Progress, of sorts, in sport, is closely tied to money

Today's Slate brings a very interesting article about the ongoing invasion of American billionaires into ownership of English Premier League football clubs.

By a weird quirk of destiny, England's two greatest soccer clubs have both fallen under the control of American tycoons of a peculiar carpetbagging sort. These minor billionaires have gone to England like backward colonists, looking to reap the bounty of the Premier League's soaring global popularity by taking advantage of its lax financial regulations. The standoff between the clubs' owners and supporters hasn't merely led to innovations in signcraft. It has also thrown an unwitting light on some big differences in the way English fans and American fans view sports.

Meanwhile, back here in the states, where similar gushers of money have resulted in new 10-figure stadia in Dallas, Washington, and New York City, Wired has a wonderful short article about last weekend's confluence of games at the new Meadowlands Stadium. Check out the video, it's fun and short.

Presto, change-o: it's Giants Stadium! No, it's Jets Stadium!