History Heavyweight

Broadcasting Rights

2012-02-22T07:21:00.000-08:00

In MLB, where local contracts dominate, all locations get their local team nearly nightly, along with a general interest game a couple of times each week. In the NFL, where there is literally no such thing as a local television broadcast, fans get approximately the same thing (61 The Market for Sports Broadcast Rights). They will see the home team every week, along with a few games of broader interest. The NFL has a national contract of $2.3 billion annually and the MLB has a national contract of $814 million annually. The previous contract for the NFL (1998-2005) totaled $23.1 billion which was 21% more then the current contract. The previous MLB contract was $4 billion which is 42% more then the current contract (81 The Market for Sports Broadcast Rights). The National Media generates more then the local media in 25 of the 32 teams in the MLB and 80% of the teams cover more then half of their player salaries just from the media alone. In contrast, the NFL covers all player costs with the media revenue source alone for every team but the Packers and Chiefs. Although the NFL has so many fewer broadcast slots they make a drastic amount more then the other leagues because they provide a better reach to the important demographic target of advertisers. This money is collected by the media providers and sent through to the NFL. The NFL games are sold through their leagues in the form of a national contract, where as the MLB sells their games by the team through local contracts.

The beginning of broadcasting problems in the MLB came in April of 1953, when ABC signed three teams. The MLB banned ABC from broadcasting their games within a 50-mile radius of the home teams stadium. Around 1965, ABC paid $5.7 million for the rights to the 28 Saturday and holiday games but continued to black out the games in the home cities of the clubs playing those games. In 1969, MLB had grown to 24 teams and TV revenues rose to $20.7 million, a significant increase from 1950, which had a $2.3 million income. This contract then rose to $72 million from 1972-75 but continued the local blackouts and continued to when the 1976-1979 contract was $92 million. By 1980, income from TV was 30% of the $500 million in the MLB. Then in 1983, MLB, ABC, and NBC agreed to a six-year contract worth $1.2 billion. In 1989, CBS agreed to $1.8 billion over a four-year span, which cost CBS a great deal of money and disputes over the contract with the MLB. The disputes led the MLB to go into the business of producing their own telecasts. Shortly after, the MLB made a new deal with ABC and NBC; they would take 85% of the first $140 million in advertising revenue, then 50% of the next $30 million, and 80% of any additional money. After another dispute in 1994 NBC and ABC decided to cut all ties with the MLB for the remainder of the 20th century. In 1995 Fox and NBC made a deal with the MLB and began it by showing games based on the viewers regions. Then in 2000, Fox signed a six year deal worth $2.5 billion.

In the NFL, all away games are aired in the local region of the away team; this is done because of the difficulty for fans to attend away games. All sold out home games are also aired the local region of teams unless the games do not sell out 72 hours before kickoff. Games not sold out 72 hours before kickoff are in jeopardy to blackout in the local region. Prior to 1973, all home games were blacked out in the local region of the home team, even during championship games. This policy came into effect because the president wanted to watch the Redskins in a playoff game and was unable to because of the blackout. The league commissioner at the time, Pete Rozelle, was forced to lift the blackout under a new law eliminating the blackout under the 72 hour rule in place now. Some NFL teams however have arrangements with local television stations or businesses to purchase unsold ticket. In 2011, only four blackouts occurred and less occurred in previous years, 2010 with only two, 2009 with only 3, 2006 with only one. NBC was the first major television network to cover an NFL game on October 22, 1939. Regular broadcasting of games began after World War 2 and the first NFL championship game to be televised was in 1948. In 1950, the LA Rams and the Washington Redskins became the first NFL teams to have all their games televised, and in the same year other teams made deals to have selected games telecast. The DuMont Network, in the same, paid a rights fee of $75,000 to broadcast the 1951 Championship game across the entire nation, and was the first to do so. In 1953-1955 the network became the first to broadcast live NFL games across the entire nation, and did so for the entire season. NBC, in 1955, became the new home of the NFL championship game, paying $100,000 to the NFL. In 1956, CBS began to televise the selected NFL regular season games. When 1959 came around, big teams had all their games televised but the smaller teams still did not. This was until Pete Rozelle became the commissioner and a goal of his to see that every team got all its games on TV. In 1987, ESPN became the first to cable network to broadcast regular season games. In 1990, the NFL, from all the combined contracts, was bringing in the largest some in TV at the time with $900 million annually totaling to $3.6 billion.

Graph of media revenues for NFL

2012-01-22T20:24:00.000-08:00

Sources of Slavation

Many of the nations greatest African American athletes are seen today as children who are consistently finding themselves in trouble, a lot of which having to do with their fame and money. African American athletes such as Jim Brown, Arthur Ashe, Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, Joe Louis, Julius Erving, Reggie Jackson, Hank Aaron, and Bill Russell are a few athletes that have proven to have a great deeper purpose then sports heroes. These athletes were assistants to Martin Luther King in his attempt to achieve “The Dream”, each of these athletes were seen as sources of salvation mostly by black folks in America.

Jim Brown in 1988 founded the Amer-I-Can Program. He currently works with kids caught up in the gang scene in Los Angeles and Cleveland through this Amer-I-Can program. It is a life management skills organization that operates in inner cities and prisons. While also working to get other great athletes involved in communities and sponsored programs.

Arthur Ashe was diagnosed with HIV during blood transfusions he received after ending his tennis career. Ashe went on to call the attention of the world to AIDS. Two months before his death he founded the Arthur Ashe Institue for Urban Health to help address issues of improper health care.

Jackie Robinson chaired of the NAACP million-dollar Freedom Fund Drive in 1957, and served on the organization’s board until 1967. Robinson also helped found Freedom National Bank, a black-owned and operated commercial bank in Harlem, serving as the bank’s first Chairman of the Board. Robinson also established the Jackie Robinson Construction Company to build housing for low-income families.

Jesse Owens was appointed as a US goodwill ambassador by the government and traveled the world speaking to many companies such as Ford Motor Company and the United States Olympic Committee.

Joe Louis was approved for the Congressional Gold Medal given by the U.S. legislative branch stating that he served as a symbol of strength for the nation. Joe Louis became the first boxer to be honored on a postage stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service.

Julius Erving following his basketball career became a business man, owning a large portion of a Coca-Cola bottling plant. He also became the first minority owner of a NASCAR racing team as an attempt to involve the black community in NASCAR. Erving also served on the board of directors of Converse, Darden Restaurants, Saks Incorporated, and Sports Authority.

Reggie Jackson, Mr. October, worked as a field reporter and color commentator for ABC Sports. Jackson also was a popular actor following his career, he stared several major films, even as a host for Nickelodeon.

Hank Aaron served as the Braves vice president and director of player development, one of the minorities in MLB upper level management, and served as a senior vice president assistant to the Braves president. Aaron also was the corporate vice president of community relations for TBS. Aaron was also presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President William Clinton. Then later on went to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom given to him by George W. Bush. Hank Aaron also owns Mini, Land Rover, Toyota, Hyundai, and Honda dealerships throughout Georgia.

Bill Russell wrote a book on dedicated to the victims of racial abuse called, Go Up for Glory. Russell also was active in the Black Power movement and supported Muhammad Ali’s decision to refuse to be drafted. Russell’s life was marked by a battle against racism as he was a frequent first hand victim of racism.

Each of these athletes has had a greater purpose then the simple sports heroes they were portrayed as. They were seen as sources of salvation all across the United States, sports wasn’t something these athletes did for exercise or entertainment, sports was a component for freedom. “Its been the voice we’ve found through our arms and legs when our mouths have been silenced.(3)” The job these athletes carried was much more significant then what they were doing in their sport. These athletes were the beginning to change in America and represent a coming of African Americans in America.

Olympic Games

2012-01-09T05:01:00.000-08:00

The 1896 Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the first Olympiad, was a world peace event held in Athens, Greece. These games are commonly known as the rebirth of the Olympics because it was the first one in the Modern Era. Behind the rebirth, was a plan to represent the highest ideals of sport as diplomacy, and for the power of peaceful competition to rise above world politics. Unfortunately it did not succeed, nation still used the game to make political statements about the most superior nation. When the Soviet Union entered the Helsinki Summer Games, the games again took a political stand point which directly correlated with the Cold War. It became a struggle to prove the superiority in Socialism or Capitalism. The same incident occurs in Lake Placid, New York where the poorly favored U.S. hockey team battled the highly favored Soviet team. After being defeated by them previously the U.S. team pulled through and beat the mighty Soviets. The so called "Miracle on Ice" was more than a mere game in America, it was more about National prosperity and convincing the public that a democracy can produce more efficient athletes then the communist system. The 1972 summer games in Munich, when Palestinian terrorists infringed into the Olympic Village, killing two Israeli delegates and taking nine hostages. Although the attack has no direct relation to cold war politics, it showed the viewers, the games can be used by radical people to gain attention. The Cold War’s affect through sports reach a peak in 1979 when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. The invasion then trigger President Jimmy Carter's boycott of the 1980 Moscow Summer Games. The president believed to hold the games in Moscow would show approval of Russia's invasion of Afghanistan. Carter's boycott caused the Soviet's to boycott the 1984 Los Angelos summer games. By 1992 the entire cold war controversy of the Olympics had washed away, but there still lied controversy. Both possibly host countries and the International Olympic Committee became embedded in scandals that questioned if subjectivity is a fact in the process.

Lew Alcindor

2011-12-12T05:26:00.001-08:00

Lew Alcindor, known today as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was the most influential African American basketball player on equality of all people. Alcindor was born on April 16, 1947 and grew up in Manhattan in New York City. Alcindor chose to go to UCLA where he was a three-time First Team All-American and a two-time Player of the Year. Alcindor went on to continue his career in the NBA playing for the Milwaukee Bucks and was chosen as the first pick of the draft. Alcindor became an instant star in the league, ranking second in the league in scoring, third in rebounding, and earning the NBA Rookie of the Year. While playing for the Bucks, Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and earned the NBA Most Valuable Player award and an NBA Championship. In 1975, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Abdul-Jabbar and his first season was record breaking. Abdul-Jabbar played the center position and is regarded as one of the best players of all time. He is the leading NBA scorer, collecting six titles, six regular season MVP, two finals MVP awards, fifteen NBA first or second teams, and a record nineteen NBA All-Star call-ups. Abdul-Jabbar is today the eighth most accurate shooter of all time, a lot of thanks goes to his size, at 7-2 weighing 225 pounds. Abdul Jabbar boycotted the 1968 Summer Olympics by deciding not to join the United States Men’s Olympic Basketball team that year, protesting the unequal treatment of African-Americans in the United States. The same year the black power salute was done by the members of the Olympic Project for Human Rights.

Arizona Immigration Law

2011-12-07T06:34:00.000-08:00

Steve Nash played a key role in protesting the Immigration Law in Arizona. Nash was the leader of the Phoenix Suns and spoke for the team on the issue of the law damaging their civil liberties. The media also played a key role in bringing the attention of the country to the unjust law. The super bowl was moved out of Arizona because of the law losing millions in tourist business because of recognized important role that many black players had in the National Football League. The owner of the Phoenix Suns, Robert Sarver, had his players wear jersey saying the “Los Suns” in order to recognize the multicultural team and to protest Arizona’s clumsy law. Major League Baseball was also protesting at each game the Arizona Diamondbacks played in. The protests were not just being held by athletes but the people of the country as well. There was even pressure on the law coming from the McCain family which owns the largest distributor of Budweiser, the leading beer for Major League Baseball.