Statistical analysis has come a long way since I started The Sports Resource 11 years ago. Data is better and far more abundant. While that makes analysis easier in some respects, it becomes more difficult to identify the most relevant numbers.

Much of my work involves adjusting for context and situation, which most statistical measures fail to take into account. Every sport has factors that dramatically effect numbers. In baseball, home ballpark and lineup position play a huge role. Football numbers get impacted by opportunity and scheme. Basketball stats are all about opportunity. They get shaped by playing time and a team’s style of play. For example, which player in the next chart was the best scorer?



The answer is the one who didn’t average 20 points per game, make the All-Star team, or even start for his team. Manu Ginobili saw fewer minutes per game than other elite scorers, and his team plays at a slow pace. The next chart, ranked by points scored per 90 possessions, demonstrates that Ginobili scored at the highest rate among these players. He also topped some other big name stars that aren’t shown.



While agents use The Sports Resource for free agency and arbitration, we assist in many other ways. Player recruitment packages help agents land draft-eligible players as clients. We also provide detailed reports for the NBA, NFL, and MLB drafts. These packages promote players to clubs to help influence draft position. We even customize reports for candidates of major awards – MVP, Rookie of the Year, etc. – to help a player’s chances of receiving the honor.

No matter what the purpose, The Sports Resource provides far more than statistics. We combine numbers, charts, descriptions, and analysis into a powerful marketing tool for agents.

We offer packages for free agency of all four major sports, baseball arbitration, as well as in-season tracking reports. Agents can customize all of them to fit their needs. Many provide specific direction. Other agents take a different approach: They ask to have X amount of time spent to deliver the most revealing analysis for a given player.

After a confidential discussion, we can recommend the best course of action.
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Steve Fall’s company The Sports Resource has assisted sports agents since 1997 by providing innovative statistical analysis for contact negotiations, free agency, and arbitration. Visit www.sportsresource.net for more information. You can also contact Steve at 570-323-2178 or steve.fall@sportsresource.net.
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Part Two of this series examines statistical methods and tools.