June 4, 2009
As They See ‘Em is an insider’s look at the private lives of professional umpires. This is the small group of men-and rarely women-who make sure America’s pastime is played by the rules. Bruce Weber, a New York Times reporter, entered the world of the “men in blue,” training to become an umpire, then spending a season working games from Little League to spring training in the Majors. Read More
April 22, 2009
It can’t get much worse for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. They’ve won just three of their first 13 games. Even more embarrassing: During a game last week, Nationals Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman wore jerseys reading “Natinals.” Majestic Athletic, the company that makes the uniforms, admitted the mistake of omitting the “o.” Read More
February 20, 2009
Did today’s U.S. auto industry CEOs attend the same business school as National Basketball Association (NBA) owners? As the 2009 NBA trade deadline ended yesterday, notice the unfathomably massive salaries for obviously mediocre players: Brad Miller of the Sacramento Kings at $12 Million per yearand Chris Wilcox at $6.7 Million per year. Wow. Meanwhile, the NBA’s league office has quietly loaned $175 million to its struggling franchises. With 15 teams receiving such b-ball welfare, one has to ask: How is that these teams are struggling when their employees make such monstrous paychecks? Read More
February 9, 2009
This joke’s set-up is tantalizing, but the punch line leaves so much to be desired. With apologies to Alanis Morissette, the U.S. media last week dubbed it’s own version of “Ironic” – at once slowly and painfully discrediting famed Olympian Michael Phelps for marijuana use all while managing a fantastic PR campaign for the drug itself. When a British tabloid last Saturday published a photo of Phelps smoking pot, the athlete almost escaped public humiliation as the story competed with the over-arching media blitz of the Super Bowl. But just hours after Santonio Holmes’ championship-winning catch, Phelps and children around the globe were pulled into an ugly debate about drug use and privacy. Read More
November 26, 2008
Gambling has never been so dangerous. Two recent sports outcomes have pitted wagerers not only against Las Vegas odds-makers, but against the teams and sports for whom they are wagering.
Most notably, during last month’s World Series, Game 5 was halted due to rain in the sixth inning with the Phillies and Rays tied 2-2. From Major League Baseball’s perspective, the game was not complete and would be finished the next day when the weather relented. But nearly 1,500 miles west in Las Vegas, the sports books had an altogether different take. Read More
November 4, 2008
Congress is mulling another economic-stimulus plan that could include new public funds to fix America’s dilapidated infrastructure. But should that include sports stadiums? The debate is rising again as New York City is contributing money to new stadiums for the Yankees and the Mets. Actually, not for the stadiums themselves, but for parks, garages and transportation improvements, which have jumped to about $458 million, from $281 million in 2005, according to the New York Times. Read More
October 24, 2008
First they made Gordon Gecko look like a law-abiding bureaucrat. Next they rewarded their own disastrous behavior in an O.C. luxury resort like Adam Brody and Mischa Barton. But not until now has the impact of Wall Street’s bail-out boys reached BCS-like proportions. The New York Times reports – and The Hot Sheet confirms – that the mortgage meltdown is harming one of the purest American pursuits: collegiate athletics. Read More
September 24, 2008
A more storied baseball stadium never stood. It’s the “House that Ruth Built.” Home to more concerts, World Series games, speeches and legendary players than any other baseball architecture aside from the Hall of Fame, Yankee Stadium saw its final game end on Sunday in a Yankee victory. It’s been a disappointing season for the Yankees – they’ll miss the playoffs for the first time in many years – but fans of the historic franchise eagerly anticipate the new stadium. Read More
September 5, 2008
There are a number of universal truths to the marketing process. According to RPR President Mark Paolucci, “The first is the desire to create a strong initial brand platform, or identity, and the second is to integrate that brand into the various marketing disciplines as seamlessly and cost-effectively as possible.”
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson agrees with Paolucci. Last week, Johnson legally changed his last name to Ocho Cinco Read More
August 14, 2008
The world watches in amazement as Michael Phelps wins gold medals and smashes world records. As ridiculous as it may seem, many are wondering if he is part fish. They aren’t that far off. Phelps’ ankles bend an extraordinary 10 to 15 degrees, sometimes almost parallel to his legs, turning his size fourteen feet into built-in flippers. Combine those with his 76″ height and 79″ armspan and you see why Phelps could be an honorary dolphin. For another astounding feat, read about his 12,000 calorie-a-day diet in this article. And you thought fueling your vehicle was expensive – just imagine his grocery bills. Read More
