1
Apologia is formal defense of oneself after scandal (i.e., an apology most likely given verbally).
Travis Scott; Ted Kennedy
Name a sports betting scandal we discussed. Describe what happened.
Pete Rose; Brad Bohannon of U. Alabama baseball, Iowa State football, Fresno State basketball, Jontay Porter, etc.
The first modern sport that became popular with sports bettors in the mid-1800s was ________.
Horse-racing
As we discussed, the North Carolina state legislature is trying to pass a bill that would funnel the taxable revenue from legalized sports betting to ______ colleges and universities in the state.
Public
Which sportscaster first dubbed the NCAA Tournament "March Madness"
Brent Musberger
Houston Astros
Gambling first began in the Roman era. Why were they fascinated with it?
Because it transcended social class. Gambling was the only activity that allowed the lower class to interact with the upper class in an entertainment setting.
The poor liked the prospects of winning money; the rich liked the idea of keeping the lower class poor.
Based on the currently trajectory of college basketball, will "Cinderella's" in the NCAA Tournament be a thing of the past? Why or why not?
It's a possibility since revenue-sharing is making it increasingly difficult for a mid-major school to attract and keep its star players. The downside is that Cinderella stories are good for ratings and also benefit the mid-major schools by providing free exposure/publicity.
Which state's high school athletic association, in 1939, became the first to officially use the term "March Madness" in recognition of its high school basketball tournament?
Illinois
What was the name of the 2018 law that legalized sports gambling in the U.S.?
Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association
What is PASPA?
How are the deceptive advertising techniques of sports gambling platforms nowadays reminiscent of the advertising of what _____ from the 1950s-90s?
Cigarettes. Prior to the late-90s, cigarette advertising wasn't regulated, meaning tobacco companies were free to advertise on television, including programming directed at kids. Sports gambling platforms have data on what demographic is most impressionable and purposely pushes ads to this group the most.
Which broadcasting of an NFL injury, that occurred in 2023, did we watch a clip of in class to illustrate just how far the ethics of handling on-air injuries has come?
Damar Hamlin
The four states where sports gambling was legal between 1992 and 2018 were ...
Nevada, Delaware, Oregon, Montana
Name three examples of sports information that a gambler is likely interested in knowing before placing a bet?
Who’s playing in the next game, who isn't playing in the next game because of injury, who may be traded or bench before the next game, etc.
What is 1961's Federal Wire Act? How was it used to limit gambling prior to widespread legalization in 2018?
The Federal Wire Act specified that anyone who placed a bet using "wire communication" on any sporting event or contest “shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both." Therefore, the definition of "wire communication" was applied to the Internet as a way to restrict gambling activity over state lines.
Why is prop betting such a big issue in college athletics these days?
Unlike professional athletes, college athletes aren't earning the "big bucks." Therefore, the thinking is that a student-athlete would be more willing to fix a game, especially since prop bets are difficult to detect.
How was gambling discussed on-air, by sports commentators, prior to its widespread legalization in 2018?
Commentators and hosts, like Brent Musberger and Jimmy the Greek, would subtly talk about the point spread (i.e., "I believe the game will be decided by 10 pts") and give advice on which team they believed would win, thus reinforcing the unofficial "picks of the week"
Should a sports reporter ever bet on sports?
No -- it's not ethical, especially if it's a sport that the reporter regularly covers. In this case, he/she already has relationships with the players and coaches and may have access to "insider information" from being on the beat. It would lead to an unfair advantage if a reporter took advantage of his/her position to make a profit.
What is the breakfast test?
An informal "test" used by those in the media to determine if content is too graphic to push to the public (i.e., thinking that if someone can look at an image while eating food, and not get sick, then it's probably okay).
What's the main argument for airing a replay of a gruesome sports injury? And what's the main argument against it?
For -- Media must be transparent, and if injuries were not shown then it may paint a false sense of reality to sports fans that contact sports are not inherently violent and dangerous.
Against -- If you show the replay, you may be subjecting a type of audience, particularly children, who aren't old enough to fully process a gruesome injury. This side of the argument also holds that broadcasters shouldn't show the replay because if people want to see it again, they can go easily find it via social media and watch that way.
Who/what benefits from legalized sports gambling? Why? Who/what can be negatively impacted by legalized sports gambling?
Legalized sports betting benefits the leagues/owners the most because it leads to increased fan engagement and profits from gambling partnerships/advertising. However, it has the ability to negatively impact the public (18-34 men) the most, especially if those individuals develop gambling addiction as a result.
If you were working in the PR department for a professional sports team and one of your athletes was involved in an on-court "fight" with a player from the other team, how could you best restore that athlete's public image?
One possible answer -- Have the athlete apologize for his/her actions, no matter who started the fight. Make sure the apology is transparent and sincere (i.e., press conference rather than prepared social media statement). Public image could also be restored by having the player do good deeds off the court to portray the fight as being out-of-character.
Fantasy sports, according to the courts, were considered a game of _______. Therefore, what impact did daily fantasy sports play in the eventual legalization of sports betting.
Fantasy sport was deemed a game of "skill." Therefore, daily fantasy platforms were able to pay out cash prizes for winnings since it wasn't considered gambling, which is seen as a game of luck. Once people could win money via DFS, attitudes toward gambling began to shift.
Explain how sports media and sports betting are so intertwined now ...
Sports media outlets now cover information related to sports betting (i.e., money lines, who's injured, etc.) more in-depth. Certain sports media entities have sponsorship deals with sports gambling platforms as advertisers, etc.