Major League Baseball is currently engaged in one of its ugliest labor disputes in decades. In discussions of this battle, we’re commonly hearing references to Major League Baseball’s “antitrust exemption”. What is Major League Baseball’s antitrust exemption, how did it come about, and will it last? The Sherman Antitrust Act To understand baseball’s position, we … Read more
The forward pass was illegal in the early history of American football. Several visionaries believed that bringing in the forward pass would reduce injuries and deaths in college football and save the sport from being banned. This article runs through the history of the forward pass. Who invented it? Who threw the first pass? Read … Read more
A cry sometimes heard from NFL fans when a call doesn’t go their team’s way is that the NFL is rigged. Is there anything to this? Or is it just disgruntled fans losing their sense of perspective? And what about recent accusations by Brian Flores of a franchise losing matches for better draft picks? Two … Read more
Most people are aware that radio communication is used everywhere in the NFL. Coaches all wear microphones with headsets. They send play calls onto the field through the radio receivers in the quarterbacks’ helmets. It would be reasonable to think that this high-tech approach is a relatively new thing, but it isn’t. Radio helmets go … Read more
This article reviews the breakdown by position of the number of players on an NFL roster. We also discuss how many are dressed for a game and the numbers that take to the field at the same time. Depending on the coaches and strategies, the numbers will vary slightly across different NFL franchises. They will … Read more
In a football game, the teams line up to snap the ball to start every non-kicking play. Before the ball is snapped, the quarterback can be heard yelling a series of colors, numbers and nonsense words. The prhase usually ends in one or more “Hut”s. It could be something like: “White 80! Set! Hut!” What … Read more
NFL player careers last on average from 3 to 3 ½ years. This article looks in depth at why NFL careers are so short. It’s not just the physical toll of a collision sport. There are other factors, including economic and psychological reasons. How Long Is The Average NFL Player’s Career? These are the latest … Read more
In 2003, football fans were suddenly discussing the three year rule. Most had never even heard of it before! That year, one of the leading sports stories was that Michigan’s star running back, Maurice Clarett was suing the NFL to be allowed to play in the league. The NFL refused to allow Clarett to enter … Read more
American football is different to many sports in that the points for a score depends on how you make the score. It wasn’t always this way. In the early days, the scoring was exactly like soccer. Goals were the only way to score and each was awarded one point. So how did it get from … Read more
What happens to players who don’t get picked in the NFL draft? Do they have any chance of making it? And what about players who want to avoid the draft? Is there another route into the NFL? We’ve taken a look at this from all angles. The All-Important Draft Here’s a quick rundown of how … Read more