New Books and Blogs
This week I started working through Power Pivot for the Data Analyst
. I recently bought Excel 2010, and it has a free download called PowerPivot. I picked up the book at the suggestion of college friend and Excel program manager Diego Oppenheimer. Diego's been able to build some pretty cool PowerPivot tables based upon World Cup historical data that he then used during last year's tournament. It effectively rendered ESPN's historical statistical commentary useless - why listen to them when you can have all the same data at your your fingertips at a moment's notice?
PowerPivot is a great tool for the lay statistician as it allows for huge tables to be constructed from freely available data on the internet, and then run multiple pivot tables pulling from each PowerPivot table. PowerPivot also greatly improves the embedded calculations functionality within pivot tables. Think of it as a much friendlier version of Access, or Excel's normal pivot table functions on crack. I plan on using this functionality to complete a few analyses in the coming months on several large but unlinked MLS databases. I'll keep you posted as to key insights from the book, but if you are a lay statistician and have a copy of Excel 2010 I highly suggest you download PowerPivot and get a copy of the book.
. I recently bought Excel 2010, and it has a free download called PowerPivot. I picked up the book at the suggestion of college friend and Excel program manager Diego Oppenheimer. Diego's been able to build some pretty cool PowerPivot tables based upon World Cup historical data that he then used during last year's tournament. It effectively rendered ESPN's historical statistical commentary useless - why listen to them when you can have all the same data at your your fingertips at a moment's notice?PowerPivot is a great tool for the lay statistician as it allows for huge tables to be constructed from freely available data on the internet, and then run multiple pivot tables pulling from each PowerPivot table. PowerPivot also greatly improves the embedded calculations functionality within pivot tables. Think of it as a much friendlier version of Access, or Excel's normal pivot table functions on crack. I plan on using this functionality to complete a few analyses in the coming months on several large but unlinked MLS databases. I'll keep you posted as to key insights from the book, but if you are a lay statistician and have a copy of Excel 2010 I highly suggest you download PowerPivot and get a copy of the book.
Favorite Links of the Week
- TwoHundredPercent has a great post on what's going on at Aston Villa as the club battles relegation. I highlighted the club a number of times when it came to my series of MSq£ and M£XI posts, specifically when it came to expectations related to the manager. TwoHundredPercent does the same, and suggests that the club get through this relegation battle and then look to sack Houllier.
- MLS Talk takes on the disturbing officiating of Baldomero Toledo. MLS fans have known for a long time that poor officiating is a hallmark of the league, but this guy takes the cake.
- Leander Schaerlaeckens at ESPN.com sits down with Thierry Henry and understands just how committed he is to making the Red Bulls an outstanding organization. Could there be any bigger difference between Henry's commitment and that of David Beckham in LA? I for one can't wait to see Henry and the Red Bulls come to Seattle in June.
- TwoHundredPercent takes a look at the latest TV deal for the Football League, and it appears it is a step backwards in terms of revenue.
- EPL Talk makes an observation after Tottenham Hotspur's demolition at the hands of Real Madrid - are Spurs just like England?
- Forget the name game - Climbing the Ladder's latest post on MLS's website details just how hot of a start the Colorado Rapids have had, and what Real Salt Lake's appearance in the CONCACAF Champions League final means for Andy Williams.
- While I was no Blaise Nkufo fan, his departure has left a hole. Sounder At Heart explains how the Sounders are attempting to fill that hole.
- TwoHundredPercent (are you sensing what my favorite blog was this week?) details why they like the Bundesliga more than the English Premier League. Has the EPL's time passed?
- Paul Tomkins, no Roy Hodgson fan, argues that Graeme Souness was actually worse.
- SoccerAmerica, via Socceronomist, rates MLS's DP's to date.
- Soccermetrics looks at what UEFA Champions League might look like if proportional allocation were used to determine participation.
- OnFooty has an outstanding post that uses a few statistics to show when fans should start freaking out about their team's poor early season form. If I am understanding the numbers correctly, we Sounders fans have about two more games before our concern is legitimized.
- The NYTime's Goal blog argues that the NY Red Bulls have run out of excuses for not realizing any success with their recent acquisition of Dwayne DeRosario.
- Logistic regression or not, 7AM Kickoff puts the numbers behind every Gooner's gut feeling that Arsene's great defensive rebuilding project hasn't translated to results on the pitch.
That's all the links that will fit in this week's installment. My Sounders are looking to FINALLY get their first win of the season after another impressive offensive performance last week. Now if the defense could get a clean sheet, we'd be on a roll! My Gunners cling to the faintest of hope, although I won't be watching that game live as it is on at 5:30 AM here on the Left Coast. Enjoy whatever you are up to this weekend, and I'll see you on Monday!
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