Interview with Minnesota Wild Owner Craig Leipold

In an interview with Sporting News Today, Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold discusses issues around the NHL and says he expects Marian Gaborik back in time for a playoff run. Check out the interview

"What's G" Taken to a Whole New Level

By now, most people have either seen or heard of Gatorade's new "What's G" campaign. We're familiar with the Lil' Wayne spots that feature famous athletes lined up one after another. The commercials make no mention of Gatorade at all. Many people, including myself, had to Google "What's G" during the BCS National Championship game or the Super Bowl to find out what company was running the commercial.

What I didn't know until today, is that Gatorade has given its "What's G" campaign a life of its own. They are featuring a mini-series of sorts explaining the medieval Quest for the G. Check out this hilarious video featuring King Garnett:



Is this the same Gatorade? Wow! While the G commercials do contain some of the same underlying themes as the "Is It In You?" campaign, Gatorade has certainly transformed the style and direction of its advertising strategy. For more tasty G spots, visit MissionG.com or check out Gatorade's YouTube Channel.

Emmitt Smith Debacle Over at ESPN

After two long seasons at ESPN, Emmitt Smith is out as NFL analyst. ESPN decided not to renew his contract for a third year and is not planning a formal announcement. The quiet parting of ways is a classy move by ESPN, as Emmitt has been subject to more than enough ridicule and criticism over the past two years. Just one more round wouldn't hurt....



I personally took the news with mixed reactions. On one hand, Emmitt was a legit source of comedy during NFL pregame. He turned out to be ESPN's answer to Jimmy Kimmel and Frank Caliendo. At times, he had me in stitches. His football analysis seemed like it was coming from the kitchen manager at Wendy's, not the NFL's all-time leading rusher. But while his bunk analysis, grammatical errors, and flat-out making up words could be funny at times, it also created a sense of discomfort and awkwardness for the viewer. It was almost painful watching one of the NFL's greats look like a fool every Sunday. But still, we'll miss you Emmitt.

Chicago Promises Greenest Olympics in Bid for 2016 Games

Chicago has promised to make the 2016 Summer Olympics the Greenest games ever if they win their bid to host. "We've got a real opportunity to take the best aspects of our city, the parks, the lakefront, and the environmentalism and bring a real asset to the table," Chicago 2016 spokesman Patrick Sandusky told the AP. "It's certainly one of the great strengths of the city of Chicago that we have to offer."

In a city where plants currently cool 3 million square feet of rooftops throughout the city, and wind, hydropower, and biofuels provide one-fifth of its energy, the Olympic Games would provide a tremendous opportunity for Chicago to continue to be at the forefront of Green city-planning. Organizers of Chicago's Olympic bid say vehicles provided by the games would run on low-carbon fuels or electricity and event sites would be powered by renewable energy. Storm water would be collected and reused, and the venues would use recyclable or reusable products.

The other three bid cities -- Madrid, Rio De Janeiro, and Tokyo -- are also touting environment-friendly plans to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which will decide on the host city in October. Madrid vows to promote bicycle use, while Rio De Janeiro says 3 million trees would be planted in nearby rain forests to offset carbon emissions. Tokyo is promoting a "zero-waste Olympics."

One obstacle Chicago faces in its 2016 Olympic bid is its deteriorating public transportation system, which the IOC has said needs extensive work. The city of Chicago wants this Olympic bid BADLY. It will take extraordinary efforts and resources from now until October for Chicago to win the 2016 games. But the benefits of hosting the games -- from the international exposure to the economic stimulation -- would be a huge boost to the city of Chicago and surrounding areas.

Roy Jones Jr. Mixes MMA & Boxing with New Promotional Company

Roy Jones Jr, an eight-time world boxing champion, has started Square Ring Promotions, a promotional company that combines boxing with mixed martial arts (MMA). Square Ring Promotions will put on "March Badness," a mixed boxing/MMA card on March 21st in Pensacola, FL. The main event will consist of a light heavyweight boxing match between Omar Sheika and none other than Roy Jones Jr. himself. The event will be broadcast live on pay-per-view.

In a recent interview with Sherdog.com, Jones Jr. said he does not understand the boxing vs. MMA mentality. “So to cure the stigma that we don’t like MMA or that we’re against it, to prove my point, I’m going to start promoting them too,” Jones said. “And they have a huge fan base too. They love fighting. Boxing. Ultimate fighting. It’s all still fighting.”

Jones Jr. continued, "People are always saying, ‘Boxing this, MMA that.’ But both of those are hand-to-hand combat man-to-man. Anyone who will fight another man straight up like that, I got nothing but the utmost respect for."

Jones Jr. believes there is an audience for promotions combining boxing and MMA. “I know there is because a lot of times, the only time people get disappointed in MMA cards is when they don’t give them enough rounds,” he said. “In boxing, you always get enough rounds or a little more than you really want. So how about mixing the two and make it good for everybody? You get enough rounds, plus you get enough action too.”

Are promotions mixing boxing with MMA the future of professional fighting? With the boxing world in dire straits due to lack of promotion and TV coverage, this observer thinks that Roy Jones Jr. just may be onto something.

HBO Debuts Documentary on Duke-UNC Rivalry Tonight

Tonight HBO will debut the documentary "Battle for Tobacco Road: Duke vs. Carolina" at 8:00 pm C.T. The Charlotte Observer's Mark Washburn writes the film "traces the roots and highlights of the matchup, without hype or clichés." The Rocky Mountain News' Dusty Saunders calls it a "must-see event for college hoops fans." Take a look at the trailer:

Interviews With Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy & Packers GM Ted Thompson

Interview with Green Bay Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy by The Elusive Fan

Interview with Green Bay Packers General Manager Ted Thompson on Packers.com

Jordan Brand Releases CP3 II Sneakers & Jordan, LeBron Re-makes

Jordan Brand officially introduced Chris Paul's new signature sneaker this weekend with the limited release of a Mardi Gras inspired CP3 II. The sneaker is set to release at select Jordan accounts including the House of Hoops. The CP3 II will retail at $118.

Jordan Brand also released three colorways of the Air Jordan Fusion 6. Two of the Fusion 6's will retail at $160, while the other will retail at $175. The higher-priced Fusion 6 is inspired by Black History Month and will only be available at Jordan Brand's Flight Club and House of Hoops. The $160 Fusion 6's will be widely available in malls and independent sneaker shops.

Nike is also set to release two colorways of the Nike Zoom LeBron VI, which will retail at $140. Both have already hit Eastbay.

For anything and everything kicks-related, I recommend visiting Kicks on Fire.

Hit by Recession, NBA Borrows $175M for Clubs

The NBA is borrowing $175 million on February 26th to "bailout" 15 of the 30 NBA teams. The NBA conducted a league-wide survey of the 30 teams, and 15 responded that they would like to acquire a loan. In the first major league-wide financing since the collapse of the credit markets last fall, the 15 teams can each borrow a maximum of $11.7 million from the debt proceeds. The interest rates of the deal are unfavorable for the NBA -- they pay rates of 8.27% for $100 million of the $175 million. Sports Business Journal describes the high interest rates:

The NBA deal comes in the context of a changing landscape for the leaguewide credit facilities. Once cheap sources of loans, the banks that manage the loan pools have soured on them and have been unwilling to renew at the old terms. The NFL and MLB were both unable to renew their deals late last year and termed out. That means the debt automatically converted into a fixed-rate loan and triggered amortization and slightly higher rates.

	New NBA Debt
	Amount	Rate	Term
	$100 million	8.27 percent	Seven years
	$75 million	7.45 percent	Five years
	Source: NBA

Fallout from Dubai's Ban of Israeli Tennis Player

Israeli women's tennis player, Shahar Peer, was denied a visa to enter the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before the start of the annual Dubai Tennis Championships tournament last week. Tournament officials said they were trying to protect Peer from anti-Israel protests and her entry into the tournament would cause serious security concerns.

Public outcry since the incident has been intense. The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and several sponsors of the Dubai tournament have taken swift action. The Dubai tournament was fined a record $300,000 for refusing Peer's entry. The WTA also awarded Peer $44,250, the average earnings of all players at the tournament.

The Tennis Channel cancelled its broadcast of the tournament, which was played February 15-21. Wall Street Journal Europe dropped its sponsorship of the tournament, as well as the men's tournament which takes place in Dubai this week. WSJ Europe also cancelled plans for a special tennis-themed advertising section scheduled for Monday. WTA officials also said they are reviewing whether the UAE will be allowed to host future tournaments.

Where the Power Really Lies

Matt Hayes of Sporting News wrote an interesting article about the balance of power in college football. He contends that, in reality, Athletic Directors wield less power in hiring and negotiating processes than would be imagined. The Texas Tech-Mike Leach contract saga, in which AD Gerald Myers finally reneged his stance on Leach's contract clause, further illustrates that coaching decisions are really made up top by the University's President and Chancellor. See the full article here: Athletic Director's Better Beware after Leach's Deal

Texas Tech & Mike Leach Resolve Contract Clause Issue

Texas Tech's Mike Leach has signed a five-year $12.7 M deal to remain the Red Raiders' head coach. The two sides had agreed on the five-year $12.7 M deal several weeks ago, but were held up by a specific contract clause. Leach refused to agree to the clause that would trigger his firing and a $1.5 M penalty if he interviews for another job without Athletic Director Gerald Myers' permission. The two parties agreed to a compromise Thursday that said Leach only had to notify Myers in writing before interviewing for another job.

NFL News: Franchise Tag, You're It

• A record 14 players were slapped with the Franchise Tag before Thursday's deadline...sure to increase the Friday night bar tabs of disgruntled players such as Julius Peppers. Basically, players designated with the Franchise Tag must be offered a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the top 5 salaries at the player's position. The team designating the Franchise Tag can, however, agree to let another team sign the player, but it costs the other team it's next 2 first-round picks. The list:

Players (team) Projected '09 Salary (in millions)

O.J. Atogwe (Rams) $6.3
Antonio Bryant (Bucs) $9.9
Matt Cassell (Patriots) $14.7
Karlos Dansby (Cardinals) $9.7
Shayne Graham (Bengals) $2.5
LeRoy Hill (Seahawks) $8.3
Brandon Jacobs (Giants) $6.6
Michael Koenen (Falcons) $2.5 (re-signed)
Julius Peppers (Panthers) $16.7
Dunta Robinson (Texans) $9.6
Bo Scaife (Titans) $4.5
Darren Sproles (Chargers) $6.6
Max Starks (Steelers) $8.5
Terrell Suggs (Ravens) $10.2

• Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, rarely publicized yet one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, signed an NFL record two-year deal worth $28.5 M, all of it guaranteed. There is also a club option for a third year that would pay Asomugha 16.8 M or the quarterback Franchise Tag number, whichever is higher. Pretty staggering numbers for a little known cornerback for the Oakland Raiders. It certainly reflects the ever-increasing importance NFL teams place on shut-down cornberbacks as well as the importance the Raiders have placed on re-signing their core players as they begin (continue) to rebuild.
  

Manning Marketing Machine

This is Pro Football Talk's take on the unstoppable force that is the Manning Marketing Machine:

Top 10 Highest-Earning Athletes in U.S.

Sports Illustrated has come out with its 5th annual list of the 50 highest-earning athletes in America. See the full article here: SI 2008 Fortunate 50.

Once again, Tiger Woods is # 1 by a looong shot. The list is determined by total earnings (salary plus endorsements) for the year 2008. Total earnings listed first, and endorsement earnings in (parentheses).

The Top 10:

1. Tiger Woods $127,902,706 ($105,000,000)

2. Phil Mickelson $62,372,685 ($53,000,000)
3. Lebron James $40,455,000 ($28,000,000)
4. Floyd Mayweather Jr. $40,250,000 ($20,250,000)
5. Kobe Bryant $35,490,625 ($16,000,000)
6. (tie) Shaquille O'Neal $35,000,000 ($15,000,000)
6. (tie) Alex Rodriguez $35,000,000 ($6,000,000)
8. Kevin Garnett $31,000,000 ($9,000,000)
9. Peyton Manning $30,500,000 ($13,000,000)
10. Derek Jeter $30,000,000 ($8,000,000)

Universities Fed up with Swing Dance by Top Coaches

We've seen it in College Football as much as any sport. Coaches with high aspirations jumping from one springboard to the next. Far more often than in other businesses, college coaches are not honoring the full length of their contracts. We saw it very publicly in 2007 with Rich Rodriguez. Right after signing a renegotiated contract to continue leading the West Virginia Mountaineers, Rodriguez bolted for Michigan -- "the better opportunity." His West Virginia players and newly signed recruits were thrilled. And so was West Virginia President Mike Garrison when Rodriguez refused to pay his $4M buyout clause (A legal saga ensued as West Virginia sued Rodriguez; he finally agreed to pay seven months later).

In early January, Jeff Jagodzinski -- head coach of Boston College at the time -- was issued an ultimatum by Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo. Jagodzinski was drawing interest from NFL teams, and the New York Jets in particular wanted an interview. DeFilippo warned that if Jagodzinski agreed to an interview with another team, he would be fired. Well, Jagodzinski didn't seem to mind -- he interviewed with the Jets and was fired with three years remaining on his contract.

On one hand, it's easy to sympathize with Jagodzinski. Who is DeFilippo to keep him from advancing his career? After all, Jagodzinski led the Eagles to two successful seasons, and what coach wouldn't take the opportunity to interview for an NFL head coaching job? On the other hand, college football teams are not billion dollar corporations and private enterprises. They are extensions of the university with college students as their "employees" ('pay for play' has been a hot debate for years -- interesting article by Rod Gillmore of ESPN). In other words, coaches are bailing on college students who likely chose the school in large part to the coach.

Most recently, the contract negotiations between Mike Leach and Texas Tech have gotten very interesting. The Texas Tech board of regents is getting antsy as Leach missed another deadline Tuesday to sign a new contract. The two sides have essentially agreed to a new five-year deal that would average $2.54M annually. So what's the hold up, you ask? Leach refuses to accept the clause that would trigger his firing and a $1.5M penalty if he interviews for another job without Athletic Director Gerald Myers' permission. A few hours before Tuesday's contract deadline, which Myers has said will be the "last and final offer," Leach was quoted as saying, "I don't need hall passes on this one."

It will be interesting to see how the Leach situation plays out in the coming days or weeks. There is also the likelihood of other programs following suit with similar contract clauses preventing coaches from interviewing for other jobs while still under contract. Clearly universities are fed up with the carousel that has become of top college coaches. Stay Tuned.

Ads During this Year's Super Bowl XLIII Don't Stack Up

Clearly, the quality of Super Bowl advertising this year was at a disadvantage because of the weak economy. Many of the usual suspects decided that the $3M/per 30-sec. ad rate was too steep this year. We saw noticeably more movie previews and car commercials than in years past. Below I have posted the top 10 Super Bowl ads from Super Bowl XLI (2007), XLII (2008), and XLIII (2009). Decide for yourself whether Super Bowl ads have taken a slide the past few years....

Top 10 Super Bowl Ads 2009

As seen through the eyes of knivesandspoons....

Top 10 Super Bowl Ads 2008

Top 10 Super Bowl Ads 2007

Jerry Jones' Coliseum

Another step in Jerry's plan of world domination. When completed, this will be the largest stadium in the world.

New Cowboys Stadium

Brewers Report Record Revenues During Recession; While Packers Losing Ground

While the Green Bay Packers have been experiencing a sharp decline in merchandise sales and other revenues, the Milwaukee Brewers continue to cruise through the recession at record rates. 

This is reflective not on a dismal economy, but rather on the attitudes of fans following two very different seasons.....

NFL Network & the League's Abundant Resources

In aggressive efforts to increase viewers and revenue, professional sports leagues from Major League Baseball (MLB) to the National Hockey League (NHL) are increasing the amount of free and paid content they offer online. The NFL clearly has the most dynamic online presence among the Big 4 sports leagues, especially after the recent renovation of its website, nfl.com. In addition, the NFL had a significant head start with the formation of its own TV network, the NFL Network. Since NFL Network's formation in 2003, the NBA (NBA TV), MLB (MLB Network), and NHL (NHL Network) have all established their own TV networks. The NFL's incomparable revenue stream has allowed the league to be a pioneer in new media, taking business risks that it otherwise could not. They took a huge risk with the creation of NFL Network, as there was no guarantee cable providers would jump on the bandwagon. Today, as more and more service providers offer packages with NFL Network, that risk appears to be a slam dunk. In fact, the league continues to add content, and reporters, to the network's programming, as well as high school and college content....

UFC vs. Boxing

It is the year 2009, and with each passing year we continue to see the painful demise of the sport formerly known as Boxing. But its demise is not the result of, as an old teacher once said, society's progress towards more peaceful and harmonious pastimes. It is quite the opposite. One of the main reasons for the continued fall of boxing is the meteoric rise of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) represents the sport's most successful league and a serious blow to the popularity of boxing. Another key reason for the downfall of boxing is poor promotion and TV coverage, as Sports Illustrated's Richard O'Brien explains in this article.