No more Fastpitch December 7, 2008
Posted by cssr in : Softball , add a comment
Sarah Lambert
This summer’s Olympics represented many things – peace, unity, competition, the purity of sport - but for me it was only an ending. On August 21st, the Japanese fastpitch team beat USA 3-1 in the last fastpitch softball game to be played on a truly global stage. At the end of the game, several US players placed their cleats on home plate, a visual acknowledgement of the end of their careers. For the older players, there’s nowhere to go except off the field. Cat Osterman, one of the greatest pitchers to ever put cleat to rubber and still in her prime, accepted a job coaching at DePaul University. For me, my former teammates and the 1.2 million girls who currently play ASA fastpitch, it was a sign that there’s no real future for us in international sport, and I’m afraid that the IOC’s decision to remove softball from the Olympics may be the death knell for the sport outside the United States.
The International Softball Federation will continue to run worldwide tournaments and events, but when was the last time you watched (or heard of) the World Games, which include sports not recognized by the IOC such as canoe polo, orienteering, competitive lifesaving, and, my favorite, tchoukball? That’s the next time the national team will have the opportunity play in a non-regional event.
Because softball is as American as baseball, it’s really the international level of competition that we need to worry about. No one knows exactly why the IOC dropped softball from the 2012 games, but theories include the dominance of the US team (22-1 in Olympic play, their only loss coming in the gold medal game this year) and the global backlash against anything and everything related to the Bush administration. Personally, I think it has more to do with the fact that the sport is irrevocably associated with baseball, and baseball was eliminated because of the lack of big-name MLB players participating in the Olympics. But there aren’t many Little Leaguers devastated because baseball is no longer an Olympic sport. In all seriousness, the Little League World Series carries more cachet than Olympic baseball these days. For softball players outside the NCAA, reaching the Olympics is to compete at the most prestigious level, and one of the few times that the sport reaches people beyond its typical fan base. The Softball World Cup, Pan-American Games, and World Championship just don’t hold quite the same prestige (or audience).
Softball will survive, maybe even thrive, in the US. The College World Series remains the biggest event of a softball player’s summer, garnering decent ratings on cable and drawing thousands to Oklahoma City every year. The National Pro Fastpitch League, relaunched in 2004 after failing abysmally as the WPSL in 2001, is experiencing moderate success and may one day represent a future in the sport for young players, but right now one is more likely to dream of playing for UCLA or Arizona than the Rockford Thunder. Jenny Finch, the most recognized softball player in the world and pitcher for the Chicago Bandits, keeps fastpitch in the public eye by appearing in the SI Swimsuit Edition, striking out MLB players on This Week in Baseball (which I will admit is pretty awesome) and getting kicked off The Celebrity Apprentice. I think Monica Abbott (who threw a no-hitter in her freshman debut and a perfect game in her third start at Tennessee), Crystl Bustos (who holds a World Record six Olympic home runs), Jelly Selden (who in 2006 pitched five straight must-win games to win UCLA’s second consecutive World Series with a torn labrum) or Dot Richardson (the first-ever Olympic team captain, orthopaedic surgeon and 2008 Vice Chair of the President’s Council on Fitness), make better role models, but that’s neither here nor there. What’s important is that fastpitch softball is still a popular, widely-played sport that can stay in the public eye and isn’t likely to fade out in the US anytime soon, which makes the snubbing of the IOC all the more painful.
The campaign for reinstatement in the 2016 Olympics started immediately after the medal ceremony in Beijing, when players from the US, Japanese and Australian teams spelled out “2016” in bright yellow softballs on the field. They only need two more votes from the IOC, but even if they are successful, we have to ask: will the sport recover?
The Hot Debate: Playoffs! November 24, 2008
Posted by cssr in : NCAA , add a comment
by Andrew George
It’s late November and the holiday season is almost upon us, which means couple things for avid college sports fans like me. The return of college basketball brings about great rivalries, a new crop of talented freshman, and a renewed hope of tournament glory. At the same time, the college football season really starts to get interesting as teams vie for bowl positions and for the elite, a spot in the national championship game. While the stretch run of the football season is exciting and I truly do enjoy ESPN’s “Bowl Week” (especially when my Hawkeyes are playing) I always find myself asking the question: What would a playoff have looked like this year?
The ongoing debate between the current BCS set-up and the various playoff system proposals is an interesting discussion. I was originally excited about the BCS; finally a “true” championship game! But then in 2003 both LSU and USC were considered “national champions.” Huh? I thought the whole point of the BCS was to get the two best teams playing and to come to a consensus on the champion? The very next year, Auburn was left out of the title game, even after finishing the regular season 12-0. Every year controversy arises as teams with excellent resumes argue that they deserve a shot in the national title game and every year new playoff proposals are submitted and discussed. Many fans are yearning for a playoff – this summer a Turnkey poll revealed that almost 70% were in favor. Joe Paterno and many other coaches have spoken publicly advocating a change. Even politicians have chimed in. This spring, three members of Congress insisted the BCS is an illegal enterprise and more recently Barack Obama has voiced his support for a playoff format. With this in mind, I would like to briefly layout my ideal set-up for an end-of-season college football playoff.
Just like Obama, I would include 8 teams; six of the teams being conference champions from the high majors and two picked as at-large teams based on the current BCS ranking system. In many years, a number of teams go six weeks between their last regular season game and their bowl game. I think that can be shortened. Quarterfinal games would be seeded (based on BCS rankings) and played at the four BCS sites either a few days before or after Christmas. The semifinals would then be played in primetime on January 1st and the playoff would culminate the following week to crown the national champion. The sites for the semifinals and final would be three of the four BCS bowl sites – each year the locations would rotate. All other bowl games would go on as scheduled and conference ties to each bowl would remain. Simple enough, right? OK, OK, I know it’s just a surface sketch and might not be perfect. But here are some of the arguments I’ve heard:
1) There will always be teams arguing that they “belong” and should have a chance to play for the national championship. In college basketball, even with 65 teams, there are still “bubble” teams that feel slighted.
True – but wouldn’t you rather that argument be taking place around the #8 vs. #9 teams rather than #2 vs. #3 when a team that is undefeated might get left out of the picture?
2) An 8-team playoff would decrease the importance of the regular season.
I’m not asking for a 16, 32, or 64 team tourney. In most seasons, the conference winners and BCS at-large teams have lost at most 2 games and more than likely are undefeated or 1-loss teams. I think most would agree that match-ups like Texas Tech vs. Texas or Florida vs. Alabama will be just as exciting, if not more thrilling because of the potential chance to be a part of the playoff field.
3) Student-athletes would miss more class time and academics would suffer.
In my proposal, the season (in terms of calendar days) wouldn’t be lengthened at all as the playoff would commence before the New Year and would conclude in the same week that the BCS currently finishes. Even if an extra week was added, most large universities don’t resume spring classes until mid-late January.
I understand that there are many other factors that prevent a playoff system from being put in place. I also realize that a playoff doesn’t guarantee the “best” team will win each year. Even so, I can’t help but get excited at the thought of having 8 of the best college football teams playing for a national championship on the field. I know others have an opinion on this topic; I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday!
College Basketball…A Real Difference Maker November 11, 2008
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Evan Olesh
The College Basketball Season kicks off this week and let me be the first to say THANK GOD!! (no religious implications here) Finally, after a World Series that no one wanted to watch, a College Football season that always seems to end with the National Champion in question and a Stanley Cup Champion that no one can ever remember, we are back on track to get back to the most exciting 2 weeks in sports! The NCAA TOURNAMENT! Where else can you get a Western Kentucky and a Davidson being among the final sixteen teams competing for the National Championship? Certainly not in any other college sport.
While I can’t get enough March Madness, there is more to sports than just fun and entertainment. The College Basketball season brings way more to the table than two weeks of office pools and non-stop college hoops. College hoops does more to promote cancer research and general health awareness than any sport in recent memory. The Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, where not only two top 5 teams in Duke and UCLA are supposed to meet in the finals, has half of its proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. The Jimmy V Classic, this year with Texas and Villanova, sends all proceeds to the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research where 100 percent of all cash donations and event proceeds go directly to cancer research and related programs.
Let’s not forget about the women’s side as well with the Maggie Dixon Classic, featuring top teams such Rutgers and UConn. This event honors the memory of Maggie Dixon, the former Head Coach of the Army Women’s Basketball team, who passed away of a congenital heart ailment at the age of 28. Proceeds from this event will go to benefit C.A.R.E. - an organization that works to fund research and raise awareness of sudden cardiac death due to acquired heart disease and inherited rhythm disorders.
With so much negativity in sports these days, it is always nice to take a step back and look at the positive impact that sports can have on society. It is even nicer to see top programs on both the men’s and women’s side setting an example. However, it’s not limited to just top programs with lots of money and influence. Anyone can make a difference! Last season Ron Hunter, Head Basketball Coach at IUPUI (Indiana University, Purdue University at Indianapolis), coached barefoot during a collegiate basketball game to raise awareness for shoeless kids in Africa. It was reported that that nearly $20,000 and 110,000 pairs of shoes were donated to the charitable organization called Samaritan’s Feet. That money and shoes was donated to children around the world.
Given the right platform, something as little as going barefoot for a two hour basketball game can have a profound impact on our society, even on an international scale as Coach Hunter has shown. I leave you with a quote from the man himself…
“My feet hurt so bad,” Hunter said after the game. “But imagine a child or a human going their whole lives without shoes.”
WELCOME BACK COLLEGE BASKETBALL!
Players Say November 5, 2008
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Luke Bonner
I was informed that I have complete creative control for this blog entry as long as it is sport related. Interestingly enough, most of my free time is spent avoiding sport related issues. This is my fifth year (thanks to transferring from WVU to UMASS and the subsequent red shirt year) playing college basketball, and it is very easy to get totally consumed with sport. I live with two of my teammates, and we make certain that we have at least a little bit of what we call “family time.” Ironically, I am writing this blog during tonight’s family time (tonight is extended family time 9:00-10:30. The Office, 30 Rock, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia).
It is interesting being in the master’s program while being an active athlete. I get to see athletics from both perspectives (player and administrator). Before entering the graduate program, I did not have a full grasp of all that went into sports. I always simply played basketball. I would go to practice, lift weights, and play in the games. Fortunately, I got to experience a magical season during my freshman year at West Virginia University. We made it to the Big East championship game, and then went on to lose in overtime in the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament. We were 1 point away from going to the Final 4. Words cannot begin to describe how it felt to be a part of that team. I was just a wide-eyed freshman who dreamed of making a significant contribution to a successful team, and one day being able to earn a living off of playing basketball. I was completely unaware of how the NCAA worked or how its rules are made. Since entering the graduate program, the NCAA has been the topic of conversation several times. It is now a multi-billion dollar industry. Interestingly enough, the key players that drive this industry (the athletes) pretty much have no say in how NCAA legislation is created.
I took a labor relations and a college athletics course last year. I have started to begin questioning how the exploitation of student-athletes (18-22 year olds) is allowed. As far as the big time spectator sports are concerned (particularly football and basketball), the NCAA makes billions of dollars off of television contracts. Sure, most of these players receive “full-scholarships,” but these scholarships do not cover the total cost of attendance at universities. In fact, on average a full athletic scholarship falls $2,500 short of the cost of attendance according to the White v. NCAA settlement. Many prospective athletes are unaware of this and run into trouble when they don’t know how to budget their lives entering college. Furthermore, contrary to most people’s assumptions, universities are not required to provide health coverage for athletic related injuries. Until a few years ago, universities were not even allowed to provide full health coverage for student-athletes. It is very difficult to believe that the NCAA cannot provide basic health insurance for the athletes who drive this industry (especially when we see coaches signing multi-million dollar contracts; granted these contracts are not paid by the NCAA).
Don’t get me wrong, I am a big time college athletics fan. I am not an advocate for the “pay for play system.” All I’m saying is that it is about time that college athletes are guaranteed some of these basic rights. The money is there, and if it is not there, then where is it going instead?
Speaker Series November 5, 2008
Posted by cssr in : Speaker Series Archive , add a commentBelow you can find the video recordings of the speakers who have come to University of Massachusetts at Amherst and met with students.
Assoc Editor, Washington Post & Author
Executive VP and General Manager, Anaheim Ducks
First Game’s On Me October 17, 2008
Posted by cssr in : NHL , 1 comment so far 
Meghan Gillis
Being from Canada, I have been saturated in hockey news my entire life. I have watched and read about countless NHL teams trying unique and uncanny promotions to interest fans. This is particularly true with recent NHL expansion franchises that struggle to generate revenues. Just recently, I read about the Florida Panthers and their extreme marketing campaign in order to get people to the rink and hopefully sell more tickets. Their plan? Not selling tickets, but giving them away. Free tickets? Yes, free. (Road trip anyone?)
It is called the Panthers “First Timer” Program and just by owning a Florida Driver’s license you can get two seats to a Panthers game. The only visible snag? This is a one-time offer. The Panthers contend that “it may be your first game, but it won’t be your last”. The fine print indicates that the “program will remain in effect until everybody in Florida experiences the excitement of a Panthers game at least once”. Let’s just say it doesn’t appear as though the promotion is going to end anytime soon. The more remarkable thing is that there is no other evident catch, and the form is simple, straight forward and easy to fill out. The Panther’s are not the only one notorious for ticket giveaways, and have shared the illustrious title of most ticket giveaways on and off with the Atlanta Thrashers. I understand the basic idea behind it all: getting people to a game where they paid nothing for tickets will lead fans to spend more on concessions, merchandise, etc. They are also hoping you will think how much better the hockey experience is in the rink then on your flat screen. With all this in mind, how do you think season ticket holders of the Panthers are reacting? Tickets for free? What then, is the value of their purchase?
The final piece to bear in mind in all of this is that five or six years ago the Pittsburgh Penguins were facing similar problems offering tickets to those who merely signed up online to the fan site. Last year the Penguins finished second, losing to the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup final with regular season tickets going for $60 or more apiece. I understand that countless other factors are not being taken into consideration, but can the same road be possible for the Panthers?
(The only road I am currently sensing for the Panthers leads them straight out of Florida and relocating elsewhere…thoughts?)
Cinderella Story ? October 14, 2008
Posted by cssr in : MLB , 1 comment so far
Joseph Rosales
I have just returned home from Game 3 of the ALCS between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. The Rays blew out the Red Sox 9-1, giving them a 2-1 lead in the series and pushing them a step closer to fulfilling the feel-good cinderella story of reaching the World Series after never having had a winning season in their history before this one. To be sure, if the Rays reach the World Series, it will represent a brilliant managerial achievement for a front office that several years ago developed a comprehensive organizational plan, stuck with it through some grueling years, and is now reaping the rewards of its efforts. However, I would argue that the Rays success obscures a potentially better example of managerial success in what the Red Sox have achieved.
For me, the success of a professional sports team is less about winning the championship in a given year than about being able to sustain success to the degree that your team is winning multiple championships. There are enough variables in a given season that it is often difficult to determine how much of a championship team’s success is attributable to intelligent design and how much is attributable to good fortune. Since the current Red Sox ownership group and front office personnel took responsibility for the team, the Red Sox have played in 4 of the last 6 ALCS, and have famously won 2 of the last 4 World Series. If they were able to win a third World Series this year, and more in the years to come, that would be a truly great managerial achievement.
Now, it is certainly possible that my Red Sox fandom removes some degree of objectivity in my analysis of which team’s accomplishment would be more impressive. However, I would argue that many of the people that are so intent on seeing the Rays succeed are affected by their desire for novelty, i.e. their having grown tired of hearing about the Red Sox and their success. But maybe it isn’t a topic for objectivity, but preference, anyway. Whatever the case, the Rays have been very impressive this year in taking a huge step forward as an organization. Maybe this is the groundwork for many years of success to come. However, I think it would be a much more impressive accomplishment for the Red Sox to win the World Series this year than the Rays (speaking just of those two teams…obviously the Phillies or Dodgers could easily make this argument moot).
Welcome October 13, 2008
Posted by cssr in : Press Releases , add a comment
The Center for Spectator Sports Research (CSSR) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is happy to announce that Sports Biz Buzz, a blog about sports business, will be back this year with number of changes. Graduate students in the Sports Management department will be taking charge to share their thoughts and start the debates over hot sports issues. Alongside student contributions, there will be contributions from our respected alumni who work in a variety of disciplines across the industry. Check it out at http://blogs.umass.edu/cssr
As mentioned in its goals, The CSSR puts a huge emphasis on providing educational and training opportunities for its students. Through contributing to the blog, students will be able to publish their opinions and lead the discussion on topics about which they are passionate. Another aim of the blog is to establish a medium where alumni and students can discuss different topics and have a chance to connect with each other.
Having mentioned alumni and graduate students, the blog is of course welcome to contributions by professors, other students and business leaders. We are looking forward to developing the blog as much as possible in the future and hope that through your enriching contributions it will prove valuable to all.