By supporting cherished freedom of expression, Silver may have cost the league billions of dollars. It's a rare and welcome example of standing true to your principles
What more do people want from National Basketball Association commissioner Adam Silver? It seems nearly everyone – from the far right of the political spectrum to the far left – is upset with the NBA’s response to China’s hissy fit over Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey's support of Hong Kong protesters. Just days before…
Welcome to the future of big-league sports, which will depend on a merger of sports and the star-making machine of the culture industry
Mitch Marner has signed. Someone wake Lord Stanley in heaven. A parade is coming. Okay, that might be a tad optimistic. But the hopes for any National Hockey League playoff success in Toronto hinge on Marner, who may not get the headlines but is the key to the Maple Leafs offence. Marner’s signing ended a…
The hypocrisy in college athletics promotes the amateur myth and tries to suppress the fact that the young athletes have significant market value
California is leading the way towards economic justice for U.S. college athletes. The California State Assembly unanimously passed the Fair Pay to Play Act recently. If Gov. Gavin Newsom signs the bill, or allows it to go into law without his signature, college athletes in California will be able to profit off of their own…
There’s a new sports model taking over and it's all about best on best and relegation for the mediocre
Okay class. Construct a headline from the following: Kawhi Leonard spurns the Toronto Raptors in the middle of the night for his hometown team, the L.A. Clippers. At the same moment, southern California experiences a 7.1-scale earthquake. Toronto finds fault line with the Klaw? Star power tops Drake expectations? Toronto wakes, L.A. quakes? Entries will…
The most ethnically diverse team ever to win an NBA championship reflected the nation’s diversity
In our age of enormous salaries for professional athletes and overpriced tickets to sporting events, there are many reasons why the Toronto Raptors winning the National Basketball Association championship is worth celebrating. Behind all the hype, the team succeeded because it was built on the solid principles. First and foremost, the Raptors won with tremendous…
The Raptors’ win was transformative for the league, the business of sport and for Canada in general
You don’t have to ask the impact of the Toronto Raptors winning the National Basketball Association title last week. Two million people on the streets of that city speak to the engagement created by the team’s dramatic process through the playoffs. Think of the public’s addiction to the games as Game Of Thrones – except…
Only the purity of competition assures that the resulting data has relevance and application in a sport
Some call it analytics. Some call it statistics. Some call it trivia. Others call it a waste of time. But collating and interpreting the reams of data generated by pro sports teams is now an integral part of sport. On one hand, analysis of data is how players get paid the vast sums they receive.…
It reveals bad sportsmanship, a lack of professionalism and a complete misunderstanding of the essence of sports
An anonymous National Basketball Association coach, whose team made the playoffs this season, recently said complaints from players about referee calls are “out of control.” I couldn’t agree more. The incessant crying and moaning by players (and often coaches) over seemingly every whistle by NBA officials takes away from the game and the fan experience.…
True competition means the pursuit of excellence in partnership with your opponent
As a member of a sports reform organization, I usually write about problems and issues in sports, and how to address them. But today I’m celebrating the beauty of sport at its best. Monday’s men’s U.S. college basketball championship game was a terrific example of passion, hard work, sportsmanship, teamwork, resilience, family and true competition.…
The untenable college system promotes the amateur myth and tries to suppress the fact that young athletes fill the seats
A few weeks back, Duke University’s star basketball player, Zion Williamson, blew out his Nike sneaker – and sprained his knee in the process – in a game against his school’s arch rival, the University of North Carolina. At the time, there were fears that Williamson had suffered a serious injury, one that might negatively…
What more do people want from National Basketball Association commissioner Adam Silver? It seems nearly everyone – from the far right of the political spectrum to the far left – is upset with the NBA’s response to China’s hissy fit over Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey's support of Hong Kong protesters. Just days before…
