League Notes
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ABA Has Seen Increase In New Members
Since BMX' Debut At Beijing Olympics |
In N.Y., Wina Sturgeon reports though BMX "was growing even before the Olympics, it received a boost with its debut at the Beijing Games." American Bicycle Association (ABA) President Clayton John, whose organization is the sport's main governing body, "seems astounded by the growth." John: "We've had 6,000 new members join in the last six weeks." The ABA and the National Bicycle League, the sport's two governing bodies, "oversee more than 300 registered tracks in [the] United States and Canada." Sturgeon notes one appeal of BMX "is that it is the least expensive discipline in bike racing" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/1).
TIN CUP: The GLOBE & MAIL's Lorne Rubenstein writes under the header, "FedEx Cup Has Yet To Deliver The Goods." Rubenstein: "Has there ever been such a dud in pro sports as the FedEx Cup?" The series "has turned out to be far more about money than anything else," and the PGA Tour "had infused the big payoffs for the playoffs thinking it had to offer the numbers to make the series matter." But FedEx Cup TV overnight ratings were down 54.5% from '07 (GLOBE & MAIL, 10/1). GOLF.com's Alan Shipnuck wrote, "Two years in they still haven't gotten this thing right." Shipnuck: "This year's media guide lists 31 [VPs] on the Tour payroll -- can't at least one of them come up with a good idea to save the Cup?" (GOLF.com, 9/30).
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Buchholz Discusses Interest In
Becoming Next Leader Of ATP |
SERVICE ERROR: In a Q&A with ESPN.com's Sandra Harwitt, Sony Ericsson Open Chair Butch Buchholz said he is interested in becoming ATP Tour Exec Chair & President because he is "just not real comfortable with the direction [the ATP] is going." Etienne de Villiers is leaving the position at the end of the year, and Buchholz said, "The concept was that the ATP would be a service organization and it would service the tournaments and service the players, but over the years it's become a commercial organization. I just don't feel that's the direction we need to go. Building the ATP brand is fine, but not at the expense of sponsors. ... I just think we're not the NBA, we're not the NFL; we're a service organization and that's where I think we should go back to." Buchholz added he believes the tour needs "to explore whether it's better to have a strong players' association and strong tournament director's association and do a [CBA]. ... I think we need to bring in some outside people to look at the current setup; not necessarily to vote, but for their insight" (ESPN.com, 9/30).
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