Welcome to this week’s episode of Hot Takedown, our podcast where the hot sports takes of the week meet the numbers that prove them right or tear them down. On this week’s show (June 16, 2015), we discuss how LeBron James could win the NBA Finals MVP even if his team loses, whether the Chicago Blackhawks qualify as a dynasty, and the news that the FBI is investigating whether the St. Louis Cardinals hacked data from the Houston Astros. Plus, our Significant Digit of the week, on the second biggest upset in Women’s World Cup history.
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Below are some links to what we discuss on this week’s show:
- Nate Silver says the Blackhawks are a dynasty.
- The Cardinals are accused of hacking the Astros.
- Last year, Bloomberg profiled “Ground Control” and Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow.
- Neil Paine on how proprietary data is a growing issue in pro sports.
- Neil Paine on LeBron James possibly going down as the greatest loser ever.
- Benjamin Morris offers another story about how great James is.
- Significant Digit: 6 percent. That was Colombia’s win probability going into its game with France, according to our Women’s World Cup predictions. Colombia won 2-0, the second biggest upset in Women’s World Cup history.
Video Excerpt: Baseball, Big Data, And Espionage
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