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SBD/Issue 195/Sports Industrialists
Newsmakers: NFL Demonstrates Progressive Attitude
Published July 7, 2006
THE DAILY each Friday offers our take on the performances over the past week of
some people and entities in sports business. Here are this week’s newsmakers:
WIN: NFL –- League brings openly gay former player ESERA TUAOLO to speak at annual rookie symposium, indicating a healthy and progressive attitude toward the issue of homosexuality in the locker room. Tuaolo: “They didn’t have to include me in this. But they did. They’re working on it. They’re moving forward.”
LOSE: TOUR DE FRANCE –- A Spanish radio report on the eve of the event leads to suspension of dozens of riders, including favorites IVAN BASSO and JAN ULLRICH. Such negativity is never a good way to start your sport’s month-long marquee event, and it appears the scandal could reach BALCO-like proportions. Discovery Team Dir JOHAN BRUYNEEL says, “It’s getting so big that cycling is losing credibility.” In addition, a noticeable lack of buzz fueled by the retirement of LANCE ARMSTRONG leads to OLN’s viewership being down 50% from last year.
DRAW: EMIRATES AIRLINES/CONTINENTAL TIRE — Is it just us, or do others think that FIFA’s sponsorship team could have aligned the sideboards on World Cup pitches so that Emirates Airlines is NOT adjacent to Continental Tire. While Emirates surely isn’t looking at this as a U.S.-based play, it can’t be pleased that it’s next to a board that simply says Continental, even if it refers to the tire and not the airline. For many U.S. viewers, the message is easily mixed.
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WIN: NFL –- League brings openly gay former player ESERA TUAOLO to speak at annual rookie symposium, indicating a healthy and progressive attitude toward the issue of homosexuality in the locker room. Tuaolo: “They didn’t have to include me in this. But they did. They’re working on it. They’re moving forward.”
LOSE: TOUR DE FRANCE –- A Spanish radio report on the eve of the event leads to suspension of dozens of riders, including favorites IVAN BASSO and JAN ULLRICH. Such negativity is never a good way to start your sport’s month-long marquee event, and it appears the scandal could reach BALCO-like proportions. Discovery Team Dir JOHAN BRUYNEEL says, “It’s getting so big that cycling is losing credibility.” In addition, a noticeable lack of buzz fueled by the retirement of LANCE ARMSTRONG leads to OLN’s viewership being down 50% from last year.
DRAW: EMIRATES AIRLINES/CONTINENTAL TIRE — Is it just us, or do others think that FIFA’s sponsorship team could have aligned the sideboards on World Cup pitches so that Emirates Airlines is NOT adjacent to Continental Tire. While Emirates surely isn’t looking at this as a U.S.-based play, it can’t be pleased that it’s next to a board that simply says Continental, even if it refers to the tire and not the airline. For many U.S. viewers, the message is easily mixed.
