Calling MGoNerds: Michigan Sports Analytics Symposium, Jan. 24, North Quad
The way I feel about "advanced" sports analytics is the way I feel about instant replay and cell phones: the world was generally better off without them. And yet, I plan to attend this event so I can make partial sense of all the gobblety-gook stats you millennials keep throwing out on this here discussion board to prove that somehow a pitcher with a 4-13 record is more valuable to his team than one with 20 wins. If an advanced metric can make signing Phil Coke seem like a good idea, well then we are all damned to hell. And what are all these kids doing on my lawn?
For those interested and in or near Ann Arbor, the symposium is Jan. 24 from 5-8 pm in the Ehrlicher room/Space 2435 (which they tried to rename but couldn't for reasons of bureacracy) in North Quad, home of the School of Information Fightin' Dataminers. Good stuff starts just after 6. The event announcement references "students, faculty, and staff" as the intended audience but I've been to other SI events and it's easy to blend in if you're not among those categories.
For more information visit this link, or visit this one if you just want to hear some Hall & Oates.
January 17th, 2019 at 3:54 PM ^
Sorry, no can do North Quad.
January 17th, 2019 at 5:34 PM ^
Username checks out.
January 17th, 2019 at 5:46 PM ^
Hey, EQ have you been back inside yourself since they remodeled you? ( I lived in Hinsdale , Tyler and Green and my daughter was in Strauss and my brother was in the first year of the Res. College so I know you well).
January 17th, 2019 at 3:56 PM ^
I believe the proper spelling is gobbledygook. And holy cow that's in Miriam-Webster.
January 17th, 2019 at 3:59 PM ^
No problem, I'll just go ahead and edit my original po-
Well, sheeeeet.
January 17th, 2019 at 4:07 PM ^
You have more pressing issues, like needing TP for your bunghole.
January 17th, 2019 at 5:49 PM ^
I mean he is reporting that things down there are great, soooo...
January 17th, 2019 at 4:23 PM ^
Nerds you say...
January 17th, 2019 at 4:32 PM ^
I'm a little biased (since I work there) but if you're interested in sports analytics, the biggest (coolest) conference on the topic is at MIT:
http://www.sloansportsconference.com/
last year they had Obama speak amongst a ton of other VIPs
January 17th, 2019 at 4:33 PM ^
I do love spreadsheets
January 17th, 2019 at 4:39 PM ^
I'm currently closing out my day in the office with some fantastic sound. Link 2 appreciated.
January 17th, 2019 at 4:39 PM ^
And yet, I plan to attend this event so I can make partial sense of all the gobblety-gook stats you millennials keep throwing out on this here discussion board to prove that somehow a pitcher with a 4-13 record is more valuable to his team than one with 20 wins.
Count this Generation Xer who happens to love sports analytics intrigued....
January 17th, 2019 at 5:37 PM ^
I haven’t decided what’s worse, sports analytics or millennials with their man buns, scraggly beards and shitty restaurants that serve elf food. There are no “winners” here
January 17th, 2019 at 5:30 PM ^
Is it that hard to understand why wins sucks as a stat, though?
January 17th, 2019 at 7:17 PM ^
OP sets up a ridiculous strawman. Literally no pitcher that has gone 4-13 has been more valuable than a 20 game winner, and no one would ever argue that. It's probably possible, theoretically, but both pitchers would have to be in the extremes in offensive support, in both directions.
I wouldn't even say that wins suck as a stat, they're fine for certain purposes. However, the point of advanced stats and sports analytics is that there are many other stats which are better, and can and should be used for the intended purpose.
January 17th, 2019 at 6:23 PM ^
Thanks for posting. I may make time for this.
January 17th, 2019 at 7:07 PM ^
Am going to heckle Ed.
Otherwise I have no idea what a Millennial is or why I shouldn't like them. Are they friends of Dantonio?