Archive for June, 2009

“How about that men’s US Soccer game Sunday afternoon? Man! I can’t believe we blew a 2-0 lead in the second half to Brazil. I know, I know…it was amazing we even beat Spain to get to the Finals of the Confederation Cup. But we HAD that game against Brazil – we should of won it, damn it!” When was the last time anybody ever got that excited over a U.S. men’s soccer game? I would wager that 90% of American sports fans (including myself) had no idea we were playing in the Confederation Cup in South Africa until we [...]

There’s no bigger threat to an individual sport than illegal gambling. The media and fans can argue all day long about the detrimental impact of steroids in baseball, but a sport can be completely destroyed if even the faintest whiff of a gambling impropriety is detected. The NCAA and all major professional sports have been hurt, to various degrees, throughout its history by betting scandals and have had to work extremely hard to distance itself from all types of illegal bookmaking and organized crime. Although gambling will always be apart of the sports culture, nothing is more important to sports [...]

Donald Fehr, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) for almost 25 years, announced Monday he will be stepping down from his post and retiring in the up coming months. As head of the most powerful union in the United States (maybe the world), Fehr successfully negotiated five labor contracts during his tenure which led to the average player’s salary to increase from $289,000 in 1983 to today’s $3.24 million average. Fehr was also responsible for exposing the owners’ illegal scheme in the mid 1980’s where each of the fat cats entered into a secret agreement [...]

So I’m reading Sports Illustrated a few weeks ago and came across an article about an amateur baseball player who’s already projected as the number one pick in the 2010 MLB draft. The story goes on and on about the incredible exploits of Las Vegas native Bryce Harper, a catcher who routinely belts home runs as far as 570 feet and posts seasonal batting averages in the .500 to .600 range. With the title “Baseball’s Chosen One” splashed across an image of him swinging, Harper was on the cover of this particular issue of SI being touted as the biggest [...]

“I am not a role model”, the famous Charles Barkley line bellowed in his 1993 Nike commercial had a much greater impact on the American sports culture than just a tagline in a sneaker ad. To this day, Barkley’s statement sparks debate over what an athlete’s responsibility is to their fans and public. Are athletes, in fact, role models and to be held to higher standards than everyone else? Or are they regular people – whose choice of career just happens to make them famous, and puts unfair scrutiny and media attention on them? In the eyes of fans, especially [...]

Since the dawn of professional sports in America, there have been sportswriters and analysts covering teams and athletes. These media representatives have to spend an incredible amount of time hovering around their subjects – in clubhouses, locker rooms, hotels, bars, etc. – and working hard to score that elusive scoop or obscure fact. So, of course, it’s natural for friendships to sometimes form between a reporter and athlete. It’s not unusual for a member of the media and an athlete or coach to have a drink together or even meet for dinner. When people work around each other for long [...]

Whether you like it or not, the practice of sports blogging has grown into a powerful force in the world of sports and entertainment and is being recognized, more and more, as a respected and legitimate form of media. Because the digital platform offers anybody – regardless of age, sex, background, education – the opportunity to write about sports in their own unique style, sports blogs are quickly becoming a main source for sports news. The sports blogging community came together for a special industry event on Saturday (June 13) and this rookie blogger was treated to an absolutely incredible [...]

I admit it. I’m one of the millions of sports industry professionals who’s jumped on the Twitter bandwagon with both feet. In a previous blog post, I gushed over the unique reach Twitter offers sports PR and marketing pros and went on about the fabulous new ways athletes and sports organizations can connect with fans thanks to the new micro blog. Not that I still don’t recognize and appreciate the immense impact of Twitter, but a couple of recent events in the world of sports, involving Twitter, has made me step back and reevaluate some things. What makes Twitter such [...]