NBA’s New Orleans Franchise Re-branded to Pelicans

NBA’s New Orleans Hornets have revealed they will be re-branded to the New Orleans Pelicans for the 2012-13 season in an announcement ceremony.

Owner Tom Benson introduced the team’s new logos, as well as color scheme, during the announcement.

The team will use and remain under the name New Orleans Hornets until the end of the 2012-13 season.

In a statement the NBA franchise said: “The Pelicans will be more than a namesake for the franchise, as New Orleans, the State of Louisiana and the Gulf South have a rich history connected to the name. Represented on Louisiana’s state flag and seal, the Pelican has been the state bird for over a century. The Pelican symbolizes the determination to not only survive, but thrive even when the odds are stacked against them as our region has demonstrated over and over.”

“When we purchased the basketball team, it was a priority to change the name to reflect our culture, our community and our resolve. The Pelican does that,” said Owner Tom Benson. “Our region has been hard hit in recent years and the one thing that stands out is the resiliency and determination to comeback, to fight and overcome. The Pelican symbolizes that. The synergy of this name, this bird and the future of our state and region are intertwined and in three, five, ten years from now, it will be not only be a name of a sports franchise but it will also be the face of the continued recovery of our region. We will promote healthy habitats, not only for our youth but for our community, our coast and our wildlife. The Pelican name will do that. It is more than a name. It represents our way of life.”

The Pelicans’ colors will be blue, gold and red. The team’s primary color, blue, is taken from Louisiana’s state flag. The Pelicans and Saints will share the color gold, uniting the organizations, while celebrating the spirited life of New Orleans and its many celebrations (gold is also a commonly found color on the “crown” of the pelican). Red represents fraternity and is indicative of the blood provision of the mother pelican and the vibrant color underneath the pelican’s throat. All three colors are found on the City of New Orleans flag.

“Establishing the New Orleans Pelicans is a process of building a basketball legacy for our community that entwines our team image with the best qualities of our community,” said Hornets Owner/Vice Chairman of the Board Rita Benson LeBlanc. “The Pelican is not only the state bird of Louisiana, but it is also representative of teamwork, the positive synergy of group dynamics and, as we’ve experienced recently here on the Gulf Coast region, regeneration. The strength, resiliency and loyalty of a Pelican are the core values our fans and team can be proud of. This identity change was an investment we had to commit to, in order to provide a fresh beginning for our fans. Forging a new and bright future for the Pelicans will bring awareness to the best of New Orleans, the Gulf South, and provide our fans with a team that they can identify as their own.”

(Picture courtesy of NBA.com)

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Pakistan Cricketer Fined for Ignoring Referee

Umar Akmal has been fined 50 percent of his match fee for ignoring on-field umpires while going for a change in gloves during Pakistan’s match with Sri Lanka in Colombo.

Akmal pleaded guilty and accepted sanction.

Jeff Crowe, the match referee, said: “In this incident, Umar showed blatant disregard to both the umpires’ requests, which was offensive and unacceptable from an international cricketer and contrary to our unique spirit, hence a level two charge was laid.”

“Respect for the umpires is integral and is something which we always emphasise and encourage,” Crowe said. “Umar, when pleading guilty, apologised and regretted his action.”{jcomments on}

Randy Lerner Completes Sale of Cleveland Browns

Randy Lerner has completed the sale of NFL franchise Cleveland Browns to Tennessee businessman Jimmy Haslam III.

“This is a very exciting time for my family and me, erectile ” said Haslam. “To own such a storied franchise as the Cleveland Browns, seek with its rich tradition and history, is a dream come true.  We are committed to keeping the team in Cleveland and seeing it get back to the elite of the NFL – something all Browns fans want and deserve.  We plan to bring relentless dedication and hard work to every aspect of this organization, and we look forward to getting to know this team and community as quickly as possible.  Our family is committed to becoming an integral part of the Cleveland community. We also want to thank Randy Lerner for his friendship, counsel and support during this process.”

For the last 16 years, the 58-year old Haslam has been the CEO of Pilot Flying J Corporation, the nation’s largest retail operator of travel centers and truck stops.  A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Haslam and his wife, Susan “Dee” Bagwell Haslam, have three adult children, Jim, Whitney and Cynthia.

Randy Lerner assumed control of the Browns in October 2002 following the death of his father, Al.  The National Football League awarded the Cleveland franchise to Al Lerner on September 8, 1998.  The formal transfer of ownership from the Browns Trust to Lerner took place on October 23, 1998.

Lerner said: “I was approached regarding Mr. Haslam’s interest several weeks ago.  While as a fiduciary I have always felt it was my responsibility to listen to offers, I had not been approached with a proposal that felt as natural and complete as Mr. Haslam’s. He had done a lot of work on the Browns and the City of Cleveland and first and foremost gave me his personal assurance the team would remain in Cleveland.”

Cleveland has made the playoffs once since it rejoined the league, a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

 

First Event of iSportconnect Directors Club Germany Attracts Huge Interest

The 50 places for the first iSportconnect Directors Club event in Germany on November 17, ailment 2011, erectile situated in Munich are almost occupied.

Only a few places are left for interested representatives of the sports and sponsorship industry. Delegates from BMW and BMW Motorsport, view Allianz, 1. FC Nürnberg, EON, Osram, Deutscher Eishockey Bund, Nürnberg Ice Tigers, TSV 1860 München, Sky Deutschland Deloitte and Thomas Sabo already confirmed their participation.

The main topic of the first iSportconnect Directors Club Germany will be ‚Hospitality & the law‘. S 20 e. V., Germans association of the top 20 sports sponsors, has recently published a code of practice in this regard. Unclear compliance rules when it comes to inviting business partners to sports events aren’t only a threat for sponsors, but also for rights holders, clubs and federations.

Dr. Christian Deuringer, Head of Global Brand Management Allianz SE and member of S 20 e. V., will open up the discussion with a Keynote on the code of practice. A panel discussion with agency CEO Hans-Bernd Kamps, Deloitte representative Stefan Ludwig and S 20 e. V. General Manager Josef Stadtfeld will follow.

(To register for the iSportconnect Directors Club Germany, please go to dev.isportconnect.com/directorsclubgermany.)

Further Directors Clubs will follow in New York, London, Singapore and Barcelona for regional iSportconnect members to network and discuss current affairs in sports business in those regions in a relaxed environment.

Former NBA Star Bill Russell Sues NCAA for Using his Image Without Consent

William “Bill” Russell, capsule the former National Basketball Association (NBA) star center for the Boston Celtics is on the warpath after accusing the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in an antitrust complaint of selling videos using his likeness without paying him or seeking his consent.

The lawsuit is the latest to claim the NCAA violates federal antitrust laws by keeping former student basketball and football athletes from receiving compensation for the commercial use of their images and likeness. The association has denied wrongdoing in those cases.

Electronic Arts Inc., cheap the second-largest U.S. video game maker, medstore is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Russell accuses it of using his image in a “Tournament of Legends” feature on an NCAA basketball video game.

Russell, who led the University of San Francisco to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, said in the complaint filed yesterday in federal court in Oakland, California, that the association sells $150 videos of the team’s championship games. At least 54 video clips featuring him are available through the website of the NCAA’s for-profit business partner and photos of him through an NCAA on-line photo store, according to the complaint.

Russell seeks a court order blocking further sale of the videos, plus a share of the profits from the videos and unspecified damages.

Russell’s complaint will probably be consolidated with a pending lawsuit brought by former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon on behalf of other former NCAA players against the association and Redwood City, California-based Electronic Arts, according to the complaint.

Jon King, an attorney for the former players, said in an e-mail: “Bill Russell, one of the greatest NCAA, NBA and Olympic basketball players in history, joins the lawsuit brought by Ed O’Bannon alleging that the NCAA has violated federal antitrust law by unlawfully foreclosing former Division I men’s basketball and football players from receiving any compensation related to the commercial use of their images and likenesses.”

Official French 2012 Ticket Selling Site Crashes Upon Launch

The official French website for selling tickets to the London 2012 Olympics has crashed before selling a single ticket.

The tickets were set to go on sale to pre-registered applicants this morning, June 13, through the French Olympic Committee’s official reselling agents Eventour2012.

EU laws mean UK users can buy seats and more than 4,000 Brits had registered in the hope to secure tickets after many lost out in the process in the host nation.

A message posted on the site at the time when the sale process was set to begin read: ”For technical reasons we invite you to return to the site www.eventeam2012.fr from 14.00 (13.00 BST). Thank you for your understanding.”

It is believed that a last minute rush by UK residents may have caused the site to overload through increased registrations which allow users a 48-hour window of private sales before Wednesday, June 15, when tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Key Premier League audience attracted by out of home viewing

Research from YouGov/SMG Insight has revealed that over a third of British adults aged between 18 and 34 are planning to watch this season’s English Premier League on television outside of their own home.

23 per cent of viewers within that age group plan to watch football matches at a pub or club, while 11 per cent of respondents are most likely to go round a friend’s house to watch a game. 51 per cent said they planned on watching games at home.

Founder and managing director of IMG Insight, Frank Saez, said: “The age group of 18 to 34 year olds is an extremely important group of viewers to advertisers and sponsors. They are the first to have the latest gadgets and less likely to have developed brand loyalties.

“Yet out-of-home viewing in many cases is still considered to be value-added beyond traditional TV ratings. Our international consumer panel provides us with the ability to monitor out-of-home sports viewing with precision on a regular basis. This study is the first of several viewing studies planned for this season.”


Richard Caborn launches attack on FA

The former sports minister of the British Government, Richard Caborn, has launched a scathing attack on the Football Association (FA), claiming it is “unfit for purpose”.

The FA has been hit by a series of high-level losses to its management, coupled with the national team having a disappointing tournament at this summer’s FIFA World Cup.

Caborn said: “Is the FA fit for purpose? No I don’t think it is. I believe the governance of the game is not prepared to stand up to its responsibilities. The FA need to say we have to look at ourselves very seriously and we need to modernise ourselves.

“In Germany in 2000, there was a repositioning of the governance of German football. I think that has been to the benefit of German football, and we are seeing some of those results at the current World Cup.”

Caborn even went as far to say that the FA should “franchise out” Wembley Stadium, and the FA Cup, leaving it to concentrate on governing the sport.

He said: “Should a governing body be running that (the FA Cup and Wembley) as well as governing the sport? What is absolutely clear is that they are assets of football and those assets should be put back into the FA.”

 

New York Mets Partner with Analytics Expert SAS

Major League Baseball team New York Mets has today announced a partnership with SAS, the leader in business analytics.

As part of the deal, SAS analytics will help analyse fan data at an individual level to engage with them in a meaningful way. This analytics initiative applies a data-driven approach to discover what fans want and how they behave so the team can design experiences that appeal to them on a personal level.

The Mets are building a fan engagement hub that uses SAS analytics to generate a 360° view of fans. The data will help them personalize communications and promotions. By analyzing data from social media, mobile and email, the Mets will accurately gauge fan sentiment relating to different players and games. And they’ll be able to interact with fans on league and team sites, social media channels and public forums with information the fans care about.

“With SAS, the Mets will be able to analyze all this data — from when and where a fan buys a ticket to the seat they select, what drink they enjoy with their hotdog, and the merchandise they buy — to improve the fan’s experience,” said Jim Tobin, National Sales, SAS Sports industry practice.

“There’s an ever-increasing volume of data in the business of baseball and we are always looking for new ways to analyze,” said Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Lou DePaoli of the New York Mets. “In the past, SAS has been a great partner in analyzing data and providing us with a unique way to engage with our fans. We look forward to our continued relationship in the years ahead.”

 

Kevin Haas Appointed Treasurer of the USA Triathlon Board of Directors

USA Triathlon today announced that Kevin Haas has been named Treasurer of the USA Triathlon Board of Directors.

Haas has been a member of the USA Triathlon Board of Directors since 2013 and represents the Southwest Region, sale which includes Arizona, allergist California and Nevada. Haas has previously served as the Collegiate Committee Chair, pharmacy Conference Commissioner for the West Coast Collegiate Triathlon Conference and President for the UC-Berkeley Triathlon Team.

As Treasurer, Hass will assume fiduciary responsibilities for the funds, financial records and fiscal reporting of USA Triathlon. He will also oversee preparation of the proposed annual budget for submission to the Board of Directors.