, the Los Angeles-based talent agent never took the gloves

I am extremely proud that whatever we have seen over the last 44 days is a product of India, said the president of the BCCI, Sharad Pawar, after the final of the IPLs inaugural edition in 2008. At that point it was perhaps not immediately evident that the leagues bedrock wasnt strong enough for it to continue to instil in its organisers a sense of pride. Indeed, over the course of eight further seasons, the IPLs regression - via controversies both on and off the field, and deeply entrenched conflicts of interest - has been so complete that in spite of maintaining a sense of legitimacy amongst its participants, it has increasingly, for at least some of the public, become synonymous with all that is wrong with modern-day cricket.Amid the hullabaloo, though, it has been undeniable that the IPL has had a deep impact on cricket as a sport and as a business. And its the latter aspect that Not Out!, the Delhi-based sports lawyer Desh Gaurav Sekhris book, seeks to concentrate on.Thus far, in spite of the fact that in just nine seasons the IPL has transformed the way we view cricket, we havent had a detailed account, of any reasonable length, chronicling its story. In Not Out!, Sekhri seeks to do precisely this, or, as he describes it, to tell us the incredible story of the Indian Premier League.As a contemporary history of the IPLs nine seasons, the book serves as a fine resource. It captures neatly the underlying facts, from the sources of revenue that allowed the IPL to be established, to the various controversies that have plagued it, including lesser known issues, such as one to do with the payment of facilitation fees for broadcast rights, which ultimately required the Supreme Courts intervention.However, in spite of chronicling the IPLs history in fairly lucid detail, Sekhri fails to question the ethos that pervades the tournament. The book rather takes the commercialisation of the sport for granted. It even begins with a curious assertion that put simply, the IPL is an entity that is fashionable to dislike, but at the same time, is a regrettable necessity for Indian society. Over the course of the book, though, we find no evidence to back up this claim: that the IPL is too popular to just be a fad, and has too many legitimate corporates investing in it to simply be labelled a racket doesnt quite do enough to explain to us why the league does us a service. To Sekhris credit, though, in a well-tuned chapter he shows us how the IPL differs from other professional sports leagues, and also offers reasonable suggestions on how it may benefit from adopting some of their best practices. The book also contains a significant chapter in which he lays out the several issues of conflict of interest that the IPL has been repeatedly bogged down by. And he presents to us clearly the recommendations of the Supreme Court-appointed Justice Lodha committee, which, he says, if implemented, could have long lasting repercussions for the IPL as we know it.Sekhris suggestion for how the BCCI could circumvent court-mandated regulation, however, is curious. He endorses greater privatisation through a model in which the IPLs commercial rights could be assigned to a separate private entity under the larger control of the BCCI.Sekhri is at his best when he describes measures and laws that could beef up integrity in sport. One such example that he provides is the draft Prevention of Sporting Fraud bill that was introduced in 2013. Despite sport in India being a state subject, for something as far-reaching and potentially harmful to sport in the country, central legislation in the national interest will be the inarguable solution, he writes. As he rightly points out, the existing criminal-justice mechanisms are either too onerous (such as the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, which was invoked against cricketers charged with spot-fixing in the IPL) or plainly obsolete (the Public Gambling Act) to be of any use. A designated sports fraud law, Sekhri writes, could, on the other hand, restore an element of credibility to cricket in that it would contain a framework of rules that are sui generis to sport.For those undoubting of the IPLs contribution to sport, as to those more sceptical of its inherent values, Sekhris book offers a useful reminder of the facts that underscore the various arguments.Not Out! The Incredible Story of the Indian Premier League By Desh Gaurav Sekhri Viking 256 pages, Rs 330 Scarpe Nike Scontate Del 50 ., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., took sixth spot on Saturday in pairs at the NHK Trophy ISU Grand Prix figure skating competition. Vendita Scarpe Nike Online . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. http://www.nikescarpescontate.it/ .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Nike Scarpe Italia Outlet . Clarke was injured while practicing on the Doha Golf Club range after the pro-am on Tuesday. The Northern Irishman arrived at the course on Wednesday hoping to start, but after hitting a few balls on the practice putting green Clarke advised officials he was not fit to play. Scarpe Nike Offerta Online . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Gloves worn by Muhammad Ali for his Fight of the Century against Joe Frazier in 1971 sold early Sunday morning for $606,375.The price is $218,000 more than what memorabilia collector Jeff Rosenberg paid for the gloves in 2014.Rosenberg called owning the gloves over the past two years an honor and said he was satisfied to know the person who bought them values them like I do, and they will now be in a good home.The buyer was not publicly disclosed.Shortly after Alis death in June, Rosenberg decided he was going to auction off the gloves, but said he wasnt pleased about it.No matter what the price, theres going to be a sense of loss, Rosenberg said at the time. Its a connection to the greatest fight.Both Ali and Frazier came into the bout undefeated, as Ali entered his third fight after a 3?-year suspension for avoiding the draft. Ali lost the fight by decision in 15 rounds.Despite the fact that the gloves were supposed to be the property of Jerry Perenchio, the Los Angeles-based talent agent never took the gloves. They instead became property of Alis trainer and cornnerman, Angelo Dundee.ddddddddddddRosenberg, owner of memorabilia company Tri-Star, consigned the gloves to Goldin Auctions, which originally put the gloves in its live auction in Atlantic City, New Jersey, earlier this month. Goldin hoped bidding on the gloves would surpass $1 million, but the auction failed to meet its reserve, so the gloves were moved to the companys online auction that closed early Sunday morning.The highest price received for a pair of Ali gloves is $836,500 in 2014, for the gloves he used in his first fight against Sonny Liston in 1964.Alis gloves werent the only piece from the Fight of the Century sold on Sunday. A jock strap believed to have been worn by Frazier in the fight sold to an undisclosed buyer for $10,200.Michael Jordan game-used jerseys also continued to rise in price. Goldin sold a game-used Jordan uniform from the 1992 Olympics and a game-used 1996-97 Chicago Bulls uniform, each for more than $60,000. ' ' '