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rickhorrow · 7 years

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15 to Watch + 5 Tech 92517

1) Donald Trump: Good for NFL business? Among the dialog over the weekend that stretched from London to the West Coast and reverberated through millions of social media threads, Trump’s incendiary comments on player protests during the National Anthem may actually prove to be a short term shot in the arm for NFL business on at least two fronts. For starters, Trump’s comments have united the NFL and the NFLPA like nothing short of natural disasters, with Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith condemning Trump’s rhetoric and spending part of their Saturday on the phone "discussing the comments that the president made and what’s the best way going forward," according to ESPN and multiple sources, while players, coaches, and owners league wide linked arms or took a knee in a sidelines show of support. What’s more, TV executives are cautiously optimistic that the NFL’s TV ratings will be up this weekend based in part on the attention that is been placed on the games from the remarks and the debate that followed. Ironic that Trump’s opening gambit at a Friday night campaign rally partially focused on the NFL’s “poor ratings” may actually boost the league’s numbers, for this weekend at least.

2) Week Three of 2017 is probably one of the most turbulent weeks we’ll ever see in the NFL. Virtually the entire country is now focused on the social and political ramifications of the presidential statements and the league, owners, and player responses. But let’s take a moment to examine the business perspective. In retrospect, Donald Trump has probably done more to affect the future of the NFL than anyone has in the past two or three decades. The statements calling for the firing of players who sat or kneeled during the playing of the National Anthem and the immediate response outside the league of former players, corporate advertisers, and others has solidified a league that is looking to a $25 billion revenue stream. The NFL has faced major issues in recent years, including the fallout from CTE studies that all but prove a direct link between playing the game at the pro level and life-threatening concussions. But the statements by Trump have been interpreted by the vast majority of the league’s 32 owners – most of whom lean conservative and many of whom contributed to Trump’s campaign and inaugural funds – as having crossed the line. For the next five months at the very least, Trump will be forced to share the media stage with a powerful conglomerate with a very large megaphone and high approval ratings. The line of scrimmage has been established.

3) Despite playing in the second-biggest city in the U.S., both the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers have had a tough time filling the stands for home games. According to USA Today, the Chargers failed to sell out their first home game at the 27,000-seat StubHub Center, while the Rams only drew 56,612 fans to their game against the Washington Redskins at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. The league and team officials from both franchises “remain confident” about moving forward from these poor showings, though it is clear that both teams will need to start winning games to draw larger crowds. The Chargers initially took a gamble by electing to move to Los Angeles and picking an MLS stadium for their home games. The media has been very skeptical of the Chargers since their move north. Kelli Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area commented, “The fact that the Chargers could not even sell out a 27,000-seat MLS soccer stadium should be a concern for the NFL.” The Roman Colosseum wasn’t built in a day, nor was the L.A. Memorial Coliseum or the fan base of the teams who have played there. Give it time.

4) MLB is once again debating whether to increase the length of baseline netting to better protect fans. According to the New York Times, talks are reigniting after Yankees third baseman Todd Frazier hit a young girl with a foul line drive. Back in 2015, teams “agreed to extend the traditional protective netting behind home plate to at least the inner edge of both dugouts.” Since then, a third of teams have elected to extend that netting further down the line; the Yankees are not one of those teams. The Yankees are expected to make changes in the wake of the incident, for had Yankee Stadium had longer netting the ball would not have entered the stands. N.Y. Council member Rafael Espinal, who introduced legislation in May to require all N.Y. ballparks to have protective netting all the way to the foul poles, said that he would “hold a public hearing on the issue on October 25.”

5) The Texas Rangers are preparing to break ground on their new $1.1 billion stadium in Arlington. According to SportsBusiness Journal, stadium architect HKS and general contractor Manhattan Construction will team up on the project to build Globe Life Field. The new 41,000-seat ballpark “will encompass 1.7 million square feet, covering about 13 acres” of land. The stadium will have a retractable roof, though team officials have noted their desire to leave fans feeling “like they’re still outdoors.” One of the ways the team will try to do that is with the use of natural light, “even when the retractable roof is closed to keep everyone cool.” Plans for construction call for the ballpark to take up more physical space than other parks, yet it will have fewer seats as a way to give it a more intimate feel. If all goes according to plan, Globe Life Field should be open for the 2020 MLB season. It’s long been accepted that “everything’s bigger in Texas,” and Globe Life Field will be no exception, especially with hometown shop HKS at the helm.

6) In a new lawsuit filed against the NFL and New England Patriots, the family of late Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez claim he had a severe case of CTE. According to the Boston Herald, the $20 million lawsuit cites a report from Boston University CTE Center Director Dr. Ann McKee, which concluded that Hernandez had stage 3 of the disease. Despite playing just three seasons in the NFL, Hernandez’ condition is the “most severe case of CTE they had ever seen in a person of his age,” as stage 4 is the worst possible. Attorney Jose Baez and Hernandez’ fiancée Shayanna Jenkins announced the lawsuit, which is separate from the $1 billion settlement which the NFL has “agreed to pay families of players who suffered brain injuries while playing in the league.” The lawsuit claims that the former player’s condition caused him to hang himself in his jail cell. The bigger unspoken issue, of course, is whether the CTE caused Hernandez’ murderous behavior in the first place – and if this will ever become a legal defense should another NFL player find himself in a similar tragic situation.

7) Milwaukee Bucks phenom Giannis Antetokounmpo is facing a tough choice: which shoe company should he join? According to ESPN.com, multiple companies have recently pitched the Greek superstar as they are looking to “position him as the future of basketball.” Adidas rented a modern loft in Milwaukee and decorated it with pictures of Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe, and Jesse Owens, noting that Antetokounmpo could be the next in the adidas lineage “of global game-changers who impacted not only their sport, but also left a legacy of social impact.” The German-based company also noted multiple times that it recently took over Jordan Brand as the No. 2 player in the domestic shoe market. Also set to pitch the Greek forward were Nike and Chinese-based Li Ning. Each offered the “Greek Freak” his own signature shoe that would likely launch for the 2018-2019 NBA season. Antetokounmpo’s current deal with Nike is set to expire on September 30. Clearly, Antetokounmpo will heed the old saw “if the shoe fits, [exploit] it.”

8) In an arms race to remain the world’s wealthiest sports franchise, Spanish soccer powerhouse Real Madrid have resigned Emirates to a jersey sponsorship deal. According to Palco23, Real Madrid’s new deal is worth a record-shattering $83.5 million per year. Manchester United previously held the record for the most lucrative kit sponsorship with its $74 million per year deal the club holds with Chevrolet through 2021. Real Madrid did not “wish to wait” until their current contract expired with Emirates, so they went ahead and resigned the Dubai-based airlines to an extension. On top of just having their name on the jerseys, Emirates has requested that the club install “four LED advertising banners by both goal areas at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium as well as publicity on the squad’s training kit.” Real Madrid is now expected to start negotiating a new deal with adidas – the club’s official outfitter.

9) The NHL is continuing its push to expand its international presence by hosting preseason games in China. According to Sportsnet.ca, the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings played a pair of preseason games in China recently, marking the first time any NHL contest has been played in the Asian country. The teams made stops in Beijing and Shanghai to play each other, making an “impact on developing the NHL brand in the Far East.” Sources close to the league noted that the idea to host contests in China was first conceived a year or two ago, but now it has finally come to fruition. “In prior years, out international strategy had probably intentionally omitted the Far East, in part because of a lack of hockey interest and infrastructure,” said NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. With Beijing set to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, this move by the NHL comes at the right time to start “a massive movement to develop youth sports of the winter variety.” However, the best international “advertising” the NFL could do in China is to allow its players to compete in the 2022 Games there.

10) Following the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that devastated Mexico City, an “enormous crack” has appeared in iconic Estadio Azteca. According to the London Daily Mirror, the soccer stadium is one of the most iconic in the world, as it has hosted two World Cup finals, is included on the list of potential sites for the 2026 joint North American World Cup bid, and is “due to host” the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders in a regular season game November 19. The 87,000-seat stadium will certainly need repairing, with a massive fracture appearing in the stadium’s exterior structure. It will take time to fully assess the damage and move forward with repairs; the city is still scrambling to move forward in the wake of the natural disaster. The earthquake that struck Mexico City was one of the strongest and deadliest to hit Mexico in more than 30 years. While stadium repair is clearly a priority for the NFL and soccer constituencies, the Mexican government must be careful to not dedicate extra resources to its repair while thousands of homes, businesses, schools, and the infrastructure citizens rely on each day stand in ruin.

11) Coca-Cola has found a new way to advertise its brand in the new FIFA 18 videogame. According to SportsBusiness Journal, the Atlanta-based soft drink company will “sponsor its first-ever virtual athlete in a deal with EA Sports.” Last year’s edition of FIFA introduced gamers to “The Journey,” a mode that allows you to play as “Alex Hunter,” a 17-year-old soccer phenom, as he progresses through his professional career. This year, Hunter signs a sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola; he even shoots a commercial with the company in the video game. Bringing this sponsorship move to real life, Coca-Cola will “promote the tie-in with cans featuring Hunter’s likeness sold at 7-Eleven and Wal-Mart stores in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.” The cans will each feature unique game codes that consumers can use to unlock additional game content. Further, Coca-Cola will put Hunter’s image on one of the most-seen advertising screens in the world upon the game’s launch: Times Square.

12) The Los Angeles Lakers have joined the NBA’s elite ranks in terms of jersey patch revenue. According to SportsBusiness Journal, despite not boasting the best product on the court these past few seasons, the Lakers inked a deal with San Francisco-based e-commerce company Wish. The deal is worth between $12-14 million annually over the next three seasons, which puts it in the upper tier of jersey patch deals. That number still lags far behind the $20 million that Rakuten is paying the Golden State Warriors for their jersey patch spot; that deal includes naming rights to the team’s practice facility, too. Wish was founded back in 2011 and is a “digital mall” that sells discounted merchandise through an e-commerce platform. Lakers President of Business Operations Tim Harris said that “other elements of the Wish deal include a founding sponsorship in the team’s training center, along with signage and hospitality in Staples Center.” The Patch is here to stay, and while its dimensions won’t get any bigger any time soon, its price tag certainly will.

13) The Miami Heat have signed a jersey patch sponsor for this upcoming season. According to the Miami Herald, the Heat have elected to partner with South Florida-based Ultimate Software. A common theme has spread across the NBA when it comes to inking jersey patch deals: teams have largely been looking for local companies to partner with. Ultimate Software is a “technology company that develops and sells UltiPro, a human capital management solution.” Apart from just getting the company’s logo stitched onto the breast of the Heat’s new Nike jerseys, the partners are planning to work together on “several community programs.” “It was important for us to find a partner that held similar beliefs and values and Ultimate Software definitely fits that bill,” commented Heat Executive Vice President & CRO John Vidalin. “They have been a longstanding partner of the Heat’s, with a rich history of giving back to the South Florida community.” The Patch is Here to Stay Part II: Local is good, as long as Local brings a price tag comparable to any national partner.

14) Amazon is preparing to make a significant leap into the sports streaming world. The online giant has already started moving into the sports streaming space with its purchase of the rights for ATP tennis tournaments, but the company’s plans to bid for the English Premier League rights take it to another level. According to the London Daily Mail, Amazon is expected to enter the next TV rights auction, “which is expected later this year, setting the stage for another bonanza payday.” The Seattle-based company is known for its unpredictable expansion, as it recently overtook the upscale Whole Foods grocery store chain. The bid will most likely be for the next set of three-year packages from the 2019-2020 season onward. With Amazon having the “financial muscle to buy as many packages as it wants,” the preeminent soccer league is “anticipating another rise in the value” of its games for which Sky is already paying $15 million a match.

15) Coming as huge news for the company, adidas has surpassed Jordan Brand as No. 2 in the domestic sneaker market. According to data from NDP Group and cited by GQ, adidas now owns a 13% market share, which is “more than double what it had a year ago.” Nike is still well ahead of the pack with its 44% grip on the market, though this number is down significantly from the 60% it was at back in 2014. Adidas’ “classic styles” are largely believed to be a significant reason for the brand’s rise. Kanye West’s Yeezy line of sneakers certainly create a buzz around the brand, but most likely had “little direct effect” on the company’s bottom line due to their limited production volume. Jordan Brand now holds a 9.5% market share – a number that has been relatively stagnant for some time now.

Five Top Tech

1) The Minnesota Viking are looking for ways to expand their own Vikings Entertainment Network for their fans. The team has launched the “Vikings Now” app that will share content from NFL Network, Vikings Connected, Beyond the Gridiron, and others. The content will center on the team, so even the most die-hard fans can get their fill of everything Vikings. Vikings Executive Director of Digital Media and Innovation Scott Kegley said this of his organization’s expansion: “By expanding to Connected TV, fans are now able to watch their favorite Vikings videos and stories in 1080p HD right on their television. Working with dotstudioPRO provided us a robust solution and the experience to deliver our premium broadcast quality content experience back into the living room for our fans.” With new devices like Roku and ChromeCast, consumers have more options than ever to watch content online. Streaming services are becoming hot commodities that are changing the way we all consume media and content. Sports teams like the Vikings are doing their best to stay ahead of the times by helping their fans find team-related content.

2) The days of line-judges in tennis may be coming to an end. The Association of Tennis Professionals announced this week that a men’s youth tournament in Italy this year will use automated line-judge technology to make calls. The technology, courtesy of Hawkeye Innovations, will make instant “out or in” calls that may render human tennis line judges obsolete in the future. Gayle Bradshaw of the ATP had this to say of the new technology replacing line judges: “This could be a landmark moment for officiating in our sport. Our athletes work incredibly hard and they deserve the very best and most accurate officiating we can offer. The technology is now in a place where we feel comfortable trialing this new system in a real tournament environment. The Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan is the perfect place to do this, and we look forward to monitoring the results and assessing the merits of this new system.” With the new technology in place and ready for extensive use, it is no surprise to see tennis officials appease fans with faster and more accurate calls on the court.

3) Wireless communication from the baseball dugout to catchers may be imminent. Many of the pitches throw in SEC baseball play at the Division-1 level are called from the dugout from coach to catcher. The time it takes for each catcher to interpret and then relay each sign over to the pitches taken time and effort. Time and effort, however, that may not be necessary in the very near future. The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Committee approved a request from the SEC to implement wireless communication from the dugout to catchers through built-in headsets. Vanderbilt Head Coach Tim Corbin is in favor of the implementation of wireless pitch calling: “There’s no magic clock and no magic time, but we just would like to take the dead spots out of the game as much as possible. You want to keep the natural rhythm of the game moving. When you’re playing in it, the length of the game isn’t so bothersome to the participants, but it is for the consumer.” Baseball, at all levels, has long been criticized for not embracing the use of technology to help make correct calls on the field. Along with the implementation of instant replay and the use of headsets at the college level, we could be seeing a changing of the guard in the sport.

4) College softball is looking to improve its use of technology for the upcoming season starting in spring 2018. The NCAA Softball Rules approved the use of swing-tracking technology to give players and coaches more data to analyze and prepare for games. Diamond Kinetics CEO C.J. Handron emailed SportTechie the following: “Ideally, a player wants to take the swing they have worked to improve in a practice setting into the game. The reality is that doesn’t always happen. Being able to compare game swing data against practice data creates a tremendous opportunity for a player and coach to more quickly and objectively understand what may be changing mechanically in that transition from a practice situation to a game. In college sports, it is encouraging to see programs looking for new ways to collect and interpret data. As programs look for ways to recruit, and ultimately win, every bit of information could serve as an advantage. With more wins comes more revenue. We may be looking at the advent of the technology era in college sports as we have seen advanced analytics earn a larger role in pro sports.

5) Kevin Durant is much more than just an NBA superstar. Durant is also an investor in numerous tech companies around the country, with his interest in investing starting during his days playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Most recently, he joined fellow teammates and investors Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala as Silicon Valley investors. Speaking at TechCrunch’s Disrupt in San Francisco this week, Durant commented on where he sees the direction of technology for the future: “Guys want to be a part of change, and I think that’s a great thing, to think outside of the basketball realm and try to impact some people’s lives in a different way. But, if you come out here, it’s obvious that you’ll be just entrenched in this community.” For mega-star athletes like Kevin Durant to be so involved in the technology community is a great sign for many technology start-ups. With star power comes an increase in revenue and overall public interest. Both the companies and athletes are benefiting from a win-win deal.

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