He has even bigger plans now that his city is dealing with the long recovery from the events surrounding this year’s Boston Marathon.

White was in Boston this week with the goal of raising money for The One Fund and helping those affected by the tragedy, and he said he hopes to take a more personal approach — something he wasn’t comfortable doing just yet — when he returns in August.

“People are still hurting,” he told The Boston Globe. “When I say that, I don’t mean physically. People still need time. I got money that we are donating for people, but I’m backing off on the whole meeting people. Even mayor [Tom] Menino is still visiting families. People are emotionally trying to deal with what’s going on, so I backed off a bit.”

While White is giving people their space, he didn’t hold off on using strong words when he talked about the attack on the city that was his home and training ground for so long.

“From a guy who’s walked those streets and been there at the finish line so many times, it really freaked me out,” he said. “It still freaks me out. I have a hard time talking about it. How cowardly and disgusting that these people, who lived in the city as long as they did, did that. To put the bag right next to kids — I don’t even like talking about it. It’s just disgusting. … It hit me so hard, obviously, because it’s a city that I love.”

White didn’t keep a completely low profile when in town — he and UFC held a #Hunt4UFC scavenger hunt in Boston even though those occasions are usually reserved for cities hosting a fight. He detailed that adventure on his Twitter feed.

It sounds like he’ll be back in August with much more.

Jon

Jones broke his toe in a gruesome injury during a first-round TKO victory over Chael Sonnen at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

“I looked down and saw blood,” Jones said, according to FoxSports.com. “The closer I looked, I saw that my toe was upside down. Maybe it’s not that serious of an injury. Who knows?”

The brother of Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones is now 18-1 in his MMA career. His only loss came in December 2009 to Matt Hamill by disqualification.

If you must see blurry video of Jones’ toe break, you can see it here.

Photo via Facebook/UFC

Sonnen, 36, will get that chance this Saturday as the headlining fight at UFC 159 with Jones’ light heavyweight world title on the line.

Before the two share the octagon at UFC 159 in Newark, N.J., Sonnen appeared on SportsCenter to promote the fight. In an interview with Sage Steele, the No. 1 contender yelled a lot, flexed too much and at one point says he has, “the arms, the charm and the harm.”

But the crowning moment was when he asked to touch Steele’s curly hair, telling the SportsCenter anchor that he loved it.

Check out the awkward encounter in the video below.

Thumbnail via YouTube

On Monday, UFC fighter Matt Mitrione called Fox, who was born a man, a “disgusting freak” on The MMA Show. Mitrione, a former defensive tackle with the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings, was promptly suspended by UFC, reports CNN. The 34-year-old also made light of singer’s Chris Brown‘s domestic abuse of then-girlfriend Rihanna.

“I have not seen a man beat a woman like that since Chris Brown beat Rihanna,” said Mitrione. “That is a lying, sick, sociopathic, disgusting freak. And I mean that. Because you lied on your license to beat up women. That’s disgusting. You should be embarrassed yourself.”

Fox has attracted some criticism for not revealing her former identify before beginning to fight professionally. UFC released a statement after suspending Mitrione, condemning his comments.

“The UFC was appalled by the transphobic comments made by heavyweight Matt Mitrione [Monday] in an interview on The MMA Hour,” reads the release. “The organization finds Mr. Mitrione’s comments offensive and wholly unacceptable and — as a direct result of this significant breach of the UFC’s code of conduct — Mr. Mitrione’s UFC contract has been suspended and the incident is being investigated.

“The UFC is a friend and ally of the LGBT community, and expects and requires all 450 of its athletes to treat others with dignity and respect.”

Photo via Facebook/Fallon Fox (official)

The MMA fighter, who is fighting Heather Clark (5-3) on the Spike.com during Thursday night’s Bellator 94 event, came out for weigh-ins on Wednesday in a “Clark Kent” costume and stripped down to reveal a Superman outfit, as pointed out by Big Lead Sports.

But that wasn’t all.

Shortly after flexing some serious pipes to the crowd, she lined up with Clark on the side of the stage and heated things up by shoving her high-heel/bathing suit-wearing opponent before a security guard separated the two. As Big Lead sports points out, this isn’t the first memorable weigh-in Herrig has had.

Check out the weigh-in video below.

Photos via Twitter/Felice Herrig

Georges St. Pierre

In a move first reported by Latino Review on Monday, the UFC champion has agreed to portray Batroc the Leaper, one of the super hero’s nemeses,  in the upcoming Marvel film Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Though St. Pierre lacks the villain’s signature handlebar mustache, playing a bilingual (English and French) kickboxer does not seem like a huge stretch for the French-Canadian pugilist. The two even share the same first name, as the Leaper’s true identity in the comic-book world is Georges Batroc, according to Marvel’s database.

This is not the first time a UFC fighter has made the jump from the octagon to the silver screen (Quentin “Rampage” Jackson starred in the 2010 remake of The A-Team, among other films), and it isn’t even the movie debut for St. Pierre, who has had minor roles in several unheralded action flicks.

Filming for Captain America is set to begin next month, and fans can expect to see GSP in full supervillain mode when the film releases in April 2014.

Photo via Twitter/@AnakNonton

Photo of the night

Nope, that’s not a Foot Locker. That’s Chris Paul‘s “shoe room.” (h/t Next Impulse Sports)

Via Instagram/jada_ap

Tweet of the night

Florida Gulf Coast gear is flying off the shelves.

Florida Gulf Coast University bookstore is cleaned out! Thats what happens when ur a 15 seed in the Sweet 16. #FGCU http://t.co/w40Uxp4vI0

—
Eduardo A. Encina (@EddieInTheYard) March 26, 2013

Video of the night

Matt Kemp remembered to wear his pieces of flair to work today.

However, after winning her two previous bouts by KO, her winning streak came to a halt in her most-recent match as she fell to Nadia Nixon at UBCB 19.

Check out the video below.

Click here to see a photo gallery of Wray>>

Charles Rowan

Rowan, a Detroit MMA fighter, faked his own death in February, according to USA Today. Rowan’s fight team, Diamond D, raised $1,350 for Rowan’s “funeral” two weeks ago through a benefit event, Fight for Charlie.

Rowan’s girlfriend, Rosalinda Martinez, called Scott DiPonio, owner of Diamond D, on the night of Rowan’s fifth MMA bout. Martinez claimed that Rowan had been in a fatal car crash on the way to the match. DiPonio gave Rowan’s family $150 for expenses the next day.

DiPonio realized he had been scammed when he saw Rowan’s mugshot come up on the news. Rowan, Martinez and friend Michael Bowman had been arrested on charges of armed robbery and assault with intent to murder. The three held up Guns and Stuff in Sage Township, Mich., on Monday. They severely beat the store’s owner, Richard Robinette, who is in serious but stable condition.

DiPonio had doubts about Rowan’s death, but wanted to be sensitive to the fighter’s family. He said he noticed there was no obituary and no funeral service.

“I didn’t know exactly how to handle it,” DiPonio said. “I didn’t want to go off and say, ‘We’re not doing this. Something’s not right,’ and then have the incident having really happened.”

DiPonio and his partner at Diamond D, Christos Piliafras, plan on filing a fraud claim against Rowan.

So this is really a lesson for everyone. If you’re going to fake your own death and scam someone out of almost $1,500, don’t get arrested a month later for robbing a gun store. It’s that easy.

Photo via Facebook/Gladwin County Record & Beaverton Clarion

Photo of the Day

Not pictured: The house that had crushed this poor UNC player.

Tweet of the Day

Pete Abraham is tweeting about Dr. Dre and Snoop, everyone.

Old school West Coast from @davidortiz this a.m. Gin and Juice by Snoop and Keep Their Heads Ringing by Dre.

—
Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) March 23, 2013

Video of the Day

If Florida Gulf Coast wins this whole tournament, the world may just explode with happiness. So to any team attempting to knock off the Eagles, shame on you.

Moneyball

Yes, even MMA is now jumping on the bandwagon and taking a cue from baseball. MMA joins the likes of hockey, soccer and basketball as the different sports leagues all researching the use of statistics in their respective sports as the amount of data available continues to grow.

MMA hasn’t gone so far as to track each kick or punch thrown by a fighter, but for a sport that has no traditional way of recording data, they are attempting to create some order out of the confusion that exists, according to ITworld.com.

An entire panel titled “Breaking Down the Fight: MMA Analytics” was even devoted to the issue at this year’s MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. ESPN commentator Jordan Breen, fight journalist Luke Thomas, current Ultimate Fighting Championship title-holder Dominick Cruz and Rami Genauer, who tracks the statistics on FightMetrics.com, led the panel.

Genauer’s website attempts to compile all the data into one neat place and it also attempts to lessen the ambiguity that is present in fighting — even the panel couldn’t agree on what constitutes a takedown and what counts as a significant strike. Fighters can even use the statistics to prepare for opponents, the same way a pitcher uses the numbers to see a hitter’s weakness.

With the increasing popularity of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference and the new technology that continues to be unveiled when it comes to statistics, there is no doubt that this trend is here to stay and the MMA is direct proof of how wide-reaching it really is.

Photo via Facebook/MMA

St-Pierre won a unanimous decision over welterweight title contender Diaz. With the win, St-Pierre is now tied with Matt Hughes for the most career victories in the UFC with 18. Diaz dropped his second consecutive match and fell to 7-6 since joining the UFC.

Check out highlights from St-Pierre’s win over Diaz in the video below.

Thumbnail photo via Facebook/UFC

The 37-year-old fighter was outed by SI.com and was 5-0 as an amateur and professional after recording five first-round knockouts. The photo, which was released by TMZ.com, shows what Fallon, who was born Boyd Burton, looked like before the surgery and what Fallon looks like now.

Fallon is licensed to fight as a woman in California and Florida, but the California commission states her license was under review and not approved, leading Florida — where she fights currently — to start an investigation. Fox’s promoter, Championship Fighting Alliance, has put her next fight on hold to show their support for her.

Check out the before and after shot below.

Should Fallon Fox be able to fight as a transgender female fighter / yes a man till the age of 30. Your votes http://t.co/Dqi315uJOe

—
THE FIGHTING NEWS (@THEFIGHTINGNEWS) March 08, 2013

5:30 p.m.: The 2013 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference has come to a close.

Thank you for following the events of the last two days.

Check NESN.com next week for a deeper look at some topics that emerged from this year’s conference.

5:20 p.m.: The Los Angeles Clippers trade for Chris Paul wins the award for best transaction.

5:15 p.m.: The San Francisco 49ers win the award for best analytics organization.

5:10 p.m.: The lifetime achievement award goes to Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

“We all have different responsibilities,” Belichick said. “I certainly respect the mathematical and statistical ways of looking at the game and trying to use those methods and results to improve our product on the field.”

4:45 p.m.: We’ve reached the end of the last panel of the second and final day of the conference. An awards ceremony celebrating achievements and advances in sports analytics will take place at 5 p.m.

4:30 p.m.: Zarren says “I don’t think there’s any question that we would be better if Rajon [Rondo] was playing.”

He adds that the Celtics are learning a lot from the loss of the star point guard. Other players have to step up and do different things.

“Some of those, they’re good at, others they may not be so good,” he adds.

4:20 p.m.: The panel agrees that the defensive side is the hardest part of the game to quantify.

Pritchard and Van Gundy think that the team’s overall defensive scheme dictates how players perform.

“Unless you know exactly what we want defensively, you cannot possibly determine what’s going on in terms of defensive players,” he says.

Buford says a good way to analyze defenses is to measure how often defenses break down.

4:15 p.m.: Van Gundy argues that players don’t want or need a bunch of numbers. He believes coaches can pour through numbers and data points, but players need to keep things simple.

“Cluttered minds make slow feet,” he says.

4:10 p.m.: Are players ready for a general manager that has no first-hand basketball experience (as players themselves)?

The panel cites the Houston Rockets as an example that it can work.

4:05 p.m.: Pritchard says “10 or 20 percent” of building winning teams involves player selection. The rest is developing them and getting them to buy into the team’s culture.

4 p.m.: Van Gundy says good coaches aren’t the ones who best understand analytics. The best ones get their players to go out and perform.

He stressed the human aspect that’s involved in leading teams in most of his comments, arguing that “this isn’t a video game.” He says coaches build cultures and styles of playing the game, and the exceptions they make (following the numbers) often has a negative impact on the effort.

3:50 p.m.: Van Gundy thinks that eventually every team will have a lot of information. What will separate teams is how they use them.

3:30 p.m.: The final panel discussion of the day will cover the analytics of basketball.

Advanced scouting and analysis has changed the way many NBA teams do business before, during and after games. Moderator Pablo Torre will lead a discussion featuring R.C. Buford of Spurs Sports and Entertainment, Indiana Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard, ESPN analyst Stan Van Gundy and Celtics assistant general manager Mike Zarren.

2 p.m.: Agoos warns against using data alone to analyze players, as there are too many other factors. He says it has to be part of the decision-making process.

It’s similar to what panelists who represent other sports had to say.

1:45 p.m.: Can the panel use analytics to settle the Messi-Ronaldo debate? No they can’t and neither can hundreds of millions of soccer fans around the world.

Context matters too much in debates like these, according to Wooster. Anderson believes it doesn’t matter on the practical level.

1:35 p.m.: Stein asks the panel what metrics fans should follow to better understand the game.

Larcada says timeliness is more important than specific data points. Anderson looks for team performances, particularly on defense.

Wooster believes the analysts that can measure intangibles and translate that into wins will give teams a competitive advantage.

The panel is having a tough time answering Stein’s question.

1:30 p.m.: Wooster says Michu was scouted by six Premier League teams, but Swansea City was the one to sign him and reap the benefits.

1:25 p.m.: Wooster says that the short-termism among managers and coaches discourages them from changing behavior and adopting a more analytical approach.

Agoos thinks it’s up to ownership to hire and promote coaches that are well-versed in analytics to make that change.

1:15 p.m.: Anderson cites the fact that soccer has gone from having “very little data to mountains of data” almost overnight.

The trick is for clubs to present it to their coaching staff in a way that makes it “actionable.”

Wooster says coaches are starting to lean on analytics in their pregame preparations. He adds that “the paradox in football [soccer] is that the most important things are the hardest to measure.”

1:10 p.m.: ESPN is using heat maps and other forms of data visualization which have been well-received by on-air talent and fans, according to Larcada.

1:05 p.m.: Anderson believes that fans and online media have adopted stats much quicker than the clubs themselves have.

Wooster thinks the long-standing culture in the game has slowed the acceptance of analytics because “that’s how it’s always been done.”

12:55 p.m.: The next panel we’ll watch concerns the beautiful numbers.

Elite-level soccer has been traditionally averse to using analytics, but that is starting to change. ESPN’s Marc Stein moderates the discussion that covers how teams and leagues are using numbers in the game. Joining him will be MLS technical director Jeff Agoos, author and Cornell University professor Chris Anderson, ESPN’s Albert Larcada and Prozone business development director Blake Wooster.

12:35 p.m.: The biggest takeaway from the ESPN panel is that numbers themselves can’t tell the entire story, but they can be used to illuminate certain points.

12:20 p.m.: ESPN is developing a college football power index and a college football QB rating system that helps people quantify the game in a new way.

12 p.m.: The next panel examines how ESPN uses analytics to tell stories.

One panelist referred to his job as being a “professional myth buster.” They strive to educate and entertain the audience.

11:20 a.m.: Del Rio says “sometimes you know — statistically what’s best … but I don’t want to educate the whole league.”

That’s why coaches sometimes choose not to defend their decisions to the media or public.

11:15 a.m.: Edwards says telling a defense to allow an opponent to score is risky. He thinks it sends a bad emotional message, and if a coach does it more than one or two times in a season “you’ve lost your defense.”

Del Rio disagrees. He thinks if making that call gives his team a better probability of winning, the players will support the coach — as long as he explains why he’s doing it.

11:05 a.m.: Burke thinks the game has changed to the point where offenses can “move the ball at will.”

He thinks offenses are much better than they were a generation ago, and that makes coaches much more likely to go for it on fourth-and-short situations.

Being unpredictable is an asset for a head coach. “You gotta be Sadaam Hussein on the sidelines,” Burke says.

Edwards says the best quarterback sneakers are the ones that wait for a little crease to open up and sneak through it.

10:50 a.m.: Del Rio says Maurice Jones-Drew wanted to score on a play when the Jacksonville Jaguars were in a tight game against the New York Jets.

Del Rio, then the Jaguars’ head coach, told Jones-Drew not to score on a play if he had the chance, but the running back said “coach I have to take care of my fantasy people.”

Del Rio managed to convince Jones-Drew to take one for the team.

10:40 a.m.: Burke believes parity in the NFL ensures that any team can compete and execute any one play, but the differences between good and bad teams are an accumulation of the total volume of plays that they run over the course of a season.

10:35 a.m.: Del Rio points to the probability charts that Advanced NFL Stats produces, but he says coaches are drilled in the old-school book that tells them to kick the field goal and take the points.

He adds that the media reads from that same book and judge coaches’ decisions according to it.

10:25 a.m.: The format of this panel follows ESPN’s Around the Horn.

The first play they’re debating was Justin Tucker’s fake field-goal attempt in the early part of Super Bowl XLVII. Edwards says the play was a 4th and nine situation, but the reality was that it was 4th and 17 (because of where he got the ball).

Edwards adds that “football is about personnel.” Numbers like 40 times are great, but the humans on the field are more important to executing the play.

Del Rio points to momentum as a factor in deciding whether to kick the field goal or go for a first down.

10:10 a.m.: We’ll shift our focus back to the NFL in the next panel. “Monday Morning Quarterback: In-Game Decision Analytics” will explore how football coaches and managers gain a competitive advantage using data.

ESPN’s Tony Reali will moderate the panel, which includes Advanced NFL Stats’ Brian Burke, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitrioff, and ESPN football analyst Herm Edwards.

9:55 a.m.: The pooling of the revenue for MLB Advanced Media was the best business decision the league has made in the last 10 years.

He says it’s akin to the NFL’s decision to pool television money in the 1960s.

9:45 a.m.: The real competition is other forms of entertainment or a technological environment where people grow up with short attention spans.

Kasten says baseball must perfect the “second screen experience” at the ballpark to attract a new generation of tech-savvy fans. The natural breaks in the game allow fans to interact with the teams without missing any of the action.

9:40 a.m.: Skipper doesn’t look at lockouts (or strikes) as one side winning or losing.

Silver says he doesn’t see the deal that gave NBA players a 50-50 split of the revenue as a victory.

“We’re still not at the point where all the teams are profitable, but we’re hoping to work toward that point.”

9:35 a.m.: The job of the commissioner is to be “the steward of the best interests of the game,” Kasten says. “They work for the owners, but their job is to benefit all the interested parties.”

Kraft believes commissioners have to act like a CEO, as they manage brands worth tens of billions of dollars.

9:30 a.m.: Silver says teams want to “kill each other on the court,” but they’re partners in business off the court. They share best practices in business operations.

9:25 a.m.: Kraft says his family bought the Patriots at the dawn of the salary cap era in 1994.

They thought the time was right because they would be able to compete on the basis of their skill and expertise, as opposed to how much they could spend.

9:20 a.m.: Kasten says sports franchises are valued (and priced to sell) on “day-to-day, year to year numbers.”

Owners all believe they can fix, improve and make a return on their investments “down the road, but not necessarily annually or year to year.”

9:15 a.m.: The panelists agree that business operations at the team and league level have grown and gotten more complex.

Skipper adds that profitability is no longer a dirty word in the sports business. It’s become one of the key measures of success, which wasn’t always the case.

9:05 a.m.: When asked if owning a sports franchise is the coolest job in American business, Kasten starts with the dark side of the job.

Media dissecting every minute detail is a tough part of the business and he adds that Forbes’ franchise valuations “drive us [owners] nuts.”

9 a.m.: The first panel is set to begin. The topic is “The Changing Nature of Ownership.”

ESPN’s Peter Keating will moderate the discussion. The panel includes L.A. Dodgers president Stan Kasten, Kraft Group president Jonathan Kraft, ESPN president John Skipper and NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver.

8:30 a.m. ET: The games people play are changing before our eyes, as those on the inside freely admit. Among the factors driving these changes is a deluge of data.

The second and final day of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference promises to be full of insights and opinions on how data is changing the sports world.

Owners, staff and officials from the highest ranks of the sports world will be on hand to discuss some of the great changes in the sports and entertainment industry. Managers and coaches will discuss how data is affecting their strategies before, during and after games. We’ll even learn how elite soccer clubs are embracing the data revolution after.

Throughout the day, we’ll be on hand at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center to bring you the highlights of the day’s discussions.

Click here to review discussions from day one of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference>>

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @mkomard, his Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Photo via Facebook/Los Angeles Dodgers

6 p.m.: We’ve reached the conclusion of the first day of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. We’ll be back Saturday for day two. Be sure to check NESN.com starting at 9 a.m. to see what topics are covered in the country’s biggest meeting sports data analysts.

5:55 p.m.: When asked about over-saturation of sports on television, Walsh points to increased audience sizes and competition from other outlets as proof that fans are actually underserved.

5:45 p.m.: The common challenge that teams in the NBA and Major League Baseball share is how to make teams profitable, Postolos says. Broad revenue sharing is one way leagues are facing this test.

5:40 p.m.: Walsh says that a lot of research will on concussions will come out in the next 12-24 months. He’s sure decision makers will take notice and act on it.

5:30 p.m.: Media is the biggest international opportunity at the moment, de Picciotto says. The next is taking brands globally (through sports). Finally, the movement of talent across borders gives players and fans a chance to see athletes from around the world.

He also thinks gambling has the potential to generate vast amounts of revenue, but it could kill sports as well.

On the question of performance-enhancing drugs, he says essentially need to keep up with societal values.

5:20 p.m.: Walsh asks how to use analytics to value sports properties — especially in increments of time.

PepsiCo has a proprietary model, according to Storms. “Nobody knows our business better than we do,” she says. The company uses a multi-stage process to evaluate the impact of any potential sponsorship or endorsement.

She concludes that there’s no way to measure the exact amount of product that sports partnerships move, but PespiCo is closer than it has ever been to doing so.

5:15 p.m.: Carter says leagues partner with media and sponsors to try and “surround the fan.” She adds that the old model of signage at a stadium no longer works.

5 p.m.: Walsh says we need innovative thinking about the playing of the game and the experience of the consumer.

He points to the fact that players are bigger, faster and stronger than they were decades ago, yet the size of the playing surfaces (specifically in the NFL and NBA) remain the same. “Why not make fields bigger to provide more excitement for fans,” he asks.

4:50 p.m.: The business of sports is our final panel of the day. Industry leaders will talk about the money side of this multi-trillion dollar industry.

Kraft Sports Group vice president Jessica Gelman will moderate the panel. She will be joined by Soccer United Marketing president Kathy Carter, Octagon president Phil de Picciotto, Houston Astros president George Postolos, PepsiCo vice president of global sports marketing Jennifer Storms, and ESPN executive vice president John Walsh.

4:45 p.m.: Schatz says the most overrated players are the ones whose athletic ability doesn’t translate into football success.

He points to D’Angelo Hall who is fast and has good hands but is poor in coverage.

He says Tony Romo is underrated because he is consistently one of the six or seven best quarterbacks in the league and one of the best in the fourth quarter … “as long as the game is not on national television.”

4:40 p.m.: The 49ers use analytics to better understand the tendencies of coaches — how they manage the clock and when they call time outs.

4:35 p.m.: Pioli says mutual respect is lacking in football when asked how to convince an NFL head coach to listen to an analyst who has never stepped on the field.

He says a coach must have an open mind, but it’s important how analysts present, deliver and communicate their information.

4:30 p.m.: Kremer asks how to quantify injuries and off-field problems. What value do you attach to those events?

No two injuries are the same, but Shatz argues that, en masse, players  are better at recovering from injuries in today’s game than they were in the past.

As for the character question, Pioli approaches it on a case-by-case basis, saying there’s no real way to measure something like that.

Pioli discusses the new player assessment tool being used at the NFL combine. He wants to know as much about a player’s mental makeup — specifically his levels of work ethic and level of selflessness (or selfishness).

4:25 p.m.: Demoff says the middle class is shrinking because teams are better at scouting and developing young players. Teams are now paying a premium for players they call “difference makers.”

4:20 p.m.: Demoff says the salary caps affect the schemes teams use. They “ultimately look for undervalued players and get as many of them as you can.”

He said more teams started playing 3-4 defenses a few years ago because nose tackles were undervalued. Now the best nose tackles command $12 million salaries, so teams are reverting to the 4-3 because the market allows them to get more bang for their buck with tackles to fit that system.

4:15 p.m.: Marathe calls the Patriots the “kings of replenishing.”

In the age of the salary cap, it’s impossible to keep a team together over the long term. “If every player took a 15-percent discount on their market rate, we still wouldn’t be able to keep them all,” he says.

He adds that the Patriots have been incredible at churning players yet remaining successful.

Pioli says that the Pats’ practice of stockpiling draft picks increases their chancing of landing good players. “Every pick is a gamble,” he said before adding that taking more gambles increases the chances of landing good players.

4:05 p.m.: Pioli says it’s tough to come up with a measurement to predict a player’s chance of success.

“Football is such an interdependent game. The success of a play has so many variables and depends on 11 indiviudals.”

Marathe expands on it, saying that trades don’t often work out because a player can succeed in one system, but look totally out-of-place in another.

3:55 p.m.: Pioli is no fan of the combine because there’s a difference between “pure speed” and “playing speed.”

He finds values in measurements. He says Tom Brady is such an accurate passer because he’s got huge hands.

Marathe talks about “hidden value” of 40-yard dash times, citing the case of Jerry Rice. He says Rice had an average overall 40 time, but his speed between 20-40 yards (what insiders call “the flying 20″) was one of the highest ever.

He said it translated into separation speed on the field. Rice was rarely, if ever, caught from behind.

3:50 p.m.: Demoff and Marathe say their teams are looking to hire analysts. The Rams are still working out how to deeper integrate analytics into their organization, while the 49ers have used one on the salary cap side for over a decade and are now using them on the football side.

Pioli says analytics have played a role in the game for ages. “Gut” decisions are based on prior experience and analysis, he says.

We’re just calling it something else now.

3:40 p.m.: Are you ready for some football?

The National Football League is undergoing an analytics revolution of its own. The Football Analytics panel will discuss how NFL coaches and teams are using data to evaluate players, map out strategy and make in-game decisions.

Andrea Kremer will moderate the panel. She will be joined by St. Louis Rams executive vice president of football operations Kevin Demoff, former Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, San Francisco 49ers chief operating officer Paraag Marathe and Football Outsiders founder Aaron Schatz.

2:40 p.m.: Robin van Persie does his exploring in the half second before the ball comes his way. It’s how he always seems to be one step ahead of defenders (despite not being particularly fast or quick) when he gets the ball in the final third of the field.

2:30 p.m.: Jordet says Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have the highest frequency of “visual exploratory behavior,” meaning the two stars look around and gauge their surroundings before receiving the ball.

He says the midfield players who complete the highest number of forward passes are the ones who do the most exploring. In other words, they’re reading the game and playing it at the same time.

He bases the research on Sky Sports’ player cameras.

2:25 p.m.: We’re going from one extreme to the other. Baseball and statistics are inseparable, but soccer has been slow to adopt statistical analysis.

Geir Jordet, director of psychology at the Norweigan Centre for Football (soccer) Excellence is presenting some new research on “The Hidden Foundation of Field Vision in English Premier League Soccer Players.”

He explores the concept of field vision. How can some players make the right pass every time they get the ball? We’re about to find out.

1:50 p.m.: The panel discusses how difficult it is to predict how a young player will perform in the big leagues. There’s no exact science or measurement device that will predict which players will overperform or underperform at the top level.

1:40 p.m.: Posnanski says there’s a real divide in the way journalists cover baseball. He thinks younger writers — especially on the internet — are more versed in the “new language” of analytics, while mainstream media still focuses on wins, losses, errors and other 100-year-old statistics.

He thinks baseball coverage is currently changing and will continue to change with the times.

1:30 p.m.: Zaidi says analytics are changing the way the game is played and how managers manage.

McCracken adds that managers tend to want to avoid risk. If he plays a star player and the player doesn’t deliver, “it’s the player’s fault.” If the manager plays an untested rookie and the youngster fails, “it’s the manager’s fault.”

1:20 p.m.: When asked what the newest developments in baseball analytics, Keri says that teams are increasingly privatizing and keeping data in house. McCracken thinks this will slow the growth of the baseball analysis.

He goes on to say that video analysis is the next frontier in the field.

Zaidi says baseball analysis is too tied to outcomes rather than skills themselves. The A’s are trying to move in the direction of skill-based analysis rather than outcomes (which are the results of those skills).

1:15 p.m.: Zaidi drew chuckles from crowd when he said Billy Beane calls him “The Emotional Stat Guy.”

He adds that baseball decisions are very complex and there are a lot of disagreements, but Beane has to make the final call at the end of the day.

1:10 p.m.: Posnanski says that baseball provides new things to measure and quantify almost every day. Where some sports might see diminishing returns from the avalanche of data, he thinks that won’t be the case in baseball.

McCracken thinks the data can be dangerous. Some take a new stat and run with it without “completely understanding” the data that they’re seeing.

12:55 p.m.: We’re getting set for one of the most anticipated panels of the first day — on baseball analytics.

Sabermetrics are gaining influence among baseball’s decision makers. Grantland staff writer Jonah Keri, NBC Sports writer Joe Posnanski, statistical analyst Voros McCracken and Oakland Athletics director of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi will discuss how teams are using analytics to gain a competitive advantage. ESPN’s Lindsey Czarniak will moderate.

11:20 a.m.: Polian and MacMullan talk about the Manti Te’o hoax and its effect on the player.

The former Colts general manager thinks the hoax won’t have a negative impact on his career over the long term.

“The hoax that he was a victim of  is a story, and it’s a gigantic story —  people can’t get enough of it,” Polian says. “Does it affect Manti Te’o the football player? I would submit to you absolutely not.”

MacMullan agrees with that assessment, but she thinks the hoax has had negative effects on his preparation for the NFL combine.

“He was probably not capable of preparing the way he would have liked to have because of all the outside noise and all the outside things that have happened to him.

“I don’t know this for a fact, but perhaps he may have under-performed at the combine because anyone that went through what he went through, regardless of how much you think he was involved or not involved, it had to have been devastating. There had to have been a lot of sleepless nights. There had to have been a lot of days he probably didn’t eat, and I’m sure a lot of days he didn’t work out the way he wanted to.”

11 a.m.: Pagliuca talks about the perspective owners and managers need. The best ones see things over an 82-game season “like a movie.”

Polian talks about a parallel universe we live in. Fans and media expect perfection over the course of an 82, 16 or even 162-game season. Professionals know that perfection is “almost never achievable,” and coaches teach against mistakes that are part of the business.

10:50 a.m.: Burke and Van Gundy have spoken about the most difficult aspect of their jobs as coaches and general managers.

They agree that the hardest part is cutting players — guys that “bleed for you” as Burke says. The human element, specifically the bonds that form in the locker room are tough to break.

10:45 a.m.: Burke likes hard coaches. They’re his favorite ones. But the former Toronto Maple Leafs president and general manager says “the harder the coach is, the shorter his shelf life.”

10:40 a.m.: Pagliuca tells us that one of the best decisions the Celtics have made (since he’s been one of the team’s owners) was not firing Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers in the 2006-07 season.

10:20 a.m.: Van Gundy is discussing the Dwight Howard saga in Orlando. He says Howard asked for him to be fired and was causing a problem in the Magic locker room.

He wished Magic management would come out with a statement — either back him with a new contract or fire him — and end the distraction. They didn’t.

Polian says Jim Finks, Red Aurebach and Branch Rickey are the three greatest executives in history. He adds that coaches are useful for a maximum of 10 years. The ones that are able to “recognize and prepare them [players] are the ones that last longest.”

10 a.m.: “It’s Not You, It’s Me: Break-Ups in Sports” is our first panel of the day. Moderator Jackie MacMullan will lead a discussion about high-profile trades, public disputes over hirings and firings and other media spectacles.

John Buccigross, Bill Polian, Steve Pagliuca, Brian Burke and Stan Van Gundy will explore how high-profile changes affect on-field performances.

9 a.m. ET: In the span of seven years, the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference has become the place to be.

Sports insiders,  executives and leading researchers from around the country and beyond descend on Boston for two days  to discuss role of analytics in the sports industry with each other and thousands of students.

The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center is the site of this year’s conference. Nate Silver, Brian Burke, Adam Silver, Mark Cuban, Jonathan Kraft and Michael Wilbon are just a few of the panelists that will be on hand to give and receive insight into how sports are being changed by “big data.”

We are on hand for the 2013 conference, looking to see where the next breakthrough in sports analytics will come from. Join us here on March 1 for the latest on sports data analysis.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @mkomard, his Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Photo via Facebook/MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

Miesha Tate, who lost to Rousey last March, was interviewed following Rousey’s victory over Liz Carmouche this past weekend. She admitted she wasn’t very impressed with Rousey’s win (“she did get a little sloppy there”) and also predicted just how brutally she’d beat her if the two ever squared off again.

“I got her on her back in the first fight, and a guarantee if I get her in the second one I’m gonna rip her face off,” she boldly stated.

Tate’s next fight is against Cat Zingano (who also appears in the video below) in the TUF 17 Finale in April. It’s believed that the winner of that bout will square off with Rousey.

Check out the interview below.

Ronda Rousey

Rousey was offered a role in an upcoming Hunger Games sequel, according to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer. The second of the four Hunger Games films, Catching Fire, has already been filmed, so the UFC star would likely have a part in the third installment, Mockingjay (Part I).

Rousey beat Liz Carmouche in the UFC 157 headlining match with an armbar. Rousey won the bout with 11 seconds remaining in the first round.

Rousey would star alongside new Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence in the Hunger Games sequel. Lawrence is signed on for Catching Fire, Mockingjay, Part I and Mockingjay, Part II.

Rousey’s potential opponent says she’ll “rip her face off”>>

Check out some of the images from Rousey’s UFC 157 win here >>

Photo via Twitter/@LaMonicaMark

Now in his second term in the South Dakota State Legislature representing the 9th District, Hickey was previously a member of the state’s House of Representatives. Hickey also has some very interesting views on mixed martial arts, and a very interesting analogy to express those views.

“Decent and civil societies have to draw the line somewhere … with smoking we draw the line after tobacco and before pot; with ‘adult entertainment’ we draw the line at child porn,” Hickey recently wrote on his blog. “Where do we draw the line with violent entertainment? I suggest we draw the line at cage fighting.”

“MMA Cage Fighting is the child porn of sports.”

With these words Hickey is proposing that South Dakota effectively ban the sport in the state. As an alternative, he cites examples like boxing and football, which contain violent content but are regulated by governing bodies to rein in some of that violence.

Most of Hickey’s argument is standard fare with the conservative censorship crowd. He uses pornography as an analogy with violence, arguing that, like porn, people become desensitized to violence over time. And, of course, MMA is a very public form of violence.

Hickey is largely motivated by Senate Bill 84, which would regulate the sport in the state while simultaneously opening of avenues to bring more cage matches to South Dakota. On this point, Hickey compares the sport to meth labs, rhetorically asking if, because meth is popular, meth labs should be legalized and regulated by the state.

It remains to be seen if Hickey’s 1,600-word opus will have any bearing on the fate of the bill. But one thing’s for sure: The lawmaker just earned himself more attention that he’s ever had before.

Photo via Twitter/@SabiasQueMMA

Photo of the Night

The score wasn’t great on Tuesday in Fort Myers, but the view sure was.

Quote of the Night

“The Big 12 Conference acknowledges that officiating errors were made at the end of regulation during last night’s Kansas at Iowa State men’s basketball game.”
–The Big 12 Conference’s official statement, which really doesn’t do Iowa State any good

Tweet of the Night

Glad to know we weren’t the only one who made a similar assumption.

I guess I always just assumed there was horsemeat in Ikea Swedish Meatballs...

—
Eric Stangel (@EricStangel) February 26, 2013

Video of the Night

For the record, this 11-year-old was completely fine after this (hilarious, yet slightly profane) fall.

Rousey remains undefeated, and also retains her UFC Women’s Bantamweight title, which she was awarded on Dec. 6.

Although the fight lasted only a single round, it was an exciting bout, culminating in Rousey’s armbar with 11 seconds to go. Earlier in the round, Carmouche attempted to submit Rousey with a rear naked choke but was unable to fully lock in the hold.

Rousey became the first female fighter in UFC history when she signed in November. Her seventh career win will go down as another milestone.

Check out some of the images from Rousey’s win here >>

The UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion retained her belt in the first women’s match in UFC history. Rousey beat Liz Carmouche with 11 seconds left in the first round on an armbar. The women’s debut was the main event at UFC 157.

Rousey (7-0) was the heavy favorite coming into the match, but Carmouche (7-3) got off to a hot start in the opening two minutes. Rousey has won all seven of her bouts by the armbar.

Check out Rousey’s win in the video below (it’s in Spanish, which somehow makes it even better):

Aldo and Edgar originally were to fight at UFC 153 in October, but Aldo had to withdraw because of a foot injury suffered from a September motorcycle accident. Few fighters in UFC are on a better run than the 26-year-old Brazilian. Aldo (21-1) is on a 14-fight winning streak and is 3-0 in the UFC; he left the WEC as the 145-pound champion. Scarface could be rusty as he hasn’t fought since Jan. 14 of last year, knocking out Chad Mendes late in the first round.

Edgar (15-3-1), a 31-year-old from New Jersey, enters off back-to-back losses to Benson Henderson in lightweight title fights. The Answer lost to Henderson in February 2012 by unanimous decision and then in the August rematch by split decision. It’s the first losing streak of Edgar’s career. This will be his first fight at 145 pounds after 13 straight in the UFC at 155 pounds.

Aldo is the -250 favorite at Bovada with Edgar at +195; it opened at -260/+200. Aldo has never been an underdog in the UFC. You have to go back to a November 2009 WEC fight against Mike Thomas Brown for the last time Aldo was a dog, and he won that by second-round TKO at +110. Edgar was at -145 for his first fight against Henderson and then +170 for the rematch.

Also on the card is a fight that could determine the next UFC Heavyweight Championship bout. Alistair Overeem was scheduled to fight then-Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos at UFC 146 in late May, but Overeem was denied a license in Nevada after testing positive for an elevated testosterone level and suspended for nine months. The former Strikeforce heavyweight king was officially granted his license earlier this month, and he faces Antonio Silva on Saturday.

Should Overeem win, he could be in line for a shot at Cain Velasquez, who regained the heavyweight belt by beating dos Santos via unanimous decision on Dec. 29. The 32-year-old Overeem (36-11-1) has not lost since 2007, going 11-0-1. The Demolition Man hasn’t been in the Octagon since destroying Brock Lesnar by first-round TKO in December 2011 in Overeem’s UFC debut. That earned Overeem the title shot before the drug test postponed it.

Silva (17-4) bounced back from a first-round TKO loss to Velasquez last May with a first-round win over Travis Browne in October. For a comparison, both Overeem and Silva have fought MMA legend Fabricio Werdum. Overeem beat him by unanimous decision in June 2011 (avenging a 2006 loss), while Silva lost to Werdum by unanimous decision in November 2009.

Overeem is the -375 favorite at the book and taking heavy action, with Silva at +285. The line opened at -350/+265. Overeem has been a favorite in each of his past six fights. Silva has been an underdog in his past two and closed at +170 in the upset of Browne.

Bet on UFC 156 at Bovada Sportsbook. Raise Your Game.

Photo via Facebook/Jose Aldo

Wray outlasted Katelyn Radtka with a second-round knockout (1:06 mark) at the Ultimate Blue Corner Battles in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday night.

It’s the second knockout in two tries for the premiere fighter. In her debut she forced her opponent to surrender as well.

Check out the video below to see Wray (white top and blue shorts) defeat Radtka and praise the crowd for her victory.

Click here for a photo gallery of Rachel Wray>>