Welcome to this week’s episode of Hot Takedown, our podcast where the hot sports takes of the week meet the numbers that prove them right or tear them down. On this week’s show (for April 14, 2015), we discuss Jordan Spieth’s dominant performance at the Masters and what “dominant” even means in golf, as well as who has the statistical edge for NBA MVP. We also air a conversation between FiveThirtyEight editor-in-chief Nate Silver and baseball writer Steve Kettmann about the use of stats in baseball journalism. And our significant digit is two — two early declarers for the WNBA draft.
Links to what we discuss in this week’s show:
- Jordan Spieth’s performance, in context.
- What Russell Westbrook’s recent tear is doing to the NBA MVP race.
- A historical look at how MVP voters have tended to decide.
- FiveThirtyEight’s response (“Don’t Let Op-Eds Ruin Baseball”) to Steve Kettmann’s op-ed (“Don’t Let Statistics Ruin Baseball”).
- Significant Digit: Two women’s college basketball players have declared early entry into the WNBA draft.
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