View From The Bridge

$1.1 Billion.  This is the total profit that the NCAA generated in 2019 - 79% of it coming from March Madness TV rights alone ($857.5 million). So, where does this money go? Well, other than salaries for NCAA employees, it's mostly divided up between coaching salaries and university student finance support. The athletes themselves? They never even see a dime.  As a multi-billion dollar industry, you would think that the NCAA could at least financially recognise the players that make their business so successful. However, as every Division 1 athlete knows, making money under the noses of the NCAA is a surefire way to get you kicked off that scholarship you worked so hard for. However, considering this is one of the most disputed and controversial topics in modern sport, let's weigh up the pros and cons.  Right now, NCAA players generate no financial income from competing in college basketball. This includes receiving money for playing, funding for training, accepting prize...

€105 million goes a pretty long way these days. You can buy yourself a couple of holiday villas in Spain, a Bugatti or two - hell, maybe even a yacht. However, in the football world, you get Paul Pogba - the worlds most expensive super-sub. E ven the most hardcore Man United fans have to admit that this particular investment hasn't exactly worked out the way they wanted, as they were promised the midfielder of the century when in reality they got a Frenchman with bad ankles.  But it hasn't all been bad. Impressive performances at Juventus is what conjured up a return to Old Trafford in the first place and he certainly earned that €105 million price tag. In 178 appearances for the King's of Italy, Pogba racked up 74 goal contributions including 34 goals and 40 assists, pushing Juventus to 4 consecutive league titles under Antonio Conte.  This form did continue for a period at Old Trafford, as even with continuing chemistry and management issues, he still produced 24 goals an...

Let's face it, the life of a billionaire businessman ain't all bad. Yes, you have the occasional 2-hour meeting to discuss what fifty-foot yacht to buy, but apart from that, life is pretty much taken care of. But aside from all the materialistic items that can end up in a billionaires shopping cart, money has the ability to buy one major factor in sport - opportunity.  Don't get me wrong, Lance Stroll is a talented young driver and F3 European Champion. However, without billionaire father Lawrence, I doubt he would be anywhere near the 20 seats that F1 provides.  At 19, Lance Stroll became one of the grids youngest drivers in 2017, when his father paid over $80 million for a seat at a struggling Williams. Not only did this place him next to the legendary Felipe Massa, but also gave him his first chance to prove he wasn't a 'pay-to-play' racer. Looking back, this wasn't the best idea for both Lance Stroll and his financially backed father. Over 2 seasons at W...

Gender equality is something that has been debated over for centuries. In 2021, the situation is still not perfect, but major steps have been taken to make the sporting world a more inclusive place. The Olympics have played a major role in this and was the very first sight of women's participation in sport on a global scale when they were invited to compete in the 1900 Paris Olympics across five events. Since then, women's participation has exploded into almost every sport at both the Olympic games and as professionals. However, watching professional sportsmen compete against professional sportswomen is still something that is rarely observed and can only be found in events such as Tennis (mixed doubles) and Equestrian. So the question is, will we ever see professional unisex sport, and what are the needed steps to get there?   Anatomically, there are a lot of differences between male and female athletes. For example, higher levels of testosterone in males allow for increased m...

In 2014, Michael Jordan became the first billionaire athlete with his combined assets reaching an estimated $1.9 billion. Since then, athletes such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Tiger Woods and Michael Schumacher have all joined the billionaire club as a reward for their decades of hard work and sacrifice to become some of the greatest sportsmen of all time. However, no matter what year you choose, the world always seems to be in some sort of economic crisis  and every day people lose their livelihoods so that people further up the food chain can live a little more lavishly. Professional athletes are treated like gods whilst the mortals within the general public continue their daily struggle to make ends meet. The worst part? The deeper you dig, the more outrageous this illusion becomes. Let's start with some infamous salaries from this year alone (before endorsements and sponsorship):   NBA: Average Salary - $7 million           Highest Paid - Stephen C...