By Rick Horrow and Karla Swatek
June 4, 2012
“Bust”: Top Five Reasons the Armageddon is Near
1. A group of retired NFL players is suing the NFLPA over terms of the labor agreement signed last summer. According to the retirees, the NFL was prepared to give them $900 million more than the $620 million they received until active players interfered with negotiations.
2. Two months after opening a new ballpark, the Miami Marlins are having trouble maintaining high attendance. The Marlins are averaging approximately 28,500 fans per game, just 76% of regular season capacity. By comparison, the Twins averaged over 100% capacity in 2010, their first season at Target Field.
3. Conspiracy theorists are questioning the legitimacy of the NBA draft lottery after the New Orleans Hornets won the top pick despite having the fourth-best odds. The theory is the league-owned Hornets received the first pick as a bonus to complete the sale of the team to Tom Benson.
4. AEG is interested in selling the Los Angeles Kings, according to sources cited by the N.Y. Post. The team had put itself up for sale for $200 million a few years ago, but AEG reportedly would take less money for the Kings this time around.
5. The Big 12 Conference hasn’t made any contact with Florida State University about possible membership, according to FSU Board of Trustees Chairman Andy Haggard. Haggard’s public comments continue to indicate the school would be open to joining the conference if an offer were extended.
“Boom”: Top Five Reasons that Prosperity is Right Around the Corner
1. The Minneapolis City Council gave final approval to fund a new downtown stadium for the Minnesota Vikings. The next step for the city is creating a new implementation committee and a stadium authority. Minneapolis will contribute $309 million to the $975 million project.
2. The NHL signed a five-year extension of Pepsi’s North American sponsorship rights, according to Terry Lefton of SportsBusiness Journal. The deal includes additional drink and snack food promotional rights at marquee NHL events. Pepsi has been a NHL sponsor since 2006.
3. Phil Mickelson has joined Peter O’Malley’s bid to buy the San Diego Padres. A San Diego native, Mickelson has pledged a significant, undisclosed amount of his own money to the bid. Should the O’Malley group successfully buy the team, Mickelson would not be involved with day-to-day operations.
4. Calvin Klein reached a deal to sponsor both the Brooklyn Nets and the Barclays Center. Per the agreement, the style brand will be the presenting sponsor of the Calvin Klein Courtside Club and the Calvin Klein VIP Entrance. The deal marks the Barclays Center’s seventh Founding Partner.
5. The University of Arkansas is installing a new HD video board at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. The $4.6 million scoreboard will be the third biggest in the country and nearly twice the size of the stadium’s current video screen.
“Hope”: Top Five Reasons That Creativity is the Key to Economic Survival
1. Unlike the current rotating format, the BCS plans to bid out its national championship game to various cities over the life of its next TV contract. University presidents believe they can make more money from TV and sponsorships by selling the game as a stand-alone event.
2. In the shadow of Silicon Valley, the Golden State Warriors want their proposed San Francisco arena to feature cutting-edge technology, according to Don Muret and John Lombardo of SportsBusiness Journal. In particular, the Warriors want to see how social media can be integrated with arena communications.
3. The Kansas City Royals introduced the Fan Pass Paperless Pack, a discount ticket program that allows fans to buy a customizable 10-game plan and have the tickets electronically delivered to their credit card. To get into the ballpark, fans can go to any entry gate, swipe their card, and walk in.
4. The Miami Dolphins have agreed to appear on the seventh season of HBO Sports’ Hard Knocks. The added publicity from the show should help the Dolphins’ ticket sales, especially because five of the team’s eight home games last season faced potential local TV blackouts.
5. The Florida Panthers have hired Legends Hospitality Management to oversee sales of the premium seat inventory at BankAtlantic Center. The Panthers this August will debut Club Red, an all-inclusive, $5.5 million lounge located on center ice. The tickets include food, drinks and valet parking.
