NHL Decision on Coyotes is Owner’s Decision

Gary Bettman is a very strong commissioner and the owners in the league usually follow his advice. Bill Daly is equally strong and he has a ton of respect from the owners. If Hamilton is going to get a team it is ultimately the owners of other NHL teams who will make the decision. But, make no mistake about it, you have to get through Bettman and Daly first. Owners tend to vote on what the commissioner recommends and in this scenario going into the Maple Leafs and Sabres territory there are plenty of reasons not to allow it. My bet is Hamilton gets a team but it is an expansion team and the price is $300 million.

Anheuser-Busch Heavyweight Joins Leverage Agency

Tony Ponturo has bought into Ben Sturner’s Leverage sports marketing firm. Budweiser is the king of beers and Tony who just retired from Anheuser-Busch headed up their powerful sports marketing department for years. Leverage Agency is a 5 year old sports marketing company that represents KFC, AVP Volleyball, Jimmy Kimmel Live among others. Ben Sturner already has made a name for himself as someone who can get into any meeting and can sell top sponsorships across the board. Everyone in the sports marketing business knows Tony Ponturo and very soon you will see this small firm grow into one of the big sports marketing firms in the country and everyone will soon know Leverage Agency.

Bad Economy Liquor Ads Get Reprieve

Looks like the Major Leagues are looking at lifting the prohibition on liquor ads for teams and for league sponsors. It’s funny how a soft sponsorship market changes people’s minds. I sell sponsorships for a living so it’s good news for me and my clients but I wonder if they would do it if the market was not so soft now. Most of the people that attend Major League sporting events are adults (people over 18). Even now you would think that a lot of kids attend these events. The only kids that are there are those accompanied by their parents. I don’t think there is any harm on having ads in arenas for liquor. Television is another issue because I think a lot of kids watch the games.

Reggie Jackson Best Player, Best Person

I am headed to New York City today to attend the Joe DiMaggio’s award dinner where Reggie Jackson is receiving the award. The first time a Yankee has received this prestigious award. Coincidently, I just completed a marketing deal with Reggie to have famous artist, Ruben Ramonda, paint his three home runs from the 1977 World Series. Reggie Jackson is a nice guy. He gives so much of his money to “Reggie’s Kids” an organization that helps kids go to college amongst other things. He has helped countless kids to have opportunities they might never have had. Reggie is a pleasure to deal with and generally is a nice guy. He shuns from publicity most of the time but behind the scenes he is a hero for a lot of kids. We all know his accomplishments on the field but for many years he has done much more great work off the field.

Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs will Save Horse Racing

It’s no secret that horse racing has taken a hit over the past few years. It was the dominant sport for decades along with baseball and boxing. The younger generation has not connected with the sport over the last 15 years. Tracks are having a difficult time getting patrons through the door. I have a feeling that’s all starting to change. The folks at Churchill Downs are now taking a new approach to running their tracks. I think over the next few years you will see new entertainment ideas that will cater to the younger generation such as concerts, new ways to bet, more entertainment at the tracks, etc. Churchill Downs has a smart executive named Mike Mossholder who has some great ideas and his team is going to change the way you experience a race when you watch the horses go around the track. I think it is overdue and finally someone in the horse racing industry is stepping up and creating an entertainment atmosphere.