Boston Globe

Sports Books Worth Reading And Giving From 2009

December 20, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

I will be the first to say I am not a strong critic, nor do I read every book out there. However I do read a great deal and try to figure out what are the books that teach me something, even of some of the most public of figures, that I didn’t know before and what can I take away from this that can apply to work, personal life or friends, colleagues or family. Also, what do I think are just really well written stories. So below I have highlighted a list of some of the books I have gotten to and enjoyed, and others may enjoy too. Some are on most people’s lists…some are a little more obscure, but all are well written and have great value. I also have to admit I have not read Bill Simmons’ book or Chris Ballard’s on the NBA, or the Agassi book or my friend Jon Wertheim’s book on tennis this year. That is my bad, but that’s what the holidays are for. These are also in no particular order, other than Marty Appel’s name started with A and thats the first one I thought of. Feel free to send along other suggestions to me at fatherknickerbocker1@yahoo.com

Tough Choices But Clear Messages For Northeastern, Hofstra football programs…

December 4, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The late fall has brought yet more cold reality to mid-level college football in the Northeast with two longtime programs, both in the same league but both private schools in very crowded markets lacking a huge rush of on-campus support. Those programs, Northeastern and Hofstra, were both wiped from the slate of the Colonial Athletic Association in the past three weeks. It is another reflection of tough economic times for sports that need to show ROI for colleges…Northeastern cited more of a lack of additional funding as opposed to support, while Hofstra went more of the road of lack of funding, interest and return for the Long Island school. End of the day the fact remained for both…and could be true for several other schools in the Northeast…football at the former 1-AA level does not increase revenue and in many cases with exposure is limited does not effect enrollment so in tough times the focus can now go elsewhere. While disappointing for supporters and more importantly for athletes and support staff, both schools took similar and somewhat effective tactics in breaking the news. They waited until the season was over, thereby avoiding the potential for sentimental groundswell and negative media coverage. They both provided ample amounts of data on cost benefit for the program, along with a longtime study on feasibility and where those dollars could go. They spoke as one voice…president and athletic director…and both spoke with remorse and understanding for the student-athletes. They did not hide in a statement, but faced the media and anyone who had questions when the decision was made. They also worked to pick the right time and date so as to minimize the news cycle and get the University focused on the business at hand. Now did the cloak and dagger plan by both Universities cause “shock” amongst athletes and coaches and alumni not involved in the day to day? Yes as expected. Was there the understandable emotional heat leveled at the decisionmakers and did they take such heat well? Yes they did. Were their answers well thought out and conveyed effectively? Yes they were. ironically, the loss of mid level football in the Northeast is not the tragedy it would be in markets where college football is king. ironically in many of those markets…especially in the south…Universities are adding football program to move to 1-A and find new revenue sources. However in the Northeast, college football is very much an afterthought in a crowded marketplace at a time when most private schools have solid enrollments…enrollment numbers which in other years may have been boosted by the value of an additional 100 male students coming to play football. End of the day, both schools made a tough choice but spoke effectively with one voice, minimized the newscycle and set the stage to move on as positive as possible. At a difficult juncture, both Universities should earn points for their effective communication of a tough message.

NBA Packages It’s Messages Home and Abroad…

November 29, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As we move firmly into the winter season and toward the Olympics in Vancouver, NFL Post season, the BCS, and even pitchers and catchers in the distance, it is a good time to remind ourselves of the consistency of branding that is so important to deliver the correct message year round, and there is perhaps no brand that does that better than the NBA. Take a look at the last few weeks, as people start to think more and more about hoops. The NBA announces a larger push to grow the game of basketball globally by naming Heidi Uberroth the first President of NBA International, makes a splash with growing basketball in India, brings teams to London and international teams like Maccabi Tel Aviv to New York, ramps up its partnership with the NCAA to push playing hoops in the States and now rolls out a continued expansion into smaller markets with a revamped D-League (nice piece by Darren Rovell on the D-League this week). Across all those global platforms is the same message…basketball, no matter what level…is good business. It gets kids involved, it showcases products and brands, it is a great social event, it can bring large scale events to small markets and it is the same whether you are in Mumbai or Milwaukee. And there is one brand that is all things basketball…and that brand is the NBA. Are there issues in a challenged economy? Yes. The WNBA flagship Sacramento Monarchs folding this week is a problem. Attendance and sponsorship sales in some markets are a problem. However over all, the image that all partners are pulling in one direction to grow the sport and to use all the elements and power of the NBA to position that growth in so many places is very impressive and remains the model for all sports. That message is very clear…grow the game, and use teamwork to do it…and the brand grows with it.

Great Example Of How Far Women’s Brands Have Come…For the Better…Serena Williams and Tampax

September 22, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It was not too long ago, 1997 to be exact, when the WTA Tour, the worldwide governing for women’s tennis, faced an issue of crisis with regard to budget, branding and perception. The Tour, after taking the media power of William Morris for years as the Virginia Slims Tour, was suffering from a lack of identity, and for that matter a lack of sponsors and interest. Octagon and IMG were both tasked to help the Tour, which at this point was in between its young guns on the horizon and its recently retired stars, find a title sponsor to replace the dollars and branding muscle of Virginia Slims. The best option, one that would provide marketing dollars, a healthy lifestyle platform, and the ability to give the Tour room to explore more traditional secondary branding categories, was presented by Octagon…Tampax. By far the leader in feminine hygiene, the brand was looking to take the category out of the traditional area and attach itself to vibrant, global accessible female athletes who could grow with the brand. The dollars would dwarf other potential suitors and could create a revenue stream to help the Tour, which was struggling to find its identity, move forward as a viable sports brand.

Remembering On The Day…Sports As A Social Unifier…

September 11, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

I usually don’t make this personal, but today is a day that we all need to remember those we lost on that tragic day in 2001…and how sports helped us bounce back afterwards. First a quick second to remember those who we knew through sport who were gone that day, including all those in uniform who were such great fans, coaches and supporters of all we do in this business…not just those who died on this day but those in the military who we have lost since…that list includes many of my classmates and friends at Fordham University and Xaverian High School, including Carl Flickinger, who played Varsity B hoops at Xaverian and sat behind me in many classes for four years, Tim Finnerty, a great coach at Wagner and Fordham who went on to Wall Street but always kept coaching kids, Mike Armstrong, another Fordham guy whose lived with every move the Rams made on the field, and a childhood friend Gigi Calvi, who lived a few doors away and really loved soccer. That’s just a few of those we lost today and should be remembered. Ironically 9/11 came just two days after the end of my last US Open, and we had planned to take Lleyton Hewitt, the men’s winner, to Windows on the World for a photo op. on 9/10…but plans changed and we ended up doing the photo on the Brooklyn Bridge, while women’s winner Serena Williams did other events around Manhattan. Amazing how time flies. Still, coming out of 9/11 there were so many examples of how sports can unify us all, none better than the amazing HBO film Nine Innings from Ground Zero, which showed how the Yankees and their fans and the city united after the tragedy, and really helped heal wounds that continue to be re-opened even to this day. For all the dollars invested and time spent on the business of sport today, it remains a social unifier because unlike most other “social” activities, sport knows no social or language barriers, it gives us both aspirational and inspirational heros, it serves as a placeholder for some of the key events in our lives, it is multigenerational, and it can serve as a great relief, either through participation or through social involvement, from the daily stresses we have. Now are there all the issues with big money? yes. Are today’s professional athletes pulled and burdened with more than ever before? Yes. But end of the day, few people anywhere in the world, no matter what race, creed, sex, or color, can find some aspect of athletics or sport that they can cling to. That’s what makes the business of sport so interesting, and why on our darkest days it is a place we can turn to. God Bless all who were touched on that day…and now back to the game.

UFC’s Recent Moves Shows More Business Savvy Than Some Give Credit For…

August 2, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Many people can criticize the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, but one thing that cannot be criticized is the continuing rise in business savvy of the UFC. Friday was a great example of how far the “NFL of MMA” has come. In their usual fashion, the UFC announced well, probably way too far in advance, that they had a “big announcement and press conference set for this past Friday. The hype machine had the much anticipated Fedor Emalianenko vs. Brock Lesnar fight finally signed, a heavyweight battle which would lift MMA more into the mainstream with big fight buildup worthy of two crossover athletes, one American, one Russian. However the day came and went, and the press conference went off with its own news, news that was not the hyped up and teased announcement the sport had hoped for. Instead, White announced the return of former UFC star to the organization, and talked very candidly and at length about the problems as to why the Fedor-Lesnar fight did not happen. White talked at length about the issue’s with Fedor’s management team and the large purse and concessions being demanded, and sent a strong message not just to those in the MMA business, but those watching the MMA business, especially the UFC business, who are interested but not yet involved. The message was that the UFC has the business savvy to know what a good deal for all involved, especially financially for the UFC, is, and that with their current success the cost/benefit of going over that at this time does not make good business sense. It is a departure from the free wheeling spending in exchange for buzz that has slowed MMA’s potential outside the UFC, and even more interesting is it seems to avoid the pratfalls of overspending, alphabet soup and mismanagement that has severely hurt boxing in recent years. It also was a great move by the UFC to take the stage and turn the messaging squarely against the Fedor Management team, especially for the casual observer. Does it mean that the UFC will not get its dream matchup at some point? No. It does mean that the UFC knows its business, its negotiation tactics that work and its audience and by being the only player in professional MMA they have sent a clear message that they can dictate the correct business terms for success, which if you are a brand or a media partner looking to invest, maybe you are now closer to working with them. Well positioned, well thought out, and well timed.

Fragmentation In Niche Sports Proves To Be A Killer…

July 3, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Speaking with one voice, whether it is to a business partner, the media, or to fans is always important, especially in the alphabet soup of niche or second tier sports. With the limited dollars and eyeballs available for the casual fan, splitting the marketplace with alphabet soup of organizations usually leads to confusion and can ultimately drive partners on to a platform which is much more simple to understand. The latest example of split markets being a killer is in indoor soccer, which despite the huge success the outdoor game is seeing in the US, just fell further off the roadmap this week. Last year the Indoor game split into two “leagues,” both of which struggled for any kind of existence in far-off marketplaces, and despite the local success of teams like the Milwaukee Wave and the New Jersey Ironmen (who were in two different leagues by the way) the sport is on the verge of extinction. Another sport teetering but doing better with some unity is lacrosse, where the National Lacrosse League extended commissioner George Daniel this week, sending a positive message to all involved. Still, lacrosse, indoor and outdoor, needs to be presented as one platform to be an effective tool, but at least in their case the sport has a platform of success to build on. Indoor soccer has hurt itself with divergent forces for the indoor game, forces which told the sports world they were too fragmented to present a unified front, and in the end, all suffered. Would having one unified league have worked? Perhaps. But with the alphabet soup presented last winter to fans, media partners and business partners there was no chance of survival in an already tight marketplace. Hopefully the indoor game can be resurrected and lifted by the continued success of the outdoor product, but with too many cooks it will be next to impossible to deliver.

The Volvo Ocean Race Delivers For A Core And Tries To Justify The Spend…

May 18, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It is the nichest of the niche, designed to inspire the sailor and sense of adventure in all sports and entertainment fans, albeit using the highest of high tech to satisfy sponsor spend and communicate in real time through satellite technology to millions of logged on interested parties. It is the Volvo Ocean Race, and as it recently left Boston Harbor, it proved again that with the right partners and targeting the right audience even niche sports can survive in a down economy. So how does an event bereft of all the traditional activation pieces…ticket sales, traditional signage, well known personalities, mainstream television, even normal sponsor product placement…survive? By controlling costs, creating suspense and telling the stories of those involved, and using the races global appeal as it goes through various regions to retell and educate those who come to see the ships and crew in port. The high end clientle or racing also gives it digital cache, which turns into a good followthrough for a high end product like Volvo, or even other sponsors like Tiffany. Throngs of cheering crowds will not get them the same exposure for this select audience as naming rights and digital signage. Without mainstream television coverage, the niche is driven to the web for 24/7 info, from streaming video to blogs and photos, all capturing the high seas for those who cannot get the info anywhere else. Again, costs are controlled as the technology for streaming remains very simple…no need for multiple cameras ala Formula One or other high tech events. The property simply delivers what it is to exactly the base of clients that it needs to, while also bringing in a casual observer or two along the way. Ironically it was the Whitbread Round The World Race that actually helped launch digital sports, as Quokka used it as their driver to lead to a mega Olympic deal with NBC that eventually failed. However the base of that deal, showing that devotees and some casual fans will go online to catch their sport when there is no place else to get information, remains the driver in ocean racing, and shows the industry again how if you can create a simple model and deliver what you promise, even the niche can survive.

Can WPS Succeed In A Challenged Marketplace?

March 30, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

For those who were excited about the WUSA on its best days and all it could do to raise awareness, build brand and launch a legitimate stand-alone women’s professional sports entity comes Women’s Professional Soccer, which launched this past weekend. The good news is from a brand standpoint WPS has taken the best practices from WUSA and all the lessons learned, mixed in some WNBA smarts and a salesforce that has kept MLS growing and combined them into a neat package under Tonya Antonucci’s vision. The bad news is they are launching a national niche product in the worst economy on very limited funds, sponsor support and name recognition to the casual fan, who they intend to go after as much as the millions of young soccer playing kids across the country. Will it work? From a business standpoint for sports in general needs it work, as the more positive movement even a niche sport like women’s soccer has will help shake the tree for bigger established brands. From a casual fan standpoint? Tough to say. WPS is doing some very smart things…they have picked small venues to fill and grow, are marketing multinational players to a diverse audience, and are working with a single entity format which can combine expenses and push the brightest faces and smartest stories forward. They are attempting to use new media to push the product, although without a major brand spend and a big media partner that will be a challenge, and they are also looking to pair with the best and brightest stars from outside of women’s soccer to also push the brand off the sports page (and given the limited dollars for sports coverage these days their exposure would be small regardless). Will brand and media partners and the casual fan come? In this economy it will be wait and see for sure, and not wait and see for success, more wait and see for survival. If they can push the personalities of the players to diverse markets and tell those stories to the right media (some nice hits for the launch this past week) they have a chance. MLS continued growth will not hurt WPS success either. The question will be what deems success over time? If the answer is more young women being heathier, new role models and an exciting diverse product, then the chance is strong. If it is to make a windfall of cash, lure big brands and gain national broadcast TV exposure for the sport, then there will be some challenges, big ones. Regardless, the message that the league has sent to all by getting games started and looking globally for talent is a smart one, and one that, if there are brands ready to spend in the women’s soccer marketplace, or the women’s sports marketplace, they can take advantage of. Hopefully WPS catches a perfect storm to ride to success with some amazing play, activation and personality. The business could use more success stories.

Another Example of New Age Message Control…Curt Schilling.

March 24, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

It was probably over a year ago that if an athlete or even an entertainer broke major news on his or her blog he or she would have been vilified. Yet the reports that Curt Schilling, an athlete who is actually working in the digital world with a few ventures, including a gaming company, announced his retirement in his words, on his blog 38pitches.com, and with little fanfare, barely made a negative dent in the media. The Boston Globe report was a great look back at Schilling’s career and his impact on things bigger than baseball, and ironically the access quotes in the story were much more others talking about the pitcher than him talking about retirement. As mentioned, Schilling does take the digital world very seriously, and his blog often offers up opinion and commentary on things that have little or nothing to do with baseball. The issue with this was not the announcement, but the more universal acceptance of the medium. There will be media interviews with Schilling as the days roll by, and he really hasn’t been in the mainstream sports world for a while, but there is no doubt he was an athlete and personality of influence, and it still remains a marvel at how quickly the “missives” controlled by the speaker and used by the media because there is no other access, is becoming the norm for getting the message out. The additional benefit to the speaker is how sites for top athletes who are now building themselves as brands can use news to drive traffic and partnerships. Schilling’s blog and url ran in every major media publication as it was the only source of the statement. Therefore all that traffic and access to his advertisers and “click through’s” become his. If he had called a reporter or a radio show that proprietary traffic would have gone elsewhere. Thus by driving the traffic and controlling the message Curt Schilling won on many fronts, and can now do whatever mass interviews he desires as followup. Another example of the changing flow of media information control.

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