If the bid were to go through and he buys the Pistons, Ilitch would be the first three-team owner since Ted Turner, the media mogul who revolutionized sports media and marketing (and sport in general in Atlanta as well as the US) with Atlanta’s sports coverage on TBS.

More interestingly, Ilitch’s family has hinted that they are interested in moving the team back to Detroit (from Auburn Hills, about 40 minutes away from the city) and constructing a new multi-purpose arena for the Pistons and Red Wings. (Ilitch Arena sure does have a nice ring to it, I have to concede.)

At this point, it is all hearsay on the intentions of the Ilitch family, current Pistons owner Karen Davidson, and all those parties involved. Really, the only news is “interest”.

However, any time I hear “new sports stadium”, the economist in me gets excited, because new sports stadiums are interesting to look at.

If Ilitch wants to build a new stadium, I wonder if he’ll convince Dave Bing (former Pistons player and, more importantly, current Mayor of Detroit) to try and build this stadium with a stadium subsidy. If he does, then I’ll eat my hat, because in my opinion, stadium subsidies do not bring about the positive economic development and growth that the owners of teams, and those involved the process, promise. They just don’t. Ever.

Detroit’s citizens need to be spending their money on repairing their damaged housing market instead of building a new arena, if they’re going to use public money for anything. What would the taxpayers of Detroit be asked to do with Joe Louis Arena? Has anything been done with the Cobo Center yet? These questions would undoubtedly be in the back of the mind of Detroit local taxpayers should a new arena be suggested for the Red Wings and Pistons on the public’s dollar.

Sure, there’ll be a few new jobs if they decide to build a new stadium, but a bunch of them will be filled by folks who already have them at both the Palace of Auburn Hills and Joe Louis Arena. Sure, civic pride will go up in a city that desperately needs it. Maybe there’s even an argument that a pretty new sports arena could bring investors in other economic markets to Detroit. These are the few positive arguments you can make with any and all new stadiums being constructed.

A new sports arena does little to promote new consumption. People could be spending money on TVs, Little Caesars pizza, a new hot tub, or other consumer goods instead of paying to see the Pistons play in their new arena; should this stadium be on the public’s dime, the overall economic gain is minimal at best. A new stadium requires new operating costs, maintenance costs, infrastructure costs, as well as dealing with the old stadiums. How much would the Auburn Hills market stand to lose should the team move out?

Ilitch’s teams have had some remarkable successes, though. Comerica Park turned out to be a successful construction project for the Tigers (despite the number of their season ticket-holders falling recently). The Red Wings have maintained a solid fan base, and are the fourth most-valuated team in the NHL. The Pistons are the fourth most-valuated team in the NBA, and the combination of these three teams under the leadership of under owner could make for a very valuable commodity in revitalizing the Detroit area, who have suffered dearly in this recession.

…but then again, at this point, it’s all hearsay. I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds!

If you’re unfamiliar with how the transfer market works for soccer leagues, here is a primer from BBC Sport, and for explicit regulations, here are the official rules on transfers and player statuses from FIFA. Basically, there are windows of time in which players may transfer clubs, and teams must pay a fee to negotiate a contract with players they want on other teams. If all parties (the two teams as well as the player in question) agree on a new contract, the player’s original contract is essentially ripped up and the player can move clubs. If a player’s original contract is expired, they are allowed to sign a new contract with any club they want, without teams having to pay a fee (this is how Arsenal signed striker Marouane Chamakh from Bordeaux, pictured at right below, without paying a transfer fee).

Transfer fees involving players and clubs also tell some interesting stories about the economics of soccer: 1) the valuation of a player by both his old and new clubs, 2) the spending power of the club interested in purchasing the player, 3) the business (and on-the-field) motivations and strategies of clubs in question, among several other bits of information about the teams involved.

There are some owners of soccer teams in Europe who spend aggressively, either to address positional issues in their squad, appease their fans, to bring top-quality players to their clubs, or any number of reasons (Manchester City, Barcelona, and Real Madrid, to name a few). If teams are able to maintain high levels of operating profit (namely, selling merchandise/tickets/TV rights, etc.), then this strategy makes sense from a business point-of-view. It’s assumed that fans will pay to see higher quality players, and the team can afford to sign and pay them without running the risk of affecting profits too much.

It’s when spending and wages get out of control that things start to falter and, to an economist like myself, get especially interesting. Real Madrid cannot spend £225 million every summer (as they did in 2009) and expect to profit in the long-run. Barcelona needed to take out a €150 million loan this summer just to play its player and staff wages. Manchester City continues to spend at such a high rate they will likely have to begin offloading players they have previously signed–to both comply with recent rule changes in the English Premier League regarding roster structure, and because they likely cannot afford to pay its players their current wages–at reduced transfer fees. These are major financial issues here, even for clubs who are successful on-the-field.

Deloitte Sports Business Group, who annually crunch the numbers on the business side of soccer, notes some staggering statistics on the English Premier League’s business operations:

“The record wages to revenue ratio of 67% in the Premier League in 2008-09 is a concern, and we expect wages growth to outstrip revenue increases again in 2009‑10,” said Alan Switzer of Deloitte. “This will further reduce operating profitability, a decline that cannot continue indefinitely. However, clubs have the opportunity, via the revenue uplift from the new broadcast deals from 2010‑11, to get wage levels down to a more sustainable share of revenue. It’s not the first such opportunity. It remains to be seen whether they grasp it.”

Total wage costs were up £132m to £1.3bn; gross transfer spending rose from £664m in 2007‑08 to a record £713m and debt increased from £3.2bn to £3.3bn, although 40% of this was in non‑interest‑bearing “soft loans”. [...] Premier League operating profits fell from £185m to £79m.

Elevated long-term levels of spending is not sustainable, and will not led to increased operating profits. If player wages continue to rise, sooner or later, they will become over-valued, and teams will begin to falter economically. On the bright side:

Alex Byars, Senior Consultant in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, commented: “Given the ongoing increases in wages, transfer spending and debt levels, we welcome the recent steps taken by football authorities, both domestically and at a European level, to help clubs address the continuing cost control challenge. The UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations, approved in May, will require clubs competing in UEFA competitions to aim to ‘break-even’, with potential sanctions from the 2013/14 season for non-compliance. The Premier League now requires all its member clubs to apply for a UEFA Club Licence, and has prevented clubs that exhibit financial warning signs from additional spending on players, to help limit future cost growth.

Financial Fair Play Regulations are going to help ensure not only that teams aren’t buying championships, but that they do not spend more than they earn. UEFA is definitely one of the more responsible governing bodies in sport, with regard to economics and the business side of sport, and I applaud this recent effort to bring fiscal responsibility to soccer teams. Hopefully teams and their owners get the message and start to cut their spending, to ensure the long-term profitability of the game.

What I didn’t expect was a wonderfully angry (yet oddly-determined) letter to the fans later that same night.

Just to pull a few of my favorite quotes from Gilbert’s phenomenal rant..which I think as a collective whole form an accurate representation of LBJ if you’re looking to dissociate him from your franchise.

…several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up…

…cowardly betrayal..

..this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own…

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there. [WHAT!?]

…shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown “chosen one”…

And then towards the end of the letter…he finishes it off with my favorite part.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called “curse” on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former “King” will be taking the “curse” with him down south. And until he does “right” by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

That is exactly the last thought I want to have on the departure of the Hype from Cleveland. Enjoy not having the guy who put up almost as many win shares as your next three best guys combined last year, Cavs fans, and at least try to get other fans around the league mad at the Heat too.

…I just wonder what the letter would have looked like if LBJ had signed with the Cavs…

Darren Rovell (with the help of “two number crunching insiders”) breaks down how much team in the hunt value LBJ for next year. Conclusion? The Knicks have the most to gain. I agree with that–they already charge higher ticket prices than everybody else…and could jack those prices up even more with a great 1-2 combo in LBJ/STAT.

“The James-Wade-Bosh Big Three (Part I, Part II, and Part III“)

Neil Paine at Basketball-Reference.com looks at big twos (part 1), big threes (part 2) and the expected W-L of the aptly named “Miami Thrice” (part three, see image below). He says (through statistical +/-) that last year’s values for the Heat with their additions would lead to a Herculean 68 wins. That would be unreal…but unlikely, according to Paine, since he doesn’t think LBJ will even end up in Miami.

“On Vacation…with Lebron”

Brad Schultz over at the Journal of Sports Media sums up Lebron’s special really well, and also makes a great point about how Lebron’s marketing himself:

Tonight on ESPN, LeBron turns a simple free agent signing into the mega-reality/awards show of all time. Before a national TV audience James will announce what NBA team he will play for next season.

[...]

at least so far, James has used the media to his benefit. But now the danger is over exposure, especially if he signs with a team in a large media market such as New York or Chicago. If that happens, we really will find out if there can be too much of a good thing. It seems hard to believe, but James has been relatively shielded living in a small media market and near his hometown. There has been little serious criticism of him. That could all change quickly going to a place like New York.

Schultz also mentions this article by Bill Simmons over on ESPN, where he talks about Lebron practically re-branding himself through creation of a Twitter page and the re-vamping of his website (as well as the special airing tonight at 9pm).

——

Personally, I predicted that LBJ/Wade/Bosh to Miami would happen in January. The Heat have the cap space, and could easily convince some mid-level signings to come and win multiple championships in Miami. With only roughly $6million guaranteed to two players (plus whatever they’re going to pay Wade/Bosh), if you sign those three at near-max deals, you still have about $17+ million to work with for next season, which is more than enough to sign one or two decent mid-level players on short-term deals, as well as some scraps for rookies and whoever else Miami decides to fill its roster with.

To me, it’s either Miami, New York, or Cleveland, but I guess I’ll have to tune in at 9pm to watch. Can’t wait!

Today, however, I’m feeling like putting it all in one place. Starting now. With some pre-game commentary and predictions, as well as some commentary during the game (which hopefully won’t send millions of updates over Twitter/Facebook when I update this post).

2:08pm I’ve got my Netherlands jersey on, and I’m filing my pre-match prediction. 2-0 to Oranje.

Uruguay may have their captain, Forlán, sneak one in…but with Luis Suarez out, I just can’t see Diego getting on the scoresheet today, the Dutch will be marking him incredibly tightly, and Uruguay’s offense goes through him. The Netherlands, while missing De Jon and Van der Wiel to suspension, will be working hard to maintain their lengthy unbeaten streak, and with the capability to produce magic from a number of players (as well as some incredible momentum from coming from behind to beat the top-ranked FIFA team in the world), I just can’t see the Dutch losing this one. I say Sneijder and Robben get on the scoresheet today.

Funny story from the NYT live blog: Steklenberg (the Dutch keeper) texted Suarez (his teammate at Ajax) a message in reference to his handball against Ghana to save the tournament for Uruguay: “I sent him a text message that he has been the best goalkeeper of the tournament,” Stekelenburg told De Telegraaf. “The Lev Yashin Award is for him.”. Good to see that the players have a sense of humor with their trash talk.

2:22pm ESPN’s showing players in the tunnel, the eager anticipation for this match from both teams are clear. As is the fact that the Dutch have the sexiest warm-up tops in soccer. Seriously.

2:29pm 4-4-2 formation for Uruguay…4-2-3-1 for the Netherlands. Nothing unexpected except for one or two personnel changes. Let’s get it on!

3′ Both teams looking really tense off the bat, passes going all over the place, lots of movement for both teams. Kuyt’s shot for the Dutch looked rushed…but he was positioned perfectly for the rebound off the keeper’s punch.

6′ Shot from wayyyyy out for Uruguay, nerves are showing. They aren’t going to score from 45 yards out. They are not Dahvid Viyya.

9′ This game’s been entirely in the midfield, but neither teams are really creating much. Dutch making a run here…but can’t find the finish.

11′ Now possession’s starting to open up a little bit, both teams playing a little wider and making more runs down the wings. This style favors the Dutch.

13′ HAHA Sneijder shoots it off Van Persie. Those two have been hilarious together all tournament.

15′ Uruguay’s been building some decent runs, but mostly through Forlán, or it ends in an offside call.

17′ The nerves look like they’re starting to fade…as Van Persie dances around the ball on a solid run for the Dutch, but then can’t beat the 4th guy he takes on.

18′ OHHHHHHH VAN BRONCKHORST WITH A SCORCHER FROM DISTANCE! Top R corner of the net from about 35-40 yards out on the left! Oh, captain, my captain, what a goal that was! Netherlands up 1-0!

20′ Still can’t believe that shot went in. That was a risky shot to take, but boy was that beautiful. The Dutch looking to take ownership of this game with that shot. Corner kick gets headed behind…Dutch looking for more!

21′ Robben continuing the trend of over-acting. Give him the foul, but the card for Uruguay is Arjen’s reward for embellishment.

24′ I love when possession shows up on the lower-left-hand-corner of the TV screen. 63% to the Dutch sounds about right, they’ve taken control of this game through keeping the ball and spreading play. Uruguay’s been chasing this game for the last 10-15 minutes.

25′ Thanks, commentators around the world, for the inspiration behind the Robin Van Persie drinking game: in any game that RVP plays–drink every time the commentators mention horse placenta, weak ankles, injury, or diving.

27′ The Dutch defense is being tested…but they’re holding steady thus far. Corner to Uruguay.

27′ Tempers are high, a high kick to the face from Uruguay on De Zeeuw when both players going for the ball. Should have been yellow, De Zeeuw’s still down, but should be fine.

30′ Cáceres does get the yellow for the dangerous challenge. So does Sneijder, for pushing him after the play. Unsporting.

31′ OOOH that was gorgeous build-up from the Dutch. RVP to Robben, Cáceres with a solid dispossessing challenge. The Dutch will score at least one more today if they keep that up.

32′ Uruguay fans appealing for a penalty on a push, Dutch fans appealing for a simulation call, since it was a weak push. Welcome to the 2010 World Cup.

33′ Forlán was double-teamed on that last ball through for Uruguay, tightly marked in the center. The Dutch have shut him down entirely today.

34′ Dutch defense momentarily spread thin on a counter, but they got back to deal with it. Pereira takes a long shot, but it’s on the ground. Uruguay are desperate to take a chance, but the chances they HAVE taken haven’t been good.

37′ To the Uruguay team’s credit, though, their attack has looked much more pressing in the last 5-10 minutes. They’ve been pushing players forward, but have been limited to long shots and attempted crosses which get quickly closed down by the strong Dutch defense.

40′ FORLÁN! That is exactly what happens when the Dutch give him space. He literally had 4-5 seconds on the ball with about 5 feet of space cutting into the middle from the right. Stekelenburg was slow to get there, but no discredit to the Uruguayan striker there. If there was a goal…it was to be his. 1-1 and still plenty in this one!

43′ The replay makes it look like Stekelenburg took a step in the wrong direction and makes the mistake. He really should have stopped that. The Dutch defense (and keeper) falling asleep here–they’ll be yelled at during halftime for that one. Forlán has that killer look in his eyes. Scary.

44′ No matter what the score is, or where he is on the pitch…Dirk Kuyt will be working hard. Wonderful tight defense to force an awkward shot from the right wing.

45+1′ The Dutch midfield is working the ball around beautifully…but Uruguay’s defense has been steady at the back. This one’s gonna be nervy in the second half.

Halftime 1-1 at the half, Forlán ruins my prediction…like I had a feeling he might. The Dutch defense and keeper got a little too comfortable with the lead, and let the other captain equalize with a fine strike. That goal from Van Bronckhorst was one of the better ones I’ve seen all tournament–right in the corner from distance, keeper had no chance.

If the Dutch can keep their impressive play in the midfield up, they can regain the lead. But, if Uruguay (read “Forlán”) are given room to operate, they could throw this one away. I think the Dutch will come out swinging from here, we could see another 2-3 goals here, but I think the final will end up 3-1 or 3-2 to Oranje. Kuyt will not rest until the Dutch make the final.

In unrelated basketball news, Lebron James…is on Twitter. *clicks “Follow”* The biggest Lebron news yet! I love athetes’ twitter accounts…and I’m looking forward to some more after the World Cup.

46′ Van Der Vaart on for De Zeeuw to start the second half. The Dutch want goals.

46′ Yep…they definitely want goals. Real positive intent from the Netherlands, despite the obvious offside call. Complacency is not an option at this point.

48′ Robben has been disappointing this tournament for me. Tons of cuts in from the right…but nothing to really show for it, except for the occasional pass he gets off.

51′ WTF was that from the Dutch! Terrible back-pass nearly leads to a giveaway goal. Goalie slid into that about 20-25 yards out, left the net wide open and Uruguay on the ball. Pereira < Dahvid Viyya, though, and the Dutch manage to luck their way out of that one.

56′ Uruguay can’t put away any corners, and the Dutch keeper has been sporadic at best. Really too bad.

58′ Good dribbling from Robben…ends up creating nothing. Led to a corner which led to a Dutch foul. Nothing new from Arjen.

60′ Uruguay have elevated their defensive game, as far as tackling goes, and have turned it into a pretty formidable counterattack. They’re closing down on the Dutch a lot better. Here comes a cross…which ends up in Stekelenburg’s hands after a head. Uruguay looks a lot more confident than the Dutch right now.

63′ Good build-up from the Dutch…RVP crosses to Sneijder, who put a terrible shot on it. Holland pushing men forward here, and it leads to a corner.

65′ Uruguay taking control of possession now, the nerves have been renewed, neither team have put in a good finishing touch this half. Barely any shots from either side, which is somewhat unexpected. Free kick coming up to Uruguay…

66′ Good save from Stekelenburg on that free kick from Forlán! Diego is so dangerous from set pieces near goal.

68′ HUGE opportunity for Holland. RVP to Van Der Vaart, who gets a solid shot away. Keeper punches to his left, where Robben awaits the rebound. Alas, Robben doesn’t have a right foot, and more importantly would rather take a bad shot than pass back to an open Sneijder behind play. Should have been 2-1 there.

70′ SNEIJDER! Offside flag stayed down! Looked like it might have taken a deflection off of RVP who strayed a few inches offside, but he never touched it! And now, it IS 2-1 to Oranje! Sneijder with a few feet of space can get off a beauty. Uruguay have it all to do…again!

73′ OHHHHH ROBBEN with a header that finds its way to the corner of the goal, off the post! Beauty of a cross from Kuyt, and Robben proves his worth! 3-1, and the Netherlands have got to be through now! Just like that!

74′ TV shows some creepy-looking all-orange fans in slow motion, kissing a faux-World Cup. I’m concerned.

78′ The only thing keeping the Dutch from scoring more is the continuation of offside calls. Uruguay bringing on fresh legs to save the game. Boulahrouz gets a yellow for a hard tackle.

80′ Uruguay just can’t build to a shot opportunity right now. They have the space and are making the right pass, but their players aren’t connecting on those passes.

82′ A good chance on a give-and-go for Robben, but can’t get the final touch on the ball. He should be happy with his header, though. Commentators talking about diving, now. We know it’s not needed, but complaining about it isn’t going to change anything.

84′ Even 2 goals up, the Netherlands are moving the ball around very well. Forlán being taken off, Uruguay look too depleted now to get back into this. Too little too late, IMHO.

86′ Another scary backpass from the Dutch, but this time it’s a header that gets to Stekelenburg.

86′ Awful finish from Robben on a run created by RVP’s beautiful touch through. Robben tried to poke it over top of the keeper, but completely failed. Great build-up play, though.

89′ Uruguay pushing everybody forward now. An offside call brings an end to that. Subs now for the Dutch to waste some time. Elia for Robben.

90′ Elia nearly gets involved right off the bat, beautiful build-up to spread the play wide, but Uruguay scramble the ball out. Van Bommel involved in a bad challenge, but he’s the one hurt, looks like he’s hurting on the inside.

90+1′ BEAUTIFUL goal from Uruguay! Pereira gets enough space for a shot, slides it in the back of the net through a sleeping Dutch defense. 3-2! Uruguay are still in it!

90+3′ How long can the Netherlands hold on!? Uruguay are pushing everybody forward! Big block by Van Persie to keep a shot out of the danger zone. Frenetic finish!

90+3′ Yellow to Van Bommel…time’s going so slowly here at the end of this game!

90+4′ Game over! Uruguay pushed EVERYBODY forward at the end, with a few open chances/headers at the end, but the Netherlands are through! Uruguayan players were fuming at that final whistle! What a finish!

Netherlands 3, Uruguay 2

It’s going to be an all-European final as the Netherlands move on. Uruguay clawed a way back into it with a goal late on, but the Netherlands’ open, more patient style of play led to some excellent opportunities and control of the match, despite a few momentarily lapses in defensive concentration. Sneijder the man-of-the-match, another solid outing from the Dutch midfielder.

If Germany go through, the Netherlands will not win the tournament based on what I saw today. The Oranje showcased their offensive talents all match, but their defense and keeper were up-and-down. Laziness shouldn’t be brought into the discussion in a World Cup semifinal, but that’s most of the reasoning behind the two Uruguay goals. Germany will take advantage of every inch of space they’re given on the pitch, and if that’s the final match-up, I don’t think Holland will win.

If Spain win tomorrow…I think it’ll go all the way to penalties should they play each other in the finals, with the advantage going to the Netherlands. Both teams play possession soccer, and both teams have players who can provide a moment of spark to lead to goals. Spain has a defensive advantage, but Holland play a stronger overall game.

If you’ve followed all the way through, thanks! I’ll probably write something tomorrow, but not live commentary. I get the feeling I’ll want to watch all the way through tomorrow. Link below goes to the matchcast on FIFA’s site.

I was on the edge of my couch already by this point, and my frustrations with Coulibaly were expressed well by the ESPN commentators, who insisted that it was a terrible call and the goal should have stood. I thought that if anything, the Americans deserved a penalty kick for the fouling by Slovenia in the box. Pushing, shoving, holding–you name it, it was there, on both sides, in the box from a corner. Coulibaly’s lack of control was only emphasized by this blown call, in my opinion, and I even tweeted about how big an error I thought it was.

Do I think FIFA’s going to do something about it? Publicly reprimand the error of the referee? Begin utilizing instant replay? Order a replay of the match?

Absolutely not. They will perform a standard review of the match, where all referees are required to submit a report on the match and explain cautions and ejections, and the taped footage is subject to inspection, but beyond this? FIFA has a history of moving forward instead of looking backward.

FIFA has stood by its lack of technology when officiating games, at any level, for many years. Referees blowing calls and FIFA considering ways to implement technology within the game have been debated heavily over the last decade, but nothing will change, has changed, and should change.

Association football (soccer) is the most-played sport in the world. From the suburbs of American neighborhoods to the slums of Sudan; and from the academies in the Netherlands to the isolated country of North Korea, you can find soccer fields, people who play on them, and the spirit of the game. The universality of soccer is undeniable, and it’s this very same universality that is maintained by a lack of technology in the game. The rules are the same everywhere.

FIFA and IFAB (the international body that determines the Laws of the Game in soccer), met and discussed this very issue in March of this year, as they do in preparation for every World Cup, and had the following to say about technology:

At the 124th Annual General meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in Zurich on 6 March 2010, which, as is the case with every FIFA World Cup™ year, was chaired by myself on behalf of FIFA, the IFAB decided not to implement technology in football.FIFA supports this decision, based on the following points:

The universality of the game: one of the main objectives of FIFA is to protect the universality of the game of association football. This means that the game must be played in the same way no matter where you are in the world. If you are coaching a group of teenagers in any small town around the world, they will be playing with the same rules as the professional players they see on TV.

The simplicity and universality of the game of association football is one of the reasons for its success. Men, women, children, amateurs and professionals all play the same game all over the world.

The human aspect: no matter which technology is applied, at the end of the day a decision will have to be taken by a human being. This being the case, why remove the responsibility from the referee to give it to someone else? It is often the case that, even after a slow-motion replay, ten different experts will have ten different opinions on what the decision should have been.

Human nature, universality, simplicity. Aren’t those just fantastic standards to live up to and address in sport? This is why I’m an advocate for soccer–not only is the game itself enthralling, entertaining, and enigmatic, but it holds itself to rules and standards that are the same no matter where you go, at any level.

Still not convinced? Here’s some more from FIFA’s statement in March:

FIFA’s goal is to improve the quality of refereeing, making referees more professional and better prepared, and to assist referees as much as possible. This is also the reason why refereeing experiments (such as with additional referees or the role of the fourth official) will continue to be analysed, to see how referees can be supported.

The financial aspect: the application of modern technologies can be very costly, and therefore not applicable on a global level. Many matches, even at the highest level, are not even televised. For example, we have close to 900 preliminary matches for the FIFA World Cup™, and the same rules need to be applied in all matches of the same competition. The rules need to be the same for all association football matches worldwide.

The experiments conducted by companies on technology in football are also expensive. The decision of the IFAB, after careful consideration and examination of studies conducted in recent years, to give a clear answer on technology in football is also positive in this regard as these companies will now not spend significant amounts of money on projects which in the end will not be implemented.

The extended use of technology: the question has already been raised: if the IFAB had approved goal-line technology, what would prevent the approval of technology for other aspects of the game? Every decision in every area of the pitch would soon be questioned.

The nature of the game: association football is a dynamic game that cannot be stopped in order to review a decision. If play were to be stopped to take a decision, it would break up the rhythm of the game and possibly deny a team the opportunity to score a goal. It would also not make sense to stop play every two minutes to review a decision, as this would go against the natural dynamism of the game.

Frankly, as upset as I am with the quality of the head referee in the USA/Slovenia game, it isn’t the end of the world. Soccer is only a game. Coulibaly may have made a mistake, but he’s human–and everybody makes mistakes sometimes. He’s already been dealing with the wrath of some fans on the internet. FIFA experiments with the rules of the game when it needs to, but technology will best serve soccer as a means of discussing the event–outside of the game and in the booth–instead of on the pitch. Technology can only help continue to make soccer a reminder of our humanity through discourse.

While the majority of Americans will remember the USA/Slovenia game as “the one that got away”, I like to think of it as “the game that had it all”. While the referee had his share of errors, the US did not play well in the first half, were hard-pressed to score to get themselves back in the game, and nearly emerged victorious in a gritty, even-matched battle on the soccer field.

**Edit on 6/27, 8:30pm**

And the English make this post even more valid!

There should be even more commotion now that there was a clear-cut goal that wasn’t called in by the ref (which replay would have shown to be a goal). Cheeky, quick reactions from the German keeper, an awkwardly-positioned assistant referee on the sideline, and a plain ole’ missed call have left the English steaming mad.

Fabio Capello is right about the blown call, but how do you explain that your team was 1) slow & weak against the counter-attack, 2) failed to get any clear-cut goals after the disallowed one, and 3) looked second-best on the day REGARDLESS of the call?

This tournament gets more and more intriguing as it goes on!

First off, I want to dig into what the problem the NCAA is reporting IS.  I’m going to break down my favorite section of the report, which I think all Division I NCAA athletics programs need to read before their athletes agree to play a single game:

Investigating and preventing amateurism violations is not easy. Everyone involved in delivering cash and other benefits to elite student-athletes and prospects – including the student-athletes and prospects themselves – knows that the conduct is prohibited and renders the student-athletes ineligible for intercollegiate competition. Accordingly, those delivering cash and benefits act in secret and make significant effort to avoid leaving a paper trail or other evidence that would uncover their activities. In this case, USC had a thorough rules education program. But rules education alone is not sufficient. There is no doubt that both the football student-athlete and the men’s basketball student-athlete understood that they violated NCAA rules when either they or their families took cash and other benefits.

Even at a NCAA Division III school, we got to read and sign a sheet stating that amateur athletes, or their families, cannot receive cash or any other benefits as a reward for their athletic competition. Athletics is a complementary action–an extracurricular activity–in addition to attending an academic university (not a “warm-up” or semi-professional sports league). Any athlete or their family aren’t victims when they’re receiving gifts or benefits.

To satisfy the requirements of NCAA membership, an institution also must actively and fully investigate and monitor its athletics program and engage in thorough and complete follow-through when information surfaces. Universities may not hide their heads in the sand and purport to treat all programs and student-athletes similarly when it comes to the level of scrutiny required. The more potential there is for big payoffs to student-athletes once they turn professional, then the more potential for illicit agent and third party involvement in the provision of significant cash and other benefits. In turn, heightened scrutiny is required. NCAA members, including USC, invest substantial resources to compete in athletics competition at the highest levels, particularly in football and men’s basketball. They must commit comparable resources to detect violations and monitor conduct with a realistic understanding and appraisal of what that effort entails, and what it will cost. In this regard, and particularly during the time of the football violations, the institution fell far short. In fact, the compliance director at the time (“former compliance director”) reported that there were only two compliance staff members at the institution for most of his tenure and it was “just myself for a couple of months.”

Every single collegiate coach, compliance officer, athlete, and university administrator needs to take the italicized parts to heart. You can’t turn the other cheek on your superstar players, and if you have somebody who is considering professional sports, you have to understand the risks involved with potential amateurism violations, and ensure that the athlete can do their best to adhere to the NCAA’s Principle of Amateurism: “participation in intercollegiate athletics should be motivated primarily by education and by the physical, mental, and social benefits to be derived.” USC failed its athletes and its reputation as a solid program simply by being apathetic towards amateurism.

I’m gonna split this post from here into into two parts:

Reggie Bush: Pete Carroll’s Heisman Winner, National Champion…and Prime Example of “What Not To Do If You’re A Student-Athlete”

Focusing on the football program, ESPN and other sports media outlets are reporting primarily on the sanctions the USC team is facing, and the reactions of those involved (naming names here, Pete Carroll and Reggie Bush), as well as how they will suffer from the sanctions.

Before I get into specifics, I have to laugh at the fact that Carroll is playing the “We Didn’t Know!” card, and Bush the “I Just Want to Move On!” card, which I think is utterly predictable and hilarious. Neither of these figures address the specific charges of the amateurism violations in-and-of-themselves! Carroll dances around the subject by attesting to USC’s “vigilance”, “the NCAA’s agenda”, and “external elements beyond the university setting”, and Bush, a former Heisman trophy winner, is “really focused on is where I’m at right now, where I’m at with the Saints’ team right now, and so just really looking toward the future”.

So, there’s my two cents on the reactions from Carroll and Bush–here’s a brief look at some of what Bush actually DID:

*Bush agreed with two sports agency partners to establish a new sports agency, centered around him, to begin negotiating future marketing and professional sports contracts (in 2004).

*Bush requested money from one of the partners to put a down payment on a car, because he was “embarrassed to drive his current vehicle” (which was given to his stepfather to put a down payment on said car), and also requested additional money for rims.

*The agency partner arranged airline transportation from California to Florida, so Bush’s parents and brother could watch him play in the January 2005 Orange Bowl.

*Bush was afforded (at various times) a hotel reservation, limousine services, a vacation in Las Vegas, a house for his parents (after they were asked to vacate their previous home by their landlord–they never paid any rent during the period they lived in this house), furniture for the parents’ new house, and cash, from this partner.

…Yikes. If that’s not a blatant violation of “what not to do if you’re a student-athlete”, I don’t know what is. Did Pete Carroll REALLY not know about Bush’s new car with the rims? Or his trip to Vegas? All I can say is “way to go, USC. Way to go.”

Meanwhile, in 2004-5, USC won the National Championship. The next season, they lost in the National Championship final, with Reggie Bush winning the Heisman.

The last thing on Bush–my favorite part of the report:

(Bush) refused to cooperate fully with the investigation by failing to provide requested information that, if it existed, could have substantiated his claim that he was not involved in violations of NCAA legislation. Although he participated in one interview, and admitted to socializing with agency partner A, he denied receiving money and other benefits from agency partner A and others. He refused requests to provide financial records, automobile records and other information that might have refuted the information reported by agency partner A and those associated with him. (Bush)’s parents also refused to cooperate in the investigation and neither interviewed with the enforcement staff nor provided any records to disprove the information provided by agency partner A and his associates. There is no evidence in the record that (Bush) encouraged them to provide documents or otherwise cooperate in the investigation.

What a Winner. What a Champion. I hope he’s loving his NFL cash.

OJ Mayo: “One-and-Done”

OJ Mayo didn’t do so hot either, as far as his “amateur athletes can’t receive benefits from outside parties” status is concerned. Everybody knew Mayo was a “one-and-done” athlete–his prep talents were enough for scouts to declare him a top-5 draft pick before he even “chose” to attend USC…but the funny part? Even USC knew he was a one-and-done! According to the report:

…as early as September 2007, (Mayo)’s only year on campus, the institution sent him a memo titled, “Information Regarding the 2008 NBA Draft, Agents and Tryouts.”

How about that for the university encouraging its students to be motivated student-athletes at the collegiate level! Not to mention, USC (according to the report) met with a “handler” who promised to “deliver (Mayo) to the institution” during Mayo’s junior year of high school. (This handler is one of the ‘representatives’ who is mentioned in Mayo’s violations of amateur status below.)

The former Compliance Officer at USC sure did a bang-up job on this one. The NBA’s draft eligibility rules come into play, for sure, when dealing with “one-and-dones” (a term I’ve come to hate as a former student-athlete myself)…but dang, USC. Way to encourage your students’ education and a competitive collegiate atmosphere.

Similar to how I laid it out for Bush, here are the reports of Mayo’s specific violations of amateur status, from the receipt of gifts and benefits for his playing:

*Mayo dealt with two representatives from a professional sports agency from August 2006 onward. They afforded him and his brother transportation, meals, lodging, professional training sessions, cash and merchandise while the young men were in the Los Angeles area, in 2006, and a trip to Ohio in summer 2007 that covered all transportation costs.

*Mayo’s girlfriend was wired $600 over various times, from the representatives.

*A wireless service device as well as monthly service charges were afforded to Mayo, totaling over $2500 between March 2007 and April 2008. Monthly wireless service was also given to his brother from August 2007 to April 2008, totaling almost $1600.

*The representatives arranged for Mayo to be the cover story in the November 2007 issue of SLAM Magazine. They also arranged a trip for Mayo to Las Vegas in July 2007 (as well as a two-night hotel stay). And they bought him a TV valued at $1399.

For the record, I’ve never been to Vegas, but apparently that’s how you know you’ve made it to the big time. Or at least, how you know you’ve sacrificed your amateur status at USC. Accepting a trip to Vegas that you didn’t pay for is how you know you’re…violating NCAA regulations.

Hope you’re enjoying Memphis and the NBA, Mr. Mayo.

Here’s a concluding statement found in the report that really sums these two former collegiate standout athletes, as well as the compliance efforts put forth from USC, up really well:

The failure of the institution to recognize warning signs, to be proactive in monitoring its athletics program, and to follow through on information regarding possible rules violations resulted in a finding of lack of institutional control. As set forth earlier in this report, the committee notes with concern that the institution’s staffing commitment to compliance has been at times insufficient for an institution with an athletics program of the scope, depth and size as the one at USC. A serious commitment to Division I athletics must include a serious commitment to appropriate compliance.

The sanctions and penalties the NCAA put in place, that has the majority of college football analysts crying over spilled milk? Four years probation, fewer athletics scholarships per year, a two-year postseason ban for football, a one-season postseason ban for the basketball team (university-imposed), USC had to vacate the games they won with the three players, and other fines and administrative sanctions, as well as a few other university-imposed fines and sanctions.

Is this enough? Is USC really willing to stick its neck out for these two athletes who clearly violated NCAA amateurism rules, after their compliance office turned a seemingly blind eye to it? In my opinion, USC is wasting their time fighting these sanctions, and are only doing themselves a disservice by appealing the decision, instead of doing what they SHOULD be doing, which is hiring more compliance officers and paying more attention to the actions the players and coaches on the basketball and football teams are taking.

It’s worth noting, from Patrick Rische:

USC’s lack of institutional control is partially responsible for boosting USC’s athletic department revenues by $42-54 million from 2004-2009.

Personally, I think the best course of action for the NCAA to take in the future is to start fining schools who play ineligible players, based on valuating what ineligible players earn in revenues for their school when they play. That’ll get their attention more than a few sanctions, a postseason ban, fines, and probation.

This report attributes part of the gap to cities cutting back on parks/recreation funding, particularly for pools. I can somewhat relate to this–the pool I learned to swim in, (and have worked at over the summer for years, including making their website), is closing for this summer season because of not only the high costs of maintaining a pool, but a significant drop in memberships not just this year, but over the last several years. Each summer for the past few years, I’ve found myself asking: Why has there been such a big drop among memberships? Are people are not as interested in recreational, leisure activities as they used to be, or just for paying for them during a recession? Why avoid the water? The quote from the article below briefly addresses the economics of swimming pools.

Evidence of a continued swimming gap comes as the economic slowdown has cut back opportunities for inner-city kids to swim. With the approach of Memorial Day, the official start of swim season, “some cities are cutting back on pool hours if not closing pools altogether, and they’re also cutting public-safety budgets, including lifeguards,” says Christiana McFarland, director of finance and economic development for the National League of Cities.

Another interesting topic that this article approaches is fear of water.

The report, including interviews with children and parents in several cities, revealed that the biggest barrier to inner-city swimming proficiency isn’t a lack of pools and instructors, but parents’ fear of water.

Among low-income families, “many parents wouldn’t let kids swim even if lessons were free, a theme that was tested four times in different focus groups,” according to a summary of the study, conducted by Richard Irwin, professor of health and sports sciences at the University of Memphis. “Overall, fear trumped financial concerns across all respondent race groups in low-income families.”

I have been teaching people how to swim for about 6 years now, working mostly with kids aged 4-13. I have worked with kids who love the water, and I’ve worked with kids who are afraid to jump in a pool even when I am right in front of them to assist them, and they’re wearing flotation. But what I read from this is: parents are fearful of teaching their kids this useful skill, regardless of financial concerns regarding swim lessons? The reason we instructors teach kids to swim is for their safety, and (for most of us) our passion for the pool. Accidents do occur with the unpredictability that happens with swimming in water sometimes, but by teaching children basic swimming skills and how to be safe in or around water, we’re preventing many more.

I’ve just finished teaching a special session of swim lessons, with a classroom of children with low-functioning to severe Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Each of our instructors had one or two children (I had two older boys, around 14-16 years old), and we taught them for 10 days. Working with these children was wonderful for me, because I got to build a strong bond with two boys who struggle with communicating and interacting with other people, all while building skills in the pool. It was difficult, challenging, and unpredictable (giving a piggy-back ride to a 180-pound boy in deep water is an experience I wouldn’t recommend for everybody), but these two boys, after two weeks of swim lessons, love swimming, and know how to be safe in water, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.

To see not only a racial gap in swimming ability among children, as well as parents preventing their children from learning to swim because of fear, are two very disappointing and concerning things to read about (as well as what is below).

The low swimming-proficiency rate reflects both the prohibition against blacks in public pools that lasted well into the civil-rights era and a legacy of bogus science that, as recently as the 1970s, claimed blacks were biologically disadvantaged in water. In an interview, Dr. Irwin said black parents who can’t swim often go to incredible lengths to keep their children away from water. At the same time, children of all races tend to overestimate their swimming abilities, particularly when a pool or beach emerges into view on a hot summer day.

All of this gets even more worrisome when cities and businesses are closing down pools. As somebody who’s been in aquatics for his entire life, I can’t even begin to describe how disappointing it gets when I read reports like this, or hear about pools cutting hours or closing down. Let me know what you think about all this in the comments.

This is a major admission from Landis, and a curious development in professional sport, as the WSJ reports that his use of PED’s was “systematic”. Landis had denied doping and the use of PEDs for several years, so for him to admit to this…is really kind of a surprise.  The WSJ summary of several emails that Landis sent to several officials in USA Cycling, the International Cycling Union, and other Anti-Doping officials, are not particularly pleasing to read if you’re a fan of cycling or of Landis.

Mr. Landis said in [the emails] that during his career, he and other American riders learned how to conduct blood transfusions, take the synthetic blood booster Erythropoietin, or EPO, and use steroids. Mr. Landis said he started using testosterone patches, then progressed to blood transfusions, EPO, and a liquid steroid taken orally.

Mr. Landis said that Mr. Armstrong’s longtime coach, Johan Bruyneel, introduced Mr. Landis to the use of steroid patches, blood doping and human growth hormone in 2002 and 2003, his first two years on the U.S. Postal Service team. He alleged Mr. Armstrong helped him understand the way the drugs worked. “He and I had lengthy discussions about it on our training rides during which time he also explained to me the evolution of EPO testing and how transfusions were now necessary due to the inconvenience of the new test,” Mr. Landis claimed in the email. He claimed he was instructed by Mr. Bruyneel how to use synthetic EPO and steroids and how to carry out blood transfusions that doping officials wouldn’t be able to detect. Mr. Bruyneel and Mr. Johnson could not be reached for comment.

Mr. Landis wrote that after breaking his hip in 2003, he flew to Girona, Spain—a training hub for American riders—and had two half-liter units of blood extracted from his body in three-week intervals to be used later during the Tour de France. The extraction, Mr. Landis claimed, took place in Mr. Armstrong’s apartment, where blood bags belonging to Mr. Armstrong and his then-teammate George Hincapie were kept in a refrigerator in Mr. Armstrong’s closet. Mr. Landis said he was asked to check the temperature of the blood daily. According to Mr. Landis, Mr. Armstrong left for a few weeks and asked Mr. Landis to make sure the electricity didn’t go off and ruin the blood. George Hincapie, through a spokesman, denied the allegations.

Mr. Landis said that in 2006, after leaving the U.S. Postal Service team for a team sponsored by Swiss hearing aide manufacturer Phonak, he said he told Andy Rihs, the team’s owner, that he had been involved in a blood doping program in the past with his old team and wanted to continue doing so with Phonak. He said Mr. Rihs, who is the chairman of Sonova Holding AG, the Switzerland-based parent company for Phonak, agreed to pay for the same doping operations at Phonak. After Mr. Landis’s positive test—which was for testosterone and not blood doping—the team disbanded in 2006.

Mr. Rihs, through a spokesperson, declined to be interviewed. He said Thursday in a written statement that neither he nor the management of the team “knew that Floyd Landis was doped,” and described the email statements by Mr. Landis as “lies” representing “a last tragic attempt of Landis to once again gain public recognition” that he has lost.

Does Rihs have a point here? Is he lying to gain public recognition? Would Landis WANT any more public recognition as a cyclist who was caught doping and using performance-enhancing drugs, and then banned? ESPN reports Landis as saying:

“I take responsibility for all the stuff I did. No one gave me something and said, ‘Don’t ask what this is, just take it.’ I would never have done that. The things I took, I knew what they were, and I spent the time researching what the risks were, and the decisions I made were mine. The whole entire process of doping in the entire sport and the evolution of it all wasn’t my fault, but when it came down to it, me being there, I made the decision to do it. It wasn’t anyone else telling me to do it. I’m not blaming anyone for that. It was my decision. Every time.”

With that in mind, the following from Landis is particularly discouraging for USA Cycling and Anti-Doping efforts.

In addition to these allegations, Mr. Landis’s emails called current anti-doping efforts “a charade,” detailed how to use EPO without getting caught and claimed he helped former teammates Levi Leipheimer and Dave Zabriskie take EPO before one Tour of California race. Mr. Leipheimer and Mr. Zabriskie could not be reached for comment.

As more details come out of this, I wonder if USA Cycling or the International Cycling Union will take action similar to Major League Baseball in response to PEDs, when Commisioner Bud Selig appointed George Mitchell to compile a report on PEDs in professional baseball. I’d like to see it happen and if USA Cycling and the International Cycling Union wants to bring a little more respectability to their sport, I would strongly support and suggest that this is the action they take. Instead of blowing off Floyd Landis and claiming he’s trying to bring down the sport (as UCI president Pat McQuaid has done, according to the ESPN article), why not build your sport up and show that you are serious about the presence of PEDs, and are taking action to ensure fair competition?

On an aside, while I’m talking about cycling, I’m noticing as I bike to and from the pool that very few bike riders wear helmets. When I do see people wearing helmets, it is usually either young children (under the age of 5-6), or cyclists who ride in the road (equipped with spandex and other cyclist-like-clothing). I see at most 7-8 other bike riders daily during my 8 mile round-trip, but over the past few weeks, I approximate that only 1 out of 5 people wear protective helmets when they ride (and most of the time, that one person is me). Why aren’t people wearing helmets? Helmets are cool, but also give me peace of mind that my head will be mostly safe should motorists run into me with their car–which has almost happened a few times.

Not today! With various domestic club leagues finishing up, and a few international friendly matches to precede it over the next month, it’s time to get excited about the World Cup, a tournament which captivates fans of the one truly global game once every four years.

ESPN has put together an EXCELLENT collection of videos to market its broadcasting of the World Cup from June 11 to July 11, and to preview the 32 teams involved. I’m excited because of the heavy role placed on media in this sports marketing effort, as well as just the quality, but succinctness, of the videos themselves. This is a fantastic use of digital media and Youtube as well as standard video-editing and production (these videos have been on-the-air during Sportscenter, as well), and to see it applied to one of my favorite sports tournaments just makes me smile.

The first two videos in the playlist address the global impact of the games and note that there were several incredible players who wear the number 10, and put it all to some music. Interesting…but somewhat expected.

Once you get to the individual team previews (starting with France and ending with Nigeria–the order is a little strange), these “One Game Changes Everything” videos are just enthralling. The narrator’s captivating and distinctly-South African voice, as well as the content of the previews on their own, effectively make these videos and this tournament compelling before it has even begun.

So, sit back, watch, enjoy, and let me know who you’re rooting for this World Cup in the comments!

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