Articles in this issue:

  • Chrysostomos Giannoulakis

    Abstract: Elias Katirtsigianoglou is an interesting figure: outgoing, charming, active, sociable, energetic, successful, and well educated. By the time he reached his early 30s, he had acquired for himself what he called “the package.” He worked as a sales manager in a multinational company for renewable energy and had a personal sales record of approximately $60 million. He owned a house in the United Kingdom, a fancy car, and was in a fruitful relationship. However, at the age of 32, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and doctors gave him six months to live. As he was resting in a...Read more

  • Nancy L. Lough
    Jennifer R. Pharr
    Jason O. Owen

    The economic value of participation sport has been reported to eclipse spectator sport significantly. However, scholars have acknowledged the relative lack of research on this important segment of the sport market. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between runner identity and race sponsor effectiveness. Surveys were sent to participants in the Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. The survey was constructed to measure runner identity, and sponsor effectiveness as interpreted through rates of recognition, recall and purchase intention. Runners were divided into three...Read more

  • Mark Dodds
    Kevin Heisey

    Should football jerseys, pants, and girdles be considered clothing or sporting goods for import tariff purposes? Recently, Riddell challenged the Court of International Trade’s (“CIT”) classification of the importation of such items as articles of apparel (Riddell, Inc. v. United States, 2014). Riddell contended the items should be classified as sports equipment, which creates a lower import tariff for Riddell. In deciding the case, the U.S. Court of Appeals rejected Riddell’s argument for the reclassification of the football jerseys and pants but it allowed a different apparel...Read more

  • Patrick J. Rishe
    Michael Mondello
    Brett Boyle

    Though most academic research on sports pricing finds that sports organizations price their tickets in the inelastic region of consumer demand, most events do not consist of several micro-events contested in different locations where the event participants are not known until days before the event occurs. The Division I Men’s College Basketball tournament offers a contrast to most sporting events because there are several micro-events occurring at different sites, and there is greater uncertainty regarding event quality because participating teams are unknown until just days before each...Read more

  • Brody J. Ruihley
    Andrew C. Billings
    Coral Rae

    Fantasy sport now involves over 41 million Americans (Fantasy Sport Trade Association, 2014). Past research has identified reasons why adults are motivated to participate; yet little research has focused upon why younger participants—a key demographic for the growth of the industry—are participating. Utilizing 1,360 online questionnaires pertaining to player’s demographics, habits, consumption, and motivations, comparisons were made between the 12-19 year-old demographic and other older age groups. Teen motivations for participation varied considerably from other age demographics, as this...Read more

  • Ashley Stadler Blank
    Kristi Sweeney
    Rhema D. Fuller

    Due to the growing buying power of diverse consumers and the importance of attendance to professional sports in the US, this study qualitatively examines the factors affecting African-American attendance at professional sporting events and identifies several attendance drivers and constraints, including alternative forms of commitment, atmosphere, comfort and convenience, cost, exposure and access to the sport, image and identity, performance and entertainment, social nature of sport, and value. These findings support and extend prior research by offering seven new factors affecting...Read more