The Sport Professor Podcast

Sport History - The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

Have you ever wondered what the NCAA does with the billions of dollars they generate from the men’s basketball tournament each year? Or what led to the NCAA buying the NIT? If so, this is the podcast for you as today we deep dive the history and evolution of men’s college basketball, their postseason tournaments, and their present-day operations. So if you’re interested in learning about how college basketball postseason play has changed and grown since its inception in 1938 then just sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Sport Ethics - Performance Enhancement

Have you ever wondered when and why athletes began using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)? Or why modern day sports ban certain forms of performance enhancement (e.g., EPO and blood doing) but allow others (e.g., hypobaric chambers and altitude training)? If so, this is the podcast for you as today we continue our examination of sport ethics in tackling the issue of performance enhancement in sport. So if you are interested in the history of sport drug use or learning about the ethical questions surrounding PEDs just sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Sport Ethics - Cheating vs. Gamesmanship

Have you ever wondered what the difference between cheating and gamesmanship is in sports? Or how discussions of ethics in sports can be applied to businesses, leadership, and life in general? If so, this is the podcast for you, as today we begin to examine the intersection of sports and ethics. So if you are interested in learning what sport ethics is and about how ethical misconduct might threaten the core purpose of sport, sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Game Theory and Major League Soccer

Have you ever wondered what has kept soccer and the MLS from becoming as big as the NFL or NBA? Or why the MLS created its own shootout when it first formed in 1995? If so, this is the podcast for you as today we will again deep dive the world of game theory, only this time to explore elements of mass coordination games and the ideas of network externalities in Major League Soccer. So if you are interested in what game theory has to teach us about why soccer has struggled to gain a strong foothold with the American sports fan just sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Game Theory and Sports - Simultaneous Games

Have you ever wondered how a soccer goalie can increase their likelihood of saving a penalty kick? Or what might go into a college basketball player trying to decide whether to enter the NBA draft or return to school for another year? If so, this is the podcast for you as today we again deep dive the world of game theory, only this time to discuss simultaneous games, their application to sport, and strategies players can take to come out on top. So if you’re interested in learning what game theory has to teach us both on the playing field and behind the scenes, just sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Game Theory and Sports - An Introduction

Have you ever wondered why teams rarely give in to contract holdouts? Or how a poison pill contract might affect your favorite NBA team? If so, this is the podcast for you as today we deep dive the world of game theory and discuss sequential games, their application to sport, and strategies players can take to come out victorious. So, if you are interested in learning what game theory has to say about the Patriots trading away Jimmy G. or what it reveals about Le’Von Bell's refusal to play under the franchise tag, this podcast is for you. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

An Introduction to Sport Marketing

Have you ever wondered what makes sport marketing so different from all other forms marketing? Or been curious about the unique challenges sport marketers face? If so, this is the podcast for you as today we provide a macro view of the field and study of sport marketing. So if you are interested in learning more about how sport is different from other forms of entertainment and how that affects a marketer’s approaches to attracting fans and sponsors just sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

The History & Evolution of Bowl Games

The college football bowl system that currently supplements the College Football Playoff dates back more than 110 years to Pasadena, California. It was there in 1902 the first ever “bowl game”, was played between Michigan and Stanford. This game was played in a small 10,000 seat stadium in front of 8,000 people before television was even invented. And though it was 5 years before another bowl was played in 1907 (The Bacardi Bowl in Havanna, Cuba) and not until 1934 when we first began to see multiple bowl games consistently played every year, the first-ever postseason football game was a significant moment in college sport as it began an ever-expanding series of postseason football contests. Today, we will deep dive into these bowl games and discuss the history and evolution of the bowl system, while trying to provide insight into how we got to where we are. So if you ever wondered why we have bowl games, how they operate, and just what happens to all that money they make… this is the podcast for you… so just sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

The Future of Sport Consumption

Have you ever wondered what the next big trend in sport media will be? Or how people will watch and follow sports in the future? If so, this podcast is for you, as today we deep dive into present day trends of sport consumption to forecast what the future might hold. So if your curious about how sport organizations will deliver content in upcoming years, just sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Game Theory & the NBA

Scores for games in the NBA have increased drastically over the past 5 years rising each season from 99.88 points per game in 2014-2015 to 110.64 points per game this season.  A quick examination of the data shows this is likely due to the increase in the amount of 3s and possessions per game (up approximately 10 per game and 7 per game over last 5 seasons respectfully).  So does that mean in order to win games, teams need to find players who play at a high pace and shoot a lot of 3? Or is there more to this data? Today we will deep dive the numbers to try to find answers to these questions and more.