Pacman vs. Hitman: The Battle of the Titans
by admin | March 12, 2009 | In Boxing, Pacman vs. Hitman | No Comments
Manny “The Pacman” Pacquaio and Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton will face off on May 2, 2009 on what is regarded as one of the most exciting boxing events of the year. Pacquiao who just won a spectacular 8th round TKO victory over the Golden Boy Oscar dela Hoya in their non-title welterweight match has taken over the mantle of authority of being the best pound for pound boxer in the planet today. Hatton, on the other hand, whose credential includes the latest 10th round stoppage of Paulie Malignaggi, is the reigning IBO light welterweight crown. Hatton will be risking his crown to Pacquiao on what is expected to be a mega boxing event that promises to break the pay per view records set by Floyd “Pretty Boy” Mayweather, Jr and Oscar dela Hoya superwelterweight match last May 2008.
Joe Johnson’s Sitdown 3 pointer
by admin | March 11, 2009 | In NBA | No Comments
This is a nice shot by Joe Johnson’s sit down three pointers from out of bounds that tries to top LeBron Jame’s halfcourt shot. This kind of shot requires a certain degree of control of upper body strength and is easier said than done.
But others said it’s not even close. Lebron James Finger Roll from past half court was far more impressive then Joe Johnson’s sit down three pointer. I live it to you to decide…
A Sight so Crystal-Clear at Zenni Optical
by admin | February 15, 2009 | In Paid Post, Products | No Comments
Extreme!
Extremely low prices for eyeglasses await you at Zenni Optical. Prescription eyeglasses for $8! This is just so unbelievable. You may not believe your eyes. But this is just so real…you do not need a perfect vision to see this terrific offer from Zenni Optical. At Zenni Optical, you can enjoy Seeing Straight Without Breaking the Bank.
That Zenni Optical is the world leader in eyeglasses products is crystal clear. Just read Zenni Optical in the New York Times?!
Joey Antonio Bags his 9th Title in the Universal-Super Swiss January 2009 Chess Championships
by admin | February 14, 2009 | In Chess | No Comments
MANILA, Philippines - Twelve-time National Open champion Joey Antonio Jr. annexed his ninth title in the United States with a win in the Universal-Super Swiss January 2009 Chess Championships in Warren, Michigan.
Antonio scored 8.5 points in nine outings.
Ameer Shawky Ghobrial settled for second place (7.0) while Michael Bowersock, who drew with Antonio in the seventh round, was third.
Antonio also won the LA Chess Club Open Chess Championships on New Year’s Day.
Feel Good and See Rightly with Zenni Eyeglasses
by admin | February 8, 2009 | In Paid Post, Products | No Comments
Let’s Get Ready to Rumble! Pacquiao Vs. Hatton - Dong Secuya of PhilBoxing.com reported a few hours ago at the time of this writing that Manny Pacquiao has just accepted the offer of Hatton Camp after a negotiation deadlock on January 21, 2008 when the tiff was called off.
It could be noted that Pacquiao insisted for 60-40 split purse for the past few days in the negotiation table contending that he deserves a bit of respect or recognition for his previous feats in the ring. Pacquaio has just came off from three striking victories in three different weight classes duplicating the ring achievement of Armstrong, adding to his credentials two world title belts and the recognition of being the second ring warrior to have stopped the Golden Boy of boxing, Oscar dela Hoya in the welterweight division.
The Pacquiao-Hatton bout is expectd to generate millions of pay per views not only in the United States but also in the United Kingdom and possibly set a new record for pay per view sales, far better than the Pacquiao-dela Hoya Dream Match.
Sports News: Living with Crisis
by admin | December 22, 2008 | In Sports News | No Comments
The year 2008 has once again been a test of endurance and financial stability for major sporting leagues. The global financial crisis, set off by millions of unpaid mortgages lent out by large American financial institutions, has made it difficult for the public to patronize international sporting leagues, and thus increased the burden of maintaining them.
In October, the National Basketball Association became the first major American sporting league to cut jobs. About 80 people from unnecessary or redundant positions were cut as an effect of the global economic slowdown. Com. David Stern said that the league is hitting all its financial targets, despite reports that crowds in many arenas are thinner than previous seasons. Individual NHL teams started cutting employees days after.
In November, NASCAR, the most economically sound sports business model in the US, suspended all testing for all its sanctioned top-tier races for the 2009 season. This is a big part of teams’ preparations for the next season, beginning with the Daytona 500 in January.
Later last month, General Motors, one of the three major American automobile manufacturers hoping for a government bailout, cut its sponsorship contract with Tiger Woods after nine years. GM spent over half a billion dollars in sports advertising last year, and is desperately trying to cut costs where it can.
Honda, Japan’s second-largest car manufacturer, announced that it was pulling out of Formula One at the start of this month. In November alone, Honda’s US car sales dropped 32 percent. Maintaining its two-car F1 team cost them $217 million this season.
“No one knows how serious the world crisis is,” Max Mosley, president of Federation Internationale de l-Automobile, F1’s governing body, was quoted as saying on Bloomberg.com. “It’s not just the racing teams. It affects fans’ abilities to attend racing and sponsors’ paying fees.”
A little over a week ago, Suzuki pulled out of the World Rally Championship after finally becoming a full-fledged member. Its Paris-based headquarters for the WRC announced the pullout on the 15th. At the same time, Arena Football League, the 22-year old indoor version of the NFL, reveals it was not going to play at all in 2009, supposedly with all team owners agreeing to come back in 2010.
Why is sports so hard-hit?
Professional sports anywhere is a combination of both entertainment and advertising. In tough economic times, these are the two areas corporations cut costs first. Advertising is either eliminated or scaled down, and entertainment becomes more selective.
Take the cost of going to any game in the US. First, you have to buy the tickets, which average out at about P50 per person. Then you have to drive to the venue, which is usually outside of the downtown area, where land used to be cheaper. Then you pay for parking and buy expensive popcorn, hotdogs and beer. The whole evening could cost you upwards to $200 for two persons. If you have season tickets, the spending becomes all the more unreasonable.
So what does the future hold for professional sports leagues?
For the ultra-expensive like Formula One, obviously the first thing to do is find new owners for teams that fold, and Honda will probably be followed by at least one other team that will most likely just announce a change in ownership. It wouldn’t be surprising if F1 announced it was scaling back the number of races for 2009. Middle East businesses have reportedly expressed interest in buying major Formula One and American sports teams, as well.
Although the NBA has announced it will play regular season games in Europe, they are mum on the dates, and other international playdates are being considered for later dates.
Advertisers will definitely be cutting down on global sports spending in the next two years, until they get a clearer picture of what the future holds. Some long-term endorsement deals with big-name athletes will certainly be restructured, either quietly or openly.
There is actually no need to worry for now, as no major sports leagues like the NBA, Major League Baseball, NFL or NHL will be doing anything drastic. The election of Barack Obama will, at the very least, engender some hope for change. The next two years will be difficult, but then again, we’ve been through this before.
The big sports leagues always find a way to survive.
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