Sunday, March 27, 2016

Links Worth Sharing ...

Some good reads I came across this past week that are worth passing on:
  • Interesting two-part series in the Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer on the increasingly intense demands on game officials (read: referees) and how abusive action by fans negatively impacts the ability to feed the officiating pipeline at lower levels with talented people interested in taking on this vital role.
  • We've all seen them -- heck, how could we miss them? I'm talking about those pre-game warm-up shirts worn by competitors and emblazoned with this or that apparel company's slogan of choice for the DI basketball extravaganza known as March Madness. You know, "Always Reppin'" (Nike), "Made in March" (adidas) or "Made for  More" (Under Armour). The New York Times does an interesting piece on what has become a spring hoops ritual, but the most memorable part of the story to me comes at the end courtesy of Oklahoma star Buddy Hield. He definitely knows the value of a T-shirt.

  • You could hardly watch a televised sporting event this fall without seeing an ad promoting Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS).  Think FanDuel or DraftKings.

    Now, rarely a day goes by without the latest legal development reported out through the national media -- this or that state attorney general sending legal arrows toward these two companies in particular. Just recently, DFS games were prohibited from operating in the state of New York.

    Given its longstanding prohibition against gambling -- even participation in garden-variety bracket pools -- you may be wondering about the NCAA's stance on this relatively new phenomenon of DFS, and what action, if any, the organization might be taking to prevent its penetration into intercollegiate athletics, and even why the NCAA is concerned. 

    You can find the anwers to these questions in this recent memo from NCAA president Mark Emmert to leaders in all three divisions of the association.

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