Hello and welcome to this week’s Digital Media Café. This week we take a look at how social media may force sponsors to re-think the value of their investment, why an F1 team is turning its back on the sport’s elitist and how chips are helping us re-live the best moments of the World Cup. Yes, really.

We begin though by thoughtfully pointing you in the direction of a blog on the UK Sports Network. The post, Is Sponsorship being devalued by Social Media? Is the work of Tom Kelk, the senior social executive at Pitch. We’ve questioned this one before – how unofficial sponsors are losing out to the clever guerilla social marketing. But Kelk takes this one stage further citing the Unruly Media study in which just four of the top 11 most viewed brand ads about the World Cup were from official sponsors. Worryingly for official supporters Continental Tyres and Sony are not even on the list. The change in the digital and consequentially the social landscape means everyone can get in on the act, there is no ‘exclusivity’ of association for rights-holders and despite the best efforts of FIFA, FOM and the IOC brands no longer need an official stamp of approval to grab the public’s attention. Indeed, freed from the restraints rights-holders can put on their official partners, it may be that it makes better financial and marketing sense for to steer clear of that official tag.

McDonald’s re-enacts World Cup highlights – using French Fries

Now The Guardian newspaper in the UK has used Lego before, Scalextric has been used to recreate some of the best F1 circuits on the calendar, but – as far as we know and we’d love to be proved wrong – MacDonald’s has for the first time decided to use food to recreate great sporting moments. Yep, they’ve decided to paint eyes on fries and make them play football. Two interesting things to note on this one. Firstly they’ve managed to create a wordless campaign, giving it global appeal and secondly the campaign was done in conjunction with Facebook’s creative department – yep, they’ve gone to the top for this one. There’s also of course about serving an Unhappy Meal for Luis Suarez. But we’re far too serious to go there.

Formula One

Formula One is a sport which divides opinion like few others. Some admire the technological arms race, the pomp and ceremony and exclusivity of the Paddock and the drivers who risk life and limb to achieve fame and glory. Others think it’s a load of people who live in a bubble, joined a circus to spend too much money watching cars go round and round and round… which makes the latest Force India and Smirnoff campaign all the more confusing. The hashtag-lead campaign aims to shun the elitism and exclusivity in F1 and show the fun side of racing. To this end they have an American comedian and a British actress making YouTube clips celebrating and documenting races in a funny way. There’s a danger though that this all becomes self-parody – and F1 teams for years have been trying to get fans closer to the action without ever actually giving them Paddock passes and a meal in their motorhome. We’re wondering if this means the Force India yacht party next year will be a first-come first-served basis to extend this shunning of exclusivity.

And finally a small piece of homework. Next week we’re going to take a look in depth at one organization which is trying to not only socially interact with sports fans, but build a whole new network on which to do it. So, before next Wednesday, why not take a trip to sportslobster.com and see what they’re doing to create sporting social communities and let us know what you think via the blog. We’ll have an in depth look at what they’re doing in next week’s Digital Café.

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Hello and welcome to The Sports Marketing Show blog, where you can recap all of the stories from this week’s show on iSportconnect TV and check out all of the videos and links relating to the news.

Brazil 2014 

In a World Cup year the battle for brands to achieve cut through is fierce. With so many promotions and campaigns using the tournament as a hook, we look at how three very different brands are making their bid for the hearts, minds and wallets of football fans.

Nike revealed the second part of its ‘Risk Everything’ global campaign with the film, ‘Winner Stays’. The ad previews the brand’s yet-to-be-released Magista and Mercurial Superfly boots and features a host of football stars during a knock about game with fans. By having Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Eden Hazard run out alongside amateurs for a game in the park, Nike reinforces its credentials as a brand with relevance for everyone. Cleverly including cameos from NBA legend, Kobe Bryant, as well as the Incredible Hulk, Nike also targets its US customer base.

Not to be outdone, Official World Cup sponsor, Castrol, has brought together two of sport’s biggest names in a new campaign, Castrol Footkhana. This sees Barcelona forward, Neymar join fellow brand ambassador, rally driver, Ken Block, to go head to head in a series of feats spanning races, skill sessions and penalty shoot-outs. Neymar leads a team of freestyle footballers against Block’s Castrol Edge powered rally car. Castrol, which is more naturally associated with motorsport, has leveraged its heritage to gain traction in a new sector, after all, plenty of football fans drive cars. Prior to going live with the initiative, Castrol gave the public the chance to register their backing for either competitor via its website before the online premiere least week.  

Volkswagen is also launching a major World Cup advertising push, going toe-to-toe with the tournament’s sponsor, Hyundai. The German car manufacturer is planning a substantial advertising buy across ABC, ESPN and Univision to promote its GTI model during match coverage. Despite Hyundai’s tournament association, Volkswagen believes the spectacle is the perfect platform to promote sales of its performance-orientated GTI. The car is popular with the large number of Hispanic Americans, who are also committed soccer fans, and with whom Hyundai is thought to have less influence. US broadcasters are also sensitive to the audience potential with ESPN and Univision having spent around $425 million for the territory rights to the 2010 and 2014 tournaments, whilst Fox Sports and Telemundo have secured 2018 and 2022, spending a record $1 billion for the privilege.

Subway and F1

Across the pond and away from the World Cup fast food chain, Subway, is preparing its sponsorship of Formula One. Having recently penned a new deal with Premier League leaders, Liverpool, the fast-food giant is looking to leverage motorsports global appeal to boost sales. F1 attracts a global television audience of over 500 million, exposing Subway to a vast pool of potential new customers. Several teams and drivers are being lined up to promote the brand in a move that mimics its existing strategy with NASCAR. Aligning with the sport will not be cheap however with partnership deals costing in the region of £18 million.

Meb Keflezighi

To athletics and Sketchers has received a boost in its attempts to expand into the sports performance footwear market. Boston Marathon champion, Meb Keflezighi crossed the line wearing Sketchers, having been signed by the brand three-years ago. Meb is Sketchers’ only branded athlete and has received a surge in awareness outside the running community since the race. Sketchers will now look to leverage this interest through a series of ad campaigns, promoting its credentials within the market. Becoming the first American to win the marathon in three decades and the first since last year’s bombings, Meb has captured the hearts of the nation, helping Sketchers achieve share of voice and robust recognition levels with a new audience.

Buffalo Bills cheerleaders suspend operations

In an extraordinary story the Buffalo Bills’ cheerleaders have suspended operations after five former members filed lawsuits. Claiming they were underpaid and mistreated, the action states cheerleaders worked hundreds of hours for free whilst experiencing inappropriate sexual attention. The former members allege the ‘Jills’ are subjected to policies that breach the state’s minimum wage laws and workplace rules. The incident is bad for the image of the sport which has traditionally enjoyed good traction with female fans. It is the third suit filed against NFL sides by cheerleaders this year with the Oakland Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals also finding themselves in wage disputes.

New brand logo for Reebok

Reebok assembled London’s fitness communities at Marble Arch last week, to celebrate the launch of its new brand logo, the Reebok Delta – only the second symbol change in its 121 year history. Hundreds took part in simultaneous CrossFit, Bodycombat and Spartan Race sessions, fitness activities that the brand partners. The new logo, three independent blocks forming a triangle, represents the physical, social and mental changes that result from fitness. Reebok’s repositioning as a patron of health and exercise is part of the brand’s move away from professional athlete associations and towards what Reebok spokespeople term ‘the sport of fitness’.

Eurosport

Eurosport will launch an international online competition to celebrate its 25^th anniversary in sports broadcasting. Aspiring commentators will showcase their skills in order to win a trip to either the Tour de France, US Open or Spa WTCC. Budding broadcasters will commentate on iconic moments from tennis, cycling and motorsport with the winners decided by a panel of experts. The contest is part of Eurosport’s ‘We Live for Live’ campaign, raising awareness of its pedigree within broadcasting and aims to reinforce the brand’s core values of offering immersive, insightful coverage and capturing emotion to provide an unforgettable experience.

Dubai government sponsors Chinese Table Tennis

Finally to table tennis and Dubai’s government will extend its sponsorship of the Chinese Table Tennis Association until 2017. Dubai branding will feature on all the Chinese team’s official kit, expanding the ties between the oil-rich Arab nation and the Asian state. Dubai will look to target the energy potential of China where table tennis garners huge popularity. The sport attracted 967 million cumulative views across the country in 2012, making China a prime market to grow interest in Dubai’s fuel reserves. The International Table Tennis World Rankings are dominated by Chinese players, with the top five males and seven of the top 10 females all being Chinese.

The Sports Marketing Show on iSportconnect TV

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Rebecca Hopkins is Managing Director of ENS Ltd, a London-based sports agency tasked with promoting and protecting brands in sport. They specialize in sports PR, crisis management and online public relations.

Rebecca’s

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An excellently drafted report on the UEFA Home Grown Player Rule (HGPR) was published recently which, along with Greg Dyke’s call-to-arms about the dearth of English talent has had the effect of refocusing peoples attention on the knotty issues of nationality, eligibility and the (relative lack of) success of the English national team.

What are the HGPR Basics?

The UEFA HGPR was introduced for the 2006/07 season, and requires each team entering European competitions to name eight home grown players in their 25 man squad. The relevant stipulations can be found here in the Champions League and Europa League 2013-14 Article 18 regulations

The Premier League (PL) introduced its own HGPR in time for the start of the 2010/11 season and its definitions under PL rule A.1.81 can be found here . The Football League (FL) has similar regulations. There is an important distinction between the rules however. The UEFA HGPR stipulates that four of the designated squad players have to be ‘club-trained’ and four must also be ‘association-trained’. A club-trained player is defined as a player who regardless of his place of birth has been registered between the ages of 15 and 21.with his current club for a period of three entire seasons or 36 months. An ‘association-trained’ player fulfils the same criteria but with another club in the same association. Thee PL and FL HGPR does not distinguish between association and club trained meaning ‘home grown’ is defined as anyone registered with the English or Welsh Football Associations for three seasons or 36 months before a player’s 21st birthday.

Under both sets of rules out of the 25 players eligible to participate in PL, FL or UEFA club competitions there must be a minimum of eight home grown players (HGP). PL clubs submit a squad of 25 players to the PL after the transfer window has closed. Those players will then be eligible to compete in that season’s competition. Changes to the list can only be made in the January transfer window unless special permission is granted.

It may also be the case that there is a HGP transfer fee premium which adds additional cost to particular players who are more attractive because they can qualify as a HGP for the relevant PL and UEFA squad lists.

The HGPR and the PL squad list system made the headlines recently with Crystal Palace defender Florian Marange unhappy that he was not included in Crystal Palace’s 25 man list as a non-HGP. Perhaps that has more to do with poor transfer agreement drafting but the point remains that individuals who do not ‘make the cut’ for the squad list and do not qualify as an under 21 player are significantly constrained in the number of appearances they can make until usually January when clubs resubmit their squad lists after the transfer window shuts.

Practical Effects

Players like Gerrard, Giggs and Terry qualify as a HGPs but the rule may have the consequence of some home-grown places being left unfilled. It should be stressed however that all the rules permit an unlimited number of under 21 year old players (regardless of nationality) to supplement each 25 man squad.

Although Fabregas qualified as an English HGP he now cannot be placed in one of the HGP positions in the Barcelona squad submission to UEFA even though he was born in Spain and plays for the Spanish national team. As he trained with Arsenal during the relevant qualification period, his national eligibility under the UEFA HGPR becomes somewhat distorted.

Importantly, there is no UEFA or PL restriction on how many home-grown players must be selected in any starting team. Indeed it would be possible for no home-grown players to be in the match day squad of 18 and for a PL team having 17 non-home grown players and one foreign born under 21 player in their match day squad. This is in contrast to the FL HGPR (Rule 33.8) which ensures that clubs nominate a minimum of six HGP in a match day squad. This brings us to the fundamental question of what is the purpose of the HGPR?

The Rationale for the Rule

In the revealing report mentioned above, the authors explain that the HGPR was justified by UEFA as, among other things, encouraging youth development and competitive balance.. It was envisaged that developing a talented youth development structure could 1. counter the perceived lack of opportunity for domestic, young players to play in the first team and 2. save clubs significant sums on transfers or provide significant sums when one of a club’s players was subsequently sold. Similarly, competitive balance is said to be maintained and/or strengthened because the squad size only allows a certain number of established players to be registered for a particular competition. This has the additional effect of preventing the wealthiest clubs from hoarding the most talented players.

A Cloudy Picture

Some in the media may have confused the HGPR with the potential benefit of strengthening the chances of each MemberState’s national team. As the rule is not based, at least directly, on nationality, the rationale that the HGPR is beneficial for developing a nation’s next generation of players that can represent their county is perhaps a misnomer. Some have argued that the unintended side-effect of the HGPR has been to encourage clubs to recruit even younger players from across the globe so that they subsequently qualify as a HGP. There may be then less opportunity for domestically born youth players to play. This at present does not however seem to be borne out from some recent PL statistics that state:

96% of boys registered at PL academies are British (that is aged 8-18); and

 90% of 16-18 year old boys at the PL Academies are British.

Conclusion

Whatever the answer, the debate about youth development in this country will continue with an FA committee looking into this thorny topic. Issues such as feeder clubs, quotas, the Elite Player Performance Plan  and the national team performance will be discussed at length. One question that strikes me is why there is a relative dearth of domestic players that look abroad for footballing opportunities. Domestic players may need to broaden their horizons and see opportunity beyond the UK which could in turn lead to a stronger, broader talent pool for the national team.

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Daniel Geey, Associate in the Competition and EU Regulatory Group at Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP.

Daniel has provided advice and presentations on a whole raft of football related issues and can offer industry specific legal advice on football takeovers, Premier League, Football Association, UEFA, FIFA, FFP and more.

Check out Daniel’s blog, ‘The Final Score on Football Law’ here >> and follow Daniel on Twitter here >>

Please feel free to get in touch with Daniel Geey should you or your club have any questions concerning the regulations.

Daniel Geey’s 

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The legacy of international sport events is becoming a hot governance related topic in the world of sport. Beyond traditional aspects such as the impact on economic development and public participation in sport, a wide range of societal issues are now also finding their way to the agenda, i.e. issues like human rights violations, the level of corruption in building public infrastructure to host events and the size of public investments needed for such infrastructure. How and to what extent sport leaders decide to respond to this challenge will substantially impact the legacy of future international sport events.

Innovative approaches that place international sport events as part of a solution to societal issues are being developed and have the potential of being scaled and replicated elsewhere, partly or fully. Sport leaders initiating or supporting such solutions by no means get a guarantee for a spotless legacy of their sport events. However, sport leaders deciding not to do anything to become part of a solution almost for sure will face a negative impact on the legacy of their events.

This sixth contribution of mine for iSportconnect’s expert column on sport governance offers perspectives on a project in Brazil called ‘Clean Games Inside and Outside the Stadium’. The project aims at increasing transparency and accountability in the way that funds for public infrastructure to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games are spent. My contribution also offers some challenging questions about event governance in sport as such for sport leaders to consider, as they start modernizing their governance standards for the future.

The next contribution of mine is going to be published in the middle of October. It will offer perspectives on how the German Football League is addressing the issue of match fixing. The contribution is going to focus on preventive, detective as well as sanction governance measures in place.

Good governance is the foundation for creating a spotless legacy of an international sport event

It has become widespread practice for many sport federations to pursue a franchise like model for outsourcing the hosting of international sport events. While there are good financial and logistical reasons for doing so, outsourcing of sport events also poses a great reputation risk to sport federations and the sports that they govern.

Traditional event governance issues include criteria for selection of hosts, rights and responsibilities of hosts, technical requirements for sport venues, fair pricing and distribution of tickets and sponsorship revenue sharing. Yet, no matter whether sport leaders find it justified or not, many stakeholders of sport increasingly turn to sport federations for solutions to address a wide range of societal issues in countries that are granted the right to host international sport events. Such issues include human rights violations, the level of corruption in building public infrastructure to host sport events and the size of public investments needed for such infrastructure. How and to what extent sport leaders decide to respond to this challenge will substantially impact the future legacy of international sport events.

Proactively and adequately managing reputation risks related to the outsourcing of sport events enevitably comes down to having sound event governance standards in place. Such standards are the foundation for building trust with key stakeholders of sport, i.e. by showcasing how a sport event taking place in a particular country can offer winning solutions to all societal players.

Sportsmanship and fair play are core values of sport. Building on that along with the widely acknowledged power of sport in generating positive social change, there is a particular opportunity to position an international sport event as part of a solution to fight corruption. By doing so, sport leaders build an added positive legacy of their sport events, i.e. along the lines that winning is as much about outstanding results as it is about outstanding behavior – inside and outside the stadium.

Collective action is a means to creating ‘Clean Games Inside and Outside the Stadium’ in Brazil

Ethos Institute’s project, ‘Clean Games Inside and Outside the Stadium’, aims at promoting greater transparency, accountability and integrity of infrastructure investments related to Brazil’s hosting of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. With a budget of USD 3.1 million, mainly provided through a grant by the Siemens Integrity Initiative, the six-year project establishes sector agreements between companies and local public administration transparency commitments between people in public office. It also develops collective action tools for the general public to monitor how the funds for public infrastructure projects are spent.

The sector agreements, focused on construction, transportation, energy and hospital equipment, are at the heart of the project. They comprise self-regulation mechanisms among signatory companies to enhance integrity in public-private sector engagements and to counter corruption by defining clear rules for companies competing within the same sector.

Local public administration transparency commitments offer mayor candidates running for election in the 12 cities to host the sport events a platform for making commitments on transparent and accountable use of funds for public infrastructure to support the hosting of the sport events.

Tools for the general public to monitor how the funds for public infrastructure projects are spent include publications about how to read bid contracts and about how to spot the most common ways of breaching the rules of public works. They also include engaging citizens, civil society organizations and companies in a concerted effort to further improve the regulatory framework for anti-corruption in Brazil.

While Ethos Institute hosts the secretariat of the project, the overall coordination is carried out by a multi-stakeholder steering committee. The members of the steering committee count representatives from Ethos Institute, the Brazilian government, academia, intergovernmental organizations, athletes, civil society and academia.

Critical questions for sport leaders to ask themselves

Inspired by the ‘Clean Games Inside and Outside the Stadium’ project in Brazil, critical questions for sport leaders to ask themselves, as they start modernizing governance standards for the future, include:

> What comprises sound governance standards for international sport events? – Both in terms of issues to cover and solutions to put in place (all the way from criteria for selecting hosts and rights and responsibilities of hosts to fair pricing and distribution of tickets and sponsorship revenue sharing to addressing societal issues)?

> What can you learn from recent cases of societal issues being raised in the context of international sport events? – And from the way that the host and the relevant sport federation handled the challenge?

> Which are the societal issues of concern to the general public in the country that is going to host your next sport event? – What is the likelihood and potential reputational damage to your federation and your sport, should specific societal issues be linked to the country hosting your sport event? – And so, in such an assessment, what is the one societal issue that is most critical to the legacy of your sport event?

> How could your sport event be part of a solution to address the one societal issue that is most critical to the legacy of your sport event? – Who are the societal players, the collaboration with whom would add the most legitimacy and credibility to your engagement in a solution?

> What ought internal governance standards of the local organizing committee of your future sport events look like to best safeguard the legacy of the sport event and the integrity of your sport federation and your sport as such?

Links to my previous contributions for iSportconnect’s expert column on sport governance:

‘England and Wales Cricket Board: A Winning Model for Transparency and Accountability in Sport?’

‘Badminton World Federation: A Winning Model for Democratizing Sport in the 21st Century?’

‘Governance in Netball New Zealand: A Winning Model for Professionalizing the Boardroom and for Handling Conflicts of Interest?’

‘The Business Case for Good Governance in Sport’

‘Sport Governance – What Are We Actually Talking About?’

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Michael Pedersen, Founder of M INC., is an internationally recognized expert and leader in good governance, transparency, ethics and integrity.

Michael is the former Head of the World Economic Forum’s Partnering Against Corruption Initiative, an international good governance partnership with over 175 multinational companies and their CEOs. He holds three MSc degrees; an MSc in Global Leadership; an MSc in Responsibility and Business Practice; and an MSc in International Relations.

Michael is passionate about sport. Sport has and continues to play an important role in his life. He is of Danish origin and currently lives in Lima, Peru and in Barcelona, Spain.

He also publishes a leadership series on good governance in sport that is available for free download at: http://minc.ch/sport-practice.html

Michael’s 

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As if Ferrari’s multi-million dollar gardening leave pay-out to Kimi Raikkonen in 2009 wasn’t enough, the Italian F1 team will now pay a rumoured $20 million to get him back for the 2014 season. Such is the way that the driver merry-go round works in Formula 1.

It’s going to make for some interesting scenarios on the track. One thing we won’t be seeing is a compliant Raikkonen helping Alonso slipstream to a good grid position, neither will we be seeing the Finnish driver moving aside when he’s told by his team that Fernando is faster, as happened previously with Felipe Massa.

What surprises a lot of people is that for a team like Ferrari, where both drivers are expected to fulfil a high number of promotional engagements, they’ve employed a driver whom previously they ran out of patience with because of his lack of interest in that sort of activity. Sure, they also wanted to make room for Alonso, but even so it seems a bit strange.

Ferrari has always favoured the number 1 and 2 driver scenario, rather than having equal status within the team. Thinking back to Alonso at McLaren and how badly he dealt with the pace of Lewis Hamilton and how Felipe Massa outshone Raikkonen when they were team-mates at Ferrari, I think we’re in for a very intriguing season in 2014, from a Ferrari perspective.

I might be the only person to think so, but I genuinely believe that if he can secure a drive next season, we might see a much revitalised Massa. He’s sucked the hind tit at Ferrari for some while and I think the change of scenery might just bring out the high level of talent that we know exists.

Goodwood Revival

On a different note altogether, I was fortunate enough to attend the Goodwood Revival race meeting again this year, the first time for quite a few years. What a breath of fresh air it was. The quality of event that the Earl of March puts on is quite extraordinary and attracts around 150,000 people over the 3 days. The majority make the effort to dress for the occasion and if you happen to be in modern 2013 clothing, you really do look the odd one out.

The attention to detail is superb and once you pass through the gates into Goodwood, it’s like entering a time-warp. As a sponsorship acquisition person of some 40 years standing, it always comes as a shock to see that none of the stunning range of race cars that adorn the paddock has a single sticker in sight.  Much as it hurts to admit, they all look a lot better for it!

Then lo and behold, I spotted one. It was on the Lotus 49 that Graham Hill drove in the 1968 F1 World Championship and the sticker is without doubt the most significant that there could be. In stark profile on the red, white and gold background of the bodywork is the famous Gold Leaf cigarette brand, courtesy of John Player & Sons.

The sponsorship deal that Colin Chapman negotiated to enter his 2 cars in the World Championship, adorned in cigarette branding, came about due to a change in the rules that governed the use of advertising on race cars. The deal that he put together was the start of a sponsorship revolution, not only in motorsport, but across sport in general, as we can now see.

It also had a significant impact on me and it wasn’t long before I put together my first ever sponsorship deal, one that allowed me to start racing and eventually build a 40 year career in the business!

(courtesy of Sutton Images)

So why is the Goodwood Revival so incredibly popular? I think it’s a combination of many factors. For a start, dressing-up seems to put us all on a level playing field. I also believe that everyone comes here wanting to enjoy themselves and let their hair down a bit. Most important of all, people relish being treated as an integral part of the show, as opposed to simply paying spectators. They see themselves as essential players in this tapestry of British history, just as the drivers, cars, aircraft, buildings and the overall dressing of the circuit are vital elements.

Another factor is that the Revival isn’t only for petrol heads. Yes, they can get close up and dirty if they want to, but it’s not just about historic racing. The event takes many of us back to specific races we may have attended and reminds us of cars that we once adored. It also revives special memories of drivers, some no longer with us, who were once a part of our lives.

What the Earl of March and his team have accomplished so brilliantly is to create a unique event that provides almost the same pleasurable experience as going to our favourite traditional Christmas pantomime, or the Last Night of the Proms or even the Festival of Remembrance at the Albert Hall.  The Revival is a celebration of good times, sadness, nostalgia and fond memories. It’s a reminder of our special heritage and importantly provides a rare opportunity for young people to enjoy themselves at the same time as understanding the importance of our history to an older generation.

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Kindle is one of those wonders of modern technology which covers a multiple of content. That delights readers on bus, tube and train. Read anything from the House at Pooh Corner to Fifty Shades of Grey. No-one  else is any the wiser (or entertained).

For newspaper readers Kindle offers the minor bonus of a word count at the top of each article.

Hence Saturday’s edition of The Times contained around 22,000 words of sport. Just 63 of them were spared for the thoughts of the favourite to become new president of the International Olympic Committee (Or ‘the most important man in world sport’ as delusional Olympic devotees would have it).

Do not even trying to figure the percentage. Minimal overstates it.

That ratio also sums up precisely what Thomas Bach was saying on Friday in a 75-minute media exchange: The Olympic movement is not relevant enough to the real world (or sports page editors and their readers).

Bach was an Olympic fencing champion. He is now a vice-president of the IOC, president of the German Olympic sports confederation and holds various other roles in business and sport including the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Half his time he spent enunciating the bullet points of the campaign manifesto with which he hopes to outflank the other five candidates for the succession to Jacques Rogge in September.

For Bach the major challenge facing the IOC is trying to make itself  matter.

Its leaders – as again last week in New York – swap self-congratulatory diplomatic pleasantries with the great and the good (and not so good) of the political establishment. Fat lot of good it does.

Sport needs governments and their security services to power up the battle with organized crime which undermines the credibility of competition within the wider moral fabric of society.

Thus far – as football leaders such as Sepp Blatter (FIFA) and Michel Platini (UEFA) have fulminated in recent weeks – such calls have fallen largely on deaf ears. Bach aligns himself with them.

If the IOC, under Bach or whoever else, could convert itself a seriously awkward activist rather than a purveyor of platitudes then the Olympic movement might command the leadership heights it already thinks it does.

Two challenges confront it. Both answer to the word ‘connection.’

On one hand the Olympic movement does not connect adequately with the national and international federations which enjoy the four-yearly Olympic shop window and cash handouts.

Proof? The sweeping victory obtained by Marius Vizer over Bernard Lapasset in the presidential election to the organization saddled with the incomprehensively silly name of SportAccord (Sounds like a supersonic sporting charter plane).

Lapasset’s manifesto was a highly worthy intellectual appeal to the minds of 90 or so international sports federations. Vizer’s vision was more basic: a world games i.e. a platform to generate more money.

Hence Lapasset never stood a chance.

Similarly with the Olympics. The IOC’s high-handed – not to say dismissively insulting – treatment of sports federations as evidenced in the ‘new sport’ farrago has enhanced dissatisfaction with what it does and how it does it.

Bach’s manifesto seeks to address a need for greater dialogue between the IOC, its own commissions and the myriad autonomous sports bodies.

It also recognizes a connection chasm between ‘Olympism’ and young people. Pierre de Coubertin’s summons to the youth of the world is falling on deaf ears.

Proof? For all the fun and games of London 2012 there is no sign that take-up of domestic sport in the UK has increased (The Coalition’s demolition of the school/sport partnership was fatuously wrong-headed with the Games just around the corner).

Bach posits that the Olympic movement cannot claim any relevance while it is, to most young people, a slice of TV entertainment for just two weeks every four years. It needs to feature in people’s sporting lives day by day, week by week, month by month (The elitism image projected by presidential candidates who do not wish to be paid for the job does not help: another argument for another day).

Use of social media and a revisited concept for an Olympic TV channel are Bach’s weapons of choice for the battle ahead if he should be elected commander-in-chief.

He may be right; he may be wrong. He may win; he may lose.

At least he recognizes the problems and the dangers should the Olympic movement leak credibility.

Proof? Sixty three words out of 22,000 surely say it all.

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Keir Radnedge has been covering football worldwide for more than 40 years, writing 33 books, from tournament guides to comprehensive encyclopedias, aimed at all ages.

His journalism career included The Daily Mail for 20 years as well as The Guardian and other national newspapers and magazines in the UK and around the world. He is a former editor, and remains a lead columnist, with World Soccer, generally recognised as the premier English language magazine on global football.

In addition to his writing, Keir has been a regular analyst for BBC radio and television, Sky Sports, Sky News, Aljazeera and CNN.

Keir Radnedge’s Twitter: @KeirRadnedge

Keir Radnedge’s 

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The success of the US women’s gymnastics programme is well known, ampoule but the male programme is struggling to match those achievements.

Over 75% of gymnastics participants in the USA are female and boy’s high school gymnastics was recently removed from official competition in Massachusetts.

Speaking exclusively to iSportconnect, Steve Penny, President/CEO of USA Gymnastics, said that there are young males who want to take part in the sport and it is up to the governing body to provide opportunities for them.

He said: “The overriding abundance of our membership are young girls, but our goal is to look for new ways for those boys to get recognition for staying involved in the sport and, in fact, we’re putting together a plan for USA Gymnastics to provide high school opportunities for boys.”

Penny also told iSportconnect USA Gymnastics must work to retain the interest of young males as they get older.

He added: “I think that’s our greatest challenge as it relates to boy’s and men’s gymnastics – keeping those 13-18 year olds interested in the sport and to maintain the collegiate programmes that we have right now. That’s definitely a priority for us.”

To read the full interview click here>>

October 30 – Leading Olympic sponsor Visa has added its voice to calls for paperless ticketing.

Colin Grannell, a senior Europe-based executive with Visa, the payment company that is a longstanding member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s TOP worldwide sponsorship programme, says he would like to see “the ticket infrastructure be developed electronically rather than paper tickets”.

He told iSportConnect: “It does remove things, such as ticket touts, from the equation far easier if [we] are using electronics not only for payments, but also for information and data.”  Read More >

Weightlifting is the most transformative sport in the world. Through weightlifting training, quite ordinary people transform their minds and bodies to reach the highest levels of strength and power ever seen in human beings. Unfortunately, most gyms that exist today have neither the equipment nor the staff to train their members properly in the kind of functional full body exercises that weightlifters employ.

Machines may look nice and members may find them inviting in terms of the guided movement they provide. Members may also perceive them as being safe and embodying “the latest”. It is true that many machines don’t require much in the way of instruction to use, but results are what members are seeking and what keeps them coming back.

Complex exercises, such as squats, presses and cleans, require correct balance and the coordinated effort of all of the muscles in the body. So in performing these exercises, one trains the “core”, improves balance and replicates the challenges of everyday life – which is what, above all, fitness training should condition us to handle.

What’s more, full body exercises are time saving for the trainee. Only a handful of such exercises need be performed each training session to give the body a very complete workout. We also know that complex exercises stimulate positive hormonal reactions to training that isolation exercises cannot generate, no matter how strenuously they are performed.

From the standpoint of the gym owner, free weights are inexpensive because quality weights of this type are long lasting and have the potential to deliver more exercise per square foot than specialized machines.

Perhaps, most important of all, resistance training in groups can help foster a sense of community that will keep trainees happy and loyal.

The most important step in getting a program of productive free weight training under way is to educate your instructors about how to use free weights effectively. Unfortunately, many fitness instructor certifications are woefully inadequate in terms of teaching instructors how to cultivate safe and effective technique in their clients.

That problem can be easily resolved by having them enroll in a USA Weightlifting (USAW) Level 1 Coach’s Course. This course teaches students how to perform and teach the most complex exercises in the free weight arsenal. Trainers who know how to teach their clients these exercises will have a huge edge.

While the current USAW Level 1 course is already more practical and effective than any other in terms of teaching these exercises, the new version of the course, which is expected to be released on September 1, will be much improved over the current one, making our graduates even more effective and prepared to help your members succeed. We urge you to take a look at it by visiting www.usaweightilfting.org at that time.

Meanwhile, enjoy watching the sport of Weightlifting at the Olympic Games in London. We’ll be watching too.

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About Arthur Drechsler

An international level coach and referee, and former World Recordholder in the sport of Weightlifting, Mr. Drechsler has been widely published in many sports periodicals and is the author of The Weightlifting Encyclopedia.

He is currently Chair of USA Weightlifting’s Board of Directors (the sole National Governing Body for the sport of Weightlifting in the US recognized by the US Olympic Committee and International Weightlifting Federation). He is also President of the not-for-profit organization, Weightlifting.org, Inc.

Arthur Drechsler’s

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