Reviews

Illegal Procedure: A Sports Agent Comes Clean on the Dirty Business of College Football (2012)

Rating: 7/10 It’s now official – the BCS is no more and will be replaced by a four-team playoff starting in the 2014-15 season. The announcement, which came on June 26, 2012, has many proponents of college football jumping for joy because truly, anything is better than the BCS system. This much is true. What is also true […]

Hockey

CBA negotiations highlight hypocrisy

“Those who cannot remember history are condemned to repeat it” – George Santayana The lockout of 2004-05 is no doubt still fresh in everyone’s memory, from owners to players to fans as the NHL and NHLPA begin Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations. On one side of the table sit the players – and by extension the […]

Football

The insignificant relationship between sexual orientation and sports

Do you recognize the man in that picture? Perhaps you don’t. Perhaps, too, I should ask whether you know him before asking whether you’ve recognized him – I know that I didn’t know him. It’s been about six weeks since Wade Davis made the news and so, chances are that if you didn’t know him […]

Football

NCAA president Mark Emmert’s move to quickly sanction Penn State is logical, but shouldn’t set a precedent

The Penn State story continues. The school has decided to remove the statue of fallen legend Joe Paterno, while NCAA president Mark Emmert is alone issuing sever sanctions against Penn State. This potentially opens up a world of new issues, as Emmert is skipping the usual investigative process and instead is taking matters into his own hands.

The Quick Point

Reality Check: How Arian Foster Redefined an NFL Stereotype

Arian Foster might not be one of your favorite athletes, but he should be. Consider the following. Not only has the 25-year-old running back reinvented what it means to exceed expectations, he’s done so while breathing desperately craved life into a stale NFL caricature as woeful as it’s become predictable. Still not convinced? Read on.

Baseball

West-bound: An Australian’s journey to American umpiring

Baseball is not Australia’s most common pastime, which is why Tom West’s career choice has caught the attention of many. West, a native from Down Under, is on his way in umpiring Rookie Ball in the minor leagues. Fellow Australian Harlan Ambrose sat down with Tom to ask him about the decision to move halfway around the world.

Hockey

The fineprint regarding the future home for the Oilers

Daryl Katz, owner of the Edmonton Oilers, is trying to build a new home for his beloved team. He just doesn’t want to pay for it. Katz and the city of Edmonton have a deal that will see a new arena built with taxpayers footing the bill. It’s not an uncommon scenario, but the benefits in building the arena may not be as fruitful as they seem.

Baseball

When selling works

Being a buyer or a seller at a trade deadline can have an impact on a franchise for years to come. Example: The Texas Rangers are one of the best teams in baseball, thanks largely to trading away Mark Teixeira. Zach Sommers examines this deal and some of the other better trades at the non-waiver deadline.

Hockey

Closing the vault on NHL player contracts

Massive player contracts have done more than hinder teams trying to stay under the salary cap, but they’ve also actually helped to keep mediocre players being paid inflated numbers in the minor leagues. As the NHL and NHLPA go through discussions for a new CBA, getting owner spending under control will be paramount for financial success on both sides.

Basketball

Big threes and the big headache

In the NBA era of “big threes,” Dwight Howard is becoming a big problem. The image-focused superstar has been nothing but trouble in Orlando lately, prompting many to call for his immediately dismissal. But is there anywhere that can accomodate his ego? After all, it’s the size of three regular NBA stars.