The 24/7 news cycle now, especially around major dates on the team sports calendar (the drafts, trade deadlines etc.), continues to explode th.feeding frenzy for news and up to the second information, factual or not. However even with all the access to information and creation of rumor, in team sports the simple fact remains that a trade is not a trade until both sides, the leagues and all parties involved, agree.the spin cycle on both sides of the moves has been interesting to watch. First on the brand side, the dollar investment that goes into changing campaign and brand elements for teams like the Detroit Tigers (moving Pudge Rodriguez to the Yanks) and the Boston Red Sox (moving Manny Ramirez) is very high. Even ESPN had to kill a series of Manny commericials that had yet to be aired, and the changing out of highlight films to community events to promotional campaigns means a great deal of extra work and clear communication to partners.is a great example of two big markets spinning against each other. Veteran writer Charlie Pierce had a great piece on slate.com that goes into details about how the Sox uniformly explained the benefit of moving Ramirez, and how local media came out in a pack against the Red Sox star, while Saturday's LA Times goes into great detail on all the pomp and circumstance the Dodgers rolled out for Ramirez as a conquering hero, especially in a market where the Dodgers are trying to court the Hispanic fan. Ironically the spin master for the Dodgers, Dr. Charles Sternberg, was brought in from the Red Sox to help reshape the team image, so it will be interesting to see where both sides net out. The bottom line in cases like this is that good effective communication can make the upside a little sweeter and take a little of the sting out of a bitter side, especially in the first news cycle.Either way, both sides played the spin game correctly to start. si.com had a great insider piece by former Twins GM Terry Ryan, explaining how the trade deadline deals work or don’t work…the ever-growing world of fantasy sports and online gaming continues to grow as football approaches, and Jack Carey in USA Today had a great read on how the CBS Sports fantasy work this year is altering the playing field for the future…on the Olympic marketing side, Media Post has a good look into the creative ways Olympic partners must use to get exposure in Beijing…Media Week has a good piece on how NBC is partnering with Premier Retail Networks to get highlights on a daily basis into consumer locations like check out lines…an.on the print and digital side, Editor and Publisher has a good look into how Yahoo is helping newspaper partners draw readers online…
