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NBA superstar LeBron James, approximating the trajectory for the use of sports analytics. Gregory Shamus / Getty Images There’s a fortune to be made crunching stats in a post-Moneyball world, and the potential for profit extends far beyond baseball, into everything from soccer to basketball. At the core of the story is what makes anything sports-related intriguing to so many people: an undying competitive spirit that has franchises — even…

Loudon during his final season as a professional cricketer. He retired from the game in 2007, aged just 27. PA Images LONDON — Alex Loudon is one of a small handful of people to have achieved success in two very distinct spheres — sport and business. Before starting a business career in mergers and acquisitions with brewing giant SAB Miller, Loudon was a successful pro-cricketer, playing at county level for…

I must confess, I missed the great exodus of baseball fans. I must have mistaken as an illusion all those heads I see buried every single night during the summer, scouring scores, firing up the MLB package to watch games on their cell phones that aren’t being shown on the saloon TV. I must have missed all those empty seats at the ballpa … Wait, what’s that you say? There…

NBA superstar LeBron James, approximating the trajectory for the use of sports analytics. Gregory Shamus / Getty Images There’s a fortune to be made crunching stats in a post-Moneyball world, and the potential for profit extends far beyond baseball, into everything from soccer to basketball. At the core of the story is what makes anything sports-related intriguing to so many people: an undying competitive spirit that has franchises — even…

Joe Maddon can’t believe we still use these stats, either. (Justin Berl/Getty Images) Sports of all kinds have kept statistics since inception, but that doesn’t mean we should keep the most widely recognizable and used among them forever. Baseball, football and hockey are team sports, yet individual players such as pitchers, quarterbacks and goaltenders are often measured by wins and losses. However, none of these players are ever solely responsible for a win or…

NASCAR announced Thursday that Brent Dewar has been promoted to the role of President of NASCAR, effective immediately. Dewar, hired as NASCAR’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) in December 2013, becomes the fourth President of NASCAR. Mike Helton served in that capacity from 2000 until his promotion to Vice Chairman of NASCAR in 2015. Bill France Sr. ruled the sanctioning body as President from its founding in 1948 until 1972, when…

RANDLEMAN, N.C. – The 10 trophies are front and center as you enter the door. “That’s Petty Enterprises; that’s what it’s all about,” says Richard Petty, recipient of seven of the 10 pieces of hardware inside the glass case that stretches from floor to ceiling.  The other three were won by his father, Lee Petty. They are championship trophies. NASCAR championship trophies. The first was won in 1954, the last…

Chuck Blazer died Wednesday at the age of 72. (Bernd Kammerer/ AP file) In 2009, Guardian journalist David Conn first encountered Chuck Blazer at a luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi, where Blazer was overseeing that year’s Club World Cup as a member of FIFA’s executive committee. Somewhat stunned by the sight of a fantastically obese man in a motorized mobility scooter barking orders at nearly everyone in sight, Conn eventually…

For most people the Olympics are an extravaganza that’s broadcast on television for two weeks every two years. A baroque opening ceremony is followed by several sports—including many rarely seen on TV otherwise—and then a torch gets put out. For those who’ve tuned out since the flame was extinguished in Rio de Janeiro last summer, an update: The Olympics and the International Olympic Committee—the organization that parcels out the rights…

Ulysse Delsaux climbed onto the roof of his car, clapped his hands together seven times and raised his arms in triumph. When he hopped down, the hugs and handshakes came from everywhere — fellow drivers, spotters and NASCAR officials. All first wins are special, and the one Ulysse had just earned in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series was even more so. Everybody wanted to congratulate Ulysse, and his dad, Emmanuel,…

I must confess, I missed the great exodus of baseball fans. I must have mistaken as an illusion all those heads I see buried every single night during the summer, scouring scores, firing up the MLB package to watch games on their cell phones that aren’t being shown on the saloon TV. I must have missed all those empty seats at the ballpa … Wait, what’s that you say? There…

See more of the story We’re not going to get into an argument over whether baseball is “in trouble.” That’s an old discussion and the answer can be framed in so many ways. The position here is that baseball is doing just fine. But like almost everything that’s doing just fine, baseball could be better. One of the issues addressed by commissioner Rob Manfred over the All-Star Game break was…

Rays outfielder Colby Rasmus was on the disabled list with a hip injury heading into the All-Star break, but now he might miss the rest of the season with what sounds like an unrelated matter.  The Rays released a statement:  Rays Tampa Bay Times beat writer Marc Topkin further reports that Rasmus isn’t expected to return to the team this season. On the field, he was having a productive offensive…

Most recent American political coverage is centered on the lack of bipartisan cooperation. Partisanship and political animosity are at all-time high since 1992, according to a 2016 Pew Research Center study. On June 14, 2017, the shooting perpetrated by James Hodgkinson at a baseball diamond in Alexandria, Virginia, was the ultimate manifestation of partisan extremism. This tragedy occurred at a practice for the Congressional Baseball Game, putting conservative Louisiana Rep….

“Nobody will ever outwork us,” he said. “One of my heroes in coaching is Woody Hayes, and Woody always said, ‘Nobody will outwork me.’ Well, I never got to meet Woody, but if I’d have met him, I’d have told him, ‘I’ll outwork you.’

NBA superstar LeBron James, approximating the trajectory for the use of sports analytics. Gregory Shamus / Getty Images There’s a fortune to be made crunching stats in a post-Moneyball world, and the potential for profit extends far beyond baseball, into everything from soccer to basketball. At the core of the story is what makes anything sports-related intriguing to so many people: an undying competitive spirit that has franchises — even…

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption US officials said a merger would limit options for sports fans Fantasy sports websites DraftKings and FanDuel have abandoned a plan to merge, less than a month after US competition regulators sought to block the deal. The deal would have created a company with control over 90% of the market for paid, daily fantasy sports contests, government officials said. The firms said the deal…

For most people the Olympics are an extravaganza that’s broadcast on television for two weeks every two years. A baroque opening ceremony is followed by several sports—including many rarely seen on TV otherwise—and then a torch gets put out. For those who’ve tuned out since the flame was extinguished in Rio de Janeiro last summer, an update: The Olympics and the International Olympic Committee—the organization that parcels out the rights…

Chuck Blazer died Wednesday at the age of 72. (Bernd Kammerer/ AP file) In 2009, Guardian journalist David Conn first encountered Chuck Blazer at a luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi, where Blazer was overseeing that year’s Club World Cup as a member of FIFA’s executive committee. Somewhat stunned by the sight of a fantastically obese man in a motorized mobility scooter barking orders at nearly everyone in sight, Conn eventually…

There is still no baseball today, but that just gives us another chance to talk about how great baseball is — and how to keep it that way.  Let’s get this straight before we go too far: Baseball is not dying.  That’s a silly, dumb, lazy narrative that gets too much play from people who should know…