When Faced With the Impossible...

In Michael Lewis' novel, "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game", America’s national pastime is put to question. Unlike many other major sports (NFL, NHL, NBA, and others), Major League Baseball teams do not have salary caps when determining their players’ salary. Salary caps are placed in order to ensure that a team cannot dominate their given sport simply because the team has the most money to spend on their players. They are also used to stop the overall expenses that players demand from a team’s owner. This is a rule in sports that changes the entire dynamic of the game. However, in this novel, Michael Lewis details how baseball, a sport without salary caps, can be manipulated to create a positive impact on teams in baseball.

It all started with the Oakland Athletics’ general manager Billy Beane. During the 1990s and in to the 2000s, the MLB was dominated by none other than the New York Yankees. This domination came as a result of the money that the Yankees had to buy players with. In 2002, the Yankees spend over $125 million in payroll, while the Oakland Athletics had a meager $41 million for their players. This HUGE difference in payroll gives the Yankees an unfair advantage to buy all the big-time players at the time. This still exists today, when a player does great on a baseball team other than the Yankees, you can guarantee that the Yankees will try to buy the hot player for the next season.

However, Billy Beane decided to attempt to change the way scouts and managers will judge players in both active players and upcoming prospects. The Athletics were written off for the 2002 season because they were said to not have the talent to keep up with other teams. This was a direct result of not having the funds to purchase big-time players, so Billy Beane made one of the most controversial movements in baseball today.

When any game is set up in a manner that allows for monopolizing the game, other players must adapt in order to maintain a health competition in the competition. According to game theory, one’s success when making choices is said to depend on the situation and the choices of others in the game. For the Oakland Athletics, baseball and scouting was their game and the other teams that they were trying to emulate were teams like the Yankees and other big-time, big-budget teams. The cards were simply stacked against the Athletics during their 2002 season. But, Billy Beane decided to go against the stigma that the best players result in the best baseball team. He incorporated a little-known system to rank players based on specifically what players do and have done in game situations called sabermetrics. So, rather than picking the 6’ft. 3”in., 22 year-old, up-and-coming player out of the pile, Beane decided to draft the players that show statistical evidence for a given characteristic (such as average walk percentage, base-stealing percentage, etc.) via sabermetrics.

After a season filled with unhappy fans and questionable management, the 2002 Oakland Athletics finished first in the American League West and set an American League record for winning twenty consecutive games (a record set by the Yankees). By going against the “norms” of managing a baseball team, Billy Beane displayed how by taking a new perspective on the game and being able to get away from old, traditional methods of being successful in the MLB, he could use clever statistics in order to fill a roster geared to be the most statistically sound. Raising eyebrows around the league, Beane decided to let go of their most valuable and “talented” players on his team to make room for more statistically significant players.

Sabermetricians and pioneer general managers like Billy Beane changed the sport of baseball forever. By being able to predict what other teams would do when filling a roster (go for talent), Beane instead went for statistics. This saved TONS of money and shocked the world of sports at the time. During this period the Oakland Athletics were able to compete with the best teams in the league regardless of talent. Also while spending under half of what the other teams were paying their players.

This is a clear display on how new technology and, most importantly, innovative perspectives on games can change the field of competition in any game. Also, this shows that, even when faced against a dominating opponent, teams must use other means in order to gain a competitive advantage.

Although I enjoyed the book more than the movie, here is the trailer of the 2011 movie: Moneyball staring Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, and Jonah Hill.

April in the D

As this will be my last blog post, I was having a difficult time thinking about what to write about.  I've written about March Madness, musical performances at sporting events, and even Eminem in this blog.  For a fitting wrap up, however, I decided that only one topic would suffice...Detroit sports!  They are my passion and the thing I waste way too much time on, but in the end I can't get enough of them.  Tigers, Red Wings, Lions, and yes, even the awful Pistons, it doesn't matter...I love 'em all.  That is why this is the most exciting time of the year.  Fox Sports Detroit has trademarked the April in the D slogan, and it has become a staple in the Detroit area.  From the Red Wings, who have made the playoffs for 21 consecutive years, to the Tigers, who have World Series aspirations after the signing of Prince Fielder, to the Pistons, who are trying to reclaim their former glory, to the Lions, where recent successes in the NFL draft have made them a championship-caliber team, April is the best time of the year for Detroit sports fans.

The best part of April is Red Wings playoff hockey.  The games are intense, violent, and thoroughly entertaining.  Every goal matters, every penalty a game changer, and every coaching decision magnified in the playoffs. Nothing beats it, and I'm sure everyone in Detroit would agree with me.

Additionally, expectations have never been higher for the Detroit Tigers.  With the signing of Prince Fielder, the Tigers have arguably three of the best players in the Major Leagues in Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, and Fielder.  They have gotten off to a hot start thus far in April and seem to be rewarding owner Mike Illitch's investments in star players.

While the Pistons are currently in rebuilding mode, there was a point when the Pistons were the model of franchise consistency.  From 2003-2008, the Pistons made the NBA Eastern Conference finals for six straight years.  Recent ownership changes have hindered the growth of the franchise, but the hiring of coach Lawrence Frank and the continued development of Greg Monroe, Rodney Stuckey, and Brandon Knight form a solid core of players going forward with in the future.

And finally, the Lions.  A laughingstock for so long, coach Jim Schwartz and GM Martin Mayhew have put together a string of solid drafts to put a championship-contending team on the field.  Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and Ndomukong Suh are ready to lead the Lions to a Super Bowl victory.

In short, now is a time for optimism in Detroit sports.  In a city that has been devastated by financial hardship and poor leadership, sports (and games) are breathing life into the people of Detroit.

Spend, Spend, Spend...It's the American Way

It is no secret that spending is intrinsically part of the American culture. But is our need for consumption akin to our penchant for patriotism? Are we playing a dangerous game where we live beyond our means and gamble away our future for in order to  live the life we want in the present?  In a new book “Beyond Our Means: Why America Spends While the World Saves”, Princeton professor Sheldon Garon makes such a claim by providing insight from a historian's prospective instead of the typical economists'. He claims that our spending patterns are directly related and a response to major events in our country's past. For example, after the 9/11 attacks, President Bush encouraged the public to continue their lives as normal and not back down. “Get down to Disney World in Florida,” he declared. “Take your families and enjoy life, the way we want it to be enjoyed.” To show our solidarity, our collective personal expenditures increased sharply and allowed for the abrupt end of the recession that started that March.

Economists already know that spending can be a powerful tool in ending recessions, but its easier said than done. The current gridlock in Congress means that there will be no decision to increase deficit spending and our only hope is that the public will continue to spend. Yet common sense tells us to save in the face of economic hardship. But in a country where spending is elevated to a virtue, its normal to incur debt to buy the latest technology or go on vacations, and personal bankruptcies are relatively forgiving, according to Robert J. Shiller in his NY Times article, such "reckless" spending is what has gotten America to the position that it is in.

Whereas other countries typically promoted saving, the US took the approach that spending is good. It promotes imagination, innovation, and a harder work ethic. I think many in college would identify with the motto of Work Hard, Play Hard. And this approach had been so successful for the US that most countries were on their way to following our lead. Yet the current global recession has effectively scared them away and has even caused us to rethink our values.

In the end, Shiller acknowledges that consumer confidence is the biggest key factor. Though we claim every year that Black Friday/Christmas sales have helped boosted the economy, these are more often than not just feel good stories aimed to bolster people's hopes at the end of the year. If it is true as Garon says that major events are what trigger consumers, than something drastic must occur to make consumers take personal risks again to find the American Dream.

The Real Life Hunger Games

I recently stumbled upon a CNN article titled "Is The Lottery More Dangerous Than 'The Hunger Games'?" which, as the title so nicely states, compares the recent $640 million dollar lottery to the event of the Hunger Games in the popular book series "The Hunger Games." As the author Dean Obeidallah neatly puts it, "Issues like the presidential election, the economy and the Rush Limbaugh controversy faded to the back burner." Every time I logged onto my Google account, the top CNN story would often be one covering the $640 million dollar lottery. Here's my question America: Who really cares about the lottery? Sure it's nice to day dream about how you would spend the ridiculous amount of money should you win, sure it's enjoyable to get wrapped up in something larger than yourself every now and then; but newsflash, you aren't winning it, and there are  real news stories to be covered. For example, in the past few weeks, while the lottery news boomed, Romney essentially won the Republican nomination, Syria hasn't done anything to appease the world, tensions obviously continued to rise with Iran, and, surprise surprise, the Economy hasn't gotten any better.

The author compares the Hunger Games to the lottery in several ways, while also comparing the Roman Gladiator games to the two. He claims that, "Our lottery, along with the "Hunger Games, " share similarities with another game of chance: The gladiator games of ancient Rome. Despite the stakes being obviously different in each of these three types of games, all are state-sponsored forms of entertainment. And all three not only amused the citizenry, but lead the public to ignore -- however briefly -- the more pressing issues of the day." In "The Hunger Games," the actual event of the Hunger Games distracts the citizens of Panem from their oppressive and horrible regime by pitting the people of each district against each other. The Hunger Games switches the people's focus from the real issues of starvation, death, and "let's overthrow the government," to issues of "who's district is better."

The American lottery is nothing more than a game to distract the masses from the real issues of the world. It's a game that, as Obeidallah puts it, that "is not just a distraction -- it's an opiate for our masses." He claims it allows people to believe they can circumvent real work and essentially cheat their way towards money and the American dream, and he's completely right. People sit idly by hoping to win a game who's odds of winning are more unlikely than being struck by lightning while reading this long ranting post, instead of getting out in the world and personally fixing their negative situations. Yeah, it's easier to sit and complain about our economy's poor state or the huge disparity between the rich and the poor, but hopelessly waiting for your 6 numbers to show up on a television screen will never actually change your situation.

Doomsday Preppers: A Game of Survival

For anyone that keeps up with the television channel National Geographic, you know the new craze is called "prepping". Prepping is the new hoarding and there is a new TV show that follows these people. Doomsday Preppers on National Geographic is a show dedicated to showing the lives of individuals that decide that they have seen enough. Enough natural disasters, global economic crises, things flying at Earth from space, and the list goes on. In response, these featured preppers have done EVERYTHING in order to prepare for their end-of-the-world situations.

From creating a spider hole in a secret rural area that contains over 200 pounds of food, to teaching a family (including an eight-year-old) to located, load, and fire firearms, preppers are taking National Geographic and the TV nation by storm. At the end of interviewing and touring each preppers preparations, the show's experts rank each group and rates their chances of survival in a doomsday scenario. The ranking is based on a point system, taking in account several survival necessities WHEN doomsday strikes. Not IF doomsday strikes.

This is yet another example of how ANYTHING can be "gamified". National Geographic has taken some of the most...(umm) interesting people in America and eventually turn it into a competition to see who is the best prepared for doomsday. Further evidence that gaming applications are truly... LIMITLESS!

Digital Easter Eggs?

With Easter coming up in a couple of days, its no surprise that Easter eggs and Easter egg hunts are on everyone's mind. But did you know that the term Easter egg has another meaning. It can also refer to the hidden extras on many games, DVDs, and even websites. The average person usually has no idea that these features exist but here are two examples that you might find interesting!


Facebook

• With Facebook expanding so rapidly, especially in international areas, its no surprise that they offer a variety of languages to choose from. However, if you actually scroll through the variety of options, some of them are quite ridiculous. So if you want to spice up your FB page, go ahead to Account Settings then the Language tab and choose from English (Pirate) or English (Upside Down). The Upside Down option is pretty self-explanatory in that it flips all the text on your screen. Pirate on the other hand switches all your Facebook menu and notification prompts to pirate speak! For example:
• Add a photo = Hoist a Portrait
• Home = Home Port 
• Days = Turn o' yer hourglass
• Friends = Me hearties 

Star Wars

• If you own the DVDs of any of the Star Wars prequels go to the DVD main menu screen. There should be a THX logo. If you highlight it and type in the numbers 1138, a hidden bloopers reel will show up in the first two films. If you own the third film, you'll be treated to a Yoda break dancing routine instead (which you can see below :P )

Do you guys know of anymore you could add to the list? 

http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/5-coolest-digital-easter-eggs-time-230853009.html

March Sadness?

     As I sit here and reflect on the 2012 Mens Basketball Tournament, I can't help but feel disappointed.  For one, I am appalled that Kentucky won.  Yes, they deserved to win.  Led by Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Terrance Jones, the Wildcats were the most talented team in college basketball this season.  Still, the Wildcats do not represent what college basketball is all about.  These players are not at Kentucky to be a student-athlete.  College is merely a one-year stepping stone for them to get to the NBA.  Furthermore, Dick Vitale and a bevy of other analysts are singing the praises of Coach John Calipari.  They are very conveniently forgetting that he is a crook, a coach who has had an entire season vacated for the last two teams he coached due to NCAA violations.  He is not a coach we should be praising.

     My disappointment runs deeper than just a resentment for Kentucky.  The tournament itself lacked the intrigue that has followed past years.  Where were the buzzer beaters, cinderella stories, and upsets that people have come to love and expect out of March Madness? Besides Lehigh's victory over Duke and Norfolk State's surprise win over Missouri, I cannot recall one defining moment or team that captivated the nation's heart.  Last year, UConn and Kemba Walker took the basketball world by storm; this year, Kentucky's superstars trumped all.

The tournament has left me with an unsatisfied taste in my mouth.  Maybe I'm still bitter that our beloved Wolverines were knocked out in the first round, but I find myself wanting more than what I received out of March Madness.  Any thoughts?