The New Way to Scalp
Friday, June 15, 2007

Based on a lesson in scalping I got years ago on my way to scalp tickets for the Super Bowl in Atlanta, my understanding has been that the networks were big scalpers, holding tickets to big events until the last minute in case any sponsors wanted in, then ditching them to select agents. Seems the team owners have now gotten smart and are devising ways to get a piece of the action themselves, swiping it back from Ebay etc.

Flash Seats allows sports teams to exert total control over who fills their seats, and to fight back against sites like Craigslist, eBay, TicketsNow and StubHub, which have transformed the shady world of ticket scalping into a $3-billion-a-year business.

Those sites have pushed ticket reselling far beyond the reach of professional sports teams, entertainment arenas and the local police as they try to enforce state antiscalping laws. Now teams like the Cavaliers have conceded the inevitability of ticket exchanges and are creating their own — and, in some cases, taking a lucrative piece of the pie.

They argue that by controlling the resale market for their tickets, they can cut down on counterfeiting and the outrageously high prices often demanded by scalpers. Cavaliers executives also say that with Flash Seats, they have the additional benefit of knowing exactly who is sitting in every seat — and can market to them in the future.

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Posted by B Feiler at 7:01 AM 0 comments

This Logo Could Kill You!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Ok, this is getting good. The BBC:

A segment of animated footage promoting the 2012 Olympic Games has been removed from the organisers' website after fears it could trigger epileptic fits.

Prof Graham Harding, who developed the test used to measure photo-sensitivity levels in TV material, said it should not be broadcast again.

Charity Epilepsy Action said it had received calls from people who had suffered fits after seeing it.

Organiser London 2012 said it will re-edit the film.

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Posted by B Feiler at 9:16 PM 0 comments

Ditch the London Logo

The BBC has published a sampling of alternative logos submitted for the lame London 2012 one revealed yesterday. This one is my favorite!

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Posted by B Feiler at 5:42 PM 0 comments

The Logo That Ate the Olympics

I'm something of a Design Geek. When I was young, my fantasy job was to design album covers. One of the reasons I write books today is to get to sit alongside the designer and watch her (a friend has done all my covers recently) work on the design. I realize this is the nightmare scenario for most designers, but there you have it. I'm probably a Design Bore as well.

So: My brother sent me the new logo yesterday unveiled for the London Olympics.


I HATED IT. No equivocation. No being stirred by the words of Sebastian Coe, "It will define the venues we build and the Games we hold, and act as a reminder of our promise to use the Olympic spirit to inspire everyone and reach out to young people around the world." I simply HATED it. Too blocky. It wasn't until I looked at it three times that I realized this concrete-looking shapes were supposed to be 2012. The color is like an ambulance. The font for "london" is all wrong. And why the lowercase. Perfect for Moscow circa 1928. Wrong for today.

No surprise then that that same AFP article that my brother linked to earlier in the day now had the headling, "New Logo Triggers Debate." The opening line said it better: The "iconic" logo for the 2012 London Olympics was unveiled here on Monday, but critics immediately condemned it as "hideous" and a waste of money.

UPDATE: You can sign an online petition to ditch the logo!

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Posted by B Feiler at 11:14 AM 0 comments

Poetry Reference of the Month
Friday, June 1, 2007

On ESPN!! John Buccigrass on LeBron James' myth-making performance in the NBA Eastern Regional Finals last night. He ended his report with these words.

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!
Awesome! Give that man a raise! It seems worth quoting the entire poem.

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

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Posted by B Feiler at 9:06 AM 0 comments

Here's One Way to Build a Farm Team
Friday, March 9, 2007

It's celebrity gossip day here on Feiler Faster! But all those daily readers in Red Sox Nation (otherwise known at my in-laws) should be interested in this:

A Brazilian website reported yesterday that Tom Brady's girlfriend Gisele Bundchen may be pregnant and, if so, the Pats QB is the father. According to the popular celebrity website Glamurama.com.br , Bundchen would be no more than two months pregnant, but may already have told select friends and family. The brief item was written by Joyce Pascowitch , who's the Brazilian equivalent of the New York Post's Richard Johnson . Brady's agent Don Yee did not return a phone call yesterday, and Bundchen's rep at IMG denied the report. Two weeks ago, Brady's ex-girlfriend actress Bridget Moynahan revealed she's pregnant, and Brady is the father. ( Moynahan's rep had no comment yesterday on the possibility of a Bundchen baby.) Brady, 29, and Moynahan, 36, dated for nearly three years before breaking up in mid - December. Soon after, the two-time Super Bowl MVP began dating the Brazilian supermodel. The pretty pair recently enjoyed five-star stays in Paris, Milan, and Rome, and Life & Style Weekly is reporting that Bundchen also took Brady to meet her parents in Porto Alegre , Brazil.
If all these reports are true, it might explain why the Colts zipped past the Pats in the playoffs to land in the Super Bowl. All of this action seems to have been gathered around late December...

Update: Giselle is a twin! That clearly brings this story under the Feiler Faster mandate:
Tom Brady’s seemingly endless baby-mama drama took a timeout yesterday when Gisele Bundchen’ family shot down reports that the New England Patriots super-stud had another completion - this time with the Brazilian supermodel.
The $30 million catwalker’s father as well as her sister, Raquel, told the media that the Brady baby buzz was bogus - Gisele is not pregnant with No. 12’s No. 2. (Last month, Tom’s ex, Bridget Moynahan, announced she is carrying the first heir to the Brady throne.)
“It is not true,” G.’s papa, Valdir, told O Dia gossip columnist Sabrina Grimberg. “I speak with Gisele every day and she would have told me.”
Meanwhile, sister Raquel told Ego.Globo.com that the family was shocked, just shocked, when they read the news on the Internet.
“It is clear that Gisele is not pregnant. She is well and has lots of commitments (meaning modeling gigs),” said the supermodel’s sis.
Raquel also told Ego that Gisele’s twin sister, Patricia, told her: “People are inventing things.”

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Posted by B Feiler at 12:05 PM 0 comments

Sorry, Mom
Sunday, February 4, 2007

As your daughter-in-law said: "Looks like they'll be wearing Bears hats in Uganda!"

[And imagine the party in the room at the Marriott tonight!]

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Posted by B Feiler at 10:05 PM 0 comments

Is Your Super Bowl Party Illegal?

Slate answers the question, If you have a 55-inch television is your party illegal, like this church?

No. The 55-inch limit cited by the NFL applies only to public showings of the Super Bowl, not private gatherings. According to U.S. copyright law, Josh is in the clear so long as he doesn't take his gigantic TV to a public place, or invite "a substantial number of persons" to his house—more than a normal circle of family and social acquaintances. If he sticks to those rules, his Super Bowl party will be a private display and won't infringe on the rights of the NFL, no matter how big his television. (Since he's hosting a private event, he could even get away with charging his guests admission.)

Public displays are more tightly controlled; as a general rule, they require the consent of the league. But there is an exception, from section 110 of the copyright law: You can show the game to a big crowd, provided you're not charging people to watch it and that when you tune in, you're only using "a single receiving apparatus of a kind commonly used in private homes." (This is called the "homestyle" exemption.)

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Posted by B Feiler at 12:24 PM 0 comments

Feiler Faster on Super Sunday
Saturday, February 3, 2007

Feiler Faster reported this week from where football fans (and prostitutes, apparently) were not allowed to go: Inside the Colts hotel in South Florida. As the big game approaches, a roundup of our reports and some juicy tidbits to drop into your salsa at your Super Bowl party.

Does the NFL Own the "Hail Mary," Too? -- The Hubris Bowl
When the Going Gets Tough the Colts Go ... -- Shopping!
Colts in the House -- Who's afraid of South Beach?
Forrest Gump Meets Peyton Manning -- Who paid for these posters?
MVP Loser -- Impress your friends.
Mom Is Reading -- Why Mom turned on the Colts.
Wherever You Are Johnny U -- How the Colts delayed my birth.

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Posted by B Feiler at 7:33 AM 0 comments

Does the NFL Own the "Hail Mary," Too?
Friday, February 2, 2007

The NFL has clearly benefited from all the coverage about the faith of Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith. But now it's taken its control of the Super Bowl brand to absurd lengths. The league has sent a cease and desist letter to a church in Indianapolis saying it can't host a Super Bowl party at the church on Sunday night. Come on! Their argument: The church is profiting from the game and exceeding the size screen that anyone can project the game on: 55 inches.

Upon hearing the news, Bill Shoulta, pastor of Melbourne Heights Baptist Church in Louisville, had no initial plans to stop a planned Super Bowl program at his church, which is to include a talk by University of Louisville backup quarterback Hunter Cantwell but not an actual showing of the game itself.

In fact, he looked at the situation humorously.

"How absurd!" he said of the NFL's stance. "... Maybe churches should get a copyright on the NFL's use of such terms as 'Sunday,' 'Saints' and 'Hail Mary Pass.' Every time a player points heavenward, goes down on one knee, or shows the sign of the cross after a touchdown, maybe the cheerleaders should pass the offering plate.

"Let's charge the NFL for hyping the personal faith of the respective head coaches for the Bears and Colts. Perhaps we should be reimbursed for the loss of income that churches sustain from members who attend Super Bowl activities."

Wait. So it's okay for Sports Bars to promote Super Bowl parties but not churches? Who's a little full of themselves now.

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Posted by B Feiler at 4:50 PM 0 comments

When The Going Gets Tough, the Colts Go ...
Thursday, February 1, 2007

So much for security. But who needs it anyway? On my last day in Florida, I snuck into the Colts press conference. I guess I have the face of a sports reporter. (And they hardly missed another cold croissant.) I watched Tony Dungy answer questions. What struck me was his sense of perspective. As everyone knows by now, he is a man of faith, his 18-year-old son committed suicide last year, he is aware of his stature, with his friend Lovie Smith, of being the first black coaches in the Super Bowl. But the feeling he gave off in the room -- and what he actually said -- was the winning wasn't the only thing. In a sport dominated by the ghost of Vince Lombardi ("Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."), the message was startling.

And great.

Here's a quote I ran into: "Really, in a lot of ways, this team is a throwback to another time," Indianapolis Star sports columnist Bob Kravitz said. "There are a lot of likable guys - Tony, Peyton, Marvin - and they seem to do things the right way and say all the right things. Those are qualities America's heartland can relate to, so this team is a perfect fit in Indiana. ..."

And what better example, as I was going back to my room for the last time, two of the Colt players got into the elevator with me. "What did you do yesterday during your day off?" one asked the other. "I went to the outlet mall." "Really?" "There were like a gazillion stores. I was there three hours." "Wow. I wish I went with you."

The Outlet Mall! Who needs curfews? When the going gets tough, the Colts go ... shopping.

This may explain the most surprising thing of all about seeing the team close-up for 24 hours. There were no girls in the hotel. I expected the place to be swarming with, well, cleavage and the drool of hangers-on. Not one. This won't make them America's team, but it may make them Super Bowl champs.

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Posted by B Feiler at 8:00 AM 0 comments

America's Religion

One more Super Bowl story.

Borrowing from the traditional photo of both opposing coaches posing with the Super Bowl trophy, Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts and Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears are giving it a new twist for their shared faith in Jesus Christ.

Dungy and Smith, both good friends and fellow Christians, will appear in a full-page ad saying that while they may attain the height of their profession with a Super Bowl victory, their faith in Jesus Christ is still more important.

The advertisement was the idea of Campus Crusade for Christ, which is paying for the ad to run in USA Today and a variety of national newspapers, according to ministry officials.

Before Tuesday’s Media Day in Miami, both men posed for the ad, which will include a phone number and an Internet address associated with Campus Crusade aimed toward leading people to faith in Christ.

“It’s a great thrill to be here with my friend Lovie Smith because we have so much in common on the field and off,” Dungy said.

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Posted by B Feiler at 7:49 AM 0 comments

Colts in the House
Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Feiler Faster reports from where the media can't go: Inside the Colts' hotel at Super Bowl XLI.

Seen in the lobby:
A sign saying the hotel requests "No Autographs" behind a player signing a football. Later, the player reports to his buddies in the elevator, "The kid thought I was Adam Vinitieri." Me: "I thought you were Vinitieri, too, and my wife says I can't come home without his autograph." He was eating ice cream. Ice cream! So much for thuggery. The Colts are vanilla.

Heard in the elevator:
Me: "Are you guys bummed you're so far from South Beach?" Player: "Nah. It's probably good for us. We have a curfew anyway."

Heard here, before you bet:
The Colts get to practice at the Dolphins' Training Facility; the Bears at University of Miami, closer to trouble, and a much worse facility, I'm told. Advantage Colts.

Heard on ESPN:
The Colts went out to dinner last night and Peyton Manning picked up the tab.

Heard from the room service delivery guy:
Peyton Manning had a party in his room last night.

Who do you believe?!

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Posted by B Feiler at 8:02 AM 0 comments

Forrest Gump Meets Peyton Manning
Tuesday, January 30, 2007

I had quite the Forrest Gump moment today. I flew from New York to Ft. Lauderdale to give a few speeches as part of the lead-up the publication WHERE GOD WAS BORN in paperback next Tuesday. As we drove to the hotel, we were met by security on the road, drug-sniffing dogs, and a blocked-off entrance. As I rolled my bag up the driveway, I noticed a large white and blue flag. Then inside the front door, on the floor, like those ads on the floor in Wal-Mart, a giant, ten-foot-tall blue horseshoe. And everywhere on the walls: banners, helmets, pictures, signs. I'm staying at the same hotel as the Colts!

There must be $20,000 worth of decorations in the lobby alone -- giant flags, pictures from Colts teams in the past, every single window has a decal, every one of the ten elevators has half a horseshoe on the left door and half a horseshoe on the right that open and close every time you enter. You hear a lot about Super Bowl hype, but to be inside it is quite extraordinary. For starters, how did they get all these blow-ups so quickly. Now I get why they worry about distractions. But the one thing I don't get: All the worry on ESPN and the sports pages about how the players might go to South Beach and get drunk or into fights. South Beach is two-and-a-half-hours away! Boy those commentators know nothing.

Mom may not be happy, but I am. Go Peyton!

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Posted by B Feiler at 4:27 PM 0 comments

MVP Loser
Monday, January 29, 2007

Need one good tidbit to drop into someone's chili on Sunday night? You're not going to get much better than this. Heard on ESPN this morning: Who is the one Super Bowl MVP to come from the losing team? [Insert guessing music here.]

Chucky Howley. He was also named Super Bowl MVP for Super Bowl V, intercepting 2 passes and recovering a fumble in the Dallas Cowboys' 16-13 loss to the Baltimore Colts.

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Posted by B Feiler at 12:43 PM 0 comments

Mom Is Reading! (And She Disagrees)
Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Nothing like the Colts to get my Mom to stop forwarding all that email spam humor! She emails in response to my posting on the Colts: "You left out very important info in your Colt blog. When Irsay sneaked out of Baltimore in the middle of the night to move the Colts to Indianapolis everyone was furious. And then he decided to keep the Colt name. Disgusting! I could never be a Colt fan now even though Manning is great. Mom"

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Posted by B Feiler at 4:11 PM 0 comments

Roll Over in that Grave, Johnny U
Monday, January 22, 2007

Turns out my Mom is not alone! From the Chicago Tribune:

Every sports town brags that it has the best fans in the world (except maybe Philadelphia), but teacher Colleen Pavelka might have put Chicago over the top when she asked doctors to induce labor on Friday to assure her husband would be able to attend yesterday's NFC championship game at Soldier Field.

Obviously, Mark Pavelka is a huge Chicago Bears fan if he was grappling with the choice of watching his wife have a baby or maybe watching Rex Grossman lay a giant egg, but to hear that his wife was willing to move up the birth of the couple's second child just so he wouldn't have to face that decision, well, it almost brought tears to my eyes.

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Posted by B Feiler at 5:33 PM 0 comments

Color Blind
Sunday, January 21, 2007

Feiler Faster gives you tomorrow's commentary today. The last week was a remarkable week in American history/pop culture/politics/sports: In a first, three of the top four acting awards at the Golden Globes went to African-Americans: Forrest Whitaker, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson. Barack Obama instantly became (with all due respect to Shirley Chisolm, Jesse Jackson, and Al Sharpton) one of the leading contenders to win his party's nomination for president. And Sunday, Lovie Smith became the first African-American coach to lead his team to the Super Bowl, followed three hours later by Tony Dungy, another African-American (there are five in the league). All this in a week when Tiger Woods chose to sit out the PGA tour and forego the chance to become the first player to win seven tour events in a row. That happens this coming weekend.

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Posted by B Feiler at 11:57 PM 0 comments

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