Playing by numbers

Suspect record-breakers. Gambling referees. Interstate dog fighting rings. Lately the sports pages are more concerned with scandal and sensationalism than box scores. While it certainly provides talk radio with endless hours of dialogue, it’s not very good for the games.

As professional sports wades through the legal and public relations consequences of recent events, it’s hard to remember that there is still so much more to sports than a few bad apples — and there’s more afoot than misbehavior. In addition to the athletes giving their all for true love of their game, there are people working hard behind the scenes to put together the best teams possible in the hopes of giving their fans what they most want to talk about: wins.

During the spring semester, the first-ever MIT Sloan Sports Management Conference provided a glimpse into the work of these unsung team players and how they’re changing the face of sports. Featuring leading executives from the major U.S. professional sports leagues, the conference explored the increasing role of analytics in sports. Sponsored by the MIT Sloan Entertainment, Media, & Sports Club, the conference featured alums Daryl Morrey, MBA ’00, general manager of the Houston Rockets, and Jamie McCourt, SF ’94, vice chairman and president of the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Analytics may not make the headlines, but more and more teams and leagues are finding that it’s making good sense.

Listen to the podcast episode >> (MP3)

- Posted by Michelle Choate

Comments

[Surabhi Gupta]

Thumbs up to you. yes, analytics have a big role to play in the making of champions in terms of inspiration to persevere and overall nurturing. They also lay down the psychological base that is important for optimum performance on the court or field.