#A Japanese fan after the exit of the German national team.

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A Japanese fan after the exit of the German national team. مشجع ياباني بعد خروج المنتخب الالماني.

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What went wrong for Africa at the World Cup?

What went wrong for Africa at the World Cup?

What went wrong for Africa at the World Cup?

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Fans in Nigeria, Morocco and Senegal express their sorrow after their teams were knocked out the tournament

Senegal’s World Cup exit on Thursday means Africa has suffered its worst World Cup display for 36 years, with no side from the continent in the knockout stage for the first time since 1982.

Going into the tournament, there were high hopes Africa could build on its display in Brazil in 2014 when two teams – Nigeria and Algeria – reached the second round for the first time.

Instead, a continent will be wondering where it went wrong as its 15 games resulted in 10 defeats, two draws and just three wins.

So what is to blame: bad luck, VAR, or a lack of flair?

Wounded Egyptian king

This was supposed to be the tournament in which Egypt changed their lamentable World Cup record, in part because of what was supposedly a weak group and in part because they boast one of the world’s best players.

However you look at it, Mohamed Salah dominated Egypt’s campaign – ultimately scoring seven, and assisting two, of the 10 goals they scored both in qualifying and in Russia.

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Mo Salah did not light up the tournament as many had hoped he would

It was painfully obvious to the fans how much he would be missed when a shoulder injury sustained in the Champions League final ruled him out of the first game against Uruguay.

In his absence, forward Marwan Mohsen – one goal in 23 internationals – looked an inadequate replacement.

Even if Salah had been fully fit it is questionable how far the Pharaohs – at their first World Cup in 28 years – would have gone because of costly defensive errors.

This is not what you would expect of a team coached by the defensive pragmatist Hector Cuper, but too often they erred – with Ali Gabr and Ahmed Hegazi’s central partnership often suspect.

Nonetheless, their goalkeepers impressed – Mohamed El Shenawy performing superbly against Uruguay while African legend Essam El Hadary, 45, celebrated World Cup history in fine style against Saudi Arabia by not only becoming the tournament’s oldest player but also making a stunning penalty save.

But the team that has long dominated African football (with seven continental crowns) ultimately disappointed, never more so than in their final last-gasp defeat by Saudi Arabia.

That was the first time they had been in front in a World Cup match, but after 84 years of trying they are still searching for their first win.

Atlas Lions fail to roar

Morocco’s World Cup campaign was undone in the worst possible fashion – conceding a calamitous own goal in stoppage time of their opening game to gift Iran a 1-0 win.

Coach Herve Renard had called this match his team’s “World Cup final”, hardly surprising given that Portugal and Spain lay next, and his pained face after the match encapsulated his immense regret.

Image copyright AFP

Image caption Morocco fans were impressed by their team’s performance at the tournament

From then on though, Morocco hugely impressed.

They fell behind early to European champions Portugal in their next game but after that, it was largely one-way traffic, with the North Africans impressing with their passing, fluidity and constant attacking drive.

Like nearly all African teams in Russia, they were undone by the lack of a reliable goalscorer and, when chances did come Morocco’s way, they either fell to the wrong people (defender Mehdi Benatia twice guilty) or they were thwarted by top goalkeeping (Rui Patricio denying Younes Belhanda).

In their final game, the Atlas Lions continued to impress and were seconds away from inflicting Spain’s first defeat in 23 games only for the 2010 world champions to draw 2-2 after yet another stoppage-time goal against an African team.

Given that Spain boasted seven players from Real Madrid and Barcelona, with the rest from European heavyweights Manchester City, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid, this was a match that showed Morocco in the best possible light.

“They are an excellent team who had lost two matches 1-0 while deserving much more,” said Spain coach Fernando Hierro afterwards.

It is hard to disagree.

Nigeria – a team for the future

Nigeria’s last-gasp loss to Argentina may have attracted much criticism back home, with plenty wondering why the defence wasn’t bolstered in the closing stages, but the Super Eagles’ Russian campaign was ultimately packed with positives.

Despite being placed in the traditional “Group of Death”, the youngest squad in the tournament – featuring 18 players who had never played at a World Cup before – were just four minutes away from qualifying for the knockout rounds.

Image copyright AFP

Image caption Victor Moses’s penalty had given Nigeria hope against Argentina before they conceded a late goal

This was not a Nigeria team blessed with the talents or physical power of the magnificent side in the 1990s, but it made up for that with a solidity and team spirit not often seen in Super Eagles squads.

“I think the future is for Nigeria because there is a big solidarity – you saw in the difficult moments how great the spirit in the team is,” coach Gernot Rohr told BBC Sport.

The German lamented the slow starts to every game for his side in Russia, with Nigeria failing to trouble their opponents in every first half.

It is worth noting that unlike previous campaigns, this one went smoothly for Nigeria with next-to-no reports of administrative chaos and with bonuses sorted out months in advance.

That bodes well for the future, as does the vast experience the team will have gained from their Russia campaign.

Poor Tunisia

Tunisia were simply not good enough to progress from a difficult group featuring both Belgium and England, and that is an admission made by the coach himself.

“We are far from the required level,” former international Nabil Maaloul said, with captain Wahbi Khazri also venturing that his side found the level against both top-drawer European opponents to be “too high, too elevated”.

Image copyright AFP

Image caption Tunisia won their first World Cup match against Panama but they were poor in the other group matches

The Carthage Eagles only lost their opening game to England in stoppage time, as an African team once again suffered at the hands of both set-pieces and late goals, but they also created precious little.

There can be no doubt that a team shorn of top talents badly missed their star man – injured playmaker Youssef Msakni – but his impact may well have been limited as Belgium’s 5-2 destruction of the Carthage Eagles proved.

Nonetheless, Tunisia leave the competition as Africa’s top scorers – with five goals from three games – and a sense of satisfaction.

Despite trailing against Panama, the North Africans fought back to 2-1 and so secure their first win in the competition since 1978 – a year when they became the first African team to win a World Cup game.

Africa’s last stand falters

After four straight defeats for Africa at the start of the competition, Senegal became the continent’s great hopes after winning their first game – and the continent’s – against a poor Poland.

The 2-2 draw with Japan in their next game may have entertained the fans but having twice let go of the lead, it opened the door for a potential slip-up against Colombia – and how damaging that proved.

Senegal lost out after receiving more yellow cards than the Japanese – six to four – with two of the West Africans’ yellows coming in the final seconds of their clash with the Asian side.

Image copyright AFP

Image caption Many felt Senegal were Africa’s best team in the tournament and were disappointed when they were knocked out

While many Senegalese have lamented the new Fifa ruling which eliminated them from the competition on their inferior disciplinary record, coach Aliou Cisse refused to do so – saying simply his side “didn’t deserve” to make the second round.

As with Egypt and Salah, plenty of hope was placed on Sadio Mane but he struggled to make an impact in the games – seldom getting in behind opposing defences and often straitjacketed by tactical demands that seemed to limit his ability to roam free, certainly in the first two games.

Senegal were another African team which lacked midfield creativity but they impressed at the other end, where Kalidou Koulibaly and Salif Sane formed a fine and imposing central partnership.

The Senegalese defeat by Colombia was their first in a World Cup group game but they exit the competition with Africa’s strongest record at the finals – with three wins and just two defeats from their eight games so far.

Did Africa lose to VAR?

A lot is being written and said about the impact of the newly introduced video assistant referee (VAR) in the tournament and there is no surprise that opinion is divided.

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption The video assistant referee (VAR) was used to review some of the contentious decisions

Nigerians have argued that VAR decisions went against them, saying Argentina’s Marcos Rojo should have been penalised when heading the ball onto his own hand in St Petersburg – especially since Iran had been awarded a penalty in very similar circumstances on Monday.

However, while that latter decision seemed wrong, the referee in the Nigeria-Argentina match got his decision right.

Elsewhere, Morocco’s Nordin Amrabat left no-one in any doubt as to his views on VAR following Spain’s late equaliser in their 2-2 draw but once again it was the right decision, as was the penalty awarded against Egypt for Saudi Arabia.

In both Egypt’s – and Africa’s – favour was the decision to award Mohamed Salah a penalty, which he converted, against host nation Russia.

And African fans should not be too despondent as the continent’s referees – who have performed well in Russia so far – are still here, meaning at least some Africans might make it to the World Cup’s latter stages.

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World famous, semi-retired Formula One commentator Murray Walker once said about the sport, “Anything happens in Grand Prix racing, and it usually does.” But you’d be forgiven for thinking he was talking about taking a bend at 180mph and hoping for the best. The bare truth is the sport has always had a mildly debauched and on-the-fly image reportedly managed by conniving accountants and mechanics paying lip service to overpaid and oversexed racing drivers. What’s more, the impression we have of the sport hasn’t really changed since the open wheel Fiats and Bugattis of 1907. The antics of “playboys” like James Hunt, Juan Fangio and Jensen Button only seal the deal for the sport’s hedonistic image. But is that really fair? Well, to be honest, yes; the sport is a cut-throat multi-million dollar business with lots of national prestige involved, plus lots of rich people, and lots of living it up. It isn’t exactly Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. On and off the track the teams themselves play a dangerous game against each other to gain a psychological or technological advantage over their rivals; whether on race day or in the run-up, or by engineering accidents and throwing races. It’s just most of us don’t hear about it when we sit down to a 190-mile blitz of some high-performance engines. So let’s change the status quo; without further ado here are the 15 dirty secrets the F1 execs hoped you’d forgotten about.

#1 State-sponsored racism Sad but true, racism is an ongoing problem for any sport and despite stronger sentences in the UK for the handful of spectators who prove to be bigoted good-for-nothings some European countries are a little more lenient. The world of F1 is no exception. Most famously at the Spanish circuit in 2008 some F1 fans showed us how dumb some people can really be. A group of them stood up with blacked-up faces and taunted and abused Lewis Hamilton every time he pitted. As if it couldn’t be any worse they had “Hamilton’s Family” written on their t-shirts. The apparent germ of this filthy onslaught comes from the long-standing rivalry between Hamilton and Spanish driver Fernando Alonso and an out-and-out simple-minded hatred of the first ever black F1 champion. The track abuse was only the tip of the iceberg as the shameful hate was picked up with glee by the Spanish press. Was anything done about it though? Seemingly not.

#2 Flavio Briatore – Fraud Before disgraced business magnate Flavio Briatore was offered a place as commercial director for Benetton in 1988 it was well-known to insiders that he had been convicted in Italy on several fraud charges in the earlier years of the decade. He was in fact convicted of multiple counts of fraud in the 1980s and received two prison sentences then, in 1986 was sentenced to three years for fraud and conspiracy for his role in an elaborate system of rigged gambling games using fake playing cards. The presiding judges described these as confidence tricks and outlined a secret scheme by which unsuspecting punters were “ensnared” by fixed games and fictional characters. Briatore and his fellow conspirators made a great deal of money from these scams. Briatore’s ways weren’t wholly dedicated to scamming unsuspecting card players though. His dangerous antics as Renault’s team principal played out in the 2008 race fixing scandal between Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet Jr, the inception of which Briatore played a pivotal part. Let’s face it, a leopard rarely changes his spots especially when there’s money involved. Following stringent denials, Briatore eventually resigned shortly after the scandal quoting his reason for leaving as, “Just trying to save the team”, “It’s my duty. That’s the reason I’ve finished.” We’ll hear more from him later.

#3 McLaren vs Ferrari – Espionage Let’s turn our attention to the curious case of Trudy Coughlan, wife of Michael Coughlan, chief designer of McLaren’s Formula One racing team. In 2007 she appeared in a copy shop in deepest darkest Surrey with a raft of around 780 secret bits of paperwork (including technical information concerning F1 cars, plans and finances) from none other than Ferrari. Let’s be honest, no one would have known any different if the guy behind the desk wasn’t such a big fan of the sport and an avid supporter of the prancing horse. Naturally, one call to company’s Formula One sporting director Stefano Domenicali sealed the deal on a high-level investigation of a leak from inside the Ferrari camp and a serious accusation of industrial espionage, if not more than a little amateur. The end result was an indictment of McLaren, plentiful penalties left, right and centre and a record $100 million fine. It can’t have been a warm and cosy Christmas in the Coughlan household after that, but let’s face it every action has a consequence. After it had all blown over it was downhill fast for the team and presumably the guy who leaked the documents to the Coughlans.

#4 The Mugging In November 2010 F1 Supremo Ecclestone was mugged in front of his Brazilian girlfriend Fabiana Flosi. He was wrestled to the ground in front of his Knightsbridge penthouse and left with a black eye and £200,000 less in jewellery. One of several victims of the “Millionaire Muggers,” Ecclestone chose not to go down the route of victim support like the rest of us but seized the chance to make a little back on the escapade. He had his injured face photographed for an advert with Swiss luxury watchmaker Hublot. By the oddest quirk of destiny, Hublot had at the start of the year agreed a deal with Formula One Management (FOM), the sport’s commercial rights holder to partner with F1. The company deny Ecclestone was paid for the advert, but it must have provided him with some fantastic rates of pay for advertising.

#5 Doping Allegations Now, we’ve all heard of drug-use in the fields of cycling, athletics and golf to name a few, but F1 has never really been afflicted by doping scandals. That’s not to say that there hasn’t been the odd space cowboy. According to Marc Sanson, former head of the French anti-doping council, F1 drivers have been known to take performance enhancing drugs before races. “For many years,” he is quoted as saying, “drivers have used tacrine, a product used in the treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, in order to remember the circuits more easily.” But when it comes to drug abuse rife in the current sport, Sanson is less sure. What’s more, his comments back in 2013 were vehemently rebuked by former F1 doctor Gary Hartstein. In any case, the FIA is well known for its zero tolerance of banned substance use and runs an education service for drivers about the dangers of mixing high-speed driving with drugs.

#6 Rascasse Gate, 2006 It was the final qualifying lap for the Monaco Grand Prix; if Fernando Alonso could finish his storming lap 0.064 ahead of Michael Schumacher he would reach pole – the vital position for the Circuit de Monaco. With the German’s chances of the position slipping from him by such a minuscule margin, his driving became “a touch too much”; he got it all wrong at Rascasse, locking up his front right tire and veering off across the exit of the right-hander. An innocent mistake you say but let’s not forget Alonso driving his last qualifier on a cert to see him at the front of the grid. But because of where Schumacher ended up, the qualifying session was called to a halt denying Alonso his pole-winning time. Coincidence or foul play? To this day the latter is denied but suspected by just about everyone in F1. In reality, only the most idiotic could avoid the conclusion that Schumacher had crashed deliberately to delay his rivals, yet he protested innocence. Ferrari’s anger at the stewards’ verdict – which saw him demoted to the back of the grid – put a downer on Schumacher’s final year in the sport.

#7 BAR Honda’s fuel tank, 2005 FIA regulations are sometimes hard to interpret but on other occasions, it’s fun to interpret them the way it suits. In 2005, constructor team BAR (British American Racing) were brought in front of the headmaster to explain why their cars weighed 594.6kg when completely emptied, rather than the sport regulation minimum of 600kg. Having taken Jensen Button to the podium and Takuma Sato to fifth in the San Marino Grand Prix of that year, stewards waited with baited breath for an explanation. None really came comprehensively, although when pressed the BAR team line was that their cars’ engines required a minimum of 6kg of fuel stored in a special collector to function. That the stewards’ inquiry accepted the verdict was a great relief to BAR but didn’t stop the FIA vetoing the result and requested BAR serve a year’s ban. Fortunately for BAR at a hearing in Paris, the FIA’s counter – although agreed upon by the Justices – did not result in a ban because a positive intent to cheat could not be proved. So let’s face it, why make something like that public? Until now.

#8 Senna vs. Prost Now, Hamilton and Alonso aren’t the only pair whose tiffs were unconvincingly covered up by the bosses. Take the curious case of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost back in 1989. With the Japanese Grand Prix approaching, Prost made no secret of the fact he thought the 29-year-old Italian’s driving tactics were a little suss. Come the race at Suzuka, Prost got the better start of the two, jettisoning the Brazilian’s pole position advantage. But by lap 46 Senna had caught the Frenchman and as he overtook at a chicane Prost deliberately turned his car into Senna’s, taking them both out. Although Senna was able to re-join the race, he was disqualified soon afterwards, leading him to believe there was a conspiracy to make Prost champion. In 1990, Senna got his revenge as the pair collided yet again at Suzuka’s chicane. Running Prost off now ensured that Senna’s French rival couldn’t achieve a greater number of points and although speculation was rife the accident was still put down to just one of those things!

#9 Max Mosley – The Cover Up Hey, sex scandals happen; there’s probably one happening right now that we’ll only hear about in a year’s time. It doesn’t matter if someone is rich or poor there’s always a chem-sex party behind a closed door. Of course, the key to responsible partying is, as always: know your boundaries and stick to them. But back in 2007 then FIA president Max Mosley had another mantra in mind: and according to the press, it was last heard in a bunker in Berlin 72 years ago. Mosley became entangled in a bizarre sex scandal which execs of the sport again tried to cover up. No luck though because the News of the World got hold of a video which “allegedly” showed president Max enjoying Nazi-themed fun with some prostitutes. Mosley successfully sued the paper but didn’t argue about the authenticity of the tape; he just didn’t like the label of a Nazi-themed sex party. So, maybe National Socialist Leitmotif would have been more appropriate… and $92,000 cheaper.

#10 Bernie Ecclestone – The Sexist Let’s climb right to the very top of the F1 ladder and talk about Bernie Ecclestone, the recently usurped CEO and President of Formula One Management. A former racer and team owner, billionaire Ecclestone is one of the most prominent and well-known faces in F1 with his shock of silver hair, round glasses and occasional black eyes. The former F1 Supremo worked hard to bring success and money to the sport but he hasn’t been without scandal and controversy. To some, his behaviour has demonised himself against women, to others he is a boy-done-good saviour of the sport and all sins are forgiven. Either way, there is no denying some of the opinions of this 87-year-old have landed him in hot water. In 2005, Bernie showed us a glimpse of his brilliant mind when he suggested that “women should be dressed in white to match the appliances” and not satisfied with saying it once he said it again, causing just as much consternation. What’s more, in 2009, the Times quoted Ecclestone saying that “Hitler was a leader who could get things done”. Anyway, take from that what you will; we can only imagine what else he’s saying behind closed doors.

#11 Twin Chassis Lotus 88 – Circumventing The Technicalities Back in 1981, Lotus’s Colin Chapman, Peter Wright, Tony Rudd and Martin Ogilvie had a rather unique idea. According to Wikipedia, the twin-chassis design that supported their ongoing efforts to maximise the downforce produced by ground effects and could run a car to take corners faster than any other in the paddock. Chapman’s plan was simple: the inner chassis held the cockpit and was independently sprung from the outer one to take the pressures of ground effect, while the outer one was basically one big ground effect system from nose to tail. It was a clever idea and one that legendary designer Chapman argued fell within the strict technological guidelines of the F1 regulations, but rival teams did not agree with his optimistic naivety and protested. Lotus’ competitors were rightly incensed by the way in which Chapman was circumnavigating the regulations. Protests were lodged on the grounds that the twin chassis idea broke rules. Without much further discussion, the FIA banned the car and it never got the chance to race.

#12 Crash Gate 2008 Here’s a little more on Briatore’s staggeringly dodgy career. One of the most unforgivable and frankly reckless controversies in recent history was called ‘Crashgate’. It was a secret that execs managed to contain for only a year until Nelson Piquet Jr announced to the world that his Renault managers had instructed him to crash during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. Despite the arrogance of the top order assuming the motives for the crash would never be found out it became common knowledge that the subsequent safety car period following the crash helped promote team-mate Fernando Alonso to first place and claim the win. It was only after German-born Brazilian Piquet Jr was dropped from Renault mid-way through 2009 that he revealed he had been asked to deliberately sabotage the race. The team did not contest the charges; how could they? Renault F1’s managing director Flavio Briatore and the team’s executive director of engineering Pat Symonds left; the former given a lifetime ban from the sport, the latter banned for five years, although later overturned by a French court.

#13 United States Grand Prix, 2005 A Max Mosley foul-up back in 2005 made F1 a laughing stock in the heartland of American road racing but so too damaged relations with hugely influential Michelin. It was discovered only too late by main tire provider Michelin that the banked final turn of the Indianapolis circuit caused the side walls of its tires to collapse. Too late to do anything about and with seven teams relying on rubber, Mosley stepped up in absentia with masterminded idiocy and instructed drivers to take the corner at a snail’s pace. The better suggestion of constructing a makeshift chicane to bypass the corner was opposed although on what grounds no one is really sure, even after the Michelin-supplied teams offered to start from the back of the grid. In the end, Mosley’s terminal decision to bring the cars’ speed right down on the last bend was a sure sign that the sport was being governed by people who cared not one iota for the safety of the drivers, spectators or for that matter the techno partners.

#14 Minimum Weight Rules Against the rules, or just economical? This was the big question for execs in 1982 after a weight issue reared its head for constructors who realised that racing well against turbo-powered rivals was going to take more than a little tweak. A lighter car even without a turbo was the answer, but how to cheat the weigh-in was the question. It came down to Lotus’s Colin Chapman (familiar?) who devised a reserve water tank which when full at the pre-race weigh-in would provide the correct regulation weight. During the race, the water could be dumped and afford the car the advantage and before post-race weigh-in could be as easily topped-up as a kettle. Excellent results followed. However, when execs discovered the secret to their success their positions were disallowed. To some, this was an unfair judgement and politically motivated. The British teams boycotted the San Marino Grand Prix…and now you know why.

#15 Schumacher Returns Notwithstanding the controversy surrounding Rascasse-gate, Michael Schumacher is no stranger to on-track confrontation. The question is how much of it is team-led? We could be forgiven for thinking most of it is. With both drivers seeking the F1 crown at Adelaide in 1994, the German crashed into Damon Hill as the Englishman was overtaking, forcing the two of them to retire from the race. The race was won by Nigel Mansell but Schumacher won the championship… by a single point. Then again, in 1997 in Jerez, a repeat of the same manoeuvre against Jacques Villeneuve assured the cynical among us of Schumacher’s team’s tactical motivations. However this time the strategy backfired spectacularly as Villeneuve became F1 world champion and Schumacher was thrown out of the championship, discredited and sanctioned by the FIA.

Source: TheRichest

[rickhorrow]

RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS/NEWS/BUSINESS/ MARKETING/ENDORSEMENT ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 20

with Jamie Swimmer

The Daytona 500, just ahead on February 26, is one of motorsports’ biggest races of the year, and this year’s hotel prices reflect just that. According to USA Today, the Daytona 500 is set to become the most expensive sporting event of 2017; “more expensive than the 2017 College Football National Championship in Tampa, more expensive than the Super Bowl in Houston.” Peak hotel price across the Daytona area, which includes 160 hotels, is sitting at $521 per night. Comparatively, the average Super Bowl LI hotel price was $379 per night, and $287 for the College Football National Championship; in racing, high end hotels range from $101-$429 for the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte and hover around the $200-range for the GEICO 500 at Talladega. While this spike in hotel prices may reflect the interest in this event, many fans that want to attend it cannot afford the steep prices to stay in the area. Following on the success of International Speedway Corp’s massive “Daytona Rising” renovation project in Florida, ISC announced in November a similar $178 million to Phoenix International Raceway in Arizona. The move reflects the racing circuit’s commitment to its fans, race teams, and communities, and confidence in its future.

As the PGA Tour exits California for its Florida “Spring Swing,” golf has a brand new World No. One – Dustin Johnson, who decisively won the Genesis Open in Los Angeles on Sunday. The spotlight now turns to the Honda Classic, now the only PGA Tour event in South Florida after the Doral event departed for Mexico. While the Palm Beach Gardens-based Honda is now receiving heightened regional advertising and sponsorship attention as the only South Florida event, the Honda is nonetheless anticipating much lower attendance and ratings than it was only weeks ago, before Tiger Woods pulled out of the event due to ongoing back spasms. “Tiger is the needle. Anyone who argues that is crazy. But it’s almost like seeing Bigfoot now. You don’t know when you’ll see him," said Golfer Pat Perez, on the attention Woods still attracts.

    MLS business continues to boom across the country, as DC United signed on Audi for the naming rights to the team’s new stadium. According to SportsBusiness Journal, Audi, owned by German-based Volkswagen, reached an agreement valued at $4 million annually for between 10-15 years for DC United’s new $300 million stadium. The deal is “the second biggest deal in MLS behind Banc of California’s reported 15-year, $100 million deal for LAFC's new stadium. Most naming-rights agreements in MLS are in the range of $2 million a year.” The new facility, which will be named Audi Field, is set to break ground this month and is being designed by Populous – it will have 19,400 seats and 60 suites. MLS has more leverage than ever before:  new corporate sponsors, increased awareness, new stadium deals. They will now attempt to maneuver through at least 12-15 interested cities to find four expansion commitments over the next few years. Well done!

  The Pittsburgh Pirates have made massive on-field strides since Bob Nutting became the team’s principal owner 10 years ago, but fans still want more out of the club. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Nutting’s “ardent competitiveness” still contradicts with the “caution and restraint with which he has run the franchise.” The Pirates have increased their payroll “from $44.1 million to $99.9 million, but only rose from 29th in MLB to 23rd,” reflecting the league’s overall influx in money. The team’s strict budget and reluctance to spend big on free agents is creating backlash for the front office. Nutting is said to be “fine with fan frustration,” since it is he who has led the Pirates back to winning ways – the team has made the playoffs three times in 2003, though they never got further than the NLDS and lost two consecutive wild-card games. Enhanced branding, public support, PNC Park, and other factors make the Pirates much more valuable than ever before. On-field performance is improving as well.

  Expanding their digital presence, NASCAR is now the first company to partner with digital video company DeskSite. According to SportsBusiness Journal, DeskSite is known for its automatically downloadable content across all devices – the company’s product is based around the notion of “DVR for the Internet.” “With NASCAR, DeskSite will offer news, interviews and driver spotlights. It also will have highlights of races, though they will only go up after a certain period of time after a race, usually the day after.” This new partnership for NASCAR does not breach any of the racing league’s media-rights deals with Fox and NBC, but actually builds on top of those deals. As it currently stands, NASCAR and DeskSite are looking at a soft launch date this coming November. “DeskSite, whose backers include prominent NFL agent Leigh Steinberg, has numerous team deals in the NFL, MLS and NHL.” Getting ready for Daytona and the start of the 2017 season, look for NASCAR to explore virtual reality, other vertical media integration, and more newfangled technology in the future.

  The NBA D-League signed a new sponsor, and it will now have a new name. According to SportsBusiness Journal, the D-League will become the NBA Gatorade League – the G-League – next season after signing an entitlement deal with Gatorade. “The entitlement deal will include on-court signage of the new logo, which also will appear on the league’s digital platforms.” The official league ball will feature the new G-League logo, marking a total rebranding for the NBA’s sub-division. A key component of the deal will be Gatorade’s access to players to test new products and equipment. Financial terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed, but this marks the extension of Gatorade’s NBA league wide sponsorship, which dates back more than 30 years. As USA Today notes, this is the first time that a major professional “stick-and-ball league in the United States has named an entitlement sponsor” for one of its properties. This is the latest step in NBA creative “corporate partnering” under Adam Silver’s leadership, following Jersey patch deals pioneered by StubHub in Philadelphia, then Blue Diamond in Sacramento, then GE in Boston, then Infor in Brooklyn.  

  The Olympics are truly the most global sporting event in the world, and the Olympic Channel is finally reflecting just that. According to SportsBusiness Journal, the Olympic Channel, which used to be available only in English, is now available “in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.” The addition of these languages marks the first time that the platform has expanded beyond its English roots since its inception. These seven languages are available immediately, with subtitled original programming offered in 10 languages as well. Olympic Channel GM Mark Parkman said, “Language and localization features are a high priority for us in 2017. The availability of six additional languages on the global digital platform is a significant step in the Olympic Channel’s evolution as we look to create more personalized user experiences for Olympic fans around the world.” The channel has plans to add Arabic, Japanese, Korean, and Russian in the near future. The U.S. will certainly be a major factor over time as well; and the IOC looking to emphasize the young demographic, digital technology, and the year-round storytelling about Olympic athletes.

  Naming rights deals have become a significant source of added income for professional sports teams, and some of the EPL’s top clubs are finally coming around to that. According to the London Times, Tottenham Hotspur is “planning to drop the name White Hart Lane” on their new stadium, while Chelsea is looking to make a similar move. The two clubs are “adopting very different strategies as they seek a naming-rights partner in a competitive and crowded marketplace in the capital.” Tottenham is reportedly looking to “raise more than $498 million” from the naming rights sale for its new 61,000-seat stadium; the club is said to have already spoken to more than 300 potential partners. Chelsea, on the other hand, is planning on building a new 60,000-seat stadium on the site of Stamford Bridge and is looking for a naming rights partner that will accompany a reference “to its historic home.” Consistent with other international trends, all sports will continue to maximize creative opportunities to generate corporate partnerships – kit deals, stadium naming rights, league naming opportunities, and other long-term creative corporate revenue streams.

  A busy first half of the NBA season has come and gone, but not without notable happenings. Teams continue to sign lucrative jersey patch deals, and the D-League will rename itself the G-League after Gatorade signed on as entitlement sponsor, and the NBA will officially become the first U.S. major league to move into the eSports space with the planned launch of the NBA 2K eLeague next year. Commissioner Adam Silver had a lot on his plate these past few months, and a competitive and interesting playoff race is shaping up in both conferences. Drama has swirled in New York with the Knicks as of late, with new rumors around Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony arising seemingly every day. Despite that, NBA business has been booming, marking a healthy start to calendar year 2017 for the league. NBA values continue to increase. Of the 31 franchises, Forbes says that 13 are worth over one billion dollars. Not surprisingly, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston lead the way, and are now hoping that on-court performance will catch up as well, at least for the sake of the $24 billion per year television annuity.

  Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson is not content being a team advisor – he wants to be the “face of the team’s front office and to be in charge of basketball operations.” According to the L.A. Times, Johnson has been adamant about his intent to be the President of Basketball Operations for his former team, noting that he would “definitely give 150%” to the job. Johnson currently serves as an “advisor” to the team alongside Executive Vice President/Basketball Operations Jim Buss. The team does not “have a president of basketball operations,” which creates a void that Magic hopes to fill. Johnson's pitch for being the voice of the Lakers’ front office "included a declaration that his first call would be to Kobe Bryant to get him involved in the organization again.” He also said that though the Lakers have “struggled to attract free agents in the past, his presence would change that.” As (and if) the Lakers get better, a “superstar reunion” of Magic, Kobe and others would clearly be good for the Lakers and the NBA.

  Representing a significant shift toward digital media, Skiing Magazine is “shutting its print publication.” According to the Denver Post, the Boulder-based magazine will merge its adventure-focused content with its sister, Ski Magazine. Together, the two magazines will publish their stylistically-different content together under one name. For years, Skiing has been the “winter-adventure magazine, with a focus on younger skiers who live for the sport.” Ski Magazine has been “more family friendly, with an eye toward the aging baby boomers who grew the ski industry and seek a little more luxe in their ski vacation.” Commenting on the merger, Active Interest Media President & CEO Andy Clurman, whose company publishes Ski Magazine, said, “We are going for the bigger tent approach.” Skiing Magazine will keep its staff, and renew its “focus on digital video, television and online storytelling, which will carry the Skiing brand.” The company’s “skiingmag.com website will remain intact.” Is it a move away from skiing as a popular winter sport, or a move from print media to digital? Probably the latter. But every niche publication and mainstream media outlet should take note.

  Similar to the NBA’s dealing with the controversial HB2 bathroom law in North Carolina in 2016, the NFL has taken a hard stance on Texas’ “bathroom bill.” According to the Texas Tribune, Texas Governor Greg Abbott is “blasting the NFL for raising the prospect” that this bill could impact future events in the state. The NFL has warned Texas that “passage of a measure it deems ‘discriminatory or inconsistent with our values’ would discourage the league from awarding any future Super Bowl opportunities” to the state. “The NFL is walking on thin ice right here. The NFL needs to concentrate on playing football and get the heck out of politics,” said Abbott. “We don’t care what the NFL thinks and certainly what their political policies are because they are not a political arm of the state of Texas or the United States of America.” These comments come mere weeks after Houston successfully hosted Super Bowl LI. Both Arizona and North Carolina have seen the impact of challenging the NFL and NBA, respectively, with their biggest games and economic impact, and the leagues attempt to create social statements whenever they think they need to.

  The Phoenix Coyotes’ hope of building a new arena is still alive after receiving some good news. According to the Arizona Republic, the Arizona hockey franchise “could receive $225 million in public financing for a new arena” in downtown Phoenix or the East Valley. The news comes on the heels of a state Senate committee approving local legislation. While the legislation is intended to help the Coyotes, the runoff could ultimately assist the Suns and Diamondbacks, both of whom are “unhappy about playing in older facilities in downtown Phoenix.” The current plan for the Coyotes facility “envisions public funding covering” 57% of a new arena's cost, with new sales taxes covering $170 million and the host city contributing $55 million. If the plan goes through, the franchise would end up covering the remaining 43% of costs, equating to approximately $395 million. Look for an ongoing fight in the Valley of the Sun over the next round of public facility funding. Years ago, the four major franchises fought the first battle – now comes the next set of facilities/renovations/financings. No different than other communities – economic impact vs. public subsidy.

  With the college basketball regular season coming to an end in a few weeks, fans are having a tough time getting their hands on tickets to see top-ranked Gonzaga at home. According to the Spokane Spokesman-Review, demand to see the undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs is off the charts, especially given the size of the team’s home arena. With only three home games left to be played at the 6,000-seat McCarthey Athletic Center, “all tickets for remaining home games are already accounted for.” Tickets to Gonzaga’s last home games were “either sold out or substantially marked up in value on several secondary markets.” Reselling tickets in secondary markets for a “higher price than the face value – which never exceeds $40 per ticket, regardless of the Zags’ opponent or the date of the game – is against Gonzaga’s policy.” The majority of seats at “The Kennel” are reserved for students and season-ticket holders, making it tough for outside fans to get a seat. Ready for March Madness and the Final Four. Over $300 million of cumulative economic impact will begin just after the respective conference tournaments. Stay tuned.

  Mere months after “successfully” pulling off the 2016 Summer Olympics, Rio de Janeiro has sadly slipped back to its depressing ways. According to the N.Y. Times, the host city is “decaying rapidly,” as once-vibrant facilities around the city are now “puncturing any uplifting buzz from the competitions.” The 31 towers which comprised the athletes’ village were “supposed to be sold as luxury condominiums after the Games, but fewer than 10 percent of the units have been sold.” Maracanã Stadium – the site of the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the soccer matches – now has a brown field and the electricity “has been shut off.” The decay of Olympic sites is “happening as a financial crisis engulfs federal, state and municipal governments.” Sadly, the state of Rio is not a foreign one for past Olympic sites. Sochi, which played host to the 2014 Winter Olympics, is now a depressing, hardly-used city; what makes that even worse is the fact that it cost more than $50 billion to put on. It looks like Rio will resemble Olympics in Beijing, Athens, and Sochi – rather than successes in London, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Sydney.