John Pudner wrote his first statistical analysis for the New York Post more than 20 years ago, ranking pitchers on opposite Sundays from when Bill James ranked batters, and he was named as the top sports news writer in his newspaper class in Virginia by the Virginia Press Association.
Since then he has run more than 200 political campaigns for candidates or ballot issues while continuing to write statistical analysis for sports and developing a database of thousands of basketball players at www.valueaddbasketball.com and writing for www.crackedsidewalks.com. He met with and advised several NBA teams to advice on the future performance of potential draft picks this year. His work for the Alabama Farmers Federation in 2010 included helping to coordinating door-to-door efforts that reached the homes of 170,000 voters, and his more recent statistical work was featured by CNN/Sports Illustrated.
Sunday 1 p.m. - Memphis at Oklahoma City: Kevin Durant is clearly the second best player in the league. If he still had James Harden (sixth best but playing for Houston) and Russell Westbrook (seventh best, injured) hen OKC would have a better trio than the Heat and a real chance at the title. Unfortunately, without those two they appear to have an uphill battle even to get past the Memphis Grizzlies.
4 May 2013
Joakim Noah guaranteed what was perhaps one of the biggest upsets in playoff history since Joe Namath predicted the Jets upset of the Colts. His prediction counted on bench players-turned-stars in the photo with him (from left Noah, Nate Robinson, Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson) leading the injury-depleted Bulls into Brooklyn to become only the 23rd road team out of 112 to win an NBA Game 7.
4 May 2013
Just how dependent on Game 7s is the NBA for playoff revenue? A review by Breitbart Sports of advertising figures presented by Ad Week makes it clear how dependent the NBA, as well as the NHL and Major League Baseball playoffs, is on Game 7s. Unlike the BCS, NFL and March Madness who will be almost guaranteed a billion dollars a year. Saturday at 8 p.m. EDT on TNT, the Bulls and Nets give the NBA the first Game 7 of the 2012-13 playoffs.
4 May 2013
In the first week of March Madness, 36 games are played and every game is an elimination game for both teams. Saturday night the Nets and Bulls will play in the 45th NBA playoff game this season, and as shown in the table of upcoming series, it will be the first time both teams in the same game go home if they lose. A key person who works on behalf of the NBA said the league was thrilled with last years playoff drama surrounding LeBron James, but "the only other thing we could have hoped for was a Game 7 (in the Oklahoma City-Miami series).
4 May 2013
Kobe Bryant's mother may not have the down payment she said was planned for a new house after Bryant's lawyers said she could not auction off items from his high school and early NBA career. If Kobe Bryant does sign on to continue playing for the 2014-15 season, he should clear $300 million in salary alone according to basketball reference.
3 May 2013
Sports fans in the nation's capital get to watch young stars in all four major sports, but their best of all is a little older. Alex Ovechkin was prevented from joining 10 Hall of Famers as the only players to score 50 goals in five different NHL regular seasons only by a shortened season this year that left him with a league high 32 goals in just 48 games (pace for 55 goals). He rallied the Caps Thursday by starting a three-goal second period with a pass into the zone and a rebound that he hammered into the net to tie the game.
2 May 2013
The Penguins Sidney Crosby was not cleared to play and the Islanders Matt Martin delivered his normal intimidating hits throughout, but neither mattered as the Eastern Conference champions dominated the 8-seed trying to win their first playoff series in 20 years. The Penguins knocked goalie Evgeni Nabokov out of the game with four goals in the first 22 minutes of action.
1 May 2013
Two young Washington superstars who do not like their bosses protecting them from injury may not miss any games. A month after Dr. James Andrews described Robert Griffin III's recovery from his knee injury as "superhuman," it looks like Stephen Strasburg's right arm injury may have just been a nerve aggravated during electronic simulation.
30 Apr 2013
Jonathan Quick was brilliant in goal for defending champion Los Angeles Kings - stopping numerous chances against a physical, forechecking St. Louis Blues team. And then with the game seemingly in hand, he did not see Alexander Steen streaking toward him (pictured). Steen stole the puck from him and scored a short-handed goal in overtime to give the Blues a 2-1 win in the opening game of the series.
30 Apr 2013
The Mountain West Conference has challenged the Pac 12 for western basketball supremacy the last couple of years. However, their two-time defending champion New Mexico Lobos not only lost their coach to Pac 12 regular season champion UCLA, but it appears they will not even get the $1 million buyout. Just six weeks ago the Lobos secured a 3-seed in March Madness and Alford signed a 10-year offer sheet. Things went downhill fast.
30 Apr 2013