Chatalas Shrugged

References
Anonymous, (2002). Internet gambling: Should fantasy sports leagues be prohibited? The San Diego Law Review. San Diego: Winter 2002. Vol. 39, Iss. 1; pg. 201. Retrieved December 1, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. This San Diego Law Review article assesses whether fantasy sports are a form of gambling, and studies the various federal and state laws that may apply. It concludes that fantasy sports should be categorized as gambling, subject to legal ramifications, and that fantasy sports businesses should be closed down. Other law journal sources referenced in this paper favor fantasy sports in specific legal cases, but this study delves into the pertinent discussion of fantasy sports as illegal gambling.

Benderoff, E. (2007). Field is now wide open for fantasy players. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 1, 2007 from http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003622469_ptfantasysports17.html. Benderoff provides an overview of the fantasy sports industry, and some fantasy products and games that will be coming in the near future. The article was written in spring of 2007, so some of its focus is in the context of the coming fantasy baseball season. The resource was cited often in my paper regarding fantasy business models and what may come about in the future.

Bernhard, B. & Eade, V. (2005). Gambling in a fantasy world: An exploratory study of rotisserie baseball games. UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal, 9(1), 29-42. Retrieved November 4, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. This study examines fantasy baseball in the context of gambling to gain an understanding of participant behavior. It places fantasy baseball in the category of gambling, and draws comparisons between fantasy sports and traditional gambling, including positive and negative consequences. The authors are fantasy baseball players, involved in the game for 20 years, giving them familiarity with the subject. The article is among the first scholarly approaches to fantasy sports, and it seeks to provide a framework for future research and theory.

Bolitho, Z. (2006). When fantasy meets the courtroom: An examination of the intellectual property issues surrounding the burgeoning fantasy sports industry. Ohio State Law Journal. Retrieved December 1, 2007 from SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=894952. This legal article explores intellectual property law and its relevance to fantasy sports. It specifically scrutinizes copyright and publicity legal issues that were part of the CBC v. Major League Baseball lawsuit, decided in favor of the fantasy sports company in federal court in 2006, and upheld in appeal in 2007. This case has a profound impact on the future of fantasy sports, ruling that names of players and statistics are in the public domain. Bolitho believes that the intellectual property issues facing fantasy sports are on a collision course, and will eventually be decided by the US Supreme Court.

Boyle, M. (2005). Cash in on fantasy sports. Fortune. Retrieved November 15, 2007 from http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/07/technology/fantasysports_fortune_121205/index. Boyle’s article in Fortune summarizes much of the demographic information about fantasy sports hobbyists and their habits. It uses Donald Levy’s research from his 2005 study, and quotes him about the makeup of fantasy sports participants. Boyle also enlists Challenger and Gray, workplace consultants, to quantify the impact fantasy sports fanaticism is having on businesses. This article provided a good overview of fantasy sports, and led me to consult the Levy research.

Brock, D. (2006). Leagues of their own. Nine. Edmonton: Fall 2006. Vol. 15, Iss. 1; pg. 110. Retrieved November 2, 2007 from Research Library database. This article describes the tabletop baseball games that were the predecessors to fantasy baseball. He interviews major league managers and broadcasters whose youths were spent playing these simulation games. Specifically mentioned in this article is Strat-O-Matic Baseball, which is considered the game for baseball diehards. In my research, I regularly found Nine articles in the category of scholarly journals, indicating this journal’s reputation as a publication of esteem on the subject of baseball.

Chaffin, J. (2007). All to play for in fantasy sports. Financial Times. Retrieved December 8, 2007 from http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0c114760-970c-11dc-b2da-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1. Chaffin’s recent article in the Financial Times provides an assessment of the fantasy sports business landscape. It offers a look at financial and demographic data, the role of the Internet in the hobby’s growth, and how media and web companies are incorporating fantasy sports into their business models.

Curtis, B. (2007). We don’t need no stinking baseball. Play Magazine, The New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2007 from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/sports/playmagazine/0603play-show.html. This column appeared in Play Magazine, the periodic sports publication of The New York Times. Curtis comments on the psychological and sociological elements of fantasy sports in a current and entertaining manner. Curtis uses recent baseball history, and applies it to fantasy baseball, including how fantasy sports have seemed to captivate so many fans.

Davis, N.W., & Duncan, M.C. (2006). Sports knowledge is power: Reinforcing masculine privilege through fantasy sport league participation. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 30(3), 244-264. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from Research Library database. This study examines the gender gap in fantasy sports, and why so few women participate in the hobby. It takes a sociological approach to male dominance in the sports world, with a comparison of the fantasy game to sports participation and fandom. The results of the study “suggest that participants did indeed use fantasy sport participation as a means of reaffirming their masculinity.” It concludes that such elements as competition, language and control work together to reinforce gender roles in the realm of sports. The report argues that women are choosing not to take part in fantasy sports in part because of the overt masculinity. Women are indeed a distinct minority in fantasy sports, making up less than 10 percent of participants; but since the hobby is relatively new we are likely to see increased participation by women, not unlike the steady rise over several decades of women as sports fans and as athletes.

Dickey, G. (2004). Fantasy football: Craze’s roots go back to oakland. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved November 15, 2007 from http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/11/27/SPG10A29D61.DTL. Dickey’s article covers the early history of fantasy football, from the 1960s through the 1970s. There are interviews with several of the founders, which included Oakland Raiders employees (including a part-owner) and several local sports writers. It tells why and how they started the game, and how it gradually grew by word of mouth and in local bars.

Fantasy Sports Trade Association. (2007). Fantasy Sports Trade Association. Retrieved November 15, 2007 from http://www.fsta.org/index.php. The website of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association provides general information about the organization which represents the fantasy sports industry. Among the site’s pages used in this research: association objectives and membership, annual survey and research, and links to news relevant to the industry.

Fantasy Sports Trade Association. (2006). Fantasy Sports Industry Demographics. Retrieved November 15, 2007 from http://www.fsta.org/news. The FSTA produces a yearly study of the fantasy sports industry. The research studies fantasy players’ demographics, their time and money spent on the hobby, and industry growth. Dr. Kim Beason of the University of Mississippi is commissioned each year to conduct the survey; he is regularly quoted, and the results are often mentioned, in articles about fantasy sports and the industry.

Farquhar, L. K., & Meeds, R. (2007). Types of fantasy sports users and their motivations. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(4), article 4. Retrieved November 11, 2007 from http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue4/farquhar.html. This study examines fantasy sports participants’ motivations for playing by applying uses and gratifications theory. Farquhar and Meeds research which motivations are considered important to fantasy sports players, and determine types of players based on these factors. The categories established by the authors are casual players, skilled players, thrill-seekers, trash talkers, and formatives; these players fell into two main motivations: arousal and surveillance. Surprisingly, one of the most common gratifications, social interaction, wasn’t found to be a factor; I believe this is because the study concentrated purely on online players, as opposed to groups of friends using the Internet to coordinate the leagues. My interviews with fantasy sports players also found uses and gratifications theory applicable to their motivations for engaging in the hobby.

Hiltner, J.R. and Walker, J.R. (1996). Super frustration sunday: The day prodigy’s fantasy baseball died; an analysis of the dynamics of electronic communication. Journal of Popular Culture. Bowling Green: Winter 1996. Vol. 30, Iss. 3; pg. 103, 15 pgs. This article revisits the system breakdown of Prodigy’s fantasy baseball leagues in 1992. It demonstrates the growing popularity of online fantasy sports, and the dedication of the participants. Hiltner and Walker cull through the myriad Prodigy bulletin board entries by frantic and dismayed fantasy players during that 19-hour shutdown period. The emotional displays in the online interaction range over the hours from anger and personal affronts to support and friendship. The authors describe and label two groups partaking in the bulletin board discussion: whiners (who were very upset, concerned about the lack of service, and want their money back), and philosophers (who understood the problem to be a temporary glitch and that life and the league will go on soon enough). This scholarly journal was the most entertaining I encountered in my research, and provided excellent insight into the psyche and intellect of fantasy sports players, and the hold that fantasy baseball can have on its participants.

Howells, D. (2007). Log me in to the old ballgame: C.B.C. distribution & marketing., inc. v. major league baseball advanced media, lp. Berkeley Technology Law Journal, 22(1), 477-506. Retrieved December 1, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. This legal study examines the factors surrounding the CBC vs. Major League Baseball suit that threatened fantasy sports. MLB asserted that it was the exclusive licensee of baseball players’ identities and statistics, and that online fantasy service CBC cannot use its material; MLB made this claim under the right of publicity. CBC challenged the league, and the court ruled in favor of the company in 2006, supported by appellate court in 2007. Howells agrees with the court decision, and says that MLB’s intention is not protection of players’ rights, but control of statistical data. The study goes into the legal issues of right of publicity and data protection, and analyzes the court’s finding and decision. Howells finds flaws in most of MLB’s arguments, and concludes that CBC’s games do not threaten the ability of baseball to and players to earn a profit. Moreover, he says that MLB’s attempt to privatize baseball statistics, and create faux scarcity of them, serves “no useful economic purpose.” Howells is much more forceful in his opinion on this case that Bolitho, although both agree with the court decision; Howells essentially takes MLB to task for its handling of the case, while Bolitho believes that the conflict between professional sports and fantasy leagues will likely need to be settled by the US Supreme Court.

Klaassen, A. (2006). That’s real money-$1.5B-pouring into made-up leagues. Advertising Age, 77(32), 4,29. Retrieved November 4, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. Another of the articles used in my research that provides insight into the current fantasy sports industry, and how marketers are going about reaching this well-defined niche market. Klaassen’s article appears in Advertising Age, so its focus is toward marketing and advertising industry executives and insiders.

Levy, D. (2005) Sports fanship habitus: An investigation of the active consumption of sport, its effects and social implications through the lives of fantasy sport enthusiasts. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Connecticut, United States – Connecticut. Retrieved November 23, 2007, from ProQuest Digital Dissertations database. Donald Levy’s study examines the sociology and psychology of fantasy sports participants within the larger context of how being a sports fan impacts “how we feel, think and see the world.” He surveyed roughly 1,200 fantasy hobbyists, and engaged in participant observation and interviews. Levy’s demographic findings are similar to those of the FSTA surveys, but his academic research goes farther. His study includes fantasy hobbyist attitudes and opinions, and applicable theories; it explores fanship habitus, and fantasy sports as representative of such fanship. He finds that fantasy sports players are active and involved fans, in contrast to research showing sports fans as passive participants. Levy’s study is often referred in articles about fantasy sports, and the research is considered among the most in-depth that has been conducted of the hobby.

Lewis, M. (2003). Moneyball: The art of winning an unfair game. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc. Lewis has written books about Wall Street and presidential campaigns; his 2003 book Moneyball ventured into the world of baseball and the trend toward using quantitative approaches to establish a player’s chances of success. It details the growing conflict between the old-time scouts, who evaluate players by sight and gut instinct, and the new breed of baseball men armed with computers, databases and arcane statistical calculations. Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics, is regarded as the leader in this new approach, and his career and methods are the thrust of this book. Moneyball is considered a classic among modern-day baseball fans. For my paper, the book was cited in regard to the emergence of Bill James and his innovative statistical analysis called sabermetrics; fantasy players began consulting James’ writings to help draft better teams.

Manley, L. (2006). Strat-o-matic, the throwback, endures the era of the x-boxes. The New York Times. Retrieved December 8, 2007 from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/13/sports/13stratomatic.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1197230502-XxXbiuYd4cFmeOVlSItUfw. Strat-O-Matic is one of the original simulation tabletop games based on statistics. Manley’s article covers Strat-O-Matic Baseball’s hold on its devotees. Although founded in the early 1960s, and its peak popularity is in the past, the game nonetheless appeals to many with its combination of realism and camaraderie. This article relays the history of the game, and includes an interview with creator Hal Richman. Interestingly enough, Richman claims that his player cards aren’t entirely based upon statistics; he admits that subjective assessments find their way onto the cards, too. To this day Strat-O-Matic boasts hundreds of thousands players, most of whom have continued playing since their youth. I used this article to demonstrate the parallels of Strat-O-Matic players to those who were early adapters of fantasy sports.

Masse, C. (2007). Fantasy sport: The only way to crack open the US betting/gambling/gaming market… legally. MidasOracle.org. Retrieved December 1, 2007 from http://www.midasoracle.org/2007/11/05/fantasy-sport-the-only-way-to-crack-open-the-us-bettinggamblinggaming-market-legally/. This online article summarizes the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, and its effect on fantasy sports. The article gives a history of how the law came about, and how fantasy sports has a specific exemption in the text of the bill, categorizing the game as one of skill with results based on accumulated statistics, rather than a game of chance. The law, tied to the Safe Port Act, enables fantasy sports businesses to operate online without the risk of being cited for gambling violations.

Miller, S. (2005). The real revenue in fantasy sports. Multichannel News, 26(52), 38. Retrieved November 4, 2007, from ProQuest Telecommunications database. Miller’s article breaks down how the major media companies are incorporating fantasy sports into their business. Miller talks to executives from ESPN, CBS and Fox, and details their approaches to capturing the market. The article also covers the free vs. paid content decisions being made by media companies weighing revenue models.

NFLPlayers.com. (2007). Fantasy football history. Washington, D.C. Retrieved November 15, 2007 from http://www.nflplayers.com/fantasy/history.aspx. Although finding information about fantasy football’s founding is fairly easy, the material isn’t as abundant, colorful or detailed as that of fantasy baseball. This website provided a straightforward account of the early days of fantasy football that augmented some other articles I found and referenced.

Raney, A., & Bryant, J. (2006). Handbook of sports and media. Routledge. This 633-page book is filled with essays about the growing convergence of sports and media. Among the many subjects covered in this wide-ranging compendium are sports audience, entertainment, economics, promotion, and sociology, and how the media intertwines within those areas. The book enlists many contributors who analyze the research and apply it to their topic of expertise. It is truly an appropriate area of study because sports and media have become a large part of American society; sports in a cultural sense, and media in the diffusion and business sense. Without the media, sports would not be as dominant a factor in American life as they are today; the harmony between the two entities is mutually beneficial, and worthy of further study. An entire chapter of this handbook is dedicated to fantasy sports, and some of its findings and commentary were referenced in this paper.

RotoWire.com. (2007). Rotowire: The most respected fantasy sports resource. Madison, WI. Retrieved November 15, 2007 from http://www.rotowire.com/about/htm. Rotonews was one of the first and most popular websites dedicated to fantasy sports news and content. It sold in 1999 to a corporation, but subsequently the company failed. The original founders regrouped as RotoWire, a site providing leagues and news for a fee. Since RotoNews was among the innovators in providing online content dedicated to fantasy sports, it merited mention in this paper; I visited the website for background material on the company.

Schwarz, A. (2004). The numbers game: Baseball’s lifelong fascination with statistics. New York: St. Martin’s. Baseball is a game filled with statistics, and Schwarz’s book delves into their prominence to the game and its fans. Moneyball (by Lewis) looked at how baseball men use statistics to evaluate player performance; The Numbers Game looks at how statistics became so embedded in the game, and how they’ve evolved over the years. Among the areas Schwarz covers include: the invention of the box score, to this day the method which fans follow game results and statistics; the statistical analyst hired by the legendary Branch Rickey to apply numbers to performance, thus possibly contributing to those teams’ success; and the emergence of Bill James and the sabermetric movement. My continued dedication to baseball is largely attributed to its combination of statistics and strategy; Schwarz’ book hits at the heart of these elements. This book is both entertaining and informative, mixing humor with history. The book mentions simulation tabletop baseball games that are based on statistics; an anecdote about Strat-O-Matic Baseball was used in this paper.

Stafford, T.F., Stafford, M.R. & Schkade. L. (2004). Determining uses and gratifications for the internet. Decision Sciences, 35(2), 259-288. Retrieved November 11, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. This study applies uses and gratifications theory to motivating factors in the use of the Internet. The research identified three primary motivations that fall into the typical gratifications categories: content (surveillance and finding information, process (escapism/entertainment) and social (social interaction). The study also has a section on the role of diffusion in adopters’ perceptions, interactions and observations. Given that fantasy sports are played in large measure via the Internet, Stafford et al is applicable to fantasy sports uses and gratifications. In particular, the theory is used to help explain why so many people play fantasy sports.

Stahl, F. & Maass, W. (2006). Adoption and diffusion in electronic markets: An empirical analysis of attributes influencing the adoption of paid content. Electronic Markets, 16(3), 233. Retrieved December 2, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. Paid content on the Internet is the focus of this study. As online ad revenues fluctuate, some businesses have begun charging fees for their information and insight. In a world where people are accustomed to getting content online for free, the paid model is attracting attention. The authors of this study apply diffusion of innovation theory to paid content in an effort to understand how and when people have adopted the pay model. The research finds that those who have previously paid for online content are more likely to continue; word of mouth contributes to diffusion. Typically the content has to have special value beyond what is already free online. This subject is directly relative to fantasy sports in that the industry has embraced both free and paid models. My paper cites several specific businesses and mentions whether or not they charge for their offerings. This paper also provided excellent an overview of diffusion theory in regard to a relevant and modern topic, the Internet.

Stats, Inc. (2004). The reality of fantasy sports: A white paper on the growing business of fantasy sports. Stats, Inc. Fantasy Industry Market Research. Retrieved December 8, 2007. Founded in 1981, Stats, Inc. is the leading provider of statistical data and sports information to media companies and fantasy sports services; it administers information from its database for professional leagues, broadcast companies, cable networks, wire services and more. The company’s 2004 report on the fantasy sports business details the growth of the industry, participant demographics and patterns, and the basics of running a fantasy website; various elements of this “White Paper” were referenced in my paper.

Tabletop Baseball Games (2007). Avalon hill statis pro baseball history. Retrieved December 8, 2007 from http://tabletopbaseball.org/sp.html. Statis Pro Baseball was a simulation tabletop game, like Strat-O-Matic and APBA. But while the latter two are still played, Statis Pro shut down its game over a licensing issue with Major League Baseball. I played Statis Pro baseball in my youth, and that’s how I learned many aspects of baseball strategy; after the shutdown, we even made our own cards based on formulas previously provided by Statis Pro. This website provided detailed information about the fate of Statis Pro.

Walker, S. (2006). Fantasyland: A sportswriter’s obsessive bid to win the world’s most ruthless fantasy baseball league. New York: Penguin Books. Sam Walker, a sports writer for the Wall Street Journal, refused to play Rotisserie baseball for years. But awash in the legal and business aspects of baseball, he was losing his zeal for the sport. So the author not only decided to join a fantasy league, he applied to play in the foremost expert league, Tout Wars, which features some of the biggest names in the fantasy baseball business and statistical analysis world. Walker’s book recounts his 2004 foray into the world of fantasy baseball and the approaches he embraced to compete at the highest level of the game. Fantasyland is amusing, well written, and insightful, and is among my favorite books. It is cited often within my paper, providing fantasy baseball history and details of the fantasy industry.

Welte, J., Barnes, G., Wieczorek, W., Tidwell, M. & Parker, J. (2002). Gambling participation in the u.s. – Results from a national survey. Journal of Gambling Studies, 18(4), 313. Retrieved November 23, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. This study details our country’s increasing proclivity for gambling, with 82 percent of Americans taking part in some form of gambling. The most popular are lotteries and office pools, but casino games and sports betting are on the rise, too. The research is among the most comprehensive regarding gambling patterns and trends completed this decade. I used it to demonstrate the prevalence of gambling within our society. Although sports gambling is mentioned throughout the study and is found to be growing, it does not include fantasy sports as a form of gambling.

Weinstein, J. (2006). Are fantasy sports the future of television/internet convergence? MediaVillage.com. Retrieved November 4, 2007 from http://www.mediavillage.com/jmr/2006/10/03/jmr-10-03-06/. Weinstein thoroughly reports on the future of fantasy sports in terms of technological advancements. The primary focus is the synergy of digital innovations, mainly television, Internet and mobile. Media conglomerates are partnering with tech companies to find profitable products, including reaching into the fantasy sports market. TiVo, Intel, Yahoo! and others have initiatives underway that will impact the way sports fans and fantasy sports players follow the game and access information.

Woodward, D. (2005). A whole new ballgame: How fantasy sports has evolved in the mass media. University of Texas at Arlington. Retrieved October 26, 2007. Woodward’s dissertation thoroughly examines the adoption process of the mass media in offering fantasy sports content on websites, television, radio and newspapers. He also posits that mass media, by embracing the profit potential of fantasy sports content, publicized the hobby via its access to a large audience; this resulted in consciously contributing to the diffusion and making it more popular in American culture. Woodward also compares the growth of fantasy sports in the mass media within the framework of Rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory. His study is filled with interesting interviews with decision makers and content creators at several media outlets, including ESPN, The Sporting News, The Dallas Morning News, and radio and television companies. The consensus is that the Internet is the best venue for fantasy sports and related content. Woodward’s 137-page dissertation details the history of fantasy sports and its growth in popular culture and the media. It provides an intriguing analysis of how the media makes content decisions, and how a hobby such as fantasy sports gradually moves along the diffusion scale to its current status in the early majority stage.

Van Voris, B. (2007). Court won’t reconsider decision favoring fantasy sports leagues. Bloomberg. Retrieved December 1, 2007 from http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aGSQgvgz.LvI. This article provided the current status on the CBC v. Major League Baseball case. Van Voris covers the appeals court decision, and gives background on the initial 2006 ruling.

US Society and Values. (2003). Sports in America. Office of International Information Programs, US Department of State. Retrieved December 8, 2007. This 2003 government report concentrates on the culture of sports in America. It commissioned experts in a variety of sports-related fields to create this impressive report. Chapters include examinations of women in sports, sports economics, and why sports are so important to our society. The writing and content is impressive and the approach to the subjects is unique. I specifically used information from this report to convey the number of Americans who embrace sports as an aspect of their lives.