Game On

The true story of how Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane constructed consistently strong baseball teams on a small budget brought to the world's attention the importance of data analysis in sports. Today, artificial intelligence (AI) is driving a revolution in sports as data analysis did earlier in the century. But this one will likely have much bigger consequences, as sports data and technology firm Stats Perform in Chicago believes. For pro general managers and college recruiting staffs who decide whom to trade for, whom to draft and whom to recruit -- decisions that make or break teams and careers -- AI offers in-depth knowledge never before available. "To see how AI will disrupt sports is exciting," said Nancy Hensley, who recently joined Stats Perform from IBM. "Let's say you're looking to fill out your soccer team, and on paper, two strikers look similar," said Nancy Hensley, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Stats Perform on LaSalle Street.