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I read recently on the Atlantic newsletter that in sports that’s more the Moneyball statistics of playing. Sports have become overoptimized. 3 pointers in baske
by jraby3 4y ago
I read recently on the Atlantic newsletter that in sports that’s more the Moneyball statistics of playing. Sports have become overoptimized. 3 pointers in basketball. Strikeouts or home runs in baseball.
Maybe it’s too much a focus on math and statistics instead of design in other spaces too? Is that what you mean?
- j-bos 4y agoLargely agreed! My view is that 'everything' is being optimized for utility, consistency, and risk managment. This results in unobjectionable but indistinguishable aesthetics, effective but repetitive sports, and shiny but soulless blockbusters.
- user5678 4y agoBasketball was equally repetitive and homogenous when it was about fighting for position under the rim.
- CadmiumYellow 4y agoI agree with you, but I wonder if there will be a point where this no longer works because things become so consistent and repetitive that they no longer hold people's attention? Will we maybe start getting some variety again? Or will they simply land on the optimal amount of change required to keep people hooked and follow that formula ad nauseam...
- lotsofpulp 4y agoHow do you define too much of a focus in math? Presumably, winning sells more of whatever the sports owners are selling. As long as the buyers are willing to pay more for winning than other aspects of the sport, then that is what the sports owners will optimize for.
- jraby3 4y agoThe author was basically stating that it’s not as much fun to watch anymore. I don’t follow sports too much but I recall he wrote striking out happens 2-3x more often than it used to. Coaches use many more pitchers in a game as well. Anyway it seems like it got much more boring to watch if most people strike out.