Prof Cairney's Corner

Prof Cairney's Corner Prof Cairney's Corner Prof Cairney's Corner

Prof Cairney's Corner

Prof Cairney's Corner Prof Cairney's Corner Prof Cairney's Corner

Pull up a chair and let's discuss sport.

About Prof. Cairney's Corner

 Welcome to my little corner of the sports world - where curiosity runs wild and there’s always something worth cheering about. I’m endlessly fascinated by every corner, code, and quirky detail of sport, and if you’re up for a good chat, you’re absolutely in the right place. Let’s dive in! 



You don't have to love sport to appreciate what it can do. Sport can bring people together, boost health and happiness, and spark waves of innovation and economic energy. It builds bridges across borders, helps cities dream bigger with new infrastructure and lasting legacies, and creates those cultural moments that get whole communities cheering, debating, and connecting. From diplomacy to identity, inclusion to inspiration, I love how sport has a way of making life more exciting - and a little more united.

 

I like to think of sport as a global superhero - powered by shiny new tech, smarter sustainability, and athletes who are basically everywhere these days. It lifts lives, gets people off the couch (sometimes kicking and screaming), and leaves a trail of positive social, economic, and environmental impact that stretches way beyond the field. I hope you enjoy one or two of the articles below - and feel free to reach out if you’re up for a chat, a debate, or just some good old-fashioned sport banter.

 

2025 Industry Insights

Musings from the PCC collective.
Savvy athletes and new technology are flipping traditional sports marketing on its headWhy the best sport leaders today might be the most "in-different"Australia Might Be Baseball’s Most Strategic PlayerIt’s not the tub, it’s the water: Lessons in strategy and the Australian Olympic Committee’s next chapterThe Traditional Sport Mindset Can Be a Trap When Tech AdvancesFrom the Dance Floor to the F1 Track: Rethinking Sport LeadershipWhy Torpedo Bats Might Not Be Baseball’s Next Big ThingFun Wins: Why Sport’s Future Hinges on Joy, Speed and SurpriseThe New Quad Squad: Why Colleges Are Turning to Pro Sport ExecsKnow When to Fold: What Smart Failure Looks Like in Sports BusinessHow Sport Gets Blindsided by the Law of Unintended ConsequencesSee the Small Stuff: Why Strategic Recognition Matters in SportsTop of the Table Has Double Meaning for Smart Sports BusinessHow Leadership—and Confidence—Bolstered the NFLHow would Michael Porter view Brisbane 2032The Power and Peril of Passion in Sport

Extended musings from a baseball tragic

IMMACULATE - A History of Perfect Innings in Baseball

Field of Magic - Baseball's Superstitions, Curses and Taboos

Field of Magic - Baseball's Superstitions, Curses and Taboos

 Getting 3 batters out in order on nine pitches is one of the most remarkable feats in baseball. Since the late 1800s, only 71 pitchers have been able to do it.  Using immaculate innings as benchmarks, the book provides an engaging and entertaining journey through the history of professional baseball that will delight both the serious stu

 Getting 3 batters out in order on nine pitches is one of the most remarkable feats in baseball. Since the late 1800s, only 71 pitchers have been able to do it.  Using immaculate innings as benchmarks, the book provides an engaging and entertaining journey through the history of professional baseball that will delight both the serious student of the game, as well as the fan who enjoys reading about the game.  

Field of Magic - Baseball's Superstitions, Curses and Taboos

Field of Magic - Baseball's Superstitions, Curses and Taboos

Field of Magic - Baseball's Superstitions, Curses and Taboos

 Superstition has been a part of baseball from the beginning. From good luck charms to human mascots to ritual statues of Babe Ruth to the curse of Colonel Sanders, there may be almost as many superstitions as players (or fans). Drawing on social science, religious studies and SABRmetrics, this book explores the rich history of supernatur

 Superstition has been a part of baseball from the beginning. From good luck charms to human mascots to ritual statues of Babe Ruth to the curse of Colonel Sanders, there may be almost as many superstitions as players (or fans). Drawing on social science, religious studies and SABRmetrics, this book explores the rich history of supernatural belief in the game and documents a wide variety of rituals, fetishes, taboos and jinxes. 

Contact me

Contact me

Professor John Cairney

Head of School, UQ Human Movement & Nutrition Sciences

Deputy Executive Director, UQ Office of 2032 Games Engagement

Director, Queensland Centre of Olympic and Paralympic Studies

More about me

The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072

Want to chat? Drop me a line

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