May/June 2009 edition


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 Shock news. Nadal's attempt to win a fifth French Open in a row is cut short when 23rd seed, Robin Soderling took the match in the fourth set - 6-2, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6.  Due to the 'credit crunch' The London 2012 Olympic Village providing for the athletes competing in the Games is now publicly-owned.   One TV show host has suggested that post-Games, the accommodation could be rented by MP's wishing to rent a London-based second home! Women's boxing looks to be on track to gain entry to the programme for the 2012 Olympic Games.  The launch of England's bid to stage the World Cup in 2018 (or possibly 2022) has 'removed' the 'football's coming home' theme which was attached to previous bids. The slogan was deemed inappropriate in recognition of the evidence that the underlying arrogance embedded in such a message does not 'resonate' with the rest of the world. IMG Sports Media has announced a three-year agreement with internet sports network iBN Sports, giving iBN access to IMG's library of multimedia content.  The organizers of the French Open are planning a tennis venue with a retractable roof - not dissimilar to the retractable roof (and floodlights) just installed at Wimbledon.   The organizer of this year's Finland stage of the World Rally Championship is cutting the budget by 40 percent due to the economic climate. Rally Finland wad due to take place at Jyvaskyla from July 30 to August 2, but its 'sustainable business model' has fallen short, as a result of the cancellation of 1,000 pre-booked VIP guests.  The Yankees are planning to fill thousands of empty unsold season-ticket seats by just giving them away - but some say rolling back the prices of all tickets would be a preferred option. Royal family member, Zara Phillips continues her unlucky streak after her year of winning all the top prizes.  Following her withdrawal from the Beijing Olympics when her horse   Toytown was injured she has now taken a tumble at the 3-day Badminton event.  Ricky Hatton's second round knock-out loss against Manny Pacquiao may delay his impending retirement - against the advice of the majority! An all-England team will represent Team GB at the 2012 London Olympics. Players from Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland will be noted for their absence.  The Mongoose cricket bat - designed to make the Twenty20 game as exciting as possible with players going for as many runs as possible - is the first radical change to cricket equipment since 1771.  All thanks to Stanford????.   While many are tightening their belts, The All England Club announced that total tournament prize money has increased by 6.2 percent this year and the winners of the singles will take home £850,000 each - a £100,000 more than the previous year.

spotlight on: footie

Fifa is investigating the Ivory Coast stadium tragedy which resulted in the death of nineteen supporters in Abidjan in March 2009.  The crush happened outside the Felix Boigny Stadium before the kick-off of a World-Cup qualifier. As a result, where necessary, any future qualifiers will be delayed if there are any outstanding security issues.  Better late than never!

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has expressed some of the 'highlighted issues' in previous shortsandsports when it comes to the Premier League's level of debt-exposure.  With the English game amassing debts of around USD 5 billion, even the best in footie will find it hard to escape the credit crunch; and in particular sourcing sponsors.

  Problems continue in and around Euro 2012 as host countries are finding it increasingly difficult to get the necessary approval for their proposed stadia.  While Uefa confirmed 4 venues in Poland - Warsaw, Posnan, Wroclaw and Gdansk - co-hosts, Ukraine only got confirmation of one of their proposed venues in the City of Kiev - and with a proviso that the venue may not be allowed to host the championship final.  A decision on November 30, 2009 will confirm the final line-up with Lviv, Donetsk and Kharkiv in the Ukraine still waiting in the sidelines. 

Uefa selected the co-hosts in April 2007, but the whole process has come under scrutiny since a more detailed anyalsis was undertaken into the transportation infrastructure within and between the two countries. 

In addition, Ukraine is in the grip of one of the worst economic crises in Europe; and although stadium construction is one of the government's priorities, the building of hotels needed to host the event has stalled and is behind schedule.

Germany has been ready to step in since it hosted a very successful tournament in 2006; but perhaps Uefa's willingness to encourage new European countries to host a major event was less prudent than it may first have appeared.

hot spot:  longer studs

While Formula One struggles to reinvent itself, NASCAR is having a couple of minor problems to contend with....  as follows:

We have all watched those all important members of the team run out with 4 new tires in their hands to make the switch over when a NASCAR driver pulls into the pits.

Known as the "changers" these guys can make all the difference to a driver's success.  But along with a new requirement for longer studs comes a longer time in the pits - it used to take 13.5 seconds to make a changeover - and the new requirement not only extends the time it takes to swap tires/refuel; it also throws off the rhythm of the "changers".

Although this may be a short-term 'irritant' for the sport, NASCAR should breath a sigh of relief that they are not burdened with the massive changes taking place within the world of F1.

  
hot shot: the new boys on the block

Meanwhile, The WorldFirst Formula racing car has been banned from competing in F3 races because it uses biofuel.  The car - designed by the University of Warwick in England - is powered by chocolate and made out of vegetables.  And it is targeting a 'mouth-watering' top speed of 145mph! 


sidelines:  waiting patiently for new markets

  The 2010 football World Cup will likely offer a break for the mobile broadcasting industry as profits of most of the major companies have dipped significantly as a result of the credit crunch.

But there is good news on the horizon as the Soccer World Cup in South Africa is already providing a hotbed for expansion into the emerging market that is: the continent of Africa.

Most of the major global players players will launch their services on the continent well in advance of the showcase event of the beautiful game.  And expect a lot of advanced slo-mo coverage of skilful foot-work between the boot and the ball!

In addition, some networks have already begun broadcasting television to mobile in countries including Nigeria and Kenya. 

The growth of content delivered directly to the mobile phone is not only inevitable, but also a very profitable growth component of the content rights business.


fashion icon.....  the bear market

Sport memorabilia of all shapes and sizes is being hit by the bear market - to the same extent as almost every other sector. 

In these difficult there are always those that win and others that lose. And while the value of vintage cards are soaring - in April 1989 a Mickey Mantle card in near mint condition was worth US$6,600 - the price has now leapt to as much as US$30,000; most collectors of Baseball cards are falling in the 'negative' category. 

An over-run of 1980 cards and plenty of collectors/hoarders has meant that owners may have lost almost 90 percent of value over the last 20 years.  So no retirement funds for the majority of Baseball card collectors...... but on the other side of the fence the bankrupt for-profit Sports Museum of America in New York may offer some collectors a golden opportunity to buy in a bear market.

Many donations by famous contributors to the Sports Museum, such as professional soccer player Brandi Chastain - known for her famous black bra which she exposed after a game-winning goal in the 1999 World Cup; and Tony Hawk's childhood skateboard are 'regretfully' now in the secure hands of the US Bankruptcy Court.

The owners can of course buy back these 'historic' items - US$250 for the bra and US$1,500 for Hawk's items...  but do these sports heroes care enough about their 'stuff'?

While many of the 'loaned' items were retrieved in good time, other benefactors were not so lucky.  The seized booty includes a gold medal won by Jesse Owens and yellow jerseys worn by Lance Armstrong and Greg LeMond.

While the court appointed trustee is spending several hours of attorney time to make sure that each item is offered back to the correct owner, Philip Schwalb, the museum's founder and former CEO is trying to line-up buyers for the remaining assets with a price on their head of around US$1.5 million plus.

However, new collectors of sports mebmrobilia should not dispair.  Next up for consideration is an investment in the first official range of Fifa branded clothing and merchandise. 

Globally, more than one hundred FIFA branded retail stores will no doubt assist in raising Fifa's latest profit surplus of £127 million to even grater heights.

home and away: going global and digital

The NBA has signed a broadcast deal with Eurosport for the broadcaster to show internet highlights of the remainder of the season's NBA playoffs and finals.  Under the terms of the deal, Eurosport will feature daily and weekly best plays round-up package available on the Yahoo! Eurosport co-branded sites in Italy, Spain, Germany and the UK, as well as on eurosport.fr in France.

"As we expand our digital distribution in Europe, we continue to find new ways to bring basketball fans closer to the passion and excitement of the NBA. Teaming up with a major multimedia company like Eurosport allows NBA programming to reach more fans in key European markets," said Attila Gazdag, NBA senior vice president of Global Media Distribution.

Arnaud Maillard, Eurosport Group's new media director, added: "The NBA deal demonstrates Eurosport's commitment to offering Europe-based fans some of the most exciting team sports on the Internet. With the NBA gaining popularity in Europe each year, Eurosport's online basketball content is guaranteed to connect people to their sporting entertainment passions."

Eurosport will also promote 'NBA League Pass Broadband' - content that provides subscribers access to more than 40 NBA regular season games online each week, both live and on-demand.  The package is already available in 100 countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
  

sport culture:   sports movies

This year's Tribeca Sport's Film festival sponsored by ESPN may have had fewer films than previous years, but quality scored over quantity.

A number of the movies were outstanding and they included A Matter Of Size - a charming and entertaining film about overweight Israelis who decide to become Sumo wrestlers.   The Lost Son of Havana which documented the return to Cuba of pitcher Luis Tiant after a 46-year exile was my choice of best in festival.  A totally engaging movie which should be seen by the widest possible audience.

In sharp contrast, the much anticipated Spike Lee film directed and produced by the man himself is ONLY (and I stress that word) for basketball and Kobe Bryant fans.

While Racing Dreams missed a few tricks in its 'tale' of three kids competing in National Karting competitions, Rudo Y Cursi kept the audience entertained with a light-hearted Mexican twist on the game of Football (soccer).

Love The Beast gently takes on the world of off-track car racing in Tasmania; and high-school debating takes to the stage in the multi-cultural, fly-on-the-wall documentary Team Qatar.

Last but not least is the touching story of Sweden's only all-male synchronized swimming team as they go for gold at the World Championships in The Swimsuit Issue.

And finally a very beautiful movies which for some reason was not included in the ESPN selection. Only When I Dance documents the fate of young Brazilian dancers and their journey to potential international status. 

Once again ESPN delivers the goods!  

..........and then there are the shorts


© IOC/Base-court

The Olympic Museum presents the Olympic Short Film Contest with the support of the City of Lausanne and in cooperation with partner institutions: the Museu Olimpic i de l'Esport (Barcelona, Spain), the Xiamen Olympic Museum (Xiamen, People's Republic of China), the Departamento Cultural of the Comité Olimpico Brasileiro (Rio, Brazil) and The Olympic Museum Lausanne, Switzerland).  It is organised in cooperation with Base-court, an association based in Lausanne, Switzerland involved in the promotion and the diffusion of short films in Switzerland.

The contest is intended for both professional and amateur directors, in the audiovisual field, aged at least 18. Participants were invited to contact one of the partner institutions to express their interest by May 15, 2009 to considered for the preselection phase.

The Olympic Short Film Contest operates on an elimination principle which conssits of two stages: the first round and the final. In each stage, the selected candidates screen a short film of a maximum length of 5 minutes, based on a theme imposed by the organizing committee.

The first round will starts in June 2009 with eight directors competing. Each of the four partner institutions will put forward two directors. The films will be posted on the official competition site www.olympicshortfilmcontest.com for internet users to vote on, between July 1-13, 2009.

The shortlist for the final in August 2009, will leave just four directors in contention, one per partner institution.

The candidates will have just one week to produce and edit a film, (filming takes place in Lausanne), before presenting it on the internet. Internet users will be able to vote on the films between September 9-21, 2009 on the official competition website www.olympicshortfilmcontest.com

Three prizes will be awarded: The Grand Prix, worth CHF 7,500, for the best film of the competition; The Prix du Jury, worth CHF 5,000, for the second best film of the competition; and The Prix du Public, worth CHF 2,500, for the film with the most internet votes.

starting blocks: opportunity knocks!

Rio 2016's five proposed football (Summer Olympic) cities have been confirmed as host cities for the 2014 World Cup by the FIFA Executive Committee. Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte and Salvador were approved on Sunday among a total of 12 cities for the 2014 event.

Rio 2016 Bid Committee President, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, said: "The selection of the 2014 cities further reinforces the benefits of hosting two major international sporting events like the World Cup and the Games in succession. Our bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games is fully aligned with the needs of Rio, the other cities and Brazil's long-term development plans.
"The 2014 World Cup means that our proposed Olympic football venues will boast new and modern stadiums well ahead of the Games. We will also witness significant investments in airports, transportation infrastructure, accommodation, telecommunications and security in the coming years leading up to 2014. Moreover, the World Cup will contribute to training new professionals with experience in large sporting events, many of whom we hope will be able to work with us to deliver the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games," said Nuzman.
The announcement of the cities was broadcast live from the Bahamas in Maracanã Stadium, where more than 70,000 fans were following a Brazilian Championship match between Flamengo and Atlético Paranaense. The legendary stadium, which is expected to host the 2014 World Cup final, has also been proposed by the Rio 2016 Bid Committee to host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Games as well as the football finals.
Rio de Janeiro´s State Secretary for Sport, Tourism and Leisure, Márcia Lins, said: "The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil will transform urban mobility in our country with the expansion of the metro system and improvements in the suburban train system, all planned to accommodate the competitions across the country. These are critical improvements with substantial long-term benefits that have all been integrated within Rio's plans to host the 2016 Games."
In addition to Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília, Belo Horizonte and Salvador, seven other Brazilian cities will host World Cup games in 2014: Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Recife, Natal, Fortaleza, Manaus and Cuiabá

life after...   turbulence

The season climax of golf's Asian Tour has been scrapped this year after sponsors Volvo pulled out.

The Swedish car manufacturer chose not to extend its contract to cover the 2009 tournament in Bangkok, forcing the tour to remove the event. The Bangkok event had been scheduled for December. 

While there is a chance that the event will return under a new format, any progress will be dependant on sourcing a new sponsor

Volvo cited the economic climate, instability of Asian golf and political unrest in Thailand for its decision. Its current golf portfolio includes the World Match Play Championship, the China Open and the Masters Amateur.

But the Asian golf event market is not alone.   The British Masters - scheduled for September 17-20, 2009 has also been scrapped from this year's European Tour after the tournament's sponsorship deal expired and no replacement was found.

Once again it is the sponsorship market that is sounding the death knoll on established sporting events; and as this trend continues perhaps the sports market should consider revising its financial model and looking for other sources of revenue?