Author: Trading Bases (2013); A 2019 Masters Preview. Prior: ESPN Chalk, lead baseball writer (2015-2017.) 2023 Release: Moneyball for the Money Set

San Francisco
Joined July 2009
Spring '95. Tiger, still largely unknown outside golf circles, is in a study hall with many Stanford athletes. They exchange Spring Break destinations. Tiger: "Going to the Masters" Greg Comella (Stanford RB): "That's the toughest tix in sports! How?" Tiger: "I'm playing."
Tiger's 46 today. Give me your favorite tidbit, stat or story about the Cat. I'll throw some of mine out there a bit later.
11
180
9
1,679
Brian leads a nice discussion here on models, probability and uncertainty. But I still think it misses a big point Shanahan is making. And the Jags decision to attempt a late 60-yard FG last Sunday, down 3, is a great example. The models said go for it, but those models assumed a league-average kicker makes the kick roughly 40% of the time. But Cam Little is not average and his coach knows that. If I were the coach, what I’d want to know is, “what % would Cam need to make the FG to flip the decision from “go for it” to “kick”? If it’s 55%-60%, I’m kicking! That, to my ear, is what Shanahan is getting at when he says 51/49 is not necessarily persuasive. I’d like more analysis like this from the football quants. Some recs (go for 2 late in the game down 8) have no context factors which can switch the recommendation, but a lot of 51/49s do.
With all the talk about Kyle Shanahan's 51% comment, I want to take some time to walk through why a lot of the discussion yesterday was off the mark. I'm going to focus on just one of the points made--uncertainty. Thread:
18
1
1
21
8,212
How about we choose an example that hews much closer to his context-dependent comment: Before trying a life-risking maneuver, you're informed that an *average* F - 18 pilot will succeed 51% of the time. Do you attempt the maneuver?
If Kyle had to bet his life on predicting whether he chooses a red ball or a blue ball from a jar, and he was informed there are 51 red balls and 49 blue, which color should he predict?
3
1
12
8,074
Every single week this is the best creator content out there. I mean Coach 30 *NEVER* misses.
1
2,005
And this omits the most relevant fact of all when comparing multiples: In August 2004 (Google's IPO date) the 10-year discount rate was pegged to the US bond yielding 4.28%. Today the 10-year yield 5.28%. Yikes.
IPO Math 2004: Google at $23B mkt cap on $3B revs (so 8x sales). 2026: Anthropic targets $2T mkt cap on a $65B run rate (~31x), but 2025 actual rev was just $4.6B, so 435x on real numbers, w/ a $42B loss. Same sales dollar, 4x the multiple, or 50x if you use audited figures.
5
2,034
These moments are never not fantastic. Here's Steve Perry leading the Giants crowd in Don't Stop Believing during the 2014 playoffs. They only played it if the Giants were tied or behind -- otherwise it was Lights. (If there, I'd root for tie games.) youtu.be/y2N_7xB5_Q4?si=_p0x…
Tom DeLonge is used to going to Petco Park and hearing his Blink 182 jam “All the Small Things” sang by the whole stadium. But last night during a playoff game, he got a bit emotional about it with tears in his eyes. He even joined the crowd towards the end and sang in the camera. Cool stuff
1
1
26
13,357
How in the name of Morton Andersen is this kick not good?
2
1
21
3,094
Joe Peta retweeted
He has saved thousands of California acres from wildfires. The government is now increasing his labor costs by 400%, which could drive him out of business. This is Tim Arrowsmith's story:
122
275
157
1,233
1,734,264
If the betting markets are an indication, ratings will be shockingly low. Unlike the Ryder Cup which trounces a medium PGA event, the dropoff in betting volume from the Biltmore(!) one week ago to the President's Cup is steep. Prediction Mkts $, Biltmore -> Cup: $49.9M to $17.6M by Venue: @Kalshi $38.1M to $15.5M @PolyMarket (US) $9.6M to $1.2M @ProphetX $428k to $145k @Novig: $254k to $154k Definitely curious if ratings mirror drama or if betting interest is the better tell.
I have a feeling they’re going to be historically high
1
8
7,559
This is beautiful.
We had the time of our lives. Thank you, Kruk! 🧡
11
3,624
I walked by, stopped in, and checked the menu. Yup, just as @beatingthebook is always claiming, they’re all out of me.
1
3
1,099
My wife when I come home with the last Crisp Apple Olipop in the store.
2
7
3,156
Photo taken just a few weeks before 9/11. On the day itself, I worked in the tallest of the green-topped buildings, connected to the North Tower via a footbridge. As a portion of the Lehman trading floor got sheared off that morning, I never set foot in the building again.
1
24
2,475
Very few on here are old enough to have seen the 1972 Olympic Men's Basketball gold medal game, but rest assured, you just saw a repeat of it.
143
87
22
1,588
41,737
As life long sports bettors, don't you think it must kill Joe and @andrewssports and @ViewFromVegas and everyone else in the traditional sportsbook industry retweeting Jeff that for fellow sports bettors, prediction markets are vastly superior products to traditional sportsbooks.
3
13
11,729
It truly does astound me that in the States I can watch 7 games each Matchweek, live, with basic cable and yet when I visit my daughter in London I've yet to be in a hotel where a single game is accesable.
Sent this on a group. So true. Welcome to the modern Premier League.
14
12
3
487
87,299
"I use a calculator when I do math." Yeah, this isn't differential calculus. This is as pathetic as a cashier using a calculator to make change for a $5 bill on a $4.30 purchase .
6
2,296
Every f*&king Boomer you meet in the workplace will reflexively tell you that today's hires "lack common sense, can't think for themselves, are entitled and don't know how to write an email." Every. Single. One.
New - Billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller tells me "of course" he used AI to write op-ed on Bessent & bond market "There's a reason I moved from an English major to being an economics major," he says, "I'm not embarrassed by it" No response from WSJ notus.org/media/stanley-druc…
1
18
5,719
Not to steal thunder from @Super70sSports, but you know what nickname does not have the staying power it deserves? The Big Red Machine, the Lumber Company, etc. are unit nicknames that endure to this day. So, let's put some respect on Harvey's Wall Bangers. Brilliant name.
1
5
1,545
I mention this because the team with the best run differential in MLB is at it again.
1
4
710