We here at Notinhalloffame.com thought it would be fun to take a look at the major awards in North American team sports and see how it translates into Hall of Fame potential.

Needless to say, different awards in different sports yield hall of fame potential.  In basketball, the team sport with the least number of players on a roster, the dividend for greatness much higher.  In baseball, it is not as much as a great individual season does not have the same impact.

Last time, we looked at the ABA MVP.  This time, we look at the ABA Rookie of the Year.

The trophy was awarded every year of the league’s existence, beginning in 1968 and concluding in 1976.

How many ABA Rookies of the Year made the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame?

Let’s find out!

The following are the past players who have won the ABA Rookie of the Year who are eligible for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.

1968: Mel Daniels, Minnesota Muskies, 22.2 MP, 15.6 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 2.2 APG, N/A SPG, N/A BPG, 9.2 WS.

Mel Daniels was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals (9^th Overall), but he opted for the higher salary of the Minnesota Muskies.  As a rookie, Daniels led Minnesota to the Finals where they lost to Pittsburgh, and he began a streak of seven All-Star Games.  The Muskies were struggling financially, and moved to Florida, but not with Daniels who they traded to Indiana.  As a Pacer, Daniels won two MVPs and three ABA Titles

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

1970: Spencer Haywood, Denver Nuggets, 45.3 MP, 30.0 PPG, 19.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, N/A SPG, N/A BPG, 9.2 WS.

Opting to turn pro after his sophomore year in college, Spencer Haywood’s only option was the ABA, as the NBA then had a rule that a player could not turn professional until his class graduated.  Haywood then played one year with Denver of the ABA, winning both the MVP and Rookie of the Year, becoming the only player to do so.  He also led the league in Minutes and Rebounds and Points per Game.  Following this season, Haywood joined the NBA with Seattle, and successfully challenged to join the league in a case that went to the Supreme Court.  Haywood later would be a four-time NBA All-Star, and won an NBA Title with the Lakers.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Co-Winner 1971: Charlie Scott, Virginia Squires, 37.9 MP, 27.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 5.6 APG, N/A SPG, N/A BPG, 7.2 WS. 

Charlie Scott signed with the Virginia Squires before the NBA Draft, hence why he fell to the Seventh Round, where he was chosen by the Celtics.  Scott was an ABA All-Star this year, and an All-ABA Selection, and was so the year after although he did not complete his second season.  He bolted for the NBA for Phoenix, who traded for his rights.  Scott was a three-time NBA All-Star, and would later be an NBA Champion when he was with Boston in 1976.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Co-Winner 1971: Dan Issel, Kentucky Colonels, 39.4 MP, 29.9 PPG, 13.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, N/A SPG, N/A BPG, 10.7 WS. 

Issel led the ABA in Points per Game, and it was the second highest of his career.  An All-Star as a rookie, Issel was an All-Star through the end of the ABA and was so again when the leagues merged, giving him seven in total.  He was a five-time All-ABA Selection.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

1972: Artis Gilmore, Kentucky Colonels, 43.6 MP, 23.8 PPG, 17.8 RPG, 2.7 APG, N/A SPG, 5.0 BPG, 19.8 WS. 

Gilmore also won the ABA MVP, and remained with Kentucky for the remainder of the ABA’s existence.  Following the dissolution of the Colonels, Gilmore played for the Bulls, Spurs and Celtics, with the Center appearing in 11 total All-Star Games.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

1976: David Thompson, Denver Nuggets, 37.4 MP, 26.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.6 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 12.4 WS. 

Taken number one by the Atlanta Hawks, David Thompson instead opted to play for Denver of the ABA, in what would be the last year of the ABA.  An All-Star this year, Thompson remained with the Nuggets when the leagues merged.  He would later go to four more All-Star Games in the NBA, three with Denver and one with Seattle.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996.

The following are the players who have won the ABA Rookie of the Year who are eligible for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and have not been selected:

1969: Warren Jabali, Oakland Oaks, 35.8 MP, 21.5 PPG, 15.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, N/A SPG, N/A BPG, 5.8 WS.

Jabali was a Fourth Round Pick from Wichita State, but instead he opted to go to Oakland od the ABA.  The Shooting Guard helped Oakland with the Title that year, and he would later be a four-time ABA All-Star, competing his entire pro career in the upstart league.  He also played for Washington, Indiana, Florida, Denver and San Diego.

Eligible Since 1981.

1973: Brian Taylor, New York Americans, 32.3 MP, 15.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, N/A SPG, N/A BPG, 3.6 WS.

With all due respect the Taylor, this was the weakest Rookie of the Year in ABA history, but he would go on to be a two-time ABA All-Star and two-time ABA Champion with New York.  He would later play in the NBA in Kansas City, Denver and San Diego. 

Eligible Since 1988.

1974: Swen Nater, Virginia Squires and San Antonio Spurs, 30.1 MP, 14.1 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 8.7 WS.

A two-time NCAA Champion at UCLA, Nater chose the ABA over the Milwaukee Bucks, who took him 18^th Overall.  Nater was first drafted in the ABA in 1972 by the Miami Floridians, but when they folded, Virginia took him in the Dispersal Draft.  As good as he was, the Squires traded him for a draft pick and $300,000 to San Antonio 17 Games into his rookie year.  He led the ABA in Field Goal Percentage, and was the ABA Rebounding leader as a sophomore.  Nater, would later win an NBA Rebounding Title as a member of the San Diego Clippers in 1978/79.

Eligible Since 1990.

1975: Marvin Barnes, Spirits of St. Louis, 39.9 MP, 24.0 PPG, 15.6 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.6 BPG, 8.6 WS.

Selected second overall by the 76ers, Providence’s Marvin Barnes instead opted to sign with St. Louis, where he was an All-Star in both of his seasons in the league.  When the ABA merged with the NBA, St. Louis was disbanded, and he joined the Detroit Pistons, but was not as successful in the NBA.  He would also play a year each in Buffalo, Boston and San Diego.

Eligible Since 1986.

Let’s update our tally, shall we?       

So, who is up next?

The following are the players who have won the ABA Rookie of the Year who have retired but have not met the mandatory years out of the game to qualify for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame: 

None.

The following are the past players who have won the ABA Rookie of the Year are eligible for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and are still active.

None.

Nothing will change in this going forward as none of the ABA Rookies of the Year who have not been inducted feel like they have Hall of Fame potential.  As this is now a defunct category, this feels like more than a footnote going forward.

So, what is up next?

We stay with the ABA, and look at their past ABA All-Star Game MVPs.

As always, we thank you for your support, and look for that soon.

On paper, the antics of a group of MIT college nerds may not make for compelling viewing, but if you’re a bit of a casino buff then is 21 a classic movie that you should check out? 

Bill’s Blackjack Brigade 

For around two decades at the tail-end of the 20th century, a team of US students made waves in the casino gaming world for proving that, when it comes to blackjack, it is possible to beat the house.  

In 1977, Bill Kaplan, a Harvard grad, discovered the art of card counting in blackjack and proceeded to win $35,000 in just nine months. Setting up the MIT Blackjack Team in the aftermath of his success, Kaplan would lead the group of current and ex-students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as they took on and beat the house at prestigious casinos across the world.  

Based on True Events 

All of that backstory is, of course, inconsequential to the average movie-goer, so Luketic, along with producer and star Kevin Spacey, naturally needed to add some Hollywood sparkle into the mix.  

In 21, the antics of the blackjack team are conveyed through the eyes of the exceptionally gifted MIT student, Ben Campbell (played by Jim Sturgess). Campbell’s ultimate goal is to attend Harvard Medical School, but there’s the matter of the $300k tuition fees that stand in his way.  

Campbell’s classmates, noticing the brainiac’s propensity for all things mathematics, introduce him to a certain Mickey Rosa (Kevin Spacey), the man behind an underground group of blackjack players who also happen to be members of the student faculty.  

The group is determined to win big in Vegas after swotting up on card counting and they invite Campbell along with them. Although he’s hesitant at first, he’s soon persuaded to join the team and so begins his initiation into the fascinating world of this centuries-old casino staple.  

After racking up several big wins in a short space of time, it’s not long before Campbell, Rosa and the team come under the microscope of loss prevention specialist, Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburn), an anti-card counting proponent who suspects there might be something more at play than just these maths and science geniuses’ gift for the game.  

Is it any good?  

A purveyor of rom-coms more than heist movies, 21 is Luketic's attempt to go down a grittier route. In some respects he succeeds, but in others he most certainly fails.  

Enjoyable hijinks are afoot in the film’s zippy Vegas scenes as Campbell and his crew adopt new identities with each and every table they hit. Moody lighting and almost slapstick costumery doesn’t exactly make these parts of the film true to life, but they nevertheless portray the ultimate Vegas casino fantasy.  

Sturgess and his romantic lead, Kate Bosworth, shine in their respective performances of the Harvard wannabe and Jill, the prettiest girl in the school who also happens to be a maths genius. But it’s this romance-driven subplot that is the film’s undoing. In the words of Rotten Tomatoes’ critical consensus, 21 had all the makings of a fascinating study but Luketic made a grave error by “supplant[ing] the true story on which it is based with mundane melodrama”.  

Fishburn and Spacey lend a touch of gravitas to proceedings in their roles as Williams and Rosa, although the former was mostly given one-note material to work with and Spacey has a tendency to go full-ham even when it's not needed.  

As for the main star of the film, Blackjack, there’s enough gaming content here to make this a worthy addition to a games night, but casino nerds shouldn’t look too closely at the casino scenes. For the rest of us, 21 is an entertaining, fluffy movie, but it could've been so much more if Luketic had gone all out and given us an insider look at professional casino gaming.  

Many online sportsbooks in the U.S. today are marketing to recreational bettors. Offers like welcome bonuses and loyalty rewards may entice more people to consider betting online.

This strategy appears to be aimed at increasing the sportsbooks’ customer base. These offers may also affect the customers’ decision-making and betting behavior more than the pricing can.

With its legalization in the U.S. in 2018, sports betting has become more accessible to more people. Furthermore, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has driven more people to stay at home and spend more time and money on online betting.

In 2020, sports betting generated a $1 billion revenue in the U.S. At the beginning of 2021, 23.2 million Americans expressed interest in betting $4.3 billion on the Super Bowl alone, and 7.6 million people said they would bet online.

With this current landscape, online gambling may be expected to grow into a $100 billion industry by 2026.

As more sports betting sites appear, the need to offer competitive prices to bettors becomes paramount. In this case, will adjusting prices be enough to increase the demand for online betting?

This article discusses price elasticity in sports betting and the factors that affect sports betting demand in the U.S.

Price Elasticity in Online Sports Betting

Theoretically, if online sports betting prices were elastic, demand should change significantly with only a slight price change.

For example, a slight reduction in a bookmaker’s vig can narrow their profit margin. However, that reduction may significantly increase the number of bets. In this case, the bookmaker’s prices may be relatively elastic.

However, are price changes sufficient to significantly change the demand for sports betting in real-world scenarios? Put another way, do price changes even matter when sportsbooks try to market their products?

Below are some factors that can influence bettors’ preferences when it comes to online sports betting.

Factors Affecting Sports Betting Demand in the U.S.

Price

Historically, Las Vegas and U.S.-facing offshore sportsbooks significantly influenced how line prices were set.

Nowadays, because of U.S. market regulations, operators and sportsbook suppliers in large states are now playing a role in providing competitive prices.

In addition, the regulations ensure that the operators are pricing their lines competitively.

A sportsbook with a high price elasticity should experience a high surge in demand with just a slight reduction to its vig. Alternatively, bettors may shy away from the sportsbook if it were to increase its house take.

However, that scenario is only theoretical, and pricing is not the only factor influencing demand for online sports betting.

Brand Association

Bettors also look into an online sportsbook’s brand reputation and association. Most legally operating sportsbooks have partnerships with physical and online casinos, big sports betting brands, or other gambling entities that give the sportsbook more credibility.

This credibility is likely to increase the sportsbook’s value and make bettors trust the sportsbook more. This trust may influence the bettor’s behavior in favor of the sportsbook, dictated not only by the price but also by the brand.

For example, partnerships with major sports leagues mean the sportsbook is reliable enough to be recognized by those leagues.

Other betting sites may receive backing from big brands. If bettors prefer those brands, the sponsorship may increase the chances of the bettor favoring the sportsbook.

On-Par Product and Experience Delivery

Competitive pricing and reputable brand association may not be enough to influence demand. Bettors may also ask for products and services of equal or higher value to the sportsbooks’ prices.

One way for this strategy to work is to ensure that bettors experience the convenience worth their money. This way, pricing may matter less as long as the bettor experiences quality service.

For example, the bookmaker’s online platform must be user-friendly and navigable. Sportsbooks may also provide welcome bonuses and rewards for bettors to maximize their deposits.

If the sportsbook has a mobile app, that feature may be considered a plus for accessibility. Mobile apps allow bettors to place bets, even when traveling or watching a live game in a stadium.

Additional payment options other than credit cards can also favor both the bookmaker and the customer.

More options to fund betting accounts, like online payment gateways, provide more convenience to bettors, increasing customer demand for the bookmaker’s services.

Other features that can add to a sportsbook’s ability to deliver quality services include moderating a bettor’s gambling habits and protecting their personal information.

Bettors must know that their private data is safe or that the sportsbook cares enough to help them curb developing gambling problems. These efforts may help them associate a positive experience with the sportsbook.

Bookmakers can further improve customer experience if they have a connection with advocacy groups promoting responsible gambling. This connection shows that the sportsbook encourages bettors to have a healthy gambling lifestyle.

Legal vs. Offshore Operators

The issue between offshore and U.S.-based legal sportsbook operators is that the U.S. sportsbooks are regulated while the offshore ones are not. This situation puts the U.S. sportsbooks in a challenging position against their offshore counterparts.

U.S. operators may think of offering products and services at par with the offshore operators to remain competitive. However, bettors may see no incentive to prefer U.S. sportsbooks if this were the case.

Instead, U.S. operators need to offer better products and services than offshore sportsbooks’ to stay on top of the game.

Conclusion

Demand for online sports betting is unlikely to change by simply adjusting the prices offered by the bookmakers. For some people, this situation may be indicative of price inelasticity.

That said, other factors have to be considered, including brand association, product and experience delivery, and the choice between offshore and legal operators.

These factors may affect the bettors’ outlook toward the sportsbook and influence demand more than just price changes alone can do.

Individuals interested in online sports betting should check their local state laws if sports betting is legal in their area.

After a couple of disruptive years where Covid made traveling between US and Canada difficult, NHL is finally easing back into the new normal. And if all goes well, we will have our Stanley Cup champion in the spring of 2022. You therefore have plenty of great games to look forward to as we enter the next stage of the season and head towards the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

NHL features the best of American and Canadian hockey. 32 teams competing in around 56 games. With many victories and losses already, 2022 is bound to be a thrilling part of this year’s season, and there are four teams that are looking particularly strong. 

Will Tampa Bay make history?

The last two NHL seasons, Florida Tampa Bay Lightning has won, yet no team has ever won Stanley Cup three times in a row, which means Tampa Bay could make hockey history this year - but they have a long way to go. Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers are all looking dangerous, and many experts believe the winner is to be found among them. If you already have a strong sense of who that might be, then you can bet on them on https://betting.com/us/nhl. In the past year we have seen many US states legalizing the practice, and in Canada it is legal. Sports betting has therefore become hugely popular among hockey fans. It’s simply a fun way to take an active part in the NHL season. 

Will the Beijing Olympics affect the season?

With the winter Olympics fast approaching, there has been a lot of talk about what NHL players might go and what that will mean for their teams. Some people have wondered what will happen to the NHL league, or if they will get to see their favorite stars on the ice, competing for international glory. Sadly, Covid has yet again brought disruptions into the sports world. For this reason, the NHL league has decided not to send any players to the Olympics. But the good news is that there is now a higher chance that regular NHL games of this season will go ahead as planned. No stars will have to leave their teams behind.   

Anticipated upcoming games

There are many thrills in store for hockey fans this year. Avalanche has some great games coming up – from fighting Coyotes to testing their abilities against the Kings. And if you want to see Tampa Bay Lightning in action outdoors, you have a chance to do so on 26 February 2022 when they play against Nashville Predators at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Overall, the winter will be packed with matches on an almost daily basis, so you do not need to worry about getting bored. Now is the time to get geeky about hockey history. Spend some time remembering all the best moments and use that knowledge to predict the legends of the future. It’s a fun way to pass time between games.