-- The 10 Biggest Issues Seen in a Private Sports Psychology Practice (good article on how and why clients come in and what we do)

-- Dr. John F Murray Wins the 8th Annual World Series of Handicapping (this success in predicting games using a mental performance tool is added validity to the extreme importance of mental performance and mental training)

 

-- National Radio Interview on SB Nation with Elissa Walker Campbell (scroll to 7:10 in hour 2)

 

-- Fox Sports National Radio with Dr. John F Murray and Jason McIntyre (scroll to 59:40)

 

-- Interview with Dr. John F Murray on Mind Body Radio with Chris Sawyer

 

RECENT SPORTS ILLUSTRATED INTERVIEWS WITH DR JOHN F MURRAY 

January 6, 2020
 Noted Sports Psychologist Says Jets Used Their Brains More In Second Half Of The Season - Kristian Dyer

... Meet the Mental Performance Index (MPI), created by the ‘King of Sports Brains,’ Dr. John F. Murray. The index charts every play, from a ranking of .001 (poor) to 1.0 (perfection). As such, it is a way to “quantify the degree to which a team performs to perfection.”

Following their Week 8 loss at the Jacksonville Jaguars, a 29-15 loss where the Jets managed just 289 yards of total offense and turned the ball over three times, the team was 1-6 and seemed destined for a top three pick in the NFL Draft. But beyond the raw numbers, there was concern. The Jets were ranked dead-last in the NFL in Dr. Murray’s MPI, a sign of sloppiness and a team that was mentally far from sharp.

By the time they had beaten the Bills to finish 7-9, the Jets had risen to finish the season at No. 20 in the MPI. A significant jump for sure, aided by the fact that recent performances are weighed more heavily than the Jets sloppy start to the season.

Dr. Murray told SI that “For them jump to No. 20 is more than justified in my view” adding that “It was definitely a tale of two seasonal halves.”

“Winning is the key in football and the 6-2 finish was obviously encouraging. It was also accompanied by a consistently better Mental Performance Index score, meaning that the team actually did perform better both mentally and physically independent of whether they won the game,” Dr. Murray said.

“In other words, Jets were sharper performing mentally, with reduced turnovers and sloppy plays, better overall execution, and better management of pressure situations. Sam Darnold turned it around a lot after saying he was ‘seeing ghosts’ against New England.”

Dr. Murray is the 2019 champion of the World Series of Handicapping, with a winning record of 70-45-4 in his picks against the line. He is the author of The Mental Performance Index: Ranking the Best Teams in Super Bowl History and has worked with athletes in the NFL, NBA and professional tennis.

The overall assessment of the Jets is feel good stuff from Dr. Murray, but it comes with an element of caution. While the Jets did close out the season with those six wins in the second half of 2019, the competition wasn’t that great.

And while Darnold showed progress and development, there is still work to be done if the Jets are to take a step forward.

Free agency and the NFL Draft can help the Jets take the next step, Dr. Murray said, but the 7-9 record and the strong close to the regular season also has elements that underlie some concerns.

“Having said all [the positives] there are still serious reservations about this team and Darnold is not a sure bet. For one, they played four teams that made the playoffs in the first eight games, and only one team that made the playoffs in the second half, so the competition was much easier later in the season,” Dr. Murray said.

“They also went 7-9 against the spread which matched their 7-9 record overall. That is milk toast, showing that they did not surprise anyone and achieved a little less than expected compared with what prognosticators expected of them. It should also be noted that Darnold’s 51.23 Quarterback Rating in the second half is not going to win anything major. He needs much better blocking too, as the Jets gave up an average of 3.2 sacks a game which ranked a terrible No. 28 in the NFL. The Jets were also the fifth highest team in terms of yards penalized and the tenth in number of penalties. That is sloppy.”

January 7, 2020
 Sports Performance Psychologist Says The Patriots 'To Be Average At Best Next Year' And Thinks Jets Could Be Playoff-Bound - Kristian Dyer

If the mental side of sports is any indicator, the New England Patriots are on the decline. So says a leading sports psychologist, who thinks the Patriots return to the Super Bowl may be a long way’s off.

This was a disappointing season for the Patriots, who over the last month of 2019 saw their season plummet, culminating in a Week 17 loss to the Miami Dolphins and then last weekend with a loss in the AFC Wild Card to the Tennessee Titans. There are questions about the Patriots – legitimate ones – concerning their future.

To this end, sports psychologist Dr. John F. Murray grades each teams on a series of metrics, ranking them based on mental performance. Things such as turnovers and improper execution as well as blown assignments can lead to a low ranking on Dr. Murray’s analytics, which is known as the Mental Performance Index (MPI).

And the Patriots, who were uncharacteristically sloppy this year for a Bill Belichick coached team, had a poor MPI during the second half of the season.

After Week 8, New England was second in Murray’s MPI rankings across the NFL as they held an 8-0 record after beating the Cleveland Browns. They finished the season seventh following their loss to the Dolphins, part of a 2-3 stretch to close out the year. It was quite a drop in performance from the Patriots, who were sloppy, heavily penalized and had a number of glaring mistakes over the second half of the season and in the playoffs.

“There are certainly opportunities in the AFC East, Jets included. The Patriots might have seen their best days,” Dr. Murray told Sports Illustrated.

“Bill Belichick will always be competitive but the status of Tom Brady, the non-existent receiving corps, and the horrible finish - losing to lowly Miami - spells trouble in Patriots land, and huge opportunity for the Jets, Bills and Dolphins. While I think the Patriots will continue to be competitive, it will be a long time before we see them in a Super Bowl again. I expect them to be average at best next year.”

Dr. Murray is one of the nation’s foremost sports psychologist and a highly-quoted authority on the impact of the mental side on sports, is the developer of the MPI. He is author of The Mental Performance Index: Ranking the Best Teams in Super Bowl History and recently won the World Series of Handicapping utilizing his MPI analytic to make picks.

The love from Dr. Murray for the New York Jets is founded on the team’s strong close to the year.

After a 1-7 start, the Jets finished the season 6-2 in their final eight games. This 7-9 record has the Jets pointing up in 2019.

They return a starting franchise quarterback in Sam Darnold and now will have a second full offseason in head coach Adam Gase’s system.

Plus, the Jets figure to have roughly $70 million in salary cap space and the No. 11 pick in the NFL Draft. They might not quite be a playoff-caliber team but they are building their way there.

“The Jets are a work in progress and a nice feel good story. They finished strong, improved in key areas, and have a still developing potential superstar at quarterback,” Dr. Murray said.

“But we all know what they say about potential. It means you haven’t done anything yet. If they can get some blocking for [Darnold], continue to reduce turnovers, greatly improve on careless penalties, and play with more precision and confidence, they have a chance to make the playoffs in 2020. It is only a chance, but not a bad one.”

Dr. Murray’s full Mental Performance Index (MPI) for the NFL at the end of Week 17:

1. Ravens

2. Chiefs

3. Saints

4. Packers

5. 49ers

6. Eagles

7. Patriots

8. Titans

9. Seahawks

10. Bills

11. Rams

12. Vikings

13. Cardinals

14. Texans

15. Cowboys

16. Falcons

17. Broncos

18. Steelers

19. Buccaneers

20. Jets

21. Chargers

22. Bears

23. Lions

24. Colts

25. Giants

26. Dolphins

27. Browns

28. Bengals

29. Jaguars

30. Raiders

31. Redskins

32. Panthers

 

February 1, 2020
 About Sports Psychologist Dr. John F Murray - Kristian Dyer

... Sports psychologist Dr. John Murray has developed the Mental Performance Index (MPI) to better gauge potential performance involving NFL teams. The MPI measures such stats as “mental errors” and “pressure execution” to determine which team is sharper mentally, an indicator he says can point to future performance.

One of the most prominent sports psychologists in the nation, Dr. Murray has spent years developing the MPI, and to good effect. It works.

This past year, Dr. Murray won the 2019 World Series of Handicapping and placed third in the RX Forum Hilton Style Super Contest. He also took fifth in the world in predicting games against the spread at the Sports Watch Monitor.

... Beyond his success handicapping, Dr. Murray works professionally with a number of NFL and NBA athletes as well as tennis players. He also has written a number of books, including the appropriately named The Mental Performance Index: Ranking The Best Teams in Super Bowl History.

He has a track record of success, including going 9-2 against the spread (81.82%) in the last 11 Super Bowls. In total games predicted over the past two NFL, Dr. Murray claims a record against the spread of 112-78-8 (58.95%).