In keeping with Silicon Valley tradition, the San Jose SaberCats war-room is a high-tech display of cutting-edge draft software. "Intangibles" are usually the name of the game in scouting, after all, if we drafted on measurable there'd be no need for scouts. But the goal of the SaberCats tech is to make everything measurable so that it can then be ranked. Motor? We prefer the term "variance in power" (which is measurable" All of the mystical "scout-speak" is quantified and put into algorithms developed by content-creators with input from coaches. Even work ethic is measured, although it requires a combination of self-reporting and interviewing observers, which means the input data may be flawed.
The algorithms develop their own big board, which is then compared to the big board developed by the scouts using more traditional methods. While that's probably not the most effective usage of analytics software, as it sets the scouts and data in opposition, it's what the Cats have decided to do. Come draft-day, the GMs do their best to combine the information presented to them in the two big boards while simultaneously working the phones in order to move up or down a spot. On a team with as many needs as the Cats, the draft is vital to plugging the holes and ensuring competitive success in the future.
Word count: 222 Words
The algorithms develop their own big board, which is then compared to the big board developed by the scouts using more traditional methods. While that's probably not the most effective usage of analytics software, as it sets the scouts and data in opposition, it's what the Cats have decided to do. Come draft-day, the GMs do their best to combine the information presented to them in the two big boards while simultaneously working the phones in order to move up or down a spot. On a team with as many needs as the Cats, the draft is vital to plugging the holes and ensuring competitive success in the future.
Word count: 222 Words
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