St. Louis Rams and "Hands Up, Don't Shoot"

nbcnews.com

While working off turkey hangovers, many Americans who tune into the NFL just wanted a nice slate football to conclude the holiday weekend and put off thinking about the looming work week.

But five St. Louis Rams wide receivers -- Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Kenny Britt, Jared Cook, and Chris Givens -- brought those tuning into the Rams-Raiders game back to another reality they may have been trying to escape: the protests in Ferguson. In unison with a common phrase and gesture of the ongoing struggle that has spread to cities across the country, the players came out with their hands up in reference to "hands up, don't shoot."

Sixer Fans: Brighter Days Ahead!

Will anyone be surprised if the Sixers actually fail to win 10 games this season? The Sixers are off to a blistering hot start going winless in their first 17 games. Obviously, the organization knows what they are doing by tanking it this badly. However there seems to be a lot of people who actually understand what they are trying to do. Tank this year and get another lottery pick. Then see where next year goes with Michael Carter-Williams, Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid, hopefully KJ McDaniels, and another lottery pick. I only say hopefully for KJ McDaniels because he gambled on himself and is going to be a restricted free agent after this year instead of signing a multiyear contract. Right now he is playing his way to the top of the Rookie of the Year discussion. Brett Brown comes from a winning organization and has been around the San Antonio Spurs for so long that he is trying to mold these young Sixers like the Spurs. It will take time, but the Sixers are young and talented. It’s time to take a look forward on what Sixers fans should be excited about.

MLB Games Are Over, Business Begins

sun-sentinal.com

The Year of the Backloaded Contract. I'll admit that it doesn't quite have a ring to it, but for Giancarlo Stanton and Russell Martin it's a reality nonetheless.


On Monday, Stanton signed the biggest contract in North American professional sports history at 13 years, $325 million. Regardless of Stanton's current talent-level and potential to still grow, it surely surprised many to see the Miami Marlins -- yes, the lowly Marlins! -- open up the checkbook wider than ever before.

S4SC with Sonny Vaccaro Day 2 Recap

Sonny Vaccaro presented to us, on day two, on "Life After the O'Bannon Case" and how it will affect the future of collegiate athletics.  Vaccaro gave the audience a solo presentation on his opinions on the result of O'Bannon v. NCAA and life going forward.  Sonny discussed how the NCAA represents control and how it takes control of many individuals, mainly the student-athletes.  Vaccaro used examples like how the NCAA has their own vocabulary.  Words, such as "student-athlete," "true freshman," and "collegiate model" are nowhere to be found in the English dictionary, but are only in the NCAA bylaws year after year.  They use these words to defend themselves against opposition saying the "kids" are athletes first and not students or are treated unfairly.

S4SC with Sonny Vaccaro Day 1 Recap

The 2014 Sport for Social Change Conference started off with a bang Thursday night!  Fans were blessed with a wonderful conversation between ESPN's Tom Farrey and basketball marketing legend, Sonny Vaccaro.  Vaccaro began his basketball marketing career with the Dapper Dan High School All Star Game in Pittsburgh, PA in 1965.  Dapper Dan was the first high school basketball all star game in the country; a groundbreaking idea by Vaccaro to help the public see the young basketball talent in the U.S.

Sport for Social Change Conference Preview

The Drexel Sport Management Student Union (SMTSU) will hold its second annual Sport for Social Change Conference, beginning on Thursday, Nov. 13 and concluding Friday, Nov. 14.

Thursday's portion of the Sport for Social Change Conference will feature a conversation with Sonny Vaccaro, the legendary sports marketing executive. The conversation will be directed by Tom Farrey, an enterprise reporter for ESPN and director of the Aspen Institute's Sport and Society Program. Vaccaro will speak about his involvement and thoughts about the Ed O'Bannon v. NCAA case.

Vaccaro and Farrey's conversation will take place at 6 p.m. in the Bossone Research Center's Mitchell Auditorium.

K.J. McDaniels Destroys a Basketball; Puts Himself in RoTY Conversation

Shooting Guard/Small Forward, K.J. McDaniels

      In the 2013 NBA Draft 76ers fans saw All-Star point guard traded for the #6 overall pick that year (Nerlens Noel) and the need to fill the hole at point guard.  With their own pick that year, #11 overall, they filled that need with former Syracuse point guard, Michael Carter-Williams.  Since then the man known as "MCW" went on to win Rookie of the Year honors for the 76ers, and will be making his 2014/15 debut within the coming days, finally healthy after off-season shoulder surgery.

World Series Ratings Down Again

The World Series this year featured great stories, the kinds that don't need media manufacturing and fluff. 

The Kansas City Royals find themselves in the World Series for the first time since 1985. Madison Bumgarner is now a cult hero. The series came down to Game 7 with a runner on third base, which apparently was only the third time ever. And the Giants themselves won their third World Series in five years.

Postseason Hero: Madison Bumgarner

A calm, cool and collected Madison Bumgarner is about to earn his third World Series ring in his first five full seasons. You can see how calm and humble Madison Bumgarner is on any of the interviews he has. This was a postseason to remember for World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner. This performance by Madison Bumgarner in the postseason is something we will probably never see again. Pitching 52 and 2/3 innings for the postseason is a single postseason record as he broke the record of 48 and 1/3 innings. His earned run average in the World Series was a sizzling 0.43 making his career World Series ERA 0.25. I can assure you there were some of you who had no idea who Madison Bumgarner was before this postseason. Obviously he stepped up in the big stage winning the NLCS MVP and the World Series MVP.

Sport for Thought: The Expansion of Roc Nation Sports

It is not everyday when a rap superstar decides to become a sports agent and represent some of the biggest names in sports. When Jay Z announced the launch of Roc Nation Sports in April of 2013 with the acquisition of ex- Scott Boras client Robinson Cano, the entire sports world was shocked. At the time, not many people took the new agency seriously and thought it would turn into another Master P situation and not last. But just last week, company president Michael Yormark announced the agencies interest in expansion through the acquisition of other agencies as well as the hiring of qualified agents.

Full 90: Mysterious 2018 World Cup Logo Revealed

This week Russia revealed the 2018 World Cup logo. Initially, the logo received much criticism and many laughs on social media, when in actuality the 2018 World Cup logo is thematic and clever. The core of the design is based on upwards movement and space, symbolic for the act of achieving excellence and becoming champions of the world. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station creatively revealed Russia’s logo, which also resembles the World Cup trophy. 

Destiny or Dynasty?

The Oakland Athletics were three outs away from sending the Kansas City Royals home. Now the Royals are going into the World Series against the San Francisco Giants riding an eight game win streak. The Royals took down the Athletics, Angels and Orioles while the Giants took down the Pirates, Nationals and Cardinals. Destiny vs dynasty who takes the World Series? You can say the Giants are a dynasty as they have reached the World Series three of the past five years now winning two of the four before this one.  The Royals haven’t made the postseason since 1985 so is it their time? It sure seems that way. Going undefeated in the first eight games leading up to the World Series is something that has never been done. Will they win four more consecutively? It will be a tough task but I don’t put it past them.

Sport for Thought: Mr. 509 and Counting

Johnny Unitas. Dan Marino. Brett Favre. Tom Brady. All of these men are in the conversation as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. They are Super Bowl Champions, MVP's, record holders, team leaders, and just flat out WINNERS! Their is no denying any of their talent because they have the statistics to prove it. But last night we were all lucky enough to witness history, and perhaps the greatest quarterback of them all. Brand new Mr. 509 himself, Peyton Manning.

Full 90: Heineken Pours Rights with MLS

On Tuesday it was announced that Heineken will become the official beer of Major League Soccer beginning in 2015. This five-year agreement replaces Budweiser’s nearly 20-year sponsorship with the MLS. The agreement is valued at approximately $50 million.

S4SC: Legendary Former Marketing Executive Sonny Vaccaro to Speak at Drexel

Sonny Vaccaro, legendary former Nike marketing executive, will speak at the 2nd annual Sport for Social Change Conference presented by the Drexel Sport Management Student Union (SMTSU) on Friday, Nov. 14, 2014, the SMTSU announced Wednesday.

The title of Vaccaro’s lecture is “College Sport at a Crossroads: Perspectives on the Demise of NCAA,” which will feature his experiences helping to grow the Nike empire, while fighting for student-athlete rights along the way. He will deliver his lecture from 11-11:50 a.m. on Nov. 14.

S4SC: ESPN and Aspen Institute's Tom Farrey to Speak at Drexel

Tom Farrey, director of the Aspen Institute Sport and Society Program and ESPN reporter, will speak at the 2nd annual Sport for Social Change Conference presented by the Drexel Sport Management Student Union (SMTSU) on Friday, Nov. 14, 2014, the SMTSU announced Tuesday.

The title of Farrey’s lecture is “The Aspen Institute’s Project Play & Promotion of Physical Literacy,” which will feature his work as the director of the Aspen Institute Sport and Society Program. He will deliver his lecture from 10-10:50 a.m. on Nov. 14.

Durant's Injury Opens Door for New MVP

Reigning MVP Kevin Durant

Over the weekend, troubling news circulated through the basketball world: Kevin Durant had been hurt and expected to miss time. Since the initial reporting, it has since been clarified as a fractured foot. A tenative six to eight week time table for recovery has been given, but the reigning MVP will have to most likely wait through the first month to two months of the season before getting a chance to defend that title. The Thunder still have Russel Westbrook, one of the best players in the NBA, and he might be ready to explode with this opportunity to run the team while Durant gets himself healthy.  More than anything, if you are the Thunder, the most important piece of this to manage and take cautiously is Durant's recovery.

Who to Blame? Fire the GM or the Manager

The baseball playoffs are in full swing, which usually means the teams that ended up in the basement of the standings are starting to make changes to their managerial staffs. Teams this postseason shopping for a new manager include the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers, as the Arizona Diamondbacks just hired Chip Hale, who was the Athletics bench coach. Although the Rangers lost manager Ron Washington to personal reasons, the Astros let Bo Porter go for needing someone to lead them in a "new direction." But wouldn't you expect everybody to lead their teams in the same direction, a winning direction?

S4SC: Political Advocate Suzan Shown Harjo to Speak at Drexel

Suzan Shown Harjo, a prominent Native American political advocate, will speak at the 2nd annual Sport for Social Change Conference presented by the Drexel Sport Management Student Union (SMTSU) on Friday, Nov. 14, 2014, the SMTSU announced Monday.

The title of Harjo’s lecture is “The Washington R-Word: Racial Politics, Legal Challenges & Social Harms,” which will touch on her 40-plus years of work fighting for the rights of Native Americans. She will deliver her lecture from 1-1:50 p.m. on Nov. 14.

S4SC: Drexel SMTSU Announces 2nd Annual Sport for Social Change Conference

The Drexel Sport Management Student Union (SMTSU) is pleased to announce details for the second annual Sport for Social Change Conference.

Capitalizing on the success of the first edition of the conference last October, the SMTSU will hold the Sport for Social Change Conference on Friday, Nov. 14, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will be held in the Academic Bistro on the sixth floor of the Paul Peck Problem Solving and Research Center (aka Academic Building) on the corner of 33rd and Race St.

Holding the Sport for Social Change Conference in the Academic Bistro offers a unique opportunity to bring together all of the disciplines housed in the new Center for Hospitality and Sport Management. Students from Drexel’s culinary arts and hospitality programs will be preparing and serving all three of the meals during the event: breakfast, lunch and appetizers.

Just like last year, the event will be FREE and open to all.

NBA Extends Television Deal

On Monday, October 6, the NBA announced they had extended their television deals with Turner and Disney for nine years through the 2024-25 season.  This deal is said to be worth $24 billion and each team will receive $70 million over that time.  It appears to be a win-win-win for the league, teams, and players.

New NBA-ESPN/Turner Deal Cuts Cord

On Monday, the NBA struck a massive nine-year, $24 billion media right deal to extend current partners ESPN and Turner through 2024-25. The deal, impressive in its reach and its size, impacts a wide-range of people, including you and I. Kevin Draper summed up the different areas of high impact at Deadspin; it's thorough and well-worth the time to read. One of the major areas of focus in the deal is streaming rights, and the way the deal was negotiated, the NBA is preparing for a future where fans are pulling the plug on their cable televisions and opting for internet and mobile streaming.

NBA Preseason: 5 BOLD Predictions

As the NBA season is set to begin in about a month let’s make five bold predictions. It will be fun to come back at the end of the season and see what a genius I am. No, I’m not going to sit here and tell you the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to make the NBA Finals because if they don’t win it all we can just throw all the blame on LeBron like we always do. Well here goes nothing.

Sport for Thought: Jeter's Next Chapter

Derek Jeter only knew one thing for the last twenty years, and that was playing shortstop and being the leader of the New York Yankees. So when he announced his retirement plans prior to the 2014 season, not only was the sports world shocked, many wondered how he would be able to move on from the game he had become accustomed to playing. Derek's life was a set schedule and now he would have to wake up every morning not knowing what his next venture would be. Yes he always expressed interest in one day owning a team, but how would that really fill the void of no longer playing in America's favorite pastime?

Full 90: Under Heat in Qatar

Last week, in a revealing but not shocking statement, a FIFA Executive Committee member communicated his personal belief that the 2022 World Cup would take place in Qatar. The committee member, Theo Zwanziger, in essence, said what many of us have been thinking: Qatar was wrongly awarded the FIFA World Cup.

NBA vs NFL: Punishments on Acts of Violence

Over the past several of weeks, the NFL has been in the spotlight in terms of domestic violence cases with a few star players.  This has been an issue in the league for many years now and has not seemed to get much better and Commissioner Roger Goodell has been very inconsistent in terms of his punishments.  But how does the domestic violence affect the NBA?

Guard the Post: Why we love sports

On the outskirts of Pittsburgh lies a small suburb named Mars. The town, with a bustling population of about 1,700, is most well-known for its name and popular roadside attraction, the "Mars Spaceship". This week, though, a new light is shining out of the humble and quiet Pennsylvania town: Max Lamm.

The Place of Satire in Recent NFL News

In the wake of widely publicized abuse cases involving Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, Ray McDonald, Adrian Peterson and Jonathan Dwyer, the culture the National Football League has instilled, protected and enabled has crumbled over the past few weeks. And hopefully for good.

The macho man bravado of the football patriarchy run by men for men has taken a very public turn towards the instability that many critical of the sports world have long warned. 

There has been hard-hitting reporting, speculation, a rise in the opportunity for female voices to be heard in the sports media, plenty of good commentary and plenty of cringe-worthy commentary, among so much more. Packaged right along with it all has been the satirical takes on the recent happenings, providing an important and needed perspective.

Sport for Thought: Lets Get Back to Some Football

In my last article, I wrote just how much sport and the Yankees meant to America and exemplified hope during a time of desperation and horrific events. But for the first three weeks of the 2014 NFL season, these same athletes who millions of people idolize and watch for entertainment are causing a nationwide debate about domestic violence. By no means am I blowing over the issue at hand, but people watch sports to take their minds off of many of the more serious topics affecting our country and it is a shame that sports are struggling to provide that outlet.

Sport for Thought: What the Yankees meant to America following 9/11

Every year on September 11, their is a somber feeling in the air and when you turn on the television, we cannot escape the day that lives on in infamy. The attacks on the World Trade Center were absolutely horrific and changed the lives of Americans forever. After watching 9/11 television specials for a majority of the day yesterday, I immediately realized what I should write about for my post this week. Following the events of 9/11, it took quite some time for people to come to terms of what had happened and they did not know what to do next. For millions of people, they turned to baseball. It was something that could take the terrible events out of the minds of millions of people and bring their lives to be as normal as possible for just a few hours each day.

MLB Needs to Own Holidays

It's a popular narrative: Baseball is dying! What will we ever do without America's pastime! Never mind that Major League Baseball is pulling in record revenues, pushing a Goodellian $9 billion. Sometimes the facts are inconvenient.


But national television ratings are down relative to years past. That's not really up for debate. While the league continues to reel in billions with a "B" from television contracts, I suppose you could debate whether or not the current ratings matter or not. (Local ratings are going strong, though.)

However, there's one spot that for two days a year, the MLB could win the day. In fact, I think they should be winning these days. They need events that are ripe for appointment viewing. They need to own Independence Day and Labor Day.

MLB Postseason: Two Surprises?

The MLB postseason is right around and the corner and who would have thought with the moves the Detroit Tigers made at the deadline that the Kansas City Royals would be leading the American League Central with three weeks left in the season. Also before the season began, did anyone give the Seattle Mariners a chance to making the postseason? I sure didn’t. I laughed at Robinson Cano when he left the Yankees for the Mariners but I guess he knew what he was doing. The Mariners are in the second Wild Card spot as of today with the Tigers right behind them. I can guarantee you the first Wild Card team is scared to death if they have to face the Mariners in the lose and go home game. Felix Hernandez is the reason for that. Let’s take a look at the Royals and Mariners and their chances of making a run in the postseason.

What Happened to the Red Sox?

From first to worst; a transition that no team wants to make. But with their loss today, the Red Sox were officially eliminated from any chance of winning the American League East, and currently sit in the basement of the division. A team fueled by the spirit of "Boston Strong" in 2013, had all the charisma and talent needed to inspire the city and bring a championship to Beantown. But the 2014 team is nothing like the team of yesteryear, and has made a lot of Red Sox fans call into question if last year was a fluke.

For Club or Country?

Every four years, basketball fans from all over turn their televisions on to watch some of the best players in the world compete in the Olympics and the FIBA World Cup.  These players are all seen playing in the NBA and leagues in their own nations across the world, but are now taking off their club uniform and replacing it with their country.  While fans do see some of the world's best athletes, they do not always see the most prominent players.  LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony are both not participating in the FIBA World Cup, but will likely compete in Rio in 2016.

College athletics are perfect for breaking into sports

Well, it's that time of the year again. The time when students make their way to college campuses across the nation and begin their studies. However, it's also time for fall sports seasons to begin. For students looking to break into the sports industry, they needn't look further than their school's own athletic department to find the foot-in-the-door opportunity they're seeking.

More Inspiring: Mo'ne Davis or Jackie Robinson West Little League?

This year’s Little League World Series is probably going to be the more memorable ones. There were so many great stories throughout the tournament. From two teams from inner cities Chicago and our very own Philadelphia who both made good runs. Then there’s the cover girl of the entire tournament Mo’ne Davis. It is incredible to see a girl who can throw 70 miles an hour. Mo’ne Davis’s life has just changed a whole lot with all the publicity she received. Had it not for her success, by tossing a complete game shutout in the first round, would we even be talking about her? Probably not. Now everyone in the world knows she wants to play basketball at UConn from her interviews and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see her there in about five years. She just seems like a person with a good head on her shoulders and not to mention she is athletic. It looks like she has a bright future ahead so hopefully all this fame doesn’t get her off her track. You see in her interviews that she’s a team player and mentioned how her teammates get overlooked because of her. She answers all the questions the right way and it was great to see her success during this Little League World Series.

Sport for Thought: Joe Torre's Managerial Greatness

On Saturday, August 23, 2014, The New York Yankees retired yet another number into their prestigious monument park in center field. What made this different from all of the other retired numbers, #6 belonged to the beloved long-time Yankee coach, Joe Torre. He is now placed in the same category as some of the greatest baseball players to ever put on a baseball uniform, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio (as well as 14 others).

Well Worth the Investment: Roberto Hernandez

Newly Acquired SP/RP Roberto Hernandez

On December 18, 2013 it was reported that the Phillies were indeed inking Roberto Hernandez to a 1 year deal with a base salary of $4.5 million.  Included in the deal, are several incentives of varying amounts based off the amount of innings pitched by Roberto in 2014.  Hernandez was coming off a rather poor 2013 with the Tampa Bay Rays, turning in a 4.89 ERA at seasons end.  What he did provide the Rays with was innings every 5th day in the rotation.  This kind of pitcher was sorely missed on the 2013 Phillies' squad.  Going along with Bert's ability to eat up innings all year, he has a very healthy career 57.1% ground-ball rate, a stat that plays well within the confines of hitter friendly CBP.  I'd say the Phillies' front office realized that information, along with the fact the NL and more specifically the NL East is a much easier league & division to pitch in, and decided that Hernandez was their man for the 5th spot in the 2014 rotation.  

After PGA Championship, McIlroy and Fowler are 2014 Winners

NY Daily News

It was at the beginning of the 2013 PGA Tour schedule when Rory McIlroy signed his massive $200 million long-term deal with Nike. By the end of the year, McIlroy had gone winless and there were rumblings that the deal was a bust. 


Some cited the new club manufacturer as a source of the struggles; some cited his then-relationship with Caroline Wozniacki. A little patience was all that was needed, though. Because in 2014, McIlroy is asserting himself as the top golfer in the world. And he looks to have gained the killer instinct it takes to win majors.

Ray Rice: A Slap on the Wrist

Knock out a women = two game suspension. Smoke marijuana = four game suspension. Makes perfect sense right? No. Was the NFL too soft on Ray Rice who knocked out his wife in an elevator? There was even video footage on Ray Rice dragging his wife out the elevator. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought Ray Rice got a slap on the wrist with this two game suspension. I guess domestic violence is less punishable than smoking marijuana according to Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL.

Sport for Thought: Wiggins or Love?

Love and Wiggins. Two stars entering different stages of their NBA careers. Is Kevin Love or Andrew Wiggins more valuable to a NBA franchise?

Full 90: International Champions Cup is Champion

After a widely popular Guinness International Champions Cup, Relevent Sports plans to expand the North American tournament to Asia next year. The North American tournament will maintain the same format of eight teams, while the Asian tournament will feature four or six teams. While he International Champions Cup is essentially a friendly campaign, hosting dual international tournaments will be a profound step if it permits MLS teams to face-off and gain global exposure alongside the mega-clubs of Europe and the rest of the world.

Co-op Confidential: Kevin Rossi, Athletics Communcation Assistant/Web Productions Intern

 

Name: Kevin Rossi
Year: Senior
Co-op Employer: Drexel Athletics/Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Job Title: Athletic Communications Assistant/Web Production Intern

Co-op Confidential: Greg Monforte, Development Intern

Name: Greg Monforte
Year: Senior
Co-op Employer: Richard Stockton College
Location: Galloway, NJ
Job Title: Development Intern

Paul George's Injury: Another Sticking Point for Keeping Players Home?

Over the weekend, news broke from team USA basketball camp that Paul George had severely broken his leg during a USA intrasquad game.  George was coming back to defend against a James Harden break away, making a leaping attempt to block Harden's drive to the hoop.  Unfortunately for Paul, his leaping ability might have cost him this one.  As he landed his foot caught enough of the bottom of the hoop stanchion that the force from the land bent his leg at the high ankle area.  The unpleasant result was a compound fracture of George's tibia and fibula.   Just like that, the budding superstar's 2014-2015 NBA season was over before it started.

MLB Trade Deadline Winners and Losers

In recent years, the trade deadline has not fallen short on the excitement factor, seeing big names like Manny Ramirez, Jason Bay, C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee, and this year, Jon Lester, David Price, and Yoenis Cespedes. Teams with star players who are out of the playoff race have long traded there star players for prospects for the future, but this year was somewhat different. 25-Man Roster talent was being moved left and right, which led to one of the most active trade markets to date, and also produced some trade deadline winners and losers, here are a few:

Co-op Confidential: Kevin Murray, Student Alumni Liaison

Name: Kevin Murray
Year: Junior
Co-op Employer: Drexel University Office of Institutional Advancement
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Job Title: Student Alumni Liaison - Alumni Discovery Initiative

Basketball Jersey Sponsors

With millions upon millions of dollars being thrown at teams for sponsorship deals each year, their company names end up on billboards, signs, and videos at stadiums and arenas; hell, stadiums are named after sponsors!  However, the one item in basketball that has yet to be touched is the uniform.  The uniform seems to be the sacred item that will never be touched by an outside sponsor.  The pinstripes of a New York Yankee home uniform, the Bay Bridge logo on the front of the Golden State Warriors' jersey, and the number written loudly and proudly on a football jersey.  It just does not seem appropriate to add 'Toyota' or 'TD Bank' to the front of the jersey.  Yet, that could be a source of more income to an organization.

MLB Labor Lessons in 'Ball Four'

In the current day of free agency, eye-popping contract terms and super agents like Scott Boras, it's hard -- and for some of us, not possible -- to recall a point in time where these things didn't exist. It's even harder to recall a time when the major league minimum salary was in the four figures and the reserve clause was still holding players hostage.

What do you think it was like to be a player back in those times?

Jim Bouton's Ball Four illustrates exactly what it was like. And so much more.

The Next Big Industry?

Fantasy sports is something many people play and enjoy. Some play for fun and some play for money. People always seem to say they lose interest in fantasy baseball because the season is too long so they forget they even have a team. The same can apply to fantasy basketball and hockey. The season long commitment is one of the negatives people always talk about in fantasy sports.

Sport for Thought: #23

When LeBron James left his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010 for the Miami Heat, he decided  to exchange his #23 for #6. He said the number 23 should be retired throughout the NBA to give respect to arguably the greatest basketball player that has ever stepped foot onto a basketball court.

Full 90: Plans for new U.S. Soccer National Training Center revealed

U.S. Soccer has arrived. Here’s how I know:

Outside the Octagon: Bellator's Business Strategy

In my column, I usually write about the UFC, but this week I wanted to change it up and talk about one of the UFC’s rival organizations Bellator.  Bellator is a much smaller organization and doesn’t have the same star power as UFC.  A lot of times, when Bellator’s best fighters’ contracts are up the UFC will sign them.  Recently, Bellator has been signing a lot of former UFC athletes.  Personally, I do not believe this is the best business strategy.

Guard the Post: The real star of the night

 

 

On Wednesday July 16th, 2014, all of the biggest stars hit the red carpet in Los Angeles for the 2014 ESPY Awards. Kevin Durant, Floyd 'Money' Mayweather, the NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs, Maria Sharapova, just to name a few. Some of these people are the biggest, most wealthy, and most talented human beings on the planet, but few were shining brighter than Stuart Scott.

Massive World Cup ratings and lessons for Fox

The 2014 World Cup featured brilliant play on the pitch, culminating in Germany's 1-0 extra time victory over Lionel Messi and Argentina in the final. The Germany-Argentina final also drew a massive viewing crowd on television, garnering 26.5 million viewers between ABC and Univision, the World Cup's Spanish-language broadcaster. For comparison, the Heat-Spurs NBA finals averaged 15.5 million viewers.

What do the ratings mean for the World Cup moving forward?

Hometown Delivery: LeBron James

Not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven….only two. As most of you know LeBron James is going back home to start the next (and final?) chapter of his career. In his four years in Miami he reached the NBA Finals four years straight but only won two. Is this considered a failure? There are some who say it was but some who argue winning two titles is still a heck of an achievement. In his first year in Miami, the Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in five games. I still believe losing that series, made him take a hit on his reputation. They were the heavy favorites against Dallas and they lost in five games. What a disappointment to start the “Big Three” era off. The next two years is what was expected of the Miami Heat, winning two straight titles defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. This past year, the Miami Heat were defeated by the San Antonio Spurs in five games. The Spurs were the better team but the Heat had the best player. It is unfair to blame LeBron for this loss but being the best player on the planet, he will take a lot of the heat.

Sport for Thought: What exactly Tanaka's injury means...

Another day of baseball has past, and yet another MLB pitcher receives the news of an unfortunate and dreaded elbow injury. However, in the case of Masahiro Tanaka (the brand new $155 million Yankees acquisition and ace of the staff), is hoping to avoid the unavoidable...the now infamous Tommy John surgery. This season has been plagued with pitching injuries, but this instance has to be the most crucial. No team has more invested (money and on-field success) in a pitcher than the Yankees do with Japanese superstar Tanaka.

Full 90: America's Dream Deferred?

Has the soccer arrived in the United States? No. Has the World Cup arrived in the United States? Maybe. Has the United States Men’s National Team arrived in the United States? Yes.