Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys

@bradhumphreys.bsky.social

720 followers 1.2K following 330 posts

Economist. "He's an impediment to Civic Progress" - Patrick La Forge, Edmonton Oilers President https://bradhumphreys.faculty.wvu.edu/home

Videos

Economics 54%

Sociology 12%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys @bradhumphreys.bsky.social · 7h

Zoning laws

Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys @bradhumphreys.bsky.social · 8h

🤦‍♂️

Matt Ford @mford.bsky.social · 15h

Padres manager Mike Shildt said he retired in part because of death threats from sports bettors:

Mike Shildt says decision to retire was his own, but Padres questions remain

www.nytimes.com

Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys @bradhumphreys.bsky.social · 9h

This was Aiden’s class paper from my PhD urban class last fall. Congratulations Aiden!

naasecon.bsky.social @naasecon.bsky.social · 10h

The selection committee was impressed by the paper’s clear contribution, clean identification, and policy-relevant focus. Congratulations Aiden!

Thank you to all of the entrants—there were several excellent submissions. (3/3)

Reposted by Brad R. Humphreys

naasecon.bsky.social @naasecon.bsky.social · 10h

Reposted by Brad R. Humphreys

naasecon.bsky.social @naasecon.bsky.social · 10h

We are pleased to announce that Aiden Powell from West Virginia University is this year’s recipient of NAASE’s Graduate Student Paper Award for his paper “Professional Sporting Events and Emergency Medical Service Response Times: Evidence from New York City.” (1/3)

1 4 4

Reposted by Brad R. Humphreys, Timothy D. McBride

Matt Ford @mford.bsky.social · 15h

Padres manager Mike Shildt said he retired in part because of death threats from sports bettors:

Mike Shildt says decision to retire was his own, but Padres questions remain

www.nytimes.com

17 150 440

Reposted by Brad R. Humphreys

West Virginia Watch @westvirginiawatch.com · 17h

A new bipartisan bill in Congress would ban greyhound racing nationwide, outlawing the country’s last two remaining greyhound racetracks: the Mardi Gras Casino and Resort in Nitro and the Wheeling Island Hotel Casino and Racetrack in Wheeling, reports @amelianews.bsky.social.

West Virginia is the last state with greyhound racing; new federal bill would end it • West Virginia Watch

A bill in Congress would ban greyhound racing nationwide, outlawing the country’s last two remaining greyhound racetracks in West Virginia.

westvirginiawatch.com

2 6 17

Reposted by Brad R. Humphreys

Sean O’Leary @olearysw.bsky.social · 18h

From bone-chilling labor force numbers to teeth-chattering poverty rates, here are 5 scary charts about West Virginia in honor of the spooky month of October.

1 2 3

Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys @bradhumphreys.bsky.social · 1d

Pennsylvania 6500

Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys @bradhumphreys.bsky.social · 1d

You are using the wrong passwords. Mine are all the first letters in words in songs.

Reposted by Brad R. Humphreys

The Athletic @theathletic.com · 2d

On Sunday, Penn State announced it has fired 12th-year coach James Franklin, for whom they now owe a roughly $45 million buyout.

These schools aren’t broke. They’re just wildly irresponsible spenders.

✍️ @slmandel.bsky.social explains:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...

4 9 79

Reposted by Brad R. Humphreys

The Athletic @theathletic.com · 2d

We’re only halfway through the 2025 CFB regular season, and it’s clear we’re headed to a full-on coaching carousel bloodletting.

Supposed institutions of “higher learning” have managed to negotiate themselves into paying $200 million to people who will no longer be working for them.

10 28 200

Reposted by Brad R. Humphreys, Caroline Krafft

John Holbein @johnholbein1.bsky.social · 2d

This is your periodic reminder that you can add coffee stains to your LaTeX documents.

6 21 130

Reposted by Brad R. Humphreys

Geoffrey Propheter @gpropheter.bsky.social · 5d

Just a friendly reminder that any researchers with working papers in the public finance and sports space should reach out to me. I've got a standing offer for a special issue and would love to take the editor up on it. Papers don't have to be US-centric but lessons for policy in US is needed.

2 5 9

Reposted by Brad R. Humphreys

John Mullahy @johnmullahy.bsky.social · 6d

The endowment effect in the 1880s. (The Rifleman, S3/E18)

1 3

Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys @bradhumphreys.bsky.social · 7d

Market failure.

Reposted by Brad R. Humphreys

Clay Collins @claycollins.bsky.social · 7d

It’s a travesty that there is a betting market for the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature but not for economics.

1 1 5

Reposted by Rodney Fort

Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys @bradhumphreys.bsky.social · 8d

Here's a link to an ungated copy

rdcu.be/eJoJu

Horizontal Product Differentiation in Higher Education Markets and Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Changes

rdcu.be

1 1

Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys @bradhumphreys.bsky.social · 8d

New publication available on-line "Horizontal Product Differentiation in Higher Education Markets and Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Changes" in RIO, joint with Patrick Reilly

1 2

Reposted by Brad R. Humphreys

Ryan Nanni @celebrityhottub.bsky.social · 9d

what happens if you just decide to lie during your Sunday Night Football player intro

will NBC run with some tight end insisting he went to the Sorbonne

52 22 370

Reposted by Brad R. Humphreys

J.C. Bradbury @jcbradbury.bsky.social · 11d

Oh, the externalities can be negative.

New $200+ million theme park planned in metro Atlanta; neighbors not amused

Neighbors are afraid their area will become "like downtown Atlanta.”

buff.ly

1 1 3

Reposted by Diane Coyle, Brad R. Humphreys, Scott A. Imberman , and 2 more Diane Coyle, Brad R. Humphreys, Scott A. Imberman, Todd Pugatch, Thomas Fujiwara

Seema Jayachandran @seema.bsky.social · 11d

For econ JM candidates:

@princetondevo.bsky.social is hiring for a 1-year postdoc with a start date in summer 2026. The only responsibility is to be an active participant in our Princeton development econ seminars and to continue pursuing your great independent research.

Apply by Nov 24.

puwebp.princeton.edu

1 13 20

Reposted by Brad R. Humphreys

Victor Matheson @victor-matheson.bsky.social · 11d

Happy to be featured on the latest episode of Freakonomics Radio discussing the crazy(???) idea of the NFL and NCAA merging and forming a promotion/relegation league.

freakonomics.com/podcast/the-...

The Merger You Never Knew You Wanted - Freakonomics

freakonomics.com

4 8

Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys @bradhumphreys.bsky.social · 11d

"Received: 17 December 2020 / Accepted: 22 August 2025"
🤦

1 10

Reposted by Brad R. Humphreys

Chengyuan Hua @chengyuanhua.bsky.social · 12d

Update: A hard copy of a paper by @bradhumphreys.bsky.social and me will be archived by the Giamatti Research Center at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Please let me know if someone happens to visit there and see our paper!

authors.elsevier.com/c/1lqCYbZee6...

authors.elsevier.com

2 7

Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys @bradhumphreys.bsky.social · 13d

TIL Pennsylvania allows VLT/Video Poker gambling, but only in certain truck stops 🤷

Reposted by Brad R. Humphreys

J.C. Bradbury @jcbradbury.bsky.social · 13d

A new Bears stadium absolutely would NOT generate billions of dollars. No stadium has ever done this before, ever. The for-hire consultant's report is complete horseshit, but here it is being put forth as a reasonable estimate on the front page of a major newspaper.

New Bears stadium in Arlington Heights would generate billions, but could cost taxpayers $855M for infrastructure

In order to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights, Chicago Bears officials say the team would need substantial taxpayer support for infrastructure improvements.

buff.ly

2 5 20

Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys @bradhumphreys.bsky.social · 14d

Thanks JC. Here's a link to an ungated version of the paper. Good for the next 50 days.

authors.elsevier.com/c/1lqCYbZee6...

2 5

Reposted by Brad R. Humphreys

J.C. Bradbury @jcbradbury.bsky.social · 14d

This is a really cool simple paper from @bradhumphreys.bsky.social and @chengyuanhua.bsky.social . Baseball players elected to the Hall of Fame live two years longer than non-selected nominated players. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Long live hall of famers? Evidence from major league baseball

Understanding the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on health outcomes represents and important economic research topic. Finding exogenous variatio…

www.sciencedirect.com

2 5 6

Brad "Pencil Necked Geek" Humphreys @bradhumphreys.bsky.social · 14d

Interesting long read on in game sports betting. I wonder about the prices offered on in game bets relative to pre game bets.

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/30/b...

The Seductive, and Risky, Power of Live Sports Betting

www.nytimes.com

1 1