Sports – Something of Interest

Happy Bobby Bonilla Day!

Dave — Sat, 01 Jul 2023 15:33:34 +0000

On this day the Mets baseball team pays former player Bobby Bonilla over 1 million dollars each year until 2035.

After his subpar 1999 season, the Mets released Bonilla, but still owed him $5.9 million. Bonilla and his agent offered the Mets a deal: Bonilla would defer payment for a decade, and the Mets would pay him an annual paycheck of $1.19 million starting in 2011 and ending in 2035, adding up to a total payout of $29.8 million.^[19]^[20]^[21] Some fans refer to these payments on July 1 as “Bobby Bonilla Day”. Mets owner Fred Wilpon accepted the deal mostly because he was heavily invested with Ponzi scheme operator Bernie Madoff, and the 10 percent returns he thought he was getting on his investments with Madoff outweighed the eight percent interest the Mets would be paying on Bonilla’s initial $5.9 million. As a result, the payout was a subject of inquiry during the Madoff investment scandal investigation when it came to light in 2008.^[22] Bonilla also has a second deferred-contract plan with the Mets and Baltimore Orioles that was initiated in 2004 and pays him $500,000 a year for 25 years.^[23]

The NFL Is Not the Corporate Behemoth You Think It Is

Dave — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 13:51:29 +0000

On a recent Freakonomics podcast, Victor Matheson, a professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, pointed out that the NFL generates revenues of about 14-15 Billion dollars a year. And that sounds like a lot and to be sure the NFL is a cultural force in America. But when you compare it to other companies that have similar revenues, it’s just not that big. Matheson says that a business with similar revenue is the paint company Sherwin-Williams. “So the typical American buys as much paint from Sherwin-Williams as it does by buying N.F.L. products from the largest league in the world.”

The Freakonomics podcast is currently doing a series on sports that’s worth checking out.

And don’t forget the NFL operates with a special allowance that allows it’s owners to collude with one another, exempting it from corporate monopoly laws. Not to mention that up until 2015, the NFL operated as a non-profit 501c (although the individual teams do pay taxes on their revenue).

Billiard Balls were made of Ivory up until the 1950s

Dave — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 18:54:05 +0000

According to this excellent 99% Invisible podcast, billiard balls were made of ivory tusk up until they found a suitable replacement in the 1950s. Think it’s easy to make a billiard ball, check out this video of the process.

Polygoon – Hoe biljartballen worden gemaakt from KNBB – Biljart TV on Vimeo.

http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-post-billiards-age/

Catch a Bass With Your Bare Hands?

Dave — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 15:41:14 +0000

Found this on metafilter the other day, although it is a trained pet fish, it’s still a pretty good trick! Not to mention he’s running the camera too!

[youtube=”https://youtu.be/wwGvap79hN8″]

Sport Stacking?

Dave — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 12:38:40 +0000

I saw these plastic cups being sold in a Toys-R-Us store billed as some sort of game. Sure enough, it’s all the rage with kids, stacking plastic cups, who’d a thunk it? And of course it originated in California. Here’s a video of a world record stacker.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_stacking

Morten Anderson, oldest player in NFL

Dave — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 18:30:29 +0000

This past weekend, I was able to watch my Atlanta Falcons play on television. There was old Morten Anderson at 46, the oldest player in the NFL, kicking it with the best of them. In fact he was playing in the NFL before many of his teammates were born. He’s stated he want to break the record for being the oldest player in the NFL, he’ll have to make it to Dec 2008 to accomplish that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morten_Andersen