Patriots portrayed as the leading number-crunching NFL team

Fencer · Feb 10, 2012

Not a lot new, however. Unlike Patriots, NFL slow to embrace 'Moneyball'

"The Patriots are the `Moneyball' team of the NFL, no doubt about it," said Brian Burke, founder of Advanced NFL Stats Inc.

The Patriots are notorious for being close-mouthed. Jack Mula, a former agent who from 1999 to 2008 was general counsel-player personnel for the team, said number crunching is just one part of the Patriots' philosophy. How much, he didn't want to get into.

"Yes, it's a tool, but it's one tool," Mula said. "On the carpenter's belt. It's the one that he should regularly be checking his work against."

Mula said there's far more to decision-making than numbers in the Patriots' way of thinking. While he figures nearly every club uses analytics to some degree, it's the way they use it "that probably separates New England" from most other teams. And if a club isn't crunching the numbers, "to me that explains why they'll forever be in the basement," Mula said.

jcdavey · Feb 10, 2012

pats seem to have been a plug and play team for their entire BB run

always seeming to get much more out of some players than other teams could

just looking at their defense shows that IMO

alot of guys who aren't big names, but played good enough to win the sb if some bounces go their way rather than the giants (and that welker drop)

DarrylS · Feb 10, 2012

Many of these players are worth more when they play with the Patriots, and when they move on they fade into obscurity.

BB is a master at capitolizing on their strenghths..

upstater1 · Feb 10, 2012

Reading that bit about the Arkansas coach made me think that in Rugby, the scoring team receives the kickoff as a reward. There's no reason why a football team shouldn't try to posess the ball for 100% of the game, as in Rugby.

chris66 · Feb 10, 2012

Micheal Holley's "WAR ROOM" delves into the Pats strategy pretty in depth

Elijah T. · Feb 10, 2012

Loved Moneyball.

Excellent film on sports/organizational management.

One of my favorite scenes was in the lockerroom between Billy Beane and Jeremy Giambi.

BB: "Is losing fun? I said is losing fun?"

JG: stops dancing [silence]

BB: "Then why are we dancing?"

MoLewisrocks · Feb 10, 2012

Elijah T. said:
Loved Moneyball.

Excellent film on sports/organizational management.

One of my favorite scenes was in the lockerroom between Billy Beane and Jeremy Giambi.

BB: "Is losing fun? I said is losing fun?"

JG: stops dancing [silence]

BB: "Then why are we dancing?"

Ouch... BB has a habit of using non football film as motivation...

Ivan · Feb 10, 2012

Elijah T. said:
Loved Moneyball.

Excellent film on sports/organizational management.

One of my favorite scenes was in the lockerroom between Billy Beane and Jeremy Giambi.

BB: "Is losing fun? I said is losing fun?"

JG: stops dancing [silence]

BB: "Then why are we dancing?"

If only the Patriots could win as much as the A's do.

Elijah T. · Feb 10, 2012

Ivan said:
If only the Patriots could win as much as the A's do.

One game...162 games...16 games...

Is losing fun?

Ivan · Feb 10, 2012

Elijah T. said:
One game...162 games...16 games...

Is losing fun?

No Coach Lombardi it isn't. Unfortunately Patriot fans are stuck with losers like Gronkowski who only care about partying, we don't have the winners the A's do. Sucks being a Patriot fan and always losing. Wish we we all A's fans.

Elijah T. · Feb 10, 2012

Ivan said:
No Coach Lombardi it isn't. Unfortunately Patriot fans are stuck with losers like Gronkowski who only care about partying, we don't have the winners the A's do. Sucks being a Patriot fan and always losing. Wish we we all A's fans.

I don't know where all that is coming from.

It's not fun to lose, but dancing is fun.

Ivan · Feb 10, 2012

Elijah T. said:
I don't know where all that is coming from.

It's not fun to lose, but dancing is fun.

You know what else is fun? Watching Patriot fans talk about how they care more about the game than a player who gives absolutely everything they have. I hope you take the time to go to training camp next summer and tell Gronkowski to his face what a slacker he is and how his attitude costs them championships.

Thank god for fans who care as much as you, otherwise the team would be sunk as they are stuck with players who just don't care.

Ochmed Jones · Feb 10, 2012

I don't know how much moneyball can be converted into something meaningfull in football.

If anything I think the one thing BB is light years ahead fo the NFL in doing is having a ully developed system and then plugging players into the system and keeping the ones that can do what a particular job entails and discarding the others.

And except for the OLB position, no team does a better job of coaching up players than New England.

Elijah T. · Feb 10, 2012

Ivan said:
You know what else is fun? Watching Patriot fans talk about how they care more about the game than a player who gives absolutely everything they have. I hope you take the time to go to training camp next summer and tell Gronkowski to his face what a slacker he is and how his attitude costs them championships.

Thank god for fans who care as much as you, otherwise the team would be sunk as they are stuck with players who just don't care.

You should watch Moneyball.

It's a good movie.

Bradd Pitt was fantastic.

Better than in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Which is also a good movie...if you get a chance to see it.

Scouse Patriot · Feb 10, 2012

John Henry has just brought it in at Liverpool. Liverpools transfers are now heavily based on statistics. Stats have a place but shoud never be used over your eyes and instinct IMO.

Patspsycho · Feb 10, 2012

Sunday's game also supports another mantra of the numbers geeks: "a running back is a running back is a running back." Shane Reese, a statistics professor at Brigham Young University, said an average-to-good running back with an excellent line works just as well as a superstar running back.
"The running back is an overrated position," he says.
The Patriots and Giants' leading rushers are ranked 27th and 29th in the league in yards gained.

How about that?? Well, who woulda thunk it!

NEP4Life · Feb 10, 2012

Sunday's game also supports another mantra of the numbers geeks: "a running back is a running back is a running back." Shane Reese, a statistics professor at Brigham Young University, said an average-to-good running back with an excellent line works just as well as a superstar running back.
"The running back is an overrated position," he says.
The Patriots and Giants' leading rushers are ranked 27th and 29th in the league in yards gained.

Patspsycho said:
How about that?? Well, who woulda thunk it!

I'd need to see the study to review the methodology, but I tend to agree, at least to the extent that I believe the incremental increase in ability from a good/very good RB to an elite RB is not worth the incremental dollar cost.

fgssand · Feb 11, 2012

Ivan said:
You know what else is fun? Watching Patriot fans talk about how they care more about the game than a player who gives absolutely everything they have. I hope you take the time to go to training camp next summer and tell Gronkowski to his face what a slacker he is and how his attitude costs them championships.

Thank god for fans who care as much as you, otherwise the team would be sunk as they are stuck with players who just don't care.

You have no clue......

gronk is a 22 year old kid................the only way you can possibly judge his heart, attitude and competiveness is by what you see on the field. Looked pretty damn good to me...I'll take that kind of effort anytime. The kids a winner.

If you want to slam someone, you should slam the ahole that thought it funny to publish a private moment.

ivanvamp · Feb 11, 2012

NEP4Life said:
I'd need to see the study to review the methodology, but I tend to agree, at least to the extent that I believe the incremental increase in ability from a good/very good RB to an elite RB is not worth the incremental dollar cost.

Agreed. But man, just for the sake of discussion, it sure would have been nice if our starting RB was a guy like McCoy or Peterson. Oh well. I'm perfectly comfortable with our RB situation if next year's group is BJGE, Woodhead, Ridley, and Vereen.

Ivan · Feb 11, 2012

fgssand said:
You have no clue......

gronk is a 22 year old kid................the only way you can possibly judge his heart, attitude and competiveness is by what you see on the field. Looked pretty damn good to me...I'll take that kind of effort anytime. The kids a winner.

If you want to slam someone, you should slam the ahole that thought it funny to publish a private moment.

lmao-I'm guessing you failed reading comprehension? Here's a hint, that post was a direct shot at Elijah, who apparently thinks Gronkowski sucks and has been crapping on him for going out after the SB. I'm a Gronkowski supporter, i think he had every right to deal to go out after the game and believe he's going to become one of the great players in patriots history when all is said and done. The fans crapping on him are completely clueless.

Patriots portrayed as the leading number-crunching NFL team

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