Former Apple CEO STEVE JOBS, who passed away yesterday after a lengthy battle with cancer, "affected athletics in many ways," according to Patrick Dorsey of ESPN.com. The iPhone had a "massive effect on sports, helping athletes get into all kinds of social media shenanigans and build their respective brands." And "let's not forget what this type of gadget means to fans: fantasy, fantasy, fantasy." In addition, Apple's famous Super Bowl XVIII commercial, inspired by George Orwell's novel "1984," has become "a legend in advertising circles" (ESPN.com, 10/5). Walt Disney President & CEO BOB IGER said in a statement, "His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined" (THE DAILY).
PITCHING IN: MLB.com's Mark Newman wrote under the header, "Jobs' Innovations Changed Baseball For Better. Apple co-Founder Worked Hand In Hand With MLBAM." Jobs "made it easier and more fun to watch a baseball game." MLBAM has "developed its technology over recent years in close conjunction with Apple, sending mobile developers to the company's Silicon Valley headquarters to help bring Jobs' vision to fruition" (MLB.com, 10/5). MLBAM President & CEO BOB BOWMAN spoke today at the Leaders In Digital Sports Conference in London, and began his presentation with remarks on Jobs. He then spoke with SBJ/SBD on his way back to the airport. "A lot of people leave great things behind. But his legacy is that we now live a life in a totally different way. And he did it with an unyielding loyalty to his consumers. Transformative seems a weak word to describe him. ... My kids, for example, will live a totally different life because of him. To younger people, having connectivity everywhere is as critical as air, and Steve was obviously a major part of that" (Eric Fisher, SportsBusiness Journal).
