Sport Economics, Equity and the Environment

We already know what happens after bursting housing bubbles.  And, we have heard more than we want to about "there being enough blame to go around" for the financial collapse and its accompanying ethical lapses. Further, even though those who should have seen it still cling to the "no one saw it coming" defense, we now know that bubbles DO burst.  Even ethics bubbles. In hindsight.

The NCAA Final Four men's basketball tournament is being hosted in Detroit this year.

Michigan State is still in the tournament. As is the Michigan State women's team. Except that the women are playing their Final Four in St. Louis.

What will a win in Detroit mean to the state's citizens? Does sport still have an ability to bring people together? Especially in hard times? Or is this idea just another sport myth? 

And suppose the Michigan State women's team wins. What will the impact on the state be?

Friends and assorted others in my orbit routinely complain about the overemphasis on sport issues and on athletics. No group comes in for more criticism for spending time on sports matters than the sport fans we have elected to Congress. Because, of course, sport does not really matter.

One of the older dilemmas shadowing disabled sports surfaced this last week, when it was reported by BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/news/2008/09/080912_paralympics_et_sl....) that a Irish football player, Derek Malone had been barred from participating in the Paralympics, the elite sporting event for individuals with disabilities from countries all over the world. Not for performance enhancing drug use however. The reason? His functionality.

Originally submitted by: jadelay