Municipal Sports Spending is Out of Whack

Money Matters

By

Evan Weiner

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March 29, 2017

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Municipal Sports Spending is Out of Whack — Raiders owner Mark Davis with fans as part of presentation by which the club would move from Oakland to Las Vegas. Photo: The Associated Press

Mark Davis and his Raiders partners will be taking their business to Las Vegas at some point in the future. Davis’s NFL lodge brothers gave the thumbs up to the move even though Davis does not appear to have signed a lease agreement for the proposed stadium.

There are questions that the media should be addressing including what happens to the Oakland Coliseum debt that has to be paid for the 1995 renovations that got Al Davis back into the building after a sojourn in Los Angeles. In fact, there are a bunch of NFL relocation questions that journalists should bring up. Who is paying the debt in St. Louis after Stan Kroenke fled the city in 2016 for the Los Angeles market?

Who is paying the debt on the San Diego stadium and practice facility that was once used by the Spanos family’s Chargers in San Diego? Spanos has taken his business to the Los Angeles market. Perhaps cities should get out of the sports business.

Davis wanted Major League Baseball’s Oakland A’s evicted from the Oakland Coliseum so Davis would be the only tenant as part of the stadium deal and refused to pay the 1995 debt. Did Davis bargain in good faith with Oakland officials? In 20 years or so, perhaps Davis or whomever owns the Las Vegas Raiders will decide the 2020 state of the art facility doesn’t cut it anymore and want a new facility.

Some of the $750 million stadium subsidy will be on the books but the people who structured the deal will be long gone and won’t have to answer the why do you put up the enormous handout. The people who did the debt-ridden deals in St. Louis, San Diego and Oakland are long gone.

Davis is stuck in Oakland for a couple more years. That might create significant discomfort for him and the NFL.

By Evan Weiner For The Politics Of Sports Business

This article was republished with permission from the original publisher, Evan Weiner.

US Olympic Gymnasts Testify About Alleged Sexual Abuse

Legal

By

Inside The Games

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March 29, 2017

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US Olympic Gymnasts Testify About Alleged Sexual Abuse — Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., shakes hands with Dominique Moceanu,1996 Olympic gymnastics gold medalist, before the start of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on "Protecting Young Athletes From Sexual Abuse" on Tuesday. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call

Three former members of the United States national gymnastics team have testified to a Senate Committee aimed at protecting young athletes from abuse.

Atlanta 1996 Olympic gold medalist Dominique Moceanu, Sydney 2000 bronze medalist Jamie Dantzscher and Jessica Howard, the US national rhythmic gymnastics champion from 1999 to 2001, appeared at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

It comes after allegations of sexual abuse made against Lawrence Nassar, an ex-team doctor.

“The well-being of the athletes should always come first, and to me, this is one of the most important things in sport,” Moceanu said while testifying, as reported by CBS News.

“And it was lacking in our own sport tremendously because everybody around us knew that abuses were going on, but they chose not to act because it became part of the cultural norm.

“I do believe that if we could clean this up with the mandatory reporting, I believe that will help a lot of our concerns.”

The hearing discussed a bill which could change sexual abuse guidelines in Olympic sports in the US.

Senator Dianne Feinstein is behind the bill, which calls for organizations to immediately report sex-abuse allegations to law enforcement or the appropriate authorities.

In a press conference following the hearing, Feinstein reportedly said the bill would “require amateur athletics governing bodies, like USA Gymnastics, and adults who work with young athletes, to immediately report allegations of sexual abuse to local or federal law enforcement”.

It is hoped the bill will ensure that victims can safely and easily report abuse.

“Failures to report would be a federal crime,” said Feinstein.

“It would also mandate greater oversight of member gyms and coaches.”

Steve Penny resigned as the President and chief executive of USA Gymnastics earlier this month in the face of mounting pressure at the organisation, regarding the ongoing sexual abuse scandal.

United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Board members have “reached a consensus” on how to react to the crisis, but have not revealed exactly what they proposed.

Dantzscher and Howard joined Jeanette Antolin, a Pan American Games silver medalist, in detailing alleged abuse by Nassar on the CBS 60 Minutes program broadcast on February 19.

Dantzscher filed a lawsuit against Nassar in California last September as “Jane Doe.”

Nassar remains in jail awaiting trial.

John Manly, a California attorney representing more than 40 women in a lawsuit against USA Gymnastics for failing to protect his clients, claimed that Nassar may have abused hundreds of women over more than two decades.

It is claimed the governing body did not fully report allegations of sexual misconduct made by female team members.

By Max Winters

Republished with permission from insidethegames.biz.

United States Team Won’t Boycott Women’s World Championship

Gender Issues

By

Inside The Games

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March 29, 2017

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United States Team Won’t Boycott Women’s World Championship — Meghan Duggan works out during the US Women's Olympic hockey team practice at the Belmont Hill School. Thursday, January 23, 2014. Boston Herald photo by John Wilcox.

Defending champions the United States will not boycott the upcoming Women’s World Ice Hockey Championship on home ice after they reached a last-ditch agreement with USA Hockey.

The team had threatened to refuse to participate in the event, which begins on Friday (March 31), following a dispute over wages.

However, USA Hockey and the players have confirmed in a joint statement that the situation had been resolved.

The national governing body claim the deal will provide “groundbreaking support” for the women’s team.

Along with an agreement over pay, the deal will also see more marketing, promotion and fundraising for the women’s side.

According to ESPN, their new contracts are worth an additional $2,000 per month, boosting their monthly salary to $4,000.

USA Hockey will also create a $950,000 compensation pool for the players, it has been reported.

It comes after one of the team’s main concerns was the fact the organization only paid each player $6,000 for the six-month training period prior to the Olympic Games.

USA Hockey has also agreed to award performance bonuses to the team – $20,000 for a gold medal and $15,000 for silver.

In a bid to bring gender equality to the body, the women’s side will be paid the same level of travel arrangements and insurance coverage as the men.

The women’s per diem for non-travel days at events was raised from $15 to $50.

The governing body also revealed they would establish a women’s high performance advisory group of former and current players from the US women’s national team program, along with volunteer and staff leadership.

“Our sport is the big winner today,” women’s team captain Meghan Duggan said.

“We stood up for what we thought was right and USA Hockey’s leadership listened.

“In the end, both sides came together.

“I’m proud of my teammates and can’t thank everyone who supported us enough.

“It’s time now to turn the page.

“We can’t wait to play in the World Championship later this week in front of our fans as we try and defend our gold medal.”

Concerns had been raised last week when the impasse between the two parties continued after they failed to strike a deal during 10 hours of talks on March 20.

Both USA Hockey and the players claimed progress had been made but no agreement was reached.

It forced the organization to look elsewhere in search of players in order to avoid the embarrassment of failing to field a team at their home World Championship.

However, they were rebuffed by the vast majority of the professional and and college players who they asked to step in.

“Today reflects everyone coming together and compromising in order to reach a resolution for the betterment of the sport,” USA Hockey President Jim Smith said.

“We’ll now move forward together knowing we’ll look back on this day as one of the most positive in the history of USA Hockey.”

The hosts, who have won the last three titles, are due to play Canada in the first game of the tournament at the USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth on Friday (March 31).

By Liam Morgan

Republished with permission from insidethegames.biz.

Study Shows Female Athletes Suffer ‘Significantly Higher’ Concussion Rate

Concussions

By

The Sport Intern

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March 28, 2017

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Study Shows Female Athletes Suffer ‘Significantly Higher’ Concussion Rate — U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo, right, tends to teammate Morgan Brian, who collided with Germany's Alexandra Popp during the first half of a semifinal in the Women's World Cup soccer tournament, Tuesday, June 30, 2015, in Montreal, Canada. Photo: Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP

Female athletes, in particular soccer players, suffer concussions at a “significantly higher” rate than their male counterparts, according to a study released this month by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

In matched sports, girls were 12.1 percent more likely to sustain a concussion than boys, according to the report, which tracked concussions in a sport relative to total number of injuries from 2005 to 2015 using the High School Reporting Information Online injury surveillance system. In basketball, for example, concussions accounted for only 8.8 percent of boys’ injuries, but 25.6 percent of girls’ injuries.

“The neck muscles of girls just aren’t as developed as boys are,” Wellington Hsu, one of the study’s authors and a professor of orthopedic surgery at Northwestern University, told the Washington Post. “So if girls experience an impact, it makes sense they might be affected by it more than boys if they don’t have the muscles to cushion that impact.”

Researchers from Northwestern and Wake Forest University studied data from American football, soccer, basketball, wrestling and baseball participation for boys; soccer, basketball, volleyball and softball for girls. The results showed a striking gender-based difference in the incidence of concussion. American football, a sport most typically associated with brain injury but also with a high number of total injuries due to it being a collision sport, was fourth on the concussion list as a percentage of total injuries, behind girls’ soccer, girls’ volleyball and girls’ basketball.

The study’s authors attribute that increased risk to a lack of protective equipment available for female athletes and an increased emphasis on physical play. In soccer specifically, the authors cite a potential increase in headers, and wrote: “It remains unclear why boys’ soccer players do not appear to have the same risk as girls.”

This story first appeared in the blog, The Sport Intern. The editor is Karl-Heinz Huba of Lorsch, Germany. He can be reached at [email protected]. The article is reprinted here with permission of Huba.

A Wave of Curiosity on the Wings of International Delight

Technology

By

Dr. Rodney Blackman

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March 28, 2017

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A Wave of Curiosity on the Wings of International Delight — Photo: https://downunder.iflyworld.com/

For all of you who have diverse interests, and who like to try new things – there’s this new wave of curiosity. And from the looks of it – it’s like a paradox in mid-air. It’s called Indoor Skydiving! Recreation in a pure form – done for its own sake – an autotelic experience! People of all ages, and from all around the world, are getting into indoor skydiving like it’s the new best thing! And it is! Can you believe – they even have competitions! Guess who the winners are – right – kids. Like, this is an extremely popular deal with kids. What do you need? Ok, some air. In a tunnel, that goes upward. And probably a big fan. Like, a blowing air fan…

http://gph.is/1ShibMY

I do not mean to seem flippant – this really is a revolutionary new recreation activity. Some might even call it a sport – the art of human flight in vertical wind tunnels. Apparently its this unique combination of aerobatics, and dance, Or, if you always wanted to just fly – here’s your chance….

Most of the places where you can do this are located in areas popular for shopping and such – but the wind tunnel centers themselves could keep you and your family busy all day! So hey, hey – have a go!!!

Sources:

“Amazing” (2017. Available: http://kottke.org/17/02/an-amazing-indoor-skydiving-freestyle-routine

“Indoors” (2017). Available: http://www.indoorskydivingsource.com/tunnels/

“Pioneers” (2017). Available: http://www.msn.com/en-us/video/peopleandplaces/young-pioneers-push-boundaries-of-freestyle-indoor-skydiving/vi-AAoeULe?ocid=iehp

“Routine” (2017). Available: http://www.indoorskydiving.world/indoor-freestyle-routine-video/

By Dr. Rodney J. Blackman

Dr. Rodney J. Blackman is the Chair of Recreation Management at the United States Sports Academy, and can be reached at [email protected].

The Oakland Raiders Divorce is Coming

Money Matters

By

Evan Weiner

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March 28, 2017

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The Oakland Raiders Divorce is Coming — Raiders owner Mark Davis with fans as part of presentation by which the club would move from Oakland to Las Vegas. Photo: The Associated Press

National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell has drawn up the divorce papers and cleared the way for his 30 bosses and the Green Bay Packers Board of Directors to allow Mark Davis and his Raiders ownership partners to move the business headquarters from Oakland to Las Vegas.

Goodell’s letter to Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf on Friday, which was obtained by many media outlets, is not as nasty as NBA Commissioner David Stern’s comment of “You Blew It” to New Jersey politicians about a decade ago when Nets ownership and state elected officials could not agree to a new arena deal. That opened the door for Nets ownership to move to Brooklyn. Goodell’s letter was a parting shot as he is done negotiating.

“The material that we reviewed earlier today confirms that key issues that we have identified as threshold considerations are simply not resolvable in a reasonable time and in that respect, the information sent today does not present a proposal that is clear and specific, actionable in a reasonable time frame, and free of major contingencies.”

The letter makes clear that Goodell is not pleased with the latest Oakland proposal, but the communication does not mention that Oakland and California are not matching the Nevada public money giveaway of $750 million to help construction Davis and his partners a Las Vegas stadium. The $750 million is the largest public subsidy ever to be granted by a municipality to a sports ownership group.

Goodell also seems to be annoyed that Oakland is trying to find a solution and build a baseball stadium for the Athletics. Goodell did soften the letter somewhat at the end by writing “despite all of these efforts, ours and yours, we have not yet identified a viable solution. It is disappointing to me and our clubs to have come to that conclusion.”

The divorce is coming.

By Evan Weiner For The Politics Of Sports Business

This article was republished with permission from the original publisher, Evan Weiner.

USA Hockey Meets Opposition in Search for Replacement Players

Gender Issues

By

Inside The Games

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March 28, 2017

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USA Hockey Meets Opposition in Search for Replacement Players — In this Nov. 4, 2014, file photo, Team United States' Monique Lamoureux, right, celebrates her goal against Team Finland with teammate Alex Carpenter The U.S. women's hockey team had threatened to boycott the world championships because of a wage dispute. Photo: Jeff Bassett / AP

USA Hockey is facing a race against time to field a team at its home Women’s Ice Hockey World Championships after a number of players from college and under-18 teams turned down an offer to take the places of senior squad members who are set to boycott the tournament.

The governing body has approached several players from outside of the national team to represent the United States in the upcoming event in Plymouth, which begins on Friday (March 31).

The women’s national side remain at loggerheads with USA Hockey amid an ongoing dispute over wages, which prompted them to threaten not to compete at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)-sanctioned competition.

They turned down a counter-offer last week, putting their participation at the tournament further into doubt, and USA Hockey have since embarked on a process to ensure they avoid the embarrassment of not fielding a side at their own World Championships.

But they have been rebuffed by the vast majority of the professional and and college players who they have asked to step in for the boycotting national team.

Under-18s captain Cayla Barnes and team-mate Natalie Snodgrass have declined the offer, as have Brittany Ott of Boston Pride and Annie Panko, a junior forward at the University of Wisconsin.

USA Hockey has now widened its search to include Division III college players and postgraduate college players, some of whom have never spent a day at a national team camp or as a member of the national team pool of 90-plus athletes, according to reports in the US.

Choosing a potential team from outside of the national team squad has sparked concern, however, particularly around areas such as anti-doping.

Should USA Hockey find suitable replacements, it is feasible those selected would not have been in the United States Anti-Doping Agency registered drug-testing pool for the required six months.

They would therefore need the IIHF to give them the green light to play, although they may still face opposition from some of the other competing nations.

“If you just try to think about how a replacement team would fare in such an elite tournament, it would be disastrous,” Ott told ESPN.

“This is the best of the best.

“They’re playing Canada in the round-robin round.

“They’re playing Russia.

“They’re playing Finland.

“And this is preparation for the Olympics in 2018.

“Everyone else is going to bring their 110 per cent A-team.

“If players haven’t been on the ice in a few weeks, that’s a physical liability to the players.

“Systems wouldn’t work: power plays, forecheck, backcheck, anything.

“It would pretty much be all over the place.”

USA Hockey and the women’s national team conducted over 10 hours of talks last Monday (March 20) and both parties claimed progress had been made.

No concrete agreement was reached, however.

The players, who are attempting to secure wages and support equal to the men’s program, said the subsequent offer was “disappointing.”

They are seeking a four-year contract that includes payments outside the six-month Olympic period.

The impasse comes with the tournament at the USA Hockey Arena due to begin in less than a week, with the US’ first match, against fierce-rivals Canada, scheduled for Friday.

By Liam Morgan

Republished with permission from insidethegames.biz.

Los Angeles 2024 Officials Reaffirm Commitment to ‘Most Inclusive Games in History’

Paralympics

By

Inside The Games

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March 28, 2017

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Los Angeles 2024 Officials Reaffirm Commitment to ‘Most Inclusive Games in History’ — Photo: https://twitter.com/LA84Foundation

Los Angeles 2024 vice-chair Candace Cable has taken part in Abilities Expo in a bid to raise awareness for accessibility and reaffirm the bid’s commitment to delivering the “most inclusive Games in history.”

Founded in Los Angeles nearly 40 years ago, Abilities Expo allows people with disabilities, their families, the elderly, veterans and healthcare professionals to discover new technology, solutions and opportunities to improve their lives.

Cable, a wheelchair racer and skier and the first woman to win medals at both the Summer and Winter Paralympics, praised Los Angeles’ wealth of existing sports facilities for their state-of-the-art accessibility standards.

She also reiterated Los Angeles 2024’s commitment to promoting Paralympic sport in the United States and around the globe.

Speaking alongside Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and executive director of the City of Los Angeles Department on Disability Steve Simon, Cable addressed thousands at Abilities Expo.

She spoke of the potential sporting and career opportunities the 2024 Games could create for people with an impairment.

“The Olympic and Paralympic Movement has the power to bring our communities together, celebrate our common humanity and promote peace and understanding through sport,” said Cable.

“More than a million people with an impairment live in Los Angeles, and this weekend’s events reminded us that not only are Angelenos already passionate and committed to building a city that serves all of its residents, but that Los Angeles is poised to deliver the most inclusive Games in history.

“Further, as the global hub of entertainment and technology, Los Angeles is uniquely positioned to raise the profile of Paralympic sport in the US and around the globe.

“Los Angeles 2024 would relish the opportunity to put Angelenos’ creative storytellers at the service of the Paralympic Movement, to introduce adaptive sport to the next generation of fans and athletes.”

Los Angeles 2024 also took part in CicLAvia, the largest open streets celebration in the US, by hosting a “Culver City Meets Venice” event.

Streets were closed to vehicles and were converted into areas for children, families and other residents.

The 20th CicLAvia event since 2010 featured a number of event hubs, where participants enjoyed art, music and food.

In addition to hundreds of volunteers taking part in the Bid Committee’s volunteer service program, Los Angeles 2024 was joined at CicLAvia by young athletes from “Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word.”

This organization was founded by former professional skateboarder Cindy Whitehead and is dedicated to promoting equal opportunities for women and girls to participate and earn recognition in action sports.

By Max Winters

Republished with permission from insidethegames.biz.

Russian Paralympic Team Preparing for 2018 Olympics Despite Suspension

By

The Sport Intern

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March 27, 2017

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Russian Paralympic Team Preparing for 2018 Olympics Despite Suspension — Photo: Alexander Vilf / Sputnik

Russia’s Paralympic team is preparing for the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games in PyeongChang despite the suspension of the Russian Paralympic Committee’s membership in the International Paralympic Committee, according to RPC President Vladimir Lukin.

“The preparation is already underway, we are getting ready. We are preparing for the Winter Olympic Games in South Korea as normal,” Lukin is quoted as saying by the TASS news agency.

“Unfortunately, the team was barred from participation in qualification contests as Russia’s membership in the International Paralympic Committee had been suspended,” Lukin said. “Of course, this restriction puts into question its participation. But we are preparing as normal.”

This story first appeared in the blog, The Sport Intern. The editor is Karl-Heinz Huba of Lorsch, Germany. He can be reached at [email protected]. The article is reprinted here with permission of Huba.

Academy Signs Agreement to Strengthen National Sports Program in Gabon

By

U.S. Sports Academy

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March 27, 2017

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Academy Signs Agreement to Strengthen National Sports Program in Gabon — The United States Sports Academy will work with the central African nation of Gabon to strengthen the country’s national sports program under a new five-year cooperative agreement. Shown recently discussing the new program are, center, Gabonese President His Excellency Ali Bongo Ondimba; Her Excellency Nicole Assélé, Gabon’s Minister of Youth and Sport, left; and Dr. T.J. Rosandich, Academy President and Chief Executive Officer.

The United States Sports Academy will work with the central African nation of Gabon to strengthen the country’s national sports program under a new five-year cooperative agreement.

The Academy, which has worked on sport education and development projects in more than 65 nations, will work with Gabon on numerous enhancements including youth sports, sport facilities, national teams, and strength and conditioning. The project culminates several years of cooperation between the Academy and the nation of 1.7 million people.

“The first major international program on which the Academy embarked was in the Middle East in 1977, and we’ve since worked in numerous countries around the world,” said Academy President and CEO Dr. T.J. Rosandich.

“This is the latest chapter in our mission of providing the world with programs in teaching, research and service in support of the advancement of sport.

“The Academy is pleased that Gabon is interested in building on its national sport program and we are looking forward to working with His Excellency President Ali Bongo Ondimba and Her Excellency Nicole Assélé, the Minister of Youth and Sport, on this important effort.”

The project is designed to assist in the development of Gabon’s sport infrastructure in the areas of sports management, strength and conditioning for the nation’s teams, physical education and scholastic sports for the school system and general assistance to the country’s central sports organization. The Academy will evaluate, plan and assist with the upgrading and modernization of programs for the governmental agency, including writing specifications for sports equipment to support the national sports program. The program will start with the Academy immediately deploying staff to focus on sport management and strength and conditioning.

The Academy’s work in Gabon goes back to 2010 and the signing of a protocol for cooperation to develop sport in that country. This led to a project in which the Academy conducted a facilities legacy study on how to make best use of the Sino-Gabonese Friendship Stadium in Gabon’s largest and capital city of Libreville. The 40,000-seat stadium was given to Gabon by the Chinese government and used for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) soccer tournament in 2012.

In 2013, an Academy team led by then-Vice President Dr. T.J. Rosandich and involving Academy faculty including Dr. Fred Cromartie, director of doctoral studies, conducted a comprehensive assessment of the national sports effort in Gabon. This review looked at the complete planning, management, staffing, and facilities of all interscholastic sport in the country. The program made recommendations to the Gabonese government on enhancing the sport effort at all levels. In addition to faculty and staff at the Academy and counterparts in Gabon, the collaboration has been aided by the ongoing efforts of Academy Trustee Joe Szlavik, president of Scribe Strategies & Advisors, Inc.

In 2014 then-Gabonese Minister of Youth and Sport His Excellency Blaise Louembe and His Excellency Michael Moussa-Adamo, Gabonese Ambassador to the United States, visited the Academy campus in Daphne, Ala., to further establish a framework for the Academy and Gabon to work together to implement recommendations of the plan. While momentum was initially positive, the global recession slowed the effort.

The plan to boost Gabon’s sports programs recently took on new urgency when Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba invited Dr. T.J. Rosandich, now the Academy’s president and chief executive officer, to Gabon to meet with him and the government’s highest ministers of sport. It was agreed that efforts to build on the country’s sports program would be renewed.

Based in Daphne, Ala., the United States Sports Academy is an independent, non-profit, accredited, special mission sports university created to serve the nation and world with programs in instruction, research, and service. The role of the Academy is to prepare men and women for careers in the profession of sports. For more information about the Academy, call (251) 626-3303 or visit www.ussa.edu.

By Keith Ayers

Keith Ayers is the Director of Communications at the United States Sports Academy. Reach him at [email protected].