With NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue's visit to Silicon
Valley last week, the NFL proved that it is "waging a full-
throttle Internet offensive," according to Eric Fisher of
the WASHINGTON TIMES. The league is "advancing" NFL.com
"far beyond 'brochureware' and taking firm aim at ESPN.com,
Sportsline.com and other leading sports sites to become the
dominant online source of football information." Fisher
called NFL.com's reach "surprising," as it draws more than 2
million viewers per weekend. NFL Senior VP/New Media Chris
Russo: "We've become far and away the new leader (among
sports league web sites). Our traffic during the offseason
was about four times what NBA.com does during their peak
times." But Fisher added that NFL.com's success "does not
come without questions. ... Can NFL.com surpass ESPN.com and
Sportsline.com (which produces Superbowl.com and
NFLEurope.com for the league) in traffic or are we seeing a
peak for the site already?" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 10/8).
Jupiter Communications Dir of Online Advertising Patrick
Keane said, "There's a generally ingrained perception at the
NFL that the NBA is outdoing them in a pretty big way in the
area of Internet promotion and strategy. Actually, the NFL
has done pretty wise things from day one, but the NBA has
been more vociferous and has shown a real talent for spin."
Meanwhile, the SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Liberman & Lombardo
report that the NFL "is working heavily on ad sales across"
its new NFL.com network, and execs "have said they will have
deals to announce soon." Tagliabue said that the league
"plans more tech tours in places like Washington, D.C., and
Texas" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/9 issue).
NO LONGER A SAINT IN THEIR BOOK: USA TODAY's Chris
Jenkins profiles former Saints exec Terry O'Neil's new Web
site, Realnfl.com. O'Neil is "bankrolling the start-up
himself," and says that he "isn't concerned about the
possible repercussions for airing the NFL's dirty laundry to
the world." Jenkins: "Besides, he isn't so sure he wants
back in the league anyway" (USA TODAY, 10/10).
