Jeff Fannell » Basketball

May 16

by Jeff Fannell in Baseball, Basketball, Career, Hockey, Labor, Labor Issues, Marketing, Media, MLB, NBA, NCAA, Sports, Sports Issues, Uncategorized 0 comments

LEAGUES LOOKING TO CA$H IN ON NEW GAMBLING LAWS

Now that the United States Supreme Court has struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection ACT (PASPA), a federal law that (with a few exceptions) prohibited state-authorized sports gambling, several states are lining up to enact legislation that allows sports wagering within their borders. And why not? There is huge money in sports betting. Last year, Nevada raked in nearly $5 billion in sports wagering. States like New Jersey, New York and others all want a piece of the action. States are not alone in this regard. Sports leagues, many of which opposed efforts to get rid of PASPA, also have their hands out looking for a quick buck. Having sensed that they were losing the PASPA battle, the NBA, NFL, MLB and others came up with the ingenious idea that if the Court were to strike PASPA leagues could cash in on the new legal landscape by imposing “integrity fees” on those states that enact new gambling laws. What are integrity fees? Some say it’s a nice way of saying “extortion.” The leagues and governing bodies say integrity fees are necessary to maintain the integrity and public confidence in their respective sports. The rationale goes like this: once […]

Jun 28

by Jeff Fannell in Basketball, NCAA, Pioneers of the Game 4 comments tags: College Basketball, Death, Legend, Pat Summitt, University of Tennesee, Vols, Women's Basketball

PAT SUMMITT: MORE THAN A BALL COACH

Sadness has gripped the sports world, and beyond, following the death of legendary women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt. Tributes have and continue to pour in from those who knew Summitt, played for her and admired her. I did not know Pat Summitt personally, but she nevertheless had a meaningful impact on my life. To begin, I began watching women’s college basketball because of Summitt. I recall randomly coming across a women’s game on television some years ago and being struck by the strong, determined and passionate coach on the University of Tennessee sideline. I didn’t know who she was, but I could tell I was witnessing something different. There was an aura about her; a confident air that was at once impressive and appealing. From that day, I began to follow and root for Summitt and the Lady Vols. In time, Summitt’s significance for me extended beyond the hardwood and spoke to me on a much deeper level. As I learned more about her career and accomplishments, and watched her teams consistently compete for, and often win, national championships, Summitt’s unparalleled body of work became an inspiration. Here was this woman, competing in a space not created for […]

Jun 22

by Jeff Fannell in Basketball, NBA, Sports Business 0 comments tags: Ayesha Curry, Constructive Criticism, Mouthpiece, Rigged, Steph Curry, Tweets

Can you stand correction?

In the just-completed NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers did what no team in league history had previously done – overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the final round of the playoffs and claim the championship. As Cleveland grinded its way to the top of the NBA heap, we witnessed a fall from grace for Steph Curry and his wife, Ayesha. Over the last two years, the Currys became the toast of basketball – the NBA’s first family, if you will. Then came game four of the NBA Finals. The Warriors won, giving them what appeared to be a commanding 3-1 series lead. Toward the end of the game, LeBron James and Warriors star Draymond Green got into a skirmish that led to Green’s one-game suspension. That prompted Ayesha Curry to direct smack LeBron’s way before Game 5, won by the Cavs. Then, as the Cavs were blowing out the Dubs in Game 6, and Curry was hacking his way to the bench, he angrily threw his mouthpiece, hitting a fan. After the game, Ayesha took to Twitter and claimed the NBA was rigged. Funny, but I don’t recall her saying the league was rigged when Steph and the […]

May 13

by Jeff Fannell in Advertisement, Basketball, Marketing, MLB, NBA 0 comments tags: Baby Dame Dolla, Chris Paul, Kevin Love, NBA Playoffs, Rob Manfred, State Farm

Droppin’ Dimes

The NBA playoffs have been compelling as usual, with intriguing team matchups and outstanding individual performances. In addition, “Inside the NBA” continues to be the best studio show on sports television, hands down. To top it all off, the playoffs allow viewers to continue to enjoy one of the best commercials in recent memory – State Farm’s “Droppin’ Dimes.” The commercial features Portland Trailblazers star point guard Damian Lillard (aka “Baby Dame Dolla”) and Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love as brothers rapping about how much money they’re able to drop – thanks to the family’s State Farm agent who saved them big cash by combining the family’s car and homeowner insurance. The commercial is, in a word, hilarious. I’ve seen it dozens of times during the NBA season and it still cracks me up. If you have yet to see it, take a quick look here. The spot is part of a campaign featuring “the Hoopers” (who, in addition to Lillard and Love, include fellow NBA stars Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and Kevin Garnett). It is the brainchild of Steve Stoute’s award-winning ad agency, Translation. But as much as Stoute and his crew deserve credit for their creativity and humor in […]

Sep 03

by Jeff Fannell in Basketball, NBA, People 0 comments tags: Basketball, Charity, Hometown Hero, Lebron James, Philanthropy, Scholarship

Lebron James Gets It.

Photo credit: Jason Miller via Getty Images There are a lot of LeBron James haters out there. As independent-thinking people, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. To be sure, there are some who have never gotten over “The Decision.” When LeBron left his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers as a free agent and “took his talents” to South Beach, there were millions of people who vilified him and have never forgiven him for it. Who can forget the footage of the irate fans in the streets of Cleveland burning LeBron’s jersey? Or Cavaliers’ owner Dan Gilbert’s ill-conceived letter in which he called LeBron “our former hero” who “cowardly betrayed” Cavs fans. Gilbert blasted LeBron’s decision as “heartless” and “callous” and told Cleveland fans that they could “take it to the bank” that the Cavs would win a championship before LeBron would. (Whoever took Gilbert up on this promise found the bank not only closed, but out of business!). Of course, now is all forgiven in Cleveland because LeBron returned home last year and promptly led the woebegone Cavs to the NBA Finals. LeBron, indeed, is a lightning rod for many. Although I am not a Cavs fan, I am a […]

Jun 02

by Jeff Fannell in Basketball, Injury Report, NBA, Sports Issues 0 comments tags: Concussions, Golden State Warriors, Injury, Klay Thompson, NBA Finals

Klay Thompson Concussion Raises Red Flags

(Photo Credits: NBA.com) In Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, Klay Thompson was kneed in the head by Trevor Ariza and immediately crumpled to the floor, grabbing his head. Red flag number one. Thompson was taken back into the locker room, where, we are told, he was administered and passed the NBA’s concussion protocols and thus cleared to return to action. During a timeout, when it appeared Thompson was about to re-enter the game, television cameras zeroed in on blood coming from his right ear (he was kneed in or near his right temple). Red flag number two. Thompson once again was escorted to the Warriors locker room and received three stitches in his ear. He never returned to action, as the Warriors pulled away from the Houston Rockets in the final minutes in route to stamping their ticket to the NBA Finals. The entire course of events involving Thompson was troubling. Things, however, would get worse. The next morning, we learned that after the game Thompson felt dizzy and could not drive himself home. His father, former NBA player Mychal Thompson, had to drive him. The elder Thompson reported that his son vomited twice after arriving home. Red […]