Welcome to the latest episode of Hot Takedown, FiveThirtyEight’s sports podcast. On this week’s show (May 17, 2016), we talk about the Western Conference finals and wonder whether the Warriors are really on the ropes after Monday night’s loss to the Thunder. Then FiveThirtyEight’s Christie Aschwanden makes her Hot Takedown debut to talk about how concussions are different in women’s sports than men’s. Finally, we talk to Ben Morris about sumo wrestling and break down how a centuries-old data set can help us determine who is the greatest fighter of all time. Plus, a significant digit on the advanced statistics making their way to the WNBA.
- Neil Paine says the Thunder’s big men could stop the Warriors.
- Neil also says the Thunders-Warriors series is the strongest conference final matchup in decades.
- ESPN Stats and Info breaks down the numbers behind the Thunder’s victory in Game 1.
- Sorry, Rasheed, the ball does lie, writes The Wall Street Journal.
- Women get sports concussions at higher rates than men, writes Christie Aschwanden.
- And here is Christie’s column, Strength In Numbers, where she explores the science of sports and athleticism.
- Benjamin Morris on the sumo matchup centuries in the making.
- And here is FiveThirtyEight’s history of sumo in chart form.
- Also, read this Grantland profile of Hakuho, the greatest sumo wrestler of our time.
- Significant Digit: 1997. That’s the year the WNBA has announced it will go back to when it releases box score stats for every completed league game.
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