Tag Archives: sports history

White Paper: The History and Approach of African Martial Arts: A Comparative, Cultural, and Functional Survey

Posted on December 16, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary African martial arts represent one of the world’s oldest and most diverse bodies of combat knowledge. Rather than forming a single codified “martial arts tradition” in the modern East Asian sense, African systems developed organically across ecological zones, … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Like Father, Unlike Son? A Comparative Analysis of Monte and Lane Kiffin’s Careers and Public Reflections on Their Relationship

Posted on December 1, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Monte Kiffin and his son Lane Kiffin represent two very different archetypes in modern football coaching. Monte became a legendary defensive coordinator, defined by stability, tactical innovation (the “Tampa 2”), and a largely controversy-free public image. Lane has … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Connection Between Sports, Gambling, and Organized Crime—and Its Impact on the Legitimacy of Sport

Posted on October 28, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Sports deliver civic rituals of fairness and merit. Gambling delivers liquidity, attention, and revenue. Organized crime exploits the seam between them—where information asymmetries, weak controls, and cross-border payments create opportunities to fix contests, launder money, and intimidate participants. … Continue reading →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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College Football Championship Selection: An Analysis

Posted on December 10, 2024 by nathanalbright

The development of college football’s championship selection process reflects the sport’s continuous effort to establish a more equitable and comprehensive method for determining its national champion. The Bowl Championship Series (BCS), implemented in 1998, marked the first systematic attempt to … Continue reading →

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Division I-A/FBS Conference Championships And Member Tenure: A Trend Analysis

Posted on December 8, 2024 by nathanalbright

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) pioneered the conference championship game format after expanding to 12 teams in 1992 with the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina. This development marked a significant shift in college football organization, as it required an NCAA … Continue reading →

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Fitness Without Deception

Posted on October 11, 2020 by nathanalbright

It is no great mystery to those who know me that I am fond of sports although certainly not always sanguine about many of the elements that go into sports. Among the more notable aspects of many sports that will … Continue reading →

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On The Power Of Habit: The CONCACAF Octogonal Of 2022

Posted on August 25, 2020 by nathanalbright

I do not tend to feel, personally, that I have the credibility to attack people for being creatures of habit. Every week, I go into the grocery store and buy basically the same food to eat at work for snacks … Continue reading →

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