We got Moneyball on Netflix and watched it last night. While I don't particularly care for baseball, I thought it was a really great movie, and totally recommend it. It took a unique point of view of sports that I found both entertaining and interesting. Basically, during the early 1990's the Oakland A's found themselves in a situation where they were competing with teams who had two or three times as much money (and thus were able to afford "better" players). In order to stay competitive, they had to find a way to win without exceeding their minimal budget, and without "premiere" players. Using math and statistics they were able to produce a 20 game winning streak (that had never been accomplished in baseball) despite the fact that it went against the standard ideas about how to set up a winning team .
It was one of the best "story problem" (borrowing from high school math terminology) example I've ever seen worked out. And the first one I've ever seen used as the premise for a movie.
It was a wonderful example of the power and utility of math, and why having even a fundamental grasp on it is so helpful in understanding the world we find ourselves in. And both Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill were really good in it.
Anyway, I just wanted to mention it in case you were riding the fence on watching it!
I thought it was an example of a superior way of using human resources for sure. Watched last December on the way to Cambodia (along with three other full length movies!)
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