Pro and collegiate teams, "determined to boost revenues
and to aid charity," are "opening their fields and courts to
the highest online bidders," while fans, "eager for once-in-
a-lifetime experiences in a roaring economy, are responding
with standing ovations," according to David Sweet of the
WALL STREET JOURNAL INTERACTIVE, who examines the online
auctions held by teams and other companies. Sports Web
consultant Dan Migala notes that "half of the teams in the
four major sports conduct at least one Web auction a year,"
up from a "handful of teams two years ago." He estimates
that, on average, teams bring in $200,000 per auction. Sweet
notes that the NFL is planning to launch an auction venue in
August, and NFL Dir of Corporate Communications Chris
Widmaier says the area could feature "trips on the team
planes or to the owners' suites, things that aren't normally
quote unquote for sale." Sweet writes that leading the
"charge into selling fantasy experiences" is
Ultimatebid.com, which recently sold a round of golf with
Tiger Woods for $204,000. Ultimatebid.com Chair Jody
Gessow: "What's amazing to me was were able to sell Tiger
online, in our infancy, for $204,000." But Sweet adds that
despite some early success online, "some question if sacred
moments aren't being cheapened" (WSJ.COM. 5/17).
TIGER BEAT: CBS SportsLine's Len Pasquarelli noted the
Bengals' hiring of former Cincinnati Enquirer Bengals beat
writer Geoff Hobson to create the editorial content for the
team's new Web site and wrote the "presence of Hobson, who
has delivered some hard news and provocative columns, has
dramatically increased traffic to the site and very quickly
elevated it to the best team-owned Internet spot in the
league" (CBS SportsLine, 5/16). The SPORTSBUSINESS
JOURNAL's Noah Liberman calls Hobson's recent editorial
material "pretty interesting stuff," as Hobson has the
reputation "for doing a good job at the kind of daily
newsgathering that beat writers do and the rest of the
sports world depends on." Bengals Dir of Community Affairs
Jeff Berding, on Hobson: "We haven't limited him in any way
in terms of what he can write." But Liberman wonders, "What
will the journalist Hobson do if he learns or observes
something so damaging that the Bengals don't want it in
print?" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/15 issue).
ON THE AIR: In Baltimore, Milton Kent profiles MD-based
OnAirSports.com, one of around 360 "Internet-only 'radio'
stations" streaming audio directly to computers. With "very
little advertising," the site has had over 15,600 distinct
visitors through the first part of May (Balt. SUN, 5/17).
