This article was originally published on October 25th, 2019.
Here is this week's dose of “5-Point Friday”. A weekly round-up of the sports news and stories that I find most interesting and enjoyable.
What I am reading -
Dementia in football: Ex-players three and a half times more likely to die of condition from the BBC. The article delves into the research from the University of Glasgow, that professional soccer players could be three and a half times more likely to die of dementia than people of the same age range in the general population.
Sports Marketing Story I am paying attention to -
Burger King is leveraging its sponsorship of little known English soccer team Stevenage into a worldwide campaign targeting young adults who are especially tuned in to social media challenges. People who dress virtual soccer players, from the video game FIFA, in Stevenage jerseys, and complete a series of challenges can win prizes. Burger King created a microsite, stevenagechallenge.com, with the list of challenges "Kings of Soccer" players need to capture on video and post to the @BurgerKing Twitter account with the hashtag #stevenagechallenge to win.
Soccer news I am following -
Almost 200 women soccer players in Spain's first division have voted to strike in a disagreement over pay and conditions in the top league. The action was supported by 93% of players employed by 16 clubs at a meeting in Madrid on Tuesday after more than a year of failed negotiations. Clubs are proposing a minimum wage of €16,000 ($17,000; £14,000), but unions representing the players are asking for at least €20,000.
What I have been listening to -
SMU's Return from a Death Sentence from The Lead podcast. In 1986 the NCAA delivered what is unofficially known as the “death penalty” to the Southern Methodist University football program. The team was found guilty of egregious recruiting violations and barred from playing any football during the 1987 season, along with other sanctions. Now, the Mustangs are 6-0 and back in the AP Top 25 for the first time in more than three decades.
Water Polo news I am excited for -
USA Water Polo announced that Irvine City Council has approved plans and funding for a new aquatics center. The complex will become the permanent home to the U.S. National Teams as well as the organization’s High-Performance Programs.
Have a wonderful weekend, all!
Jonathan