Get in the Game: An Interactive Introduction to Sports Analytics

A mathematician, who has advised the US Olympic Committee, NFL, and NBA, offers sports fans a new way to understand truly improbable feats in their favorite games.   In 2013, NBA shooter Steph Curry wowed crowds when he sunk eleven out of thirteen three-pointers—only seven other players, including the likes of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, had scored more in the history of games at Madison Square Garden. Four years later, the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team won their one-hundredth straight game, defeating South Carolina 66–55. And in 2010, one sports forecaster—an octopus named Paul—correctly predicted the outcome of all of Germany’s matches in the FIFA World Cup. These are surprising events—but are they truly improbable?   In Get in the Game, mathematician and sports analytics expert Tim Chartier helps us answer that question—condensing complex data modeling down to coin tosses and dice throws to give readers both an introduction to statistics and a new way to enjoy sporting events. With these accessible tools, Chartier leads us through modeling experiments that develop our intuitive sense of the improbable. For example, to see how likely you are to beat Curry’s three-pointer feat, consider his 45.3 percent three-point shooting average in 2012–13. Take a coin and assume heads is making the shot (slightly better than Curry at a fifty percent chance). Can you imagine getting heads eleven out of thirteen times? With engaging exercises and fun, comic book–style illustrations by Ansley Earle, Chartier’s book encourages all readers—including those who have never encountered formal statistics, data simulations, or even heard of sports analytics, but enjoy watching sports—to get in the game.

Table of Contents:
1 Unforgettably Unbelievable 2 Shoot 3’s Like Steph Curry 3 Dicey Hitting Streak 4 Racking Up the Wins 5 Unbreakable Tennis 6 Improbable NFL Playoff 7 FIFA Octopus Oracle 8 Super-sized Super Bowl TD 9 Scoring Confidence 10 Tiger’s Consistency 11 Moneyball Analytics 12 Race Usain Bolt 13 Get in the Game Acknowledgments Further Reading Personal Training—Answers

About the Author :
Tim Chartier is the Joseph R. Morton Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Davidson College. He has fielded analytics questions from ESPN, the New York Times, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and teams in the NBA, NFL, and NASCAR. Among his numerous books, he is the author of Math Bytes: Google Bombs, Chocolate-Covered Pi, and Other Cool Bits in Computing.

Review :
"The key aspect that separates this book from other statistics and probability books that I have read, as well as sport data analytics books, is that Chartier has worked very hard to ensure that any mention of statistics and probability in this book is done through the use of coin tosses or rolls of a die. He wants the reader to understand the underlying concepts of the book are no more complicated than understanding a 50/50 coin toss or the distribution of possible rolls of a six-sided die. He manages to extrapolate these two concepts to far more complex concepts such as the binomial and normal distributions, Pythagorean expectation and computer simulations in sports forecasting using a very clear path for readers with little experience in formal statistics and probability studies. . . . This is certainly the most accessible book on sport data analytics that I’ve read. If you know someone who likes different sports but isn’t too confident with their mathematical abilities then this is a good bet (pun intended)." “Chartier uses instances of improbable (‘unforgettably unbelievable’) events in various sports to introduce concepts and calculations in probability. Dice experiments are featured, as well as spreadsheet calculations and simulation. Each chapter concludes with a ‘workout’ for the reader to try out the concepts introduced (answers are provided).” “Get in the Game is a playful and welcoming introduction to the interplay between sports and math. Assuming no math and using only a coin and a die, Chartier artfully illustrates why sports analytics matter through the simplest of questions: how do we measure greatness? This is a must-read for anyone curious about the analytical side of sport.” “I’ve always wished I could keep a miniature Tim Chartier on my shoulder while I’m watching sports: a brilliant, enthusiastic, friendly expert eager to share his insights about the games. With this book, you’ve got the next best thing.” “A fun, important book that will draw a lot of sports fans into analytics and mathematics. Lively and informative.” “Fun and full of puzzles and brainteasers in a mashup of mathematics. . . . Magic.”