Share

Wharton Moneyball
Wharton Moneyball Special: The 2019 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference
Show from 3/19/19
This is a special episode of Wharton Moneyball where host Cade Massey travels out to Boston to interview some of the top minds in sports analytics at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.
Find out more here: http://www.sloansportsconference.com/
Guests:
00:00
David Epstein – Science Writer & Investigative Reporter (David Epstein is author of the forthcoming book RANGE: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, and of the New York Times best seller The Sports Gene. He was previously an investigative reporter at ProPublica–covering everything from medical misdiagnosis to drug cartels–and before that a senior writer at Sports Illustrated, where he wrote or co-wrote many of the magazine’s most high-profile pieces, including the 2009 revelation that Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez had used steroids.)
14:20
Maria Konnikova – Author, Journalist and PokerStars Team Pro (Maria Konnikova is the author of two New York Times bestsellers, The Confidence Game, winner of the 2016 Robert P. Balles Prize in Critical Thinking, and Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, an Anthony and Agatha Award finalist.)
27:30
Anne Milgram – Profressor at NYU Law School (Milgram’s work centers on reforming the criminal justice system through smart data, analytics, and technology)
37:38
Ted Knutson – Owner and Founder of StatsBomb (Ted is the owner and founder of StatsBomb and StatsBomb Services. His company is at the forefront of the data and analytics revolution in Soccer, and also has a unique expertise in set piece design and execution.)
53:18
John DiFiori – Director of Sports Medicine with the NBA (He works with the league on research initiatives and the development and implementation of policies related to player health and wellness. Together with the NBA, Jr. NBA and USA Basketball, he recently led the development of the first published guidelines for youth basketball participation. He serves as one of the three NBA members of the NBA/National Basketball Players Association Wearables Committee, as the Chair of the Strategic Advisory Board for the NBA and GE Healthcare Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Collaboration, and on several other league committees related to player health and wellness.)
1:12:22
Maryann Turcke – COO of NFL (She oversees all facets of the operation including marketing, technology, NFL Films, NFL Network and NFL Digital Content and Operations. She also oversees the corporate functions including Human Resources, Public Relations, and Government Relations. Prior to her promotion to (COO) she was the President of the NFL Network.)
1:26:09
Mina Kimes (from 2018) – Sports Journalist and ESPN personality
More episodes
View all episodes

What Advanced Metrics Reveal About the 2025 NFL Season
46:55|Aaron Schatz, Chief Analytics Officer at FTN Fantasy and founder of Football Outsiders, joins Eric Bradlow to explore how DVOA and play-by-play analytics challenge conventional narratives about the 2025 NFL season, conference strength, playoff probabilities, and the growing influence of data in awards voting. Plus, Eric walks through real-world examples of using generative AI to forecast NBA win totals, college football playoff probabilities, and NFL Super Bowl odds, highlighting how modern models apply Bayesian reasoning, betting markets, and simulation-based analytics.
Breaking Down the College Football Playoff With Advanced Metrics
59:38|Bill Connelly, ESPN college football analyst and creator of SP+, Bill Connelly, joins Cade, Eric, Shane, and Adi to break down first-round playoff games, assess championship probabilities, and explain how analytics shape expectations in the expanded College Football Playoff. The Moneyball team also discusses the end of AFC quarterback dominance, and what today’s parity means for teams, windows, and dynasties across football.
Best of 2025
01:00:39|In this “Best of 2025” compilation, Cade Massey, Eric Bradlow, Shane Jensen, and Adi Wyner revisit top moments with Google Sports Trends Fanalyst Annanya Raghavan, NFL veteran and Athletes.org founder Brandon Copeland, bestselling baseball biographer Jane Leavy, and ESPN analyst Dean Oliver, showcasing their insights on search-driven fan engagement, athlete empowerment, the future of baseball, and analytics’ growing influence across the NBA.
Inside NFL Chaos: Power Rankings, Prediction, and Team Strength
57:44|Kevin Cole, proprietor of the Unexpected Points newsletter and former Pro Football Focus analyst, joins Eric Bradlow and Cade Massey, to explain how predictive modeling, adjusted scores, and power rankings reveal deeper insights into team performance amid one of the NFL’s most unpredictable seasons. Eric and Cade also break down college football playoff scenarios, potential conference shakeups, and remarkable early-season performances in both the NHL and NBA.
Data Science Innovations Driving New Insights Across Major Sports
01:00:18|Eric Bradlow and Adi Wyner examine surprising NBA and NFL performance patterns while highlighting the innovative sports analytics research conducted by students—including advancements in expected-goals modeling, rugby decision analytics, and tennis serve evaluation—showcasing how data science and AI are reshaping modern sports analysis.
How Evolving Data Trends Are Redefining Multi-Sport Performance
56:56|Neil Payne, freelance data journalist, analyst, joins Cade Massey, Eric Bradlow, Shane Jensen, and Adi Wyner to discuss current debates in baseball WAR, surprising developments in the NBA, the evolution of quantitative storytelling, and how emerging stars like Connor Bedard and innovative teams such as the Los Angeles Rams illustrate shifting dynamics across major sports.
How Analytics Are Redefining Playoff Predictions Across College and Pro Sports
01:01:25|Eric Bradlow, Cade Massey, Shane Jensen, and Adi Wyner explore how advanced analytics are influencing modern sports—from reshaping baseball’s Gold Glove selections to refining NFL power rankings and playoff projections—while dissecting how the new 12-team College Football Playoff format heightens uncertainty and reshapes championship probabilities.
Early NBA Trends with Dean Oliver
01:02:57|Dean Oliver, ESPN sports analyst, joins Adi Wyner, Shane Jensen, and Cade Massey to explore Victor Wembanyama’s game-changing impact on defense, the development curve of elite rookies, and how analytics are influencing strategy across the NBA—from the Spurs’ ceiling to the Lakers’ evolving dynamics and the rise of data-driven player evaluation. Cade, Adi, and Shane also unpack the analytics behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s World Series dominance, the Carolina Panthers’ surprising success, and NFL trade logic.
How Analytics and Chaos Define Today’s College Football Landscape
59:13|Bill Connelly, ESPN staff writer and author, joins Cade Massey, Eric Bradlow, and Shane Jensen to discuss his innovative “Chaos Superfecta” approach, the growing role of uncertainty in college football analytics, and how factors like NIL, transfers, and conference realignment are transforming the game’s competitive balance. Plus, Eric and Shane analyze one of the longest World Series games in history, discuss Shohei Ohtani’s extraordinary two-way performance and his place among baseball’s all-time greats, and reflect on how today’s game and analytics are redefining greatness across sports.