2. Great Q&A with J.C. Bradbury about baseball, including an explanation for why salary caps don't improve competitive balance. Also, he offers a guess as to what makes Scott Boras different from other agents:
But Boras has also been able to convince his clients not to sign long-run contracts before they hit free agency. Players, who have all their value tied up in a single fragile asset (their bodies), have to fear that an injury might prevent them from collecting a big free-agent payday after their six-year indenture is up. Teams have used this fear to sign young players to long-term deals at below-market rates. Players trade some salary in the future in return for long-run security. For example, Jay Bruce recently agreed to a six-year, $51 million deal with the Cincinnati Reds that buys out two years of would-be free agency, when he would be paid much more than the salary he’ll receive. I have long wondered why Boras is so successful at convincing his players to resist the temptation to sign discounted long-run deals as insurance. I have a theory that Boras sells his own insurance to players by promising players a minimum salary in return for waiting for free agency. This way, players get insurance against injury, more income if they reach free agency in good health, and Boras gets a bigger cut.Via.
3. Less people are hunting and it's really starting to hurt conservation efforts - - because hunting licenses and other related fees support government efforts to conserve and restore wildlife habitat.
*Buy baseball cards at eBay.
