Thursday, February 10, 2011
Test 1
Friday, November 19, 2010
The Future of MLS Playoffs
By Chris Ballard
Let's face it; the MLS playoff system this season has been less than ideal. When the Eastern conference final is contested between two teams nominally from the west, you know something has gone wrong somewhere. In other sports, the playoff procedure has been determined for quite some time and everybody - fans, teams, journalists - know what each team has to do to make the post-season. This isn't something that MLS has done in recent years; with the near constant expansion of the league, the competition format has needed to change regularly to accommodate the new teams.
Beckham and Galaxy on Tour Earning Power
Steve Davis has a dispatch from Toronto this morning on the potential site and opponent for the 2011 MLS All-Star Game. The new
Barcelona would want somewhere between $1.5 million and $2 million to play in a one-off Stateside. Lesser-tier English sides like Everton, West Ham, and Fulham cost less than a quarter of a million dollars. These numbers don't really surprise me since I didn't have any preconceived ideas about what they might be, but they did immediately bring to mind a mental note on an MLS team going abroad: per Australian reports, the LA Galaxy are getting somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 million (AUD) to play the Newcastle Jets on November 27th.
And before you find yourself wondering if the exchange rate makes that amount look bigger than actually is, just know that the Australian dollar is currently on par with the US version. That's right, the LA Galaxy is getting the same fee for a one-off friendly in Australia as Barcelona would demand for one in the United States.
I don't really know what this means, but it's noteworthy at the least. The Galaxy-on-tour asking price is certainly down to David Beckham, and considering that the club is guaranteeing he'll play despite a groin pull, it might as well be a one man show. As much as it would please me to think that Donovan or even Buddle has some profile in Oz, I know they have zero impact on how much AEG is getting.
There are other considerations as well, things like higher travel costs to the other side of the world, that make the Galaxy-Barcelona comparison less impressive (another report indicated LA was getting A$ 1.5 million to play, and A$ 500,000 in travel reimbursement). But for all the talk of Beckham's drawing power dwindling in the US, it's clear that his value to the Galaxy is still massive.
Embracing History
by Jason Davis
I read a book, a novel as a matter of fact, about an imaginary America where soccer is big and the National Team is capable of winning the World Cup (and in the book, they do - imagine that!). I wrote a review of said book, a work that relies fairly heavily on American soccer history, even if much of the story is constructed on a foundation of "what ifs." I also read a piece at Slate by Brian Phillips, the best talent writing on soccer not named Jonathan Wilson, in which Brian laments by a simple review of Major League Soccer's brief history the League's frustrating refusal to incorporate American soccer's rich past into its contemporary story.
Brian touches on some of the "whys", including the League's desire to separate itself from the failure of leagues long dead, and points out that the fans are much more embracing of our patchwork soccer history than the people in charge of our modern first division. Sounders fans used the power of a write-in campaign to ensure a link to the old Seattle team, the Timbers and Whitecaps are riding into league next year on the back of their NASL history*, and t-shirts purveyors like Bumpy Pitch and Pot Hunting are banking on a soccer-savvy community's appreciation of that-which-came-before. While MLS scurried away from nostalgia, an increasingly educated American soccer fan base was discovering that there was a footy life before single-entity.
Sports nostalgia, as a cultural movement, has been in full-swing for years. Flip through the NFL games on any given weekend and you're bound to see one of the teams wearing stripped-down unis that hearken back to when men-were-men and two-way players were the norm ("skill position" is code for "designated wussy"). Baseball does it, hockey does it, and each of our "Big Four/Big Three and a Half" sports evoke the past every time a record is broken or two teams that once-played-an-epic-game-before-color-was-invented face off in a contest of any notable importance. When footage exists, it's trotted out like a saintly relic; when it doesn't, we always have David Halberstam and Dr. Z. Ask yourself how many times you've seen Bobby Thomson take that fateful swing or Alan Ameche score from one yard out. Examples abound, best-selling books proliferate.
Unfortunately, unlike American attempts at professional soccer, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and our other professional sports competitions have operated uninterrupted for as long as anyone not named "Harry" or "Norman" can remember. The chain is unbroken, the relevancy of the games cross-generational. While the players of today are often oblivious to those that came before them, wizened chroniclers are always on hand to remind us that Gibson dominated, Sayers was magical, and Russell changed the game. As the clock ticks by, what constitutes "history" (in the nostalgic, not literal, sense) includes a lengthening list of years; knowing the historical narratives of our teams (specifically that which occurred before our own individual fan connections were formed) is a mandatory prerequisite to earning the title of "true fan." As it relates to loyalty and ownership, this is less about nostaglia than it is about pride**.
Perhaps it's this natural inclination of fans to embrace their chosen team's history that makes whole-sport nostalgia possible on a large scale. Temporal history, like that of the American Soccer League (the 1920's version) or NASL, which could not be directly connected to shiny new clubs born in the 1990's, doesn't fit the paradigm. Until the recent wave of incoming legacy clubs, fans of MLS teams couldn't go back before 1996 for anything that seemed relevant to them; because the League was understandably set on differentiating itself from the shooting star-NASL (remember, at the time of Major League Soccer's inception, the demise of the NASL was only 12 years in the past), everything that happened before, even Archie Stark and the mostly forgotten ASL, was obscured by the new-beginning whitewash. The skipping-stone nature of American soccer, glancing off the surface of our sports culture over the course of the last 150 years, made it an unlikely candidate for warm feelings.
It's less that MLS consciously chose to ignore the past as much as it pragmatically decided to leave it aside. In retrospect, maybe the decision was wrong and the contemporary explosion of nostaglia for American soccer's past stands in evidence of that. Or perhaps the passage of time, with the pool of potentially interested fans larger than ever before, a decade-and-a-half of MLS history behind us, and the NASL's disappearing act outside the scope of memory of anyone not born prior to Pele's debut with the Cosmos, has served to whet the appetite of American soccer fans for even the modest (in number) glories of the past. Naturally shifting perspectives among a fan base taking cues from the followers of history-rich European clubs made ubiquitous by TV and the Internet (with the assistance of American soccer "old-timers" who kept the flame burning) turned the original MLS policy as clownish as rainbow-striped sleeves. The current corporate leadership of MLS, much of which was in the delivery room when the League emerged from Alan Rothenberg's mental womb, is not noted for agility of approach. It stands to reason that a course correction will naturally be slow in coming.
That is an attempt to understand, not to justify***. If you subscribe to the theory that American soccer needed Wharton-esque business-first leadership to finally accomplish sustainability (and I do), then you might be willing to withhold indictment on the issue. With that said, the grace period has expired.
Eventually, it will dawn on Garber and his cohorts that it's in their best interest change their tact. Rather than merely allow clubs to "create their brand vision", which may or may not involve the incorporation of a pre-MLS past, Major League Soccer, as a torch-bearing institution, must endeavor to connect itself to (North) American soccer history on a comprehensive scale. The language of marketing, a necessary evil that borders on the anathematic for the average emotionally invested fan, must give way to expressions of understanding that American soccer did not begin with the "launch" of the "product" that is MLS (or with World Cup '94 for that matter). Save the talk of "brand visions" for the boardroom.
The labels "failed" and "defunct" in regards to American soccer leagues and teams no longer matter after a point; once nostaglia takes over, stigma is quickly shed. The truth of soccer's struggles in the United States through 1984 won't be forgotten, but the stories it created and the legacies it left behind are ready for inclusion in the modern day narrative, sans detrimental effect (as we've already seen). The Cosmos are on the verge of a comeback, not simply because a few rich men have too much time on their hands, but because a community exists that remembers their history fondly with little regard for how long it lasted or why it came to an end. If MLS is ready to climb into bed with an organization bearing the name of American soccer's most spectacular flame out, surely they're ready to acknowledge the rest of a rich history that carries much less baggage.
I wonder, while sharing Brian's disappointment in MLS and belief that it should emerge from the vacuum, if a league-sanctioned annexation of pre-1996 American soccer history is actually necessary. Sure, it would enrich television broadcasts and blunt the edge of arrogance the League possesses, but with much of what is pushing MLS forward culturally emanating from an organically blooming supporters movement, perhaps the fans are the natural, and ultimately preferable, custodians. Whether by word of mouth or its digital age equivalent (the mechanism which is allowing you to read these very words), an education in American soccer history is already becoming part of the context in which we view Major League Soccer.
The peerless Mr. Phillips suggests that MLS could add significance to Sunday's final if it embraced things that happened BP (Before Preki). I agree, because while Preki's general demeanor brings to mind images of club-wielding proto-humans bludgeoning large mammals to death on vast Stone Age plains, his appearance on the American soccer scene was a relatively late occurrence. Though we don't need MLS to fold itself into the greater story of acronym-ed leagues to understand where its particular chapter belongs (we'll get by on our own, thank you very much), an acknowledgment that the current league is but the latest caretaker of what is rightly described as truly historically American sport would be quite nice.
* I'm not forgetting about the Earthquakes - they just seemed to be a one-off exception to the rule rather than the beginning of a revival.
** I have the vague recollection of reading about a theory that early man's cognitive evolution might have been due in part to the memory needed to recite a list of ancestors, indicating that as a species we may have an instinctual desire to know what came before us in regards to that with which we identify (for prehistoric man, this was his family/genetic forebears, probably as it affected his status within his community); the thought occurs that the sports fan, particularly when it comes to his chosen team to whom he/she creates a personally meaningful bond and which obviously affects his/her status on a societal level (more so when fandom was a matter of simply supporting your local side/civic pride), could be exhibiting the same instinctual behavior. Of course, I could have all of that utterly wrong.
*** I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the possibility that the League's founders didn't want to evoke memories of the NASL because they knew their cost-controlled, small-budget effort wouldn't be able to hold a candle to the Cosmos et al. in terms of star power and quality. Fourteen years later, a second-division league has appropriated the name. Go figure.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
AmSoc Special: Taylor Twellman
I was lucky enough to get Taylor Twellman on the phone this morning for a special edition of the American Soccer Show. Taylor talks about his retirement, his plans now that his playing career is over, MLS, college soccer, club re-branding, and much more.
Listening options after the jump.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
FIFA Releases Bid Evaluations
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USA:
Executive Summary
The USA bid’s hosting concept and legacy programme highlights the importance of the FIFA World Cup™ as a key step in the further development of the USA as a football nation. The bid offers flexibility in terms of city infrastructure, stadiums and facilities, all of which provide a broad platform for staging the event. The bid is supported by the national and local football authorities, the local city governments (by virtue of duly executed Host City Agreements) and the stadium authorities (by virtue of duly executed Stadium Agreements).
The bid proposes 18 Host Cities and 18 stadiums, thus exceeding FIFA’s requirement. All 18 stadiums are built with no further renovation indicated. Nevertheless, since most stadiums are American football venues, the Bidder plans to remove seats in the corners and adapt the existing structure to meet the FIFA World Cup™ pitch size requirements.
In terms of football development, the Bidder suggests a range of domestic and international activities that could be funded by the success of the FIFA World Cup™ in the USA. United States (US) football is respected worldwide and its teams have recorded various successes at club and international level. The USA has considerable experience in hosting large-scale national and international sporting events in the last 20 years. It held the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, the 1994 FIFA World Cup™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cups™ in 1999 and 2003.
The Bidder has contracted the required number of venue-specific team hotels (VSTH) but has not contracted the required number of venue- specific training sites (VSTS). It has contracted the required number of team base camp (TBC) hotels but has not contracted the required number of TBC training sites. FIFA’s team facility requirements could potentially be met, however a complete inventory of contracted team facilities is required.
In terms of accommodation, 170,000 rooms have already been contracted, thus exceeding FIFA’s minimum requirement of 60,000. The accommodation plan is based on a wide- ranging and plentiful supply of good-quality rooms at fair, contractually agreed conditions.
As for the FIFA headquarters, it is proposed to have separate FIFA headquarters for the first and second stages of the competition. Additional details are required in order to assess the proposals. The rate for a standard room in the proposed first-stage hotel is high and should be reviewed.
In general, the candidate Host Cities have a well-developed transport infrastructure and experience in managing traffic and crowd flows for events and sports contests. However, the country’s vastness and geographic location imply a dependence on air travel in view of the lack of alternative means of long-distance transport within the country. Nevertheless, the capacity of the airports and the competitiveness of the aviation market in the USA would assure reliable air transfer. Temporary transport would have to be arranged to and from the majority of the proposed stadiums during the event.
The country has a strong information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, and it appears as though FIFA’s requirements would be met.
International standards for major event safety and security and for health and medical services are likely to be met.
The Bidder has submitted its concepts for sustainable social and human development and environmental protection initiatives.
The proposals submitted by the Bidder for the competition-related events would generally fulfill FIFA’s requirements.
Marketing, media and communication matters have also been addressed. The information provided suggests that the USA is the number one market for sports sponsorship in the world and that it also has a growing market for football sponsorship. However, as the required guarantees, undertakings and confirmations are not given as part of Government Guarantee No. 6 (Protection and Exploitation of Commercial Rights) and mere reference is made to existing general intellectual property laws in the USA, FIFA’s rights protection programme cannot be ensured. In terms of TV, should the FIFA World Cup™ be hosted in the USA, the TV ratings and media rights income in the Americas are likely to be higher.
The Bidder has submitted an expenditure budget of USD 661.2 million (current) for a FIFA Confederations Cup and FIFA World Cup™ in 2021 and 2022. The budget has been submitted in the format required with supporting information. A projection of approximately 4,957,000 sellable tickets has been made.
If the USA is awarded the hosting rights, FIFA's legal risk appears to be medium. Whilst the necessary government support has not been documented as neither the Government Guarantees, the Government Declaration nor the Government Legal Statement have been provided in compliance with FIFA's requirements for government documents, the US Government has considerable experience in supporting the hosting and staging of major sports events and has proven its willingness to make material concessions, accommodate the concerns of event organisers, and has expressed its intention to enact the necessary legislation by 1 June 2013. Furthermore, the requirements for contractual documents have been met.
______
Australia:
Executive Summary
The Australia bid’s hosting concept highlights the opportunity for FIFA to bring the FIFA World Cup™ to Australia and the Oceania region for the first time. The bid is supported by the national and local football authorities, the local city governments (by virtue of duly executed Host City Agreements), the stadium authorities (by virtue of duly executed Stadium Agreements) and the national government (by virtue of duly executed Government Guarantees).
The bid proposes ten Host Cities and 12 stadiums, thus meeting FIFA’s minimum requirement. Nine of the 12 stadiums already exist and would be renovated, and three would be built. A stadium construction and renovation budget of approximately USD 2.29 billion has been projected.
In terms of football development, the bid’s proposals would make a contribution towards establishing football as one of the top sports in Australia and Oceania. Australian football is gaining respect worldwide, and its teams have recently recorded various successes at club and international level. Australia has experience of hosting major international sports events in the last 20 years, having hosted the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney and the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
The Bidder has contracted the required number of venue-specific training sites (VSTs) but has not contracted the required number of venue-specific team hotels (VSTHs). It has contracted the required number of TBCs training sites but has not contracted the required number of TBC hotels. Otherwise, FIFA’s requirements for team facilities are likely to be met.
In terms of accommodation, 43,000 rooms have already been contracted, thus falling short of FIFA’s minimum requirement of 60,000. That said, Australia would have sufficient good-quality hotel capacity to host the competition and accommodate the majority of FIFA’s constituent groups under fair and contractually guaranteed conditions. As for the FIFA headquarters, it appears that the proposals fulfill FIFA’s requirements. Australia has a well-developed transport infrastructure and considerable experience in managing the traffic and crowd flows generated by sports events. However, the country’s vastness and geographic location imply a dependence on air travel, potentially causing domestic and international transfer challenges in view of the lack of alternative means of long-distance transport within the country.
The country has a strong information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, and it appears that FIFA’s requirements would be met.
International standards for major event safety and security and for health and medical services are likely to be met.
The Bidder has submitted its concepts for sustainable social and human development and environmental protection initiatives. The Bidder has also submitted its proposals for the competition-related event venues. Marketing, media and communication matters have also been addressed. The information provided in the Bid Book suggests that Australia has an established market for major event sponsorship and a developing market for football sponsorship. The existing regulations in Australia which adversely affect the free and unrestricted exploitation of media rights need to be suspended in accordance with the undertakings given in Government Guarantee No. 6 (Protection and Exploitation of Commercial Rights). Should the FIFA World Cup™ be hosted in Australia, there is a risk of a reduction in TV income and, as a result, commercial revenue from Europe and the Americas. The income from Asia/Oceania would need to be increased substantially to offset the likelihood of loss of revenue in Europe.
The Bidder has submitted an expenditure budget of USD 535.2 million (current) for a FIFA Confederations Cup and FIFA World Cup™ in 2021 and 2022. The budget has been submitted in the format required with highly detailed supporting information. A projection of approximately 3,020,000 sellable tickets has been made.
If Australia is awarded the hosting rights, FIFA’s legal risk appears to be low. All contractual document requirements have been met and the necessary government support has been secured. The Government Guarantees and the Government Declaration have been provided in compliance with FIFA's requirements, but remain subject to additional legislative steps which the government has undertaken to conduct within the required deadline subject to parliamentary sovereignty. However, the Australian Government has experience in supporting the hosting and staging of major sports events and has proven its willingness to make material concessions and accommodate the concerns of event organisers.
______
Japan:
Executive Summary
The Japan bid’s hosting concept consists of five main aspects: new football content utilising audio, video and information technologies; a new high-technology stadium experience; global fan fests; innovative internet business; and educational activities. The bid is supported by the national and local football authorities, the local city governments (by virtue of duly executed Host City Agreements) and the stadium authorities (by virtue of duly executed Stadium Agreements).
The bid proposes 11 Host Cities and 13 stadiums, thus exceeding FIFA’s minimum requirement of 12 stadiums. Of the 13 stadiums proposed, 12 already exist and would be renovated, and one would be newly built. A stadium construction and renovation budget of USD 700-1,300 million has been projected. Eight stadiums fulfilled FIFA’s previous requirements, as confirmed by their use for the 2002 FIFA World Cup™. However, if Japan is awarded the hosting rights for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™, specific attention would have to be given to the fulfillment of future FIFA World Cup™ space and quality requirements.
In terms of football development, the bid seeks to build on existing activities in Japan and Asia, and plans to leverage and commercialise several elements of its hosting concept, e.g. global fan fests and internet business, to generate revenue for further development activities. The Japan Football Association (JFA) and the J-League are highly respected worldwide, and its teams have recorded various successes at club and international level. Japan has experience in hosting international football events in the last 20 years, having co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup™ and the FIFA Confederations Cup 2001 and hosted several FIFA Club World Cups successfully.
The Bidder has contracted the required number of venue-specific team hotels (VSTH) but has not contracted the required number of venue-specific training sites (VSTS). It has contracted the required number of team base camp (TBC) hotels and training sites. The Bidder appears to understand the requirements well, but there is a limited supply of contracted and suitable facilities in some locations.
In terms of accommodation, 96,000 rooms have already been contracted, thus exceeding FIFA’s minimum requirement of 60,000. Overall, the bid offers a wide-ranging and plentiful supply of rooms under fair, contractually agreed conditions. As for the FIFA headquarters, the total number of contracted rooms in the proposed hotels does not meet the requirement of 700 rooms. Additional information is required about the office space concept.
Japan has an excellent transport infrastructure, comprising numerous international and national airports and extensive road and rail networks. However, traffic-reduction measures are essential to increase capacity and facilitate event transport operations during peak times.
Likewise, the country has a strong information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, and it appears as though FIFA’s requirements would be met.
International standards for major event safety and security and for health and medical services are likely to be met. However, the implementation of the safety and security concept is not fully ensured as not all of the conditions of Government Guarantee No. 4 (Safety and Security) have been met.
The Bidder has submitted its concepts for sustainable social and human development and environmental protection initiatives.
The Bidder has also submitted suitable proposals for the competition-related events.
Marketing, media and communication matters have been addressed. The information provided in the Bid Book suggests that the major event and football sponsorship market in Japan is well established and developed. However, as the required guarantees, undertakings and confirmations were not given as part of Government Guarantee No. 6 (Protection and Exploitation of Commercial Rights), FIFA’s overall commercial programme cannot be ensured. Should the FIFA World Cup™ be hosted in Japan, there is a risk of a reduction in TV income and, as a result, commercial revenue from Europe. The income from Asia/Oceania would need to be increased substantially to offset the likelihood of loss of revenue in Europe.
The Bidder has submitted an expenditure budget of USD 843.4 million (current) for a FIFA Confederations Cup and FIFA World Cup™ in 2021 and 2022. The budget has been submitted in the format required without supporting information. A projection of approximately 3,280,000 sellable tickets has been made.
If Japan is awarded the hosting rights, FIFA's legal risk appears to be medium. Whilst the necessary government support has not been secured as neither the Government Guarantees nor the Government Declaration have been provided in compliance with FIFA's requirements for government documents, the Japanese Government has experience in supporting the hosting and staging of a major sports event and has proven its willingness to make material concessions, accommodate the concerns of event organisers, and has expressed its intention to enact the necessary Government Guarantees and legislation (without accepting a deadline). Furthermore, the requirements for contractual documents have been met.
______
Korea Republic:
Executive Summary
The Korea Republic bid’s hosting concept presents the idea of holding some matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ in Korea DPR. The bid is supported by the national and local football authorities, the local city governments (by virtue of duly executed Host City Agreements), the stadium authorities (by virtue of duly executed Stadium Agreements) and the national government (by virtue of duly executed Government Guarantees).
The bid proposes 12 Host Cities and 4 stadiums, thus exceeding FIFA’s minimum requirement. Of the 14 stadiums proposed, 13 already exist and would be renovated, and one would be built for the 2014 Asian Games.
A stadium construction and renovation budget of USD 877 million has been projected. Ten stadiums fulfilled FIFA’s previous requirements, as confirmed by their use for the 2002 FIFA World Cup™. However, if Korea Republic is awarded the hosting rights for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™, specific attention would have to be given to the fulfillment of future FIFA World Cup™ space and quality requirements.
In terms of football development, Korea Republic plans to concentrate mainly on national development and specific activities in Asia. Korea Republic football is respected worldwide and its teams have recorded various successes at club and international level.
The country also has experience in hosting international football events in the last 20 years, having co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup™ and the FIFA Confederations Cup 2001, and having hosted the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2007. Korea Republic will also host the 2014 Asian Games, which will give it further experience of organising large-scale, international sports events.
The Bidder has contracted the required number of venue-specific training sites (VSTS) and the required number of venue-specific team hotels (VSTH). It has contracted the required number of team base camp (TBC) training sites but has not contracted the required number of TBC hotels. Upgrades to many training sites may be required to ensure FIFA World Cup™ standards. In terms of accommodation, 87,000 rooms have already been contracted, thus exceeding FIFA’s minimum requirement of 60,000. However, the majority of FIFA’s constituent target groups would be accommodated in two or three-star quality standard rooms. The Bidder has submitted a suitable proposal for the FIFA headquarters.
Korea Republic has plans to enhance its well-developed transport infrastructure. The proposed traffic-reduction measures are essential to increase capacity and facilitate event transport operations during peak times. The country has a strong information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, and it appears as though FIFA’s requirements would be met.
International standards for major event safety and security and for health and medical services are likely to be met.
The Bidder has submitted its concepts for sustainable social and human development and environmental protection initiatives.
The Bidder has also submitted its proposals for the competition-related event venues, although these require some adjustments.
Marketing, media and communication matters have also been addressed. The information provided in the Bid Book suggests that the major event and football sponsorship market in Korea Republic is well developed. In terms of TV, the current broadcasting law, which adversely affects the free and unrestricted exploitation of media rights, needs to be suspended in accordance with the undertakings given in Government Guarantee No. 6 (Protection and Exploitation of Commercial Rights).
Should the FIFA World Cup™ be hosted in Korea Republic, there is a risk of a reduction in TV income from Europe. The income from Asia/Oceania would need to be increased substantially to offset the likelihood of loss of revenue in Europe.
The Bidder has submitted an expenditure budget of USD 496.6 million (current) for a FIFA Confederations Cup and FIFA World Cup™ in 2021 and 2022. The budget has been submitted in the format required with limited supporting information. A projection of approximately 3,000,000 sellable tickets has been made.
If Korea Republic is awarded the hosting rights, FIFA's legal risk appears to be low. All requirements for contractual documents have been met and the necessary government support has been secured. Furthermore, the Korean Government has experience in supporting the hosting and staging of a major sports event and has proven its willingness to make material concessions and accommodate the concerns of event organisers.
________
Qatar:
Executive Summary
The Qatar bid’s hosting concept, which is in line with Qatar’s national development strategy, presents a novel approach to event operations and legacy. The Qatar bid envisions a concentration of almost all key event facilities and venues in a relatively compact area within a radius of 60 kilometres. In terms of legacy, there is a strong commitment to having a carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup™, especially through utilisation of environmentally friendly cooling technologies. After the event, modular sections from the stadiums are planned to be used to construct 22 stadiums around the world in developing countries. The opportunity for FIFA to bring the FIFA World Cup™ to the Middle East for the first time is also highlighted.
The bid is supported by the national and local football authorities, the local city governments (by virtue of duly executed Host City Agreements), the stadium authorities (by virtue well as the domestic initiatives are important. Qatari football is still developing and its youth teams have recorded some successes at international level. In terms of experience in hosting international sports events in the last 20 years, Qatar has already hosted the 1995 FIFA U-20 World Cup as well as the 2006 Asian Games. In January 2011, the country will host the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.
The relatively short distances between all facilities related to teams, such as stadiums and team base camps, suggest that the traditional venue-specific team hotel (VSTH) and venue- specific training site (VSTS) approach may not be needed. The bid proposes both this traditional approach as well as an innovative team base camp (TBC) village approach which relies on several critical assumptions for success: the positive reception of the TBC village concept by teams, the effectiveness and acceptance of cooling systems for all training sites, and high-quality grass growth under proposed sun shades. Furthermore, many of the proposed team facilities have still to be constructed.
While all of the proposed team facilities are contracted, a number of points require further consideration and need to be addressed on a revised contractual basis. The proposed TBC village concept may change the approach to the FIFA World Cup™ as a nationwide event.
In terms of accommodation, over 84,000 rooms have already been contracted, thus exceeding FIFA’s minimum requirement of 60,000. That said, the accommodation plan heavily depends not only on the capacities of two candidate Host Cities but also on significant construction. The final number of accomplished projects would determine the number of supporters who could be accommodated. Furthermore, the concentration of the majority of rooms in just a few properties could lead to the risk that the exclusivity of certain constituent groups could not be ensured. As for the FIFA headquarters, the proposal appears to meet all of FIFA’s requirements.
The transport plan, in line with the hosting concept, differs from transport models of past FIFA World Cups™ due to the fact that all key venues are situated in close proximity to one another. Significant development is planned for both the New Doha International Airport and the general transport infrastructure. Nevertheless the fact that ten out of the 12 stadiums are located within a 25-30km radius could represent an operational and logistical challenge. Any delay in the completion of the transport projects could impact FIFA’s tournament operations. Moreover, it appears to be difficult to test a transport concept prior to the event under conditions comparable to the FIFA World Cup™. The fact that New Doha International Airport would be the primary air gateway for the entire tournament period also requires careful consideration.
Based on the information in the Bid Book, it appears as though FIFA’s information and communications technology (ICT) requirements would be met.
In terms of safety and security, the Qatar bid considers its compact hosting concept as advantageous. A concept would have to be established to enable adequate testing of the proposed security model prior to the event under conditions comparable to the FIFA World Cup™. International standards for health and medical services are likely to be met. However, the fact that the competition is planned in June/July, the two hottest months of the year in this region, has to be considered as a potential health risk for players, officials, the FIFA family and spectators, and requires precautions to be taken.
The Bidder has submitted its concepts for sustainable social and human development and environmental protection initiatives.
The Bidder has also submitted a suitable proposal for a single competition-related event venue, the Doha Convention Centre, which is under construction.
A detailed concept remains to be developed in order to address how all event operations for the hosting of 64 matches as well as event-related services such as transport and accommodation would be ensured in terms of sourcing, recruitment and logistical support of sufficiently qualified staff.
Marketing, media and communication matters have also been addressed. The information provided in the Bid Book suggests that the major event and football sponsorship market in Qatar has potential for growth. Because Qatar has a time zone of UTC+3, there is unlikely to be a negative impact on TV ratings in Europe and the European media rights income should the FIFA World Cup™ be hosted in Qatar.
The Bidder has submitted an expenditure budget of USD 645.5 million (current) for a FIFA Confederations Cup and FIFA World Cup™ in 2021 and 2022. The budget has been submitted in the format required with supporting information. A projection of approximately 2,869,000 sellable tickets has been made. However, the forecast merits review due to the impact of the construction schedule and modular seating on ticketing operations.
The Bidder’s plan implies a new operational model for all stakeholder groups and in doing so raises certain questions, especially in terms of logistics and security. The realisation of the plan depends on centralised decision- making and is largely based on construction of projected general and event infrastructure, which represents a risk by restricting FIFA’s contingency planning.
If Qatar is awarded the hosting rights, FIFA's legal risk appears to be low. All requirements for contractual documents have been met, but additional specific undertakings and securities are necessary given the special situation in, and the special hosting concept of, Qatar. The necessary government support has been secured.
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Click here (pdf) to see all of the evaluation reports, including those of the 2018 bidders.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
US Bid Has Commitment Issues
Technical reports on FIFA's World Cup bid inspections are due to be posted to the governing body's website tomorrow morning; per POLITICO, the US bid faces concerns over the level of government commitment.
The summary posted notes that while the bid's venues and infrastructure are beyond reproach, necessary "Government Guarantees" have not been documented. Ben Smith of POLITICO characterizes FIFA as being wary of domestic politics and the fallout from recent midterm elections; with government spending a hot button topic, there is understandable doubt that Congress will take the action necessary to ensure funds are available for a 2022 tournament in the United States.
The inspection team labeled FIFA's legal risk "medium." A Congressional resolution in support of the bid could fail in the wake of major changes to the legislative body's makeup. FIFA could still award the bid to the US, with the requirement that legal framework be in place by a June 2013 deadline.
Text from the summary relating to legal risk and government guarantees:
If the USA is awarded hosting rights, FIFA's legal risk appears to be medium. Whilst the necessary government support has not been documented as neither the Government Guarantees, the Government Declaration nor the Government Legal Statement have been provided in compliance with FIFA's requirements for government documents, the US Government has considerable experience in supporting the hosting and staging of major sports events and has proven its willingness to make material concessions, accommodate the concerns of event organizers, and has expressed its intention to enact the necessary legislation by 1 June 2013. Furthermore, the requirements for contractual documents have been met.
Beyond governmental guarantees, the report summary is decidedly positive. The only requirement not met, per the inspection team, is the securing of necessary training venues. The size of the country is noted as impacting the bid, though the quality of the air transportation system lessens those concerns.
The bid's projected budget is $661.2 million.
Accommodations are ample, venues exist in abundance and without need to build further (though some venues would need seats removed to fit regulation fields) and available tickets are reported to be over 4.9 million. Though POLITICO colors the government issues as a sticking point and political situation as troubling, it's difficult to imagine Congress refusing to pass the legislation needed if the US wins the 2022 bid on December 2nd.
Ultimately, FIFA politics and collusion will be the bid's biggest obstacles, not concerns over Congressional commitment.
(H/T VercengetorixII on Twitter)
