Mizzou Demonstrates the Power of Sports as Agents of Change

By

Dr. Michael Fredrick

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November 12, 2015

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The University of Missouri athletics program is responsible for demonstrating many positive changes in the realm of sports as agents of change in society over the past few years. “Sports is a microcosm of society” is a common sociology of sport truism which means sports is a small world reflection of the bigger world at large. The Mizzou football team came together like a family in 2013 and supported Michael Sam who was later drafted as the NFL’s first openly gay player. The Missouri football team along with students and faculty were in the National spotlight again when they came together to save the life of fasting student Jonathan Butler while helping remove Missouri System President Tim Wolfe over race issues on the MU campus on November 9, 2015. What happened at Mizzou is related to what happened in Ferguson, MO.

“…if a student was willing to risk his life in order to evoke change, and the football team was willing to get involved, then the coach and school had to respond with appropriate seriousness. It’s time for introspection, and ultimately was time for quick corrective action…The fact that the football team immersed itself in the controversy brought it to a boil nationally. That isn’t a bad thing. It’s OK for an athletic team to be known for something other than its win-loss record. It’s OK for jocks to flex their campus muscles for something other than athletic glory.” (Forde, 2015)

“Back on campus, an old professor taught a course about the 1960s, about social activism, about the power of sports, about how change doesn’t happen by wishing and hoping; change comes from challenging… But similar to 1968 Olympians John Carlos and Tommie Smith, the athletes who raised their black fists on the medal stand in defiance, it sometimes takes sports to make change in society. Or, at minimum, spark society. “Sports are something that people pay attention to,” …I think this is more akin to Jackie Robinson, the importance of sports, at some moments, to put (issues) on display.” This past weekend, a Southeastern Conference football team said it wouldn’t practice or play until social change was made on campus. Take your own politics out of it for a moment — that’s still a pretty profound moment in sports. And in society… “It’s paramount as a campus and a community that this not divide us,” athletics director Mack Rhoades said Monday, “but rather bring us together to listen, to grow, to understand and to create positive change.”…“It is our duty to fight for our freedom!” they chanted. “It is our duty to win! We must love and support each other! We have nothing to lose but our chains!”…It is all so surreal and intense and liberating and compelling and just crazy that here, at Mizzou, this international news story is taking place. Change could happen. And to think, you can help make some change by just being a bigger man or woman…Challenge yourself.” (Hochman, 2015)

References

Bromberg, N. (November 9, 2015). Missouri players state reasons for boycott, confirm games vs. BYU. Retrieved from the website: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/missouri-players-state-reasons-for-boycott–confirm-game-vs–byu-002236646.html

Forde, P. (November 9, 2015). Missouri resignation shows the power of sports. Retrieved from the Yahoo Sports website: https://www.yahoo.com/sports/news/missouri-situation-shows-power-of-sports-to-bring-enormous-change-172342770.html

Hochman, B. (November 10, 2015). Hochman: Lessons from old Professor ring true at Mizzou. Retrieved from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch website: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/benjamin-hochman/hochman-lessons-from-old-professor-ring-true-at-mizzou/article_f33c49bd-6972-55da-bdfe-a7bc9e7132c2.html

Dr. Michael Fredrick PhD, is the Chair of Sport Studies at USSA and University of Missouri alumni and can be reached at [email protected].

WADA Report accuses Russian secret police of “direct intimidation and interference” in promoting systemic doping

Doping
Legal

By

U.S. Sports Academy

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November 12, 2015

0

Russia’s Federal Security Service are accused of having played a major role in the covering up of “systemic doping” in the country, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Independent Commission Report published here today.

The Report, which is being announced by the Commission chair, Richard Pound, supports and goes beyond many of the claims first raised last December about “systematic” doping in Russian athletics broadcast in a German television documentary on ARD.

The most damning element, however, concerns allegations of widespread involvement by the FSB, the secret police force which replaced the Soviet-era KGB in 1991.

The Commission concludes that there was “direct intimidation and interference” by the Russian State at the country’s primary, WADA-accredited laboratory in Moscow.

This included alleged direct threats to doping control officers, as well to their family members, it is claimed.

FSB representatives regularly visited the laboratory, it is claimed, with “weekly discussions” taking place between the Moscow laboratory Director and the security service, affecting the “impartiality, judgment and integrity” of the laboratory.

Russian President Vladimir Putin pictured with IOC counterpart Thomas Bach. Russia’s state secret police, the FSB, is accused of being involved in systemic Russian doping in the WADA Report. It adds: “The Moscow laboratory is not operationally independent from RUSADA (Russian Anti-Doping Agency) or the Ministry of Sport.

“Its impartiality, judgment and integrity were compromised by the surveillance of the FSB within the laboratory during the Sochi Winter Olympic Games.

“The reported presence of the security services (FSB) within the laboratory setting in Sochi and at the Moscow laboratory, actively imposed an
atmosphere of intimidation on laboratory process and staff, and supported allegations of state influence in sports events.

“The direct interference into the laboratory’s operations by the Russian State significantly undermines the laboratory’s independence.”

These allegations show that the problems far exceed purely athletics or even sport, shining a light on wider Russian society as well as on the validity of performance at other sporting events including last year’s Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Sochi.

Among a list of recommendations at the end of the report, the Russian Federation is requested to take “all necessary steps to remove and prevent any actions by state agencies (including the FSB) that may affect the independence of the anti-doping programme in Russia.”

By Nick Butler, this article was republished with permission from the original publisher Inside the Games www.insidethegames.biz

Coe promises to rebuild athletes and “restore trust” after Diack corruption scandal

Doping
IAAF

By

U.S. Sports Academy

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November 12, 2015

0

International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Sebastian Coe has claimed he is “more determined than ever to rebuild this sport and restore trust” following the scandal involving his predecessor Lamine Diack, who allegedly accepted cash to cover up positive doping cases involving Russian athletes.

Coe was making his first public response since Diack was placed under official investigation.

The 82-year-old Senegalese is alleged to have received “more than €1 million” in bribes since 2011 to cover up positive doping tests of Russian athletes, the office of France’s financial prosecutor said during last week.

Coe told the BBC Radio 5 programme Sportsweek there was “clear shock, anger and sadness…these are dark days for our sport”.

The double Olympic 1500 metres gold medallist added: “That people in our sport have allegedly extorted money from athletes guilty of doping violations is abhorrent.”

Coe’s response came as The Sunday Times in London claimed that Olympic gold and silver medallists from London 2012 are among eight Russian athletes who paid bribes to avoid suspensions after testing positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs.

Russia won a total of 17 medals in athletics at London 2012, including eight gold and four silver.

The IAAF are expected to face fresh allegations tomorrow when a report compiled by the WADA Independent Commission, chaired by Canada’s Richard Pound, will publish its findings ©Getty Images

The allegations are reportedly contained in a report to be published by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Independent Commission in Geneva tomorrow.

The Commission, chaired by former WADA President Richard Pound, is also expected to confirm all the major allegations made last December by German broadcaster ARD.

These include that Grigory Rodchenkov, head of the WADA-accredited lab in Moscow, was involved in the falsifying of doping athletes; that suspicious blood values recorded in samples from a number of athletes, known to the IAAF were not followed-up properly; and that some athletes in other sports, including biathlon, cycling, skiing and weightlifting, were deliberately not tested.

Richard McLaren, a member of the Commission, has claimed the report, which is several hundred pages, is a “game-changer” for sport and was a bigger scandal than the current FIFA crisis.

“Those other scandals involved a failure of the governance of the organisations that enabled [officials] to line their pockets.” McLaren, an international sports lawyer, said.

“But despite all of that misconduct, it didn’t really effect what went on, say with FIFA, at the World Cup, on the playing field.

“Here [in the athletics scandal], you have people putting money in their pockets and also either delaying the processing of doping positives, or covering those positives up.

“What happens as a result is that a [guilty] athlete is able to compete.

“And it’s effecting athletes all over the world competing in the same competitions and those who might have been able to compete if there had been more spaces available if the other athletes had been banned.

“That’s the difference, what the [corrupt FIFA and IOC officials] did, didn’t really effect the competitions, but what has been happening here effects the competition results very dramatically.”

Coe claimed that he had no idea of what had been happening at the IAAF until he was contacted by French police last week, despite having been vice-president of the world governing body for seven years before being elected to replace Diack.

“The day after I got elected, I started a massive review,” Coe told Sportsweek.

“Understandably, in the light of the allegations that have been made, that review has been accelerated.

“I’m more determined than ever to rebuild the trust in our sport.

“However, this is a long road to redemption.”

There have been widespread calls for Russia to be banned from next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro as a result of the allegations.

Coe, though, has more or less ruled out that option.

“My instinct is that these things are better changed through engagement not isolation,” he said.

Duncan Mackay, this article was republished with permission from the original publisher Inside the Games www.insidethegames.biz

ESPN says so, must be true

By

Evan Weiner

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November 11, 2015

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According to Scott Burnside of ESPN, the relocation of the New York Islanders franchise to Brooklyn from suburban Nassau County has been a disaster. Burnside has just been looking at attendance, the Brooklyn figure, which are about on par when compared to past Nassau Coliseum October home dates.

Burnside in his complaint about the Islanders move left out numerous critical facts. The Islanders franchise gets quite a chunk of money from cable television, the team is getting far more money on tickets sold in Brooklyn than at the Nassau Coliseum as ticket prices have jumped, the team is changing the fan composition and there are more concession and marketing partnerships and Burnside also forgot that the arena is paying the Islanders owners to play in Brooklyn. There is another factor which Burnside has forgotten or maybe doesn’t understand. The Brooklyn arena owners are now in a second arena business and will renovate the Nassau Coliseum in an attempt to build a synergy that could eventually have the Brooklyn Nets and Islanders play pre-season games in the building and secure a minor league hockey team.

The Islanders franchise didn’t have much of a fan base and needs to build a bigger one that will include New York City. That some Nassau and Suffolk County fans are irate is no big deal. They do travel to Mets games in Queens and Jets games in New Jersey and that it is early in the season. The Islanders marketing partners, the Brooklyn Nets may have also made a mistake by catering to the old fans instead of turning over the fan base entirely like the team did when the Nets franchise moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn. The Islanders franchise is still in New York where there is money and eventually the big city media will understand that the team is a big city team like the Mets, Yankees, Knicks, Rangers and those two NFL teams across the Hudson in New Jersey.

I’m Evan Weiner for the Politics of Sports Business.

This article was republished with permission from the original publisher, Evan Weiner

Russia given until end of week by Coe to respond to WADA report

Doping

By

U.S. Sports Academy

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November 11, 2015

0

Russia have been given until the end of this week to respond to the publication of today’s report published by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that recommended the country’s athletes be suspended from international competition, which could include next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The deadline has been set by International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Sebastian Coe, who admitted he is shocked at claims Russia has been running a “state-supported” doping programme.

The 323-page report from the WADA Independent Commission revealed London 2012 was “sabotaged” by “widespread inaction” against athletes with suspicious doping profiles.

“I want an explanation for the allegations that have been made today,” Coe, the chairman of London 2012, said.

Coe, the double Olympic 1500 metres gold medallist, said that after reviewing the feedback the IAAF “would look at a range of options, including sanctions”, which could result in suspension.

“I’m not putting in a time frame but I will do whatever is necessary,” he said.

“This is not a swift road back,”

In its report, the Commission found that head of Russia’s WADA-accredited laboratory in Moscow, Grigory Rodchenko, intentionally destroyed 1,417 doping samples despite their request to review them.

WADA has recommended lifetime bans for five Russian athletes and five coaches, including Rodchenko.

Two of the athletes were the Olympic gold and bronze-medal winners in the 800 metres at London 2012, Mariya Savinova and Ekaterina Poistogova.

The WADA Independent Commission has recommended that Mariya Savinova and Ekaterina Poistogova, the Olympic gold and bronze medallists in the 800m at London 2012, be banned for life ©Getty Images

Vadim Zelichenok, acting President of the All-Russia Athletics Federation, claimed WADA’s recommendation to ban Russia did not allow them a fair hearing.

“This contradicts the rules,” Zelichenok, criticised in the report by the WADA Independent Commission for being uncooperative and trying to prevent them speaking to athletes, told the R-Sport news agency.

“There is an IAAF Constitution.

“This issue should be considered at the IAAF Council in November.

“We must be given the opportunity to prove our innocence.”

The report, however, threw the credibility of London 2012 into doubt over the actions or inaction of the IAAF, the ARAF and Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), the Commission admitted.

It said: “The IC (Independent Commission) has noted a cumulative lapse of action from the IAAF, ARAF and Rusada in conjunction with pursuing suspicious profiles.

“As a result of this widespread inaction, the Olympic Games in London were, in a sense, sabotaged by the admission of athletes who should have not been competing, and could have been prevented from competing, were it not for the collective and inexplicable laissez-fair policy adopted by the IAAF, ARAF and RUSADA.”

Pound warned that they were looking for Russia to demonstrate its willingness to change and take anti-doping as seriously as most of the rest of the world did.

“One of our hopes is they will volunteer to take the remedial work,” he said.

“I hope they recognise it is time to change.

“The outcome may be that there are no Russian track-and-field athletes in Rio.

“If they do the surgery and do the therapy, I hope that they can get there.

“Sometimes, if the conduct is such and it’s not corrected, that’s the price you pay for it.”

Due to the ongoing nature of criminal prosecutions, part of the report dealing with alleged corruption at the IAAF, including the allegation that former President Lamine Diack accepted bribes to cover up doping cases involving Russian athletes, has not been made publicly available for now.

The report still confirmed, though, it had identified “corruption and bribery practices at the highest levels of international athletics”.

The International Olympic Committee claimed they found WADA’s report “deeply shocking” and promised it will “take all necessary measures” with regards to Russia’s misconduct.

“This is a deeply shocking report and very saddening for the world of sport,” the IOC said in a statement.

“The protection of the clean athletes is a top priority for the International Olympic Committee.

“This is why in Olympic Agenda 2020 the IOC has undertaken far reaching measures in this commitment.

“With regard to the Olympic Games, the IOC will continue to take whatever measures needed to safeguard clean athletes, clean sport and good governance.

“The IOC will also carefully study the report with regard to the Olympic Games.

“If any infringements on the anti-doping rules by athletes and or their entourage should be established, the IOC will react with its usual zero tolerance policy.

“We support the attempt of the independent commission to bring all the facts to light in the interest of the integrity of the sport and the protection of the cleans athletes.

“The IOC trusts that the new leadership of the IAAF with its President Sebastian Coe will draw all the necessary conclusions and will take all the necessary measures.”

The situation could be even worse for the IOC, though, as Pound described today’s allegations as only the “tip of the iceberg”.

“The Independent Commission wants to make it clear that Russia is not the only country with an ineffective anti-doping programme and that athletics is not the only sport with an ineffective anti- doping programme,” he said.

Duncan Mackay, this article was republished with permission from the original publisher Inside the Games www.insidethegames.biz

U.S. Soccer Announces Ban on Heading for U-11 Players

By

U.S. Sports Academy

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November 11, 2015

0

In response to a class-action lawsuit that sought rules changes and a reduction in concussions, U.S. Soccer announced guidelines on Monday that will prohibit young players from heading the ball.

The announced changes will strictly prohibit players younger than 11 from heading the ball, and reduce the amount of headers in practice for players aged 11 to 13.

The regulations will be mandatory for U.S. Soccer youth national teams, as well as MLS youth club teams. Other soccer associations not under U.S. Soccer control are not subject to these regulations, but can use them as guidelines.

According to the Concussion Legacy Foundation’s Founding Medical Director Robert Cantu, limiting headers can have an impact on concussion incidence.

“We’re thrilled that progress is being made, but there is more we can do,” said Cantu. “Research has shown that delaying the introduction of headers to age 14 would prevent over 35,000 concussions in middle school players per year. These new rules still leave many of those middle schoolers at risk, so we will continue to campaign to raise the age further.”

According to the New York Times, Steve Berman, the lawyer who brought the case, considers the lawsuit resolved.

“With the development of the youth concussion initiative by U.S. Soccer and its youth members, we feel we have accomplished our primary goal and, therefore, do not see any need to continue the pursuit of the litigation,” Berman said in a statement.

Written by Jason Scott

Original article reprinted with permission from Athletic Business,www.athleticbusiness.com

Popovich to succeed double Olympic gold medal winning coach as head of United States team after Rio 2016

By

U.S. Sports Academy

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November 11, 2015

0

Current San Antonio Spurs boss Gregg Popovich will take over from Mike Krzyzewski as head coach of the United States men’s team after next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, it has been announced.

Popovich has been in charge of the National Basketball Association (NBA) side since 1996 and is one of the most respected figures in the game.

Krzyzewski guided the United States to Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008 before they defended their title at London 2012 and has lost just one game since taking over in 2006, a 101-95 defeat at the hands of Greece in the semi-finals of the 2006 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup.

He has taken the decision to step down to pursue a different career within the sport and will transition into his new role as a special advisor to USA Basketball following Rio 2016.

Popovich admitted he thought his chances of becoming head coach had gone, insisting he believed “that ship had sailed”.

“I look forward to maintaining and honouring the standards that have been set by Jerry Colangelo, Mike Krzyzewski and all the players who have sacrificed over that decade,” Popovich, who has led the Spurs to five NBA titles in his tenure as coach, said.

“Dozens of players have decided to be a part of that culture and I take that responsibility very seriously and look forward to doing whatever I can to maintain it and keep it going.”

The Americans have dominated the world basketball scene in recent years having also won the 2010 World Championships and 2014 World Cup.

They look well-placed to secure a third straight Olympic gold at Rio 2016.

“There really wasn’t a list of people to talk with,” USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said of the appointment.

“He was the man that I wanted to take over when Krzyzewski finishes his tenure in Rio at the Olympics in 2016 and after having met with him this summer and given him time to think it through, that he was really willing to accept that opportunity, I could not have been more pleased.

“He represents everything that USA Basketball is all about.”

Liam Morgan, this article was republished with permission from the original publisher Inside the Games www.insidethegames.biz

Exclusive: IOC shouldn’t think they are “superior” to FIFA after past scandals, claims ICSS director of integrity

FIFA

By

U.S. Sports Academy

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November 11, 2015

0

Criticising FIFA and distancing themselves from governance and corruption problems is a hypocritical stance for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to take so soon after their own Salt Lake City scandal, International Centre for Sport and Security (ICSS) director of integrity Chris Eaton has claimed.

IOC President Thomas Bach launched a strong criticism of FIFA last month after the latest raft of allegations against them, warning how “enough is enough” and they must act “swiftly to regain credibility” because their problems require more changes than simply the election of a new President.

He also told football’s world governing body to take measures complying with themes of accountability, transparency and good governance prioritised in the IOC’s own Agenda 2020 reform process.

Eaton, a former FIFA head of security who departed to take up his ICSS post in 2012, criticised them, however, for taking this stance after backing Blatter for so long, while also doubting the sincerity of some of the IOC’s reforms.

“The IOC has only emerged fairly recently in governing body terms from its own scandal at Salt Lake City [in 1998],” he told insidethegames during last week’s Securing Sport conference in New York City.

“So they shouldn’t point too many fingers and make themselves out to be the superior body.

“The IOC rebuilt their values, but in a very pretentious way and the pretentious behaviour means they will never lead grassroots sports until they can become part of the grassroots culture.

“So the IOC doesn’t really have the role it pretends it has, it is really an event-management company.

“It exists to manage the Olympic Games.

“It has no direct authority, other than influence – because of the Olympic Games – on other sports federations and governing bodies.”

Ten IOC members were expelled and another 10 were sanctioned for involvement in bribery during the successful Salt Lake City bid for the 2002 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, after which a series of reform measures were introduced, including a lower age limit of 70.

Eaton did concede that elements of the IOC’s more recent Agenda 2020 reform process had been positive, but criticised some parts, such as the focus on themes of autonomy and independence.

These values are “up for question” in today’s world, he claimed.

“The Olympic Movement has a different problem,” Eaton added.

“A sense of quasi-royalty.

“The IOC think they are almost born to lead and rule, and that arrogance is equally as culturally negative to FIFA’s greed arrogance.”

By Nick Butler, this article was republished with permission from the original publisher Inside the Games www.insidethegames.biz

R&A and USGA publish 2016 Rules of Golf

Golf

By

U.S. Sports Academy

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November 11, 2015

0

The R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA) has published the 2016 edition of the Rules of Golf for both professionals and amateurs, which are due to come into effect on January 1, at the start of a year when sport is due to make its return to the Olympic Games after a 104-year absence.

The rulebook is the result of the usual four-year review of the game, conducted by the two organisations, and applies to all golfers worldwide.

The key changes to the professional statutes include abolishing the rule on ball moving after address, which means players will now not be punished if the ball moves as they line up their club.

A new exception has also been created which will bring an end to player’s being disqualified for returning a lower score for a hole than actually taken as a result of failing to include penalty strokes they did not know had been incurred.

The penalty for the first use of “Artificial Devices, Unusual Equipment and Abnormal Use of Equipment” during the round has been reduced from disqualification to loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play.

“The objective with each four-year cycle of the rules is to monitor developments in the game and, when appropriate, to respond with changes that keep the best interests of the game in mind,” Thomas Pagel, senior director of rules of golf at the USGA, said.

“The amendments for 2016 preserve and enhance the essential principles of the rules, while at the same time ensuring that they reflect the evolution of the game.”

The main alterations in the amateur game featured in the the Rules of Amateur Status include players now being able to compete in an event where the prize money is awarded to charity and that golfers can claim “reasonable expenses” for non-competition golf related activities.

“The new Amateur Code continues to provide appropriate limits and restrictions to encourage the amateur golfer to focus on the challenge of the sport, rather than on any financial gains,” Pagel added.

“We also want to make it easier for golfers to return to the amateur sport if they no longer wish to play professionally.”

Golf will make its return to the Olympic programme at Rio 2016 having last appeared at St. Louis in 1904 when Canada’s George Lyon won the gold medal in the men’s individual and the US the men’s team event.

A video explaining the rule changes can be found by clicking here.

Liam Morgan, this article was republished with permission from the original publisher Inside the Games www.insidethegames.biz

Television sport consumption remains at a high level in 2015

Business

By

U.S. Sports Academy

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November 11, 2015

0

Television sport consumption remains at a high level in 2015, despite the appearance of new pay platforms and the transfer of sports broadcasting rights from free channels to pay channels. Frédéric Vaulpré, Head of Eurodata TV Worldwide, notes that “the 2014/2015 season shows that, even without the Olympic Games or the Football World Cup, television was still the main medium used for watching major sports meetings live, with the other media being used rather as a means of completing and enriching the TV experience. Sport continues to beat records and the offer diversifies: women’s football is now enlighted and local sports are becoming established amongst international competitions. This bodes well in the run-up to the Rio Olympic Games!”

The German Adidas Group, following a “stellar financial performance” in this year’s third quarter, expects its 2015 sales to increase at a “high single digit rate” in 2015 on a so-called “currency neutral” basis. After shareholders had previously been told they could expect an increase in the mid-single digits, net income is now projected to increase at a rate of around 10 per cent. The company reports a net profit of 311 million Euros (approx. 339 million US$) in the three months ended September, up from 282 million Euros in the same period the year before, while third-quarter revenue increased 13% to 4.76 billion Euros when adjusted for currency effects.

Driven by an accelerated momentum at adidas as well as robust growth at both Reebok and TaylorMade-adidas Golf, the currency-neutral adidas revenues grew 14%, driven by double-digit sales increases in Western Europe, North America, Greater China, Latin America and MEAA. Currency-neutral Reebok sales were up 3% versus the prior year, with revenues more than doubling in Greater China and growing at double-digit rates in Latin America, Japan as well as MEAA. Revenues at TaylorMade-adidas Golf increased 6% currency-neutral, mainly due to double-digit growth in North America. In euro terms, Group revenues grew 18% to 4.758 billion Euros in the third quarter of 2015 from 4.044 billion Euros in 2014.

“Our relentless focus on the consumer is clearly paying off: The great momentum that adidas and Reebok are enjoying across the globe proves that our products and marketing are resonating extremely well with the target audience, both in the lifestyle and the performance arena,” commented adidas CEO Herbert Hainer CEO. “The third quarter shows that, in combination with our excellence in execution, this is the game plan to drive brand desirability and generate strong topand bottom-line growth.”

This story first appeared in the blog, The Sport Intern. The editor is Karl-Heinz Huba of Lorsch, Germany. He can be reached at [email protected]. The article is reprinted here with permission of Huba.