Sports Analytics Dept at SU

[MadNY3]

Anal-lytics is what is ruining baseball. I used to like it but all it is now are walks, strikeouts and homers. I liked bunts, steals and great fielding but there is so much less with the ball not in play. Although steals are coming back with the bigger bases. Gives you that extra second to swipe a bag.

Syracuse doesn’t have a baseball team.

It is investing a bunch into Sports Analytics.

Analytics > Baseball.

 

[Cusefan95]

Anal-lytics is what is ruining baseball. I used to like it but all it is now are walks, strikeouts and homers. I liked bunts, steals and great fielding but there is so much less with the ball not in play. Although steals are coming back with the bigger bases. Gives you that extra second to swipe a bag.

The problem isn’t analytics - it’s that most sports when played well (giving a team the highest chance to win) are boring. Boxing is another example, people loved to watch fighters like Tyson or Rousey because of their style. But their style opened up all kinds of opportunities for opponents who eventually figured out how to take advantage of it. Mayweather was considered boring - but IMHO he’s the best technician I’ve ever seen. His style created no opportunities for opponents, which was boring but effective. All that analytics is doing in baseball is starting to push teams to eliminate the exciting but counterproductive stuff like steals.

My hot take is professional sports all have a short shelf life until they get optimized into something not entertaining anymore. Baseball is trying to make changes to bring steals back - but analytics say you need a 90%+ success rate to justify trying. I don’t think rule changes will do much other than continue to make the game less recognizable - and if they “succeed” in making steals more common it’ll only be because it’s virtually a sure thing and seeing it happen isn’t exciting anyway.

I don’t think any sport is as entertaining as it was in the 80s - the problem isn’t analytics. It’s that no sport is sustainable as a form of entertainment.

 

[Fly Rodder]

I don’t think any sport is as entertaining as it was in the 80s - the problem isn’t analytics. It’s that no sport is sustainable as a form of entertainment.

And nostalgia.

 

[bnoro]

I don’t think any sport is as entertaining as it was in the 80s - the problem isn’t analytics. It’s that no sport is sustainable as a form of entertainment.

Or, your priorities change when you get older and you always just think of the good old days when you watched every game.

People getting mad at analytics makes me laugh.

 

[Bayside44]

The problem isn’t analytics - it’s that most sports when played well (giving a team the highest chance to win) are boring. Boxing is another example, people loved to watch fighters like Tyson or Rousey because of their style. But their style opened up all kinds of opportunities for opponents who eventually figured out how to take advantage of it. Mayweather was considered boring - but IMHO he’s the best technician I’ve ever seen. His style created no opportunities for opponents, which was boring but effective. All that analytics is doing in baseball is starting to push teams to eliminate the exciting but counterproductive stuff like steals.

My hot take is professional sports all have a short shelf life until they get optimized into something not entertaining anymore. Baseball is trying to make changes to bring steals back - but analytics say you need a 90%+ success rate to justify trying. I don’t think rule changes will do much other than continue to make the game less recognizable - and if they “succeed” in making steals more common it’ll only be because it’s virtually a sure thing and seeing it happen isn’t exciting anyway.

I don’t think any sport is as entertaining as it was in the 80s - the problem isn’t analytics. It’s that no sport is sustainable as a form of entertainment.

Lessing variables (analytics) makes sports less exciting because we see less stuff.

Baseball does a lot right, for the most part calls are right, they've figured out time of game. But for someone like me who loves the old school pitching not going a 3rd time around to me is just a flop.

 

[Cusefan95]

Or, your priorities change when you get older and you always just think of the good old days when you watched every game.

People getting mad at analytics makes me laugh.

It’s possible - but there’s data to support my position. Soccer, baseball, basketball and outdoor track and field have all seen drops in participation rate from 2018-19 to 2022-23 (continuing a trend); football participation dropped substantially. TV ratings are generally down (in some cases like baseball down substantially). Kids aren’t watching or playing sports at the levels they were when I was a kid. There’s obviously lot of factors, but “sports are less fun now” is arguably a contributor.

You may want to go back and reread this thread if you think I’m in the category of “people getting mad at analytics”.

 

[Cusefannotindc]

It’s possible - but there’s data to support my position. Soccer, baseball, basketball and outdoor track and field have all seen drops in participation rate from 2018-19 to 2022-23 (continuing a trend); football participation dropped substantially. TV ratings are generally down (in some cases like baseball down substantially). Kids aren’t watching or playing sports at the levels they were when I was a kid. There’s obviously lot of factors, but “sports are less fun now” is arguably a contributor.

You may want to go back and reread this thread if you think I’m in the category of “people getting mad at analytics”.

damn, i cant believe analytics has ruined track and field

 

[donniesyracuse]

Kids aren’t watching or playing sports at the levels they were when I was a kid. There’s obviously lot of factors, but “sports are less fun now” is arguably a contributor.

I think the biggest contributing factor is more options. Instead of watching a classic Big East battle between Creighton and DePaul, I can binge watch Six Feet Under for the tenth time, without commercials.

 

[bnoro]

It’s possible - but there’s data to support my position. Soccer, baseball, basketball and outdoor track and field have all seen drops in participation rate from 2018-19 to 2022-23 (continuing a trend); football participation dropped substantially. TV ratings are generally down (in some cases like baseball down substantially). Kids aren’t watching or playing sports at the levels they were when I was a kid. There’s obviously lot of factors, but “sports are less fun now” is arguably a contributor.

You may want to go back and reread this thread if you think I’m in the category of “people getting mad at analytics”.

My last sentence was in agreement with you.

 

[kirbivore]

Or, your priorities change when you get older and you always just think of the good old days when you watched every game.

People getting mad at analytics makes me laugh.

 

[RealMcNeil]

It’s possible - but there’s data to support my position. Soccer, baseball, basketball and outdoor track and field have all seen drops in participation rate from 2018-19 to 2022-23 (continuing a trend); football participation dropped substantially. TV ratings are generally down (in some cases like baseball down substantially). Kids aren’t watching or playing sports at the levels they were when I was a kid. There’s obviously lot of factors, but “sports are less fun now” is arguably a contributor.

You may want to go back and reread this thread if you think I’m in the category of “people getting mad at analytics”.

The fun factor pales in comparison to cost and accessibility. Cost of ice / court time, equipment, travel, etc. all continue to rise, and community programs / subsidies just aren’t there anymore to fill the void.