Category Archives: Sports

White Paper: Effect of Gambling Scandals on Public Trust in Sports:

Posted on October 25, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive summary Legal sports betting has become deeply entwined with the business of sport. When scandals surface—players betting on games, coaches sharing inside information, or figures close to stars accruing illegal gambling debts—they don’t just punish the individuals involved; they … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Sports | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Sherman Antitrust Act and the Structure of American Sports

Posted on October 21, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 was intended to prevent monopolization and promote competitive markets across the U.S. economy. Yet in the world of sports, the Act’s influence has been paradoxical—sometimes shaping leagues into more equitable and competitive … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, History, Musings, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

White Paper: Coaching Carousels: The Hard Math of Winning and the Nature of Expectations for Success in Competitive Sport

Posted on October 16, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary This white paper examines the recurring phenomenon of “coaching carousels” — the rapid turnover of head coaches across professional and collegiate sports. It analyzes the mathematical, psychological, and institutional dynamics that drive the cycle of hiring, firing, and … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Musings, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

White Paper: The Belt Economy: How Sanctioning Bodies Distort Competition and Enable Corruption in Contemporary Professional Boxing

Posted on September 27, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Professional boxing’s competitive integrity is mediated—often distorted—by private “sanctioning organizations” (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) that certify titles, levy fees, and police rankings. Their economic incentives (fee extraction tied to title activity and marquee names) and structural opacity (control … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

White Paper: Framing the Pitch: The Hidden Costs of Modern Catching

Posted on September 20, 2025 by nathanalbright

Abstract Pitch framing has become one of the most studied and valued defensive skills for catchers in contemporary baseball, particularly in the era of pitch-tracking analytics. However, the emphasis on “stealing” strikes by subtly manipulating glove position has created unintended … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Musings, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

White paper: The costs borne by USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington in leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten—and why they went anyway

Posted on September 19, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive summary Between June 2022 and August 2023, four flagship Pac-12 members—USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington—accepted invitations to the Big Ten, with competition beginning in the 2024–25 academic year. All four schools incurred tangible new costs (travel, athlete-welfare spending, governance-imposed … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Sports | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Difficulty of Assessing Fighter Potential in an Era of Managed Combat Sports CareersWhite Paper:

Posted on August 6, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary In modern boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA), the management and promotion of a fighter’s career often take precedence over transparent, merit-based competition. As a result, assessing the true quality of a fighter has become increasingly difficult for … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings, Sports | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

White Paper: Cults in Mixed Martial Arts: Risks, Mechanisms, and Safeguards

Posted on August 4, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Mixed martial arts (MMA) has developed from a niche combat sport into a global phenomenon. However, its culture, which often emphasizes loyalty, discipline, and intense personal commitment, has occasionally created conditions conducive to cult-like dynamics. Certain MMA gyms, … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Sports | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The Most Lopsided Finals in Grand Slam Tennis History: A Historical Perspective

Posted on July 13, 2025 by nathanalbright

The Grand Slam tournaments—Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open—represent the pinnacle of professional tennis. They are where legends are forged, rivalries are intensified, and where the greatest players of each generation cement their legacies. Yet, despite the tradition … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Musings, Sports | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Barriers To The Automation Of Refereeing

Posted on June 6, 2025 by nathanalbright

The automation of refereeing in sports faces a complex set of barriers despite widespread frustration with the inconsistencies and errors of human umpires. These barriers are technological, institutional, cultural, legal, and even philosophical. Below is an integrated analysis of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Tagged , | 1 Comment