FIFA World Cup is now underway…I begin this post as I’m watching the opening match between Mexico and the Republic of South Africa. The scene is as electric as the hype has suggested it would be. Soccer is a unique sport, one that still doesn’t register completely with the rank-and-file American sports fan.
The question that is always asked leading up to the quadrennial competition – followed passionately the world over – is, “What will World Cup mean for soccer in the United States?” It’s a fair and logical question. But we feel the answer is not so simple. To be sure, there are plenty of Americans who really enjoy the world’s most popular sport. But, that hasn’t necessarily translated to love for the North American professional league, Major League Soccer (MLS). TV ratings compared to those of other “major” professional sports leagues remain inconsequential and attendance in many league markets is substandard. (more…)
The Blackhawks remain a hot story in Chicago. The Chicago Sun-Times took up the topic of Blackhawk players and endorsement potential on Monday, June 14. DEEP President, David Paro, is featured in the article.
With the streets (and buildings) of Chicago lined with fans, the Chicago Blackhawks paraded east on Washington, north on Michigan and came to a halt at Michigan & Wacker where a rally of an estimated 2 million people were waiting for them; a number that Chicago officials say is the largest celebration the city has ever hosted. But this celebration was not just for the first Stanley Cup Championship in 49 years. It was far more. It was the culmination of the resurgence that started three years ago. Friday was just as much a “welcome back” party as it was a championship celebration. It was the fans showing their appreciation to the entire organization for “committing to the Indian”* and making hockey relevant again in Chicago; something that just five short years ago seemed impossible.
The passing of John Wooden, a personal hero of mine, seems like a really good time to pause and reflect on whether we (as a society or the sports industry in general) live up to the standards of excellence he helped establish. On second thought, that might be a pretty depressing analysis.