Fund Your Favorite Athlete

published first on liberalamerica

We all wanted Andrew Wiggins or Anthony Davis to stay in college so their respective teams might win a NCAA Championship. However, they are only two of many college athletes that are one and done or, two and done. To solve this problem of getting players to stay, Shawn Fojtik came up with the idea of player crowd funding.

The site FanAngel would allow people to donate money which in turn would be given to the player after his or her eligibility expires. Fojtik came up with idea after the Chicago Bears couldn’t bring Brian Urlacher back for the money that he wanted.

Fojtik says that:

“When a fan commits a pledge to an athlete, that money is immediately taken out of the account. Eighty percent of the money will be held for that athlete if that athlete does choose to stay in school, 10 percent will be given to that athlete’s teammates, and 10 percent will be earmarked for charity and scholarship funds. The money is given to the athlete when that athlete’s eligibility expires”.

Also, FanAngel will take 9% for organizing the transaction. The goods news is that if the athlete does not stay in school the money will be refunded.

But there is one problem, or hurdle, that FanAngel might run into, and that is the NCAA. The NCAA issued a statement in November that said crowd funding sites cannot use the names of the athletes to promote the sites because it would compromise the athletes eligibility. Furthermore, the NCAA said that even money in escrow is still a violation, such as the case with Ed O’Bannon.

Funny thing is that this statement comes from an organization that made $876.1 million from 2011-2012 by using players names in their sources, yet a few thousand dollars would jeopardize an athletes eligibility.

But Fojtik says his site bypasses all NCAA guidelines about money in escrow or “gifts.” As Fojtik explains:

“There’s no acceptance on the athlete’s part, and we aren’t specifically promoting any athletes,” he said. “We are using their name as anyone would as part of fair use.”

Fojtik met with the NCAA and said he used some of the ideas from the discussion. Unfortunately, the organization still does not support his idea.

Regarding this situation, Fojtik says:

“We have a lot in common with them, we want the same thing as them — for kids to stay in school, to end the one-and-dones or the ‘two-and-throughs.’ But we aren’t a constituent of [the NCAA], so we’re not subject to their rules.”

While we don’t know whether or not Fojtik’s plan to fund players will work, we do know that it will get under the skin of the NCAA, which is always a good thing to knock them off their pedestal. For the sake of interesting business plans, I hope FanAngel soars.

 

Why Virginia’s Title Hopes Are Dwindling

Published first on threeheadedsports

Virginia Men’s Basketball was once flirting with a perfect season at 19-0, but we all know how that ended at the hands of the Blue Devils of Duke. However, never fear as the Cav’s went on to win their next nine games, seven of which were by ten points or more. But that magic had to run out at some point right? Right!

Courtesy of accbasketball

The Virginia Cavaliers would go on to lose the next two of three games to Louisville and North Carolina by two and four points respectively. And while many people might not think much of the two losses and that Virginia will still get a 1 or 2 seed, it raises the question on whether the Cavaliers can win the tournament coming off losses to number 16th and 19th ranked teams.

I say maybe. We all know that the boys from Virginia can play defense as they have the number 1 ranked not scored upon defense only allowing 50.8 points per game, but they are hardly a shooting team on the other end. In fact, the offense of Virginia sputters along with a measly 65.3 points per game or ranked 226th in the country. In addition Virginia is one the least capable shot creating teams in which they only dish out 12.9 assists per game, good for 151th in the country. The offense doesn’t even sport a player in the top 100 scoring.

Even the 7 seeded Connecticut Men’s of 2013-14 had a player scoring 18 or more points a game, that being Shabazz Napier. So a few things must change for the Cavaliers of Virginia.

1. They must start scoring more efficiently and effectively. More points leads to more wins.
2. They must help others create shots. You need to be able to dish it to succeed.
3. Somebody needs to step up and take the lead for Virginia

If the Cavaliers can start to score more often and maintain the stifling defense, the boys from Virginia will have no problem hoisting the trophy. If they don’t make some changes, they will find themselves packing after the round of 32.

Big Booties are Back! A New Type Plastic Surgery is Becoming A Trend

Published first on Liberalamerica

Sir Mix-A-Lot made “Baby Got Back” in 1992, and apparently the big booty trend is back.

Iggy Azalea. Image via Hollyscoop.

According to Victoria Pitts-Taylor, a Wesleyan University professor,

“They’re finding new territory, new areas of the body to modify.”

The professor’s statement couldn’t be more true. In fact, butt augmentation is becoming a new plastic surgery trend. Dr.Scott Glasberg group data discovered:

“[that] from surveys of 953 doctors, found silicone implants for the rear-end nearly doubled to 1,863 nationwide between 2013 and 2014. A less invasive operation that transplants fat removed from elsewhere on the body, dubbed the Brazilian, rose 15% to more than 11,000 procedures.”

Dr. Constantino Mendieta also backed up the group’s finding by saying,

“that ten years ago butt augmentation was only 10% of his business, but now it’s 95%.”

But what’s funny about this whole big booty trend is that there seems to be no age limit according to Mendieta whoadded,

“I’m seeing women 17 all the way up to 70… It’s big in the nursing homes…”

While we can’t speak to the validity of that claim, we cannot help but laugh at it. So what does this mean for plastic surgeons all over the United States? It means more business and a larger pay check. However, what about the patient?

Well, a Florida woman spent $10,000 at Mendieta’s practice to get butt augmentation and then she went through a two-month recovery in which she was not allowed to sit down without a pillow and had to have four drains put in. According to the Florida woman, the risk, pain, and the money was worth it to get back a big butt. I am not sure what Sir Mix-a-Lot would say about the new big booty trend besides that he likes big butts, and he cannot lie.

Manning Tell Denver He’s Ready

Published first on Liberal America.

Getting back to business is something the Denver Broncos would like to do. After 3 years of disappoint including one Super Bowl the Broncos want to start off on the right foot as they try to make it to the promise land. Well for Broncos fans that good news and glimmer of hope came back today when Peyton Manning said he is ready to give it another shot in 2015-16.

The 38 year old communicated with the Broncos saying that he would like to come back so long as Denver would have him. And while the reunion may be sweet for the Broncos, the topping is even sweeter for Manning. Who will get $19 million in guaranteed money if he is on the Denver roster on March 9th.

But what makes this decision even more interesting is the recent hiring of Former Texans Head Coach Gary Kubiak after the departure of John Fox. Kubiak will bring an offensive scheme that is more defined than what Manning had been playing with under John Fox and Adam Gase. And while people might balk at the idea that Gase’s and Fox’s offense wasn’t defined enough for who Manning threw a record 55 touchdowns in a season under the helm.

It should still be considered that Kubiak will be a brand new cog in Manning’s old wheels. But Manning has always found a way to succeed in the past so if he is under center in 2015-16 for the Denver Broncos, look him to do his usual magic despite having a new sheriff in town. And lastly for all you Denver Broncos and Manning fans, just keep in mind that nothing has been set in stone. However, I don’t see Manning going anywhere else at this stage in his career besides retirement.

Looking for Work? Home Depot is Looking to Hire 80,000 People.

Looking for work is something that we all find ourselves doing at some points in our lives. Whether you are looking for a part-time or full-time job depends on a lot of different factors, but one of the most challenging parts of any job search is simply trying to find a place that is hiring in what was a sour economy.

Looking to lead the way in hiring this winter and spring is home improvement mega-corporation Home Depot. “The Depot” is looking to hire 80,000 part-time workers. We can assume that some of those positions will eventually become full time while others will not. Home Depot has already selected their ideal candidates according to CNN Money:

“Home Depot is hiring sales associates, cashiers and people to fill online orders. It says the openings are ideal for retirees and students looking for extra income, as well as veterans transitioning into civilian life.”

Companies tend to hire a large amount of workers for what I like to call “the spring surge,” or the time when economic activity and home improvement projects begin to take shape. Other companies have tried to meet different seasonal surges, which was the case when Fedex and the USPS hired 50,000 workers to deal with the holiday boom.

No other companies besides UPS have come close to the 80,000 people to be hired by Home Depot, with UPS hiring95,000 for the holiday season.

Let’s hope Home Depot can meet these spring and summer hiring demands. We do not want to see what happened to UPS in 2013 when they had intended to hire 85,000 holiday workers but instead only hired 55,000. That in turn led to the great Christmas delivery catastrophe of 2013.

So this might be good news for those that are looking for part time work during the summer. If Home Depot can follow through on their intentions, spring and summer might just be a little bit brighter for 80,000 people in 2015.

Why Welfare Is A Media Created Term

Welfare, a term used by the uninformed to describe the act of receiving government assistance, is becoming more widely used to describe such aid. The only problem is that welfare in regard to financial assistance doesn’t exist.

The term “welfare” was coined by the media to label programs that give financial assistance. And many people run wild with the term to describe things such as welfare fraud, when in actuality the proper term is social insurance fraud. Furthermore if you ask an economist or someone who has had such training they will tell you that welfare when referring to receiving tax dollars for unemployment was a term coined by the media to easily describe the actual social insurance that exist in the United States.

With this in mind, these federal assistance programs and the money received from them are technically a form of social insurance. Furthermore, these Social insurance programs were created to replace part of a family’s or individual’s income that is lost due to unemployment, disability, retirement, or death; this also includes access to adequate healthcare. Some examples of social insurance programs are WIC, TANF, SNAP, Social Security, and many more. Yes, Social Security is a social insurance program.

But let’s look at this in a more contextual manner in accordance with what President 

Obama’s proposed fiscal year 2015 budget was:

In terms of discretionary spending, social security, unemployment, Medicare and health made up 10 percent of the proposed budget.

 However, in proposed mandatory spending, 89 percent was made up from Social Security and Medicare.

So what is the moral to the story?

The first lesson or moral is that the term “welfare” has never existed; instead it was merely a term made up the media to describe certain government programs.

Secondly, if you are in a conversation with somebody and they mention “welfare fraud,” just write them off, because their next point will be trying to fix something that doesn’t exist.

Thirdly, the easiest way to know if somebody isn’t full of talking points is if they use economically correct term.

Fourthly, U.S. spending is a very complex topic, and the percentage of people who actually have an accurate idea of what they are talking is slim to none.

And lastly, next time you are about to say the word “welfare,” think twice.

Why Being A Republican Gets Harder Each Day

The 21st century is 15 years and the making and change has been hard to come by. This change is most scarcely located within politics. And as new allegations come out each and every day, the typical politician has been put under a microscope.

As a result many politicians try to stay out of the limelight and go about their business. However, some of them have cast a shadow like the case with Utah Rep Brian Greene (R) who said “If an individual has sex with their wife while she is unconscious … a prosecutor could then charge that spouse with rape, theoretically.” He later added, “That makes sense in a first-date scenario, but to me, not where people have a history of years of sexual activity.”

While the actual quote may not seem bad, its underlying theme is pure ignorance especially from the Republican Party. Most noticeable within the Republican Party, a group that has been trying to restore its tarnished image. But what is most perplexing is why Greene would make this comment while him and his cohorts try to rebuild there broken political.

And as it may seem like merely a comment in the small picture, the resulting criticism only sets the Republicans farther back. And at this point the Republicans are coming to a time where they won’t be able to dig themselves out the hole that they have dug for themselves.

Plus the continuing string of intolerance and pure ignorance has made it hard for so many maintain Red when their leaders endorse those principals. Which leads them to being reactive inside of proactive. Instead of doing the research or using common sense they seem to make a senseless statement that only comes back to haunt them. So the moral of the story is if you are going to be Red stay far far away from the intolerance for change that looms in Red hearts.

What Is Sport and Sports?

Sport is any competitive or non competitive activity that is aimed at approving ones well-being. So football is a sport and so is baseball. Cheer leading is a sport and so is badminton. But what about things such as yoga, aerobic dancing, and chess. Yes those are all sports whether you believe it or not. Some may be recreational but aerobic dancing by definition is just as much of a sport as the game of football.

To many people sport and sports are the same thing. However, while the delve in the same industry, there is one distinct difference between the seemingly simple terms. Sport is the all encompassing business aspect behind sports. Sport deal with the industry as a business segment and focuses on business dealing that go into the formation of said sports.

Essentially what this means is that sports are a manifestation of sport. One could not existed in harmony without the other. Without sport, there would be no business contracts that allow the public to see events and on other side without sports, or the participant’s there would be no business to be done. And while this may raise even raise more question about sport and sports I will explain it simply. Sports are teams and participants, such as Minnesota Timberwolves. But sport refers to the greater encompassing concept.

Reaganomics

The year is 1981 and the fiscal Reagan era has begun. Their is wind in the air and dirt on the ground. This marks a new tradition for the USA as Reagan steps into office on the basis of three major points, tighten the belt on the money supply to reduce inflation, reduce the top tax rate, and deregulate government regulations.

As he steps into office the slashing begins. The pen comes out and Congress approves lowering the windfalls profit tax on petroleum in 1981. Allocated controls are lifted. This is included in the Kemp-Roth Tax Cut of 1981, where the marginal income tax rate was to fall 23% in three years. By the end the top rate had fallen from 70% to 50% and the lowest from 14% to 11%. On the corporate business side the taxes got trimmed and $150 billion dollars paid in tax by businesses went back to the businesses over a five year period.1982 begins and rollbacks of corporate tax rates emerge along with individual rollback. 1983 begins and payroll tax increase begins on social insurance. But never fear the cuts were not done there.

In 1986, The Tax Reform Act of 1986 proposed deeper cuts that would eat into wage growth and further the Reaganomics theory. The cuts began with the wealthy as the top tax rate was reduced from 50% to 28%, but this time the lower income rate did not see a cut but an increase from 11% to 15%. More than when the President took office. This was the first time since the 1862 Revenue Act that the top rate was reduced while the lowest rate was increased. Capital gains was also readjusted to be the same as regular income. Another interesting point to note was that it was not a bubble rate, it actual set a flat tax after a certain income rate. Also in 1984 the top percent received around 8.4% of national while in 1986 that rage jumped over 5% to 13.5%.

So what implications and results did this leave on the USA Economy? Well defense spending was raised from 22.7% to 27.3% from 1980 to 1988. The US National Debt rose almost a full three fold. The poverty rate dropped 1.2% as results of correlation not causation. However with the minor reduction in poverty actually led to a net increase in the years of his successor.

2 Reasons Why It Would Have Been Better For The Patriots To Meet The Broncos

Everyone is already probably screaming Peyton, Peyton, Peyton in their mind. But I have mane reasons why I would rather play the Broncos then the Colts in the AFC Championship game. Nothing personal against Peyton but victory would have been easier. So here they are..

2. Immobile and Duck City
Peyton: Manning, a 39 year old QB and his rusty wheels would be lucky to still hit a 5.0 40yard dash. That dimension of Manning game is gone, the once mildly mobile QB now stands behind over 1000 pounds of Immoveable objects. Manning has become 1 dimensional while only relying on his arm, because his tires are bald. And as for his once youthful registered cannon, it manages to only fire at half full without any direction. His throws have been average at best, instead relying on trickery, smarts, and his skillful receivers to pick up the slack.

Luck: A 4.67 forty says it all for this young gun. He does have the moves like Jaggar and he can fire the cannon anywhere on the field. While he does have turnover issues there isn’t a doubt that he can break a 25 yard run off or throw 50 yard touchdown pass in a split second. Luck has dimensions to his evolving and developing game, while Manning is lucky to get back to the line. While Luck doesn’t have that special seasoning that Manning has, he is starting to develop and fool defenses.

2. WR and TE Tandem
Denver has got Thomas squared and Sanders mans the speed. Their isn’t a doubt that Julius Thomas is a man among young boys but their is one thing  that Indy has that Denver just doesn’t. That is two big red zones targets. The Fleener and Allen tandem flourished alongside each other this year. While Fleener was the more shifty of the two Te’s both still managed to rack up 8 touchdowns a piece. Secondly, Ty Hilton has emerged on the scene once again with a 1000 yard year and a speed that can kill. After a down year last year Hilton has brought himself to the pro bowl.