The International Olympic Committee (IOC) opened up the possibility of an individual country or joint bids being placed for Summer and Winter Olympics in the future.

In an IOC session in Sochi, President Thomas Bach opened the floor to a wide-ranging discussion on his “Olympic Agenda 2020,” his blueprint for the organisation and the running of the games.

The process is aimed at charting a new course for the IOC under Bach, who was elected in September to succeed Jacques Rogge, who served for 12 years.

Despite no formal decision being taken at the session in Sochi it still brought about a debate that captivated the 100-plus members who attended.

IOC vice-president John Coates said the members should consider whether countries – rather than cities – should bid for the Olympics and whether to allow joint bids from different countries or cities.

Under IOC rules, a single city bids to host the Olympics. Joint bids are not permitted.

The possibility of changing the system drew a mostly negative reaction, with members stressing that the Olympics enjoy a special status of taking place in one city.

“One of the unique aspects of the Olympic Games is the unity of time and place,” Canadian member Dick Pound said. “It’s not an event made in a television studio. It’s what happens on the ground. We should be very careful about destroying that.”

The view was echoed by Israeli member Alex Gilady.

“If we go to a country, we will lose the Olympic Village,” he said. “The Olympic Village is perhaps the most important uniqueness of the Olympic Games. Maybe it could be done in the Winter Games, but in the summer if we change the concept from city to country we may start the end of the games.”

Two athlete members, Australian rower James Tomkins and swimmer Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, also opposed any change. Coventry said athletes would lose the “level of competition” they are used to in a single host city.

Sports marketing agency Beyond Marketing Group today announced the addition of American racecar driver Scott Speed to its motorsport roster.

Speed, who has competed for Red Bull in Formula One and NASCAR, joins Beyond Marketing Group following his winning debut at X Games in Brazil. The agency will manage all of Speed’s motorsport marketing and sponsorship as he embarks on an ambitious career expansion into rallycross.

“This is an interesting transition for me and I’m looking forward to working with Beyond Marketing Group as I diversify my career,” said Speed.

Speed won his X Games debut in April racing as a guest driver in the Global Rallycross Championship’s ‘Star Car.’ He is now expected to run a full 2013 Global Rallycross Championship and X Games rallycross campaign, while continuing his competition efforts with Leavine Family Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

“The schedule worked out perfectly so that every off weekend I had from NASCAR for the whole year is now a Global Rallycross Championship race,” said Speed. “It’s such an awesome mix of talent that you get to compete against every weekend in the GRC and it’s excellent racing.”

The partnership with Beyond Marketing Group will give Speed the backing of a new team with a wealth of marketing experience in areas including brand strategy, trend forecasting, social media, event production and media buying. The company’s specialty is in creating innovative, brand-building programs that integrate automotive, sports, music and lifestyle elements.

“A driver with talent and personality like Scott’s is a rare combination and we couldn’t be happier to be working with him,” said Beyond Marketing Motorsport Director Fred Chang, who will take the lead on management for Speed. “Scott is the right fit for our agency and we’re looking forward to taking his career to the next level.”

In 2012, Beyond Marketing Group introduced its specialty motorsport division, which represents television personality and professional driver Tanner Foust as well as the factory-Ford backed Olsbergs MSE organization.

Speed will next compete in the Radio Ford Fiesta in X Games rallycross in Barcelona, Spain, May 19.

NBC Sports Group have announced they will present unprecedented, cough comprehensive Ryder Cup news coverage, tournament action, original themed programming and online digital coverage of the 39th Ryder Cup with more than 60 hours in total of on-air content – Sept. 24-30.

The 39th edition of the biennial golf competition between the world’s top professional golfers representing the United States and Europe takes place Sept. 28-30 at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

Golf Channel on NBC will present 16 hours of live tournament coverage of the final two days of the Ryder Cup (Sept. 29-30). Complementing NBC’s live coverage, Golf Channel will provide nearly 50 hours of wraparound programming, featuring news, talk and instruction, headlined by its franchise show, Live From the Ryder Cup.

Comcast SportsNet Chicago will provide robust news coverage with a regional twist for its viewers throughout the week, and NBCSports.com and GolfChannel.com are teaming up to provide the most comprehensive digital coverage of the Ryder Cup in their respective histories.

UGG Australia, ampoule a division of Deckers Outdoor Corporation, unhealthy has announced today the launch of a new integrated UGG for Men campaign for the Fall 2012 season featuring quarterback Tom Brady.

Premiering on September 4, cheap 2012, the new integrated campaign will include TV, Print, Digital Display and Online Videos, OOH, Mobile, Social, and PR.

The Fall 2012 campaign continues UGG Australia’s dedicated marketing support behind their men’s line, which launched Fall 2011.

The creative campaign, produced by M&C Saatchi Los Angeles, illustrates the visceral duality that UGG footwear provides men by juxtaposing the comfortable, luxurious sheepskin inside with the rugged, masculine design outside. The breadth and depth of the Men’s collection is now extensive and includes year-around styles, such as: rugged boots, casual shoes, slippers, cold weather boots, cold weather accessories, sneakers, flip flops and more.

Directed by the Guard Brothers, the “Invisible Game” TV spot and online video showcases UGG for Men through Tom Brady who embodies the authentic, effortless style that is at the foundation of every product UGG makes. Tom Brady has the ability to bring millions of people together with the way he plays football. Whether you are a fan or not, you’re drawn to watching him. This spot highlights the unique effect he has on the world through the eyes of a boy, who happens to see him at the airport.

The “Invisible Game” spot is supported by product focused digital displays and OOH creative that works off the airport theme and highlights the different styles that all the male actors are wearing in the spot. UGG Australia wanted to convey the ruggedness, quality and comfort inherent in its footwear in situations where men are active and on the move.

“The Fall 2012 UGG for Men campaign continues to expand perception and showcase the variety of authentic products in the Men’s line,” said Connie Rishwain, President, UGG Australia. “What better way to illustrate this than with Tom Brady, a leader who truly embodies the brand.”

The TV spot will begin airing on September 4^th as a lead up to the first of the NFL season on September 9^th. The behind the scenes video for “Invisible Game” will release the week prior via social platforms and the UGG Australia site. The digital portion of the campaign will also run on CBS.com, Complex.com, Hulu.com, NFL.com, Pandora.com and YouTube.com.

Mclaren Formula One team have attained new sponsors energy drink Lucozade and their manufacturer company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)  as they look to improve their commercial situation.

The sponsorship deal with Lucozade will supply both Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton with a range of sports nutrition products and the company’s logos will be seen on the cars and driver overalls.

McLaren team doctor Aki Hintsa, said: “People often think of the unique demands placed on the human body during a Grand Prix, but few consider the overall human performance that’s needed to maintain the strength and spirit of a team of almost 100 individuals as they travel across the world for nine months of the year.

“Whether it’s spending long days working outdoors in the cold temperatures of the European winter, or spending race weekends in hot and humid countries like Malaysia, Singapore and India, effective physical and mental co-ordination through hydration is vital.”

The other deal involves Lucozade producer GSK a pharmaceutical giant and Olympic partner also agreed a deal with Mclaren

The partnership will utilise their analytical, strategic and data management expertise.

McLaren will help develop new efficient planning processes, data modelling tools and real time monitoring and forecasting among a range of other services.

GSK, the laboratory service provider to the Olympic Games, believes that McLaren’s technological acumen will deliver a real competitive advantage to their work.

McLaren will work on GSK’s manufacturing, research and development, and consumer healthcare businesses, which cover brands including already mentioned Lucozade, Panadol and Sensodyne.

GSK chief executive Andrew Witty said: “I am delighted to announce this partnership with McLaren, which brings together two British companies whose continued success hinges on the ability to innovate and rapidly respond to change and competitor activity. McLaren has an unparalleled reputation for innovation, built on rigorous analytics and fast decision-making.

“This partnership is another example of GSK looking outside its sector for inspiration and fresh perspectives on how we can achieve our strategic goals in an ever more challenging and fast-changing business environment.”

As part of the agreement, a state of the art learning facility will be built, called the McLaren GSK Centre for Applied Performance at Woking, Surrey, by the McLaren Technology Centre.

It will be for employees of both organisations to collaborate, share ideas and innovate together, and will open in 2013.

McLaren executive chairman Ron Dennis said: “This all-new collaboration between McLaren Group and GSK – McLaren’s first ever such association with a major pharmaceutical corporation – represents a groundbreaking strategic partnership that engages two great British companies at a variety of levels across a number of disciplines in a multi-faceted and ground-breaking way.

“This new partnership is a pioneering and game-changing initiative that will play to the UK’s strengths as a globally competitive industrial powerhouse for science, engineering, technology and R&D. In today’s challenging economic conditions, we firmly believe that innovative associations such as ours will play an increasingly significant role in ensuring that the UK remains globally competitive in the field of scientific innovation.”

Having stated earlier this week that negotiations between the National Basketball Association (NBA) and its players union were “open and robust”, which was a good thing according to David Stern, the league’s commissioner has now admitted that the two parties remain “very far apart” after two days of negotiations on a new labor accord.

With just 3 weeks remaining on the current agreement, Stern stated: “We’re not where we started, but we’re not anywhere near where we need to be. We’re not any place close to a deal.”

The talks will now continue on June 14 in Miami if there is a Game 7 of the NBA finals between the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks, currently tied 2-2, or in New York if the series has concluded.

With the collective bargaining agreement set to expire on June 30, both Stern and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Derek Fisher, president of the National Basketball Players Association, used the phrase “very far apart” to characterize the state of the talks. Billy Hunter, the union’s executive director, called the two sides “miles apart.”

The talks this week included almost all of the NBA’s labor relations committee as well as the executive committee of the union. The two sides have discussed the split of basketball- related income between the players and owners, of which 57 per cent currently goes to the players, and issues such as what type of salary cap can work in a new labor accord.

Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), remains hopeful that cricket will make its entry into the Olympic Games at some point as the Belgian is known to be a huge fan of the sport. 

Rogge said in an interview published in London’s Evening Standard: “The International Cricket Council (ICC) will decide at the end of June whether they will make an application. The incoming president might be interested. We would welcome an application. It’s an important, popular sport and very powerful on television. It’s a sport with a great tradition where mostly you have a respect of the ethics. In the Olympics, it will not be Test cricket, of course.

“Let’s be very clear, I can’t play cricket, but I know the rules. I love the game. I have watched Sachin Tendulkar, Kevin Pietersen, Shane Warne, Ian Botham. It’s tactically very interesting, a game of patience, a game of great skills and the only sport where, after five days, you can have a draw!”