'Race and Sports In America': A Great ESPN Piece

A great 5 minute clip from ESPN honoring DR. Martin Luther King.  Perspectives from Magic Johnson, Phil Jackson, Ray Allen, Maya Moore, and Amare Stoudemire all highlight the impact King had on their lives.  Wonderful tribute.

'The Kids Are Alright,' A Barcelona Tribute Piece

Before I say anything, you must read Phil Ball's fantastic look into the youth academy at Barcelona through the stories of three of the world's premier footballers (also the three players in line to win this years Ballon d'Or); Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Lionel Messi. I'll wait for you to get back...

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=852733&sec=europe&root=europe&cc=5901

For those that didn't read, it's about the strength of the Barcelona youth academy, the top stars it's churned out, and the mental rigors this type environment places on teenagers. In America, we don't have this system in place because A) we aren't looking for the next Maradona within our ranks (the next Kobe maybe) and B) the American sports system isn't setup for an 18 year old star to emerge. Save for the Lebron's of the world, American superstar athletes are expected to emerge after a steady high school and college career.

To the untrained eye (and some trained), Landon Donovan is the best American soccer player the red white and blue have today. We should recall that he followed the European model, Donovan moved to Germany to join powerhouse Bayern Leverkusen at 17. He fanned out due to home sickness (not unlike the Barcelona stars in Ball's ESPN piece), but the long term success of his career still proves out the early sacrifices he made.

In the great ranks of European football, the sacrifice to become the best starts at a young age, and there is no room for slip ups. While success might come as a sacrifice to youth, those that make it out and become the Messi's of the world are proof in the system.

'Do Not Track' Could Revolutionize Online Ad Industry

Really interesting perspective on the hottest topic on the online ad game today, FTC vs IAB (aka government vs online ad community). Great find by my boy Mintzer.

Here's my usual points on this topic:

1) Do you have a credit card? Great, they know more than we do. Do you really care if someone knows you are trying to buy a TV?

2) The onus is on major sites to protect their information and use it wisely. This ethical business practice is no different than the way any other professional sector works. Act fairly, and the economic and social rewards will come. E.g. ESPN gives users site feature access in trade for user info. Very very positive move.

3) Give users a chance to view who's tracking their behavior and give them control mechanisms. I don't think customers want out of tracking, I think they just want to understand how it's done and why.

Do Not Track could revolutionize online ad industry - USATODAY.com

Wow, Tiger and Hank Haney Break Up?

ESPN's SportsNation: Weird Web Videos Of The Week

Useless Entertainment: Check
Two Minute Time Waster: Check
Online Video Changing How We Consume Weird Happenings: Check

ESPN Actually Pugging The World Cup and Soccer In America?

Am I dreaming, or has ESPN gotten Kenny Mayne to vouch for the validity of football as the world's game to a couple American meatheads?

Bill Simmons' Addresses International Soccer In A Recent Mailbag

Great, great analysis here from ESPN's acclaimed Sports Guy in a recent "Mailbag" column where Simmons addresses reader emails...

Q: I am a die-hard soccer fan living abroad and agree with your theory that international soccer could take off in the States. But not everyone listens to your podcasts, so could you please make the same case in one of your columns so everyone can see it? I think it's important. Thanks and cheers from the UK!
-- T.J., Leeds, England

SG: Sure. I'll do it in five short paragraphs and 500 words total. The theory goes like this …

1. Americans enjoy watching the best (fill in any sport). We are elitists. That's why we like the Olympics, that's why we enjoy any finals, that's why we watch Wimbledon and the Masters, that's why we don't care about sports like the WNBA, MLS or arena football as anything other than a niche sport. International soccer plays into this. It's the best of the best. Hell, we even liked "The Best of the Best" even though Eric Roberts was the biggest star in it.

2. The games zoom along: no commercials, no sideline reporters, no corporate tie-ins, no four-hour games like in baseball, no "takes 20 minutes to play the last two" like in the NBA. You can sit down for a soccer game and say, "I'm going to spend the next two hours watching this and then I'm going to do something else." Like watch more TV.

3. Give credit to ESPN for committing air time in non-Cup years to elite international soccer tournaments like the UEFA Cup. I know that's how I started paying more attention. If you like sports, you cannot NOT get caught up in the level of play, the maniacal crowds, the intensity and tension and everything else. It's impossible.

4. Widescreen TVs make it easier to see the field; HD makes it easier to see faces and numbers (and the grass looks green and vibrant); and better camerawork (and also more cameras) make the games more intimate. Now you feel like the players are flopping right onto your living room rug! Just kidding, soccer fans. Seriously, settle down. Jokes.

5. International soccer never took off here for the simple reason that American sports fans had trouble following anything they couldn't attend in person and/or watch on television at their leisure. Now? We're turning into a sofa culture; since it's more expensive to go to games, many of us find it just as rewarding to stay home, save money and watch games on a nice TV. Throw in the Internet, DirecTV, fan blogs and everything else and you really can follow soccer from across the Atlantic.

That's why, over the next decade -- starting with the World Cup in 2010 -- I predict international soccer takes off to a modest degree in America during the '10s. Not to compare everything to "The Godfather," but for America, the NASL was Sonny (exciting, impetuous and ultimately self-destructive), the MLS is Fredo (weak) and international soccer is Michael (the heavy hitter who was lurking all along). That's how this plays out I think.

New Season of Mayne Street: "Twitter"

Never Play HORSE With Lebron

Spike Lee’s Kobe Bryant Documentary Three Exclusive Previews

Premiering May 16th on ESPN, "Kobe Doin' Work."

Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid? I Think I'm Having Deja Vu

I hope I'm not the only futbol fan who wanted to shoot himself today when the Real Madrid Ronaldo drama picked up again today.  Needless to say they are talking about the summer transfer window and today is December 17, and that drives me insane.  Both teams in the title race in their respective leagues and we are talking about a summer transfer.  I hate sports media with nothing but time to fill.

I love the internet.  It is the home to my career in advertising, and it provides us unbelievable communication tools. But the amount of media outlets has created nothing but space to fill, which leads to excessive dramatization in sports, entertainment, business, and so on.  It's stories like this today that really get me going.

From Soccernet...

Madrid leak claims Ronaldo deal already done
Cristiano Ronaldo will sign for Real Madrid in the summer according to a director of the Spanish giants.

All eyes will be on Cristiano Ronaldo, currently in Tokyo - yet again.
Newspaper El Mundo is quoting director Pedro Trapote as saying Real already have a deal in place but cannot announce it officially.

President Ramon Calderon had stated after last summer's protracted transfer saga that Real would end their long quest to pinch the player from Manchester United so as not to make an enemy of the European champions.

Sir Alex Ferguson did little to hide his disgust at Real's conduct and is bound to be more than agitated by a resurfacing of the Ronaldo rumour-mongering.

El Mundo report that after Madrid's loss at Barcelona Trapote mentioned the news in a recorded conversation, though it is not known whether it was meant to become public knowledge.

"If you are asking me what we are going to do now then I would tell you that we have already signed the best player for the summer," Trapote is quoted as saying.

"Are you talking about Cristiano?" was the reply.

"The best of the best. It is Cristiano, there is no other. It is better that we do not say anything at the moment though.

"Why can you not say anything. It is the best time because things are going badly and people need something to excite them in the middle of all this.

Trapote replied: "No, it is best to not say anything because there are some clauses that prevent us from announcing it now."

"I'll Make Pudding For You"

Today's episode of "Mayne Street" is just too funny not to re- distribute.

Webisode #2 "Mayne Street"

Kenny meets his new 26-year-old wunderkind boss, Evan Mintz, who gives him a taste of what ESPN will be like in the future. Kenny begs to differ.

ESPN Launches "Mayne Street" Webisodes

Joining the movement towards made for Internet content, ESPN has officially launched their own online series titled "Mayne Street."  The 4:30 minute webisodes follow funny man and ESPN anchor Kenny Mayne as he shoots episodes of Sportscenter, and generally acts dry and muted. Webisodes will be posted Tuesdays and Fridays.  The opener is called "Fixes." Enjoy!