L.A.-based Second Spectrum, an analytics firm "employed by several NBA teams," offers information on "hundreds of plays, scenarios, and possibilities for teams seeking more concrete data to maximize their rosters and playing rotations," according to Gary Washburn of the BOSTON GLOBE. Second Spectrum CEO, co-Founder & Dir Rajiv Maheswaran has "hired a full staff to compile all of this data, including 10 former MIT students." Five "played men’s or women’s basketball at the school." While Maheswaran "did not want to reveal the number of teams employing his service, he did hint that several NBA playoff contenders are on the client list." Washburn noted the Celtics are among the company's clients. The business of basketball analytics has "grown exponentially" to the point where most NBA teams "have at least one analytics staff member, and several teams use the information to determine lineups and play calls." Maheswaran: "We brought a machine understanding of the sport, where basically the machine could understand the game pretty close to a professional coach. ... Every word in basketball, our machine now knows. The useful thing about that now is a coach can say, ‘Who runs the most pick-and-rolls? Where do they run them? What kind of defense do teams play against them?’ and in one second get video for all situations." Washburn noted Second Spectrum "has an accessible website for their clients with software to use." Other teams "use a video interface to interpret data" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/23).
GRIDIRON GEEKS: In N.Y., Ken Belson wrote the NFL is "trying to feed the seemingly insatiable desire of hard-core fans for in-depth information about the game." The league last year signed a deal with Illinois-based Zebra Technologies, which has since "installed its receivers and other equipment" in every NFL stadium, as well as Wembley Stadium and Honolulu's Aloha Stadium. The league also "signed a deal with Sportradar to distribute the data to the league’s broadcasters as well as to NFL.com and potentially other websites." The receivers pick up signals from "thumb-size battery-powered beacons in every player's shoulder pads." To "free up equipment managers and extend each beacon’s battery life, Zebra installed a device above the doors of both locker rooms that automatically turns on every player’s beacons when he leaves and turns them off when he returns." While Zebra has "shown it can properly collect the data, the broadcasters are still learning how best to use it." NBC Sports Coordinating Producer Fred Gaudelli, who works on "SNF," said, "The jury is out on how compelling the data that comes off those chips can be in the form of a live football game. There are some nice things it did, but it wasn’t a game changer" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/23).
