SPORTZ underCOVER

2007-07-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

SIDELINE REPORTING LACKS RELEVANCE

Last week’s Wimbledon final got me riled up. Why? You’re probably expecting me to make an entrance like: Rafael Nadal took Roger Federer to his first Grand Slam five-setter, but in the end Fed closed it out with his punishing Wimbledon will.

Not a chance.

If you've watched enough of the Swiss star, then you know he always comes through in the clutch (just not at the French Open -- yet). So I spent most of the back-and-forth four hours lying comfortably on my couch, expecting a Jordanesque ending, which is exactly what happened. Although, I must say I got pretty wound up watching Rafa's ridiculous shot placements and then seeing Federer freeze in his momentous tracks and shake his head in losing disbelief. At one point, Nadal was running toward the center hash mark on the baseline when Federer hit a laser forehand in the direction he was coming from, but Nadal stopped on a dime, kneeled down and a hit a backhand-winner crosscourt. Unreal.

So, then, what made me unravel from my sedated state? NBC's poor post-match sideline coverage.

After Federer received his championship trophy and waved and kissed to the crowd, he walked over to a waiting NBC female sideline reporter. Seconds into the interview, I just snapped! This is a guy who had entered the tournament set to climb the tennis record books, and for two weeks long he was asked the same big-picture questions: How does it feel to be going for your fifth straight Wimbledon championship? Will this win mean more to you than the others? What will it mean for you to tie Bjorn Borg for most Wimbledon titles?

Therefore, when the reporter blurted out these same basic three questions -- only difference, in the past tense –- I was heated. I had finally reached my boiling point with sideline reporters, and this is why I’m writing this piece.

The root of it is this: Sideline reporters are failing in their essential role –- reporting.

When the reporter spoke to Federer, she was asking general questions -– she was not reporting based on what she had witnessed during the match. Reporting consists of digging through the layers to find out why and how something important happened. She didn’t do that. There were several key storylines that were overlooked, such as Federer’s clutch serve in the fifth set and Nadal’s commanding backhand and knee injury, which a good reporter would have addressed. One of the best in my opinion is TNT's NBA sideline reporter David Aldridge. Not only is he extremely well-versed in the sport, but he also has incredible investigative skills. On game days, you can always count on him to break a story or get an athlete to disclose personal information. But hey, those are only his fundamental responsibilities.

If you happened to see the NBC interview, Federer’s responses proved that the reporter was not doing her job correctly. For instance, when she asked him, “Did you feel any pressure with Bjorn Borg in attendance?” Federer said, “Of course, there’s always pressure.” Then she asked him, “Did this win mean any more to you than the others?” and Federer said, “They all mean a lot.” Reading between the lines, Federer was indirectly putting down her questions and his manner was appropriate because they lacked substance. Good for him -- but not good for the network to have one of their own fall short in getting Federer to open up with at least a thorough attempt. The interview makes you wonder if the reporter even watched the match or just showed up for the celebration. If the latter is true, then she should not be called a sideline reporter, but simply a sideline interviewer.

As sports fans, we love to criticize athletes for their standoffish and lower school-level behavior, but let’s put ourselves in their shoes for once. How would you like to be asked the same questions over and over again pertaining to a particular event –- sometimes having a dozen mikes thrown in your face while you’re nearly naked in front of your locker? I would start to get annoyed too, and I would probably come across as a jerk and someone who sounds like an idiot with a broken education (some actually are, don’t get me wrong).

Casual fans might not have a problem with the depth of sideline reporting –- perhaps the sight of just seeing a star athlete on TV is enough. That’s because they are defined as fans who watch sports leisurely on occasion, mostly keeping their eye on the ball during games and focusing on who scores. Fortunately, they don’t have the pleasure of hearing athletes getting asked repetitive questions all the time from the sidelines. But television broadcasts are presented generally in this context, catering to the casual fan.

Even with that said, there is a major difference between Reporting 101 and Reporting 301. All you have to be is an observant individual -- whether you’re casual or serious about sports -- to understand this elementary principle and realize that most sideline reporters are just starting their freshman year of journalism school. TV executives need to back off from hiring beautiful robotic interviewers (such as ESPN's Erin Andrews, above) who are always asking things like: What do you think about your team’s chemistry going into this game? Are you feeling any pressure being down in the series? They seem to always be about pressure and chemistry for some reason, like it’s some top-secret mystery that players need chemistry to win together or they never experience pressure in any situation. Come on. It’s time for sideline reporters to step up their game.

2007-07-11T00:30:00.001-04:00

THE FUTURE OF THE DOG AND THE BUN

On the morning of July 4th, I had a spontaneous craving to head down to the original Nathan's on Brooklyn's Coney Island. That is, to bare witness to the 92nd annual hot dot eating contest. Normally I'm not game for shock-and-awe sporting events like these because I have viewed them as Jackass-like foolishness that friends organize amongst themselves in a backyard setting. And YouTube would be their only hope to get their act noticed.

Nonetheless, with all the buzz over the personal bout between Joey Chestnut and six-time defending champ Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi (pictured above), I thought to myself, The hot dog eating contest is what living in New York City is all about -- a unique (perhaps cultural) experience. I called a few friends, but all of them preferred to watch it on ESPN. I briefly leaned that way thinking about the one-hour train ride to Coney Island while seriously doubting my destination. A hot dog eating contest? No way... But I ended up shocking and awing myself, discovering a different sports perspective that I believe will one day contort the Olympic dynamic.

For my first bite, I was immediately stunned at the hot dog eating crowd -- more than 35,000 of an international mix. (The next day I read that organizers said this year's event may have been one of the contest's most successful.) Fans waved American and Japanese flags to show their support for Chestnut and Kobayashi, and held signs such as “Eat Just Eat!" I eavesdropped on several conversations and sensed that the people around me were here for the event because they sounded familiar with the pre-story. This was definitely not a walk-up crowd; this was a seasoned (no pun intended) sports crowd that had been following the sports pages.

While the final countdown was being called, there was a tremendous roar from the onlookers filled with nationalistic pride for the combatants. Once the mouth-stuffing began, the announcer kept a running, auction-like dialogue going with the fans. I felt like I was at a boxing event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which is exactly where this event should take place looking ahead. The event has become an institution in Coney Island, but it can become an investment -- a major investment -- in Las Vegas. It can afford to move away from ESPN and attract a pay-per-view deal. And simply being in Vegas, the amount of financial royalties surrounding the hoopla and the actual event would ring up like a slot machine jackpot.

When you factor in modern-day sports fan culture and the increasing popularity of niche sports like poker and BMX biking (which was recently named the newest Olympic sport debuting in Beijing next year), the future of the dog and the bun is clear: There is a growing market for the sport, whether or not you’d puke at just the thought of it being considered a sport. Here’s some history for you: At the turn of the 20th century, the four most popular sports were baseball, boxing, horse racing and track and field. At the turn of this past century, only baseball maintains that position along with basketball, football and hockey. So there might be a new sports scenery forming as we speak.

Nowadays, sports fans can’t get enough of the underbelly of mainstream sports, from competitive eating to the Perez Hilton’s of sports reporting. Just like how everyone is coming out with their own website and trying to prove their content is better and fresher than their competitors, new “sports” are stealing headlines ever so slightly but ever so evidently from the established sports that have been around for years. I believe this is the case because in the last decade since player salaries have skyrocketed and scandals have plagued America’s pastimes, regular sports fans have built an intense love-hate relationship with aloof and egotistical mainstream athletes. It’s also harder for fans to relate to the day-to-day luxurious and multi-million dollar facade of major league playing fields.

Enter in these backyard sports, like hot dog eating, and suddenly any regular Joe Some has found a new sports connection and a more feasible chance to become a niche professional athlete one day. Will hot dog eating ever be an Olympic sport? Well, with the power of online message boards and social networking, fans could definitely make a strong case. Just look at what’s going on in Hollywood right now. Studio executives are all over web 2.0 interacting with movie aficionados to get their thoughts on pre-productions.

After my hot dog eating experience, I’m not planning on joining a competitive eating online forum. But it sure piqued my future viewing interest. I think one day I’ll be tuning into the Backyard Olympic Games, satisfying a newly-found crave.

2007-06-11T23:30:00.000-04:00

Me at the Toyota Arena

CZECH-ING INTO PRAGUE'S OLYMPIC BID

From the moment I arrived at my connecting gate at Atlanta International Airport to head to Prague, Czech Republic, I observed an eerie hush throughout the area. Usually with silence comes stares, but I did not connect with any penetrating sets of invading eyes. For even the slightest chatter, that was reduced to the rubbles of whispers. This scene featured a simple kind of people – plain-colored shirts with blue jeans; no glitters of pretentious jewelry; electronics ghostly, books aplenty. It was like a century ago had been frozen in time and then thawed today. I was even hesitant to use my cell phone; I wondered the reaction if I did. I perceived that these Czechs felt displaced and were uncomfortable expressing themselves authentically in a foreign setting. So I just sat there silently like everyone else and read some magazines before I boarded my plane.

Two weeks have past living in Prague and I'm still conscious of my voice level waiting at my departing gate about to head home. But while Czechs seem to be extremely shy and quiet – in fact, a lot of them prefer being solo when commuting and walking through the streets – there is nothing reserved about the city features of Prague. Since communist rule shattered in the Czech Republic in 1989, you can definitely sense the country's capital has filtered more finances into its tourist infrastructure. In the most populated congregation in town, around Wenceslas Square and Old Town Square, there are a myriad of casinos, modern hotel establishments and tons of outdoor eateries. Prague could very well become the next Vienna, where I visited last weekend. Vienna's central gathering area is mapped out similar to Prague's, but Austria's capital is aesthetically more modern and drives a wealthier clientele. For Prague, the conversion to the EURO would greatly benefit its prestige (more on this later).

What else could catapult Prague into greater worldwide acclaim? How about an historic proposal that will lay out the city's plans for hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics (Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo are the other leading bidders). But does Prague, an attractive city but not one of outstanding sports lore, have a realistic shot at becoming a future temporary home of the Olympic Games? My assignment for a study abroad sports tourism course at NYU has been to figure that out. Here's my assessment:

1) First of all, Prague's airport is much too small to handle the incoming mass hoards of Olympic participants and visitors. Let's face it: Prague's population is tiny compared to most Olympic-bidding cities (roughly 1.5 million residents). When I arrived on a Sunday morning, only several other planes landed around the same time mine did, but it took me about an hour to get my passport stamped. Prague needs to expand its airport (the surrounding land is there to do it) and accept more international flights and carriers. Right now, only one airline flies direct to Prague from New York City: Czech Airlines (CZA), hardly a household name. Speaking of airlines, when our group visited the Corinthia Towers (Prague's No. 1 hotel for business travelers), there was an aviation conference going on for air traffic controllers. I asked our tour leader, who was a hotel sales representative, how many airline partnerships the hotel had that offered packaged flight and hotel deals for guests. He said one and, surprisingly, it wasn't Czech Airlines but rather Korean Airlines. (Ironically, a classmate and I met a Korean Airlines pilot at one of the casinos.) The Corinthia is the same hotel that has the only partnership with the Czech national ice hockey team. In a prestigious class like that, the Corinthia should be beckoning for more RFPs by marketing its business-to-business amenities.

2) Even if Prague demonstrates it's strategically ready for the Olympics, some of its residents could demolish that dream. At this early stage in the bidding process, about half of them are opposed to the city's potential hosting. In a survey conducted by the Praha Olympijska (Olympic Prague) company, nearly two-fifths of Czechs (38%) said “no.” The methodology for the survey included 2,000 respondents, in which 88% knew that Prague was interested in becoming a host city but half of them considered the organization of the Olympics a challenge. Most locals I spoke with casually felt indifferent about Prague's Olympic bid (some didn't even know about it) and weren't too optimistic the city would be elected the opportunity to host. On a more positive note, Tomas Petera, head of Praha Olympijska, said the Czech Republic is a safe country (which it seems; walking around alone at night seems to pose no threat) with a sufficient capacity for Olympic visitors, while its disadvantage is the lack of relevant experience. Prague's only major sporting event was the 2004 Ice Hockey World Championship held at the Sazka Arena (Prague's most modern sports facility built in 2004).

3) Prague's sports marketing and advertising needs to become more visible and spread out throughout the city. When I asked our tour guide of the Sazka Arena about the extent of the venue's promotion for its events in the heart of the city, she said “hardly any”; rather the promoter for the event handled that (similar to how marquee boxing fights are marketed, especially in Las Vegas). Bottom line is: Prague needs to get its citizens and tourists more excited and interested in its local sports scene. During an outdoor basketball tournament in Wenceslas Square, which resembled a "Hoop It Up" setting, there were just a few street marketers at the sign-in booth and not even a DJ or MC was present; only hip-hop music was played to draw people in from afar. The execution was a bit amateurish in my opinion. On another day in the same location, a high-jumping event was being set up, but hardly any passersby hung around the area to see what was in store. Instead the distractive magnets of the side stores and cafes drew people in.

4) The competitive spirit of sports in Prague is diminished by the city's most visible advertising – from transportation vehicles to roadside billboards. What do I mean by that? The majority of sports images used in advertising are represented recreationally through the promotion of technology products. For example, in Samsung's current citywide ad campaign communicating connectivity, the company presents a man looking at a picture of a soccer ball on his cell phone. In another advertisement for VisitCyprus.com promoting fun and leisure, it shows a woman lying on a beach watching a couple of kids play soccer. There are no five-story-high ads featuring any Sparta players (Sparta is Prague's most beloved soccer club team) or future sporting events at the Sazka Arena. In Prague, recreation is a big play. In fact, a Czech travel agency called Fun In Prague developed an area on an island with a large assortment of sport and relaxation activities, including paintball, range shooting, quad biking, go-karting, buggies, horseback riding, archery (in the winter months, there's also quad biking in the snow, skiing, snowboarding and a bobsleigh track).

5) The Czech Republic first needs to convert to the EURO before Prague can be even considered for an Olympic bid. The local word is that won't happen until 2009. But once it does, Prague will not be a footnote anymore in Olympic bidding competition; thus a major obstacle crossing with the IOC and world leaders.

Overall, sports seems to take a backseat here. Sporting events are secluded within Prague's beautiful facade (all sporting complexes are located on the outskirts of Prague). Individual fitness remains to be seen publicly (I never bumped into a single runner on the streets, but locals did mention that most exercise was done outside of Prague in neighboring parks). Sports reading is practically nonexistent (I saw only one person glancing at a sports section in a newspaper). It's hard to even pick up sports talk in places of mass transit because Czechs, for the most part, keep to themselves.

I finally found some signs of sports fan life unexpectedly one day after my classmates and I hustled into a bar when it started pouring. We were trying to find the Toyota Arena (the main soccer stadium in the city where Sparta was playing that night), but we got pretty lost even though we all agreed to keep trying. But the adrenaline of running through the rain and then stumbling upon the bar, which happened to be airing a delay of the game, quickly erased any disappointment we felt. I turned to one of my buddies while dripping wet and said, "Well, at least we're able to catch some of the game." Immediately a lady who was watching turned around to me and blurted out in her Czech accent, thinking I had said some game, "This is not just SOME game! This is Sparta versus Slavia! SOME game he says [while turning to her friend]!" As I found out rather quickly by getting repeatedly grilled by the fan, Sparta vs. Slavia (another club division in Prague) was like Mets vs. Yankees (Slavia = Mets, Sparta = Yankees as Sparta scores more popularity points in the city). Eventually she and I were chatting about the game, and I learned that Sparta vs. Slavia usually packed about 20,000 fans, much more than other Sparta home games at the Toyota Arena. She had been at the game earlier that we missed, but she was glued to the TV and was still decked out in Sparta gear. She was so ecstatic that she turned on her video camera to show me the post-game celebration after Sparta won 5-0. Fans were jumping the handrail guarding the field, and following that I had the privilege of watching her and boyfriend roll around in the muddy field together. It just goes to show you the kind of turn-on soccer is in many countries outside the U.S.

This bar experience made me realize that if there is such a rivalry like Sparta vs. Slavia, why can't the city showcase the teams' histories and their rivalry in a sports museum? The museum could also celebrate well-known athletes who came from or competed in Prague and the Czech Republic. There are quite a few noteworthy names, such as former tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Ivan Lendl as well as future NHL Hall of Famers Jaromir Jagr and Dominik Hasek.

Reflecting on what ended up being a cheaper visit than I imagined (to give you some perspective, a beer was 35 Czech crowns, which is roughly $1.50), I'm not so sure that offering the NYU course in Prague was the best direction, especially because the syllabus was geared heavily to the Olympics. And that is by far the truest definition of sports tourism. London, Torino or even Beijing would have been more beneficial for us to experience and learn about something more tangible to an actual Olympics – either in its planning or recently past execution stage. The city is, quite frankly, not prepared for the 2016 Olympics.

But there is definitely a sense of long-term optimism and excitement in the city about hosting an Olympics. The building blocks are here. In that sense, I was glad Prague was my temporary home for two weeks as I observed the challenges that face the city's Olympic selection while getting a sneak peak of what could be. My bet is Prague will be opening the 2024 Olympic ceremonies.

2007-05-21T01:00:00.004-04:00

SLEEPLESS IN NEW YORK CITY

For the past 20 days, I have not been waking up well. For what should take me 15 minutes to get ready for work, has taken me 35. Even to reverse my inside-out socks is a drag and a nuisance. The reason for my recent lack of sleep? It's not because I've been under stress or having nightmares or experiencing rapid-eye movement over-thinking about what I need to do the next day. No, all that is under control - at least for now.

What's really going on for me are 10:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time tip-offs. Yes, these NBA playoffs have taken over my post-work life with west coast games that end at roughly 1:30 a.m. But I'm not really in bed until I stay up for my late-night snack - a few post-game chuckles watching Charles Barkley on TNT's Inside The NBA.

Trust me, it hasn't been easy turning off the tube as the yawns trickle in. That's because the theme of the playoffs has been unexpected, from the Warriors upsetting the Mavericks in the first round to Derek Fisher's heroics in the semifinals to breaking news of the next intentional flop/fight as the conference finals loom. Overall, the 2007 NBA playoffs have been a whirlwind circus of high-flying and low-blowing performances that will only get testier as the referees, David Stern and the fans (some recently have turned away after the surprising Phoenix Suns' suspensions) call for "order on the court."

So, before the next 20 days deprive me of even more sleep and deplete the concentration I'll need to type my thoughts, let me share with you some restless reflections from the first half of the playoffs that carry over into my early morning hours:

1) I know the NBA has become an entertainment spectacle, but the "flopping" effect produced by the league's actors needs to look more realistic. And the referees shouldn't be so quick to blow their whistles. When Steve Nash was sideswiped by Robert Horry a.k.a. "Cheap Shot Rob" in Game 4, Nash dropped to his knees and the momentum pushed him into the scorer's table. But then he fell backward and threw his arms out behind him, an exaggerated reaction to a hard foul in my opinion (nowhere near a normal flagrant foul called in the NBA). I can't remember a time when I've seen so many charges called in the league. I was recently watching a Michael Jordan YouTube clip that featured his mid-air moves, and he would jump over defenders a few feet from the basket and knock them down with his hang time. But he was not once called for a charging violation. Nowadays, the same spot where

Jordan

used to take off from is where the offensive foul stripe is located. It's definitely made scoring much more challenging because players now have to score around defenders with layups more often than trying to attack them head-on and utilizing their athletic ability to dunk.

2) Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudemire should've been suspended for one game. And the rule that prevents NBA players on the bench from stepping onto the court during a fight shouldn't be changed. I'll tell you why. Have you ever seen a baseball fight? Usually it involves the pitcher and the batter because that's where the focus and main action is during the game. Nevertheless, the fight can be easily subdued by the players on the field, but whenever those from the dugout run onto the field and get involved, what happens? The fight always escalates. That's exactly why there's the rule in the NBA that if a player leaves the bench during an on-the-court fight, he will be suspended. The league doesn't want any fight to escalate more than it needs to, just like the Pacers/Pistons brawl a few years ago. The other day I was reading Bill Simmons's column addressing the suspensions, and I disagreed with a major point he was trying to make. He said that when you're on a playground court with your buddies and a fight breaks out, your human instinct is to help out. He said the same reasoning should be applied to the NBA, in that teammates should be able to back each other up no matter if they're in the game or on the bench. But here's why I differ. First of all, a pickup game is just that - a pickup game. It's not a professional game played in front of millions of people. And because a fight is usually the worst thing that happens in any sports venue, rules dealing with altercations should be the strictest. Second, in a professional work environment human instinct should not be your guide on how to conduct yourself and should not be equated with good sportsmanship. There is an overarching structure you have to follow. Of course, if the structure is getting in the way of your work, then that's not good. In Diaw and Stoudemire's case, the rule that's in question doesn't limit their overall skills and capabilities. All in all, it should be understood by players that when they're on the bench - just like the fans in their seats - they're not allowed onto the court until their name is called.

3) I've been impressed with Inside The NBA's creative team working behind the scenes. During the playoffs, their "Gone Fishin'" photoshopped picture of the team's star players who just got eliminated is priceless. Much of the credit goes to Charles Barkley whose hilarious and no-nonsense personality has given the show a lot of leeway as to what it airs. But the TNT staff has continuously succeeded in keeping the on-set mood loose and the jokes coming, mostly directed at Chucksters and his over-the-top (and sometimes over-the-weight-scale) comments. The production crew is also stellar at doing research and being very well prepared. Last Monday when Shaquille O'Neal was a guest commentator, TNT introduced him by featuring a compilation of his comical interview clips. Then during the studio show, nearly every time something of the past was brought up about O'Neal or involving him and Barkley, TNT had a photo or video clip to illustrate the point.

4) I can predict a team's offense with my eyes closed. It's constantly pick-and-roll, pick-and-roll. I realize it's a very effective play, but I would like to see point guards beat their defenders off the dribble more. Why? Because they easily can. They don't need the pick-and-roll all the time. The speed and strength of the NBA game has increased and nearly every position player can shoot now. That's probably why I enjoyed watching Baron Davis (pictured above) so much during these playoffs. His offensive repertoire is very diverse and instinctive, which confused the Mavericks. His dribble penetration allowed him to either look for his own shot or kick out to a teammate for an open look. Davis is one of the few guys in the league who "dances" with the ball effectively, and each of his moves makes you let out an, "Ooh!" The dunk he had over Andrei Kirilenko of the Utah Jazz in the conference semifinals was without a doubt the poster of the year. And the best part is that no one saw it coming, which is how B-Diddy competes. If only he were healthy consistently (and on TV more often). On the flip side, Steve Nash relies heavily on the pick-and-roll. If you watch him closely, he'll run the play with Amare Stoudemire and if Nash doesn't like what he sees, he'll pull the ball back out and execute it with Stoudemire all over again. It's sometimes boring to watch. Don't get me wrong, I think Nash is a superb shooter and a spot-on passer, but I don't think the MVP should be given to someone who relies on other players too much. And you wonder why John Stockton never won the award.

5) I wish T-Mobile created several more commercials featuring Dwyane Wade and Charles Barkley. I don't get why there’s only two spots - I mean, the playoffs are nearly two months long. Perhaps T-Mobile was planning to shoot another one if Wade and the Miami Heat advanced to the second round. But I love how the ads represent the true-to-life playful banter among friends who like to rib each other when competing in sports. What’s funny is that on Inside The NBA, Barkley always remarks, "Dwyane, keep the checks coming!" Speaking of NBA advertisers, I'm getting really annoyed at all the sponsored on-air content presented on TNT's broadcasts. Here are just a few examples: Toyota's "Looking Ahead," Jeep's "Halftime Report," T-Mobile's "Fave 5" and Gatorade's "Cooler Talk." It seems like every television graphic is sponsored by someone. I'm amazed how the play-by-play commentators can remember which advertiser is associated with what. That's extra training that can be so unnecessary at times. Which gets me thinking, Boy do I miss the NBA on NBC. If you're feeling retrospective like me right now, YouTube "NBA on NBC." Like

Jordan

, it’s artistry in motion.

6) The Spurs and Pistons will face each other in the Finals because they both demonstrate what the other teams don't have: toughness. I don't understand why NBA General Managers build their rosters more on talent. I believe the days of simply buying All-Stars are over. Take the 2004 Lakers and the present-day Suns, for example. They could score 120 points on any given day, but when it came down to the most important point in the season - the playoffs - they lost to the Pistons and Spurs, respectively. Star players worry too much about their image and being "nice" and "silky smooth" (referred to those who have flashy moves). For a regular season, they can get away with that pretentious attitude. But not during the playoffs. Dirk Nowitzki was held to just eight points in Game 6 of the Warriors first-round upset over the Mavericks. Nowitzki was simply rattled by a grittier toughness, and he failed to overcome the odds because he relied too much on his athleticism and natural talent instead of guts and wits. To me, talent underrides toughness. Why that doesn't hold true today is because we live in a sports culture where marketing precedes game play. Tim Duncan, the best power forward in the game, is hardly advertised. Tony Parker, an All-Star, has become more famous for being Eva Longoria's fiancé than a basketball player. As far as the Pistons go, the whole starting five should be featured in a commercial, but only Chauncey Billups is a major endorser. So, if I'm a GM looking ahead to the June NBA draft, I'm eyeing players like Al Horford and Corey Brewer. They are under-your-skin defensive players and can consistently knock down the perimeter jumpshot. That's why Bruce Bowen of the Spurs is so effective. He'll get in your head on defense and then knock down a big shot on the other end. My prediction is the Spurs in seven games because they will have home-court advantage and the Pistons are known for taking some games off (as we saw in the Bulls series).

So, with tired eyes and heavy fingers, I can only say that the past 20 sleepless nights has prepared me for future jet lag as I venture overseas to Prague for two weeks. Czech out my next column!

2007-04-26T23:45:00.000-04:00

SPORTS BUSINESS'S FAB FIVE

1) George Bodenheimer
When a certain company says in an advertisement that they’re “the best” or “the most trusted” in their industry, for even the uninterested consumer it instinctively never strikes a credible cord. You simply shrug it off and think, Eh, just marketing jargon, I’ve heard that one before. But ESPN, the “worldwide leader in sports” as the network calls itself, is just that. Since Bodenheimer (pictured) has been at the helm, here are the different ESPN extensions that have launched (in no specific order): ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN News, ESPN Deportes, ESPN International, ESPN Original Entertainment, ESPN Mobile, ESPN 360, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. I know I’m forgetting one, probably a few. Bodenheimer branded ESPN like Howard Schultz did with Starbucks. In the same way you can’t pass on a cup of coffee without thinking Starbucks, you can’t consider a sport a sport unless it’s been broadcast on ESPN. What do you think made dorm room poker such a cultural phenomenon?

2) Tiger Woods
Woods is literally in a category all by himself. Yeah, he may lose a tournament here and there. Yeah, he’s sort of a private guy off the course. But, he’s a gentleman golfer and a loyal endorser; get this: he backs up his Buick sponsorship by actually driving the car make to some of his match play rounds. Woods has single-handedly engaged a cross-cultural interest in the PGA Tour and has brought hipness and athleticism to a rather stuffy, white-collar, buttoned-up sport. In the next several years, Woods will become the first sports billionaire (boosted by Nike’s big pitch), unprecedented for an individual player; that fact alone makes him an automatic top five most influential person in the sports business industry.

3) David Stern
Everyone wants to talk to Mr. Stern these days. And Stern is no antagonist. It seems like he’s always doing a live online chat or featured in an interview with a major publication. It’s not that the commissioner is simply a nice, soft-spoken, down-to-earth guy; he’s in a bit of a predicament more than ever to play up the NBA, a league which has been tainted by a “thug” image. For that reason, in addition to Stern’s disregard for player feedback about the composite basketball he introduced at the start of the 2006-07 season, Tiger Woods gets the edge at the No. 2 spot. But there’s no reason to dwell on that slight scar. Stern is a one-man marketing machine. His business sense is ahead of the curve, he innovatively runs the NBA as an entertainment property and he’s begun to master player development (from the dress code to the NBDL), contrary to popular belief. He also knows a thing or two about international expansion, having really been the first commissioner of any major professional sport to envision that opportunity. Since the ripple effect of the '92 Dream Team, there are now around 100 international NBA players; in fact, several teams’ rosters are nearly half represented by foreigners. Stern’s next steps are to grow China and India as strategic basketball markets, which further punctuates that the NBA more than any other league is taking the most advantage of today’s shrinking world. Good luck or bad luck, Stern would tell you that it’s not about luck, but a love for the game.

4) Chad Hurley/Steve Chen
Simply put, there’s not a website out there that doesn’t link back to YouTube in some way. In the sports world, YouTube has become the user-generated ESPN Classic, to the point that actual licensed video content has been alienated. Now, the leagues are finally expressing their discontent with YouTube’s copyright infringements. But without suing, some of them, such as the NBA and NHL, are signing monumental partnership deals with YouTube because they realize that in order to reach their targeted sports consumer, they have to go where they are. That medium is YouTube, which has revolutionized advertising 2.0. Amazingly, Hurley and Chen, the website’s founders, have just sat back and watched users dictate their future business endeavors.

5) Dwyane Wade/LeBron James
When it comes to everyday, mainstream sports, where our attention is mainly, Wade and James are the two most influential athletes. Tiger Woods is a more iconic name because of his global stature, but he’s not on the radar (or the television) screen as regularly as Wade and James. It would be a disservice to discuss either of the NBA superstars separately. Considering the NBA’s supremacy and the league’s individualistic nature, Wade and James have emerged as the go-to guys in any sport for multi-platformed endorsement deals. As the new era Jordan/Bird rivalry, the pair has catapulted player marketing to distances Jordan and his peers never reached. When doing a McDonald’s commercial was seen as “out of the box” in the 1990s, Wade and James have creatively crossed over their appeal into industries that would seem unfathomable for an athlete. But Wade and James have done just that by designing a cell phone and endorsing a computer product, respectively, among many other breakthrough initiatives, which have set the tempo for other top-tier player marketing agreements.

Who’s your top five? Chime in with your choices.

2007-04-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

WHAT'S NEXT?

I am struggling to write exactly what I want to say. I have a mixed bag of words under my fingertips, and I'm unable to choose the right ones to start this column. But I'll give it my best shot and type something anyway, hoping I will soon get a better grip on what's to come. That's what the business of sports does to me every single day.

It's a relationship I want to be involved in for the rest of my life, but it's been confusing my life lately. Every time I engage myself in various forms of media, I'm overwhelmed with the plethora of news items discussing "formation" and "expansion" of sports business properties. Not only are the athletes getting quicker, but off-the-court transactions are also gaining faster ground. Before, you could get away with saying "sports is my passion" in a job interview just being knowledgeable about the four major pro leagues; now to back up that statement, you have to be able to answer questions about NASCAR, the Arena Football League and... Major League Eating? That's right. That's a real league. (More on this later.) These emerging trends have complicated my sports intake, leading me to constantly question, What's next?

The thing is, there was probably always this much going on in the world of sports - we were just consuming current events on a smaller scale. Now, there are a lot more opportunities for content delivery and, therefore, bucks to be made off every little thing. As the pop-ups keep popping, I'm getting pickier at reading feature news articles, and I'm jumping past side stories that I don't have enough time to read in full. There's just so much time in a day, which gets me thinking, Should they create jobs for full-time readers for people, like myself, who have trouble staying in the know of their own profession? My leisure reading has become rushed catch-up skimming, and on more days than average, glancing at headlines help me just to get through the day. It's like I feel starved for sports consumption.

There is no saturation point anymore. If you visited Sports Business Daily's website today, you probably read about a new sports web 2.0 venture, a partnership being formed and a sponsorship deal that was just finalized. Tomorrow, it's deja vu like the movie Groundhog Day. I'm not denying that I don't accept this; heck, some of these developments partly motivated me to start a blog. But did you ever think that an energy drink could create a new sport, like Red Bull did with "Crashed Ice"? The business of sports has got me twisted like a wire fence and I'm strangling over my own premonitions. Let me fill you in on some of the recent clutter and help you make sense of it all. Here are my thoughts and observations on sports 3.0:

1) Let's start with "Crashed Ice" because you're probably already on the verge of Googling it. Here's what it is: Combining hockey, boardercross and downhill skiing, racers compete on a 500-meter ice track that winds through an urban environment, featuring a series of a hairpin turns and 45-degree vertical drops. It's not so much what it is, but rather the eye-catching name behind its creation. We all know that companies are trying to market younger; their commercials feature songs created exclusively for them, products represented as people, fast-paced editing techniques and... sports themes. Companies are sensing more than ever that they can best leverage their brand messages through sports, so, hey, why not create a sport? Red Bull entered the marketplace as cutting edge and then went ahead and bought their own MLS team, the New York Red Bulls. Now, "Crashed Ice." My hunch says that they'll be the first company to start a sports league in space. Then, they'll have to create the Red Bull Rocket to get everyone up there.

2) Speaking of space, do you think that once "the world is flat" according to Thomas Friedman - once leagues conquer international expansion and are successful getting kids in Botswana to wear their licensed jerseys - that space will be the next market? It's not far off from an inconvenient truth, especially if global warming continues faster than Andy Roddick's serve, that space may very well be our next civilization, and naming rights for the first "astro-turf" field will already be secured.

3) So, let's talk about Major League Eating. I don't need to get into much detail here, but basically it used to be called the International Federation of Competitive Eating. That's right, competitive eating. The organization just changed its name to Major League Eating and hosts contests nationwide. Here's one "eater" bio for you: Sonya Thomas, who's 39 years old and weighs 109 pounds, once ate 65 hard-boiled eggs in 6 minutes and 40 seconds, and 44 Maine lobsters from the shell in 12 minutes. Think you can outdo that? Simply go to majorleagueeating.com and enter your name, address, phone number and your eating specialty, and you've officially submitted your name for a chance to join the league. Hey, in this user-generated world, anything is possible, including becoming your own professional athlete. The point I really wanted to make here is that the MLE reflects a trend in which emerging sports and leagues are finding ways to attract niche audiences. For example, footvolley (combining the skills of soccer and the playing field of beach volleyball) and night tennis (tennis played in fluorescent lights amidst a nightclub atmosphere) were created overseas and arrived in the U.S. to rave reviews for their innovation. Now, they both have cult followings. Same with up-and-coming leagues, such as the Arena Football League and the National Lacrosse League. Why are they gaining fans? Well, that's easy. Because they actually appeal to "fans" and not the buttoned-up executives who flood most arenas these days. In fact, with the AFL, after each game the players are required to sign autographs for 45 minutes. Some fans are becoming turned off with the corporate landscape of major pro sports, including the pretentious attitudes and off-the-field behavior of million-dollar athletes. Also, some fans simply don't have the luxury of an NBA or NFL team nearby where they live. On the flip side, year-to-year financial growth for all of these "underground" sports and leagues will be challenging. Because people are working longer hours during the week, less connected to live events but more connected through technology, traveling more when leisure time presents itself, it's harder to make time for anything new. At the end of the week, when all is said and done, what sports are the peak performers? College football and the NFL. Once a week, on the weekend, no work obligations, tailgating, tradition, pizza and beer - what more can a sports fan ask for? I think the niche sports and leagues have a better chance of succeeding by leveraging themselves with more prominent sports properties (for instance, footvolley tying into the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour).

4) User-generated content. It's everywhere now. Recently, Sports Illustrated just acquired FanNation.com, an online community for sports fans to read sports news, track their favorite teams and players, and write blogs. ESPN has been hiring popular sports bloggers (most recently, NBA writer Henry Abbott who founded the award-winning True Hoop). Even the athletes themselves are involved in creating social networking websites (for example, SwimRoom, created by pro swimmers, such as Michael Phelps, for other swimmers) and their own MySpace pages to extend their marketing appeal in the web 2.0 world (for example, Carmelo Anthony). There are a lot of other websites I don't even know about it, and there's more to come. So if you have a solid pitch for a bull-riding site, get going on it before ESPN, which has been broadcasting the sport more lately, does something about it. The next frontier will be user-generated advertising. You will be the idea, the voice and the production behind a brand message. We've recently seen a pinch of this during the Super Bowl with the NFL's "Pitch Us Your Idea for the Best NFL Super Bowl Commercial Ever" and Chevrolet's "Chevy College Super Bowl Ad Challenge." It's not a coincidence companies are hiring younger and younger these days.

5) Here's something that I just don't get: Athletes, such as Gilbert Arenas and Richard Jefferson, who have recently starting using hypoxic devices, which are chambers (they look like tents) that simulate oxygen deprivation. They increase the production of oxygen-carrying red blood cells that is thought to improve endurance. I know this is a rare phenomenon right now, but it just goes to show where the future of training is heading and the far reaches some athletes will go to gain a competitive edge. I was speaking with a friend the other day who said that he ran into Joakim Noah, who just won a national championship with the Florida Gators, at a New York City restaurant with several "beautiful" girls and told him, "You must be the luckiest guy right now!" Noah responded by saying, "I wake up every day and realize how blessed I am." I thought about what he said for a second and then told him, "Next time you go out, you should put on stilts and see if you get those same beautiful girls Noah did." I mentioned to him that in the same way Hollywood wannabes get plastic surgery to make big bucks off their looks, it would be interesting to see how many aspiring athletes cosmetically change their bodies, such as getting leg transplants to become taller. He replied that there is an operation in which the doctor can break your leg and then add more bone to the cracked area. Could this kind of mentality become more prevalent? As we saw with Major League Baseball's steroid plague, several anonymous players came forward and said that they injected the illegal drug just to compete on the same level as teammates who were using it and playing well. It's like how in high school, kids will do whatever it takes to be part of the "cool" club. Unfortunately, this kind of obsession can lead to devastating physical and emotional results. In the end, Hercules-looking athletes is not what matters; it's about the purity of competition because sports across the board have lost fans due to cheating incidents and tainted images depicted in the media.

6) There was an article recently in the Los Angeles Times that discussed how prominent pro athletes, such as Reggie Bush and Peyton Manning, are as of late aligning their representation with Creative Artists Agency, the dominant agency in show business that includes clients such as Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. The reason: Crossover marketing appeal. Agents understand that to best leverage the image of their players is to extend their brand outside of sports into other industries and entertainment platforms. These days, Dwyane Wade still remains the leader of the pack, although LeBron James is creeping up with his new endorsement deal with Microsoft. Off the court, Wade has modeled for Sean John, endorsed Lincoln Navigator, launched his own T-Mobile Sidekick, appeared on the David Letterman show and MTV's Total Request Live and was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 2005. That's PR at its finest. So, what's next? Expect to see more athletes hosting or appearing in reality shows, like "Dancing with the Stars," and dating A-list celebrities, a la San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker's relationship with desperate housewife Eva Longoria. Even big men should work on their crossover.

7) Have you seen the new Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 video game commercial? If you haven't, here's what happens: The opening shot shows the inside of a huge living room with a crowd of onlookers. Then, Woods walks in and heads over to a table where he picks up a Nintendo Wii numchuck. He sets his feet in front of a TV and swings away as the gallery cheers and applauds while watching the ball soar through the air on the screen and land near the cup. This promotion of the new interactive Wii system might represent what's to come. In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, an EA Sports programmer said that he envisions a future in which people will watch other people play videos online as a form of entertainment. To take that step a further, could you imagine a video game channel on your cable provider where you could watch gaming tournaments, like in the movie The Wizard. To be honest with you, the evolution of video games has caused TV ratings for live sporting events to dip somewhat. Kids, especially, are consuming video games like they're candy. When you think about, why would you just sit there and watch a game, wondering what it would be like to actually be in it, when you could create yourself down to your eye wrinkles, be able to call your favorite team's plays and then throw bombs to Chad Johnson? Sounds like a dream job to me.

8) Last weekend, I went to the New York International Auto Show. If you had to guess which exhibit excited me the most, either for Maybach, Lamborghini or Jeep, which would you choose? Probably not Jeep, right? Well, it was. The car company featured "Camp Jeep," the brand's annual three-day mix of off-road driving and other family-friendly outdoor activities. After about an hour-long wait, visitors could actually drive brand-new Jeep vehicles through an obstacle course, featuring a steep hill and a diagonal slope. So, how does this all translate to sports? I'll tell you. When you arrive at a sporting event, you pretty much just wait in line, present your ticket and then head to your seat - perhaps picking up a beer and hot dog along the way. What if, before you did any of those things, you could enjoy a variety of interactive activities outside the arena or stadium? Obviously, auto show attendees don't really have to watch the clock; sports fans have to or they'll miss crucial segments of the game. So that's why you kick off the game-day attraction much earlier with a mini-festival. Let's face it: Besides the cheerleaders doing the tootsie roll, in-game entertainment is kind of boring. I'm always surprised to see so many people standing and screaming for a T-shirt. It's just a T-shirt, and you paid how much for your seat! They should be throwing you Treos.

9) Through the rumblings I've been reading, Nike is looking to take SPARQ Training, a new system for measuring overall athleticism by testing speed, power, agility, reaction and quickness, and revolutionize it on the high school level. Nike wants SPARQ to be the SAT for athletics, enabling colleges to recruit athletes more selectively by checking their SPARQ Rating. There's been a lot of talk in youth sports that kids are over-training and over-committed to sports. To counter that, there are programs to confront kids' obesity problems. Where's the middle ground? I have no idea, and I'm not sure parents will agree with SPARQ's purpose. Kids are already so focused on prepping for standardized tests and pressured on getting into a competitive college for academics. I think SPARQ is an extra weight for kids to carry; I say let their passion and sportsmanship speak for themselves.

10) I'll keep this one simple. Google is taking over the world.

More thoughts to come in a second part of this series...

2007-02-20T21:00:00.000-05:00

TO BE GAY IN SPORTS IS STILL THE HARD-WAY

When Tim Hardaway (pictured) adamantly stated on a sports talk show last week that he hated gay people and wouldn't want to be in a locker room with one, I was more surprised that he shared his strong feelings publicly than what he actually admitted.

Don't get me wrong, Hardaway should never have used the word "hate" to describe an oppressed group of people, especially in regards to his own background. But in the context of what a modern-day athlete stands for, Hardaway's resentment toward a gay teammate is not that exaggerated. Many players just don't have the impulse to admit such a thing because they want to maintain their manly mojo in a machismo sports culture.

The mega-jackpot sports entertainment business has never been more "hip-hop"; underlying codes instigate participants to bring their street demeanor and toughness to the playing field in order to compete successfully. And if they don't wear a cocky game face or can't take a hard foul like a man - like a true champion - they're subject to be called "gay," "soft" or a "pussy."

Did you happen to catch the NBA All-Star player introductions on Sunday? If you did, do you remember how many of them smiled when their name was introduced? Well, only about three. Most of them tilted their head up a tad and slightly smirked, basically saying, "I'm the shit and I'm a straight shooter." Players don't want their peers and fans to get the wrong idea about them, which, in their world, would be to exhibit "soft" behavior. This status quo starts on the streets and is topped off by team owners, like Mark Cuban and the Maloof brothers, who further perpetuate players' heterosexual desires and high-rolling lifestyles.

Some states are finally coming to terms with same-sex marriages, but sports still struggle mightily for gay pride and acceptance. After Hardaway's comments came out of the closet, you could just imagine the curiosity of team members around the country wondering if anyone was really gay in their own locker room. Hopefully, coaches organized open discussions with their players in an attempt to break preconditioned homosexual beliefs and attitudes.

We're still at the stage, though, that if you are a gay athlete, it's preferred that you're a 20-point scorer or an All-Star to be accepted. This past weekend, basketball greats Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley engaged in playful kissing acts, but their reputation remained safe afterward. As witnessed, the gamble for gay rights in sports is very much open for a harder push.

2007-02-17T15:00:00.000-05:00

A SOBE SIP OF THE SUPER BOWL BASH

When worldwide superstar Will Smith created a song just for Miami in 1997, you knew the city was soon going to attract "big willie" heat - and not just at South Beach's hot-hangspot, Wet Willie's.

Since then, Miami has become a middle ground for entertainment's hottest events - from the MTV Video Music Awards to the International Winter Music Conference to countless fashion shows and a whole lot more. Mention a star's name, and he or she most likely has an oceanfront home in Miami (case in point: TomKat is currently looking into a $15 to $20-million pad on Star Island). The city's real estate - from Coconut Grove to South Beach - has seen such a boom in recent years that even Shaquille O'Neal pivoted into recently founding his own investment group, which is funding several downtown condominium projects near the Miami Heat arena.

Everyone wants in on "Vegas by the Ocean" - even the NFL. For the league, it was probably an easy decision to name Miami host of Super Bowl XLI and XLIV. Popular market? Check... a top tourist destination. Good time of year for nice weather? Check... not the season for tropical thunderstorms and no threat of snow. Nearby golf courses for corporate clients? Check... at least a dozen in a 10-square-mile area around South Beach.

After last year's snowstorm in Detroit blanketed much of the partying leading up to the big indoor game, you could just sense the excitement of this year's thrill seekers to be able to wear Tommy Bahama shirts and lounge by hotel infinity pools.

I decided to blitz in on the action for my first sip of the Super Bowl bash. Here's how the drinks went down the night before nearly half the nation would click to CBS.

7:45 p.m. - Anticipating the major traffic jam ahead (city officials were said to be closing the MacArthur Causeway at 10 p.m.), I had a ride drop me off on South Beach. No less than a minute walking down 7th Street and Washington Avenue, I heard one girl blurt out to her friend walking behind me, "Everyone should have a threesome before they get married." Well, this was Super Bowl weekend - yet the worst one to be a hotel maid.

7:55 p.m. - I met up with my friend on 7th and Collins Avenue, a busy intersection that featured groupie-looking girls on every corner talking to blinged-out guys who all had their phones flipped open ready to take down digits. Neighboring hotels kept their front doors open like it was a red-light district. Passing cars and trucks had heads sticking out the windows screaming naughties to opposing fans. There were promotion flyers scattered all over the streets. Everyone walking around was staring down each other thinking, Who are you and how can I get to know you, or not? This was a once-in-a-year scene. As we headed toward Ocean Drive, I noticed what looked liked white grave stones in the grass near the strip's sidewalk. As we got closer, I saw a sign that said "Send The Troops Home" and realized that they were in fact prop graves stratified in rows like in a cemetery, representing soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq. A startling dichotomy from the frenetic streets to the somber sidewalk.

8:15 p.m. - Ocean Drive resembled Barcelona's Las Ramblas. No vehicles. All pedestrians. Mimes. Religious fanatics, like the group of people I saw preaching and holding a sign that read, "Homo sex is sin." (Note to former Heat star Tim Hardaway: South Beach is about 30 percent gay, buddy.) In addition, most of the restaurants extended their seating onto the street. Latin lounge, Mango's, attracted the most attention, or should I say their female employees who were wearing skin-tight, see-through leopard suits and salsa dancing outside the entrance. I looked around at all the tippy-toed onlookers trying to snap a picture and thought, No, fans, you're not in Chicago or Indianapolis anymore. Here, the person who was approaching you was more beautiful than the person who just passed you, and so on and so on.

8:30 p.m. - Several streets down we entered Motorola Mile, a walk through of South Florida Super Bowl history that included kiosks to buy memorabilia, an interactive football field and broadcast sets for ESPN, The NFL Network and the Best Damn Sports Show Period. None of the shows were on-air live, so we kept walking down the strip trying to spot out a celebrity or two, which was difficult because everyone was sandwiched in their own little entourage.

8:45 p.m. - After we turned around at 20th Street and headed back toward 5th Street where our party was located (more on this later), a group of about 10 girls stopped us in our tracks. They all had what looked like long thimbles on their middle fingers and they barked, "Are you finger up or are you finger down?" Immediately after, a few of them opened our sports jackets to look for something. After they checked (we didn't even have time to think for what), they said, "You guys are finger up!" Within a matter of 15 seconds, they were already past us. My friend and I looked at each other like, What the...? We presumed that they were basically telling us to f**k off because our fashion labels didn't play the part of their lofty goals for the night - whatever that was.

9:05 p.m. - We arrived at The Fifth nightclub for the evening's main event, Sports Illustrated's Club SI Super Bowl party. As we approached the check-in area, SI Swimsuit models Brooklyn Decker and Marisa Miller were driving up the red carpet in - how fittingly - a red 2007 Cadillac XLR Roadster (Cadillac was the presenting sponsor.) After we received our credentials, we hung around the entrance for about 20 minutes to take in the scene, but it was still early and there wasn't much excitement - even the media looked bored, desperate for a diva appearance. (Eventually, David Ortiz, Paul Rudd, Mickey Rourke, Leanna Tweeden, Miri Ben-Iri, Kenny Chesney and Archie Manning would all show up.)

9:30 p.m. - The club was glowing like a concert, and in fact there was a "performance" going on. The Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders were synchronize dancing to the club's tunes, spun by DJ Nice who was set up in a booth on the second level that was designed like the front of a white Cadillac. When we made our way to the bar, where CBS anchor Hannah Storm and MTV VJ Damien Fahey were making separate drink orders, we were bombarded by several hors d'oeuvre plates that looked like edible artwork. There was lamb, sushi, crab cakes, spring rolls, Kobe beef burgers and other decorated surf 'n' turf delights.

10:30 p.m. - Sports Illustrated Managing Editor Terry McDonell appeared on stage to call up his friend Jimmy Buffett who was joined by models Decker and Miller. Buffett introduced his new music video, "Getting The Picture," exclusively produced for the SI Swimsuit release (on newsstands now). The video features Buffett as the photographer shooting Decker and Miller in St. Barths. Right from the start, the "picture" Buffett is painting is dull; his first three lyrics are "Beach... sand... and water." For a man who's lived "Margaritaville" and "Cheeseburger In Paradise," there surely isn't enough mustard on the song.

11:45 p.m. - DJ Nice screamed over the speakers, "Welcome to the stage, Wyclef Jean!" The spotlight flashed to the railing by the DJ area where Wyclef (pictured) and a few of his dancers were walking down the stairs. This was the first time I saw Wyclef without his trademark dreadlocks. For the next 30 minutes or so, he was definitely "getting the picture" and we were all feeling his vibe, charisma, humor, eclectic song selection and guitar playing, especially when he did a rendition of Jimi Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner" from the 1969 Woodstock music festival. I'm usually not a concert connoisseur, but I felt like I was magnetized to the stage, inching closer and closer with every beat while jumping up and down and waving my arms left and right. The last number engaged even more primitive insanity, like the stunningly hip and rhythmic dance scene from The Matrix Reloaded.

12:30 a.m. - Wyclef finished without an encore, but the stage - featuring Miami Dolphins cheerleaders dressed in scantily-clad, referee-looking gear - was free for any takers. My friend and I stepped on board and danced like two college freshmen out for their first night on campus until the party ended at 2 a.m.

Nearly two weeks later, I'm still shaking my head over the meaning of "finger up, finger down." But what I do know is this: The city expected to filter in around $350 million for hosting the Super Bowl and the NFL Experience (an interactive football event), in addition to concerts, art shows and a beach volleyball tournament. In the end, the financial gains totaled more than $500 million, and there were no major criminal incidents during the weekend. I give that two huge fingers up!

2007-01-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

MLS: MAJOR LONG SHOT (EVEN WITH BECKS)

Right now, there's major buzz and butterflies over David Beckham (pictured), painting a beautiful picture for Major League Soccer. But... for right now. The question everyone ponders is: Will MLS eventually smear into blurriness again or will Beckham change the economics of the sport, where MLS clubs are doubling their revenue?

On the outside, "Becks" is an impressive portrait to gleam about (same with his wife, Victoria, by the way). Thanks to his good looks, charm and soccer "bending" skills, sponsors such as a Pepsi, Gillette, Motorola and adidas have swarmed for his on-camera services. He even made his walk-on mark on the big screen in the 2002 hit movie, "Bend It Like Beckham." Since 1999, when he finished second in the FIFA World Player of Year voting (also in 2001), Beckham has been the most famous and recognizable international athlete not playing or living in the United States.

Until now.

The King Kong of soccer is finally here, but he's not the same player he once was - that's why England kicked him off its national team. The question if whether or not Beckham, who's old in soccer standards at 31, can elevate the value and skill level of the entire league should be secondary; more importantly, can he spice things up for his own team, the Los Angeles Galaxy (and not just by having Posh Spice in attendance)?

For MLS' sake, let's not be too critical about Beckham arriving in America. Business wise, the return on his investment will be significant; once the season starts in April, the Galaxy will be a sold-out traveling circus - Posh Spice included - that will resemble Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls teams (in fact, Beckham will be wearing No. 23). What concerns me more is how professional soccer is played and marketed here in this country. Why is it that more than 90 percent of kids between the ages of 6 and 12 play soccer, but when they get older they transition to basketball, baseball and football? The reason is that kids are introduced to soccer by default, usually before any other sport, because it's extremely easy to play. As they get older, their attention strays from soccer because their connection to role models heavily favors basketball, baseball and football players who are marketed across all media platforms. Soccer hardly gets any real exposure until the World Cup rolls around every four years. What the MLS needs is a major tune-up - a peppier engine for a league falling behind in the pack and not favored to win.

If I were MLS commissioner for a day, I would make the sport resemble NBA basketball more by increasing the pace and scoring of the game while marketing the moves and styles of the players. For on-the-field play, I would shorten the field, break up the time from halves into four quarters and implement unlimited substitutions. I would also increase the distance of the penalty shot to make it more challenging for the kicker (The way it's set up now, it's basically a chip shot for the shooter, total guesswork for the goalie and, therefore, boring for the viewer.)

But what's really going to drive American fans into MLS seats is their interest in seeing homegrown talent represented on the field and brand name players who possess flair and wizardry with the ball. Right now, the United States national team is No. 31 in the FIFA world rankings. That needs to change. The MLS needs to strengthen its grasp on American soccer by pumping more resources into its grassroots programs for youngsters. The talent has to get better first and foremost, and if it takes luring renowned international coaches with big money to head some of these camps, then so be it. American fans simply need to start a following for up-and-coming talent and eventually revere them as one-name soccer stars like Brazil's Ronaldinho and Portugal's Figo.

A soccer "street" culture should also be developed, similar to what Nike basketball created several years ago through a series of "freestyle" commercials, in which NBA and streetball players demonstrated their fancy dribbling. With the MLS, the league should focus their marketing on what anyone, from inner cities to middle-class suburbia, would drool over on YouTube - trickery and innovation of a backyard sport - via an integrated program (print, online and television advertising) as well as event planning in top markets.

Now that you've got Becks, really soc it to 'em, Major League Soccer. Bend your backbone just a little, eh mate?

2007-01-15T23:45:00.000-05:00

RUNNING WITH THE BROADCAST BULLS

On football Sundays, most of us have the luxury of sleeping in and waking up just in time for our favorite 1 p.m. kickoffs. Our laziness stitches us to our couches, and we only get up to make a beer run or to answer the door for the pizza delivery guy. Not even champagne and caviar could compete with days like these.

But when we're just flipping on our TVs, a small number of deadline-driven and technically-trained broadcast bulls have already been preparing for our Sunday blessing, speaking an abbreviated language that none of us could understand. I know because I was in NASA's version of a sports control room last month at the Meadowlands for the Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets game.

Here's how my day went working as a "runner" for CBS Sports.

9 a.m. - Because it was a late game starting at 4:15 p.m., the "call time" to be at Giants Stadium was 11 a.m. (CBS' early games start at 1 p.m.) So I woke up at 9 to give myself enough time to board a New Jersey Transit bus to East Rutherford, N.J.

10:40 a.m. - I arrived to the outside tarmac of Giants Stadium - and I found myself leaning to my right side to avoid the wind, but it was parked right there like the few tailgaters' cars dispersed around the area. So frigid on the face, but yet so right for football. The production manager who had set me up to work today told me to call the main production truck and speak with the broadcast assistants (BA's) to whom I would be reporting. I got in touch with one of them and he told me to head to the west end zone where the CBS Sports' trucks were stationed.

11:00 a.m. - With a little help, I finally discovered where I had to go. There were three trucks: one for the production executives; another for production assistants, graphics and audio; and a third for... food! Nothing too fancy there, just stuff to quickly grab with a napkin and consume in a couple bites, such as bagels and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. As I would come to realize later, this was not a show and dance; this was a show and get-it-done-on-cue-with-no-questions-asked environment.

11:05 a.m. - I entered my designated truck, but only one person seemed to notice. But I realized that my colleagues for the day were already hard at work, and I didn't want to disturb them. At the same time, it's always difficult to enter an unfamiliar situation and steer attention your way, especially at work because there is always office politics involved, and I was lowest on the totem pole. Because I was ignored, it was almost like they were indirectly saying, "We know you're behind us. Do whatever is asked of you - just don't step on our toes." [More on this later]. So I just made sure I wasn't too much in the way of people maneuvering around me, so I leaned against the back wall and observed the operations. Mostly, I was peering over the shoulders of one of the BA's and the graphics assistant (GA) who were working together. The BA was providing the GA with player information to input into an Apple computer, which would be presented later during the game broadcast. Also in the truck was another BA, two statisticians, two audio technicians and two other runners. While myself and the other runners were standing around awaiting assignments, the audio guys were moving around inside and outside the truck gathering wires and fine tuning their equipment. Everything seemed intense and overwhelming, but everyone remained loose and seemed to be accustomed to each other. There was an air of inner confidence between all of them; they all knew their respective roles and personalities, which created a culture of quick jabber and witty jokes. This was multitasking at its best.

12:15 p.m. - I headed out to the field with a BA and a runner to help put up several CBS Sports' banners around the stadium wall. When I stepped out from under the concourse, I noticed that near the 50-yard line, boys and girls from the NFL's Punt, Pass and Kick program were practicing. Some of the grounds crew were driving around golf carts transporting equipment to and from the concourse. Team officials were starting to lay out gear bags and set up Gatorade coolers by the team bench. It felt like one of those Sunday afternoons when you were a kid at the local recreation park and your parents were setting up their lounge chairs and food stations by the field before your game. Hard to believe that in only a matter of hours, the still and soothing scene would become a trash-talking animal house. We entered the first row and walked to the spot where we needed to place the first banner. There were four of them and they all had to face the sideline television camera. As we were tying them to the railings, a gust of wind knocked down a Pepsi sign on the field, one of several sponsors visible on the field. The BA remarked, "They have to be up right. You gotta make the sponsors happy."

1 p.m. - When I returned to the truck, the BA asked me to drop off two tickets for a CBS Sports client at "will call." When I got there, a representative said that they were not accepting any tickets left for anyone, even if it was CBS Sports-related. He then gave me directions to the Jets' ticket office, tucked deep within the concourse. On my way there, I was stopped about five times by security personnel in yellow shirts. You would think I was going to be stepping into Woody Johnson's private office, but I was headed to a tiny, temporary-looking, white-walled corner pocket of a side hallway. It looked like the room Keanu Reeves' was being questioned in by Agent Smith in The Matrix. I introduced myself to the couple of young fellas in suits typing away, stated my purpose, dropped off the tickets and dipped out of that two-dimensional cell block as quickly as possible. On to my next adventure - whatever that was.

1:30 p.m. - When I got back to the truck, one of the BA's said I could grab some lunch in the stadium clubhouse. When I got there, the place was starting to clear up, but I could see in the far corner that a classy buffet was still steaming. I ordered a prime rib sandwich with some side vegetables, then made my way to an open seat unaware that I had to pay for the meal, which was a hefty $13. (I thought the food was complimentary for the media.) As I headed back to the truck, the Buffalo Bills' team buses were pulling up to the stadium. Several minutes later, one by one the players started stepping off the bus and walking toward the concourse.

2:15 p.m. - For the next half hour or so, people in the broadcast booth were checking stats online of other NFL games going on, reading and sending e-mails to colleagues and gossiping amongst themselves. I noticed that humor was a significant part of the employees' personalities, using it frequently to lighten the pressure mounted in live national television. Finally, one of the BA's gave me my main responsibility for the game: He told me I would be reporting to an assistant director in another truck and helping him with various tasks.

2:45 p.m. - I met the assistant director who I learned was in charge of pre- and in-game production, which included nuggets and bumpers. (A nugget is a video package of various plays focusing on a team that airs during the game; a bumper is the same thing but it's layered with a song and appears in and out of commercial breaks.) While he and his assistant were cutting a pre-game package and reviewing bumper songs (featuring Green Day and Nate Dogg), the director was overheard on the intercom monitoring the production situation and prepping for gametime. For one of the bumpers, the assistant director noticed that at the end of the song, Nate Dogg rapped the words "shake your butt," so he went ahead and edited it out. That got me thinking about the FCC's increased censorship after the Janet Jackson "costume reveal" several years ago during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show.

3:30 p.m. - The assistant director turned to me and said, "How much do you know about football?" He told me that he wanted me to log and time code any Jets pre-snap movement (shifting that goes on before the quarterback snaps the ball). I moved to the lower row of seats and sat between two men who helped coordinate instant replays, nuggets and bumpers. In front of me there were a bunch of small TV screens labeled VTW, VTX, PGM (actual program broadcast), DVD, VHS, Elvis (for nuggets and bumpers), Net, Score, Red and C1 through C8 (different game cameras).

4:02 p.m. - The director announced, "10 minutes to air."

4:11 p.m. - The director announced, "2:50 to go. Have a good show everybody."

4:14 p.m. - CBS was live on-air for the first time.

4:15 p.m. - Just after the kickoff, I logged the director's instructions word for word. Here is the running dialogue (its meaning in italics):

Buffalo lineups. (Put the Buffalo lineup graphic on screen.)
Ready 5. (Camera No. 5 get ready to go live.)
Take 5. (Camera No. 5 go live.)
Font. (Put graphics on screen.)
Music. (Get ready for CBS music.)
Hit it. (Roll CBS music.)
3 is changed. (The view for camera No. 3 has changed.)
Ready 3.
Take 3.
Map the font. (Graphics get ready to go on screen.)
Music.
Hit it.
Three is still game. (Camera No. 3 is still the program view.)
Ready 2.
Handoff. (Another way of saying "take.")
Camera 4 rolling. (Camera No. 4 is rolling and ready to go live.)
Two come wide. (Camera No. 2 pan out.)
Effect to 8. (Get ready for video effect.)
Roll it. (Video effect go live.)
Ready for commercials? (Director asks if commercials are next.)
Ready 2.
Take 2.
Take font. (Another way of saying "map the font.")
Push in. (Camera No. 2 zoom in.)
We're going to commercial?
They're going to punt again.
Map the font.
Hit it.
Music.
Rolling.
Only beautiful. (Director comments on the broadcast.)
[The broadcast cuts to commercials.]

4:23 p.m. - During the commercial break, the director checked in with several people over the intercom to make sure they were ready for the next live segment. The guys next to me were cutting several of the plays in the first segment that would be used later on in nuggets and/or bumpers.

4:42 p.m. - The director announced, "Willis McGahee is puking. Are you getting that?" The Buffalo Bills star running back had just scored a 57-yard touchdown, the longest in his career, but he looked winded afterwards and was on the sideline with his pads off throwing up. The director wanted to make sure the crew captured this behind-the-scenes moment.

5:03 p.m. - The assistant director asked me if I had any pre-snap movement plays that stood out. I said I had a few, which I starred, and handed them over. He took a quick read and said, "Nice job," a compliment not heard too often in this extremely deadline-driven business. For the next hour or so, I kept logging the plays as the constant demands of the director's voice blurted out of the intercom. It wasn't long until a headache overcame my focus and I needed a break from the noise pollution. I looked to my left and right, amazed at how focused the two men were sitting next to me. Not once did they glance over my way and strike up conversation, ask me about myself or if I had any questions for them. Sometimes I would make a comment about a play, and there would be no response from them. I felt like I was in a foreign country and I could almost hear their thoughts communicating with each other, saying, "First-timer on the job. What does he know?"

6:43 p.m. - The guy to my right finally responded to something I said by laughing, but he still didn't turn his head. I wasn't trying to steal the show or bother them; I was just trying to be friendly. But the environment is not conducive to chit-chatting. It's all about being a "bull worker" -- maintaining a one-tracked and tough-faced demeanor while taking continuous orders and grinding them out successfully with rapid-fire punches of electronic buttons, just like what was happening on the field of play.

7:03 p.m. - Final score: Bills 31, Jets 13. Over the intercom, the director said, "Safe travels home. Thanks guys." My hands were hurting, my back was stiff, my eyes were strained and my head was pounding. I needed a massage and hot bath in the locker room.

With no ride back to the city, I ended up waiting in the bus line for about two hours. In the meantime, looking around at all the fans who spent several hours breezing through beers and football bliss, I wondered if they ever came to appreciate the work of behind-the-scenes broadcast professionals. With a clear story lead in mind, I eagerly took out my phone and started writing my story. Moved by the experience, I will never watch a sporting event the same way again, thinking about that director yelling over the intercom.

2006-12-03T21:00:00.000-05:00

HOLD ON TO YOUR GATOR TAILS!

Now that the BCS has picked the Gators to play Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, the University of Florida will have a chance to be the first Division I, II or III college/university to win consecutive basketball and football championships. Looking ahead, the Gators hoops team could very well repeat as their entire starting lineup is back and chompin'. That would really be something!

On the flip side, if the Buckeyes beat Florida on January 8th, and then go on to win the NCAA Final Four in April, they'll be the first college to crack open a football and basketball title in the same school year.

I'm still shocked that USC lost to UCLA yesterday, but looking ahead, USC can be another university to win both football and basketball championships. Football is a near-given every year, but now that hyped hooper O.J. Mayo signed with the Trojans, he could potentially pave the way for other blue chips to follow his lead. And so on, and so on...

2006-12-02T22:30:00.000-05:00

THE FUTURE SHAPE OF SPONSORSHIP

I was talking to a friend the other day who works in the business of airport advertising. She told me that airports are thinking about taking off with the idea of selling runway inventory. In other words, the entire runway might be an iPod or a Budweiser bottle. Can you imagine landing and the pilot saying, "We've just begun our initial descent into the New York area. We'll be landing in about 30 minutes on the Budweiser Runway where we, as pilots, know how to drink and fly responsibly." How ridiculous would that sound? But that's what it's come to. The Chicago White Sox recently reached a sponsorship deal with the convenience store chain 7-Eleven, and now every one of their games next year will start at 7:11 p.m. As Sports Illustrated would say, that's a "sign of the apocalypse."

Here are some untouched spaces I believe sponsors will snatch up in the future. Let's just hope they're never really sold.

1) Your neck. I would've said "your head," but I think society will be kind enough to let you keep your hair. But when you're born, you'll get a tattoo of a company's logo on your neck, such as a Nike swoosh, that you will have to sponsor for the rest of your life. You'll be like a walking billboard. Then, when you fill out any legal paperwork, you'll have to write, "Your name sponsored by company name." That will be the official name on your birth certificate, and if you write it wrong the form won't be processed.

2) NBA jerseys. Oh, sponsors are coming, don't you worry. Look at it this way: Some of the best NBA players in recent years have come from overseas where basketball jerseys are already decorated with sponsor logos. Perhaps that's because foreign players are pressured to play better at an earlier age to make all the companies represented on their jerseys happy and interested in continuing doing business with their teams.

3) "It's like, you know." Considering like the popularity of like the phrase, "It's like, you know," marketers will eventually jump on this phenomenon head-on. Because the words "like" and "you know" are perceived to be annoying and used poorly in spoken language, Hollywood will try to make it cool to say, "It's like, you know." Perhaps even a celebrity will create a fashion line called "It's like, you know." Remember when Paris Hilton filed a trademark on the phrase, "That's hot," in 2004? Boy, these days, anything is possible.

4) Designer implants. Companies will be able to sponsor breast and butt implants. So, let's say you're going under the knife for some new plastic, you could choose from a selection of designer implants. For an everyday, low price, you could buy a Wal-Mart implant and for a Fifth Avenue mortgage-like payment, you could purchase a Gucci one.

5) Sports lingo. Taking it a step further with sports lingo, companies will sponsor words that associate with a particular sport. For instance, a basketball dunk might be sponsored by Dunkin' Donuts; a golf tee shot might be sponsored by Lipton Tea; and a tennis singles match might be sponsored by Match.com or another online dating service. So there could be Lipton Tea signage at the tee shot or the game commentator could say, "Welcome to the men's singles final brought to you by Match.com, where singles meet their true match and come out on top.

6) Everywhere else.

Got any crazier ideas?

2006-11-19T20:30:00.000-05:00

ANALYZE THIS: DARTFISH

Think you need a physical therapy degree to get involved with Dartfish Video Software Solutions? “No,” says Dr. Gregory Combs, a sports management professor at Methodist College who also owns a video training analysis company called Velo Smart Coaching. “It’s just like knowing how to use Excel and PowerPoint. I think it’s something else that students can really benefit from having on their resume.”

Combs, who retired from the military in 1996 after serving as an aviator during the original Gulf War in Somalia, now lives in North Carolina and is a member of the Cross Creek Cycling Club based in Fayetteville. Most of his clients are cyclists, triathletes and duathletes.

I spoke with Dr. Combs to find out more about Dartfish and video training analysis, what athletes can benefit from using it and why he stresses to his students to learn the innovative technology.

Q: What exactly do you do when you video train an athlete?

A: What I do, it’s not that complicated for me to check a rider’s position on the bicycle in accordance with his flexibility and range of motion. Video analysis really helps [riders] visualize what it looks like to be on the bike, and that way they can actually feel it and listen to their body. It just helps me analyze what they’re doing, how they’re compensating, what they’re doing right with the pedal stroke and how they’re positioned on the bicycle for better efficiency.

Q: What kinds of things do you test?

A: You can compare someone’s initial application to the sport to the drills that they’ve applied and show them the comparison – how they’ve improved. Or you compare them to other players by superimposing them. In the most recent Winter Olympics when you saw the downhill skiers, they would show one skier, superimpose him on another player and compare them on their turns, on their speeds. You can analyze the angles, the foot placement and how they contort their bodies. You can use it for the prevention of accidents. You can save an athlete’s career. You can use it for risk management to possibly reduce someone’s insurance costs.

Q: How do you find your clients?

A: A lot of the guys that I coach on the [Cross Creek Cycling] team are my clients. But I work with anybody: recreational riders to elite guys. I live in Southern Pines and it’s also a huge golf and equestrian community because it’s right outside of Pinehurst. I can go to the driving range when there’s a golf pro giving a lesson and say, “Listen, if you’re trying to explain to this guy what a swing looks like, I’ll video it for you and show you right there live and analyze it. I can give you tracking angles, I can actually track the golf head on how you’re pulling back on the backstroke and how it’s coming forward, hand placement, arm, angles, back.” And then the golf pro can say to his student, “Here, this is what you’re doing.” And I can put another client photo or video right next to it and say, “This is how it should look.” And then you video the guy how he used to golf, his swing and placement and then show the improvement – you can actually superimpose them. You can really show him where he’s lacking or what he’s doing well. So I can say, “Hey golf pro, I’m just going to enhance your services. Pay me $25 to come out per person, and I’ll even burn the videos to CDs.” Some of these golfers are spending big bucks just to reduce their handicaps.

Q: What are some of the general costs you charge?

A: The positioning and power test analysis is $370. Monthly training programs are $100 per month.

Q: How long has the technology been around for?

A: It’s been around for quite some time, but they’re just now enhancing the applications to where you can track angles while someone’s moving. You can put different labels on the joints and actually say this is where most of the energy is going to. It’s been around for quite some time, but they’re now bringing it into the U.S. market. Have you ever heard of Velocity Sports? They do a lot of speed camps and agility, and Dartfish does a lot with them. It’s a great business all in its own depending on your location. I mean, you can go to tennis camps, golf camps, equestrian, soccer, you name it, and help the coaches who would be the experts in the sport and just provide them a service. That’s what I’ve been trying to get my sport management students to get involved with this year. I’m actually trying to institute the Dartfish software into the curriculum. That way, they have an additional skill set. The New York Mets are using it. The folks at SUNY Cortland, their sports management program is actually the one who spearheaded Dartfish. A lot of their interns and graduates go on and work for pro teams. So it’s a huge skills set to have. I think it’s something else that students can really benefit from having on their resume. They can actually help facility managers earn additional income by helping grassroots programs and colleges with video analysis services.

Q: Do you need a physical therapy degree to get involved with video analysis?

A: No. Even if I had no coaching background, if I understood the application of going out there and video taping and collaborating with coaches, it would be an equivalent of a sports management major who’s really interested in a certain component of facility management, such as game day operations. And you can have an additional skills set to able to say, “Hey, I know how to run Dartfish.” It’s just like knowing how to use Excel and PowerPoint. Just having that skills set and saying, “Hey, I can actually go out and set up your cameras and videos, and burn CDs.” The coaches can say, “I want everything filed this way, that way,” and you can actually track the angles the coaches are looking for and help them analyze it.

Q: What bicycle brands do you recommend?

A: I’m a big fan of Cannondale. It’s American made, it’s fairly inexpensive. It’s an entry-level bicycle. You can get up into the thousands of dollars with that. But it’s just a really good machine. That bike I highly recommend to anyone. Litespeed is another really good bicycle that I recommend.

Q: How often do you have your cycling clients train during the week?

A: The clients that I’m working with, I have them riding anywhere from four to six days a week. If it’s earlier in their riding season, I’m increasing the duration but I’m decreasing the intensity. That’s when they’re getting in a lot of base miles and a low intensity. It enhances their pedal stroke ability, builds their endurance, increases their mitochondria development in the muscle system, which is a great thing to have, so when you’re trying to put out the power you have the mitochondria that’s doing that. It also enhances recovery, so the base foundation is really important. When the season starts building, then they get into doing more tempo-level rides.

Q: How do you decide a rider’s level of training?

A: There are a few things I look at. Their age and ability – how long they have been involved in the sport. With power ranges, I can actually say that these are the types of races you’re training for. I can really synthesize and get to the nuts and bolts of what they need to be working for. If they cannot reproduce that power and stay at that power range, I tell him, “Training’s over.” And that really takes the guess work out for me to tell them when they should back off on training.

Q: For someone who is picking up cycling for the first time, what would be your most important instruction?

A: Before I coach any athlete, I want to make sure they’re on the bike right. There’s what you would call a Ferrari syndrome. People feel, “Hey, if I buy a bike that looks nice, has top technology, I’m going to go fast.” Technically they’re going faster than they were in their older bikes, but they’re still in bad position. I’ll see athletes on bicycles with numb hands, shoulders, lower back, crouch. It’s all based on old technology, old wise tales so-to-speak on how you should be on a bicycle, not taking into consideration flexibility and range of motion. But you know and I know that there are Mustangs out there that don’t have a GT engine, but they may have a 4 cylinder and they may take 10 seconds to go from 0 to 60. And so, I see a lot of people out there on bicycles – six, seven, eight thousand dollar bicycles – that are in a position that I would call the paper-boy route. Their seats are way too low and their knees are flopping way out. It’s basically the equivalent of choking up on a baseball bat trying to hit a home run. They’re not getting full range of motion. So I would rather see my clients on a moderately expensive or inexpensive bicycle and get on it right, so they can use their muscles appropriately. And then, I work on their physiological system. I use the video analysis to enhance my explanation and visualization for their purposes. I also use power meters – I test them physiologically by heart rate, I get their speed, I get their RPMs, their power output. Then I’ll do a pre-test, post-test with that as well. And I’ll show them that this is their initial application to the bicycle and how they were performing. And then after I make the adjustments based on their strengths and weaknesses and their range of motion, and I show them their improved methods. They’re in a more efficient position on the bicycle and more aerodynamic.

Q: What is the biggest challenge you face when you work with your clients?

A: The main thing with most people is it’s not telling them to go fast; it’s telling them when to quit or recover. A lot of people will over-extend and they won’t allow themselves to recover. That’s usually the biggest problem. There was a quote, “There’s a marriage between a bicycle and a human being. Unfortunately the bicycle is only somewhat adjustable and the human body is only somewhat adaptable. So there has to be a positive synergy between the two.” Very few coaches really understand that, especially in cycling. So when I started getting into coaching more seriously, I started looking at the positioning application as the core of coaching. If you can’t get the person on the bike right, if you can’t get them to understand the technique of how to use their body appropriately, you can’t really build from there.

To learn more about Dartfish, go to www.dartfish.com.

2006-10-10T21:20:00.000-04:00

NBPA SAYS THE LEAGUE NEVER CONSULTED THE PLAYERS

The article below is from today's Sports Business Daily. National Basketball Players Association Director Billy Hunter (pictured left) said, "We think both the union and the players should have been consulted prior to making the changes." NBA Commissioner David Stern (pictured right) is reviewing the situation and may deflate the decision for a ball change (click here for my reaction several days ago to the ball change).

NBA Commissioner David Stern “conceded for the first time that reverting to the old leather ball is a possibility if the rigorous testing he has just ordered validates the widespread complaints” about the new composite ball from Spalding, “particularly its tendency to become slippery when wet,” according to Ian Whittell of ESPN.com. Speaking before Sunday’s exhibition game in Paris between the Spurs and Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Stern said, “Right now our plans are to stay the course, but we will monitor it and if we find there is something to it and it is a serious issue, we will take the appropriate steps because the most important thing to us is the game.” Stern: “Spalding came to us and said they had a technology that will improve the ball. They said that we are the only sport, professional or college, the last sport using leather and that they had a way to improve it. They came to us several years ago and we said we would have to see the technology working. ... They wanted to launch it one year ago, but we said no. We used it in the D-League, used it in the summer league, had players test it individually and, a year later, they said they had improved it even more. We said, ‘OK, let’s go’” (ESPN.com, 10/8).

STU JACKSON: NBA Exec VP/Basketball Operations Stu Jackson maintains the new ball is of higher quality than the old, all-leather model, and he told THE DAILY the switch was not a sales-driven decision. Jackson: “The introduction of the ball was not motivated by game-ball sales. In fact, the game-ball sales for Spalding is a very tiny fraction of their business, and actually represents less than 1% of their overall unit sales.” He said the league sent one ball to each of the teams to use between March and the end of the season, “then we used the ball in our summer league. Each player that was a roster player in the NBA last year received a ball to work out with during the summer.” Jackson said reverting to the old ball is an option the league is keeping open, but added, “Our plan is to go forward with this composite ball during the ’06-07 season, subject to further testing and feedback. If we decide going back to the old ball is the best option, we could make that adjustment at any time. We’d want to start the regular season with the ball that we’re going to play with for the year” (THE DAILY).

TEST ME, TEST ME: NBA VP/Marketing Communications Mike Bass said that Spalding, “in conjunction with league officials, will conduct the additional testing -– particularly during preseason games” (USA TODAY, 10/9). Spalding VP/Marketing Dan Touhey said that former NBAers Mark Jackson, Reggie Miller and Steve Kerr were the “primary testers” of the new ball. The only NBAers who tested the ball in competition were those competing in the All-Star Game this past season (N.Y. TIMES, 10/7). Jackson added, “The more the players play with the ball, the more they will get used to it and they will come to understand that this ball is better than the old ball” (WASHINGTON POST, 10/10). While NBA rules “dictate only one ball can be used during a game,” an NBA official said that the rule “could be altered to allow the new synthetic balls to be switched out when they become too slick” (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 10/9).

FROM THE UNION: NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter said, “The players have been livid. They are very much against changing the ball.” He added that the union is “investigating a protest.” Hunter: “We think both the union and the players should have been consulted prior to making the changes.” In N.Y., Liz Robbins noted some players “wondered whether the league changed the ball to boost sales.” But the NBA and Spalding said that they “changed for progress rather than profit” (N.Y. TIMES, 10/7). T’Wolves F and player rep Mark Madsen said that he would call the union to “share feedback and encourage discussion, steps that might have been neglected” before the new ball was introduced. Madsen said Heat C Shaquille O’Neal is “like the captain of the whole league. I’m hoping the league will take his concerns very seriously.” More Madsen: “This is like giving an accountant software that isn’t great, where he’d say, hey, the old software allowed us to do special things” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/7). In Boston, Mark Murphy wondered, “Did it occur to the folks in the home office or at [Spalding] ... to seek an opinion from the people who will actually use this new ball?” (BOSTON HERALD, 10/8).

SOME INSIGHT: ESPN’s Ric Bucher cited sources as saying that the reason the NBA’s official ball changed from leather to a composite is “because Spalding simply didn’t want to make leather balls anymore. Whether that was (because of) a leather shortage or (because) they’re not very marketable outside the NBA teams, they weren’t going to make them anymore. And the NBA chose not to look at going to a different company and breaking their deal with Spalding in order to continue to play with a leather ball, because by and large, around the world, almost nobody in any league is playing with a full leather ball anymore” (ESPN.com, 10/9).

2006-10-08T23:30:00.000-04:00

NBA SHOOTS A BIG BRICK

So the NBA has had some problems in the last few years. So the NBA went ahead and tried to address them. The brawl, the hip-hop image, reviews of last-second shots. Psychologists stress that for every problem there is solution, but for every solution there is also a problem. But what if the problem was never a problem to begin with, and now it's a problem? That brings us to the NBA's decision to change the game ball this year.

From what I read, I saw no complaints from any player about the leather ball that had been used since 1970. So why would the NBA go ahead and get rid of it, and introduce a new composite ball made by Spalding? Not only that, why wouldn't the league test the ball with its players and get their reactions before introducing it to the game? The simple answer is that the new ball is similar to what most high schools and colleges use. But isn't the point of professional sports to test players with new obstacles and situations?

I'm disappointed that the NBA alienated its athletes, especially when usually all the negativity is pointed directly at them as the league's ratings have dropped significantly. I'm not sure if this even happened, but the NBA should have consulted with each team and player individually to get their feedback on the new ball. Seeing players come out this week and complain about the change and say things like "it sucks" or "that was a bad decision," puts David Stern and his management at a serious disadvantage. It's not just the NBA's marketers and equipment executives who work for the league, the players are employees too.

Where were they in all this? Definitely not in the meeting room. For the NBA, this problem is not like steroids. Just get rid of the new ball, and let's move on. Sometimes it's best to leave a good thing alone.

2006-08-13T21:00:00.000-04:00

SPORTS NEED MORE COMMUNITY COVERAGE

Can you think of another week that was as hotly contested as last week? Here in New York City, and pretty much across the entire nation, we had to deal with several it's-too-hot-to-even-think days, prompting the city to conserve energy and, thus, causing a panic that its underground trains would shut down. Across the Atlantic, Israel had to, once again, fight as if it were the underdog, a fight that may soon be a success this time but is otherwise just another obstacle to make peace with Arab populations. And then there was Floyd Landis and Justin Gatlin who wrongfully took steroids to withstand the heat that comes from the competition. Who knew global warming would influence steroid use, too?

I hope everyone managed through the heat wave. I was planning to write this column several days ago, but I couldn't even think straight. I ended up prostrate on my couch watching Groundhog Day several times, meaning that I watched Groundhog Day about 50,000 times. I felt like there was a 50-pound weight on my chest, pressing me further down into my couch. That's how tired I felt, thanks to the absurd heat venting into my apartment, creating a sweat-bead headband around my forehead.

There was another reason why I was stuck to my couch. I was bewildered over the fact that Tour de France winner Floyd Landis was caught using steroids, and was very interested in reading and listening to reaction. The overall consensus was that enough was enough, stemming from MLB's steroid suspensions. Seriously, did you ever think that a cyclist would get busted for steroids? On top of that, the ESPN sports culture that we live in now is getting out of hand. First it was the World Series of Poker. Now it's darts tournaments. Fantasy gaming is blowing up, and now there are tons of sports publications solely dedicated to this hysteria. Go to Borders or Barnes & Noble and see for yourself. It's mind-boggling; not to mention, trivial and boring.

Of course, if you're a college student, sports is screaming your demographic. But not everyone wants this kind of sports coverage, especially as peoples' lifestyles have changed in recent years. No one works 9 to 5 anymore, and leisure time has never been more desired. For many people, the chaos, concrete and commercialization of big-city life is too overwhelming. More and more of them are choosing to relocate to small pastoral cities that combine the vibrancy of the city with the comforts of the suburbs. Money magazine recently ran a feature on America's Best Places To Live, saying that "Americans want two things: the opportunity for themselves and their children to prosper, and a quality of life that lets them enjoy the fruits of their work."

It's time for sports to fully embrace the stories, the games, the players and even the Mom's and Dad's in the communities who make it their full-time job to give their children an enjoyable upbringing. The biggest sports media giants should dedicate more coverage to these communities, perhaps designating a section on their websites called "Communities" and hiring freelance writers from all over the country to report on local amateur and recreational sports. They could even hire student interns who may be active within their community sports leagues.

SI back-page columnist Rick Reilly wrote an article this week about how a youth ball coach walked the other team's star player so he could face a scrawny batter to win the game (supposedly the coach didn't know he was a cancer survivor). These are the stories that we should really be worried about, the ones centered around the kids - our future. These are the core human-interest stories that make us cringe, make us cry, make us celebrate.

The last couple of days have made me wither in the overheating of sports coverage.

Oh, what a week it was.

2006-07-20T23:30:00.000-04:00

HOOP DREAMS FOR NATIVE AMERICAN YOUTHS

They aren’t just streetballers from inner-city projects who hope to one day overcome their oppression and earn a college scholarship, their potential ticket to playing in the NBA. Rezballers from Native American reservations share that same dream, but the difficulties of living in desolate quarters have made their skills and vision virtually undetectable. But thanks to NABI, the Native American Basketball Invitational, American Indian teenagers now have a reason to rejoice within their tribal communities.

This past week marked the fourth straight annual NABI tournament (the Final Four was held in Arizona at the Phoenix Suns arena, the US Airways Center). I spoke with Gina Scarpa, NABI Co-Founder and Tournament Director, to learn more about NABI’s humble beginnings and how it’s continuing to grow.

Q: Where did the idea come from?
A: We decided to start a tournament for Native American athletes because of the lack of showcasing they get in college and pro sports. I mean, you don’t see a lot of Natives in collegiate or pro sports. It’s not that they’re not talented; it’s just that they don’t have the same opportunities to be showcased. Reservations are desolate. A lot of the coaches from colleges hit the larger cities – they can hit many high schools in one day, but it would take two to three days to get to a reservation. There were all these obstacles for Native American athletes, so we decided to create a tournament and bring the talent to them. And that’s how NABI was created.

Q: How did you promote NABI?
A: We started first really just promoting the idea to the tribes in Arizona because that’s where we’re from – the Phoenix area. We approached the Phoenix Suns because at the time Mark West was there – and still is there – as the GM and he was a former player. And they loved the idea. The next thing was to fly up to Beaverton, Oregon, and meet with Nike. And we got a meeting with them and they loved the idea. And then the Phoenix Mercury came onboard and, boom, NABI was born. So we first just promoted the event to the Arizona tribes and in our first year we also got an interest from tribes outside Arizona. So we sat and talked about opening up a tournament for tribes outside Arizona. Half the tribes are from Arizona. Our first year in 2003, we had 24 teams. Our second year, we had 45. Our third year, we had 97 teams apply within two weeks of open registration. And this year, we’re keeping it to 64 teams – 32 boys’ teams and 32 girls’ teams – because it’s more manageable and quality-wise. They’re from all over the country, including Canada. We’ve become the largest all-Native basketball tournament in the country.

Q: Is NABI a non-profit organization?
A: We were originally going to put the tournament under a non-profit, but we would’ve lost control of it because there are no guarantees with a government board. Our intentions – Mark and I – were always to give back to the Native country if it became successful. So we chose to do it under a LLC and have a non-profit entity where profits go into. This way, we always maintain control over the trademark and everything. Everyone was like, “Why didn’t you just do it under a non-profit?” Because we could have easily been voted out and lost all control of the event. And our relationships to make the event successful came from Mark’s relationship with the NBA and Nike. In order to maintain those relationships, we had to keep it under a LLC.

Q: Does the NBA help fund the event?
A: No, not yet. I was going to approach them because of how big the tournament has gotten. We were going to give it a couple years. I call it fermenting to just really get us flavor. It’s now the biggest thing in Native country among the kids, especially rez ball players. This year, we were going to approach the NBA’s sponsors to support this event, and I think we’re not going to have a problem with that.

Q: Are the headquarters in Arizona?
A: Yes. The Final Four games are played at the US Airways Center, which is the home of the Phoenix Suns. That’s another big thing. The kids just fight to play on an NBA court. And then, of course, the championship games are held with all the flash, the lights go out, the spotlights are on the kids. We get all the game opportunities from the Phoenix Suns, so it’s just like an NBA game. The kids are in all Nike uniforms and they stay at the nearby Hyatt Regency. The time they have out here is just amazing.

Q: When you say kids, what’s the age range?
A: High school.

Q: Is there a cut-off age?
A: Yes, 19. The whole purpose of the event is to showcase Native American high school athletes for the purpose of creating college scholarships. We’ve had some college scholarships awarded already from scouts and coaches that come out – mostly from tribal universities and junior colleges. We’re hoping to become NCAA-certified, but we had some trouble with the demographic rules this year. That’s why we couldn’t be certified.

Q: What kind of trouble?
A: The NCAA needs to become a little bit more sensitive to Native countries, their demographics and the sovereign nation issues. The reservation team can be from the same city or high school, but they can’t be outside of 100 miles. There are a lot of tribes that don’t have high schools on reservations, so the kids go to BIA [Bureau of Indian Affairs] boarding schools, which sometimes are cross-country.

Q: So you mostly focus on the reservations?
A: Yes. They have to be Native American, they have to prove it with a CIB (Certificate of Indian Blood) or Tribal Enrollment Card. And they have to be enrolled in high schools. Those are our only requirements. So the team can be an All-Star team made up of multi-tribes, but it has to consist of all Native American players.

Q: Do you have rules on academic standing?
A: We really encourage the coach to make those rules. In part of BIA rules, they have to have a certain grade point average. They have to maintain a good attendance record, so they use the NABI tournament as a tool for the coaches to get their kids to do better in school.

Q: Are educational programs included in your organization?
A: We have what we call “Native Circles” and we try to get Native role models whether they’re doctors or attorneys to come and talk to the kids about the importance of education and giving back to the reservations. Because now with all the Indian gaming and casinos, the Native tribes are buying all kinds of different enterprises, but they’re all being run by non-Natives. A lot of these kids don’t go on to further education to have the experience or education to run the casinos. So we’re trying to stress the importance to these kids, because the tribes make so much money from the enterprises, that they need to go back and run these enterprises on behalf of the tribes.

Q: What venues does the NABI use during the tournament?
A: Well, Phoenix is surrounded by reservations. We work with all the reservations around Phoenix, mostly Fort McDowell, which is the Salt River reservation. And we use all their high school recreation gyms. So we have like 120 games in five days. And then the Final Four will go on to play at the US Airways Center.

Q: How has the graduation rate been?
A: It’s been great. The first thing with NABI when we first started in 2003 is we were hoping within our first maybe three years that we would get recognized as a tournament that has some incredible talent for college coaches to scout. It happened in our first year. We had six scholarships awarded to the kids who played in NABI. So since our inception, we’ve had over 20 scholarships. And those are just the ones I’ve heard of. I keep hearing every year kids went on to get full-ride scholarships by playing in NABI that weren’t even reported to us. Scouts come out from a lot of the tribal universities and junior colleges.

Q: Describe the reservation basketball culture.
A: It’s rez ball. It’s a totally different style of play. Native American kids… When I say unbelievable athletes, they just have the endurance and the agility. I always say, “Off-the-charts!” They don’t like taking time outs. They’re always in the zone. We were televised live last year for the first time and it was really hard for them to take TV timeouts. It’s non-stop action. It’s an incredible game of basketball. It’s incredible.

Q: Do you anticipate any future TV deals?
A: We’re hoping. I think as the tournament gets bigger and bigger, ESPN2 will be knocking on our doors because they do a lot of the high school games already. And NABI is getting that big. Like I said, we had live television for the first time last year with the local Arizona KAZ-TV. They span out to urban Phoenix, metropolitan Phoenix, out in the northern area, Tuscan. So they have a really good audience. It was over a million viewers.

Q: What kind of sponsors do you have?
A: Tribal sponsors. Nike’s one of our biggest sponsors. A lot of the tribes sponsor us, especially in Arizona.

Q: Are you a former player yourself?
A: Actually, no. I played ice hockey. I’ve been working with kids, though, in non-profit fields for years. I was formally the executive director of the A.C. Green Foundation for like 10 years working with kids. I just love doing what I do. So it’s basically me and Mark West who’s an advocate for education and the idea of using your athletic ability to secure a college scholarship. That was his goal. He never really thought about the NBA – it just happened because he was prepared. So he tells the kids, “Yes, the NBA is wonderful, but do NABI first and make this your goal, and everything that happens after that is like icing on cake.” So my biggest thing with the kids is just… I grew up in a housing project back east. All the odds were against me and it was just because people stepped in and cared enough about me to change my life. So I’ve always had to stick my heart out for other people. That’s what I wanted to do with my life. And it just happens that I see a need in the Native community. I really can’t understand what they go through – the oppression in some of the reservations. But I can understand what it’s like to be treated differently because of where you come from.

Q: Is it fair to compare the oppression in the reservations to that in the inner-city projects?
A: I think oppression is oppression. I can’t say they’re similar because they’re not. African Americans struggle with things different from how Native Americans struggle with things. But when you start to look at the common denominator, it’s oppression. It’s loss of hope, loss of the dreams and not having the role models they need to succeed. I can recognize the oppression because I came from an oppressed area and I know what that did to me as a kid.

Q: For some of these kids, is basketball their last hope at getting into college?
A: Yeah. I think there were some kids who came into NABI never dreaming of going to college. Before stepping on a court playing in the NABI, they were just ready to graduate high school and do whatever their life took them. They were just going to accept that. But we’ve had kids who have just really changed their lives.

For more information, check out www.nabihoops.com.

2006-06-25T23:00:00.000-04:00

REFLECTIONS ON THE SPORTS SCENE IN EUROPE

"Soccer, it appears, is the only thing we don't want crammed down our throats. What does this attitude toward the World Cup say about the U.S.? It illuminates many of our least flattering qualities as a nation, not least of which is a breathtaking incuriosity about the rest of the world."
- Steve Rushin, Sports Illustrated, June 12, 2006

While I was recently on vacation with my family in Europe - specifically Spain, Italy and France - I was curious to get a sense of each country's sports culture. Here are some of my reflections (in chronological order):

1) After our Delta Airlines flight landed at Aeropuerto Internacional El Prat de Barcelona and we walked out of the gate and through customs, I noticed right away several sports shops. From the looks of them, they were all speaking futbol to me - only soccer uniforms and balls were on display in the front window. Around the airport, I saw several FC Barcelona jerseys (Spain's most prominent club team) with the name "Messi" on the back for Lionel Messi, FCB's young star who has been touted as "the new Diego Maradona" because of his Argentinean roots. Besides soccer represented in the terminal, there were no other sports signs of life.

2) After we checked into our hotel, Citadines, we strolled down Las Ramblas, the city's most popular strip lined with trees and featuring scores of mines, entertainers, cafes and kiosks. One street artist was dressed in soccer attire doing tricks with a ball, including one where he kicked it over his head onto the back of his neck where he balanced it for some time. During our walk, I stopped by several newsstands, called La Vanguardia, to see what kind of sports magazines they sold. Most of them were soccer publications, but I came across two for baloncesto (basketball), which I bought for about three Euros each. One was called Gigantes and the other was Revista Oficial de NBA, the Spanish version of the NBA's Hoop Magazine. Gigantes, to no surprise, covers European basketball, its top teams and players. In the issue I picked up, there were several two-page pull-out posters of some of the top players in Europe. Most of the advertisements, which ran at the lower portion of the right page, promoted summer basketball camps throughout Spain. There was only one section featuring the NBA, which discussed the playoffs. With Revista Oficial de NBA, I noticed the staff from the masthead all work in Barcelona. What stuck out for me about the magazine was its focus on NBA forward Pau Gasol, who's from Spain and plays for the Memphis Grizzlies. There was an article recapping Gasol's season with the Grizzlies and a section in the back called "Las cartas de Pau Gasol" ("Pau Gasol's Letters") where Gasol himself wrote his predictions for the NBA Playoffs and explained who he thought should be the 2006 MVP. His pick was another foreign player Steve Nash, who was born in South Africa and grew up in Canada.

3) On our way to the Port de Barcelona to start our seven-day cruise, on the Norwegian Jewel, I asked the taxi driver, "Como es popular es el baloncesto en Espana?" He said, very ecstatically, "Muy popular!" I then asked him, "Sabe quien Pau Gasol?" And again he responded with a lot of excitement, "Oh, si, si!" Finally I asked him about the World Cup. He pointed to a schedule he had taped to his dashboard, which listed the days and times of when Spain was playing. We definitely got a kick out of seeing that.

4) One of the first things we did after we checked into our cabin was head toward the cruise's information center to inquire about the NBA Finals. We wanted to see if the sports bar was going to be airing Game 1 on Thursday (3 a.m. Friday our time). We asked a stodgy man at the desk several questions, but he kept repeating, "Sir, if enough people put in a request for the game, we may carry the broadcast. We're not sure right now." It was like we were speaking a foreign language to him. Perhaps if we had said, "World Cup," he would've understood better; as it is, most of the ship's employees were not from the U.S. but from the Philippines.

5) As newer and bigger cruise ships enter the overall fleet, there seems to be one component about them that keeps on expanding: Sports. On the Norwegian Jewel, which debuted last year, there was one game I had never seen on board a ship: Shuffleboard. Other than that, the regular activities included a gym, basketball/tennis court, golf cage, running track, sports video games in the arcade and card games in the casino. Several times during the week, the kids' center organized a late-night dodgeball contest on the basketball court. If you think about the all-included food you eat and midnight buffets you can't resist, there better be numerous ways to burn off that fat.

6) On our first sightseeing day, we took a tour bus up one of the mountains in Sicily into a small town called Taormina. As we walked through the quaint streets bordered by low-rising buildings with terracotta roofing, we noticed a lot of Italia soccer gear being sold. But what really caught our attention were several Miami Heat hats and shirts worn by tourists from the cruise. As we passed each other, we yelled in unison, "Go Heat!" Because of the Heat contingent on the cruise, we felt more optimistic that the Jewel would have no choice but to air the Finals.

7) The next day we went on a guided tour of the old city of Pompeii, which was buried under 21 feet of volcanic ash 2,000 years ago by Mount Vesuvius. Seeing the excavated ruins was probably the highlight of my vacation because you're able to walk through the most of the original streets and the remains of the foundation. One landmark we saw was the city's main amphitheater, which was the oldest in Roman times erected in 70-80 BC. Inside the 20,000-capacity arena were gladiatorial contests. The city also had a workout area where there once was assorted free weights and several swimming pools. On our way back to board the ship, we stopped at a newsstand by the dock in Capri. To compare with the Barcelona basketball magazines, I picked up an Italian publication called Superbasket. It contained mostly feature stories with hardly any pictures or advertisements, a bit boring to look at since I couldn't read it, of course. There was one article about Andrea Bargnani and his Benetton Treviso club team. Many say that the 7-foot, 250-pound Bargnani is the best player ever to come out of Italy and the potential No. 1 pick in this Wednesday's NBA Draft.

8) Back on the cruise later that night, we made a pass by the information desk one last time to get an update on the NBA Finals situation. A nicer man said that unfortunately the cruise wouldn't be showing the game because ABC, the host broadcaster, hadn't sold the television rights to the Norwegian Cruise Line. We asked if there was a way we could buy the game individually for our room, but that also wasn't a possibility. We were disappointed, but then again, we probably would have passed out before the tipoff at 3 a.m.

9) The following day we headed to Rome. When we got there, our tour bus parked a few blocks from the Coliseum, right next to a soccer field where two teenagers were practicing a penalty-shot situation. Although the playing ground was uneven dirt, the kid who was kicking was extremely accurate with every attempt, bending the ball perfectly like Beckham. I thought about all the dreams of American streetball players back home and the long hours they put into shooting into hoops with no nets or backboard squares. And what do a lot of them end up having in common? Some serious game.

10) The last stop on our cruise was Villefranche, France, located on the magnificent French Riviera. From there, we took a 10-minute train ride to Monte Carlo where we walked on the street used in the Formula 1 Grand Prix just a week earlier. Part of the track rides along the marina packed with 60-foot yachts, goes up the hill around the famous Casino Royale and then comes back down near the five-star Hotel de Paris. Just to get some perspective how expensive the hotel is, when we had lunch in its outdoor cafe we ordered three club sandwiches, two orange juices and two Cokes, and it was 71 Euros. That's around 90 dollars! After we left Monte Carlo, we took a 15-minute train ride to Nice, France. We didn't have much time there because we were running behind and didn't want to miss our cruise, but I was able to browse one of the train station's newsstands. I was in a hurry, so I quickly grabbed one called Le Foot (pictured above). Under its heading, it said, "Special Mondial," which was a reference to the issue's World Cup preview. Inside, the pictures of the players were as tall as the size of the page, an underlying theme as to why soccer is as big as it is in Europe, and still kickin'.

* * *

The day after I arrived back in my apartment, I picked up the New York Times outside my front door and turned to the sports section. The top headline was: "Americans Are Ready, Without Excuses." Although I missed my European whirlwind tour, I was proud that my country was participating in the World Cup after being immersed for a week overseas in a soccer-frenzied environment. This is a time, only once every four years in sports, when unbridled patriotism sweeps across the globe as millions of fans reach for their face paint, costumes and musical instruments. The World Cup can bind or break a nation. Aren't you just a little bit curious?

2006-04-30T23:00:00.000-04:00

SHAQ MORE ON THE PATERNITY ATTACK

Shaquille O'Neal's wife, Shaunie Nelson, is due to deliver the couple's fourth child - a girl - today at South Miami Hospital. That will be six kids for Shaq (he has a daughter and Shaunie has a son from previous relationships).

No signs of a letdown from the "Shaq Daddy" department, but he sure can't get his feet off the ground like he once did as a Blue Chip. To make matters worse, in the years to come, Shaq (pictured) may be celebrating his upcoming daughter's birthday during the same time the Miami Heat embarrassingly lost to the younger Chicago Bulls. Yesterday, the "Baby Bulls" tied the series at two games apiece. In Game 3, Shaq had just eight points to go along with seven turnovers against a weak frontline of Malik Allen and Michael Sweetney.

Speaking of the "Baby Bulls," Shaq should name his infant Beth - the closest female version to Ben - after Bulls guard Ben Gordon who has completely ripped through the Heat perimeter defense like a scissor. Respect is due and it should be wrapped in Shaq-a-Claus' pink blanket.

2006-04-16T20:20:00.000-04:00

"40 MINUTES OF HELL" AT MISSOURI SPELLS MISERY

When Mike Anderson (pictured) was introduced as the University of Missouri's new men's basketball head coach several weeks ago, he said that "the fastest 40 minutes in basketball" were coming to campus. What he failed to mention was how long until those 40 minutes were going to be on display for antsy Mizzou fans who haven't seen their team reach the NCAA Tournament since 2003. Well, it's going to be more than a year until, at the very least, Missouri is back on the Big 12 basketball map. That's because the Tigers are coming off a year where they finished second to last in their conference. It doesn't help that they face a year of recruiting probation for off-the-court issues. That begs the questions: Did the university rush too quickly to find a replacement for Quin Snyder and was Anderson the right choice?

After Snyder resigned midway through last season (many thought he was pushed out), Athletic Director Mike Alden organized a search committee to find his successor. Alden's advisors included Assistant AD Gary Link, Senior Associate AD Mario Moccia, Deputy Chancellor Mike Middleton and former All-American Tiger guard Jon Sundvold. One of the candidates they interviewed was Mike Anderson because they were attracted to his "40 minutes of hell" style of basketball. And they figured high school prospects would feel the same way.

Well, that hell is definitely on its way. The team has to deal with a loss of one scholarship and being hit with one year of recruiting probation due to Snyder's off-the-court issues. Several years ago, he recruited point guard Ricky Clemons from junior college who turned out to be a huge problem. Clemons choked his girlfriend and ended up in jail. Later, while on house arrest, he crashed his car. Snyder was obviously not the one breaking the law, but his recruiting antics had brought in a hot head. You could make the argument that Snyder did his job by leading the Tigers to the tournament in 2003, but in the last two years, the team has nose-dived to near bottom of the Big 12 conference. He had problems maintaining consistency in the team's work ethic and style of play. That's why Snyder had felt the wrath from Alden who is now on the hot seat himself. Tigers basketball is long overdue from returning to the glory days when legendary coach Norm Stewart was at the helm. These days, there's more buzz around the football team - this past season, they won their first bowl game in 20 years.

So, how does Mike Anderson fill the void left by Snyder? From a statistical standpoint, very well. In four seasons at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, he was 89-41, guiding the Blazers to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and even going as far as the Sweet 16 in 2004 after upsetting No. 1 Kentucky. Credit goes to his hard-nosed defensive philosophy, which is where the "40 minutes of hell" expression derives. From the first year he took over at UAB, he brought the team instant success, and Missouri hopes he can do the same for its underachieving men's basketball program.

Anderson also has a reputation in the recruiting world. It's no coincidence that he's getting paid $850,000 per year – one of the highest salaries in college basketball. Anderson has contacts in some of the hottest basketball areas for rising stars, including Chicago, Memphis and cities in the Southeast – a mostly chartered region for football talent, not basketball. Having Anderson is a breath of fresh air, not only in the sense that he's been successful in such a short period of time. You see, Anderson is the first black coach at Missouri, which is a very attractive situation for young, black athletes who are looking for a demanding father figure who demands discipline and relentless hustle until the final buzzer sounds. It's not that white players won't want to come to Missouri; having a black coach with a wider network of contacts will open new recruiting doors.

But it sounds like the Tigers team is turning into a family tree, which is a cause for a concern. Anderson decided to keep Melvin Watkins, the interim head coach last year after Snyder stepped down. Melvin's son, Marcus, will be a senior guard in the fall. In addition, Anderson hired his nephew T.J. Cleveland from UAB to be one of his assistants. Perhaps Anderson is doing all this just in case the team does poorly, so he'll have the support from his coaching staff – I mean, family. Thinking nepotism? Well, it all sounds too chummy in my opinion. At the same time, the family system could work. Think of the Bowden brothers at Florida State, the Shula father-son combination with the Miami Dolphins and the Thompson generation at Georgetown.

A major threat, though, to Anderson's success lies within the upcoming Big 12 conference forecast, which calls for an increase in competition. Watch for it to reach new heights in 2007 when Kansas State should land the top two prospects in the country, O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker from Ohio's North College Hill High School. They're very interested in playing for Bob Huggins, who recently became head coach of the Wildcats. Huggins spent the previous 16 seasons at Cincinnati where he went 399-127, including 14 straight NCAA Tournament selections and a Final Four trip in 1992. Furthermore, he coached a handful of NBA prospects, including Kenyon Martin, Nick Van Exel, Ruben Patterson and Danny Fortson.

Anderson may not have been the best choice for Missouri basketball, at least not now. The team is in its rebuilding stage and will struggle next season without any blue-chip prospects. The school could've waited until next season to hire a new coach and let Melvin Watkins handle the reins for one more season, but that wasn't going to happen for two main reasons. First, Alden needed to make a quick and smart decision because he was on the verge of getting fired. Second, there were a bunch of solid coaches on the market and they all were going to be snatched up. If the Anderson project doesn't work right away, look for Alden to be axed.

Anderson will be able to keep his office longer, but in what kind of condition will it be? Huggins should've been the choice even though, like Snyder, he was cited for off-the-court incidents (Huggins was charged with DUI). Missouri probably wanted to shy away from previous run-ins. But Huggins' track record speaks for itself. In addition, he's about to land the nation's best recruiting class in 2007, which is when Missouri basketball will regain its scholarships and won't be on recruiting probation. Unfortunately, by that time Missouri will be in misery. In college sports, coaches are really known as figureheads as their name alone boosts recruiting possibilities. Huggins is one of those guys. And unlike Anderson, Huggins has had long-term, consistent success.

2006-03-26T21:45:00.000-05:00

CAN SPORTS SACK LOCAL NEWS?

Since I've been working at CBS in New York City, several of our weekend local newscasts have been canceled - either Saturday at 6 pm or the Sunday 6:30 pm show - because a sporting event ran longer than expected. Sometimes, the game would feature teams cross-country from the Tri-State area, but the network would still commit to the final buzzer. That just shows you the overall power of sports in our society. A hard-working, deadline-driven, pressure-filled team of writers, editors, producers, reporters and anchors can create a 30-minute show down to the second, but a last-second, game-tying three-pointer at the end of regulation can completely erase someone else's purpose for going to work on a given day. Quite interesting.

Well, I spoke with former CBS Sports Senior Vice President of Production and Programming, Rick Gentile (pictured), to learn more about the local news business, how it's adapted to emerging electronic media technologies and its future in competition with sports television.

Mr. Gentile, who was previously a 10-time Emmy Award-winning sportscaster, headed CBS' coverage of the Winter Olympic Games from 1992 to '98 in Albertville, Lillehammer and Nagano. Currently, he is a sports management professor at Seton Hall University where he recently directed the Seton Hall Sports Poll, the first-ever university-based, ongoing polling service.

Q: What are your thoughts on the current state of local news in regards to quality and viewership?
A: I think local news has not changed all that much in quality over the years. It's obviously easier to get live feeds from the field and local stations have all increased the number of live-field reports. I find that true not just in the New York market, but in smaller markets as well. I have a house in Pennsylvania that receives Scranton local stations, and while the quality is not up to New York standards, they still feature multiple live or taped field reports throughout the show. I think viewership has probably not suffered as much as overall network viewership - too many choices, etc. But the landscape is extremely competitive, and even if viewership decreases, quality will continue to improve, especially technologically.

Q: What factors go into deciding whether a sporting event should extend into the local news time slot? Who makes those decisions?
A: The decision as to whether sports will run over into news time is made ultimately by the local station. It always has the ability to pull the plug on the network, but rarely does so to avoid incurring the wrath of the viewers. It's hard to justify cutting off the last few minutes of a close contest or even a blowout to go to local news. In the case of sports running into the network news, that decision is made jointly by the sports and news divisions of the network. Again, usually sports wins and stays on and the news broadcast is shortened or completely eliminated. That's not a big deal on the network level, but a local news show that is eliminated carries a significant cost factor. In some cases, with the PGA Tour and NFL for example, the networks are contractually committed to stay to the end of the event.

Q: Do networks see that 30-minute news window, which is a couple of times per day, as a blockade from adding more sports programming?
A: I do not believe the networks see the local news show as problematic. If an event needs to be scheduled past the news window, such as the Masters and the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, the network will notify stations well ahead of time. Networks are generally capable of scheduling comfortably, allowing for an off time of 6 pm on weekends except for the examples I mentioned before, such as the Masters. Runover is another issue as I discussed earlier.

Q: If networks add more sporting events to their programming, can local news see its demise? If not entirely, what about news during the weekend when most games are going on?
A: I do not see more sports programming on the networks affecting local news, and rarely does it impact weekday news broadcasts. The issue is almost exclusively a weekend issue except for those rare weekday sportscasts which are scheduled well in advance, so the stations know what's in store for them. Affiliated stations need that local news time for revenue purposes. They make more money on the 30 minutes of local news than on the local spots they would get in those corresponding 30 minutes of network sports. If the network sports divisions want the continued cooperation and clearance of local stations, they need to respect the financial needs of those stations. And local news is a big part of those financial needs.

Q: With the advent of streamline video, newscasts are transitioning into webcasts. Is this reason enough that networks can say, "There's a higher financial demand for sports television, so if you want to watch the news, turn to the Internet?"
A: But the problem is that there isn't necessarily more money in sports, certainly not for the local stations. Networks need cooperation from the stations; the majority of stations are not owned by the network. If the stations revolt and refuse to carry the network's sports programming, which raises all sorts of other issues, the networks will be hard-pressed to command the kind of advertising rates without the 100 percent clearance they're accustomed to. Those sports programs generally do not make money for the local stations. They add an audience that carries over into local programming, like news, that does make money. It's a symbiotic relationship, but there's a delicate balance that has to be maintained.

Q: Would you say the Dan Rather, Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw era of news anchors is ancient now?
A: I think the days of the "Voice of God" anchor are probably coming to an end. The audiences for those shows have really eroded over time at a higher rate than general network programming. I think network news will continue to try to be more entertaining and start to resemble morning news shows more and more - more teases, more promotion, more women correspondents if not anchors, etc. The networks will try whatever it takes to get more people to watch. Obviously, simply presenting "hard news" as Dan Rather used to say isn't getting it done.

Q: Do young people, 18 to 34, really care about who's anchoring the news? Aren't they more attuned to sports TV personalities who nowadays act more like entertainers?
A: I don't think young people care whether Tom Brokaw or Bob Schieffer or whoever is anchoring the network news shows because I don't think young people are watching at all. If they are watching anything it's CNN and FOX News, but more likely they're going to the web for their news fix if they're going anywhere at all. I think, for the most part, the networks have given up trying to get young people to watch network news shows, or news magazine shows for that matter. They probably are more attuned to sports personalities - not necessarily TV sports personalities. I don't think they care if Jim Nantz or Bob Costas is hosting a show. It's the show or event that counts and has to be compelling. Very few on-air personalities can command an audience: John Madden to some extent in football, John McEnroe in tennis, maybe Dick Vitale in basketball and possibly Charles Barkley. For the most part, the game's the thing.

Q: Do you think the local news broadcast will change its format in the future? If so, how?
A: I think local news broadcasts are always changing to adapt to or try to attract new audiences. Graphics are always changing and music is becoming more and more a presence. That's not a new phenomenon. It's the constant mandate for local news to try to attract new audiences - attempts to hire younger, hipper anchors and more minority representatives depending on the market. But keep in mind that local news is not network news - two completely different animals.

Q: If 24-hour local news channels exist, such as New York 1, why do networks still compete with each other over their local news programs when they're essentially airing the same content?
A: Because there's money to be made in broadcasting local news. The costs are controllable to a great extent and it gives the local station an opportunity to brand itself in the community. For example, this past weekend the Scranton CBS station preempted all the network basketball games on Saturday to air the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Scranton from 1 to 4 pm. [The parade] is sold all the time and [the station] keeps all the money. Local news gives stations the opportunity to endear themselves to the local market. So yes, they all air the same stories, but they all try to give [their audiences] the personality of the station. There is often a combining of news shows - two or more stations in the same market might air the exact same news show - but each sells it separately. Local news is critical to local stations.

Q: Right now, the FCC restricts the number of hours per day and per week a station can air network programming. The only exceptions are long-running sporting events and major news events. Do you think these rules will change?
A: The FCC rules are always changing to some degree, but no, I don't think they will change too drastically. The point is to avoid monopoly of news distribution - allow for many voices in each community. In giving networks the right to own more stations representing a higher percentage of homes in the U.S., the FCC is already granting the networks more power over public opinion. If the only voice the viewer hears is the voice of Viacom or G.E. or Disney or FOX, we're all in trouble. That's why local stations are important bearers of information to the community. There are other FCC rules covering public service announcements, equal time and access to candidates prior to elections, obscenity issues, etc. Each network has a program practices division stocked with lawyers overseeing programming and issuing proclamations.

Q: If sports can't entirely take over local news, can reality shows be added to the equation, especially when you consider "American Idol" dominated the Winter Olympics in ratings?
A: I don't see reality shows cutting into local time any more than sports. "American Idol" beat the Olympics this time around. Maybe next time the Olympics beat "American Idol," but they lose to the next great sitcom or drama. Who knows? But the one thing I think will continue as long as the TV environment stays on the same course is that local news, and generally local programming, will continue to be a cash cow for the local stations. Many stations would rather run "Oprah," or "Jeopardy," or "Wheel of Fortune" than any network show.

2006-03-12T19:35:00.000-05:00

NBA ANNOUNCES CURE TO ARRHYTHMIAS

Since my recent interview with Miami Heat cardiologist Dr. Edward Neff regarding this season's NBA arrhythmias, the league has passed a rule that requires every team to check for cardiovascular disease.

Sports Illustrated reported in its March 6th issue that the "NBA established guidelines for player physicals, after a spate of heart-related problems in the last year. All players must now undergo echocardiograms, heart imaging exams that can detect defects missed by the electrocardiograms players now take. The change is meant to address a string of cardiac incidents: In October the death of Hawks center Jason Collier was traced to an enlarged heart. Former Timberwolves guard Fred Hoiberg and free-agent forward Robert Traylor are out for the year with heart ailments, and Lakers top draft pick Ronny Turiaf missed most of the season. The NBA is the first pro league to make echocardiograms mandatory."

2006-03-06T23:15:00.001-05:00

STILL SPORTS SAVVY AT 98 YEARS OLD

South Florida resident Ray Mooney was watching this year's NBA All-Star Game, but like everyone else not at the Toyota Center in Houston, she was unaware of an unusual occurrence in the fourth quarter. During a timeout, the Miami Heat's 51 to 80-year-old dance group called the Golden Oldies stole the spotlight with a performance to the hip-hop song "Gold Digger." But back east, Ray hardly missed a move, heating up her own sports fever as a super golden oldie. Just shy of her 98th birthday, she is the oldest member of a sports-simulated aerobic class at her Forest Trace retirement community in Ft. Lauderdale. It seems as though she couldn't control her game-time emotions solely on the edge of her couch.

"I can't participate in sports, but by watching sports, it stimulates me," Mooney says. "It stimulates me mentally, it stimulates me physically. I get excited. I jump up and cheer for my players, my teams. And when I go to exercises, even our exercises simulate organized sports. We do it sitting down in a chair. In one of our exercises, we pretend that we're rowing. We bend forward, move our arms back, move our arms forward. And then we pretend that we're swimming and we do the breast stroke, we do the overhand stroke, we do the back stroke. So even our exercises simulate sports."

She thinks it's a wonderful idea that the Heat showcases a senior citizen booty-shaking troupe, especially when most in-game entertainment uses a youthful, tootsie-roll approach. But the sports audience is aging as the baby boomer market expands. I spoke further with Ms. Mooney to understand why sports has stuck with her through the years, how her senior residence promotes game-time participation and how she thinks television can market more toward the elderly.

Q: Tell me about how you first fell in love with sports.
A: Until I was about 14 years of age, I was never interested in sports. But while at Erasmus High School [in Brooklyn], I joined a field hockey team. Those of us who went to high school were all required to enter some sport. There we met young men who were into basketball, so we learned about basketball. We became cheerleaders for the team. We became involved with the sports. It was activity that was pleasurable and we enjoyed it. It was fun. I remember when I was 16, I had a boyfriend who played basketball for his high school. And although I never saw him play, he would tell me about his games and I became very interested in them. Actually, as an aside, he suffered a very serious injury and developed infections and they were not able to cure him and eventually he had to have his leg amputated. But when I was about 17, I had a date to a Columbia versus Navy football game. I was working at that time as a bookkeeper and one of my early boyfriends was attracted to me and took me to the game. I was wearing a raccoon coat - in what those days you used to wear - and it was very cold. I had never been to a football game - that was the first time I ever had, which is why it's my greatest sports memory. He enjoyed teaching me about football and I enjoyed learning about football and watching it, so it was pleasurable for both of us. And then, if we married - as many of us did - to a man who was a lover of sports, they introduced us to sports as my husband, David, did to me. When I met David, he was a basketball player. He played center for his team. He was one of the tall ones. In that generation, six feet was very tall. Of course, I went to all his games and learned more about the games and the more you learn about a sport, the more interested you become in it and the more you want to see more sports. That's what it's all about. If you're exposed to it when you're young, you continue with that love that you seem to develop when you are young. And it continued on.

Q: How did it progress?
A: Later on, my two sons contributed to my interest in sports. When Steven became an oarsman, we went to see all his boat races. When Leonard became a swordsman, we went to all his fencing meets. When my grandchildren participated in their sports - basketball, track and field, etc. - they increased my love of sports. And my husband and I became interested in all those sports and the more we knew about them, the more we watched them on TV. From that, I went to the newspapers and started to read about sports. I owe my interest in sports, and the fact that I am keeping up with sports today, to the fact that along the way people taught me the rules and what to look for and why certain things were important - what the scoring was about, who some of the referees were, etc. Sports have really sustained me through the years when more or less now I'm committed just to watching them on TV and I continue to read about them in the newspapers.

Q: What sports do you like?
A: I enjoy tennis, I like baseball, I like basketball, I like football. I don't care for wrestling, I don't care for boxing. I think ice hockey is too frivolous. I've been watching the Winter Olympics and some of those feats that they're performing are absolutely death-defying.

Q: How would you say Forest Trace and its residents view sports?
A: I live in a retirement home where we are between 70 and 102 years old. Many of us are ardent sports fans and enjoy watching the games. As an example, I sit at a table with six people for dinner and out of the six people, and we're all women, three of us enjoy sports. Our management is also sports-minded and, because they are, it keeps us alert, stimulated and happy. They turn our residence into a "sports stadium" on special sports event days, such as the World Series, the All-Star Game and the Super Bowl. On these occasions, our dining room is decorated with pictures of the sports teams with pendants, and even our staff as well as all the residents come to the dining room dressed in T-shirts with the name of their favorite team or favorite athlete emblazoned on the back. The food served in the dining room is what we would be getting at the arena: hot dogs, hamburgers, soft drinks and even beers. After dinner, we all enjoy watching the game together on [Forest Trace's] giant TV screen. The cheering, the applauding, the booing make it seem as if we are right there at the stadium. We're so proud of our young athletes - their skills, their athleticism - and we only wish that more of them would remember that there are many, very young people who are also proud of their prowess and look up to them. It is the responsibility, I feel, of these star athletes to lead law-abiding and healthy lives - free from drugs - and to be good role models for these youngsters.

Q: Are there notices posted for upcoming sporting events?
A: They make announcements, it's on the bulletin board, it's in our newsletter. Although there are over 400 people living here, many of them are home-bound and can't come down to watch. Or sometimes it's too cold and they don't go out. But we had about 60, 70 people who came down to see the Super Bowl, so it's a big turnout for us because they have to walk outside to go across to the TV room. Sometimes, the TV room is too small and we go into the big theater.

Q: Is there any betting going on?
A: [Forest Trace] allows us to bet a dollar on the winning score or the score at the end of the half or the particular player who is scoring the most points.

Q: Does Forest Trace provide transportation to sporting events?
A: They've taken us to the horse races. They've taken us to the casinos.

Q: Have you ever gone?
A: I went to the horse races. In fact, one time I was one of the people chosen to appear with the winning horse. They took pictures with us and everything.

Q: When you attend a game or watch it on television, do you feel that your demographic is under covered?
A: No, I don't think so. I think they give us a lot of pleasure. They make us feel young, they make us feel that we're not old at all, that we're back in our youth at the stadium itself enjoying the roar of the crowd, the excitement. No, I don't think they leave us out at all. They appeal to my generation as well as to the middle-aged generation. They appeal to all ages. They appeal to all races. You don't even have to know the language to enjoy them. I think that sports is a wonderful thing.

Q: What are your thoughts on sports ads associated with alcohol?
A: That doesn't bother me. But I don't like to see people drinking anything to excess. I don't enjoy them throwing bottles down on the field and sometimes injuring some of the players because they were angry when the players didn't do something right. I don't mind moderate beer drinking or a cocktail or two. I don't think that's offensive to any of us. I don't think they should be guzzling beer - that would be awful and if they showed pictures of that, I wouldn't like it at all.

Q: So, what would be your ideal commercial?
A: I think older people have a lot to offer to younger people because most of us have led good lives, most of us have supported children, grandchildren, sacrificed our roles for better living. They can make a commercial like that. That would be good. I mean, there are many people here who can be role models for the younger people to see what happens after living a life of poverty and who were working hard and succeeding at what we do. Certainly, they would have a lot to contribute in a commercial. Absolutely. In the world, at least the United States, the average age is up in the 70's. The life span used to be like the 55 range, but now you have many 100-year-old people. My two sisters died at 103.

Q: Sports attitudes and perspectives have also significantly changed within the last 10 years. Does anything jump out at you?
A: I think everything changes as sports have changed also. The rules have changed. I think that in some instances the rules have been an improvement and in other instances, I feel that not enough attention is paid to physical things. I mean, some sports are too physical and it's heart-wrenching to us to find somebody ending up in a wheelchair because of something that happened on the field. I feel that some of the fouls that they call are not punished enough. They should absolutely take somebody off the field all together if they use violence. I don't like that at all. That is not something that has changed for the better. Years ago, you didn't see that.

Q: Do any of the residents surf the web for sports news and scores?
A: No, there are very few residents who use the computer. They would like us all to be computer literate. They have three computers downstairs. But I don't think you can get enough older people going to websites. Their memories aren't good. From one lesson to the next, they'll forget. They do what they can for them, but their memories... Even I - I'm looking for words that I can't even find - common-usage words I've used all my life I have forgotten. I just don't remember. Our memories don't last very long. It is what was in the past that we remember. We don't remember the present so much. They did give us lessons for a while, but they've stopped now. Last time we had someone to teach us, three people showed up. The people here, at our age level, they're more concerned with their daily living - getting by without getting into trouble. Last night at dinner, one of them dropped dead right in the dining room. They cordoned off the whole area. They gave him CPR, they used a defibrillator, they did all kinds of things to him, but he was gone. So, you know, these are the things you see. If you see a person today, tomorrow the person might be gone or at the hospital.

Q: I understand. Well, for the ones who are able and healthy, what would you recommend to get them more involved in sports?
A: There needs to be more teaching of the sport itself and you'll get more older people watching. Old people, who can be home-bound or who just have no other form of entertainment, spend a lot of time watching TV, so if they learned more fine points about the games, they would watch them more often. At least I would. That's what old people need to know - they need to understand the games in order to develop an interest in them. For instance, I've been watching poker on TV. They play some kind of strange poker, Texas-style poker. But before every broadcast, they explain exactly the importance of certain cards, what a pair is, what's better than a pair, what's better than a flush. When you watch the actual play, they show you the cards in the hands and it's very interesting because you know that one hand is better than the other hand.

Q: Overall, what are the benefits of being part of a sports-friendly family?
A: I think it kept us together as a family. We all shared a common interest. When my grandchildren grew up, they joined the little leagues. We all went to watch them play ball. We were united by watching them play and enjoying the sport. It's very important for families to share things together, especially in today's times when people are so far apart. When I talk to my family when they're in New York and I'm in Florida, we're talking about sports and this is a wonderful thing. It's something that we're both interested in and we can share together.

2006-02-27T23:30:00.000-05:00

RIDDEN OUT? HOLD YOUR HORSES

Baseball, boxing, track and field, and thoroughbred horse racing. What do they all have in common? Those were the four biggest sports at the turn of the 20th century. But what about in recent years? Well, baseball is still America's pastime - even with all the steroids stuff. Boxing can still call the media its best friend with all the pre-fight hype - even though most of the matches are on pay-per-view. Track and field is still a staple in sports culture from middle school to the Olympic Games - even with nearly no national coverage.

Then, there's thoroughbred horse racing - the so-called "sport of kings." Though baseball, boxing, and track and field are struggling to attract fans with their various misfortunes, nothing compares to the sudden bobbles at the races. Experts say the business is looking extremely washy and something needs to be done to soak up the sweat. Let's grab the reins.

Way before there was Secretariat - considered to be the greatest racehorse ever - and the Kentucky Derby, there were the first organized horse races around 4500 B.C. throughout Central Asia and the Mediterranean. By 638 B.C., the sport involved chariot racing during the ancient Greek Olympics, which became extremely popular later in the Roman Empire.

It was not until the 12th century when the origins of modern racing really developed. Arabian stallions were imported and bred in England where two-horse races were arranged for private wagers. This concept grew to a professional level in the 1700's when facilities were built to race several horses at one time and hold a number of spectators. As a result, breeding and racing became very profitable.

During the next 200 years, horse racing became, indeed, the "sport of kings" (for the pleasure of the royal courts). Major races were staged, including the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, which make up the Triple Crown. Spacious tracks opened with the smell of stables and the sound of hoof beats, including Churchill Downs, Pimlico and Belmont Park. And several famous stallions shined in the national spotlight as multi-million dollar investments, including Man O' War, Secretariat, Citation, Kelso, Count Fleet and the diminutive Seabiscuit (a recent movie star).

But within the last 20 years, horse racing's growth has dwindled just about as drastically as the species of brightly-colored harlequin frogs in Central and South America. Take New Jersey for example. According to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, the number of equine-related farms went from 400 in 1987 to 125 in 1997. During the same time frame, the number of racing dates shrunk from 324 to 120, the number of thoroughbreds dropped from 13,200 to 4,000 and the number of foals, or newborns, plummeted from 1,252 to 295.

What's going on? Well, first of all, breeding has become very expensive. Michael Harrison, president of the Thoroughbred Breeders Association of New Jersey, says it can cost between $15,000 and $20,000 to qualify a horse to race. Breeders, who tend to work very long hours (sometimes well past dark) are becoming impatient not only because they aren't selling their stallions, but they also know that it takes several years to nurture a quality horse farm.

"It's like planting a fruit tree," says Joe Kennings, who owns a 170-acre horse farm in Monmouth County. "It takes three, four, five years for it grow. People don't want to wait that long. They want a piece of the action. And there's a lot of risk. We don't get crop insurance as if we're raising beans."

It's also pricey to keep a track going - around $100 million - which is another reason why horse racing has a significant impact on the local community. That hefty price includes an enormous economic investment. On the other side of the coin, New York, for instance, had been nesting $1.3 billion from its racing product, which provided 152,000 jobs for owners, service providers, employees and volunteers to name just a few. Not anymore.

In Florida and California, it has been hardly any different. Though a 2003 study conducted by the Horse Racing Association determined that horse racing in both states yielded billions of dollars, attendance had nose-dived from 17 million in 1980 to 2.7 million in 2003. Research showed that fans were flocking elsewhere, especially in Florida where expansion teams were knocking on people's doors: the 1988 Miami Heat, the 1993 Florida Marlins and Florida Panthers. In addition, with the advent of simulcasting in the 80's, gamblers didn't have to go to the tracks to place wagers - they could do it online or over the phone from home.

So, what then is the solution to salvage the horse racing financial empire? For starters, it's imperative to implement slot machines and video lottery terminals at the tracks. Greg Melikov, who has been covering horse racing for decades, says if casino-style gambling can flourish in Las Vegas - the number one vacation spot in the country - then it can do the same at the race tracks.

"Slot machines are picking up where simulcasting left off," Melikov says. "Louisiana tracks that have them are doing much better than Texas tracks that don't. That's because purses for racing climbs as revenue from video slots rolls in."

Of course, one major diversion to having more centralized gambling is competing deregulation. And this is the reason why state governments need to create consistent racing laws, such as stricter penalties for off-shore wagering and higher insurance policies for jockeys. The four largest horse racing states - California, Florida, Kentucky and New York - need to have a management makeover and ultimately work together to deliver more synergy integrity, quality and most importantly - a better product.

Speaking of consistency, there needs to be a well-defined horse racing season and increased brand awareness, so there is more fan loyalty like with NASCAR. As a result, the horses will perform better instead of grinding their hooves 365 days a year. There also needs to be more host sponsorships (Yum Brands recently made the 131-year-old Kentucky Derby its first), more corporate signage along the tracks and more attention paid to local broadcast rights.

By the way, do you know who Jerry Bailey is? Probably not. Well, he was the "Jordan" of jockeys who retired this year after earning a shade over $300 million in his 31-year career. Case in point: the jockeys, just like their compensation, are under-represented and I'm not just talking about their small frames.

Another component missing from the tracks is the families, especially those with younger children. Even though the minimum age to gamble at most states is 18, there aren't enough activities for the under age. Furthermore, the facilities need to cross-promote by adding extra events to their calendars, such as a concert or amusement fair. That way they could not only advertise their venue, but also upcoming races. When the Belmont Stakes arrives annually on a Sunday in June, 100,000 people crowd the stands, but by Wednesday that Michigan Stadium-like number lowers to about 9,000.

The good news is that the horse droppings are being cleaned up. Casinos are being added as amenities at several tracks, most notably in Louisiana. The Kentucky Derby - known as "the most exciting two minutes in sports" - just received a host sponsor, which could create a trickle-down effect in the business. And just last week, the California Horse Racing Board passed a motion that may change the nature of the horse-betting game. The organization declared that all major tracks in the state must install Polytrack - a new, synthetic surface - by December 31, 2007, or else have their licenses revoked. Whether that's seen as a positive or negative, it will create buzz at the tracks to see how the horses will react to the new all-weather coating.

And how will the business side react? Well, first there needs to be some heady guidance. Remember when Michael Jordan retired from the NBA in 2003 and the league was looking for a new face to represent its players? But it wasn't just one guy. It was the young stars - the Lebron's and the Wade's and the Carmelo's. Horse racing needs the same - a collective unit of new leaders - to help recrown the "sport of kings" and bring it back to the finish line as a financial champion.

2006-02-11T15:50:00.000-05:00

THE PIVOTAL MOMENT OF A SUPERSTAR'S MARKETABILITY

It was December 4, 2005, and the Pittsburgh Steelers had just fallen short to the Cincinnati Bengals, 38-31, for their third straight loss of the season. And Steelers' quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger (pictured), was too upset to even pick up his razor. Looking forward, though, that wasn't such a bad idea.

"I was so mad that we lost the game," Roethlisberger told David Letterman on last Monday's The Late Show. "I kind of went into a depression and didn't shave and we ended up winning the next game. And I am kind of superstitious - just a little bit to people who know me - but we won that game and I said I am just going to keep it going until we lose and we kept it going. I don't really like the beard you know. But we were winning so I had to keep it going."

And so came the scruffiness. Roethlisberger and the Steelers won their next eight games, including Super Bowl XL against the Seattle Seahawks, 21-10. It had to be the beard, right? Well, for Big Ben, it not only symbolized his tough-guy persona on the gridiron, but it was also his marketing juice. His grizzly look made headlines during the playoffs and was even featured on a front-page spread with an accompanying article in the New York Times Sports section. Then, as Gillette prepared to unveil its Fusion five-blade razor in a sharp Super Bowl commercial, the company struck a six-figure deal with Roethlisberger to have him shave off his beard using the new product on CBS' popular late-night talk show.

Whether or not you believe in superstitions, that belies the fact that because Roethlisberger grew a beard, it helped increase his market value to a Tom Brady level. Call it coincidence? Think it's timing? Maybe it's just the blessing of being a superstar. Now that he's won a championship at only 23 years old, he'll be demanding major endorsement dollars and could become the next centerfold of the NFL, according to the Sports Business Journal. Obviously, Roethlisberger's talent can't be denied - the beard didn't get him that ring - but not shaving on that day was the pivotal moment that grew into his newfound recognition.

Here are some other high-profile athletes whose careers were upgraded by a single circumstance that reflected their character and style of play:

1) Kobe Bryant - On January 22, the most loved-hated basketball player on the planet scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, second all-time to Wilt Chamberlain's 100 points back in 1962. What followed? More love for the Los Angeles Lakers' scoring leader. The Hall of Fame wanted Bryant's game-worn shoes. Spalding announced it would make a commemorative ball. The NBA Store started carrying special-edition gold T-shirts with number 81 on the back. NBA TV aired the historic offensive onslaught several times in the following week. Even Google sold the broadcast for $3.95 on its Video Store. And all this came during a time when Nike was advertising his new shoe, the Zoom Kobe I, which is now on sale.

2) Bode Miller - Just a month before this year's Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, the world's best ski racer admitted on 60 Minutes to skiing hung over. What followed? He made the front cover of Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek and the inaugural New York Times sports magazine, Play. Not bad for publicity, especially since he's still got the versatility to compete in all five Alpine events and strike gold in each.

3) Tiger Woods - On the 16th hole during the final round of the 2005 Masters, America's wealthiest active sportsman hit a chip shot that landed about 20 feet from the hole. Then, as if by magic, the ball made a 90-degree turn in the cup's direction and rolled right to its edge with the Nike logo appearing before making a sudden splash. What followed? Nike, which has been paying Woods an estimated $90 million a year, capitalized on the Happy Gilmore-like miracle and turned it into a commercial. No special effects, no stunt doubles. It was Woods proving he's his own reality show - far superior to any other - and why he'll be the first sports billionaire.

4) Derek Jeter - In 2003, the New York Yankees' star shortstop sparred publicly with team owner George Steinbrenner who questioned Jeter's leadership and extracurricular activities (think singer Mariah Carey, former Miss Universe Lara Dutta, actresses Jordana Brewster, Jessica Alba and Scarlett Johansson, and the latest starlet: MTV VJ and former Miss Teen USA Vanessa Minnillo). Several months after their spat, they apparently made amends. What followed? The two appeared in a Visa commercial where Jeter visits Steinbrenner's office and the owner asks him how he can balance partying and picking up ground balls. The answer: Jeter holds up a Visa credit card. The proceeding montage shows both of them dancing at several New York City night spots and even joining a conga line. Sure, Jeter is sports' ultimate ladies' man, but the ad showed that he still has the boss' support to be the team captain. Being on the world's most represented team, that says a lot.

5) LeBron James - During his senior year at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, the 6'8" man-child received a 2003 Hummer H2 (not to mention a remote control mini-version). But was the $50,000 hefty gift from his mom or soon-to-be agent? Well, as the Ohio High School Athletic Association investigated the situation, the sports universe tuned into the King James saga. What followed? Even before he was picked first in the 2003 NBA Draft, Nike signed him to a seven-year deal worth more than $90 million and modeled his first trademark sneaker after the Hummer. The bulky vehicle is also synonymous with the Cleveland Cavalier's brute force in the paint.

6) Michael Jordan - Once upon a time, the greatest ever elevated toward the hoop for a jam and kicked his legs out mid-air. What followed? Sports marketing would never be the same. In 1988, one of Nike's main designers, Tinker Hatfield, who eventually became Jordan's go-to guy, came across a sketch of his spread-eagle dunk and used it as the "Jumpman" logo on the Air Jordan III sneaker (and every one thereafter). Then, in 1996, Jordan starred in the movie Space Jam, which featured Seal's song "Fly Like An Eagle" - an ode to the lead character. Its hook was, "Said I wanna fly like an eagle to the sea/Fly like an eagle let my spirit carry me/I wanna fly right into the future." Jordan went on to soar high above everyone else. During his second three-peat with the Chicago Bulls, Nike helped him launch his own apparel line, Brand Jordan, which has grossed more than $500 million. Now three years since retiring in 2003, his name still gets a lot of "Air" time, especially when his new kicks are about to hit stores (the Air Jordan XXI arrives February 18). In fact, you can argue the "Jumpman" is more recognizable today than the NBA insignia.

2006-01-28T14:40:00.000-05:00

EXAMINING THE NBA'S ARRHYTHMIAS WITH HEAT CARDIOLOGIST

In the past several months, a startling six NBA players have suffered some form of heart disease. Former Atlanta Hawks center Jason Collier died from cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart. New York Knicks center Eddy Curry and Los Angeles Clippers center Zeljko Rebraca were diagnosed with irregular heartbeats. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Fred Hoiberg (pictured), Cleveland Cavaliers forward Robert Traylor and Los Angeles Lakers forward Ronny Turiaf underwent open-heart surgeries to fix enlarged aortic roots.

Just a year ago, not a single stethoscope detected a potential problem in any player. Now that six have been sidelined during the season and the All-Star break is still weeks away, that begs the questions: What is going on all of a sudden and will it continue? Well, I spoke with Miami Heat cardiologist, Dr. Edward Neff, to get a first-hand look into the NBA’s heart irregularities and to see how he would handle the future of cardiovascular checkups throughout the league.

Q: Why has there been a recent jump in heart disease throughout the NBA?
A: It’s not entirely clear why that would be this year - the players all had different problems. I just think it’s all fortuitous. There have been really a few significant problems over the years. [Former Boston Celtic great] Reggie Lewis and [former Loyola Marymount University star] Hank Gathers had myocarditis. They shouldn't have been playing - they had infections of their hearts. The guys would be alive today if they didn't play. Those are two guys that if they were treated appropriately, or agreed to be treated appropriately, they wouldn’t have died. They may have gotten better and played again, or maybe not. You can’t blame them because sports was their whole life. More recently, there was a guy by the name of Monty Williams, who played for the Knicks, that I evaluated. He had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - an abnormally thickened heart muscle. But that was well known to a lot of teams. The Heat turned him down. Philadelphia didn’t want to draft him. New York took a risk and the guy had a 10-year career in the NBA. This year, it was hard to believe that Ronny Turiaf got through the combine. The NBA has the combine every year at Northwestern. They have about 80 players. They all get stress tests and they get examined. Turiaf went through all that stuff and it was sort of missed. He was drafted and no one said anything about it.

Q: In the wake of what’s happened this year, have you noticed that players are more cautious about their cardiovascular health?
A: I don’t think athletes are concerned that much about their hearts. If you had somebody in your family who had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and died at 26, you might really be interested. But the average person isn’t interested. The players do what they do because the teams say, “This is what you do. You have to go see Dr. Neff.” And then I write a letter and say, “They’re OK to play.” And then they play. They just have to come through me. If they can get away without doing it, they would. Some people are very interested, but I would say the average person isn’t particularly interested. You have to realize that we’re dealing with young, healthy athletes, which is a lot different than dealing with middle-aged and older people who have different outlooks on life. The outlook on life when you’re a young adult is that you’re going to live forever. It’s inconceivable that you’ll get sick, it’s inconceivable that you’ll die. That’s just the way people are. Every once in a while, I’ll find a ballplayer who’s interested in something because his father had it or his grandfather had it. And they say, “I want to check this, I want to check that.”

Q: Before the season, Eddy Curry was traded from the Chicago Bulls to the New York Knicks mainly due to his arrhythmia. Do you think there will be new health clauses added to contracts?
A: The contracts are usually dependent on the player passing the physical. When the Heat got Antoine Walker, he had some sort of orthopedic problem, so the team had to restructure his contract. Let’s say in your contract you can’t ride a motorcycle like with [ex-Chicago Bulls] Jason Williams. He broke his leg from a serious injury riding his bike. In his contract, he wasn’t allowed to ride his motorcycle, so Chicago voided his contract. The Celtics offered to pay Reggie Lewis to retire when he had his heart problem. They said, “Just retire, get a different lawyer and you’ll get your money.” But he didn’t listen to them and he ended up dying. I think the problem is that a lot of athletes aren’t forthright because they’re afraid that their health will interfere with their contract. So a lot of players keep things to themselves. Most people who die from heart disease as athletes have symptoms. It’s very rare for people to have their first symptom as death. Usually people have dizziness, chest pains and unusual shortness of breath that they didn’t experience before. They have had these symptoms before, they ignore the symptoms and then they drop dead.

Q: Which heart disease has the highest death rate among athletes?
A: About 40 percent of sudden deaths in young athletes are from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Usually the people who die suddenly usually die through exercise due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. And that’s the number one cause of death in young athletes. There’s about six or seven common causes of sudden deaths, such as aneurysms and arrhythmias, but hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common cause. It’s fairly easy to diagnose if the person gets an echocardiogram.

Q: What are some new cardiovascular technologies used for detection?
A: We have echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and cardiac CT angiograms. All these things are noninvasive ways to make all the diagnoses you usually make. It’s not a mystery how you make the diagnosis. If the person gets tested, they have screenings because there’s a lot more risk. It makes sense before you sign a guy to a 100-million-dollar contract that you certainly want to make sure you’re going to get your 100-million dollars worth.

Q: Doctors said that Curry’s massive size (6-11, 285 lbs) was one of the reasons he suffered from arrhythmia. How does height and weight play a factor?
A: If you’re growing too fast, it’s not good for you. But I don’t think that height and weight play a role unless you have Marfan's syndrome. Flo Hyman was an All-American volleyball player who played on the Olympic team [in 1984] and she dropped dead in competition because she had Marfan’s. It’s a disease when the connective tissue that holds everything together is very weak. People can get a dissection, or a tear, of the aorta and they can die, so we have to replace the aortic root like with Ronny Turiaf. Their aortic valves can deteriorate and they can get aortic aneurysms. These people can have sudden death. I don’t think there’s any more heart disease in anyone else, other than in usually tall, skinny people who can get Marfan's syndrome. They have a high-arched palette, they have long, spider-like fingers and they get ectopic lenses - the lenses in their eyes can dislocate. They also have excessively long legs. These people, if they’re lucky, can have their aorta replaced like Ronny Turiaf or it will fall apart.

Q: It has been reported that Fred Hoiberg will play this season with a pacemaker. What are your thoughts on that?
A: Pacemakers are very sophisticated. They can be very responsive now depending on what Hoiberg’s problem is. If his upper chamber, or the atrium - which is where your heart beats faster and pumps more blood when you do activity - is working fine and he just has a block between the upper and lower chamber, they can program the pacemaker so that he can have a normal cardiac output. If he doesn’t have that and it’s another problem, then they have rate-responsive pacemakers depending on how much activity he’s doing. You have accelermometers - they’re either heat-related, related to how much you’re breathing or how much you’re jumping up and down. The pacemaker increases its rate according to what the activity is. So Hoiberg could go back and play. The question is: Will he have enough cardiac output to be an elite athlete? And the answer is no. I don’t know if anybody has ever played with a pacemaker before - I’m sure they played pick-up. Yes, he can play with a pacemaker, but the real questions are: What is his problem? What kind of pacemaker does he have? What’s his electrical problem? And can he achieve enough cardiac output to play competitive athletics?

Q: What is your role with the Heat?
A: What I do with the Heat is that I check everybody once a year before the season starts. When the Heat brings in people for tryouts before the season, including anybody that doesn’t go to the combine, we give them physical examinations and echocardiograms before the team works them out. We don’t want to miss hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and other problems. We do a full physical examination every year. Plus, we do an ultrasound of the heart and we do an exercise stress test on every player annually.

Q: If the NBA consulted you to help prevent these heart problems from recurring, what would you recommend?
A: I think the NBA is going to come out now with new guidelines. See, right now it’s up to the team. The Heat does everything on every player every year; whereas, there are some teams who cheap out and don’t do everything on every player. They don’t do much of an exam or they have their orthopedic guy exam them. If you have an orthopedist exam the patients, they’re going to be looking at their joints, but not really looking for cardiovascular disease. That’s the problem in the NBA now. Whereas in the Women’s Tennis Association, all the players who have played competitive tennis professionally have to get one physical examination in the first year that they play. One year when I went to the Lipton [now called the Nasdaq-100 Open], I examined the players because everybody had to get it done that year. But that’s the WTA’s standard for physical examinations. As far as the NBA goes, up until now the teams can do whatever they want. There is no NBA guideline for how they examine their players. I think what you’re going to see coming up after the All-Star game are certain guidelines for physical examinations. You’re also going to see guidelines for trainers to use automatic defibrillators.

Q: There was already some resentment from the players over the new dress code. What difficulties face the league in requiring each team to comply with mandatory medical tests?
A: You can only go so far. I mean, you can’t get everybody to do every test on every person. It becomes extremely expensive and you find a lot of information that you have difficulty understanding. But by doing regular history and physical examinations, routine studies, stress tests and echo’s, you can pretty much get a clue most of the time. The number one cause of death in young athletes - hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - is easy to pick up. That you can get on an echocardiogram. You can see an abnormality in the way the electricity goes through the heart. You can see if their aortas are enlarged and if they have an increased risk in sudden death. If they have Marfan's syndrome, maybe you can pick it up on the physical examination. One thing that may not be easy to pick up is congenital anomalous arteries like with Pistol Pete Maravich. He had a left coronary artery coming off the right coronary side. It came from the wrong side, went behind the heart in-between the aorta and the pulmonary artery and got squished. The guy played a whole NBA career and then died playing pick-up basketball. It’s bizarre, but that’s what happens. You can detect it by doing an angiogram or doing a coronary CAT scan, but you have to have some sort of inkling.

2006-01-18T17:40:00.000-05:00

CLASS OF '96 OUTSCORES ALL OTHERS

Some of the most historic teams ever in sports boosted their worldwide reputation in 1996.

The New York Yankees claimed the World Series. The Green Bay Packers were Super Bowl Champions. The Chicago Bulls won 70 games - a single-season record - and eventually hoisted the NBA Finals trophy (the first in their second three-peat). The Kentucky Wildcats' men's basketball team cut down the NCAA Championship nets. Dream Team II took home the gold medal in Atlanta. Heck, even Tiger Woods - who is basically his own franchise - became the first golfer to win three consecutive U.S. Amateur golf titles.

More? Well, how's this - some of the biggest names in today's sports were drafted in 1996. I was browsing through a recent Sports Illustrated issue (Dec. 5, 2005) and came across an article about the class of 1996 NFL wide receivers who are currently some of the best in the league (Bobby Engram, Terry Glenn, Marvin Harrison, Joe Horn, Keyshawn Johnson, Eddie Kennison, Eric Moulds, Muhsin Muhammad, Terrell Owens and Amani Toomer). That got me thinking about other league drafts and I realized the NBA wasn't too bad either that year (Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Steve Nash, Jermaine O'Neal, Peja Stojakovic and Antoine Walker).

In short, 1996 cracked open a leak of talent, which in the last few years has peaked into a consistent waterfall of points and yards. Here are some front-page snapshots from the NBA and NFL players' standout careers:

NBA
Allen Iverson (1st pick) - 1996-97 Rookie of the Year...2000-01 MVP...four-time scoring champion (1998-99, 2000-01, 01-02, 04-05)
Shareef Abdur-Rahim (3) - career 19-point scorer...2000 Olympic Gold Medalist...2002 All-Star
Stephon Marbury (4) - career 20-point scorer...two-time All-Star (2001, 03)...only player to rank in the top 10 in points (23.9) and assists (7.6) in 2000-01
Ray Allen (5) - 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist...five-time All-Star (2000-02, 04-05)...third all-time in three-pointers made (over 1,600)
Antoine Walker (6) - career 19-point scorer...three-time All-Star (1998, 2002, 03)...led the Boston Celtics in scoring (17.5 ppg), rebounds (9.0 rpg) and blocked shots (53) as a rookie
Kobe Bryant (13) - three-time NBA Champion (2000-02)...seven-time All-Star (1998-2005)...recently became the youngest player in history to score 15,000 points (currently the scoring leader at over 34 ppg)
Peja Stojakovic (14) - career 18-point scorer...three-time All-Star (2002-04)...one of the greatest international players ever (from Serbia-Montenegro)
Steve Nash (15) - 2004-05 MVP...three-time All-Star (2002, 03, 05)...currently ranks first in assists (over 11 apg)
Jermaine O'Neal (17) - four-time All-Star (2002-05)...Gold Medal winner in the 2001 Goodwill Games...2001-02 Most Improved Player (raised his scoring average from 12.9 to 19.0 ppg)
Zydrunas Ilgauskas (18) - career 15-point scorer...two-time All-Star (2003, 05)...named MVP of the Rookie Game in 1998 (he officially began his NBA career in 1997-98)

NFL
Keyshawn Johnson (1st pick) - 2002 Super Bowl Champion...three-time Pro Bowler (1998, 99, 2001)...co-MVP of the 1998 Pro Bowl
Terry Glenn (7) - 2001 Super Bowl Champion...1999 Pro Bowler...finished seventh in receptions (90) as a rookie
Eddie Kennison (18) - tied for ninth place in receiving touchdowns (9) as a rookie...gained 1,801 total yards (924 receiving, 454 kick returning, 423 punt returning) as a rookie...led the Kansas City Chiefs in receiving yards (1,102), average (16.2 ypc) and touchdowns (5) this season
Marvin Harrison (19) - seven-time Pro Bowler (1999, 2000-05)...recorded most ever receptions (143) in a season (2002)...two-time single-season leader in receiving yards (1999, 2002)
Eric Moulds (24) - three-time Pro Bowler (1998, 2000, 02)...ninth among active wide receivers in receptions (675) and 10th in receiving yards (9,091)...ranked in the top 10 in receptions (100), receiving yards (1,287) and touchdowns (10) in 2002
Amani Toomer (34) - helped lead the New York Giants to the Super Bowl in 2000...finished with five straight 1,000-plus yard seasons from 1999-2003...ranked in the top 10 in receiving yards (1,343) and touchdowns (8) in 2002
Muhsin Muhammad (43) - two-time Pro Bowler (1999, 2004)...tied for the league lead in receptions (102) in 2002...league leader in receiving yards (1,405) and touchdowns (16) in 2004
Bobby Engram (52) - led the Seattle Seahawks in receiving yards (778) this season...finished seventh in receptions (88) in 1999...gained 1,251 total yards (389 receiving, 580 kick returning, 282 punt returning) as a rookie
Terrell Owens (89) - five-time Pro Bowler (2000-04)...fourth all-time in receiving touchdowns (101)...20th all-time in receiving yards (10,535)
Joe Horn (135) - four-time Pro Bowler (2000-02, 04)...led the New Orleans Saints in receiving yards from 2000-04...ranked in the top 10 in receptions (94), receiving yards (first with 1,405) and touchdowns (11) in 2004

2006-01-12T04:00:00.000-05:00

GETTING TRADED INCLUDES EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE, TOO

Earlier this week, Herman Edwards was traded from the New York Jets to the Kansas City Chiefs as the new head coach, replacing Dick Vermeil who retired after five seasons. During his introductory news conference, Edwards was very complimentary about his former career with the Jets.

"I owe a debt of gratitude to [owner] Woody Johnson. He gave a young coach a chance to be a head coach when maybe a lot of people wouldn't do that. I thank him for that, and I thank the organization for that. And I thank my players my last five years in New York for making me a better man. I hope I made a difference, and I hope I make a difference here."

But Edwards refused to discuss why he departed The Big Apple.

"What happened in New York stays in New York. So if you ask any questions about what happened, I'll tell you right now, it stays in the family."

Solely through the announcement and coverage of the trade, the public knew Edwards was exchanged for a future fourth-round draft pick. But Edwards' private manner led the public to believe that he wanted to catch a one-way flight out west because he was frustrated coaching the Jets. He endured a 39-41 five-year record (4-12 this season) and recurring injuries to his two star players - quarterback Chad Pennington and running back Curtis Martin. On the flip side, Edwards' new team, the Chiefs, are an organization on the rise (finished 10-6), thanks in large part to a breakout season by halfback Larry Johnson who was third in the league in rushing with 1,750 yards.

Although Edwards gave praise to his previous owner and players, his secretive point-of-view symbolizes the lack of information the public knows about the trials and tribulations of trades in professional sports. It's more than the reactions from players and coaches on representing a new logo. Those quotes can be easily accessed through a press conference recap.

There just isn't enough behind-the-scenes reporting on this significant type of sports business transaction. How do players and coaches prepare to move? How do they adjust to living in a new city? What is the process like of fitting in with a new team? How are their families and friends affected by the whole ordeal?

Furthermore, there should be detailed issues raised on trading technicalities. How are trade talks initiated and finalized between teams? Besides player value, what other factors contribute to a deal? What are the hot topics and future trends in the trading business?

It's important to realize that players and coaches may be multi-millionaires, but it's the team's management - with some making less money incidentally - which can treat them like indentured slaves. They can feel cheated and abused suddenly and constantly, so getting traded includes emotional baggage, too. Some players, such as Eddie Jones of the Memphis Grizzlies, have received word they were traded while on vacation. Others, such as Jim Jackson of the Phoenix Suns, have suited up for more than 10 teams.

As Edwards demonstrated by his restrained comments, some players and coaches may remain hush-hush when they're traded because it can be a difficult and irritating transition. It's one of the ultimate cold sores in professional sports because deals are sometimes unpredicted and completed behind closed doors, so it can be a touchy subject. But it's worth investigating further.

2006-01-02T17:30:00.000-05:00

NEW YEAR LACKS PLAYERS' POINT-OF-VIEW

Unless you have been as oblivious as Ron Artest's conscience, you know that 2005 was marred with tragedy. The Indian Ocean tsunami aftermath, the London suicide bombings and Hurricane Katrina were the year's most prevalent themes.

Although sports suffered no such catastrophe, some of its stars took the fun out of life's largest playing field. And with increasing fragmentation where seemingly every country's telecasters are producing ridiculous reality shows, that's especially not a good thing because there's less and less substance to watch. Sports is needed as a distraction from all the terrible trends accumulating in our television sets.

But the 2005 sports calendar was overwhelmed by the Artests (off-the-court distractions), Terrell Owens (contract disputes) and Rafael Palmeiros (criminal offenses) who laid out a buffet for reporters to consume multiple helpings of heated commentary. For that, you could have easily switched the station to "Judge Judy," "Jerry Springer" or even "Being Bobby Brown" and received the same content.

Well, as the New Year arrived in a Dwyane Wade-like "flash" of disco balls, I realized something had been missing in the final wake of sports' disgraceful tidal wave.

During several game broadcasts in the past holiday week, occasional pre-tapings aired of players wishing everyone a Happy Holiday and New Year. But they also could have personally addressed their own New Year's resolutions, especially in light of all the negativity that surrounded the sports world this past year. It might sound like a subtlety, but it ripples a more important issue.

After most sporting events, journalists provide an outlet to hear or read about players' reactions to their performances in various competitions. But once the holiday hits, reporters from near and far transform into Bill Murray's character in "Groundhog Day." Over and over again, duplicate articles appear discussing their best and worst moments and what the year in sports meant to them. It's one of the several times in sports, including the Super Bowl and March Madness, where the story is pre-determined and they know exactly what to write.

But journalists seem to lose sight of the authentic sources - the players - who are the ones ultimately competing under the Friday night lights. Players should be given the opportunity to discuss amongst themselves in a roundtable format the games they thought were memorable, the accomplishments they hoped to achieve and the valuable lessons sports taught them. In addition, they should get a chance to recognize their mistakes, suggest how to solve them and give their thoughts on the state of sports heading into 2006.

Journalists can use whichever words they want to make up players' resolutions, but doing so separates both sides even more because athletes don't like to be assumed. Not only would air time or page space give them a chance to speak for themselves, but it would also provide a personal touch to their personalities.

2005-12-27T22:40:00.000-05:00

COACHES DESERVE MORE COLOR

Today's sports landscape reveals a culture where we spotlight players sensationally. They are the ones drafted, they are the ones who receive multi-million dollar contracts and they are the ones who get multiple sponsored appearances for consumer products.

Therefore, it's easy to understand why coaches are, for the most part, strictly defined by their record and how many championship rings they own.

The NBA's extravagent gift this Christmas included a perfect example of this when the Miami Heat hosted the Los Angeles Lakers. Until Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant wear the same uniform again, they will be the focus of ABC's Christmas Day doubleheader for years to come. Not only are they two superstar athletes who won three NBA titles together, but they also reached the endorsement pinnacle that any athlete dreams to attain. Shaq even appeared in several movies and Kobe tried his voice in rap music.

Before the main event tipped-off, ABC's pregame show debuted with a new roundtable format hosted by Mike Tirico. Guests included Chucky D (founder of the rap group Public Enemy), Josh Lucas (starring actor in the upcoming basketball movie "Glory Road") and Bob Ryan (Boston Globe columnist). The first question Tirico asked was, "Who would you rather have on your team: Shaq or Kobe?" All three guests said, "Shaq." So right off the bat, even if you knew nothing about the Heat or Lakers, you had a hunch the game featured two marquee players and the end result could be dictated by whoever was the preferred player - in this case, Shaq.

The guests went on to point out that Shaq is the most dominant player in the NBA with his colossal stature, passes well out of the post and makes his teammates better by being a vocal leader. Not once did they mention that he won three championships with Kobe; rather, they referred to how he's helped third-year sensation Dwyane Wade become "The Flash" by giving him all-world confidence and creating open shots for him. Records are a good starting point in debate, but sometimes commentators get stuck on the superficiality of sports and their gameplay analysis lacks the perspective of coaches.

Later in the show, Tirico introduced future Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen to the set. Pippen was there to give his take on the legendary coaching matchup between L.A.'s Phil Jackson, who Pippen played under with the Chicago Bulls, and Miami's Pat Riley (pictured above). ABC lucked-out because just a week before, Riley had returned to the sidelines after replacing Stan Van Gundy who resigned for "personal reasons." So the network was promoting another storyline on its national broadcast along with Shaq vs. Kobe.

When Pippen was asked to compare the two coaches, he said, "They both stress defense." He continued by emphasizing their championship resumes, but his general statements were shallow. And this is a problem that resonates throughout sports - journalists don't say enough about the coaches.

Whether journalists know enough is another issue, but the reporting is not there. Describe their coaching styles. What influenced them to coach? What makes them devise certain plays? How do they run their practices? How do they deal with off-the-court player issues?

If you're watching a game on television, you're able to watch players execute offense and defense, but once a timeout is called, a commercial break follows just as the coach huddles his team to go over strategy. TV mostly doesn't give you a chance to eavesdrop on or witness game-time coaching perhaps for fear of giving away secret plays, unless of course you're lucky enough to be a high-roller sitting directly behind the team's bench. That's why journalists need to elaborate more on the coaches by highlighting their skills and giving them more respect, since they're usually the scapegoat if the team loses.