Friday Bolts – 9.5.14
Michael Yormark, president of branding and strategy at Roc Nation, on KD signing with Orange Leaf: “Kevin loves Oklahoma City, he loves the organization, the fans, he loves the community,” said Yormark. When it seemed as though Durant would be signing with Baltimore-based Under Armour, many suggested that Durant was destined to play for the Washington Wizards once his current contract with the Thunder expires. Now that Durant has signed an equity deal with Oklahoma City-based Orange Leaf should everyone believe that Durant is staying put? ”There’s been no thought or conversation about any other NBA destination.”
Adam Silver says sports betting is inevitable: “If you have a gentleman’s bet or a small wager on any kind of sports contest, it makes you that much more engaged in it,” Silver said. “That’s where we’re going to see it pay dividends. If people are watching a game and clicking to bet on their smartphones, which is what people are doing in the United Kingdom right now, then it’s much more likely you’re going to stay tuned for a long time.”
The Thunder have a new bus thing that will go places.
Nina Earl’s engagement ring set Russell Westbrook back some $700,000.
Tom Ziller of SB Nation on World Cup ratings: “Here’s some context. About 1.3 million American viewers tuned in to see Team USA beat Turkey. That’s out of 314 million Americans, so about 0.4 percent of Americans watched that game. Turkey managed to have 1 million viewers itself despite a population of 74 million and, based on what the internet and common sense tell us, far fewer television households. So 1.3 percent of Turks watched the game, a rate four times as high as that of the United States. This isn’t anyone’s fault per se. It’s no kind of outrage. And admittedly, these games are on in the middle of the day in the United States, right as football season begins and starting at the beginning of a holiday weekend when it’s exceedingly popular to go outside.”
Which sports and fanbases swear the most?
Ben Golliver of SI.com on Australia’s shenanigans: “Unfortunately for FIBA, it now appears these alleged tactics have produced their intended result. Had Slovenia beaten Lithuania, the Australia/Angola game would have been a non-issue from a standings perspective, but now things are a little dicey, because Australia now enjoys the easier road to the medal roound after participating in a disputed outcome. Should FIBA listen to Dragic by investigating the result to see what Australia and Angola have to say? Should FIBA pretend that this whole thing never took place? And, what happens if Australia succeeds in using its easier run through the knockout stage by advancing to the semifinals and winning a bronze medal? Wouldn’t such an outcome stain the credibility of the entire event for many observers?”
