THE DAILY each Friday offers our take on the performances over the past week of people and entities in sports business. Here are this week's newsmakers:
WIN: RORY MCILROY -- Is there any doubt who won the week? Rarely has a pro athlete hit on all cylinders. From his unbelievable on-course performance at the U.S. Open, adoring galleries, fawning media and his classy, confident and accessible comportment, Rory had it all. Whether or not a star is born, it was a fantastic week for him and the global appeal of golf.
LOSE: RED BULL RACING -- We always admire what this company does, and we admire their frankness in announcing plans to exit NASCAR at the end of the year as both a team and sponsor. But the team's five-year tenure in the sport will certainly be considered a failure, as it never showed the slightest indication it could consistently perform on the track. Red Bull also admits that it wasn’t able to connect with the young demo it was targeting.
DRAW: NATIONALS -- Just when it seemed the franchise was starting to gain some traction -- putting together winning streaks, getting over .500 this late in the season for the first time since '05 and seeing attendance rise despite missing the star power of STEPHEN STRASBURG -- manager JIM RIGGLEMAN suddenly resigns in a bizarre postgame move, citing disrespect over the team’s failure to extend his contact. His stunning exit again puts the focus on management and has a chance to stunt all the team’s progress.
