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: BALTIMORE GRAND PRIX -- Looks like IndyCar might have found itself another marquee event to build around. Local businesses and fans responded incredibly well to the Labor Day weekend race, with all 84 private suites selling out and walk-up tickets selling quickly. Drivers and owners expressed their pleasure with the event, while the Baltimore mayor also noted it came in under budget. Look for IndyCar CEO RANDY BERNARD to quickly try and lock down the holiday weekend date to keep the momentum going next year.
LOSE: USTA/U.S. OPEN -- So who wants to trade places with Tournament Dir JIM CURLEY? No takers? Terrible weather during the second week in Flushing has led to wet courts, cracked courts, angry players and ultimately unhappy ticket buyers. Obviously one can’t control the weather, but after four years of rainouts dominating the headlines, it's starting to seem like a sad version of "Groundhog Day." When much of the week is spent having your TV partners and players question the decision-making process of the organization, it's fair to say that it hasn't been a good week.
DRAW: MARYLAND'S UNIFORMS -- Yes, they were controversial. The Terps' unis last weekend looked like something out of a SALVADOR DALÍ painting, causing many to shake their heads and/or cringe. But style aside, the new look was getting mentioned everywhere -- from Twitter to "Good Morning America" to DIANE SAWYER talking about them on "World News." The heavy exposure is something rarely seen at College Park, and one would think it will only help the program tell its story.
