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Leagues and Governing Bodies

NFL Lockout Watch, Day 89: Sides Hold "Very Serious Talks" In N.Y.

The NFL and NFLPA yesterday resumed "very serious talks" in an effort to end the three-month-old lockout, according to sources cited by Albert Breer of NFL.com. The meeting in the N.Y. area was an "attempt to build off last week's secret negotiations in suburban Chicago," and the "set up of the talks is scheduled to be the same as well, taking place over several days as both sides try to build momentum from one session to the next and find some consistency with the dynamics of the negotiations." This week's talks "were unexpected" after Chief Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan "publicly cancelled the court-ordered mediation set to begin" yesterday. Sources indicated that Boylan "moved to cancel this week's mediation in the interest of confidentiality" (NFL.com, 6/7). A source said that the NFL and players met yesterday "at a New York City hotel." The source noted that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith and "select owners and players were present at the meeting," as was Boylan (ESPN.com, 6/7).

LOCKOUT FALLOUT: In DC, Rick Maese notes since the NFL lockout began in March, league officials, ticket brokers and season-ticket holders "have all reported a difficult time moving tickets." Now three months into the work stoppage, there is a "trickle-down effect that has many others carefully monitoring the dispute, from those in charge of merchandising to the restaurants and bars surrounding NFL stadiums to businesses large and small that depend on the NFL for advertising, entertaining clients and promoting their brands." StubHub Head of Communications Glenn Lehrman: "We’re one of the peripheral figures that are affected by this lockout." Noting the potential NBA work stoppage, Lehrman added, "The NFL is big business. I think we're looking at the double whammy coming up with the NBA. That could be an even bigger hit, because there's more games." TicketNetwork CEO Don Vaccaro said that NFL ticket sales for his online ticket exchange website "are down 53 percent from the same time a year ago" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/8). Since the NFL briefed owners last month that season-ticket sales were trending ahead of last year’s, notwithstanding the lockout, the trend has reversed, said NFL VP/Communications Brian McCarthy. The figure provided to owners last month was through May 7, he explained. But new data through May 31 shows a decline from last year, he said. And since the lockout began on March 12, renewals of suites and club seats have slowed to a crawl, he added. McCarthy said through May 6, season-ticket sales were up a low single-digit percent. He did not provide a percent decline through May 31. He also suggested the increase through May 6 overstated the situation. In previous years a renewal only counted if the full deposit was in, he explained. But this year even partial deposits counted toward renewals, he said (Daniel Kaplan, SportsBusiness Journal).

HOW SHORT IS TOO SHORT? The NFL is considering different schedule lengths should the lockout continue into September, including one as short as eight games. Dallas Morning News columnist Tim Cowlishaw noted the '82 season consisted of a nine-game schedule due to a players strike, but "this is a different world." Cowlishaw: "It would not be considered legitimate by people.” Columnist Kevin Blackistone said, “That’s a bastardized NFL schedule.” Denver Post columnist Woody Paige said the “media would not like it, but the people, as long as there’s some football during the course of the season, will accept it” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 6/7).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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