Violence and Aggression in Sporting Contests [electronic resource] : Economics, History and Policy /
Jewell, R. Todd.editor.
Sporting contests have provided mass entertainment throughout history, and today generate revenues of approximately $200 billion annually in the US alone.  Like in the entertainment industry, the modern sports industry’s revenues are based on the entertainment value of output and more entertaining sporting contests imply greater game-day attendance, television revenues and sales of merchandise. Research by economists has attempted to understand and explain behavior as it relates to sporting contests, showing that standard microeconomic theory used to explain consumer and producer behavior can also be applied to the behavior of fans, team owners, league executives and players. One commonality among many ancient and modern sports is the existence of violence and aggression in contests. Compare, for example, a modern NASCAR race with a Roman chariot race: Only the technology has changed. From the perspective of an economist, violence in sporting contests is an outcome of the forces of supply and demand, and the phenomenon exists because fans respond to it.  Spectator preferences for violence bid up the monetary return to this behavior, and the rational response is a more violent or aggressive output.   The optimum level of violent or aggressive play in sporting contests is an empirical issue and this book contains chapters on violence and aggression in sports, concentrating on the reasons for the existence and persistence of such behavior.  Following a chapter devoted to the history of violence and aggression in sports, subsequent chapters are designed to cover the breadth of international professional sports including American football, soccer, ice hockey, basketball, baseball, auto racing, and fighting sports. Each chapter will contain econometric analysis of violence and aggressive play in a given sport. The individual chapters will examine whether or not a given sports league or governing body should intervene to reduce violence, and where intervention is warranted, extent of appropriate interventions is evaluated.  In addition to academics and students concerned with the economics and history of sport, the book’s emphasis on policies at the league and governing-body levels means this book will also be of interest representatives of those institutions.
Description based upon print version of record.
Violence and Aggressionin Sporting Contests; Contents; List of Figures; List of Tables; Contributors; Part I: Introduction; Chapter 1: Violence and Aggression in Spectator Sports: A Prologue; Background; Overview of the Book; Part II: North American Team Sports; Part III: North American Individual Sports; Part IV: International Team Sports; Part V: Spectator Violence and Crime; References; Chapter 2: A Brief History of Violence and Aggression in Spectator Sports; Introduction; Violence in Modern Sports; Why Do Fans Demand Violence and Aggression in Sports?; Catharsis
Violence and Aggression in Ancient SportsThe Ancient Olympic Games; Blood Sports; Bull Fighting; Trends in Demand for Bull Fighting: The Case of Spain; Conclusion; References; Part II: North American Team Sports; Chapter 3: Incentive for Aggression in American Football; Introduction; NFL Rules Related to Safety and Aggression; Demand for Aggressive Play; Data and Empirical Models; Overview of the Data; Empirical Model and Analysis; Implications for the Game; A ppendix; References; Chapter 4: Does Violence in Professional Ice Hockey Pay? Cross Country Evidence from Three Leagues; Introduction
Economic Analysis of Professional Ice HockeyLeague Histories and Characteristics; Data; Analyzing the Data; Points Regressions; Attendance Regressions; NHL Revenue Regression; Conclusion; References; Chapter 5: Crime and Punishment in the National Basketball Association; Introduction; Are NBA Referees Biased?; How Does Aggressive Play Contribute to Outcomes?; The Case of Shaquille O'Neal; Why Do Celebrities Misbehave and How Should Coaches Respond?; Concluding Observations; References; Part III: North American Individual Sports
Chapter 6: The Demand for Aggressive Behavior in American Stock Car RacingIntroduction; Racing as Aggressive Behavior; Aggression vs. Violence in Racing; Television Demand for Racing; Data and Results; Summary and Concluding Remarks; References; Chapter 7: Aggression in Mixed Martial Arts: An Analysis of the Likelihood of Winning a Decision; Introduction; Methodology; Empirical Application; Data; Probit Results; Marginal Effects; Conclusions; References; Part IV: International Team Sports; Chapter 8: Aggressive Play and Demand for English Premier League Football; Introduction
Data and MethodologyModeling Attendance Demand in the EPL; Estimation and Results; Elasticity of Attendance Demand for Aggressive Play in the EPL; Conclusion; References; Chapter 9: Violence in the Australian Football League: Good or Bad?; Introduction; Brief History of the AFL; Key Features of the Game; Physical Contact, Violence, and Its Effect on Participation; The Tribunal System 2000-2009: Introduction of the Match Review Panel; Tribunal and MRP Data Analysis: 2000-2009; Modeling Attendance Demand; Estimation Results; Summary and Conclusions
Appendix: Key Changes to the Laws of the Game [Sources: AFL ( various years)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Sporting contests have provided mass entertainment throughout history, and today generate revenues of approximately $200 billion annually in the US alone.  Like in the entertainment industry, the modern sports industry’s revenues are based on the entertainment value of output and more entertaining sporting contests imply greater game-day attendance, television revenues and sales of merchandise. Research by economists has attempted to understand and explain behavior as it relates to sporting contests, showing that standard microeconomic theory used to explain consumer and producer behavior can also be applied to the behavior of fans, team owners, league executives and players. One commonality among many ancient and modern sports is the existence of violence and aggression in contests. Compare, for example, a modern NASCAR race with a Roman chariot race: Only the technology has changed. From the perspective of an economist, violence in sporting contests is an outcome of the forces of supply and demand, and the phenomenon exists because fans respond to it.  Spectator preferences for violence bid up the monetary return to this behavior, and the rational response is a more violent or aggressive output.   The optimum level of violent or aggressive play in sporting contests is an empirical issue and this book contains chapters on violence and aggression in sports, concentrating on the reasons for the existence and persistence of such behavior.  Following a chapter devoted to the history of violence and aggression in sports, subsequent chapters are designed to cover the breadth of international professional sports including American football, soccer, ice hockey, basketball, baseball, auto racing, and fighting sports. Each chapter will contain econometric analysis of violence and aggressive play in a given sport. The individual chapters will examine whether or not a given sports league or governing body should intervene to reduce violence, and where intervention is warranted, extent of appropriate interventions is evaluated.  In addition to academics and students concerned with the economics and history of sport, the book’s emphasis on policies at the league and governing-body levels means this book will also be of interest representatives of those institutions.
Economics.
Management science.
Labor economics.
Management.
Economics, general.
Labor Economics.
Management.