TSL #034: Connecting the Dots: The Sports Life's New Look
Let me share my process in writing The Sports Life.
It's 5:00 am, dogs walked, decaf brewed. That's when the work begins—sifting through Google News Alerts, newsletters, X, and bookmarks of online trade publications, collecting dots from every corner of the sports universe.
The challenge? It's not collecting the dots; it's deciding which dots to connect, weaving a story that hits each week.
The last thirty-three issues of The Sports Life have taken a "1-inch wide and a mile deep" approach—diving into a single topic and exploring it thoroughly.
It felt like a NYC speakeasy bar in the late '90s East Village I would sometimes visit, where the focus was on one perspective, one theme.
Today, podcasts have taken the place of speakeasies. Audio is now my go-to for those "mile-deep" dives.
Yet, my favorite newsletters embrace the opposite—a "1-inch deep and a mile wide" style—quick hits commentaries all tied together with a consistent theme.
So, here's the play for the following few issues—I'm keeping my pivot foot steady on the block but turning to face the basket.
Each Saturday, I will share what I see across the entire floor of the participatory sports landscape for the week. Instead of spending the entire shot clock on one shot, I want to get off as many shots as possible.
The theme remains anchored in The Sports Life's founding DNA: helping you build participatory sports ventures at the intersection of Art, Culture, and Sports.
It's a new format, and I'm eager to hear your thoughts - please reply to this email.
As The Clash asked: Should the new format stay or should it go?
As always, this newsletter is for you, and I want it to be a highlight of your inbox each week.
Amazon attempts to get viewers to lean-in vs veg out
Despite past ambitious efforts to sell items featured on TV shows, viewers tend to relax on the couch rather than shop.
However, the rise of the "two-screen experience" and Amazon's Prime’s younger, tech-savvy audience during live NFL games, presents a marketing opportunity for brands to engage viewers from their couches. [via Front Office Sports].
Sports Officiating Shortage In My Backyard
In my home state of Minnesota, an official shortage is compelling games to shift to "Thursday Night Lights" instead of the traditional Friday night due to limited availability across the high school football system.
Minnesota State High School League's Associate Director Bob Madison is actively pursuing dynamic solutions to address this persistent shortage.
"We need to ensure that there are incentives for people to become officials, and this can't be limited to the high school level; we require them at the youth level as well." [via KARE 11].
Joe Strummer was a freak athlete
Experiencing post-Thanksgiving meal sluggishness and lacking motivation for exercise? Find inspiration in the story of The Clash's Joe Strummer, who, in 1982, completed the Paris Marathon with zero training. [from Run Lovers]
Said Strummer: “Since you want to know, here’s my training: zero running, not a single step for the four weeks leading up to the race and about ten pints of beer the night before. I don’t recommend doing the same but that’s how I do it.”
Strummer running the in the 1982 Paris Marathon
Gen Z wants to DO more than BUY
It may be a great time to bet on the “experience economy”, like recreational sports, if you're looking to build a career over the next decade. [via LinkedIn].
Congrats to the 2023 UH HOF Class
Congratulations to the Ultimate Hoops Hall of Fame Class of 2023. [view list of inductees]
AI fan integration will start at the bottom, move up
“Smaller leagues, unburdened by the complexities of larger organizational structures, have the flexibility to swiftly adopt cutting-edge technologies like AI for data analytics, performance optimization and fan engagement.” - Professor Gopal Ramchurn, Chairman of SentientSports and CEO of Responsible AI UK [from Insider Sports]
