Inflated Numbers, Inflated Egos

The New England Patriots are the best team ever in the history of the NFL!

Or so say all the pundits and talking heads and other no-life sports writers. Why do they say this? It is because they have gone the entire regular season without losing a game. They are 16-0 and that is the first time in history that a team has gone 16-0 in the regular season so they have won the most regular season games, ergo the “Best Ever”.

Or are they? Did they really do something historic (as in never been done) or are the numbers just artificially inflated ?

Are they the first team in NFL history to win all their regular season games? Well actually they are the fourth. So as historic as the 4th person to fly the Atlantic Ocean solo (who was that? nobody knows or cares).

Back in 1934 the Chicago Bears went 13-0 in the regular season before losing in the championship game in the famous “Sneaker Bowl” to the New York Giants (so called because one of the Giants assistants went and broke into a gymnasium and stole a bunch of sneakers because the cleats were slipping in the icy Polo Grounds field).

The 1942 Bears went 11-0 (again winning all the games in the regular season, shortened because of World War II) but again lost in the Championship game (back then they didn't have three rounds of playoffs before the championship game hence no chance at becoming 16-0).

The 1972 Miami Dolphins went 14-0 in the regular season and 3-0 in the playoffs to include the NFL Championship Super Bowl. They are therefore the first team to go all the way to the end undefeated. So they are basically the Charles Lindbergh of the NFL, and the Patriots are down there on the list.

So why are they making such a hoopla over this? Well there is first of all the egotistical notion that the men and women reporting sports wanting to be part of history as if because of the Patriots achievement, they themselves become important. They are living vicariously through the Patriots as some parents who force their kids into doing things that they failed to do in their youth.

Of course we all talk about the numbers, but again the teams in the past didn't have the chance to win that many games, so one can never really say who is the best ever just because we inflate the season and dilute the talent. There are many more teams today and of course some think there seems to be enough talent to field them. However there is definitely a big drop off in talent between the good teams and the average and bad ones. Plus the rosters of teams have expanded so more players suit up for games then in the past. Free agency does help as well as teams can stockpile talent and take the disgruntled players from other teams and rent them for a year to make a “Super Team” and then let them all go for salary cap reasons.

The game has also evolved as rule changes and equipment have changed the game for better or worse depending upon one's point of view (they changed a lot of rules to allow for more offense and therefore making more interesting and wide open games, in theory).

Also there are way too many improvements in conditioning, diet, supplements (legal and otherwise) and lifestyles today. For instance the athletes of old had to work other type of jobs in the off season and didn't have access to the wonderful exercise equipment that athletes have today.

Lets face it players that were considered “huge” in the 30's, 40's and even the 70's are considered way too undersized today. So it is tough to compare eras and decades in any sports. But that doesn't stop these sportscasters as that would require research and that is too much work for the so-called “journalists” of this day.

None of this is of course New England's fault, and I am not taking anything away from their achievement. They earned their success and should be proud of it and celebrate appropriately. They are the best team of this era and if they go on to win it all, more power to them.

Let's just not go overboard and disrespect history and what came first. Appreciate the past, live in the present and embrace future growth.

Mahalo.

Cheater's Proof

Well the Mitchell report has finally come out, and guess what? Yes there is cheating in baseball after all. Also Barry Bonds didn't cheat in a vacuum, he was just better at it then other players were.

Of course Barry's legal problems stem from the fact he allegedly lied to a Federal Grand Jury when they were trying to close down illegal labs like BALCO, not just from his use of the substances. There is a big difference between that and if he was just a steroid user. But enough time, energy and bandwidth has been wasted on this cretin so that's all I'll say about him for now.

The juicy part of the report has to deal with the other big names mentioned. There was Roger Clemens, Andy Pettite, Miguel Tejada (maybe Rafael Palmerio was telling the truth when he said he got the stuff from Tejada after all) amongst the active players. I man wow, who would have guessed it? Except of course rumors have been floating around earlier this summer about these three, so I guess the old saying “Wheres there's smoke there's fire”, rings true in this case.

Of course all the players on the list who would have been considered for the Hall of Fame, need to get the same treatment as Barry Bonds, and Mark McGuire are getting now. If there is an asterisk besides Barry's home run record, there there should be one next to Clemen's win and strikeout totals as well. If Barry's MVP's are tainted, then so is Clemen's Cy Young awards. Fair is fair and we all want to be fair.

The reason for the lack of outcry for these other players is mainly because they don't act like cretins to the public and press. Yes there will be gnashing of teeth and rending of garments for a week or so, but it will go away and become background noise until Spring Training. Then of course the media will storm the camps and besiege these players with ridiculous questions and try to trip them up. Then of course it will die down and the regular season will go along until June/July when the boring part of the season is upon us and a little mention will be made, then go away for the stretch runs.

Baring of course any major busts or a rash of failed tests show up.

The whole problem with this scenario is that it all hinges on the testimony of one person, an ex Club House worker from Shea Stadium. He was caught dealing in HGH and steroids, and part of his plea agreement was to give evidence to the Mitchell panel. It is known that players give money to club house personnel to run errands for them, (washing cars, filling up gas tanks, getting food and drink, etc.) and pay them with cash and checks. The canceled checks are one of the main pieces of evidence he has produced against the players. But one can never really know what he really got the money for, (and of course there is the chance that he is telling the truth).

The next few days are going to be fun and the “Talking Heads” are going to be wagging their tongues and making excuses for some players while trashing others. Ah yes these “Holier than thou” commentators really crack me up and I get a good laugh at them trying to justify their bogus indignation, bias and bigotry (especially ESPN anchors and talk show hosts both on TV and Radio).

Let's all sit back and enjoy the ride and join me for a laugh.

Mahalo.

You Can't Touch Me I'm A Made Man!

 

So Bill Belichek, head coach of the New England Patriots, just wanted a home movie of the Jets game last week, and look where it got him.

Bill known as the most sensitive, caring football coach in history just wanted to share a memory with his former assistant Eric Maginni. Let's face it what a better present than a video of a shared moment? After all this is why we all take videos of weddings, birthdays, graduations etc., is it not? Hey the camera man just thought the Jets' assistant coaches were doing a fancy dance, and he wanted to make sure he got the date and time right. He was just helping Maginni by giving him a light hearted video during the tense and rigorous experience that is the NFL season.

Yeah Right! If you believe any of that drivel, then I have a nice bridge in Brooklyn to sell you, or maybe some nice swamp land in Florida is more to your liking?

Belichek is known and criticized throughout the media that covers the NFL as a cold calculating fish. He is also described as a manipulative and arrogant jerk. He is very secretive about what is going on behind the closed doors of his office. Critics point at his blatant abuse of the injury report required by the league as a way of his tiptoeing around the rules (he puts everyone on the report to keep opponents guessing about the true status of his players' health). He does play by the rules in wearing “Official NFL approved Apparel”, but he cuts of the sleeves of his hooded sweatshirt so he looks like a bum on the sidelines (again obeying the rule of the law, but not the spirit of the law). His press conferences are boring and monotone, and he only does the because they are required, and he does the minimum time that the league allows. He treats the media as a necessary evil and doesn't allow his assistants to talk to the media. Of course he learned this from his mentor Bill Parcells, late of the Dallas Cowboys.

His history doesn't allow one to appreciate his character either. Within a day after accepting a job as the head coach of the Jets, he promptly quit and accepted a better offer from their rival the Patriots. But then again it might be that he knew the Jets were a franchise in disarray and decided that he couldn't live in that mess.

The issue at hand however is the video that one of his assistants was taking of the Jets sidelines during the game. What he was doing was taping the assistants signaling the plays for the defense, and then quickly panning to the scoreboard to record down and distance. This allowed the coordinators in the booth to compare the signals and the time of the game with the formations that the Jets were using. This give them the knowledge of what the Jets were going to do and allow the offense to change the play and take advantage of this advanced knowledge. Of course the quarterback has a radio receiver in his helmet so the coaches can send in plays. All they need to do is call two plays in the huddle (a common practice) and then once they have the defense figured out, shout a code word and allow the quarterback to change the plat at the line of scrimmage by “calling an audible”.

This is not the first time the Patriots have been accused of doing this. The Green Bay Packers caught this same guy doing this last year, and at least one other team has said they thought they saw this, but couldn't believe someone would be so brazen as to do this in the open.

Now watching the other team's signals and trying to pick them up is as old as the game. This has led to various ways to camouflage the signals including having multiple coaches/players sending in dummy signals to confuse the other team. In fact the offense now relies on radio controlled helmets for the quarterbacks. However the defensive captain doesn't get the same advantage. This may lead to the adoption of this equipment in the near future. The amazing thing is that many teams have complained to the league about the signals mysteriously going out during crucial drives while playing in Gillette Stadium (Home of the Patriots) as well as jammed signals between the press boxes and the sidelines. Hmm what a coincidence.

The rule is clear that a team is not allowed to record the signals of an opponent using any video recording device. Belichek's defense was that “He just misinterpreted the rule”. Right, sure Bill, whatever you say.

Of course the NFL came down with some minor slaps on the wrist as far as penalties are concerned. Bill was fined $500,000 (maximum allowed by league rules), which sounds like a lot, but considering his base salary is $7 million it isn't all that much (plus the additional $5-8 million he makes in endorsements, and one can see where this doesn't really hurt). The team was fined $250,000 and loss of a first round draft choice if they make the playoffs, or a 2nd and 3rd round choices if they don't. Big deal, the franchise is worth $1.5 Billion and they actually have made trades where they have 2 first rounders this year, so it doesn't hurt anyone except a current college player who will now lose money because they will not be a first round draft choice (a difference of millions in base salary and bonuses).

The team cannot pay the fine for Coach Belichek, but he all of a sudden he got a one year extension of his contract through 2013, and oh yeah an undisclosed amount of bonus money was included. A little fishy? Again a way around the rules? Well it does follow the letter of the law, but.....


The New England Patriots under the present owner Bob Kraft, has been held up as a model franchise, and has been considered the “right way to run a team”.

Of course Belichek is Kraft's handpicked coach. And oh yea he also has three Super Bowl rings (which is the NFL's equivalent of "being made") over the last 5 years and the Patriots are a lot of people's choice to win it all again this year. He has been labeled as a genius for getting the most out of players and being able to overcome devastating injuries by plugging in role players into unfamiliar positions and make it work (i.e. Troy Brown a receiver playing defensive back and doing it well).

Of course this seems to have galvanized the team into playing an almost flawless game against the Sand Diego Chargers last Sunday night. It was as if they were saying that “Hey we don't cheat nor do we need to in order to win”.

Last we heard the NFL was still looking into this situation, and it seems to be an open investigation. However this may just be a cover story to make them look like they are doing something, while already deciding that the matter is closed. Only the future will tell.

Mahalo.

The Fall of An Icon

Well the end of an era and a career is here.

Michael Vick (aka Ron Mexico) has plead guilty to conspiracy to engage in dog fighting. This after months of denying and parsing out the truth about his involvement in the criminal activity. Amazing that he actually thought that he would get away with it all, but of course his “friends” ratted him out big time and he had no choice except to try and plead himself to limit the damage.

So much for “honor between thieves”.

His co-conspirators have all issued statements to the court stating that Vick was involved in all aspects of the business (Bad Newz Kennels), including the execution of non-performing dogs, financing the operations, providing money to make and cover bets, setting up the fights and transporting the dogs across state lines to participate in dog fights.

He gave the usual press conference after the hearing and in a memorized prepared statement (denied of course by his attorneys) offered contrition and apologies. For someone who claimed not to be a public speaker, he did deliver a very well polished and measured speech. In fact he never sounded as polished even when he was in commercials and had do-overs to get it right. So his new speech coach who prepped him on this message (I am sure they practiced all weekend to get the head motions right) earned his or her money. I was almost moved by the performance.

Naturally he apologized to his teammates, the owner and coach of the Falcons, as well as the Commissioner of the NFL (Roger Godell). Also as in these cases he said he “found Jesus” (amazing how many people “find Jesus” after they commit brutal and heinous crimes. In fact the prison population in the USA is full of so-called “Born Again Christians). He also mentioned that he thought Dog Fighting was wrong (so why did he do it if he thought it was wrong?) and he was sorry for “everything he did”. Amazing none of this occurred to him before he was caught. It is easy to look contrite and sincere after the fact and right after being in court (kind of like it's easy to sound sick immediately after waking up in the morning, so if you are calling in sick to work, do it before that first cup of coffee/tea and shower).

Everything he did? Does this include everything or just a few things mentioned in the indictment? Was he sorry for the practical jokes he played in elementary school as well? It is noticed that he would not mention specifically what “everything” meant or contained. Of course he said this after mentioning “finding Jesus”, so does that mean he is sorry for doing that as well?

It will remain to see if he truly is repentant or if he was really saying that he was sorry he was caught.


For some reason he feels he will only be out of football for a year (as mentioned in his speech). Does he really think that people are as stupid as he is or just wishful thinking? First of all his sentencing isn't until December 10th, and his jail term and/or other punishment starts then. Does he feel that he will skip out on jail time and that the NFL will just open its arms and accept him back as a convicted felon as if nothing happened?

Sure people point to Ray and Jamal Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens (no relation) who also had problems with the law, but that was under a different Commissioner. Ray was involved in a scuffle at a bar during a Super Bowl weekend in Atlanta, where someone was shot and killed. The gunmen were part of Ray's “Posse” and they sped away in his SUV. Ray himself was never the suspected shooter, nor involved directly with the scuffle. All he was convicted of was obstruction of justice by withholding names and evidence from the police. However never was he mentioned as a suspect. He pled guilty and paid his fines and that was that. So his only real crime was not ratting out his old friends. However he did clean up his act and dismantled his “Posse” and has been a model citizen ever since.

Jamal was convicted of conspiracy to traffic cocaine. He was found guilty and served 6 months in prison. Again involved with an “Old friend” from his past. Once out he went back to football, but was never the same. The Ravens dumped him over the off season, and he is now “sentenced” to play for the Cleveland Browns (only true football fans will get that joke, so if you don't understand find a football fan to explain it to you).

Neither of these can be compared to Vick, as they were one off occurrences. Vick has been running his dog fighting ring for 7 years now. In fact he was planning it from out of College and organized the whole scheme.

He has only himself to blame ad these racist jerks and jerkettes who defend him and blame the government for his poor judgment and character are not doing him any favors. In fact his whole career has been one of poor judgment on and off the field (see previous posting). His character is not one of quality, and he has been lying all this time, so why are to believe his performance now? His words mean nothing and he has no basis for expecting anyone to believe him now. He has shown himself to b of low character and he sought those of the same ilk (birds of a feather?).

However people can change if they really want to and work hard at it daily.

It was reported that Part of the plea agreement was that he is now going to work with the federal government in cleaning up the dog fights. It was reported that he is going to give names and places etc so they can crack down on this heinous brutal activity. In fact they have already arrested a famous Rap Star and there is speculation that Vick gave them his name. It will be interesting to see what else is to come of this. There are a lot of people a bit worried right about now. And one wonders what they are thinking about Vick and if they are willing to gamble that they won't be named next.

Michael Vick he football player is done, however there is plenty of time for Michael Vick the person to change and become a productive member of society after he serves his time. We are a nation of second (and third and fourth and....chances) so it is up to him to change. This is the challenge and tribulation that really is ahead of him.

Right now he just needs to fade away and do the right things to get his life back on track. That will tell his true character as a man. Michael are prayers are with you, good luck and God speed on your rehabilitation.

Mahalo.

Me Too! (or The Death of Creativity)

 

Being on a multiple ezine lists one starts to wonder what ever happened to originality amongst marketers, in particular Internet Marketers. I get over 30 emails a day from these lists, and it is amazing how many times not only are the subjects are the same but the texts are as well. Yes I know I can just unsubscribe from these lists, and I do regularly but they make such excellent examples of what not to do and let's me see what the sheep are chasing these days.

I know the “latest greatest thing” is Affiliate Marketing, and that the person one buys the product from generally provides the marketing material (squeeze page, email and source files) but it is up to the individual to change it up so that their message stands out.

The ones that get me is where the Subject line reads “Don't buy XXXX until...” . Well I see the words “Don't Buy” and I immediately delete that message. I know they are each trying to say they have the best ad-on product or “special report” they are trying to hawk, but I (and I am sure a lot others) are just not buying from this negative message. Besides most of the so called “bonuses” are retreads that have been around for years or some other worthless thing like a “membership” to their site of duplicate and obsolete information.

Another one is where they all are best friends with “A 25 year old millionaire”, or “The Rich Jerk” etc. It is amazing how these show up every 6 months or so and again the message is lost.

I am surprised at the lack of originality from these self proclaimed “Creatives”. I guess they are living in Utopia, you remember how the people made their living by taking each other's laundry. That seems to be how these people are making money by buying the same stuff off of each other and sharing the lack of wealth between them.

Yes they are blindly following each and every fad and are just filling up the net with more and more useless junk. The sad part is each one of them think they are impressing me (and others on their lists) with their “amazing discoveries”, but I am just not buying into it. Occasionally a new idea pops up from one or two of the leaders( yes there are a couple who come out first, but soon the rest follow), and these do show what the new fads are, but soon they are buried in the hype and copycats.

I do admit I do love reading these emails as a source of amusement. However I don't think that the majority of the senders have that as their main reason for sending them out. Some do try to find out by sending emails that ask for opinions about what they should be sending out, but these are just tricks to have the readers write the emails for them. Let's face it, we signed up for your newsletter because we were interested in what you were advertising as the topics, not to be deluged by offers of old and overly abused information. Surprisingly I have never heard back personally from these people, but do keep getting their emails, including the occasional “reader survey”. In which I answer again as above.

I do believe that there are people making a living in this manner, but regretfully they are being lost in the shuffle of the lazy incompetent that are filling our email boxes daily.

Good creative people will survive, and the bad impostors and copycats will fall by the wayside, but regretfully they will be replaced by more copycat zombies. We just need to accept that this is true in all endeavors, offline as well as online, and just a fact of life and move on.

Mahalo.

Barroid, A-Rod and Glavine, Oh My!

 

Well 3 new milestones have been reached this weekend in the stat heavy baseball realm.

Barry Bonds, aka “Barroid” grabbed the career home run mark by hitting his 755th, and 756th, Alex Rodriguez reached the 500 mark (youngest to do so) and Tom Glavine finally got his 300th win (only 5th lefthander to reach that mark, 23rd overall). Congrats to all.

Baseball more than any other sport seems to care more about individual statistics. There are more stats in baseball than one can imagine.

Yes the baseball fans are ecstatic about these, but what does it mean for baseball in general? Basically not much. While Glavine and A-Rod are basically considered nice all around people, they are not exactly marketable commodities. They are so calm and reserved that they border on boring, as far as stars are concerned. Even though they both play in New York City (A-Rod for the Yankees, Glavine for the Mets), there was no really buzz around the country for these two players. They just don't excite anyone because of their lack of flash or controversy. So the milestones were passed without fanfare and another chance at marketing a sport in trouble went to the wayside. There should have been more done to promote these two good stories.

Glavine's fault is that he is a finesse pitcher instead of a power pitcher. He relies on placement and control to get his outs instead of over powering the hitters like a Roger Clemens or Nolan Ryan. People just don't get excited by these type of pitches as they are methodical and slow, yet they get the job done. He has been around for a long time and is just steady and luckily never has been on the disabled list in his career. So the marketability to the general public is negligible, as only purists (like myself) appreciate what he has accomplished in his career. The “casual fan” just doesn't care about the finer points and nuances of the game, just strike outs and home runs.

A-Rod hits home runs, but has never really clicked as he tends to be quiet and professional in his approach. The idiots in the press don't appreciate this and have labeled him “aloof” and distant. They can't stand or understand the fact that he just isn't a loud mouth or flashy kind of guy. Plus since he is the highest paid player in baseball, and plays for the Yankees, he is expected to shine in the post season. For some reason he has not lived up to billing in the playoffs, giving his distractors ample fodder to label him “soft” and a “choker”. So naturally with this type of personality and bad press he just isn't marketable as well.

The problem of course is that these happened the same weekend that Bonds tied the home run record. Of course a lot of sports writers claim that this record is the “most hallowed in sports”, but that is only to them so they have something to complain about. Barroid is of course under suspicion of having done steroids and is under investigation by the federal government for this, perjury, and tax evasion. The Grand Jury has been investigating for the past few years, and for some reason they keep it going without resolution (of course I think they are waiting for the record to be broken so they won't be accused of playing politics and interfering his breaking the record).

Barroid's trainer Greg Anderson is in jail for contempt for not answering questions about the steroid use by Bonds. The whole thing stems from a raid on a lab called Balco that was producing “Performance Enhancing Drugs” and the owner was convicted and sent to prison. He has said in interviews that tests performed by the authorities cold never keep up with the labs producing the drugs as they can always find ways to mask the drugs and beat the tests. Of course the main drug “Human Growth Hormone” (HGH) can not be detected by normal urine tests, and the Major League Baseball union prohibits blood tests that will detect the presence of HGH.

Of course dozens of minor and lesser major league players have tested positive and have been suspended, but many of these come from Latin countries where the drug technology isn't as advanced, and since these players are not as known, the media like ESPN doesn't mention them except in passing if at all. In fact many just have their names mentioned in scrolls as the main program are being aired. Then of course they claim that noon wants to know, but in effect if we aren't told about this, how can we care about something we don't know about? It's just that they market themselves based upon the major stars and don't care, so they don't feel obligated to announce it. Talk about censorship of the news! Tell us and let us care folks!

Barroid of course is famous due to his assault of this record so every move he makes is recorded (Barry Bonds picked his nose today, news at 11) and shoved down our throats. Barroid's other problem is the fact that he doesn't treat people right. He is known for his snapping at reporters and fans, even those that support him. Of curse this is one side effect of steroids, irrational quick anger. There is also the famous book out there from a couple of years ago, “Game of Shadows” that detail the information the government has on Barroid and others. This is the most damning evidence along with his ex-mistress talking about the steroid use and tax evasion.

There is the rub (as the English might say), in that we have the most prolific home run hitter in the history of the game, but baseball cannot profit by marketing his image or his achievements. I think that is why the commissioner Bud Selig looked like he just choked on a pile of manure when Barry hit the home run that tied the record. Now that he broke the record, the real fun starts. If he was a nice and contrite as he was during his post game interview throughout his career he would be a national hero instead of the pariah that he has become. Again the steroids he took to reach this mark is to blame for his actions off the field. Too bad as he just let his ego run away and now it is time to pay the piper.

Luckily for baseball, the game will survive and as long as MLB doesn't make the same mistake that the NBA did by changing their marketing strategy away from marketing the game and teams to marketing the individual players above the game.

Remember players come and go, but the game remains, so that is where their marketing resources should be focused and we'll still remain fans.

Mahalo.

..And I'm The Only One!

Woe The NBA!

Yes that line from the 1970's Disney production of A.A. Milne's classic “Winnie The Pooh” is what the NBA is hoping to hear from disgraced referee Tim Donaghy in reference to the betting/fixing scandal that has just emerged this summer. It didn't emerge from anything the NBA did of course, but from an investigation into mob activities by the FBI.

The scandal surrounds one referee (Donaghy) who owed an alleged mobster money from gambling. He supposedly made some calls to influence the “Over/Under” on games he was reffing in so that the mob could clean up on bets. The “Over/Under” refers to the total points scored by both teams in a game and is a popular bet both legally and illegally. He was able to keep some players form scoring by calling fouls on them (and maybe even get them out of the game either by having too many fouls early in the game, or having that particular player fouling out) to decrease the overall score, or if he needed to increase the score, allow for a team to get to the foul line more during the game to get more points on the board.

The commissioner of the NBA, David Stern, came out and gave a very measured press conference in which he kept referring to Donaghy as a “rogue referee” who was acting alone, and he was certain there was no others involved. The trouble with that statement was that one of the other charges was that Donaghy was supplying his mob contact with “info on other games”, what ever that was to mean. How could he possibly have “information” about other games he wasn't refereeing in if he didn't have accomplices? Let's face it, injury reports are public knowledge, so that can't be it. Personal problems of players? Well that pretty much is reported in the news as well so that's not it either. So what information could he possibly be passing on? No one is saying just yet and the investigation continues.

The NBA has a definite image problem that seems to not want to go away. First of all is the conception (or misconception depending upon your point of view) that the league has turned into a “Thug” league. The conception has emerged because as the players get younger and miss the development that college ball has to offer, the game has evolved into more of one-on-one street type of game. Some people like this sort of thing others are bored by it (like me if I want to see a street game, I'd go down to the local YMCA). Also the players on the bench (injured, inactive etc.) were dressing in clothes that were deemed “too casual”, and resembled “gang wear”. Stern took this in consideration and put a decree out that players not in uniform should wear suits and ties. This is of course response to the so called “concerned citizens” who think that by doing this gangs will disappear because they won't have their haberdashery models (yea like this made a difference).

The other image problem is that for years people have been saying that the games (especially the playoffs) are bing fixed to maximize the TV audiences, or to eliminate Stern's least liked owners. One of whom is the Dallas Maverick's owner Mark Cuban. Cuban tends to be a bit outspoken about the stodginess of the league and is trying to improve the game in other ways. Stern doesn't appreciate any criticism in the way he markets the league to younger audiences, even when it comes from someone who made billions through marketing to young audiences.

I have this same image of the league based upon watching on TV. I have never been a huge basketball fan. I watch during the post season as the regular season games seemed a bit boring and pointless to me. Of course growing up in Chicago we had the Bulls, and the Jordan years were exciting, but then again only when the intensity was ramped up for the playoffs. It was during theses games that I would see uneven refereeing. Calls made against one team were not called against the other. Also it seemed like certain teams were given advantages at the end of close games that allowed them to pull off miracle wins. One particular game was a Bulls-Knicks contest during the first Jordan “retirement” era when the bulls looked like they were going to pull off an upset and real ticky-tack foul was called on Scottie Pippen that allowed the Knicks to win the game and advance...hmm. But the game that soured me for good was a Laker-Trailblazer game where it looked like, again, Portland would advance t the finals and the Shaq led Lakers were going down in defeat, when all of a sudden the Portland center was being called for phantom ticky-tack fouls while Shaq was allowed to just barrel through, and take as many steps (called traveling or walking in the NBA rule book) as he wanted. Again the league really needed the Lakers in the finals to pull ratings, and guess what, they did! Imagine that, what a coincidence.

There are so many no-calls and ticky-tack fouls being called that how can the NBA be sure more refs are not on the take? The explanation is that these are “judgment calls” made on the fly. What is the use of a rule book if everything is subjective depending upon how the referees are feeling that day? What is the point of a rule book if a call is made one game, but not in another? Why have referees if they are not enforcing the rules? Just let the teams suit up and let it the players go if you are not going to enforce the rules properly.

The main problem is that the league office seems to tie themselves into marketing players not the game. They want to sell merchandise and shoes endorsed by these players. I guess they realize that marketing the game itself (like Football and Baseball) doesn't work as the public seems to think that basketball played by the rule book is boring and something we do in elementary school gym class.

The NBA is slowly going the way of the WWE as more and more people are recognizing the bad calls and obvious way the championship is being decided (by the league office once playoffs are under way). I mean they went out of their way to try and rein in the “Star Player” treatment and enforce the “Team”concept by having San Antonio win it this year, but it was so blatant that only a brain-dead moron couldn't see through the facade.

Yes there is a big problem in the NBA and I fear (for their sakes) that Tim Donaghy is only the tip of the old iceberg and when this trial starts, more dark secrets will be revealed and David Stern will be wincing once again in front of press row as he squirms for answers.

Woe the NBA, a great concept, but the hubris got them in the end.

Mahalo.

Ron “Ookie” Mexico (AKA Michael Vick) is Going To the Dogs

 

How disgusting is this?

Unless you have been living under a rock the past 24 hours, you know the story. Michael Vick the quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons has been indicted for Training dogs for fighting, being the money man for dog fighting tournaments across state lines, and killing dogs that won't fight in very disgusting and cruel manner (hanging, electrocution, drowning and repeatedly slamming them on the ground).

This is just another in a list of disturbing and stupid behavior this guy has been involved with throughout his career. There is the incident where he checked into motels with prostitutes, but using the name “Ron Mexico”. Funny as soon as this story came out NFL shops were inundated with requests for Falcon jerseys bearing the number 7 (Vick's uniform number)and customized with the name “Mexico” in lace of Vick's. Of course the NFL tried to bury the story and canceled all orders. Then earlier this year was the incident at the airport where he tried to sneak a bong disguised as a water bottle through airport security. According to the authorities it smelled of marijuana and had a false bottom. They confiscated this and he wasn't charged. Three months later he started to make a stink about getting his “bottle” back as he claimed to have valuable earrings hidden in the bottom. Funny how they weren't there, nor did he mention them at the time of the incident. And waiting 3 months to ask about them? Talk about a chowderheaded explanation, long after the incident was put to bed by the media. Oh yea here is the swearing at and giving the finger to fans as he walked off the field after a bad game.

You see Vick is considered hot property as far as marketing the game and getting sponsors. Vick as far as his talent is concerned, is a very talented and exciting player. He has the propensity to make exciting big plays when things go awry on the field. But alas one man a team does not make. The Falcons have been guilty of not putting a decent enough supporting cast for them to win the big games.

Vick has been hot property for Nike and EA sports amongst others. The NFL uses him in their promos to build interest. Regretfully none of these companies have stepped forward to distance themselves from this troubled athlete, like they have done other less popular/known ones. However there will be a backlash coming once more details of his involvement comes out in the coming months.

How about Home Depot? This is relevant as the owner of the Falcons (Arther Blank) is the CEO of Home Depot and since he is still supporting Vick, there could be some trouble as it might appear that he is supporting dog fighting and there could be boycotts of Home Depots around the country. But at the same time Blank has to be seen to be loyal to his most marketable player. This is the trouble with building a marketing program for a team around one player. In a sense he put all his eggs in Vick's basket, and he dropped it.

This disgusting behavior was made even worse as he continually lied to both Blank and the NFL about his involvement, embarrassing them and making them look like fools. So what does the NFL with their new discipline policy in place do? This isn't a misdemeanor, it's a Federal Indictment. Where is PETA in all this? Why aren't they taking to the streets and demanding the NFL and the sponsors cut their ties? Maybe I'm in a bit early and they are already doing this.

One can only hope justice is done and the idiots get their due.

Mahalo.

Er,Maybe the iPhone isn't the End All After All.

Ok the Apple iPhone has been out for two weeks now and the reality is starting to set in for users.

Yes, I do agree it does look great but still the problems are mounting up.

First of all there is the problem with the carrier (AT&T, formerly Cingular) and getting set up and activated. Then comes the highly restricted user agreement and realizing that they can shut you down if they feel that you are using the web services too much.

Second is the idea of being able to “browse the web” and viewing regular web sites instead of special built WAP pages. The pages are too small and being able to read any articles etc. one will get eye strain (or maybe get a magnifiers for computers like the ones in the movie “Brazil”). Plus to view the whole page one has to use the slide bars, so you don't get the whole page experience. BTW the slide bars aren't precise so you can get frustrated as you slide back and forth to find the spot you want to continue reading (or viewing the latest Paris or Britany pic). Plus of course is the absence of streaming audio and video built into the service.

Third is the screen itself. Yes touch screens are nice, but they tend to wear out. After a few months of service, there will more than likely be indents and worn spots from toughing the same buttons over and over again. If your hands are cold, wet, sticky or greasy, forget about being able to use the phone. The natural oils in people's skin will also affect the screen everytime you hold the phone to your face while talking.

This is not a comprehensive list, just the obvious ones. As people are using it they are finding that they have one again fell into the SJRDF (Steve Jobs Reality Distortion Field).

Once again however Steve Jobs did a masterful job at marketing his company's new product. He is masterful at getting attention and making a market his through his force of personality. It is amazing how many of these so-called “journalists” in the media actual read his PR pieces instead of actually investigating the claims that his stuff is “revolutionary”. Just a little effort would see that these products are just his version of existing products. But I guess no one wants to seem “uncool” and actually do some work and tel the truth.

I will give Steve Jobs this much, due to his personality and marketing genius he has this way of dazzling the general public into actually believing his products are the first in a market. He is the best marketer since P.T. Barnum, and is an excellent practitioner of his methods in duping the gullible. Those of us who are resistant or have escaped the SJRDF admire his hold on these people while shaking are heads at the zombies (fanboys/fangirls) responding to his calls.

Yes as long as Steve Jobs is active, Apple Inc will thrive, once he is gone and retired, well......

Mahalo.

Happy Days are Here Again - The iPhone Saves The World

 

After what seemed like an eternity, the iPhone finally has hit the market. Now we will have world peace, end to hunger and no more worries about global warming. At least if you listen to Mac Fanatics that is.

Yes once again the press and the sheep that are permanently entranced by the “Steve Jobs Reality Distortion Field” (SJRDF), are announcing a “break through” in technology. Sure the thing looks “cool” and it does have some great features, but these have been out for years and Apple Inc. is only playing catch up once again. Has any of these people ever heard of a Treo or a Blackberry? Basically besides the difference in interfaces, these devices have had the same basic functionality as the iPhone for a couple of years now. Heck I had one of the original Compaq iPaq's running WinCE that would do all of this (albeit I had to have a few additional modules for the web access and phone, but it was available back in 2001). Even my old Palm VII could access the web (but alas no graphic capabilities).

As far as a phone playing music, access the web, etc., my little Samsung A600 can do that if I wanted it too, yet we are lead to believe this things are a groundbreaking breakthrough in technological achievement? Yo, how about the Razr? Yes once again the SJRDF is in full force and the sheep are lining up to plop down huge bucks to disguise the fact they have no personalities.

A phone, even one as “cool” as an iPhone is only as good as its carrier. Everyone is making a big deal that AT&T is the sole provider means absolutely nothing. Once upon a time AT&T was the only carrier, then the big breakup came in the mid 80's. The company was broken up into 6 regional carriers for local service and AT&T was left with the long distance business with upstarts Sprint and MCI as its main competitors.

Over the last 30+ years there has been a steady stream of consolidation of these so called “Baby Bells” with Southwestern Bell (SBC) being one of the last two left standing. SBC went on a buying spree incorporating Ameritech and Pacbell (two of the original 6 Baby Bells) and others into its fold.

When the wireless rage started they came up with a spinoff called “Cingular”. AT&T also tried to enter the wireless fray and were less than successful. SBC wound up merging with its former “parent” and decided to use the AT&T name as if they felt that the old name would fool people. Maybe a few older people would be fooled as that was the only company they dealt with as children, but in fact it is the same old Cingular and SBC service that a lot of people I know have come to loathe. One can put a suit on a pig, but guess what, it is still a pig.

Apple Inc. has come out with a lot of really nice looking, well designed products (and quite a few duds, hello? Newton anyone?) and yes they do look great, but looks aren't everything. I played with one of these and I do like it, but for the price,and the service provider, I will pass. I like my iPod, and Palm Tungsten and Samsung phone. I don't need to roll all into one. Let's face it if one function goes bad, you are pretty much up a creek.

Yes once again Steve Jobs marketing genius has captured the gullible media into spreading his message as he laughs all the way to the bank at the fools lining up to purchase iPhones and worship at the “Altar of Steve”.

Mahalo.

To be continued........

Is There Really Any Difference? Please!

Apple vs PC's and other Computer/Tech Messages

What the heck is Apple Computer thinking with these weird ads. You know the ones, they have a dumpy guy in a bad sports coat and tie to represent a PC and a guy in jeans, t-shirt and a hoodie to represent a Mac.

Okay the underlining message is that “Macs are cool, PC's are for nerdy accountant types”. Yes I get it, but why do they have to confuse the issue with misconceptions, half truths, omissions and plain old lies?

I find these ads amusing, if misleading, and I am not against using humor in ads, even ones for technical products. It does help in the entertainment value, it doesn't necessarily makes me want to buy the product, but I do feel entertained and I do watch them.

They are using old urban myths about PC's that were true back in the 1980's and 90's. Also they seem to leave out that the problems they attribute to PC's also happen to Macs.

There is the one where the PC is being upgraded, well they omit the fact that Mac's can't be upgraded without expensive technical expertise, and only by a certified Apple tech, if you are lucky enough to have one in your town, or by Apple Computers itself.

Another one that gets me is the one where they have a lady represent a new camera from Japan that works seamlessly with Mac but not with PC. Guess what most of the digital cameras I have owned never worked with a Mac, but did with a PC. Yes you have to load a driver, supplied by the manufacturer in the box, but how difficult is it to load a CD into a drive and let Windows load it automatically? Yet there are no provisions for the camera to work with a mac, and since they are USB the Mac software won't deal with them.

Oh yea did I mention the lack of software for the Mac, or how they have shut out the Freeware that is out there so you have to buy their expensive stuff (or expensive software from their preferred suppliers)? Yes I use a lot of Freeware/Shareware on my Windows machine and it works just fine thank you very much (like OpenOffice for my office suite, and The GIMP for image manipulation, which I was able to use in older versions of OS X, but not anymore thanks to Apple).

There is also that misconception that Macs are secure. Well they have just as many “Security Updates” as Windows. You just don't hear about them in the news as, well there is a lack of a user base so it doesn't register on any of the business shows or in the press.

Once upon a time there was a fundamental difference in the architecture of Macs and PC's. But that time is now over as Apple uses the same internal chips as PC manufacturers. The problem is that they haven't passed on the supposed savings o the consumer, keeping their units at the high end of the pricing structure. This makes many industry observers speculate that maybe Apple is trying to get away from the computer business with its low margins and transform into an entertainment business (Pixar, ipods, Apple TV and the Disney merger all seem to point this way)and just keep producing the computers for their ever loyal fan boys and girls. I am of the same ilk and it does make sense in these days where computers have all but become commodity items like Microwaves, TVs and toasters.

Don't get me wrong I have used Macs in the past and have enjoyed owning them. I always marveled at how comfortable the PowerBooks and iBooks were when using them. I thought OS 9 was a wonderful system, and OS X just seemed to take up the standard well. But they have tweaked it and taken out too much for it to be useful for my situation, so I am back to my PC. However their obsolescence rate is way higher than PC's so they are basically just nice conversation pieces.

What about the thing lurking in the shadow? You know its name as Linux. It has the same stability as OS X and works on PC's (in fact OS X is based on BSD which is similar to Linux in that both are UNIX clones). In fact on You Tube there is a series of videos parodying these commercials adding Linux into the mix and causing both Mac and PC great consternation. In fact this is the OS of choice for me, however it isn't for everyone as installing new software and utilities can be a headache, even when you know what you are doing. But someday a distribution will emerge that is as seamless as Mac and Windows OS's (possibly Novell as they are now partnering with Microsoft and have bought SuSe Linux).

But I digress...

Mahalo.

Would You Buy A Car From These People?

What are they thinking?

If the automobile manufacturers want to know the real reason for their poor sales they need to look no further than the garbage they call commercials.

Every time I watch a sporting event I am inundated with a billion ads for cars/trucks/SUVs/MiniVans. Each one seems to be for the same vehicle, but alas a different brand pops up at the end. I guess the auto companies have got together and colluded on the designs and are just out to confuse us poor people out here.

The thing that gets me is the lack of realism in these commercials. It's bad enough that each class of vehicle (car, truck, SUV etc) looks almost identical to others in their class, and that each one is basically the same performance wise, but why are they all marketed as "Sports Cars"? It is hilarious to watch someone driving a Sedan, which is basically a car for a family, and trying to act like driving this car will give one the feel of being in the Daytona 500 or some such race. I realize they are trying to play on people's emotions and self image, but let's get real folks.

If these vehicles can easily do what the commercials say they do, why the disclaimers of "Professional Driver on Closed Track" or "Demonstration, do not Attempt" when making claims on the performance or capabilities of these vehicles? How about when they are just driving down an empty city street? Are they trying to say that unless you are a professional that the vehicle has difficulty handling driving in a normal situation?

Oh you mean you can't just zip around corners in this thing? You mean if I leave my truck /SUV on a beach and it gets caught in the tide and banged up against the rocks it won't come out undamaged? Why is the lady in one commercial shifting her automatic like it's a stick shift (and are her hands surely manly aren't they)?

Why can't I take my SUV through protected wild life areas or have it turned into a submarine if I drive into the ocean? Can I drive my SUV on the bottom of the ocean to view the coral reefs? It's what they are showing. Heck, that would be the only reason I would want that model.

Can I really pull a bus or 100 car freight train with my truck? They say no in their disclaimer, so why show it? Aren't they asking for trouble? I guess the general public are just brain dead selfish egomaniacs (like the lady who is mad because her minivan is cut off in the parking lot, then goes and gets a SUV and now she drives like a total idiot). One can reason that the increase in road rage, general lack of driving etiquette, and poor highway safety and can be attributed back to these ridiculous and preposterous advertisements.

And what's with the showing of starting prices, only to have small print come across the bottom of the screen saying that the model shown is at least $5-10,000 higher in price? I mean most of the time they are just showing the outside of the vehicle, so I guess if you want tires it will cost extra? No wonder people are disappointed and feeling used as they leave the new car lots in droves without buying!

Isn't that false advertising? I am surprised there aren't more lawsuits resulting from these ads. Where are the "Truth in Advertising" folks?

The real problem is that most cars within a certain class are basically all the same regardless of manufacturer. They all look similar, with minor differences in angles, as well as the tail lights and grill sections. So what can be possibly done to distinguish their products?

What I am talking about is line extension and showing the individuals how it works for them as well.

Well for one I would say save money on fancy sets etc. and concentrate on just reaching the people. Smart people buy after doing extensive research (consumer reports, talking to friends, test drives, etc.) We should be able to assume that the vehicle will be drivable and run on the road. So why waste money on exotic sets or locations? The average person will be using it to drive back and forth to work, run errands and other mundane tasks. I don't think many of us will be trying to drive off mountains or outracing other cars dropped from helicopters.

Show a couple of models, say an economy car, a sedan and an upscale sedan together. Talk about the quality of manufacturing and safety concerns, then introduce each model as a lifestyle choice. For example; "If you are just starting out try our Econo Model, for families our great Family Sedan, and once you have it made our classy Upscale Model." This way the seed is planted that the company is there for the individual's lifetime and is able to meet any and all changes in the individual's lifestyle. This way the company can build "Brand Loyalty", as long as they keep their promises and the vehicles don't turn out to be lemons. If that happens, well all the advertising in the world won't help will it?

So let's put some commonsense back into the process. Next time I look into my other passion, computers and the "brain-bleeding" advertising we get from those folks.

Until next time.

Mahalo.

A View on The State of Marketing, Advetising and Pop Culture From the Heartland-Intorduction

Advertising and Marketing are two of the most important, but widely misused tools a company has in its arsenal.

So much of what passes for Advertising these days seems to miss the mark either by trying to be too cutesy or just plain boring The trick of course is to get the message across without insulting the intelligence of the intended market or confusing or boring them so that they just tune it all out. Let's face it the world is getting more and more competitive these days, and having one's voice heard is very difficult. It also is harder for the targets of these messages to pay attention.

I will be discussing ads, mainly from TV, but also from print media, billboards and of course my favorite medium, the Internet. Also I will discuss how Pop Culture influences marketing and advertising trends, and how advertising and marketing are used in Pop Culture Media (i.e. the way certain reality shows on Bravo TV tie in their sponsors with their activities).

I will discuss the good, the bad and the ugly (but not necessarily at the same time) and why a certain piece either hit the right note, or was just a waste of time and money. I will offer my suggestions (okay, opinions) on how they could have done better.

Again these will be mainly just my opinions (or opinions of friends and family members) based upon my many years of working in the marketing and sales field, as well as being inundated with countless number of commercials, ads, billboards etc. throughout my life.

Read, enjoy, get mad, smile, cry and maybe even learn a few tips and techniques that you can use for yourself. Intelligent comments are always welcome, and appreciated.

Mahalo.