This assignment#1, reaction paper to ‘Moneyball’ highlights the concepts
discussed in class that are prevalent in the corresponding documentary. Reactions should be
the answers to three (3) discussion points as follows.
Students are encouraged to pull from any class material, not just the lesson directly
connected with the film/documentary. This paper is worth 10% of your final grade.
Reactions to Three Discussion Points
1. Leadership to success
• What will be key drivers of leadership to success in sports administration?
• “Adapt or Die.” What do you think of Billy’s leadership?
2. Decision-making strategy
• What is Billy’s new way of making decisions by re-framing the problem in A’s?
• What is the strategy when Billy faced old mindsets?
• In recruiting players, does Billy go against traditional norms? How?
3. Competitive Balance
• What does Billy do with constraints the A’s faced?
• How was a new approach based on sports analytics overall? (i.e., team performance,
recruiting)
Guideline for the Structure of the Reaction Paper:
1. Introductory paragraph
• Clearly state your main idea. Describe the specific points you will discuss
2. Body paragraphs (3 paragraphs)
• Reactions to 3 discussion questions
• Develop and discuss each point with a critical analysis of the evidence you have found
3. Concluding paragraph
• Summarize your main thoughts regarding the film/documentary
