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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 …

Jimmie Johnson was in one of the few races this week that he has yet to win. The race to make his brand, and in a larger part the brand of NASCAR, relevant to the casual sports fan and the discretionary spender in the worl.s largest marketplace, the New York tri-state area. It is a …

Every year as the college season winds down, the debate begins…who are the Heisman Trophy hopefuls…should schools use monies to create multimedia campaigns…do such campaigns resonate with voters…is it all about winning…is winning not just about the award but about relevance to the school and to the athlet. It is a tough question to address …

One of the most significant games in the history of professional soccer took place in the Pacific Northwest in the late summer of 1977, when the New York Cosmos, led by the legendary Pele, won their first North America Soccer league title by defeating the original Seattle Sounders 2-1 in Portland Oregon. This past weekend, …

It is not easy trying to remain relevant with national brands for the travelling road show. There are less performances of the circus, less ice shows, less boxing matches, less LPGA events, less AVP events, less, less less. When you do not have consistent brand relevance in a market and are out of sight for …

Sports is always a game of extremes…those who excel get the spoils, those who don’t get…well…nothing. However even worse than losing is mediocrity. In sports fans gravitate to the winner but can also tolerate the loser, and those who lose the most always have a sort of macabre curiosity. We never remember the 8-8 New …

With every passing week the global transparency of sports events continues to grow. Whether it is high school hoops stars looking to build their brand and their game going to Israel, Emirates Airways using the Breede.s Cup in Los Angeles as a prime global marketing tool or more Chinese brands signing endorsements to promote brands …

As we move towards the end of what has been a challenged year for many in the brand activation side, we are seeing more and more unique ambush plays and creative sponsorship partnerships designed to extract every dollar, or generate dollars and interest, with every passing day. The moves are probably coming more out of …

While most of the world views the Silicon Valley for its high tech innovation and nearby Sonoma for its wines, there is no doubt that a great deal of sports branding and innovation is continuing to flourish in the region as well. While it is true the Oakland .s remain challenged for a new stadium …

The last year has seen more athletes embrace issues for social change and cause marketing as part of their platform than perhaps any other period. Is it because smart business minded athletes and the representatives see what is going on at the fan level with the economy and have more of a sense to give …