Jeff Fannell

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 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 18

by Jeff Fannell in Advertisement, Marketing, NBA, Sports Business 1 comments tags: Blake Griffin, Jersey Ads, Kia, Philadelphia 76ers, Stub Hub

Trouble Ahead for NBA Jersey Ads?

In April, the NBA approved the sale of jersey sponsorships as part of a three-year pilot program beginning with the 2017-18 season. The League believes the program will be a financial boon, with expected revenue projected at $100-$150 million a year. According to ESPN.com’s Darren Rovell, teams will keep half of the revenue generated by their individual sponsorship sales, with half of that going into a revenue-sharing pool. The other half will be split with the players. Ads involving gambling, politics or alcohol are prohibited, as are sponsorships with competitors of key League partners, including broadcast partners ESPN, ABC and Turner; Spalding (the official ball); and Tissot (official timekeeper). The Philadelphia 76ers became the first team to land a jersey sponsor, agreeing to a three-year, $15 million deal with StubHub. Immediately after the deal was announced, critics assailed the sponsorship program, claiming, among other things, that the ads cheapen the NBA brand and otherwise signify impending doom. The critics are misguided. First of all, the ads measure just 2.5 x 2.5 inches, and will be placed on the jersey’s left shoulder. So the sponsorship patches will not dominate the uniform. Players will not be plastered with huge ads, á la […]

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 […]

Mar 25

by Jeff Fannell in NBA, Pioneers of the Game, Sports 0 comments tags: NBA, Pioneers of the Game, Women in sports

Pioneers of the Game: Becky Hammon

(Photo Credit: USA Today) Becky Hammon is one of the most decorated players in the history of women’s basketball. Born in Rapid City, South Dakota, she played basketball at Stevens High School, where as a senior she averaged 26 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists per game on her way to being named South Dakota Player of the Year. Hammon went on to play college ball at Colorado State and distinguished herself as one of the nation’s top scorers. In the 1998-99 season she led the Rams to a 33-3 record and an appearance in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. That season she was also an All-American and was named WAC Mountain Division Player of the Year, as well as Colorado Sportswoman of the Year. During that season she also surpassed Keith Van Horn as the WAC’s all-time leading scorer. For her career at Colorado State she set University records in points, points per game, field goals, free throws and three pointers made, and assists. Despite her collegiate accomplishments, Hammon went undrafted in the WNBA draft, and subsequently signed with the New York Liberty as a free agent in 1999. She starred for the Liberty through the 2006 season before being […]

Dec 05

by Jeff Fannell in Labor Issues, NBA, Sports, Sports Issues, What Say You? 0 comments tags: Age minimum, Michele Roberts, NBA, NBPA, What Say You?

What Say You?: Should The Age Minimum Be Changed in the NBA

“I’m adamantly opposed to [raising the age minimum]. I’ve been practicing law for 30 years. One of the beauties of being in that job is that I can practice until I lose my mind or die. That is not the case with athletes. You have a limited life to make money as a basketball player. Anything that limits those opportunities is distressing to me. I view [the age minimum] as just another device that serves to limit a player’s ability to make a living.” So said NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts on changing the minimum age to play in the NBA to 20. What say you? Leave your thoughts below or tweet me @jefffannell