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Sports desert
Jordan Walker won the Home Run Derby. The national talking heads are trying to tell me why I should care.
Side note, I: Jordan Walker got $1 million for the W, which came with six consecutive homers to topple Kyle Schwarber 12-11 in the finals. Walker’s salary is less than $800K for the season. Enjoy your Tuesday as much as the Walkers today.
Side note, II: The reactions from the Derby’s new rules were overwhelmingly positive. But the action was isolated on Netflix. More on this in a moment.
Side note, III: The Philly fans cheering for hometown fav Schwarber was predictable. The Philadelphia crowd booing Walker in the finals was as traditional Philly as cheesesteaks and Rocky references. True or false on a Tuesday, (morning, Ern) the cheesesteak is overrated.
OK, that’s more HRD words than I expected. And I feel sure I have made Clint dumber this morning. Sorry, CC. You da man. (Editor’s note: Couldn’t watch; having trouble with my Netflix.)
Here’s my thoughts about this sports desert, which is arguably the driest of the annual sports calendar.
> Why are all fringe and outlier sports not fighting to make meaningful moments and schedules for the month of July? Yes, Wimbledon is here and the British Open starts Thursday morning, but those traditional events are storied enough not to change or wobble toward the opportunity.
But the WNBA should be starting its finals this week. Juggle the schedule and start earlier.
Why is NASCAR not exploring something different and cool for this week?
How dry is this desert? ESPN is showing NBA rookie league highlights like it’s late April and these are early playoff games.
You know who is viewing this desert as another oasis? The NFL.
Let’s cue the room full of NFL bigwigs, all dressed like the Monopoly caricature and lighting Cubans (the cigars, not the citizens) with $10,000 bonds.
Roger Goodell steps to the podium from his $12,000 leather chair at the head of the $120,000 table: “Men, we have a chance to expand the brand.”
Owner 1, who may have been a wildcat oil man and is overly giddy to speak in his Arkansas twang: “Wait a sec, Rog, America’s team is always expanding the calendar. That’s why we’re America’s team (long pause with several winks around the room) … But go on, because more eyeballs means more money.”
Goodell: “Of course it does, and that’s why we’re here.”
Room breaks into applause and minions are sent for $1,000 shots of dark liquor.
Goodell, raising his hand to quiet the room: “Gentlemen, please. Who has ideas?”
Owner 2, who has a scantily clad Asian woman rubbing his shoulders, offers in a Boston accent: “Lower, dear, and with a little more enthusiasm please … Sorry, look, Roger, we all want a happy ending every year when we check the financials, and you have done a great job of leading us to an unforeseen bounty of riches. But what if we show old Tom Brady highlights on the NFL Network. Everyone loves TB12.”
Room groans.
Goodell: “Thanks. There is no such thing as a bad idea, but that one really kinda stinks. Anyone else?”
Owner 3, who is dressed like Gomez Addams and actually has the Monopoly guy monocle in his right eye: “At my previous company, we’d frequently discuss new ideas, like fan pricing and ways to develop a home-improvement depot. But what about a summer league with rookies from each division sending players. We can do it and embrace the flag football movement so the linemen and skilled guys have limited exposure to contact and injuries.
“Think about first looks at our new faces. Think about including the spring league players we want to see. And if the sports stations are clamoring for NBA rookies, the sports world would covet a look at our rookies.
“And if Netflix is paying $50 million a year for a one-night Home Run Derby, what could we get in a bidding war from the streaming services for three weeks of NFL rookie scrimmages?
Room pauses, then breaks into a standing ovation.
Owner 1: “I was going to say the exact same thing.”
Scene.
Streaming sports
Look, the media realm has changed more than anyone expected.
Yes, my industry was tardy to the party of change.
But the internet has morphed as well and is now invading the traditional realms that enjoyed belly-laughs at the newspaper decline over the last couple of decades but now are feeling the pinch and the pain.
Netflix scooping up the Home Run Derby is just the latest item. And while it’s a blip on the radar, realize that a streaming service is willing to pay almost what CBS paid for the SEC championship game for the first three decades of it. (Netflix paid $50 million a year over three years for three events — an Opening Day game, the “Field of Dreams” game and the HRD — and CBS paid $55 million for the SEC title game, and that was the height of its expense before the game found much, Much, MUCH greener pastures.)
And some in this space have wondered if the TV money hydrant will ever stop, and it’s a fair question. A fair question in the previous realm since there were only a small number of networks bidding against each other for the live broadcast rights.
Which felt limited.
But two truths have emerged.
First, live sports are still the most attractive TV/streaming option anywhere. That’s true for the TV folks, because live sports are DVR-proof because people need to watch the action live, which greatly appeals to advertisers in this day and age.
That’s true for streaming services too, because it’s a sure bet. Sure, when HBO finds a phenomenon like “Game of Thrones,” it becomes a subscription driver. Same with “Ted Lasso” and Apple TV.
But those are lottery tickets. Live sports, especially those to extremely passionate fan bases like the NFL or SEC and Big Ten football, are a surefire line item that bidders can rely on.
And there’s no way networks can keep pace with the pockets of Apple or Amazon or some of the other folks who are desperate to add a juicy chicken liver to the hook for the catfish (public) looking for a final reason to subscribe.
Wemby’s decision
Victor Wembanyama is emerging as the face of the NBA.
And he has signed a contract extension that offers generational wealth.
He signed for five years for $252 million to extend his rookie contract.
That’s more money than any of us can dream of. Well, other than Spy, who was smart enough to invest in the cotton gin technology back in the day.
But Wemby left $50 million on the table — he asked for a 25% max deal, and could have asked for (and gotten) a 30% supermax deal — and there are mixed feelings around the league.
And around sports. This debate is interesting to me.
In salary-capped sports, and even in non-capped sports, the payroll pool is at some point limited.
And when players have success, their expectations rise when their performance rises. And that’s universally understandable.
But players who take less are clearly allowing teams the chance to surround them with better teammates.
That’s understandable, because success is always beneficial for superstars in sports. More endorsements. Better legacies. More leverage. Ultimate fan embraces.
But conversely, deserving employees taking less — whether that’s in the tens of thousands or the hundreds of millions — for the millionaire and billionaire bosses seems nonsensical in so many ways, right?
Man, thoughts on this?
This and that
> World Cup gets back in action today with France facing Spain. I will be watching, and in truth, I should have included this in Monday’s Plays. I am backing France here, and backing them to win the whole shebang. Feel free to share in the comments live. I will watch this match with my laptop open at a friend’s house. Unsweet teas for everyone.
> There has been some more ink spilled on Baylor School superduperstar David Gabriel Georges, including a story from longtime college football ace Chris Low. Paysite for Low’s work. Here’s more on a free site and has the details that DGG ran a sub-4.4 40, which is faster than what Bijan Robinson (4.46), Saquon Barkley (4.40), Christian McCaffrey (4.48), Jonathan Taylor (4.39), and James Cook (4.42) ran as seniors in high school. Said it before, will say it again. He’s the best I’ve ever seen, friends.
> The All-Star game is tonight. Hey, at least World Series home field is not at stake. And the chance to watch Shohei — and even The Miz — will have my attention. That, and I’ve seen all the meaningful “NCIS” reruns with Leroy Jethro Gibbs involved.
> We’ll get into it more Wednesday, but the final golf major of the year starts Thursday. And this is wicked cool, as the British Open left open a final spot in the field for a Monday qualifier. The qualifier? Joe Dean — no, Spy, not the “String Music” college basketball voice; I think he died, suddenly, in 2013 — earned the last spot. His story is awesome in its awesomeness. The highlights are a) he drives a truck three to four days a week to make money to keep chasing his golf dream, b) his finaćee carried his bag Monday, and c) they are getting hitched next Tuesday. Wow, this is a week for Mr. Dean, huh?
> Speaking of Joe Dean, the former voice of SEC hoops for a lot of us growing up, did you know the LSU all-century team was voted on, and the five members were Shaq (duh), Pistol Pete (duh infinity), Chris Jackson (who was awesome), Bob Pettit (who is in the basketball Hall of Fame) and one Joe Dean. String music indeed.
> Love the summertime local sports stories in the local fishwrapper (which is an especially dated term since it really only applies to Sunday for us at the TFP these days) like this one. Here’s an update on a massive Silverdale Baptist Academy left tackle headed to Vandy from TFP preps ace Patrick MacCoon. He will get great coaching this fall. Trust me.
Today’s questions
True or false, it’s Tuesday. Again, morning, Ern. Have a second cup if you need one.
We started above with, true or false, the cheesesteak is overrated. Fire away.
True or false, sooner rather than later, the biggest sporting events (other than the Masters, which will never, ever leave CBS) will be on streaming services.
True or false, you have signed up for a streaming service because of live sports. (If so, please share the service and the sport if you are comfortable with that. And yes, BravesVision counts.)
True or false, the ultimate World Cup winner takes the pitch today.
True or false, DGG will win a Heisman.
You know the drill. Answer some Ts or Fs, ask some Ts or Fs.
As for today, July 14, let’s review.
Happy Bastille Day. Spy, how was the cake back then?
“Easy Rider” was released on this day in 1969.
Conor McGregor is 38 today. He got thrashed over the weekend in his money-grab-return-to-the-ring fight in MMA.
Rushmore of “Conor” (spelling can deviate). Does he make it?
Jay is a sports writer and columnist at the Times Free Press. He writes a daily online column called “5-at-10,” and he started with the newspaper in May 2002 as the deputy sports editor.
He was born and raised in Smyrna, Ga., and graduated from Auburn University before starting his newspaper career in 1997 with the Newnan (Ga.) Times Herald. Stops in Clayton and Henry counties in Georgia and two years as the Sports Editor of the Marietta (Ga.) Daily Journal preceded Jay’s move to Chattanooga.
He has won local, state, regional and national awards as a writer, designer and section editor. Jay and his wife Kathleen were married in 2004 and have a son, Lee, and a daughter, Madeline Ray.
Contact Jay at (423) 757-6273 or jgreeson@timesfreepress.com and follow him on Twitter at @jgreesontfp.