Sport Business Resources

Australia: Whinging Capital of the Universe!

Dave Arthur — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 02:00:51 +0000

I know a thing or two about whinging. Although I am now a fair dinkum Australian it’s like Mother’s milk to a passported Pom such as I – an addictive and strangely pleasurable habit. Believe me, I’ve tried valiantly to curb it content in the knowledge that England were still world champions. More recently, well ahead of the Olympics that, with the addition of social media will surely set hitherto unheard of levels of bleating, Australians have usurped their pastier compatriots and become gold medal whingers! Enveloping it all has been AOC head honcho’s John Coates persistent moaning about the apparent lack of financial support for Australian athletes as they seek Olympic glory. Whining like a Qantas jet engine on and on he went never missing an opportunity to grumble. He topped it all off when a busy PM chose a really quite import UN summit in Brazil over an athlete farewell dinner in Melbourne. How dare she!? Lately he has been joined on the podium by fellow, former elite athlete Ric Charlesworth. Now Charlesworth is a coach without peer and many seek his wisdom and leadership (me included) but just recently he has been incessantly complaining. Initially it was the bounciness of the hockey field his supremely talented charges will play on. Sure, he has a point about the luminescent colour better suited to an 80s pump class but funnily enough it’s the self same piece of artificial turf that everybody (yes even the Kookaburra’s opponents) will have to play on – a level playing field if ever there was one! Alas he was just warming up and threw in early bully offs as a further point of contention. Perhaps he forgot that unless their opponents were insomniacs they too would have brekky, run on and start at around the same time! The rowers have dipped their oars in too and are now moaning to anyone with a pulse that the journey to Eton Dorney via the M25 might have a bit of traffic on it! Well I never… on a motorway, who’d have thought!? Although not an Olympic sport, rugby league has made a late charge to the front of the pack. I say rugby league but I mean New South Wales which has lived up to the monicker seen on many a yellow and black numberplate – the First State. Yep it’s the first state to gripe and bellyache about everything from allegedly unfair refereeing decisions to the fluffiness of the pillows at their five star Coogee bolthole. Take a bow Australia no Ashes, no Bledisloe, no Davis Cup but unchallenged as whinging champions of the world!

This post first appeared as Monday’s Expert in the Northern Star on June 11th

Stop the Abuse… yes you!

Dave Arthur — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 07:14:15 +0000

I think it’s time that sport took a long hard look at itself with regard to abuse of match officials. Well I say sport (and I mean all sports) but I also feel this is not a purely sporting problem but is indicative of far deeper social ills. Of course, I talk only of sport and there is scarcely a mainstream sport in Australia or globally where the abuse of match officials is not found. A well-known former referee on ABC Radio’s (much loved but now defunct) Sports Factor said this:

“Once upon a time, out at a football game we would hear ‘Get them back you maggot; you’re blind, where’s your guide dog?’ As a referee we can cop that, it’s not a problem, it’s water off a duck’s back. But today you get ‘you %$#$%# ^%$# , I’ll kill you. I know where you live, I know where your family is’. We don’t have to expect that and we don’t have to cop that. That’s not water off a duck’s back; that should not happen”.

Let’s be clear then, we are not talking about the friendly, laughter inducing banter from the larrikin barracking from the hill. This is as entrenched as meat pies, dencorub and morning tea debate as gilt edged, sporting staples. No, we are considering something altogether more sinister that nowadays is fuelled and heightened by the pervasive utilisation of social media. The situation is hardly helped when a profanity ridden, verbal volley on a ref is beamed live and uncensored into our living rooms. Alas, scarcely a week passes without an example of abject abuse in some sport, somewhere. Just last week in local rugby union the Referee Association took the hitherto unheard of step of giving officials the ability to dismiss anyone they deem abusive. A simple red card and the protagonist, be it player, spectator, club official whoever will be removed from the ground. Other local sports have well catalogued similar problems and each have taken steps to curb the tide – evidently local clubs are excellent at disciplining their own but the problem remains. The effects are manifest and amid plummeting volunteer numbers referees may soon go the way of the dodo in some places. As mooted from the outset this is but a symptom of an insidious societal malaise and an ingrained culture of disrespect. It’s not right and sport must continue to stand at the vanguard advocating change.

This post first appeared as Monday’s Expert in the Northern Star on June 4th

Eugene Polley… we salute you!

Dave Arthur — Mon, 28 May 2012 07:17:41 +0000

A sad, sad day last week and I am not talking about the demise of New South Wales in State of Origin I… again. No, this is far more serious as my dismay relates to a person who has had a profound impact on my entire life, from my formative years back in the Old Dart right through to this very day. Possibly without knowing, you too will have come across and used the object of his unparalleled, never to be eclipsed genius and his remarkably prescient invention. The sad day was Thursday, May 24^th when Eugene Polley passed away at the tender age of 96. In 1955 Polley invented the world’s first wireless remote control – the Flash matic, a ray gun style, light sensitive device that changed channels and turned sound up and down. In that one instant of brilliance the remote control ascended to the Pantheon where it now resides alongside the esky, bottled beer, home delivered pizza and of course the Jason recliner. Like many a whiz kid, Polley was a prophet far ahead of his time and it took many years for broadcast technology to catch up. Once live sport in glorious techicolour came into being his device came into its own. Gadget obsessed Gen Zers may not appreciate that once upon a time the athletically challenged actually had to raise tortured bodies from the couch and walk to the tv to change channels. But thanks to Polley people can now spend entire weekends vicariously consuming sport from the cosy, comfy confines of a couch. Zapping once happened only when you touched a static charged cushion rather than maniacally switching from channel to channel, code to code, checking scores and avoiding interminable adverts. This was once impossible without strenuous, energy sapping physical activity unless of course a young, still compliant child was in the vicinity. The do gooders and doomsayers point to Polley as the harbinger for obesity, slothfulness and almightly marital arguments – heresy I say! Speaking of his invention he once told journalists “it makes me think maybe my life wasn’t wasted at all”. Far from it Mr Polley, the world of sport salutes you.

This post first appeared as Monday’s Expert in the Northern Star on May 28th

A Stadium of Four Million (+135 000)

Dave Arthur — Fri, 04 May 2012 07:21:06 +0000

Whilst most of the news surrounding rugby union this weekend is focused on the soon to be former Queensland Reds halfback Will Genia, my attention has been on the World Cup of last year. Quite simply it was a stunning success for New Zealand in particular and the code in general where some hitherto untouched countries watched the globe’s third biggest event. Many predicted doom and gloom for the code when the jamboree was slated for NZ but the strategy of a ‘stadium of four million’ has proven spectacularly successful. The final between the hosts and France was the most watched event in New Zealand TV history with a staggering 98% of audience share (love to know what the other 2% were up to?). In France despite an early kick off the audience share was 82% with 73% of the population watching at least 15 minutes of RWC action. The news for the International Rugby Board who administer the code globally got better the further they delved into the figures. Although the make up of the audience is still majority male, 45% of the 2011 global audience was female (up from 25% at the 1995 event). More young people viewed the tournament than ever before with figures up 6% on 2007. They will be particularly happy with the news that 207 countries took the feed including Mongolia and Libya and even the 13 people at Scott Station in Antarctica got to see their fair share of games! Across the globe, in the Americas, Asia, and Japan (where the 2019 tournament will be hosted) audience numbers increased anywhere from 25 to 250%! In a portent of things to come there were 3.5 million downloads of the official app and the official website netted 17 million unique users! Simply stunning stuff that bodes well not only for the code but also for the future of the global mega sporting event. And it was all done from little old New Zealand which despite the global economic downturn and the tragic events in Christchurch welcomed 135 000 international visitors, looked after their own and put on a show that the world watched.

This post first appeared as Monday’s Expert in the Northern Star on May 3rd

Suburban is Best…

Dave Arthur — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 07:25:56 +0000

One of the pressing concerns for the newly created Australian Rugby League Commission is surely the call last week for NRL clubs to abandon their suburban grounds for the wide open and usually empty environs of the Allianz or ANZ stadia (or the SFS and Olympic as we used to call them). The Commission should boot the idea into touch right now, unequivocally and without further ado. The proposal seems to have emanated, surprise, surprise from the bigwigs of the big budget stadia themselves and their eagerness to drive revenue in a competitive and volatile market. OK may have a point for some of the larger, so called blockbuster games but only them – the vast majority of games should still be played at Brookvale, Parramatta, Leichardt, Penrith, Campbelltown, Kogarah and Shark Park. Once again this proposed move is couched as one the AFL undertook years ago. Melbourne games are now played exclusively at the MCG and Docklands and suburban grounds are now mistily recollected bygones of another age. Anything the AFL does or has done is viewed as the magic bullet, the cure all, the panacea but Sydney is an entirely different marketplace socially, logistically and geographically. Rugby league has a soul, a remarkable and resilient soul that survived the ravages of overt corporatisation due largely to the deep engagement of the communities surrounding the clubs. Try as they might, Rupert and Kerry couldn’t clone it, it is at a cellular level – part of the DNA of the code and everyone who supports it. And the venues form part of this complex nuclear model – part and parcel from grassroots to the elite. This has been soccer’s main problem – disengagement from grassroot fan who paid the bills. The sectarianism needed to be dismantled but in so doing the precious DNA of the sport was irrevocably altered. Some would argue that the suburban games are sell outs and therefore deserving of higher status. Maybe, but my sneaking suspicion is that the reason they sell out is not undersupply but the very fact they are being played in grounds close to the communities that support and nurture them at a time dictated by fans not television. The Commission is here to protect and uphold the traditions of the game, a tall order indeed but they would do well to listen to the suburban heartbeat of rugby league. No stethoscope required.

This post first appeared as Monday’s Expert in the Northern Star on April 14th

Old Guys Rule!

Dave Arthur — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 07:23:59 +0000

Talking over the weekend with a couple of mates, firstly at a local fashion outlet (never thought I‘d say that in a column) and subsequently at a restaurant over a beers we were lamenting the youth of today. The typical prejudiced laden chatter of your typical 40 odd year old blokes wallowing in the mire of middle age. The centre of the conversation was the fact that Murwillumbah fielded more than there fair share of 40 year olds in their reserve grade league fixture versus Ballina last week. Not only that but one of their number (who is 51) scored a try to become surely the oldest player to score in NRLLL competition ever?). Also among the meat pies was an ageless prop who notched a brace in the Trojans rugby union win over Grafton. A myriad of other sports tell similar tales of aged exploits. Whilst we were to a man in gobsmacked awe of their exploits the inevitable questions arose as to why they were in these situations in the first place as there are hatfuls of sporting options for over 35’s to amuse themselves. Sure, some compete because by dint of genetic happenstance they can (and more importantly are allowed), but all of them? It seems not. Some have to play to ensure their team does and therefore avoid the sporting ignominy of forfeiture. This led, quite naturally to stereotypical ramblings trotted out regularly by Grumpy Old Men in their sermons: ‘the young are lazy, too many computer gadgets, Gen Y have no loyalty’ and of course the hackneyed ‘it wouldn’t have happened in our day’! That’s as may be but do we have the right to expect them to do as we did? Just because we trained apparently without question and come rain, hail or shine on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6pm does it mean they should too? I’m not suggesting the magic bullet is a swift return to sensible haircuts, an instant Twitter ban, black boots and jerseys made of a cotton/polyester mix rather than Teflon. Far from it. I’m suggesting us oldies, as temporary keepers of the sporting flame should view things not from our misty eyed perspective but from that of a young adult confronted by an unfettered and option filled life. The world has changed but has the sporting world changed similarly?

This post first appeared as Monday’s Expert in the Northern Star on April 13th

Saving Sport with Beer and Sauerkraut

Dave Arthur — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 01:23:47 +0000

There’s little doubt that the current travails of sporting teams in Australia and on the fabled strand of the Gold Coast in particular are complicated. Just as the planets can line up for the forces of good so too can they align for the darkside. This seems to be the fate of sport in SE Queensland at the moment. The economy on the strip is in tatters with unemployment well above national averages, property prices have plunged leading to decreased equity and fidgety banks and the demographic make up of the region is unique and confounding. In sporting terms they speak of the holy trinity – match day revenue, sponsorship and of course broadcast income. With the factors above contributing, at least two of these are affected. That’s as maybe but the clubs, leagues and competitions must also shoulder some of the blame and admit to mismanagement. Maybe it is time to look for different structural and management models for sport, our sport. Mention Germany and the stereotypical among us are quick to conjure images of rigidity, of discipline and of humourless efficiency. Whilst these traits may have some skerrick of truth we may soon have to add a further one – that they run sport well. In their football league -the Bundesliga – they have a shining example of a well managed, well governed and level as a billiard table competition that boasts engaged fans that watch, attend and have a stake in the clubs they support. One of the guiding principles of the league is the 50+1 rule whereby at least 51% ownership of each club must be in the hands of the members of that club. There are some exceptions with both Leverkusen and Wolfsburg majority owned by global companies based in the cities. This situation eventuated only because they had been involved in football for more than 20 years and thus proved their credentials. Undoubtedly the core value is always the fan and not a big name investor who may not have their best interests at heart. Whilst Michael Searle is a died in the wool rugby league fanatic, if the Titans were operating under a Bundesliga esque structure then they would have been shielded from the humungous losses of a property arm that many players and fans would have been unaware and not in the financial black hole they are purported to be in. Perhaps it’s time to break out the sauerkraut and beer and seriously consider something different?

This post first appeared as Monday’s Expert in the Northern Star on March 26th

I’m all outta love…

Dave Arthur — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 01:26:47 +0000

The Melbourne grand prix took place yesterday – not that you’d really have noticed. It’s the first race of the season and is a highly anticipated event largely because the teams get to see whether the eye watering amounts they have invested in research and development in the off season all comes to nought! Granted – they may have been assailed at every turn down Mexico way (all that whiff of fuel in the air, whining of finely tuned engines and traffic congestion) but you can’t tell me you’ve been swamped by promotion nor even give a fig about it? Whilst there are apparently millions around the world salivating at the prospect of the green light fewer and fewer Australians seem to be among them sharing their consuming passion. We’ve fallen out of love. The reasons are perhaps as wide ranging as the nationalities of the drivers involved. Is it the fact that the money shelled out by the Victorian government (around 55 million this year) doesn’t match up with the 35 million of mooted economic benefit? Is it that our egalitarian society baulks at lining the pockets of some tawdry European billionaires with hard earned public money and the lost opportunities this leads to? Maybe it is the fact that those self same billionaire entrepreneurs hold organisers to ransom at every turn? It is likely a combination of all these. When Melbourne snuck in and pilfered the GP from Adelaide in 1996 it cost them a paltry 1.7 million – a hefty sum sure, but chump change to any self-respecting billionaire and palatable to the majority of ratepayers, especially in a voraciously sports mad city such as Melbourne. But now it costs nearly forty times that amount and some of the lustre has worn off with the continuing ramblings and rumblings of Ecclestone and his playboy mates do little to buff the image. The latest attempt is to turn the race into a twilight event largely to assuage the concerns of the broadcasting sugar daddy’s up north and fit better with their schedules. Inevitably this will cost taxpayers more in infrastructure on top of a likely race fee hike! Ecclestone’s reaction smacks of concern for his own back pocket and there are plenty of places eager to sell their souls for an F1GP! I’d like to think that as a society we would take stock of the true value of the race, forget the bluff amnd bluster and make a decision based on rational thought rather than testosterone charged, ego driven bullying.

This post first appeared as Monday’s Expert in the Northern Star on March 19th

The Best Games Ever…

Dave Arthur — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 01:29:30 +0000

In an Olympic year there is a never ending supply of weird and wonderful stories and it seems that with London 2012 fast approaching this seems set to continue! Only last week the 550 or so athletes that will make up Team GB were warned not to shake hands if at all possible lest they be the unwitting recipients of an illness inducing virus. With approximately 10 000 athletes expected from some 200 countries the opportunities for picking up a performance reducing germ or two will be legion – hence the advice. The Chief Medical Officer of the team Dr Ian McCurdie said “any sickness picked up in the ‘quite stressful environment’ of the Games could affect performance”. In dispensing this advice he realised that many would not take it – hence he also advocated regular washing with hand foam as an alternative. Apparently this is exactly what George W Bush used to do after shaking hands with foreign dignitaries! Of course the pukka poms have been affronted by such a suggestion with suggested alternatives including a Japanesque formal bow and the pr people’s favourite air kiss! And it seems not all the action will be confined to the various gobsmacking stadia that have been specifically constructed for the Games. One of the other curious facts that has emerged is that condom manufacturer Durex has come aboard the Games as an official supplier. Organisers were quick to point out that they will not be allowed to display the Olympic logo on product as they are merely a supplier rather than a partner! The company is yet to ascertain the exact number required but they should err on the side of caution if history is any guide. For Sydney 2000 some 70 000 were provided but that number proved inadequate and a further 20 000 were eventually brought in. The winter games in Vancouver 2010 saw 90 000 supplied whilst Beijing in 2008 saw an average of 6 per athlete! It gives a whole new meaning to the ‘best games ever’ tag doesn’t it!!

This post first appeared as Monday’s Expert in the Northern Star on March 12th

A Gillard, Rudd, Oakeshott, Windsor, Wilkie Leadership Group?

Dave Arthur — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 23:50:13 +0000

I have a solution to the latest crisis engulfing the Australian Labour Party. It will avoid the rancour and retribution currently on show and which apparently will be settled today. As with any solution worth its salt it has evolved from our first and abiding love… sport. As the various winter codes beat their chests and dive headlong into their seasons, a curious phenomenon has emerged. I say emerged but in truth it started its seductive invasion a while ago and is now engulfing sport, male and female, big and small. Who knows it may even have hit you at your local club. It is this weird concept of the ‘leadership group’. In the olden days a simple © beside a name in a team list sufficed. It signified authority, respect and leadership – this person was the captain, trusted and wizened and able to make unilateral, on field decisions for the good of the team. But the professionalised and commercialised world that sport now inhabits it is apparently no longer enough. AFL, ever at the forefront started it via their embracing of a ‘player empowerment leadership model’. Consequently St Kilda have eight players inhabiting their leadership group and the Sydney Swans recently announced the addition of two players, Ted Richards and Nick Smith to theirs. Ok I can cop, except for the fact that the group already had seven in it and now numbers nine! South Sydney, hardly seen as paragons of modern organisational theory have installed Michael Crocker, Roy Asotasi, Sam Burgess, Matt King and John Sutton to lead the Rabbitohs this year as (and I quote their website) “part of a leadership group which is charged with captaining the side week-in and week-out”. Part of the leadership group! Heavens above! Even in netball where there are only seven positions on court at any one time the Swifts have anointed Australian Diamond reps Mo’onia Gerrard and Kimberlee Green as co captains. So with sport showing us the path to true enlightenment I give you Gillard and Rudd as co captains! No wait, while we are at let’s throw in Wilkie, Oakeshott, Windsor and yes Therese too! You wouldn’t do it would you? So why do we do it in sport?

This post appeared originally as Monday’s Expert in the Northern Star on February 27th