HOUSTON, Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Forget about the halftime show and the commercials, and focus back on the game. While most people in the country called the Patriots a clear favorite -- by at least 7 points -- Dr. John F. Murray, sport performance psychologist and creator of the Murray Performance Index(TM) (MPI)(TM), predicted it would be an "extremely close" game. The game went down to the final 4 seconds.

Murray's success in measuring the actual performance of football teams comes after "The Football Shrink" accurately forecasted that Tampa Bay would dominate Oakland in Super Bowl XXXVII using the MPI, which quantifies the degree to which a team performs to perfection. Audio from Dr. Murray's interviews on Bloomberg Radio (2003 and 2004) and NPR is available at http://www.SmartproInsight.com.

Dr. Murray was a guest on the likes of CNN Radio, Westwood One, the Bloomberg Radio Network, ABC Radio and many other stations from Ireland to Vancouver. "In 21 of the past 22 post-season games, the team with the higher MPI score won the game," said Murray. "This is remarkable, and highlights the need to focus on performance in every single moment in sports."

"Clearly, Tom Brady was the deciding factor in the game. Unexpectedly, the Patriots handled pressure situations much better than the Panthers," said Murray. The Patriots' 32-29 victory was reflected in MPI scores from Murray's play-by-play analysis. New England compiled a .508 index out of a possible 1.000; Carolina, .458.

Murray, a 42-year-old Ph.D. and licensed sport performance 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 zero to 100 percentage points, which is a perfect score.

Dr. Murray's MPI has been covered by "ESPN The Magazine," and the MPI's success has been reported in many newspapers, including the "The Arizona Republic" and "Sun-Sentinel."

Dr. Murray's professional services include sport performance psychology evaluations and counseling. His comments on the need for more licensed sport psychologists in pro sports recently appeared in "Sports Illustrated" and "The New York Times."

Contact Dr. Murray by email at johnfmurray@mindspring.com or in the United States at: (561) 596-9898.

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