The PGA Tour will not include an event at the Walt Disney World Resort in 2013-14 after the venue was omitted from the Tour schedule for the first time since 1971.

Disney has been part of the PGA Tour landscape since Jack Nicklaus won the inaugural event in 1971, however after losing its title sponsor this year, it has not been included amongst the first six events of next season.

Next year’s tour will offer FedEx Cup points for all of the first six events of the 2013-14 season, which starts with the Frys.com Open at CordeValle Golf Club in California on October 10-13 and concludes with the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in Mexico on November 14-17.

After about a two-month break, the 2013-14 schedule will resume at Kapalua with the Tournament of Champions.

“We are very pleased that the start to the 2013-2014 PGA TOUR Season features such strong events, including several international tournaments,” said Andy Pazder, Chief of Operations for the PGA TOUR.

“Due to the change from the traditional calendar season to the newly configured schedule that bridges two calendar years, we felt it was important to announce this first portion of the schedule.”

Über die aktuelle Situation und die Zukunft des Nürburgrings diskutierten kürzlich Vertreter aus Politik, cialis Wirtschaft und Sport im Plenarsaal des Mainzer Landtages. Auf Einladung von Julia Klöckner, Vorsitzende der CDU-Landtagsfraktion, erörterten ADAC Sportpräsident Hermann Tomczyk, Mercedes-Benz Motorsportchef Norbert Haug, Eckehart Rotter, Leiter der Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit des Verbandes der Automobilindustrie (VDA) und Henning Meyersrenken, Rechtsanwalt des ADAC in Sachen Nürburgring, unter Moderation des Landtagsabgeordneten Alexander Licht die aktuelle Situation.

Die Teilnehmer diskutierten verschiedenen Zukunftsszenarien des Rings immer unter der Voraussetzung der Rückbesinnung auf den motorsportlichen Kernbereich. Dabei machte ADAC Sportpräsident Hermann Tomczyk klar, dass der Motorsport und der Nürburgring untrennbar miteinander verbunden sind. „Der Mythos Nürburgring darf nicht sterben. Eine Zukunft ohne Motorsport am Nürburgring ist schwer vorstellbar, denn er ist zu einem großen Teil die Basis des deutschen Motorsports, des Breitensports und im Hinblick auf die Nordschleife automobiles Kulturgut. Der Nürburgring hat das Image des Motorsports weltweit geprägt. Die Landesregierung von Rheinland-Pfalz muss sich aus ihrer Lethargie und Schockstarre befreien und jetzt endlich aktiv werden und Klarheit schaffen“, sagt ADAC Sportpräsident Hermann Tomczyk.

Der krankheitsbedingt abwesende DMSB-Präsident Hans-Joachim Stuck ergänzt: „Wichtig ist jetzt, dass sich alle Beteiligten – Vertreter der Landesregierung, der Rennstreckenverantwortlichen und der Veranstalter – an einen Tisch setzen und die bestmögliche Lösung suchen. Die Zeit drängt, denn die Motorsportsaison 2013 steht längst vor der Tür.”

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) today announced an important step in order to strengthen its commercial organisation and activities by establishing the wholly-owned subsidiary FIBA Media & Marketing Services SA.

This affiliate will operate from the FIBA offices in Geneva, generic Switzerland.

FIBA Media & Marketing Services SA will concentrate on the development, look management and delivery of all of FIBA’s media, ailment marketing and event activities, and related partnerships, including those for FIBA’s flagship competition, the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

FIBA has entered into a long-term co-operation with Thomas Klooz and Frank Leenders through Value Experience Ltd., their sports and media marketing company. FIBA Media & Marketing Services SA will be headed by Frank Leenders as its Director General. Thomas Klooz will be appointed as Delegate to the Board. Both have worked in international sports marketing in leading functions for more than 20 years. They previously acted as CEO and Managing Director respectively of TEAM Marketing, the marketing company recognised, in particular, for the successful commercial development of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.

FIBA Media & Marketing Services SA will continue to build on the strength and commitment of the experienced professionals from the commercial and event team of FIBA.

FIBA Secretary General and IOC member Patrick Baumann said: “This is a milestone in the history of FIBA. With this development we are well structured to enhance and further promote the position of FIBA’s basketball competitions as a premium global sport. We have made significant progress and achieved good results over the past decade. It is the right time for FIBA to move forward and we are ready to do so.  The experience of Thomas Klooz and Frank Leenders, two highly recognized professionals, will enable us to progress FIBA to the next stage in the commercial area.”

Thomas Klooz and Frank Leenders expressed their excitement in co-operating with FIBA: “Together with FIBA we have explored the significant untapped potential of national team basketball on a global level. We are proud to be heading the operation of this new organization with a great team and look forward to putting our experience at the service of an exciting premium sport.”

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Jacksonville Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver has reached an agreement to sell the franchise to Shahid Khan, a successful Illinois businessman.

The transaction is subject to the approval of the National Football League and the team owners. Financial details are yet to be disclosed.

Weaver said in making the announcement: “Shahid Khan is a great American success story and he will be an outstanding owner for this franchise and for this community. I am excited for the team and for our great fans because Shahid will bring passion and commitment to the job. He is committed to restoring a winning tradition here in Jacksonville.”

“I am honored to have recently signed an agreement with Wayne Weaver and his partners to purchase the Jacksonville Jaguars,” Khan said. “I have known Wayne for some time and have long admired his spirit, which nearly 20 years ago – against all odds – helped make the Jaguars and the National Football League a reality for Jacksonville and North Florida.  Wayne’s legacy will be lasting, and I will always be grateful for Wayne’s trust and confidence in my commitment to the Jaguars, the NFL and the people of the Jacksonville community.”

In 1967, at the age of 16, Khan left his native Pakistan to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  He began working for Flex-N-Gate Corporation in 1970, while still an engineering student.  Following his graduation from the University of Illinois in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, Mr. Khan continued to work at Flex-N-Gate until 1978, when he left the company to start a new venture.

Helped by a Small Business Administration loan, he began a new business designing and manufacturing innovative lightweight, continuous metal bumper systems, with no seams to corrode or rust.  Today, nearly two-thirds of all North American pick-up trucks and sport utilities have bumper systems based on Khan’s designs and are manufactured and supplied by a Flex-N-Gate company.

Khan purchased the original Flex-N-Gate company in 1980.  Since then, the Flex‑N‑Gate Group has been consistently profitable while enjoying impressive growth under his active ownership and guidance.  The Flex-N-Gate Group today employs more than 10,000 associates at 48 manufacturing plants in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Spain and Argentina, with annual sales exceeding $3 billion.

“Owning a team in the National Football League has long been my personal and professional goal,” Khan said. “Becoming the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars would be a dream come true for me and my family but, above all, would be a privilege.  To that end, I would like to thank Commissioner Roger Goodell and members of his team for their counsel and guidance throughout my efforts over the past several years.

In 2010 Khan tried to buy the St Louis Rams but was denied when Rams owner Stan Kroenke bought the rest of the shares.

He added: “I am now looking forward to the review process in accordance with league policy.  If the proposed transaction is approved in the weeks ahead, I will responsibly and enthusiastically serve the NFL, the Jacksonville Jaguars and their great fans, and I will be fully committed to delivering Jacksonville its first Super Bowl championship.  This is a franchise with tons of potential, playing in a community that is passionate about football and loves to win.  I can’t think of a better place to be.”

Lou Imbriano, iSportconnect Board member and former Chief Marketing Officer of the New England Patriots has analysed what lies in wait for Shahid Khan when he takes over the team.

“The biggest problem is that the product is so volatile, unlike in other businesses. Typically the standards and quality of the product are easily obtainable in other industries, but in sport the product (on field performance) is always influx and because of that lacks full control on results, ” he said.

“Because of the uncertainty with wins and losses the business side must be structured in a way to be able to minimize the effect of losses and maximize the potential for growth. Many teams worldwide lack the business structure necessary to accomplish these principles, mostly because they rely on wins and losses and that’s a bad strategic plan.

“Also, new owners often get caught up in the excitement of the industry they are now are in, remember most are also fans, and because of this approach the ownership differently then they would there other businesses. There is a learning curve that comes with any new venture, so the best thing any new owner can do is to hire business people with proven track record and experience to aid them in this ramp up period to get up to speed and to help implement the correct structure.

“The pitfalls to this is that there are many sports business executives that have years of experience, but have not made significant impact to the growth of the franchises they have worked for. Selection of the right executive to lead can be tricky and deep understanding of the candidates and the strategy they created and executed is of extreme importance. It is also important to note that just because someone is a fan of the game, doesn’t mean they know what it takes to coach or run a team.”

To read more of what Lou Imbriano thinks of Khan’s acqusition and air your own views on the subject click here

It has been revealed that at least four more Caribbean countries have admitted they were offered thousands of dollars in cash as bribes in exchange for their backing of former presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam. 

The investigation is ongoing into the scandal that led to the temporary suspensions of FIFA vice-president Jack Warner and Asian football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam and it has been reported that more and more federations who attended the infamous meeting on May 10 and 11 – where the money was allegedly paid – have now come forward and handed it back.

The countries concerned are not being named but follow last week’s frank admission by the president of Surinam’s soccer association Louis Giskus that his FA received $40,000 (£24,000) “in $100 bills in a brown envelope” when Caribbean Football Union (CFU) members convened in Trinidad, organised by Warner.

“We all saw the story about Surinam giving the money back and my understanding is that there are at least four more,” a reliable source close to the investigation told insideworldfootball, adding, “It could be as many as six.”

Meanwhile, in a letter to CONCACAF acting president Alfredo Hawit, Jerome Valcke, FIFA’s general secretary, insisted it was time for warring parties within the Confederation to resolve their differences.

According to Reuters, Valcke stated: “We believe it is important that as acting president, but also the CONCACAF Executive Committee and all relevant CONCACAF bodies, now focus on bringing back unity to CONCACAF. It goes without saying that FIFA is at your and CONCACAF’s disposal should you need any assistance or advice.”

“After a thorough analysis of the file in our possession, the bureau of the FIFA Legal Committee emphasised that the relevant steps and decisions taken within CONCACAF appear to be in line with the statutory provisions of CONCACAF,” Valcke added. “However, the bureau of the FIFA Legal Committee emphasised that all legal remedies must remain open to those who do not agree with any decisions taken against them, in line with the relevant articles of the CONCACAF statutes.”

An Olympic-themed ‘Sporting Question Time’ is to be staged on April 5 to coincide with the SportAccord Convention taking place in London by the Sports Journalists’ Association.

The discussion will be held in the debating chamber of the old County Hall on London’s South Bank, with up to 200 of Britain’s leading sportswriters, editors and invited guests from international federations and national governing bodies able to put Olympic questions to the expert panel at the event. The all-ticket SJA event will be free to attend, with priority given to media accredited for SportAccord.

Panellists, who will be confirmed nearer the date, will include representatives from the London 2012 Games organising committee, the International Olympic Committee, British sporting agencies and the international media.

SJA chairman Barry Newcombe stated: “We are delighted to be able to stage our event alongside SportAccord as the convention is held in London for the first time.”

“Last year we staged a similar event with the sports spokesmen of the UK’s three leading political parties ahead of the UK General Election, and generated headlines for the rest of the week. We are sure that our Olympic Question Time will be just as newsworthy,” he added.

Anna Hellman, executive director of the SportAccord Convention, also stated: “We are gratified that the SJA is using the special occasion of the SportAccord Convention being in London to organise this initiative bringing together sport and the media.”

English Premier League Tottenham Hotspur Football Club has extended Lindley Group’s contract for public concourse catering at its north London ground to 2013 in a deal worth more than £2m.

Stadium specialist Lindley has been awarded the extension a year before the contract was scheduled to expire in 2011. It has managed the public catering at White Hart Lane since 2001.

Alistair Spiers, head of sales at Tottenham Hotspur FC, said: “Over the past nine years, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and Lindley Group have worked successfully together to deliver the highest standards of public catering to in excess of 35,000 fans every matchday.

“As the club enters an exciting new era of Champions League competition, this contract extension demonstrates the commitment of both parties to continually improve the matchday experience at White Hart Lane.”

Paul Biffen, sales and marketing director at Lindley, added: “We’re delighted to continue our partnership with Spurs. It’s testament to the quality of food, service and the strength of the relationship that the Lindley team has developed with the club over the last decade that they have already committed to extending our contract for a further two years beyond the expiry of the existing contract.”

The news follows a recent announcement by Kudos Hospitality, which has also had its contract with Spurs renewed. Kudos has provided hospitality at the club for nine years and in September it was awarded a new two-year deal worth £6m.