Veteran Players Research Articles

El autoconcepto físico de jóvenes futbolistas de alto rendimiento

This study is intended to clarify differences in physical self-concept among high-performance football young players and students of the same age. Participating in the study 216 people (114 players, high-performance 112 students who have no status as elite players,) between 14 and 23 years; the players are divided, in turn, 59 junior and 55 senior, corresponding to the 14 age group to 17 and 18 to 23 years. For the measurement of self-concept questionnaire was used physical self (CAF), Goni, Ruiz de Azua and Rodriguez (2006), composed of the following scales: physical ability, physical condition, physical attractiveness, physical strength and general physical self-concept as general self-concept. The results show that the group of elite players gets higher scores, statistically significant, than the group of non-elite players in five of the six dimensions of physical selfconcept: skill, fitness, attractiveness, strength and self general physical selfconcept but not in general, however, there are not differences between elite novel players and elite veteran players

Baseball Goes East

Baseball in San Francisco can be traced as far back as 1 851 , but as a meaningful, sus- tained, organized sport, it really began in 1866. Between 1866 and 1875 the San Francisco game experienced extreme ups and downs, finally bottoming out in 1872 as escalating interclub rivalries, win-at-all-costs mentalities, and on-field as well as off-field battles killed the game.Following a year without baseball, it tentatively reemerged in 1874 with new players, new clubs, and, with the old troublemakers gone, an improved attitude. For the first time in a decade the game was free of conflict and controversy. Fourteen nines played 34 games in 1874. Although attrition reduced the number of clubs to 11 in 1875, there were 39 matches and prospects for an expanded season in 1876 seemed auspicious.1The baseball news cycle typically began with a mention that the Pacific Baseball Convention was tending to administrative affairs at a January or February meeting, fol- lowed by reports of clubs electing officers and naming their starting nines for the new campaign. preseason would begin in March, and by April or May each weekend would have a championship game. season traditionally concluded at the end of November.However, a researcher examining San Francisco's newspapers for reports of baseball activity in 1876 would find none of this and would be justified to conclude that the game had once again vanished from the scene.2 Through July a mere four box scores-the year's total-appeared in the papers, three of them involving a new club called the Cen- tennials. A fine-tooth combing of the papers would uncover a few tiny nuggets of baseball news that raised more questions than they answered.What Happened in 1876?The answer to this mystery is to be found in an article titled Centennials of Frisco in the December 30, 1876 issue of the New York Clipper. It was a list of 44 games played by a club called the Centennials between April 20 and August 16, 1876. first 12 were played in San Francisco and the next 32 ranged from Sacramento to Philadelphia. accompanying text reads The Centennials played in all forty-five (sic) games during the season of '76, winning 31.The chronology of games, as noted above, lists 44 games: 29 victories and 15 defeats.Misprint or mystery? But, more importantly, who were the Centennials?The first San Francisco baseball news since mid-November 1875 was this brief item in the Daily Alta California (hereafter Alta) of March 9, 1876.The Centennial Base Ball Club-The Centennial B.B. Club of this city has organized, composed of the strongest players in the State. They elected the following officers: T. Agnau, President; T. Brown, Vice-President; T. H. Gill, Recording Secretary; D. Ashley, Corresponding Secretary; R. T. Walker, Treasurer. nine consists of the following gen- tlemen: Cullen, c.; Ashley, p.; Walker, 1 b.; Gill, 2 b.; Piercy, 3 b.; Curren, s.s.; Taylor, l.f.; Magenta, c.f.; Perrin, r.f.The next day's Chronicle echoed the news, but neither report explained why the strongest players in the State had to be organized.For whatever purpose they were formed, the designated Centennials were taken from two San Francisco clubs. 1875 champion San Franciscos provided Walker at first base, Gill at second base, Piercy at third base, Curran (not Curren) at shortstop, and Taylor in left field. 1875 cellar-dwelling Occidentals surrendered their battery of Ashley in the box, and Cullen behind the bat, along with center fielder Magendie (not Magenta) and right fielder Parent (not Perrin).Also associated with the club (it was later learned) were Louis N. David, an anti- quarian book dealer who was identified as manager. and Clarence F. Townsend, an attorney, whose role and responsibilities were never specified. Centennial President T. Agnau was never referred to again.Four of the chosen ones could be considered veteran ball players in that they were active before the cancellation of the 1873 season, while the other five were newcomers who began their careers after the baseball hiatus of 1873. …

Split Season

At beginning of 1892, Nicholas Young, mild-mannered and mostly ineffectual president of newly amalgamated National League and American Association, exuded confidence about coming baseball season. After two strife-filled years-a three- way war in 1890 between National League, American Association, and rebel Players League and then another war past season between National League and Association-peace had finally come in form of an agreement in Indianapolis pre- vious December, whereby Baltimore, St. Louis, Louisville, and Washington Association franchises merged with eight National League franchises to form one big league.1Young said that while $130,000 (or $118,000) buyout agreed to with five Association franchises that were dropped might seem peace bought dearly, in fact the price was cheap. We will save nearly that during next few years in salaries, with unhealthy competition removed, besides public will pay money by increased patronage at In an effort to regain something of interest generated by World's Championship Series between League and Association winners, played from 1883 to 1890, owners agreed to a split-season format, with winner of half (or first season) meeting second-half winner for League championship. Albert G. Spalding, retired from presidency of League's Chicago franchise but still a potent force in League affairs, shared Nick Young's optimism about baseball's prospects for 1892 and especially double championship arrangement. old evil of tailender, Spalding predicted, has been done away with by its adoption, and hope need never be dead in any city until almost end of season.2To pay for buyout, each National League club was to contribute 10 percent of home gate receipts to a League fund. In anticipation of an attendance surge after two lean years, League owners voted to extend 1892 schedule from 140 to 154 games. Rosters would be limited to 15 players. While National League had always forbidden games on Sunday, Indianapolis peace agreement permitted Sunday ball in those cities-St. Louis, Louisville, and Cincinnati-where local ownership wanted it. Officially, League retained 50-cent base admission it had always charged, although each club had option to charge 25 cents, base admission in Association.Yet for all rosy expectations for season ahead, discontent still roiled little universe of professional baseball. The Indianapolis agreement stipulated recognition of all contracts then in force, but with elimination of five Association franchises, dozens of players found themselves out of work. A few veteran players retired; others found places in one of 10 lesser or minor leagues that started 1892 season. The more desirable players from Association who had signed with now-defunct clubs or were unsigned at time of Indianapolis agreement were parceled out among clubs in newly constructed National League, but in various instances club owners were unhappy at not getting this or that particular player; in other instances, players resisted going where they assigned.Fred Pfeffer, a 10-year veteran and a Players League stalwart, returned to Chicago National Leaguers in 1891 but never reconciled with Adrian Cap Anson, domi- neering leader of Colts (as they were now called), who had been a resolute foe of Players League. Having signed with stillborn Chicago Association entry, Pfeffer now refused to re-sign with Anson's team, saying he wouldn't play for Anson under any circumstances and wanted to be with Louisville, in his hometown.3 A week before season opened, he got his wish when Chicago traded him to Louisville for a nondescript infielder and cash.The previous fall, Danny Richardson , a highly regarded infielder, had signed with Association's Philadelphia club, owned by Wagner brothers. …

Sports Hernia in National Hockey League Players

Background: Athletic pubalgia is a complex injury that results in loss of play in competitive athletes, especially hockey players. The number of reported sports hernias has been increasing, and the importance of their management is vital. There are no studies reporting whether athletes can return to play at preinjury levels. Purpose: The focus of this study was to evaluate the productivity of professional hockey players before an established athletic pubalgia diagnosis contrasted with the productivity after sports hernia repair. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Professional National Hockey League (NHL) players who were reported to have a sports hernia and who underwent surgery from 2001 to 2008 were identified. Statistics were gathered on the players’ previous 2 full seasons and compared with the statistics 2 full seasons after surgery. Data concerning games played, goals, average time on ice, time of productivity, and assists were gathered. Players were divided into 3 groups: group A incorporated all players, group B were players with 6 or fewer seasons of play, and group C consisted of players with 7 or more seasons of play. A control group was chosen to compare player deterioration or improvement over a career; each player selected for the study had a corresponding control player with the same tenure in his career and position during the same years. Results: Forty-three hockey players were identified to have had sports hernia repairs from 2001 to 2008; ultimately, 80% would return to play 2 or more full seasons. Group A had statistically significant decreases in games played, goals scored, and assists. Versus the control group, the decreases in games played and assists were supported. Statistical analysis showed significant decreases in games played, goals scored, assists, and average time on ice the following 2 seasons in group C, which was also seen in comparison with the control group. Group B (16 players) showed only statistical significance in games played versus the control group. Conclusion: Players who undergo sports hernia surgeries return to play and often perform similar to their presurgery level. Players with over 7 full seasons return but with significant decreases in their overall performance levels. Less veteran players were able to return to play without any statistical decrease in performance and are likely the best candidates for repair once incurring injury.

Taking the Field: A Fan’s Quest to Run the Team He Loves (review)

Reviewed by: Taking the Field: A Fan’s Quest to Run the Team He Loves Jim Overmyer Howard Megdal. Taking the Field: A Fan’s Quest to Run the Team He Loves. New York: Bloombsury, 2011. 256 pp. Cloth, $25.00 Howard Megdal is a New York City sportswriter for several Internet outlets, including the website of Sports New York, the cable channel that carries the New York Mets. He’s been an unabashed Mets fan since youth, even before his staid, lawyer father jumped off the couch and performed an impromptu Mexican hat dance in front of the television when Lenny Dykstra hit his game-winning homer in the 1986 National League championship series. Supported by his wife, Rachel, he lulls his baby daughter Mirabelle to sleep with major-league trade rumors and analysis of the game they are watching before she nods off. He has seen the Mets win it all, and he wants them to be a power again. He lent his energy, quite a lot of it, to the cause by launching a campaign during [End Page 138] the 2010 season to become the team’s next general manager; he correctly identifies Omar Minaya, the Mets’ GM from 2005 to 2010, as a short-timer due to the team’s poor record (below .500 since 2008). This book is the result, since, of course, he didn’t get the job. It’s an appealing combination of campaign manifesto, personal memoir, and a fan’s obsession for his favorite team. Dana Brand, a fellow blogger, nails Megdal’s campaign perfectly: “it’s the kind of smart, wacky, performance art that baseball could use” (34). His campaign slogan, LOGIC, TRANSPARENCY, PASSION (always all caps) sums up what he thinks the Mets have lacked—particularly the logic. Megdal’s plan doesn’t promise short-term success. As he sees it, there are “deep structural flaws in the way the New York Mets operate” (23). He would fix this primarily by making the team more aggressive in the annual amateur draft (as the real new GM, Sandy Alderson, is doing), spending as much money as possible on developing the draftees and looking for good pickups among young prospects who exhibit promise measured by moderately new-fangled statistics such as on-base plus slugging average (OPS) for hitters and strikeouts and walks per nine innings for pitchers. Megdal recalls, with professional disdain and a fan’s pain, the trades of two young pitchers, first future Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan and then Scott Kazmir, who had some good years after leaving New York, for largely over-the-hill and undistinguished talent in return. He recounts in great detail how his favorite GM, Frank Cashen, put together 1969’s “Amazing Mets” from draft picks, cheap signings of young players, and, of course, a little bit of luck. The Mets got Tom Seaver from a hat-pick lottery after his original contract with the Braves was voided. Although he yearns to succeed Minaya, Megdal doesn’t paint him in the demonic tones you might expect a challenger to splash over the incumbent. To Howard, Omar was “a nice man who was in over his head” after taking control of the team in 2005. This is no way to carry on red-meat American politics, but our candidate is looking way beyond the 2011 season, and he seems to be a nice guy, although one with a lot of opinions about how things ought to change. He does have an arch villain, though. It’s Minaya’s predecessor, Steve Phillips. Phillips, who became a punching bag for critics as a general manager and then a veritable piñata in his next career as a television baseball analyst, is seen as a disaster that could have wrecked the team if he had stayed around long enough. Megdal analyzes Phillips seemingly endless love for veteran players with track records, although the vets Phillips wanted often came at the expense of the young prospects Megdal would keep around, and “only errors by other general managers prevented Phillips from leaving the organization as bereft of talent as it had been at any point in its history” (50). [End...

Becoming a Football Player: Identity Formation on a Women’s Tackle Football Team

People commonly think of only men playing football. Football, however, has also been played by women for many years. Using a feminist interactionist framework, this study examines why women begin to play the game. The research questions that guided this study were: (1) what factors influence women’s decisions to play football? and (2) how do women begin to develop their identities as football players? Data were collected using participant observation over a two-year period and 10 semi-structured interviews. Some of the reasons participants stated for starting to play football were for their love of the sport, a desire to be a part of history, or the physicality of the sport. The women’s abilities and personal characteristics, significant others, and veteran players were crucial in the development of their identities as players. The information obtained could be used to bring more women into the sport.

Is cardiac remodeling physiological in veteran tennis players?

Is cardiac remodeling physiological in veteran tennis players?

266 Is cardiac remodeling physiological in veteran tennis players?

Cardiac remodeling may occur in case of intensive training. However, few are known concerning the long term cardiac effect of sport in veterans. The aim of this study was to analyze the cardiac changes due to tennis practice in veterans. The study population consisted in 353 subjects: 303 veteran tennis players (35 years) participating in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 veteran Roland-Garros tournaments and 50 healthy patients included in an age- and gender-matched control group. All subjects underwent a physical examination, a 12-lead electrocardiogram and a complete transthoracic echocardiography. Analysis was performed according to the decade of life, to the level of tennis training (intensive (> 10 hours/week) versus moderate training [T+ versus T−]) and to the Henry's abacus. Mean age was 55.6 ± 12.4 years (range: 35–80 years). Left ventricular and atrial parameters were significantly greater whatever the decade of life in tennis players as compared to the control group (p < 0.001), and in subjects T+ as compared to subjects T- and to the control group (p<0.005). Fifty-one male tennis players (40%) and 29 female tennis players (19%) presented with LV hypertrophy. Patterns of mitral inflow and pulmonary vein inflow were significantly different according to the decade of life (p < 0.0001), but no difference was observed between subjects T+, T− and control group. Echocardiographic parameters remained in physiological ranges whatever the decade of life and the intensity of training (Figure: in red for T+ and in yellow for T−. Grey and black lines represent the lowest and highest normal values according to the decade of life). Long-term practice of tennis leads to cardiac remodeling. However, cardiac chamber size, systolic and diastolic function remains in physiological ranges whatever the decade of life and the intensity of training, suggesting that cardiac remodeling in veterans remains a physiological adaptation.

The Split-Apply-Combine Strategy for Data Analysis

Many data analysis problems involve the application of a split-apply-combine strategy, where you break up a big problem into manageable pieces, operate on each piece independently and then put all the pieces back together. This insight gives rise to a new R package that allows you to smoothly apply this strategy, without having to worry about the type of structure in which your data is stored. The paper includes two case studies showing how these insights make it easier to work with batting records for veteran baseball players and a large 3d array of spatio-temporal ozone measurements.

Player Modeling in Civilization IV

This research aims at building a preference-based player model of Civilization IV players. Our model incorporates attributes which are defined for AI players. We use a sequential minimal optimization (SMO) classifier to build the player model based on a training set with observations of a large number of games between six AI players. The model was validated on a test set of games between the same six AI players. While it did not seem to generalize well to the preferences of different AI players, it did manage to accurately predict some of the preferences for a veteran human player. Further tests showed that AI players with the same play styles but different preference values were often confused by the model. We conclude that for a complex game such as Civilization IV a model that attempts to accurately predict specific preference values is hard to construct. A model that focusses on play styles might succeed better.

Sleep-Disordered Breathing in the National Football League

Prior studies have suggested that the prevalence of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) among players in the National Football League (NFL) is disproportionately high. SDB can increase cardiovascular disease risk and is correlated with hypertension. NFL players have a higher prevalence of hypertension, and we sought to determine the prevalence of SDB among players the NFL and the associations of SDB with anthropometric measures and cardiovascular risk factors. Cross-sectional cohort study. NFL athletic training facilities from April to July 2007. A total of 137 active veteran players from 6 NFL teams. This evaluation of SDB among players in the NFL used a single-channel, home-based, unattended, portable, sleep apnea monitor. Multiple domains of self-reported sleep were assessed. Weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, neck circumference, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio, as well as blood pressure, cholesterol, and fasting glucose concentrations were measured. The mean respiratory disturbance index was 4.7 (+/- 12), with a median (interquartile range) of 2 (1,4). The prevalence of at least mild SDB (RDI > or = 5) was 19% (95% confidence interval, 12.8%-26.6%). Only 4.4% (95% confidence interval, 1.6%-9.2%) of participants had respiratory disturbance index of 15 or greater. Linemen and non-linemen were not different in their prevalence or severity of SDB. No single anthropometric measure was highly associated with SDB, and SDB was not well correlated with cardiovascular risk factors. The prevalence of SDB in active NFL players was modest, predominately mild, and positively associated with several measures of adiposity. SDB did not account for excess cardiovascular risk factors.

Body Size, Body Composition, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in NFL Players

Aims: We characterized the size of active National Football League (NFL) players by multiple criteria and analyzed their relation to traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors with the objective of further clarifying the occurrence of cardiovascular risk factors in different player positions. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in professional athletic training facilities. The participants were 504 active veteran players from a convenience sample of 12 NFL teams, grouped as interior linemen (IL) or all others (AO). Comparisons were made between the NFL groups and an age-equivalent general population database. Results: The IL group was significantly larger than AO by all size measures. Both groups were significantly larger than the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) group. Mean percent body fat measurements in AO (mean, 13.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 12.9%–14%) and IL (mean, 25.2%; 95% CI, 24.4%–26%) groups were lower than estimates for the general population. Systolic blood pressure (BP) was higher in IL (mean, 131 mm Hg; 95% CI, 129–133 mm Hg) than AO (mean, 126 mm Hg; 95% CI, 125–127 mm Hg) and greater in both groups compared with the CARDIA group (mean, 112 mm Hg; 95% CI, 111–112 mm Hg). Mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose were within the normal range for both IL and AO. Interior linemen had significantly lower HDL-C than AO and the CARDIA group. Both NFL groups had significantly lower fasting glucose than CARDIA. Conclusion: Body fat in active NFL players was lower than predicted by standard measures of obesity. Although the players were large, they were in the normal range for most CVD risk factors. Mean BP in the prehypertensive range was found in both NFL position groups, but was significantly higher in IL than in AO. Prehypertension in these athletes warrants vigilance.

277 Cardiac remodeling in tennis players participating in veteran Roland-Garros tournament

The practice of intensive tennis may lead to cardiac changes. The aim of this study was to analyze the cardiac changes due to tennis practice in veteran tennis players. We have systematically proposed a complete screening echocardiography to the tennis players (>35 years) participating in the 2007 and 2008 veteran Roland-Garros tournaments. The protocol was approved by the French federation of tennis. The study population consisted in 213 veteran tennis players. All subjects included in this study underwent a complete echocardiography (2D echo, M-mode, CW, PW and color Doppler, and tissue Doppler imaging). Analysis was performed according to the decade of life and to the level of tennis practice (intensive (> 10 hours/week) versus moderate training [T+ vs. T-]). Mean age was 55.5±12.3 yo. Twenty-one patients were excluded from the analysis because of echocardiographic results (detection of 1 Marfan syndrome, 1 dilated cardiomyopathy, 2 CAD, 2 aortic stenosis and 2 significant mitral regurgitations) or previous history of hypertension. LV mass was significantly higher in subjects T+ whatever the decade of life in women and in men (p<0.005). No correlations were observed between age and LV mass. LV diameter and LV ejection fraction were not significantly different in T+ and T−, and whatever the decade of life (p=NS). Right and left atrial measurements were significantly higher in T+ (p<0.02). Diastolic function was statistically different according to the decade of life (impaired relaxation in subjects > 60 yo), as expected, but E/e’ ratio was <15 in all patients). Our study supports the view that echocardiography allows to detect cardiac pathology in veteran tennis players. Practice of tennis leads to increase LV mass and right and left atrial measurements in T+ veteran tennis players. Systolic and diastolic function remains preserved whatever the decade of life and the intensity of training.

Ownership of property-rights and the allocation of talents

Under the reserve-clause system that assigns the property-rights on the Major League Baseball players’ services to teams, player transfers are negotiated between teams without the involvement of players. In contrast, under the current free-agency system, players with free-agent status negotiate directly with potential suitors. Thus, the system assigns the property-rights to players. Using data extracted from the Baseball Archive (http://baseball1.com), this article examines the effect of the change in the property-rights assignment on the allocation of talents across teams. We find that the change increased large-market teams’ shares of veteran all-star players and the concentration of senior players.

Conceptualizing a Meaningful Definition of Hazing in Sport

Administrators, coaches, athletes and parents struggle to understand the definition of hazing. Athletes at all levels of competition continue to subject themselves and their team-mates to harmful behaviors. In particular, college athletes seem willing to do anything that veteran players demand in order to be part of the team's “inner circle”. The behaviors related to hazing exploit a person's basic desire to be part of athletic teams, and continue to persist at high rates within various levels of sport. This paper critically examines how sport hazing has been conceptualized by student-athletes, coaches and sport administrators. Through a review of literature and focus group research, multiple issues related to the understanding of hazing and its subsequent definition arose. The confusion surrounding the various acts of hazing and the definition of hazing versus team initiation may be precipitating the problem in collegiate sport. The authors will elaborate on this issue and the paper will culminate in a proposed new definition of sport hazing intended to help develop a better understanding among stakeholders.

Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among National Football League Players

Concern exists about the cardiovascular health implications of large size among professional football players and those players who aspire to professional status. To assess cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in active National Football League (NFL) players and to compare these findings with data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. A cross-sectional study of 504 active, veteran football players from a convenience sample of 12 NFL teams at professional athletic training facilities between April and July 2007. Data were compared with men of the same age in the general US population (CARDIA study, a population-based observational study of 1959 participants aged 23 to 35 years recruited in 1985-1986). Prevalence of CVD risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance, and smoking). The NFL players were less likely to smoke when compared with the CARDIA group (0.1% [n = 1]; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0%-1.4%; vs 30.5% [n = 597]; 95% CI, 28.5%-32.5%; P < .001). Despite being taller and heavier, NFL players had significantly lower prevalence of impaired fasting glucose (6.7% [n = 24]; 95% CI, 4.6%-8.7%; vs 15.5% [n = 267]; 95% CI, 13.8%-17.3%; P < .001). The groups did not differ in prevalence of high total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), or high triglycerides. Hypertension (13.8% [n = 67]; 95% CI, 11.0%-16.7%; vs 5.5% [n = 108]; 95% CI, 4.6%-6.6%) and prehypertension (64.5% [n = 310]; 95% CI, 58.3%-70.7%; vs 24.2% [n = 473]; 95% CI, 22.3%-26.1%) were significantly more common in NFL players than in the CARDIA group (both P < .001). Large size measured by body mass index (BMI) was associated with increased blood pressure, LDL-C, triglycerides, and fasting glucose, and decreased HDL-C. Compared with a sample of healthy young-adult men, a sample of substantially larger NFL players had a lower prevalence of impaired fasting glucose, less reported smoking, a similar prevalence of dyslipidemia, and a higher prevalence of hypertension. Increased size measured by BMI was associated with increased CVD risk factors in this combined population.

Closed-Kinetic Chain Upper-Body Training Improves Throwing Performance of NCAA Division I Softball Players

Closed-kinetic chain resistance training (CKCRT) of the lower body is superior to open-kinetic chain resistance training (OKCRT) to improve performance parameters (e.g., vertical jump), but the effects of upper-body CKCRT on throwing performance remain unknown. This study compared shoulder strength, power, and throwing velocity changes in athletes training the upper body exclusively with either CKCRT (using a system of ropes and slings) or OKCRT. Fourteen female National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I softball player volunteers were blocked and randomly placed into two groups: CKCRT and OKCRT. Blocking ensured the same number of veteran players and rookies in each training group. Training occurred three times weekly for 12 weeks during the team's supervised off-season program. Olympic, lower-body, core training, and upper-body intensity and volume in OKCRT and CKCRT were equalized between groups. Criterion variables pre- and posttraining included throwing velocity, bench press one-repetition maximum (1RM), dynamic single-leg balance, and isokinetic peak torque and power (PWR) (at 180 degrees x s(-1)) for shoulder flexion, extension, internal rotation, and external rotation (ER). The CKCRT group significantly improved throwing velocity by 2.0 mph (3.4%, p < 0.05), and the OKCRT group improved 0.3 mph (0.5%, NS). A significant interaction was observed (p < 0.05). The CKCRT group improved its 1RM bench press to the same degree (1.9 kg) as the OKCRT group (p < 0.05 within each group). The CKCRT group improved all measures of shoulder strength and power, whereas OKCRT conferred little change in shoulder torque and power scores. Although throwing is an open-chain movement, adaptations from CKCRT may confer benefits to subsequent performance. Strength coaches can incorporate upper-body CKCRT without sacrificing gains in maximal strength or performance criteria associated with an athletic open-chain movement such as throwing.

The Collective Bargaining Effects of NBA Player Productivity Dynamics

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 and productivity, the quintile analysis presents two important results regarding NBA salary structure. Unlike Major League Baseball (MLB), the highest ability veteran NBA players suffer salary suppression relative to the lesser-talented players in their debut-year cohort, indicating rents have been transferred from the most able players to players of lesser abilities. Also, while young NBA players in general suffer from salary suppression relative to free agents, as is well-reported in baseball, our regression results show that the highest-ability young players suffer the most salary suppression, and that the effects of the rookie salary cap in the 1995 NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement depressed salaries for young players of all ability levels.

Leo Durocher's Last Stand: Anti-Semitism, Racism, and the Cubs Player Rebellion of 1971

Chicago Cubs fans, for whom the compound adjective long-suffering was coined, have an unfortunate and self-flagellating habit of referencing the year 1969 as empirical evidence of their unwavering loyalty to a lofty ideal in the face of a catastrophic reality. Like an army of William Faulkners, they echo in unison the Nobel Laureate's sentiments that to attach oneself to a grand cause requires a sacrifice born of the agony and sweat of the human spirit. The Cubs of '69 were such a cause. would venture to argue, however, that 1969 has become so mythic in Cubs' lore that it often stands isolated from other years, like a disembodied limb looking for its owner or a lost migratory bird forlornly gazing into an alien horizon. (1) I'd like to think of 1969 as the beginning of a larger tragedy, a tragic trilogy if you will, that ends in the dog days of August 1971, nearly two years after the conclusion of the most unforgettable year in Cubs history. In 1971 Durocher was still the aging manager of the team that retained the nucleus of players who brought him to the brink of mythic stardom just two summers before. This time, though, Durocher would be playing the role of King Lear to the array of Cubs players who alternated between playing Regan and Goneril. And there would be no Cordelia to offer reconciliation or redemption. On August 24, 1971, the day after Cubs' hurler Milt Pappas gave up an 0-2 checked-swing double to the Houston Astros' Doug Rader that resulted in a second straight loss for the home team at Wrigley Field, Durocher called a clubhouse meeting in which he berated his players for their lack of effort and sloppy play. In the much-chronicled closed-door-affair, Durocher singled out Pappas for his poor pitch selection but then surprised his team by suddenly softening his tone and inviting anyone who wished to clear the air to do so, adding that no repercussions would follow. One by one several veteran players rose to criticize Durocher's handling of the team, and the meeting soon escalated into a shouting match between Durocher and Cubs' captain Ron Santo, who had to be restrained by Billy Williams and Jim Hickman. I grabbed and had him around the neck, Santo reminisced later. I could have killed him. (2) After Santo, Pappas, Joe Pepitone, and Kenny Holtzman took turns accusing Durocher of insensitive and feckless managing, Durocher announced that he was quitting and left the clubhouse for his office, only to change his mind when an apologetic but still seething Santo approached him with a peace offering. Ten days later on September 4, Cubs' owner Philip K. Wrigley took the unusual step of taking out a full-page ad to offer a public letter of endorsement of Durocher in each of the four Chicago daily newspapers. The eight-paragraph letter concluded with a slap at the dissident players, saying, Leo is the team manager and the 'Dump Durocher Clique' might as well give up. He is running the team, and if some of the players do not like it and lie down on the job, during the off season we will see what we can do to find them happier homes. P.S. If only we could find more team players like Ernie Banks. (3) HOLTZMAN Less than a year later, Durocher was no longer the Cubs' skipper, having been fired during the 1972 All-Star break, with the Cubs' record standing at 46-44--10 games back of Pittsburgh and in third place in their division. In the wake of his departure and the rebuilding of the team during the ensuing years, revelations about Durocher's degrading behavior toward his players became more specific and more public. Reports surfaced that Durocher frequently called Holtzman kike in front of his teammates, referred to third baseman Santo as wop, and gave the college-educated Don Kessinger the moniker dumb hillbilly. (4) Other demeaning remarks, directed at other players, suggest that Durocher was at best an insensitive handler of young players and at worst a bigot who could not abide any sign of intelligence or independence in any of his charges. …

Changes in Blood Electrolytes and Plasma Volume in NFL Football Players During Pre-season Training

0371 Preseason training for football teams in the National Football League (NFL) consists of several consecutive weeks of two practice sessions per day during the hottest months of the year. Due to the large body surface area (BSA) of these football players (FB) sweat, and therefore electrolyte losses can be high. PURPOSE: To measure blood electrolytes and changes in plasma volume (PV) in NFL players during pre-season training in a warm, humid environment. METHODS: Six NFL veteran players (age = 25.5 ± 2.6 yr., height = 186.3 ± 5.5 cm, weight = 104 ± 17.6 kg and BSA = 2.28 ± 0.19m2) participated in the study. Venous blood samples were drawn from subjects for baseline (BL) measures upon arrival to camp and prior to the morning practice on Days 3, 5, 9 and 11. Blood sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), magnesium (Mg++), calcium (Ca++) and pH were determined by ion-selective electrode and percent change in PV was calculated using hematocrit and hemoglobin. The players underwent physical testing on Day 1, practiced two times per day on Days 2 through 4, and then alternated one or two practice sessions per day for Days 5 through 11. Pre-season training camp for this NFL team was held in Eastern Pennsylvania where it is warm and humid during July and August. Data were analyzed with repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: Blood Na+ was lower on Day 3 (136.9 ± 0.55 mmol/l) compared to BL (140.35 ± 0.38 mmol/), Day 9 (140.28 ± 0.35 mmol/l) and Day 11 (140.61 ± 0.82 mmol/l), p < 0.01, but was not different from Day 5 (138.05 ± 0.59 mmol/l). Blood K+ was higher on Days 5, 9 and 11 (4.16 ± 0.13, 4.36 ± 0.08 and 4.42 ± 0.07mmol/l) compared to BL (3.77 ± 0.15mmol/L). A significant linear trend was found for Mg++. It rose from 0.5097 ± 0.032 mmol/l at BL to 0.561 ± 0.012mmol/l on Day 5 and then fell to 0.462 ± 0.043 mmol/l by Day 11. No differences were found for blood Ca++ or pH. PV was lower on Day 3 (4.9 ± 2.39 % below BL) compared to Day 5 (4.5 ± 1.89% above BL). CONCLUSIONS: Blood Na+ levels decline in NFL players by day 3 of preseason training and appear to be maintained at low normal levels (136 mmol/L) at the expense of a contracted (−4.5%) PV. Na+ supplementation may be necessary in professional FB players prior to and during the first few days of pre-season two-a-day training. Blood Mg++ also declines to low normal levels by the second week of pre-season training camp and may also need supplementation. The rise in resting levels of blood K+ in FB players on Days 5, 9 and 11 may indicate muscle cell damage due to the physical stresses of practicing football in the heat. Supported by a faculty development grant from West Chester University.