Tag Archives: Sports

College Football Unionization

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

Last week, the National Labor Relations Board determined the Northwestern University Football team to be employees of the University, and approved their petition to form a union. This seems strange doesn’t it? The players do not get paid a salary, and they are considered by the University to be students first and foremost. In the past few years, there has been a running debate about whether Student-Athletes, who can bring in significant revenue for their school, should be paid for their efforts. This discussion about paying players has not progressed beyond an interesting topic for ESPN to discuss when the Continue reading College Football Unionization→

The NBA Losing Problem

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

If you have been paying attention to the NBA recently, you may notice a few teams that are aspiring to lose as many games as they can. The Philadelphia 76ers have just lost a franchise record 26th game in a row, and it is quite possible that they will lose the rest of their games this season. This would appear to be a disappointment for the franchise, but it is all part if a greater plan. This losing streak, and entire season, was orchestrated by the organization. Before the February 20th trade deadline, the team traded their two best and Continue reading The NBA Losing Problem→

Thesis Corner: Sport Event Sponsorships May Not Be Worth Their Price Tag

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

All marketers face the dilemma of how to promote their brand to consumers creatively and memorably. Today, there are so many platforms to advertise ranging from television, internet, print, radio, and out of home (billboards, bus skins, etc). But among competitors making equal or more noise, how how will advertisers get their brand to stand out? Sponsoring a sporting event (sports marketing) is a nontraditional out of home marketing tactic that many companies believe to have profitable commercial promise. But as several companies attempt to insert their brand in arenas everywhere, how much do we undercut the lucrativeness of these Continue reading Thesis Corner: Sport Event Sponsorships May Not Be Worth Their Price Tag→

Fantasy Economics

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

Bored with your fantasy football league? Ever considered switching its basis in sport out for something more exciting, like economics? This not-so-common fantasy of fantasy economics turns out to be a reality. It’s called the IDEAS Fantasy League  The league functions just like a fantasy football league except that instead of simulating a sports franchise, the league “allows you to pretend you are at the helm of an economics department.” The goal is essentially to stuff your team with economists whose publications receive the most attention: downloads, abstract views, and citations in other publications. Some interesting nuggets from the rules of Continue reading Fantasy Economics→