Jordan Kobritz is a former attorney, CPA, and Minor League Baseball team owner. He is a professor and the chair of the Sport Management Department at SUNY Cortland. Jordan maintains the blog: http://sportsbeyondthelines.com and can be reached at jordan.kobritz@cortland.edu.
Recent Stories
Kobritz: US Olympic Committee invokes nuclear option
Beyond the Lines
The United States Olympic Committee has finally responded to the most horrific sex abuse scandal – in terms of the sheer number of victims - in sports history.
Kobritz: Maryland football, university redefining the word debacle
Beyond the Lines
Embarrassing. Disgraceful. Shameful. Dysfunctional. Pathetic. Those are the words that come to mind when describing the fiasco that unfolded at the University of Maryland last week.
Kobritz: New York Mets creating ethical dilemma
Beyond the Lines
The New York Mets have settled on Brodie Van Wagenen to fill their General Manager position, resurrecting a debate on whether it’s appropriate or ethical for a sports agent to go from representing players to being their boss.
Kobritz: Is baseball a game of skill or luck
Beyond the Lines
Branch Rickey, one of the greatest pioneers in baseball history, famously said, “Luck is the residue of design,” the result of planning and hard work. While the benefits of hard work are undeniable, it doesn’t always lead to the result you desire. Sometimes, the only explanation for success is plain old luck, which often happens in sports.
Kobritz: Flyers mascot Gritty is frightening
Beyond the Lines
The origin of the first sports mascot is a matter of debate but the genre may trace its roots to 19th century France. History suggests the word mascot derives from a French opera, “La Mascotte,” the story of an Italian farmer whose crops wouldn’t grow until he was visited by a virgin named Bettina. With her help, his fortunes turned around.
Kobritz: ‘Most miserable fans’ goes to Kings, with Patriots on the other end of spectrum
Beyond the Lines
ESPN recently surveyed fans of teams in the four Major League team sports to determine the most miserable fan base in professional sports.
Kobritz: Compensating players for promoting beer
Beyond the Lines
Lost amid the excitement of September pennant races and the tabloid coverage of which NBA players slept with their teammate’s girlfriend, was an announcement that AB InBev (ABI), makers of Budweiser and other brands, had signed agreements to feature active MLB and NBA players in beer ads.
Kobritz: Legal sports betting may add billions to Major League teams
Beyond the Lines
Mark Cuban recently said: “I think everyone who owns a top four professional sports team just basically saw the value of their team double.”
Kobritz: Can we rid sports of performance enhancing drugs?
Beyond the Lines
On Sept. 3, 2003, federal agents raided BALCO, the San Francisco Bay Area Laboratory that provided performance enhancing drugs to several athletes.
Kobritz: A novel proposal to save baseball
Beyond the Lines
A pair of academics have proposed a radical change to save baseball which is guaranteed to make traditionalists apoplectic.
