- the ball passing over a rectangular backboard is a violation; however, I don't think that's what Juulie had in mind.

Yeah, I knew Juulie was better than that too.
I was just picking on the grammar a little bit. Notice that the backboard is the last noun that she used. The pronoun "it" certainly has to refer to the ball, but over the top of what is unclear, so by the structure used one would logically deduce that she was talking about the backboard.

However, if one uses outside knowledge about Juulie as a basketball official, as you did, Chuck, then the logical conclusion is that she was talking about a shot which passes over the ring without making any contact.