The team wins

It’s not often that you would put the NBA (brash, modern) in the same bracket as the RFU (staid, old-fashioned).  But last night’s result in the NBA finals, where Lebron failed to extend the series (and subsequently opened himself up to a night - and more to come no doubt - of suffering and abuse), has a few lessons for the leaders over at Twickenham HQ.

Both Lebron and the RFU have had a pretty awful past 2 weeks - with Lebron’s failure to turn his much publicized defection from the Cavs into a championship ring, and the RFU seemingly doing all they can to generate poor PR over their hunt for new staff.  But it does not end there........

Snow White vs the Wicked Witch of the World

Life, life what’s you make it - so said one of the best named bands of all time (so good, they named it twice).  And it is a great sentiment - one that can certainly hold true.  For those of us who are uber motivated, who strive towards agreed goals, who map out our lives with lists of must do’s, and who have plans for the next week/year/five years - then life truly is what you make it (though life will do it’s best to put hurdles in your way).

If you have read the ‘great to read’ “Bounce”, you will be aware of Matthew Syed’s thoughts as to how genius comes from loads of really hard work (presented in an oversimplified way).  Sadly, for the vast majority of today’s society (let’s label the collective group as one individual - for example “Snow White” - kind/naive/sweet - certainly at its core) - life is not what they make it.   Read on........

What's in a Name?

This week’s news that the Magners League (a professional Rugby league comprising the celtic nations - Wales, Scotland and Ireland - and Italy) is going to be renamed the RaboDirect Pro12 will have excited just about no one - at first hearing it does sound a bit of a mouthful.  No disrespect to the competition (in which I used to work) nor the sponsor now associated with it - but it is a good example of sport’s over-reliance on corporate income.  For a league looking to build it’s own footprint - the move from Magners League to the RaboDirect Pro 12 - will certainly not be a seamless one. 

Of course the most commercially advanced leagues in the world - those in the USA - do not have a Title sponsor - meaning that the league need never change it’s name - meaning that the league is free to grow that brand and grow the income streams that support it.  It’s just ‘The NFL’, ‘The NBA’, etc etc.  

Social Media in Sports needs a Kick

The past 2-3 years has seen the world develop a Social media fixation.  Lady Gaga now has more Twitter followers than the great city of London has inhabitants, whilst news media are struggling to find ways to compete with the power and immediacy of the revolution. Hell - even my last two blogs have focused on it - (#weareallfixated)

In reality for the business world there is a whole lot to get excited about - and for the sports industry where the ‘product’ has an inherent interest to its fans - social media should be a tool to get super-excited about.  And for clubs - whose existence increasingly depends on generating awareness / interest and attendance (providing they all lead to cash!) - social media should be really driving their businesses. 

Sadly the majority of clubs have failed to ‘grasp the nettle’ and certainly I am not ‘excited’ with the way in which many sports clubs are going about their Social Media strategies.  (and certainly not when compared to how other industries have caught on).

It's good to talk

People are looking forward to July 2 when David Haye faces one of the Klitchkos in one of the biggest heavyweight bouts for a long, long time....  Interest on both sides of the Atlantic and across Europe will see big audiences see these monsters colide.

What is surprising though is that so many experts (and no doubt many folk swayed by these experts) believe that the Hayemaker has ‘talked’ his way into the fight.  The current WBA champion (and former Ring cruiserweight unified champion a la Evander Holyfield) has certainly talked a lot (more of that later), but who should Wlad be fighting instead??  Another of the likely lads from his past record - certainly no more talent on that list...