Foul Play

Hello everyone, if you're a scientist, you don't get many opportunities to work in professional basketball. I don't have any illusions about my chances of becoming a player, a head coach, or the Phoenix Suns. But I have held out a tiny bit of hope that some day I'd be able to use my grad-school education to help some franchise shut down opposing free-throw shooters. Last week, my dream came true.
In today's NBA, there's no subtlety to free-throw defense. Hometown crowds try to unnerve enemy shooters with rally towels, pompoms, clackers, rhythmic chants, balloons, and signs that say "BRICK." It doesn't take a scientist to see how poorly this stuff works. In the 2003-2004 NBA season, free-throw percentages at home and on the road were identical to within one-twentieth of 1 percent. One hundred ninety-four players shot free throws better at home; 192 did better on the road.
Undeterred by the facts, NBA teams hand out special distracting equipment to fans behind the backboards. Some get foam "wiggle sticks," or "thunder sticks"—those long, skinny white balloons you wave in the air and smack together. Others get signs with particularly distracting words printed on them. These tools might be effective, but they don't come with instructions. That's where the staff neuroscientist comes in.http://www.nba.com/statistics/2004/default_post_season_leaders/LeagueLeadersFTPQuery.html?topic=0&stat=12