5/29/20: Recommended Issues of the Week
May
29
Fri
This is narrowSCALE's roundup of some of the most interesting newsletter issues each week that might have flown under your radar. Take a skim through...
- The Coming Collapse of a Cheerleading Monopolist (from Big, by Matt Stoller on May 27, 2020). If you don’t know a whole lot about the industry of cheerleading, this is a pretty fascinating read. Matt goes into detail about how there is a complete monopoly on the sport (who knew a sport could be monopolized?!?) and how the company (Varsity) that literally owns cheerleading is about to come tumbling down in an antitrust lawsuit. Ra ra splat. Quite eye-opening.
- When to Think Inside the Box (from The Mental Health Update, by Jordan Brown on May 27, 2020). This is a short read, with a simple, yet unique perspective. You always hear people (often your boss) say “think outside the box…”, likely because they’re not getting the results they want. Jordan interestingly offers a box as a metaphor for HOW to tackle something new. It’s quite a twist on how most of us think of a box or of beginning a new, creative process.
- Sexism in statistics is hurting women's sports (from Power Plays, by Lindsay Gibbs on May 27, 2020) As a newsletter, Power Plays delves into the theme of women and sexism in sports-- and this issue in particular stands out because it’s not only based on data, but it’s about data. It explains how, unlike men’s sports where data and statistics are so easily accessible, women’s data/stats are not -- and the (spoiler alert) negative impact that has on sports research, media coverage, fan engagement, and more. You’ll read through solid examples for soccer, basketball, and hockey-- and you’ll end with a lot more curiosity towards (and belief in the importance of) women’s sports stats than you probably started out with.
Hope you enjoy the reads!
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Also, if you have any issues to recommend, let us know at newsletters@narrowscale.com.