This year marks the third annual Autism Awareness Campaign launched by the Business of Sports Network. Each year, we reach out and ask that for a few moments sports is set aside in favor of spreading the word about the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as it is developmental disorder that is reaching alarm levels bordering on epidemic. This year, we have reached out to the sports and entertainment community to help lend support. In doing so, we have seen individuals that simply wish to help, but also those that are touched directly by autism. Be it the granddaughter of Seattle Mariners President Chuck Armstrong who has autism, Dodgers’ outfield Matt Kemp who has a brother with autism, actress Alyssa Milano who also has been directly touched by the developmental disorder, or Shonda and Curt Schilling, who is our featured interview this month, in reaching out to the community we have seen just how far reaching autism is.

With today being the beginning of International Autism Awareness Month, all the Business of Sports Network sites have been rebranded to remind you about this campaign, and within each post this month, we will be providing a link to Autism Speaks for those that wish to donate to assist in funding research on autism. We have also partnered with Autism Speaks to help promote their efforts, such as the “Light It Up Blue” campaign (for more see Fenway Park to Be Lit Up on Eve of 4/1 for "Light It Up Blue").

Autism Speaks is also granting space for a guest article by Maury Brown on their website next week which will give some further insight into how it touches not only him personally, but how autism reaches across every spectrum of life.

The main point of the autism awareness campaign is for you to spread the word, and reach a better understanding of the developmental disorder.

Here is how the Autism Society of America describes autism:

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause for autism, but increased awareness and funding can help families today.

Autism is treatable. Children do not "outgrow" autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes.

Here are some signs to look for in the children in your life:

• Lack of or delay in spoken language
• Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects)
• Little or no eye contact
• Lack of interest in peer relationships
• Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play
• Persistent fixation on parts of objects

The following information is provided by Autism Speaks:

Did you know ...

• Autism now affects 1 in 110 children and 1 in 70 boys
• Autism prevalence figures are growing
• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined
• Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
• Autism costs the nation over $35 billion per year, a figure expected to significantly increase in the next decade
• Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases
• Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism
• There is no medical detection or cure for autism

Prevalence vs. Private Funding

• Leukemia: Affects 1 in 1,200 / Funding: $277 million
• Muscular Dystrophy: Affects 1 in 100,000 / Funding: $162 million
• Pediatric AIDS: Affects 1 in 300 / Funding: $394 million
• Juvenile Diabetes: Affects 1 in 500 / Funding: $156 million
• Autism: Affects 1 in 110 / Funding: $79 million

National Institutes of Health Funds Allocation

• Total 2009 NIH budget: $35.9 billion
• Of this, only $196 million goes directly to autism research. This represents 0.5% of total NIH funding.

IF YOU ARE WITHIN THE MEDIA, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO JOIN THE CAMPAIGN, AS WELL AS AUTISM SPEAKS EFFORTS. LINK OR REPURPOSE THIS MATERIAL TO HELP THE CAUSE.

The following have lent their name in saying they support autism awareness, if you wish to be added to the list, please contact Maury Brown, president of the Business of Sports Network, for more details.

Corporate Endorsers

Autism Speaks

Populous (Stadium and Global Design)

Sports Management Worldwide

Triple-A Portland Beavers of the PCL

Portland Timbers FC of the USL, soon to be MLS

Oregon Sports Authority

Yardbarker Network

Sports Business Radio

Sports and Entertainment Endorsers

Click to donate to Autism Speaks

The Biz of Basketabll is part of the Business of Sports Network. For details on our interviews, latest new on MLB, the NFL, the NBA,and the NHL from outside the lines, check www.businessofsportsnetwork.com for information and links to the Network's sites.

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The Biz of Basketball sees a major site update with the addition of a "CBA - 101" -- a summary of the current collective bargaining agreement in the NBA. Selecting the following link will take to a version of the table of contents below with links to each section

(Select "CBA - 101" from the Resources navigation section going forward. Selecting it will expand to each of the sections of the CBA listed below).

The Biz of Basketball's "CBA - 101"

Highlights of the

Collective Bargaining Agreement Between the

National Basketball Association (NBA)

and the

National Basketball Players Association (NBPA)

I.    SALARY CAP AND RELATED RULES

A.  Term of Agreement

B.   Calculating the Salary Cap and Minimum Team Salary

C.  Room

D.  Length of Contracts and Disclosure Rules

E.   Salary Cap Exceptions

Qualifying Veteran Free Agent (“Bird”) Exception; Early Qualifying Veteran Free Agent (“Early Bird”) Exception; Non-Qualifying Veteran Free Agent (“Non-Bird”) Exception; Bi-Annual Exception; Mid-Level Salary Exception, Rookie Exception; Minimum Salary Exception; Disabled Player Exception; Assigned (“Traded”) Player Exception

F.   Rules Relating to Exceptions

G.  Additional Trade Rules

H.  Annual Salary Increases and Decreases

I.    Renegotiations

J.    Rookie Scale Extensions

K.  Veteran Extensions

L.   Team Salary Rules

M.  Certain Player Salary Rules

Right of Set-Off; Over 36 Rules; Signing Bonuses; Loans; Performance Bonuses

N.  One-Year Minimum Contracts

O.  July Moratorium

P.   Minimum Player Salary

Q.  Maximum Player Salary

R.   Rookie Salary Scale

S.   Early Termination Options

II.   ESCROW AND TAX ARRANGEMENT

A.  Escrow

B.   Tax

III. FREE AGENCY

A.  Definition of Free Agent Status

B.   Qualifying Offers

C.  Right of First Refusal Rules

IV. ANTI-DRUG AGREEMENT

A.  Prohibited Substances

B.   Testing

C.  Coming Forward Voluntarily

D.  Penalties

E.  Reinstatement

V.  NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE

VI. MISCELLANEOUS

A.  NBA Draft

B.   Rosters

C.  Training Camp

D.  Waiver Period

E.   Per Diem

F.   All-Star Game Player Payments

G.  Conduct and Discipline

H.  Player Appearances

I.    Buyout Payments to International Teams

J.    Pension

EXHIBIT A (Rookie Salary Scales)

EXHIBIT B (Minimum Annual Salary Scale)

NOTE: This document sets forth a summary of various provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, including some of the more frequently applied Salary Cap rules. This summary is intended only as a reference and is not meant to define the full meaning or scope of any provision in the agreement.

Source: National Basketball Association

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Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (select his name in the dropdown provided).

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Maury Brown
President, Business of Sports Network
(Office) 503-892-5722
Contact Maury Brown (Select name from dropdown)

"BIZ" SITES GO SOCIAL NETWORKING WITH TWITTER

SITES ADD ABILITY TO POST TO TWITTER DIRECTLY, EACH SITE NOW HAS TWITTER ACCOUNT

The Business of Sports Network announced today that has made "going social" part of each of their award winning sites in two dynamic ways that will get you more info, more often by adding Twitter to all of the sites within the Network's family, including The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Basketball, The Biz of Football, and The Biz of Hockey. The additions mean breaking news and information will be available to those using the popular social networking location.

"Social networking is not just a fad, it has become a powerful tool for sports information as leagues, those that report on sports in the media, and professional athletes continue to break news via Twitter, "said Maury Brown, founder and president of the Business of Sports Network. "The addition of Twitter to the Business of Sports Network family of sites is something we are excited about as we look to continue to offer new ways of giving our readers the best information on the business of sports."

Each Biz Site Now on Twitter
Getting even more great content from the Business of Sports Network now comes through individual accounts for each site on the popular social networking application, Twitter. Get breaking news, information from those that we follow. Follow the Business of Sports Network sites through the following locations:

The Biz of Baseball on Twitter

The Biz of Basketball on Twitter

The Biz of Football on Twitter

The Biz of Hockey on Twitter

Post to Twitter Directly from the Biz Sites
Looking to make each of the Business of Sports Network sites even more interactive, you can now post directly to Twitter from each of the "Biz" sites on any page, anytime. Each of the sites now comes with Tweetboard functionality that allows you to login to your account, and post by clicking on a tab provided across each page of the sites, expanding the Twitter interface.

Look for updates 24/7/365 from the staff at the Business of Sports Network to the Twitter accounts, as well as updates from Maury Brown, founder and president of the Business of Sports Network.

ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK:
The Business of Sports Network is a series of resources dedicated to sports news outside the lines. The network includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball, The Biz of Hockey, and our portal, the Business of Sports Network. The focus of BSN is on providing coverage of breaking news events in sports as it happens, provide expert analysis, provide interviews with those that work in sports business, and provide data and documents to allow readers to see deep into the issues and news confronting sports today.

All the sites across the Business of Sports Network provide the following:

• Reporting on news, as it happens, at the major, minor, and collegiate levels.
• Provide interviews with sports executives, or those in the media that cover sports.
• Data and documents
• Thought provoking original articles and commentary from the staff at the Business of Sports Network

--30--

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At midnight tonight, the calendar sheds another page, and April turns to May. With that ends what has been designated as World Autism Awareness Month.

But, for millions of families around the globe, autism awareness is a daily affair.

I, and my family, are but one of a growing number that deals with autism’s effects.

Last year, when my wife and I learned that our youngest son Travis had been diagnosed as being on the autism scale as “classic”, I reached out to the sports community and offered up a challenge:

Spread the word. Help parents with young children look for the signs of autism. Be aware of your surroundings and realize that the boy or girl next to you in the checkout line may be on the autism scale. After all, it is a growing developmental disorder.

This year, I hope you will do the same. If you are involved in sports media, I encourage you to write about the Business of Sports Network Autism Challenge. If you are a producer in radio, I hope you will give me 5 minutes on the air to help spread the word. If you are an athlete, a sports executive, or a sports organization, I hope you will extend a hand.

We chose to offer up this challenge on the last day of World Autism Awareness Month in the hopes that while the designation drops from the calendar, it does not drop from view, and that no matter the date on the calendar, you help make society just a bit better by simply acknowledging the ever growing presence of this developmental disorder.

Our challenge is to make others aware of autism. The following information comes by way of the Autism Society of America:

• 1 out of 150 children in U.S.
• 1 out of 90 boys
• Affects four times as many boys as girls
• Lifetime cost of caring for a child with autism: $3.5 to $5 million
• Current annual cost to U.S.: $35 billion
• Estimated annual cost by 2010: $90 billion
• 1.5 million Americans affected

Researching has found information that has been valuable to my wife and I, and some indications that we saw early on as classic traits of autism spectrum disorder within our son’s behavior. Passing some of these behavioral traits along may help you, or someone you know, get their child to their pediatrician for an evaluation. Early detection is critical as the earlier a child is enrolled in therapy, the better the odds are that when they grow older they will be able to function in society.

Here are some signs to look for in the children in your life:

• Lack of or delay in spoken language
• Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects)
• Little or no eye contact
• Lack of interest in peer relationships
• Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play
• Persistent fixation on parts of objects
• Reaching a development milestone only to see regressively disappear
• Odd dietary behaviors, such as eating only starches
• No fear of danger

How can you help? Donate. Spread the word.

• Autism Society of America
• Autism Speaks
• The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation

As mentioned, autism reaches across all spectrums of society. This month, a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) featuring professional golfer Ernie Els, and his six year old son, Ben, designed to raise awareness about autism and to urge parents to learn the early warning signs of this developmental disorder was released. See the video below for details.

Finally, autism is simply a name. It does not define those that have the disorder. Here is the face of a child that has autism, but is instead simply called “Travis”.

Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.

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