This paper derives equivalent gross salary for Major League Baseball free agents weighing offers from teams based in states with different income tax rates. After discussing tax law applicable to professional sports teams' players, including “jock taxes” and the interrelationship of state...

On April 24, 2012, Marvin Miller delivered a speech at New York University in which he reflected at length on the history of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and his role in the development of the labor union he led from 1966 to 1983. This article is an introduction in two...

Relative age effects (RAEs) occur when those who are relatively older for their age group are more likely to succeed. RAEs occur reliably in some educational and athletic contexts, yet the causal mechanisms remain unclear. To test whether selection bias contributes to RAEs, we analyzed National...

College athletics, despite being amateur in their nature, have burgeoned into multi-million dollar businesses. However, although there have been many studies of professional athletic leagues, little has been done to examine college athletics as a business. This paper tests popular assumptions...

Many industries are impacted by "superstars," where a select few individuals add tremendous economic value. This paper estimates fan willingness-to-pay for superstars in the National Basketball Association, and, in particular, distinguishes between demand for player skill versus player...

We apply quintile regression methodology to player pay and performance data from the 1985-86 to 2005-06 seasons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In addition to confirming a finding from Hakes and Turner (2007) of systematic bias in pooled OLS regressions of career paths for salary...

Economic models predict that “superstar” players generate externalities that increase attendance and other revenue sources beyond their individual contributions to team success. We investigate the effect of superstar players on individual game attendance at National Basketball Association...

This Chapter reviews evidence on discrimination in basketball, primarily examining studies on race but with some discussion of gender as well. I focus on discrimination in pay, hiring, and retention against black NBA players and coaches and pay disparities by gender among college coaches. There...