I'm certain ESPN's online division triumphed because of my insightful articles for the site. Seriously, though, MLS represented well at the Sports Business Journal Awards, winning league of the year and (partially) exec of the year. What's also interesting looking at the nominees was that TFC was apparently nominated as a sports league, not a team. Weird.
Sports Executive of the Year – Tim Leiweke, CEO, AEG
Athletic Director of the Year – Ron Wellman, Wake Forest University
Professional Sports Team of the Year – Boston Red Sox
Professional Sports League of the Year – Major League Soccer
Sports Agency of the Year – Octagon
Sports Event Marketing Firm of the Year – SportsMark
Sports Facility of the Year – AT&T Park
Sports Innovation/Technology of the Year – Sportvision
Sports Media of the Year – Fox Sports
Sports Online of the Year – ESPN Digital Media
Sports Sponsor of the Year – Pepsi Cola North America
First, a.c., congratulations on your award. Those of us who know you know how hard you work and how professional you are (more so than some soccer writers I can name).
ReplyDeleteBut Tim Lie-weke as executive of the year? Given how AEG is committed to gaughing as many people as possible and not giving a damn about what they think (Just look at the concessions at HDC)? Given how AEG is far more acquainted with propaganda than with truth?
Naming Lie-weke as executive of the year is like naming Pope Benedict XVI as atheist of the year. It's a complete non sequitur.
It didn't take long for the anti-AEG sentiment to surface, did it?
ReplyDeleteThe awards were given by a magazine called Sports BUSINESS.
beax speax, in what way is Lie-weke a better executive than Arte Moreno of the Angels. Moreno has decreased prices for concessions and some souvenirs (when has the Galaxy ever done that?), made a decent effort to keep ticket and parking prices affordable to the general public ($8 at Angel Stadium as opposed to $15 minimum at HDC and $25 at Staples), increased promotion of the team by challening the Dodgers (why do you think he re-branded it "Los Angeles Angels"?), increased national advertising revenue through that re-branding, and hired people who make intelligent decisions regarding player personnel (come on, is having three players take up half of a salary cap and intelligent decision?).
ReplyDeleteNext time, do your research before you speak like an idiot, beax speax.