1960: My uncle is the FBI Director

Chapter 261 Statistical data shows?

Bernie and Billy Hawke returned quickly, along with Martin Joseph Cronin.

They brought back the schedule for the first round of matches.

As expected, they were scheduled for June 8th, and their opponent was the personnel department.

Of the four present, only Martin Joseph Cronin had previous competition experience.

He introduced the personnel team to everyone, and the first member he mentioned was Clarence Dawson.

Bernie asked him, somewhat surprised:
"The head of the personnel department?"

Martin Joseph Cronin gave Bernie a disapproving look, his expression serious:

"There haven't been any major changes in the personnel department this year. It's probably the same as before, with the same few people."

"They are true bowling masters."

"They almost beat us last year."

He remembered that he now belonged to Theodore's team, and pointed upwards again:
I meant the laboratory.

He looked at Bernie:
"Last year, Mr. Dawson scored 30 points in the tenth round of the competition against the Logistics Department, turning the tide and winning the game."

A bowling match consists of ten rounds, and the score for each round is the sum of the scores from that round and the next two rounds.

Since there are no more rounds after the tenth round, two extra pitches will be added.

Thirty points in the tenth round means three consecutive perfect scores.

Bernie and Billy Hawke looked at each other in bewilderment.

This is somewhat different from what they expected.

They thought the personnel department and logistics department would be weak.

Martin Joseph Cronin and Theodore looked at them with strange eyes.

Theodore asked the two men:

Why would you think that?

Martin Joseph Cronin nodded in agreement:
"The competition schedule is arranged according to the working hours of the participating players, and it has nothing to do with their strength or weakness."

Billy Hawke felt somewhat embarrassed:

"I thought……"

Martin Joseph Cronin glanced at him:
"There is also no statistical data showing that field agents are better at bowling than office agents."

He pointed upstairs, reminding Billy Hawke:

"All the team members in the lab are office staff, yet their performance is better than that of all other departments."

"Moreover, the laboratory is expanding its dominance in various projects year by year."

He counted a long list of projects that the lab had successfully tackled on his fingers, and finally summarized:

"Competition results do not depend on the difference between office staff and field staff, but on the scientific control of key influencing factors."

"By building data models to identify the core variables that affect performance, and consciously adjusting these variables in the direction that is most conducive to improving performance during the competition, we can achieve better results."

Billy Hawke looked at Martin Joseph Cronin with a puzzled expression:
"Statistical data?"

Martin Joseph Cronin nodded:
"Yes, building a data model involves first listing the variables that may affect performance, and then identifying which variables are truly relevant to performance and the extent of their influence through experiments and data analysis."

"Finally, based on the identification of key variables, the optimal configuration that yields the best results is calculated through control and adjustment."

Billy Hawke didn't understand and turned to look at Bernie.

Bernie felt a sense of déjà vu about what he was hearing, his gaze shifting back and forth between Theodore and Martin Joseph Cronin.

Theodore was looking at Martin Joseph Cronin and nodded in agreement. Noticing Bernie's movement, he looked over in confusion.

Martin Joseph Cronin glanced at Theodore, then at the other two who looked completely bewildered, and sighed.

"For example, bowling."

"This sport is not popular in the lab. At least none of my colleagues play it on weekends."

"It's too simple."

Billy Hawke asked him:

"So what do you guys do on weekends?"

Martin Joseph Cronin looked at him:
"Bridge, chess, backgammon, Go, billiards... but not bowling."

He then looked at Bernie:

"It's not rugby either."

He went on to say:
"Laboratory research shows that a 5-step approach is the optimal solution when bowling, as it provides a better sense of rhythm and timing, and gives the body more time to maintain balance and generate power."

"The first step is the preparatory step, the second step is the push, the third step is the swing, the fourth step is the backswing, and the fifth step is the forward swing and release."

Martin Joseph Cronin looked at Billy Hawke and Bernie and emphasized:

"When the sliding foot is in place on the final step, the ball-handling hand should be at its lowest point and begin to accelerate forward. Incorrect timing will result in insufficient power and instability."

"If you don't believe me, we can try it after get off work."

"At first, you might feel a little awkward because the five-step approach is different from your usual approach stride frequency, and you might even make mistakes, throw the ball onto the wrong track, or trip yourself."

“When we first started practicing the five-step walking aid in the lab, someone injured themselves by falling.”

"However, once you get used to it through practice, you'll find that your performance will improve significantly."

Bernie shook his head:

“We were on a field trip this morning and we were going to reserve a lane at the DuPont Bowling Centre, but the lanes there were already booked until next month.”

Martin Joseph Cronin looked at the three men suspiciously:

"Didn't you book the fairways in advance?"

The three of them shook their heads.

Martin Joseph Cronin paused for a moment, then asked:
"What did you say when the entertainment association tallied the work situation this morning?"

Bernie and Theodore looked at Billy Hawke.

Martin Joseph Cronin also looked at him.

Billy Hawke awkwardly recounted the events of the morning.

Martin Joseph Cronin fell silent again.

He began to doubt his choice.

Bernie helps Billy Hawke out of a tight spot:
"Let's train at another venue."

Martin Joseph Cronin shook his head:
"The competition is held at the DuPont Bowling Centre, where you can train to get used to the lanes."

"The fairway is also one of the key factors affecting performance."

The office fell silent.

In the afternoon, near the end of the workday, the problem with the training venue was resolved.

Agent Bourne used his personal connections to contact the Criminal Investigation Department, who happened to be practicing that night and agreed to share the fairway with Theodore and his team.

Martin Joseph Cronin believed this was a good time to observe the opponent.

After get off work, everyone gathered in the parking lot, and a few minutes later, the criminal investigation team also came down.

Apart from Agent Bourne who answered the phone, Theodore didn't recognize any of the other people.

Bernie thanked them, and the group set off for the DuPont Bowling Centre.

Pennsylvania Avenue was as crowded as ever today.

Bernie rolled down his window and started chatting with his colleagues from the Criminal Investigation Department across a brown Ford. They had only exchanged a few words when the brown Ford also rolled down its window, revealing a slightly overweight, middle-aged man with brown hair parted in the middle.

The middle-aged man claimed to be an employee of the General Affairs Administration.

After confirming that Bernie and the others were talking about the FBI's upcoming bowling league, they enthusiastically joined in.

The middle-aged man was a bowling enthusiast and greatly admired the FBI's bowling league.

According to him, the FBI bowling league is well-known among federal government departments, and many people want to go and watch it live. Unfortunately, it is an internal FBI competition, and the audience is limited to the families of FBI agents.

The middle-aged man shook his head and sighed, saying that he might never have the chance to watch a game live in his lifetime.

At this time, the FBI only had male agents, no female agents, and no other 110 genders.

He is unlikely to ever become a family member of an FBI agent in his lifetime.

Bernie comforted him, saying that his child could join the FBI when he grew up.

The middle-aged man thought about it for a moment, and felt that it seemed like a good idea, so he chatted with a smile again.

The Department of Justice building isn't far from the DuPont Bowling Centre, but Pennsylvania Avenue was so congested during rush hour that it took them forty minutes to get there.

The middle-aged man even parked his car on the side of the road, waved to them, and offered his blessings.

After saying goodbye to the middle-aged man, the group entered the venue.

In the morning, after confirming the reservation information, the staff member led them into the venue.

Although it was just after get off work, nearly half of the fairways in the venue were already occupied.

Some fairways are temporarily unused, with only staff wiping and maintaining them.

Along the way, people kept greeting Bernie.

They were all dressed in dark suits, white shirts, black leather shoes, and their ties were neatly tied. Some had already played two rounds, while others were preparing.

These are all FBI agents.

Led by the staff, Theodore and his team arrived at the innermost fairway, number 18.

At the suggestion of an agent from the Criminal Investigation Department whom Theodore didn't know, the training was conducted in the form of a competition.

Each side sends five players to participate in the competition, with one person responsible for scoring.

The competition uses the standard ten-bottle system, with a total of ten rounds. After ten rounds, the total score is calculated, and the team with the highest score wins.

The loser has to buy a round of coffee.

The most common prizes for bowling recreational activities are cigarettes and beer, but they are FBI agents.

FBI agents could only offer coffee as a prize.

In addition, the two sides agreed that the team that loses more after training tonight will have to treat everyone to dinner.

After agreeing on the terms, the two teams discussed their respective lineups.

On Theodore's side, only Agent Bourne and Agent Lombardi are experienced players. Martin Joseph Cronin is half an experienced player. Theodore and Bernie have only played once, and Billy Hawke has never played at all, only watched matches and crammed some theoretical knowledge.

The order of appearance is easy to determine:
As a former member of the department, Agent Lombardi was naturally chosen as the first choice.

Agent Bourne volunteered to be the second to appear.

Billy Hawke was very motivated and demanded to be ranked third.

Next up are Theodore and Bernie.

Martin Joseph Cronin was in charge of scoring.

After determining the order of appearance, Martin Joseph Cronin pulled out a palm-sized, rough-edged notebook, opened it, and began explaining the rules to everyone, starting with the selection of the ball.

He asked Theodore and his team to choose the heaviest ball without compromising their speed and coordination.

According to laboratory data models, the heavier the ball, the better the effect of hitting it.

He also instructed them to take a five-step approach; to swing back as far and smoothly as possible before throwing; and to use their middle and ring fingers to "pull" the ball upwards while throwing, coordinating with their wrists to make the ball spin.

Everyone was confused.

Martin Joseph Cronin sighed, closed his notebook, and beckoned everyone to him, forming a circle around him to prevent the criminal investigation team from spying. Then he extended three fingers and pressed them down, his fingers trembling as if he had been electrocuted.

Everyone was even more confused.

Theodore frowned as well.

He felt he understood before, but after seeing Martin Joseph Cronin's demonstration, he began to doubt his own understanding.

Martin Joseph Cronin had one leg on the ground, the other bent backward, one arm stretched tightly behind his body, and the other arm twisted forward.

He was hunched over, his outstretched arm trembling as if electrocuted, his wrist twisting repeatedly, as he turned to ask the crowd:
"Like this... like this... do you understand?"

Everyone shook their heads.

He glanced at Theodore, noticing that Theodore was also shaking his head. Growing anxious, he grabbed Agent Lombardi's hand and began to manipulate it.
"That's it... Yes, first like this... then like this... and then like this... Do you understand?"

Agent Lombardi, after being manipulated by him for a while, shook his head and smiled wryly:
"I think I've forgotten how to pitch."

Martin Joseph Cronin paused for a few seconds, then pulled out his notebook again:

"Never mind, we'll practice the pitching form next time."

"Let's talk about the post-pitch posture first."

"After throwing the ball, don't immediately retract your movement; try to keep your body still."

"like this……"

He gripped the notebook and began making gestures again.

The space was too cramped, making the movements look somewhat comical.
"Slide leg...that's the leg, bend it. Extend the supporting leg back, lean the body forward, and don't just throw the ball out and then pull it back. Continue to swing the arm upward, and then hold this position still."

Everyone looked at him and fell silent.

This movement is truly twisted and bizarre.

Martin Joseph Cronin looked at the crowd with displeasure:

"This is the optimal scoring method that the laboratory has summarized."

Billy Hawke looked at Agent Lombardi and Agent Bourne, seeking their confirmation.

Agent Lombardi frowned, thought for a moment, and nodded uncertainly:

"It seems so."

"I'm not so sure about the others, but I remember this last still pose."

He hesitated and looked at Agent Bourne.

Agent Bourne shook his head:
"I don't really remember."

“I’m just a spectator, unlike him, who has to personally participate in the game.”

He also patted Agent Lombardi on the back.

Billy Hawke couldn't help but ask Martin Joseph Cronin:

"Since we already have the optimal method, why bother creating a new data model?"

Martin Joseph Cronin did not answer.

He put the notebook away and gave everyone a final reminder:
"I helped design this data model, but I haven't personally tested it."

"However, the lab's past achievements speak for themselves."

Agent Lombardi and Agent Bourne exchanged a glance, both somewhat hesitant.

They were somewhat resistant to this method, which originated from the laboratory, and it was so different from their habits that they knew it was unlikely to work without even trying it.

(End of this chapter)