The opportunity for ESPN this summer in South Africa

South Africa and FIFA have assembled an impressive collection of stadiums for use this summer in the upcoming World Cup.  Four, in particular, are especially impressive.  They are the Mbombela Stadium, the Green Point Stadium, the Durban Stadium, and the Soccer City Stadium.  Of those four, the Soccer City stadium is the only renovated facility while the rest are brand new and ready just in time for the World Cup's opening kick on June 11th.  For context, here are some photos:

Mbombela Stadium

Green Point Stadium

Durban Stadium

Soccer City Stadium

With ESPN (and other global networks) providing an unprecedented amount of coverage of this year's World Cup, I simply want to receive coverage of the games, but also the real (financial, cultural, or otherwise) impact of the games on the country and people of South Africa.  So, to start, this commercial is laying it on pretty thick.

Ok, ESPN needs to hype the event and grab viewers (although that, as we saw in 2006, shouldn't be a problem).  But, I will be disappointed (like blog, The Offside Rules) if we hear nothing about the continuing human rights violations taking place in South Africa as a direct result of the World Cup.

For instance, just 12 miles from Cape Town's $585 million Green Point Stadium lies a "temporary relocation area" known as Blikkiesdorp or "Tin Can Town."  A British photographer recently published a news article in order to publicize what is basically an apartheid camp for about 15,000 people displaced because government officials did not want them surrounding Cape Town's impressive new stadium.

Tin Can Town outside Cape Town, South Africa.

According to the photographer, who doubles as an eviction activist, Blikkiesdorp is a place where you have no address (and thus, rarely can find employment), no schooling, and no health services.  This is just the tip of the iceberg, however, as food is scarce, health problems are pervasive, and a 10 p.m. curfew is maintained by armed police.

Now, the facilities here, our photographer admits, "If you compare Blikkiesdorp with slums like the ones the residents lived in before, it might look better at first." "But," he continues, "when you go there and see the oppression, you think you'd rather be somewhere with life, where you can go out after 10, cook outside, build, [and] have a registered address."

Armored police vehicles patrol the perimeter of Blikkiesdorp.

His photos were supplemented earlier this month by UK newspaper The Guardian, which chronicled Tin Can Town with input from residents.  One such resident described it thusly,

"It's a dumping place.  They took people from the streets because they don't want them in the city for the World Cup.  Now we are living in a concentration camp.  It's like the devil runs this place.  We have no freedom.  The police come at night and beat adults and children.  South Africa isn't showing the world what it's doing to its people.  It only shows the World Cup."

And another resident sums up the situation poignantly, "I know we were moved because of the World Cup.  They don't want people to see shacks on the road in South Africa.  They want everything perfect for the World Cup."

If the South African government (and/or FIFA) thinks it right to make these people invisible, then I hope that ESPN puts some of those E:60 reporters to good use to bring these kinds of images and stories to light.  Because even if Bono proudly narrates in the advertisement above that "it's not about human rights," in Blikkiesdorp, it most certainly is.

Obstructed Views and an Orr Jersey

So, how about that new stadium in the Meadowlands?  I hope your endzone seat doesn't look like this:

Was that a touchdown?

According to the New York Post, however, these seats will be removed, so that's a relief.  In completely unrelated news, an incredibly rare hockey item sold at auction this past Friday - for almost $200k.  What was the item?  None other than a game-worn Bobby Orr rookie jersey.  Boom!

What jerseys should(?)/used to look like.

Sold by the auction site Heritage Auctions, who called it "the Holy Grail of hockey collectibles," the jersey is one of only two that has survived since Orr's rookie season in 1966-1967.  

However, if you're looking for the a-ha moment, I can assure you there's nothing to connect the new stadium with Bobby Orr's sweat-stained old jersey.  It's been a busy week (already!), so you'll have to forgive me for just a couple rapid-fire entries that capture my attention.

Who cares?!!?

It's time for the weekly Who Cares?!!? segment to rear its ugly head - this week, with a bit of a technology theme.  So here we go.  As always, please tell me which story you care least about this week.

1) Jersey sponsorship besieges Seattle's WNBA team, further blurring the line between the city and the world's biggest software company.  Worth $1 million annually, a new partnership between the WNBA's Seattle Storm and Microsoft will replace the team's nickname on the front of their home and away jerseys (and warm-ups) with the Bing logo.  The new jerseys were unveiled yesterday.

The Storm join the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury (LifeLock) and Los Angeles Sparks (Farmers Insurance) as teams with corporate logos on the front of their jerseys.  All three sponsorships have fetched the $1 million per year price tag.

And in case you were thinking, like Storm CEO Karen Bryant thinks you might be, that this is just "a company writing a check to put their name on a jersey," you would be sorely mistaken.  "Rest assured," Bryant continued, "behind the scenes, there's a lot of strategic conversation on how we build our businesses.  To me, this is a significant step forward in achieving our ultimate objective, which is sustainability for the Storm."  Isn't the $1 million a major contributor to team sustainability?

But, I can't pick on the WNBA because most soccer teams around the various leagues throughout the world are heavily reliant upon corporations for jersey sponsorships.  Which brings me to Seattle's other non-big four team (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL), the MLS' Seattle Sounders.  The Sounders, who are also partnered with Microsoft, play their home games at Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field.

Stadium signage at Qwest Field in Seattle.

And, of course, "Xbox 360" graces the team's jerseys - including these new alternate jerseys released just this week.  

On the bright side, literally, the Sounders jerseys can glow in the dark.

They've been called "electric" or "rave" jerseys, but I see it more as the Sounders attempting to one-up those horrific Seattle Seahawks alternates.  If talking about NFC West uniform changes excites you, you'll be happy to know that the Arizona Cardinals released a black jersey yesterday, FYI.

2) Back to speaking about technology corporations, Sony announced this week that subscribers to MLB.tv will now be able to stream baseball games via Playstation 3 game consoles.  Credit to Major League Baseball, whose online service is now available via Roku and Boxee devices, cellphones, and the iPad.

The logo is quite clever.

So, it's quite interesting to see how the various leagues embrace technology and new delivery methods for content, but Robert Bowman, the chief executive for MLB Advanced Media, (from the NYT article linked above) believes that these technological services (like the Playstation-MLB agreement) are complementing cable and satellite TV viewing instead of replacing them.  Bowman believes "There's no empirical evidence I see that our fans are substituting one for the other." 

Interesting.  Perhaps it's because only the most devoted fans are paying for the MLB.tv package, so they're more likely to invest in all types of media instead of substitute.  But, could there be a day when a a cable or satellite TV subscription is as useless as home phone service?  It seems reasonable to believe that, as technology is diffused, users could swap TV subscriptions for Internet viewing, as many already do.  Apparently for Bowman, a true switchover is still a comfortable distance away.

3) Drew Brees is the latest NFLer to take on the devastating Madden cover curse, as the New Orleans Saints QB and Super Bowl XLIV MVP was voted by fans to grace the cover of the popular NFL video game franchise.  Previous curse victims include Daunte Culpepper, Marshall Faulk, Michael Vick, Ray Lewis, Donovan McNabb, Shaun Alexander, Vince Young, and Troy Polamalu.

Brees seems unfazed, however.  When asked last week about winning the voting contest that matched him against Colts receiver Reggie Wayne and Vikings lineman Jared Allen, he said "I'm not rooting against it.  If it does happen, just like records are made to be broken, curses are made to be broken too.  If the fans have spoken, if I am indeed their vote, then I'll do my best to break the trend."  

So, which is the story you care least about this week?

Is Don Cherry Serious? And other announcer musings...

For me, watching the NHL playoffs is incredibly enjoyable.  Especially this season's version, where all 8 playoff series were tied at one game a piece.  The only downside that I can figure is that, most of the time, I'm stuck with the Versus version of the NHL playoffs.

Now, don't get me wrong...beggars can't be choosers.  The fact that a cable network in the U.S. is even broadcasting the NHL playoffs at all should seem a minor miracle.  It's just that the Canadian perspective is so much better.  Don't believe me?  Take one look at this...

Don Cherry's suit: the same fabric used to carpet a Days Inn lobby in South Carolina.

That's renowned Canadian hockey analyst Don Cherry during last night's Coach's Corner segment on Canadian broadcaster CBC.  For all his racist undertones, at least Cherry has the dignity to put on a good suit every now and then.  Here's the video of Cherry, analyzing the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators.

I say all this about sports coverage on the same day that the ESPN Ombudsman, Don Ohlmeyer, responds to viewer criticism about the announcers who work live games for the World Wide Leader.  The overwhelming criticism seems to be that the announcers don't focus on the game and, instead, spend time talking about unrelated topics (see Sunday Night Baseball or any telecast involving Jeff Van Gundy), interviewing irrelevant persons, and abstaining from their sole purpose - explaining and informing the action.

The topic is especially appropriate considering that ESPN has decided to employ a primarily-British announcing team for the upcoming World Cup.  Much like watching the Canadian telecasts and analysis of hockey, I proclaim that there is nothing quite like watching a soccer match voiced by the likes of Martin Tyler or Ian Darke.

It seems obvious to say that announcing is not a science.  But, for too long, networks have assembled announcer corps in the U.S. that adhere to a formula, pairing a garrulous former player with a professional broadcaster voice (Jim Nantz, Greg Gumbel, Brent Musberger, Mike Tirico) that happily fills every second of airtime - leaving nary a second of silence.  But Canadian hockey broadcasters - and not looking specifically at Cherry, since he doesn't do game announcing - and British soccer broadcasters do it best because they understand that announcing is an art form.

  

A side-by-side comparison would reveal the quality, subtlety, and nuance that escapes the likes of most American announcers - for any sport (see Dan Dierdorf or Verne Lundquist, just to name a few).  And that quality American sports announcing - the likes of Jim McKay, Keith Jackson, or Marv Albert,  - is a dying breed.

Another new stadium project in Los Angeles

For the past several years, California real estate mogul Ed Roski has held the keys to a highly-developed stadium concept in the city of Industry, CA - just twenty or so miles east of downtown Los Angeles.  Keen to build the $800 million stadium - without guarantees of an NFL team even moving there - Roski's plan has hovered above those NFL teams with ideas of relocation or, at least, leveraging the possibility of relocation into new taxpayer-funded facilities (see: Buffalo, Minnesota, Jacksonville, St. Louis).

The sprawling Industry, CA stadium plan is already popular.

In just the past few days, however, Roski's monopoly on a Los Angeles-area football stadium plan has dissolved.  Although Roski possesses the only "cleared to build" stadium permit for the LA area, there are now rumors that the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) is looking to build a billion-dollar retractible roof stadium in downtown Los Angeles.  Led by LA businessmen Casey Wasserman and AEG CEO - and Roski's former business partner - Tim Leiweke, the new facility would be built directly adjacent to the Staples Center, in the heart of AEG's redeveloped sports entertainment district, LA Live.

Since there is only room for one LA-area stadium project, these two bids could go up against each other mighty soon.  Even though Roski is much farther ahead in terms of a time frame, the downtown project could get the upper-hand because, with a roof, it could host Final Fours, Super Bowls, Pro Bowls, the NFL Draft, the NFL scouting combine, boxing matches, potential World Cup games in 2022, and a host of other high-profile events.  And, all things being equal, according to industry insiders, the NFL would prefer the downtown option.

LA Live, pictured above, could play host to four major franchises

if a new NFL stadium is built adjacent to the Staples Center.

So, which team is most likely to consider the LA option?  According to SportsByBrooks, that team is the San Diego Chargers.  With Qualcomm Stadium aging (and - according to some - in a state of obsolescence given contemporary NFL stadiums) and a battle to procure public funding for a new stadium looming, could the Chargers be that desperate?  Or is this just another means of providing leverage for owner Alex Spanos?

One other significant connection to the potential downtown stadium includes Stan Kroenke, a member of the Los Angeles Stadium Working Group committee, and current owner of 40% of the St. Louis Rams.  Kroenke, who is privy to all the details of building a stadium in the Los Angeles area, is also trying to obtain full ownership rights to the St. Louis Rams (after he exercised his right-for-refusal over an outside bid to buy the Rams.  An outside bid, mind you, that Kroenke demanded pay him a fee of between $50-$100 million to, simply, get out of the way).

This move to purchase the Rams outright is currently being blocked by the NFL, who prohibits their owners from owning teams - albeit in different leagues - in competing markets.  In addition to his 40% stake in the NFL's Rams, Kroenke owns principal stakes in the Colorado Avalanche (NHL), the Denver Nuggets (NBA), and the Colorado Rapids (MLS).  All reports suggest that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will eventually prohibit Kroenke from 100% ownership of the Rams.

This man, and his mustache, could be moving the Rams back to Los Angeles.

An interesting connection especially given the upcoming NFL draft, where the St. Louis Rams have the first pick.  Could Kroenke be setting the stage for a move to Los Angeles in the near future?  Probably won't get mentioned on the ESPN telecast, as the network looks to add some glitz and glamor to the event, broadcasting it in prime time on Thursday night for the first time ever.

In fact, the NFL and ESPN have put in extra work to ensure that this Thursday's event is the most glamourous in the entire 30-year televised history of the NFL draft.  Not only will both networks televise red-carpet pre-shows outside of Radio City Music Hall, but as ESPN producer Jay Rothman states, "there's a strong effort by the league to have more glam."  The sentiment was echoed by NFL network producer Eric Weinberger, who said "It's up to the NFL, NFLN, and ESPN to make it more of an awards show, a huge entertainment atmosphere."  According to one NFL executive, "We started meeting earlier than ever before...to try and build the biggest draft of all time."

First, what does that mean and second, do we really need more "glam" in the NFL draft?  To answer the former, there will be more celebrities on the show (Whoopi, Alyssa Milano), former NFL players announcing late-round picks (featuring the Jaguars' Tony Boselli and the Giants' Mark Bavaro), a more "conscious effort to concentrate on that moment when [draftees] are picked, and crying and hugging their families," cameras in prospects' homes and NFL "war rooms," etc.

As for the latter, I can't make much sense out of piling more "glam" into such an anti-climactic event.  But with all the emphasis on spectacle and star power, perhaps it's just the latest example of the NFL's increasing attempts to create "event television" (see: Miami Pro Bowl before the Super Bowl, the last five years of the NFL combine).  Which, to me, makes it only a matter of time before an NFL team returns to the ultimate home of glitz and glam - the nexus of celebrity and spectacle -  Los Angeles, California.  The only question left: which team will it be?

Birthday Post

Apparently, I share this special day - April 19th - as a birthday with Twins superstar catcher Joe Mauer and, one of the biggest Kentucky Wildcat basketball fans out there, Ashley Judd.  In case you forgot, Ashley Judd is also married to race car driver Dario Franchitti.

Franchitti won a rain-shortened Indy 500 in 1997.

It seems, however, that Mauer has received the strangest birthday present.  Earlier this week, he was notified that up to 50 statues of him will be posted around his hometown city of Minneapolis.  As part of a fundraising effort for the team's community fund, you could see up to 50 statues of this...

...around the Twin Cities.  Apparently, each statue will be decorated to represent each one of the team's 50 MLB seasons.  We get it, Minnesota, you love Joe Mauer.

Who Cares?!!?

After a several week hiatus for traveling and accommodating visitors, the Who Cares?!!? segment is back and as irrelevant as ever.  So here we go.  As always, please tell me which story you care least about this week.

1) Los Angeles Dodger Andre Ethier is some kind of seamstress.  What do I mean?  Well, you may not be aware that Nike is now the official undershirt provider of Major League Baseball.  If you haven't noticed, here's a primer (click to enlarge):

So, with all those swooshes, is there no lower-neck area left untagged by the mark of the world's largest sports company?  Enter the aforementioned Ethier, who entered this piece of apparel into the annals of intentional wardrobe malfunction history:

Well done, Andre, well done.  I'd like to be able to congratulate Ethier for an anti-commercialism stance, but I'm pretty certain he has an endorsement deal with baseball supplier Easton.

2) Former, or, current Creed front man Scott Stapp attempts to destroy your ears with a Marlins anthem called "Marlins Will Soar."  Besides making no sense whatsoever (how about Marlins will swim?), the lyrics to this gem include the following generic stanza:

Let's play ball, it's game day

We watch strikeouts, base hits, double plays

Take the field, hear the roar of the crowd

Come on Marlins, make us proud

Come on Marlins make us proud

Actually, I'm not sure words can even do this monstrosity justice, so, for as long as you can stand it, here's the video.

If you're interested in further punishment, feel free to check out Stapp's rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, sung at a Marlins game last Saturday.  Makes me sad to know that Creed got its start right here in Tallahassee, FL.

3) This past Monday, recently-crowned Masters champion Phil Mickelson blew up the Internets by getting photographed in his green jacket at an Augusta-area Krispy Kreme drive through.  The picture, snapped by the store manager, quickly spread via an AOL Fanhouse blogger's Twitter account.  Well done, social media.

Phil Mickelson buys his donuts just like many Americans do: three dozen at a time.

So, there you have it.  Which story do you care least about this week?

Big Crowds in Phoenix and Small Gatherings in Camden Yards

Considering I've been following the Phoenix Coyotes some this season, I did enjoy watching their return to the Stanley Cup playoffs.  No matter what is currently happening with the soap opera that is the Coyotes ownership situation, a sellout crowd of (mostly) Coyotes fans did their part last night, filling the Jobing.com Arena with a the oh-so-popular whiteout.  The atmosphere - a some 17,000 "loud and boisterous" fans packed the arena - had to have energized the upstart Coyotes, who beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 to take the opening game of the 7-game series.

Derek Morris after scoring the 3rd period goal that gave the Coyotes the lead.

And yes, someone threw a rubber snake on the ice after the first Coyotes goal.  It was only fair, however, as an octopi was thrown onto the ice during pre-game warm-ups.

Small, but it's a start.

As a polar opposite, earlier this week, the Baltimore Orioles played a game in Camden Yards in front of the smallest crowd in that ballpark's history: a paltry 9,129 fans.  Those few in attendance could not have left happy, as they witnessed the O's drop a 5-1 decision to the Tampa Bay Rays to fall to 1-6 on the season.  According to The Baltimore Sun, the crowd for that game on Monday was the first sub-10k attendance in 19 years of Camden Yards' existence.  It's so small a number, that I hate to say the word crowd; I prefer "gathering."

Phelps took in the game with a (very) few fellow Orioles' fans.

The number was so pitiful that one Sun sportswriter felt it necessary to ask his readers whether Camden Yards "is still worth visiting."  It's so small and so sad, that even USA Today has taken notice with the headline: "Hate Crowds? Go to Camden Yards."  To put it in perspective, Monday night's gathering was the lowest attendance for any ballpark in MLB this season.  Yes, that includes everyone's favorite MLB-punching bag, the attendance figures at PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Even the lowly Pirates have yet to dip below the 10,000 fan mark at home this season.

And yet, there are a few excuses from Orioles' director of Communication Greg Bader.  Namely, the Orioles don't draw very well...

• on Mondays in April, 
• in games against Tampa Bay in April, 
• on the first couple games after opening day, and

...well, they just don't draw very well, period.  After 12 straight losing seasons, even the players understand the fans aren't coming.  For the Sun story, Kevin Millwood opined, "You've got to play good.  If you will ballgames, they'll come." (As an FYI, Phoenix is a perfect example of how true that maxim is.  In early November, I blogged about a Coyotes home game that drew just under 6,000 fans).

Let's hope so.  After several seasons of continuous sell-outs in the 1990s (with season attendance figures averaging over 45,000 per game in 1997), Camden Yards has, sadly, fallen from grace.  I can only hope that there are brighter days for O's fans ahead.  Because unlike Joe Namath, I actually do care about the team strug-a-ling.

It's True, Everything is Bigger in Texas

Design drawings were unveiled today for the construction of a new high school football stadium in Texas that is slated to cost $60 million.  The stadium project is for Allen High School, one of the largest secondary schools in the state of Texas, located in one of the wealthiest areas of suburban Dallas.

The stadium is just one (albeit, huge) part of a $120 million bond package, which included $23.3 million for a performing arts center, that passed a town vote in May of 2009 by a 26-percentage-point margin.  Apparently, the money used for both projects is strictly confined to capital improvement projects and, lest you think the money would be better spent elsewhere, cannot be implemented for general education purposes.

The $120 million package does not include the cost of the blimp 
needed to take this shot.

The current facilities at Allen High include an 8,000 capacity stadium (temporarily expandable to 14,000 seats) that was built in the 1970s and a climate-controlled indoor activities center that has 50 yards worth of football practice space.

The current Eagle Stadium which, for what it's worth, is notoriously

difficult for opposing teams.

According to this report from the county school district, the new stadium will be an 18,000 seat facility with reserved and general admission seating areas, a two-level press box, two scoreboards, a wall of honor, and an upper deck.  Amid concerns that this kind of stadium - and the its cost - would raise eyebrows across America, Tim Carroll, public information director for the district, noted that "(The cost) may appear high to other parts of the country, but it compares to what people are doing here.  It becomes an economy of scale."  Thank you, Jerry Jones.

Reserved sections seats will be sold as season tickets.

In all, the project is slated to be completed sometime in 2012, proving once again that everything - from high school football to history - is a little bit different in Texas.

Stadium Dogs and Snakes on the Ice?

Yesterday, the Minnesota Twins opened their new downtown stadium by beating the visiting Boston Red Sox by a score of 5-2.  Foreshadowed by my earlier post this week, the reception for the new digs was unsurprisingly positive from both media and fans: "state-of-the-art," "an intimate palace," "stunning," "a fantastic place,""top of the line,"and - interestingly given the product placement below - "a bull's eye."

While I was taking in the game via ESPN's online video feed, I couldn't help but take note of a very interesting viral placement, as noted by SportsByBrooks, in the stadium:

That's none other than Target mascot Bullseye sitting in a premium seat ($275) behind home plate.  The best news about having a dog it in a $275 seat?  Apparently, he lasted for just the first half-inning.  At this point, it should go without saying that Target is the title sponsor of the new stadium - adding the baseball field to their sponsorship stable, which includes downtown-Minneapolis' Target Center.

To be fair, there is a lot more going on at Target Field than dogs perched in the stands.  The following video piece from a local television station does a nice job reporting on the many historical elements of the park - especially those cultivated by Twins curator Clyde Doepner.  The collection on display at the stadium is first class.

As for the other animal development in the sports world this week, I am making specific reference to a development surrounding the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes.  No, there are no Coyotes on the loose in Glendale, Arizona. Follow the jump to see what exactly I'm talking about...

Big City Lacrosse and an [even] bigger Stadium

Of all the sports stories I've broached in the 4 or 5 months of TES existence, I've never felt the need to mention college lacrosse - until now.

The New Meadowlands Stadium opened with college lacrosse, in what

officials are calling a "soft open," to prepare for...you guessed it...a Bon Jovi concert.

Why, you ask?  Well, because this past Saturday a college lacrosse event officially opened the new Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey.  The future home to the NFL's Giants and Jets, the stadium played host to a triple-header of top-notch lacrosse action in an event known as the Konica Minolta Big City Classic.  The three games featured two-time defending national champions Syracuse squaring off against Princeton, tenth-ranked Hofstra meeting Colonial Athletic Association rival Delaware, and a meeting between the nation's last two undefeated men's lacrosse teams: the number-one ranked Virginia Cavaliers and the number-two ranked North Carolina Tarheels.

No. 1 rule for playing defense in college lacrosse?  Throw off your 

opponent by yelling, "Say hi to your mother for me."

Syracuse, Hofstra, and Virginia were the winners on the day, but, by setting the record for the largest crowd to ever watch regular season college lacrosse - with 25,710 - and opening the $1.6 billion facility, the second annual Big City Classic was a victory for the sport of lacrosse (the inaugural BCC was played in Giants Stadium in 2009).

Interestingly, the KMBCC is not the only event-oriented NCAA lacrosse double/triple-headers taking part in an NFL stadium this season.  Back in March, the college lacrosse season opened at M&T Bank Stadium with the Konica Minolta Face Off Classic.  In its fourth year of existence, the KMFOC drew 19,742 fans to the Baltimore Ravens' home field to watch Maryland, Duke, Princeton, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame and Loyola take part in afternoon action.

This upcoming weekend the M&T Bank Stadium will again play host to college lacrosse for the second annual Smartlink Day of Rivals.  Army and Navy will play the first game and Maryland and Johns Hopkins will conclude the double-header under the lights (game time is set for 6.30 pm).

Returning to the new Meadowlands Stadium, how did the new building fare in its debut?  Well, there were a few hiccups: Jets owner Woody Johnson was puzzled when the elevator to his suite never came, parking attendants couldn't direct fans to the proper lots, and concessions stand offerings were scaled back.  One stadium official, when asked whether concessions were being sold beyond the concourse level, simply replied, "I don't think so.  Maybe.  It's the first day.  No one really knows what's going on."

For his part, Jets owner Johnson was optimistic: "This building is still a couple years away from really being completed.  This place is still evolving, but I love the way it looks.  This is ten years' worth of work.  But we're still getting ready."  Why is it a couple years away from being completed?  What's left to do?  And what does Johnson mean by "still evolving" --- have the rats not entered the building yet?

"Still evolving?"  That kind of talk can get you in trouble 

with creationist Jets fans.

Fan reactions varied.  One 25-year Giants season ticket holder told the New York Daily News that he thought the new digs have "less of a Giants feel to it," and are "way too neutral for me."  However, another Giants fan was so impressed by the facility that he thinks "the players are going to play better in a place like this."

We know that's not possible in new Major League Baseball stadiums, no matter how much leagues try to convince fans that new facilities can improve on-field play - as outlined by this blog on Field of Schemes.  But analyzing the discourse of recent stadium openings - like the new Yankee and Dallas Cowboys stadiums, or more recently, the Minnesota Twins new ballpark (here and here) - makes me wonder if the new Meadowlands Stadium will be met with the same unabashed media kudos.  The minor glitches from the KMBCC aside, the new stadium has to please both Giants and Jets fans - a task that appears surprisingly complex.

We'll have an opportunity to survey the grand opening in September, when the Giants and Jets host their season-opening games in the new stadium on consecutive days.  However, I expect that no matter how "evolved" the stadium is at that point, the media perspective on the new stadium will come up smelling roses.  For what might not get covered, follow this post after the jump...

So, something is going on with Tiger Woods today

I've kind of kept Tiger Woods out of this blog thus far, with just one post addressing his privacy issues, but today the world's greatest golfer will simply not be ignored.  With a 1:42pm tee-off time at Augusta National, in the first golf major of the year, Tiger makes his return to competitive golf.  And, as usual, the media is all over it (ESPN, covering the Masters live on the network for the first time, must be counting their lucky stars).

But even if all of this media hoopla isn't enough, Nike and Tiger Woods went ahead and upped the ante by releasing a new commercial featuring the voice of Tiger's father, Earl Woods.  In the spot, Tiger faces the camera while his late father narrates, among other things, "I want to find out what your thinking was, I want to find out what your feelings are, and did you learn anything?"

Wow.  Nike always seems to know how to make an impact, but is this in bad taste?  While it might work to help establish a discourse of sympathy by having Tiger just stare at the camera without saying anything, is it right to play, as some have called, the Dad card?

Obviously, it makes a lot of sense for Nike to help rehabilitate their most prized asset.  And to folks who say, "this doesn't make me want to run out and buy a Nike product," well, how many Nike commercials actually do that?  Many of their ads are personality driven concept ads, like this Lance Armstrong "Magnet" spot, or this Briscoe High football ad, or this crazy Masks ad, or this infant Troy Polamalu and LaDainian Tomlinson ad.  I could go on and on.  Is it less ethical than this...?

Anyway, what do we make of this ad?  Is it simply part of the Tiger rehabilitation project?  Is it in bad taste?  Whose idea was it?  Why is it in black and white? What is with the newsreel cut-type style at the very end of the ad? And where did they get that Earl Woods audio?

Watching Sports and Political Affiliations

According to a recent study released by National Media Inc. - and noted on the incredible sociological blog Sociological Images - there are some interesting differences between political affiliations and sports viewing habits.  The study featured last week on The Hollywood Reporter and includes a few pictographs that attempt to portray the study's findings, notably, that TV sports audiences skew Republican and are more likely to vote.  (Note: in the graphs below, the bubble size is proportionate to the percentage of adults who report typically watching the television format).

In sum, the graph shows that the most popular sports to watch on TV are the NFL, Olympics, and college football.  All of those three viewer groups are skewed republican, with college football viewers as the most republican.  Can we make any sense out of that?  Can we make any sense out of the PGA Tour (heavily skewed republican) as the highest voter turnout sport?

We know that the President is a big NBA fan.  Last year, his hometown

Chicago Bulls paid him a personal visit.

On the other side, the viewers of the NBA skew the most democratic.  It's also - by far - the most popular sport whose audience is democratically skewed.  On that side of the graph, there is just a small number of audiences (who apparently don't vote) for fringe sports like: soccer, pro wrestling, WNBA, tennis, and monster trucks.

Also interesting, both major and minor league baseball feature rather centrist audiences.  Is this indicative of the sport known as America's past time?  I have to think so, keeping in mind the political neutrality of the tradition of presidential first pitches on Opening Day.  Republican president William Howard Taft initiated the tradition in 1910, with an opening day pitch at the Washington Senators' Griffith Stadium.  Since then, there have been 66 presidential opening day pitches.  The highest amount of opening day tosses belongs to FDR and Dwight D. Eisenhower, who both threw 8 pitches during their respective presidencies.

The presidential leg kick at Wrigley Field in 1988.

Obama at the 2009 All-Star Game.  For all of his basketball "cool," 

Obama's baseball skills are seriously lacking.

The best pitches probably belong to our 43rd president, George W. Bush.  During his tenure, he not only threw 5 opening day pitches, but also opened the 2001 World Series in New York with a strike from the rubber that some have called the greatest presidential pitch of all time.

At the World Series in 2001, number 43 showed great form.

Of course, none of these opening day pitches can hold a candle to this.  I kid, I kid, but you have got to love research that attempts to uncover the linkages between politics and sport.  Since I'm not a quantitative person, however, I'm just taking this data at face value --- whatever conclusions can be drawn require much more information than just political information.  Using this data in congruence with other comptometric data - like socio-economic data or education level or by geography - of television audiences and political affiliations would probably be more useful.

Otherwise, I would just be speculating as to why certain sports audiences align with political affiliations and voter turnout figures.  For instance, it's pure speculation to assume that pro-wrestling fans just don't care enough about politics to vote.  What are the additional factors that contribute to political apathy?  I am curious, however, as to what my soft-spoken readers might be thinking...so, if you have an idea, post something below.

Did CBS ruin One Shining Moment?

Beginning in 1994, CBS has concluded its men's NCAA basketball championship with a montage entitled "One Shining Moment."  Over the years, the tradition has become somewhat of a fan favorite - combining slow motion, announcer calls, and inspiring lyrics.  It has to be one of the most popular sports montages.  For goodness sake, it has its own web site!

There's a "One Shining Moment" book.  

I know what you're saying, no "OSM" flame thrower?

Written expressly for the tournament, CBS used a Teddy Pendergrass performance from 1994-1999, then took a brief hiatus from the song/montage, only to return with a Luther Vandross in 2003.  The Vandross recording was especially noteworthy since it was his last before suffering a stroke in 2003 (Vandross passed away in 2005).  His version of the song, in my opinion, is masterful - and any recording from 2003-2009 is, thereby, a classic.  The 2006 version is below, but I could have chosen any of the recent tournaments as evidence (for fun, here's 2009, 2008, 2007).

For whatever reason, CBS decided to retire the goosebumps-inducing performance from Vandross and replace him with former American Idol finalist and Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson (the musical backing is the same).  And let's just say that the new version was  not very well-received, as more than a few sources took notice.

But I'll let you be the judge.  Above, you heard Luther and here is Hudson:

Um, yeah.  Considering this was one of the best men's tournaments of all-time, I was underwhelmed.  Some of the detractors above talked about how the montage lacked a number of great moments from the tournament, but I'll just say that musically, I think she missed it.  And why show us shots of her in the studio when we could be watching more tournament highlights?

Perhaps another session in the recording booth, come at it a little bit differently...ah, what am I saying?  Do the right thing, CBS, and bring back the Vandross recording.

Sports leagues tap into Apple's latest gadget

An incredible sports Monday.  Considering that yesterday marked baseball's opening day, Tiger Woods' press conference at Augusta National, and the thrilling NCAA men's championship game, it's an incredible amount of sports fodder for consideration.

However, I cannot help thinking about the big news from this past Saturday, namely, the release of the Apple iPad.  Make whatever joke you please about the latest Apple gadget (and its' name), but I'm hard pressed not to consider mass media theorist Marshall McLuhan's famous adage: the medium is the message.  And, in concert with the recent influx of sports in 3-D, it's hard not to notice all the new and different ways that media are changing the way we watch sports.

People wait in line Saturday morning at the NYC Apple Store on 5th Avenue.

Where is Triumph the Insult Comic Dog when you need him?

Keeping that idea in mind, I look forward to seeing how the coverage of sports evolves to fit the iPad (to be fair, several other companies are initiating tablet PCs as well). While most leagues have already unveiled websites that are "optimized" for the iPad, some are developing more advanced applications for watching and keeping track of games.

It appears that Major League Baseball is the first to launch a video-capable application that is available for subscribers to MLB.tv.  Here's a look at a couple screenshots for a game between the Mets and Nationals.

These screenshots assume that you would actually 

want to watch the Mets and the Nationals.

Other leagues seem more focused on providing applications or web sites that enable a more in-depth experience for watching games by utilizing the iPad as a "second screen."  As a result, you'll notice that the MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL, and MLS (Major League Soccer - a stretch, I know) web sites are now organized to fit the screen dimensions of iPads.

Many of those league web sites have recently been re-designed, specifically for the launch of technologies such as the iPad.  Taking it one step further, however, the NBA has created the following application to lure in fans to that "second screen" experience:

I have a hard time seeing why the video asserts "you can see who's on the court and on the bench," when, presumptively, if you're watching the game you will know that information.  But, then again, maybe you won't?  I don't know.

In all, if we have learned anything about Apple and innovation, then tablet computing is apparently here to stay.  And so, the ways in which it will change how we watch sports will likely evolve over time as further iterations of tablets are produced.  But, for now, it appears that when it comes to watching sports, the various leagues are looking to provide you with as much information - and as many distractions - as possible.

To see who's on the court.  Really?

A couple questions that I'm not sure how to answer: first, is that good for sports?  And second, irrespective of the first question, does technology like iPhones and iPad lend themselves to the statistical overload that has engulfed sports fandom since the dawn of fantasy sports leagues?

And while it's hard not to believe that all of this is great for sports somehow, I am more intrigued by technologies that demonstrate how our media continues to define the message.