Sports Psychology Feature by Dr. John F. Murray
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 27 – PRNewswire — The Raiders were favored, but the Buccaneers would win — and Dr. John F. Murray, sport psychologist and creator of the Murray Performance Index(TM) (MPI)(TM), told you so.
“The Football Shrink” accurately forecast that Tampa Bay would dominate Oakland in Super Bowl XXXVII using the MPI, which quantifies the degree to which a team performs to perfection. His bold prediction — the Bucs would win by at least two touchdowns — was broadcast on more than 270 radio stations in the week leading up to the game, by the likes of Bloomberg Radio Network (interviewed by Bob Goldsholl) to KDBR-AM in Flathead Valley, MT.
“Clearly the Tampa Bay defense was superb and much better than Oakland’s offense, but the Buccaneers executed better in all phases of the game and handled pressure situations better,” said Murray. “Their performance index,
which was heading upward in their previous two playoff games, continued, and so did the Raiders’ trend downward.”
The Buccaneers’ 48-21 Super Bowl victory was reflected in the MPI scores from Murray’s play-by-play analysis of the game. Tampa Bay compiled a .563 index out of a possible 1.000, Oakland .423 Murray, a 41-year-old Ph.D. licensed sport psychologist, evaluated every NFL playoff game, assigning point values on each play. A humdrum 3-yard run may earn 50 points; a sensational clutch catch, 100; a play with penalty or turnover, zero. Game totals range from 0 to 100 percentage points (perfection).
Dr. Murray posted results on the MPI website (www.murrayperformanceindex.com) and the MPI was covered by ESPN The Magazine (Dec. 23, 2002) and endorsed by Sporting News columnist Fritz Quindt and Ron Sellers, the former NFL wide receiver.
“The Football Shrink” plans to distribute his invaluable MPI analysis in the 2003 NFL season via a subscription service — and he is available for private evaluation of NFL, college and high school games.
Dr. Murray’s professional services include sport psychology evaluations & counseling, and workshops for teams and corporations. Among his topics are focus, confidence, goal setting, energy management, imagery, conflict resolution, leadership, and stress management to provide a critical mental advantage.
Contact Dr. Murray by email at johnfmurray@mindspring.com or in the United States at: (561) 596-9898 (cell). He is also available for public speaking opportunities, and workshops on Clinical and Sports Psychology.