Computer says no…
An insight by Andrew Howie
Since the birth of sport, players have been complaining about the referees. It seems there is rarely a match where teams are happy with the decisions. In some cases, both teams are fiercely unhappy.
As technology has improved, most sports have adopted it in some form or other. Cricket first brought in a 3rd umpire to adjudicate on run outs. They were able to slow down the broadcast footage to frame-by-frame so as to see if batsmen were out. That has since progressed to Hawkeye, which can predict the path of the ball. This Hawkeye technology has expanded to now feature in a few of the major tennis tournaments, allowing players to challenge a limited number of calls in a set. If you get it right, you keep the challenge. Read the rest of this entry »
Here comes the bandwagon
An insight by Andrew Howie
With the FIFA World Cup kicking off this week, the time is ripe for the bandwagon to rattle into action. There is no better time to start brushing up on your lingo and working on your outfit. Not to mention annoying all those around you with your new found passion for the sport.
The bandwagon supporter can be found all over the globe. They know little or nothing about the sport they are currently following. What they do have however is an insanely one eyed view of their country and how it is performing. They drift from competition to competition suffering insomnia as their body struggles to come to grips with their irregular sleeping patterns.
Bandwagon supporters are the people who at the start of the tournament abuse the ref at the wrong time and complain about nuances of the game they don’t yet understand, to the great frustration of those nearby. As the tournament progresses, however, they become more and more in tune with the rules. And by the time it is all over, they have finally mastered what is happening and can be relied on to recite endless useless facts like an encyclopaedia. All this, in a bid to build their credentials as a true die-hard fan. Read the rest of this entry »
The old grey mare- she an’t what she she used to be…
An insight by Andrew Howie
With seven world titles and 91 grand prix victories to his name, there is little that Michael Schumacher has not achieved. He has driven for several teams and conquered all who stood up to him. All except one person. Father Time.
It seems that despite having more talent in his little finger than most Formula 1 drivers in their whole body, he just isn’t as fast as he was.
Despite this, there can be no taking away from all that he has achieved in his mind blowing career. Beyond that, he has been integral to the development of many of Ferrari’s game changing road cars. He was integral to the development of the Enzo and more recently the 458 and California. Read the rest of this entry »
An insight by Andrew Howie
It has been touted as the format that will save the game. T20 cricket has come, seen and conquered in recent years. The shorter format of the game, originating from the UK, now offers lucrative deals to the world’s top players. And it is over in less than 3 hours.
So successful has this format become, many top class international players have chosen to retire from longer formats to pursue other business ventures, with the added bonus of lucrative short stint in the sub continent. Some of the top players draw a wage in excess of $1.5 million.
Players of relative domestic obscurity can find themselves thrust in to limelight on the world’s biggest stage before they have enjoyed the honor of playing a test match for their country. The pressure is huge. The admiration from fans is even greater. The Indian crowds can only be described as fanatical. They know who all the players are and how they play.
The IPL has teams owned by successful businesspeople, movie stars and companies. All with the foresight to see that this is a platform that will continue to grow as we become more time poor and more competitive with our disposable time. Read the rest of this entry »
The addiction that rocked Storm
By Andrew Howie
Turning our readers attention to Australia and a recent scandal with one of the major league clubs.
When the police look to take down a drug ring, they don’t look to pin it on the mid-weight dealer. They look to go all the way to the top. Because, if you take down the top, then you ultimately bring down the lot.
So when the news broke this week that the Melbourne Storm had been breaching the salary cap, I began to read with interest as I could see a deeper motive. Surely they are not the only team guilty of this practice.
Not only was the breach long standing, it was systematic in its approach. It was so simple. Claim twice for an expense. And use that windfall to fund other activity. No different to claiming travel expenses from your employer and then claiming then back on tax.
I was asked at work by a British colleague to explain what had happened. And as usual I defaulted to an analogy to get my point across. And this was what I said: Read the rest of this entry »
Star power; can it bring the star community?
-Andrew Collins is a leading social media strategist and founder of Mailman Social Media, he also consults to MGI on global entertainment partnerships.
First of all – brands in Asia love to have the affiliation with ‘star power’. For the fortunate brands that get this connection right it can rain long term benefits (think……) but for the few brands that simply splash the cash and hope that the endorsement will deliver a meaningful result – well that’s simply gambling. Macau is the place for that!
Motorsport is going “green”
An Insight by Andrew Howie
For many years most pretended that global warming was a fad and would not last. But, without admitting that it is actually a problem, most industries have begun making efforts to reduce their foot print.
Some have done so in response to increased government pressures. Others have done so due to increased social pressures. But the automotive industry has done so to ensure its survival. In the last 12 months we have seen to collapse of some of the world’s top car manufacturers. This was due to their inability to remain nimble and to move with the times. People no longer wanted big cars and could no longer afford to buy large tick items. The result was the US government bailing out companies with tax payer money. Read the rest of this entry »
World Cup- China advertising is starting to heat up.
A insight from Michael MacRitchie
To follow on from Andrew Howie’s piece on the FIFA world cup, I would like to turn the readers attention to China…
Here in Shanghai one of the biggest TV networks CCTV (China Central Television) has won the rights to broadcast the World Cup and is now blowing the whistle for bids on advertising slots for the global sporting event to commence.
I met with He Haiming, the Vice President of the advertising department, he told MGI that the last batch of advertising slots including the “naming rights” for some special programs and slots for individual matches, will be made available to bidders in mid-April.
In November 2009, the national broadcasting giant first begun auctioning off prime-time advertising slots for the 2010 World Cup, which is due to kick off in South Africa on June 11. Read the rest of this entry »
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