September/October 2010 edition


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The 2012 Olympics marathon will begin and end in The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace - a tradition devised for the 1908 London Games.  2012 also sees the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations - so watch out for a busy season!  Good news for the minority female caddies in the professional game of golf.  Twenty-five year old Martin Kayla won this year's US PA championship with the assistance of the very experienced Fanny Sunset - a rare breed of caddy in a very male dominated world. Dutch school-girl Laura Decker, started her solo round the world sail by giving the press the slip.  The fourteen year old is hoping to be the youngest ever to complete the trip as she started her 2 year voyage from Portico.  She signed an exclusive media deal in advance of her departure.  Courtesy of Arsenal 'fan share scheme', you too can have miniscule ownership stake in this world renowned football club.  England and Russia are leading the race to host the 2018 and 2022 Soccer World Cup - but don't rule out one of the outsiders in this very high-profile race for gold! With the cost of security escalating at major international sporting events, British Police may use um-um bullets in their fight against terrorists during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.   New Zealand beat England at Twickenham Stoop in the finals of the Women's Rugby World Cup for the third time in a row - but by a smaller margin. England will get another attempt in New Zealand in four years.   Cricket manufacturer Bombay has suspended its sponsorship of Pakistan cricket Mohammed Air following the allegations of match-fixing in the Test series. While some may be surprised at this breaking news - see below for one explanation. Usain Bolt is recovering from a back injury and will not compete again in 2010; however, he does plan to turn his talents to soccer before he reaches the age of thirty.  Ninety vets armed with traps will relocate the rats running around the Commonwealth Games venues in Delhi in preparation for the October 2010 event.  Former US 400 metros world champion, Antonio Pettigrew was found dead at the University of North Carolina where he had been working as a coach for the last 4 years.  The on-off relationship between David Beckham and England coach Fabio Capello - as reported in the past by shortsandsports.com - is now apparently back on.  Dismissed as too old when questioned by ITV's Gabriel Clarke, Capello has now made a u-turn by indicating that everyone is on his short long-list ...or is it his long short-list? The 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia are expected to cost US$12 billion approx. - four times the cost of Vancouver 2010 - and only a little less than the cost of hosting the London 2012 Summer Games. Octagon, the international sports agency, has raised its presence in South America by acquiring B2S, the Brazilian sports marketing firm.  In August 2008 Manchester City FM bought Brazilian player, Robinho for 32.5 million pounds.   They are now selling him for a mere 19 million pounds. And Royal Bank of Scotland - primarily owned by the British taxpayer post the credit crunch will take control of Liverpool FMC, in the absence of an alternative owner/buyer.   Unable to tap the keys on a standard mobile phone, Japanese Sumo wrestlers have been given pads  It is the hope of the Japan Sumo Association that better communication in the sport will end match fixing and other scandals which have been rocked the world of Sumo in recent years.



spotlight on:   a marriage made with a roll of the dice?

 With all eyes on betting scandals in the sports industry it should come as no surprise that online gambling group, Betfair is partnering investment bank Goldman Sashes in a new 'scheme' that will challenge the London Stock Exchange.

Online Gambling - once outlawed in the US - which resulted in the various 'players' going off-shore - is slowly being brought back into the mainstream.  And as 'prohibition' goes out of favor, the very profitable Betfair is going into partnership with Goldman Sashes with 'a proposed plan' to launch a new financial trading platform.

Having created the new trading vehicle - LMAX and having sold a 12.5% stake to the investment bank, Betfair are now hoping to boost the liquidity of the new service which has been approved by the Financial Services Authority (the industry regulator).

While the launch is still in 'on the drawing table', it is Betfair's objective to apply its existing software to a new product that will allow users to bet on the movement of a company's share price without owning the underlying stock.
Interesting!

 
hot spot: London 2012

While many are optimistic that Team GB will perform well in 2012 in front of a home crowd, the powers that be have modified their expectations on how the team will perform in the overall medal rankings in two years time.

Pressure remains on all athletes to do their best; but competing on a world stage can sometimes prove more challenging than a European Championships.

And that was the case at the Crystal Palace Golden League meeting when after a triumphant return from the European Athletics event in Barcelona, Team GB failed to claim a medal when competing against athletes from around the world.

The two day event was part of a consolidation process that has brought major track and field events under a single umbrella organization/bran - with athletes signed and committed to participate in a least seven of these events.  They also act as qualifiers for the Olympics and Worlds.

And as track and field stars performed in front of an almost full crowd at Crystal Palace, the pressure is no doubt on for the main attraction - London 2012 - to not only be a show stopper but also a 'once in a lifetime' incentive for the host team.

hot shot: the game of tennis

Despite the current economic climate, the first day of the two-week US Open Grand Slam drew 59,931 attendees - just 135 fewer spectators than the previous year's record-setting opening day.

A spokesman for the United States Tennis Association said the organization does not expect to exceed 2009 levels, when 98% of the tickets were sold. 

But on the plus side, interest in the game is at a recent all-time high.   And perhaps it is the war of the two European champions - Federer and Nadal - that makes any Grand Slam so exciting.

According to the Tennis Industry Association, the sport attracted 30 million players for the first time in 20 years.  These stats are supported by the World Team Tennis - a professional and amateur league created by Billie Jean King.  The organization claims that tennis is the only traditional sport that is showing significant growth.

Good news for the sport and good news for host city New York which always benefits financially from one of its annual 'big events'. 

And it is also good news that around 45 percent of visitors to the tournament in Flushing Meadows, Queens, come from outside the New York metro area and make 'good use' of the city's, hotels and restaurants.

Less good news was that once again the weather played havoc with the final - which had to be rescheduled for the following Monday.  This brings to the table the usual question.   Should Flushing Meadows have a roof built over the main show court - and mirror the success of Wimbledon?

nb.  the same question could be put to the organizers of the French Open at Roland Garros?..... and by the way Nadal won the US Open becoming the seventh player ever to win all four mens Grand Slams.

And....

After a two-year hiatus, New Yorkers and commuters will soon be able to resume hitting tennis balls inside Grand Central Terminal while awaiting their trains.

Tennis courts had been located inside Grand Central since the 1960s. The previous facility, comprising two courts on the third floor, was leased by Donald Trump. It closed in May 2009 and the space was remodeled for use as locker rooms and lounges for Metro North Railroad conductors and engineers as part of a union contract.

The newly formed Vanderbilt Tennis Club - soon to be located inside Grand Central - is now accepting deposits to play on its indoor court and practice facilities.  The facilities are currently under construction and it is projected that the court will be open to the public this time next year, although court time could become available as early as next summer if the pace of construction permits.

The tennis club had recently signed a 10-year lease in May with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, under which it will initially pay US$225,000 a year. The rent will rise to US$350,000 by the lease's end.  Construction began in mid-July and the 8,800-square-foot space will include one championship-quality tennis court. 

Located on the fourth floor of the famous train station, the club recently finished constructing an additional 2,000-square-foot, fifth-floor mezzanine that will host two practice alleys and a smaller court for children. It will charge a 'substantial' US$100 to US$210 per hour for seasonal court time, depending upon the desirability of the particular time slot, or US$3,800 to US$7,980 for the 38-week season.

According to the club, a couple of dozen players who used to frequent the old tennis courts in Grand Central have already asked about coming back.

sidelines: new technologies?
 

Last month's edition of shortsandsports made reference to the advancements of new technologies and their impact upon traditional broadcast ratings and advertising revenues as follows: The benefits of public television are easily illustrated. While the BBC are able to offer seamless reporting and coverage of The World Cup, commercial television is burdened with the realities of making a living through advertising. But wait up! This is a sharp reminder that major events such as The Olympics and The World Cup require a large investment in order to produce the on-demand coverage required by an audience that is increasingly expecting the highest quality of delivery across all platforms. So no suprises in the UK when the stats came out that Public TV (The BBC) drew an audience of 17.9 million during the World Cup Final extra time - more than four times the audience watching ITV.

However after a day attending the Sports Business 360 conference this editor had to reconsider just what new technology platforms will entail, as representatives from the likes of Google etc. spoke of the decline and fall of traditional media as the new generation turns to new media-driven outlets.

Well this is of course a desirable hypothesis on the part of 'interested  parties' but is it just wishful thinking on their part?

Convergence is what is key to the future.  This for example will likely entail a return to traditional media with different types of delivery platforms offering a choice of content  - perhaps across a wall of screens - rather than the individual type of experience expounded by new media gurus.

While mobile will dominate outside the four walls, the ability to share a viewing experience will remain the preferred option - particularly for sport - as it requires the preferred 'group experience' for full impact. 

'Generation new media' may think they already control the content, but the reality is that people are watching as much television as ever - an average in the UK of 3 hours and 45 minutes per day (Barb). 
The most likely change will be the scheduling of viewing to fit an individual's own preference/lifestyle - and timeshift in the home will start to dominate. But live sports action will always be watched live where broadcast availability is an option.

And when new media organizations eventually successfully buy up the traditional broadcaster - unlike the Time Warner/AOL scenario - it will be because convergence has provided new media companies with the revenues they need from live-action events coverage, timeshift and mobile access in order to afford to buy and/or produce mainstream content.

In summary: the new kids on the block will ultimately look more and more like the old boys in their hood!

fashion icon..... penalty shoot-outs

Hard to imagine a World Cup without penalty shoot-outs, but yet again Fifa is 'considering a change to the game.

the latest fear is that extra time in a match is used to kick around the ball until the end of time when the penalty kicks are enforced as the match decider.  By reviving the 'golden goal' rule - the first team to score in extra time - the game will encourage better and more offensive action, rather than increasingly defensive play during the extra time period.

However, consider how many games take place without any goals being scored throughout a whole 90 minute match and you could well see a trend of very late nights running into the early hours of the morning - and in the extreme during a week-night the teams could be playing with only the broadcasters and journalists keeping tabs on the live action!

home and away:
The Ryder Cup at The Celtic Manor, Newport, Wales October 1-3, 2010

Update: Tiger Woods was handed one of four wildcard picks after he held on to his world number one status at the Deutsche Bank Championship by finishing in 11th place. Rickie Fowler, Zach Johnson and Stewart Cink were also included in the 12-strong team to defend the Ryder Cup against Europe at Celtic Manor in Wales at the start of October.

Woods has been struggling to achieve his past form since revelations about his private life hit the headlines.  In the past, Woods has participated in five Ryder Cups and won 10 of the 25 matches he has played, losing 13 and halving two.
Last month he confirmed he and his wife Elin Nordegren would be getting a divorce.

sport culture: mascot madness

The Organizing Committee for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games has launched a nationwide competition in Russia to design the mascot for the Sochi Olympic Games taking place between February 7 - 23, 2014. The competition will run from September 1, 2010 through December 5, 2010, and participants can submit their ideas through a special web portal (in Russian only) or by mail. An expert jury, made-up of filmmakers, animators, artists, cultural workers, professional marketers and athletes, will then create a shortlist of finalists. The winning design will be decided on February 7, 2011 through a public SMS and telephone vote. The winner will receive two tickets to the Opening Ceremony of the Games.

Sochi was elected as the host city for the XXII Olympic Winter Games at the 119th IOC Session in Guatemala City on 4 July 2007. Sochi won the vote against the cities of Salzburg (Austria) and PyeongChang (Republic of Korea) in the second round of voting. The Russian city edged out PyeongChang 51 votes to 47, with Salzburg having been eliminated in round one.

The first official Olympic mascot - Waldi the dachshund - was launched on the occasion of the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, although an unofficial mascot called "Schuss" had appeared at the 1968 Winter Games in Grenoble.  Munich joins Annecy and PyeongChang in their bids to host the 2018 Winter Games.

And..... 

The first Youth Olympic Games took place in Singapore with mascots Lyo (pronounced Leo) and Merly taking center stage.

Lyo is short for “Lion of the Youth Olympics”. A sports lover, he is fun-loving and hopes to inspire young people to keep fit and enjoy sport for life. He symbolizes young people’s boundless energy, their determination to live life to the fullest and zeal to strive for excellence.

Merly got her name from “mer” (meaning the sea) and “ly” stands for liveliness and youthfulness. A passionate advocate of environmental protection, Merly believes that everyone has a role to play in working towards a sustainable future. She also wants to encourage young people to play an active role in their communities and promote respect for one another.

Members of the public were invited to name the mascots. About 375 entries were received from more than 20 countries. Lyo was named by Sean Pang Yi Wei from Singapore and Singaporean Tung Chi Jun picked the name for Merly.

And remembering that this is largely a 'Business of Sport" publication it is essential to mention the substantial commercial benefits from branded mascots and merchandise at any and every major sporting event!

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Some 3,600 athletes aged 14 to 18 took part in the Singapore 2010 Games. They were accompanied by 1,850 officials, and some 20,000 volunteers helped make the organizational aspect of the Games a success. Medals were won by nearly half of the nations and territories (93 of the 205 territories) taking part in the Games.

The Games featured a number of exciting new innovations, including new sports formats like 3-on-3 basketball, combined discipline cycling, head-to-head sprints in canoe-kayak, and new technology such as the modern pentathlon laser gun. In addition, many sports included a combination of mixed National Olympic Committee and mixed gender sports such as triathlon relays, archery, table tennis, fencing and swimming relays, to name but a few.

More than fifty Culture and Education Programme activities proved  extremely popular with the athletes; and over the duration of the 12 days, almost all the 3,600 athletes visited the World Anti-Doping Agency and UNAIDS booths in the Youth Olympic Village.

The athletes participating in Singapore 2010 were joined by 29 Young Reporters, who actively provided content to the international media, while 30 Young Ambassadors supported and mentored their national delegations. Over 40 Athlete Role Models from the International Federations and International Olympic Committee also offered advice and tips to the athletes in and around the Athletes’ Village.

More than 160 global rights-holding broadcasters providing coverage and over 1,900 accredited international media attended the Games. Videos on the Youth Olympic Games Channel have been viewed over five million times, and at one point it was the third most watched YouTube channel worldwide. To date, 36 per cent of all viewers have been under the age of 24. The Games were also broadcast live online on the Singapore 2010 Official Webcasting Platform. The Singapore 2010 and Youth Olympic Games pages now have more than 100,000 “fans”.

The first winter edition of the Youth Olympic Games will take place in Innsbruck, Austria, in 2012, while the second summer edition will kick off in Nanjing, China, in 2014.

starting blocks: Women's Rugby

England 15-a-side flanker Maggie Alphonsi was the IRB Women's Personality of the Year in 2006

Sixteen teams competed for the Women's Rugby World Cup crown in 2010. The final game at Twickenham Stoop saw attendance of in excess of 13,000 - a record for any women's game - and caused real excitement for both players and spectators.

But this heralds a new period for the game of women's rugby as rugby has successfully claimed its slot as an Olympic sport. 

It will first be seen in 2016 in Rio.

Rugby in its abridged format of both the men's and women's games is joined by the game of golf which will also sees it new Olympic status for the first time in 2016.

Of course, the game of golf is much like tennis and the players will participate for the challenge of claiming Olympic gold.  With no prize money in the equation - just national pride - top golfers will not notice an absence of prize money.  And the same may be said for the men's game of rugby which pays its top players substantial sums.

But it is the women's game of rugby which will see the biggest changes. 

By becoming an Olympic sport these virtually 'unpaid' national squad members will find themselves celebrities on a much larger stage than they ever anticipated.  So just how much impact will that have on the game of Women's Rugby? 

More to come!

life after -   non-textile body suits

In 2008 and 2009, the use of so-called high-tech suits made partly (2008 models) or wholly (2009 models) of non-textile suits led to the breaking of almost 200 swimming world records. In eight days alone at the world championships in Rome, 43 new global standards were set in a 40-event programme. The previous high at a world championship had been 16 - in 1973 from 29 events.

In July 2009, when the FINA Congress in Rome voted overwhelmimgly to oppose the recommendation of the organization’s president and executive director and ban the controversial “technical suits” that had undermined the integrity of the sport as it wreaked havoc with the world record book, Executive Director Cornel Marculescu was quick to issue a warning. “We will not,” he stated emphatically, “eliminate the records that have been established by swimmers using the new suits.”

Since that time the board of the World Swimming Coaches Association has called for a line to be drawn in the world records book so that standards from January 1, 2010 can reflect competition conditions when bodysuits and non-textile fabrics will be barred from the elite race pool.

See Quiz.

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