Dr. Lynn Lashbrook

We are witnessing a lot of rhetoric with the upcoming CBA’s for the NFL, and NBA coming up for expiration. Sides are jockeying for position, trying to make a case that, woe is me, we’re going to suffer if we give in.

We seem to be on the verge of a greedy war where the real losers could be the fans.

If any one of these negotiations ends with a lock out or strike I believe the fan outcry might be more substantial than previous times. Looking back at MLB’s 1994-95 strike or the NHL’s 2004-05 lockout should serve a lesson. Apparently, both leagues have figured it out as the NHL recently extended its CBA, and MLB seems to be keeping its labor peace in tact since the strike.

In this economic downturn, the likes of which we haven’t seen since the Great Depression, fans will be less tolerant of the bickering between billionaire owners and millionaire players. People are having a hard time putting food on the table. Bickering sports personalities should strike them as pety. Throw in the non-stop news coverage that now sees blogs and social media such as Twitter and Facebook, and they will be able galvanize a strategic boycott on many fronts.

In football many will use college football as a singular focus as a statement, with some ignoring the NFL when the boycott ends. In an odd twist, it is likely television that could play a huge role in whether there is an NFL lockout next year. Like I said… the poor billionaire owners.

If you think I am overreacting about the potential grass roots backlash to the NFL, one need only look no further than the Tea Party movement. Let’s see how that plays out in November!

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I have to say, it seems by nearly every measure our SMWW conference at the NHL Draft in Los Angeles was a success. More significantly, there were 10 hockey draft hopefuls from the State of California, which is a huge barometer for the potential growth of the sport of hockey in all parts of the world.

The challenge for hockey is the cost of equipment and the price of ice time. Growing the sport comes with dollar signs attached to it at the amateur level. But that being said there are so many passionate people in hockey who want to see the sport grow, it seems to have a real chance, especially after NHL appears to be finally climbing out from the effects of the 2004-05 work stoppage.

The success of the growth of soccer in the United States should serve as an inspiration to those in hockey. As a side note, one panelist at our SMWW conference reminded us how global warming has melted some ice on ponds in Canada and more and more kids are choosing soccer because of the low cost to entry and the availability of fields. What does this all mean for SMWW? We love all sports all over the world and we are well equipped to provide the leadership for globalization of sports!

Nike has put the Sole of the shoe around the world and SMWW is providing the Soul!

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It is no secret that the globalization of other sports besides the Olympics and World Cup Soccer has enjoyed a renaissance and growth through television and the Internet over the past thirty years. For decades every sport has had its own federation with many headquartered in Switzerland.  Several years ago when I visited Switzerland and met with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and asked specifically about the influence of the NHL and the growth of ice hockey, worldwide.

The comment then was they are very influential and important to the Federation.  As  I read the criticism by the IIHF of some NHL players not participating in the latest world championships  and the response by Brian Burke, GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, it no secret why the NHL is look to opening next season in Europe. It’s also why the NBA has an office in China, why Major League Baseball has opened its season in Japan, and why the NFL continues to play in London every year.

Sports are a $750 billion dollar global business and money talks. If sports federations want to grow their sports globally they will need to better understand the business side. Simply put, the business of sports keeps on ticking and professional sports leagues are not amateurs!

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If you’re a sports fan, you have to love the rapid growth of technology over the last decade. Mobile devices allow us to get scores, see player stats, check transactions, and more and more, watch games on the go.

As we prepare for the upcoming World Cup Soccer, and as we watch the NBA and Stanley Cup playoffs, I can’t help but reflect on the impact of High-Definition television has had on sports.  The so called “flare on the puck” – the embedded technology in the mid-90’s that David Hill, the head of Fox Sports  saw as a way for fans to more easily see the puck on television, and make the NHL more marketable to the average fan. The move was a classic example of TV’s desire to provide a up close and personal experience for the game of hockey and, has since been replaced by HD technology – high resolution visuals that bring the game closer to actually sitting on the sideloines.  Not only are sports now “TiVo  proofed” when it comes to advertising the quality of the experience, it has profoundly changed in just the past four years since the last World Cup.

The viewership of the World Cup dwarfs all other playoffs viewership alone, but the quality of the experience with the proliferation of High-Def, sets the stage for a new world of sports business.

Sports will always need the back drop of fans in the stands and therefore there will always be a need for “account executives” on the phone persuading potential customers to attend the game as a group or as a club suite participant.  Hence, the growth of opportunities for students to obtain jobs in sports business is greater than ever.  I tell all our students everyday you “have to have ticket to the game to catch a foul ball”. Every time I got a ticket to game at the old Municipal Stadium where the Kansas City A’s played (13 to be exact), I always had a ticket to the game!

I truly believe the quality of HD TV forces clubs to do a more aggressive job of recruiting fans to attend the game. Simply put, sports business will always have job for those who can sell.  Get the picture? Take a look at our Sports Business Management course!!!

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