America’s first professional rugby sevens league, ampoule The Grand Prix RFL, doctor has announced League Counsel Frank Grant of legal giant Perkins Coie, symptoms as the new league’s first Commissioner.

Commissioner Grant shall oversee all off the field formation matters of both the RFL as well as Grand Prix’s pending formation of its USA Volleyball Exclusively Sanctioned and Licensed indoor men and women’s professional leagues.

Grand Prix Chairman William Tatham endorsed Grant’s appointment stating, “Based on our extensive experience in the shark invested waters of new leagues where the hard hitting action takes place off the field, and sometimes in the courtroom, League Counsel Grant backed by Perkins Coie, is the right man, backed by the right legal team, at the right time.”

Frank Grant is a senior counsel with Perkins Coie. Frank has been practicing law for over 17 years, representing entrepreneurs, emerging growth companies, venture capital firms and investors.

Grant emphasized the RFL’s commitment to the Father of American Football, stating, “90 years ago America’s greatest athletes played and dominated rugby world by winning the last Gold Medal awarded for rugby at the 1924 Olympics. 90 years later Americans remain bigger, stronger and faster and the RFL’s is committed to USA Rugby’s efforts take these elite athletes and win the Gold upon rugby’s return at the 2016 Rio Olympic Summer Games.”

Grant also laid out his agenda stating, “Priority One will be to select the RFL’s Founding Franchise Owners from a growing list of prospects vying for the rare opportunity to acquire a major league franchise for major U.S. media markets such as New York, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. Priority Two will be to work with the RFL’s 4 Founding Franchisees in creating America’s first prosperous new sports league in over 60 years. Priority Three will be to have fun, make money and guarantee the RFL’s Sevens All-Stars win the Gold at the 2016 Rio Olympic Summer Games.”

Tatham concluded, “The RFL has complete confidence that Commissioner Grant and USAR CEO Nigel Melville will successfully complete the joint USA Rugby – RFL mission to package the World’s Contact Sport for the World’s Greatest Sports Market. The RFL’s strategy is simple; (1) Exploit Grand Prix’s USA Rugby awarded Exclusive Sanction Rights; (2) Execute the RFL’s Two Phased Tour to League smart start; and (3) Monetize the RFL’s global media rights.”

Following the end of the London 2012 Paralympic Games which were considered a massive success, Rio 2016 are hoping to follow in the footsteps and stage an impressive games.

The London 2012 Paralympics have reportedly broken all records, with 2.7 million tickets sold and more than $70 million raised in ticket sales, unprecedented in the 52-year history of the Paralympics.

The Games were broadcast in more than 100 countries.

British Prime Minister David Cameron called it “a golden summer of British sport”.

Now it’s on to Rio. Leonardo Gryner, head of Rio 2016 said, “we go home back to Rio soon with renewed energy to bring Brazilian joyfulness to the Games and transform the city and the country. We will ensure the great work here in London to promote inclusivity, accessibility, and the great sport of the Paralympic Games will continue in Rio.

Gryner praised London 2012 organizers, promising to learn from the lessons of the last seven years. He said: “London has done it right for both Games, we have to build upon your success because this was very well delivered. We have been learning with you for a long time, our teams have been talking for over a year and already we have learnt a lot.

“What will be different in Rio is our way of doing things, we will add our cultural heritage and that will be our contribution to the movement”.

Deutschlands Team für die Olympischen Spiele in London tut sich schwer mit dem Internet. Nur 42% der 392 Athleten des Olympia-Teams besitzen eine Homepage, order magere 30,2% eine Facebook-Page. Mit 18,2% nutzen noch weniger Twitter als Marketing- und Kommunikationsinstrument. Das ergibt eine Studie der Digital-Beratung kpunktnull aus Düsseldorf.

“Gerade in Zeiten, da Sportförderung kritisch hinterfragt wird und der Kampf um Sponsoren immer härter wird, böte Social Media für Athleten kleiner Sportarten die Chance, sich mit ihren Fans zu vernetzen und Geldgebern Argumente für eine Unterstützung zu liefern”, meint kpunktnull-Geschäftsführer Thomas Knüwer. Ein Erfolg im Internet sei dabei unabhängig von der Sportart oder der Präsenz in Fernsehen oder Zeitung: Tennisstar Philipp Kohlschreiber schaffte es bei Facebook auf nicht einmal 3.500 Fans und wird überholt von Judoka Ole Bischof (9.600 Fans) und Degenfechterin Monika Sozanska (5.000).

Die Top-Facebooker im deutschen Team sind die zwei Taekwondo-Kämpfer: Sie verfügen beide über eine Facebook-Page. Knapp dahinter folgen die Tennis-Spieler, von denen 85,7% dieses Marketing-Instrument nutzen, die Turner mit 84,2%, das Tischtennis-Team (71,4%) sowie die Schwimmer (60,5%). Ganz hinten: die beiden Bogenschützen, von denen sich keiner in das Social Web wagt.

Schon beim Thema Homepage hakt es bei vielen Sportlern. “Das Design vieler Web-Auftritte von Olympia-Teilnehmern aus Deutschland wirkt wie von einem Teenager vor Jahren zusammengehauen”, kritisiert kpunktnull-Gründer Knüwer. Die Integration eines Weblogs, mit dem sich die Fans leicht auf dem Laufenden halten ließen, wagen gerade einmal 12 deutsche Olympioniken – darunter fünf Ruderer.

Ebenfalls traurig sieht es in Sachen Twitter aus. Radsportler und Tennisspieler haben zu 57% den Kurznachrichtendienst für sich entdeckt. Die Hockeyspieler liegen mit 32,4% zwar noch hinter den Seglern (33,3%) glänzen aber seit einigen Tagen mit erhöhter Aktivität. Sportler aus gleich sieben Disziplinen verweigern sich hier komplett: Bogenschießen, Fünfkampf, Gewichtheben, Reiten, Ringen, Schießen und Taekwondo.

“Gerade auf Twitter ist es spannend zu beobachten, wie einige Sportler den Dienst nicht nur als Marketinginstrument in Richtung Fans sehen, sondern miteinander kommunizieren – sogar über Sportarten hinweg”, meint kpunktnull-Geschäftsführer Thomas Knüwer. So informierte Radsportlerin Miriam Welte den Weitspringer Christian Reif am Mittwoch via Twitter, dass die Berichte über zu kurze Betten im Olympischen Dorf nicht der Wahrheit entsprächen: “Du wirst auch reinpassen.”

Insgesamt gibt die deutsche Olympiamannschaft damit kein gutes Bild ab, meint Knüwer: “In anderen Ländern haben Sportler längst erkannt, dass sie sich über das Social Web unabhängiger machen können von klassischen Sportmedien wie von der Yellow Press. Hier haben die deutschen Athleten einen deutlichen Nachholbedarf.” Beispiel Schwimmen: Während US-Star Michael Phelps 5,4 Millionen Fans auf Facebook zählt, erreicht sein deutscher Widersacher Paul Biedermann gerade einmal 0,1% davon.

The United States Olympic Commitee (USOC) chief Larry Probst together with the secretary general, illness Scott Blacmun and Carolina Bayon, International relations director visited Rio De Janiero to inspect the work firsthand for the Rio 2016 Games.

Carlos Arthur Nuzman, Rio 2016 president, showed the USOC team around the site as well as delivering a briefing about the Rio Games.

Nuzman said, “I am pleased that with five years to go to the Olympic Games we could show our friends from the USOC the progress we have already accomplished. We are looking forward to collaborating with them through our preparations and welcoming the United States athletes in 2016.”

On the first day they had meetings at the Organising Commitee for the Olympic Games (OCOG) offices and were briefed on the vision for the Games, the legacy projects as well as the Olympic village and the commercial program.

USOC chief Probst noted, “This trip was a unique opportunity for us to see all that the Rio 2016 team has accomplished in the two short years since their selection. I’d like to congratulate Carlos and his staff for the extraordinary job they’ve done and thank them for their gracious hospitality. The Games are in good hands.”

USOC put forward Chicago in the bid to host the 2016 Olympics but Rio won out and will become the first South American country to host the games. The visit in the long run will help USOC with further bids and understand the needs to host a Olympics.

Soccer’s world governing body FIFA has asked its ethics committee to probe 16 Caribbean soccer officials in connection with the bribery scandal involving Qatari ex-presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam.

The 16 are suspected of accepting cash bribes in return for giving their backing to Bin Hammam in FIFA’s presidential election. They are also accused of denying the corruption attempt to investigators.

“The FIFA Ethics Committee has today opened ethics proceedings against 16 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) officials in regard to apparent violations of the Code of Ethics connected to the investigation of the cases related to the special meeting of the CFU held in Trinidad & Tobago on 10 and 11 May 2011,” said FIFA.

Bin Hammam, who was found guilty of bribery last month, is expected to appeal the verdict against him.

FIFA has said that suspects include Colin Klass of Guyana, a long-standing ally of former Caribbean football official Jack Warner.

Mr Klass has been provisionally suspended from all soccer-related activities by FIFA’s Ethics Committee “after consideration of specific information received on the matter”.

The other officials named are David Hinds, Mark Bob Forde (Barbados), Franka Pickering, Aubrey Liburd (British Virgin Islands), David Frederick (Cayman Islands) and Osiris Guzman, Felix Ledesma (Dominican Republic).

The list is made up of Noel Adonis (Guyana), Yves Jean-Bart (Haiti), Anthony Johnson (St. Kitts and Nevis), Patrick Mathurin (St. Lucia), Joseph Delves, Ian Hypolite (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), Richard Groden (Trinidad and Tobago) and Hillaren Frederick (US Virgin Islands)

“It is important to note that the investigations are still ongoing, and that it is therefore possible that further proceedings could be opened in the future,” FIFA added.

Raptor Group has announced that Mark Pannes, erectile former director of HSBC Private Bank’s Global Sports Group, store is to control the Group’s new consulting business ‘RaptorAccelerator’ as managing director alongside Sean Barror, former senior vice president of sales for Madison Square Garden.

The new business focuses on providing specialised sales and revenue generation advisory services to companies in the sports, media, entertainment and content technology sectors.  

Pallotta said: “We are delighted to have two of the most successful and highly regarded executives in the field leading this unique advisory firm.  

“With more than 40 years of combined experience, including over US$1bn in sponsorship, rights and licensing deals, Mark and Sean have the perspective, track record and relationships necessary to unlock significant value for clients and set them on the fast track to revenue growth and commercial success.”

Pannes added: “Developing and rebuilding revenue engines for businesses – that’s what we do; what we’ve always done. 

“RaptorAccelerator is a very targeted approach to help companies within or focused on the sports, media, entertainment and early stage tech sectors achieve commercial success more rapidly, both in the US and internationally.”

At HSBC Private Bank, Pannes founded and built a global practice which managed nearly $1.5bn for over 500 athletes and institutions worldwide. 

Pannes’ notable sales and operations experience also includes a CEO position at Skilo Brand, a sports and entertainment consultancy business, and a CMO post at the New York Knicks during the 1990s. 

RaptorAccelerator will operate independently from Raptor’s investment management activities.

Rangers have announced all five of their directors have been re-elected to the board with Malcolm Murray, try Paul Murray, Alex Wilson and Scott Murdoch failing in their attempt to be appointed.

The announcement was made in a statement to the London Stock Exchange following the annual general meeting at Ibrox.

Finance director Brian Stockbridge received 65.3 per cent backing from shareholders while his four colleagues all secured more than three-quarters of the support.

While Paul Murray, Malcolm Murray, Wilson and Murdoch – all polled close to 30 per cent of the shareholder strength.

Rangers chief executive Graham Wallace said the club are committed to improving communication with their supporters and urged them to get behind the board.

Wallace said in a statement: “The board sought a clear and decisive mandate from shareholders to provide a platform for stability and is pleased that the voting has provided this.

“The board recognises that improved engagement with supporters is a major area of focus and is committed to reviewing how the club engages with the wider supporter base.

“We now require a period of stability in order to take the business forward and I encourage everyone with the best interest of Rangers at heart to support fully the new board in developing the club and growing shareholder value.”

Rangers chairman David Somers, who was greeted by loud jeers when opening the AGM, added: “We are pleased that the board, with its focus on corporate governance, prudent financial management and strategic commercial development, has been decisively re-appointed by a high turnout of shareholders at the AGM.”

The London Legacy Development Corporation has pledged £2m towards a Paralympic legacy on the Olympic Park that will establish an annual festival of disability sport along with new sporting, leisure and employment opportunities. 

After the Games, the Legacy Corporation will turn the Olympic Park into the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, a new part of London that will champion inclusive design and opportunities for disabled people, families and older people.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to benefit from the £2m Paralympic Legacy Programme which will build on the success of the Paralympic Games.

The Programme will help to create new homes, public spaces and sporting venues that are accessible, along with introducing a range of sports for disabled people including wheelchair rugby, boccia, wheelchair basketball and Goalball in the Copper Box. It will also help disabled people to get jobs on the Park.

A new annual festival of disability sport will also be established, along with the creation of an inclusive map of the Park to guide people through accessible attractions and facilities.

Daniel Moylan, Chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation, said: “This has been the most successful Paralympics in the history of the Games. Thousands of people will be inspired to get involved in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and we want to make sure there are opportunities for everyone.

“Just as we have set the blueprint for legacy, we are also setting the standard for providing accessible venues and parklands, along with employment and training opportunities for disabled people.”

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said: “The Paralympics have captured our hearts and minds and the success of ParalympicsGB provides us with new heroes to emulate. With the Olympic Park set to become London’s newest neighbourhood, today’s announcement shows how the new facilities, training and job opportunities, and sports events will be accessible and open to everyone long after the Games have left town.”

Xavier Gonzalez, Chief Executive of the International Paralympic Committee, said:
“The International Paralympic Committee congratulates the London Legacy Development Corporation for their commitment to securing the Paralympic legacy of the Games. By working with the operator of the venues on the Park now, they are ensuring that paralympic sports will continue to be at the heart of the sporting legacy. Commitments like these give me confidence that London will continue to lead the way on having an inclusive and accessible legacy from the Games.

“The Legacy Corporation is working now to create a Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park that will be open to all to enjoy and in doing so, London is unique among host cities in their foresight in planning for both the Olympic and Paralympic legacy of the Games.”

The Seattle Seahawks will provide corporate suite holders with SpotlightTMS, a Software as a Service (SaaS) application that enables companies to measure the business impact of their ticket and suite assets, while staying compliant with various state and federal regulations related to corporate entertaining, SpotlightTMS announced today.

“We chose SpotlightTMS because it’s the clear industry leader. We believe our suite owners will enjoy the ease of managing their tickets and requests — as well as tracking their ROI — all in one easy-to-use application.”

“The Seattle Seahawks organization strives to enhance the services we provide to our full-season suite owners, and incorporating SpotlightTMS into our suite packages is a part of that philosophy,” said Amy Sprangers, managing director of suite sales & service, Seattle Seahawks & Seattle Sounders FC. “We chose SpotlightTMS because it’s the clear industry leader. We believe our suite owners will enjoy the ease of managing their tickets and requests — as well as tracking their ROI — all in one easy-to-use application.”

SpotlightTMS helps ensure that companies allocate their tickets and suites to the right people for the right business reasons. By providing SpotlightTMS as part of its hospitality suite packages in time for the upcoming 2012 NFL season, the franchise adds value to suite ownership at CenturyLink Field and enables the team’s corporate customers to increase revenue and ROI on the use of their tickets and suites. CenturyLink, the naming rights sponsor of the venue, has been a SpotlightTMS user for years.

“CenturyLink Field has the NFL’s first field-level boxes in professional sports, so they’re prime real estate for building business relationships and closing deals,” said Tony Knopp, SpotlightTMS CEO and co-founder. “The Seahawks franchise recognizes the importance of enabling its suite holders to tie corporate entertaining back to bottom line results. With SpotlightTMS, these companies can measure the impact of their suite investments and then use that information to drive revenue. This not only benefits the suite owners, but will no doubt affect the team’s suite renewal percentage.”

SpotlightTMS offers companies secure access through the Internet to manage ticket inventories, distribute tickets, analyze the results of ticket usage and acquire additional tickets from multiple sources. The software also helps companies meet IRS and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance reporting requirements and avoid violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. It is estimated that U.S. companies spend approximately $16 billion a year on sports and entertainment tickets, suites and sponsorships, but without a centralized, transparent tracking system, organizations risk steep fines if these assets are used improperly.

Brazilian contractor, medical Odebrechet will participate in building the most construction projects for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The contractor is participating in 4 projects out of the 12 arenas being built. Added together, vcialis 40mg those 4 projects are budgeted for $1.76 billion. The arena projects include Corinthians’ Itaquerao (São Paulo), erectile Maracana Stadium (Rio de Janeiro), Arena Fonte Nova (Salvador) and Arena Pernambuco (Recife). From those, Odebrechect is the sole contractor for arenas in São Paulo and Recife. On the Salvador Arena, they participate in consortium alongside OAS and Amsterdam Arena. On the Maracana project the consortium is Delta and Andrade Gutierrez.

Andrade Gutierrez, are second largest arena contractor for the 2014 World Cup. The company from the state of Minas Gerais, is alone in the projects for the Amazon Arena, in Manaus and Beira Rio Stadium, in Porto Alegre and also participates in consortiums for the Brasilia Arena and Maracana Stadium. All of their projects budgets, added together, are valued at $1.55 billion.

There have been concerns that the cost per seat is too high. Corinthians’ Itaquerao, in Sao Paulo, being developed by Odebrechet is the arena with highest cost per seat. The 68.000 seat arena will cost a total of $560 million, which means an average cost per seat of $8.221.

In second place you will find Maracana’s rebuilding process, with an average price per seat cost around $7.695. After those, the most expensive ones will those in Arena Fonte Nova, in Salvador, being built by Odebrechet and OAS for $ 7.433 per seat, and Amazon Arena, in Manaus, with a cost per seat around $7.080.

On the other side of the list you will find the Arena da Baixada, in Curitiba, where the cost per seat is going to be $2.841.