Sport Savings

Imagine a sports league in which teams didn’t have to pay salaries to star players, but still collected tens of millions of dollars in revenue by selling out every game, securing massive sponsorship deals and landing huge television contracts.

Instead of struggling to get by like most of today’s professional clubs, without the burden of million-dollar player contracts these teams would produce enormous profits for their owners.

Despite the fact that it’s the players the ticket buyers and television networks would be paying to see, they would have no income or long-term contracts or job security of any kind. No union or players’ association would fight on their behalf.

In fact, it would be illegal for teams to give them almost anything in return for their hard work. The league would dish out tough penalties if a team so much as handed a player an envelope of petty cash or the use of a vehicle to get to and from the games.

Massively unfair to the players? Maybe. But a ridiculous notion that would never be possible in this day and age of collective bargaining in sports?

Not at all.

That’s exactly the operating model for U.S. college sports.

So, you may think the child sexual abuse scandal at Penn State is about ethics and morality, or even sports. But it’s really about big business.

And until that dynamic changes, the culture of preserving the revenue stream at any price – even the safety of children – will continue.

Last year, the Nittany Lions had revenue of $73 million U.S. The team plays in a stadium with more than 100,000 seats and ticket prices average well over $100.

By comparison, according to Forbes, the Ottawa Senators generate about $96 million in annual revenue.

But thanks to their roughly $60-million payroll, the Senators lose a few million bucks at that revenue level. The Nittany Lions, on the other hand, make a $53-million profit.

That’s a 73-per-cent profit margin, enough to make a Fortune 500 CEO drool. And that doesn’t include the impact of the football program and coach Joe Paterno on the school’s overall fundraising.

Successful sports programs are a recurring Superball lottery win for U.S. colleges. Much of the cash is put to good use; Penn State is considered one of the top research universities in the country, for example.

But the cash flow creates a dependency on sports that makes it difficult for universities to put in jeopardy. So when a scandalous or criminal allegation is raised, it may be morally right to conduct a public investigation or go to the police, but it’s not in the best financial interests of the school.

Still don’t think college sports is about money? Already the credit-rating agency Moody’s is looking into downgrading Penn State on the assumption that it will lose sponsorship, donations and enrolment as a result of the scandal and the firing of Paterno. Any change would mean the university would pay much more annual interest on its $1-billion debt.

None of this justifies the actions of school officials who turned a blind eye to the worst possible allegations against an assistant coach. As administrators and, frankly, as human beings, they had an obligation to contact the police.

But it does help to explain how, like governments and their gambling revenue, U.S. colleges have become addicted to cash from sports. College athletics are more about the bottom line than even professional sports. And that means that moral and ethical considerations – like what happens to the players who take lame courses to focus full-time attention on football, but don’t make it to a lucrative career in the NFL – are easily and regularly set aside.

“College football and men’s basketball have drifted so far away from the educational purpose of the university,” James Duderstadt, a former president of the University of Michigan, told the New York Times. “They exploit young people and prevent them from getting a legitimate college education. They place the athlete’s health at enormous risk, which becomes apparent later in life. We are supposed to be developing human potential, not making money on their backs. Football strikes at the core values of a university.”

Joe Paterno and other Penn State officials deserved what they got. But if the goal is to prevent another coverup from happening, firing a few people won’t be enough.

The entire system of U.S. college sports is structured to encourage looking the other way when there’s a threat to the program. As long as sports are a giant cash machine for colleges, the temptation to avert the eyes and protect the profits will persist.

Mark Sutcliffe writes about business, sports and running for the Citizen

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen   

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In November 2011, a massive college football scandal erupted when former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was arrested on 40 counts of sexual abuse. The investigation revealed that head coach Joe Paterno was told that Sandusky abused a young boy on Penn State grounds in 2002, but failed to report the abuse to police. Just days later, Paterno was fired by the Penn State board of trustees. He had coached the team for 45 years.

The scale and horrific nature of the crimes, combined with Paternos status as a college football legend, makes the Penn State scandal one of the most shocking in sports history. Do any others compare? Read on to relive some of the biggest sports scandals of all time. Photo: Getty Images, Kevin C. Cox / 2010 Getty Images

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Former hedge-fund manager Michael Steinhardt, seen here, joins hedge-fund managers including Steven A. Cohen and Nelson Peltz who have been using fine art to secure loans.

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When the winter weather is frightful, some dogs are reluctant to go out into the cold, while outdoor critters try mightily to get into our warm houses.

Im talking about rodents that gain entry to homes through tiny cracks and openings. Before we hear the patter of little mice feet, we could try a product called Mouse Magic.

For dogs, there are two products that will keep them more comfortable when they venture outside onto sidewalks and surfaces covered with snow and ice. More on Mushers Secret and Safe Paw ice melter later in this column.

Mouse Magic is advertised as an all natural mouse repellent that is safe to use around pets and children.

This may seem like an odd product to push in a pet column. But many animal lovers, myself included, are reluctant to kill mice with poison or traditional traps that break their necks.

Glue traps are worse. Youre likely to find a live mouse struggling in glue that will kill in a slow and agonizing way.

Ive heard from kindhearted people who used humane box traps in the house. When they took the traps outside and set the mice free, the rodents ran back into the house.

Ive heard about Mouse Magic from a variety of sources. I called my neighborhood hardware store to see if the glowing reports are true.

We cant keep it on the shelves, said Dennis Gasper of Rolliers in Mt. Lebanon. Were getting great feedback and not one customer has complained that it doesnt work.

Ingredients include 2 percent peppermint oil and 2 percent spearmint oil.

Though it sounds too good to be true, Id say its worth a try. The price is $8.99 for four packs that will repel mice for about a month, according to Bonide, the manufacturer.

Mushers Secret is an invisible boot made from natural wax, according to www.musherssecret.net. It creates a breathable bond that protects paw pads from snow, salt and chemicals.

We sell a ton of it, said Mr. Gasper, who is Rolliers buyer of animal products. We also sell a lot in the summer. It protects pads from hot sidewalks and hot sand at the beach.

Rub the wax on the pads and in the hair between the pads, which prevents the formation of painful ice balls that give dogs a limpy, gimpy winter gait.

Pablo, our cocker spaniel, uses Mushers Secret, which amazingly does not stain furniture, rugs or hardwood floors. Our $14 can of wax is still half-full after two winters.

Another paw product is Safe Paw ice melter, which is safe for children and pets and will not corrode or stain asphalt, concrete, decks or wooden flooring. It will not damage or kill plants and shrubs. These promises come from Steve Vernik, director of operations, sales and marketing for Gala Enterprises, Inc., the Pennsylvania company that makes and sells it.

Safe Paw was invented in 1996 by Steven Greenwald, a chemical engineer who is Mr. Verniks stepfather.

There are many reasons to buy Safe Paw, including the fact that its made by a family-owned company that employs 150 workers right here in Pennsylvania, near York. As a socially conscious company, 90 percent of employees hired are developmentally disadvantaged people.

Other companies claim their ice melters are safe around children and pets, but theyre not as good as Safe Paw, Mr. Vernik says.

Look for first-aid instructions and warnings to keep away from children and pets, he said. Safe Paw does not contain urea, calcium magnesium acetate or salt, and he recommends staying away from products with those ingredients.

Suggested retail is $20, but Safe Paw lasts longer than cheaper brands and works at very low temperatures. Mr. Vernik said if you put Safe Paw down before it snows, it will prevent ice from forming on the sidewalk, deck or driveway and should work for up to three days.

He swears its so safe you can put it in roof gutters, before it snows, to prevent ice dams from forming.

Not everybody uses Safe Paw, so after a walk, paws need to be wiped off and dried before dogs lick chemicals off their feet.

Its sold online, in specialty stores, groceries and many major stores including PetSmart and Costco.

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(Press release)

WASHINGTON — The Humane Society of the United States is reminding people that as we celebrate Thanksgiving- delighting in the hustle and bustle of whether to travel or to stay home, what to cook, and who to sit next to at the table- we can’t forget to make equally important plans for our canine and feline friends. Festive food and beverages, along with the commotion of large gatherings may pose hazards for our furry family members.

“Thanksgiving is a special time of year for many families, but it can also be hectic, so it’s important for people to plan for their pets,” said Adam Goldfarb, director of pet care issues for The Humane Society of the United States. “Whether your family is traveling or staying home, you can keep your pet safe and happy by thinking about their well-being ahead of time.”

With a few simple precautions, our pets can share this special time with us safely. The Humane Society of the United States offers these tips to keep our four-legged family members healthy and happy:

Is your pet partying with you at home?

Provide your pet with a quiet, out-of-the-way room during holiday parties. Though some pets may enjoy socializing opportunities, the excitement of a party may overwhelm others.
Avoid the urge to give your pets table scraps, especially bones. Bones easily splinter and can cause serious health problems, even death.

Is your pet traveling with you?

If you are planning to take your pet with you when visiting friends and relatives during the holidays, be sure to contact them in advance to find out if your pet is welcome. Because of the excitement during the holidays, it might be best to board your pet or hire a reputable pet sitter instead.
When traveling with your pet, attach tags with contact information for your mobile phone, as well as a phone number for where you are staying.

Is your pet taking a vacation from you?
If you are leaving your pet at home with a pet sitter, be sure to ask for references, plus written proof that he or she is bonded and has commercial liability insurance.
If you are leaving your pet at a boarding kennel, visit the kennel ahead of time to make sure that it’s clean, comfortable, and safe for your pet.

Humans are not the only ones who will be thankful at Thanksgiving. Shelter pets would be thankful for a new home and family to share their lives with this coming holiday season. Visit theshelterpetproject.org to search for a pet, find local shelters and learn more about the adoption process.

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As the weather outside turns frightful, are you ready in case of emergency?

If a natural disaster is coming your way – be it hurricane, tornado, or snow storm – do you have an emergency plan in place for you and your family, including your pets?

More than one third of American cat and dog owners dont have any kind of disaster preparedness plan to fall back on, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

But more than 85 percent of dog owners and 81 percent of cat owners intend to bring their pets along with them in an event of an evacuation, according to a recent study the ASPCA conducted.

Following through on that plan might not always be possible, pet owners should know, since the American Red Cross does not allow companion animals – aside from service animals – to stay with their owners in its evacuation shelters.

But there are certain preparatory measures and steps pet owners can take to ensure that their pet will be in the post possible position if a disaster does strike home.

Tim Rickey, senior director of the ASPCAs field investigations and response team, says that the first step pet owners should take is to microchip their pets, in case they become separated from them during or after a disaster.

When a large-scale and deadly tornado struck Joplin, Mo., in March, 1,300 pets wound up in animal shelters. Less than five percent of them had identification and more than 700 of them were not reclaimed by their owners.

The ASPCA hosted a mega-adoption event shortly after and adopted out 754 pets in two days, which was “amazing,” Rickey said, but noted that “we much would have preferred to see all those pets reunited with their families.

When Hurricane Irene hit New York City over the summer, prompting approximately 9,000 people to evacuate, only 228 pets were taken to local shelters, which did allow pets.

Pet owners can call or read online in advance and check to see if their city or municipal shelters accept pets, which typically will be kept in a separate area. While some pet owners might rather have their pets by their sides at all times, Rickey says the approach can help reduce stress levels for both humans and animals, which are looked after by staff on hand.

When evacuating with pets, traveling with crates, food and water bowls, any type of medications and other necessary products is typically a good idea. Vaccination records are also key, according to Deborah Mandell, pet safety advisor for the American Red Cross.

“Most places will not take pets if they are not current on their rabies and other vaccines and you need to have records of that,” she explained.

Pet owners can also be extra-prepared by arming themselves with a pet first aid kit, which is commercially available, and by taking a pet first aid course, which the American Red Cross offers.

According Mandell, more than 18,500 people have taken the courses across the US since the Red Cross began to offer them in 2008. People can contact their local Red Cross chapters to find out about availability.

Being prepared for the worst can also come in handy in situations like winter blizzards, which arent always life threatening, but can cause power outages for days and lead to people leaving their homes and checking into a pet friendly hotel. Vaccination records and carriers may come in handy in that situation.

“Basically we are focused on getting all pet owners aware, helping them be prepared for whatever disaster could happen,” Mandell explained. “People are going to want to take their animals with them and they need to know what it takes to do that.”

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Today in trailers that make little to no sense Aaron Harvey‘s Catch .44! Big bossman Neil told us a smidgen about this film back in July of last year, when cast additions Nikki Reed and Deborah Ann Woll were announced and while that piece of news sold the film as a lady assassin flick, there’s not much of that to be seen in this first trailer for the film. Leading lady Malin Akerman is indeed front and center, but she looks like less an accomplished assassin (with an equally as talented and attractive crew backing her) and more like a pretty gal trying to make a quick buck with a big gun.

But, hey, Bruce Willis is there doing an older Dov Charney impersonation, along with Forest Whitaker having a whole bunch of fun experimenting with some truly bad accents. Guns! Drugs! A secluded diner! Confusion and hijinks! After the break, try to make heads or tails of the first trailer for Catch .44.

I still have absolutely no idea what is going on in this trailer. The film’s official synopsis may shed a touch more light on that, however:

Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, Bruce Willis and Malin Akerman lead an all-star cast in this suspense thriller where everyone has an agenda…and a Magnum to back it up! For Tes (Akerman) and her two cohorts Kara (Nikki Reed, the ‘Twilight’ franchise) and Tara (Deborah Ann Woll, ‘True Blood’), the job sounded simple enough: intercept a double-cross drug shipment for their crime boss Mel (Willis) at an isolated diner. But when an unstoppable chain of events unfolds, everyone soon realizes no one is who they seem and the job may be something other than eliminating the competition. What started as simple instructions has now turned into a deadly cat-and-mouse game – with large guns pointed at everyone.

The only new information I’ve gleaned from this is that we’re relying on Whitaker’s Oscar to sell this thing.

Catch .44 is opening in limited release on December 9, hitting theaters in New York and Charlotte, NC. That limited opening will be followed by a Blu-ray and DVD release on December 20. [ComingSoon, via /Film]

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My favorite fitness activities are strength training and running.

Strength training is the best means for improving muscular fitness, and running is one of the best exercises for improving cardiovascular fitness. I perform these purposeful physical activities on a regular basis throughout the year.

Although I actually enjoy doing my strength training and running workouts, I consider them as conditioning activities rather than recreational activities. My favorite recreational activities are biking and hiking.

While these are both effective ways to enhance muscular endurance and aerobic capacity, I view biking and hiking differently than strength training and running. These are weekly events that I do with my friends on Saturday mornings. Although we sometimes cycle at other locations, we typically meet for a 90-minute bike or hike. The weather conditions pretty much dictate our activity choice.

Although it is possible to hike on relatively level terrains or to continuously climb up one of the larger mountains in New Hampshire, we love the Blue Hills Skyline Trail because it provides a variety of uphill, downhill and level sections for a highly effective muscular and cardiovascular workout. The course that we typically take has seven good hills interspersed with less hilly segments.

The seven uphill ascents challenge both our leg muscles and our cardiovascular system. Our calf, quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteal muscles work hard to overcome the force of gravity as we move our bodies up the hill, and our heart and lungs work hard to supply our muscles with oxygen-rich blood and energy sources.

The seven downhill descents are much easier on our cardiovascular system because we are moving with gravity instead of against it. However, our calves, quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteal muscles also work hard on downhill terrain, as they must resist the force of gravity that would otherwise tumble us down the slopes.

During the level sections between the hills, we recover from the more stressful up and down efforts.

We approach our hikes as a type of interval training session, alternating harder and easier bouts of purposeful physical activity. Occasionally, we do a more structured and specific interval training hike using Big Blue, the ski slope, and the relatively short connecting trails.

Going up the big hill is a great muscular and cardiovascular workout, coming down the ski slope can be even more challenging for our leg muscles, and doing the level connecting trail allows us a pretty complete recovery before repeating the process.

We try to complete four cycles of this more intense interval hike, and we typically feel the effects the next day. This type of hiking is essentially as effective as other aerobic activities, and the views render it more enjoyable than treadmill walking or elliptical training.

For those who are less interested in another fitness session and simply want to enjoy a rewarding recreational activity, you can select trails that have less steep ascents and descents. You can also take breaks at appropriate points on your uphill and downhill climb.

Some general guidelines for safe and successful hiking include the following:

Use well-fitted footwear that provides for both foot mobility and ankle stability, because the trail surfaces are uneven in most places.

Be sure your shoes have good soles that grip rather than slip. We typically wear running shoes until the snow falls, then we use specifically designed hiking shoes for better control and greater traction.

On warmer days we hike in shorts and tee shirts, and on colder days we switch to sweatpants and sweatshirts, as well as gloves and headbands if necessary. Interestingly, you may not need to wear as much clothing as you might anticipate because the hills and trees block the wind and the climb elevate your body temperature. We dress relatively light and rarely feel cold during our hikes.

You wont need food or supplements for a one- to two-hour hike, but you may want to carry some water to maintain a high level of hydration. This is an excellent idea regardless of the weather conditions, as you can lose a lot of water through perspiration on cool days as well as warm days.

It may be prudent to carry a cellphone for unforeseen emergencies. Keeping a couple Band-Aids in your pocket for occasional cuts, scrapes and scratches is another practical suggestion.

Stay on the trails as much as possible, and avoid walking in tall grassy areas where you could pick up a tick.

It is always best to hike with another person or a small groups of people, as camaraderie certainly enhances the hiking experience. This is especially true if you are new to hiking. Start with shorter and easier hikes, then progress gradually to longer and more challenging hikes.

Wayne L. Westcott, PhD, teaches exercise science at Quincy (Mass.) College and consults for the South Shore YMCA. He has written 24 books on fitness.

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Ameyo Customer Interactions Management tool becomes the technology powering the customer care unit of IDLC. The operations ranged from business administration to legal processes and with a disparate set up of work operations; there was a rising need for consolidation of the work process. There was deterioration in the number of repeat customers, thereby leading to a failure of customer retention ability. With Ameyo as the driving force, the interactions were efficiently managed without worrying about the wastage or redundancy of existing resources.

Adding further Surajit Roy, Senior BD, Drishti-Soft says,Dependency on manual management of processes was leading to downtime and increasing the scope of human errors. Automation was needed in order to improve business efficiency by a considerable amount. Ameyo provided the much needed automation and boosted customer satisfaction levels. IDLC has recorded a remarkable increase in customer retention owing to Ameyo?s unified platform.

As a financial service provider, the interactions were mostly query-related, legal processes, transaction-associated and also a network of communications that took place within the workplace. Safeguarding the information of the customers and ensuring secure interactions forms a vital part of any financial organization. Also a better customer-query response that can be facilitated through a CRM becomes important. Ameyo provided for a common infrastructure across organizations and gave a holistic customer view across various units.

Ameyo is feature-rich call center software that comes equipped with high-end features such as auto-attendant and risk management which enables the desired reliability and safety. It can effectively manage the resources so as to ensure maximum productivity. A birds eye view of the operations, regular tracking of incidents and skill-based routing of the calls, all of these contributed in easing out the complexity involved in manual handling of interaction processes. Equipped with the power of Ameyo, IDLC can now plan a rapid business expansion on the same technology infrastructure.

About IDLC

IDLC is the largest financial institution (non-banking) and one of the leading investment and merchant banks of Bangladesh. It was established in 1985 with the collaboration of reputed international development agencies, such as Kookmin Bank, Korean Development Financing Corporation, International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group, Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, German Investment and Development Company.

About Drishti

Drishti (drishti-soft.com) is a leading provider of Contact Center Software and Enterprise Communications Applications. Drishti offers communications solutions that empower enterprises to dynamically manage Business Processes, Interactions, Workforce and Service Levels on emerging Unified Communications (IP Telephony, Unified Messaging, Conferencing, Presence Management, and Application Collaboration), SOA (Service Oriented Architecture), and SaaS (Software as a service). Cutting-edge technologies from Drishti have been designed to add value to the businesses and pave way for a structured growth. Their customers enjoy significant benefits in terms of increase in efficiency levels, reduction in operational costs, flexibility to grow, consistent user experience and a demonstrable ROI.

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• Oct 18, 2011 – 3:32 PM
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New Running Room location opens

John Stanton, a best-selling Canadian author and founder of the Running and Walking Room, will be in Brampton tomorrow to mark the opening of the fitness chains latest location at Bramalea City Centre.
As part of the grand opening festivities, Stanton will host and lead a 2.5-5 km charity walk/run in support of the City of Bramptons CARE fund, an initiative that strives to ensure youth are given equal opportunity to participate in recreation and leisure activities.
Funds raised will be used to support ongoing needs and requests for recreation services from families and agencies within the community.
The event starts at 6:30 pm at B-48 Peel Centre Dr. (outside the main shopping centre across from the Starbucks at Dixie and Queen) and will feature a ribbon cutting for the new store, as well as speeches by Stanton and Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell.
The run /walk follows at 6:45 pm
The charity is part of a long-standing Running Room tradition. When a new store opens, the company hosts an event that will raise awareness and funds for a charity or local cause.
In 1984, Stanton came up with the idea for a meeting place for runners in Edmonton. More than 25 years later, the Running Room is one of North Americas most recognized names in running and walking.
There are about 115 Running and Walking Room locations in Canada and the US
The Bramalea City Centre is the second Running Room location in Brampton.

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