New book 'The Eye Test' reminds us that humans are more integral than ever in age of analytics

The 2019 Toronto Raptors were the first team to win the NBA championship without a player drafted in the lottery's top 14 on the roster.

They were the scrappy underdogs — especially in the Finals against the dynastic Golden State Warriors — who, by the numbers, probably shouldn't have ended the season holding the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Contrast that with their Scotiabank Arena co-tenants, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Replete with high-pedigree stars, including a No. 1 pick, the Maple Leafs on paper are perennial Stanley Cup contenders. And yet they haven't won a playoff series since 2004.

Games aren't played on paper. The disconnect between the Raptors' success and the Leafs' consistent failure is one that can't be captured by numbers — there's a necessary human element when dissecting athletic competition.

That's the premise of the book The Eye Test: A Case for Human Creativity in the Age of Analytics. Author Chris Jones, of Port Hope, Ont., explores the grey areas in life, refreshing the analytics discussion — and not only in the sports arena.

"I want to make the case for taste, for curiosity, for open-mindedness, for expertise, for love. If beauty isn't a virtue, a good eye still is," writes Jones, who is also a CBC Sports contributor.

Jones wrote most of the book during the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming for hope in a time of despair.

"In a way, working on the book was like a very personal antidote to all the bad things that were going on in the world and all the bad things we also hear about," Jones told CBC Sports. "And now I hope the book does that for its readers, too. I hope it does the same thing that makes you feel like the world isn't complete s--t."

The Eye Test is divided into chapters on entertainment, sports,