Odds and Sods

The Premier League handed West Ham a record 5.5m GBP fine last Friday, for irregulations concerning the transfers of Argentinian duo Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez.  The pair were part owned by Iranian businessman Kia Joorabchian, which violated Premiership rules regarding third party ownership.  The club was found guilty of “acting improperly” and “witholding vital [...]

Alan Schwarz reports in today’s New York Times about an upcoming academic study to be published, that alleges a racial bias among referees on the basketball court.
The paper examined 13 seasons (1991-2004) and determined that white referees called fouls at a greater rate against black players than white players, and that black referees called fouls [...]