Brief Bio

I received my PhD from Caltech in 1985. I'm now retired as Professor Emeritus. After 23 years in an economics department, I became Professor of Sport Management at the University of Michigan in 2007.  I taught Sports Economics, Sports Finance, Sports Policy, and Research Methods for Sport Management at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

According to my book jacket notes, I am recognized internationally as an authority on sports economics and business.  In over 150 articles and monographs, and 7 books, my work covers diverse sports topics.  My contributions have appeared in the American Economic Review, Journal of Economic Literature, Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Economic Inquiry, and the Journal of Sports Economics.  I also serve on journal editorial boards.

With the late great James Quirk, I am co-author of Pay Dirt and Hard Ball (both at Princeton University Press), with Jason Winfree 15 Sports Myths and Why They Are Wrong (Stanford University Press), and I also co-edited volumes on college sports, international sports business comparisons, and the sports business in the Pacific rim.  My best-selling textbook, Sports Economics, has been a staple for almost 20 years.

I regularly speak on sports topics and about my work at universities and organizations such as the Brookings Institution, the International Center for Sports Studies (Neuchatel, Switzerland), the Marquette Sports Law Institute, and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research.  I have has been a featured speaker at international sports congresses in Cologne, Germany, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Gijon, Spain.

I have testified before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust concerning competitive balance issues in baseball and to the New Zealand Commerce Commission on the establishment of a Premier Division in New Zealand Rugby Union.  My signature is on Amicus Briefs to the Supreme Court of the U.S., U.S. District Court, and government regulatory agencies.

I also frequently render expert opinion in legal cases concerning sports. I also have been featured on national television in the U.S. and Canada, cable news channels, and radio.