EUROPEAN SUPERCUP 2007: VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS OF AC MILAN 3 - SEVILLA FC 1

Here are the highlights of all 4 goals in last nights EuropeanSuperCup Final between AC Milan & Sevilla FC: Final score3-1Excuse the video audio.AC Milan 3 – Sevilla FC 1

Have a Great Labor Day Weekend!

Me? I'll be off at Valley Fair.

EUROPEAN SUPERCUP FINAL 2007: AC MILAN 3 - SEVILLA FC 1

AC MILAN proclaimed itself EURO SUPERCUP winners 2007with a conveincing 3-1 victory over SEVILLA FCThe emotion gave Sevilla FC wings in the 1ºhalf & they scored1º via RENATO in the 14min ( pictured celebrating the whole team)However, the Milan machine got working & the 2º half was all thereswith goals from INZAGHI, JANKULOVSKI & KAKA ( pen.) , endingthe game 3-1 & taking the titleSevilla FC must

Saving the Puerto Rican League

Puerto Rican athletes play an important part in MLB tradition. Since the 1950s, more than 200 Puerto Ricans have earned spots on MLB rosters. The list extends from old-timers such as Roberto Clemente to today's stars, which include Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and the brothers Bengie, Jose and Yadier Molina.

As MLB has expanded its scouting into Puerto Rico, however, trouble ensued for the Puerto Rico Winter League, which after 69 seasons announced this month that it is shutting down operations.

Next week, MLB executives will meet with Puerto Rican League owners to discuss a bailout of their storied league. In my view, this bailout would not only be a kind gesture, but it also fulfills an ethical obligation, recognizing all that Puerto Rico has given back to baseball.

While most baseball fans know that the Puerto Rican League was the starting grounds for legends such as Clemente and Orlando Cepeda, few are aware that it is also the home of baseball's earliest racial integration. During an era in which MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis was wielding his power to keep Blacks out of MLB, the Puerto Rican League welcomed with open arms African-American great Josh Gibson, who promptly in 1941-42 set the league's single-season batting average record with a .480 mark.

Back in December 2004, I had the chance to visit San Juan, PR and attend a game at Hiram Bithorn Stadium between the Santurce Crabbers and the Ponce Leones. During the game, I struck up a conversation with the owner of the Leones, in which it was revealed to me that the Puerto Rican League was in trouble. Despite the vibrancy of that day's crowd, the economics for Puerto Rican League baseball were no longer what they once had been. MLB's Arizona Fall League was now competing against the Puerto Rican Winter League for players, and unlike in the United States, Puerto Rican governments were not subsidizing new multi-million dollar stadiums.

MLB owners have enjoyed high double-digit return-on-investment for many years now, and they finally have the opportunity to show the world that they are not all Montgomery Burns. For all that Puerto Rico has given to MLB, hopefully MLB owners will save the Puerto Rican League without stripping away its dignity, independence or autonomy. If MLB decides to lend a hand, our national pastime will enjoy benefits that simply cannot be measured.

UEFA CUP DRAW: SPANISH TEAMS KNOW THEIR OPPONENTS

Spanish teams Real Zaragoza, Villareal, Getafe, At.Madrid &Sevilla FC ( if they do not qualify for Champions) all knowtheir opponents for the UEFA Cup, after the draw held in Monacoearlier today.On paper Zaragoza & Getafe got the tougher teams, & puts it difficultfor them to secure their place & go through into the Uefa "littleleagues" qualifiers.Here is the draw:Real Zaragoza - Aris de

kettlebell training for sport

Kettlebell training can be a great way to add extra training to your sports routine,increase your levels of fitness and up your game.
Kettlebell training for sport could be the missing dimension you're looking for.
As a user of kettlebells I know how much they have improved my stamina and fitness levels since I started using them. I train for throwing events personally but they can be so widely used as a means of fitness or explosive power. I mean how many exercises do you know?
Have you ever tried throwing one or wrapping a towel thrugh the handle??
Exactly!! Probably not!
There are so many exercises you can make use of when kettlebell training for sport.
I began with a 24kg kettlebell and have now progressed onto a 40kg kettlebell.

kettlebell training for sport

EURO 2008: SPANISH NATIONAL SQUAD 20 FOR ICELAND & LATVIA GIVEN.

Spanish National Football coach LUIS ARAGONES has handed &made public the squad of 20 players taht will defend the coloursfor the next 2 vital EURO 2008 Group games against Iceland &Latvia. Here is the list of 20 players:Atlético: Pablo y PerníaArsenal: CescFcBarcelona: Iniesta & XaviBetis: JuanitoEspanyol: Luis GarcíaLiverpool: Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres & ReinaReal Madrid: Casillas & Sergio

SPANISH FOOTBALL TRANSFER NEWS & ROUND 2º /2007 FIXTURE

The transfer season ends tonight at 00.00 hours for Spanish Football& 2 big names have still their futures uncertain: Daniel Alves &Riquelme. The latter has a verbal agreement with Atletico, but it is´ntyet been formalized.It´s common practice in Spain to surprise everyone in the last minutewith a star signning that grabs the attention of local & world media :will Dani Alves go to Real Madrid ?

College Football Season Predictions

It's time for my semi-detailed look at the college football season, with some predictions.


ACC Atlantic Winner - Florida St.
ACC Coastal Winner - Virginia Tech
ACC Player of the Year - CJ Spiller

Comments: Virginia Tech looks like they should run away with the Coastal division, but the Atlantic is wide open, as anyone really has a chance to win that division. I went with the most proven commodity, FSU. For the Player of the Year race, even though Spiller is a sophomore, I just love his talent and think he will continue to shine.


Big 12 North Winner - Nebraska
Big 12 South Winner - Texas
Big 12 Player of the Year - Colt McCoy

Comments: I think Nebraska, with the addition of Sam Keller, should have a real nice year and be the favorites in the North. In the South, it should be a really interesting battle as usual between Texas and Oklahoma, but I'll go with the Longhorns on the strength of Colt McCoy, my pick for the POY.


Big East Winner - West Virginia
Big East Player of the Year - Steve Slaton

Comments: I have these dominated by the Mountaineers, but this should be one of the most fascinating conference races once again. Rutgers will be very good behind Ray Rice, but I don't think they'll quite be able to compete with West Virginia or Louisville. Their game on November 8th could very well decide who wins the Big East (and perhaps goes to the national title?), and I like West Virginia at home. As a sidenote, watch out for WVU freshman Noel Devine, who I think is just going to be awesome, and a great fit for that offense. Seriously, go watch one of his highlight videos.


Big Ten Winner - Michigan
Big Ten Player of the Year - PJ Hill

Comments: I love PJ Hill for Wisconsin, which is why he's my pick for the Player of the Year. However, I think Michigan will be just a little too explosive, which is why they're my pick to win the Big 10.


Pac-10 Winner - USC
Pac-10 Player of the Year - John David Booty

Comments: California might have the talent to compete with USC in the Pac-10 this year, but I think the Trojans are going to be just a little too good. Booty has tons of weapons at his disposal, he just has to not screw it up.


SEC East Winner - Florida
SEC West Winner - LSU
SEC Player of the Year - Darren McFadden

Comments: I know Florida is young and they will struggle defensively, but I think the offense will just take off. Elsewhere, LSU is probably the best team in the conference. Darren McFadden is the best RB in the country, so he gets the POY nod.


Heisman: I already went over this, but John David Booty is my pick for Heisman.

National Championship: USC vs. West Virginia
This might look like I'm blatantly copying The Sports Flow, but that is not the case. I think USC is probably the most talented team in the country, and they should fly through their schedule. West Virginia basically has 2 really tough games all year (Rutgers and Louisville) and both of them come at home.

Also, in a bit of a surprise, WEST VIRGINIA is my pick to win the national title. USC is deeper and maybe has more overall talent, but the offense speed that West Virginia has is unrivaled. Seriously, watch this video of Noel Devine:



This is absolutely filthy. He reminds me of a smaller Reggie Bush. Add that to Pat White, Steve Slaton, and Darius Reynaud, and the West Virginia offense should be just sick. That's why they're my pick to win the National Championship.

Who's your pick? Which of my picks do you disagree with?

EUROPEAN CUP: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW 2007/08

The 2007/08 season European Cup ( Champions League) drawhas been held in Monaco with an interesting result for Spanishteams Real Madrid, Fc Barcelona, Valencia CF & hopefully Sevilla FC.GROUP B is VALENCIA CF slot & they will play Chelsea, Schalke& Rosenborg. Tough group with very strong teams were theconcentration will need to be 100%.GROUP C is REAL MADRID´s slot with Werder Bremen, Lazio&

VOJVODINA 1 - ATLETICO DE MADRID 2 - 2º LEG UEFA CUP QUALIFIER (See Video)

ATLETICO DE MADRID has made it, they will be in Europedefending the colours in the UEFA CUP competition, afterdefeating Serbian side VOJVODINA 1-2 in the 2º leg game(Atletico win 5-1 on aggregate)Atletico went in with a 3 goal advantage from the 1º leg & lookedrelaxed until Serb BUAC scored for Vojvodina in the 38min.Atletico "got serious" & LUIS GARCIA scored the equalizer tohalt any Serb ideas

Duke Lacrosse and Prosecutorial Misconduct

Interesting discussion of the Duke Lacrosse case, the disbarrment of prosecutor Mike Nifong and what it tells us about the criminal justice system and the issues of prosecutorial misconduct. This plays into one of my recurring interests in what sport-related legal issues can tell us about legal issues generally. The link to the show is here. According to the web site, the audio is available one hour after the program ends. The original broadcast ended at noon EST, so it should be up by 1 EST.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS OF FC BARCELONA - INTER MILAN - "JOAN GAMPER TROPHY" MATCH

That´s the scoreline in last nights "Joan Gamper Trophy" overINTER MILAN, & before the match Barça payed its respects toAntonio Puerta & Sevilla FCHere is the Video of all 5 Barça goal. Check out the 3rd goal fromTOURE, a real cracker of a goal:FC Barcelona 5 - Inter 0: Ronaldinho, Giovanni,Toure, Iniesta & Motta

SPANISH FOOTBALL TRANSFER NEWS BRIEFS

Yes, No, Yes...REAL MADRID cannot make up its mind when it comesto its young forward ROBERTO SOLDADO. The club is now thinkingabout the latest offer from BENFICA that is around 12M€.Remember, Benfica is now coached by ex-coach & player of Real Madrid,Camacho, who knows his players well.VALENCIA CF has sent its defender ASIER DEL HORNO toATHLETIC DE BILBAO on loan for 1 season.VILLAREAL has

College Football Week 1 Predictions

Like last year, I'm back for some game predictions. Again, like last year I will pick what I deem to be the 5 biggest games of the week, and then pick who I think will win them.

I'm kinda in a hurry tonight because I'm studying for a test, but here goes.

14 UCLA @ Stanford
The Bruins are ranked highly following a strong finish to last year (including the win over USC), and this looks to be the strongest team in the Karl Dorrell Era (which isn't exactly saying much). The offense should be pretty good as Ben Olson continues to mature, and the defense should be talented again. I like Jim Harbaugh, but UCLA should take care of business on the road.

Wake Forest @ Boston College
Wake Forest was one of the surprises of the College Football world last year after winning the ACC, but they'll have a hard time repeating that. One of the reasons why is because of Boston College, led by experienced QB Matt Ryan. He'll lead BOSTON COLLEGE to a home victory to start out the season.

Oklahoma St. @ 13 Georgia
This figures to be one of the more interesting matchups of the opening weekend. The Bulldogs are the highly-ranked team, but the Cowboys should have an explosive offense led by dual-threat QB Bobby Reid. I would not at all be surprised if Oklahoma St. pulls off the upset, but I'm taking GEORGIA, led by talented Matthew Stafford and powered by the home crowd.

19 Florida St. @ Clemson
The Bowden Bowl should be mighty interesting this year. Florida St. is looking to rebound from a down year, which saw Bobby Bowden shake up the coaching staff. If Drew Weatherford can become more consistent, the offense could be explosive, with weapons like Antoine Smith and Greg Carr. Even so, I'm taking the unranked CLEMSON Tigers, led by perhaps the best RB duo in the nation with James Davis and CJ Spiller.

15 Tennesee vs. 12 California
This game was a bit of a dud last year (especially for me, since I picked California), but should be competitive this time around, as both teams are ranked in the top 15 and have high expectations coming into the season. The Golden Bears need to get off to a better start (obviously), and I think they will. I look for the trio of Nate Longshore, Justin Forsett, and dangerous Desean Jackson to provide just enough offense to beat the Vols. CALIFORNIA is the pick for the 2nd straight year.

Agree? Disagree?

JOAN GAMPER TROPHY. FC BARCELONA 5 - INTER MILAN 0

FC BARCELONA took the "Joan Gamper Trophy" ( representsBarça´s introduction to its members) defeating invited team INTERMILAN with a 5-0 scoreline.It was a whitewash for Inter, as a surprisingly improved Barça got its play together & was up 3-0 after 45mins, with goals fromRONALDIHNO, GIOVANNI ( pictured) & TOURE - be sure to seeToure´s goal , as it was a rocket from outside the box.In the 2º

ELFSBORG 1 - VALENCIA CF 2. CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFIER

VALENCIA CF assured its starting place & the next draw of this yearsofficial Champions League competition, after comfortably winning1-2 away ELFSBORG, & win 1-5 on aggregate.Ex - Real Madrid player HELGUERA opened the scoring for Valenciain the 4th min with a header from, however Elfsborg pulled one back inthe 31st with ANDERSONSSON.The 2 half was full of chances & finally DAVID VILLA scored

ATLETICO DE MADRID & RIQUELME COME TO AN AGREEMENT.

Sp.radio "Cadena Ser" has announced the news, that ATLETICODE MADRID & VILLAREAL Argentine International midfielderJUAN ROMAN RIQUELME have come - in principal - to anagreement concerning his transfer.Atletico & Villareal had already OKed the transfer, what was missingwas Riquelme´s Ok. It seems both parties have an agreement with a2 year contract & an option of an extra year.All the details of

SPAIN 3 - NTH.KOREA 0. U/17 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

SPAIN moves into the Q/Finals of the U/17 World Championshipswith its 3-0 victory over NORTH KOREA.Spain´s next hurdle will be France who they defeated last time 2-0in the Euro Championships where Spain went on to win the title.It was a very physical & tough match from the Nth Koreans whowere out played by Spain & BOJAN ( pictured above) who scored2 goals along with IAGO.This ( along with the

Heisman Candidates

Admittedly, the college football season has kind of snuck up on me. Last year I did a preview of each conference, but this year I haven't really written anything about it. This has been for a couple of reasons... one, I am kinda lazy. Two, for some reason I have been a lot more excited about the start of the NFL season.

But anyway, it's time to end by NCAA Drought and give my top 5 Heisman candidates heading into the year. But first, some of the guys left off:

Ian Johnson (Boise St.) - After his performance against Oklahoma last year would get a lot of support if Boise St. comes close to repeating their undefeated season.

Ray Rice (Rutgers) - Rice was one of the biggest reasons for Rutgers' success last year, but he might have a tougher go of it with Brian Leonard gone.

Mike Hart (Michigan) - Should put up good numbers once again but will be overshadowed by Chad Henne.

Brian Brohm (Louisville) - He'll have to settle for being the #1 pick next April.

Percy Harvin (Florida) - He'll probably be the most exciting player in the nation, but not the Heisman.

Finally, my top 5...

5. Colt Brennan (Hawaii) - Brennan is coming off of a monster year where he threw for somewhere around 2.5 million yards. He kinda strikes me as the guy that we have every year that puts up big number in a smaller conference against mediocre competition, and gets placed on the final Heisman ballot with no real chance of winning. That's what I see happening.

4. Chad Henne (Michigan) - It seems like Henne has been the Michigan QB forever. He'll be in his 4th(!) year of starting, leaving him with plenty of name recognition and familiarity with the offense. With lots of offensive weapons around him, Henne should have a big year for a good Michigan team, putting him in the thick of the Heisman race.

3. Steve Slaton (West Virginia) - May be overshadowed a bit by Pat White, but Slaton is the key cog in the offense, and should put up huge numbers once again in this offense. He'll also be helped by a relatively easy schedule which should put the Mountaineers in the National Title hunt.

2. Darren McFadden - A lot of people are predicting Arkansas to drop a little bit this year, and that could mean that McFadden stays right where he was... 2nd in the Heisman ballot. He's still the best RB in the nation and should be very productive. That's a tough SEC schedule though.

1. John David Booty (USC) - Could Booty be the 3rd USC QB to be the Heisman in 6 years? I think so. For one, he's going to be on a great team, which always helps. But he's very accurate, and should just be able to distribute the ball to the wide variety of playmakers that Pete Carroll has assembled. Great team plus great numbers means that Booty will be a strong contender, and he's my preseason pick for the Heisman.

Who do you think will win the Heisman?

The Aluminum Bat: Weapon of Physical Harm or Relatively Innocuous Piece of Sports Equipment?

That's the question presented in Eric Fisher's excellent piece, Debate over metal bats on the upswing, published in the August 13-19 edition of Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal (subscription only). As Fisher correctly notes, ever since the aluminum bat's widespread introduction in the early 1970's, arguments have centered on safety concerns, aesthetic concerns such as the pinging sound of ball hitting metal, and the sharp rise in scoring that many levels have play have experienced. Advocates of the metal bat over this 30 year period have been arguing that wood bats are more difficult for younger players to use and that wood bats are much more costly to use than aluminum bats.

Fisher notes that, while this debate has stayed outside the mainstream without any true level of critical mass, that is no longer the case as legislative efforts to ban the aluminum bat in high school play are developing in states such as New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. North Dakota has a statewide ban on metal bats in high school play and some towns in New Jersey have banned metal bats as well. Tuesday, U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl ruled that it was constitutional for New York City to ban metal bats from high school baseball games. The new law had been challenged by an organization representing national high school baseball coaches and several companies that make metal bats. Judge Koeltl said the new law, which is set to take effect September 1, fits the purpose of legislative bodies like the City Council to protect the public health and safety:

"The protection of the health and safety of high school-age students is entitled to great weight. While the record does not include clear empirical evidence showing that more serious injuries would occur without the ordinance, it is the city's legislative assessment that the risk is too great."

According to Fisher, New York City attorney have cited several physics studies showing a heightened ball-exit velocity from metal bats. Yet, the bat manufacturers and other metal bat proponents argue that the issue is based on emotion and anecdotal data as opposed to reliable statistical evidence. According to Little League Baseball (LLB), the number of batted-ball injury claims has steadily decreased since 1992 and there are only approx. 20 or 30 injuries out of more than 160 million at-bats per year. While LLB is not overly concerned about the safety issue, it continues to monitor and implement bat performance standards.

Well, it is comforting to know that major league pitchers can't even agree on the answer. Fisher notes that Mike Mussina has spoken out against the metal bat ban, but relief pitcher John Franco supports the ban. But maybe that has something to do with the fact that one plays for the Yankees and the other plays for the Mets.....

Thoughts on Michael Vick's Guilty Plea, Supersonics' Possible Move, and new NFL-Related EEOC Claims

Some thoughts and links on various topics:

Michael Vick Guilty Plea

I have a new Sports Illustrated.com column on Michael Vick's trial, entitled "What's Next for Vick After Guilty Plea." I hope you get a chance to read it. I know I said my column, "Sports and the Law," would run once a month, but it may run more regularly.

I was also interviewed for a story by Tim Tucker in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution entitled "Vick's Wasted Fortune of Epic Proportions." It's an excellent article, particularly for those of you interested in how the Falcons can get their money back from Vick--who may end up losing over $100 million. I also discussed this topic in an interview with Chris Clark of Sports Radio 850 (Raleigh, North Carolina)--thanks to Chris for having me on last night.

Can Seattle Keep the Sonics?

The Sonics may have received a breath of fresh air in the off season by adding two outstanding young players in Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. But the people of Seattle may not enjoy the franchise's resurgence for long, as Sonics' owners, dissatisfied with the city-owned KeyArena and frustrated by the city's reluctance to build a new arena, want to move the team to Oklahoma City. Their capacity to do so may come down to a specific performance clause in the Sonics' contract with the KeyArena.

I discussed the significance of the specific performance clause with Jim Brunner in his terrific Seattle Times story on the topic entitled "Can Lease Keep Sonics Here?" (and many thanks to Jim for linking to Sports Law Blog on the Times' website--and a welcome to those of you who came to our blog from the Times). Jim also interviews University of Alabama Law Professor Alfred Brophy, who writes for PropertyProf Blog, for the story.

Be sure to also check out Henry Abbott's excellent coverage of the Supersonics possibly moving on True Hoop.

Odell Thurman and Torrie Cox filed EEOC claims against NFL

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Roy Tarpley's successful EEOC claim against the NBA. Tarpley, a longtime alcohol and drug abuser, based his claim on the American with Disabilities Act. The post generated a number of terrific reader comments, and I appreciate all of those who commented.

We now see two suspended NFL players, Odell Thurman of the Cincinnati Bengals and Torrie Cox of the Tampa Bay Bucs filling discrimination claims with the EEOC. Both players claim that they were suspended for being alcoholics in violation of the ADA, and they cite Tarpley's successful claim as support for their proposition.

University of Mississippi School of Law Professor Paul Secunda, who is Chair of the AALS Section on Employment Discrimination Law and an editor of Workplace Prof Blog, examines the claims and how those currently abusing alcohol are not covered by the ADA, while those who have a record of alcoholism and have received treatment are considered disabled for purposes of the ADA. Paul's post is a great read.

Additional great comments on these claims come from David Fischer, who practices at Shook Hardy & Bacon in D.C. and is an editor of Antitrust Review. He lays out the claim:

Odell Thurman, a young, promising but deeply troubled linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals filed a disability complaint with the EEOC against the Bengals and the NFL claiming he is being discriminated against because he is perceived as an alcoholic. Not surprisingly, Thurman's lawyer mentions the Tarpley case . . .

Thurman was drafted by the Bengals in 2005 (from Georgia), started as a rookie (middle linebacker) and lead the team in tackles (148 tackles, one sack, five interceptions, nine passes defensed and four forced fumbles). Bright future ahead of him (especially playing for Marvin Lewis who has always had great middle linebackers). During the off-season, he missed a drug test and was suspended for four games. During his suspension, he was arrested for DUI and the suspension was increased to a year. He applied for reinstatement this past summer but was the reinstatement was denied. This was a surprise since the Bengals (and Thurman) thought he would be reinstated and said so publicly. One reason for the optimism was that he had served his suspension and was in compliance with all of its terms (or at least the Bengals thought so).

I am surprised that - as far as I know - the players association has not appealed the denial of reinstatement or publicly commented on it. I would think the union would NOT take kindly to the league refusing to reinstate a player who has served his suspension and complied with its terms. If I was the union, this would be a major issue I would want addressed.

SEVILLE FC NEWS. ANTONIO PUERTA DIES AT 22 YEARS OF AGE

SFS IS SHOCKED & SADDENED BY THE ANNOUNCEMENT .Sevilla Fc, the city of Sevilla, Spanish Football & the whole nation of Spain are mourning the loss & death of young 22 year old SEVILLA FCplayer ANTONIO PUERTA.The player sufferred a massive stroke that ended the life of the playerat the"Hospital Virgen de Rocio". We remember readers that Puertawas rushed from the "Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium" last

Taxing and Selling the Barry Bonds Home Run Ball

Rick commented several weeks ago on the tax consequences that might befall Matt Murphy for catching Barry Bonds' 756th home run ball. Last week came reports that Murphy was going to sell the ball specifically so he could afford the coming tax bill.

Andre Smith, FIU colleague who teaches and writes on tax and frequent guest at Sports Law Blog, adds his two cents:


I disagree with IRS attempts to collect taxes presently from Matt Murphy, the catcher of Bonds’ 756th home run. In my view, catching a baseball is not a taxable event pursuant to section 1001 of the Internal Revenue Code.

“Income” includes accessions to wealth, CLEARLY REALIZED, over which the taxpayer has dominion and control. Glenshaw Glass v. Commissioner. Section 61 of the IRC requires taxpayers to include in their gross income “income from whatever source derived.” In section 61, Congress provides a list of types of income, but also declares that the list is not exhaustive. Fortunately for Mr. Murphy, Congress specifically contemplates his situation, “gains derived from dealings in property.” Unfortunately for the IRS, gains derived from dealings in property are determined pursuant to section 1001, which states that “the gain from the sale or other disposition of property shall be the excess of the amount realized therefrom over the adjusted basis.”

When Mr. Murphy caught the baseball, he had not experienced a taxable event, he merely established his ‘basis’ in the property such that if he eventually disposed of it his tax liability would be based on how much he got over what he spent to get it. His basis in the ball is either zero (likely), or the price of his ticket (unlikely). When, and only when, he disposes of the ball does section 61 require him to report his “gains from dealing” with this property. Until then, his dealings with the property have only begun. He may have wealth in a theoretical sense, but no actual wealth has been realized.

The Supreme Court has held that found money constitutes income, even though finding things is not specifically listed as an income generating activity. Cesarini v. U.S. In the Cesarini case, a taxpayer found $5,000 hiding in a piano they purchased. The court held that treasure trove is includable in gross income. But Cesarini is distinguishable because in Cesarini the taxpayer found money where Mr. Murphy ‘found’ property. Had Mr. Murphy caught $5,000 in cash, he would be taxed presently with no argument. However, Mr. Murphy’s wealth is theoretical, not real. To the extent Cesarini is the basis for taxing Mr. Murphy, it is being abused by the IRS.

The realization requirement with respect to property cannot be overstated. It is why the IRS cannot tax you on the present value of your stock portfolio. Yes, you have wealth, wealth you can even put to use by using it as collateral for loans. Still, the IRS cannot tax you until you realize it, until you dispose of that property for something else (cash or other property or services rendered). Regardless how much we “know” about the ball’s value, it is not taxable until that value is realized by the taxpayer.

Another counter-argument the IRS may use is that the receipt of property for free has been taxed with less controversy. Remember the small furor over taxing entertainers on the value of so-called ‘goodie bags’ they received when participating on award shows like the Oscars. Another close analogy is taxation on the present value of stock options. These situations are also distinguishable, in that Congress specifically deals with them in section 61 under “compensation for services, including fees, commissions, fringe benefits, and similar items.” Mr. Murphy is not receiving any form of compensation. Thus, these situations are irrelevant.

Mr. Murphy is not living the good life off of profits earned while leaving the rest of us to pick up the tab for our massive federal government. He caught a ball that will likely have value when he disposes of it (provided he makes sure the dog doesn’t get to it). But the IRS must wait until he disposes of it, until he actually gains something from dealing with it, before they can tax him on it. Otherwise, if you discover an oil well or diamond mine, the IRS can tax you on its value before you ever attempt to extract a drop. Until cash is derived, an oil well is just a hole in the ground and Barry’s 756th is merely a tightly wound ball of string with a small dent in it.

ATLETICO DE MADRID TRANSFER NEWS

ATLETICO DE MADRID is in conversing with FC BARCELONAto see the possibility of the transfer of Mexican International &defender RAFAEL MARQUEZ.The Real Madrid game saw an uneasy Pablo in defence & Atletico seeMarquez as a more solid defender with the ability to play the ball out ofdefence. Coach Aguirre believes Marquez can add authority & tap theholes shown in last Saturday´s game.At.Madrid is

Fantasy Football Draft Tips

I've covered all of my rankings for fantasy football, so I suppose that I should complete my fantasy football talk with some tips that I try to follow during the draft. So here they are, arbitrarily numbered.

1. Know your league's rules - Yahoo had an article about this last week, and I agree (obviously). This is the most important thing to do before the draft. Every league is a little different, so know how many starters you have, know the scoring rules, etc. This is huge in determining how you should value players heading into the draft.

2. Prepare ahead of time - Even if this just involves picking up a fantasy football magazine, don't go into the draft cold. You should at least have a general idea (and hopefully you have a lot more) about where players are ranked, etc. Otherwise you'll wind up like someone in my league a few years ago... taking Shannon Sharpe the year after he retired.

3. Know depth charts - This ties in with #2, but you need to have an idea of who is playing, who's in a competition for the starting spot, etc. This is especially important for running backs, where so many guys are in a close competition for the starting spot.

4. Don't take a kicker until the last round - This is actually a rule I violated in one of my leagues this year, but there is really no reason to take a kicker in round 1. Even if you do get lucky and pick the highest-scoring kicker, the difference between him and a waiver wire kicker on a week-to-week basis is minimal. Grab some extra RB or WR depth in the middle rounds rather than taking a kicker. Is the difference between Robbie Gould and someone like Josh Brown really that significant?

5. Don't draft a backup kicker or backup defense - Again, this kind of ties in with #2, but there really is not a good reason to draft a kicker or defense, especially if you have an elite defense. You may as well hang on to some other guys, and then add a kicker or defense when your starter has their bye week. Otherwise it's just basically a waste of a roster spot.

6. Don't be a homer - Before the 2005 season I drafted Daunte Culpepper very early in one of my drafts. I figured he was going to have another big year, and I would get the added bonus of cheering for him in real life. As it turned out, he sucked a lot, got injured, and both my real favorite team and my fantasy team suffered greatly. It's fine to take a player or two from your favorite team, but don't reach for it and be a homer, or you'll probably regret it.

7. Don't invest too heavily in rookies - I know guys that just love to draft a lot of rookies in fantasy football. I tend to love playing against these guys. Yes, there is the occasional Anquan Boldin or Michael Clayton, but most rookies simply aren't that productive. The one exception seems to be rookies, but I'd still rather have an established guy there than a rookie. This is more risky than online gambling.

8. Pull the trigger on a late-round sleeper - If it's later in the draft, and there's a sleeper you really like, don't be afraid to pull the trigger on him even if it might be a little early. One, if it's late in the draft it won't hurt you too badly if it doesn't pan out. Two, there's nothing worse than someone taking your sleeper right before you and then seeing them have a big year. Don't get too out of hand, but if there's a guy you really like and you think there's a chance he might not be there at your next pick, don't be afraid to pull the trigger.

9. Don't pay too much attention to bye weeks - Certainly looking at bye weeks has its place in fantasy football... for example, you don't want your backup QB to have the same bye week as your starter, but beyond situations like that you shouldn't worry too much. Don't choose someone early that you don't like as much just because of bye weeks. The goal is to have the best team come playoff time... if your top 2 RBs both have byes in week 5, that sucks, but it shouldn't prevent you from taking them both.

10. Have fun and use the league message board - Maybe my favorite thing about fantasy football is that not only is it OK to be blindly insulting on the league message baord, it's ENCOURAGED. So use it early and often... bash others teams, trash talk, etc. And if someone is doing the same to you, pay no attention to it... that's part of the fun of fantasy football.

Any other tips?

The Best and Worst of Organized Children's Sports

Each year, the final week of August reminds us about the best and the worst that organized children's sports has to offer.

Yesterday afternoon, at the finals of the Little League World Series, grace and innocence was personified by 12-year old Dalton Carriker, who hit his opposite field, game-winning home run to help his team from Georgia to defeat a group of boys from Tokyo, Japan. When interviewed after the game, Carriker gave the kind of quote that only a teenage boy could give after one of the greatest moments of his life. Unabashedly he admitted, "[m]y adrenaline was about to go crazy ... My legs were about to fall off. I really thought I was flying, like Peter Pan."

It is the pure bliss of being part of a team that makes playing sports so sacred. Just helping children to reproduce those Peter Pan-like moments is what made me want to spend my college summers working at a sports camp and then my adult years working in the sports industry. It is moments like this year's Little League World Series that makes me generally thankful for adult involvement in children's sports.

Sadly, however, not every child gets to feel like Peter Pan. Not only does today mark the end of an exciting Little League World Series, but it also marks the four year anniversary of a high-school sports travesty in my hometown, Merrick/Bellmore, NY. On this day four years ago, a local football coach at Mepham High School took his team on a week-long trip, during which time he failed to impose proper supervision. During the trip, three of the older players tied freshmen (ages 13 and 14) to the ground and merciless rammed golf balls, pine cones, and broomsticks into their rectums. The freshmen's cries for help went unanswered by the team's coaching staff.

I do not know where the survivors of the Mepham High School attack are today. Presumably, they are now freshmen in college, and hopefully they are doing well. Due to callous school leadership, these survivors unfairly had the Peter Pan-like feeling that all children deserve ripped from their very core. Whereas children like Dalton Carriker will always associate sports with pride and accomplishment, society's hazing survivors may view sports as a source of terrible pain.

Over the years, I have written extensively about how to prevent hazing in high school sports. My first article on the topic appeared just months after the Mepham hazing incident, in Pace Law Review. It was a very important piece to me, given my closeness to that situation, having graduated from a school in that same district.

As I performed my research, I learned that hazing rarely occurs as an isolated incident, but rather as part of a pattern of abuse, and that coaches of teams with hazing are often just as culpable as the perpetrators. It made me come to terms with a lot of what I had seen at my own high school. Hazing is a viscous cycle, and if someone wants the joy of working with kids, that person needs to take the responsibility to break the hazing cycle, not exacerbate it.

Today, while we are still all feeling giddy from yesterday's Little League World Series, I hope that we can take a moment to make sure the children around us have a safe, protective environment where they can grow up loving sport. Not every kid can hit a game-winning home run in front of a big crowd like Dalton Carriker, but every kid can at least get to play the game free from the fear of physical and mental abuse.

Interesting New Paper on Sports Agent Ethics

Melissa Neiman, a lawyer and a doctor, has posted an interesting new paper on ethical issues for attorneys serving as sports agents, Fair Game: Ethical Considerations in Negotiation by Sports Agents. You can download the paper free of charge from this site. The paper does a particularly good job of exploring the application of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct to ethical issues a sports agent-lawyer is likely to face. Here's an abstract of the paper:

Over the past several decades the sports agent has emerged as an increasingly important figure in the negotiation of contracts for professional athletes. Although agents may have varying backgrounds, attorneys now comprise more than 50% of all agents representing professional athletes. This paper will focus on the attorney as sports agent. The agent is subject to regulation by the federal government, some state governments and the players associations. In discussing the role of the players associations the National Football League Players Association (“NFLPA”) will be focused on for exemplary purposes although other associations will be mentioned.

The agent is also bound by the Model Rules of Professional Conduct (“MRPC”) which include regulations regarding conflicts of interest and fees. Concurrent conflicts of interest may occur when an agent represents several athletes on one team or simultaneously represents athletes as well as coaches or management personnel. These conflicts are magnified in leagues in which an overall team salary cap exists. Careful examination of these conflicts and application of the MRPC clearly shows that the conflicts are unlikely to be resolved even with the athlete's express informed consent.

There are also ethical considerations regarding agents' fees, particularly when they are based on a percentage of the value of the contract negotiated by the agent. Arguably, these fees are not reasonable under the MRPC. Uniform rules should be established by players associations to identify conflicts of interest and prevent their occurrence. With regulations in place, ethical concerns in the negotiation process will be reduced so that the athletes' interests are more exclusively served by the agent.

VALLENCIA CF & ATLETICO DE MADRID TRANSFER NEWS

VALENCIA CF has signned 21 year old Portugues & BENFICA midfielder MANUEL FERNANDES for 18M€. They hope theyoungster can inject new ideas & strenght in the center field.ATLETICO DE MADRID French midfielder PETER LUCCIN isnegotiating with Premier League club BIRMINGHAM CITY, &may leave Madrid in the next 24 hours. Since the arrival of the newplayers ( Garcia, Santana...etc) his place has been

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS OF VALENCIA CF 0 - VILLAREAL 3; DEPORTIVO 0 - ALMERIA 3 & GOAL OF THE ROUND BY OLIVEIRA (2007)

(Valencia 0 - Villareal 3 (Tomassen;Rossi;Carozla)Deportivo 0 - Almeria 3 (Negredo;Soriano;Crusat)(Goal of the Round - Ricardo Oliveira - Real Zaragoza)

Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers and Defenses

I'm not even going to try and justify these rankings because, well, they're harder to write about. But in the interest of being complete, here are my rankings for Defense and Kickers.

Defense
1. Chicago Bears
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. New England Patriots
4. San Diego Chargers
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
6. Denver Broncos
7. Miami Dolphins
8. Dallas Cowboys
9. Minnesota Vikings
10. Pittsburgh Steelers
11. Philadelphia Eagles
12. Carolina Panthers
13. Seattle Seahawks
14. Green Bay Packers
15. Buffalo Bills

Kickers
1. Adam Vinatieri
2. Jeff Wilkins
3. Nate Kaeding
4. Shayne Graham
5. Robbie Gould
6. Neil Rackers
7. Josh Brown
8. Jason Elam
9. Matt Stover
10. Josh Scobee
11. David Akers
12. John Kasay
13. Jason Hanson
14. Olindo Mare
15. Stephen Gostowski

Anything you would change on here?

SPANISH FOOTBALL - LA LIGA - ROUND 1/ 2007 RESULTS

Today the rest of the remaining Round 1 games of "La Liga" havefinished being played & have given some surprising results, although itsobvious that the mayority of teams still need matches to get into form.RACING OF SANTANDER received at home FC BARCELONA withmuch expectation to see all the new Barça stars. The fielding of the "4Fantasticos" ( Henry, Messi, Eto´o & Ronaldinho) did not happen from

Media Matters

Lots of media entities calling on the phone this week, thanks largely to my work here.

Last week, I appeared on Legal Talk Network's Lawyer 2 Lawyer, discussing the legal issues facing Major League Baseball, including steroids, the Barry Bonds home run ball, and Bonds' threatened defamation lawsuit. I was the guest along with Professor Paul Finkelman of Albany Law School, who was co-editor of Baseball and the American Legal Mind, the best book yet about baseball and the law. It was a fun discussion. You can listen to the show by clicking on the Lawyer 2 Lawyer link above.

Also, I am quoted in this week's issue of Sports Illustrated (current partial-employer of my co-blogger), in the "SI Players" section. The piece is called "See You in Court," with blurbs discussing Kia Vaughn's suit against Imus, Bonds's potential suit against Curt Schilling and/or many other people, and Jonathan Lee Riches's lawsuits against various sports figures and memorabilia. No on-line link, but the issue is on newsstands now (see p. 28).

FORMULA 1. ALONSO 3º IN THE TURKISH GP 2007

Spanish F1 World Champ FERNANDO ALONSO finished in 3º place& cut L. Hamiltons World Championship lead by 2 points, thelatter finished 5th after suffering a tyre blowout with 16 laps to go.The winner of the TURKISH GP was F. MASSA with a superb race,followed by teammate Raikkonen were the Ferrari´s showed thatthey have the edge at this moment over all the other rivalsFinal race placings:1. F.Massa

REAL MADRID 2 - ATLETICO DE MADRID 1 & PABLO - GETAFE - FREE KICK VIDEOS ( 2007)

By popular demand here are the Real Madrid - Atletico deMadrid VIDEO, & the VIDEO of the 1º & only goal by Pablofor Getafe in their 4-1 loss against Sevilla FC. The free kickis a real beauty of a goal!Real Madrid2 (Raul, Sneijder) Atletico Madrid 1(Aguero) Sevilla v Getafe - Pablo Hernandez Free Kick

SPANISH FOOTBALL - LA LIGA - ROUND 1/2007 SATURDAY RESULTS

The Spanish 1º Division for 2007/08 got underway with the REALMADRID - ATLETICO DE MADRID derby, were Real received the"La Liga" Champions Cup for winning last season.Things started brilliantly for Atletico with a goal in the 1º min with aheader by Argentine AGUERO. Real Madrid looked nervious,but slowlybegan to get its play together & found its touch.So much so, that RAUL scored an excellent

Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends

Since I have looked at the Quarterbacks, Running Backs, and Wide Receivers, I suppose it is time to rank the Tight Ends.

1. Antonio Gates - This is pretty clear-cut. Gates is the best TE right now, and it's not even close. He's got all the physical ability, and he's the #1 target in the San Diego passing game. He should have another very good year.

2. Tony Gonzalez - No longer is Gonzalez a threat as the #1 TE, as his days as a top 2 TE might be ending. He still put up solid numbers last year, but the Kansas City offense figures to be a lot worse this year. The O-Line is older and lost some people, and it looks like Brodie Croyle will be their starting QB. That's not really a great combination.

3. Todd Heap - Heap had another solid year for Baltimore and should just be entering his prime. Steve McNair is getting older but got the job done last year, and Heap should again be one of his main targets.

4. Jeremy Shockey - Shockey's yardage numbers went down a little bit last year, but the TD numbers remained strong, with 7. With Tiki Barber gone, I think it's conceivable that the Giants put a little more on Eli Manning's shoulders this year, which would make Shockey one of the beneficiaries of that.

5. Alge Crumpler - For the first time in a long time, Crumpler will be starting the year without QB Mike Vick, who is having some issues of his own. I'm not a big fan of Joey Harrington, but I think he'll be able to find a big target in Crumpler, who's more athletic than he looks.

6. Kellen Winslow - The uncertainty of the Browns QB situation is a little worrisome, but you have to love his athleticism and talent. In his first year of being fully healthy he had 89 receptions for almost 900 yards... if he can just a few more TDs he can become a top 3 fantasy TE.

7. Vernon Davis - A lot of this is just basing off of potential, but he certainly has a lot of it. He is one of the most gifted players athletically in the NFL, and should be better with a little more experience with Alex Smith. He finished last year strong, and though there might be some inconsistencies, he's worth a flier given his talent.

8. Chris Cooley - Cooley is definitely not the most athletic guy, but he gets the job done in the red zone. He has 19 TD catches over the last 3 years, which is pretty good for a TE. With 734 yards and 6 TDs last year, he was a top 5 TE in 2006.

9. Jason Witten - Witten has had a nice run, though for some reason (maybe the addition of Owens) he only had 1 TD last year after scoring 6 in each of the 2 previous seasons. But he should continue to see the ball a lot in this offense, and if he can get into the endzone a few more time he could be a top 5 TE.

10. LJ Smith - Yardage wise, Smith struggled a bit after Donovan McNabb went down with an injury. But luckily for him and the Eagles, McNabb is back and has looked very good this season. Smith should once again be a solid fantasy option at TE.

11. Ben Watson
12. Randy McMichael
13. Owen Daniels
14. Dallas Clark
15. Eric Johnson

What are your thoughts?

Is the "Ricky Williams Rule" about to be Sacked?

Since the NFL announced its suspension of Michael Vick, many of my esteemed colleagues have presumed that Vick will also get banned from the Canadian Football League ("CFL") based on the "Ricky Williams Rule," which prevents any player suspended by the NFL from entering the CFL. Michael McCann even touches upon this point in his wonderful first column in Sports Illustrated.

I am not sure, however, whether the Ricky Williams Rule is even legal. Isn't it true that an agreement amongst all of the teams in a pro sports league to boycott a class of players would indicate a prima facie case of an antitrust violation? Isn't it also the case that the CFL has market power in the labor market for players banned by the NFL (presuming that issue is even relevant) because NFL teams are not part of the viable market for such players' services?

For purposes of background, the Sherman Act states, "every contract, combination ... or conspiracy, in the restraint of trade or commerce ... is declared to be illegal." Applying the Sherman Act, American courts on three different occasions have found agreements amongst professional sports teams that boycott a certain class of players to be illegal. For example, in the case Denver Rockets v. All-Pro Management Inc., 323 F.Supp. 1049 (C.D. Cal. 1971), a court struck down then-NBA commissioner Walter Kennedy's rule that banned all players from the NBA that were less than four years removed from high school. This was the ruling that ultimately allowed Spencer Haywood to enter the NBA at a more junior age.

Indeed, the more recent case Clarett v. Nat'l Football League, 369 F.3d 124 (2d. Cir. 2004) potentially limits the holding of cases like Denver Rockets to only situations where the agreement to exclude a class of players is reached outside of the collective bargaining process. However, for purposes of analyzing the "Ricky Williams Rule," which presumably was unilaterally implemented by the CFL, the Second Circuit's limitation in Clarett is entirely irrelevant.

With that said, under antitrust law, there are less restrictive alternatives for the CFL to prevent the entry of troublesome players, such as for the CFL to review the candidacy of each prospective player on a case-by-case basis. A case-by-case review of players banned by the NFL would make more sense given that the CFL has already "grandfathered" players that are currently playing in the CFL but previously banned from the NFL. In a statement that may prove especially damning to the CFL, the CFL in November of 2006 stated that "one of the reasons for the ban is to maintain a good relationship with the NFL."

Indeed, the biggest challenge to bringing a suit against the CFL may involve proving U.S.-based anti-competitive effects given that much of this allegedly anti-competitive conduct occurred outside of the United States. However, given that most of the football players that would be banned from the CFL under this rule live in the United States, as well as that some of the CFL fans reside in the United States, and that CFL games are broadcast into the American market through Dish Network, DirecTV and America One, these concerns should not prevent a bona fide antitrust challenge against the Ricky Williams Rule in United States federal courts.

Slovakian sport newspapers

Slovakian newspapers have more than 50 years of history, a history that is related to the communist country of Czechoslovakia. Slovakian sport newspapers write mainly about winter sports like skiing, ski jumping and snow boarding but also team sports like football and basketball. The most famous football teams are MSK Zilina, Slovan Bratislava and Artmedia Bratislava.

Pravda: http://sport.pravda.sk/sk_sport.asp

SME: http://www.sme.sk/rubrika-20070825-print_sport.html

UJ SZO: http://www.ujszo.com/rubrika.asp?vyd=20070825&rub=print_sport

Novy Cas: http://www.bleskovky.sk/se/6/Sport/

Hospodarske noviny: http://sport.hnonline.sk/200-k04000-0b

SPAIN 1 - ARGENTINA 1. U/17 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

The current European Champions SPAIN have finished on top oftheir Group C after drawing 1-1 with ARGENTINA at the U/17World Championships being held at South Korea.Argentina scored first via Benitez in the 32nd min & Spain came back todraw with a header from Aquino in the 68th min. Spain now awaits to knowits next rival ( the best 3rd placed team) for its next game.SPAIN: De Gea; Alex, Rochela,

SPANISH LEAGUE - "LA LIGA" - KICKS OFF TODAY WITH CLASSIC DERBY

"LA LIGA" 2007/08 kicks of today with the classic REAL MADRID- ATLETICO DE MADRID derby at 20.00 Sp. time.Plenty of new faces in both teams that will face a sold out "SantiagoBernabeu.Atletico come in "stronger" in form but as with all "derbys" anythingcould happen, & mostly likely will happen. The entertainment will be assured, & you can pop into SFS late tonight to read all the details.Possible

REAL MADRID NEWS. BELIEVE IT OR NOT

Sp. daily "Marca" put out this front cover today..."Madrid go afterAlves". The Sevilla President asks for 42M€ & Real Madrid offer36M€ ( plus a player to reduce the price.)Its the only national paper carrying the story. Believe it or not!

My First SI.com Column: Michael Vick's Plea Deal and Its Legal and Career Ramifications

Last week I was hired by Sports Illustrated.com (SI.com) as a columnist. My column, which will appear once a month, is entitled "Sports and the Law." I will also be involved with other SI stories relating to sports law.

As someone who has read Sports Illustrated every week since I was a kid, I'm genuinely honored and thrilled to have this opportunity. I will still be blogging regularly on Sports Law Blog and the Situationist.

My first SI.com piece is now up, and it concerns the legal and career ramifications of Michael Vick's plea deal, which was filed today. I hope you have a chance to read it.

SPANISH FOOTBALL - SEASON KICKS OFF THIS WEEKEND - SEE FIXTURE

The Spanish 1º Division - "La Liga 2007/2008" - kicks off thisweekend with games both Saturday & Sunday. The highlight isthe DERBY between Real Madrid & Atletico de Madrid thisSaturday, where the latter comes in stronger than their eternalrival, although this is a derby & anything can happen betweenthese two clubs.Here is the 1º Round ( 2007/2008) fixture:Real Madrid - Atletico de Madrid ( Sat.)

Economics of Steroid Use

Interesting commentary on the economics of banning steroids as opposed to permitting anything-goes doping and steroid use in sports. I previously pondered the question (although not from an economic perspective) of why steroids should be banned, and got some very thoughtful comments, here.

Dave Hoffman at Concurring Opinions looks for an economic justification. He concludes, tentatively, that the social ills (particularly fan dissatisfaction) associated with steroids and doping are connected to monitoring for performance-enhancing drugs, not the use of drugs themselves. That is, if the leagues were not monitoring and exposing drug use, but allowing all the players to do what they could to play better, fans actually would be happier (assuming the drug-enhanced players were on their teams) by the benefits of improved performance. The costs of steroid use disappear if we do not know what the players are doing and only that they are improving on the field. The lone remaining cost is to player health, but Hoffman discounts that because players can control whether and how they choose to play along.

Dave then calls on his readers to make the economic case for or against anything-goes.

Randy Picker of the University of Chicago Faculty Blog makes the case against. Picker argues that the competitive advantage of doping disappears if everyone is doping. Competitive success is relative rather than absolute, thus the game looks exactly the same, competition-wise, if everyone is using enhancers. Except now we get the same level of competitive play combined with the potential and real physical harms associated with steroid use. So anything-goes yields 1) a no-better (in terms of competition) game and 2) worse-off players. That, he says, is an inefficient economic trade-off.

I agree with Picker's point as to relative competition and it is the first time I have seen the point made.

But is there an aspect of absolute competition, for which # 1 above may not be true? Is "the game" played by equally competitive drug users "better" than the game played by equally competitive non-users? An equal game played by "clean" players yields 61 homers as a season record, 755 homers as a career record, and 383 strikeouts as a season record. An equal game of enhanced players might yield 80 homers in a season, 800 in a career, and, say, 450 strikeouts in a season. The players are on a level playing field, but the level is higher than without steroids because the quality of the "human equipment" is better. To the extent we hold numerical records dear, this is another argument against anything-goes (the records are "tainted"). To the extent we want an overall better game (as indicated by numerical records and overall achievements beyond wins and losses) and steroids gives us that, might it then overcome the health trade-off?

REAL MADRID NEWS: HEINZE-ROBBEN OFFICIALLY PRESENTED

Here´s the picture readers. Its totally official & real, specially in thecase of ARJAN ROBBEN, who along with GABRIEL HEINZE wereofficially presented to media & fans as new players of REAL MADRIDWith these two new signnings Real Madrid becomes the biggest spenderin the World Football market for the 2007/2008 season with an out pourof 124M€ in transfer fees:Robben - 36M€Pepe - 30M€Sneijder - 27M€

Fantasy Meets Reality (Part II)

Back in January, Professor McCann wrote a blog entry about Sports Judge -- my small business that uses legal principles to resolve fantasy sports disputes. Professor McCann's blog-entry was so widely read that several other publications picked up his story. In fact, in the August 27 edition of ESPN the Magazine, author Paul Kix wrote a six page piece called "Truth, Justice and the Fantasy Way," in which Kix discussed the emerging world of fantasy dispute resolution. Playing off Sports Judge's strict interpretation of fantasy league constitutions, Kix even wrote that "[i]f Antonin Scalia played fantasy, he'd take his disputes [to Sports Judge]."

Since SportsJudge.com launched, so much has changed in terms of fantasy sports. Initially, my goal was to standardize fantasy rules. However, in just a short period of time, I found that owners do not want their rules standardized. In fact, often as new default rules emerge, fantasy sports owners revise their constitutions to "opt out" of them.

To provide one such example, shortly after Sports Judge published the case Big Red Rockers v. The Big City Bombers, which states "the standard of review [of a trade] is simply whether the trade adequately benefits both teams," several fantasy leagues changed their constitutions to avoid this default rule. One fantasy league added to their constitution that "as neutral arbitrator, SportsJudge.com shall approve all trades absent evidence of collusion or bad faith." Another league changed its constitution to state "[t]he arbitrator should lean towards rejecting any trade that he feels may possibly be inequitable."

In many ways, one should not be surprised by this development, as businesspeople act in a similar manner when they draft contracts that include out-of-state choice-of-law provisions or liability caps.

According to Kix, one day people will "look back at our mad roto world and laugh." I think Kix is right, but maybe not for the reasons that he thinks. To me the funniest part about the emergence of a complex fantasy universe is not that universe is both complex and make-believe (as ESPN points out), but rather that what was once just fantasy has actually morphed into something real. Now, as to whether or not that is a good thing, I will reserve judgment.

CRAZY 24 HOURS OF TRANSFER SIGNNINGS IN SPANISH FOOTBALL ...ROBBEN, CICINHO, BELLETTI...

What a crazy 24 hours Spanish Football has experienced, go to bedcomfortably & wake up with 3 transfer moves, & not just any moves.Started yesterday with the surprise announcement that REAL MADRIDhas signned Man Utd. player Gabriel Heinze, & this morning we getconfirmation that the following deal have been shut:(1) ARJEN ROBBEN: REAL MADRID & CHELSEA FC have shut thetransfer of the 23 year old

Rangers score 30 runs

By now I'm sure you know that the Texas Rangers just barely hung on to beat the Orioles in the first game of a double-header by the score of 30-3. But here was some of the things that I found most interesting about the game:

- Despite scoring 30 runs, the Rangers only scored in 4 different innings. For five separate innings they were held scoreless.

- The Orioles actually had a 3-0 lead, which means the Rangers scored 30 unanswered runs.

- The Rangers #8 and #9 hitters (Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ramon Vazquez): 8/12, 2 BB, 4 HR, 9 R, 14 RBI. That's called getting production out of the bottom of the lineup.

- Every Rangers started had at least 2 hits. The one guy for the Rangers that came in off of the bench (Travis Metcalf) hit a grand slam.

- The Rangers had 6 HR, but only 2 doubles.

- Wes Littleton of the Rangers, by virtue of pitching the final 3 innings, recorded a save. In a 30-3 game. That is awesome.

Other than the enormity of the runs by the Rangers, what did you find most interesting about the game?

Thoughts on Michael Vick, Ruben Patterson, and Lawrence Pedowitz

Some thoughts on new developments concerning Michael Vick, Ruben Patterson, and the NBA's hiring of Lawrence Pedowitz:

Michael Vick

On ABC News, Russell Goldman examines Michael Vick's future in his extensive piece, "In The Dog House: Will Michael Vick Ever Play Again?" In addition to UMass sports management Professor Stephen Jefferson and public relations guru Alan Caruba, I was interviewed for Goldman's story (related aside: I was interviewed on MVN's Outsider Radio to discuss Vick, thanks to Brandon Rosage for having me on). I emphasized that Vick's best approach from this point on is to appear apologetic and contrite, rather than defensive and argumentative. Granted, for reasons that we've discussed on this blog, I believe that circumstances and persons around Vick have contributed to his bad decision-making, but I recognize that many people don't like dispersing blame like I do, and thus Vick needs to tailor his message to the audience. Here are some of my comments from the story:

Mississippi's McCann agreed that it was best to be contrite rather than try to offer justifications.

"Strategically it's best to be apologetic. Most people will not find the circumstantial reasons compelling. It's a hard argument to make to engender empathy and has the risk of backfiring."

After Vick gets out of prison, he will likely be 28- or 29-years-old, and will then face a lengthy suspension from the NFL. What should he do while suspended by the NFL? Unfortunately for Vick, playing in the Canadian Football League won't be an option. Rick Matsumoto of the Toronto Star reports on what might be called the Ricky Williams Rule: "Criticism over last year's signing by the Argonauts of running back Ricky Williams, who was under suspension by the NFL for drug use, led the league's board of governors to pass a bylaw that prohibits an NFL player who is currently under contract or is serving a suspension from signing a CFL contract."

Ruben Patterson

There is no question that 32-year-old Ruben Patterson is a good, maybe very good, NBA player. Last season, he averaged 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in 31 minutes a game for the Milwaukee Bucks. Even better, he shot 55% from the field, which is outstanding for a 6-5 guard/forward, particularly one who is also known for his excellent defense on some of the NBA's top scorers. And he's now a free agent. You might think there would be serious interest in the swing man, but his phone hasn't been ringing off the hook.

Why not?

It's not entirely clear. One reason may be that he recently turned 32, but he's still likely young enough to have at least a couple of more good seasons--and it's not like there are many guys, of any age, in the NBA who can neutralize the other team's starting 2 guard and also shoot 55% from the field.

A more explanatory reason may be that Patterson is a registered sex offender, and he must register himself as a sex offender in any state he lives, in accordance with his guilty plea stemming from an attempted rape of his child's then 24-year-old nanny in 2000. Patterson avoided prison time through the plea. Since then, as noted above, he has had a solid NBA career, with last season being his best yet. But I could see some teams weary of signing a player with that background and condition. Patterson, however, would like to play for the potentially championship-bound Boston Celtics, and Celtics fans are now debating the wisdom of signing him (check out heated debates on Celtics Blog and Real GM).

It's interesting to consider Patterson in the context of Michael Vick, as some fans seem willing to forgive a player's mistakes, while others believe that certain crimes are so egregious that no amount of time should lessen them. That legal debate is certainly not confined to sports, but it's interesting when it comes up in this setting, and will likely come up again when Vick returns to football.

8/24/07 Update on Patterson: Check out these comments by Jeff Clark on Celtics Blog. Jeff examines the different free agent and trade options for the Celtics in light of 42-year-old Reggie Miller saying "no thanks" to a comeback. Also check these comments by Darren Heitner on I Want to Be a Sports Agent. Darren examines Patterson's situation in the broader context of character in sports.

NBA Hires Lawrence Pedowitz

Henry Abbott on True Hoop explores the merits and drawbacks of the NBA hiring someone to conduct an internal review relating to gambling and NBA officials. The NBA has retained Lawrence B. Pedowitz, a former Chief of the Criminal Division in the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and current partner at law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, to review of league rules, policies, and procedures relating to gambling and its officiating program. I agree with Henry that Pedowitz is well-regarded and highly-qualified to conduct a review, and also agree that Pedowitz working directly for the NBA might influence or perhaps limit how he conducts the investigation.

Michael Vick and The Influence of Adult Heroes

Professor James Sonne of Ave Maria School of Law has an excellent op-ed in today's Detroit News on what Michael Vick's litigation teaches us about role models and how role models influence the behavior of not only children, but of adults like ourselves. Here is an excerpt from Jim's piece:

There is a hero crisis in America, and Monday's guilty plea announcement by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick for his alleged dog-fighting shenanigans is but the latest example.

Sure, culture experts and parents have been grappling with a seeming decline in role models for years. And yet, one key aspect of the crisis has been ignored. Someone please tell Mr. Vick and his colleagues, grown-ups need heroes, too.

From Barry Bonds' dubious home run kingship to guilty pleas by basketball referee Tim Donaghy in connection with a gambling ring, and now Vick, few would dispute that this summer has been tough for sports. Although many have been harmed, much of the outrage has focused -- as it has in the steroid saga -- on "protecting the children." Unfortunately, the kids are not the only ones in need of protection.

There is no doubt adults have a solemn duty not to lead "the little ones astray." And yet, what happens when they (we) grow up? Do we cease to be subjected to bad influences?

One need only consider common phrases used in response to acts by our world's "grown-ups" to see the point. "She was a consenting adult." "All he did was lie." "That music's just not for kids." Even our language is distorted by messages like "mature audiences only," which often raise more questions than they answer.

The retort is that, unlike children, adults can choose for themselves what is appropriate. In light of moral theories in vogue from college classrooms to the Supreme Court, this has some support. But is such relativism the stuff of which heroes are made?

Much of the inattentiveness to the effect of bad adult behavior on other adults can be seen in a misunderstanding of scandal. In modern usage, the word describes a wrongful or salacious act that places the relevant actors in a bad light. When such events involve higher-profile people, this bad light is then beamed by our media to millions in an effort to shock, disgust and entertain.

The classical understanding is quite different. The Greek word skandalon was used to suggest a "stumbling block," while according to Thomas Aquinas, scandal is "something less rightly done or said, that occasions another's spiritual downfall." In other words, though the light cast on athletes, entertainers or politicians is a factor, the core problem is the impact on others, and in its effect there is no maximum age.

The opposite of scandal is heroism. It is the stuff of legends, champions and saints. As Harvard professor Harvey Mansfield notes in his provocative book "Manliness," there may be dispute as to who heroes are and what makes one a hero. But, in the end, there is no mistaking the differential impact on our culture of qualities like virtue over vice, courage over cowardice, humility over pride. If you doubt this, ask your kids.

For the rest of this great piece, which also ran in the Naple Daily News, click here. We look forward to Jim guest blogging in the future.

GREECE 2 - SPAIN 3 INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY GAME

The Greeks finally got their act together & managed to "fix" theturf so the International game between GREECE & SPAIN couldfinally go ahead.The result was a Spanish victory 2-3 over a good Greek side thatrelaxed a lot in the 2ºhalf with 5 substitutes, which allowed theSpaniards to become stronger, & thanks to the inclusion of Iniesta &Cesc at the end.And this is SFS point, the Greek team ran a

REAL MADRID ANNOUNCE OFFICIALLY THE SIGNNING OF HEINZE

Sp. paper "Marca" got in right & the exclusive. REAL MADRID hasannounced via its Web that it has signed 29 year old ArgentineInternational & MANCHESTER UNITED left -back GABRIELHEINZEThe operation has cost Real 12,5M€ & the player signs for 4 seasons.Real can now fill the left back position left vacant by Roberto Carlos´sdeparture & allow Drenthe to play in the midfield were he is morelethal. SFS

American Acquiescence to Dog Fighting and Michael Vick

Let me begin by saying that I find dog fighting disgusting and reprehensible. Taking a fellow animal--and one with which we share a surprisingly similar genetic makeup--and training it to attack, maim, and kill other members of its species, all for the pleasure thrill of our fellow humans, seems immoral per se. That's particularly true when considering the catastrophic injuries often suffered by those dogs, some of whom are also beaten, electrocuted, drowned, hanged, or shot. Put another way, dog fighting doesn't say much for the human animal, other than that we, just like the dogs we train to maim and kill, can be a sickeningly violent and sadistic species.

But maybe I am wrong to prejudge dog fighting so harshly. After-all, as numerous articles over the last day have revealed, thousands of Americans participate in dog fighting each year, suggesting that many of my fellow Americans disagree with my outsiders' take. In fact, dogfighting is, as the Washington Post's Paul Duggan writes, a popular and longstanding American blood sport. It became a prominent betting pastime in the mid-1800s, and while many state laws subsequently banned it, those laws have often lacked serious enforcement (what a surprise). Consequently, dog fighting has remained a celebrated ritual in some rural communities and urban settings.

So if dog fighting is popular, even beloved, in some pockets of the country, with the government largely unable or unwilling to stop it, are those who grow up around it less culpable for engaging in it? Imagine, for a moment, the following: your dad and older brother are big fans of dog fighting and you grow up watching it with them, watching them genuinely love the "sport," much like you watch them genuinely love rooting for your local NFL franchise. How would that experience shape you as a person?

One strong possibility, it seems, would be for you to gradually regard dog fighting as acceptable behavior and something fun to watch--after-all, who do we look up more to than dad and big brother? And the grotesqueness of it would probably be obscured, with the dogs' injuries and fatalities rationalized away. While not normally an oracle of wisdom, New York Knicks guard Stephon Marbury alludes to this line of thought when talking about Michael Vick:

From what I hear, dog-fighting is a sport. It’s just behind closed doors and I think it’s tough that we build Michael Vick up and then we break him down. I think he’s one of the superb athletes and he’s a good human being. I think he fell into a bad situation.

So let's say, for the sake of argument, that Vick grew up watching dogfighting with family and friends, and thus has always regarded it as acceptable, even if he knew, as evidenced by his keeping his involvement largely secret, that folks like me and probably you loathe it. Would that change, in any way, how we explain his participation in dog fighting? And will our outrage toward Vick's connection to dogfighting lead us to crack down on this longstanding, hitherto unimpeded "American blood sport," or has our outrage been more motivated by Vick himself, with the dogs merely soon-to-be forgotten role players in the story? If so, what might that say about us?

U/17 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. SYRIA 1 - SPAIN 2

SPAIN played its 2º game in Group C against SYRIA & won in thelast moment 1-2.The current Europeamn Champions played well under strong rain& were unlucky to have been punished with a doubtful penalty inSyria´s favour. However, the Spanish youngsters kept their cool &scored in the last minute to take the match.Spain now leads its grupo with 6 points & are assured of the next round.Game details:

HEINZE GOES TO REAL MADRID & VALENCIA GIVES UP ON VAN DAR HAART

Sp. paper "Marca" has announced that REAL MADRID has cometo an agreement "in principal" with MANCHESTER UTD forArgentine International left-back GABRIEL HEINZE. The dealis around 12M€ & now the player must OK it , after seeing his desireto go to Liverpool frustrated by his club."Marca" go further & announce it all as a done deal & headline theplayer as a definate new signning for Real, after

PRE-VIEW TO GREECE vs SPAIN FRIENDLY - IN DANGER OF CANCELATION. MAYOR EMBARRASSMENT FOR GREEK FOOTBALL

The Spanish National Team could not train last night at the "ToumbaSalonica Staduim" ( home of PAOK) due to the terrible state of theground that the Spaniards found themselves.So terrible was the aspect of the turf that it may put tonights GREECEvs SPAIN friendly International in danger of being suspended. Not onlyis the Football not practicable, it puts players in danger of being

The Adrian Peterson Run

You already know why I think Adrian Peterson will be the NFL Rookie of the Year... but if you need more convincing, or if you just want to see the reason why Vikings' fans are so very excited about this guy, watch this video (if you haven't already):



W-O-W! Watching that gives me goosebumps.

Update on my bold predictions

As you may know, over the course of the summer I made a couple of baseball predictions that I considered bold, or at least bold at the time. I'm kind of short on time tonight, so I'll just give a quick update on them, and see if you think I'll be right or horribly wrong.

- First, in early June, I made a prediction that the Cubs would win the NL Central. At the time, they were 7 games under .500 and 6.5 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers. But still, I was confident that they would rebound and even made a bet with Joe from The Sports Flow.

Right now, they are 4 games over .500 and tied for first with the Brewers. I still feel pretty good about this, and think the Brewers will toil around the .500 mark while the Cubs will wind up with 85-90 wins.

- My other prediction was made in mid-July, and that was that the Yankees would win the AL East. At the time they were 3 games over .500 and 8 games behind the Red Sox.

Barring an amazing comeback (as I write this) against the Angels, they will finish the day 14 games above .500 but 6 games back of the Red Sox. As I kind of feared, they would be a lot better, but it would be tough to overcome a very good Red Sox team. I don't feel as good about this prediction obviously, but they still have a shot, with 6 games still remaining against the BoSox.

What are your thoughts? How many of these predictions will I get right?