Moneyball
What to know: A physics magazine has a new piece showing that a college’s name, image and likeness (NIL) policies can boost its win/loss record.
The TPPF take: Oklahoma football coach Mike Gundy is in hot water for saying the same thing.
“When Gundy pointed out that Oregon had spent over $40 million on NIL, while Oklahoma State had less than $7 million to spend, his comments were widely denounced and drew a wave of national blowback,” says TPPF’s Sherry Sylvester. “Without NIL (name, image and likeness) reform, schools that can wrangle billionaire benefactors will have the resources to compete, while others will be resigned to doing bake sales and selling raffle tickets.”
For more on college sports, click here.
Be Nice
What to know: According to the New York Times, “civility is a fantasy,” and civil discourse is a distraction.
The TPPF take: No, civility is necessary for a functioning society.
“The critical challenge in this approach is that ideologues—true believers—must admit their enemies are human,” says TPPF’s Dr. Cliff Porter. “We cannot expect to retain our own rights if we don’t respect those of others. The defense of fundamental individual rights is the battle of Civilization.”
For more on civility, click here.
Self-Driving Cars
What to know: Tesla is under investigation for a series of crashes involving Teslas in self-driving mode.
The TPPF take: Just as with all other technology, self-driving vehicles are a tool that can induce positive and negative outcomes.
“As a first principle, and for the sake of innovation broadly, it is crucial that Texas continue to hold the line on the regulation-heavy instincts of states like California and Illinois,” says TPPF’s David Dunmoyer. “With responsible guardrails in place and the ingredients for an innovative hotspot, Texas will continue to lead the nation as the exemplar of responsible technology that seeks to serve humanity, and not the other way around.”
For more on the self-driving cars, click here.