The “Owner As Brand” Fades Into The Twilight…

November 27, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The passing this week of the beloved Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin was the latest in a series of instances recently that seem to show us that one of the great storylines of American team sports, the iconic “owner” that we loved or hated and sometimes followed with as much or more passion than the players themselves, is fading into the distance of corporate America. Yes, we still have Jerry Jones with the Cowboys and a community and business leader like Mike Ilitch with the Tigers and Red Wings, but these days a single owner as the personality of his or her franchise seems to be more a hindrance than a help when teams’ cost of doing business or connecting to a community is in play. In addition to Pollin’s passing (his legacy is well detailed in many pieces this week in the Washington Post, including Thomas Boswell’s great read), we have the fading health of the Yankees George Steinbrenner, the recently disclosed illness of the Seahawks and Tralblazers owner Paul Allen, Lakers owner Jerry Buss taking a back seat in running his franchise, and the disfunctional issues with the Raiders and owner Al Davis. Then pile on the public divorce cases of the Padres John Moores and the Dodgers Frank McCourt, both effecting those franchises bottom lines, and there is a very good case that the individual leader has gone the way of the dinosaur. Now in today’s all access media market the argument can probably be made that there is less of a need to have the owner as the organization front man or woman. Fans want access more to the players who they are spending the money on, and probably are less interested in the billionaire owners footing the bills for the talent. Still the owner as the brand and the face of a franchise, more as promoter and pillar of the community than as rich playboy, was what drew many to sport in the first place. The Maras and the Rooney’s of the NFL, a man like Sonny Werblin with the Knicks and the Rangers, Lamar Hunt taking his oil money to help start the AFL, the Yawkeys of Boston…all became touchpoints as sport became big business and their faces and reputations rose and fell in the community with the fortunes of their team or teams. Now these men certainly did not act alone, and the most successful always assembled the right business teams to run said franchises on the day to day. However the team brands and their individual personal “brands” were one in the same. Steinbrenner’s Yankees took on the personality of their owner, both good and bad. Maybe today’s high demand world of everchanging loyalties and interests may not lend itself to such individuals as much as in the past, especially as the battle for the discretionary dollar, but the personality of the owner was part of the mystique of the team brand and was part of the passion that drove the business of sport. Yes its easier to be lukewarm about corporate ownership and maybe it puts more focus on the athletes. However knowing the owner always made it more fun and a little more intriguing, and that personality involved with the imprint of the franchise got sport to be the business it is today. It is probably an era lost, but one which should be reflected on positively as another icon passed this week.

Toques and Beavers A Fun, Simple Fundrasing Idea Up North…

August 21, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With all the high level, high tech, multi-tiered investment and brand building ideas that come along, sometimes its the simplest that can be both fun, generate buzz and create some easy fundraising and brand building ideas. One that is gaining interest and is assisting athletes in Canada as we move towards Vancouver 2010 is a site called Toques and Beavers. The site, with a simple and entertaining flash game, gives people of all ages the chance to play against others or by themselves and raise funds for Canadian athletes training to compete next year. No multi-media, high tech social media components with layered themes and glitz. It is easy to get, it is fun, it doesn’t crowd your desktop and it is easy to share. Maybe its too simple in this gadget age? Perhaps. But the game signifies what the Games used to be…no strings attached and a simple way to raise funds for non-sponsored athletes to train and compete for Canada. Almost a throwback idea, but a good one that falls under the “Keep it simple” banner. It is exactly what you think it is, and the low overhead makes the transfer of funds right to the athlete very simple. Good idea in a complex time.

The Need For Spectacle To Draw Attention…CFL and UFL…

July 6, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As we inch closer to NFL Training Camp, two interesting notes popped up again in the football world over the weekend, both showing what it will take for the casual fan to take notice of football outside of college or the NFL. The first was up north in the CFL, which incidentally has done a good job of rebranding itself and working with, not against the NFL in many ways. This past week, Toronto receiver Arland Bruce took the Ocho Cinco route by doing a “touchdown tribute” to Michael Jackson, complete with acting dead after a score. The move earned him not just the wrath of the league and probably his teammates, but got Bruce some great exposure on newsshows, blogs and YouTube during a week where football was nowhere near top of mind, and could draw those casual fans to watch some CFL over the next few weeks to see what antics are next for the “perfomance artist” turned wide receiver. The second move was the UFL saying again that if Michael Vick is available and free of legal trouble they would take him for their Orlando franchise. Again the piece drew the eyeballs of the media and the casual fan to the soon to be starting league at a time when people are still not thinking football, and got the league more exposure as they move toward their next steps. Any downside to entertaining Vick? For the UFL none at all. It will bring spectacle both positive and negative should it happen, and will give their efforts more relevancy for TV and fans than they would have without him. Placed in a slow media week it was a very good move, whether or not it pans out. While one was planned (UFL) and one was not (CFL) both drew attention through spectacle and got both leagues added attention that they need for casual interest. Will be interesting to see next moves on both.

Brand Damage For Joe Buck? Life Is Easy, Comedy Is Hard…Or Is All PR Good PR?

June 18, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Mine is not to debate whether Artie Lange should or should not have been on with Joe Buck on HBO this week. The question becomes was the buzz created by Lange’s obscenity-laced diatribes worth what a solid sports personality, Joe Buck, and a solid brand, HBO, were trying to do? The ratings showed that the show did very well…it was HBO, so there were no ads to worry about…the show certainly got more buzz for Lange than for the good pieces Buck had with Brett Favre and others, and the American mentality of watching a car wreck for fun goes on. Lange’s exposure went up…every blogger and sports media personality talked about him, and what was a very bland show with maybe no hope of return for Buck, gave him some spice and a second life. Does Artie Lange need now to come back to HBO? No. Does Joe Buck need to have a second shot, which may drive more interest to see if he can become a good host? Probably. Was Buck’s “brand” damaged because of the show? How? Are less people tuning in to watch Baseball on FOX because of it? Injured maybe, but not damaged. Probably more will just to see if he will react to the show. The damage will be if Buck gets dragged into name calling and doesn’t take the high road, which he assuredly will. It also created some buzz around his personality and maybe even a bit of an underdog mentality to see if the potential September show will get better. Rest assured HBO probably liked the numbers and the controversy…there was no running away from controversy or numbers when Buzz Bissinger and blogger Will Leitch from Deadspin squared off on Costas’ show last summer…so maybe to a lesser extent the controversy will drive a second show, which probably wouldn’t be bad for all concerned. Given Buck’s quality work and the quality of all HBO does, the opportunity to build a brand remains, despite the slow start.

On Athletes As Role Models and Sports Potential For Leading Social Change…

June 2, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

When the cynical look at sport. they see men and women (often highly paid) playing children’s games with little regard for the greater good.  However those who work in the business of sport and entertainment are constantly looking for ways to connect brands, athletes and teams with businesses for greater branding opportunities, and as brands become more socially conscious to reflect the interests of  today’s consumer, comes the need for more opportunities to use sport as as an opportunity for social change.  A few examples popped up recently in the media, all based around the ideal of how athletes and sport can help influence generations and perhaps influence social responsibility. First, Steve Politi had a good piece in Saturday’s Newark Star Ledger on who will be the new female role models in athletics for girls, and how some of the louder examples of women in athletics today may not be the right influencers.  Then Jason Whitlock had an interesting piece on FoxSports.com from the branding side, on the ways the NBA may benefit even more from this years NBA Finals because of the lack of tattooed and edgy stars featured in Lakers vs Celtics. Lastly, we found this piece on Prince Feisal of Jordan and his role in  Peace Through Sport, using sports as a platform to address conflict across cultures.  Each piece addresses a different area, but all tie together in showing how sport…for the grassroots, for the athlete and for the brands…can find ways to work positively for more than just the dollar, and have a positive effect on social change while still continuing along as a multibillion dollar enterprise. 

Two Tales, Same Ball…MLS Thrives, MISL Crashes…

May 31, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

This week was a big week for soccer in the United States. No matter how you feel about England’s win with David Beckham over the U.S., the sport of soccer in America benefitted and is growing on the outdoor side expontentially with each passing week, as highlighted by the Houston Chronicle piece.  The industry bible, The Sports Business Journal, named MLS their League of the Year this week for their growth, sponsor activation, vision and proactive stance to promote the game on all levels.  The Philadelphia Inquirer had a good piece this week on the bright future for expansion into the area, and we touched on the lucrative and diverse jersey sponsors MLS has announced in recent weeks as well. Soon friendlies will begin to draw even more attention to the regular MLS matches , and a series of other iniatives, including a four on four Futbolito event and other grassroots efforts will reach out to futher address all of the passionate and fringe interests of the game.  MLS spends the dollars, finds and activates the sponsors, effectively uses the digital space and has embraced the Hispanic audience, while growing at the grassroots level.  All those pieces are what is needed to succeed as a viable property in the U.S. today.  The next step will be true growth of individual stars, which will be very exciting to see as well.  On the other side of the same ball, we saw the very disappointing dissolution of the Major Indoor Soccer League this week.  Like the AFL, the MISL has always had the potential to be an indoor offseason home for the soccer fan, with lots of upside for economies of scale, quick action, and grassroots player growth.  However the league, despite the longtime efforts of Commissioner Steve Ryan, could never get the teams to activate properly in their home markets, and without that committment to spend and match return with business and media partners, the reliance on tickets and “free” expsoure (publicity) doomed the concept.  For those who are just casual fans of the sport of soccer, MISL seemed to be a very American alternative…fast, exciting and high scoring (ala the AFL or indoor lacrosse).  But unless the teams make the financial committment to work together and find ways to grow, the soccer success in this country will remain outdoors.  Still, a great week for a great game.

The New Superstars Competition…Kobe vs. Joey Gathright Jumping Over Cars?

April 21, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

As both the Lakers make their playoff run and the Royals continue their surprising start, we take a look at the glories of YouTube past and present to see the potential for a new kind of one on one competition, ala ABC’s legendary series “The Superstars.” (although it may be just a virtual one but one that could afford some unique branding oppts).  It is car jumping, as we have seen recently with the Lakers star Kobe Bryant  ”jumping” over a speeding car online last week. While the authentic YouTube stunt of Royals outfielder Joey Gathright  has been documented since 2002, when the athletic outfielder became one of the first internet legends by jumping over a stationary car, Bryant’s stunt, real or virtual obviously drew more attention.  So the next level of “challenge” occurred Friday on ESPN, with Gathright challenging Bryant to an offseason car jump.  Nice move by the young outfielder looking to make his own stake, a smart move to issue the challenge whether it plays out or not…hopefully there will be a Bryant response and some trash talk after the Lakers season ends that could play out in a nice branding opportunity as well as some new media hijinx in the summer, so long as no one actually tries the competition this time.