Forgotten Dunks: Part I

If a Bobcat dunks and no one is around to see it, did it really happen? This facial provided by the Charlotte Bobcats' Michael Kidd-Gilchrist leaves me seriously unsure. The Bobcats have lagged in the bottom of the NBA’s standings since their creation in 2004. Their most impressive season resulted in a seven seed and a first-round sweep.

 Not hard to believe seeing as how the organization’s best player sits in a luxury box, donning a suit. Their terrible on-court performance combined with the fact that they play in one of the league’s smallest media markets makes their highlights all the less relevant to the national audience. But seriously America, this video has fewer than 480,000 views.


To put that in perspective, Miley Cyrus calling out fans of other acts has gained about 5 times as many views. The Kidd-Gilchrist dunk was one of the best dunks of the previous NBA season yet nowhere did it receive the hype it deserved. Compare it to, say, the infamous Kobe dunk over the Nets:


The Kobe dunk garnered more than twice as many views as the MKG slam and they’re from the same source, posted about two weeks apart, I might add. It stands to reason that a highlight from a nationally televised game between two major-market teams involving the Mamba himself would attract more views than a game between two of the NBA’s worst teams (both from relatively small markets).

But not that many more.

For starters, Kobe’s dunk was mostly aesthetics. The number of people involved made it look like that much more insane of a jam. Looking closely, even with his running start, he did not get higher than either Gerald Wallace or Kris Humphries, they both just happened to swing their hands to the side of the ball. MGK, however, went up, over and practically through the six-foot eleven Greg Monroe.

Off a of drop step no less.

Greg Monroe hadn’t been so disrespected since the Golden State Warriors picked Ekpe Udoh over him. How the Pistons' defense allowed Kidd-Gilchrist in to the lane when he has the shooting ability of an eleven-year-old chess protégée is beyond me. But I can only thank them for their over rotation, because it gave the world one of the most underrated dunks in recent history. A dunk which deserves tantamount more views on YouTube.

So to answer the initial question: no, no it doesn’t.

Radio Show Preview [10/26]

Wednesday, 5PM, Slope Radio

In this week's radio show, we will be discussing a variety of topics ranging from NBA labor negotiations to allegations of Frank McCourt looting money from the Dodgers. Check out the full list after the jump.

Roid Rage

• The effects of Reggie Bush calling out teammates.
• Todd McClure bringing trash talk from the field to the media.

Business Breakdown

• The regulations and effects regarding GMs and Managers leaving their teams while still under contract

Isiah Thomas Award

• This week's winner is Frank McCourt for allegedly looting 190 million dollars from the Dodgers. We will be discussing the affect that this had on the Dodgers' performance.
• Also, the Oakland Raiders coaching staff for bringing Carson Palmer into the game while down 21 points.

We will also update the world on the NBA labor negotiations and look into the ramifications of mediation talks breaking down.

Our weekly Suck for Luck update will discuss the possibility of teams like the Rams and Colts grabbing the first round pick, and if they should use it to get coveted QB Andrew Luck.

Additional Topics

• USC QB Barkley calls out Notre Dame for quitting.
• World Series: The effect of crowd noise on calls to the bullpen.
• The Tim Tebow Saga begins: his on-field "success" and its influence on marketing and jersey sales for Broncos.
• NCCA backs 2k per athlete.
• The possibility of West Virginia to the Big 12.

Our show is airing at 5PM this Wednesday on www.slopemedia.org/radio/

VIDEO: ILRSMC President Gives First Ever "Evolution of Sports" Address

Labeled as "an opportunity to present a message, an idea or a revolutionary thought that could someday change the face of sport," the first Evolution of Sports Address was given by ILR Sports Management Club Co-President Gabe Gershenfeld ('11) last month at MIT's annual Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.

Gershenfeld's address, specifically, focused on "HR, Labor Relations, and the Future of Sports."

For reactions to the event, click here

For more information on:

• The first subject, look for an article entitled "Quantifying Succession Planning and Player Development: What the HR Nine-box Can Learn from Baseball Analysis, and Vice Versa" in the forthcoming Sports, Inc. magazine issue.
• The second subject, look for an article entitled "Bargaining When the Future of an Industry is at Stake: Lessons from UAW-Ford Collective Bargaining Negotiations" in the forthcoming Negotiation Journal issue.
• The third subject, read this blog post entitled "Solution for the NFL-NFLPA: Change the Rules of the Game."

VIDEO: MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

The wait is over. The videos are here.

As was written by ILRSMC Vice-President Robbie Cohen last month:

On Friday, March 4th and Saturday, March 5th, seventeen club members, alumni and faculty traveled to Boston to participate in the 5th annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, the conference has grown in size each year (read about our commentary from last year's conference here). A record 1,500 attendees saw interactive panels and research presentations, as well as some new features. The subjects of the panels ranged from "The Coming War: Sports Labor Relations" to "Athlete Branding in the New Age" to "Hockey Analytics."

Videos from MIT after the jump.

The Coming War: Sports Labor Relations


Broadcast Experience: Viewers or Fighter Pilots?


Gut vs. Data: How Do Coaches Make Decisions?


New Owners: Challenges and Opportunities


Sports Gambling: The Source of Sports Innovation?


Check out the rest of the discussions (and there's a lot of them) HERE.

Which discussion did you find most interesting? Is there anything that struck you as being surprising or particularly interesting? Vote in the poll to the right of this post and let us know. Drop a comment or two while you're at it.

VIDEO: Gary Bettman, Rob Manfred, and ILR in Pro Sports

What are some similarities and differences in collective bargaining between professional sports and traditional industry? Find out what NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman (ILR '74) and MLB EVP HR and Labor Relations Rob Manfred (ILR '80) say on the subject -- and what this has to do with the NFL-NFLPA negotiations -- in the video following the jump.


A year ago, I was honored to participate in the Human Resource Practices and Industrial Relations in Professional Sports ILR School Workplace Colloquium Series at the Cornell Club in New York City. Both Mr. Bettman and Mr. Manfred have spoken to our club separately in the past, but seeing them interact together and compare experiences added great insight to the relevant issues. Fortunately, video of these excellent remarks from Mr. Bettman and Mr. Manfred are posted online:





Questions discussed include:

• Do players unions more play the role of trade associations or vigilant protectors of worker's (player's) rights?
  
• How do labor and management bargain when the most relevant party -- the fans -- are not at the table?
• How was the 2004-5 NHL lockout different from the 1994-5 MLB strike? Should government intervene in a private dispute?
• Will MLB ever see a minimum payroll or international draft?
• Are professional sports leagues a single entity or competing teams? How does this distinction fit into antitrust law?

Keep in mind, of course, that Bettman and Manfred offer management perspectives. How might Donald Fehr, current NHLPA Executive Director and former MLBPA Executive Director, respond to their comments? Where would he agree or disagree?

These issues are extremely relevant for the NFL-NFLPA negotiations, as the NFLPA has threatened to sue the NFL under antitrust law and the NFL reacted by filing an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for failure to bargain in good faith. Both parties recently agreed to Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) mediation. FMCS Director (and Cornell undergrad and law alum) George Cohen has issued an introductory statement. Their collective bargaining agreement expires in less than two weeks. What, if anything, can the NFL and NFLPA learn from labor relations in hockey and baseball?

If non-ILRies have any questions on the terms used here, I'm happy to do my best to explain.