Motocross can trace its roots back to loosely organized off-road motorcycle races called Scrambles held in Great Britain back in the mid 1920′s. The bikes used in those original races were heavy and rigid street machines merely modified slightly for off-road riding, and the events initially drew sparse attention. The sport has obviously evolved dramatically since those early days. Over the years, technological advances have made the bikes lighter and faster. Today’s rides have been built specifically for maneuvering over rugged terrain and contain sophisticated suspensions capable of handling intense dirt track racing. The sport has also grown in popularity producing many dirt bike enthusiasts and hard core fans. Some though, including many devoted fans, believe that motocross racing has stagnated in its development and needs to modernize the off-road motorcycle racing experience in order to stay competitive in today’s action sports arena.

The American Motorcycle Association (AMA), the governing body of motocross racing in the US, has heard these cries and taken action. Up to this point, the AMA had been handling all of the operations, organization and promotion for its professional and amateur races under the umbrella of its subsidiary organization, AMA Pro Racing. But in March of this year, the AMA spun that subsidiary off to the Daytona Motorsports Group (DMG). DMG, who will operate under the AMA Pro Racing title, now owns the rights for all operations of the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship, the premier US motocross series, and the AMA’s amateur motocross racing events-the Monster Energy AMA Supercross series will still be operated separately. DMG has also entered into a contractual arrangement with MX Sports to handle much of the operations and promotions for motocross racing.

The long and the short of all that alphabet soup is that change is coming to motocross. And that change is coming fast and furious. MX Sports has hit the ground running, and motocross events and the coverage of those events will be getting an immediate face lift for the 2009 season which starts on May 23^rd, at the Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, CA. All races have been moved to Saturdays to allow for better fan access. The racing classes have been modified. Nick McCabe, MX Sports’ man in charge of commercial development, has promised that the racing experience for fans at motocross events will be substantially modernized.

Most importantly, however, might be the strides that MX Sports has taken to increase the exposure of motocross racing worldwide. MX has entered into a marketing partnership with the Alliance of Action Sports (Alli), an international organization owned and operated by NBC and MTV. The press release issued by the AMA states the partnership will provide for “unique opportunities in television programming, global media content distribution, online coverage, sponsorship sales, marketing and promotion,” and that, “The companies will work in harmony to develop an even stronger connection with the youth demographic by increasing the exposure of American motocross, while at the same time maintaining the sport’s tradition and heritage.” While official TV coverage for the 2009 season has not yet been announced, rumors are circulating within the motocross community that some events will be televised live on NBC-certainly a major breakthrough for the sport.

In a recent conversation with McCabe, he commented that the changes coming to the sport are things that the hardcore motocross fans will welcome with open arms and an attitude of, “Oh god, it’s about time!” McCabe believes that the sport was due for an upgrade. He commented that the overall motocross experience had become somewhat antiquated, and that these modifications will provide not only for a better experience for the fans but for better racing overall.

What does all of this mean for agents and representatives? First, motocross is poised for growth. Between the current surge in interest in action sports in general, evidenced by the ever-growing popularity of ESPN’s X Games, and the passion and dedication of the new motocross operating group, the sport possesses a unique opportunity to expand its already dedicated fan base. The new media package will inevitably provide increased access to the sport. The top riders in the series routinely earn six figure incomes. While many of those riders may already be represented, the AMA is grooming tomorrow’s stars in its amateur series. The future looks bright for motocross in the US, and now is the time to join in as dirt bike racing modernizes and makes the leap into the 21^st century.

Guest contribution by Michael C. Frilling, Esq.; General Counsel; www.fksportsmanagement.com

Motocross Jumps into the 21st Century from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

No vehicle on the road symbolizes fast, sexy and exotic more than the Lamborghini. The Italian roadsters are legendary for their sleek design, powerful motors, pure speed and hefty price tags. It is rumored that, Ferruccio Lamborghini, a former tractor manufacturer, started his auto company in 1963 after he was personally snubbed by Enzo Ferrari at the Ferrari factory. Nevertheless, Lamborghini’s have certainly earned a spot in the upper echelon of the sports car arena.

In 2009, the only Lamborghini race car in the country will be entered into the Sports Car Club of America’s (SCCA) SPEED World Challenge GT Championship. That news alone might be of limited interest to anyone but the hardcore race fan. However, the car will also be driven by former NFL first round draft pick and Pro Bowl quarterback Dan Pastorini. Pastorini, the third overall pick in the 1971 NFL draft behind Jim Plunkett and Archie Manning, played in 12 NFL seasons and led the Houston Oilers to the AFC Championship game in 1979 in which they fell to the eventual champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Pastorini is not new to racing, though. He has set several world records in unlimited drag boat racing, driven in a number of International Motor Sports Association events and has been a driver on the NHRA Top Fuel drag racing circuit.

Outside of racing circles, the SCCA gets fairly limited exposure. However, the Club hosts hundreds of professional and amateur events around the country every year. The SPEED World Challenge is the SCCA’s premier professional event. The series provides a forum for racing lightly modified production based vehicles in competitive events. The list of cars entered into the events includes Porsches, Vipers, Mustangs, Corvettes, Aston Martins and a host of others. In 2009, that list will include Pastorini’s Lamborghini Gallardo.

While the SCCA is a limited marketplace, racing is a growing sport in the US in almost every respect. Production car racing worldwide is gaining in popularity. Pastorini’s name and his black Lamborghini will also generate some excitement for the 2009 SPEED World Challenge season. The series is broadcast in its entirety on the SPEED network which reaches over 100 million cable subscribers. The professional drivers, some of which are talents on the rise in the motor sports arena, have numerous sponsorship opportunities open to them. For agents looking to break into the world of motor sports, the SCCA pro series isn’t a bad place to start. And there’s no time like the 2009 season with the added attraction of Pastorini’s Gallardo bringing some additional exposure to this up and coming racing series.

Guest contribution by Michael C. Frilling, Esq.; General Counsel; www.fksportsmanagement.com

Quarterbacks & Lamborghinis from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

A federal jury awarded over 2000 NFL retirees more than $28 million in damages last week after a three week trial in San Francisco in a class action lawsuit against the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). The lawsuit, filed by hall of fame cornerback Herb Adderley, claimed that the NFLPA actively excluded retired players from lucrative marketing deals in an attempt to increase the royalties for current players.

A particular point of contention on the part of the retirees was the use of their likenesses in EA Sports’ Madden NFL video games. The plaintiffs pointed to a letter from the NFLPA to EA Sports demanding that EA scramble the images of the retired players on the vintage teams included in the game so that the NFLPA could avoid paying them any royalties. While the Madden vintage teams used rosters with no-name players and likenesses, the retirees contended that the players were easily recognizable based on their characteristics. The jury agreed, awarding $7.1 million in actual damages and another $21 million in punitive damages to the retirees.

The jury award comes at a time when not only tensions between the union’s representation of current players and former players are high (not only over marketing, but over the highly publicized disputes concerning retirement and disability benefits as well), but the NFLPA also faces the challenge of replacing longtime executive director Gene Upshaw with a new commissioner who appears to rule with an iron fist, and the possibility of labor strife as the current collective bargaining agreement is due to expire after the 2010 season.

The choice of a new executive director for the union promises to be an important one. Gene Upshaw was highly respected during his tenure, but his leadership was also the source of substantial criticism. While some supporters suggest that the current labor peace and the substantial success of the NFL as a whole were reasons to maintain the status quo, detractors contend that Upshaw’s relationship with the league owners was much too congenial. Bryant Gumbel once suggested that Upshaw was “docile” and that Paul Tagliabue made him his “personal pet.” These critics point to the fact that most NFL salaries are not guaranteed and that the hard salary cap severely limits players’ earning potential. Comparisons to baseball and the strength of its players’ union are inevitable.

The new executive director, expected to be elected at the NFLPA’s annual meeting in March, will be immediately confronted not only with the issue of the tensions arising out of the recent lawsuit, but also of the expiring CBA. The current deal, which could have carried through the 2012 season, was opted out of by the owners this year. Assuming a new deal is not struck beforehand, the 2010 season will be played without a salary cap. This decision on the part of the owners should signal to the NFLPA that the owners are not necessarily content with the status quo and will be looking to tighten the purse strings once again.

The new NFLPA executive director will have an immediate impact on how the union will be perceived by the owners entering negotiations for a new CBA and on the perceived strength of the bargaining unit. Players and their agents alike should be lobbying for strong advocacy. A cozy relationship with the front office should not be the number one priority, but instead more guaranteed money in player contracts and some unification between the union’s representation of current and former players should dominate the initial agenda. The NFLPA faces a potentially difficult and tumultuous road ahead and strong leadership will be essential to the future of the players, their representatives and the NFL’s retirees.

Guest contribution by Michael C. Frilling, Esq.; General Counsel; www.fksportsmanagement.com

Tumultuous Times for the NFL Players Association from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

While NASCAR has led the way in US motorsports over the last decade or two, open wheel racing has always maintained a passionate following. The Indianapolis 500, the highlight of the Indy Racing League (IRL) season, is still the highest attended single day sporting event in the world, and open wheel racing has a long history and tradition in the US. Additionally, outside of North America, open wheel racing and the Formula One circuit dominate the racing arena with over 50 million live television viewers worldwide for every race.

As the IRL season officially came to a close last week with the league’s Championship Celebration in Las Vegas, league officials were already preparing for the 2009 season. And the league looks poised to make a jump forward on the racing scene. The emergence of star driver Danica Patrick has brought substantial media coverage to IRL events and IRL viewer ratings were up in 2008. The league has forged several significant new sponsorship relationships with Coca-Cola and Philips-Van Heusen (PVH)-the PVH IZOD brand has been named the official apparel line for the IRL. IRL Vice President of Sales, Greg Gruning, suggested that sponsorship relationships like these are “what is going to generate our sport to another level.”

Additionally, the league has executed a new television rights contract with the upstart Versus network. While some critics have suggested that this move will diminish the overall exposure for the IRL by taking races off of the more publicly recognized ESPN network, proponents of the deal contend that ESPN coverage was often relegated to the networks secondary channels and provided very little in the way of IRL specialized coverage. The Versus network, on the other hand, has agreed to provide substantial pre and post race coverage as well as a number of hours of specialized IRL coverage devoted to the drivers and the sport of open wheel racing. Jamie Davis, the new Versus president, has pledged to showcase the IRL on the network, to attract a younger demographic and to help the IRL grow. All promising indicators for open wheel racing.

Combine that with the merger between the IRL and the Champ Car circuit along with the IRL’s increased funding of its steppingstone Indy Lights series, and one can see increased growth on the horizon. As economic times look bleak, and some pundits are predicting challenging times for NASCAR ahead, the IRL, while not immune to the effects of the economic downturn, looks to be in a position to gain ground in the racing arena.

And finally, the IRL has one additional advantage in the fight for racing dominance-speed. The cars are just faster and more technically sophisticated. At top speeds of over 230 mph, open wheel racing arguably provides a product that is more exhilarating, more technically demanding and more cerebrally challenging than stock car racing. While no one is arguing that the IRL is going to supplant NASCAR as America’s racing darling anytime soon, the future looks bright for open wheel racing and its proponents.

Guest contribution by Michael C. Frilling, Esq.; General Counsel; www.fksportsmanagement.com

Open Wheel Racing Poised to Make a Comeback in the US from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules