Sloan Recap: Oh, Brian Burke

Source: National Post

Last week, I wrote at length about how hockey could learn a thing or two from basketball in using optic-tracking cameras and wearable devices to capture new data streams. At MIT's Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (SSAC) last weekend, MLB announced that Milwaukee, Minnesota and the New York Mets would be debuting field-tracking cameras to help quantify player positioning and movement from multiple directions, with all stadiums having the cameras installed by 2015.

Mark Newman's article on MLB.com does an excellent job of breaking down the implications for baseball, and many of these would be directly applicable to hockey. When it comes to quantifying general athletic attributes such as speed, positioning, and hand-eye, optic-tracking cameras are helpful towards more accurately quantifying all sports. The potential for optic-tracking video cameras was introduced at Sloan's hockey analytics panel by Eric Tulsky of SB Nation who, as always, fought the good fight for advancing the discussion and application of statistical analysis in hockey.

Alas, Brian Burke showed up and, well, this oral history from a few attending media members should tell you how it went (note: some strong language thanks to Brian Burke).

And we're off. Burke asked immediately if his view on analytics has changed. Says no immediately: "I think it's an eyeballs business."
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) February 28, 2014

Burke: "Still an eyeballs sport. We see things that even video scouting doesn't show, like how a player responds after a coach yelling."
— Frank Seravalli (@DNFlyers) February 28, 2014

Burke: "If you're on a horseshit team, you're probably a minus player." #SSAC14
— Frank Seravalli (@DNFlyers) February 28, 2014

Jesus. The moderator just cites Bergeron as a guy who analytics don't value right. He leads the league in Corsi Rel. #ssac14
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) February 28, 2014

Lots on intangibles and character talk on the hockey analytics panel at the biggest sports analytics conference in the country.
— Derek Jedamski (@D_Jedamski) February 28, 2014

In defending Ovechkin, Don Fishman says AO's ability to score clutch goals isn't always appreciated: "That's the thing analytics misses."
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) February 28, 2014

"Cap not difficult to manage. Just simple math." - Brian Burke #SSAC14
— Derek Jedamski (@D_Jedamski) February 28, 2014

Tulsky really has not had much of an opportunity to speak. The only guy with a true analytics back ground (as far as I know)
— Derek Jedamski (@D_Jedamski) February 28, 2014

Burke: "If you ever want to see statistics misused, sit in on an salary arbitration in the NHL. The creativity is staggering." #SSAC14
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) February 28, 2014

Burke: "I would never do Moneyball because it's boring... I have to entertain people." #SSAC14
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) February 28, 2014

I can't even keep up.
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) February 28, 2014

Asked what needs to change, @BSH_EricT basically BEGS for NHL SportVu. #ssac14
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) February 28, 2014

Moderator lobs Burke a softball to counter Tulsky and say coaches could give you what Tulsky admits he couldnt (finer details). Burke agrees
— Derek Jedamski (@D_Jedamski) February 28, 2014

Burke talks about learning character of a player, talks to his family, "his grade school teachers" before drafting a guy.
— Derek Jedamski (@D_Jedamski) February 28, 2014

"Let's not confuse analytics for basic arithmatic" - Guy on hockey analytics panel at biggest sports analytics conference (Burke)
— Derek Jedamski (@D_Jedamski) February 28, 2014

This is endlessly entertaining for me. I just feel bad for anyone who travelled to Boston hoping to actually learn about hockey analytics.
— 67Sound (@67sound) February 28, 2014

Burke: "I don't like the shootout It's a circus stunt- like NFL games being decided by QB throwing balls through tires. It's horseshit."
— Frank Seravalli (@DNFlyers) February 28, 2014

Burke says there is a movement to change overtime but shootout is here to stay. Believes 3-4 playoff races will be determined by shootouts.
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) February 28, 2014

Burke thinks NHL rinks are too small. Wants to go to Boston University 91-foot rink.
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) February 28, 2014

Also, we might be getting off track here.
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) February 28, 2014

Unfortunately, there is actually very little analytics talk right now for hockey at #SSAC14. Convo has been steered away from analytics.
— Frank Seravalli (@DNFlyers) February 28, 2014