Countdown of 10 Top Sports & Entertainment Business Issues Oct. 16-23, 2007

 

1.       College Football at the first BCS Standings:  Coaching Salaries and Performance

Let the infighting begin.  The first BCS standings of the 2007 college football season are out, and by the looks of the teams currently on the shortlist for a berth in the National Championship game (South Florida, anyone?), this tenth BCS is likely going to be no less controversial than the nine that preceded it.  Out of nine BCS seasons, only four have produced relatively clean No. 1 vs. No. 2 match-ups.  In the rest, the central contest was deciding whether the voting humans or the computers were the bigger idiots.

Despite the controversy, two things in college football stand out every year.  First, how much the fans love the game.  Average attendance at Division 1-A games tops 46,000 fans, ESPN's Saturday "Game Day" preview show regularly attracts over 1.5 million viewers, and a Harris poll ranks college football as America's third most popular sport, behind the NFL and MLB. 

Second, how coaches are returning to the college game from the NFL in ever-increasing numbers.  Out of 119 Division I-A head coaches, 33 have NFL coaching experience, and 13 served as head coach.  While their salaries may reflect their pro experience, their win-loss record may not.  Arizona State's Dennis Erickson coached the Seahawks and the 49ers; he's 7-0 so far on a $5.6 million contract over five years.  $4 million-a-year man Nick Saban is riding the Tide at 5-2; he couldn't achieve that at Miami.  Former Raider head coach Bill Callahan commands $1.75 million a year - his Cornhuskers are only 4-3.  (For the same money, Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks are 6-1.)  And then of course there's Charlie Weis - his $3.3 million annual salary has earned Notre Dame exactly one win...and six losses.

2.  MLB, LCDS, Mitchell - Who's Singing Now?

It's not TBS' promotional video with Jon Bon Jovi.  It's not the guitar riffs of "Dirty Water," the unofficial Red Sox anthem.  It's not even seventh-inning stretches and "God Bless America." No, the real music to Major League Baseball's ears this October is the magic click or remote controls and turnstiles.

TBS averaged over 5.7 million viewers for its coverage of the MLB division series, a 20 percent increase over last year, when the divisional games were aired on Fox, ESPN and ESPN2.  This year's ALDS and NLDS games averaged a 3.8 U.S. area rating, and a 4.4 coverage area rating.  Six of the seven most-watched cable programs were LDS games, led by Indians-Yankees Game Three on Sunday.

Of MLB's 20 official sponsors - including Holiday Inn, DHL, State Farm and PepsiCo - 17 are running "baseball-themed TV spots" during the playoffs, and all 20 "are activating at various levels, with some running efforts that tie directly to the World Series," according to Brandweek.  Additionally, Chevrolet is the official sponsor of the Roberto Clemente Award, presented during Game Three of the World Series, and Sharp is the official sponsor of the Hank Aaron Award, given to the AL and NL top offensive players, presented during Game Four.  Taco Bell and Gillette are also running World Series-themed promos

Attendance-wise, Thursday's NLCS Game 1 between the Rockies and the Diamondbacks at Chase Field drew a sellout crowd of 48,142, according to team figures. 

On another note, investigator George Mitchell will likely issue his report on steroid use in baseball by the end of the year - with the strong likelihood that he will identify individual players.  Baseball officials have also received evidence linking one unnamed player to receipt of steroids from Signature Pharmacy, the Florida company at the heart of the corresponding Internet trafficking investigation.  Stay tuned.

3.  Beer Wars:  Impact on Sports Sponsorship Last Tuesday, SABMiller and Molson Coors, America's respective second and third largest brewers, announced plans to team up to better take on rival Anheuser-Busch and intensify efforts to win back American beer drinkers.  With SABMiller and Molson Coors' decision to merge their U.S. operations, the combined companies would claim about 30 percent of the domestic beer market.

Americans drank six billion gallons of beer in 2006, but they consumed two percent less domestic beer than five years ago and 24 percent more imported brands.  The joint venture would sell more than 2.1 billion gallons of beer annually, with revenues around $6.6 billion.  The combined companies would also be able to "push for lower ad prices and better sports-marketing deals, a key to success in the beer sector," according to the Wall Street Journal.

Media buyers quoted in the Wall Street Journal said that MillerCoors will now "find it easier to negotiate for better placement and to compete more effectively for ad rights to major sporting events," possibly even diminishing the clout of Anheuser-Busch VP of Global Media and Sports Marketing Tony Ponturo, No. 20 on the BusinessWeek Sports Power 100 due to the huge advertising budgets he controls.

And wherein lies the fate of Miller Park, Coors Amphitheatre, and Coors Field - home to this week's NLCS games?  Coors spokesperson Kabira Hatland maintained that it is "too early for the company to consider changing the names of any venues."  And Tom Daykin writes in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "The Miller and Coors names will continue to have value as separate brand names. So there's no point in changing the names of the baseball parks." 

4.   Dodd-ge Ball

Cleveland put the kibosh on the Red Sox Saturday night.  Baseball, in turn, put the kibosh on presidential hopeful Chris Dodd and his plan to raffle off hard-to-get Red Sox tickets as part of a campaign fundraiser.

The way the promotion was supposed to go, if you donated $20.04 to Connecticut Senator Dodd's presidential campaign, or recruited 24 friends to www.ChrisDodd.com, you would be eligible to win a chance for two tickets to Thursday's Game 6 at Fenway Park or Game 2 of the World Series.  Your seatmate for the game would be none other than Dodd, a lifelong Bosox fan. 

However MLB threw the plan out at home, pointing out that the tickets were technically the league's property and in violation of its strict rules about promotional giveaways, and asked Dodd's campaign to cancel the contest. Dodd spokesman Hari Sevugan confirmed the campaign would offer refunds to contributors who were in it for the baseball, and expressed Dodd's disappointment.  "Senator Dodd was looking forward to spending a night watching the Red Sox take on the Indians at Fenway Park...We will still be cheering on the Red Sox every step of the way to the World Series," Sevugan said.

For those of you looking to put a political spin on the story - no go there.  Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino has a solid record of supporting Democratic candidates, including Dodd and Presidential nominee John Kerry.  Ditto for MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, whose political contributions as recorded by newsmeat.com are more than 95 percent Democratic, including $6,600.00 to Dodd since 1998.

5.  NHL Store Opens in Manhattan - Retail, Merchandising, and Activation

Last Friday, just in time for the annual holiday ramp-up, the NHL opened its first exclusive merchandising outlet in the U.S.  NHL Powered by Reebok, located in Midtown at 47th and Avenue of the Americas, had its grand opening on Friday October 12 at midday. 

As a run-up to the opening, the NHL ran a promotional on-the-street campaign throughout Manhattan called Unlock your NHL Dreams. Teams of interns blanketed the city handing out prize keys, which were used during the grand opening to unlock safes filled with with potentially valuable hockey swag.

The new store features:

--An ice wall, made of real ice, which serves as a backdrop to feature merchandise as well as the Stanley Cup at select times throughout the year

--A floating Rbk hockey stick sculpture, constructed of over 400 sticks, which will hang over the cash desk and is interlaced with flat panel monitors

--The newest in NHL and Rbk apparel and footwear for all 30 teams

--An XM Satellite Radio (the NHL's exclusive satellite radio network) on-air studio for live broadcasts on the hockey talk radio station NHL Home Ice, heard across the U.S. and Canada

--

Countdown of 10 Top Sports & Entertainment Business Issues October 8-15, 2007 1.  MLB:  And then there were four to watch

It seems like just a few days ago, half of MLB was in the running for a World Series berth.  Now we're down to four.  While this means earlier-than-wanted vacations for players from the Angels, Phillies, Cubs (again!) and the New York Yankees - and likely an extended "vacation" for the Yankees' $7 million-a-year manager Joe Torre - it doesn't mean that the busy broadcast team at Turner Sports gets a rest.

TNT and TBS, which could stand for Turner Baseball System these days, claimed exclusive rights to divisional-series playoff games in both the American League and the National League, and will also exclusively air National League Championship Series games (while FOX takes care of the AL and the World Series).  Turner is paying an estimated $100 million annually for the baseball rights, a broader move to increase the network's proportion of original programming, along with such shows as "The Closer" and "Saving Grace."

TBS captured 4.54 million viewers its first tripleheader day of MLB playoff coverage, up slightly from last year.  The 10.5 hours of coverage kept Corporate America happy as well, translating into $2.7 million in "broadcast exposure" for Budweiser, and $2.8 million for Chevrolet.  Overall, baseball ratings are up for the season - ESPN saw a 25 percent gain, TBS is going strong, while FOX had a slight 4 percent drop. 

Finally, Cubs fans have found a new way to be tortured - not only are they now looking at a full century since they ascended to the World Series, but 15 percent of Chicagoland viewers don't get TBS.  (Maybe, in hindsight, that's a blessing rather than a curse.)

2.  NFL: Preparing for Wembley amid other international headlines

As the NFL prepares for its debut in London's Wembley Stadium at the end of this month, $25 billion international powerhouse Bridgestone has announced that it will become the new title sponsor of the NFL International Series.  (Maybe Bridgestone should give a bridge loan to London 2012 Olympic organizers, who have slashed their Olympic stadium budget from $1.02 billion, which will now cover only 67 percent of its 80,000 seats.)

Meanwhile, in Canada, Buffalo Bills tickets are up 18 percent - and that announcement came before their almost-major- upset of the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night.

In less happy news, a decision is expected by October 12 in the Atlanta Falcons' attempts to recoup up to $22 million in bonus money it paid to Michael Vick.  The NFL Players Association argued that the league's collective bargaining agreement protects Vick; the Falcons argue that the suspended quarterback knew he was in violation of his contract when he signed the $130 million deal in late 2004.

And in Dallas, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has decided to take a chance on Tank Johnson, saying of the errant player "He's smart.  He's certainly made some bad decisions, but we've had presidents do that that are smart."

3.  Speaking of smart, college sports graduation rates improve ever-so slightly

The NCAA's just-released figures on athletes' graduation rates show slight improvements in the three traditionally poorest-performing sports: men's basketball, football, and baseball.

NCAA's Myles Brand has stated that he expects every sport at every school to aim for an "aspirational" graduation rate of 80 percent.  While the overall graduation rate for all male and female student-athletes entering college from 1997-2000 is a respectable 77 percent, the Bowl Subdivision football average went from only 65 to 67 percent, while baseball improved from 65 percent to 66 percent.  Largely due to lower age requirements in the NBA, of course, men's basketball players still maintain the lowest graduation rates, rising from 59 percent to 61 percent.

Women's sports fared somewhat better, with women's basketball players at 81 percent on average.  Among Top 25 teams from the USA Today/Coaches Poll in football and men's basketball, Florida ranked in the top five in graduation rates as well:  #4 in football (72 percent graduation rate), and #1 in basketball, graduating 100 percent of players.  Likely not a coincidence - Florida consistently sends a high number of top recruits to the NFL. 

More important numbers are released in the spring.  The Academic Progress Report (APR) measures eligibility and retention, and can be used by the NCAA to take away scholarships or ban teams from postseason play if they fail to meet certain standards.

4.  Motor sports: Rounding out the track With 40 percent of the Chase for the Championship complete, NASCAR, and motor sports continue to motor along.

In major NASCAR sponsorship news, Nationwide Insurance has agreed to replace Anheuser-Busch as the title sponsor for NASCAR's second-tier circuit beginning in 2008; A-B has been the title sponsor since 1982.  The deal is believed to be worth $10-12 million annually.  Not quite as sweet:  the Mars candy company said it would shift its M&M sponsorship to driver Kyle Busch and his No. 18 Toyota when he moves to Joe Gibbs Racing next year, 

In Indianapolis, Indy 500 officials announced that the purse for next year's race will be at lest $13.4 million, an increase of $2.7 million from this year's record payout and the biggest single-year jump in the race's 91 years. 

On the international scene, reminiscent of the MLB pennant races, the Formula One championship will go down to the final race in Brazil on October 21, with three drivers eligible to win the title.  It's the first time since 1986 that three different drivers have a chance to win it all in the last race.

5.  Can you FIFA 08?

On shelves Tuesday in the U.S., for $59.99:  FIFA 08, the world's most popular soccer videogame.  The EA Sports hit features 15,000 players, 30 leagues, and 620 licensed FIFA teams from around the world, making one wonder how even the most intrepid gamer can try out all of the match-ups before FIFA 09 debuts.  New leagues officially confirmed in the release are FAI League of Ireland, the Australian A-League, and the Czech Gambrinus Liga.

Other regions of the world have gotten a head start on American players, as the game has been released region by region since August 31.

In other soccer news, reports out of the Seattle area indicate that city might be granted a MLS team ahead of the 2009 season.  The team would likely incorporate the name of the existing semi-pro Seattle Sounders, who just won the United Soccer Leagues title, and likely play at Seattle's Qwest Field.

6.  Marion Jones:  Her bar tab for "The Clear" and employment outlook 2008

BAR TAB FOR "THE CLEAR"

Opportunity cost, lost endorsements        $ 20,000,000.00

Legal fees                                                      2,000,000.00

Prize Money USOC has asked returned            100,000.00  

 

TOTAL                                                      $ 22,100,000.00

In comparison:

32-oz. bottle Nature's Life Organic

Golden Flax Seed Oil                                              $25.99

POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR

JONES POST-PRISON TERM

1.  Dog walker                                               $10-15/hour

2.  Bike messenger                                       $11/hour

3.  Meter reader                                            $29,310/year

4.  Property line inspector                             $38,500/year

5.  Stock exchange floor runner                    $50,000/year

7.  Golf:  FedEx Cup post-mortem and industry snapshot As the LPGA and 2007 breakaway star Lorena Ochoa prepare to play its "fifth major" of the year, the Samsung World Championship in Palm Desert, the PGA's financial report for the inaugural FedEx Cup has been released.  While sales revenues were up 10 percent, overall rights fees declined by 15 percent.

Overall, the $62 billion yearly golf industry continues its robust health.  Signature star Tiger Woods continues to be the favored athlete to endorse a product, selected by 12 percent of TNS Sport poll respondents (and followed by Michael Jordan at 8 percent, Peyton Manning at 7).  And the PGA of America, along with major sponsors Callaway Golf, PepsiCo, RBS and American Express, continue to seek more ways to bring the game to the masses.  Golf is currently estimated to be enjoyed by 550 million households in 195 countries - the tip of the iceberg as far as the association is concerned.

8.  China Special Olympics a welcome policy change

When he spoke at Columbia University two weeks ago, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared that that country had no homosexual citizens.  Perhaps he was influenced by the Chinese government, which, as recently as the 1990s, said that China had no mentally disabled residents.

Last week, the opening ceremonies of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai celebrated not only the accomplishments of 7,500 remarkable athletes from 165 countries, but a remarkable turnaround in China's official stance on mental disability as well.  Chinese President Hu Jintao, speaking at the kickoff reception, pledged more help for the disabled "so that they can share the fruit of China's economic and social development."

2007 marks the first time these games, which end October 11, have been held in Asia, and only the second time outside the U.S.  The opening ceremonies were attended by a capacity crowd of 80,000, including Yao Ming, former ice skating star Michelle Kwan, and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (whose wife Maria's grandmother Eunice Shriver founded the Games).  The nonprofit group, not affiliated with the Olympic Games, estimated that more than 2.5 million intellectually disabled athletes participate in its competitions worldwide.

9.  NBA forms Chinese Subdivision, formally Building on its well-established popularity in China, the NBA has announced the official formation of a Chinese subsidiary.  The NBA will retain 90 percent ownership in the venture, with five percent sold to Chinese investors and five percent owned by the Walt Disney Company. 

The league reports that roughly 20 percent of the traffic on nba.com already comes from China.

The league's announcement follows the two-week rollout by Reebok International of its biggest-ever marketing campaign in China, with ads featuring star endorser Yao Ming.  The campaign, translated as "Fuel Yao's Unlimited Power," follows Yao as he prepares for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  Yao's 10-year contract with Reebok, is estimated to be worth $7-10 million per year for the lofty Chinese superstar.  Reebok hopes the campaign will help boost the company's profile in that country - currently, they're in sixth place in China's athletic shoe market, behind leader Nike (estimated $100 million in sales there), Puma AG, RudolfDassler Sport, and Mizuno Corp.  Reebok parent adidas projects that it will be the market leader in China by the 2008 Olympics, with projected sales of $1.28 billion.

10.    This just in:  NBA also big in Europe - On fans' backs

The NBA's new business frontier may be China, but the league is also relishing ever-increasing merchandise sales in Europe.  Sales of NBA merchandise increased 40 percent from last season, according to the league, with international sales accounting for 25 percent of the whole global merchandise business.

2006 NBA Final MVP Dwayne Wade's No. 3 Miami Heat jersey is the top seller, followed by Allen Iverson of the Nuggets, Tony Parker of the Spurs, Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, and LeBron James of the Cavaliers.

This month, those sales figures will undoubtedly shoot up even higher, as the Celtics, Grizzlies, Raptors, and Timberwolves are holding training camp in Europe and will play each other and European squads in London, Italy, Spain, and Istanbul. 

Countdown of 10 Top Sports & Entertainment Business Issues, October 1-7, 2007

1.  MLB playoff big picture

The $300 million revenue-sharing agreement crafted under Commissioner Bud Selig's tenure is clearly paying off.  Seventeen different teams were in the pennant race at the beginning of September, with a dozen vying for eight spots up to last weekend, and the final one not decided until Monday's thrilling Rockies-Padres play-in game.

MLB attendance throughout the regular season was more than 74 percent capacity, up four percent from 2006.  While FOX ratings remained flat, ESPN and TBS were up 15 percent.  However, Regional Sports Networks carrying baseball reported major increases.  In Cleveland, Indians' viewership is up 45 percent, while the Brewers saw a whopping 133 percent increase, and the perennially-hopeful Cubs fans up 30 percent.  At Turner, executives are no doubt breathing a sigh of relief after avoiding the logistics nightmare of a possible five-way tie in the National League that would necessitate as many as four days of play-in games.

Franchise values remained steady throughout 2007, up 15 percent to an average value of $435 million.  Interestingly, only four of the top 10 high net worth teams made the playoffs:  the Phillies ($457 million), the Cubs ($592 million), the Red Sox ($724 million) and the Yankees ($1.2 billion).  The Yankees are likely to get even richer, thanks to Creative Artists Agency, which just announced a deal to represent the team's sports marketing interests for the new Yankee Stadium opening in 2009.  Attaching a corporate name to the building is not on the table.

2.  NFL after four games - Three star business report

"Ad"-vantage NFL - 90 percent of regular season advertising inventory on CBS, FOX and NBC has been sold as of the end of September.  Another particularly bright ad star for the league this year - The NFL Network, which has seen 75 percent of its ad revenue sell and is now in 44 million homes.  New corporate sponsors of the growing property include Geico, E*Trade, Corona and Philips.

Always a marketing force, the average ticket price for the 2007 NFL season is up close to $4.50 from last year, with the average season ticket costing $67.11 per game.  Twenty-three teams reported increases in individual ticket prices, including the Cowboys (up 27.2 percent), the Colts (10.5 percent) and the Ravens (17 percent).  Buffalo remains the best bargain in the league, with fans paying an average of $46.46 per seat.

And once again, the NFL - albeit indirectly - is a star at the box office.  "The Game Plan," the latest Walt Disney Company valentine to football, cute kids, Elvis and self-realization, starring Dwayne "The Rock Johnson," topped the weekend box office with an estimated $22.7 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales, according to the studio.  Johnson plays the larger-than life quarterback of a fictitious Boston franchise whose previously unknown eight year-old daughter shows up on his doorstep.  NFL in-program licensing abounds. 

3.  Billionaires and the "Big Four" - Sports passions of the wealthy called out in Forbes

An interesting sidebar to Forbes' release of its annual list of the 400 wealthiest Americans (for which the point of entry is $1.3 billion) is their direct and indirect ties to the sports industry.

The NBA claims the most billionaire patrons, led by Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen (net worth $16.8 billion) and Mickey Arison of the Miami Heat (at $5.8 billion).  Dallas Mavs owner Mark Cuban, at $2.6 billion, was No. 161 on the 2007 list but may well move up after his "Dancing with the Stars" turn - are mass-marketed action figures and instructional DVDs in the works?

The NFL, also led by Allen via his Seattle Seahawks ownership, weighs in with 12 billionaire owners - at an average $940 million franchise value, you'd better be a billionaire.  The NHL boasts 10, and MLB, just nine, though the Cubs' $1 billion plus projected selling price will likely require a 10th.

And if the San Diego Chargers weren't challenged enough this season, owner Alex Spanos dropped off the list from last year - as did the Angels' Arte Moreno and Cavaliers' Dan Gilbert, among others.

All told, the collective net worth of the ball-billionaires is $1.54 trillion - up $290 billion from 2006.

4.  NASCAR shoots toward Talladega on a Silver Bullet

With the Nextel Chase for the Championship 30 percent complete, teams head from soggy Kansas City southbound to Talladega.

While on the damp side, the Kansas Speedway track is NASCAR's model for the optimal in public/private partnership facilities.  The Speedway records about 198 days of use annually, including weddings, receptions, trade shows, bingo and a minor league ballpark, and soon will add a $300 million casino if a recent proposal comes to fruition.  (The casino could turn into a hangout for members of NASCAR's new Victory Lane Players Club, in which, for a $20 subscription fee, one can play a few hands against Tony Stewart, Dale Jarrett or Dale Earnhardt, Jr.)

The wettest NASCAR news of the week, however, is the announcement that the Coors Light brand of Molson Coors Brewing Co., the third-largest U.S. brewer, will be the league's official beer sponsor, replacing Anheuser-Busch Cos.' Budweiser brand.  The five-year agreement starts with the 2008 race season, and gives Coors Light the exclusive rights to use NACSAR's logo in packaging and promotions.

Budweiser, which keyed its NASCAR sponsorship on Earnhardt, Jr.'s No. 8, will switch its car sponsorship to driver Kasey Kahne next season.  Additionally, the current "Bud Pole Award" pole- position prize will be renamed for Coors Light.

5.  NBA training camps open amid coast-to-coast controversy

Does NBA Commissioner David Stern ever get a good night's sleep? It's doubtful, especially this time of the year.  As 2007 NBA training camps open, the league is still reeling from lingering fallout surrounding the Tim Donaghy referee scandal in the spring, as well as other front page controversies that simmered over the summer.

In New York, Knicks President of Basketball Operations and coach Isiah Thomas awaits jury deliberation on whether he's guilty of sexual harassment to the tune of $10 million, filed by former Knicks exec Anucha Browne Sanders.

In Seattle, the city last week filed a suit against the SuperSonics and new owner Clay Bennett seeking to enforce the Sonics' KeyArena lease through 2010 and block Bennett and his ownership group from taking the dispute to binding arbitration.  Bennett claims the Sonics lost $17 million last year in part due to KeyArena's having the smallest capacity in the NBA.

In Los Angeles, while Laker star Kobe Bryant showed up for the team's media day on Monday and boarded the chartered flight to camp in Hawaii along with the rest of the team, it remains to be seen whether he'll continue to play nice as the season unfolds.

League-wide, Stern is reportedly mulling heightened ethical requirements for NBA officials - including those in the front office.  On court, the NBA will implement television replays to review flagrant fouls and player altercations, a move recommended by the NBA's Competition Committee over the summer.

6.       Sports in the courts redux - The fan strikes back

As the Knicks' Thomas waits, in New Jersey, a Jets season ticket holder has filed a class-action suit against the New England Patriots and Coach Bill Belichick for the team's videotaping of Jets sideline signals.

The suit, filed by fan Carl Mayer - a consumer attorney by day - seeks damages claiming that Meadowlands customers paid roughly $61.6 million to watch the eight "fraudulent" games played in Giants Stadium since Belichick became the Patriots head coach in 2000.  Mayer says that fans are entitled to triple $61.6 million, or $184.8 million total, under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act.

No word on whether the lawsuit includes parking and/or Port Authority bus fare.

7.  Puck across the water - NHL London exhibition a success

(Unless, of course, you're a hockey fan who lives in Southern Cal and doesn't want to travel 5,000 miles for a freeway series game.)  

The pro hockey world was saddened last week by the death of Bill Wirtz, longtime owner of the Chicago Blackhawks.  Wirtz was an old-school family owner who played an integral role in the expansion of the NHL from six to 30 teams. 

As an entrepreneur - he was known as "Dollar Bill," after all - Wirtz would likely applaud the resounding economic success of the Anaheim Ducks - Los Angeles Kings exhibition games played at the O2 in London last weekend.  The two games at the 17,500 seat O2 sold out in just two weeks; Stewart Roberts, chair of the Ice Hockey Journalists UK, estimated that while only 10 percent was likely "die hard British hockey fans," 40 percent of the crowd journeyed from the U.S. and hockey-happy Eastern Europeans completed the mix.  Also front and center ice were a heavy percentage of the estimated 200,000 Canadian expats who live in the U.K.  Tim Leiweke, CEO of AEG (Kings and O2 owner) claimed in the Los Angeles Times on Monday that he's already thinking about staging more NHL games at the O2 in future seasons.

Back in New York, however, in an echo of the Jet fan lawsuit mentioned above, Madison Square Garden is suing the NHL, alleging the league has become "an illegal cartel" in its efforts to control licensing, advertising, broadcasting, and website content by the teams.  MSG said it decided to file the lawsuit after the NHL threatened to impose a $100,000 a day fine unless it transferred virtually complete control of the New York Rangers website; that team is owned by MSG.

8.  Post Cup(s), golf Silly Season in full swing

The U.S. squad was happy on Sunday as it defeated its international foes in match play otherwise known as the Presidents Cup.  And so was NBC.  The network delivered six full hours of Cup coverage on Sunday, garnering better ratings than it otherwise would have gotten and providing a full day's lead-in to Sunday's "Football Night in America" broadcast. 

Off the course, Royal Montreal hosted 198 corporate hospitality clients who paid up to $300,000 per hospitality package.  Sunday was a sellout, and overall ticket sales were up 40 percent, possibly bolstered by the U.S.-favorable Canadian dollar exchange rate.

Top golfers on the PGA TOUR should be sure to get their rest in the off-season and when they can throughout 2008 - next year, there's no off week between the Tour Championship/FedEx Cup finale and the Ryder Cup at Louisville's Valhalla Golf Club.  Counting the three weeks of FedEx Cup tournaments that lead up to the Tour Championship, that's five straight weeks of play.

Like Underdog, help could possibly be on the way.  According to Golf World magazine, Adidas is bringing its TechFit Power Web underwear technology to golf.  Among other claims, "the line features form-fitting underwear reinforced in specific muscle areas to aid better posture, 'promote solid and consistent ball-striking," and yes, "diminish fatigue."

9.  New Nike tribal shoes distributed far and wide

Last Tuesday, in an effort aimed at promoting fitness in a population with high obesity rates, Nike unveiled what it claims is the first shoe designed specifically for American Indians.

Nike designers looked at the feet of more than 200 members of 70 tribes nationwide and found that in general, American Indians have a much wider and taller foot than on average - almost three width sizes larger than the standard Nike shoe.

As a result, the new "Air Native N7" is designed with a larger fit and a culturally-specific appearance, including sunrise to sunset patterns on the tongue and heel, feather designs on the inside, and stars on the sole.  The shoe will be distributed solely to American Indians; tribal schools and wellness programs will be able to purchase it at wholesale and then pass it along to individuals, often for free.

Nike said it is the first time it has designed a shoe for a specific ethnicity or race. The company anticipates selling at least 10,000 pairs at $42.80 wholesale and raising $200,000 for tribal programs.

10.    The final poop

Maybe proponents of domed stadiums have the right idea.

In Cincinnati, Paul Brown Stadium officials have an unusual problem.  They're seeking permission from the city to shoot down pigeons that are pooping on the heads, laps, hot dogs, and beers of Bengals fans during games. 

Managing Director of the facility Eric Brown (no relation, we think) sent a letter to officials asking the city to allow stadium employees to kill the birds with air-powered pellet rifles.  As reported by the Associated Press, Brown is adamant that no shooting will take place on game days.

Good thing Bengal Tigers are endangered species.

 

Rick Horrow's Weekly Sports and Entertainment Dollar A Countdown of 10 Top Sports & Entertainment Business Issues, September 24-30 1. U.S. Announces Largest Steroid Bust in History A prolonged chill is likely surging through the international athletic community after Monday's announced culmination of "Operation Raw Deal," the biggest steroid bust in American history. 124 people across the U.S. have been charged with illegally manufacturing and selling anabolic steroids over the Internet, agents from the San Diego office of the federal Drug Enforcement Agency and the Food and Drug Administration announced. Shut down in the two-year investigation were 56 illegal steroid laboratories; seized were more than 11 million doses of steroids, 534 pounds of raw steroid powder, and $6.5 million in cash. Among those indicted were individuals from New York, Las Vegas, Houston, Virginia, and San Diego; other countries under scrutiny included Canada, Mexico, China, Thailand, Belgium, Australia, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. 2. As GM Workers Strike, NASCAR Continues to Chase Also announced Monday - the first nationwide strike by United Auto Workers against General Motors in 37 years. Good thing the cars competing in NASCAR's Nextel Chase for the Championship are off the line and ready to race in front of an anticipated 1.25 million fans. While 2007 has been a year of unprecedented turmoil in professional sports, all of America's pro leagues have managed to steer clear of the biggest flashpoint that's ripped them apart in the past - labor unrest. Interestingly enough, however, and echoing the NFL's trip to Capitol Hill last week, is one of the secondary issues the UAW is citing for the strike. That issue? A plan to shift the retiree health care burden from the company to the union, in the form of a multi-billion- dollar health-care trust. The only form of labor unrest within NASCAR these days is the restless shifting of its drivers from team to team. Dale Earnhardt Jr., moving over to Hendrick Motorsports next season, will race in #88, sponsored by the U.S. National Guard and PepsiCo's "Amp" energy-boosting drink. Earnhardt's announcement was key for the $2 billion NASCAR merchandise market and its driver gear segment, in which Earnhardt, as the circuit's most popular driver, commands more than 30 percent of all sales. Earnhardt has also reached an agreement with Wrangler to continue endorsing that company's jeans next year, and the Wrangler logo will grace his car and uniform. In the meantime, his future Hendrick teammate, Jimmie Johnson, is losing Levi Strauss as a sponsor after this season. (Johnson's camp swears one denim leg has nothing to do with the other.) Meanwhile Kyle Busch leaves Hendrick, headed for Joe Gibbs' #18 Chevrolet. Casey Mears takes over Busch' #5 Kellogg's Chevy. And Casey Kahne is keeping "Earnhardt's" Budweiser on his #9 Dodge; this year Junior has reportedly given Budweiser $129.7 million worth of ad value through 22 races. In the "Q Score" department, Earnhardt is #1 in "observable presentation attributes," worth $33.9 million in marketing value. Jimmie Johnson rolls in at #2 ($33.3 million value), Jeff Gordon at #3 ($31.6 million), Tony Stewart at #4, ($23.1 million), and Kevin Harvick rounds out #5 at $20.8 million. 3. Air Cheater? This Shoe Still Doesn't Fit So far, cheating players, coaches, and refs haven't caught up with Nike. The Oregon sports shoe and apparel titan has reported that its fiscal first quarter earnings are up 51 percent, with sales projected to be at $23 billion by 2011. Revenue gains were led by a 16 percent increase in the Europe, Africa, and Middle East division, to $1.47 billion, while Asian revenues rose to $630.8 million, a 22 percent gain. Nike also announced that it is partnering with top customer Foot Locker to open 50 "House of Hoops by Foot Locker" basketball-specific stores in the U.S. over the next three years, as it seeks more control over the end merchandising of its goods. Despite Vick, Bonds, Landis, Donaghy, Belichick, O.J. - and yet another round of Mike Tyson - individual athlete endorsements remain the bedrock of Nike's marketing strategy. While for the moment, the bad guys seemingly outweigh the good (and Tyson seems to outweigh them all), Nike can still go to the bank on FedEx Cup and multi Major winner Tiger Woods, dozen Slam winner Roger Federer, and 50-and-counting homer A-Rod. 4. Speaking of Homers - Best Towns to Take in a College Football Game The Tide is definitely high. According to ESPN Sports Poll, Birmingham, Alabama is the most passionate college football market in America. ESPN's college football index comprises full-season Sports Poll data from 2004-2006. Cities that received the highest scores, according to the Sports Business Journal, "typically contain populations that watch college football, regularly follow college football in the media, attend games, wear college football apparel, and have a great passion for the sport." No specific word on face painting, mascot stealing, goal post razing, Lee Corso taunting, or BCS official bribing. Close behind Birmingham were Columbus, OH; Oklahoma City, OK; Knoxville, TN, and Tulsa, OK. (Of course, that was before the Sooners hung half a hundred on the Golden Hurricanes Friday night.) According to IEG Sponsorship Report data, in 2007 North American companies are expected to spend $515 million sponsoring college athletic programs, conferences, and events, a 12.5 percent increase over the $458 million spent last year. That increase outdistances IEG's projected 11.7 percent increase for the overall sponsorship industry. And back near Columbus, Nike and Ohio State University have inked a $26.1 million contract for all OSU varsity teams to wear Nike apparel through July 2014. As part of the agreement, Nike will supply OSU teams with $2.34 million annually in product and pay the athletic department $1.2 million annually to guarantee exclusivity. The contract also includes bonus payments for bowl appearances and/or national championships in football, and national championships for men's and women's hoops. 5. NFL vs. IRS vs. CBS, NBC, ABC/ESPN, and FOX vs. MLS No matter how you feel about Bill Belichick and the Patriots video spying scandal, the most disturbing development in that case may very well be the revelation last week that Belichick's half-million- dollar fine is tax-deductible. More than a dozen tax professors debated the issue on the TaxProfBlog, and concluded that "because, unfortunately, in this day and age, it probably is 'ordinary' for coaches and players in professional sports to cheat and, if caught, to be fined by the league, the fine levied on te Patriots' coach can be viewed as an ordinary and necessary business expense...." Also an ordinary and necessary business expense in this day and age are exorbitant television rights payments to the NFL by all the networks, despite pro football ratings being down five to ten percent on average this season. Even with the lower ratings, bound to continue in the ever-fragmented media consumption world, the NFL still commands around $17 billion in long term tv deals. Also down are NFL franchise values as reported this month in Forbes - WHEN compared to their European futbol counterparts. Leading that list, as compiled by ad agency BBDO, is Real Madrid at $1.498 billion, followed by FC Barcelona at $1.3336 billion, Manchester United at $1.299, Chelsea at $1.167 (owned by two Russian tycoons worth more than $5 billion apiece), and AC Milan at $1.161. (Only the $1.5 billion Dallas Cowboys, among NFL teams, topped the billion-dollar mark.) 6. MLB Pennant Race Blasts Off It's no longer just a Joe Buck-esque metaphor. If enough Americans click the same box at vote756.com by midnight Tuesday, Barry Bonds' home run ball #756, owned by fashion entrepreneur Marc Ecko, will be launched into outer space. While Bonds has dismissed the ploy as "stupid," no less of a guru than the University of Oregon Warsaw Sports Marketing Center's Managing Director Paul Swangard says if Ecko's intent was to "create awareness and build buzz for his brand," he gets an A plus. Obviously also doing an A-plus marketing job are the Chicago Cubs, who last week, at 75 games, surpassed three million fans this season, passing the milestone faster than any season in franchise history. The team is on pace to break the single-season record of 3,170,184 set in 2004; it joins the Angels, Cardinals, Dodgers, and Yankees as the only MLB teams to draw over 3 million fans at home each season since that year. Cubs fans, and prospective ownership groups, eagerly await the public release by MLB of financial terms for the sale of the storied franchise over the next two weeks. In Northern California, A's officials last week unveiled "the latest details" of their 200-acre, $450 million stadium, and $1.8 billion total Fremont development plan. The proposed 32,000-seat Cisco Field would be the smallest facility in MLB. Most of the outfield, ala neighbor AT&T Park, would be "rimmed with elevated seating" so shoppers and diners strolling below "could watch the game for free through windows." The development also includes over 250 housing units. And in SoCal: volatile San Diego Padres center fielder Milton Bradley is out for the season after suffering a torn ligament in his right knee when he was wrestled to the Petco Park turf Sunday by Padres manager Bud Black. Black sought to restrain Bradley from going after first base umpire Mike Winters, who allegedly baited Bradley with derogatory talk unbecoming an ump. The MLB commissioner's office is investigating; players' union attorney Michael Weiner said the association is waiting to see whether MLB does something before deciding whether to take action. (Familiar, this sounds.) 7. Presidential Links Hail to the Chief. As golf's Presidents Cup begins this weekend, no one is more in command than Tiger Woods. Woods has played 52 tournaments in the last three years and won 21 of them. In his last five events, he won four and tied for second in the other. In 16 tournaments this year, he has won $10,867,052, a career high and more than the total won by second and third place money winners Phil Mickelson ($5,819,988) and Vijay Singh ($4,728,376) in a combined 48 events. His total winnings on the PGA Tour over 11 full years amount to $76.5 million. Tiger will take the longest break of his career following the Presidents Cup, stating that he'll appear only at his own Target World Challenge in December. It's estimated that he'll pass up $10 million in appearance fees during his sojourn by skipping the HSBC Championship in China and the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan. But no matter - those endorsement checks, including one(s) from newest endorsee Gatorade, will keep showing up in his Florida mailbox. Meanwhile, Michelle Wie is keeping her golf career too well in check as she prepares to start classes at Stanford. Wie dropped to 53rd in the LPGA rankings last week. She'll turn 18 on October 11, the first day of the Samsung World Championship at Bighorn. Let's hope that number isn't a single-hole score for her. 8. I'll Have an EC Red Bull over Ice: NHL begins season in Europe The NFL Giants and Dolphins are not the only American pro teams readying for a British invasion. The Stanley Cup-winning Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings are set to kick off the NHL regular season with two games in London. Before they land there, however, the Kings will join Farjestad BK of the Swedish Elite League, HC Davos of the Swiss National League, and host and defending Austrian champions EC Red Bull in Salzburg for a four-team tune-up on a larger-than-NHL international rink. Shuffling back to Buffalo, Pittsburgh Penguins spokesman Tom McMillan has stated that the club "heard from many who were disappointed or angry that they were not able to buy seats" for the recently announced New Year's Day Penguins-Sabres Amp Energy NHL Winter Classic at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The stadium seats about 74,000 (which would break the NHL attendance record), yet only 1,500 tickets were available exclusively to Penguins season-ticket holders. The NHL reports that more than 42,000 tickets were sold in the first 30 minutes they went on sale. Meanwhile, the Penguins have signed a lease committing the team to its forthcoming $290 million arena until 2040. Finally, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is confident that sales of the Lightning and Predators are "on track," and that the deals "will likely be done by the late November Board of Governors meeting or perhaps before." 9. (Beli)Chick Soccer: Women's World Cup and Beyond In yet another Belichick-y scenario, last week FIFA ordered the Australian team to stop using walkie-talkies and portable tracking devices on its players in the FIFA Women's World Cup. In its first game, against Ghana, Australia used GPRS technology on some players to track movement around the field, measure how far they ran, and check heart rates and like physical data. It also used walkie-talkies for communication between coaches at ground level and in the stands. Germany, meanwhile, is the favorite nation to stage the next Women's World Cup, in 2011. Canada is a strong candidate as well, as are Peru and Australia (sans gadgets). The decision will be made by FIFA this fall; the governing body also wants to expand the field from 16 to 24 teams. And, as the U.S. prepares to face rival Brazil in a women's semifinal match up on Thursday, a FIFA team headed by longtime Southern California soccer official Hugo Salcedo is in Brazil assessing that country's readiness to stage the 2014 men's World Cup. The FIFA team is visiting five of the proposed World Cup host cities there, and hearing presentations from 13 other communities. A final decision on whether to grant Brazil the 2014 tournament is expected at a FIFA executive committee meeting October 30. 10. Dew-y Eyed: Mountain Dew Leaves X-Games for New NBC Gig X no longer marks the spot for Mountain Dew, as one of the first big names in action sports marketing, is spilling over to the new NBC-backed Dew Tour. Mountain Dew is reportedly paying $3.5-4.5 million to title sponsor the AST Winter Dew Tour, a three-stop series televised live on NBC beginning December 2008. The Dew Tour will feature ski and snowboarding events including halfpipe and snowboardercross. Mountain Dew has been a supporter of the X Games for 13 years. The brand, in its third year of a five-year title deal with AST's summer tour, found it increasingly harder to differentiate itself as one of seven gold level sponsors at summer and winter X Games. AST's eight total markets offers expanded activation opportunities, exposure, and innovation. While Mountain Dew's commitment to the X Games was integral to the Games' development over the last 13 years, the brand's X exit could open up new opportunities for ESPN, allowing them to split up the beverage category and extract more value. AST Dew Tour's move into winter sports will also create additional competition for sponsors, and new revenue potential for athletes. Winners of its individual summer events, for example, collect $15,000, while the athlete who accumulates the most points at all five stops wins $75,000. Agents and industry leaders expect athletes to wholeheartedly embrace the new tour.

Countdown of 10 Top Sports & Entertainment Business Issues, September 24-30

1.  U.S. announces largest steroid bust in history

A prolonged chill is likely surging through the international athletic community after Monday's announced culmination of "Operation Raw Deal," the biggest steroid bust in American history.

One hundred and twenty-four people across the U.S. have been charged with illegally manufacturing and selling anabolic steroids over the Internet, agents from the San Diego office of the federal Drug Enforcement Agency and the Food and Drug Administration announced.  Shut down in the two-year investigation were 56 illegal steroid laboratories; seized were more than 11 million doses of steroids, 534 pounds of raw steroid powder, and $6.5 million in cash.  Among those indicted were individuals from New York, Las Vegas, Houston, Virginia and San Diego; other countries under scrutiny included Canada, Mexico, China, Thailand, Belgium, Australia, Germany, Denmark  and Sweden.

 

2.  As GM workers strike, NASCAR continues to Chase 

Also announced Monday - the first nationwide strike by United Auto Workers against General Motors in 37 years.  Good thing the cars competing in NASCAR's Nextel Chase for the Championship are off the line and ready to race in front of an anticipated 1.25 million fans.

While 2007 has been a year of unprecedented turmoil in professional sports, all of America's pro leagues have managed to steer clear of the biggest flashpoint that's ripped them apart in the past - labor unrest.  Interestingly enough, however, and echoing the NFL's trip to Capitol Hill last week, is one of the secondary issues the UAW is citing for the strike.  That issue?  A plan to shift the retiree health care burden from the company to the union, in the form of a multi-billion- dollar health-care trust.

The only form of labor unrest within NASCAR these days is the restless shifting of its drivers from team to team.  Dale Earnhardt Jr., moving over to Hendrick Motorsports next season, will race in No. 88, sponsored by the U.S. National Guard and PepsiCo's "Amp" energy-boosting drink. Earnhardt's announcement was key for the $2 billion NASCAR merchandise market and its driver gear segment, in which Earnhardt, as the circuit's most popular driver, commands more than 30 percent of all sales.

Earnhardt has also reached an agreement with Wrangler to continue endorsing that company's jeans next year, and the Wrangler logo will grace his car and uniform.  In the meantime, his future Hendrick teammate, Jimmie Johnson, is losing Levi Strauss as a sponsor after this season.  (Johnson's camp swears one denim leg has nothing to do with the other.)

Meanwhile Kyle Busch leaves Hendrick, headed for Joe Gibbs' No. 18 Chevrolet.  Casey Mears takes over Busch's No. 5 Kellogg's Chevy.  And Casey Kahne is keeping "Earnhardt's" Budweiser on his No. 9 Dodge; this year Junior has reportedly given Budweiser $129.7 million worth of ad value through 22 races.

In the "Q Score" department, Earnhardt is No. 1 in "observable presentation attributes," worth $33.9 million in marketing value.  Jimmie Johnson rolls in at No. 2 ($33.3 million value), Jeff Gordon at No. 3 ($31.6 million), Tony Stewart at No. #4, ($23.1 million) and Kevin Harvick rounds out No. 5 at $20.8 million.

3.  Air cheater?  This shoe still doesn't fit So far, cheating players, coaches and refs haven't caught up with Nike.  The Oregon sports shoe and apparel titan has reported that its fiscal first quarter earnings are up 51 percent, with sales projected to be at $23 billion by 2011.  Revenue gains were led by a 16 percent increase in the Europe, Africa and Middle East division, to $1.47 billion, while Asian revenues rose to $630.8 million, a 22 percent gain.

 

Nike also announced that it is partnering with top customer Foot Locker to open 50 "House of Hoops by Foot Locker" basketball-specific stores in the U.S. over the next three years, as it seeks more control over the end merchandising of its goods.

Despite Vick, Bonds, Landis, Donaghy, Belichick, O.J. - and yet another round of Mike Tyson - individual athlete endorsements remain the bedrock of Nike's marketing strategy.  While, for the moment, the bad guys seemingly outweigh the good (and Tyson seems to outweigh them all), Nike can still go to the bank on FedEx Cup and multi major winner Tiger Woods, dozen Slam winner Roger Federer and 50-and-counting homer A-Rod. 

4.  Speaking of homers - Best towns to take in a college football game The Tide is definitely high.  According to ESPN Sports Poll, Birmingham, Ala. is the most passionate college football market in America.  ESPN's college football index comprises full-season Sports Poll data from 2004-2006.  Cities that received the highest scores, according to the Sports Business Journal, "typically contain populations that watch college football, regularly follow college football in the media, attend games, wear college football apparel, and have a great passion for the sport."  No specific word on face painting, mascot stealing, goal post razing, Lee Corso taunting or BCS official bribing.

 

Close behind Birmingham were Columbus, OH; Oklahoma City, OK; Knoxville, TN, and Tulsa, OK.  (Of course, that was before the Sooners hung half a hundred on the Golden Hurricane Friday night.)

According to IEG Sponsorship Report data, in 2007 North American companies are expected to spend $515 million sponsoring college athletic programs, conferences, and events, a 12.5 percent increase over the $458 million spent last year. That increase outdistances IEG's projected 11.7 percent increase for the overall sponsorship industry.

And back near Columbus, Nike and Ohio State University have inked a $26.1 million contract for all OSU varsity teams to wear Nike apparel through July 2014. As part of the agreement, Nike will supply OSU teams with $2.34 million annually in product and pay the athletic department $1.2 million annually to guarantee exclusivity. The contract also includes bonus payments for bowl appearances and/or national championships in football, and national championships for men's and women's hoops.

5.   NFL vs. IRS vs. CBS, NBC, ABC/ESPN and FOX vs. MLS  

No matter how you feel about Bill Belichick and the Patriots video spying scandal, the most disturbing development in that case may very well be the revelation last week that Belichick's half-million- dollar fine is tax-deductible.  More than a dozen tax professors debated the issue on the TaxProfBlog, and concluded that "because, unfortunately, in this day and age, it probably is 'ordinary' for coaches and players in professional sports to cheat and, if caught, to be fined by the league, the fine levied on the Patriots' coach can be viewed as an ordinary and necessary business expense...."

Also an ordinary and necessary business expense in this day and age are exorbitant television rights payments to the NFL by all the networks, despite pro football ratings being down five-to-10 percent on average this season.  Even with the lower ratings, bound to continue in the ever-fragmented media consumption world, the NFL still commands around $17 billion in long term TV deals. 

Also down are NFL franchise values as reported this month in Forbes - WHEN compared to their European futbol counterparts.  Leading that list, as compiled by ad agency BBDO, is Real Madrid at $1.498 billion, followed by FC Barcelona at $1.3336 billion, Manchester United at $1.299, Chelsea at $1.167 (owned by two Russian tycoons worth more than $5 billion apiece) and AC Milan at $1.161.  (Only the $1.5 billion Dallas Cowboys, among NFL teams, topped the billion-dollar mark.)

6.  MLB pennant race blasts off

It's no longer just a Joe Buck-esque metaphor.  If enough Americans click the same box at vote756.com by midnight Tuesday, Barry Bonds' home run ball No. 756, owned by fashion entrepreneur Marc Ecko, will be launched into outer space.  While Bonds has dismissed the ploy as "stupid," no less of a guru than the University of Oregon Warsaw Sports Marketing Center's Managing Director Paul Swangard says if Ecko's intent was to "create awareness and build buzz for his brand," he gets an A-plus.

Obviously also doing an A-plus marketing job are the Chicago Cubs, who last week, at 75 games, surpassed 3 million fans this season, passing the milestone faster than any season in franchise history.  The team is on pace to break the single-season record of 3,170,184 set in 2004; it joins the Angels, Cardinals, Dodgers, and Yankees as the only MLB teams to draw over 3 million fans at home each season since that year.  Cubs fans, and prospective ownership groups, eagerly await the public release by MLB of financial terms for the sale of the storied franchise over the next two weeks.

In Northern California, A's officials last week unveiled "the latest details" of their 200-acre, $450 million stadium, and $1.8 billion total Fremont development plan.  The proposed 32,000-seat Cisco Field would be the smallest facility in MLB.  Most of the outfield, ala neighbor AT&T Park, would be "rimmed with elevated seating" so shoppers and diners strolling below "could watch the game for free through windows."  The development also includes more than 250 housing units.

And in SoCal: volatile San Diego Padres center fielder Milton Bradley is out for the season after suffering a torn ligament in his right knee when he was wrestled to the Petco Park turf Sunday by Padres manager Bud Black.  Black sought to restrain Bradley from going after first base umpire Mike Winters, who allegedly baited Bradley with derogatory talk unbecoming an ump.  The MLB commissioner's office is investigating; players' union attorney Michael Weiner said the association is waiting to see whether MLB does something before deciding whether to take action.  (Familiar, this sounds.)

7.  Presidential links

Hail to the Chief.  As golf's Presidents Cup begins this weekend, no one is more in command than Tiger Woods.  Woods has played 52 tournaments in the last three years and won 21 of them.  In his last five events, he won four and tied for second in the other.  In 16 tournaments this year, he has won $10,867,052, a career high and more than the total won by second and third place money winners Phil Mickelson ($5,819,988) and Vijay Singh ($4,728,376) in a combined 48 events.  His total winnings on the PGA Tour over 11 full years amount to $76.5 million.

Tiger will take the longest break of his career following the Presidents Cup, stating that he'll appear only at his own Target World Challenge in December.  It's estimated that he'll pass up $10 million in appearance fees during his sojourn by skipping the HSBC Championship in China and the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan.  But no matter - those endorsement checks, including one(s) from newest endorsee Gatorade, will keep showing up in his Florida mailbox.

Meanwhile, Michelle Wie is keeping her golf career too well in check as she prepares to start classes at Stanford.  Wie dropped to 53rd in the LPGA rankings last week.  She'll turn 18 on Oct. 11, the first day of the Samsung World Championship at Bighorn.  Let's hope that number isn't a single-hole score for her.

8.  I'll have an EC Red Bull over ice:  NHL begins season in Europe The NFL Giants and Dolphins are not the only American pro teams readying for a British invasion.  The Stanley Cup-winning Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings are set to kick off the NHL regular season with two games in London.  Before they land there, however, the Kings will join Farjestad BK of the Swedish Elite League, HC Davos of the Swiss National League, and host and defending Austrian champions EC Red Bull in Salzburg for a four-team tune-up on a larger-than-NHL international rink.

 

Shuffling back to Buffalo, Pittsburgh Penguins spokesman Tom McMillan has stated that the club "heard from many who were disappointed or angry that they were not able to buy seats" for the recently announced New Year's Day Penguins-Sabres Amp Energy NHL Winter Classic at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The stadium seats about 74,000 (which would break the NHL attendance record), yet only 1,500 tickets were available exclusively to Penguins season-ticket holders.  The NHL reports that more than 42,000 tickets were sold in the first 30 minutes they went on sale.  Meanwhile, the Penguins have signed a lease committing the team to its forthcoming $290 million arena until 2040.

Finally, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is confident that sales of the Lightning and Predators are "on track," and that the deals "will likely be done by the late November Board of Governors meeting or perhaps before."

9.  (Beli)Chick soccer:  Women's World Cup and beyond

In yet another Belichick-y scenario, last week FIFA ordered the Australian team to stop using walkie-talkies and portable tracking devices on its players in the FIFA Women's World Cup. In its first game, against Ghana, Australia used GPRS technology on some players to track movement around the field, measure how far they ran, and check heart rates and like physical data. It also used walkie-talkies for communication between coaches at ground level and in the stands.

Germany, meanwhile, is the favorite nation to stage the next Women's World Cup, in 2011.  Canada is a strong candidate as well, as are Peru and Australia (sans gadgets).  The decision will be made by FIFA this fall; the governing body also wants to expand the field from 16 to 24 teams.

And, as the U.S. prepares to face rival Brazil in a women's semifinal match up on Thursday, a FIFA team headed by longtime Southern California soccer official Hugo Salcedo is in Brazil assessing that country's readiness to stage the 2014 men's World Cup.  The FIFA team is visiting five of the proposed World Cup host cities there, and hearing presentations from 13 other communities.  A final decision on whether to grant Brazil the 2014 tournament is expected at a FIFA executive committee meeting Oct. 30.

10.  Dew-y eyed:  Mountain Dew leaves X-Games for new NBC gig

X no longer marks the spot for Mountain Dew, as one of the first big names in action sports marketing, is spilling over to the new NBC-backed Dew Tour. Mountain Dew is reportedly paying $3.5-4.5 million to title sponsor the AST Winter Dew Tour, a three-stop series televised live on NBC beginning December 2008.  The Dew Tour will feature ski and snowboarding events including halfpipe and snowboardercross.

Mountain Dew has been a supporter of the X Games for 13 years.  The brand, in its third year of a five-year title deal with AST's summer tour, found it increasingly harder to differentiate itself as one of seven gold level sponsors at summer and winter X Games. AST's eight total markets offer expanded activation opportunities, exposure, and innovation.

While Mountain Dew's commitment to the X Games was integral to the Games' development over the last 13 years, the brand's X exit could open up new opportunities for ESPN, allowing them to split up the beverage category and extract more value.

AST Dew Tour's move into winter sports will also create additional competition for sponsors, and new revenue potential for athletes. Winners of its individual summer events, for example, collect $15,000, while the athlete who accumulates the most points at all five stops wins $75,000.  Agents and industry leaders expect athletes to wholeheartedly embrace the new tour.