tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26373929753086529502012-02-05T14:05:24.438-08:00Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.comBlogger741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-72312726162400919442012-02-05T14:05:00.000-08:002012-02-05T14:05:24.463-08:00

There are a converted touchdown's worth of reasons whty the National Football League has become the gold standard of television engagement as measured by ratings. Among the trends it benefits with in common with the other major North American professional sports leagues is the enhanced television viewing experience ushered in by the advent and evolution of HD and large-screen format products.

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-61153797191099202922011-07-15T18:23:00.000-07:002011-07-15T18:23:12.993-07:00

The four-month lockout of its players by the National Football League in 2011 will never go down in history as good times for the richest league in North American sport. Yet the fact that a settlement is imminent after weeks of constructive, behind-the-scenes negotiations should shape the way we perceive the NFL, a $9 billion a year sport industry sector that has overtaken baseball as America’s

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-2618500077864163452011-07-01T14:42:00.000-07:002011-07-01T14:43:57.272-07:00

Basketball fans can't jump in as much this year on account of the NBA lockout triggered last night, but nonetheless, Canada Day is carving itself a niche as a hot day on the Canadian sports calendar.The one-two punch of the kick-off to a new Canadian Football League season and the media and fan frenzy that is free agency in the National Hockey League make July 1st one of the most intriguing

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-62777520652557501652011-06-24T07:11:00.000-07:002011-06-24T07:11:31.302-07:00

 Rory McIlroy  (From CanadianGolfer.com) "It's nice that people say that he could be this or he could be that or he could win 20 major championships, but at the end of the day I've won one." - 2011 US Open winner Rory McIlroy That quote, modest as it was, spoke volumes as to not only how much Rory McIlroy has already changed the dynamic in men's professional golf -- both on his home European

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-19283420222604581212011-06-17T23:17:00.000-07:002011-06-17T23:26:19.290-07:00

Vancouver saw the worst of two worlds collide Wednesday night - the heart-breaking disappointment of Stanley Cup defeat and, worse, the stinging embarassment of public disorder gone wild. On the ice, the NHL's Vancouver Canucks were shut out 4-0 by Tim Thomas and the Bruins, giving Boston its first Stanley Cup championship in 39 years and denying the Canucks franchise their first in 40 seasons

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-50934112424625114142010-07-12T03:42:00.000-07:002010-07-12T03:51:37.189-07:00

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - It will take some time for most of us to wrap our heads around this, but the 2010 FIFA World Cup -- which wrapped last night in Johannesburg with Spain's 1-0 championship win over the Netherlands -- is the most important modern-era global sports event the world has ever witnessed. Never has a sports event meant as much, either to a host nation domestically, the hosting

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-16224583500097148592010-07-11T07:20:00.000-07:002010-07-11T07:24:51.766-07:00

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Beginning with the familiar slogan used by some of the official corporate partners of the 2010 FIFA World Cup -- as in the welcome display used by First National Bank (FNB) at Tambo International Airport -- there are many common storylines between South Africa 2010 and Vancouver 2010, global sports events held four months apart after close to a decade of bidding and

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-24287300320366580622010-07-08T14:05:00.000-07:002010-07-08T14:05:37.113-07:00

DURBAN, South Africa - With the final weekend of the 2010 FIFA World Cup now set with three days of lead-in hype having begun moments after Spain's 1-0 semifinal win over Germany here last night, it speaks to how the very structure of the tournament is among its greatest strengths. Giving pace and flow to a month-long event is not an easy thing to do but that's exactly what the scheduling

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-65176661167565113852010-07-06T05:11:00.000-07:002010-07-06T05:11:55.096-07:00

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Adidas does tennis, golf, rugby, cricket, basketball and even European hockey. Its sister brand Reebok now gives it strong profile in North American football and hockey. But the German multinational has always been most defined by its roots in soccer. It will bend to its competitors in other sports but in soccer, it is staunchly committed to never breaking against Nike

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-37985292797406658662010-07-06T04:50:00.000-07:002010-07-06T04:54:50.587-07:00

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Nike would suggest its Write the Future video campaign has been everything it set out to be -- creating a buzz on the Internet and in social media circles from its launch in May -- but that hasn't stopped pundits from suggesting it is the Sports Illustrated cover jinx of this 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The talk is easy because every one of the primary players

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-12345874672334810072010-07-04T18:33:00.000-07:002010-07-04T18:47:51.075-07:00

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Some of the best sport business storylines at mega events such as the biggest of them all, the FIFA World Cup, revolve around the marketing wars being fought out among many of the planet's most powerful brands. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, there is arguably no more expensive battle - with no stakes higher - than in the shoe and apparel category. It's on

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-20080228071623514562010-07-01T02:37:00.000-07:002010-07-01T02:45:05.620-07:00

In what I remember to be only the third Canada Day which I haven't spent in either Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver, I've stepped off the North American continent and into the world of soccer. En route to Cape Town, South Africa, for a special edition of The Sport Market on TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca this Saturday, July 3rd, I don't have to be more than half my way there to already understand how

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-25345214290288747922010-06-09T21:50:00.000-07:002010-06-09T22:04:33.292-07:00

When they began to serve notice they were on the rise and we saw the Chicago Blackhawks as one of the top-10 sport business stories of 2008, we noted that “new owner Rocky Wirtz understands spending money to make money is the way it works in the sport business and the way most successful franchises stay sustainable for the long-term.” Tonight as they celebrate their first Stanley Cup in 49 years

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-30432101562643016122010-06-09T20:12:00.000-07:002010-06-09T20:34:24.630-07:00

Having game 5 of the NHL's 2010 Stanley Cup finals go up against game 2 of the NBA Finals Sunday night might have been unfortunate scheduling for both leagues and their fans but it did offer up a great chance to compare hockey apples with basketball oranges, so to speak, when it comes to television drawing power in North America. Among the findings that stick with me are that NBA basketball is 

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-26175816327016616512010-06-08T20:53:00.000-07:002010-06-08T21:13:51.109-07:00

darrenrovell1: R-A-T-I-N-G-S. Spelling Bee beats game 4 of Stanley Cup Final -- 4M to 3.1M viewers (From sport business reporter Darren Rovell of CNBC June 7th on Twitter.com comparing Saturday's Scripps national spelling competition on ABC with Friday's NHL championship game on cable carrier Versus). The National Hockey League would be well-served by a simple goal when it sits down to negotiate

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-1963235615503670782010-06-07T18:48:00.000-07:002010-06-07T18:58:14.087-07:00

Strong communications skills and media capabilities have become increasingly important over the past 10 to 15 years for senior executives in general and Chief Executive Officers in particular. That's true in mainstream business but it's arguably even more the case in the business of sport, where the relationship between consumers (fans) and product or company (franchises or leagues) is unique.

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-46575647356895248132010-06-05T07:54:00.000-07:002010-06-05T07:54:18.017-07:00

If Major League Baseball had any judicious form of instant replay and video review in place, Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers would be basking the glow of the 21st perfect game in the sport's 130-year history. The game would be abuzz with a remarkable and unprecedented three perfect games in one season, with Galarraga following in the footsteps of Dallas Braden's May 9th performance and

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-27198900089386727452010-06-02T23:18:00.000-07:002010-06-02T23:24:19.524-07:00

Seven-game championship series are always the cat's meow when it comes to driving fan interest and television audiences. But it's even more intriguing a proposition this year for the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association and their U.S. broadcast partners. That's why Claude Giroux's overtime goal in tonight's 4-3 win for the Philadelphia Flyers over the Chicago Blackhawks 

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-79485914637639957432010-05-27T09:42:00.000-07:002010-05-27T09:42:37.497-07:00

As one of the world's four Grand Slam tennis championships, the French Open has always had a special feel to it. The red claycourts at Roland Garros offer a distinctive look on domestic and worldwide television. Its timing and positioning as the unofficial start to summer in France and Europe (and throughout the northern hemisphere for that matter) gives every rendition a sense of renewal and

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-27723130343801093382010-05-26T09:03:00.000-07:002010-05-26T09:08:10.429-07:00

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: the most important part of the business of sport is the business of winning. It's certainly the most persuasive part. Winning is the best marketing. It's all about substance and cliches such as walking the walk and talking the talk. If business success in sport is one part product and one part marketing, the product is by far the bigger part.

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-62840363043123522062010-05-25T12:27:00.000-07:002010-05-25T12:34:27.287-07:00

The end of the Montreal Canadiens' improbable run to the 2010 Stanley Cup finals means smaller Canadian audience numbers for CBC and dramatically lower ratings for RDS, but it makes for a solid showdown between two of the strongest American brands in the National Hockey League. And in that light, the championship round bringing together the Chicago Blackhawks and the Philadelphia Flyers is great

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-33247154479439314692010-05-22T06:45:00.000-07:002010-05-22T06:48:57.589-07:00

One of the principal jobs of the commissioner of the National Hockey League – or any professional sports league for that matter – is to create value for his member franchises and their owners. Commissioners do that by creating league-wide conditions that grow the business of their member clubs. The more revenues franchises generate, the greater their business valuation. When more franchises

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-58350134933011349462010-05-21T08:00:00.000-07:002010-05-21T08:02:47.487-07:00

They’re both Canadian sports icons. One is arguably the best player in the history of the National Hockey League and the game’s greatest ambassador in the United States. The other the best Canadian basketball player ever produced and the game’s face in Canada. Wayne Gretzky was heroic in Edmonton and Canada and became hockey’s big thing in the U.S. Steve Nash is a big deal in Phoenix and

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-21989040770035475422010-05-18T19:20:00.000-07:002010-05-18T19:20:50.551-07:00

The San Jose Sharks have more Canadians on their roster than any of the four teams remaining in the National Hockey League's 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Chicago Blackhawks have the biggest bevy of British Columbians while the Philadelphia Flyers boast the most Quebeckers. Yet despite having fewer Canadians than the Canada Sharks and fewer Quebecois than the Quebec Flyers, only the Montreal

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-52019853043058654212010-05-14T19:22:00.000-07:002010-05-14T19:27:51.004-07:00

From their inception and through their pre-operating period, opening season and well into their sophomore season in Major League Soccer, the Seattle Sounders FC have defined themselves as something special in North American professional sport. Exhibit 1 is how they created an ownership group which blended the new (Hollywood producer Joe Roth, comedian and television star Drew Carey and former

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-90213042660304431732010-05-06T23:58:00.000-07:002010-05-07T00:19:24.633-07:00

The parity that drove strong television ratings throughout the 2009-'10 National Hockey League regular season has found expression in the post-season, which included 49 games in the first round (with seven of eight series going at least six games). Twelve overtime games helped produce great ratings for Versus and NBC south of the border and for TSN, RDS and CBC here in Canada. The NHL numbers

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-24369160437244963442010-05-05T23:46:00.000-07:002010-05-06T00:14:37.466-07:00

The on-ice turnaround scored by the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks over the past three years is impressive. A five-season exile from the Stanley Cup playoffs ended last year and the Blackhawks red, black and gold colour palette is likely to be a going concern for much of the new decade. Adept drafting, smart trades and a couple of prized free agent acquisitions have given Chicago

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-5085725187938852312010-05-04T23:55:00.000-07:002010-05-05T00:16:14.283-07:00

On the field, Bayern Munich is basking in the spotlight of the UEFA Champions League. The most famous German soccer club has revelled in the world's biggest annual sports tournament, has reached the 2010 final May 22nd in Madrid and will square off against Internazionale Milan before the largest single-day sports television audience on the planet. The re-emergence of Bayern Munich among the

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-29991527269223193432010-05-01T01:04:00.000-07:002010-05-01T01:09:48.185-07:00

When more Canadians watch the NHL Draft Lottery on TSN (an average national audience of 556,000 this year) than Americans watch actual live game action during the regular season on Versus (averaging 297,000 in 2009-'10), it puts into perspective how the National Hockey League in general and NHL television in particular is a tale of two countries. The NHL and the NHL on TV is hot in Canada. Not

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-53824065871771715792010-04-28T23:54:00.000-07:002010-04-29T00:40:36.546-07:00

The opening round of the National Hockey League's 2010 Stanley Cup championships produced a series of notable storylines, including: entertaining hockey, combining both a potent offensive display of 5.9 goals per game (the highest since 1996) and some superb goaltending, most notably that of Jaroslav Halak, who stood on his head to lead the Montreal Canadiens past Alexander Ovechkin and the

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-78248095896115954822010-04-28T23:14:00.000-07:002010-04-28T23:16:47.533-07:00

There will be much hand-wringing over the Washington Capitals' stunning exit in the first-round of the National Hockey League's 2010 Stanley Cup tournament. Most of it will be in the Caps' front office, but a close second will be the disappointment shared by U.S. television rights holders Versus and NBC, both of which were loving their first-round playoff ratings and must have been salivating at

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-10236407019554465342010-04-27T18:49:00.000-07:002010-04-27T18:55:33.936-07:00

After pushing the favoured Vancouver Canucks to overtime twice and splitting the opening set at General Motors Place enroute to a 2-1 series lead, the Los Angeles Kings suffered three straight losses and are on the outside looking in this week while the Canucks prepare for the Chicago Blackhawks and Round 2 of the NHL's 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. That does not mean, however, that the Kings have

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-7279239658396197382010-04-24T00:00:00.000-07:002010-04-24T00:25:10.476-07:00

In this era of social media, you know you're onto something when people can't help but want to share digital files...story links...audio files...video files. You name it; if people want to share it, you've struck a chord. That's the case with the National Hockey League's promotional campaign for the 2010 Stanley Cup championships; the History Will Be Made broadcast and in-arena video series.

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-58028345761570093992010-04-22T22:27:00.000-07:002010-04-22T22:30:53.950-07:00

Lou Lamoriello is a smart hockey man whose career track record of Stanley Cup championships in 1995, 2000 and 2003 speaks for itself. Yet on the night Lamoriello's New Jersey Devils suffered a disappointing 4-1 eastern conference quarter-final loss at the hands of the underdog Philadelphia Flyers, it has to be said his penchant for late-season shake-ups has failed to pay off once again. This

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-55978573172922018592010-04-21T18:47:00.000-07:002010-04-21T18:48:31.006-07:00

The passing of Juan Antonio Samaranch today at the age of 89 represents the end of the life of one of the highest profile icons of the Olympic movement. Whether you're among those who loved and respected the "ends" he achieved or despised and questioned the "means" he used to achieve them, one thing is certain about Samaranch: he made his mark. He is one of the three most dominant Presidents in

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-6933687252791519142010-04-20T20:00:00.000-07:002010-04-20T21:14:54.180-07:00

There have been some lopsided trades in the history of the National Basketball Association. Among the worst trades ever was the 1980 transaction which sent Robert Parrish and the #3 draft pick who wound up being Kevin McHale to the Boston Celtics for the two Golden State Warrior draft picks who became Joe Barry Carroll and Ricky Brown. Also popping to mind are draft day deals sending Kobe

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-78477682340664031652010-04-19T19:05:00.000-07:002010-04-19T19:12:11.018-07:00

On the court this National Basketball Association regular season, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers continued their winning ways. Off the court, the drawing power of Bryant and the iconic Lakers brand was no less impressive. That's why the defending champion Lakers top the first annual NBA Composite Power Rankings compiled for the 2009-'10 regular season by TheSportMarket.biz. With

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-25681749547119387242010-04-17T17:53:00.000-07:002010-04-17T17:53:58.225-07:00

Fans of the Vancouver Canucks would happily trade it in any day for the real thing – Lord Stanley’s mug emblematic of National Hockey League supremacy -- but their team would be the top contender for a symbolic Stanley Cup awarded to the best in the hockey business. In fact, according to a new set of composite power rankings compiled by http://www.thesportmarket.biz/, the Canucks would win the

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-76387184891653557852010-04-16T19:20:00.000-07:002010-04-17T09:43:57.754-07:00

Attendance in the National Hockey League has grown each year since the lockout of 2004-'05, reaching an all-time high of a league-wide per game average of 16,458 in the 2009-'10 regular season which ended last Sunday. Many would point to raucous big buildings such as the United Center in Chicago (21,356) and the Bell Centre in Montreal (21,273) as driving the league-wide average and they'd be at

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-67871888930281242682010-04-14T21:20:00.000-07:002010-04-14T21:29:12.187-07:00

A final round 67 gave Phil Mickelson his third Masters title and fourth major championship Sunday at the Masters at Augusta National. It also gave the iconic tournament one of the more interesting photo finishes in the world of sport in 2010. Images of Mickelson embracing his wife Amy in a joyous yet tearful hug Sunday went worldwide on television, internet and print at the conclusion of the

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-20491204912395210092010-04-13T18:48:00.000-07:002010-04-14T09:08:07.843-07:00

The one-two punch that is the Sedin twins is one of the greatest assets of the Vancouver Canucks Hockey Club as they prepare for the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs and market for the future. If it's true they've been undervalued in their own backyard of Vancouver until very recently, it's also true they've been even less appreciated elsewhere in the NHL, with 17 franchises in the eastern time zone

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-29635559695895651782010-04-12T23:58:00.000-07:002010-04-13T08:42:21.018-07:00

With 112 points, Henrik Sedin is the National Hockey League's newest scoring champion. He is the first Vancouver Canuck player to win the points race and one of only three players to come close (along with former team captain and fellow Swede Markus Naslund and the Russian Rocket Pavel Bure). He now holds the Canucks' single-season mark for points, breaking Bure's record of 110. One thing Henrik

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-51697382457405435002010-04-09T12:32:00.000-07:002010-04-22T12:16:54.232-07:00

Note: Penny Stocks is a regular feature of The Sport Market on TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon PT. It airs at 10:40 a.m. PT and identifies some of the smaller sport business stories which are worth watching in various sectors of The Sport Market. This week, the imminent appointment of Andrea Shaw to an independent executive contract as the new marketing and sponsorship

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-15894486648720950622010-04-08T23:24:00.000-07:002010-04-08T23:43:53.132-07:00

Owner David Braley finally pulled the trigger Thursday in announcing that highly-respected Canadian media executive Dennis Skulsky would be the next President & Chief Executive Officer of the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Here are five big reasons why the hiring of Skulsky, who will complete his duties as CEO of Canwest Publishing on April 30th and begin at the Lions on May 1st, is a

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-47450411693696575332010-04-07T22:31:00.000-07:002010-04-08T00:16:37.295-07:00

The UEFA Champions League has emerged this millennium as the world's biggest annual sports tournament. The European club championship is already the most important annual event in soccer. Its final match is now the most-watched single-day sports event on the planet, steadily growing in recent years to finally surpass the Super Bowl in worldwide television audiences in 2009. Yet the UEFA

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-57691944876127159692010-04-06T16:42:00.000-07:002010-04-06T16:49:55.080-07:00

After using late December to pass the Buffalo Sabres at 279 and the Los Angeles Kings' record of 282, the Vancouver Canucks reached their 300th consecutive home game sellout on Easter Sunday at General Motors Place, posting a 4-3 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild, the only National Hockey League team with a longer active streak (381 regular season and playoff games at the Xcel Energy Center

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-62006600274245159152010-04-05T16:55:00.000-07:002010-04-05T17:06:50.901-07:00

He wasn't even in the game of effective crisis management in December and January...he was out of bounds on proper media relations with his unilateral video statement February 12th...in the rough with his two controlled, five-minute interviews with Tom Rinaldi of ESPN and Kelly Tilghman of the Golf Channel on March 21st. Finally, in his third shot at it in the first three months of 2010, Tiger

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-45628619560240864702010-04-04T11:05:00.000-07:002010-04-04T11:09:55.982-07:00

The Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League can clinch their third Northwest Division title in four years with a win tonight over the Minnesota Wild. They can also clinch a sport business milestone that only 16 other franchises in the history of North American professional sport have to their official credit: 300 consecutive home game sellouts. http://www.teamradio.ca/news/story/?id=

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-11763663099584771472010-04-04T09:15:00.000-07:002010-04-04T09:19:56.553-07:00

For all of the criticism directed at the National Hockey League on several fronts, we need to give it credit where credit is due: its performance in arena attendance. Sure it still has its desert dogs and other problem childs, but the fact is, next to the NFL, the NHL has more franchises playing to full or near capacity than any other major league in North American sport. Only two of Major

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-80549301659011165042010-04-03T21:41:00.000-07:002010-04-03T21:41:13.535-07:00

SportBC did a very good deed Wednesday night at the River Rock Resort & Casino, honouring VANOC Chief Executive Officer John Furlong as Sportsman of the Decade for his leadership of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The decade tag was particularly appropriate, given that Furlong led the largest sports festival in the history of the city and the province from bid phase to

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-51533683232383138762010-03-26T00:51:00.000-07:002010-03-26T00:54:18.469-07:00

The Seattle Sounders FC has my vote as the fastest-rising sport property in the world. According to Champions of The Sport Market, they also gave Major League Soccer the biggest sport business gain of 2009 in the United States and Canada. Bottom line: they are architects of the most impressive expansion franchise launch in North American professional sport history. Bar none. Thursday night, the

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-9798662211685450002010-03-26T00:06:00.000-07:002010-03-26T00:23:41.913-07:00

Whether it's called Flight of the Phoenix, From the Ashes of Bankruptcy or simply Believe It or Not, the Phoenix Coyotes are the closest thing the National Hockey League has to a Hollywood script in its 2009-'10 season. In fact, despite not featuring the Hanson brothers or anything close, the Coyotes invoke the cult movie storyline of the Charleston Chiefs of Slap Shot fame. Barry Riz of TSN.ca

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-25130904946579912092010-03-24T07:37:00.000-07:002010-03-24T07:37:15.440-07:00

As he embarks on his tenure as a majority owner in the NBA, former basketball superstar Michael Jordan could do worse than to follow the ownership manual written by former NHL superstar Mario Lemieux. In fact, it appears he may have already read the first few pages. Lemieux, the only other living former North American superstar to serve as principal owner and governor of a major league

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-49784777338985068052010-03-23T12:40:00.000-07:002010-03-23T12:50:52.149-07:00

The thinking here that, ultimately, the most important part of the business of sport is the business of winning will be put to the test in the case of golf icon Tiger Woods. His twinned agenda -- the first being his pursuit of the Golden Bear and 18 majors and the second his attempts to repatriate a public image badly-tarnished since the night of November 27th, 2009 -- will be dominant

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-82703266880684116122010-03-23T02:53:00.000-07:002010-03-23T03:12:25.834-07:00

With the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and Paralympics now in the books and in the conversation with Lillehammer 1994 as among the best in Winter Games history, it's time for our sport business scorecard for the most watched sports event -- and television event -- in Canadian history. The Top 10s of Vancouver 2010 10. The Richmond Oval as the most impressive new sport venue in Canada since the

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-45048593240718842672010-03-20T02:08:00.000-07:002010-03-20T14:59:27.854-07:00

Is there anything more deafening than the silence of the lambs behind the National Hockey League Players Association? Sure, we're the first to challenge the NHL's failure to understand how much a more balanced schedule -- in which each team hosts at least one visit from each of the other 29 clubs -- would add value for season ticket holders, the heart of the league's gate-driven business. We

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-36975471222892679692010-03-13T04:54:00.000-08:002010-03-13T05:00:44.899-08:00

There is much sport science research that shows athlete development is a long-term play, with 10 years of optimal training the typical standard before a high performance athlete reaches his or her full potential. There are no shortcuts. Yet it is true that training backed by comprehensive sport medicine and science amenities, resources and services can yield significant mid-term and even

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-88189188293161452932010-03-13T03:45:00.000-08:002010-03-13T04:06:46.476-08:00

This is not the way it was supposed to be for Real Madrid, which is a leading member of the Billion Dollar Club of sport franchises, among the soccer world's most storied megaclubs and one of the planet's leading sport brands. Real Madrid finds itself and its Bwin.com jerseys on the sidelines after its aggregate loss to Lyon in the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League, the biggest annual

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-18138606054841220122010-03-12T12:20:00.000-08:002010-03-12T12:25:30.037-08:00

It is nothing more than hindsight to suggest the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games would have been better positioned as a lead-in event to the big show of the Olympic Winter Games. That ship has sailed. It is, however, foresight to suggest the International Paralympic Committee and International Olympic Committee should explore the best timing for each other's major winter sports showcases

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-49218036471452646882010-03-08T00:02:00.000-08:002010-03-08T00:28:41.857-08:00

The Blind Side was never going to blind side The Hurt Locker, Avatar, Up in the Air, Precious or any of the other top contenders for best picture at the 82nd Academy Awards Sunday night. Nonetheless, Sandra Bullock's win for best actress in a category in which she beat out the legendary Meryl Streep is good news for the sport movie genre. It's the first Oscar for a sport movie since Million

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-36965535436058537392010-03-01T11:40:00.000-08:002010-03-05T13:04:03.832-08:00

Event management is a case study in multi-tasking. Event management for an international competition -- particularly at the level of the Olympic Winter Games -- is the most complex beast of all. There are many things event organizers can control....and many they cannot. Weather conditions cannot be controlled. How event organizers react to it can be. That's why the greatest gift that VANOC,

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-29389169193219435332010-02-28T17:59:00.000-08:002010-02-28T20:37:01.497-08:00

September 28th, 1972: Paul Henderson, assisted by Yvan Cournoyer and Phil Esposito, 19:26 of the third period, Canada vs. Soviet Union, Luzhniki Ice Palace, Moscow.September 15th, 1987: Mario Lemieux, assisted by Wayne Gretzky, 18:34 of the third period, Canada vs. Soviet Union, Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Ont.February 28th, 2010: Sidney Crosby, assisted by Jarome Iginla, 7:40 of overtime, Canada

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-26294753484275317762010-02-25T00:02:00.000-08:002010-03-05T13:05:28.026-08:00

With all four of the host country's medals, day 13 of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games was anything but unlucky for Canadian female athletes. It was an historic day of good fortune for Canadian women, who scored one gold, two silvers and a bronze and who have now figured in 12 of Canada's 15 medals at Vancouver 2010 (one of which was shared by Olympic ice dance champions Tessa Virtue

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-85426848003349878182010-02-21T13:49:00.000-08:002010-02-23T11:48:22.257-08:00

On day 10 of Vancouver 2010, VISA should be acknowledged not only as one of the Olympic movement's top-10 sponsors in terms of financial investment, the San Francisco-based global corporation deserves kudos for the advertising campaign it has activated around the 21st Olympic Winter Games.VISA is at the top of the podium of Olympic sponsors these Games on the strength of its Go World television

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-26921732946981339822010-02-19T15:22:00.000-08:002010-02-19T16:14:44.972-08:00

The NBA All-Star Game made the most of its venue opportunity and, with 108,713 at Cowboys Stadium last Sunday, set an all-time record for basketball game attendance.The new $1.6 billion US stadium was as big a star in the proceedings as were Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. The buzz around the stadium and its capacity to set the attendance record heightened media coverage in the U.S. and sponsorship

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-66526201704439539842010-02-19T15:01:00.000-08:002010-02-19T15:13:29.458-08:00

He did it. The face of golf -- Tiger Woods -- actually faced the public today in what amounted to a televised statement; his first formal appearance since the bizarre November 27th, 2009 car accident and subsequent admissions of infidelity that rocked his world and created a media and public relations firestorm before Christmas.Finally appearing live in public is a step forward for Woods in

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-83549859415578344992010-02-18T19:34:00.000-08:002010-03-04T18:22:51.358-08:00

There is no denying that mistakes have been made at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Some big ones, too. Tragedy. Logistical problems. Breakdowns involving prototype ice resurfacing machines. Flawed -- and baffling -- planning around the outdoor Olympic cauldron. Yet those visiting international media who waited only four days -- or less than a quarter of the 17-day event -- before

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-49145840812452114622010-02-17T10:02:00.000-08:002010-02-17T12:38:53.167-08:00

There's no denying the Olympia brand of ice resurfacing machines and Resurfice Corp, the family-run business which produces them, has taken a big hit from the debacle at the Richmond Oval.It's one thing for something to break down or otherwise malfunction when nobody's looking. It's quite another when the problem occurs in front of a full house of paying customers, global television audiences,

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-45010754600829629292010-02-16T23:04:00.000-08:002010-02-17T01:03:08.764-08:00

It's here: the much-hyped Vancouver 2010 Olympic men's hockey tournament - the greatest showcase the sport has had in our lifetime.It marks the fourth consecutive Olympic Winter Games featuring hockey's best players, beginning 12 years ago when Nagano 1998 represented the historic debut of the NHL and NHLPA as partners with the International Ice Hockey Federation on the Olympic stage. Despite the

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-5178449530605471122010-02-15T19:47:00.000-08:002010-02-15T20:58:57.707-08:00

Smiling before more than 24,000 fans at the official victory ceremonies tonight at BC Place -- aptly dubbed "Quebec Night" -- new Canadian winter sports hero Alexandre Bilodeau of Rosemere, Que. basked in the immediate afterglow of his historic Vancouver 2010 gold medal win in the men's moguls freestyle ski final Sunday at Cypress Mountain.These past 24 hours have been life-changing for the first

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-81361789856879071512010-02-14T20:36:00.000-08:002010-02-15T19:47:21.375-08:00

Canada's first Olympic gold medal won at home was fashioned tonight on the strength of a clutch men's moguls performance by freestyle skier Alex Bilodeau of Rosemere, Que. at 6:18 p.m. PT.It ended a 33-year gold medal draught that began at Montreal 1976 and continued through Calgary 1988; ending the ignominy of Canada's status as the only country never to win gold as an Olympic host nation.It

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-30156614204213347202010-02-10T17:20:00.000-08:002010-02-11T00:15:38.861-08:00

Tonight's full dress rehearsal of the official opening ceremonies for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games will demonstrate the great degree to which public and spectator participation will be part of the real deal Friday night at BC Place.It will showcase a major aboriginal dance and music element. Video images telling the story of Canada and Canada's Games will be prominent. The rehearsal

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-52831493252957477562010-02-10T00:38:00.000-08:002010-02-10T10:46:29.722-08:00

Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend wrap their set at the Bridgestone Super Bowl XLIV Halftime Show Sunday at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. (Photo: Bethie Curley)When the National Football League began considering who should perform at this year's Super Bowl XLIV in Miami, The Who was suggested as a natural fit given the league's recent predisposition towards iconic rock acts for its halftime show.Most

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2637392975308652950.post-26564530315376635852010-02-04T22:51:00.000-08:002010-02-05T08:15:52.227-08:00

Can anyone remember a more impressive launch for a new stadium naming rights deal than the debut of Sun Life Stadium two weeks ago? To say the timing of the deal was fortuitous is an understatement. Canada's Sun Life Financial announced the reported 10-year, $40 million US naming rights agreement -- in which the first five years and the first $20 million US are guaranteed -- on January 19th, just

Tom Mayenknechtnoreply@blogger.com0