Sports Economics, the most comprehensive textbook in the field by celebrated economist Roger D. Blair, focuses primarily on the business and economics aspects of major professional sports and the NCAA. It employs the basic principles of economics to address issues such as the organization of leagues, pricing, advertising and broadcasting as well as the labor market in sports. Among its novel features is the candid coverage of the image and integrity of players, teams, managers and the leagues themselves, including cases of gambling, cheating, misconduct and steroids. Blair explains how economic decisions are made under conditions of uncertainty using the well-known expected utility model and makes extensive use of present value concepts to analyze investment decisions. Numerous examples are drawn from the daily press. The text offers ample boxes to illustrate sports themes, as well as extensive use of diagrams, tables, problem sets and research questions.
Sports Economics, the most comprehensive textbook in the field by celebrated economist Roger D. Blair, focuses primarily on the business and economics aspects of major professional sports and the NCAA. It employs the basic principles of economics to address issues such as the organization of leagues, pricing, advertising and broadcasting as well as the labor market in sports. Among its novel features is the candid coverage of the image and integrity of players, teams, managers and the leagues themselves, including cases of gambling, cheating, misconduct and steroids. Blair explains how economic decisions are made under conditions of uncertainty using the well-known expected utility model and makes extensive use of present value concepts to analyze investment decisions. Numerous examples are drawn from the daily press. The text offers ample boxes to illustrate sports themes, as well as extensive use of diagrams, tables, problem sets and research questions.
Part I. Introduction: 1. Introduction to sports economics; Part II. The Sports Business: 2. The business of sports; 3. Sports leagues and organizations; 4. Competitive balance; 5. Pricing decisions; 6. Advertising in the sports industry; 7. The market for sports broadcasting rights; 8. Insuring player talent; 9. Sports leagues and antitrust policy; Part III. Image and Integrity: 10. Sports gambling; 11. Cheating in sports; 12. Misconduct and discipline; 13. Steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs; Part IV. Facilities, Franchises, and Public Policy: 14. Competition for sports franchises and events; 15. Economic impact of sports events; 16. Financing sports facilities; Part V. Sports Labor Market: 17. Salary determination: competition and monopsony; 18. The NCAA as a collusive monopsony; 19. Salary determination: bidding and bargaining; 20. Economic value of multi-year contracts; 21. Final offer arbitration in major league baseball; 22. Players' unions and collective bargaining; 23. The role of sports agents; 24. Should an athlete turn pro 'early'?; 25. Discrimination in sports.
Sports Economics focuses primarily on the business aspects of major professional sports, employing the principles of economics to address essential issues in the industry.
Roger D. Blair is Walter J. Matherly Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics at the University of Florida, where he has taught since 1970. He received his PhD from Michigan State University. Professor Blair is the author or co-author of numerous books, including Antitrust Economics (with David Kaserman), Law and Economics of Vertical Integration and Control (with David Kaserman), Monopsony: Antitrust Law and Economics (with Jeffrey Harrison), Monopsony in Law and Economics (with Jeffrey Harrison, Cambridge, 2010), Intellectual Property: Economic and Legal Dimensions of Rights and Remedies (with Thomas Cotter, Cambridge, 2005), The Economics of Franchising (with Francine Lafontaine, Cambridge, 2005) and Volume 2 of Antitrust Law (with Herbert Hovenkamp, Christine Durrance and Philip Areeda). He is also the editor or co-editor of many volumes, including Proving Antitrust Damages. Professor Blair has written more than 170 articles or chapters in professional economics journals, law reviews and books.
'Sports Economics is an invaluable text that uses rigorous
microeconomic analysis to explain a host of sports topics, ranging
from antitrust and arbitration to profits and point shaving.'
Charles L. Clotfelter, Duke University, and author, Big-Time Sports
in American Universities (2011)
'In Sports Economics Roger Blair provides comprehensive coverage of
the key issues in the economics of sports, and then some. This book
goes beyond the typical issues covered in sports economics
textbooks as it considers such topics as gambling, cheating, player
misconduct and performance-enhancing drugs. It also has an
extensive treatment of legal issues that arise in sports markets,
an area of research to which Blair has been a major contributor.
This book will clearly become a standard text for sports economics
courses.' Leo H. Kahane, Providence College, and Co-Founder and
Editor, Journal of Sports Economics
'This is the most comprehensive explication of sports economics for
the lay reader to date. An excellent read for the avid
well-educated sports fan, text for a introductory class, and
research tool to cite for basic propositions and for its
compilation of sources.' Stephen Ross, Pennsylvania State
University
'For a thorough tour of the economics of sports, no one has done it
better than [Professor] Blair. For both economists and students
alike, this book covers all of the bases and hits the ball out of
the park.' Harold L. Vogel, author, Entertainment Industry
Economics, 8th Edition (2011)
'Roger Blair does a great job of applying microeconomic principles
to the sports industry. This book will help students better
understand both the sports world and economics because of its clear
explanation of sophisticated concepts.' Jason Winfree, University
of Michigan
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