Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement company, estimates fantasy sports leagues cost U.S. employers $36.7 million every day. The estimate assumes 14 million people play fantasy sports and each of those players spends 10 minutes every workday managing his or her team. Multiply 14 million by $2.62, the average amount an American worker gets paid in 10 minutes, and you reach the estimated number. What’s the total cost of blogging? I am sure a study will come out and sites such as TypePad, LiveJournal, and Blogger will be on corporate block lists just as Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo! Groups is…
Category Archives: Sports
NPR on wireless networks at the ballpark
John McChesney of NPR recently visited SBC Park in San Francisco and reported on the use of wireless networks as an emerging trend in public space. The San Francisco Giants have covered the ballpark in WiFi using 123 wireless hotpots. Fans can access special on-site features such as individual pitch placement and player statistics. Office workers can attend day games and still answer e-mails as if they were sitting at the office. He also conducted a test of wireless security and approached a laptop user after he had placed a purchase online….
Los Angeles Galaxy fires Sigi Schmid
The Los Angeles Galaxy announced the firing of Sigi Schmid in a conference call this afternoon. The Los Angeles Galaxy currently have the best record among the ten teams of Major League Soccer. Sigi was in his sixth season as the Galaxy’s head coach. He coached the Western Conference in the All-Star game on July 31. It is very unusual for a first place team to fire its coach. Over the last five games the Galaxy tied four and lost one. It will be interesting to see how the Galaxy positions itself given the expansion of Chivas USA next season….
Jürgen Klinsmann named head coach of German national team
Jürgen Klinsmann is the new head coach of the German national team under a two-year contract. Holger Osieck will be an assistant coach with a general management role and Oliver Bierhoff will be an assistant coach focused on training….
San Jose Earthquakes moving to San Francisco?
San Francisco Chronicle: “Mayor Gavin Newsom confirmed Thursday that he has met with Quakes president and general manager Alexi Lalas and other team representatives to talk about moving the Major League Soccer squad north from San Jose.” A soccer-specific stadium in China Basin was discussed. Kezar Stadium or SBC Park could be temporary venues until the new stadium is constructed….
McKinsey Quarterly on the business of sports
The July 2004 issue of McKinsey Quarterly does a good job breaking down what makes sports successful and what hinders large scale success. Tekla V. Back, Philippe Blatter, and Jacques R. Bughin authored “Playing to win in the business of sports” and focused on tennis and golf as two case studies. Some interesting facts:The 2002 FIFA World Cup accounted for 8% of global television-rights revenues in 2002 (about the same as the NBA and NASCAR combined).In the United States the average golf or tennis TV viewer has an income of more than $100,000 a year.Professional tennis is fragmented. The International…
Major League Soccer expands to Salt Lake City
Major League Soccer announced Salt Lake City as the site of the league’s newest expansion team. The team will be owned and operated by Dave Checketts’ Sports Capital Partners. The team will play at the University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles stadium for its first two seasons. Rice-Eccles stadium is the home of the United Soccer League’s Utah Blitzz and was the site of the 2002 Winter Olympic opening and closing ceremonies. The playing field is synthetic Field Turf, not real grass….
Why soccer is more American than baseball.
Daniel Gross writes about the capitalism of soccer and the protectionism of American sports in Slate.. “American sports are virtually all socialistic while the European soccer leagues more closely resemble the entrepreneurial capitalism we Americans fetishize.”…
Heart rate and sweat loss built-in to a soccer uniform
BBC News reports on a new soccer jersey developed by David Evans at Northumbria University. Silicon strips at the top of a player’s back monitor sweat loss. A heart monitor keeps track of the player’s vitals. A vibrating patch on the jersey’s arm alerts the player to come to the sideline for some attention….
Nick Littlehales, official sleep consultant for England’s Football Association
Nick Littlehales is the official sleep consultant for the English Football Association during the Euro 2004 championships. The Financial Times profiles Nick and his efforts to help the team turn less times per night. “The England team’s bedrooms were adapted to create Kingsize and Superking sizes providing more room to sleep and relax. A visco-elastic foam pressure relieving layer was added to each mattress to improve comfort and support. The traditional hotel bed coverings were replaced by hypoallergenic pillows and breathable duvets covered in a pure Egyptian white cotton linen to provide coolness.”…