Money Ball Outline - February 8th

1.  Taking Care of Business

Going bowling:  the BCS, other bowls, and the economy!

  • The University of Florida and its “cash machine”—a $83 million payday!
  • “The Inside Story”:  top 10 athletic department budgets (3-5 during bowl season; Michigan and Texas A&M left out)
  • “The Inside Story Continued”:  top 10 athletic director salaries (4-4 during bowl season; Illinois and Texas A&M left out)
  • Attendance winners and losers
  • Student-athlete winners and losers:  which bowls give the best swag?
  • Horrow Head Coach Headgear Index:  the final tally


The Frozen Pond headed to Montreal

  • NHL Winter Classic:  a home run
  • More black ink on the Blackhawks
  • NHL losers:  the desperate six?
  • NHL Creativity 101:  17 of 30 franchises with discounts and giveaways
  • The other side of marketing:  75 percent increase in fighting during the last three seasons
  • Can we all get along?:  future labor negotiations heading into Montreal All-Star Game


Go for the Green:  golf season tees off in Hawaii

  • Corporate sponsorship snapshot:  12 of the first 15 events are sponsored by auto, financial, or electronics companies
  • The LPGA eliminating its COO and CMO positions:  what does it mean
  • Is this the new wave of golf promotion:  the 16th hole at Scottsdale?


2.  The Main Event
Are you ready for some “intense, playoff” football?

  • U.S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson’s injunction in the StarCaps case:  what does it mean
  • NFL attendance winners and losers:  the usual suspects
  • Do new stadiums mean winning records:  interesting results
  • NFL jersey sales results are in:  of the top 10 jersey sale teams, six missed the playoffs; of the top 25 jersey sale players, 14 missed the playoffs (and 10 were quarterbacks)
  • NFL creativity in a tight economy:  Vineyard Vines NFL licensing deal
  • NFL creativity heading to Super Bowl XLIII:  Pedigree Dog Food
  • NFL creativity reprise:  3-D, Intel, and FOX
  • NFL creativity once again:  the towel that saved NFL marketing


3.  Closing the Deal

  • RH “take”:  five examples of economic distress in the $750 billion sports business; not to worry:  creative ways to “get out of the box.”  Solutions that will jumpstart the sports economy immediately!
  • Valedictorian:  Sports Professor’s top sports winners of the week
  • Flunked out:  Sports Professor’s top sports losers of the week

4.  On the Radar

NFC and AFC Championship games; tennis season begins; getting ready for the NHL All-Star Game; Daytona 500; and NBA All-Star Game