Journal articles on the topic 'National Football League – Economic aspects'

Free agency was reintroduced to professional team sport leagues in the 1970s. Sport enthusiasts expressed concern that competitive balance would diminish as star players congregated to large market cities. However, the economic invariance principle rejects this notion, indicating that balance should remain unchanged. This article empirically examines the effects of changes in free agent rules on competitive balance over time in the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), and National Hockey League (NHL). Regression analysis using within-season and between-season measures of competitive balance as dependent variables provides mixed results. The NFL and NHL provide evidence that an aspect of competitive balance has improved, but results from the NBA indicate that balance has worsened since the introduction of free agency. We conclude that the ambiguous results suggest that the effects are not independent, but instead depend on the interaction of free agent rights with other labor market and league rules.

Globalization has had and still has a comprehensive effect on all aspects of human life, including the part related to sports and recreation. Through the spread of information and communication technologies, especially new channels of information dissemination (such as social networks), but also the process of internationalization, liberalization, and modernization - it has enabled the availability of sports competitions, and the general presence of sports in all parts of the world. This is especially true of football as one of the most popular sports. This paper will try to provide a geographical and global framework for football change based on specific economic and financial data related to sponsors, branding, etc., through a case study of the English Premiership (also known as Premier League) compared to other football leagues in Europe (German Bundesliga, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A and French Ligue 1, the so-called Big Five). The paper presents three hypotheses to which the research of available literature and statistical data will try to answer. Through all the above mentioned, the research aims to determine whether and to what extent football has become a global sport by going beyond national frameworks and to what extent it has transformed itself in these modern and global frameworks.

This paper addresses the phenomenon of globalization, which has also spread to sports, in terms of its economic, social and cultural aspects; while discussing the concept based on examples from the discipline of football in the premier league of Turkey. In this framework, sports labor emigration mobility is handled, and sponsorship and the effects of globalization in Turkey’s sport is examined in terms of relationships between media and sports. The paper also provides concrete examples from the national and international sports circles by framing the fields where globalization becomes apparent in sports. In this framework, this article addresses the sport labor migration, and studies the effect of globalization in Turkish sports within the relations among sponsorship, media and sports.

Professional sports leagues today are trying to increase their income and looking for new sources for this. In the United States, most leagues in one sport are monopoly structures. Considering the National Football League in this context, it is worth noting its rather strict policy towards possible competitors at the football market. At the same time, throughout the history of American football, there have been attempts to organize competing structures that have been more or less successful. The purpose of the study was to identify the features of the formation American football organizations in North America at different times, the factors of successes and failures. Material and methods. The main material on which the study was based was data from the Internet, official websites of American football organizations and official ratings of Forbes magazine. To achieve the stated purpose, we used the following research methods: data analysis and generalization; theoretical interpretation and explanation; analysis of documentary materials. Results and discussion. The study results showed that during the formation and development of American football in the United States, except for the National Football League, six other organizations tried to create competition for it at one time or another. Among them were All-American Football Conference, American Football League, World Football League, United State Football League, Xtreme Football League, and Alliance of American Football. All these organizations generally sought to be better than National Football League through more progressive steps towards the development of football, but the conservatism of the National Football League always allowed it to remain the winner. Most of the newly formed leagues could not withstand the uncompromising financial struggle for high-class athletes, but the XFL and AAF, which was created in the 21st century, were defeated by precautionary measures during the COVID-19 pandemic and the game seasons were canceled. Conclusion. The key factors formation of organizations that sought to develop American football in the United States (except the National Football League) were: the growing popularity of this sport; a large number of athletes, who aspired to develop in this sport, but could not do it in National Football League; the emergence of enthusiasts with significant financial resources, who sought to invest in football projects and at the same time increase their own resources; technological progress, in particular in football. However, none of these organizations stayed long in the football business and lost to the National Football League. The reasons for this were: improper distribution of financial resources in the middle of the leagues; unjustified steps in the desire to be more progressive than the National Football League; the dominant authority of the National Football League; external factors (wars, epidemics / pandemics, global economic and political crises, etc.)

Football is a game of millions. People hold their breath, quit their unfinished business, and become confined to TV screens for two hours to cheer for their favorite team in the national championship or for their country’s national team. The schedule of matches of the World Cup, Europe, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, national championships and Cups fans with experience know better than “Our Father”. In the modern era of sports and competitive activities development, in terms of its popularity at all levels, football is second only to athletics and ranks first among team sports. Footballers of national teams are heroes in their homeland, their photos are always on the front pages of sports publications, they are the object of “hunting” of sports journalists, who in the pursuit of sensations even invade the personal space of players. Football is a game that, according to modern encyclopedic publications, first appeared in Foggy Albion, and most experts in the history of physical culture and sports agree. But recently, the struggle for the right to be considered the ancestor of the popular game has intensified among scientists around the world, who find historical facts that football had been played in their country long before the birth date of “His Majesty” was declared by the British. The British also consider themselves the first in the process of making rubber balls for playing football, not to mention that three thousand years before them, the natives of Central America made rubber balls for the national game of pok-ta-pok and ulama. Therefore, the authors team, in this article, decided to systematize modern historical information and review aspects of the formation of football.

Purpose The National Football League (NFL), the most lucrative sports league in the world, has its second largest foreign audience in Brazil. Its Brazilian broadcasts stimulate the audience to extrapolate television reception and interact through a social media platform, seeking to integrate a collective consumption. Thus, attachments are established between consumers and league. Based on this, this study aims to analyze how the interaction in social media of the Brazilian NFL audience, during the transmissions of its games, results in consumption attachments. Design/methodology/approach The method undertaken was Netnography, commonly used to investigate cultural practices occurring in online environments. The research corpus consisted of messages posted on Twitterhashtags created by the ESPN Brazil channels to reverberate its broadcasts of the league between 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 seasons. Findings The findings of this study indicate that Brazilian audience interaction in social media establishes consumer attachment with the NFL by means of the brand elements and aspects of social life, mediated by the league. Research limitations/implications The research observed only the part of the Brazilian audience of the NFL that engages in the broadcasts of the games through social media. Practical implications The research of this study demonstrates how brands can use social media to enable social interactions that create or improve consumer attachments with them. Originality/value The study presents how a media brand imbricated in the American culture has been the target of attachment by Brazilian fans through social media interactions.

The National Football League’s (NFL) television ratings decreased by approximately 8% during the 2016 season, then a further 10% the following season. These declines coincided with league-wide national anthem protests initiated by Colin Kaepernick at the beginning of the 2016 season. Existing research identifies many determinants of demand for sporting events, but athletes’ protests are seldom considered. We use detailed data on players’ protests and television ratings to construct a new, game-level panel for the four NFL seasons between 2014 and 2017. Our results show protests are statistically significantly associated with lower TV ratings, but the economic magnitude is relatively muted.

Concussive injuries to the head and brain are relatively common in the National Football League (NFL). This is not news, since the issue has been covered in many articles in the popular press and many news specials on television. As an NFL offensive lineman for 13 years, I suffered a huge number of hits to the head — an estimated 215,000 at least. Nevertheless, I have fared better than many of the players of my era: many suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). For example, some of my fellow Hall of Fame players from that era, Mike Webster, Jim Ringo, John Mackey, and Joe Perry, all suffered from CTE and all are now deceased. I count myself lucky that the main malady affecting me after those many blows to the head is a 60% hearing loss in my left ear — probably due to undiagnosed concussions and particularly to thousands of head slaps by defensive players, whose first hit after the snap was often a right-handed blow to the helmet's open hole over my left ear.

Although initially developed as cartels of independently owned and operated clubs joining to produce a sports product for spectator consumption, professional sports leagues have emerged as monopolies wielding significant economic power. By increasing revenue-sharing practices, and thus attempting to align owner interests, leagues have become single-business entities that maximize wealth for the league as a whole. Over the past four decades, the National Football League has implemented such practices to become the most popular team sport in North America. Using agency theory, this paper examines how the NFL's former commissioner, Pete Rozelle, and the League Executive Committee used these practices in order to increase League revenues and decrease opportunistic behavior by team owners. However, certain owners continue to act entrepreneurially, to the detriment of the League as a whole. This behavior is congruent with the tenets of agency theory, which contend that interests will diverge within a principal-agent relationship (e.g., the NFL— NFL teams). Until such time that team owners realize that the welfare of the other League clubs, along with their competitive equality, is paramount in retaining interest in and producing the League product, professional sports leagues will continue to be plagued with problems such as unnecessary franchise relocations and other acts of maverick owners.

The 2020 North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS) Presidential Address analyzed aspects of the National Football League’s (NFL) current socially conscious marketing to make sense of corporatized racial justice politics following a summer of mass political mobilization triggered by the police killing of George Floyd. The analysis shows that the mass, multiracial racial justice activism forced corporatized sport leagues such as the NFL to respond to popular political pressure. The NFL followed the lead of the National Basketball Association and instead of resisting popular sentiments, it has incorporated social justice language into its marketing. Guided by Indigenous decolonial scholarship and radical Black scholars, I argue that the NFL’s incorporation of social justice language is a politics of recognition and colonial governmentality that insulates it from racial justice politics and helps to stabilize challenges to racial capitalism.

Purpose In order to secure a proper execution of sporting competitions, national governing bodies of professional football leagues apply specific regulatory procedures. In this context, special focus is placed on requirements that are supposed to ensure financial stability of clubs. They, in turn, help avoid negative economic externalities, i.e. the problem that financial difficulties from one club can affect other clubs and stakeholders due to the interdependent relationships of the competition. These regulations on a national level in European professional football leagues show several significant differences. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to comprehensively analyze financial regulatory procedures of professional football leagues to generate possible improvements of the regulations in detail. Design/methodology/approach Using a document analysis of the regulation books of the English Premier League and German Bundesliga (BL), this study compares the regulatory procedures of those important European professional football leagues. Further evaluation was performed through a qualitative content analysis to develop a category system including six categories with 72 criteria from deductive and inductive procedures. For more advanced coding, an assessment scale was integrated. Findings Compared to the Premier League, the regulation of the BL points to a more intensive regulation in all categories and across all analyzed indices. The results of both leagues partially reveal that assessment and monitoring requirements tend to be ineffective, which can substantially endanger the achievement of the whole monitoring process’ aims. The intention to ensure the financial stability for securing the league competition can be missed in such a situation and negative economic externalities cannot be prevented effectively. Originality/value For the first time, this study includes all relevant requirements of financial club assessment and monitoring. Thereby, an abstract comprehensive and systematic structure for professional team sports leagues is described and allows for a concrete international comparison of two European professional football leagues. At the end, several approaches to improve the regulatory framework are provided.

Background: Former American football players have a higher prevalence of cognitive impairment than that of the US general population. It remains unknown what aspects of playing football are associated with neuropsychiatric outcomes. Hypothesis: It was hypothesized that seasons of professional football, playing position, and experience of concussions were associated with cognition-related quality of life (QOL) and indicators of depression and anxiety. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: The authors examined whether seasons of professional football, playing position, and experience of concussions, as measured by self-report of 10 symptoms, were associated with cognition-related QOL and indicators of depression and anxiety in a cross-sectional survey conducted 2015 to 2017. Cognition-related QOL was measured by the short form of the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders: Applied Cognition–General Concerns. The Patient Health Questionnaire–4 measured depression and anxiety symptoms. Of 13,720 eligible men with apparently valid contact information, 3506 players returned a questionnaire at the time of this analysis (response rate = 25.6%). Results: Seasons of professional play (risk ratio [RR] per 5 seasons = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.06-1.34) and playing position were associated with cognition-related QOL. Each 5 seasons of play was associated with 9% increased risk of indicators of depression at borderline statistical significance ( P = .05). When compared with former kickers, punters, and quarterbacks, men who played any other position had a higher risk of poor cognition-related QOL, depression, and anxiety. Concussion symptoms were strongly associated with poor cognition-related QOL (highest concussion quartile, RR = 22.3, P < .001), depression (highest quartile, RR = 6.0, P < .0001), and anxiety (highest quartile, RR = 6.4, P < .0001), even 20 years after last professional play. Conclusion: The data suggest that seasons of play and playing position in the NFL are associated with lasting neuropsychiatric health deficits. Additionally, poor cognition-related QOL, depression, and anxiety appear to be associated with concussion in the long term.

This case study investigates how various sporting and cultural events impact economic activity at a single full-service restaurant in center-city Charlotte, NC. We find no evidence of significant changes in daily revenue, customers served, and revenue per customer on the day before, day of, and day after many of the events. The exceptions are National Football League (NFL) home games, swimming events, events at the Charlotte Convention Center, the 2012 Democratic National Convention, NASCAR races, PGA tournaments, and entertainment events at the Spectrum Center. The results invite future research using firm-level data to better understand the disparate impact of events on business enterprises.

The article examines the results of the football reform in Russia associated with the change of the season of the Premier League championship. The data analysis shows a decrease in the level of competitive balance in Russian football after the calendar reform. The change in the degree of economic inequality of clubs at the same time, calculated on the basis of the transfer cost of clubs, showed that this inequality could not be the reason for the decrease in the level of competition. On the basis of the correlation and regression analysis, a positive correlation between the indicators of the national championship and the rating of the national team was established. Thus, we can talk about the negative impact of the calendar reform on the success of the Russian national team.

Today the government ownership of the professional football clubs is absolutely illogical view point. Most of sports clubs are conducted by private sector using different models of ownership all over the world. In Iran, government credits benefit was main reason that the professional sport was firstly developed by government firms and organizations. Therefore, the sports team ownership is without the professionalization standards. The present comparative study was to examine the different football club ownership structures of the top leagues and the current condition of Iran football pro league ownership and then present a suitable ownership structure of Iran football clubs to leave behind the government club ownership. Among the initial 120 scientific texts, the thirty two cases including papers, books and reports were found relevant to this study. We studied the ownership prominence and several football club models of ownership focused on stock listing model of ownership, private investor model of ownership, supporter trust model of ownership and Japan partnership model of ownership; theoretical concepts, empirical studies, main findings, strengths and weaknesses were covered in analysis procedure. According to various models of ownership in leagues and the models’ productivity in football clubs, each model of ownership considering national environmental, economic, social conditions has strengths and weaknesses. So, we cannot present a definite model of ownership for Iran football pro league clubs due to different micro-environments of Iran clubs. We need a big planning to provide a supporter-investor mixed model of ownership to Iranian clubs. Considering strengths and weaknesses in the models of ownership as well as the micro and macro environment of Iran football clubs, German model and Japan partnership model are offered as suitable ones to probable new model of ownership in Iran pro league clubs. Consequently, more studies are required to find a suitable model of ownership based on environmental conditions in Iran.

Environmental factors such as emerging technology, globalization, economic reform and social change are creating a background in which sporting organizations must seek to quickly adapt to manage their ongoing activities and operations. Focusing on emerging technology in the area of sport broadcasting, this research examined six preconditions for interorganizational relationship (IOR) formation from the perspective of professional football clubs in Australia. Based upon theories derived from the IOR literature, these six preconditions for IOR formation were considered to determine if emerging broadcasting technologies impact on IOR formation between Australian Football League (AFL) and National Rugby League (NRL) clubs and broadcasters. Semistructured in-depth interviews with senior managers of 11 AFL, and 10 NRL clubs were undertaken and data analyzed, coded and emergent themes identified. Results indicate that professional club managers display most of these attributes that precipitate the preconditions for IOR formation, but although these preconditions exist, there is little willingness by the clubs to formulate IORs with sport broadcasters.

In the last few years, the economic literature has shown an increasing interest in the football industry. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between financial performance and sporting performance in Italian football, by investigating the statistical evidences.In order to do it, the financial indicators and sporting performance will be examined with regards to 29 clubs in Serie A (the highest official Italian football league) that participated in the league during the period 2011-2015. The data are collected from the financial statements of the clubs and have been processed into financial ratio indicators. The empirical statistical analysis has been carried out by means of correlation and regression analysis.This research study empirically reveals that Italian clubs that are in good financial health, not indebted and that record higher revenues achieve the best sporting performance. This process is consistent with the “virtuous circle” theorized by the academic literature.The application of this work can be extended to other national leagues by adding new ratios. On the other hand, the main limitation is related to the fact that the entry of foreign investors in recent years to Serie A could change this trend.

PurposeIn this paper the authors investigate precarious value creation in English football clubs. They examine strategic, economic, cultural and social capital to analyse the orientations of legal owners of football clubs (entrepreneurs) and the implications for moral owners (the fans). Their research question is not if entrepreneurs create value – but whether the value created is productive or destructive.Design/methodology/approachThe research design is a case study of the professional football industry, specifically 44 football clubs in the top two professional divisions in England, namely the English Premier League and the English Football League Championship. The authors’ methodology is secondary textual data. Their approach is to examine official club statements, triangulated with regional and national press reports, fan accounts and narratives from published artefacts; fan blogs and websites.FindingsThe “opening up” of the professional football industry in England to market forces in 1983 has subsequently attracted entrepreneurs that use football clubs as artefacts to pursue other business interests. Over-grazing on strategic and economic capital at the expense and exploitation of social and cultural capital exists. As entrepreneurial opportunities to exploit a football club's assets becomes more apparent, the unique relationship between club and fan is being strained. The authors observe detachment, disenchantment and protest.Research limitations/implicationsThe data sought for this study design was necessarily in the public domain and therefore drawn from secondary sources. The scope was English football and the top two divisions, thus the findings are context specific to that region and level.Practical implicationsFor policy, the authors call for a new government inquiry into football ownership in English football, re-examining heritage, purpose and value creation.Social implicationsFootball fans are the majority stakeholder in the football industry but are under-represented in English football because of the private ownership of football clubs. Fans are, however, a barometer for how their owners are acting as custodians of their clubs and if the value created by entrepreneurs is productive or exploitative.Originality/valueThis paper has value in drawing attention to this unique and ignored industry from an entrepreneurship perspective, provoking a call for further research to explore this phenomenon. Sustainable value creation may be a useful framework for further research in this and other industries.

Background: Soccer is the most popular sport worldwide, and soccer-related injuries are very common, they have a substantial impact on individual’s financial and economic costs, as well as its effect on the national and international health quality. Objective: To increase the awareness about the factors that lead to sport injuries for the Lebanese Premier League Football. Method: A cross sectional study, consists of, 72 Players that have been enrolled and filled a survey after getting access from the Lebanese Football Association. These surveys have been categorized as (Demographics, Players’ lifestyle, Professional career, and Previous medical history). Result: 30.56% of Lebanese players work alongside playing football. Moreover, the majority of players switch shoes twice per season only. Furthermore 75% of the players were previously more prone to injuries, and 16.17% of the injuries were a ligamentous injury. Finally, most of the Lebanese stadiums are of artificial grass putting players at a high risk of injury. Conclusion: Different factors affect the rate of injury. Mainly, the lack of proper warming up and cooling down period.

Purpose This study examines legal and institutional aspects of FA Compensation System (FACS) which was introduced by Korean professional football league in 2013. Methods This legal analysis reviews the current FACS in lights of several provisions of human rights in the Constitution and other relevant rules of law. Results First, the FACS violates Article 15 of the Constitution that protects 'freedom of choice to workplace' arguably implied under the 'freedom of occupation' provision since the system restricts a player's transfer within the league by requiring a transfer fee paid by the destination team even if the player has acquired the free agency status and his current contract is expiring. Second, the FACS would likely be unconstitutional according to precedents decided by the Constitutional Court and the National Human Rights Commission on the ground that 'freedom of occupation' is closely related to the rights to pursue happiness under Article 10 of the Constitution. Conclusions Based on the legal interpretations, the study argues complete abolition or significant revision of the FACS. This project calls for follow-up studies and further policy-making efforts given the practical magnitude and scholarly merits of the issue.

Studies of the economic benefit of sports franchises to local economies typically utilize panel regression procedures to estimate the effect on variables of interest. An alternative to regression-type estimation is to adopt a case study approach utilizing the synthetic control method. We utilize this approach to study the effect of the National Football League (NFL) expansion into three cities. Specifically, we ask, how the presence of an NFL team in selected cities affected the time path of employment growth in those cities. Results reinforce the dominant view that presence of a sports franchise does not significantly affect the time path of employment.

Prior to the 2012-2013 season, National Football League franchises had the option to significantly adjust their TV blackout policies for the first time since 1973. Using data from team policy choices and local TV blackouts during the 2007-2008 to 2014-2015 seasons, we examine whether the policy change was effective in reducing the probability of blackouts or affected attendance. Controlling for team fixed effects, we find no evidence that policy-adopting teams experienced significantly fewer blackouts or a change in attendance following the policy implementation. Our analysis sheds light on the economic factors that are correlated with local TV blackouts and game attendance.

Financial literacy plays an essential role in the process of making financial decisions, as it represents a systematic effort aimed at the development of positive knowledge, and attitude. Extant literature indicates that the financial literacy among football players is low which ultimately affects their investment decisions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the influence of financial literacy on personal investment decisions among KPL players in Nairobi. The study was guided by the following specific objectives; to determine the influence of savings decisions, financial knowledge and skills, financial awareness and financial attitude on personal investment decisions among KPL players in Nairobi. The study adopted dual process theory, the exchange theory and the goal setting theory. The study employed a descriptive research design. The target population was 396 football players from the 18 teams playing the KPL for the season 2020/2021. The study covered a period of one year from November 2020 to August 2021. This study used a sample of 30% from each of the 18 KPL teams. Therefore, from each of the 18 teams, 7 football players were randomly selected making up a sample size of 126 football players. A self-administered structured questionnaire was given to the respondents for data collection. Quantitative data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS V. 23.0) was used for data analysis. Regression model was used to establish the relationship between the study variables. Before conducting the regression analysis, diagnostic tests was conducted. These tests included the multicollinearity and normality tests. The findings were presented in form of tables and figures. The findings were of importance to the football teams in Kenya as it emphasized on the need for financial literacy training. The study established that savings decisions, financial knowledge and skills, financial awareness and financial attitudes had a positive and significant influence on personal investment decisions among Kenya football premier league players in Kenya. The study concluded that the most important reason why one should start planning at an early stage of making saving decision is the power of compounding, which allows you to earn extra money on the interest received from investments. Being financially knowledgeable and skilled allows an individual to be better prepared for specific financial roadblocks, which, in turn, decreases the chances of personal economic distress. Financial awareness enables players to gain the ability to use knowledge and skills to effectively manage financial resources efficiently at a personal-level and through the lifecycle. In this era of dynamic financial markets and turbulent economic environment it is very important for every individual to keep a positive mindset towards his/her finances. A positive financial attitude helps an individual strike a right balance between the utilization of money and other aspects of life, not become overly conservative and achieve long-term financial goals. The study recommended that an individual should make a financial plan by making his or her own list and then think about which goals are the most important to him or her. The players should be encouraged to subscribe to financial newsletters. The players needs a basic understanding of financial concepts to make good financial decisions. every individual needs to keep a positive outlook about personal finances and the key to this is to develop financial skills in consultation with an expert like a certified financial planner (CFP) professional, who is equipped to take one on the path to attain freedom from financial worries.

Abstract The Australian Football League (AFL) is a leading professional sports organization within the multi-billion-dollar entertainment industry. This case study uses publicly available information to investigate the AFL in terms of its credentials as a positive institution using the good work model developed by Stansbury and Sonenshein (2012). The AFL has taken advantage of the economic rationalism and developed a corporate structure able to deliver a range of good work activities. For example, developmental programs that help players exceeding high community expectations. This study suggests that the good work model is beneficial for cognitive resources, normal functioning, regulatory focus, and impression formation. The AFL appears to answer Cameron et al. (2004) call to identify and enable flourishing and life-giving aspects of their organisation and, thus, represents a kind of positive institution. Finally, the study recognizes positive institutions as worthwhile but raises concerns about the uniqueness and lack of cultural research.

This article combines our empirical analysis concerning the impact of EU- and European-level developments on socio-economic patterns in the field of German football with the growing Europeanisation research agenda in EU Studies. Going beyond the traditional top-down (and bottom-up) approaches dominating this field of study, we seek to contribute to this debate by focusing on what we term the ‘societal/trans-national’ dimension of Europeanisation. This allows us to draw attention to societal spheres and transnational agency as important aspects/properties of change in Europeanisation processes. Through analysing five cases within the area of German football, we not only want to shed some light on an under-researched field of study for political scientists interested in Europeanisation. We also aim at exploring the applicability of systemising factors of the Europeanisation process derived from the analysis of political contexts to other areas of social interaction in order to capture hitherto neglected processes.

The article discusses ways to improve the investment regulation of professional sports organizations. The approaches of scientists and researchers in the world economic thought to the problem under study are considered. The effectiveness of professional sports as a type of economic activity in the structure of the national economy of the Republic of Belarus is noted. Based on the assessment of the economic efficiency of the functioning of professional sports organizations in the Republic of Belarus, the analysis of normative legal acts and effective foreign experience, a method of effective regulation of investments in the development of a professional sports organization is proposed, which includes a model of investment regulation and methodological recommendations for maximizing income. In contrast to the existing practice, a holistic system has lined that takes into account the management, marketing, export, information technology, innovation and investment potentials of a professional sports organization. The carried out tested developed methodology for optimize the investment regulation of a professional sports organization on the subject for compliance with real market conditions on the example of the football club of the highest League of the Republic of Belarus Shakhtyor (Soligorsk), the results showed a positive economic effect of organization and revealed directions for the development of its supporting segments.

Relevance. Since sport is one of the sectors of the economy and a specific business area, an alternative version of the model for managing and organizing sports games competitions is proposed, presumably increasing their economic efficiency.The purpose of the study is to develop a model of mixed partnership (public and private), which will help adapt the activities of sports organizations to the market laws of competition and improve their financial and economic performance.Methods and organization of the study. The basic methodological aspects of the formation of the National Professional Handball League in Belarus suggest three variants of its economic model. One of the options is based on the concept of public-private partnership. Since in the Russian Federation sport is financed mainly by the state, this model seems to us the most preferable.

As state- and local-government subsidies to professional sport organizations have increased over the past 3 decades, economic arguments have been crafted to justify these subsidies, such as Crompton’s claims of increased community visibility, enhanced community image, stimulation of other development, and psychic income. The purpose of this study was to examine the public relations strategy of a professional sport organization campaigning to secure public funding for a new stadium. Specifically, the authors focused on the use of press releases by the Minnesota Vikings, a National Football League team, over the 3 seasons preceding the completion of their successful sport-stadium campaign. This study was timely in that these press releases were from 2010, 2011, and 2012 and the new Vikings stadium grand opening is set for 2016. Through a qualitative analysis, the authors identified the arguments made by the team to garner support for the stadium plan during the Vikings’ campaign. In all, 71 press releases were collected, examined, and coded by investigators. Findings are discussed to provide insight into these 4 alternative justification arguments.

One of the most notable changes in the forty years since I left Cambridge at the end of my Law Tripos has been the growth in importance of a number of legal subjects previously either totally unknown, known but disregarded, or of interest only to an enthusiastic minority. Competition law certainly fell into one of these categories, not then being taught as a separate subject or even perhaps referred to by any lecturer, except on occasion in the context of “contracts in restraint of trade”. But now the subject has truly come of age and, like some other important commercial law topics which have deservedly earned a place within the regular syllabus of the L.L.M, finds itself referred to constantly not only in academic and professional literature but in the media. Its influence on our daily lives as citizens and consumers means that it is often the subject of headline reports (not always accurate) quite apart from its economic and political significance in the regional, national, European and world context. For example, to mention only one or two current issues, we have had the court case brought by the Office of Fair Trading against the Premier League challenging its collective sale to BSkyB of the television rights to Premier League football matches, and, major changes proposed in the UK defence industries as a result of the proposed acquisition by British Aerospace of the GEC defence businesses.

This article examines the media discourse surrounding the life and death of former National Football League player Aaron Hernandez, who died by suicide while incarcerated for first-degree murder. As a postmortem analysis found evidence of notable degenerative brain disease, differing explanations and speculations remain about the causes of his criminal behavior. This analysis illustrates how journalistic narratives attribute Hernandez’s criminality to either the material composition of his damaged brain or how his tumultuous background affected psychological makeup. Both narratives minimize the structural and political economic conditions that enabled this particular case of celebrated criminality. Cultural criminological and socio-legal insights aid in elucidating how notions of racialized masculinity and neurocriminology come to constitutively inform framings of Hernandez’s crimes, motivations, and actions while also directing critical attention away from the influence of relevant institutions, particularly sport, and instrumentalizing the role of violence. This article concludes with a reflection on the underpinning tensions revealed through depictions of Hernandez, his mind, and his brain, arguing that they surpass news and media stories and actually implicate debates about the growing influence of neuroscience in understandings of social problems, including crime.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the 2011 National Basketball Association (NBA) lockout and collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Design/methodology/approach Using a bargaining game model, the authors show that asymmetric information via owner revenue shifting and financial non-disclosure caused the conflict between owners and players (growth of player salaries) to result in a lockout. Findings The bargaining game also demonstrates the lockout to be a rational response to asymmetric information: by restricting the growth of player salaries, owners improved their competitive position. Other factors motivating the lockout include the indirect benefit to the median owner of repressing player salaries (i.e. greater expected competitive balance) and a principal agency problem within the players’ union. The lockout concluded with a ten-year CBA, a mutual opt-out in 2017, and revenue sharing between 49 and 51 percent of basketball-related income. The league salvaged a shortened 2011-2012 season, but created an economic framework more favorable to owners. Originality/value This paper is novel in its analysis of the bargaining aspects of the current NBA collective bargaining agreement.

Abstract The United States of America invests heavily on their military capability and it is estimated that it spends, alone, approximately 40 per cent of what the whole world spends on military. Four of the other super powers that make up the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UN-SC) also spend a significant percentage of their national budgets on military. Chinweizu has for a long time argued that Africa needs a well-resourced African Standby Force (or the Black Africa League) that will protect the interests of the continent so as to prevent the history of Africans enslavement and colonialism repeating itself. This article seeks to analyse Africa’s investment on its military defense capability vis-à-vis the five permanent members of the UN-SC and North Korea, by critiquing two case studies of two of the continent’s economic giants – South Africa and Egypt. Realist and Sankofa perspectives are used as the prisms through which the article was researched. In line with Chinweizu’s observation, the article argues that without serious political will and dedication to building Africa’s nuclear weapons capability and ensuring that Africa is economically self-reliant, diplomatic engagements with the rest of the world as (un)equal partners will remain a pipe dream and the looting of Africa’s mineral wealth will continue unabated. It is clear that given the reality of the African Holocust if African countries fail to collectively defend themselves, Africa will continue to be a political football for the rest of the world.

During the early twentieth century, otologists began collaborating with organizers of the New York League for the Hard of Hearing to build a bridge to “adjust the economic ratio” of deafness and create new research avenues for alleviating or curing hearing loss. This collegiality not only defined the medical discourse surrounding hearing impairment, anchoring it in hearing tests and hearing aid prescription, but, in so doing, solidified the notion that deafness was a “problem” in dire need of a “solution.” Public health campaigns thus became pivotal for spreading this message on local and national levels. This paper focuses on how, from the 1920s to 1950s, as otologists became more involved with social projects for the deaf and hard of hearing — advocating lip-reading, community work, and welfare programs — at the same time, they also mandated for greater therapeutic regulation, control of hearing aid distribution, and standardization of hearing tests. The seemingly paradoxical nature of their roles continued to reinforce the stigmatization of deafness: with widespread availability of effective help, the hearing impaired were expected to seek out therapeutic or technological measures rather than live with their affliction.

Background: For the last several months, the world has been dominated by the coronavirus pandemic that effectively stopped the activity of entities in all fields of social life: finance, economy, culture and, broadly defined sport. The dynamic nature of changes and adaptation to a new reality were related to new restrictions and limitations on the functioning of society that were imposed by local governments. Information about the postponement or cancellation of mass sports events in all disciplines, including marathons, football, athletics, basketball, handball, hockey, rugby, cricket, sailing, skiing, weightlifting, to name a few, created confusion in the sports world. For the first time in the history of the modern Olympics, the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games were postponed and took place in 2021. Material and methods: The authors analysed available reports that described the general results of the sports market as well as reports and financial statements for the period of the COVID-10 pandemic published by public joint-stock companies operating in different segments of the sports industry. Results: As a consequence of social isolation, society does not regularly practice physical activity, which may lead to deterioration in mental state and increase anxiety and stress. Because of the pandemic, millions of jobs around the world are at risk. Technology, including access to the Internet and on-line content customised to individual users’ needs, is an excellent solution to alleviate the effects of social isolation. E-sports have become very popular in the mass media, not only in the digital world, going beyond internet streaming services, social media and websites for strategic game lovers. Since traditional league games have been suspended or cancelled, the coverage of e-sports events has appeared on television. Conclusions: Today, it can be said that the COVID-19 pandemic has exerted and continues to exert a significant negative influence on the sports market, taking into consideration both economic and social aspects. It does not concern only people who work in professional sports but also those who work in related sectors such as retail or sport services that manage leagues and events. The COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be fraught with economic consequences.

Objectives: Recent emphasis has been placed on concussion safety in American football and has driven the development of new anti-concussive helmet designs which are becoming more popular in the National Football League (NFL). However, their larger diameter may inadvertently complicate on-field stabilization procedures for players with suspected cervical spine injuries. The purpose of this study was to compare the total arc of extension in the supine position before and after removal of a traditional helmet and a larger-diameter anti-concussive helmet. We hypothesized that removal of the larger helmet would result in a significantly increased total arc of extension when compared to removal of a traditional helmet. Methods: IRB approval was obtained prior to initiation of this study. Following the guidance of a priori power analysis, 27 adult male volunteers between 20 and 30 years of age were enrolled. Head circumference, height, and weight measurements were obtained before being fitted with NFL-style shoulder pads, a traditional helmet (TH), and a newly-introduced, larger anti-concussive helmet (LH). With the shoulder pads in place, each subject was asked to lay supine on the x-ray table which was equipped with standardized visible landmarks to facilitate consistent positioning between patients. Lateral radiographs were then obtained while wearing the TH, the LH, and while wearing no helmet (NH). With assistance, subjects were immobilized to the extent possible while removing/exchanging headgear between radiographs. Three cobb angle measurements were obtained for each helmet condition beginning from the most caudal aspect of C1 to the most cranial aspects of the C3, C4, and C5 vertebral bodies, respectively. Maintenance of atlanto-dens intervals were confirmed between helmet conditions in each subject. All Cobb angles were measured in duplicate by two independent observers on two occasions separated by at least 2 weeks for calculation of inter- and intra-rater reliability (κ). Statistical comparisons between helmet conditions were performed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Statistical significance was declared when p<0.05. Results: Twenty-seven male subjects with a mean age of 24.0 years (range, 22.0-36.0 years; standard deviation [SD], 3.0 years), mean body mass index (BMI) of 25.1 kg/m2 (range, 21.0-31.9 kg/m2; SD, 2.7 kg/m2), and mean head circumference of 58.2 cm (range, 53.0-62.0 cm; SD, 1.6 cm). Cobb angle measurements were found to have good-to-excellent intra-class correlation (κ). Relative to NH, the average total extension arc after removal LH removal was significantly greater than after SH removal between the C1-C3 (-2.6°; p=0.024), C1-C4 (-2.6°; p=0.036), and C1-C5 intervals (-2.9°; p=0.023), amounting to a 50-60% increased arc of cervical extension after removal of the LH relative to the TH (Table 1 and Figure 1). Conclusion: The degree of passive cervical lordosis that occurs after removal of new larger-diameter anti-concussive football helmets in the supine position is significantly greater than after removal of traditional helmets, thus potentially increasing the risk of iatrogenic cervical spine injury while attempting on-field helmet removal. Current guidelines and procedures for management of on-field cervical spine trauma in American football should be modified to account for larger helmet designs that are becoming more popular in American football. [Table: see text]

The article examines the main aspects of Soviet-Chinese cooperation in the field of sports after the normalization of bilateral relations in the late 1980s — early 1990s. Sport was one of the factors that contributed to overcoming the consequences of the thirty-year split between the USSR and the PRC at the state, regional and informal levels. During this period, the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China actively exchanged numerous sports delegations, adopting each other's successful experience in organizing and conducting competitions, as well as training athletes. In the USSR, Chinese national sports were popularized, primarily wushu and ping-pong. More traditional for the Soviet side was football, matches in which Soviet and Chinese athletes repeatedly played. Also, the article reveals some economic aspects of sports bilateral cooperation. A common thing for this period was the conclusion of various kinds of agreements and contracts at the interregional level, including those related to the sports component. The personal role of regional party functionaries, sports officials and athletes in the development of Soviet-Chinese relations is shown. There is a certain continuity between the perestroika period and the "golden age" of Soviet-Chinese cooperation in the 1950s. The experience of cooperation in sports gained at the end of perestroika had a beneficial effect on the development of Russian-Chinese relations in the 1990s. The study is carried out on the example of the Irkutsk region, which, due to objective reasons, has developed long-term and strong relations with a number of Chinese cities. The main source of the research was the Irkutsk regional periodicals.

The article is devoted to the identification and analysis of assessments by representatives of British government circles of Poland place and role in international relations in Europe on the eve of the Locarno Conference. The sources for the work were the documents of the Foreign Office, the Cabinet, and the parliamentary debates materials for the period from November 1924 to October 1925. The emergence of Cabinet members and parliamentarians assessments of Poland&apos;s place and role in international relations was facilitated by the solution of current foreign policy tasks in Europe: discussion of the Geneva Protocol, adopted on October 2, 1924 at the Assembly of the League of Nations, signing. Аfter the UK&apos;s rejection of it, guarantee pact drafts discussion, which ended with the signing of agreements in Locarno. The assessments made at the time were directly or indirectly related to such aspects of international relations as Polish-German, Polish-French relations, Poland&apos;s relations with the Baltic countries, primarily Lithuania, and policy towards Soviet Russia. It is shown that the dominant influence on the assessment of Poland&apos;s place and role in European relations by the British government circles at that time was exerted by current economic interests, ideas about national security tasks and the tradition of focusing in European politics exclusively on the &quot;great powers&quot;, which led to some disregard for the interests of Poland.

The article analyzes one of the key aspects of the representation of authorities, i. e. channeling their official image to the population. Based on the achievements of Russian historiography and information from published and newly found archival sources, it identifies ways and tools used by the Soviet Authorities to deliberately and purposefully construct the idea about itself in the minds of Soviet citizens in Siberia and effectively channel it during 1921–1929. Among the main translators of the official image of the Soviet authorities were such institutions as the Communist Party, Soviets, trade unions, the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League (Komsomol), various public organizations, media press, cultural and political educational institutions. The article shows that these translators used tools that generally can be divided into three groups. The first one is traditional or universal tools, including congresses, conferences, meetings, elections, theaters, museums, clubs, libraries, books, newspapers, and magazines. The second group – tools established by the Soviet regime, including illiteracy elimination organizations, Izba Chitalnya (“village reading rooms”), Soviet party schools, Peasant Club, and “red” corners. The third group – unique or innovative tools: “nomination”, patronage of the city over the village. The article concludes by arguing that in the early years of the New economic policy (NEP) the efficiency of the majority translators and tools of the representation of the Soviet authorities were limited. However, as the Central committee of the RCP(b) abandoned the emergency policy in Siberia and the economic situation in the country and in the region had been improved, their work and influence were gradually restored. Because of this, the authorities got back their abilities of self-presentation in different forms, in different languages, among urban and rural residents, men and women, Russians and national minorities, and literate and illiterate citizens.

Defining the European vector of development of Ukraine in the model of international cooperation as a priority involves the use of European standards in the field of law. This is impossible without careful adaptation work to bring the domestic legal system in line with the system that exists in the countries of the European Union. Recent changes in legislation have been long-awaited and have been a breakthrough in the corporate and financial sectors. The authors aim to carry out a comprehensive analysis of Ukrainian corporate law by comparing the political governance of Eastern Europe, economic and political aspects of the current situation, problems of corporate governance and ways to solve them, and the current stages of adaptation of corporate law in its transformation to the EU’s norms. In February 2018, the European Commission proposed to consider 2025 a possible date for the accession of Serbia and Montenegro, which means recognizing these countries as the first league in the Balkans, even in case the EU Council does not approve this date. The second league was set by the Council in June 2018, when 2019 was marked as a possible conditional date for the opening of accession negotiations with Albania and Macedonia. While the third league is for the accession of Bosnia and Kosovo, for which no date has been set. Negotiations with Turkey have been suspended. For comparison, if we take into account both political and economic indicators, Ukraine is approximately equal to the Balkan states of the second league. The prospect of EU membership has been recognized as the strongest external factor in domestic political change in the countries surrounding the EU. In accordance with the requirements of the Association Agreement with the EU on corporate law (EU Directives No. 2001/34/EC, No. 2003/71/EC, No. 2004/109/EC, No. 2007/14/EC, No. 2007/36/EC, No. 2012/30/ ЕС, No. 2013/34/ЕС, Recommendations of the European Commission No. 2005/162/ЕС and No. 2004/913/ЕС) the Law of Ukraine No. 2210-VIII, the Law of Ukraine “On Limited Liability and Additional Liability Companies” dated February 06, 2018 No. 2275-VIII, amendments to the Laws of Ukraine №514-VI, “On Securities and Stock Market”, “On Business Associations”, the Economic Code of Ukraine, the Civil Code of Ukraine, the Criminal Procedural Code of Ukraine and other laws were made and came into force on July 1, 2021 in the Law of Ukraine No. 738-IX. European integration transformation of Ukrainian legislation in the context of protection of shareholders’ rights was manifested through the implementation of Directive 2004/25/EC in the Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Concerning the Simplification of Doing Business and Attracting Investments by Issuers of Securities” dated March 23, 2017 No. 1983-VIII and the Law of Ukraine No. 514-VI. Ukraine’s economy has not yet recovered from the negative effects of the global financial crisis of 2008, the political coup, the national crisis of 2015, the current crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This situation shows declining dynamics, and changes in Ukrainian legislation are offset, not showing real effect. The harmonization of Ukrainian legislation is complicated by the unwillingness of Ukraine’s business environment to comply with EU rules. Analyzing the activities of the JSC, the dynamics of the securities market, stock market and the transformation of Ukrainian legislation, the initiatives of certain branches of government, we can say that Ukraine is moving in the right direction but not fast enough and forms a country with a real market economy. Therefore, we can conclude that the adaptation of Ukrainian corporate law to EU legislation should be carried out not only in relation to existing EU directives but in accordance with general trends and prospects for the development of European corporate law.

The statement about the popularity of physical culture and sports among the population is generally accepted. Experts determine that the priorities in terms of the classes’ number, psychological and emotional auspiciousness are assigned to game sports. According to practitioners, the most popular and the one that is most in demand sport is football, but in the regional and local context, we should not forget about other popular sports (basketball, volleyball, table tennis, futsal etc.). However, in Ukraine it is possible to testify the emergence of social and economic difficulties, decentralization of management in various spheres of human activity, reduction of budget revenues, the need to attract extra-budgetary funds in the form of financial assistance etc. This certainly applies to the support of playing sports at the national level and representation at major international competitions. At the same time, issues regarding ensure the development of playing sports at the local level have not been the subject of scientific study.Purpose: to find relevant information on the scientific discussion of the development of playing sports in Ukraine in the context of decentralization. Methods: theoretical analysis and generalization (study of the scientific and methodical literature content, data of the Internet to establish the level of study of the research problem, clarification of the main aspects of the development of sports games at the local level); analysis of documentary materials (study of the legal documents content of national, regional and local levels). Results. The generalization of the data significant number of studies that devoted to the scientific substantiation of the game sports development made it possible to identify the prerequisites for their emergence and effective functioning at the national, regional and local levels. Among them are the intensification of sports development; increasing the popularity of game sports, mutual transformation of game sports and the system of training athletes (basketball - 3x3 basketball, volleyball - beach volleyball, etc.), involvement of business to the development of sports; promotion of a healthy lifestyle in society; increasing competitiveness and development of commercially attractive game sports.

La mujer en el fútbol en las últimas décadas ha tenido grandes avances por su práctica deportiva y apoyo familiar, lo que le ha permitido ganar espacio en el fútbol. La investigación asumió el paradigma cualitativo, con diseño etnográfico mediante 31 entrevistas y dos grupos focales, se ha analizado las influencias socioculturales que enfrenta la mujer futbolista en la liga amateur de Puno-Perú. Algunos resultados de esta investigación señalan que existen influencias socioculturales que enfrenta la mujer futbolista y está asociada con las barreras sociales de desigualdad social y provienen de condiciones económicas media y baja, refieren no recibir apoyo por parte de los directivos y medios de comunicación, además reflejan haber recibido actitudes machistas y estigmas por su género y jugar al fútbol, siendo catalogadas como marimachos y que todos estos aspectos no les limita su práctica del fútbol. Se concluye que en la autoidentificación la mujer puneña muestra su propia personalidad, tiene confianza y maneja su propia vida y se resalta el papel de los padres de familia en la iniciación, práctica y permanencia del fútbol femenino. Abstract. Women in soccer in recent decades have made great strides due to their sports practice and family support, which has allowed them to gain space in soccer. The research assumed the qualitative paradigm, with an ethnographic design through 31 interviews and two focus groups, the sociocultural influences faced by the female soccer player in the amateur league of Puno-Peru have been analyzed. Some results of this research indicate that there are sociocultural influences faced by the female soccer player and is associated with social barriers of social inequality and come from medium and low economic conditions, they refer not receiving support from managers and the media, they also reflect having received macho attitudes and stigmas due to their gender and playing soccer, being classified as tomboys and that all these aspects do not limit their practice of soccer. It is concluded that in self-identification the woman from Puno shows her own personality, has confidence and manages her own life and the role of parents in the initiation, practice and permanence of women's football is highlighted.

As part of implementing national development projects of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030, a special place is given to student sports as a factor ensuring formation of active participants in social interactions. At this, special emphasis is placed on popularization of domestic sports, especially sambo, as a national treasure of Russia. All this actualizes the question of finding promising ways to develop student sambo, both at the federal and regional levels. Taking into account the indicated relevance, the search for promising directions for the development of student sambo in the Chuvash Republic was considered as the purpose of the study. Based on a retrospective analysis of archival data and periodical publications, some aspects and stages in the development of student sambo in the Chuvash Republic were identified for the first time, and a promising direction in its development was scientifically substantiated. In the context of the stated purpose of the study, its main methods were the analysis and generalization of data from archival sources, publications in periodicals, information from scientific and methodological literature and Internet sources. Based on a systematic approach, the authors consider student sambo in Chuvashia as a structural component of the Russian student sports system, which is an important element of the international student sports system. A brief historical insight of the international student sports movement is presented. Some aspects of student sports formation in the Russian Empire and the USSR are considered. Formation in 1957 of the voluntary student sports society “Burevestnik” is noted to be a consequence of the state policy in the field of physical culture and sports movement in the period of the 1930s – 1950s. However, taking into account the changed socio-economic conditions, in 1993 it was reorganized into the Russian Student Sports Union, which served as an impetus for creating its republican branch. The contribution to popularization and development of sambo within the framework of the republican Russian Student Sports Union by its first head, the head of Physical Education and Sports Department at I.N. Ulianov Chuvash State University, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor O.A. Markiyanov is evaluated. Based on the retrospective analysis of research materials, the stages in student sambo formation and development in Chuvashia in the Soviet and post-Soviet periods are considered in the chronological order. Statistical data on participation of Chuvash sambo students in competitions at the republican, All-Russian and international levels are given. Attention is focused on the fact that creation of the All-Russian Student Sambo League had a significant importance in the development of student sambo in Russia in general and in Chuvashia in particular. Under its auspices, not only various sambo championships and championships among students were organized, but also mutual contacts between universities of the country cultivating the domestic type of wrestling were intensified. The results of the study supplement the regional history with information on evolvement and development of student sambo in Chuvashia in the Soviet and post-Soviet periods. They can be used in training specialists in the field of physical culture and sports, as well as in advanced training courses. The results of the study can be taken into account when making some managerial decisions on the development of student sports at the regional level. Generalization of the source data based on a systematic approach gives grounds to state that student sambo of Chuvashia, having passed the stages of evolvement and development, has already acquired its own system organization. At this, it is a structural element of regional and Russian student sports. In this regard, it is concluded that further dynamic development of student sambo in Chuvashia, as a system-based construct, is possible provided its “openness” increases. In this vein, a practical recommendation is formulated.

Covid 19 – living the experience As I sit at my desk at home in suburban Brisbane, following the dictates on self-isolation shared with so many around the world, I am forced to contemplate the limits of human prediction. I look out on a world which few could have predicted six months ago. My thoughts at that time were all about 2020 as a metaphor for perfect vision and a plea for it to herald a new period of clarity which would arm us in resolving the whole host of false divisions that surrounded us. False, because so many appear to be generated by the use of polarised labelling strategies which sought to categorise humans by a whole range of identities, while losing the essential humanity and individuality which we all share. This was a troublesome trend and one which seemed reminiscent of the biblical tale concerning the tower of Babel, when a single unified language was what we needed to create harmony in a globalising world. However, yesterday’s concerns have, at least for the moment, been overshadowed by a more urgent and unifying concern with humanity’s health and wellbeing. For now, this concern has created a world which we would not have recognised in 2019. We rely more than ever on our various forms of electronic media to beam instant shots of the streets of London, New York, Berlin, Paris, Hong Kong etc. These centres of our worldly activity normally characterised by hustle and bustle, are now serenely peaceful and ordered. Their magnificent buildings have become foregrounded, assuming a dignity and presence that is more commonly overshadowed by the mad ceaseless scramble of humanity all around them. From there however the cameras can jump to some of the less fortunate areas of the globe. These streets are still teeming with people in close confined areas. There is little hope here of following frequent extended hand washing practices, let alone achieving the social distance prescribed to those of us in the global North. From this desk top perspective, it has been interesting to chart the mood as the crisis has unfolded. It has moved from a slightly distant sense of superiority as the news slowly unfolded about events in remote Wuhan. The explanation that the origins were from a live market, where customs unfamiliar to our hygienic pre-packaged approach to food consumption were practised, added to this sense of separateness and exoticism surrounding the source and initial development of the virus. However, this changed to a growing sense of concern as its growth and transmission slowly began to reveal the vulnerability of all cultures to its spread. At this early stage, countries who took steps to limit travel from infected areas seemed to gain some advantage. Australia, as just one example banned flights from China and required all Chinese students coming to study in Australia to self-isolate for two weeks in a third intermediate port. It was a step that had considerable economic costs associated with it. One that was vociferously resisted at the time by the university sector increasingly dependent on the revenue generated by servicing Chinese students. But it was when the epicentre moved to northern Italy, that the entire messaging around the event began to change internationally. At this time the tone became increasingly fearful, anxious and urgent as reports of overwhelmed hospitals and mass burials began to dominate the news. Consequently, governments attracted little criticism but were rather widely supported in the action of radically closing down their countries in order to limit human interaction. The debate had become one around the choice between health and economic wellbeing. The fact that the decision has been overwhelmingly for health, has been encouraging. It has not however stopped the pressure from those who believe that economic well-being is a determinant of human well-being, questioning the decisions of politicians and the advice of public health scientists that have dominated the responses to date. At this stage, the lives versus livelihoods debate has a long way still to run. Of some particular interest has been the musings of the opinion writers who have predicted that the events of these last months will change our world forever. Some of these predictions have included the idea that rather than piling into common office spaces working remotely from home and other advantageous locations will be here to stay. Schools and universities will become centres of learning more conveniently accessed on-line rather than face to face. Many shopping centres will become redundant and goods will increasingly be delivered via collection centres or couriers direct to the home. Social distancing will impact our consumption of entertainment at common venues and lifestyle events such as dining out. At the macro level, it has been predicted that globalisation in its present form will be reversed. The pandemic has led to actions being taken at national levels and movement being controlled by the strengthening and increased control of physical borders. Tourism has ground to a halt and may not resume on its current scale or in its present form as unnecessary travel, at least across borders, will become permanently reduced. Advocates of change have pointed to some of the unpredicted benefits that have been occurring. These include a drop in air pollution: increased interaction within families; more reading undertaken by younger adults; more systematic incorporation of exercise into daily life, and; a rediscovered sense of community with many initiatives paying tribute to the health and essential services workers who have been placed at the forefront of this latest struggle with nature. Of course, for all those who point to benefits in the forced lifestyle changes we have been experiencing, there are those who would tell a contrary tale. Demonstrations in the US have led the push by those who just want things to get back to normal as quickly as possible. For this group, confinement at home creates more problems. These may be a function of the proximity of modern cramped living quarters, today’s crowded city life, dysfunctional relationships, the boredom of self-entertainment or simply the anxiety that comes with an insecure livelihood and an unclear future. Personally however, I am left with two significant questions about our future stimulated by the events that have been ushered in by 2020. The first is how is it that the world has been caught so unprepared by this pandemic? The second is to what extent do we have the ability to recalibrate our current practices and view an alternative future? In considering the first, it has been enlightening to observe the extent to which politicians have turned to scientific expertise in order to determine their actions. Terms like ‘flattening the curve’, ‘community transmission rates’, have become part of our daily lexicon as the statistical modellers advance their predictions as to how the disease will spread and impact on our health systems. The fact that scientists are presented as the acceptable and credible authority and the basis for our actions reflects a growing dependency on data and modelling that has infused our society generally. This acceptance has been used to strengthen the actions on behalf of the human lives first and foremost position. For those who pursue the livelihoods argument even bigger figures are available to be thrown about. These relate to concepts such as numbers of jobless, increase in national debt, growth in domestic violence, rise in mental illness etc. However, given that they are more clearly estimates and based on less certain assumptions and variables, they do not at this stage seem to carry the impact of the data produced by public health experts. This is not surprising but perhaps not justifiable when we consider the failure of the public health lobby to adequately prepare or forewarn us of the current crisis in the first place. Statistical predictive models are built around historical data, yet their accuracy depends upon the quality of those data. Their robustness for extrapolation to new settings for example will differ as these differ in a multitude of subtle ways from the contexts in which they were initially gathered. Our often uncritical dependence upon ‘scientific’ processes has become worrying, given that as humans, even when guided by such useful tools, we still tend to repeat mistakes or ignore warnings. At such a time it is an opportunity for us to return to the reservoir of human wisdom to be found in places such as our great literature. Works such as The Plague by Albert Camus make fascinating and educative reading for us at this time. As the writer observes Everybody knows that pestilences have a way of recurring in the world, yet somehow, we find it hard to believe in ones that crash down on our heads from a blue sky. There have been as many plagues as wars in history, yet always plagues and wars take people equally by surprise. So it is that we constantly fail to study let alone learn the lessons of history. Yet 2020 mirrors 1919, as at that time the world was reeling with the impact of the Spanish ‘Flu, which infected 500 million people and killed an estimated 50 million. This was more than the 40 million casualties of the four years of the preceding Great War. There have of course been other pestilences since then and much more recently. Is our stubborn failure to learn because we fail to value history and the knowledge of our forebears? Yet we can accept with so little question the accuracy of predictions based on numbers, even with varying and unquestioned levels of validity and reliability. As to the second question, many writers have been observing some beneficial changes in our behaviour and our environment, which have emerged in association with this sudden break in our normal patterns of activity. It has given us the excuse to reevaluate some of our practices and identify some clear benefits that have been occurring. As Australian newspaper columnist Bernard Salt observes in an article titled “the end of narcissism?” I think we’ve been re-evaluating the entire contribution/reward equation since the summer bushfires and now, with the added experience of the pandemic, we can see the shallowness of the so-called glamour professions – the celebrities, the influencers. We appreciate the selflessness of volunteer firefighters, of healthcare workers and supermarket staff. From the pandemic’s earliest days, glib forays into social media by celebrities seeking attention and yet further adulation have been met with stony disapproval. Perhaps it is best that they stay offline while our real heroes do the heavy lifting. To this sad unquestioning adherence to both scientism and narcissism, we can add and stir the framing of the climate rebellion and a myriad of familiar ‘first world’ problems which have caused dissension and disharmony in our communities. Now with an external threat on which to focus our attention, there has been a short lull in the endless bickering and petty point scoring that has characterised our western liberal democracies in the last decade. As Camus observed: The one way of making people hang together is to give ‘em a spell of the plague. So, the ceaseless din of the topics that have driven us apart has miraculously paused for at least a moment. Does this then provide a unique opportunity for us together to review our habitual postures and adopt a more conciliatory and harmonious communication style, take stock, critically evaluate and retune our approach to life – as individuals, as nations, as a species? It is not too difficult to hypothesise futures driven by the major issues that have driven us apart. Now, in our attempts to resist the virus, we have given ourselves a glimpse of some of the very things the climate change activists have wished to happen. With few planes in the air and the majority of cars off the roads, we have already witnessed clearer and cleaner air. Working at home has freed up the commuter driven traffic and left many people with more time to spend with their family. Freed from the continuing throng of tourists, cities like Venice are regenerating and cleansing themselves. This small preview of what a less travelled world might start to look like surely has some attraction. But of course, it does not come without cost. With the lack of tourism and the need to work at home, jobs and livelihoods have started to change. As with any revolution there are both winners and losers. The lockdown has distinguished starkly between essential and non-essential workers. That represents a useful starting point from which to assess what is truly of value in our way of life and what is peripheral as Salt made clear. This is a question that I would encourage readers to explore and to take forward with them through the resolution of the current situation. However, on the basis that educators are seen as providing essential services, now is the time to turn to the content of our current volume. Once again, I direct you to the truly international range of our contributors. They come from five different continents yet share a common focus on one of the most popular of shared cultural experiences – sport. Unsurprisingly three of our reviewed papers bring different insights to the world’s most widely shared sport of all – football, or as it would be more easily recognised in some parts of the globe - soccer. Leading these offerings is a comparison of fandom in Australia and China. The story presented by Knijnk highlights the rise of the fanatical supporters known as the ultras. The origin of the movement is traced to Italy, but it is one that claims allegiances now around the world. Kniijnk identifies the movement’s progression into Australia and China and, in pointing to its stance against the commercialisation of their sport by the scions of big business, argues for its deeper political significance and its commitment to the democratic ownership of sport. Reflecting the increasing availability and use of data in our modern societies, Karadog, Parim and Cene apply some of the immense data collected on and around the FIFA World Cup to the task of selecting the best team from the 2018 tournament held in Russia, a task more usually undertaken by panels of experts. Mindful of the value of using data in ways that can assist future decision making, rather than just in terms of summarising past events, they also use the statistics available to undertake a second task. The second task was the selection of the team with the greatest future potential by limiting eligibility to those at an early stage in their careers, namely younger than 28 and who arguably had still to attain their prime as well as having a longer career still ahead of them. The results for both selections confirm how membership of the wealthy European based teams holds the path to success and recognition at the global level no matter what the national origins of players might be. Thirdly, taking links between the sport and the world of finance a step further, Gomez-Martinez, Marques-Bogliani and Paule-Vianez report on an interesting study designed to test the hypothesis that sporting success within a community is reflected in positive economic outcomes for members of that community. They make a bold attempt to test their hypothesis by examining the relationship of the performance of three world leading clubs in Europe - Bayern Munich, Juventus and Paris Saint Germain and the performance of their local stock markets. Their findings make for some interesting thoughts about the significance of sport in the global economy and beyond into the political landscape of our interconnected world. Our final paper comes from Africa but for its subject matter looks to a different sport, one that rules the subcontinent of India - cricket. Norrbhai questions the traditional coaching of batting in cricket by examining the backlift techniques of the top players in the Indian Premier league. His findings suggest that even in this most traditional of sports, technique will develop and change in response to the changing context provided by the game itself. In this case the context is the short form of the game, introduced to provide faster paced entertainment in an easily consumable time span. It provides a useful reminder how in sport, techniques will not be static but will continue to evolve as the game that provides the context for the skilled performance also evolves. To conclude our pages, I must apologise that our usual book review has fallen prey to the current world disruption. In its place I would like to draw your attention to the announcement of a new publication which would make a worthy addition to the bookshelf of any international sports scholar. “Softpower, Soccer, Supremacy – The Chinese Dream” represents a unique and timely analysis of the movement of the most popular and influential game in the world – Association Football, commonly abbreviated to soccer - into the mainstream of Chinese national policy. The editorial team led by one of sports histories most recognised scholars, Professor J A Mangan, has assembled a who’s who of current scholars in sport in Asia. Together they provide a perspective that takes in, not just the Chinese view of these important current developments but also, the view of others in the geographical region. From Japan, Korea and Australia, they bring with them significant experience to not just the beautiful game, but sport in general in that dynamic and fast-growing part of the world. Particularly in the light of the European dominance identified in the Karog, Parim and Cene paper this work raises the question as to whether we can expect to see a change in the world order sooner rather than later. It remains for me to make one important acknowledgement. In my last editorial I alerted you to the sorts of decisions we as an editorial and publication team were facing with regard to ensuring the future of the journal. Debates as to how best to proceed while staying true to our vision and goals are still proceeding. However, I am pleased to acknowledge the sponsorship provided by The University of Macao for volume 42 and recognise the invaluable contribution made by ISCPES former president Walter Ho to this process. Sponsorship can provide an important input to the ongoing existence and strength of this journal and we would be interested in talking to other institutions or groups who might also be interested in supporting our work, particularly where their goals align closely with ours. May I therefore commend to you the works of our international scholars and encourage your future involvement in sharing your interest in and expertise with others in the world of comparative and international sport studies, John Saunders, Brisbane, May 2020

It was the Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan who first introduced the term ‘global village’ into the lexicon, almost fifty years ago. He was referring to the phenomenon of global interconnectedness of which we are all too aware today. At that time, we were witnessing the world just opening up. In 1946, British Airways had commenced a twice weekly service from London to New York. The flight involved one or two touch downs en-route and took a scheduled 19 hours and 45 minutes. By the time McLuhan had published his book “Understanding media; the extensions of man”, there were regular services by jet around the globe. London to Sydney was travelled in just under 35 hours. Moving forward to a time immediately pre-covid, there were over 30 non-stop flights a day in each direction between London and New York. The travel time from London to Sydney had been cut by a third, to slightly under 22 hours, with just one touchdown en-route. The world has well and truly ‘opened up’. No place is unreachable by regular services. But that is just one part of the picture. In 1962, the very first live television pictures were transmitted across the Atlantic, via satellite. It was a time when sports’ fans would tune in besides a crackling radio set to hear commentary of their favourite game relayed from the other side of the world. Today of course, not only can we watch a live telecast of the Olympic Games in the comfort of our own homes wherever the games are being held, but we can pick up a telephone and talk face to face with friends and relatives in real time, wherever they may be in the world. To today’s generation – generation Z – this does not seem in the least bit remarkable. Indeed, they have been nicknamed ‘the connected generation’ precisely because such a degree of human interconnectedness no longer seems worth commenting on. The media technology and the transport advances that underpin this level of connectedness, have become taken for granted assumptions to them. This is why the global events of 2020 and the associated public health related reactions, have proved to be so remarkable to them. It is mass travel and the closeness and variety of human contact in day-to-day interactions, that have provided the breeding ground for the pandemic. Consequently, moving around and sharing close proximity with many strangers, have been the activities that have had to be curbed, as the initial primary means to manage the spread of the virus. This has caused hardship to many, either through the loss of a job and the associated income or, the lengthy enforced separation from family and friends – for the many who find themselves living and working far removed from their original home. McLuhan’s powerful metaphor was ahead of its time. His thoughts were centred around media and electronic communications well prior to the notion of a ‘physical’ pandemic, which today has provided an equally potent image of how all of our fortunes have become intertwined, no matter where we sit in the world. Yet it is this event which seems paradoxically to have for the first time forced us to consider more closely the path of progress pursued over the last half century. It is as if we are experiencing for the first time the unleashing of powerful and competing forces, which are both centripetal and centrifugal. On the one hand we are in a world where we have a World Health Organisation. This is a body which has acted as a global force, first declaring the pandemic and subsequently acting in response to it as a part of its brief for international public health. It has brought the world’s scientists and global health professionals together to accelerate the research and development process and develop new norms and standards to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and help care for those affected. At the same time, we have been witnessing nations retreating from each other and closing their borders in order to restrict the interaction of their citizens with those from other nations around the world. We have perceived that danger and risk are increased by international travel and human to human interaction. As a result, increasingly communication has been carried out from the safety and comfort of one’s own home, with electronic media taking the place of personal interaction in the real world. The change to the media dominated world, foreseen by McLuhan a half century ago, has been hastened and consolidated by the threats posed by Covid 19. Real time interactions can be conducted more safely and more economically by means of the global reach of the internet and the ever-enhanced technologies that are being offered to facilitate that. Yet at a geopolitical level prior to Covid 19, the processes of globalism and nationalism were already being recognised as competing forces. In many countries, tensions have emerged between those who are benefitting from the opportunities presented by the development of free trade between countries and those who are invested in more traditional ventures, set in their own nations and communities. The emerging beneficiaries have become characterised as the global elites. Their demographic profile is one associated with youth, education and progressive social ideas. However, they are counter-balanced by those who, rather than opportunities, have experienced threats from the disruptions and turbulence around them. Among the ideas challenged, have been the expected certainties of employment, social values and the security with which many grew up. Industries which have been the lifeblood of their communities are facing extinction and even the security of housing and a roof over the heads of self and family may be under threat. In such circumstances, some people may see waves of new immigrants, technology, and changing social values as being tides which need to be turned back. Their profile is characterised by a demographic less equipped to face such changes - the more mature, less well educated and less mobile. Yet this tension appears to be creating something more than just the latest version of the generational divide. The recent clashes between Republicans and Democrats in the US have provided a very potent example of these societal stresses. The US has itself exported some of these arenas of conflict to the rest of the world. Black lives Matter and #Me too, are social movements with their foundation in the US which have found their way far beyond the immediate contexts which gave them birth. In the different national settings where these various tensions have emerged, they have been characterised through labels such as left and right, progressive and traditional, the ‘haves’ versus the ‘have nots’ etc. Yet common to all of this growing competitiveness between ideologies and values is a common thread. The common thread lies in the notion of competition itself. It finds itself expressed most potently in the spread and adoption of ideas based on what has been termed the neoliberal values of the free market. These values have become ingrained in the language and concepts we employ every day. Thus, everything has a price and ultimately the price can be represented by a dollar value. We see this process of commodification around us on a daily basis. Sports studies’ scholars have long drawn attention to its continuing growth in the world of sport, especially in situations when it overwhelms the human characteristics of the athletes who are at the very heart of sport. When the dollar value of the athlete and their performance becomes more important than the individual and the game, then we find ourselves at the heart of some of the core problems reported today. It is at the point where sport changes from an experience, where the athletes develop themselves and become more complete persons experiencing positive and enriching interactions with fellow athletes, to an environment where young athletes experience stress and mental and physical ill health as result of their experiences. Those who are supremely talented (and lucky?) are rewarded with fabulous riches. Others can find themselves cast out on the scrap heap as a result of an unfair selection process or just the misfortune of injury. Sport as always, has proved to be a mirror of life in reflecting this process in the world at large, highlighting the heights that can be climbed by the fortunate as well as the depths that can be plumbed by the ill-fated. Advocates of the free-market approach will point to the opportunities it can offer. Figures can show that in a period of capitalist organised economies, there has been an unprecedented reduction in the amount of poverty in the world. Despite rapid growth in populations, there has been some extraordinary progress in lifting people out of extreme poverty. Between 1990 and 2010, the numbers in poverty fell by half as a share of the total population in developing countries, from 43% to 21%—a reduction of almost 1 billion people (The Economist Leader, June 1st, 2013). Nonetheless the critics of capitalism will continue to point to an increasing gap between the haves and don’t haves and specifically a decline in the ‘middle classes’, which have for so long provided the backbone of stable democratic societies. This delicate balance between retreating into our own boundaries as a means to manage the pandemic and resuming open borders to prevent economic damage to those whose businesses and employment depend upon the continuing movement of people and goods, is one which is being agonised over at this time in liberal democratic societies around the world. The experience of the pandemic has varied between countries, not solely because of the strategies adopted by politicians, but also because of the current health systems and varying social and economic conditions of life in different parts of the world. For many of us, the crises and social disturbances noted above have been played out on our television screens and websites. Increasingly it seems that we have been consuming our life experiences in a world dominated by our screens and sheltered from the real messiness of life. Meanwhile, in those countries with a choice, the debate has been between public health concerns and economic health concerns. Some have argued that the two are not totally independent of each other, while others have argued that the extent to which they are seen as interrelated lies in the extent to which life’s values have themselves become commodified. Others have pointed to the mental health problems experienced by people of all ages as a result of being confined for long periods of time within limited spaces and experiencing few chances to meet with others outside their immediate household. Still others have experienced different conditions – such as the chance to work from home in a comfortable environment and be freed from the drudgery of commuting in crowded traffic or public transport. So, at a national/communal level as well as at an individual level, this international crisis has exposed people to different decisions. It has offered, for many, a chance to recalibrate their lives. Those who have the resources, are leaving the confines of the big capital cities and seeking a healthier and less turbulent existence in quieter urban centres. For those of us in what can be loosely termed ‘an information industry’, today’s work practices are already an age away from what they were in pre-pandemic times. Yet again, a clear split is evident. The notion of ‘essential industries’ has been reclassified. The delivery of goods, the facilitation of necessary purchase such as food; these and other tasks have acquired a new significance which has enhanced the value of those who deliver these services. However, for those whose tasks can be handled via the internet or offloaded to other anonymous beings a readjustment of a different kind is occurring. So to the future - for those who have suffered ill-health and lost loved ones, the pandemic only reinforces the human priority. Health and well-being trumps economic health and wealth where choices can be made. The closeness of human contact has been reinforced by the tales of families who have been deprived of the touch of their loved ones, many of whom still don’t know when that opportunity will be offered again. When writing our editorial, a year ago, I little expected to be still pursuing a Covid related theme today. Yet where once we were expecting to look back on this time as a minor hiccough, with normal service being resumed sometime last year, it has not turned out to be that way. Rather, it seems that we have been offered a major reset opportunity in the way in which we continue to progress our future as humans. The question is, will we be bold enough to see the opportunity and embrace a healthier more equitable more locally responsible lifestyle or, will we revert to a style of ‘progress’ where powerful countries, organisations and individuals continue to amass increased amounts of wealth and influence and become increasingly less responsive to the needs of individuals in the throng below. Of course, any retreat from globalisation as it has evolved to date, will involve disruption of a different kind, which will inevitably lead to pain for some. It seems inevitable that any change and consequent progress is going to involve winners and losers. Already airline companies and the travel industry are putting pressure on governments to “get back to normal” i.e. where things were previously. Yet, in the shadow of widespread support for climate activism and the extinction rebellion movement, reports have emerged that since the lockdowns air pollution has dropped dramatically around the world – a finding that clearly offers benefits to all our population. In a similar vein the impossibility of overseas air travel in Australia has resulted in a major increase in local tourism, where more inhabitants are discovering the pleasures of their own nation. The transfer of their tourist and holiday dollars from overseas to local tourist providers has produced at one level a traditional zero-sum outcome, but it has also been accompanied by a growing appreciation of local citizens for the wonders of their own land and understanding of the lives of their fellow citizens as well as massive savings in foregone air travel. Continuing to define life in terms of competition for limited resources will inevitably result in an ever-continuing run of zero-sum games. Looking beyond the prism of competition and personal reward has the potential to add to what Michael Sandel (2020) has termed ‘the common good’. Does the possibility of a reset, offer the opportunity to recalibrate our views of effort and reward to go beyond a dollar value and include this important dimension? How has sport been experiencing the pandemic and are there chances for a reset here? An opinion piece from Peter Horton in this edition, has highlighted the growing disconnect of professional sport at the highest level from the communities that gave them birth. Is this just another example of the outcome of unrestrained commodification? Professional sport has suffered in the pandemic with the cancelling of fixtures and the enforced absence of crowds. Yet it has shown remarkable resilience. Sport science staff may have been reduced alongside all the auxiliary workers who go to make up the total support staff on match days and other times. Crowds have been absent, but the game has gone on. Players have still been able to play and receive the support they have become used to from trainers, physiotherapists and analysts, although for the moment there may be fewer of them. Fans have had to rely on electronic media to watch their favourites in action– but perhaps that has just encouraged the continuing spread of support now possible through technology which is no longer dependent on personal attendance through the turnstile. Perhaps for those committed to the watching of live sport in the outdoors, this might offer a chance for more attention to be paid to sport at local and community levels. Might the local villagers be encouraged to interrelate with their hometown heroes, rather than the million-dollar entertainers brought in from afar by the big city clubs? To return to the village analogy and the tensions between global and local, could it be that the social structure of the village has become maladapted to the reality of globalisation? If we wish to retain the traditional values of village life, is returning to our village a necessary strategy? If, however we see that today the benefits and advantages lie in functioning as one single global community, then perhaps we need to do some serious thinking as to how that community can function more effectively for all of its members and not just its ‘elites’. As indicated earlier, sport has always been a reflection of our society. Whichever way our communities decide to progress, sport will have a place at their heart and sport scholars will have a place in critically reflecting the nature of the society we are building. It is on such a note that I am pleased to introduce the content of volume 43:1 to you. We start with a reminder from Hoyoon Jung of the importance of considering the richness provided by a deep analysis of context, when attempting to evaluate and compare outcomes for similar events. He examines the concept of nation building through sport, an outcome that has been frequently attributed to the conduct of successful events. In particular, he examines this outcome in the context of the experiences of South Africa and Brazil as hosts of world sporting events. The mega sporting event that both shared was the FIFA world cup, in 2010 and 2014 respectively. Additional information could be gained by looking backwards to the 1995 Rugby World Cup in the case of South Africa and forward to the 2016 Olympics with regard to Brazil. Differentiating the settings in terms of timing as well as in the makeup of the respective local cultures, has led Jung to conclude that a successful outcome for nation building proved possible in the case of South Africa. However, different settings, both economically and socially, made it impossible for Brazil to replicate the South African experience. From a globally oriented perspective to a more local one, our second paper by Rafal Gotowski and Marta Anna Zurawak examines the growth and development, with regard to both participation and performance, of a more localised activity in Poland - the Nordic walking marathon. Their analysis showed that this is a locally relevant activity that is meeting the health-related exercise needs of an increasing number of people in the middle and later years, including women. It is proving particularly beneficial as an activity due to its ability to offer a high level of intensity while reducing the impact - particularly on the knees. The article by Petr Vlček, Richard Bailey, Jana Vašíčková XXABSTRACT Claude Scheuer is also concerned with health promoting physical activity. Their focus however is on how the necessary habit of regular and relevant physical activity is currently being introduced to the younger generation in European schools through the various physical education curricula. They conclude that physical education lessons, as they are currently being conducted, are not providing the needed 50% minimum threshold of moderate to vigorous physical activity. They go further, to suggest that in reality, depending on the physical education curriculum to provide the necessary quantum of activity within the child’s week, is going to be a flawed vision, given the instructional and other objectives they are also expected to achieve. They suggest implementing instead an ‘Active Schools’ concept, where the PE lessons are augmented by other school-based contexts within a whole school programme of health enhancing physical activity for children. Finally, we step back to the global and international context and the current Pandemic. Eric Burhaein, Nevzt Demirci, Carla Cristina Vieira Lourenco, Zsolt Nemeth and Diajeng Tyas Pinru Phytanza have collaborated as a concerned group of physical educators to provide an important international position statement which addresses the role which structured and systematic physical activity should assume in the current crisis. This edition then concludes with two brief contributions. The first is an opinion piece by Peter Horton which provides a professional and scholarly reaction to the recent attempt by a group of European football club owners to challenge the global football community and establish a self-governing and exclusive European Super League. It is an event that has created great alarm and consternation in the world of football. Horton reflects the outrage expressed by that community and concludes: While recognising the benefits accruing from well managed professionalism, the essential conflict between the values of sport and the values of market capitalism will continue to simmer below the surface wherever sport is commodified rather than practised for more ‘intrinsic’ reasons. We conclude however on a more celebratory note. We are pleased to acknowledge the recognition achieved by one of the members of our International Review Board. The career and achievements of Professor John Wang – a local ‘scholar’- have been recognised in his being appointed as the foundation E.W. Barker Professor in Physical Education and Sport at the Nanyang Technological University. This is a well-deserved honour and one that reflects the growing stature of the Singapore Physical Education and Sports Science community within the world of International Sport Studies. John Saunders Brisbane, June 2021

Purpose The relation between sport and sustainability is a topic that has recently raised a lot of interest among both academics and practitioners. However, in the academic literature, very few studies have investigated which solutions are implemented in football, despite its popularity, to reduce the environmental impact of its events. This study contributes to filling this gap by exploring how stadium managers tackle environmental issues for football events. Design/methodology/approach The authors have analyzed 94 sustainability reports of major sports events and conducted 6 case studies in 6 different major league stadiums around Europe in the framework of research supported by UEFA and three EU National Football Associations. Findings The heterogeneity of practices and goals at both the governance and operational level denote that stadium managers pursue environmental objectives mainly voluntarily and under local pressures. Efforts toward environmental improvement appear to depend on an economic and efficiency rationale, which translates into the adoption of technologies and operational practices characterized by short-term economic returns (i.e. energy and resources savings). As a result, operational practices outnumber governance-level practices. Practical implications The analysis clearly highlights that the fragmentation of operational practices derives from a lack of maturity of governance structures, especially when multiple actors have different – yet mutually influencing – responsibilities on the infrastructures or the planning and staging of football events. Originality/value Building on the notion of the holistic approach to environmental sustainability in sport management the research differentiated environmental practices according to the operational and governance dimensions. While operational practices tackle environmental aspects directly associated with football events (e.g. waste, energy consumption, water usage, etc.), governance-level practices relate to the systemic allocation of environmental roles and responsibilities within the management structure underlying football events.

Abstract The biggest question of professional sports is how to compete successfully in the global economic framework, simultaneously in terms of the sport and in economic terms. As a result, in addition to indicators measuring sports-related effectiveness, the need for an economic analysis of sport has also emerged. Most academic research into the economic aspects of sports are related to the analysis of North American major league sports, as well as to European football. Water polo is also a spectator team sport, yet its economic analysis is almost entirely missing. In this article, we present an economic analysis of the operation of five men’s water polo teams – the top four teams in terms of the sports results and one from the mid-range – competing in the highest-level national championship in Hungary. Our aim is to determine, on the basis of the analysis of the data, the relationship between effectiveness in sports and the economic background of the teams. It can undoubtedly be concluded that, in addition to appropriate professional decisions, it is the economic situation of a club that has a clear impact on their effectiveness; in other words, up to a certain point, the more disposable funds and wider range of assets a sports company has, the more effectively it can prepare and the better results it will have in the various domestic and international championships and tournaments. CIT (corporate income tax benefits, “TAO” in Hungarian) support is fundamentally important in the field of youth sports development. While professional sports in Hungary are built on the development of junior players, there is still no clear link between the successfulness of the adult and the junior teams. The first-division teams of the clubs providing the best junior players are frequently in the mid-range or occasionally among the weakest teams in the national championship. Our research has shown that apart from the fact that some teams are extremely successful in the water polo championship, the outcome of many matches becomes quite predictable. Based on these, the uncertainty of the outcome is compromised, and the championship becomes less exciting and also loses some of its audience.