Category Archives: Sport

I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out

Posted on June 19, 2008 by andrewleigh

Another of my favourite sports economics papers – which I didn’t have time to mention in this week’s AFR oped – is this one, on hockey violence. An ambitious economics student could easily replicate it for rugby league, I would’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Sport | 9 Comments

Giving economics a sporting chance

Posted on June 17, 2008 by andrewleigh

My AFR oped today is on sports economics. Full text over the fold.

Posted in From the Frontiers, Sport | 1 Comment

Testing the Tanking Theory

Posted on March 14, 2008 by andrewleigh

Amidst all the media coverage of Tony Liberatore’s claims about Carlton ‘tanking’, it’s surprising that no-one in the media seems to have quoted from our own expert on this, Melbourne University Professor Jeff Borland. Here’s his summary, from a 2006 … Continue reading →

Posted in Sport | 8 Comments

Sport as Social Policy?

Posted on February 20, 2008 by andrewleigh

In the context of Indigenous disadvantage, Francis Xavier Holden floats an idea I’ve never heard before. I’ve thought for a long time that one simple big idea that would contribute to Aboriginal wellbeing would be to locate one AFL team … Continue reading →

Posted in Indigenous Policy, Sport | 15 Comments

Of Steroids and Stats

Posted on February 10, 2008 by andrewleigh

Red Sox fan Justin Wolfers (and his Wharton coauthors) have a carefully-written piece in today’s NYT, looking at whether Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens’ late-career success was statistically atypical.

Posted in Sport | Comments Off on Of Steroids and Stats

Weekend Bleg

Posted on November 4, 2007 by andrewleigh

When I was a kid, every bicycle store and department store used to sell AM/FM radios that could be mounted on bicycle handlebars. Since I have a half-hour cycle to and fro work each day, I’d rather like to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Sport | 11 Comments

Walking Off into the Sunset

Posted on June 15, 2007 by andrewleigh

According to recent reports*, racewalking looks like being cut from the Commonwealth Games program permanently. I think this would be a pity if it happened. I spent most of my highschool evenings training as a racewalker. Indeed, the one national medal … Continue reading →

Posted in Sport | 6 Comments

Is calling a foul a black & white decision?

Posted on May 2, 2007 by andrewleigh

Justin Wolfers has a piece of research featured on the front page of the New York Times today. And it’s a very nice story. A coming paper by a University of Pennsylvania professor and a Cornell University graduate student says … Continue reading →

Posted in Sport | 3 Comments

The Sun Also Sets

Posted on December 19, 2006 by andrewleigh

Here’s how the London Sun and the Herald Sun reported the Ashes news. Note that the image is from the back of the London Sun – the loss didn’t even make their front page.

Posted in Sport | 1 Comment

One for the tragics

Posted on December 1, 2006 by andrewleigh

In case you thought cricket betting markets were merely a bit of fun, a pair of Australian researchers from the University of Newcastle are here to tell you that they’re also highly efficient. An Examination of In-play Sports Betting Using One-Day … Continue reading →

Posted in Sport | 1 Comment

Government Managing Risk

Posted on October 30, 2006 by andrewleigh

My colleague Professor Bruce Chapman has a new book out on income-contingent loans, entitled Government Managing Risk: Income-Contingent Loans for Social and Economic Progress. The book discusses ways in which the HECS model for student loans could be applied to … Continue reading →

Posted in Australian Politics, Economics Generally, Low Wage Work, Sport, Universities | 3 Comments

Putting the boff back into boffin

Posted on August 9, 2006 by andrewleigh

Enterprising Monash University student Greg Hill has applied prediction markets to a very Australian problem – which AFL team will be the next to have a player appear in court facing criminal charges? Here’s his description: As part of The … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics Generally, Sport | 5 Comments

Death, Taxes, and Soccer

Posted on June 27, 2006 by andrewleigh

On this black armband morning, Joshua and I have written up our death and taxes piece in The Age. It’s exactly as we wrote it, except that the sub-editor apparently thought it would be a good idea to replace “decedents” (dead … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics Generally, Sport | 4 Comments

I'll bet they're shaking in their boot

Posted on June 23, 2006 by andrewleigh

Well, I’ll be durned. Tradesports has Australia a 25% chance of beating Italy (1am Tue). Admittedly, it also says that our chance of taking the Cup back to Sydney are about 0.8%.

Posted in Sport | 5 Comments

Yahwoo!

Posted on June 13, 2006 by andrewleigh

What a game. As one of the SMH commenters put it, “all hail Tim Cahill”. According to Centrebet, we’re now the 12th most likely team to win the Cup. Overnight, the Socceroos’ odds dropped from 80:1 to 51:1.

Posted in Sport | 4 Comments

The Cup Runneth Over

Posted on June 12, 2006 by andrewleigh

Rank and Vile has a nice discussion of soccer from the viewpoint of an AFL fan. He quotes a forum member from the Melbourne Victory board: Australian Rules barrackers are baffled by the low-scoring nature of football. They are used … Continue reading →

Posted in Sport | 8 Comments