Hello and welcome to this segment of sports law and dead analytics course to team and roster management. In the previous two segments we talked about the various obligations of team management with respect to sports law and data analytics. And we spoke about it in terms of the calendar year for a professional NHL team for example. The critical day calendar starts the preseason and runs through the offseason where various important decisions are made in four key component areas. In the second segment we discussed the first of those four areas preseason through December. In this segment we're going to be focusing on the second segment which is January through the trade deadline approximately in March. And in that regard, we're going to speak about the various impact of the collective bargaining agreement, standard player contract. The various rules and regulations, and the dead analysis that goes into the management's opportunities to make significant changes in team and roster management. Utilizing debt analysis within the framework created by those laws and regulations. So, at this point we'd like to ask doctor Pittman. What are your thoughts about how dead analysis is used in analyzing depth charts and preparing them moving forward at this point in the season? >> Well yeah so, at this point we're into the season, we're trying to survey where we are our depth charts. We certainly know it starts to get really busy for us, lots of information coming at us, lots of it to try to keep straight. We're trying to figure out how do we compare with other teams. Where do we stack up? Are we going to make a run at the playoffs? And where are the gaps in our roster relative to other teams? Where do we need to perhaps make a trade? How do we sort of figure out where we stand? Where others stand? Where to fill in the gaps? Identify weaknesses and of course through all of this trying to figure out who we might trade for, what trade bait we might have, and doing that all under the constraints of the salary cap. So, there's lots happening at this point and as I say lots of information to try to keep straight, bringing in the analytic side and the sort of eyeballs from the in person scouting. >> Very good, so, was that being that in mind, what are the primary concerns of management at this point in the calendar year? What are you thinking? What are the things that you are focusing upon? >> Thanks Daren, and thanks Bruce for that introduction. This is a very busy time of year 2nd only to probably the next calendar period which will go through in another session. This is a listing of the team operations or among them, but the highlights of them during this period. And what we'll be looking at over the next few slides as doctor Pittman mentioned the ongoing depth track review and analysis that compares an in clustering of rivals depth charts. The trade deadline's coming up usually late February and we'll talk a little about who's involved in those discussions and decisions internally. There will be intensive scouting of all amateur and minor pro leagues during this timeframe, they'll be negotiating and signing of graduating entry level players will start during this time as their teams become eliminated. And we'll be looking at a concluding a preliminary list of potential draft selections. So, first let's talk about the depth chart review. This does a midseason update preparing for the trade deadline and draft decisions. Management operations and activities are reviewed identifying strengths and weaknesses of the organization player wise and needs to be on the scouting side. Many meetings including the owner, the president of hockey operations, the general manager, directors of player personnel, assistant general managers, coaches, MDS, and trainers. And there's an absolutely essential need for the data analytics group to be coordinated all these information activities and the sports data activities. At this time basically our salary cap reset depth chart reviews and there's an interesting area that might be worthwhile considering which is trades history analysis. Which we would consider examining the trade history of another collaborate general manager to see how they make deals and what they're willing to give up for certain assets. Second topic, rivals comparisons. This is really an important aspect of it. The data analytic focus and needs will do a gap analysis under the direction of the general manager. What's missing in the roster or the depth chart that has to be filled for future success and possible current season making the playoffs. This is a really fundamental one before the trade deadline. This includes benchmarking rivals side-by-side by division and conference and league wide. We get involved in projecting playoff possibilities and in meetings with financial group whether or not the club will be buying, selling, or standing part with its current status. It's interesting how there's a Moneyball reference here that's worthwhile. These trades become very personal to the club, to the owner, sometimes under the general managers. And then what is an interesting clip in Moneyball where Billy Beane references that he does not go on the road with the team. Generally the answer to the question why was I can't afford to get too close to the players. It's important at this time of year to understand the power of cap space, to acquire assets and favors increasingly salary cap space and all pro sports leagues is becoming a barter ship. Another asset that goes to valuing the importance and the depth of a trade that might be made or a player acquisition. Trade deadline activity, salary cap review, current and future seasons begins at the end of the holiday trade moratorium. You may recall we talked about the fact that there is a debt moratorium on trades over the holidays generally between December 24 and the first of the year. The first of the year clicks off this very intense activity. Again reconsidering possible buy-outs and recalls this at this time. Again meetings with the general managers, meetings with all the staff involved, meetings especially with trainers and doctors about player health and injury status. This is an interesting one I think that might be worthwhile asking professor do for some legal discussion. Because in the aspect of trades and acquiring and moving players on to other clubs, they're historically was a caveat emptor or buyer beware tradition in the league. It was up to you to find out what you needed to know about the player, nobody would volunteer information and the best outcome you could hope for was a healthy player without injury status and no surprises in the contract. Things have changed since those days in the 70s and 80s when it was with the wild west on Caveat Emptor. Now that you might want to mention a few things about legal issues regarding trades and trade conference processes. >> Yeah, sure Gerry. So, this is an interesting example of how the leagues have evolved over time. As you may know as certainly in many of our students might originally the NHL was a group of six clubs. So, everybody knew everybody and trades were often conducted in a cocktail hour and there's something about that sort of an atmosphere where you're relatively comfortable making trades. And other important transactions without having to do what we would call the legal world due diligence. Well as a number of clubs expanded in the NHL as well as the other leagues, as the ownership groups became more diverse. And we're less familiar or comfortable or necessarily in contact with each other. Those sorts of informal activities gave way to more legally driven transactions, but it was not overnight and it was not necessarily smoothly accomplished. So, I recall one example in particular that you and I were involved with where trade was made with another club and if I recall correctly, we're a friend of the general manager of the other club and we thought we had all the information. But the other clubs on the West coast and the player showed up with a hefty salary attached and he was supposed to be helping us helping the Sabers play in the playoffs and turned out that he had an injury which would prevent him from participating. And we were still supposedly saddled with a good chunk of the salary for this player who could not contribute the issue eventually went to the league office and there was a bit of a dust up. It didn't go to an arbitration formal arbitration but the matter was eventually resolved. But in large part in response to examples like that, all of the league's and particularly the NHL have instituted these trade processes where a trade will not be considered to be complete until physicals have been conducted. The players determined to be physically capable of playing and they go through every single clause in the contract. Blow by blow below to make sure that it's absolutely clear that the trading club and the acquiring club have figured out who is responsible for which aspect or which component of each part of the deal. To avoid situations just like that one. >> Possibly that has a lot to do with why trades are made. Probably most trades or many trades, substantial trades of real importance, in other words, not spare parts but the fundamental changes in organizations are almost never done right at the trade deadline. They're done days and sometimes weeks beforehand. In order to settle these issues that might occur especially with veteran players with many games under their belt in the NHL. [MUSIC]
