iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 8h

It is a triumph of a commercial security system that manages to keep the person authorized to be in the system out of the system. If no one can ever get in, everything will remain secure! Your daily reminder that market is always efficient. Right?

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 8h

I have been a Detroit Lions fan for 50 years (literally!). I have seen lots of bad football. This team is currently 2-2, losing 2 on the road. The season isn't over. All teams that lose look bad at something. The Lions are still good. So are the 2-2 Eagles, Rams, Broncos, etc...

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

If you are upset with how these men are covering Deshaun Watson, you are free to change the channel to the WNBA playoffs. Aces vs. Fever is far more entertaining. And so far, no one has mentioned Deshaun Watson.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

After hearing about the latest nonsense from Nick Saban, I am totally willing to "sass" Saban. As I have said before, Alabama paid him millions because they didn't pay the players. Will tell him this for free. Aflac can keep their money! awfulannouncing.com/college-foot...

awfulannouncing.com

Nick Saban claims athletic departments could 'go broke' in latest media blitz to pass Protect College Sports Act

Nick Saban used two ESPN appearances this week to make disputed arguments for why the U.S. should pass the Protect College Sports Act.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Today at 4pm EST, Nef Walker and I are discussing “Slaying the Trolls” at a webinar at Ohio State. If you wish to attend, you can register and join by following this link: sportsandsociety.osu.edu/events/onlin... We will be discussing sports and politcs, the gender-wage gap, and so much more!!

sportsandsociety.osu.edu

Online Book Webinar: "Slaying the Trolls! Why the Trolls are Very, Very Wrong About Women and Sports"

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

MLB owners have been asking for a salary cap since Randy Johnson started playing (and probably before!). And their arguments supporting the need for this have always been wrong. Spoke to NBC News about this recently. And wrote more about today! wagesofwins.substack.com/p/talking-to...

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I can very much confirm this was the norm. The last time I was on the job market was 2008. Still had an interview in a hotel room at that time. When I started, virtually all were in hotel rooms. And I don't recall anyone questioning this idea.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

NBC News did a story on baseball's desire for a salary cap. Sorry this is behind a paywall. I am quoted in here, though, noting that payroll doesn't really explain wins in baseball. It really never has. A salary cap is just a way to limit player pay. www.nbcnews.com/sports/baseb...

nbcnews.com

MLB wants a salary cap for competitive balance. Does the playoff field already have it?

Major League Baseball believes a salary cap is essential for the sport’s future. But a few small-market teams have already crashed the 2026 postseason.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The Senate has passed a silly piece of legislation that they claim will "save college sports". In about ten minutes this morning, I wrote this story. College sports does not need saving. The Senate bill is really about taking money from players. wagesofwins.substack.com/p/college-sp...

wagesofwins.substack.com

College Sports Does Not Need Protecting!

Here are many reasons why that is true. And why people need to be less guillible.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Nothing in this bill is going to make college sports better. It will not improve competitive balance. College sports has never had that. It simply limits spending on athletes. And reduces their freedom. This allows more money to flow to coaches and administrators and maintains their freedom.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I hate hearing about New York teams in games they aren't even playing. The Liberty are the 8th seed. There were 44 games and that's where they ended up. They aren't the defending champs (that's the Aces!). They aren't really contenders. Why are we talking about them during a Valkyries game?

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Simple rules: 1. If you have to tell people you are smart, you are probably not that smart. 2. If you have to tell people you are a leader, probably no one should follow you. 3. And if you have to tell people how masculine your are... well, follow the pattern (assuming #1 doesn't apply!).

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

If your team plays to the final second and wins, it didn't quit. If your team plays to the final second and loses, it also didn't quit. Whether or not you "quit" is not defined by how the last play turns out. Yes, having me bring logic to sports probably doesn't help anyone! 😂

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Zuckerberg appears to be a man with no friends who is creating technology to talk to him. He seems to think his lifestyle will appear better if more people are like him. Money can't buy happiness. Or apparently friends. Unless you just build the friends. www.theguardian.com/fashion/2026...

theguardian.com

‘Charming and disarming’ … how Meta’s technology-packed Muse harnesses the power of cuteness

The tech giant has launched a cute ‘little guy’ that can answer emails, book travel or do your weekly food shop

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

This shouldn't be hard to understand: if your wife wrote the paper, you did not. if your research assistant wrote the paper, you did not. if an AI program wrote the paper, you did not. There's a long history of people taking credit in academia for stuff they never did. AI is the next chapter.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

In other news, after acquiring a crane, I was able to increase my bench press to 3 tons!! Everyone in the gym was very impressed!

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

If you are analyzing a sports team's performance without noting who is playing on a given night, you are not really doing much analysis. Clothes don't win or lose anything. As the players change, so will the results. That's how sports work.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Tonight at 7pm EST I am speaking virtually at Wesleyan about Slaying the Trolls and why economists should talk more about sports! This is virtual, so everyone can join! Here is the Zoom link. Please register and join: zoom.us/meeting/regi... Very much appreciate Dr. Ying Zhen for hosting me!

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

This has very much been my experience. Networking skills are at least as important -- if not more important -- than academic ability. I have never sought such skills and don't respect people who get ahead because of networking. Unfortunately, I sense I am in very much in the minority in academia!😂

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

The practice of making it so you can't see the password you are typing in is immensely irritating. Did the fools who set this up do a study to show how often someone -- you don't notice -- is looking over your shoulder? Is this really so common the default is to hide the password from yourself?

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Saints beat the Ravens in Baltimore. Suddenly the Lions win in week one looks a bit better. Maybe Detroit is not as awful as their fans believe. Maybe.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

It seems to trouble people that college athletes are now making millions. It never seemed to trouble these same people when college coaches were the highest paid public employees in states. Today as you watch college football, ask yourself who you are watching and who should get the money.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

There is a sense that academia is like pro sports. R1 schools are MLB. Regional schools (like SUU) are the minors. So an R1 prof would dominate at SUU. I disagree. Given our teaching load and how journals evaluate work from regional schools, I suspect many R1 profs would crash and burn here.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

For me, the worst part of my team losing is reading takes by members of the sports media (and fans!) who blow everything out of proportion. The Lions were not winning every game this year. There are 15 games left. You cannot draw strong inferences from just two games.

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Victor Matheson @victor-matheson.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

To be fair, after accounting for inflation, overall prices have entirely flat for the past 113 years.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I asked my first-year students how often they are talking to their phone (or TV or whatever else tech billionaires imagine we want to talk to). They said they never do this. I get the sense they prefer talking to actual people. So weird, right?

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 17/09/2026

To be clear: these are free subscribers! It costs you nothing!

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 17/09/2026

I am less than 100 subscribers away from hitting 4,000. I would love to hit that milestone by the end of the month. If you're interested in women's sports from a queer, trans inclusive, anti-capitalist lens, Out of Your League is for you: www.thefrankiedlc.news

thefrankiedlc.news

Home | Out of Your League

Dispatches from the intersection of queer sports and pop culture.

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The IX Sports @theixsports.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

In a game for the ages, the Los Angeles Queens beat the New York Heights to advance to the #WPBL championship series. Our @cliffcorcoran.bsky.social takes you inside every twist and turn: www.theixsports.com/features/los...

theixsports.com

How the Los Angeles Queens advanced to the WPBL championship series | The IX Sports

Los Angeles breaks an 11-11 tie in its final turn at-bat to advance to face the San Francisco Firebells in the finals this Wednesday.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Steve Ballmer is going to be forced to leave the Clippers for one year. Today I wrote about how the fact no one thinks this really matters to the Clippers tells us quite a bit about the importance of business leaders. And why owners never strike! www.thesling.org/why-dont-the...

thesling.org

Why Don't the Sports Owners Strike? - The Sling

In sports, it is well understood that the players win the titles.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Here is my latest for the Sling (also cross-posted at my Substack). Building off my story on Cathy Engelbert, I ask a question about owners. If they are so important, why don't they threaten to go on strike? www.thesling.org/why-dont-the... wagesofwins.substack.com/p/why-dont-t...

thesling.org

Why Don't the Sports Owners Strike? - The Sling

In sports, it is well understood that the players win the titles.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

If you are suffering from Imposter Syndrome, try and remember... Jerry Jones still thinks he can build another Super Bowl team in Dallas. After 30 years, he still thinks he can do this! Really!

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Academia won't survive! Now that students can easily access information in printed books, there is no need to come to class. Government and religious officials are also increasingly interfering in our work. Plus, these robes are just scratchy! - Anonymous Oxford Prof, 16th century 😂

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Matt Bors @mattbors.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

It was exactly ten years ago today, on my 33rd birthday, that I posted this comic online.

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maya goldberg-safir @roughnotes.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

just a classic @wagesofwins.bsky.social reality check:

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

This was a long post on Engelbert is hard to summarize in a tweet. Still... The WNBA's media deal is bad. The WNBA now subsidizes the NBA. The capital raise was a bad idea at the time. Now a horrible idea. The players are still immensely underpaid. wagesofwins.substack.com/p/the-princi...

wagesofwins.substack.com

The Principal Clerk of the WNBA

And Columbo Investigates the WNBA!

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

One simulation says the Detroit Lions win the Super Bowl. Literally just one. Instead of averaging thousands of sims, this fun article just looks at the story of just one simulation. And the Lions win!! It is possible. And yes, "fun article" because my team won! www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/...

espn.com

2026 NFL season sim: Predictions, surprises, playoff teams

We played out one of the Football Power Index's 10,000 season simulations (No. 9,187), from Week 1 through Super Bowl LXI.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

There have been a host of problems during Cathy Engelbert's time leading the WNBA. Badly negotiated media deals, badly negotiated labor deals, badly negotiated capital campaigns... As I wrote, the NBA owners put her in a bad position. Again and again. wagesofwins.substack.com/p/the-princi...

wagesofwins.substack.com

The Principal Clerk of the WNBA

And Columbo Investigates the WNBA!

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

The latest from @nrarmour.bsky.social led me to write about Cathy Engelbert's retirement. Much went wrong in the WNBA since 2019. Just as Engelbert can't be credited for the successes, she probably can't be blamed for the failures. Still, much did go wrong! wagesofwins.substack.com/p/the-princi...

wagesofwins.substack.com

The Principal Clerk of the WNBA

And Columbo Investigates the WNBA!

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Nick Saban is leaving out the true tradition in college sports. College sports for over a century has exploited its athletes. That is how Saban got the same money from the Miami Dolphins and the University of Alabama. Not paying players is the tradition Saban wants to defend.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

How can Dr. Pepper continue to use college football to advertise its product? College sports is ruined. How can you associate your product with a ruined institution? And it gets worse. They are making fun of the transfer portal. And coaches jumping teams. Who approves these ads? WHO???😂

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

LSU is trying to add players who were in NFL camps to their roster. You can tell in watching this game that the college football fans at LSU are extremely angry about this violation of college football tradition. There is hardly anyone in the stands. No one is cheering. Right?

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

This from @nrarmour.bsky.social is very good! The WNBA didn't thrive across the last decade (and yes, it has been growing for a decade) because of the commissioner. We often assign too much blame to leaders when organizations fail. We do the same for success. www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

usatoday.com

WNBA thrived despite Cathy Engelbert. She won't be missed | Opinion

Cathy Engelbert did little to help WNBA during her time as commissioner. The league finally has a chance to move forward, Nancy Armour writes.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

As we talk about Cathy Engelbert's time as WNBA Commissioner, let's not just talk about growth. The NBA also sold 16% of the league for just $75 million. That is looking liking the worst deal in sports history. And the players are still paid very poorly. wagesofwins.substack.com/p/the-wnbanb...

wagesofwins.substack.com

The WNBA/NBA Doesn’t Believe IN Phee

And Are the People of the WNBA/NBA Really Great Business People?

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I always thought one big advantage of being at the top of the academic pyramid is that you had more freedom to teach/write what you want. If you aren't getting freedom, are you staying for "prestige" (really, most people don't know who you are)? Or is Boston that great?🤣

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 03/09/2026

NEW: wrote about why it’s so problematic that many of the new women’s basketball documentaries are erasing Black women’s names, greatness, labor, & contributions from the history of the sport.

thefrankiedlc.news

the basketball documentaries erasing black women from the sport

this trend is a real problem

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Stacey Brook @staceybrook.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Yes, tariffs on ground beef lead to higher prices. But so does an industry with four firms processing over 80% of the meatpacking market. Want to lower prices? Get rid of the tariffs and allow more competition in the meatpacking industry.

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

The most hilarious academic articles in economics are those that argue that people are entirely motivated by money. Its hilarious because economists are not often paid to write these articles. Economists have written articles for free to argue people are motivated by money!

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David Berri @wagesofwins.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

UCLA's annual budget is $11 billion. They just fired an AD -- whose contract they renewed in 2024 -- that ran a deficit for 7 consecutive years. Total of these deficits: $241 million. If such small deficits matter, why did it take so long to do this? newsroom.ucla.edu/ucla-fast-fa...

newsroom.ucla.edu

About UCLA: Fast facts

Quick facts about UCLA, known worldwide for the breadth and quality of its academic, research, health care, cultural, continuing education and athletics programs.

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