Unorthodox Sports Team Management

[DCJ311]

Pretend you're an owner of a perennially cellar-dwelling sports team struggling to break even each year. Why not try an outrageous player/game management scheme designed to promote media attention and boost attendance. A couple of easy ways is to play in a style that increases scoring. I can cite possible ideas for most major sports:

Baseball (National League)

Instead of setting up a typical roster of 4-5 starting pitchers and a bullpen, why not have many 2-3 inning eater type pitchers, and plan on pinch hitting for your pitcher nearly always and especially in spots where there's few outs or the bases are juiced, etc. When you're behind or ahead a lot, you use up your worst pitchers and save the best ones for closer games.

This is probably at least as good a strategy as what major league managers use now, since you're maximizing innings used as well as getting more value out of your 9 spot in the batting order. For example there's no reason to use Jake Peavy when your team is either up or down 8-0. You also can start your very best pitchers every game, since they won't be as tired as a typical starter.

Plus it's interesting and unorthodox, and will likely increase scoring.

Basketball

Set up your squad with quick athletic guys ranging from 6'0-6'8", all of whom are able to play 10-30 effective minutes. The idea is to run the ball up and down the court just like the Suns or Warriors do, except more extreme, since you won't be using any true centers ever and will be running every play with fresh players being subbed in regularly.

Your PGs should be someone real flashy like Jason Williams on the Kings around 99-00, and the games will be fast and high scoring. The strategy behind this is to wear out other teams' big men and your players will be rotated often enough to keep from wearing them out.

Football

Again the motto is fast paced, high scoring. Think Buffalo Bills no huddle of the early 90's, Houston Oilers Run and Shoot, and the late 90's St. Louis Rams. Stack your squad with easily interchangable players who can be subbed in and out regularly to avoid getting tired. The idea should be to run as many plays as possible and wear out the other team.

Furthermore you should almost NEVER punt, unless it's basically 4th and 5 or longer or your field position is atrocious. You should also hire creative offensive and defensive coordinators and run tons of trick plays, including fake extra points and weird things just to attract attention. Basically, do a bunch of unusual stuff since this is better than never making the playoffs anyway.

Worst case, your team might go from being 6-10 to 4-12 by using this strategy, but you'll get way more fan base and media attention, which equals more money.


So, how long will it be before a risk taking owner or manager decides to adopt these types of strategies? Why hasn't it been done yet? Have there been any examples of unorthodox management in sports history?

[damaniac]

Concerning your basketball example, that reminds me of a system whose name escapes me. Basically, you have 2 squads of 5 that play roughly equal minutes; you sub them rather frequently. On offense, you shoot a ton of three's, with the aim at getting them off very early in the shot clock. You also hit the glass very hard, trying to get a lot of rebounds. Defensively, you play very aggressively and force a lot of steals and turnovers. You also concede many easy lay-ups.

[kidcolin]

Nelly ball?

[ProfessorBen]

[ QUOTE ]
Concerning your basketball example, that reminds me of a system whose name escapes me. Basically, you have 2 squads of 5 that play roughly equal minutes; you sub them rather frequently. On offense, you shoot a ton of three's, with the aim at getting them off very early in the shot clock. You also hit the glass very hard, trying to get a lot of rebounds. Defensively, you play very aggressively and force a lot of steals and turnovers. You also concede many easy lay-ups.

[/ QUOTE ]

VMI.

[Your Mom]

[ QUOTE ]
Concerning your basketball example, that reminds me of a system whose name escapes me. Basically, you have 2 squads of 5 that play roughly equal minutes; you sub them rather frequently. On offense, you shoot a ton of three's, with the aim at getting them off very early in the shot clock. You also hit the glass very hard, trying to get a lot of rebounds. Defensively, you play very aggressively and force a lot of steals and turnovers. You also concede many easy lay-ups.

[/ QUOTE ]

Some podunk non Division One Iowa team does this.

[TheRover]

Forget about entertainment, you're football example is fairly close to optimal strategy anyway.

Mike Leach for President.

[NajdorfDefense]

Paul Westhead won the NBA title with LA and then already did that at LMU and the Denver Nuggets.

'At the conclusion of the 1989-1990 season, Westhead left LMU for the NBA's Denver Nuggets, a position he held for two seasons. His tenure in Denver was best known for attempting to incorporate the run-and-gun offense that worked for LMU to the NBA.

However, while Denver averaged a league-best 119.9 points per game in 1990-91, this resulted in Denver surrendering an NBA record 130.8 points per game, including one game versus the Phoenix Suns where Denver gave up 107 points in one half, which still stands as an NBA record. Westhead was fired from the Nuggets after two seasons after posting a combined W/L record of 44-120.'

Phoenix wins because they have Nash, Amare, Matrix, Diaw, Bell, etc. Swap their starters with last year's Celtics team and you think they would win as many games? 80%?

[Green Kool Aid]

1. Draft lots of young talent while losing for three straight years.

2. Trade aforementioned young talent for all-stars.

3. ???

4. Profit

[dlk9s]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Concerning your basketball example, that reminds me of a system whose name escapes me. Basically, you have 2 squads of 5 that play roughly equal minutes; you sub them rather frequently. On offense, you shoot a ton of three's, with the aim at getting them off very early in the shot clock. You also hit the glass very hard, trying to get a lot of rebounds. Defensively, you play very aggressively and force a lot of steals and turnovers. You also concede many easy lay-ups.

[/ QUOTE ]

Some podunk non Division One Iowa team does this.

[/ QUOTE ]

Grinnell.

[damaniac]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Concerning your basketball example, that reminds me of a system whose name escapes me. Basically, you have 2 squads of 5 that play roughly equal minutes; you sub them rather frequently. On offense, you shoot a ton of three's, with the aim at getting them off very early in the shot clock. You also hit the glass very hard, trying to get a lot of rebounds. Defensively, you play very aggressively and force a lot of steals and turnovers. You also concede many easy lay-ups.

[/ QUOTE ]

Some podunk non Division One Iowa team does this.

[/ QUOTE ]

Grinnell.

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Yeah that's it. I go on another board coaches a HS team in CA and uses it. Turns a mediocre bunch into a good (not great) team. Plus it's lots of fun and the fans love it.