Sundry

by Scipio Tex on Jul 30, 2009 1:33 AM CDT

Guess who crashed into Big 12 Media Day? Sergio won't be suspended, but he vows not to drive and text anymore. Studies have shown that it impairs you. Don't believe me? Here's an authorative bureaucrat:

Ditlow said the findings showed that a driver using a cell phone was four times as likely to be involved in a crash as other drivers, while the dangers of texting while driving were even higher.

Driving while texting is comparable to driving while impaired with alcohol... WHICH SERGIO WAS NOT IMBIBING WHEN THE APARTMENT BUILDING LEAPT OUT AT HIM. He left to find help at a Whataburger, where he had a delicious burger to regain strength. Then he drank lots of water because texting is dehydrating. Finally, he slept naked on the cool tile of his bathroom because sometimes it just feels wonderful.

THERE IS NOTHIING TO SEE HERE! Clap clap clap.

***

Kevin Durant will be a key component of the 2012 USA Olympic team and is a lock to make our squad for the worlds in 2010. If ever there was a player designed for the international game it's Durant. He can play positions 2-4 credibly, has a complete inside/outside game, he'll be a zone monster, and he'll knock down 10 three pointers on the first team foolish enough to let him to stand on a 20 foot 9 inch three point line without a guy glued to his belly.

***

I recently received my copy of The Eyes of Texas annual. I read it from cover to cover the first night. There's some great stuff in there and for only $12.99 it's still significantly cheaper than street grade Oxycontin. You guys buy all sorts of silly shit like Athlon, lottery tickets, and car insurance, so I'm not sure why you wouldn't fork out for this.

PB breaks it down for you:

This year's annual is, like the last two, divided into three sections. The first 60 pages of the annual are devoted to previewing the upcoming season, the next 30 pages cover the program from a big picture perspective, and the final third of the magazine is, once more, dedicated to Longhorns history and traditions.

Of particular interest: a great piece on UT's road to racial integration by BC's own Keith Heugatter.

***

Moneyball, revisited. A must read.

***

I have six words for you: Brandon Carter cobweb skull tattoo, bitches.

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Comments

Scip, give us a buzz when you get to that integration part.

And say hello to Julius Whittier for me.

by Fecal McBee on Jul 30, 2009 7:25 AM CDT reply actions

hee-hee. I like the linked article. If there were voiceover, I’d imagine something along the lines of…

“This ComputerWorld article on the dangers of cell phones has been brought to you by Sprint.

Please ignore this article and keep texting."

by Dr. Venkman on Jul 30, 2009 8:37 AM CDT reply actions

Scip- Thanks for the moneyball link. Good stuff.

For those that will read the article, I think the very last section about the myths of money ball is the most interesting point: how it’s all been boiled down to OBP and the other tenents are often missed. From my perspective the other changes in the game: sunk costs, not overvaluing closers, the math of bunting and basestealing, value over replacement are so accepted and common place now that it seems many old baseball hands don’t even realize they’ve become business as usual.

by BatesHorn on Jul 30, 2009 9:08 AM CDT reply actions

Waiting for Peter Jackson to take on the Malcolm Gladwell trilogy.

by Parlin Hall on Jul 30, 2009 9:24 AM CDT reply actions

The key is that moneyball was never about OBP. It was always about undervalued skills. It just so happened that OBP was the most undervalued skill, proportional to its help in winning games, at the time Beane took over in Oakland. Now it’s not undervalued.

There is absolutely no logical argument that can be made against the moneyball philosophy. The theory of identifying undervalued commodities in the marketplace and buying them up while selling the overvalued commodities you already possess is just plain common sense. As the article states, Beane has already won the war because this idea has taken hold across the league. The key for general managers moving forward – especially those working on a budget – will be to forecast and identify when the pendulum swings and previously undervalued skills are now overvalued. Just like when Beane took over and 5-tool raw high school players were highly overvalued but now his analyses say that they’re undervalued.

by Huckleberry on Jul 30, 2009 9:31 AM CDT reply actions

It’s the same with speed. It amazes me that teams still fail to understand the concept that speed isn’t valuable. Jacoby Ellsbury is a great example of how useful it can be. It’s not OVERPAYING for it that’s the trick.

(Somewhere Juan Pierre just fell out of his chair).

by BatesHorn on Jul 30, 2009 10:41 AM CDT reply actions

“There is absolutely no logical argument that can be made against the moneyball philosophy.”

“Moneyballs” ignores the value of cosistency and baseball knowledge. I played baseball on the great 1975 Reds, with Pete Rose. Billy Beane is just a guy who wrote a book.

by Joe Morgan on Jul 30, 2009 10:47 AM CDT reply actions

Bates & Huck:

Right on. I’m somewhat amused that people mock Beane and the As woes when the entire business, even its language, is irrevocably different from just ten years ago.

by Scipio Tex on Jul 30, 2009 12:29 PM CDT reply actions

I don’t think Sergio was texting when he hit that building. I think he was sexting.

by Beeman on Jul 30, 2009 1:28 PM CDT reply actions

PB breaks it down for you

podcast season can’t be far away.

by Vasherized on Jul 30, 2009 1:44 PM CDT reply actions

Speaking of Podcast season…Scip, are you planning on doing any podcasts this year? I seem to recall last year you did one no?

by t1climb1 on Jul 30, 2009 2:19 PM CDT reply actions

http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/22/yankees-mets-baseball-values-09-business-sports-land.html

The above article ranks Oakland’s value 27th of 30 MLB teams. Their on field performance is also dismal. They trade their over acheivers in search of under achievers.

Back to football, please.

by torre on Jul 30, 2009 2:36 PM CDT reply actions

t1climb1 -

Yep, we’ll do some.

by Scipio Tex on Jul 30, 2009 4:41 PM CDT reply actions

Scipio,

Great tout on “The Eyes of Texas.” Picked up a copy this morning and read the first few sections over lunch. The writing walks the line between desire for the program to succeed and realism. Easily the best pre-season mag I’ve read on the Texas program.