The Bronx is Churning
It’s been a few days since Joe Torre’s implicit dismissal as the Yankee skipper, coming full circle with Joe Girardi’s filling the managerial jersey today. I’m still flabbergasted by this move: Torre was micro-managed from above (like he couldn’t figure out how to pitch Joba Chamberlain himself?), was given horrible resources to manage (his pitchers [...]
Stomping On The Devils Grass Roots Support
I’m now officially worried that the Devils organization is proceeding with complete and total oblivion to the fan base, or at least to how the fan base communicates, collaborates and exchanges ideas in the world of user-generated content and media. We’re not all sitting here waiting for the official line on ticket sales, the new [...]
Missed, er, October
Almost precisely 3 months ago I posited that Scott Gomez and Alex Rodriguez were increasingly alike. Let me add to the list: neither one has shown up for big games in October. At least Gomez recorded three shots tonight (plus one miss, and one blocked, is it me or are the new NHL statistics not [...]
Hall of Fame 2.0
Hall of Fame 2.0 The National Baseball Hall of Fame is a physical and emotional experience. In addition to honoring the great players and builders of the game, it’s a repository for the artifacts of great accomplishments, records, and the culture of baseball. As the only team sport measured in defensive success, not on a [...]
Rules Changes Noted by Asterisk
I’ve been following Mark Ecko’s on-line poll about the disposition of Barry Bonds’ 756th home run ball with significant interest. If baseball is the fan’s sport, then the fans should have some say in how the much-discussed record-breaking home run ball is displayed in Cooperstown (if at all). It will be one of the only [...]
Official Donuts Explained
I’m watching the state of New York area sports with a mix of incredulity, passion, illness, bewilderment and bemusement. Around Mother’s Day, Mets fans all over the tri-state area were beaming, shining a light on their much-detested Yankees loving friends and just gloating. Why not? The Yankees were so far behind the Red Sox that [...]
Celebrating With Willie Stargell
In his book 700 Sundays, Billy Crystal remarks that he finally felt like an adult the day that his boyhood hero Micky Mantle died. Six years ago, I had a similar experience: as the Pittsburgh Pirates prepared to open the new PNC Park for their home opener, Hall of Famer and personal boyhood hero Willie [...]
Chris Young, Baseball All-Star
How cool is it that Chris Young was voted to the MLB All-Star Game? Not only does it demonstrate the power of the fan’s voice (MLB received about a million votes an hour down the home stretch), but it shows how the right mix of real world (in-ballpark prompts to vote for hometown favorites) and [...]
Gomez Is The Next A-Rod
First the strong words: Forget the comparisons to Bobby Holik. Scott Gomez is the next Alex Rodriguez, in the eyes of the fans, the league, the press, sports agents and possibly youth hockey players. Tough call? Absolutely, and not one I’ll make in publicly lightly, because as a person I still think Scott Gomez is [...]
Changing My Mind With A Big Stick
I spoke on the “Innovation At Speed” panel today hosted by the Suffolk University Center for Innovation and Change Leadership. Great panelists around me: Kory Kolligian, Chief Operating Officer, Design Continuum Angela Kyle, Director, TIAA-CREF Robert Wong, Executive VP and Creative Director, Arnold Worldwide Advertising Robert Zeytoonian, Chief Executive Officer, Zorian Bat Company Beate Chelette, [...]