Author / Frank Maduri

Posts by Frank Maduri

I am passionate about producing quality writing as a freelance writer and business development consultant. I am also a professionally trained grant writer with experience in fire, school, and emergency services grants. I also write short fiction, poetry, and prose. I enjoy sports and I am a fan of the NJ Devils, NY Giants, and NY Knicks. I enjoy sharing my views about these teams. I was raised and currently reside in New Jersey and I enjoy writing about my state and The Shore where I live, it is a beautiful place that has inspired my writing.
by Frank Maduri

Television Wars: The Future of Home Entertainment

The rapid technological advancements in the mass media are causing a shift in the way in which the general public will utilize their home entertainment. The advent of Apple TV changed the landscape when it hit the market, and other streaming services and content providers are looking to continue to shape the market in the future.

 

In order to compete in the marketplace with Apple, Google launched their own product, Google TV, back in October 2010. In the years since then, the number of content providers and subscription services for the distribution of television programs and movies exploded. Google has since renamed their product after their “Chrome” product platform.

 

Now the landscape is crowded with systems such as Aveo, Roku, and Slingbox as well as subscription content providers in Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Direct Video. These products and services coupled with the telecom companies’ movement into the television market with products such as Verizon’s FIOS, and AT&T’s UVerse, and the television wars have officially begun.

 

All of this content is transmitted by a signal today, and these companies and service providers are going to compete for the right to send their signal to your home. It happens every day if you have cable television service through a company such as Comcast, and you receive calls and emails from Verizon trying to entice you to switch to their FIOS service.

 

“Binge watching”

 

I have written about the evolution in the medium of television in the past, but I was thinking about all of these changes again over the Christmas/ New Year’s holidays when I had some time to unwind and watch a couple of movies.

 

It is still incredible to me that through a service such as, Amazon Direct, you can watch whatever movie you want in their catalog, or you could “binge watch” a television series you may have never seen before from the start of the series all the way through to the end, in sequence, with no commercials.

 

This approach to watching a series is the new trend in television viewing, and the broadcast networks as well as the cable, satellite, and telecom providers are increasingly aware of this viewer preference. They are providing their viewers or subscribers with several different ways to “binge watch” their favorite programs through video-on-demand services, streaming of both old and new episodes on the network website, and providing access to the show via subscription content providers such as Netflix or Hulu.

 

This method of viewing an entire season or an entire series run of episodes is very appealing to Americans, who like the freedom to watch whatever they want, at whatever time they want to watch it. The days of “appointment TV,” when you had to be home at a certain time on a certain night because the show was something the viewer could not miss, are over. The average person is too busy today with all of the new technology and the demands of their respective careers or families for that approach to be viable anymore.

 

In this case the network and cable television broadcast companies got it right to capitalize on the marketing of these new platforms available to stream content and expand the viewership of their programming. These same executives have missed the mark at other points and have alienated viewers in the past. The networks, at another point in time, would have considered restricting access to their programming to their own detriment; though they continue to favor subscription services rather than Aveo and some other services that tend to provide the content for less money.

 

Some say the networks were smart to provide their programming content via the Internet and other platforms. However, I think they really had no choice because if they did not provide the content, they would have lost many viewers, so they did so for their own survival.

 

In fact, some people have already “cut the cable cord” and are using these other devices and services rather than paying for a cable or satellite service for television in their homes.

 

Original Programming

 

The other trend which will also serve to further accentuate the competition for viewers is the push toward the development of more original programming for the new age outlets such as Netflix, Amazon Direct, and Chrome TV.   The appeal for the high profile actors and actresses in Hollywood to sign on for original programs on these new formats is two-fold:

  1. The content providers have lots of cash to shell out to produce their own programming and pay the stars associated – so money is a key factor
  2. The rules for the content they can produce are different than if they did a mainstream show on a major network or a basic cable program. The rules for what they can display are similar to a series produced for a premium tier cable channel such as HBO or Showtime. That freedom from normal regulatory constraints is very compelling to certain stars to be able to work on a show that is unvarnished and bold.

 

Some of these programs have been successful already in their limited runs, which has only served to fill the pipeline with more concepts for future development. Netflix recently announced that they are developing original programming for children, which opens up a whole new avenue to market their service to families.  Amazon is working a few new original programming concepts as well.

 

The two other recent developments that have further continued this trend of original programming is the news of the Disney deal with Netflix, and the potential for exclusive sports programming moving to these new media service providers.

 

The Disney deal with Netflix will eventually provide for Disney movies to be available exclusively through a subscription to Netflix in probably about four years from now. However, Disney owns Marvel Studios and the rights to most of their comic book characters. Marvel and Netflix will be producing at least four original series, each focused on a single character, for release in the near future (www.usatoday.com).

 

The recent announcement by the NFL that they are strongly considering the addition of another tier of playoffs is rumored to be driven by the strong interest and deep pockets of Apple TV and Google to land the digital rights to sporting events, particularly the NFL (www.money.cnn.com).

 

These types of digital rights deals are going to be the future of professional sports viewing as well, and it serves as another reminder that the world is rapidly changing. The business activity and marketing campaigns have also made it abundantly clear: these changes are here to stay.

 

In addition, as these properties continue to advance they will get monetized differently, and as some have seen with certain programs on Hulu, you will have commercial interruptions on certain programs. The advertising agencies and the networks will find ways to deliver their sponsor’s message as these services grow more prevalent in the future.

 

So whether you have Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Direct, or all three services; I hope you enjoy the viewing options for content that they provide because in the future it is only going to get bigger and better.

 

 

 

by Frank Maduri

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

The Holiday Season is here, the traffic and busy nature of the stores as well as the crush of the final shopping days are upon us, and then it will all be over. The holiday parties for companies, the gatherings for family and friends, and then it will be quiet again. I continue to reflect on the days surrounding Christmas and New Year’s Day, and I realized something that compelled me to write this commentary.

 

In all of the stress, the lists, the rushing around, and the unpleasantness of travel leading up to the holidays, we as a collective society have the tendency to miss out entirely on the joy and peace that Christmas can provide to us. We can get so caught up in our needs and the pressures existing in our own lives, that we can easily neglect the needs of others in our own families as well as those less fortunate.

 

I am guilty of it myself, it is difficult at times to see “the big picture”, but it is critically important to take some time to reflect and do that for your own sake, and for those around you. Christmas is a time for giving and sharing, it is a time to look back on your work and your life over the past year. It is a time of looking forward to the New Year ahead, and the promise and challenges that it will present.

 

It is a time to prepare to make adjustments in our lives, to set new goals, and to reevaluate the various components in our lives. Christmas is a holiday that has an ever changing meaning throughout our lives. That is a key difference from other holidays, which remain for the most part, pretty static through the years.

 

Early Memories

 

My earliest memories of Christmas are of my Grandparent’s home in a New York suburb, and the warmth of the house as the preparations for the holiday were being made. I remember going with my extended family into Manhattan and looking at the windows set up with holiday scenes in all the large department stores. We also would stop at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, and we would visit Saint Patrick’s Cathedral for some moments of quiet prayer.

 

I remember the excitement of Christmas Eve, going to Mass that evening all together, returning home for the big family dinner, and then talking with my sisters and my cousin about what we thought would be underneath the tree for us the next morning.

 

The excitement of a child on Christmas morning is one of pure joy, when you are younger, the spiritual component of the day is not fully understood. The secularization of the day has made it about Santa Claus and toys, and that is a big component of Christmas when you are a child. The world is so innocent, and as a kid, that morning was a really special time because later in life you get stripped of that excitement; until you have it with your own children or other children in your extended family.

 

I spent every Christmas at my Grandparent’s home through my entire childhood and through high school and college. I have some warm memories of those days. It was very nice to spend it together with my family. I am grateful and appreciative of that time spent with my Aunts, Uncles, and cousins. My Grandparents enjoyed hosting the holiday too. I loved how happy those days made my Grandparents, and I am fortunate to celebrate this year with my Grandfather.  My Grandma was always one of the first adults up with us, her grandchildren, early in the morning.

 

She would make Folgers coffee and joke about the commercial and whether the aroma really would wake up the other adults in the house. I think our screaming and mayhem must have woke everyone up! Those days, those memories are good ones that I am blessed to have. So many people have had it far more difficult than I have, though every family has their fair share of hardship. The years moved forward, and family dynamics change, and those days are now just memories to me.

 

Later years

 

The spiritual meaning of Christmas has taken on an increasingly significant role to me as I grew older. I have a different perspective on the day and the meaning of Christmas than I did when I was a child. In my life, as in the journey that each one of us is on, I have experienced hardship, pain, and loss.

 

The circumstances around these events have shaped my life and had an impact on the person that I am today. I remember some years where the future was very uncertain, and I would sit next to the Christmas tree and feel the light and peace that the season can deliver. I felt hope for the days and weeks ahead.

 

Conversely, I have had other years where I would listen to Christmas music and not feel anything. I would sit next to the Christmas tree at night, and feel so lonely, so isolated, and so alone. The medical community can attest to the increased level of depression and anxiety at Christmas and throughout the two weeks that mark the holiday season.

 

It is helpful at those points to get out of your own head, and offer to assist others. It is helpful, and at some points, necessary, to talk about what you may be feeling. We all have problems or issues which may seem to get increasingly difficult at Christmas. I was watching a business news channel the other day, and I was thinking about all the people who have lost their jobs in corporate layoffs at Christmas and how terrible that must be for them.

 

I also think about the veterans, the homeless, and those who are sick either physically or mentally. I hope that the New Year will bring me an opportunity to do more to help them, to rise above my own limitations and to find a way to make a difference in the lives of others.

 

In closing, as Christmas is upon us, it is a time to celebrate and reflect on the blessings that we have, and to identify the changes each one of us can make to have a greater impact, in a positive way, on those we come in contact with each day. I hope that this commentary has helped you to determine ways in which you can initiate those changes. I thank you all for your continued support of my blog and my other writing work.

 

I wish all of you, from my family to yours, a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a blessed and Happy New Year!

by Frank Maduri

Choosing Love: The Story of Jesse Lewis

On the morning of December 14, 2012 the parents and children of Newtown, Connecticut went through their usual routines. Jesse Lewis was picked up by his father, they went to a local deli to get his favorite breakfast sandwich: sausage, eggs, and cheese and a hot chocolate. However, before he got in the car with his father he left a message on his mother’s car. It was a cold morning, and in the frost on the car window he drew with his finger and wrote “I love you” (www.courant.com).

 

Jesse’s mother, Scarlett Lewis, was planning to go to the school later that day to help out in her other child’s class, where they were going to make gingerbread houses. She took a picture of Jesse that morning smiling next to his artwork on her car window (www.dailymail.co.uk).  She did not realize that morning that her son would never come home again.

 

This is the incredible story of Jesse Lewis, a 6 year old boy from Newtown, it is a story of courage, sorrow, pain, loss, hope, reconciliation, kindness, mercy, nurturing, and love. It is a story that I am honored to help tell in my own way, with dignity and respect, in a manner that will honor his memory.

 

Full of life

 

The family friends of Jesse Lewis describe him as being full of life, adventurous, and happy. His favorite toy was the soldier, and he was known to wear an Army helmet, ripped jeans, and boots to romp around in the fields of his rural Connecticut surroundings (www.newyork.cbslocal.com).

 

I remember doing the same thing back when I was Jesse’s age, I would “play Army” with my friends in the woods near our respective homes. Jesse was a typical boy, who liked to run around and get dirty.

 

Other family friends describe Jesse as someone that would leave a mark on your heart once you met him (www.newyork.cbslocal.com). It is those types of statements that compel sadness and this extremely deep hurt caused by the tragic events at Newtown, now one year ago. The loss is just so hard to comprehend because most of the victims were children, innocent children.

 

Bravery in action

 

On December 14, 2012 at approximately 9:30 AM, Adam Lanza fired several rounds from an automatic weapon in order to blast a hole in the entrance door to the Sandy Hook Elementary School (www.cnn.com).

 

Lanza opened fire in the first classroom he entered killing the teacher and 14 children. He then entered Jesse Lewis’s classroom which was led by 27 year old teacher, Ms. Victoria Soto.

 

The Hartford Courant was the first to report Jesse’s actions and put together a timeline based on information provided by the Connecticut State Police and other eyewitnesses. Ms. Soto had the children hiding in a closet in the back of the classroom, the gunman shot and killed her. He opened fire in the classroom killing six children, and when his clip of ammunition had run out, Jesse ran out of his hiding spot and yelled “Run!” to his classmates.

 

The other children ran past Adam Lanza to safety, in all 11 children from Jesse’s class survived, and at least six escaped based on Jesse’s actions. The gunman loaded another clip, and fired a shot into Jesse Lewis’s head killing him instantly (www.courant.com).

 

In the months following the tragedy, stories of many heroes emerged on that horrible day, but the story of Jesse Lewis struck a chord with me.  Here was a 6 year old child, who had just witnessed his teacher get killed, and he stepped out into danger to help his friends. I cannot comprehend such bravery in a dangerous situation from a child. Jesse had the courage to face the gunman and the awareness to know that he had a window of time to save others, what a completely selfless act.

 

In a variety of media reports, his parents have discussed that in the days since the event they are proud that their son died in the way that he lived: fearless and brave. They have discussed their healing process from losing their son, which I cannot comprehend how difficult that must be for them.

 

Nurturing, healing, love

 

Scarlett Lewis decided to start a foundation in honor of the memory of her son, Jesse, and the inspiration behind the foundation was from a message that Jesse had left on the kitchen chalkboard (www.courant.com).

 

Jesse had written these words: “nurturing, healing, and love”. The Jesse Lewis Choose Love Foundation encourages communities to do just that:  “choose love over anger, gratitude over entitlement, and forgiveness and compassion over bitterness” (www.jesselewischooselove.org).

 

 

The foundation develops school-based programs to enable educators to change the culture of aggression and violence into one of calm and peace. To learn more about the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Foundation, or to make a donation please visit their website: www.jesselewischooselove.org for further details.

 

Jesse Lewis was described in his obituary as a boy with “an infectious and radiant smile”, and as someone who was “smart and compassionate beyond his years”. I would certainly agree based on his actions during that terrible day last year. I do not have the expertise to comment on the state of mind of the gunman, Adam Lanza, I do not have any comprehension of how he could have carried out this horrible, senseless act before taking his own life at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. I do not think we will ever know the real reason why he choose to carry out this violent act, let alone involve innocent educators and children.

 

Reflecting back

 

The people of Newtown have requested that the media leave the town alone on Saturday so that they can mourn and grieve those lost in a private manner. The families of the victims have asked that Americans consider doing an act of kindness that day in remembrance of their loved ones who were lost.

 

Before I close with some reflective thoughts, I would like to share with you some poetry I wrote on that tragic and emotional day, and in the days since:

 

“The Low Sun Over the Trees”

My wife said with a sad voice;

“I thought we would never see another Columbine”

I wish I had the power to make the choice.

A day, normal, unsuspecting, with sunshine;

I had appointments, errands to run

Then the news, a school shooting occurred;

A tragic event which would stun –

Myself and everyone. Everything blurred –

By the tears I wept for those lost;

In a Connecticut elementary school today.

The lives that are twisted and tossed

Upside down – there is no explanation, no way

To understand the evil that caused it

As I spoke to my wife late in the afternoon

The information is coming in bit by bit.

Christmas will come to us soon

To lift the spirits of some

Those children will never forget.

No matter how many years are to come;

There are some things time will not let.

I hope that God hears my pleas

As I watch the low Sun over the trees.

 

 

“27”

 

Twenty seven are dead today

By the gun of a sick young man

I asked my sisters to pray –

With me to understand God’s plan.

A Connecticut school filled with children

Filled at one time with laughter, joy

You just never know where or when

This one day, one act, it would destroy.

Through the hallways bullets were flying

Images, things no child should see

Children, huddled, screaming and crying

In the end twenty seven are dead

Many of them between the ages of 5 and 10

I can’t think of it, the sense of dread

You never know what will happen

In this crazy, fallen world today

Moving forward will be a difficult road

Some may never find their way

Others will block out the whole episode

Twenty seven are dead today

By the gun of a sick young man

We all have to stop and pray

In order to understand God’s plan

 

“Will It End?”

 

Will it end – this tragedy, this pain?

Just when I think it will –

Something happens, so horrible, so shrill

I listen to others dealing with pain

 

Will it end? Children killed in school

By a deranged man for no reason

Right in the middle of the holiday season

Will it end? A husband drowns his wife in a pool

 

Will it end? This disrespect for life

Will the next generation bring change?

The next wave of criminals is born

A world filled with chaos and strife

Will it end? Will it rearrange?

Will societal morals continue to be torn?

 

 

“The Root”

 

Trees grow strong and tall;

An example of beauty of scale.

Humans in love some of us fall

Then we feel we cannot fail

The root of it all is love

It’s the greatest gift –

Endowed from our Creator above

Without it – you’ll feel a rift

My life, through love, has been enriched

The love of family, the love of my wife

Others have lost it, or been ditched

Love has been the root, the stability in my life,

Faith, hope and love there to help when we fall

The greatest of these is love, love above all.

 

 

Scarlett Lewis has spoken with the media in the past about living by The Golden Rule. My father used to say it all the time when I was younger, and in fact, we spoke about it just the other day. My father would say, “If people lived by The Golden Rule, this world we be a better place”, if people would love one another it really would be a better world.

This article was being finished when I learned of another school shooting in Colorado down the road from Columbine High School. The reports are that two students are injured and the gunman is dead (www.usatoday.com). This senseless violence has to stop.

 

We will all have distinct memories in the next few days regarding the Newtown school shooting, and the depths of pain we felt for those lost that day will return. The parents of the children who were so horribly killed that day ask us to move forward from this disaster by being kind to each other, to forgive those who have hurt us in some way in our lives.

We all have pain and suffering in our lives, each in various forms and degrees. We all get angry or frustrated at points as well. We all have days where we may feel tired and lonely or afraid. We have to remember the courage that a boy like Jesse Lewis showed that day, to have the strength to face our own fears.

 

 

 

We have to remember when we feel anger, to do what Scarlett Lewis would ask us to do: choose love. It will honor the memory of those children to choose love and forgiveness in those situations, to live by The Golden Rule:  to love your neighbor as yourself.  If we all did that, our society would be better, our world would be a better place for us and the generations of children to follow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Frank Maduri

TV Markets and the Expansion of Sports – Part 5

This series has demonstrated the importance of particular demographic information on the decisions to expand a specific professional sports league. Each league has varied rationale behind the importance of this information and it can be weighted differently based on the respective league.

 

The first four parts of this series focused on the “Big Four” professional sports in the United States and North America. This final part of the series will focus on the emerging sport of professional soccer in the U.S. and their top league, Major League Soccer (MLS).

 

Unlike some of the other major sports reviewed in this series, Major League Soccer has already announced their intention to expand in the future. The league currently consists of 19 teams split into two conferences: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference.

 

MLS Commissioner Don Garber has publicly detailed some of the future expansion plans for the league. Mr. Garber has indicated that the league wants to expand by 5 teams to 24 teams in the next four to five years. They have several candidates and have already announced 2 of those 5 expansion teams (www.mlssoccer.com).

 

The expansion criteria outlined by the Commissioner is:

  • Location
  • Ownership stability
  • Stadium Plan
  • Demonstrated fan base
  • Sponsors and TV market
  • Strategic Business Plan

 

Overall, the league has seen a drop in TV ratings, which they are going to have to address. MLS is currently televised by ESPN and NBC nationally, and many of the individual teams have deals for television coverage with Regional Sports Networks (RSN).

 

This past week, Forbes conducted a survey of the league and detailed the values of the franchises as well as providing some other data on the overall business side of league which just concluded its 18th year of operation.

 

On the Rise

 

The report noted that the average franchise value for MLS is $103 million, which represents an increase of 75% in the last 5 years (www.forbes.com). The most valuable franchise is the Seattle Sounders at $175 million.

 

The report continues by detailing the TV ratings slide on ESPN and NBC. The ratings for ESPN are down 29 percent to an average of 220,000 viewers. The NBC telecasts (air mostly on NBC Sports Network) are down 8 percent to 112,000 viewers (www.forbes.com).

 

However, the league is up for a new TV contract before the 2015 season begins, and MLS currently earns $30 million combined per year in national TV revenue from NBC, ESPN, and Univision according to Forbes. I have covered in other articles the trend toward huge sums of money being spent by networks to obtain the rights to live sports programming of any kind. MLS should be able to negotiate for a substantial increase in their next TV deal.

 

A particularly interesting note on the future TV deal negotiations is that Fox launched a new sports network, Fox Sports 1, in August. The Fox group lost the bid to retain the English Premier League television rights in the U.S. to NBC, so Fox will be looking to pay a premium to obtain the rights to MLS.

 

The Game Experience

 

The biggest statistic in the Forbes report was regarding the attendance figures for MLS for their games. In 2011, the average MLS attendance was 17,872 and in 2012 it rose to 18,611 (www.forbes.com). The figures for 2013 are not yet available, but the figures from both 2011 and 2012 are better average attendance numbers than both the NBA and the NHL. That is very impressive for a league that is only 18 years old.

 

Many trends drive that increase for attendance for MLS in recent years. First, the popularity of soccer is on the rise in the U.S. with so many youth leagues popping up everywhere. Next, the quality of players in the league has been dramatically upgraded. The league is starting to gain traction and so many youth leagues run trips to their local MLS team games and go in large groups.

 

The final and most lasting change in the trend toward attendance growth is that the younger people and teenagers who went to games in the early years of MLS entering the U.S. sports landscape are now older. They have jobs and disposable income and they spend it by going to MLS games with their friends. I am a perfect example of that trend because that is exactly how my affiliation with MLS progressed.

 

In fact, the average MLS team earned $26 million in 2012 from in-stadium revenue streams (tickets, merchandise, luxury suite sales etc.) according to the Forbes report.

In my own experience, I have gone to several games for my home area team, the New York Red Bulls. The live game experience is very good. The skill level of the players and the speed of that level of the sport translates so much better in the live experience compared to watching an MLS game on television.

 

However, I watch numerous Red Bulls games on TV and I think MSG Network (the RSN for the Red Bulls) has an excellent production value for their telecasts of the games. I do not like the camera angles or production presentation of the NBC telecasts, and I think ESPN does a very good job at presenting MLS, but most of their games are West Coast games which air very late in the Eastern time zone.

 

Two New Teams

 

The first two expansion slots of the five teams that MLS wants to add have already been announced. The league will expand to the following locations in 2015:

  • New York
  • Orlando

 

The long anticipated addition of a second team in New York will be a reality in 2015 and it is a very lucrative deal. The team will be called NYC FC and it is owned by a partnership between the New York Yankees and the owners of the English Premier League team, Manchester City (www.nbcsports.com). The ownership group paid $100 million dollars for the expansion rights in New York, which is a sign that MLS has truly gone up a notch.

 

The Yankees will be handling the logistics of building the stadium and operating the team in New York. The Manchester City side of the group will handle the player personnel side of the team, evaluating talent and stocking the roster with players. The team will be based in Queens, and the new stadium site has not been completely finalized but it is likely going to be constructed near the US Tennis Center and Citi Field in Flushing Meadow (www.nbcsports.com).

 

The league just last week announced the Orlando expansion approval. The city in central Florida has a very successful minor league level team called Orlando City FC, which will be elevated to MLS in 2015 (www.mlssoccer.com). The team is nicknamed the Lions and will keep that name and their purple uniform color scheme, which is extremely popular with the fan base there.

 

These decisions keep with the MLS expansion directives of a demonstrated fan base and strategic business plan. However, the biggest key piece in the Orlando expansion approval was the stadium plan approval by the government entities in Florida.

 

The new stadium will be built in an area of downtown Orlando that is in the midst of a huge development trend. The stadium is a major component of an MLS expansion bid and is required for any new teams to enter the league (www.nbcsports.com).

 

The new stadium requirement is very important to MLS because it significantly improves the live game experience for both the fans and the players. MLS began playing in the mid-1990s in mostly gigantic NFL or college football stadiums, which were not conducive to hosting soccer games. The adjustment to the configuration for soccer created some poor sight lines, and made the fans feel too far away from the action.

 

The MLS move to the Soccer Specific Stadium (S.S.S.) provided a huge lift to the revenues of the teams and the league. The teams were able to use the majority of the revenue to improve the quality of the players and the operations of the team rather than paying rent on a stadium that they were tenants playing within.

 

Potential Expansion Candidates

 

The following cities are currently on the short list for an MLS expansion team either by 2017 (three slots are left) or in a future expansion round. The revenues are going up so steadily for MLS that many analysts believe that they can add several more expansion teams in the future.

 

The league has openly discussed that they intend to target the Southeast region for near-term expansion (www.mlssoccer.com).  That region of the country has no presence for MLS currently and will have only the Orlando club by 2015. MLS prefers to develop regional rivalries, which will require additional teams around Orlando very soon.

 

The list of potential expansion franchises for MLS are as follows (all TV Markets data is courtesy of www.stationindex.com , the population demographic information is courtesy of www.census.gov and the Fortune 500 corporate data is courtesy of www.money.cnn.com ):

  • Atlanta, GA – the largest city in the Southeast is a major city of high interest from MLS for future expansion.

TV Markets Rank: 8th

Metro Population Rank: 9th

Fortune 500 Company HQ: 5

Synopsis/Overview: The Atlanta bid achieves many of the expansion directives for MLS. The rumor is that the current owner of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, Arthur Blank, is interested in owning an MLS team. Blank has a son who plays soccer and the Falcons are going to be moving into a brand new stadium in a few years in downtown Atlanta (www.nfl.com).  The stadium could be built with coverings that will drape the upper levels of seating so that it makes for a more intimate seating configuration for soccer. This is similar to the system currently used in Vancouver who plays in a shared stadium with a football team. The sponsorship support should be excellent. MLS has current franchises in all of the metro population centers larger than Atlanta, with the exception of Miami.

 

  • Miami – This bid is intriguing to MLS but could have some issues.

TV Markets Rank: 16th

Metro Population Rank: 8th

Fortune 500 Company HQ: 4

Synopsis/Overview: The Miami bid is a bit complicated because it centers upon David Beckham. Part of the bid by MLS to lure David Beckham to play in L.A. and raise the profile of the league included an option for Beckham to, upon retirement, gain an expansion team for a bargain price fee of $25 million in a city of his choice (www.mlssoccer.com).  It has been widely reported that Beckham intends to move forward with the expansion bid and that he likes Miami for the bid. The issue here is that he needs other partners to be able to finance the project, and he has had some trouble lining them up. Beckham has a December 31 deadline to get an ownership group together and get approval of a stadium plan (www.mlssoccer.com). It is not known if MLS will give him an extension if he gains an ownership group and needs additional time to gain government approval on a stadium deal. Beckham has approached basketball megastar LeBron James about partnering with him and James is interested in a piece of the MLS team but nothing is agreed upon (www.cbssports.com).  Beckham also has to find a temporary home field until the soccer stadium is ready. MLS seems interested in Miami and has stated that the demographics there have changed since the league was there previously (MLS had a team in the Miami area – Fort Lauderdale and the team folded because of lack of support and financial losses). Other sources say that MLS is lukewarm on the Miami market and wants assurances on the stadium financing before moving forward there. This bid has very strong potential if Beckham gets it done because MLS feels indebted to Beckham for putting the league on the global map.

 

 

 

  • Sacramento, CA – location in Northern California is an area where MLS has only one other team (San Jose) and the bid has many positive aspects.

TV Market Rank: 20th

Metro Population Rank: 27th

Fortune 500 Company HQ: 0 (several large companies located in city/metro area)

Synopsis/Overview – The Sacramento bid to MLS is one that is very positive but also has a few potentially problematic issues. The city has a solid TV market rank but the population of the metro area is smaller than other cities they would competitively bid against for a team. The bid has many moving parts because right now the city is fielding two bids on alternative tracks to gaining an expansion franchise. The first group is headed up by the co-founder of the Sacramento River Cats (minor league baseball) Warren Smith, who has purchased a USL-Pro minor league soccer team franchise to play in downtown Sacramento in 2014 (www.mlssoccer.com). Mr. Smith’s plan is to establish a fan base (part of the MLS requirements for expansion locations) build a front office that understands American pro soccer, and then deliver a new stadium downtown. The other area bid is from the suburb of Elk Grove which is being spearheaded by a public-private partnership involving Mayor Gary Davis and the City Council. The Elk Grove bid is focused completely on the business side of the scenario with the focus on building a brand new stadium on the site of an unfinished mall called Elk Grove Promenade (www.fox40.com).  The Elk Grove contingency has had discussions with MLS and is rumored to be the favored bid of the two. The area having two competing bids would not be good and would most likely resort in the city getting passed over by MLS. Mr. Smith has stated to local media outlets that if it looks like one bid is progressing better, they would all get in a room and rally around one bid for Sacramento (www.news10.com).  Time will tell if they are successful.

 

  • Detroit – The “Motor City” is in the mix for a MLS team but it is more of an outsider at this point at least in terms of the initial expansion to 24 teams.

TV Markets Rank: 11th

Metro Population Rank: 14th

Fortune 500 Company HQ: 9

Synopsis/Overview: The Detroit rumor of expansion to MLS began four years ago, when the Apostopoulos family and their company, Triple Sports & Entertainment submitted the winning bid for the Pontiac Silverdome, which is the former home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions. The dome has not been used much since the Lions moved out in 2002 to play in downtown Detroit. The Silverdome is about 30 miles outside of Detroit and can seat 70 -80,000 depending on the type of event. That would be too large for MLS standards, so they would have to renovate the stadium or tear it down and build a new stadium on the site (www.sports.yahoo.com).  The family has deep pockets and would control all of the parking and other revenues at the stadium, which MLS finds favorable in a venue setup. The family had an elaborate plan to renovate the site which has changed dramatically. Now, the roof had been deflated in early 2013 to save energy and it has been torn apart by high winds (www.mlive.com). The family has said it is installing a solar paneled roof and they have winterized the building. The TV market ranking is very good, the corporate sponsorship support would be strong as well. The big issues with the bid are the state of the economy in Detroit, the population demographics, and the ability of a fan base to support the team long term. At the time of Triple Sports buying the dome site, Detroit had not had a major soccer event since the 1994 World Cup. Since then, the city was awarded a minor league team, Detroit City FC, and they have pretty solid attendance numbers (www.sports.yahoo.com). The population demographics are trending on the decline and MLS is probably unsure of the long term fan support based on the bankrupt city economy in Detroit (though Triple Sports maintains that they need no public money to build the stadium). The very latest proposal is for a new soccer stadium at the old dome site along with a 275,000 square foot retail space development project (www.cbssports.com).  This bid seems like an outside type of bid based on the priority system of MLS at this point.

 

 

 

 

  • Minneapolis, MN – A very strong contender for the final expansion spot of the first wave announced by the league.

TV Markets Rank: 15th

Metro Area Population Rank: 16th

Fortune 500 Company HQ: 18

Synopsis/Overview: The Minneapolis area has all of the elements of a successful MLS expansion bid. They have a potential ownership group, they have an established fan base, and they will have a world class stadium in the near future. The media market size has been the draw for MLS, they need a franchise in the top 15 TV markets and in that northern region of the U.S. Midwest. The Minnesota United currently play in the minor league NASL and are the defending champions with an established loyal fan base (www.mnunitedfc.com).  The owner of the Minnesota Vikings NFL franchise has so much interest in an MLS team, he had the soccer configurations built-in to the plans for the new NFL stadium for the Vikings, which broke ground last week and will be completed by 2016 (www.nfl.com).  In a move that is very similar to the Atlanta bid, the roof would be lowered for soccer, or a covering would enclose the entire upper bowl of the stadium to bring the seating capacity in line with other MLS facilities. This is a very solid bid which has great potential.

 

  • San Antonio, TX – A rapidly growing city with a successful minor league soccer team and a diverse population.

TV Markets Rank: 37th

Metro Population Rank: 25th

Fortune 500 Company HQ: 5

Synopsis/Overview: The San Antonio bid for MLS has been ongoing for several years. At one point, the city was hoping to obtain an expansion franchise as a tenant for the AlamoDome, which was built with taxpayer dollars in the hope of getting an NFL team, and has never had a primary tenant. The city abandoned that plan and moved forward to explore other uses for that facility when MLS informed them they did not get an expansion bid in the prior round in 2007-08. A few years ago, San Antonio was awarded a second tier minor league soccer team, the Scorpions (www.bizjournals.com).  The Scorpions are regularly near the top of their league in attendance at their new soccer stadium, Toyota Field, which is considered by many to be among the nicest soccer facilities in the minor leagues (www.mlssoccer.com).  The stadium can be expanded to MLS standards, and most definitely would be if the bid was accepted. The ownership group would not be an issue and the corporate support for sponsorship would be very strong. The fan base is established through the Scorpions current presence in the market, and the population is growing there and is very diverse, which is attractive for MLS. The TV market is small, which could be an issue, but remember that ranking is of a lower priority to MLS than it is to other sports leagues (www.sportingnews.com).  San Antonio has great potential for an expansion bid, however, it may be in the second wave of expansion further down the line. The success or failure of this bid is tied to whether or not the Miami bid falls apart (because MLS is still a bit lukewarm on that market) and the progress of the Sacramento bid as well. Those are the main bid cities in competition for those last two slots with San Antonio in the mix.

 

 

In the end, the demographics of the TV market, the metro area population, and the involvement of Fortune 500 corporate support are all very crucial elements in the expansion of professional sports.

 

The role of government is also of paramount importance in the expansion of professional sports leagues because the politicians are involved in many facets of developing land for a new arena or stadium and to garner support for the team within the business community.

 

This article series covered the interaction between all of these elements as they contribute to a bid for a potential expansion franchise. The series also covered each major sports league, their respective current situation, and the challenges which are uniquely inherent to each league regarding expansion.

 

In a society that is becoming more technologically advanced, where job related stress is expected to rise due to many factors, and where family time together or time to spend with friends is becoming more limited; sports has and will continue to take on a larger role.

 

The outlet which sports provides through following a team or a particular athlete, attending games or events, participating in sports fantasy leagues on-line, and the interaction it provides with others: either family, friends, or members of fan clubs are going to combine to make sports increasingly relevant as a source of entertainment.

 

That demand for professional sports of all types will create a need for more teams or leagues. The demographics of the country will shape that trend as well with population shifts to other regions of the U.S., for instance the migration of people out of the Northeast to Southern states. The trend is also evident in the population increase in Texas due to the economic growth there and in the migration of more people to the Western United States.

 

It will be interesting to follow the developments over the next several years of some of these situations described in this article series. The scenario currently in Detroit with the bankruptcy filing by their city government is a case study into the rationale behind the impetus by these other cities to explore gaining professional sports teams. The theory being that if their city obtains one or more teams, they can develop and revitalize their downtown centers with an arena or stadium as the centerpiece.

 

The domino theory being that these developments will bring jobs and population retention keeping the tax revenue within the city and making their city vibrant for years to come. The future will determine whether sports will play a central role in the rebirth of the American city. One factor is clear, the money involved in expanding these leagues is too significant to ignore, so expansion is in our future. The other details will be filled in over the course of the years ahead.

 

 

by Frank Maduri

China – New Claims of Sovereignty

China, Japan, and the U.S. in the South China Sea

 

The most recent actions by China in their attempt to assert their claims to territory in and around the South China Sea has heightened tensions in the region in an unnecessary manner. The latest attempt of the new Chinese prerogative of territorial expansion deals with a small island chain that has large potential regional security consequences.

 

Here at “Frank’s Forum” I have stayed away from posting content on foreign policy in the past because it is not one of the areas my blog was set up to cover. However, this issue is one of high importance and the ramifications for the United States regarding their relationship with both China and Japan are so far reaching that I had to include this commentary.

 

If nothing else, I hope to raise awareness on a very important topic effecting a huge area of interest for the United States in Southeast Asia.

 

The Chinese government announced an “air defense zone” for the airspace surrounding the islands they call Diaoyo about 200 miles off their coast in the South China Sea. This announcement included a provision that any planes travelling within it would have to notify the Chinese government.

 

The United States made headlines by flying two B-52 bombers through that airspace without any notification to Beijing. This was seen by many as an indication by the United States that they will not accept China’s new attempts at expanding their sovereignty into that part of the Western Pacific.

 

The more troubling issue here is that China is trying to stake a new territorial claim on islands that Japan believes are within their sovereign holdings. The United States is essentially trapped in the middle because they are bound by treaty to come to the defense of Japan in the event of a threat on Japanese territory or interests.

 

Regional Shakeup

 

The Japanese have long claimed those same islands, which sit 200 miles from Okinawa, and refer to them as Senkaku or “pinnacle points”. Japan also claims the airspace around the islands, and will not back down from the Chinese and their aggressiveness regarding this claim.

 

Japan is in a difficult position because they view the islands as their territory and if they escalate the situation with China it could result in potentially volatile military or political repercussions. However, if Japan decides to back away from these islands, it will only serve to embolden China in their desire to extend their sovereignty to the rest of the South China Sea. That will result in the potential for instability throughout the entire region.

 

Furthermore, the foreign policy officials from the U.S. State Department are concerned that this air defense zone creates conditions for an accidental incident such as Chinese jets shooting down a Japanese or U.S. plane in that air space. That would initiate a cascade of military activity that would be a serious problem for stability between these very powerful countries.

 

At the center of this entire tug-of-war for territory is the high yield potential of oil and gas reserves contained in the waters surrounding the Senkaku islands. China is dealing with a vastly growing population, which carries with it an increasingly high demand for more energy.

 

Conversely, Japan is trying to rebound their economy from a terrible recession, and they need to make use of any resources potentially available to them to grow their industrial capacity and economic output.

 

Caught in the Middle

 

The United States finds itself caught in the middle of two very important international partners in China and Japan. The experts on this subject feel that this latest incident with the B-52 bombers, and China sending their lone aircraft carrier to that area of the South China Sea for the first time, will not result in military action by any party involved.

 

Vice President Joseph Biden is in the region on a very timely official trip to Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. The Vice President will attempt to ease the tension caused by China in their unilateral declaration of this protected air space surrounding that chain of islands.

 

Mr. Biden was in Japan first, where he met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe regarding this matter and several other foreign policy items. The threat of the air defense zone by China is expected to be a key issue. Many foreign policy experts believe that this expansionary exercise by China is being carried out in order to test the new Japanese leader.

 

However, Mr. Abe has shown a willingness to stand up to China and their territorial assertion regarding these islands. Then, at the same time, the prime minister is looking for the United States to be more demonstrative in their support of Japan in the case of this sovereignty claim for the Senkaku Islands.

 

Washington seems to have developed a position that takes the high ground in this circumstance. The United States does not want to get involved in a territory dispute between China and Japan for obvious reasons, and the White House has maintained that they recognize the claim of those islands by Japan but that the two countries need to work out a resolution.

 

Vice President Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping for over five hours yesterday, according to the Associated Press, and the Chinese made no concessions on the air defense zone. At this point no consensus was reached in a pathway forward to help ease tensions in this volatile region. Beijing feels that the U.S. has sided with Japan on this matter and has ignored the aggressive tactics of Tokyo towards Chinese territory recently.  Washington is trying to ride the middle ground here between two regional allies in Japan and China respectively, and trying to deescalate the tension which exists between the two nations.

 

The United States may be forced into a situation where that stance may become untenable, and the White House may have to change their strategy here to lead these two nations to explore a diplomatic solution to this issue.  The State Department may have to intercede to avoid a further escalation in the region because the United States is bound by treaty to defend Japan. A policy of indecision could result in an act of aggression by China against Japan, which is not a military situation that anyone wants to be involved in at this point.

 

The Sino-Japanese relationship has been fraught with problems for many years dating back to the two wars between them and then the brutal Japanese occupation of China during World War II. The Chinese government has requested on several occasions, including recently, for a formal Japanese apology for this brutality and Tokyo has refused to comply.

 

 

In the interests of all sides involved in this matter, we have to hope that the United States is successful, or else this situation may get heightened further, and has the potential to go beyond just saber rattling.

 

However, China is looking to expand their sovereign reach, and this is probably just the first step in that new functional imperative. It is critically important for the stability of the region that the U.S., Japan, and other nations determine a strategy for how they will address these expansionary efforts by China in the future. The consequences of ignoring these attempts could be detrimental on many levels.

 

 

 

by Frank Maduri

Beach Replenishment Post- Hurricane Sandy

The New Jersey coast, which was battered in some places and destroyed in others by Hurricane Sandy, is undergoing a beach replenishment via federal hurricane relief funding.

 

The project had started earlier this year, and then was halted by the federal government shutdown. It is continuing now in the Long Branch area, which is going to receive $40 million in funding to rebuild their decimated beach (www.app.com). The work began last week and is part of a $102 million beach replenishment project which covers the area of the New Jersey coastline from Sea Bright to Manasquan Inlet.

 

The project will bring 3.3 million cubic yards of sand to the Long Branch beach areas alone. The scale of this project is, by far, the most ambitious yet in New Jersey (www.app.com). The question becomes whether or not it makes sense to continue to pursue this course when the storms continually pull the sand back into the ocean.

 

The proponents of the beach replenishment plan feel that it is vital to the economic recovery of the New Jersey Shore area to have larger beaches to accommodate tourists and visitors.

 

Some other groups in the general public believe that this project will provide additional protection to the beaches and the surrounding coastal town neighborhoods. The addition of that much sand calls for not only the beaches to be built back again, but the dunes system in many of these coastal areas as well.  The dunes will potentially hold back the tidal waves during a high wind and coastal storm event.

 

The other side

 

The other side of this situation is the view of the environmental and other community groups who believe that the beach should be repaired naturally and not with the involvement of engineered sand and sediment being dropped into place in huge quantities.

 

The sand is also dredged from the continental shelf, which causes the disruption of the ecosystem there as well as the underwater plant life in that area. The sediment caused by the addition of large amounts of new sand has an impact on the fish, birds, and other wildlife on the coast.

 

The beach replenishment projects have been growing steadily over the years, and this latest project is massive because of the extreme amount of damage caused by the mammoth Hurricane Sandy last year. The grain size of the sand in these projects is also problematic because it is usually larger than the grain size of the sand currently on the existing beaches. This causes the beaches to be muddy and changes the way the waves break on the shore especially during tidal periods. I have experienced it myself walking on the beach after the new sand has been installed, the sand is muddy and different in appearance.

 

These same groups will point to the fact that the same coastal areas were the beneficiaries of a beach replenishment project in the months leading up to the summer of 2012, and then Sandy and the Nor’easter storm which hit right after Election Day,  wiped out all of the sand from the last nourishment project.

 

Perspective

 

I understand both sides of this complex issue, the fortification of the beaches is needed to build the dunes, provide protection for the infrastructure of coastal communities, and provide support to the tourism industry. I am also a long time resident of the New Jersey Shore area, so I am very familiar with this situation.

 

Conversely, the beaches are being artificially engineered by man and machine to bring tons of new sand into a specific area with potential consequences to the environment and the natural habitats of fish, birds, and other wildlife. Then, every two years, the government looks at replenishing the beaches because the sand is being pulled away by the ocean during coastal storms.

 

The reduction of sand in the Continental Shelf has to have some effect on the ecosystem there as well. I am not sure if it is rational to keep restoring a coastline against the will of nature. I understand that the dunes are a source of protection but I think it is not a good situation to keep artificially enhancing them.

 

Then there is the sediment build up and the effect it has on the waves, especially during the peak tide cycles, and the role that the sediment has on fish and other wildlife. I am also concerned about the effect this enhancement of the beach can have on erosion. Some reports I read indicate that the expansion of the coastline through beach replenishment can actually accelerate erosion.

 

I think that the potential risks to the environment are too great and too costly for this type of beach nourishment to be effective. I also do not like the impact it can have on the ecosystem and the marine and bird life.

 

An argument can also be made for the cost of the beach replenishment process and using that money to make other infrastructure improvements. This could include building up the jetties which allows for a more natural tidal flow and can have less impact on the fish and wildlife. The money could also be used to make improvements to roads and bridges which were damaged during Sandy.

 

In the meantime, the project will continue with this phase in Long Branch and then will continue to work its way to the north to Monmouth Beach. The debate on whether this enhancement of the beach is good for the protection of coastal communities, or bad because of the environmental implications will continue on in the weeks and months ahead as well. The residents of New Jersey have to decide how they want the government to address this complex issue both in the present situation and in the future.

 

The stakes are high, and it is a problem which is not going away any time soon.

 

 

 

by Frank Maduri

Happy Thanksgiving

In preparation to celebrate a truly American holiday, Thanksgiving, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support over the past several months.

 

This blog, Frank’s Forum, would not be the vibrant place for the exchange of ideas that it is without you, my readers. I appreciate your time in visiting my website and my blog here on Word Press, as well as your time in writing comments on the articles posted here.

 

Furthermore, I appreciate greatly all of your support of the articles I have written for other websites and news organizations. I know many of you have gone out of your way to locate those articles and to provide me with encouraging complements as well as ideas for potential news stories.

 

I have been touched by the responses that all of you have provided to me regarding my work, including my creative work and the guides for new and young writers. My poetry and creative work are very special to me, and your overwhelmingly positive responses to that work is very gratifying to me.

 

It has been a difficult year for so many people, as I have covered in some of my news stories about Hurricane Sandy and most recently with the typhoon in the Philippines as well as the tornadoes in the Midwestern United States. I give thanks for the generosity of the human spirit in the aftermath of each one of those tragic events. The capacity of people to help others in need is heartwarming in a world that seems otherwise to be filled with negativity at many points.

 

The relief efforts will take a long time, but they will be successful not only in the Philippines, but close to home here in the U.S., areas that were effected by Hurricane Sandy and the recent tornadoes. All of these areas will eventually recover because that is an integral part of the human spirit, the resiliency to carry on, to move forward.

 

The Pilgrims had that same resilient spirit when they forged the unknown dangers of the high seas and risked their lives to move to an uninhabited far away land. When they arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts they had no idea what to expect, but they knew they wanted to move forward to a new place to have a better life.

 

So, as we recall the Thanksgiving dinner that the Pilgrims shared in peace with their new Native American neighbors, we recall the sacrifices made for the ideals of America. We give thanks for a place where we can live in peace and freedom without fear of persecution for what we believe.

 

Each one of us is grateful and thankful for different things and it could be something very simple like a dinner with family or friends. It could be something more complex such as a family member being restored to health after a long illness. It could be a loved one with health problems, in that case give thanks for the time you can share. Whatever it may be, take the time on this holiday to give thanks for it.

 

In my case, I am thankful for the love of family and friends, a roof over my head, and the opportunity to impact people each day through what I write. I am thankful to all my family, friends, supporters, and readers for making my dream a reality. I look forward to the stories we have yet to share together. So, from my family to yours, best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving!

by Frank Maduri

Writing a Ballade: A Guide for Young and New Poets

A Ballade is a very traditional and classic form of poetry which originated in France. The Ballade is lyrical by nature, and also shares this name with a form of songwriting, known as a Ballad (www.wikipedia.com).  This article will draw upon my extensive experience writing poetry and I will provide tips for young and new poets to use while beginning to write in the Ballade form of poetry.

 

 

The Ballade consists of 3 stanzas of eight to ten lines each in length, it concludes with a final stanza, called an envoy. The envoy is shorter in length, about four to five lines (http://dictionary.reference.com).

 

 

The most important aspect of this poetry form is: the last line of each stanza and the envoy has to be the same. This line serves as the refrain in the musical form of the same name. I learned of this form of poetry several years ago, when I was looking to expand the creativity of my poetry beyond some of the standard formats I had grown accustomed to working within.

 

 

Starting Out

 

The Ballade is a form of poetry which takes some degree of planning before you begin the process of writing. The rhyme scale is very important in this type of format because it is lyrical poetry, so the scale needs to be the same throughout each stanza.

 

The choice of rhyme scale is based on several factors depending upon the words you would need to use to convey the message of the poem, your comfort level with a particular rhyme scale, or it could be based upon the refrain line used in your poem.

 

 

When based on the refrain, your rhyme scale would then be worked backward into the rest of the body of the poem. I have used all three of the factors mentioned to determine rhyme scale in my years of writing poetry. It depends on what works for you, and more importantly, what works for you at the given time you are working on a particular piece.

 

 

I usually have an idea when I begin the writing process of what my refrain is going to be as well as the central message of the poem. I write most all of my poetry in rhyming scale and have developed very little free verse poetry, so I may have found this format easier in the beginning than other writers. I mention this because if you are a new writer that enjoys writing rhyming verse, this form may be easy to grasp and a fun change of pace.

 

 

I am also most comfortable writing in iamb, or iambic pentameter.  I have also written in dactyl. It depends upon your comfort level and also the words you need to use to convey the message.

 

 

The Draft

 

Once you have the rhyme scale, the central message and the refrain decided you can move forward into drafting the idea on paper. I usually use eight lines in each of the 3 opening stanzas, so that I have four rhyming sets in each stanza.

 

 

It is very important that you keep in mind that the last line has to be the same in each stanza, so planning out the placement of those words ahead of time is critical.

 

 

In the envoy I have used both the four line and the five line ending stanza. In the four line stanza I just make sure that my third line makes sense when the fourth line has to be the refrain line, this ensures that the rhyme scale flows correctly.

 

 

When I use the five line envoy, I have two rhyming sets take up the first four lines, and then I use the refrain line to tie it all back to the central theme of the poem. So it is really a choice you can make on an individual poem by poem basis, or you may find that you are comfortable with four lines compared to the full five lines.

 

 

Avoiding Common Mistakes

 

Some common mistakes using the Ballade form are:

 

  • Not keeping the same rhyme scale throughout the poem
  • Losing the central message by trying to fit the words within the rhyme scale
  • Forgetting the refrain at the end of each stanza
  • Not rhyming the preceding line with the refrain in the first 3 stanzas
  • Repeating the same key words at the end of lines within the body of the poem

 

 

These mistakes can be avoided by checking your work and making edits to your draft before feeling like you have a “finished product”. The rhyming scale issues can be solved by reading the poem out loud, you will pick up the consonants that are incorrect.

 

 

In order to remember the refrain, I mark the margin of my paper with a red “R” to correspond to where the refrain needs to be placed. I often will have the idea for the refrain line first, so I will write it into the draft.

 

In order to make sure that I rhymed the preceding line, I mark the margin of the paper with whatever letter corresponds with that line and put a dash and the letter “R”. For example, if the scale is “ABABCCDR”, then I would mark the line corresponding to “D” in the scale, as “D-R” so that the poem can flow properly.

 

I hope that this information will be useful for young and new poetry writers as you begin to use the Ballade form. It is a very lyrical and very unique form of poetry that can be adapted to express any number of thoughts or emotions.

 

 

by Frank Maduri

TV Markets and the Expansion of Sports – Part 4

The demographics of a city or metropolitan area, their media market size, the support of the political leadership in the city and the support of the business community are important aspects in determining the expansion of a professional sports league.

 

In this fourth installment of this series, the focus will be on the National Hockey League (NHL) and the potential expansion opportunities for a league which is rapidly growing in popularity. The NHL has witnessed some outstanding revenue growth in recent years which enabled them to obtain a huge television and media rights deal with Comcast/NBC (www.nbcsports.com).

 

In 2012 and 2013, every playoff game from every series was televised nationally via the Comcast/NBC for the first time in the history of the league (www.nhl.com). The NHL has long been considered the “fourth league” of the “Big 4” professional sports in the United States, but the ratings are growing exponentially.

 

The 2013 Stanley Cup Final between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins was a ratings record breaking series on NBC (www.nbcsports.com). This was in a year where the league had a lockout shortened season over a revenue dispute between the owners and the players union.

 

Realignment

 

The NHL realigned their divisions for the 2013-14 season into two conferences with two divisions in each conference. However, unlike other sports, the conferences are unbalanced.

The Eastern Conference has two divisions of eight teams each for a total of sixteen teams. The Western Conference consists of two divisions of seven teams each for a total of fourteen teams. That brings the total number of teams to 30, but many reports have indicated that this uneven conference split was done with expansion in mind.

 

The most obvious expansion would be by two teams to a total of 32 and have both of those teams be added in the Western Conference to balance the league. Numerous sources close to the league have reported that the increased revenues from two additional future expansion teams via the league entry fee and the entry into two new markets was part of the discussion during the lockout negotiations (www.cbssports.com).

 

The other rumor circulating throughout the media is that the NHL may expand by four franchises in the near future. If those reports are true, that would mean a significant revenue infusion to the league through the expansion franchise entry fees and subsequent introduction into four new marketplaces in North America.

 

The TV market metrics are probably the least important in hockey than in other sports because the average person and the consensus among the casual sports fan is that hockey does not translate well to the medium of television. Now, NBC has tried to enhance the broadcasts to change some of that perception and offers some unique camera angles and outstanding production value to their hockey telecasts.

 

However, the NHL makes their money with the live game experience. Last season, following a protracted labor stoppage, the hockey arenas in the NHL averaged game attendance levels at 95% of capacity (www.nhl.com). The NHL live game experience is, in my opinion, the best sporting event to attend.

 

The NHL executives and franchise owners know that they will get their die-hard fans in the building for the games and they have proven that, in a recession or otherwise, those fans will spend money at the games. So the addition of four potential new franchises could bring in more revenue through in-game expenditures, season ticket sales, luxury suite sales, and merchandise sales.

 

North of the Border

 

It is important to note that unlike the other major sports, Canada is a legitimate expansion area for the NHL, and a likely area of future expansion. The sport of hockey is so well loved and supported in Canada, that the NHL could put a franchise basically almost anywhere in that country and it would be a successful venture.

 

That type of widespread and virtually assured support cannot be found in the U.S. hockey marketplace, but it is surprising how well the NHL has done in cities such as Nashville, Tampa, Dallas, San Jose, and Anaheim.

 

The list below will also demonstrate that the interest for an NHL franchise in some U.S. markets is very high at this point.

 

Potential Expansion Markets

 

The following cities are potential candidates for expansion franchises in the NHL (all TV markets data courtesy of www.stationindex.com – all Fortune 500 company information courtesy of www.money.cnn.com – and all Metro Population data courtesy of www.census.gov ):

 

  • Seattle, WA – Has emerged as a very strong candidate for expansion based on the plans to build a new arena in the downtown area. The location, and population size and demographics make it a good fit for the NHL.

TV Market Rank: 14th

Metro Area Population Rank: 15th

Fortune 500 Company HQ: 4

Synopsis/ Outlook: The Seattle bid gained traction with the league when the Phoenix Coyotes looked as if they may relocate. The NHL quickly lined up Seattle as a potential alternative site to move the franchise. They even had an ownership group lined up. The location is key for this bid because it addresses a region (Pacific Northwest) where the NHL has no current presence other than the Vancouver Canucks. The population and TV Market sizes are very good, and corporate support would be strong. The population is hockey-savvy as they have several youth hockey and minor league hockey teams in the region. The arena situation would be the murkiest part of the bid today. The team may have to play temporarily at the Key Arena, which would be very small for hockey and has a strange configuration for hockey. The new arena being planned (see Part 1 of this series) is primarily for the NBA expansion team. The hockey team is viewed as the second tenant. I do not know if they would build the arena solely for a hockey team with no assurances from the NBA on a future expansion franchise for the city. Overall a very strong bid.

  • Quebec City – The second most widely regarded bid from NHL insiders is the bid from Quebec, which of course, was home to the Nordiques until they moved to Denver in the mid 1990s. A historic city with a rabid base of hockey fans.

Synopsis/Overview – The TV markets and other data does not apply to this Canadian city. The potential for regaining an NHL franchise is of tremendous importance to this city. The Mayor and the city government in Quebec City approved a new arena without a team or the assurances of an expansion team. In a “if we build it they will come” type of move they are currently in the construction phase of the new arena which is next to the old arena where the Nordiques once played. The NHL was so impressed with the confidence of the government and the people there, that the Quebec bid is thought to be a very strong one among league insiders.

  • Houston, TX – A “dark horse” candidate but a place that has shown interest in the past. It was one of two cities (Hartford was the other) that was used as a bargaining chip by the Penguins ownership to get the new arena in Pittsburgh done.

TV Market Rank: 10th

Metro Population Rank: 5th

Fortune 500 Company HQ: 23

Synopsis/Overview: Houston has some very strong positives for a NHL expansion bid including excellent demographics and TV market rankings. The city has a rapidly growing economy and is home to a whopping 23 Fortune 500 companies – so the right ownership group and strong corporate support would not be an issue. Due to the rapid economic growth the city has a changing population with transplanted residents from across the country. The bid would pitch the fact that the changing demographics mean more hockey fans living within the city metro area. The arena is state of the art and hosts the NBA’s Rockets currently. This bid has potential, and hockey has been successful in Dallas, but the league may be resistant if they are unsure of long term fan support with all the other major sports already having a presence in that market.

  • Markham, Ontario (other Toronto area city) – Toronto is the largest hockey market in the world. It currently has one team, the Maple Leafs, and they have struggled for a long period of time to get back to relevancy.

Synopsis/Overview: Since the other metrics do not apply here in a Canadian market, I will summarize this complicated bid. The issue here is that the league office and ownership had great support behind a bid for a second team in the Toronto market. In the past two years, some of that support has waned. The reports I have read indicate now that the Markham bid, or a bid by another Toronto area city, would very likely not get approved if the league expands by two franchises. It would have a better shot of getting in during the next round of expansion by two teams. The rationale behind this is two-fold: 1. The Maple Leafs are not thrilled about sharing the market with another franchise, especially an expansion franchise that will cut into their revenues directly. 2. The front runners for expansion at this point are not two Western cities which the NHL would need to balance the two conferences. Tim Leiweke who is a top executive with AEG (owner of arenas and sports teams) did a presentation last week and during the Q & A session which followed he stated the second Toronto team may not happen at all. He stated that the meetings he was involved with have Seattle and Quebec as the two front-runners and Kansas City and Las Vegas as very strong contenders for the second round of expansion(www.yahoo.com)  This would make sense because Quebec would bring the Eastern Conference to 17 teams, and Seattle would bring the West to 15 teams, and then the potential additions of two more Western teams would balance the league at 17 teams in each conference (total of 34 teams). Markham just approved financing of $350 million for an NHL caliber arena north of Toronto (www.cbc.ca). It could be very interesting what happens here with this bid. The University of Toronto commissioned a study which was reported by the CBC that the country of Canada could easily support 12 NHL teams (they currently have 9 teams in Canada). However the concentration of wealth in Toronto is what makes that market so attractive to the NHL. It is a risk to build an arena, but Markham decided in a slim margin in their city council vote, that the risk was worth taking.

  • Las Vegas, NV – One of the most popular tourist destinations in the world would provide a very robust stage for the NHL to showcase their international star players.

TV Markets Rank: 42nd

Metro Area Population Rank: 31st

Fortune 500 Company HQ: 4

Synopsis/Overview: The Las Vegas bid is considered within many circles close to the NHL to be a very strong potential contender for a franchise. The TV market ranking is a little low (Buffalo has an NHL team and is 51st) and the TV market as I stated earlier is not looked at in hockey as crucially as it is for other sports. The population is low too, but the league has several current franchises in smaller metro areas currently. The three biggest issues with a potential Las Vegas expansion bid are: the selection of a stable ownership group, the ability of the metro area population to support a team for the long term, and the arena. The NHL offices have expressed issues with the arena situation there numerous times in the past through various media reports. The largest arena in the city, The Thomas & Mack Center, does not have an ice sheet. That means that the temporary home for the team would have to be the MGM Grand Garden Arena which seats about 16,000 for hockey which is small (www.cbssports.com). However, MGM and the before mentioned AEG group recently announced a joint partnership on a brand new 20,000 seat arena to be built between the Monte Carlo and the New York, New York Casino Hotels (www.finance.yahoo.com). Just last week, the first renderings of the new Vegas arena went public. It will immediately be able to host an NBA or NHL team. The project is slated to begin in April 2014 and be finished in 2016. This project addresses the key issue the league had with Las Vegas. The NHL has always talked about wanting to be the first professional league to tap the Vegas market, and one final note, Jerry Bruckheimer is very close with the top executives at AEG. He has openly discussed wanting to own an NHL team in Las Vegas. A very strong bid made stronger by the new arena project.

  • Kansas City, MO – An interesting bid it would open up that part of the Midwest to the NHL and create an instant rivalry with the St. Louis Blues.

TV Markets Rank: 31st

Metro Population Rank: 30th

Fortune 500 Company HQ: 2

Synopsis/ Overview: Kansas City was also included in the NBA potential expansion bids. The strength of the bid is still the arena, Sprint Center, which is world class and has no permanent tenant. The taxpayers want a team for the building since they approved tax money to build it. The political goodwill is very strong here, and the corporate base would be supportive of an NHL team, though that support could be better in other cities with less sports teams already (Kansas City has the Chiefs in the NFL, and the Royals of MLB) and the other issue that may or may not be a mitigating one (depends on what reports you read) is that the NHL was already in Kansas City (the Scouts) and it lasted only a couple of years and the team struggled to get attendance and fans, so they moved to Colorado and rebranded as the Rockies. The Rockies eventually moved to New Jersey and became known as the Devils (www.nhl.com). So much has changed economically and demographically since the time of the Scouts that I think it is an unfair comparison to hold against Kansas City at this point. This city has a solid bid and the NHL brass will have to determine if it is worthy of a team when comparing all the variables as compared to the rest of the cities on this list.

 

The Future

 

The unique aspect about the NHL part of this series on sports expansion is that the league intends to expand. The other leagues talk about expansion as an eventual thing if all goes well, other leagues like the NBA only want to expand by one or two teams to avoid splitting revenue dollars further.

 

The NHL is fairly aggressive in their expansion goals. They have talked at media events in the past about expanding within certain time frames. This list is a very viable list of cities that could very well be hosting an NHL team in the next three to five years.

 

In the event that the reports are true and Seattle and Quebec City are the front runners for the two expansion spots, that would probably create a second round of expansion because of the geography and politics involved.

 

The entry of Quebec into the Eastern Conference would still leave the East with more teams, so the NHL would have to add two more teams in the Western Conference to balance the league. The relocation of one of the current teams in the East being sent to the Western Conference would be highly problematic from a political point of view.

The owners of the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets fought for years to get moved into the Eastern Conference, and now that they have moved East, then the league will be reticent about moving one of them back to balance the conference sizes.

 

If you are a hockey fan, that is exciting news, and if you are not a hockey fan, but you are a sports fan; then it could give you something else to do while on a long weekend in Las Vegas in the future.

 

The final part of my series will be up next and that is the future expansion of MLS (Major League Soccer).

by Frank Maduri

TV Markets and the Expansion of Sports – Part 3

The role of TV markets in the potential expansion of professional sports has been well documented in the first two parts of this series. The first part dealt with the potential expansion of the NBA, the second part dealt with the potential expansion of Major League Baseball, and this third part of the series will deal with the potential expansion of the National Football League (NFL).

 

The focus on the NFL is timely, since the expansion discussion was again central to the media coverage of the league recently. The NFL began playing regular season games in London calling them the “International Series” beginning in 2007 (www.nfl.com). The most recent game in London was played on October 27, with the San Francisco 49ers taking on the Jacksonville Jaguars.

 

In the media events leading up to this game in London, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke openly about the determination for the NFL to place a team in London and Los Angeles. He added that he did not care which city went through the process first, but that they are both targeted areas for the NFL to have a presence within in the future (www.cbssports.com).

 

The initial expansion talk for the NFL began around the Super Bowl in 2012 when the Commissioner discussed the league expanding from 32 to 34 teams. In recent months, the NFL owners committee has stated that they like the league at 32 teams and that any changes would most likely come by relocation of struggling franchises.

 

 

Current Situation

The NFL is currently made up of 32 teams split into two conferences of 16 teams each. In each conference the teams are split into four divisions of four teams each, so the schedule is perfectly balanced. The alignment makes sense and they have an excellent system for rotating the schedule for inter-conference and inter-divisional games.

 

The NFL is the most watched sport in the United States, and has a huge level of interest that dwarfs the other members of “The Big Four” major sports leagues. The number of people to support and watch additional NFL teams is there, so the debate will always rage on about potential expansion of this tremendously successful league.

 

The NFL frequently has seven or eight of the Top 10 most watched television events every year. The Super Bowl, of course, is the most watched television event on the calendar in the United States. It has set records in recent years for TV viewership, which some reports have speculated is driven by the recession in the U.S. and more people staying home to watch it in smaller groups.

 

Sunday Night Football on NBC is the most watched network primetime show every year. The importance of the medium of television to the NFL is very crucial for an expansion market, more so than with other sports.

 

Potential Expansion Markets

 

The potential for expansion in the NFL is a much shorter list than for the other leagues because the league has publicly stated that it does not want to expand much beyond the 32 franchises they have currently. This is also due to the fact that the owners do not want to split the revenue sharing “pie” too much further.

 

Here are the most likely candidates for an NFL expansion franchise:

(TV markets data courtesy of www.stationindex.com , Metro population data courtesy of www.census.gov and the Fortune 500 data courtesy of www.money.cnn.com )

  • Los Angeles, CA – The largest city and the largest TV market without an NFL team. It has been on the NFL expansion radar screen for a long time. At one point the city had two NFL teams that both left, which is why support for a replacement franchise lagged for many years.

TV Market Rank: 2nd

Metro Population Rank: 2nd

Fortune 500 Company HQ: 10 (in general area)

 

Synopsis/Outlook: The Los Angeles bid is a very likely expansion or relocation destination for an NFL franchise or two. The population density, the huge TV and media market, and the corporate sponsorship capabilities are definitely sufficient to support 2 teams. The plan at this point would be that those two teams would share a stadium similar to the Giants and Jets currently. The downtown stadium plan supported by AEG has lost support politically and will not happen. The City of Industry plan is still on the table and is the most likely site for a future state of the art NFL stadium. The temporary stadium would most likely be the Rose Bowl in Pasadena until the new stadium construction is completed. The most likely relocation candidates would be the Oakland Raiders (who have a major stadium issue with the Coliseum and no public dollars to fix it in Oakland), St. Louis Rams (who have an “out clause” in their lease after next season and are fighting with the city of St. Louis over a renovation plan for their current stadium), and the San Diego Chargers (they are just a couple of hours down the road and they have been working on a new stadium deal for over 15 years now). The NFL and the owners have all made statements indicating that they will be in L.A. sooner rather than later. One final note, MSG Network interviewed former basketball legend and current L.A. Dodgers part-owner, Earvin “Magic” Johnson during halftime of the NY Knicks game recently, and he publicly stated that he wanted to help bring an NFL team to Los Angeles. When high profile men with money and connections start talking about their desire to do it, we have all seen that it is only a matter of time before it gets done.

 

  • San Antonio, TX – The second largest city in the country by population without an NFL team. The city has a diverse group of potential fans, and the area is known for being very loyal to their other professional team, the Spurs of the NBA.

TV Markets Rank: 36th

Metro Population Rank: 25th

Fortune 500 Company HQ: 5

 

Synopsis/Outlook: Many reports I have read throughout the media reference sources from within the NFL that believe that San Antonio and Toronto are the only other markets outside of L.A. which could successfully support an NFL team. The issues with San Antonio and a potential bid for expansion are still numerous: the city is in the territorial rights zone for the Dallas Cowboys, the metro population is good but the suburbs are non-existent, the TV market is good but not great (though the NFL has current franchises in much smaller TV markets), and the stadium is problematic as well. In order for a bid to be successful, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would have to approve the move into his territory (he has made statements of support in the past). The right ownership group would have to emerge with enough capital to compete against the Cowboys (who are immensely popular in the entire state) and the Houston Texans (who play about a 2 hour drive away). The final piece is the stadium, they have the Alamo Dome currently, but it was built several years ago. It would need by some estimates between $100 million to $500 million in renovations to be an NFL level facility. Most people believe that for a San Antonio bid to be accepted, the Alamo Dome would be used as a temporary home while a brand new stadium would be built for the NFL team. The government willpower and support is there to undertake that project, they have a growing economy, and the corporate sponsorship for such a venture is there as well. If the right pieces fall into place, this is also a very likely future expansion location for the NFL.

  • Toronto – Intriguing potential expansion opportunity for the NFL to fully integrate into Canada.

Synopsis/Overview: The TV market and other demographic data are not applicable for this Canadian city. The potential bid does have some very strong attributes. Toronto has a very diverse population base which appeals to the NFL and their strategic interest in growing the sport internationally. The city currently hosts one regular season game each year under an agreement with the Buffalo Bills. The game in Toronto regularly plays to a sold out crowd, so the demand is there for the NFL product in Canada. The other potential avenue outside of expansion is the potential for the Buffalo Bills to relocate to Toronto. However, the City of Buffalo just committed a huge amount of money and resources to the renovation of Ralph Wilson Stadium and the Bills signed a new lease in Buffalo as well, making that relocation rather unlikely. The stadium in the short term would be the Rogers Centre (formerly the SkyDome) and then a new stadium would be built for the expansion NFL franchise. Corporate support would not be an issue, nor would the right ownership group. A solid potential bid.

  • London, United Kingdom – The London bid is gaining tremendous momentum at this point. It would bring the NFL into the global stage faster than the other major U.S. sports leagues.

Synopsis/Outlook: The situation in London is similar to Toronto, the TV markets and other demographics do not apply. The NFL has an “International Committee” which has been studying the potential for international growth of American football for years now. Some sources inside the NFL in the reports throughout the media say the committee should be named “the London Committee”. London is really the only viable option for international expansion. The corporate support, with London being a major financial and commercial hub in Europe, would be excellent for a future NFL franchise. There are fans who question why the NFL would want to put a team in London and believe that it is a bad idea. If you take away all the other positive attributes about the city, the only statistic needed for the rationale behind why the NFL wants to have a full time presence in London is: population. Some estimates have the population of London within city limits at 9.7 million, the greater metro area estimates are 13 million to 21 million people (courtesy of the Greater London Authority). The NFL is not currently in LA, so after the New York/New Jersey metro area, the next largest metro area the NFL has a franchise in is Chicago at approximately 9.5 million people (www.census.gov). The potential expansion to London would add another market with the population base of New York or Los Angeles. That offers the NFL a very unique way to expand the league into a very large marketplace. The bid would be solid as the team would have several potential ownership groups and they could play at Wembley Stadium at least initially. In fact, Fox Sports, reported over the weekend that the London based professional soccer club, Tottenham Hotspur, is proposing to build a brand new 65,000 seat stadium that could be shared with a future NFL franchise. When that sort of project is being proposed it validates that the NFL and the city of London have had several behind the scenes meetings about the expansion possibilities there. The relocation route could be another potential avenue into London, with the Jacksonville Jaguars being the most likely franchise for relocation there, according to several media reports. The owner of the Jaguars, Mr. Khan, has ties to London and the Jaguars have the lowest merchandise sales in the NFL. They also currently play in the league’s smallest market, Jacksonville, and they have committed to playing 3 games in London over the next 3 years.

 

Final observations

 

 

The NFL is the most popular professional league in the United States, and it is poised to expand into a few of the remaining markets left that they have not tapped. In my opinion, I think the NFL needs to be in Los Angeles, the game translates so well to the medium of television and it makes no sense to not have a franchise in the second largest TV market in the country.

 

Furthermore, I think the league would do very well with a team in San Antonio, but I do not think it will happen for a long time. The Toronto move is less likely now that the Bills are staying in Western New York, and the London move is complicated. On the surface, I understand why they want to make the move over to London, but logistically that would be a major headache for the NFL.

 

Every U.S. based team that played over there would have to have a bye week the following week, and the London based team would have to fly over here and spend three to four weeks straight on the road in various regions of the U.S. (Northeast, Midwest, etc.).

 

An additional consideration is the conversion rate of the currency, if the contracts for the players are in U.S. dollars, and they are living during the season in London and using the Euro, that is going to be a problem. London is also one of the most expensive cities to live in, so most of the players would opt to leave their families back in the U.S., which I think will definitely impact how the team in London would be able to attract top players to sign to play over there.

 

So each expansion possibility has unique issues here, even the L.A. bid, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the NFL. The next part of this series will focus on the National Hockey League (NHL) and the potential for that league to expand, which is very realistic in the near future.