As soon as Torah Bright claimed the Womens’ half-pipe in Vancouver on Thursday, it was clear to see that her profile was sure to rise. The 23 year old Australian literally has the world at her feet.

Torah is far from a household name in Australia, with many winter athletes failing to attract any exposure unless they bring home a gold. Aussie gold medalists Steven Bradbury and Alisa Camplin have carved out nice careers in the media, but never garnered the raft of endorsements they deserved. However Torah is different, as her appeal spans globally because snowboarding is the hottest winter sport going around.

With the popularity of snowboarding comes the money. Take gold medalist Shaun “The Flying Tomato” White for example, who pulls in around $9 million a year from a wide variety sponsors.

So what is it about Torah that makes her a marketers dream? Firstly, she’s gorgeous and photogenic, which means her face on any product is going to attract attention. Secondly, she has wholesome values which companies look for when endorsing a client. She is a member of the Church of Latter-day Saints, and although she enjoys to party from time to time, holds this very close to her heart. With Torah, you know you are getting a level headed, focused athlete who strives for success and won’t get caught up in the hype.

Despite enjoying success in the past, including a X Games gold medal, Torah is listed as only having a few sponsors. Roxy is her biggest sponsor, which includes her own range of Snowboards. Her other sponsors include the Solomon Group, which manufacture Snowboard related equipment and Boost Mobile. With minimal industries covered, this leaves a lot of room for opportunity.

So how does one tackle an opportunity like this?

Firstly, her website (http://www.torahbright.com) needs a massive overhaul. Many areas of the site have not been updated in a while, and with Torah Bright being Google’d by everyone during the games, her website needs to entice fans. The website doesn’t list all of her sponsors, and with new media providing a wealth of opportunities, this is an outlet that can’t go unnoticed.

Continuing with new media, Torah Bright may do well to set up a Twitter account. Being as personable and likable as she is, this outlet will provide an avenue to interact with her fans and develop a strong fan base.

She has many industries that she can garner endorsements, in particular the food and beverage sector. Torah currently has a deal with health food drink Fuze, so a new beverage deal may be against her current contract. In regards to food, Torah could strike a deal with a health/protein bar company or other foods which associate with performance. Alternatively, if desired, she may choose to go down the route of companies associated with extreme sports such as fast food companies like Pizza Hut, Doritos, etc.

Torah has previously appeared in the Amped range of video games, but may choose to release her own range of video games, including in the increasingly growing mobile market.

Another area to look at is the electronics sector, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Hewlett-Packard try and snap her up as they have Shaun White already on their roster. Having the two best snowboarders with one company can provide them with a wealth of exposure.

Torah’s snowboarding apparel and related sponsorships are covered, so the only opportunities I can think of would include instructional DVDs, snowboarding movies, public appearances, interview columns and other media-related items.

Armed with a knockout smile, Torah’s other opportunities may include cosmetics and non-sporting fashion, such as watches or jewelry.

There is no doubt that her agent will be inundated with phone calls and offers over the next few weeks, so expect to see this gorgeous blonde from Australia the next time you open a magazine.

She is managed by the Wasserman Media Group, with her agent being listed as Circe Wallace.

Notts County FC, the oldest league club in the world and currently competing in League 2, has been taken over “Manchester City style” by a middle eastern consortium. This allowed millions of pounds to be injected into the club to strengthen the squad and bring them up the the premiership, and eventually, compete with the Big 4.

So just what has Notts County done so far to make this step? First, they appointed Sven Goran-Eriksson, the former England manager as their director of football. Having such a renowned and respected figure in this position is surely going to attract some high quality players to the team. Next up, they have brought in Kasper Shmeichel, son of former Manchester United legendary keeper Peter, who is a pretty handy keeper himself. Ironically, he was on the books of Manchester City not too long ago. Although not getting a game at Manchester City, Kasper is a cut above the other keepers in his division.

Add to the fact that they have recently signed former Tottenham/Arsenal/England defender Sol Campbell, who at 34 has decided that despite offers from bigger clubs, to sign a 5 year deal with the club worth about 40,000 pounds a week. Sol has stated that he expects to play premiership football again before he retires, indicating Mr Eriksson has reassured him of the club’s ambitions. With most players on around 500 pounds a week base salary, Sol will have a lot to live up to in League 2.

Notts County currently sits on top of the table without conceding a goal, so their plan seems to be working.

If you think that the recent happenings of Manchester City were a one-off, think again. This proposal of injecting millions in football clubs to succeed appears to be growing. Horse Racing may no longer be the only Sport of Kings.

Drawing on the recent post by Darren in regards to the levels of US state taxes and the effect on player income [ "A Taxing Discussion"], I thought I would look at the tax rates and how they factor into soccer contracts on a worldwide scale.

The talk started with the recent Arsenal singing of Andrei Arshavin and him being upset about having the bulk of his wages taken by the current 40% upper level tax rate in England, after coming from paying only 13% in Russia. He even fired his agent as he was unimpressed with what he was able to deliver [ Arsenal Star Andrey Arshavin Sacks Agent Dennis Lachter]. News gets worse for those making over £150,000 a year as they will soon be paying 50% on their income.

Look at this in comparison to Spain. In an attempt to lure top CEOs to the nation, Spain passed a bill allowing the first five years of your higher tax rate to be cut to an attractive 24%, significantly lower than that charged by their English counterparts. Now look at where Kaka and Ronaldo have recently transferred to. That’s right, Spain. Ronaldo would have lost about £15 million over the life of his contract if he stayed in England. [ Premier League can't compete with low taxes in Spain]

English club Manchester United was linked with player Karim Benzema, who ended up signing with Real Madrid.  Could taxes have played a factor in that deal also?

Another great example is that of player Jermaine Pennant, who recently signed with Spanish team Real Zaragoza. Whilst still earning a fair amount, Jermaine is on the equivalent of £80,000 a week before tax, as his after tax wage is £40,000. His club is happy to foot the tax bill of £9,200 a week as it’s minimal [ Jermaine Pennant's switch to Real Zaragoza earns him '£80,000 a week']. Now picture him still playing in England. Assuming the close to £50,000 wage he is on, he would receive only £25,000 after tax, losing £15,000 a week on what he currently earns.

As previously mentioned, Russia has a low tax rate of 13%, so if you were a decent player who might be able to play at Championship level in England, would you consider a move to Russia for a better pay deal?

Spain is really the only threat to English football, as other major markets (France, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal) are all hovering around the 40-50% upper level tax bracket. [Source]

However it’s the minor leagues that could entice the lesser known players to countries such as the aforementioned Russia, Switzerland (13.2%) and Turkey (35%). Alread,y high profile players such as Harry Kewell and Milan Baros have made the switch to the Turkish League.  Alternatively, players could play in the U.A.E. which doesn’t have any tax at all!

So how can English football stop the exodus and prevent Spain from taking all the quality players?

The most obvious way is to simply equal the net pay as to which is offered elsewhere. Players and Agents alike have caught on about the tax rates and are now using it to their advantage. Players are already asking for their contracts to include the amount they receive after taxes are taken into account.

As it is now easier (and common) for a player to transfer across the world, the inevitability will be that clubs will have to fork out more money.

Riddell, a current Rugby League player and Spriggs, a former AFL footballer took on the Australian Tax Office (ATO) arguing that the money that athletes pay to agents for their services should be tax deductible.

Riddell employed the services of SFX Management Group for his 2005-2007 contract, paying a 7% fee on his performance contract and 20% on his media and other contracts. Spriggs hired Connors Sports Management paying 3% of his performance contract and 20% of his other contracts.

In basic terms, under current taxation law, cost incurred by the payee in generating assessable income can be claimed as deductions on his/her tax paid. Riddell and Spriggs argued that their cases should apply due to employing a sports agent to handle their contract negotiation in regards to playing, media and sponsorship.

The conclusion was made that these costs were related to the players gaining assessable income and therefore should be able to be claimed as a deduction on their tax.

I am unsure of other countries’ tax laws, but this makes perfect sense. In other professions, if you undertake expenses directly related to the income you earn then you can claim these back. If a company hires a consultant to advise them on certain business decision,s that expense is tax deductible, so why should this be different?

So what are the implications for Athletes and Agents? Well, athletes will now have a few extra dollars in their pockets, resulting in a better lifestyle for them. As for Agents, it could be a selling point as their cut being justifiable. Not to mention, it may convince some players without an agent to start looking for one.

Much debate has occurred throughout the past week over whether this is a good move [Tiger Woods' fee queried in Australia]. Premier John Brumby believes that Tiger’s presence at the tournament will net an estimated 19 million dollars to the Victorian economy. The tournament may now attract visitors from both interstate and New Zealand to catch a glimpse of Tiger. Ernst and Young have released a report estimating an increase in 10,000-20,000 more visitors, and at 50 bucks a pop that could end up at around 1 million.

Some people argue where this magical number of $19 million came from, as the event does not have a major television or sponsorship deal; if anything these two companies will benefit by snapping up a bargain deal early. The only way the money will be made up is by tourists spending money elsewhere, which is a high possibility.

Some welfare groups have criticized the fact that taxpayers money is being spent on sport when, with the global financial crisis, many families are struggling.

Tiger hasn’t played in Australia since the 90’s, as the prize money is that of some Nationwide events- hardly appealing for most international players. Some fear a similar disaster like that of when Woods was paid $4 million to play the New Zealand Open a few years ago. The event was washed out and the tournament lost millions.

Whether the presence of Woods in the Australian masters attracts international players remains to be seen; as I previously said, the money isn’t that appealing. Also, instead of spending $3 million on one player, would money be better spent across say 8 players? Why not attract a high quality field rather than just a marquee player? I feel this would increase the standard of the tournament.

Either way, Tiger’s got my money and I’ll certainly be attending at least one day. I just hope the rain stays away.

I will be visiting the major cities (LA, NY, Chicago, Miami) and also some smaller ones on the way.

Hope to hear from some of our readers and I look forward to writing when I am back in Australia.

In the meantime, Fox Sports is probably the best site if you’re looking for Australian sports stories.

Unlike most of the Big 4 leagues in the USA, AFL (Australian Football League) contracts aren’t released to the public. Therefore a lot of speculation is created as to who is making the big bucks. Fox Sports has compiled a rough guide through research in the industry as to who are the highest paid athletes in the game. Of course, there a few surprises.

Only 2 players broke the the magic $1 million dollar mark for 2008- Chris Judd and Jonathan Brown. Chris Judd is one of the most recognizable players of the game, and his 5 year deal was the largest contract signed in AFL history when he moved to Carlton at the end of 2007. Jonathan Brown has been a Brisbane player all his career, despite offers from his home state of Victoria.

There is a gap of about $200,000 to the next group of players, which include some of the best Key Position players of the game.

Of the players making over $500,000, most are Key Position players, and are approaching or over 30 years-old (despite the top two being in their mid twenties). If a player is over 30, he can be classified as a veteran, which means only half of his salary counts towards the salary cap, which stands at just over $7 million.

Looking to the future of who will be earning some serious cash, Luke Hodge’s current deal expires at the end of this year, and he will certainly command somewhere in the $700-800K range. Forward Lance Franklin, 22, will be earning over $500,000 next year, and is touted as one of the most promising players in the game. Expect a deal near $1 million a year for his next contract. Other players with higher earning potential include Gary Ablett Jnr., Daniel Kerr and Nick Riewoldt.

The AFL operates on a rookie pay scale similar to the leagues, so the initial starting salary is around $40,000-60,000. This is quite small considering the average Australian wage is about $50,000.

In comparison to overseas sports these players earn very little, but in terms of Australian sport only Super 14 or cricket players would command higher salaries.

Read the full article here.

Wild Bill is played by legendary Australian actor John Wood, who fits the role perfectly. Bill is a selfish character who is motivated by money, and this is further proved by his gambling addiction. His son is clean cut, and has ditched the opportunity of working for the U.N. to help his family.

The show itself does not provide the best representation of the business, as it over dramatizes many stereotypes associated with sports management. Bill has no accounting records and as far as you can tell no accreditation to represent in specific sports. He is also the sole representative of athletes over a multitude of sports, something that would be near impossible to do. The show takes all of the worst possible situations with a positive ending.

However, as they say, never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

The show is fun, and unpredictable which makes for a good show. There’s no million dollar parties, Maserati’s or flashy diamond rings – instead there’s Ford Falcons, Pokies and Pub meals. The show is set in Sydney, which provides a fantastic landscape for the series.

So overall I recommended The Cut, if anything, about what not do in the Athlete Representation business, as Wild Bill is no Angel.

The ABC website has some episodes available for streaming through their iView feature, so check it out here.

His original move to LA Galaxy from Real Madrid was seen as a revelation for the MLS. Before his arrival, 250,000 ‘Beckham’ jerseys were sold, prompting fanfare and worldwide interest in the Galaxy and the MLS. Attendances jumped, and US soccer benefited from his signature. The $250 million, 5 year deal, which included a mountain of sponsorship signed 2 years ago would have seen him signed through to the age of 37. Last season, despite David being a fantastic player, the LA Galaxy struggled, even with other ex-premier league star, Able Xavier, on their team they failed to make the playoffs.

So, being a world class player and one of the most marketable sportspeople in the world, why would LA want to sell him? Firstly, no team wants a player who doesn’t want to play for them. While I’m sure if the transfer falls through David will still give his best, there is no point LA stopping this deal. Galaxy has already made back the money they invested in David, so there would be no loss in him moving on. In terms of a team point of view, by releasing him the team could bring in another star under what was ironically known as ‘The Beckham Rule’, where only a portion of a marquee signing’s salary falls under the cap. A team is allowed 2 marquee players, so even without Beckham, $400,000 is freed for additional players.

So why wouldn’t they want to sell him? With David at the Galaxy the team is valued at about $100 million. This would fall by almost half, jeopardizing sponsorship for the club. Gate attendances would drop, merchandise sales lost. The impact would take some shine off the glamor club. Not to mention it may be difficult attracting a player of Beckham’s talent to replace him.

Taking a deeper look into his lucrative contract, Beckham may see some of those big bucks lost. Breaking it down at $50M a season, $10M is in his performance contract, $10M in merchandise sales, $20M in sponsorship and the last $10M in profit sharing from Galaxy. As you can probably tell $30M of that will be wiped instantly, however a move to Milan may see a similar performance contract and merchandise sales should still be in the same vicinity, as the Beckham brand is global. In terms of sponsorship, Beckham’s deals should stay relatively unaffected as they are worldwide companies. Any shortfalls of US specific marketing bonuses may be made up by new sponsors in Italy.  Italy, the home of fashion, presents a lot of opportunities. Despite David’s long list of sponsors, he still has some room for more. Fine living and luxury items such as fashion and cars are industries in which David may sign up with in Italy.

Obviously the move isn’t about money.  It’s about fulfilling his dream of trying to win a World Cup, and 2010 will most likely be his last chance. Galaxy have already dismissed AC’s first bid of between $10 and $20m, telling them to increase it. I guess time will tell whether they will.

With only 11 spots open due to the limit on overseas players, superstars who were not picked up last year will be considered the most of value.

In its inaugural season, players from England were not allowed to be released from their international duties to compete. With their addition this year, high profile players may be prominently featured come February 6.

One of these players is batsmen Kevin Pietersen. With the auction, players may have a reserve if they are considered to be in high demand. That being said, Kevin’s reserve is US$1.35 million, with some expecting him to reach the US$2 million mark. Another Englishman expected to be picked up is Andrew Flintoff. The All Rounder has a reserve of US$950,000.

Twenty-seven Australians have submitted their names for consideration, however only a few look likely to land a spot. Michael Clarke sat out the first season and the Australian Vice Captain will be high up on the list.  So might first choice keeper Brad Haddin. [Aussies in IPL money] Bowlers Shaun Tait and Stuart Clark may also attract some interest, but in form, Mitchell Johnson has opted to sit out this year.

South Africa was in fine form on their recent tour of Australia, and a player by the name of JP Duminy emerged. Consistent with both bat and ball, JP is a sure thing to be picked up due not only to his skill but his versatility.

The money that these contracts are worth are for each season, however they are pro rata. So if a player has international commitments for a particular time, he forfeits that amount from his contract.

A full list of submitted players is available here.