United States Hockey League Appoints Former Reebok Executive as Commissioner

United States Hockey League have appointed former Reebok-CCM Hockey marketer and businessman Bob Fallen as their new president and commissioner. 

Fallen, who is the third USHL commissioner in the past 20 years, officially assumed his role Sunday.

“I am thrilled with the opportunity to lead the finest junior hockey league in the world,” Fallen said in a statement. “The foundation built by my predecessors, league owners and the stakeholders throughout the hockey industry have made the USHL an important step along the developmental path for players, coaches and officials. I look forward to working with our staff, aligned partners and the international hockey community at large to build upon our success.”

Fallen replaces Skip Prince, who has decided to focus on other pursuits after six seasons with the only Tier I junior hockey league in the United States. He will continue to serve in an advisory role with the league.

“Skip Prince did a tremendous job elevating the USHL to where it is today, and Bob is inheriting a strong league that is on an upswing,” said Brad Kwong, the interim chairman of the USHL board of directors. “The USHL still has much untapped potential, and we are extremely excited that we’ve been able to attract Bob to be the leader that will help us achieve even bigger and better things during our next phase of growth.”

Under Prince, the number of players competing in the USHL having NCAA commitments increased each season and the number of players selected in the NHL Draft continued to reach new highs. A record 32 players from the league were chosen at the 2013 NHL Draft and more than 300 players on USHL team rosters last season committed to NCAA Division I schools.

Fallen most recently managed the U.S. trade marketing efforts for Reebok-CCM Hockey, the world’s largest hockey equipment manufacturing company and equipment supplier to many leagues, including the NHL, American Hockey League and USHL. In his position, Fallen was responsible for executing retail product launches, strategic account planning, media promotion and maintaining various league alliances.

IPC Hires Octoshape to Provide Streaming Services Online TV Channel

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has selected Octoshape, an industry leader in cloud-based streaming technology, to provide the streaming services for their online TV channel ParalympicSport.TV, for the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

Around 700 athletes from 45 countries are set to compete in Sochi starting on 7 March 2014 in five sports including alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, ice sledge hockey and wheelchair curling.

“We are delighted to partner with Octoshape again for the Sochi Paralympics to showcase the Paralympic Winter Games to as many people as possible around the world,” said Craig Spence, IPC Media & Communications Director. “By using Octoshape’s streaming technology we ensure that Paralympic sport fans can enjoy the Games in the highest possible quality.”

More than 780 hours of live sport were broadcast on paralympic.org throughout London 2012 across five channels. For 2014, Octoshape will provide enhancements like geo-targeting, picture-in-picture capabilities and video time-shifting which will catapult the sport to even greater levels of popularity.

“We are honored and excited that the IPC invited us back for the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games,” said Michael Koehn Milland, CEO of Octoshape. “It is a clear validation of our ability to provide an exceptional consumer video experience to any user on any device anywhere in the world.”

Leyton Orient Denied Judicial Review for Olympic Stadium Decision

Leyton Orient may have to end their battle for the Olympic Stadium after the League One club lost their chance for a judicial review which would of looked into the decision to grant West Ham the tenancy of the Olympic Stadium.

The club had said the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) was wrong to award sole tenancy of the stadium to Premier League West Ham. Orient claimed their bid for a ground-share was not considered properly.

Orient argued they did not want to “disrupt or delay” West Ham’s move.

But lawyers for the corporation said their case was “unarguable” and “lacked merit”.

At the High Court, Mr Justice Lewis said the London Legacy Development Corporation  had made the decisions it was entitled to make and those decisions were not irrational and refused the review.

Earlier, Adam Lewis QC, representing the club, said: “Leyton Orient does not suggest that it would be viable as a sole occupant of the stadium.

“Nor does it seek by these proceedings to prevent, disrupt or delay West Ham’s move to the stadium.

“Rather Leyton Orient wishes to be allowed back into the procurement competition… and to be awarded a concession to use the stadium jointly with West Ham.”

In a statement the LLDC said: “We welcome the ruling and are pleased that Mr Justice Lewis agrees that we ran a fair, open and transparent competition to appoint concessionaires for the stadium.

“We believe the agreement we have with West Ham United Football Club and UK Athletics will deliver a fantastic sporting and community legacy in east London and represents the best deal for the taxpayer.”

West Ham issued a statement on their website welcoming the news.

It read: “West Ham United welcome the decision to not grant permission for a judicial review into the LLDC’s process that awarded the club the opportunity to make the Olympic Stadium its home in 2016.

“Although the application for a judicial review would not have had any impact on West Ham United’s move to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the Club have always believed the process was robust, fair and transparent.

“The club and other key stakeholders in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park can now focus fully on progressing their ground-breaking plans to create a stunning venue of which the whole country can be proud, alongside a long-lasting and tangible Olympic legacy with a real community club at its core.

“West Ham United will continue its consultation with supporters to ensure the Hammers’ new home is the pride of east London and the envy of the rest of the footballing world.”

Leyton Orient owner Barry Hearn was unavailable to comment.

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Chicago to Host 2015 World Triathlon Grand Final

Chicago have been announced today as the host city for the 27th edition of the 2015 World Triathlon Grand Final by the The International Triathlon Union (ITU).

In preparation for the Grand Final, Chicago will also host a World Triathlon Series event in 2014.

“We are thrilled to bring the championship final of our World Triathlon Series to Chicago, which has a strong history of hosting world class sporting events,” ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado said. “USA Triathlon has also been active in organising several World Triathlon Series races in the last several years. We are confident their combined experience will produce an excellent World Championship event.” 

The 2015 event will mark the first time the United States has hosted the Grand Final elite races in nearly 20 years, with Cleveland having organised the race in 1996. The US also hosted the second-ever World Championships in Orlando in 1990, as well as the Age Group Triathlon World Championships in Hawaii in 2005. 

Last year marked the debut of San Diego’s appearance on the ITU World Triathlon Series calendar, becoming the second U.S. city to host a round of the series after Washington, D.C. in 2009. The Chicago Sports Commission has played an integral role in bringing the international series to the city, which will be organized in conjunction with USA Triathlon and Lagardere Unlimited. 

“I am honored to announce Chicago will be joining the ranks of other global cities as a host of the ITU World Triathlon Series, beginning in 2014,” said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “With our gorgeous Lake Michigan setting, fervor for sports, and international demographics, Chicago is an ideal venue for this illustrious event. We look forward to welcoming these world-class athletes and their fans to Chicago and are certain that they will all have a wonderful time.”

The 2013 PruHealth World Triathlon Grand Final will be held in London 11-15 September where age-group athletes will get the opportunity to participate on much the same course as the 2012 London Olympics in Hyde Park. The 2014 World Champions will be named in Edmonton, Canada.

GMR Marketing & SportsMark Management Agree Merger

GMR Marketing, pills the global sports, allergist entertainment, and lifestyle marketing agency, has struck a merger with global sports marketing, event managemen, and corporate hospitality agency SportsMark Management Group.

The worldwide merger will harness the agencies’ collective B2B and B2C proficiencies, bringing together GMR’s strategic digital and consumer engagement capabilities with SportsMark’s global event operation and hospitality experience.

The companies will continue to operate under their respective names until the merger is complete, resulting in one of the most significant sports and entertainment practices in the industry. With a total of more than 20 offices in 10 countries worldwide, the combined footprint across North America, South America, Europe, and APAC will run deeper than ever.

“This is a merger of two of the most significant global sports and entertainment agencies in the industry,” said Gary Reynolds, GMR’s CEO and Chairman.  “As one entity, we will offer our clients an unmatched combination of strategic and operational resources with deep event marketing experience and key relationships with global sports and entertainment properties.”

The combined entity will give global clients expanded resources in the areas of strategy, consulting, digital/creative services, events, promotions, field staffing, sponsorship activation and corporate hospitality. The collective creative/design and digital/social departments will deliver world-class strategies and execution for clients across sports, entertainment, music, and lifestyle passions.

“With an emphasis on broadening creative, digital, social and mobile expertise and innovations, the GMR-SportsMark merger brings our clients top industry talent, integrated B2C and B2B capabilities, and efficiency gains across the board,” commented Jan Katzoff, Head of Global Sports and Entertainment for the combined entity.  

GMR and SportsMark have successfully collaborated on behalf of numerous top-tier, global brands over the years.  The agencies’ recent activations include managing over 20 sponsor programs at the London 2012 Olympic Games, in addition to collectively planning events, corporate hospitality, environmental design and production, product showcasing, and digital/social platforms for 9 clients at the upcoming Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans. Both GMR and SportsMark are members of Diversified Agency Services within the Omnicom network.

“We look forward to delivering our clients an expanded, comprehensive scope of integrated marketing, hospitality, and event management capabilities in key markets around the globe, while providing the same level of strategic customization and best-in-class service that both SportsMark and GMR are known for,” said Steve Skubic, SportsMark’s CEO.

IOC Strips Lance Armstrong of Sydney Olympic Bronze

Lance Armstrong is feeling the destructrive impact of his past indiscretions as The International Olympic Committee (IOC) revealed they will strip the cyclist of the bronze medal he won at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

The IOC acted after the International Cycling Union (UCI) disqualified all of Armstrong’s results as a consequence of the American rider being found guilty of systematic doping.

Armstrong had 21 days to appeal against the UCI’s decision and once it was confirmed he had not done so, the IOC took action.

“We have written to Armstrong asking for him to return the medal and informed the US Olympic Committee,” IOC said in a statement.

“It was a decision taken in principle at the executive board before Christmas. We were waiting for confirmation from the UCI that he hadn’t appealed against his disqualification.”

The IOC’s announcement comes only hours before Armstrong’s expected public admission of cheating on talk-show host Oprah Winfrey’s programme.

Winfrey has already revealed Armstrong came clean over his sordid past, which saw him stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life, when the interview was recorded on Monday in his home city of Austin, Texas.

The 41-year-old received the life ban after the United States Anti-Doping Agency found he had been at the heart of “the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen”.

London Olympic Stadium Decision Postponed

The Olympic Stadium saga continues as the decision over a new tenant has been postponed frustrating West Ham United.

The stumbling block appears to be the £160million bill to convert the stadium into a venue suitable for football, online notably with retractable seating.

The board of the London Legacy Development Corporation met on Monday but was told that negotiations with the club had yet to reach a conclusion. It seems increasingly likely that if a deal is done, order it will not begin before the 2014-15 season, viagra 60mg a year later than originally planned when the bid was first entered.

West Ham co-owner David Gold said: “Sadly the decision on the Olympic Stadium has been postponed. We must be patient but resolute.”

While the next fortnight has been earmarked as the timetable for a conclusive decision, LLDC chief exective said that it was more likely to take a couple of months.

The four bids for the stadium are from West Ham United, Leyton Orient, Intelligent Transport Services – who plan to stage a Formula One race at the Olympic Park – and UCFB (College of Football Business).

iSportconnect Agrees Major Partnership with KPMG Golf Business Forum

iSportconnect, the world’s leading sports business platform, has agreed a partnership with the KPMG Golf Business Forum. 

The Golf Business Forum is a two-day conference filled with engaging, dynamic and interactive discussions, one-on-one interviews, fast-paced debates and presentations from key industry leaders on a variety of topics, from golf design, development and investment through golf operations to efficient tools in international branding and golf tourism marketing. 

The event brings together the entire spectrum of the golf industry from developers and investors to operators and journalists. The Golf Business Forum now attracts more than 250 participants from over 40 nationalities.

This year’s event is to be staged in Tuscany, Italy from 17 – 19 September headlined by speakers, Sir Nick Faldo, Dana Garmany (CEO of Troon Golf), Sir Rocco Forte (Chairman of Rocco Forte Collection) and Jack Nicklaus II.

As part of the deal iSportconnect members will receive a 10% discount for registering for the event.

Sree Varma, Founder & Director of ISportconnect, said: “We are delighted to have partnered with such a prestigious brand. The Golf Business Forum is known throughout the industry and the partnership will help strengthen our brand.

Andrea Sartori, head of KPMG’s Golf Advisory Practice, said: “We look forward to welcoming members of iSportconnect to the Golf Business Forum. This is the best networking event for investors, developers and CEOs involved in the golf business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as well as other sports business related professionals, and this year’s event looks set to be the best yet.”

Go to http://www.golfbusinesscommunity.com/golf-business-forum-home for further details about registering.

UAE Rugby Still Positive Despite it’s Exclusion from Dubai Rugby Sevens

UAE rugby furture still remains bright even after the announcement that the country will not compete at its home event, pill the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens this November.

This follows the International Rugby Board’s (IRB) implementation of a new merit-based qualification system into the HSBC Sevens World Series, generic which selects only the top 16 sides.

But the IRB Head of Development and Performance Mark Egan tried to assuage this blow by insisting: “While UAE will not be competing in the HSBC Sevens World Series event at this year’s 2012 Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens, the future for rugby in the UAE is bright. From a rugby sevens perspective, the UAE RA is putting in place some very exciting plans with a view towards qualification for the Asian Games in 2014 and future Olympic Games. There has been tremendous development progress in the UAE since the current Board took over the governance of the game, and the IRB will continue to work closely with the UAE RA and all our member unions to make sure the sport continues to grow in their territories.”

Egan explained that, under the new system, the top teams in the Asian Sevens Series would proceed to a qualifying tournament with the best-ranked teams from the other five IRB regions to compete for places in all forthcoming Rugby Sevens World Series.

Formed only two years ago from the break-up of the Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union, the UAE RA was handed a wild-card to last year’s Dubai event to celebrate their debut season as a rugby-playing nation.

However, with sevens becoming an Olympic sport in 2016 and the Rugby Sevens World Cup in Russia now just under a year away, the IRB has decided to hand invites to only the 16 highest-ranked nations.

Suffering heavy defeats in all three group games at last year’s Dubai Sevens and having finished ninth on the HSBC Asian Sevens circuit, the UAE has not yet done enough to warrant a recall.

Chairman of the UAE RA, Mohammad Falaknaz, said: “We fully respect and understand the IRB decision as elite performance unions enter a four-year cycle of preparation for the 2016 Olympic Games. UAE Rugby still has plans to participate annually in the Dubai and Asian Sevens Series as part of our ongoing development.

“We are still committed in the pursuit of our vision to be prominent and successful in Asian rugby. As part of our strategic development, we are currently implementing programmes to expand our player base within the Emirati population, to develop sevens in schools and tertiary institutions and to organise new domestic and regional competitions. All will provide a sustainable performance model for Asian Games qualification and beyond.”

Umbro Launches ‘Faces of England’ Marketing Campaign with Paul Gascoigne

A new marketing campaign by Umbro, no rx unveiled a giant 13m x 10m image of legendary former England footballer Paul Gascoigne.
The image of Gazza is the first in a series of ‘Faces of England’ from official England kit suppliers Umbro which celebrates icons of England. Over the coming months, ambulance other famous figures that represent English culture will appear on the billboard on Old Street, London.
Gazza is pictured proudly wearing the current England Home shirt, tailored by Umbro, which will be worn by the England squad in Poland and the Ukraine.
The England home shirt is inspired by the red and white of the St George’s flag and the striping detail under the collar is a nod to the Umbro jacket worn by England manager Sir Alf Ramsey during England’s 1966 World Cup winning campaign.
Gazza said: “It brings a lump to my throat when I think about how proud I am to have played for my country. There’s nothing better than representing England – the buzz of the crowd and feeling the support of the whole country. Wearing the shirt again has brought back many happy memories and seeing myself on display in the capital, being celebrated as an icon of England is truly an honour.”
Gazza also joked: “I bumped into Colin Hendry recently and it [the game against Scotland] felt like only yesterday that I left him on the turf at Wembley. We delivered in style that day and I wish the current squad all the best this summer and hope they wear the shirt with pride.”
Trevor Cairns, Global Chief Marketing Officer for Umbro, said: “‘Faces of England’ will celebrate icons of English culture and in Gazza we’ve chosen one of the most entertaining and passionate players this country has ever seen.
“The pride which Paul displays when talking about playing for England proves he was the perfect choice. He has quite literally given blood, sweat and tears in the Three Lions shirt and if you’re an England fan, you can ask for nothing more.”
Images of Gazza in the England home shirt will also appear on fly postering sites across England.

A new marketing campaign by Umbro, unveiled a giant 13m x 10m image of legendary former England footballer Paul Gascoigne.

The image of Gazza is the first in a series of ‘Faces of England’ from official England kit suppliers Umbro which celebrates icons of England. Over the coming months, other famous figures that represent English culture will appear on the billboard on Old Street, London.

Gazza is pictured proudly wearing the current England Home shirt, tailored by Umbro, which will be worn by the England squad in Poland and the Ukraine.

The England home shirt is inspired by the red and white of the St George’s flag and the striping detail under the collar is a nod to the Umbro jacket worn by England manager Sir Alf Ramsey during England’s 1966 World Cup winning campaign.

Gazza said: “It brings a lump to my throat when I think about how proud I am to have played for my country. There’s nothing better than representing England – the buzz of the crowd and feeling the support of the whole country. Wearing the shirt again has brought back many happy memories and seeing myself on display in the capital, being celebrated as an icon of England is truly an honour.”

Gazza also joked: “I bumped into Colin Hendry recently and it [the game against Scotland] felt like only yesterday that I left him on the turf at Wembley. We delivered in style that day and I wish the current squad all the best this summer and hope they wear the shirt with pride.”

Trevor Cairns, Global Chief Marketing Officer for Umbro, said: “‘Faces of England’ will celebrate icons of English culture and in Gazza we’ve chosen one of the most entertaining and passionate players this country has ever seen.

“The pride which Paul displays when talking about playing for England proves he was the perfect choice. He has quite literally given blood, sweat and tears in the Three Lions shirt and if you’re an England fan, you can ask for nothing more.”
Images of Gazza in the England home shirt will also appear on fly postering sites across England.