by Eric Marturano
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| Celebrating 20 years of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference! |
After 13 years of attending this conference, I'm thankful that I've generally had the sense to record my thoughts on different panels fresh after attending.
Before I dive into my personal itinerary for the duration of the conference, I want to mention a few things:
- Most of the panels & sessions can be be found on video here over the next few weeks. The agendas for each day can be found here. As an attendee, I very much appreciate that the conference records many of the sessions since there will inevitably be conflicts.
- I also did a TL;DR version of the below in a live-tweet thread, so check that out if you only like reading 280 characters at a time.
- Since a huge benefit of this conference is the networking opportunity, I would be remiss not to mention where you can find me professionally at SPORTFIVE - drop me a line at eric.marturano@sportfive.com if you'd like to find a way to work together!
Alright, enough preamble...onto the weekend!
Thursday March 5, 2026
I usually walk to the train station from my home in the Philadelphia suburbs. Not today though - it was pouring! I woke up early, got my two boys Leo (3.5yrs) & Marco (5yrs) ready for daycare & my wife Erin was kind enough to drop me off at the train station nearby. I boarded a connecting train to 30th Street station in Philadelphia for my long Amtrak ride to Boston, where I am writing this now.
Some of you have asked why I consistently take the train vs. plane vs. drive, so I'll answer this while (ironically) I wait a little longer than I'd like for the crew change-over at Penn Station in NYC. Whichever your method of travel, Boston to Philadelphia is about 5-6hrs door to door. Yes, a plane is short air time, but you have to lead time to the airport, security, etc. Yes, a car is freedom, but also active driving/attention - and anyone who has ever driven through Connecticut knows this is the worst choice of the three. The train allows me to do things like relax, get some work done, and even explain why a train is my choice in a blog...and now that my ride is over, I'll say it was good to get some work done & get organized for the conference on the train.
I arrived in Boston in the late afternoon/early evening. My hosts (now for 3 years running!) are my oldest childhood friend, John, his girlfriend Chelsea & their awesome pup Peach. John grew up on my street here in the Philly suburbs, so it's been fun these last few years to stay connected in enjoying Boston together. We spent the evening catching up as I prepared for the next day.
I arrived in Boston in the late afternoon/early evening. My hosts (now for 3 years running!) are my oldest childhood friend, John, his girlfriend Chelsea & their awesome pup Peach. John grew up on my street here in the Philly suburbs, so it's been fun these last few years to stay connected in enjoying Boston together. We spent the evening catching up as I prepared for the next day.
Friday March 6, 2026
Against all odds, it did NOT snow despite being forecasted at 50%+ the night before. Nice to win a weather coin-flip... seemingly a 1st for the Northeast this winter. The conference is at the Boston Conference & Exhibition Center in the seaport this year. I arrived, got registered, ate some breakfast and got ready for Day 1!
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| Ready for the 20th annual SSAC! |
After listening to some nice 20th anniversary welcome remarks from the conference co-creators, Daryl Morey (76ers), Jessica Gelman (KAGR), Richard Locke (MIT) and the student leads Patrick Scheri & Mike O'Connell, we were off!
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| Locke, Morey, Gelman, Scheri, & O'Connell kick off the 20th! |
Similar to last year, I'm participating in the conference mentorship program as a mentor to students/young professionals. As part of that, I spent my first hour of the conference speaking with students in the Career Conversations room answering questions about the industry and how to build skills / break in. It is humbling to have the opportunity to give back to the wider sports analytics community in this way.
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| Honored to give back to the conference that has given me so much over the years |
10:00am Where the Game Grows: Venues, Markets, and Global Strategy
Speaker(s): Yael Grushka-Cockayne, David J. Adelman, Billy Hogan, Amy Latimer, Amy Brooks
David says he is challenging the arena designers to make something that people haven't seen before and notes that since HBSE will be an owner (rather than a tenant), he will do all he can to make this new arena special. Recently, the development group Adelman is part of made waves by awarding the food & beverage for the arena to Levy, replacing longstanding Philadelphia sports food staple Aramark.
Description: Sports franchises are evolving into real estate and entertainment platforms designed to drive year-round revenue and long-term value creation. At the team level, multipurpose venues anchored within mixed-use districts are reshaping franchise economics, as seen in new arena development joint ventures such as the Philadelphia project involving the 76ers and Flyers, as well as modern venues like UBS Arena in Long Island. At the ownership-group and league level, international expansion - through launching new competitions or acquiring historic clubs - has become a critical growth strategy. How can teams, ownership groups, and leagues design venues that generate diversified revenue streams by integrating real estate development? How can established global leagues successfully enter markets dominated by strong local competitors? And how can ownership groups reinvent historic teams to unlock both sport relevance and commercial upside? Join leaders from Fenway Sports Group, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, Oak View Group, and the NBA as they discuss how stadiums, arenas, and international models are shaping the future of global sports
Reaction: After many nice conversations with young professionals looking to grow their career, I found my way into the back of the room of a panel-in-progress about venues. Fortunately for me (a Sixers season-ticketholder), this panel had David Adelman of HBSE and I wandered in just in time for him to speak excitedly about the new arena planned for the Sixers (NBA), Flyers (NHL), and Wings (NLL) and a forthcoming WNBA team by 2030.
David says he is challenging the arena designers to make something that people haven't seen before and notes that since HBSE will be an owner (rather than a tenant), he will do all he can to make this new arena special. Recently, the development group Adelman is part of made waves by awarding the food & beverage for the arena to Levy, replacing longstanding Philadelphia sports food staple Aramark.
I'm glad I was at least able to catch that part of the talk ahead of the next panel.
11:00am A Conversation with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver led by Sue Bird
Speaker(s): Sue Bird, Adam Silver
At the end of the discussion, Silver was honored to receive the Alpha Award for Lifetime Achievement (which Sue won in 2023). Well-deserved in Year 20, after being a very public supporter/attendee since Year 2.
Description: In this wide-ranging conversation, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver joins moderator Sue Bird to explore how the league is navigating a period of rapid change on and off the court. The discussion will focus on the unique opportunities from player development to fan interactivity to analytics and international expansion. Hear how new player development models and NIL are changing the approach to global talent pipelines. Learn how the league continues to be at the forefront of advanced analytics and AI to enhance decision-making and fan engagement while simultaneously balancing international expansion, driving arena development and creating a potential new league in Europe. With a global talent pipeline reshaping the game and basketball entering a pivotal moment amid emerging challenges, this conversation offers a rare look at how today’s decisions are shaping the future of the league.
Reaction: Adam Silver was an early supporter of the Sloan Conference and remains one to this day, much like Sue Bird, who interviewed the NBA Commissioner on a variety of topics.
Perhaps the most newsworthy item was Silver's comments regarding tanking, as he mentioned "substantial changes" coming next season. As a Sixers fan, tanking has been pretty central to any basketball discussion I've had the pleasure (or displeasure) of having for the last 15 years or so. Everyone has a (bad) theory of how to fix this & more...so I'll spare you my full idea and just say it's a tiresome topic.
Throughout the conversation, I appreciated both Sue and Adam's focus on the importance of human connection. For Sue, this is a joy of sports: you can perform and be yourself and connect to others through fandom. Adam voiced the belief that especially as AI changes everything we do, sports will continue to offer the "human connection that is hard to find in other aspects of our life". These somewhat wistful comments reminded me of Silver's comments on athletes/mental health he made at this same conference 7 years ago (which I was also in attendance for). Between the two, Silver seems to have a heart for the topic of loneliness.
At the end of the discussion, Silver was honored to receive the Alpha Award for Lifetime Achievement (which Sue won in 2023). Well-deserved in Year 20, after being a very public supporter/attendee since Year 2.
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| Congrats to Adam Silver for the Lifetime Achievement Award! |
12:00pm Mentorship Luncheon
Speaker(s): Sonia Raman, Jessica Gelman
Reaction: The mentorship luncheon was really awesome. It was great seeing so many (70+ I believe) mentor/mentee matches all in one place for a good 90 minutes of advice and networking.
Our keynote speaker was Seattle Storm Head Coach, Sonia Raman, who shared her journey as a fan, player, and coach of basketball since a young age. She credited mentors of all kinds throughout her life - even those from her days working in the legal field - with guiding her through an otherwise winding career path towards professional coaching: first as an assistant coach for the women's teams at Tufts (where she walked-on as a student) and Wellesley, then head coach for MIT women's basketball, and eventually professional men's (Grizzlies) & women's (NY Liberty) assistant positions before her current position as Seattle Storm HC.
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| Sonia Raman delivers her keynote address during the mentorship luncheon |
As a 13yr+ visitor of this conference myself, I enjoyed sitting near another mentor who I recognized as a student co-lead from many conferences ago & reflecting on our journeys into the industry. It's humbling to realize how much I've personally learned and can actually pass on and be helpful to those trying to "break in": my own journey is one of essentially building a skill (market research, but in other fields like banking & pharma) and finding a way to leverage that skill into roles in my desired industry (sports). I've found this focus on skill-building to be hopeful advice for some mentees who may not have that recognizable team-logo on their resume (yet!).
After more discussions with my mentee (shoutout Corinne!) and students in the luncheon & hallways after, I spent some time putting... improving enough to win a hat from PGA! I'm looking forward to perhaps seeing some of the people from the booth in person when the PGA Championship comes to Aronimink in May, closeby to where I call home.
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| We love conference swag, don't we folks? |
Coincidentally, shortly after the mentors lunch I connected with Michael Kamradt of Vision Insights. I used to manage Michael during our time as coworkers at MarketCast, so it was cool to connect just as friends years later in this environment after progressing elsewhere in our careers. That's what conferences are for!
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| Glad to see my guy Michael doing well! |
2:30pm How Schedules and Viewer Behavior Drive the Value of Media Rights
Speaker(s): Chris Groer
Description: This presentation describes how large-scale, device-level data can provide high resolution insights into how fans consume sporting events. We are able to understand how viewers consume sports across markets and time, gaining insights into many aspects of fan behavior. The session outlines how Fastbreak AI builds predictive viewership models using this data and incorporates the results into schedule optimization. This approach allows leagues to maximize the expected value of their schedule while continuing to meet traditional scheduling objectives.
Description: This presentation describes how large-scale, device-level data can provide high resolution insights into how fans consume sporting events. We are able to understand how viewers consume sports across markets and time, gaining insights into many aspects of fan behavior. The session outlines how Fastbreak AI builds predictive viewership models using this data and incorporates the results into schedule optimization. This approach allows leagues to maximize the expected value of their schedule while continuing to meet traditional scheduling objectives.
Reaction: Thinking as both a fan & a professional, I enjoyed this workshop regarding scheduling and how it affects viewer behaviors (and their subsequent values).
One datapoint that stuck out to me was how steep the drop-off was for viewers when cut by how many games per season they typically watch. I knew it would be steep but pretty surprising to see that you lose about half in just going from 1 game watched to 2 games. This histogram is a good representation of the massive "casual fan halo" that surrounds the more hardcore/avid fans of a team (i.e., the 3+ games viewers)
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| There is a steep drop-off from casual to avid tune-in |
Scheduling factors - such as what time a game is on - matter immensely for viewership & valuation. For example, half the country was only waking up halfway through the early periods of the Olympic Men's Hockey Gold Medal match...but by the end nearly the whole country was shaded blue and watching because 1) it was an exciting game & 2) the hour was simply more reasonable for over half the country.
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| Half of the US was still waking up during a tied Gold Medal match |
Bringing factors like this into your modeling process can help better value rights deals & predict viewership patterns.
3:30pm Setting the Edge: How Analytics are Rewriting Football Strategy
Speaker(s): Mina Kimes, Nick Caserio, Karim Kassam, Connor Barwin
Description: As advanced analytics reach new heights in the NFL - both internally and externally - teams are more focused than ever on finding and maintaining the next edge. Join three executives at the forefront of analytically-driven decision making as they discuss the most pressing questions front offices face today. Panelists will share how they approach high-stakes decision making, adjusting to new rules, situational awareness, and managing the one constant in football: change.
Reaction: As an Eagles fan, I particularly enjoyed this panel featuring Connor Barwin who not only played for the Eagles but works in their front office now too. Eagles fans may laugh that Connor and others on the panel credited none other than former Eagles coach Chip Kelly for being one of the early influencers and innovators in modern player tracking, which is now a focal point for many teams. I guess if you can't be the best you may as well be first!
Much of the discussion touched on the idea of building organizational confidence in data and how important it is for players to know which metrics can help them improve. Getting player buy-in is key, not only for organizational harmony, but for player improvement itself. One story I appreciated was Barwin sharing how the Eagles tracked DT Moro Ojomo in practice every week and used that information to motivate him during the weeks he wasn't playing. This allowed for the team to put him & the team in a better position to succeed when his number was finally called.
As useful as certain quantitative analytics are, Karim Kassam of Teamworks highlighted that particularly in football there are still large "grey-areas", so its important for players & coaches to fill-in those gaps with their own qualitative expertise. I liked this quote from him: "You can't replace your scouting department with Excel."
4:30pm Building a Legacy: A 1-on-1 with MLS Commissioner Don Garber
Speaker(s): Jessica Gelman, Don Garber
Description: Over the past 25+ years, Don Garber has overseen the transformation of the Major League Soccer (MLS) from a small and fragile league into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise with global relevance, soccer-specific stadiums, record franchise valuations, and a landmark global media partnership. In this one-on-one conversation moderated by Jessica Gelman, Garber will reflect on the defining inflection points of his tenure: expansion strategy, investor relations, media innovation, talent development, and navigating moments of existential risk.
The discussion will also turn toward the future. As MLS enters a new era shaped by global competition, shifting media economics, data-driven decision-making, and the 2026 World Cup, what should the league’s next chapter look like? What leadership capabilities will matter most in a commissioner transition? And how should MLS balance commercial growth with competitive credibility on the global stage? This conversation offers a rare look at long-term sports leadership: what it takes to build a league, and how to prepare it for what comes next.
Reaction: This was a fascinating conversation with Don Garber, who has been commissioner of the MLS since 1999. The MLS was very much born out of the 1994 World Cup, so with the 2026 Cup coming in just a few months, we're nearing a full-circle moment for the league.
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| Jessica Gelman interviews MLS Commissioner Don Garber |
Prior to the MLS, Don was an executive in the NFL until he was encouraged by Robert Kraft (and others) to pursue the commissioner role. He shared how when he came in that he did his best to change things in a way that made more sense based on how soccer was played elsewhere in the world (i.e., aligning rules, etc.).
Another change he oversaw was the bold move the MLS made a few years back to partner media rights with Apple. Garber believed the MLS should have a global relationship with its viewers. Given that many other leagues have at least partially gone to streaming, not only was this move ahead of the curve but potentially superior - all games can be found in 1 spot globally (vs. multiple channels/streams), meaning the MLS has an easier path for fans to find them. Today its even easier, as MLS is integrated with Apple directly, rather than a standalone add-on. With media rights ending soon, it will be interesting to see how these partners (or new ones) renegotiate & innovate next.
And in perhaps their boldest move yet, next year MLS will completely realign its schedule with the European leagues. Jessica Gelman called him "Big Bets Don" in the panel jokingly - but it's pretty accurate!
5:30pm Making the Right Call: How AI is Reshaping Officiating Across Pro Sports
Speaker(s): Saj Cherian, Monty McCutchen, Joe Martinez, Evan Wasch, Daryl Morey
Description: The NBA and MLB are actively testing and deploying AI-driven systems that are fundamentally changing how games are officiated and played. In this panel, we dive into the mechanics of automating sports adjudication. The discussion will cover real-world case studies including MLB's Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system, the NBA's Court iQ system, and the feedback loop of testing rule changes in the G League and Minor Leagues. Panelists will unpack the technical challenges of replacing human judgment with algorithms, the impact on game flow and strategy, and what specific rules are next in line for automation.
Reaction: I only caught the beginning of this panel, but the topic is evergreen: how can we improve officiating?
There is much talk about replay slowing games down, and the MLB has actively made changes to improve its game: the big bold one being automated balls & strikes (ABS). As a fan, it will take some getting used to but I think - much like the pitch clock - this will ultimately improve the fan experience. Joe Martinez spoke highly of ABS and how it's already making baseball better.
In the NBA, Daryl Morey believes that "officials have been marked safe from AI for far too long" and expects AI to get more & more involved in officiating as time goes on.
I ducked out of this talk a bit early to go grab a drink nearby with a former colleague and current vendor and then later met up that evening with John & Chelsea for some dinner. We went to an incredible restaurant, before resting up & getting plenty of sleep for Day 2.
Saturday March 7, 2026
After getting some rest, I got up slightly less early to head to back to the conference. Day 2 at Sloan is always a bit more casual & relaxed since it's the weekend.
I spent the first hour eating breakfast with my mentee and speaking to a few others about career development and the sports industry. Now having done the mentorship program for 2 years, I'm looking forward to making this a tradition.
9:00am Prediction Markets at the Crossroads: Sports, Regulation, and What Comes Next
Speaker(s): Chad Millman, Shayne Coplan, Nate Silver, Ric Best
Description: Do prediction markets represent a new frontier for quant-driven fandom and decision-making or just a repackaged version of sports wagering with better branding and bigger datasets? Prediction markets have surged from a niche forecasting tool to one of the fastest-growing products in sports. This panel digs into what's fueling that acceleration: Are prediction markets genuinely improving our ability to forecast sports, or are they simply scaling through broader distribution and retail participation? Panelists will break down the regulatory gray zone these markets occupy, debating whether they are meaningfully different from sports betting, how recent lawsuits and enforcement actions shape public trust, and what the current policy trajectory implies for teams, leagues, and institutional investors. Finally, we'll dig into the consumer experience, from winner-take-most dynamics to the rise of professional traders, and what it means as leagues begin integrating prediction markets directly into fan engagement.
Reaction: This panel made some headlines as it featured the CEO of a company many across the country (sports or not) are becoming more familiar with: Polymarket.
Not many understand the difference between prediction markets & sportsbooks, so I thought I'd share this working definition I've referenced since last fall via Ben Horney at FrontOfficeSports: The distinction lies in the details. With sportsbooks, users bet against the house, which profits when players lose. Prediction markets operate as peer-to-peer exchanges where participants bet against one another, prices adjust dynamically, and the platform makes money through fees.
It's thus much more attractive to operate & be classified as a prediction market, since you're unloading risk without losing profit. Either way, you win.
Many in society are beginning to use predictions markets as sources of information and a proxy for likelihood. It's important to remember that these aren't actual likelihoods - just beliefs in what will be. There can be wisdom in the crowd...and there can also be foolishness.
Regardless, as datapoints, predictions markets are likely here to stay. Figuring out how to best leverage them (even if not actively 'betting' within them), will benefit someone greatly.
After a few quick hall meetings, I wandered into the the activities room for a while.
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| Kaden Xu, about to kick my butt in table tennis |
This year had pop-a-shot, curling, and table tennis. I got to steal a game with Major League Tennis Pro Kaden Xu of the New York slice, who was nice enough to show me how to return one of his wildly wicked serves. Basically - aim in a totally different direction since there is so much spin on the ball that a normal shot will certainly miss the table. I got it after a few tries and thanked Kaden for the lesson.
11:30am The History of Progress in Progress of Football Analytics
Speaker(s): Eric Eager
Description: Evidence-based approaches in American football have been around forever, from coaches and scouts charting opponent tendencies to general managers creating position-specific height/weight/speed profiles. The creation of the Jimmy Johnson chart, through the work of Mike McCoy, forever changed the draft process. Modern computing power, higher stakes, and better questions (from these same coaches, scouts, and general managers) have increased the appetite for data-driven approaches to solving problems. In this talk I highlight the progress football has made, and the challenges that remain.
Reaction: This talk was a cool look into how far we've come in football. Traditionally, football is thought of as the hardest analytics sport given its structure: 11 guys doing 11 different jobs in a dynamic team setting (vs. baseball, which is easier to measure as a series of individual interactions).
Eric Eager of the Carolina Panthers walked us from Virgil Carter's paper in 1970 all the way to today, where we can analyze football at the frame level. The NFL has been a big supporter of this and in recent years has held the NFL Big Data bowl to help teams find talented young individuals who can sift through piles of frame data for insights. Shout out to my Nova mentee Amelie for being an alumni of this competition!
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| Modeling player tracking data is all the rage these days |
If you're technically savvy & want to learn more, here's a link to Eric's book Football Analytics with Python & R - get out there and compete!
After another quick hall meeting, I found a seat for my next panel.
12:00pm When the Model Meets the Human: The Future of Basketball Decision-Making
Speaker(s): Shane Battier, Sonia Raman, Steven Adams, Monte McNair, Ariana Andonian
Description: Basketball analytics has evolved far beyond shot charts and efficiency metrics. Today's teams operate in an era of player-tracking data, biomechanical modeling, and emerging AI systems capable of influencing decisions in real time. But as data becomes more powerful, new questions emerge: What aspects of basketball can truly be modeled, and what still relies on human instinct? Are teams optimizing for winning or merely for avoiding mistakes? And how do players experience a game increasingly shaped by algorithms behind the scenes? This panel brings together leaders from coaching, front offices, player personnel, and the court itself to explore how analytics is actually used inside modern basketball organizations. As AI enters the next phase of sports decision-making, this conversation asks a bigger question: Is the future of basketball driven by better models, or by better understanding of the people who play the game?
Reaction: As an avid basketball fan, I make it a point to be at these sorts of panels each year. As a Sixers fan, I was particularly pleased to see Blue Coats GM Ariana Andonian on panel and hear that her & team are experimenting as much as they can within the G-League. The Sixers have had an up-and-down year so far to say the least, so all help is definitely welcome!
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| Left to right: Monte McNair, Ariana Andonian, Steven Adams, Sonia Raman & Shane Battier |
Steven Adams was a panelist as well and highlighted the value of framing. Shane Battier setup a (funny) hypothetical scenario in which a young analyst runs onto a court with a laptop overly excited about sharing data-driven insights. Steven recommends that these eager analytics folks err on the side of making these insights "guidelines" rather than rigid rules to be followed. Doing so will better encourage a player to buy in & use the information.
After this panel, there was a short break for lunch - which is always appreciated on these conference days!
1:30pm Redefining Limits: How Elite Athletes Achieve and Sustain Peak Performance featuring David Epstein
Speaker(s): Shira Springer, David Epstein, Steve Magness, Ryan Murphy, Shane Battier
Description: What does it truly take to reach the pinnacle of human performance, and more importantly, how do the best in the world stay there? The outdated model of treating athletes as purely physical machines is being challenged. Today, groundbreaking science and elite competitors are proving that cognitive agility, psychological resilience, and strategic adaptability are the true separators at the highest level.
Reaction: I was very excited to get to this panel, as it featured a now-favorite author (David Epstein), who I first became aware of back at Sloan a long, long time ago (2014) when he did a 10,000 hrs vs. Sports Gene discussion with Malcolm Gladwell. Since then, he's had great success with his book Range. In promoting his forthcoming book, "Inside the Box", Epstein discussed constraint-based learning with the lively panel that included 3 former athletes Steve Magness (running), Ryan Murphy (swimming), & Shane Battier (basketball) who are no strangers to innovative training tactics.
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| Esptein, Battier, Murphy, Magness, & Springer discuss constraint-based learning |
Probably my favorite quote of the conference came from David Epstein on this panel: "We think our brains are made for thinking, but they're actually made more preventing us from thinking". That is, our brains try to get us to do the easiest thing possible all the time.
This is the value of constraints in training - they create obstacles that force us to think/train around them and we're better for it. Steve Magness had some good examples of manipulating environments to force learning from his running days, such as running barefoot to avoid slamming your heel or using mini hurdles to shorten strides.
2:30pm The Dark Side of 'Moneyball for Everything' with Nate Silver and Derek Thompson
Speaker(s): Nate Silver, Derek Thompson
Description: Analytics are good for winning. But is the analytics revolution good for the world? Or have various industries and games become too efficient in ways that increase inequality, reduce quality, and encourage businesses, teams, and individuals to optimize for the wrong thing? In a wide-ranging conversation about sports, media, business, and beyond Nate Silver (On the Edge) and Derek Thompson (Abundance) discuss the cultural fallout of the moneyball-ification of everything.
Reaction: I was pleased to see this topic, because it's one I often think about: why is everything seemingly now analytics? Are we as people losing something in the collective by way of our endless pursuit for individualized edges?
The answer is most certainly yes and Derek Thompson did a good job of describing a sports landscape that has focused too much on finite games (i.e., optimizing winning) at the expense of infinite games (i.e., ensuring the sport remains fun/interesting).
There has been a shift in focus towards the product of the infinite game recently in some areas - baseball's pitch clock & ABS being good examples - but there is plenty of room for more. I would encourage you to listen to this one, as it's quite a lively (and at times dark!) discussion. Nate Silver even offered some timeless gambling advice: "The very fact they're allowing you to make a bet means they think you're going to lose."
3:30pm Hot Takes: Celebrating 20 Years of SSAC and Debating What's Next
Speaker(s): Daryl Morey, Jessica Gelman, Mike Zarren, Nate Silver, Randy Scott
Description: Celebrating 20 Years of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.
Reaction: I wanted to stick around for this one as a longtime attendee and I'm glad I did, since I got to see that there are a handful of people beyond the co-founders who have been at all 20 conferences!
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| The few, the proud - the 20 for 20 SSAC club. |
Most of this was self-congratulatory discussion, but you know what? 20 years! Congrats are in order! This conference has not only changed my life but the lives of so, so many. Nate Silver called it "the only fun conference" & I would have to agree. Jess, Daryl & all of MIT student volunteers past, present & future - THANK YOU!
The panel went through some of their worst takes over the years and Jess and Nate even predicted a Sixers title (#TeamDaryl) ahead of the next Celtics one (sorry Mike!). Zarren may have the last laugh though, as he is already putting this prediction on the docket for next year's "bad takes" panel.
Final Thoughts
After leaving the conference, I went back to hang with my friends John & Chelsea for a final afternoon/evening of drinks, dinner, and more catching up. After the night was over, I got up early (on Daylight Savings Time no less!) & on a train home... where I started writing this blog again. And I'm glad I did - it at least makes this 5 hour train ride go by a little faster!
I'm home now gearing up for the week ahead. To close, I'll say it again for the 13th time: the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference has continuously helped me personally & professionally over my career and I'm forever thankful. I'd like to express my deepest gratitude to all of the students, Daryl Morey, Jessica Gelman, and everyone else who helps make this event come alive each year. 20 years is something to be proud of!
Catch you back here after my 14th year in 2027!
