Is esports a sport? That question has been answered by one court in the negative. However, is that court decision correct? What specific arguments can be raised in the future to deal with the argument that at the collegiate-level esports is not considered a real sport?

The launch of ChatGPT, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) ChatBot, in late 2022 made many people look to the disruption such technology could play in education. This study aimed to identify the quality of short answer outputs for sport management questions from ChatGPT and suggestions on utilizing ChatGPT in the functional areas of sport management. The study was exploratory, and the methodology used was a generic qualitative inquiry. The results indicated that ChatGPT produces grammatically quality, complete, and topically accurate outputs for short answer questions. The findings indicate the pros and cons of utilizing Artificial Intelligence chatbots, such as ChatGPT, in the sports management higher education classroom. The discussion gives practical suggestions on how ChatGPT can supplement and support sport management education.

Sports can be expensive. Ice time for hockey practice to $200 tennis racquets can discourage some participants. From billion-dollar teams and venues to Olympic Games costing billions as well, where will sports get all the money they need to operate? One vehicle that has been used successfully for almost 100 years has been postage stamps. Funds were not generated just from selling Olympic themed stamps that generated some money for the postal service or maybe a government. The bulk of funds associated with sport-related stamps fundraising has been through semipostal stamps. Semipostal stamps provide for an additional charge over the face value with those funds going to a worthy cause. Worth causes over the years have included tuberculosis research/treatment, disease prevention, supporting the Red Cross, feeding the poor, or winter heating aid. Another beneficiary has been sports. Researching Scott Stamp Catalogues from the 1920s through 2015 has highlighted 60 countries who have issued 920 semipostal stamps to fund everything from Olympics to youth sports, sport venues, and even sport equipment purchases. This article examines how these stamps have been used successfully in the past and how they are still being used. Furthermore, one country, Germany, has been issuing sport-related semipostal stamps for over 50 years and has generated millions of dollars and sold over 250 million sport-related semipostal stamps.

Major risk categories in sport venue safety include natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and rioting.However, sport venue safety takes numerous forms, and generally speaking, as facilities become bigger, with more people and more moving parts, they become much more complex.For example, facilities may use closed circuit televisions (CCTVs), facial recognition systems, bollards to prevent ramming, police surveillance towers, command centers, magnetometers to screen for weapons, and more basic risk management strategies to deal with intoxicated fans, fly balls, errant pucks, and holes in the field of play that may cause injury to people or equipment.Although it is critical for sport venues to examine major risks that can injure many people at once, such as a terrorist attack, the more common issues are going to be simple, individual injury cases, including slips and falls, trips and falls, fights in the stands, and numerous other issues.Unfortunately, smaller issues can quickly gain prominence when there are so many fans and so many games.An example of this entails fans being hit by foul balls.For years, baseball stadiums relied on the "assumption of risk" defense, which asserts that if a fan was hit by a foul ball they should not recover compensatory or punitive damages for their injuries, no matter how serious they were.However, due to national attention, often pushed by social media and videos of people being injured by foul balls, Major League Baseball (MLB) encouraged all their teams, both in the majors and minors, to expand the amount of netting used at ballparks.Stadiums were encouraged to extend netting past the dugouts with many extending to the foul poles to protect fans.By 2020, all MLB teams had expanded their netting.This was not due just to the social media buzz, but also numerous reported cases and one death in 2018 (Lehren & Tak, 2019).In addition to foul ball protection issues identified through news stories and various articles/studies, there are many other hazards present, especially as it relates to the venue itself.There have been several major incidents in stadiums and arenas with fans falling over railings.These incidents are tragic and have resulted in several fatalities over the years.

The term “buffer zone’ has been used roughly for the past 20 years to highlight the space needed between an activity area and its surrounding to present the safest activity area possible. While everyone would agree there should be some space, the issue is how much? Is the designated space just an estimate or based on scientific research? If there had not been any prior injuries for many years, is the facility reasonably safe for the activity level? These are the questions that exist around “appropriate” buffer zones. This paper examines the basketball buffer zones and whether they are accurate and appropriate. After providing background information about the role of buffer zones, risk management basics, and basic physics of movement, this paper attempts to provide the most appropriate basketball buffer zone distance via surveys, player measurements, and a dose of physics.

Fraud is a very broad term, but the underlying theme is the intentional act of deception for personal financial gain. This case study highlights three examples of fraud at different levels of sport: youth, collegiate, and professional. Students are provided a broad perspective of financial fraud and are exposed to differing types of criminal activity at each level of sport. Furthermore, the authors provide an understanding of financial fraud, illegal activities related to fraud, and the responsibilities that all sport management professionals have within various positions at each respective level. Finally, this case provides students with an opportunity to suggest solutions and deterrents for dealing with financial fraud at each level. Specifically, the authors provide a rationale for the use of internal controls within an organization to segregate an organization’s financial responsibilities and reduce the risk of financial fraud.

The use of analytics has been growing throughout the sport industry. Although the concepts of analytics and big data are frequently used in the sport industry and highlighted in numerous media outlets, sport management students often do not have a strong understanding of why and how analytics are important for their future career, especially as it relates to sport marketing. This case study describes a fictitious student’s desire to be an intern in the analytics department at Major League Soccer and the student’s interaction with an industry professional who is an expert on customer relationship management and marketing analytics in the sport industry. The study provides information on how and why analytics are used in sport marketing and how data can be used to make decisions.

In sport the safety of staff, participants and spectators is of the utmost importance. Therefore, sport venue and event managers should take every precaution to address safety concerns while planning for and executing events or activities. While venue managers have a legal duty to protect fans and participants, federal regulations exist to ensure a safe workplace for all employees, including those at a sports event. This is a conceptual article intended to assist practitioners to identify potentially unexpected hazards within the work environment, as well as strategies to eliminate or manage them. The authors examine existing federal regulations, current research associated with hearing/noise-related concerns and specific research undertaken in the sport environment. The article concludes with recommended prevention strategies for facility and event managers to assist them in meeting their professional and legal obligations.

The profession of teaching physical education (PE) involves a variety of risks. Most PE teachers or future teachers are aware of the risks associated with their students becoming injured. Sport law classes often discuss negligence, risk management, proper supervision, suitable equipment, appropriate instruction, proper matching of opponents, etc. The focus is primarily or exclusively on student safety. Rarely is the focus on the risks that PE teachers themselves face. This article discusses the largely neglected topics of transportation, workplace violence, and falls, all of which are occupational hazards for PE teachers, potentially associated with serious injuries or death.

INTRODUCTIONIn Part I of this series on obstacle course mud runs (OCMR), we discussed the rapid growth of these events and the types of health-related and obstacle-related injuries and deaths that have occurred. Some of these injuries and deaths have resulted in negligence lawsuits against the race organizers and sponsors. We also indicated that, until there is an industry-wide management system in place, participants, race organizers, and sponsors need to manage these risks, that is, develop and implement risk management strategies to help minimize the number and severity of injuries as well as subsequent litigation. Part II of this article will focus on risk management strategies that all three parties — participants, race organizers, and sponsors — should consider before becoming involved in OCMR. RISK MANAGEMENT FOR PARTICIPANTS There are many steps participants can take to reduce their risk for injury. Some of these include: Be Informed of Hazards and the Risks of Injuries Everyone entering a mud run should know they will be facing some hazards just by participating. Most events do a good job of warning runners that they may get injured, or even die, by participating. The main problem occurs not with the obvious hazards, but with those less obvious hazards. To learn about these hazards, participants can conduct a Google search using terms like “mud run injuries” and “obstacle course injuries,” which will generate numerous resources describing hazards and their consequential injuries. Equipped with this information, participants are able to make better decisions regarding their safety and own capabilities. Participants also should determine if the race organizers have taken steps to help ensure their safety, for example, ask the race organizers if they have addressed the risk management strategies described below. Obtain Medical Clearance Races like OCMR represent vigorous or high-intensity physical activity and therefore may not be appropriate or safe for some individuals. According to ACSM (4), individuals with known cardiovascular, pulmonary, or metabolic disease and/or other medical conditions should obtain medical clearance before participation in vigorous or high-intensity activities. Individuals who are not cleared medically should not participate in these types of events/activities. Train Before the Race Preparing physically for OCMR is just as important as training for other competitive races such as marathons and triathlons. In addition to cardiovascular exercise, participants need to perform total-body resistance training exercises to prepare physically for obstacles such as crawling under barbed wire, climbing a cargo net, or scaling a wall. Specific training exercises to help prepare for many of the obstacles in mud runs are provided by Greenberg et al. (2). Furthermore, many race organizers provide suggested training regimens for participants to consider before the race. Skip Certain Obstacles Participants may be allowed to skip certain obstacles or perform an alternative activity in lieu of an obstacle. This may be a wise choice especially for exceptionally risky obstacles like those involving electricity. Before the race, participants should inquire as to whether skipping certain obstacles is possible and what are the alternative activities. RISK MANAGEMENT FOR RACE ORGANIZERS Race organizers can learn about the risks and injuries associated with offering an OCMR by carefully researching similar events, and such information can help plan the steps needed to minimize injuries and subsequent litigation. Some considerations for running a safe well-run event include:Insurance Purchase adequate event insurance through a company that specializes in providing insurance for this type of event. Waivers Waivers should be customized for each event and reviewed by a qualified attorney in the state it will be used to ensure that it meets local laws and best practices. In addition, a system should be implemented to ensure that each registrant reads and signs the waiver before being allowed to participate. Upon check-in, require each entrant to show a valid photo ID to ensure that the person running is the person who signed the waiver and is of legal age to enter into such an agreement. Emergency Action Plan Managers of obstacle runs must assume that there will be injuries and other emergency situations during the event and must prepare properly to deal with them. The following are some of the elements that should be considered when developing an emergency action plan: Provide an adequate number of qualified EMS personnel and first responders, for example, there may be a need for adequate medical support at each obstacle especially for those that are dangerous. Implement reliable emergency communication, typically radios, so that help can be summoned quickly even to remote parts of the course. Be sure that there is easy access and evacuation points to all parts of the course in case of emergency. Develop a functional emergency evacuation plan that would preclude cars from blocking the evacuation route and also include a preplanned area for a Life Flight helicopter to land if needed. Develop a plan for extreme weather including plans for lightning, extreme cold, and extreme heat. Properly Trained Staff All paid staff as well as volunteers must be trained so that they have a reasonable chance to carry out their duties successfully to include extraction of an entangled participant (i.e., cargo net). If someone is assigned to supervise an obstacle, make sure that they know what is expected, including both appropriate and inappropriate actions of participants. Properly trained staff should be stationed at each obstacle to limit occupancy to within safety standards. Before and during the race, staff should encourage participants to bypass any obstacles with which they are not comfortable. Obstacles All obstacles should be planned, designed, and constructed carefully by qualified individuals. Obstacles should be designed and constructed to withstand the anticipated stress that may occur with maximum participant utilization of that obstacle. Specific to water obstacles, diving head first should not only be prohibited but should merit disqualification. Injuries caused from head-first diving may be the single most dangerous hazard at obstacle runs. It is recommended that staff be stationed at each of these obstacles specifically to enforce this safety rule. For deep-water obstacles, lifeguards are necessary; and if the water is not clear, guards should implement a process for ensuring those who enter the water also exit in a timely fashion. Regarding drowning incidents, it is often the case that lifeguards are available but unable to respond rapidly or there were too many people in the water to determine if all those participants who entered the water also exited. Race organizers also may want to consider posting warning signage of the specific risks associated with each obstacle. This signage should be visible to all participants as they approach each obstacle. RISK MANAGEMENT FOR SPONSORS This section examines some of the specific risk concerns under the purview of event sponsors including groups involved with possible tactical endorsement or any support of an event. In the event of litigation, the plaintiff’s (injured party) attorney will try to name any party that might have had a relationship with the event and/or could have had an impact on the event. Although most event promoters are focused on their liability if someone is injured, they should look beyond this one concern. For example, when using public or private property to host the event, there could be liability for the host site. Furthermore, the host site might demand that the organizer purchase insurance naming the property as an additional insured and to sign a lease agreement with an indemnity and hold harmless clause. These are only some of the possible liability concerns that arise even for an entity that is not otherwise involved with actually putting on a mud run event. This might seem like semantics, but it is a major point. Assume that an ambulance company becomes a cosponsor of the event by providing an ambulance to be positioned at the event. Such a “sponsorship” might open both the event producer and the ambulance company to increased liability. If the ambulance is not staffed properly, both the ambulance company and the event producer are subject to liability because the participants are under the assumption that the ambulance is ready to respond to potential injuries. If participants get injured and the ambulance crew cannot respond rapidly and effectively, participants can sue, claiming there was a false representation made concerning what protective emergency services were available to competitors. Although this is an extreme example, it is designed to highlight the potential complexity of liability issues with these types of events. There are four primary sponsors who can face liability: Minimal Sponsors Minimal sponsors just give some cash or goods and then are no longer involved. They do not help plan or prepare the event, and because their involvement is only financial, they face the least amount of possible legal exposure (i.e., does not mean they will not be sued, but their potential exposure will be less). Controlling Sponsors Controlling sponsors do not just give money or goods but might give tactical support and assistance to help run an event. These sponsors are so integrated in the event (possibly a name sponsor) that they can be held responsible for injuries if they have not taken steps to make the event as safe as possible. A case in point is Baker v. Mid Marine Medical Center et al. (1). In this case, a country club and a sponsor of a golf tournament were sued after a spectator was injured. The spectator alleged that the country club and event sponsor negligently failed to take adequate precautions to protect him from being hit with a golf ball. The court ruled against the sponsor because the sponsor planned the event, collected the admission money, retained possible profit, and had a right to use the golf course to invite the public to attend. Hosting Sponsor Some sponsors allow the event to use their land. A number of mud-type runs are held on government land — whether a national park or possibly a military facility. In the case of Hupf v. City of Appleton et al. (3), a participant in a softball league sued the sponsor (city), alleging negligence after he was struck in the eye while leaving the park. However, the court used immunity laws to exonerate the city. Immunity might not work for some government organizations and definitely will not work for a private event host. Joint Sponsors With some events, the sponsor, event producer, host, and others might be connected so closely that they are considered jointly supporting and sponsoring the event. This would be a fact issue for a jury, but sometimes parties turn against each other when sued. Require a Contract and Purchase Insurance To help minimize certain legal liability exposures that sponsors can face, they should consider having a written contract and obtain the necessary insurance. Every sponsor should require a contract identifying its role and limiting its liability. An indemnity clause and a hold harmless clause can make sure that liability is transferred to the appropriate parties. Any sponsor should consider sponsorship insurance if there is potential for liability or a larger claim. Insurance is often offered for special prizes such as hole-in-one or more expensive prizes. A sponsor might indicate that they are willing to give a car or $10,000 if a participant succeeded in doing a rare feat at the event. The sponsor might purchase an insurance policy for several hundred dollars that will pay for the car if the participant achieves the feat. Similarly, insurance can be purchased in case the sponsor gets sued for what the event administrators do. A sponsor normally does not assume that it can be sued for sponsoring an event. However, depending on the sponsor’s involvement in the event, it can face significant liability regardless of whether it thought it could be sued or not. From liability under negligence law for an injured participant or spectator to various contract relationships, sponsors should identify these concerns and take steps to protect themselves as much as possible. CONCLUSIONS Given the popularity of OCMR, health/fitness professionals may have many of their clients ask about the safety of these races or the employers of such professionals may be interested in being a race organizer or sponsor. We hope that the information provided in this two-part article will help all parties become more informed about the risks of injuries associated with OCMR, the legal liability that may follow, and essential risk management steps that can be considered to minimize injuries and subsequent litigation.

This article applies legal theory, case law, and suggested risk management strategies to obstacle events and racing. The history, popularity, and exponential growth of the obstacle racing industry are explored. Trends in the obstacle racing industry are also examined and legal implications that may follow the trends are discussed. Case law, in a variety of scenarios, is used to explain and apply assumption of risk and duty of care to obstacle racing events. Finally, suggested risk management strategies for race organizers are recommended. Course design, medical staffing, waivers, and proper staff training are all discussed.

Sport management seems like a glamorous career path. Many students believe if they do well in classes and graduate, they will be the next general manager of the New York Yankees or athletic director of a major Division I intercollegiate athletic department. While sport management professors hope that every student has the potential to succeed, it is incumbent upon faculty members and students to have a realistic expectation of their career options and a true understanding of what it takes to be successful. This article leads a fictitious student and faculty member through four years of the student’s educational adventure in sport management with special attention being given to what students can undertake to best prepare them for the future and improve their chances of landing the right job. This case study demonstrates the value of a comprehensive sport management education and what students can do to set themselves apart from their competition in the job market.

Gil Giles has a passion for softball and wanted to turn his passion into his second career. After retiring from the police force he decided to invest at least $2.8 million (including borrowing $1.7 million) in building a six field sportsplex. Although the research and the numbers did not support his decision, his passion was so strong that he decided to take the risk. While he enjoys the thought of owning a sports facility, the reality of day to day management and paying the bills is another story. This case study examines the financial and strategic underpinning for building the facility. From analyzing potential revenue streams and expenses to the profit margin for concession goods, Gil will need to pinch every penny to make his facility financially viable. Luckily he hired a manager to help run the facility, but if he had several rain-outs, or fails to attract the leagues he hopes for, his financial plans could be ruined. Is it ever safe to have a business model with such thin margins?