Michael J. Mondello

ESPN—The Women's Sports Network? A Content Analysis of Internet Coverage of March Madness

The primary purpose of this exploratory study was to determine if gender-specific descriptors regularly found in television and newspaper sport coverage were present in two popular online sites from the emerging medium of Internet sport journalism. Descriptors given to players and coaches during the 2006 NCAA Division I womens and mens basketball tournaments by ESPN Internet and CBS SportsLine were examined. Results contradicted gender-specific descriptors found in previous studies on sport media coverage that scholars have argued help uphold hegemonic masculinity in sport.

Comparative Economic Impact Analyses: Differences Across Cities, Events, and Demographics

Numerous amateur sporting events have grown significantly in stature and interest in the past several years. Moreover, these events have realized significant economic benefits for their respective communities. In an attempt to identify the key determinants of economic impact, this article offers numerous comparative economic impact data for amateur sporting events. The comparisons are across various categories, including the same event in different cities, the same city but different events, women’s versus men’s events, and events involving junior athletes compared to those involving senior athletes. Collectively, these comparisons demonstrate that the number and origin of nonlocal visitors, the proximity of teams involved, visitor spending patterns, length of stay, and operational and organizational expenditures by nonlocal entities affiliated with events are the largest determinants of economic impact for a given event.

Contingent Valuation of Sports: Temporal Embedding and Ordering Effects

Past research measures the nonmarket benefits of sports stadiums and arenas but does not address the issues of temporal embedding or ordering effects. Temporal embedding exists if survey respondents do not differentiate between payment-period lengths and leads to unrealistic implicit discount rates. Multiple scenarios with alternative sports teams can lead to ordering effects that influence the nonmarket value of teams. This study elicits annual payments over different fixed time horizons (e.g., 5 or 10 years) for two teams in a city with a single professional sports team. We find that willingness to pay is sensitive to the length of the payment period. In one of two cases the ordering of the scenario weakly affects willingness to pay.

The impact of salary dispersion and performance bonuses in NFL organizations

Purpose – This paper aims to evaluate the effects of both salary dispersion and incentive pay on team performance using data complied from the National Football League over the years 2000‐2007.Design/methodology/approach – The authors consider the effect of pay structure on both in terms of on‐field and financial performance. Salary disparity and its subsequent consequences has been a topic of economic research on corporate pay structure and also professional team sport organizations. Analysis of pay structures incorporating the effects of incentive pay on performance is also recurrent in the literature. The paper uses regression analysis and incorporates both fixed and random effects models.Findings – A relationship between improved on‐field performance and increased payroll, lower levels of salary dispersion, and increased incentive payments is found. However, when employing team revenue production as the measure of performance, a positive relationship with salary dispersion is found.Research limitation...

A Content Analysis of the Journal of Sports Economics

The purpose of this study was to examine the contents of the literature published in the Journal of Sports Economics (JSE), the first academic journal exclusively focused on the economics of sport. Content analysis methodology was used to examine every journal issue (N = 10) published from the inaugural issue in 2000 through the second issue in 2002. Collectively, the 10 issues yielded 55 articles representing the work of 77 authors (95.3% male, 4.7% female). The majority of the articles reviewed were quantitative (94.1%), and the preferred statistical methodology utilized was regression analysis (64%). The highest percentages of articles focused on team performance and payrolls (20%) as well as labor market research (12.9%). Additional content areas analyzed in this study included measures related to editor, reviewers, authors, sport industry segmentation, gender, scholarly productivity, geographical and institutional makeup, and professional level. Findings and implications are discussed.

An Analysis of Goal Achievement Orientation and Sport Morality Levels of Division I-A Nonrevenue Collegiate Athletes

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the goal orientations of nonrevenue producing team student-athletes and sport morality levels. Student-athletes (SAs) (male n=114, female n=118) from a southeastern university, competing in both semicontact and noncontact sports were examined by completing the Task and Ego Orientation Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQ) and the Hahm-Beller Values Choices Inventory (HBVCI). The data were analyzed by utilizing MANOVA and Pearson Correlation analyses. This study attempted to determine whether particular sports were significantly different in either sportsmanship levels or goal orientations. Results, implications, and future recommendations follow.

The College Football Postseason Mess: Economic Perspectives

Abstract Despite the ongoing controversy associated with determining the National Collegiate Athletic Associations (NCAA) Division I-A college football (DIACF) champion, DIACF remains the only NCAA sport without a legitimate playoff system to decide its national champion. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to examine the history of the NCAA, DIACFs post season, the various controversies and constraints of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), previous playoff proposals, and the economics associated with the post season. Perhaps future regular seasons marked by similar controversies discussed in this paper will generate significant changes within BCS guidelines. However, even with extensive modifications, whichever system eventually emerges to govern DIACFs post season, many of the issues raised here will generate passionate debates. The economic and financial ramifications of any change will unquestionably be among the most important to college footballs power brokers. Nevertheless, while acknowledging the current BCS system has imperfections, maybe accepting the BCS at face value is the best resolution to a complicated question.

Social effectiveness and sport personnel: the impact of athlete political skill and influence tactics on sport organisation CSR reputation and consumer advocacy intentions

Despite CSR research receiving increased attention and academic acceptance in the sport management literature, minimal attention has been paid to the characteristics and behaviours of sport personnel who are actively engaged in CSR activities. Therefore, this study sought to examine how professional athlete political skill and proactive influence tactics impact sport organisation CSR reputation and sport consumer advocacy intentions. Guiding the development of the research model and hypotheses was political skill theory. Sport consumers attending an NBA competition were surveyed and 207 usable samples were included for data analysis. This included confirmatory factor analysis of the first order factors and a test of the structural model (along with the second order model) using SEM. Results indicated the proposed model was psychometrically sound and the proposed associations in the model were largely supported. The only exception came from the multiple-sample SEM analysis; this found the moderating effect of political skill was insignificant.

Media Economics of the NFL

Despite the presence of other professional sport leagues including the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Hockey League (NHL), and Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL) is widely considered the most dominant and financially viable sports property. Even the presence of other rival football leagues has not diminished fan enthusiasm for the NFL signifying fans do not perceive there to be any close substitute. Collectively, the three American terrestrial (over the air) television networks CBS (

Intercollegiate Athletic Success and Donations at NCAA Division I Institutions

3.73 billion), NBC (