The St. Louis Rams have fired General Manager Billy Devaney after a very dissapointing NFL season with the team having one of the worst records in the league with 2 wins and 14 losses.

The news that Devaney has been fired comes moments after the team confirmed that head coach Steve Spagnuolo was fired on Monday morning. 

Rams owner Stan Kroenke and Arsenal shareholder said in a statement released by the team: “I would like to personally thank Steve and Billy for their dedication to the St. Louis Rams organization over the past several seasons. This was a difficult decision for many reasons. We have tremendous respect for Steve and Billy as people and football professionals.

“No one individual is to blame for this disappointing season and we all must hold ourselves accountable. However, we believe it’s in the best interest of the St. Louis Rams to make theses changes as we continue our quest to build a team that consistently competes for playoffs and championships.”

Devaney joined the team in 2008 and his notable decisions include the hiring of Spagnuolo and McDaniels and the draft selections of Bradford, DE Chris Long, MLB James Laurinaitis, RT Jason Smith and LT Rodger Saffold.

After a strong 2010 season the Rams were heading into this in contention for the top spot in the NFC West.

However a slew of injuries to the secondary, offensive line and QB Sam Bradford plus OC Josh McDaniels’ inability to spur the offense — it ranked last in scoring (12.1 ppg) — were hallmarks of a 2-14 season that has left the team with the No. 2 pick in the 2012 draft. Spagnuolo’s defense was also overrun, literally, ranking 31st in rush defense (151.7 ypg).

Leading international media rights company, there MP & Silva, has finalised a deal for the exclusive rights to distribute FIFA’s stellar line-up of tournaments in Vietnam between 2013 and 2014 for the first time, including the highly sought-after 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.

MP & Silva will be the exclusive distributor for television rights for FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil across cable, satellite and terrestrial platforms. The partnership with FIFA, the world’s governing body for football, includes all 64 live matches and ceremonies of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil as well as daily 45-minutes highlights.

The offer also includes all FIFA tournaments including the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 in Brazil, FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2013 in Tahiti, the FIFA Under-20 World Cup 2013 in Turkey, the FIFA Under-17 World Cup 2013 in the UAE, the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica and the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup 2014 in Canada.

Andrea Radrizzani, MP & Silva Group CEO, said: “We are very proud of our great relationship with FIFA, the world’s governing body of football. We look forward to working with our robust network of partners in Vietnam and continue distributing top premium content, headlined by the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil^TM. Vietnam continues to be a key market for MP & Silva, and this partnership with FIFA underlines our leadership in sports content across the region, adding to our comprehensive line-up of top football leagues, tournaments and club content from around the world.”

Niclas Ericson, Director of FIFA TV, said: “MP & Silva is an important player in the sports industry in Vietnam and is joining the FIFA efforts to further enhance football across its platforms in Vietnam. This inaugural deal with them underlines their commitment to football, and ensures that our events, including the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil^TM, will be seen by the widest possible audience across Vietnam – an exciting football market that continues to grow.”

Der Hamburger Sport-Verein wird in diesem September 125 Jahre alt. Passend zum Anlass wird der Traditionsverein die “Jubiläums-Anleihe” begeben, pills um das spektakuläre Nachwuchs-Projekt “HSV-Campus im Volkspark” realisieren zu können.

“Mit diesem Nachwuchs-Projekt stellen wir die Weichen für die sportliche Weiterentwicklung unseres Vereins und geben uns eine langfristige Orientierung. Mit den gewonnenen Mitteln aus der Jubiläums-Anleihe wird der HSV-Campus als Nachwuchsleistungszentrum entwickelt, auf dem die Stars der Zukunft gemeinsam mit denen von heute trainieren und ganzheitlich ausgebildet werden.”, erläutert Joachim Hilke, Vorstand Marketing beim HSV, die Zielsetzung des Projekts.

Frank Arnesen, Sportdirektor des Vereins, ergänzt: “Unser Fokus liegt auf der Förderung unseres sportlichen Nachwuchses. Die Zukunft des HSV wird auf dem Platz entschieden. Der neue HSV-Campus bietet uns die Chance, uns in optimaler Umgebung 100%ig auf unsere sportlichen Ziele konzentrieren zu können.”

“Das vergangene Jahr bestärkt uns in der Überzeugung, den Verein endlich auch mittel- sowie langfristig wettbewerbs- und vor allem zukunftsfähig zu machen. Wir müssen den Erfolg in der Zukunft aus eigener Kraft schaffen. Dafür wollen wir gemeinsam mit unseren Fans den Grundstein legen. Unser Ziel ist es, den HSV wieder national und international als Spitzenmannschaft zu positionieren. Dies gelingt nur durch konsequente Förderung des Nachwuchses. Die Jubiläums-Anleihe gibt uns die Möglichkeit, die hierfür erforderlichen Mittel aufzunehmen. Gleichzeitig bieten wir unseren treuen Fans die Chance, zum sportlichen Erfolg des Vereins beizutragen.“ Mit diesen Worten kommentiert Carl Jarchow, Vorsitzender des Vorstands des Hamburger Sport-Vereins, die wegweisende strategische Entscheidung.

Mit dem Ertrag der Jubiläums-Anleihe soll unmittelbar an der Imtech-Arena im Volkspark ein spektakuläres Zukunftsprojekt verwirklicht werden: Vis-a-vis von Imtech-Arena und den Trainingsplätzen der Erstligamannschaft entsteht mit dem HSV-Campus ein Leistungszentrum, in dem das HSV-Internat, das Nachwuchsleistungszentrum sowie das Trainingszentrum untergebracht werden soll. Überdies wird der HSV-Campus über Hörsäle und Räume für Veranstaltungen verfügen, um optimale Trainings- und Ausbildungsmöglichkeiten zu eröffnen. Teil der Planungen ist zudem der konsequente Ausbau der Trainingsplätze und -einrichtungen, spezielle Lauf- und Konditionsbahnen, aber auch ein echtes Zuhause für unsere “Kiebitze”.

“Am Eingang zum Volkspark, dem schönsten, naturnahen Park unserer Heimatstadt, wollen wir die Aufenthaltsqualität nachhaltig verbessern. Der HSV-Campus soll sich nicht nur für unsere Profimannschaft und die Nachwuchsspieler zu einer sportlichen und emotionalen Heimat entwickeln, sondern auch für unsere Fans zum “Herz des HSV” werden.”, erläutert Vorstand Oliver Scheel das Planungskonzept. “Nur gemeinsam mit den Fans kann hier die vibrierende Atmosphäre entstehen, die unsere Teams zu Erfolgen motiviert. Und an den Spieltagen wird der HSV-Campus der lang ersehnte Treffpunkt für alle sein, die die Raute im Herzen tragen. Kurzum: Ein Ort zum Treffen, Gucken, Feiern, Anfeuern und Mitfiebern.”

Neben den sportlichen Einrichtungen wird der HSV-Campus deshalb im Stile eines offenen Marktplatzes auch zahlreiche Elemente für unsere Fans und Gäste aber auch für Spaziergänger, Kinder und Sportler enthalten: Geplant sind u.a. eine Sportbar, Clubräume, ein zentrales Forum für Veranstaltungen sowie Einrichtungen für Freizeitsportler.

Prominentes gestalterisches Element der Architektur des HSV-Campus wird die Raute sein: Als Wahrzeichen wird die Raute formgebend sein für den zentralen Teil des HSV-Campus: Das Forum, in dem Nachwuchs, Spieler, Fans, Mitglieder, Besucher und Nachbarn zusammen kommen.

Das Projekt und die Ausgabe der Fananleihe wurden vom Aufsichtsrat bereits in seiner Sitzung vom 15. Mai 2012 gebilligt. “Die Finanzierung über eine Fan-Anleihe ist ein erprobtes und sehr solides Mittel, um ein so langfristiges Projekt wie den HSV-Campus zu finanzieren und dabei die eigene Fan-Basis beteiligen zu können”, schildert Carl Jarchow abschließend die Beweggründe des Vereins, für die Finanzierung die Jubiläums-Anleihe zu begeben: “Die Resonanz im Verein und unter den Mitgliedern ist entsprechend positiv”, so der Vorstandsvorsitzende.

there helvetica, allergist sans-serif;”>The English Football Association (FA) has appointed its first female board member.

shop helvetica,sans-serif;”>Heather Rabbatts has been selected as one of the association’s two new independent non-executive directors.

Earlier this year, the FA Council and its shareholders agreed upon the appointment of non-executive directors to the board but the addition of woman was unexpected until rumours that Rabbatts was in contention started circulating this month.

The move will see the board swell to fourteen members from the current twelve, including FA chairman David Bernstein and general secretary, and five representatives each from the national and professional games alongside the two newcomers (Rabbatts and Roger Devlin).

The appointment of Jamaica born Rabbatts marks a significant step in the restructuring of the organisation and its philosophy. She currently holds several non-executive directorships, including posts at the BBC and the Bank of England.

Bernstein explained the reasoning for this progressive step as follows.

“This is an important moment for The FA and represents a significant change to our governance structures. There were numerous outstanding candidates for the roles, but the important thing is that our decision was based on recruiting suitable individuals who are able to provide a strong challenge and supplement the existing range of skills and experience on the board.”

Rabbatts added, “Having worked across media, business and football I hope to bring those experiences to my work at The FA. In particular, over many years, including my time at Millwall, I have worked across communities to both improve participation and to develop talent. I am obviously delighted to be joining the Board at The FA and working with colleagues to support the future of football in England.”

Rabbatts started out in the public sector and came to prominence when she became the youngest council chief executive having trained as a barrister. After running the London Borough of Lambeth in 1995, she entered the private sector and worked across the media. She entered the world of football in 2006 at Millwall FC as executive deputy chair.

Devlin has advised several Barclays Premiership clubs on finance and also has experience in golf and horse-racing. He was a director of the PGA European Tour Courses between 2000 – 2002 and is a member of the R&A and the Racehorse Owners Association. He currently chairs a selection of private companies headed by including Satellite Information Services (SIS).

Both appointments are set to be ratified by The FA Council in the New Year.

Max Van Den Doel, HEAD OF GLOBAL SPORTS MARKETING TEAMSPORTS AND TRAINING, adidas International, has taken part in an exclusive Featured Profile interview with iSportconnect.

Van Den Doel spoke of his fortune at being able to work in the sports industry after moving to America from Amsterdam as a teenager, stating: “I remember the fascination I developed for Mega Sporting events such as the NFL Superbowl, the NBA All Star Weekend, the World Series and many others. Two decades ago, the American sports marketing industry was advanced and formed the basis of my desire to be involved professionally within the industry. I was lucky to start with adidas during the FIFA World Cup in USA back in 1994.”

Max defined a strong brand as one that “at delivering the benefits customers truly desire,” highlighting the likes of Apple and Coca-Cola as industry leaders and claimed that the latter is a “benchmark” for sports sponsorship. “It’s probably fair to say that Coca Cola’s sponsorship investments and subsequent association with World Soccer is a benchmark for many other companies,” said Van Den Doel.

He claimed that adidas’ association with the world’s leading governing bodies across a wide variety of sports is “something that adidas is not only very proud of, but also form natural sporting platforms to launch innovative products.” He added: “To be associated with the best clubs in the best leagues and to have iconic athletes wear the latest adidas products during the biggest sporting events allows adidas to showcase its self as the world’s leading sports brand.”

When asked of the process that the brand takes in selecting partners and whether it was purely a financial decision, Van Den Doel revealed that adidas tracks athletes for personal endorsements at very early age. He stated: “As a high performance sports brand, the 1^st criteria is –and will always remain- top performances on the field of play. When the athlete is young and upcoming, adidas evaluates his/her talent and potential to become a top performer in the future.” Max went on to say: “After that adidas looks for assets who personify the adidas brand values and whom consumers can relate to. Two-time consecutive Ballon D’or winner Leo Messi is a great example of somebody who was on adidas’ radar for a long time.”

When questioned as to whether adidas’ main competitor’s performance and achievements effect the company’s planning, Van Den Doel claimed: “The adidas-group strategy towards 2015 is set in stone and was communicated to the financial world earlier this year.” He continued: “The ‘adidas is all in’ campaign was planned well in advance and – regardless of competitors’ campaigns – adidas has already defined the initiatives for 2012 and beyond.”

Max emphasised adidas’ role as a brand for all sports, saying: “If you look at the presence of adidas at the upcoming London 2012 Olympic Games, there is an adidas product to be seen in every sport with the exclusion of equestrian. A multi sports brand like adidas understands that the underlying consumer interest in sport is passion, regardless of the size or geographical location in which the sport is played.”

Van Den Doel had the final word on his association with iSportconnect and the incentives it brings, stating: “iSportconnect offers the right platform to connect with the industry leaders within a few seconds. The platform allows you to exchange views and can be used to obtain different points of view on a specific subject. You are kept up to date with the latest industry related events and of course the latest news.” Read the full interview here – http://isportconnect.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6674&catid=52&Itemid=228

Editors Note:

Max van den Doel relocated back to his hometown of Amsterdam, following the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where he works for adidas as the Head of Global Sports Marketing Teamsports and Training. Before then, Max worked for adidas Asia/Pacific for five years in Hong Kong. One of the highlights during his stay in the fast growing region were the Bejing 2008 Olympic Games, another milestone sporting event in Asia, having worked on the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan.

Prior to that Max worked in Germany for 5 years on football related licensed products, gaining commercial experience in working with the world’s biggest football clubs/events. He began his career with adidas in New York after moving to America as a teenager.

The Seattle Mariners have announced a partnership with DIRECTV Sports Network to form a new regional sports television partnership on Tuesday that will give the baseball team a controlling interest in the year-round broadcast network and help the club compete financially in the American League West in the long term.

DIRECTV Sports Network is the Mariners’ long-standing television rights holder, but the team now takes over the majority stake in the new venture.

The network will continue to operate under the ROOT Sports brand and will provide year-round coverage of the Mariners as well as other professional, college and high school sports programming.

The agreement provides that the network will televise the Mariners through the 2030 season and increases potential revenue that can be used to bolster the team’s player payroll.

Steve Greenberg, a member of the New York investment bank Allen & Company that advised the Mariners on the transaction, said: “All five clubs in the American League West now have long-term TV deals in place for many years and the Mariners are in a better position than some of their rivals and actually competitive with all their rivals within the division. We believe that’s an important milestone to have achieved.

“MLB clubs that own a substantial stake in their own [regional sports networks] tend to be among the strongest and most stable franchises in the league.”

DIRECTV Sports Networks president Patrick Crumb noted that “from a viewer perspective, there really will be no visible change.”

But the financial aspect of the agreement puts the Mariners on more-equal footing with teams like the Angels and Rangers that have reworked their own deals in recent years, which is why the club has been pursuing such a partnership since late 2010, according to Bob Aylward, Mariners executive vice president of business operations.

“It gives us the ability to make the long-range planning that our competitors have been able to enjoy,” Aylward said. “We’ll now be able to compete on the same level. The intention of this organization and owners is to compete at all levels and make sure we have a product that gets us into the World Series and win a championship. This deal in itself doesn’t do that, but it’s a piece of the puzzle and we’re delighted to have this to work with.”

Portsmouth may still have a future in the Football League after the organisation claimed they will offer Portsmouth membership if they receive investment for a takeover.

However the South Coast club will be docked 10 points for the coming season.

The League One club, arthritis who were demoted from the Championship at the end of last season, remain in administration and are currently searching for a new buyer to take over the stricken club. 

In a lengthy statement, the Football League said: “The offer is subject to the successful bidder accepting a number of conditions that seek to ensure the sporting integrity of league football and the financial viability of the club going forward.” 

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) have announced today the appointment of former player Brad Drewett as the new executive chairman and president of the organisation, effective from January 1.

Australian Drewett, a longtime head of the Asian division of the sanctioning body who has been mainly responsible for the successful marketing thrust into China over the past decade, takes over from American lawyer Adam Helfant, who will leave next week at the end of a three-year contract.

Drewett, 53, was named as Executive Chairman and President and will be based in London as he moves from his base in Sydney. His contract calls for a three-year term, with the choice voted unanimously by the Board of Directors.

Drewett has extensive experience at the ATP where he has headed the International Group, with operations in the Middle East, Asia and Pacific regions since 1999.

Prior to that, Drewett served as an elected member of the Player Council and an ATP Player Board Representative (1993-1999). He has also been Tournament Director of the World Tour Finals in London and formerly the Tennis Masters Cup since 2001, and has been instrumental in the event’s tremendous success.

During his 12-year professional playing career, Drewett reached a career-high ranking of 34 in singles, winning two titles, and represented Australia in Davis Cup.

“I’m honoured to have this opportunity to lead the ATP, an organisation that I am proud to have been a part of since the beginning of my professional playing career,” Drewett said.

“The ATP World Tour and men’s tennis are stronger than ever and it is my intention to continue to lead the organisation on this successful path, working hand in hand with our players and tournaments. I am very excited about the opportunities ahead.”

The appointment was welcomed by Player Council president Roger Federer.

“Brad is a very experienced executive and has been an effective leader within the ATP for many years. He understands the global nature of the business as well as the complexities of dealing with all of the Tour’s stakeholders,” the Swiss champion said.

“I’m confident that Brad’s work ethic and leadership will help contribute to the continued success of the ATP World Tour.”

Do you think Brad Drewett can continue the ATP progress?

Pay Television Company, no rx Zuku has become the new broadcast partner of the Kenya Rugby Football Union (KFRU).

This follows KRFU and another pay TV company SuperSport ending their relationship last year.

SuperSport used to air rugby tournaments including the Bamburi Rugby Super Series, health The Sevens and the Elgon Cup in their three-year deal.

The sponsorship between Zuku and KRFU is said to be in the tune of slightly over Kshs.25 Million shillings,(US $290,698) an improvement from the previous partnership since the SuperSport deal did not have monetary attachment.

Some of the tournaments Zuku is said to be lining up for broadcast include the Bamburi Super Series and the Elgon Cup that involves Kenya and Uganda.