The Umpire’s Decision is Not Final
The age-old adage in sports—”the umpire’s decision is final”—may no longer hold in today’s increasingly scrutinized and high-stakes athletic world. While the history of sports …
Stefan Szymanski
Indian March Madness
If you don’t live in India, you probably haven’t noticed that one of the World’s most significant sporting events started just over a week ago. …
So how many people did go to the World Cup?
One way in which the economic cost of hosting major sporting events is justified is that it will produce a significant stimulus to the tourist …
Caveat venditor
Quite a few people have been suggesting that cricket is the sport of the future thanks to the obsessive interest of the 1 billion plus …
The revival in Detroit’s fortunes
The Lex column of the Financial Times today carried a cute comparison of the resurgence of the Tigers and the restructuring going on at GM …
Which is more balanced- NFL or Champions League?
Even a competitive balance sceptic like myself would grudgingly admit that the NFL is more balanced, so I thought I would check what the market …
Football Season Begins!…well, not quite yet
Last week the Argentine Football Association delayed the start of the season because most of the clubs are bankrupt- they owe wages to the players …
Is this the biggest prize in sport for a single game?
The Financial Times reported today that promotion to the Premier League is worth £60 million (just under $120 million today)- this consists of an extra …
The European Parliament’s vision for football
The European Parliament has now adopted a resolution on the future of football in Europe. The underlying text is worth a read, if you are …
It’s not cricket, it’s murder
The Jamaican Police revealed today that Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan cricket coach who died on Sunday, was strangled in his hotel room. There is no …