15 sports myths and why they're wrong / Rodney Fort and Jason Winfree.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Fort, Rodney D.

Contributor:

Winfree, Jason (Jason A.)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sports--Economic aspects--United States.

Sports.

Professional sports--Economic aspects--United States.

Professional sports.

College sports--Economic aspects--United States.

College sports.

Physical Description:

viii, 299 p. : ill.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Stanford, Calif. : Stanford University Press, 2013.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In 15 Sports Myths and Why They're Wrong, authors Rodney Fort and Jason Winfree apply sharp economic analysis to bust some of the most widespread urban legends about college and professional athletics. Each chapter takes apart a common misconception, showing how the assumptions behind it fail to add up. Fort and Winfree reveal how these myths perpetuate themselves and, ultimately, how they serve a handful of powerful parties—such as franchise owners, reporters, and players—at the expense of the larger community of sports fans. From the idea that team owners and managers are inept to the notion that revenue-generating college sports pay for athletics that don't attract fans (and their cash), 15 Sports Myths and Why They're Wrong strips down pervasive accounts of how our favorite games function, allowing us to look at them in a new, more informed way. Fort and Winfree argue that substituting the intuitive appeal of emotionally charged myths with rigorous, informed explanations weakens the power of these tall tales and their tight hold on the sports we love. Readers will emerge with a clearer picture of the forces at work within the sports world and a better understanding of why these myths matter—and are worthy of a takedown.

Contents:

Revenue sports pay for nonrevenue sports

An arms race drives college sports spending

Athletic departments are a drag on the university budget

Conference revenue sharing levels the football field and basketball court

Pay-for-play will bankrupt college athletic departments

Title IX compliance must come at the cost of men's participation

The FBS playoff will be better than the BCS

Owners and general managers are inept

Owners lose money on their sports teams

Player salary demands increase ticket prices

Failure to act on the issue of competitive balance is hurting some sports leagues

Player drafts and revenue sharing will improve competitive balance

Owners should be more vigilant in policing performance-enhancing drugs

Everybody loses when labor-management relations go south

Major League Baseball should emulate the National Football League.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780804790536

0804790531

OCLC:

854976220